Home is Not a Place - Proximity Mag, Readers Write

I wrote this short essay on home for a writing blog started by several of my fellow Goucher College graduate students.  Go to their website to check it out:

Home is Not a Place, Proximity Mag, Readers Write Section

My friend Ed Bean on his farm, Vienna, Maine, summer 2008

This Dude Doesn't Abide

Hanson dudes arrested after refusing to leave Somerville bar

Okay, so I just moved back to Bah-ston, and am currently residing on the South Shore, freelancing for a couple of local dailies, and covering this town, where some dudes, apparently, just don't abide....

Police arrested a pair of rowdy, beer-swigging men after they were kicked out of Good Time Emporium in Somerville and refused to leave Friday night, June
27.

It all started when Michael Vaughan, 24, of Hanson, allegedly took his Bud Light beer with him when he went to smoke a cigarette on the outdoor patio of the bar at 11:05 p.m.

When bar staff told him alcohol was not allowed outside, the apparently intoxicated Vaughan said, “Dude, get real. I’ll do what I want,” according to police reports.

When Officer James Slattery and Sgt. John Vozella, who were working paid details at Good Time Emporium, warned Vaughan he would be arrested if he didn’t leave, Vaughan replied, “Dude, are you for real?"

Apparently, the cop was.

On the way to the police station, police said, Vaughan continued to make irrational statements, saying, “You don’t know what I am going to do to you” and “I’m from Pembroke, Massachusetts.”

Sounds like that's one dude who has been smoking too much of the real Dude's shit.

Why Slate.com is the best storytelling venue there is....

Harlan County......

It's a lovely snowy Saturday afternoon in Denver and last night I watched the documentary "Harlan County, U.S.A.," about the 1973 coal miners strike in Kentucky. Today as I'm lazing around my cozy apartment watching the snow fall outside my window I decide to search youtube for more on the strike...and it's like the reverse of "Six Degrees of Separation." I find this video below, which I thought was kind of cool, which led me to the video below it. On the video below, the guy wrote that he wrote the song about his ex-wife. I found it to be unexpectedly beautiful and it made me cry on this snowy day.

Beauty comes in so many forms......

Billy the Kid Documentary....not what you think....

Games People (Hate To) Play....

Because I hate rules....and most games....I haven't posted this one yet but I'll stop dragging my feet and just do it dammit...

So, I’ve been tagged. And as much as I hate games of most types (excepting baseball, of course) I decided to play because:

a.) I’m new to the blogging game so it is something to get me started, though I find I have no
shortage of things to talk about – even if I exclude myself – just a shortage of listeners.

b.) I was tagged by the lovely, talented and creative dogfaceboy, and I wouldn’t dare dis her.

So here they are, the rules, so to speak. And if you know me, you know I pretty much believe that rules were made to be broken, so do as you like and feel free to break or make them however it suits you.

1. Write your meme (described below).
2. Include your rules or lack thereof.
3. Link to the person who tagged you, then link to the seven (7) random people you have tagged.
4. Let those seven (7) random people know they've been tagged by commenting in their blog. Also say something nice about their post, unless of course, you can’t think of anything nice to say to about them or their post. In that case, tag someone else.

And now the meme:
Share seven (7) random and/or weird things about yourself.

* * * * * * *

Seven (7) Random and/or Weird Things About Moi...

1. I have lived in five different states, in two different time zones, over the past ten years.

2. I have written for five different newspapers in three of those states in those two different
time zones in the past five years.

(Still with me? Good. Numerologists, is there some sequence of lottery numbers I should be playing here?)

3. I am naturally shy, but curious. Journalism has given me a good excuse to pick up the phone and call strangers to satisfy that curiosity.

4. It is unlikely that anyone who has ever met me would use the word “shy” to describe me.
I guess you could say I’ve done a good job of overcoming that. Or something like that.

5. I can not imagine a scenario that would ever cause me to develop either the interest or desire to watch football. No matter what he looks like.

6. I have actually received hate (e)mail in response to a personal ad I posted on Craigslist.

And lastly,

7. I swear I saw Philly Leotardo (of Sopranos fame) getting coffee in the bagel shop this morning. (oh, hell it was the other day okay? Can you tell I’m a procrastinator?)

Last month it was Junior Soprano I swear I thought I saw. He was crossing Colfax Ave. near the Ogden Theater wearing a Rockies hat and carrying a cane.

You're it. Now you play too, dammit.

Here are the folks I’ve tagged:

http://elsewhere.typepad.com

http://www.memrymotel.blogspot.com

http://arizonawriter.blogspot.com

http://downandout.wordpress.com

http://www.notitles.com

http://www.adoggyslife.blogspot.com

Yes, I know there are only five (six if I include the person who tagged me). It’s a sad state of affairs that I don’t have seven friends to play tag with in the blogging world.

Inaugural Blog

As a near-terminal procrastinator - and someone who can't figure out any technology much more advanced than a word document - I have been putting off joining the blog revolution.

But no more.

Here I am with my thoughts on life, writing, reading, people, music, arguments, family, the search for home, and a really good latte.