Old Poems Outta the Box

Hey all, today’s selection might be the first poem I ever wrote for x2. It was written so early in our relationship that I was still (obviously) a little leery about just where this was going.

In the end we did get married stayed together for quite awhile. We had a child together and our still friends but, in these early days, I was, as you’ll soon see, a tad less assured.

The lovely x2 never was fond of this poem and forbade me from ever reading it at poetry readings…

Annyway here is

 

She (in 4)

I

She steps through my door

Out of the night

Wrapped in night black velvet

Ghost woman

Phantom visitor

A smile that eats my heart

Crushes me

To my knees

I man always

Man heart unreachable

Untouchable but

She ghost woman massages it

With love and spiked heels

Leaving a trail of bloody kisses across my chest

 

II

She ghost

Wrapped in black velvet night

Pure soft white crescents of skin flash

Blinding me with lust

Sear me struck me dumb me

Man of words

Words being power but I

Am Powerless

Swept away willingly

In this passionate game of

Her devising

 

III

She ghost woman is art laying in my bed

The curve of her stomach a poem

The round of her breast a renaissance masterpiece

And I am in awe as she rolls atop me once again

Back lighted by the pale March moon

She is cool white fire

Pale as the light that washes over her alabaster skin

 

IV

She ghost woman laughs cruel

As the God who made her and let us meet now

With this gap of time between us

The gulf that makes this just a dream while

Her smile sinks deeper into my flesh

Tying me to her

The pull to become us

Till there is just the need

And she snaps off a laugh when I tell her this

And that she will be the death of me when she goes

Yet still

I surrender.willingly when she comes

Like a ghost in the night

 

 

 

Netflix; Nuggets & Nasties

Well hello everyone it’s been quite awhile since we’ve all had time to sit down together and watch any movies on our favorite streaming service NetFlix but tonight I’ve talked everyone

Unaffiliated.

to come over and watch one of my personal favorites that’s just hit the New Releases category.

Now if you haven’t seen one of these NFN&N posts before, remember the purpose isn’t to thoroughly review those big new movies on NetFlix.

No we’re not even really technically reviewing* the movies we talk about, at least that’s not the main impetus, we just wanted to be more like a clearing house of info, here to point out the good (and bad) movies you may not normally have the time or desire to sift through on NetFlix.

Sure Hunger Games, Skyfall, Avengers & more are all on NetFlix right now, but if ya haven’t seen ’em, you’ve at least heard about them. Also there’s the fact that most likely you and everyone else have gotten all the news, reviews, thumbs up or down etc, regarding these films.

But what about those other films, those nuggets and or nasties that make up the rest of the 80-90% of NetFlix?

What about Pontypol, Deathwatch (great nuggets) and Cockneys & Zombies or  In The Name Of The King(Nasties)?

Now there are a couple caveats to these NFN&N posts.

 

The first is really a two in one kinda deal,  my age and location.

I’m old(ish) n not up to date on the internet hipster subculture so once in awhile we may review a nugget or nasty that is a already semi or well known social media (cult) favorite (Detective Dee for instance). Often when I get excited about a movie the rest of the staff has to point out that in fact it was pretty popular. Sometimes I have already written and published the post when they tell me this.

But added to it is the fact we live and work in a 1 theater town. Many great movies with limited releases never make it to Palace City.

The other exception to this rule is of course, the extraordinary number of fantastic older hit movies that are regularly available on NetFlix. Many of you, being of course much younger, may not have seen and might possibly overlook some great films…

Which leads us to today’s NetFlix Nugget.

 Angel Heart

This 1987 (Sir)Alan Parker film starring De Niro & Rourke is, despite some now dated 80’s movie-isms (Mickey Rourke as a leading man and check out the smooth sax soundtrack aka Lethal Weapon) is definitely a must see film for movie lovers.

Okay first let me say that if you love the art of film making, any Alan Parker film is a safe bet. I haven’t watched every film of his, Angela’s Ashes is a fine example, but many people love it and swear it’s a beautiful film.

His resume though is quite impressive and of course he has been knighted by the queen and made one of my favorite movies “Pink Floyd’s-The Wall” so there’s all that.

