Eclectic, (kind of) Grumpy (near) Middle Aged Man

I AM Divine

2011-09-27T22:56:00.002-05:00

Please help me support the documentary I Am Divine

Worlds worst assination attempt

2011-02-15T13:03:00.003-06:00

On this day in history 1933, president-elect Franklin Delano Roosevelt was giving an impromptu speech from the back of an open car in the Bayfront Park area of Miami, Florida, where Giuseppe Zangara, a mentally unstable bricklayer, was living, working the occasional odd job, and living off his savings. Zangara joined the crowd, armed with a .32-caliber pistol he had bought at a local pawn shop.

Being only five feet tall, he was unable to see over other people, and had to stand on a wobbly folding metal chair, peering over the hat of Lillian Cross to get a clear aim at his target. After the first shot, Cross and others grabbed his arm, and he fired four more shots wildly. He missed the president-elect, but five other people were hit, including Chicago mayor Anton Cermak, who was standing on the running board of the car next to Roosevelt. Anton Cermak died the next day. (This information re-edited from Wikipedia)

Here’s my question; FDR was in a wheelchair and Giuseppe STILL could NOT hit the guy? It’s not like FDR could jump out of the way of the bullets. Reportedly Cermak said, Better me than you Mr. President. Mine would have been, WTF, really, you couldn’t hit the lame, sitting duck.

The Internet...In My Office...On My Throne?

2011-01-24T17:40:00.003-06:00

There are things that normal people don't think about that bother me greatly on a daily basis. Case in point: Mobile Internet. I could be writing this while sitting on the toilet and none of you would have a clue.

I hear it all the time, in public restrooms, the clacking of phone keyboards while someone is on the toilet. Is this person on Facebook writing a witty post? Sending an email to everyone they know? It scares me to think about it.

Stay off the phone while you are on the throne!

Become A Part Of Movie History

2011-01-24T13:26:00.003-06:00

Aaron's House on IndieGoGo

Who has not dreamed, at one point in their life, about seeing their name on the Big Screen, or IMDb?

Now is your chance. Aaron's House has an IndieGoGo page up and needs your support. I would not put my name on something that was not good, since my name is on Aaron's House you know it will be great (not because of me though). Please consider joining the Aaron's House Revolution and see your name on the big screen.

Weekend Warrior News

2011-01-24T09:12:00.000-06:00

Keith Olbermann leaves MSNBC in the dust.

Jack LaLanne dies

Packers and Steelers in the Big Game

The first "L" cup bra introduced.

Out of all those stories I'm most interested in the "L" cup bra. I don't like "them" big but the implication of a multi round, machine gun like volley of water balloons appeals to me greatly.

A Wild Ride

2011-01-23T08:17:00.002-06:00

A Queensland couple had to be rescued after attempting to raft down the Queensland river on sex dolls. The pair, both 19, were found clinging to a tree before they were saved.

The local constable said it was a stupid idea especially with the rising waters.

In related news neither sex doll made it out alive. Their funeral is scheduled for next week Tuesday. In attendance will be Charlie McCarthy, Walter and the Old Navy mannequins.

I Need Oxygen

2011-01-21T22:22:00.001-06:00

Are you as overweight and out of shape as I am? I get winded just thinking about surfing the web.

More About Honest Man: The Life of R Budd Dwyer

2011-01-21T12:12:00.003-06:00

Website: http://www.dwyermovie.com

IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1623777

My Review of the DVD:

Most of us watched this documentary for one reason, we saw Dwyer's suicide video and wanted to know what drove this man to do what he did. If I could sum Honest Man up in one word it would be poignant. At no time does the documentary try to sway you in his innocence or his guilt, which is the foundation of a good documentary, to present history without forcing you to believe what the documentarian believes.

I think most of us are going to go into this with the outcome predetermined and we will see it the way we want to see it. I am not an emotional person but watching this documentary there were times that I felt something I'm not used to… sadness.

Borrowed time, we are all on it, and Honest Man really shows us that not just Budd, and what went on in his life, but what could go on in any given day in ours. Many interviews in this documentary will stick with me. The only down side is there is very little of Budd himself talking.

On the DVD there are a few swearing ins and a little bit of his final speech, in the extras, but what we learn of Budd comes from the memories of others and not his own words.

