Thursday, July 28, 2016

Wasted at 4:15 PM

There were a couple of young rock festival attendees who wandered up to our office floor, looking for an actual women's bathroom. The rock festival has porta-potties. Our office women's bathroom has a push-button combination lock, so they weren't having any luck. One of them was pretty stoned on something already. I tried to point them at the public library, which does have truly public bathrooms, and which is just kitty-corner to our building. I'm not sure they quite understood what I was telling them. They seemed like nice suburban girls, but with their mental clarity impaired.

I don't think alcohol was involved. I would have smelled that.

I was leaving for the day.
Hope you girls got on okay.

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Gift Getaway

As a present for Samantha
I purchased one pet pantha.
I had him wrapped and taped,
but somehow he escaped.
If you see him running free,
Please ship him back to me.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Two Party Blues

It isn't very inviting to vote
For folks who want to hold your throat. 

Monday, July 25, 2016

Upcoming

When does the Zika Olympics begin?
Spray repellant on your skin
And pray the skeeters don't delight
In sucking out your blood at night!

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Relief from the Heat

Did the rain bring cool air? Or did a cold front cause precipitation?
Whichever one it was, it improved the situation.

The Importance of Being Earnest

We saw a very funny production of The Importance of Being Earnest from the Dead Writers Theatre Collective, whose byline is "Classic Theatre Resurrected".

The play was well-attended
Despite a terrific storm
And Lady Bracknell was splendid
In truly classic form.

Friday, July 22, 2016

A Heated Question

Why is it that I don't mind
being awake in the heat
but trying to sleep in it
ends in defeat?

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Lemur Out And About

What?

"A lemur, which potentially escaped from a nearby home, attacked a 21-year-old woman in Florida as she was leaving her home."

It's the prose that bothers me here. "Which potentially escaped"? Wouldn't a normal speaker of English have written "which may have escaped"?

Actually, it's not just the prose that bothers me. It's also the scary prospect of a potential lemur attack.

What would I do if a lemur
chomped down on my femur?

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Plymouth Rooftop Bar



Freaky inflatable. 
Marketing value debatable.

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Due Diligence

When your speechwriter hands you your text,
Run it through a plagiarism checker next.

It's a bit like buying a term paper online. 
You want to be able to claim "It's mine!"

Monday, July 18, 2016

Putting the Fun in Family Dysfunction

Is it 3, or 4,
Or even more?

At any rate there are lots of
The brothers Karamazov. 

Sunday, July 17, 2016

Flying Home


Gazing north across Lake Erie
To Canada, in theory -
A land where fields of cactus
Are very rare, in practice.

What Is Going On Behind Those Eyes?

Newborns: little mysteries we are holding
While their natures are unfolding. 

Friday, July 15, 2016

Aerial

I'm now a mere gaper
At white water vapor -
Gliding though clouds,
In spectacular crowds. 

As I fly beside them, 
And even inside them, 
They put on their show
Of darkness and glow.

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Death in France

The word is that the driver of the truck is dead. Shot to death. Which is fine with me. But from the point of view of poetic justice, he got away easy.

Someone like this
explains very well
why people love
to believe in Hell.

Midway 2AM

It's two in the morning and Midway airport is strangely busy. I gather Chicago had storm activity during the day. My bag seems to be on the next plane from Vegas, which is now expected to land in 15 minutes. 

My beat-up bag
Has suffered a lag. 

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

At the Atlas Summit

Michael Newberry at the lectern, before the start, 
of his talk about art.


In left foreground is a portrait of Pietros Maneos, by Michael Newberry.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Lake Powell in View



A landscape that's striking
And much to my liking. 

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Blue Angelic Perfection In Formation

Today I saw a lot of the Blue Angels, the Navy fighter jet "demonstration" team, zooming around the Gary Air Show in tight formations.

We were at a beach in Indiana, just outside Gary. I know these shows they put on are actually a bit dangerous, but today, as usual, it all went without a hitch.

Well, there was the smallest hitch:
I got a bit sunburn. It's starting to itch.

Saturday, July 09, 2016

Today's BLM March



It's hard to see it from this photo, but the members of this small protest were mostly Caucasians, including the guy carrying a big Black Panthers placard.

I was working, so I was glad they didn't make much noise going by. 

It's hard to be really loud
With a not-too-big crowd. 

Bomb Bot

The Dallas police killed the shooter by sending in a "bomb robot" with a bomb attached - and setting off the bomb.

Technology marches on.

I think this would have violated one of Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics. Particlularly number one: "A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm."

But those were laws for robots with "positronic" brains - robots who actually had the ability to understand what they were doing. This wasn't that sort of robot at all. This was basically a remote controlled device.

When you're shooting it out with the cops
And all the action stops
So they can send you a bot...

Will it be friendly? I think not.

Thursday, July 07, 2016

Sound Science

I guess I believe this:

"The Loudest Sound In The World Would Kill You On The Spot"

Fortunately, this hasn't been weaponized yet. As far as I know.

But it does raise a twist on an old philosophical question:

If a sound kills you in the forest,
did you really hear it?

Did you have time to process it,
before it expelled your spirit?

Wednesday, July 06, 2016

Healthy Eating Contest

I like leafy vegetables, but I have my doubts about this:

"Competitors sanctioned by Major League Eating are famous for downing hot dogs by the dozen but will compete for the Kale Cup at this year's Taste of Buffalo food festival on Saturday."

Who can eat the most kale?
I think I could snarf up a pail.

But when it comes to amusing the crowd,
I fear that this contest will fail.

Tuesday, July 05, 2016

Rhyming Candidate

A certain candidate for prez made a rhyme, some time back, but due to today's events it has gained new currency:

"There should be no bank too big to fail
and no individual too big to jail."


A complete lack of penalization
does give an awkward appearance.

Could we do a short revocation
of her security clearance?

Monday, July 04, 2016

Wherefrom

An exchange I've always admired, from the Star Trek movie where they take the ship back to the 20th century:

Dr. Gillian Taylor: Don't tell me! You're from outer space. 
Kirk: No, I'm from Iowa. I only work in outer space.

She thinks he's full of it as I recall.

And he is so down to earth,
Naming his state of birth. 

Saturday, July 02, 2016

What's the Buzz

The business of the bee
Is visiting the clover
And sipping out the nectar -
Nature's secret treat. 

The hive's a factory
Where nectar is the input
And honey is the output
So baby bees can eat.

Friday, July 01, 2016

Reading

At a play reading tonight, not one of mine by the way, I got to read the stage directions and the part of Madam Curie.

A visitor from
Days yet to come
Made it exciting
With demonic fighting.