But enough about the good Sir Parker and back to Lisa Bonet’s Breasts, well okay Lisa Bonet..

I once owned a well worn copy of this video 🙂

Her breasts were great in this film, but If there is a weakness to this film it’s her portrayal of Voo-Doo (Vodou) priestess Epiphany Proudfoot…

Maybe Sir Parker thought her breasts were better at acting than she was. What you thought I was gonna make a Janet Jackson reference didn’t ya?

It was a big deal when the film came out, remember she was a Huxtable…Mr. Cosby himself commented negatively in the press regarding her choices and it was the end of her character on “The Cosby Show”…(For you younger readers TV in the mid to late 80’s was “The Cosby Show” & then a bunch of other shows.)

Besides Miss Bonet the rest of the cast is outstanding. Di Nero is of course, amazing in his portrayal of the mysterious rich client who hires Mickey Rourke’s hard boiled, whiskey basted, gumshoe detective.

Di Nero’s deliciously debonair and devious.

Private Investigator Harry Angel (Rourke) is hired by Di Nero’s character through a surrogate to find a missing pre-WW II crooner known as Johnny Favorite.

Rourke is perfect as Angel, the surly, sloppy Brooklyn P.I.

Hoping to get ahead in the case, he gets a hand instead.

The Mickey Rourke we have in this (and other 80’s movies) was the small, edgey, “serious aboout his craft” Rourke…before the all the boxing nonsense and the Charles Atlas transformation. I’ mean seriously Mickey! I understand working our but… it’s like you cloned yourself and then swallowed the clone whole. Granted, you now bring double the Rourke intensity to every freakishly misshapen roll you play I’ll give ya that, but how many of those roles can there be Mick? Can I call ya Mick?

Wow I’m already well over 500 words & I haven’t really talked about the movie much let alone that it comes from a good book called, Fallen Angel. But that’s okay ’cause this is a movie best seen with as little fore-knowledge as possible.

If you haven’t seen Angel Heart we heart-ily suggest you check it out on NetFlix asap.

If you’re an old movie buff like me and you remember this great film check it out again and see how well this psych/thriller period piece, stands the test of time.

Jesus what’s th…oh Mickey sorry. Say ya know what I’m thinking…Hunchback II, Until the Last Bell Rings huh? Huh? See this time ol’  Hunchy is a bare knuckle brawler in an underground…

 

 

 

 

Old Poems from Outta The Box

Here’s an old one I wrote for my  two middle children, the Auganga Kid and Miss Bug, when they were just toddlers way back in the mid-nineties now.

It’s based on something the (then little) Auganga Kid invented to explain some kid caused calamity and I just elaborated.

I hope you enjoy.

 

Monsters in the House

 

There are monsters in the kitchen,

And they like to use the chairs,

To help them get the cookies then leave

Crumbs from here to there.

 

There are monsters in the bathroom

And this really is no joke,

‘Cause they dump out all our good shampoo

And crumble up our soap.

 

These monsters so you tell me

Look like purple fuzzy rats.

You think we could get rid of them

If we only bought a cat.

 

The monsters eat up doughnuts,

Sliced bread and yellow cheese.

Apples, grapes, and pastry cakes

But leave carrots and the peas.

 

When I ask why I can’t see them,

You say they’re much too fast.

My eyes, you say, are way too old

To spot those tricky rats.

 

These rats they steal our color crayons

And decorate our walls.

They once plugged up the bathroom sink

Just to see a waterfall.

 

And when night comes we’re all in bed

The whole house settles down,

I hear some snicker giggles and

A thumping bumping sound.

 

I climb from bed, clump down the hall.

Yes I’m feeling kind of mad.

Laughing amid the tangled sheets you squeal

Just missed ’em Dad.

 

There are monsters in our house.

I believe you that it’s true.

It is only lucky that I love them,

Just as much as I love you.

What Does Sex Mean to You…(and other hidden hits from my youth)

Hey all welcome to another RWR post.