Just to set the record straight the final speech was NOT aired live, it was rebroadcast. Who would care to watch the assumed resignation of a state treasurer live? Yes, kids were off of school that day but they did not see it live!

Honest Man: The Life Of R. Budd Dwyer

2011-01-21T11:07:00.003-06:00

Whether you saw or heard about his suicide on TV the day it happened. Whether you saw it on the Internet, death videos or the Filter song Hey Man, Nice Shot. You really need to know more than just that and Honest Man is the DVD to get you started in understanding this great mans life.

Is one head better than two?

2011-01-21T11:00:00.000-06:00

On this date in history, King Louis the XVI, a lousy husband, lost his head in 1793. And in 1994 Lorena Bobbitt was acquitted for nearly chopping off the “head” or her lousy husband, John Wayne Bobbitt. So could one head really be better than two?

New Direction

2011-01-21T09:30:00.001-06:00

I am making chages to my blog, it is no longer sappy and happy it is going to be grumpy and frumpy and will detail the odditorium that is my twisted mind.

Aaron's House "In Production Trailer

2011-01-21T09:05:00.004-06:00

Busy, Busy, Busy

2011-01-21T08:55:00.003-06:00

That is what I have been! In October Paranominal was ranked a top book in Amazon.com sales, outselling 9,700,000 other books... I know crazy, right?

Now I am backing the BLB Media team who are making a movie, which happened to also be one of the entries from my book: Aaron's House in Verde Hills, California.

Right now they are raising funds for the movie, check it out:

http://www.indiegogo.com/Aarons-House?a=75274&i=addr

I will be updating the blog more frequently now with more information on the movie and Paranominal

Paranominal Creates Controversy

2010-08-10T08:38:00.003-05:00

Less than a month after its release my book Paranominal has created some controversy. According to the blurb on the back of the book: ...find out what really happened at Katy's Church in Pennsylvania.

I recently received this email:

Shawn,

I don't know what story you think you know about Katy's Church. I hope you did not start another fairy tale about the Church.
That was my Church as a child and clearly enough damage as been done by people like you who likes to make up stories. It sat empty for a reason for many years, I was there at the last service before it closed. If people would check out why, maybe they would find the truth.

Katy's Great, Great, Great Granddaughter

In a world where sensationalism sells I told the truth about what really happened at the church yet I get attacked by someone who has never read the book, they are just assuming they already know. I'm not going to spend the time defending what I wrote people will have to read it and decide for themselves.

Advanced Read Copy Paranominal App For Smart Phones

2010-07-21T04:03:00.000-05:00

Keeping in line with current technology I am offering a free ARC copy of Paranominal: America’s Real Life Paranormal Activity as an application for your smart phone. This ARC copy contains 10 randomly selected, by me, entries from the book. While the content for all 10 entries appear exactly as they do on the book the layout and style is vastly limited in the application.

To download you free copy direct your smart phone browser to http://m.wattpad.com go to the bottom of the page to “Enter a wattcode to read offline” click the “read offline” and enter code 513725, select your phone or browser type and download the application.

If you do not have a smart phone you can read the entries online http://www.wattpad.com/513725-paranominal-america%27s-real-life-paranormal

Paranominal: America's Real Life Paranormal Activity

2010-07-13T13:42:00.003-05:00

My new book is complete. Get $2 off now by going to https://www.createspace.com/3460607 and in the discount line enter: SDWN4BZQ

About:

These locations are the "Amityville House" of their State but may not be known beyond their region. Follow the author as he showcases one haunted location in each State. Learn the horror behind Aaron's House in Verde Hills, California; find out what really happened at Katy's Church in Millville, Pennsylvania and for the first time in print, read the truth about Andrew's Rainbow House in Seattle, Washington. Learn facts about the towns or apparitions involved in the haunted location. Find out a little bit of history on the exact locations and the people who deemed themselves restless. Also inside find a second FREE booklet.

Massive Revamp

2010-06-29T10:08:00.002-05:00

So I have redone most of my new book Paranominal including a new cover. The book is 6x9, 152 cream color pages, and has a free second booklet attached on the inside.

