The Story of Stuff

Gakked from Mary DeMuth's Shoutlife Blog: The Story of Stuff. It's good stuff. Takes a couple of seconds to load the video, but it's worth the watch. More reason to minimalize your life.

--God is calling
God is calling
When you think he has forgot
When you think you have forgot
He remembers
and he speaks
your name out loud.--

today's poem

Joys of Forty


Hard to believe I ever was a baby
Although pictures never tell a lie.

I am Spam

She’s a cutie
He’s got a degree
He sells the latest stock in trade
Prophylactics, monkey antics
And Microsoft’s latest tool.

Download me
Purchase me
send me your details.

Win a prize
Collect the money
Sequestered by some foreign bank

Send your papers
Call this number
Be sure to have your account on hand

Here’s your code
Here’s your MBA
Here’s your gucci,
Here’s your prada
Here’s your imitation brand.

What more could you possibly want?

Enhance your sex life
Increase libido
Don’t be shy

We accept credit
We accept cash
We accept
The possibility
Of taking you
And breaking into your life.

In the Mail Today

The New Weird Anthology, edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer -- have already snuck into the introduction which made my head go ping. I am already liking it and looking forward to a nice cosy sitdown with the stories.

Also received, Beggars in Spain which I'd ordered from an Amazon.com seller.

The Borges book I ordered is still footsie. If it doesn't arrive tomorrow I am going to have to complain.

**

And because poetry makes friends, my new year's resolution is to send poetry collections as gifts to poetry loving friends.

I'm really looking forward to gifting peeps with Luisa Igloria's soon to be released Juan Luna's Revolver.
I don't shop a lot, but I compensate with book buying :) Funny how this can be much more rewarding than buying a new pair of shoes. Having said that, I suppose it would be redundant to broadcast my bookwormism.

**

Must be the time of year. I am writing poetry again...to quiet the clamor inside my head.

Dear . . . .


Sometimes, sleep is the only escape
and even then this dull ache
turns my dreams somber
I awake shedding tears over
the memory of mangoes

this is why I love poets and poetry

There are days when stories clamor for existence
And my head is filled with noise and the clash-bang of giant drums

I will always return to poetry
To this luxury of resting in its arms and knowing
I can be.

taking stock

I'll be turning forty this month, and I've decided it's time to take stock of my life and look at what I've achieved so far and what else I want to achieve and to consider carefully the organizations I'm part of and how essential these are to my future goals.

Three years ago, I joined fantasy-writers.org. Fantasy-writers is a fantastic community with lovely and friendly writing people. My most memorable people from fantasy writers are Joanne Hall, Fran Jacobs and Nyki. Not only are they generous writers, they also write excellent fiction and are no nonsense about wanting to be their best. I'm not surprised that Joanne and Fran have been able to land publishers for their books. 2005 was a tumultous year and through fantasy-writers, I went on to The Sword Review (Double-Edged Publishing). There, I've stuck for the past three years, and I don't foresee leaving DEP because even when I have a shortage of time, I believe in the vision of this publishing company, and I made a promise to me to do my best to support them as much as I could. Through DEP, I landed my interview column which led me to look for the FLIPs community. FLIPS being my connection to the Filipino writer anywhere in the world. Even if I'm not stateside, it's good to know and to support these fabulous writers who are driven by passion for their art.

Being on Flips, made me decide to write for Munting Nayon. From DEP, I discovered Notebored, didn't stick on Notebored that long due to limited time frames, but I did stick to Liberty Hall.

To date, I maintain two blogs. My livejournal writing blog and this blog which I moved to after the Raindancer blog.

Analyzing my organizations, I'm glad I took my time deciding which ones to join. It's easy to join too many orgs and end up burning out. And I'm convinced that if I join something it should be something I believe in and which I can contribute to in an effective way.

Breakdown of my current orgs:

Bayanihan -- org for Filipina Women in The Netherlands
Munting Nayon -- The Dutch-Filipino paper
Liberty Hall -- where I flash, and get challenged to write and polish and submit
OWW -- I'm not so active on OWW anymore. I think the bulk overwhelms me and I'm rather time-limited at present. I do enjoy lurking on the mailing list.
DEP-- I edit for Haruah, and lurk around the DEP forum whenever I can
Flips -- this is a filipino writers list based in the US
Villa Diadoti -- hopefully I'll finally get to go to a live one soon as I am eager to meet fellow writers in the flesh.

blogs:

this minimalmax blog for ramblings and inner searching stuff and struggles and working out of thoughts...and rants and whatever else cultural and opinionated

livejournal which is basically for writing updates and non-ranty stuff

This year, I would like to join the Broad Universe Organization. I've announced this to hubby and so I'll be making an application to join sometime soon. I've been nosing around the site, and I'm hoping I get accepted.

This year looks like the year we'll finally get a writers group together and be able to finally put on paper ideas for literary stuff and participation which includes book launchings, get togethers, readings, workshops and the entire thing. I'm excited about this as well as pretty nervous. It will mean more time.

Who said 40 meant slowing down? Looks like, life does begin .

Next time, I'll take stock of achievements since I launched out on this writing journey in 2005 and I'll make a listing of my projects and my goals for the coming year.