So in a recent interaction with one of my favorite WP bloggers, a hilarious, often brutally honest “dating blog” (n I put it in quotes ’cause it’s so much more)…Miss Snarks brought to mind a rare musical blast from the past. “Cause I’m a Blonde” by Julie “Earth Girls are Easy” Brown.

Though it’s on my Zune I hadn’t listened to that particular playlist in quite awhile and so the next day at work I let it blare…(much to the annoyance of my co-workers I’m sure)…

As the list played, in honor of the her Santchness, I asked the staff of RWR to vote fer the best sex and or relationship songs you may have never heard of.

After a lot of whining that they had never heard of them either, I gave up and decided to just play them a dozen or so songs and have them pick from those.

It was hotly contested but after a few go rounds and repeats I can now officially say that some people just don’t like good music…no, it might just be a generational thing.

But these songs were big in their day, I swear…on the West Coast at least…or hits on the station I listened to anyway.

Okay so here is the list by category, but not in any particular order.

RWR’s best dating/relationship/sex songs from the early punk (don’t call it new wave) era…and remember there are rare songs you may not have heard of…

I acknowledge that there are plenty of great punk songs on these subjects from this era, and a ton of better known “New Wave” songs on the topi of love, sex etc…

But and again this post is about those lesser known classic (I think) hits from a gentler more innocent era.

Relationships/Dating:

“H-a-t-r-e-d”  Tonio K

“Computer Date” Suburban Lawns

“Too Young to Date” D-Day

“Never Say Never” Romeo Void

“Alice” by the Naughty Sweeties

& Sex:

“What Does Sex Mean to Me” Human Sexual Response

“Funky Poodle” Wild Horses

“Kinko the Clown” Ogden Edsel Wahalia Blues Ensemble Mondo Bizzario Band

“Warm Leatherette” The Normal

“Are you Ready for the Sex Girls” Gleaming Spires

Okay well there’s the list and if you’re interested in more you can go hear some of the songs by following the link below.

I of course suggest you search them all out and add ’em to your musical library.

Your collection of late ’70’s early 80’s punk, and okay yes New Wave wouldn’t be complete without them.

Click On Su for more!

Old Poems from Outta’ the Box

Hi all, adding yet another older poem I dug outta my writing box after moving.

If yer interested in seeing more of my older poetry you can see some of my California stuff here, and newer stuff from a couple years back here….

But right now here’s a short little poem from my first year in S.D.

 

God Don’t Mind that I Kilt this Here Deer

On my TV

Nightly news head

Interviewing man saying

In South Dakota

Hunting is like a religion

And the deer hung by it’s hinds

From the rafters of the garage

Dripping blood splatter pools on the gray cement

As children dance around

Proud Papa

 

Old Poems from Outta’ the Box

Where be the Angels

On a cold steel table

Deep in the antiseptic

Gray green basement of some Government building

Lies the body of an tiny infant

No longer pink faced and round

Who lived a brief but tumultuous life

Ended by violence

 

And I cried

Cried not just for this baby

But for all the babies who are left in the hands of

The inept

The Stupid

The Insane

All the babies who are battered with words

Fists

Deeds

And I can’t help asking just this one last time

Where be the Angels that you promised us

Old Poems from Outta’ the Box

Recently after having moved I decided I would go through my “Writings” boxes and kind’a clean house a little…

We all, all us writers produce far more material than ever sees the light of day, or retire somethings to a memory box having moved on from an idea or a style.

While condensing, compiling and cleaning out however I also came on a number of poems that had never made it, for whatever reason on to any of my blogs.

I thought I would rectify the situation here on RWR beginning with this.poem entitled…

Wisdom

I have lost better poems than this

Boxes crammed

Notebooks full abandoned under

Rapid retreat

Poems

Lines

Scribbled on a Del Taco napkin or

On the back of the phone bill

Thrown away as trash

Ponderin lost Poems.

 

Once in awhile one returns to me

As clear as when I first wrote it

Flash of insight like

When out walking or

Mowing the lawn

Sometimes I remember them vaugely

A title

Clever phrase

Other times nothing

Not even enough to miss

What I’ve forgotten

Only the knowlegde that

I have indeed

Lost better poems than this one

Netflix; Nuggets & Nasties

Welcome everybody to another episode of Netflix;Nuggets & Nasties I know you all (all 2 or 3 of you) have been eagerly anticipating my report on “The Croods” and don’t worry your pretty little heads I will deliver shortly…

Unaffiliated.