New Book Cover

2010-06-15T08:49:00.002-05:00

Well I'm not sure about the title I've been stuck between Paranominal and Everyday is Samhain. I've decided (85% sure) I want Paranominal. Attached is a proof of the cover.

Time Draws Near

2010-05-21T05:56:00.002-05:00

As I work on my second book, one about spooky places, I am happy to announce that ...and yet you continue to provoke the night will come back into the market in the next few months.

In the mean time it was pointed out that the trailer is no longer on YouTube. It is there just at a new location. http://www.youtube.com/user/soulkahuna#p/a/u/0/ZrtDbcSVbWU

Polar Plunge

2010-01-19T10:40:00.003-06:00

Hello,

I am taking the Polar Plunge to support Special Olympics Wisconsin on Saturday, February 20, 2010 in Oshkosh!

During the Polar Plunge, warm-hearted people collect pledges before jumping or running into Wisconsin's cold waters to raise funds for Special Olympics.

Please help me reach my pledge goal of $75.00. Check out my Plunge Web site to submit a credit card pledge online: https://www.specialolympicswisconsin.org/pp10/pledge.asp?id_p=3006

Money raised from the Polar Plunge will support local Special Olympics programs in Wisconsin, allowing nearly 10,000 athletes with cognitive disabilities to experience the joys of participation in sports and competition with their peers.

Thank you,

Shawn Ness

Where: Menominee Park, Miller's Bay - Hazel Ave & Merritt St, Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Amazon Wish List

2010-01-19T10:33:00.003-06:00

Found ...and yet you continue to provoke the night on someones wish list over at Amazon.com, I'm not stating that to be vein, it is just interesting to me that in the all too brief time the book was listed someone was moved by it enough to add it to their wish list.

Wedding Day Cavalcade

2010-01-12T11:08:00.002-06:00

The cars go by honking their horns
Resounding another marriage.

At that moment everything is wonderful
No one sees the long road ahead.

They had God in their vows
But do they have God in their hearts.

Stand The Earth Still

2010-01-12T11:08:00.001-06:00

Willows sway in time
To a tune defined
By the wind.

Grassy maracas
Played by bare feet
And our rolling bodies.

Stand the earth still
So I can lie awake in the
Field and take my time

Exploring the curvaceous
Resolution of your body.

Rusty Vs. Little Black

2010-01-12T11:01:00.002-06:00

I wear your little black heart around my neck,

Comfort for the wicked dying, gallowed by their halos.

Sitting so sinless in Church, nary a tear shed crying.

My rusted heart whispers:
Don’t feed me lies laced with good intention.

I am the greatest of and you the least of these.

Upcoming Reading

2009-12-05T16:34:00.002-06:00

Join me and other poets at the Windhover Center For The Arts on December 8th at 7pm as we read selections from our works. I will be reading Has Anyone Seen My Valentine.

Down The Line Magazine Review

2009-12-05T15:52:00.002-06:00

Though our love of musician Michael Knott I’ve gained an acquaintance with Matt Crosslin and a strong friendship with Steve Ruff who has been my voice of sanity on more than one occasion.

Steve and Matt have a wonderful FREE online magazine known as Down The Line (DTL), while still in its infancy it has gained a strong following. DTL follows up with bands that many of us remember from the dark days of underground Christian Music when the industry would not support alternative bands and groups that did not fit the mould of what the industry thought people should listen too.

They also do interviews with current bands and bring to light up and coming groups, album reviews, book reviews and so much more.

The latest issue of DTL has a review of …and yet you continue to provoke the night something I am so very grateful for.

Download your copy of the magazine today.

18 copies to the troops in Iraq

2009-11-08T06:46:00.003-06:00

In conjuction with my daughters Girl Scout Troop 18 copies of the Advanced Read copy of ...and yet you continue to provoke the night will be heading overseas, along with other dontated items, to the troops in Iraq as a Christmas gift.

Toiletries, squirt guns, super balls, girl scout cookies, the books and more will be packed up November 17th. Members of the Girl Scout troop will sponser a box and ship it to the troops.

THANK YOU for your service to our country.

Physical Copies Available

2009-11-08T06:44:00.002-06:00

After getting an email from a member of the Joslyn family I have decided to continue the Journey offline.

If you are interested in a copy of the book they are available directly from me. email soulkahuna@yahoo.com to get a copy.

