Rich Perin's Journal

decade old complaints.
I have the same complaints. At least I am consistent.

Is spinach jumping on the stingray bandwagon?

I think stingrays are up to something.

Anyone up for some reggae?
The worker ants follow each other and feed on death.

Hotdamn!
I haven't been to this site for three years and its still here. Best yet, "rich" on livejournal is owned by me. Excellent.

Livejournal, blogs, whatever you want to call them...horrible. Fucking horrible.

What has happened to poetry?
Oh, man. Passion is not enough.

Seems like if someone reveals something personal or goes to an open-mic and reads something passionate then that person has created a piece of exception art. Fuh!

And to make matters worse, all these MFA Creative Writing degrees are popping up in universities. People are suckers--these Creative Writing programs, for most part, are just a way for universities to make money. The program is cheap to set up and operate, but the fees aren't cheap. Then there is the actual course, which is really a machine that program people to write rather than teaching people to write. Nine out of ten MFA programs kill the adventurer spirit of writing.

Nice soap-box.

We found someone more stupid than Bush.
Never underestimate Texas politics. You thought Bush was bad? Check out Governor Perry. The guy is exactly like Bush without the so-called charm. The man is a banana.

In any case, busy busy busy. Writing like a fiend, new world of journalism, new journalism, gonzo twist.... it's better than the performance aspect of writing. I want the page, man. Don't glorify and get holy about spokenword. It's cheap.

Saying that, I'll be in Seattle for the National Poetry Slam competing with the San Antonio Puro Slam. It's my last hurrah.

Poetry is dead. It shows all the signs of life except for a pulse. Resurrection needs to come. Passion is not enough, you know what I mean?

Something to do with heat.

Everytime I complain about the heat I remember Robin Williams in "Good Morning Vietnam" pretending to be some grunt out in the jungle. It's hot. Damn hot. It's alright if you are with a woman but I ain't.

Ahhhhh....companionship. Just about anything is bearable if you have your partner beside you. You can strip me in this heat and let me get some serious sunburn in freaky places just as long as I have my woman beside me. Preferable naked as well but it would be fine if she was clothed.

Which makes me tangent to outdoor sex and getting a tan at the same time. Interesting.

Well, hello.

The monkey wrench is back in the gears and we're just waiting for some good ol' fashion fireworks.

Why is it so goddamn hot? It's sadistic. It really sucks when you drive a minivan that has no AC [it blew-up in Arizona 3 years ago] and only one window works. And I have inspection due last week. It's hard to dodge Texas police. But it sure is fun.

The wedding was great. So much for preconceptions. I wasn't an outcast what so ever and I had a great day. Free food and beer is good. What more?

Tonight I have to venture to San Antonio and rehearse for Slam Nationals. The pieces are slowly coming together and I can see that my team mates are getting better and better. We have a message to deliver and I just want that message to be delivered in the best way as possible. Such is the nature of the modern commercial ridden society.

Wedding

I am going to a wedding tomorrow, well technically today. My girlfriend's brother is getting married. I have never met him or his soon-to-be-wife, nor any of the parents. In fact my girlfriend will be the only person I know at the wedding and she is a bridesmaid so she will be sitting at another table during the shindig.

I will be at the reject table, probably sitting next to Cousin Bilby who hasn't been quite the same since the 1960's. Despite Cousin Bilby I got ten bucks that says I will be the most overt outcast at the celebration, even though I will be quiet.

The reception is supposed to be at this classy estate. Apparently the bride's parents are loaded and aren't holding back. This should be good. I will return their hospitality by drinking all their free alcohol and maybe taking a wiz behind a bush every now and then. I like free alcohol.

So, what is it with Los Angeles? Are they following the lead pf English Soccer fans? You know, win the champsionship and then start a good ol' fashion celebratory riot.

Icarus Made It.
It's true.
His wings didn't melt and
he punctured the sun
There was no belly flop into the sea
just a crown of fire
and the devil in his eye

Moments notice....improvised....

The word is jazz
more free than neon
vegas doesn't hold a candle to it
my feet hit the street and my step
is nothing but affirmation
the stamp of approval
i got more class than the bank manager
i'll never mortgage my soul
so
i just hold this smile
and go places where Icarus never made it

Consider the following:

What if George Bush Jnr became President? Now, according the latest polls there is a good chance of this happening but I have a hard time swallowing this scenerio. Everytime Bubba Jnr opens his mouth something stupid comes from it. He's not cracked up to what he is supposed to be and during the next few months the nation will see it. Goddamn....just look at the fool during the Reupublican Ticket run. The man was a fool and McCain nearly stole the guanlet. Hotdamn...the man appeared at Bob Roberts University...so much for compassionate conservatism. Consider this:

1st in Children without Health Insurance...US Bureau of Census

5th in Highest Teen Birth Rate...US Dept. of Health & Human
services

3rd in Highest number of children living in poverty...

1st in poorest counties

46th in High School Completion Rate...

Ho Ho Ho. Santa Bush!

Of course I suffer from the ugliest disease: procrastination. I have all these lofty ideas, aspirations and dreams but implementing actions that produce the goods is something I don't do. It's ironic--movement is a great source of inspiration but I move so very little.

The trick is to write. Anything to break the rut. And stay focused upon objectives that really count.

I have moments when I am bored of food. Usually in the morning. which is ironic because I am 190 pounds of swine [as opposed to 200 pounds of swine a few months ago].

Today I am going to do some serious writing, maybe a couple of spoken word pieces. I started a piece called "Forrest Gump Was A Dumb Fuck, Part 1" but it's cheap, although it gets pretty entertaining. I have another idea for a spoken word piece, using the line, "My country tis of thee/ Sweet land of penetentiary!" The idea is that our society can not solve problems by building more jails.

I also have to contact this jazz pianist and organize a schedule regarding recording a cd together. He's a kick ass jazz head and improvises perfectly to my poetry. Hopefully I'll have the cd ready for August--that's when I'll be in Providence RH participating at the National Poetry Slam.

So, I consider 6th Street in Austin to be the contemporary prime example of T.S Eliot's *The Wasteland*. Jesus, what is it with frat boys and soroity gals? They go to college--they are supposed to be a little more conscious and less moronic. I say it's the business degree explosion. As if going to school and doing a business degree expands consiousness or push the boundaries of the mind a large extent.
And the sad thing is that in this 6th street Wasteland people don't know how to drink. Trust me, drinking is an art. It's not weak ass American beer and froo-froo martinis. Shieeet...drinking is an art. I suggest Canadian Whisky.

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