But before I do we here at RWR wanted to give a nod out to our top quick Nug picks available on NetFlix.

“Is it Safe?”

The Classic Choice: If you only have time for one Movie this week-end make it Marathon Man, if you haven’t seen this excellent thriller staring Dustin Hoffman it is definitely must see material. Never has the innocently asked question “Is it safe?” seemed so threatening. This Movie was the overall  #1 pick

Umm…Ya just gotta see it…really.

Runner up is the adaptation of Joseph Heller’s novel, the 1970 classic Catch 22. This is another film you, especially our younger viewers, may not have yet experienced. An excellent comedy featuring a stellar cast and a piece of 70’s film history you should eventually explore.

We all love ducks now!

Brain Gain: We’re big fans of the great documentaries, and plenty of them, available on NetFlix at the moment and if you can only watch one our top pick is DUCKumentary, another excellent offering from the folks at PBS’s Nature features outstanding narration by one of our favorites, Paul Giamatti, and such beautiful HD cinematography your TV becomes a portal to the marshes of North America.

Exposing animal prejudices and species on species violence.

Our runners up are Eternal Enemies, an extremely honest look at the often brutal relationship between Lions and Hyenas in the African grasslands (this was my top pick, Go Lions!) and for non nature lovers The City Dark is an excellent choice and complex enough to make it worthy of multiple viewings.

Their terror is your hilarity.

For Entertainment Purposes Only: Alright if you haven’t seen Tucker n Dale Vs. Evil yet, well then this is our numero uno pick…I argued against it only because I’m pretty sure everyone has seen it already.

The” Best Actor You May Not Have Heard of Award” goes to…

If you haven’t, well make a date with funny tonight. Granted you must be tolerant of blood, gore and plenty of cursing that comes with T&D vs Evil, one of the funniest movies we’ve seen and a insanely clever twist on an over done classic horror theme.

Amazingly enough, this wasn’t my top pick, but I love the film so am happy it won just the same.

No I just figured it wasn’t enough of a nugget.

Heck it stars Alan Tudyk and he’s a household name…around our house.

Despite the title this is not a movie featuring a Nancy Drew type character.

My pick was Detective Dee & Mystery of the Phantom Flame, a movie I didn’t watch forever just because the title seemed so…lame.

Now of course I love both the rockin’ awesome title and the movie. In Phantom Flame the action really heats up.

This time the girl’s in the wheel chair.

Our odd man out this time is another excellent import from China, The Four.

A great oddball film possibly best described as X-Men meets Chinese Action/Adventure Film.

The Four equals fun.

The Croods from Dreamworks Ent.

Okay a huge range of watchable material and now yes even I gotta admit…so was DreamWorks “The Croods“.

A fantastically fun, stunningly animated romp through a wonderland of trippy plants and animals.

I would still argue that I was for the most part right…just missed the fine points and a couple of tweaks (tweaks not twerks) to the overall usual thematic schema of today’s propaganda disguised as fluff, Animated Children’s Films.

Still unclear as to the movies message…Yea okay Girl power…but isn’t she still following a boy?

Though the propaganda wasn’t favoring my schema as in the overwhelmingly kick butt Incredibles nor as blatantly left leaning as any of the “Anything Featuring A Penguin” Movie.

Oh the big P was still there…it was just muddled which made it for the most part ignorable (for the most part).

I expected to be blasted in the face and except for the one “pouty” dad scene it was relatively (ridiculously) unclear.

Instead I was treated to a relatively minor morally abrasive tale that was actually pretty darn funny and beautifully animated.

I made some jokey reference in the last couple posts about acid, that is LSD use here at RWR, and while I assure you that of course was not true, I did think about acid while watching this movie. The digital scenery is fun, inventive and breathtakingly animated.

One of those places a man could settle down.