The End For Now

2009-10-28T09:23:00.004-05:00

I am ending the journey for now.

Only the future will tell if I continue.

Life, Love, Strength

Shawn

Note To Self

2009-10-03T22:16:00.002-05:00

I am a good person. I learned that about myself today.

Thank you to my parents, in-laws and friends for showing me support and that I am a good human being.

The Journey will continue soon.... I promise.

Yes, I have removed posts that do not reflect upon the Journey because that is the focus of this blog.

To Write Love On Her Arms

2009-09-21T08:32:00.000-05:00

I have found a great new group that I fully support called To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA). TWLOHA is dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with problems such as depression, drug addiction, self-injury, and suicide (From Wikipedia).

Why it is important to me is that 13 years ago I was a mess. I had dropped out of college and had no direction, I was depressed, started drinking heavily, became anorexic and bulimic plus I turned to cutting. This lasted for roughly two years, I was able to lift myself out with the unknowing aid of my now wife. Her friendship and our blossoming love lifted me out of my funk and aided in moving me to the straight and narrow.

You can no longer tell I had any of these issues, there are no scars, I am overweight and drink only on occasion, but I can see so much of what I was in the people who contact TWLOHA on Facebook and other sites.

Even now with all that is going on in my marriage I take solace in the fact that I have not thought for one second of going back to my old ways. For that I thank God and my wife.

Purpose For The Pain

2009-09-19T16:32:00.001-05:00

Renee Yohe's journey to to fight addiction, cutting and so many other pains.

It is an emotional ride that spurred To Write Love On Her Arms.

Please read it!

Three Words: True Love

2009-09-16T11:15:00.009-05:00

How do you define true love? So many say they have found true love, however, everyone is different so than true love must be defined differently by everyone.

What is this word true? True is fact. Fact is something commonly believed or provable. So can one prove true love? YES, should be the resounding answer, because true also means: genuine, personally faithful and committed. Without all of those then love cannot be true. With these three things behind your intentions true love can be however the person defines.

Genuine – Sincerely felt, the realization that you can love someone from daybreak to daybreak.

New Loving Of Day

I wake up every morning
Already falling out of love with the day.
Then I roll over and see you sleeping
And I realize what the sunrise’s true worth is.

Antonym of Genuine is Fake… is the person laying next to you as beautiful in that moment as she is just before you leave on a date? Do you praise her at home but knock her down when you are at work or hanging out with friends? So many people do this daily. You must praise your mate in every word spoken of them.

Personally Faithful – Showing loyalty to your spouse: don’t look, don’t touch.

VIII

I still realize my love for you
At this very moment,
Standing on this very second,
Wrapped in this insignificantly
Quantifiable amount of time.

The overwhelming nature
Of it begs for more
But I will take what you
Can produce on a daily basis
And know it is your all.

Antonym of Faithful is Adulterous… I have been beaten over the head for years on this subject. You cannot have a friend of the opposite sex PERIOD. You and your spouse can have shared friends but you cannot spend one on one time alone with them. Time and time again I have heard, “we will never do anything.” But in a moment of weakness, a second of emotional connection in a fragile situation everything can, will and has gone wrong because in that time you think that person can give you what you mate cannot. I don’t care who you are, there is always the possibility if you put yourself in a situation in which it can present itself. You must be satisfied with what your mate can give you. Even when it does not to seem like it is enough at times; you must realize they have given to you all that they can produce and you in turn should be satisfied with that knowledge.

Committed – Showing devotion to your spouse. From marriage to grave and beyond.

Has Anyone Seen My Valentine

A table with empty chairs
For him a long forgotten memory.
Now dark and endlessly vacant
Was the place where she sat,
As moonlight danced upon
every strand of hair.

Has anyone seen my Valentine?

The candles have since burned away.
He takes position once again at the
head of the table.
A past emotional flood returns to
A happier day.
Holding back tears he whispers,

Has anyone seen my Valentine?

She was a princess locked in heart
He the prince with his soul the key
Once the two combined...
Their bond was never to grow apart.
Now she was gone, his candle of passion
burned out that very day,

Has anyone seen my Valentine?

