Water Tower Skyline

Open Mic @ Smooch

Tonight’s adventure is an open mic night/poetry slam at a cool cafe and bar called Smooch in Brooklyn.  I checked this out for the first time last week (it occurs every Tuesday).  In fact, last Tuesday was my first time performing something public in about 10 years.  I read a poem written last year during my visit to NY/NJ, and one that’s a bit more convoluted as well.  I think tonight I’ll go with ‘Ode to the Little Things in Life‘.

The  event itself is very chill; a few people (fifteenish) show up, some sign up to perform, and the whole thing gets started between 9 and 10pm.  Smooch itself seems to be Australian owned, or themed, because they have a variety of Australian beers, and I saw some vegimite on the counter.

Wish me luck!

Ode To The Little Things in Life

O overused and underappreciated cash cow

in a glass half full of 800 pound gorillas;

O picture worth a thousand words. 

Why reinvent the wheel?

As American as an apple pie

that didn’t fall far from the tree

you’re barking up. 

I’m firing on all cylinders

with

and a duck out of water

without.

You cut to the chase without

beating around the bush

when it’s the same old story

of monkey see, monkey do. 

O tools of the trade,

that are the wind beneath my wings of wax

as I ride off into the sunset on a dead horse,

uphill

both ways

in the snow.

A Nerd In New York

So I have once again relocated my life.  This time, to the fast -paced bustle of New York City- that’s right, I live in Manhattan now, in the Financial District.  My inspiration to move was in no small part my current geographic freedom, all my work is done remotely so what reason did I have to remain in or near the silicon valley?  I’ll probably be back there soon enough anyway.

I arrived at the begining of October, and had an appartment by the beginning of November, and now that I’m a little bit settled, I’m really ready to begin exploring in earnest.  Enter this new column “A Nerd In New York.”  Working from home makes it really difficult to meet people and make friends, also, it’s boring and stuffy in my appartment, and I was starting to go a little stir-crazy (you’d be amazed how easy it is to de-socialize one’s self).   To combat my isolation, I have set out on a mission to find enclaves of nerdy awesomeness in NYC.

Nerd is a term often bearing a derogatory connotation or stereotype, that refers to a person who passionately pursues intellectual activities, esoteric knowledge, or other obscure interests that are age-inappropriate rather than engaging in more social or popular activities. Therefore, a nerd is often excluded from physical activity and considered a loner by peers, or will tend to associate with like-minded people.  –Wikipedia

With the exception of the derogatory  aspects, this is basically what I mean when I say nerdy.  However, I tend to place a bit more emphasis on the Japanese concept of Otaku aspects of nerdiness: that one can be a nerd of anything, a band nerd, a sports nerd, etc.  What makes a person a nerd is a veritable obsession with the information about a thing.  I don’t care with what a person is obsessed, the fact that they may or may not be is suitable for my liking.

So where can I find my brethren amongst 8.3 million people?  Stay tuned to find out.

brisk

Two men and a food cart as I walk by

haggling over what language to speak

hotdog flailing punctuatedly in black knuckle fingers and I’m passed it

scent down from the heavens –no it’s that pizza place

almost run me over

twice

It’s the answers not the questions

that drive this bus around

and shout back to sit down and shut up

don’t argue

and I’m past it

CitizenGroove

So I did it, I graduated.  It’s beenseveral months now, and life is great.  I’ve spent nearly all of those months with my “head down” on a new project called CitizenGroove.  CG is a network for musicians and a highly interactive media player for music listeners (infinite playlists anyone?).  We allow musicians to create highly networked artist groups with instrumentation information linked at the track level.  Also you can upload tons of music (if you own the rights).  We’re a real company, with trademarks and laywers and everything, so it’s very exciting.

  It’s in early testing phases, and there’s still lots more to come.  Lots of you out there have heard me talking about this, if you’re interested in being a tester, please contact me.  

The Dream Of The Stadium Peanut Salesman

A buy and a sell and a few more hours of hell.

My toss is a pitch, a heater, a curveball, or maybe a switch. 

The scent of cut grass is like a drug in my nose, better than any rose, any prose, any chemical dose. 

But oh, to be a player, to meet ball with bat and be its slayer.  Every day of my life, this is my silent prayer.    

Running the base, grand slamming the game in the face of those who would keep me in place.

I may work for peanuts but that’s only my bread, it’s something to do to keep hungry mouths fed, every day of my life, ever day till I’m dead. 

Maybe I’ll play ball in heaven’s arena, after God sends me that final subpoena.