Bear in mind they went with the fantasy approach to their primeval world, but they went for it with bravado and it paid off for me. I certainly would live there despite the flying piranha birds and giant headed cats.

“The Croods” was better than I thought it’d be. If I let pass some of the more goofy socio-new agerey I actually found myself enjoying it.

I doubt it will become a perennial favorite around my house…but I may give it a watch again or two.

Okay well that was by far our longest NF;N &N post so definitely will keep it shorter next time.

Thanks for watching everyone and watch for our next episode where we dig up more great NetFlix Nuggets.

Netflix; Nuggets & Nasties

Welcome Ooga Booga and hello one and all to another episode of Netflix: Nuggets & Nasties!

Image used ’cause I wanna look official…I’m not…NetFlix is most likely unaware of this use of their fine logo…

And today along with our regular funtastic review of a Netflix Nugget, I’m gonna go out on a limb personally and pre-review “The Croods”…

Pre-review why tha’s crr-azy, the rest of the RWR staff is claiming no involvement here and that’s okay…I feel confident in my own inimitable fashion that my knowledge of whats going to transpire in this film is going to be relatively spot on.

That being said let’s look at our Nugget first shall we…

1. Ironclad

This 2011 film starring James Purefoy as Knights Templar Thomas Marshall and the always amazing Paul Giamatti as King John; has the caption “blood will run” and they ain’t kidding.

The movie, directed by Jonathan English (he also receives a writing credit along with Erick Kastel) is classified as an adventure film, but that seems to diminish all that this excellent movie brings to the medieval banquet hall.

Brian Cox and Paul Giamatti get acquainted,

The story looks at the turbulent and bloody history surrounding the signing of the Magna Carta, or the Great Charter.

The film opens just after the signing.

Is it just me, or am I gettin’ screwed here?

The Templar’s having aided Dukes, Barons and other nobles in their “up-rising” against the King,  are understandably a tad weary about traveling in full Templar regalia and advertising who they are.

When good Knights go bad!

And rightly they should be as things quickly get…crunchy (to use a term we heard on Olympic Snowboarding this week-end).

Simon Schama (shay-ma)

As usual we won’t give much of the plot away here though the majority of the film is spent dealing with the 1215 siege of Rochester Castle…Which we amazingly enough already knew quite a lot about (Thanks Simon Schama!).

Brian Cox as William d’Somethin or other.

Anyway, great historical approach, wonderful performances from everyone including Brian Cox who is great as William d’Aubigny Lord of Belvoir Castle, one of the Nobles who fought against the tyranical (sic) King John.

Oh and yes there is a great romantic angle for you ladies.

Insert phallic innuendo here.

Gentlemen if your gal isn’t too squeamish and loves British Historical Romance Adventure Dramas this would make a great Valentines Night film.

Jason Flemyng as Beckett

But rest assured guys, from the first mace bashing the face, to the cleaving in half (open mouth amazement at the battle scenes special effects crew), Thomas Marshall’s great sword nearly cutting an enemy clean in two…vertically, you are going to love this film.

And did we mention it has Vikings…Vikings!

All of us at RWR really enjoyed it.

We think you’ll have a smashing good time as well.

 

Okaay okay on to it.

My prognostication over the animated film “The Croods”

Now I’m just ballparking here, going for the characters, story and overall “intention” or socio-cultural moral behind the tale…(this is why the rest of the Blogophesto staff has abandoned me on this)

Wait this movie is just a fun kids movie right?

See I’ve, we’ve all of us seen this movie before.

So again I don’t feel what I’m doing is that hard.

Before I start lemme caveat by saying that I have seen(ish) the poster icon and some of

The Croods from DreamWorks Ent.

what I am saying comes from that. I won’t put any other pictures up because to do so might sway or influence me one way or t’other.

There’s a family, prototypical, not like the new normal, but like the bad old normal.

A dad, a mom, two maybe three kids and an animal for laughs (or maybe as a sensitive male foil to the Dad a la Brian in Family Guy).

Okay the basic story is thus, the Dad, not the stern task master of the King Neptune mold, but the lovable meaning well buffoon variety, (this I take from the poster) is obsessed somehow with keeping things “as they are”.