Down the hall into a bedroom
Of shattered hope.
Implanted in the mattress an
Indentation of her slender frame
Calls out, "I am always near."
But still it was hard to cope
With the fact that his companion
Was no longer here.

Has anyone seen my Valentine?

Onto the porch, where he proposed
To her his heart, overlooking a
Sea of peace and tranquility.
A promise now replaced by an ocean
Of questions and a typhoon of hostility.

Has anyone seen my Valentine?

Snow White bit off too much of the
Apple this time and Prince Charming
Sealed his own fate with a kiss.
Her every waking moment was more
Beautiful then where the angels tread...
A dream he would always miss.

Has anyone seen my Valentine?

An empty table surrounded by
Empty chairs and the ghost of a breeze
Where a happy future was once planned
Now but the wisp of a memory drifting
Through the trees.
A candle snuffed too early in time

Has anyone seen my...?

Antonym of Committed is Uncommitted… Is the only person on the road ahead your spouse? When the crows feet grow, laugh lines begin to dwell, hair changes color or disappears, tummy appears, things sag, veins pop, brown spotty blobs sprout up, wrinkles set in and ears grow hair. In that very moment is that person still the one? Pay attention to your wedding vows, so many are wrapped in the moment they don’t really take them to heart… sickness and health… better or worse… ‘til death do you part… ‘til death… not ‘til unattractive… not ‘til annoys the living hell out of me. Instead of ‘til death it should be past death. True love should continue even after death, that is the truest proof of true love.

5 Star Review: Books4moms.com

2009-09-06T10:48:00.004-05:00

Yes, the title has a double meaning. The site Books4moms.com recently reviewed the 48 page ARC copy of ...and yet you contine to provoke the night. The review is below:

Review and Giveaway - And Yet You Continue To Provoke The Night

This is a beautiful book of poetry, filled with poems inspired by a tragedy, love, daily writings and more. Shawn Ness has dedicated this book to Nicole Joslyn and Alan Lowrie of Milwaukee, WI who were killed in a senseless act of violence in 2004. Because of how this tragedy touched Shawn Ness, he decided to do something rather wonderful. Not only is he dedicating his book to the families of these two young people lost too early, but he is also donating 100% of the royalties of the book sales to Take Back The Night, a charity dedicated to stoping Sexual Violence.

Since 2001, Take Back The Night has been a 501(c)3 publicly funded charity with the mission of ending sexual violence in all forms and lending support to survivors. The grassroots efforts over the last thirty years in the form of marches and rallies around the world, flown under the banner of Take Back the Night, are the energy and spirit behind our mission!

What Shawn Ness has challenged himself with is to sell 1000 copies of this book.

When Shawn contacted me, I knew that I had to read the book and help him get to his goal. This is a beautiful collection of poems that touch the heart. On top of the beauty of his writing, you have the beauty of his goal. All of that is why I am recommending this book!

My rating: 5.0 stars

Christine Plaisted - Books4moms.com

Also 5 Stars is the books4moms site, I'm not a mom and I like it, please visit and enjoy what Christine offers. http://www.books4moms.com/

Book Is Back And Press Release

2009-09-06T10:38:00.004-05:00

Hey all long time no update, I've had a lot going on in my personal life.

There is great news though. The book is back! 100 pages for only $6.95. Amazon is not up to date yet (it takes several business days) but the updated book and price can be gotten in my Createspace estore which is in the links section.

I now have a press release available: ...and yet you continue to provoke the night

Book Update - MORE for LESS

2009-09-02T13:23:00.005-05:00

The book is not available for a short amount of time. I have added 52 pages and made it $3 cheaper!!! That's right, 100 pages for only $6.95

UPDATE: Yes, all royalties still go to Take Back The Night, I will still be getting roughly the same amount which is why I decided to do this!

Ellen Degeneres Show

2009-08-27T12:37:00.003-05:00

Well I did it. I submitted http://www.journeyto1000.org to the Ellen Degeneres show with this information and insane challenge:

Journey to 1000 (J21k) is my one man attempt to raise money and awareness for Take Back The Night, I hope to accomplish this by selling 1000 copies of my poetry book ...and yet you continue to provoke the night and donating 100% of the author royalties. I am doing this in memory of two strangers, Nicole Joslyn and Alan Lowrie, whose life stories touched me nearly 5 years after their death.

My name is Shawn Ness, I have been a magician, escape artist, sideshow stunt performer and independent movie producer but my passion has always been poetry. Since the inception of this project I’ve wanted nothing more than to get Ellen and Portia a copy of the book. If the Ellen DeGeneres show has an address or PO Box I would love to send a copy for free.

I am also willing to do anything and I mean anything to promote the book, I don’t believe there is anything that people could come up with that would faze me or hinder my goal. I have only sold 8 copies to date so I need ideas! I challenge the Ellen show audience to come up with strange, gross and wacked out ways for promoting the book and email them to me. I will do and record as many as I can and post the result on YouTube.

Honestly since I started this project I've wanted to get a copy to Ellen and Portia, I have had such a love and respect for both of them for a long time. I still remember Ellen's sitcom well and when she "came out" on the show. Wow, I've never forgotten that moment, you know: wedding, birth of your kids, Ellen coming out... all stuff to never forget in life.

Con Te Partiro - Andrea Bocelli

2009-08-26T18:21:00.003-05:00

While this song is Andrea's trademark I think it sounds just as good with a female lead. With that said there is Time to Say Goodbye by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli. A perfect blend for an excellent song.

Missed opportunity to give a celebrity my book

2009-08-21T08:23:00.000-05:00

I flew to and from Oklahoma this week. I carried a copy of my book to Oklahoma but did not want the hassle on the way back so I put it in my checked baggage.

Who do I run into at an airport and get an autograph from? Curtis Armstrong many of you may know him as Dudley “Booger” Dawson in Revenge Of The Nerds.

How cool would that have been to tell him about Journey to 1000 and give him a copy of the book? I think pretty cool! Lesson for the future I guess.

Read The E Book Now

2009-08-17T16:25:00.003-05:00

Alright I know poetry is a hard sell so please read the e book version before buying. The e book has 12 full poems and excerpts from the rest. Thanks all!

Read the E Book:

http://www.freado.com/player/bookplayer.php?contentid=3894&authorid=2985&preview=1

Buy the physical book:

https://www.createspace.com/3394151

...and yet you continue to provoke the night online

2009-08-17T11:23:00.005-05:00

Read parts of the book online through fReado http://www.freado.com/users/2985/Shawn-Ness I've set it up so there are several full poems and the rest of the book is excerpted to a paragraph or sentence.

I'm still trying to figure out their bookbuzzr widget thingy.

...and yet you continue to provoke the night

2009-08-16T10:33:00.005-05:00

The book is now ready for public consumption please go to https://www.createspace.com/3394151 to get a copy.

55 have alread been sold in the first two hours of being for sale! Just a reminder what I am doing this for and why:

Journey to 1000 http://www.journeyto1000.org/ is my one man attempt to raise awareness and funds for Take Back The Night (a movement against the rape and abuse of women worldwide) in memory of Nicole Joslyn and Alan Lowrie, who were murdered 10/24/2004.

I hope to accomplish this by selling 1000 copies of my poetry book ...and yet you continue to provoke the night and donating 100% of the author royalties.

New video

2009-08-14T10:56:00.001-05:00

I changed the Journey to 1000 video a little. The old one was taken down and here is the new one.

...and sometimes "Y"

2009-08-13T07:49:00.003-05:00

I am working on setting several of the books poems to music, yes I have royalty free music you can buy tracks by visiting http://www.opus1productions.com I more than highly recommend Tommy and his work.

One of the poems I am setting to music I wrote 11 years ago, typed up 5 years ago and have read and shared numerous times.

Read 8 times, last night, only on the 9th time did I realize I was missing the letter "Y" in the word "every!"

How do I miss this letter numerous times over the years.

It was not only in this poem but I notice it increasingly in my daily writing: everone, everbody, everthing etc. I don't understand where, ingrained, in the mind that comes from. I've corrected it but that will not change the books release date.

Ah, well what can one do eh?

Jubilatiously or True Poetic License (as it was taught to me)

2009-08-12T13:42:00.005-05:00

This is an article I recently submitted to an authors group website. Thought I'd put it here as well. Who knows maybe it will make me look smart.

A cat
Named: Matt
Was pat jubilatiously
On his fat.