He is relatively incapable, and really only managed to keep his family alive through dumb luck or his wife’s (secret so as not to hurt his fragile male ego) interventions.

Now something has or is soon to happen (I’m betting an environmental calamity) that threatens to shake up his family unit.

The Dad of course acts with overbearing ignorance, however sweetly well meaning the poor oaf, and denies/obfuscates gets angry and then sheepishly follows.

Now in many instances the Mom would be the storyline’s heroine, but and again here, from the poster, I’m betting it’s the older girl…

What no of course not the older son, we’ll get to him a little farther down.

No it’s going to be the girl. She is full of the desire to break free from the stranglehold of the old traditions. And wants to prove that she can do whatever a man can do and more!

She understands the extent of the dangerous they face by clinging to the old ways and the upcoming pending environmental apocalypse better than anyone if only someone would listen to her!!

She’s definitely not the kind of young cave woman who wants to grow up barefoot and pregnant (God are we still talking about that!).

She is daring and dashing, ready to take risks and reach the stars…(all here-to-for in general considered male qualities). She wants to break free from the restraints that bind her.

Her older brother on the other hand is nervous, unsure of himself, wants to back Dad, but also isn’t interested in typical cave boy activities and wishes his Dad, who only does it as compensation for his own inadequacies, wouldn’t push him so hard.

In the end, as his world threatens to collapse around the family he has tried so hard to protect using all the ignorance he can muster, dad, with help from mom of course, finally listens to his daughter and learns that change may not be so scary and bad after all.

And that daughters, like all modern children (but especially daughters) are not meant to be told “what to do” because they often know better than adults, especially when it comes to socio-cultural issues pertaining to a: the Environment or b: Anything and everything else.

Okay well that’s it…that’s my best guess, now I can go be pleasantly surprised (like I was with the “Incredibles”) or have my worst fears confirmed (as with “Over the Hedge”).

I will of course re-review it and admit if I was wrong…

I promise the rest of the RWR crew (many of whom have watched it already) will make certain of that.

Until then remember every story teaches us something…what did you learn from you’re favorite film?

Lint Compactor?

One of the things I love about living in a house vs. an apartment is having the washer and dryer available (Yes I know some apartments have such appliances in them, I’ve never lived in such, and still my following comments apply).

In many apartments the washer and dryers are only better than a laundromat in that you don’t have to load the whole shebang into the car and transfer it to a separate location.

Living in a house, the washer and dryer are only steps away. It’s no extra trouble to do a load a day if that’s the way you want to go.

No, there’s no denying that having your own place with these specific appliances makes human life much more leisurely.

However there is one area that having a washer and dryer in the house really causes me trouble.

And I guess it’s more specifically the dryer.

Some say use it for mulch.

The problem is lint. The never ending battle against the by-productial invader.

Lint is not just my problem. A lot of people have issues with the seemingly innocuous particles of multi-colored fuzz.

Some spend hours getting rid of it. Some just let it pile up.

L-lint-phant

Others have turned it into art.

Lint Supper

But no matter how we look at it, trash or art lint is, like death and taxes, inevitable.

So the other day, as I emptied my lint tray for the ol’ umpteenth time I had an idea.

See recently I’d been working with insulation, and as I pulled it from the tray it came to me that lint, utilizing the right application technique might make quite adequate building insulation.

There  by taking a  at this point waste by product that we all can’t help but produce pounds of  year, and turn it into something useful.

I mean conceivably we could all be using aluminum cans and other human cast off refuse to build houses…but let’s start here.

The way I envision it, each dryer vent hose is now run to a “lint compactor”. Upon reaching capacity the compactor wraps the lint in a flame retardant bag and spits out a compressed block of insulating fibers. The consumer just has to remember to keep the machine stocked with bags.

Now the technical aspects I’ll leave to someone else…I’m just an idea man…but designing and building a prototype shouldn’t be that difficult for someone with the right kind of technical abilities.

I mean maybe I’m wrong ’cause like I said I’m just an idea man, but the lint compactor would certainly be an environmental plus around the house.