A good poem? No.
Follow the guidelines of true poetic license? If taught by my English teacher from 17 years ago, yes!

According to Mr. Mand true poetic license (TPL) dictates that there is no bad poetry. You can write whatever you want, however you want too. You can even make up words (as seen in my work), add in punctuation where ever you want and capitalize whenever you feel like it. With rules like that you can’t fail. On other hand, with rules like that everyone can write and be “a master.” That is why there are so many who write subpar poetry like the above example. This does not make their poem bad when shared with loved ones and friends but submission into the poetic stream of consciousness gets them turned away and they do not understand why. I realize that in large part it is due to ego and pride, we all believe that what we created is far superior to all else.

Should poetry be examined more in primary school? Be a full semester elective in middle school? Should Caught in the Quite by Rod McKuen be a textbook in High School? Do I ask too many questions? You bet I do.

My answer to the above is, no. Well, yes, just because it should be focused on more but no for this particular example. All that really needs to be taught is that there is a time and place for everything in life as well as in True Poetic License. Don’t add TPL just because you can. Only add it out of necessity within the context of the story. Let me dissect a poem that contains all the TPL elements but works within the context of the story. One could argue the point because the poem is written by me however I believe it fits.

Ode To The Romantic Within

An unloved lover in a dreamer’s dream.
Prince Charming within unheroic minds.
Liquid souls dance upon a moonbeam,
Try contemplating this for all lost time.

Breathtaking rhymes flowing in conjunction,
Means nothing to the unfelt compassion.
How can words stand primordial function,
If they cannot comply their vogued fashion.

The constant beauty found within my head,
Falls stone cold to my hideous outside.
Constant commotion of pain almost dead,
Within my own reality I hide.

I and Cyrano are long lost brothers,
We are the real outcasts of true lovers.

What have we got? Again with the questions! An ode that seems to work on a comma, period, comma, period principle basically wrapping the sentence or breaking it into small sections. However the first and second lines are both periods, why? Line one is actually a complete sentence. Line two, while fragmented, does not flow into line three so we need to use TPL to have the lines make sense.

Now we have two made up words: unheroic and vouged. Unheroic, the subject wants to be Prince Charming, noble, bold, handsome and to rescue the maiden but in real life will not even talk to someone of the female persuasions let alone have a heroic bone in his body therefore he is unheroic. Vogued means to have been in vogue for a long time. What is interesting is that no one has ever questioned those words so either they make sense within the context or people don’t want to ask and feel stupid that they do know what the word is. I hope for the first but believe the truth comes from the latter.

Capitalization, I have a habit of capitalizing for no reason, even in everyday writing, you should have seen this before I proofed it. The caps to start each line, even after a comma, are a personal, conscience, decision. I think it makes the poem look more uniform.

Finally, what the heck does Liquid souls dance upon a moonbeam mean? Interpretation should always be left up to the reader with the truest knowledge of the meaning being kept by the author. I wrote that line while thinking about how the moonlight looks on rippling water. Not so interesting anymore is it? That, I promise, is my last question. Or is it?

Filedby Website

2009-08-12T07:38:00.002-05:00

Found a really neat site for authors and fans of reading that allow authors to connect with their audience. The site is called Filedby.

Here is a link to my page:

The short strange journey of this project

2009-08-09T11:40:00.000-05:00

As I have stated I did not know Nicole or Alan nor do I know the Joslyn or Lowrie family. So then why I am I selling 1000 copies of my book and donating proceeds to Take Back The Night in their name? The strange story is below. I have no plans to focus on their untimely death but to tell of their life through articles and stories I have read.

October 23, 2005 I was on lunch, at work, and reading the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Like most I do not read the obituaries and as I sped through the pages I stopped, intrigued by a memorial for someone named Nicole Chartre’ Joslyn. What interested me? The first is that the memorial was being held at an Arby’s the second is that in every picture of the Nicole not one looks alike. How can pictures of the same person all look different? To this day I have not found a picture that matches.

Lunch was over but I wanted to find out more about this memorial so I tossed the whole section of the paper into my locker and forgot about it. Flash forward to 2009. I was in a personal challenge to write a poem a day and post it to a forum online. I don’t remember what day it was but I wrote a poem that really made no sense to me, about wishing I could turn back time and be there for her, those who have read my work know "Her" and "She" are central characters in many of my works.

As I sat there pondering I thought of that memorial article, for the first time in almost 4 years. I pulled out the memorial and looked up Nicole online and froze. What I wrote applied to her perfectly. I named the poem Nicole. Why did I write a poem that confused me? Why did I suddenly think of the memorial tucked away and yellowing in my locker? Who knows.

Alan Lowrie

2009-08-09T11:34:00.004-05:00

Alan Lowrie was a beloved 17 year old who had worked at Arby’s for 5 months, that Friday he was going to see a counselor to apply for college. From the same article mentioned below:

But he had a driver's license and planned to study computer animation in college. He loved computers, animals and the 1990 Geo Tracker he recently bought with summer savings, after starting work for Arby's in May. His birthday would have been election day, Nov. 2.

Alan’s sister- in- law Lisa performed four songs written by herself at the memorial, two more were added and she released the tribute CD Letter To The Unforgettable which can be downloaded on her Myspace page:
http://www.myspace.com/lisalowrie

Nicole Chartre' Joslyn

2009-08-09T11:30:00.002-05:00

Nicole Chartre’ Joslyn

Was a 24 year old with a love of painting. She was a 10 year employee of Arby’s and had held the position of assistant manager. Here is part of a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article, copyright is that of the author not me:

A 1998 graduate of Waukesha South, Nicole was planning to enroll in the nursing program at Waukesha County Technical College . On Monday, she was going to apply for a nurse's aide position at Waukesha Memorial Hospital, her mother said.

Below is the memorial.

Overwhelmingly Awesome (Long)

2009-08-08T10:26:00.005-05:00

It has been raining on and off for the past 24 hours and while it is still overcast and thunder is rumbling off in the distance it has not rained in the past hour.

The final draft is on its way to me, the book should be available by next weeks end.

Having a ridiculously low budget for this project I have been trying to find as much information as possible that will help me work without hiring a marketing and promotion team.

I have dug up what appears to be a treasure trove of information at the BookProse[e] blog. As well as their Website BookPros.com

Some of the tools I already had at my disposal to do what I have done and what I need to do yet:

~ ProVenture Smart Business Pack, while it has 13 programs for the starter home business I mainly use the Web Page Designer, while the WYSIWYG is basic using a small amount of HTML can make for an awesome website, it also looks roughly the same between Internet platforms.

Everything I have learned tells me to keep the site as simple as possible so I have. It also gave some advice for changes that I made. I've updated to add an About the Author page and Poems From The Book pages. I also added a contact email to the index page and links back to the main pages, please take a look at the updates http://www.journeyto1000.org/

For working with pictures I highly recommend the free paint.net program, it is actually 10 times better than the program I bought four years ago. http://www.getpaint.net/

~ I already had a website provider in GMB Webworks http://gmbwebworks.com/ Gene and Mary are awesome. My actual base site is http://www.ealib.org/ which was the Escape Artist Reference Library (EARL) I took it down to focus on this project.

URL and Redirect I got through DirectNIC http://www.directnic.com/?6381 while there are cheaper places out there I used DirectNIC for the EARL URL so I might as well keep them all through one company plus I've never had an issue with the company.

For the creation of promotional materials I have The Print Shop 15, while geriatric by program standards I can still make everything I need. I will be using it mainly for the creation of the Sell Sheet, I may do postcards as well and a stationary set. There are so many ready made projects on there that you will easily find what you need.

Wow in the time it took to type this the sun came out. Time to work on the sell sheet then do some grilling, yummy!

J21K Care,

Shawn

Anberlin

2009-08-07T07:41:00.004-05:00

I live my life by music and Old Time Radio Shows. I have very specific music I listen to at specific times. When preparing food for grilling I listen to the Pet Shop Boys, while grilling or taking my morning walk I listen to Old Time Radio Shows.

When doing housework, getting ready for the day, driving and taking my evening walk it is conglomeration of Anberlin's Lost Songs CD and the USB Wristband songs.

I altered the track list and removed a few songs but I can not get enough of the music, I listen to it several times a day.

I will even put songs like The Haunting and Uncanny on repeat.

Final Submission

2009-08-07T07:36:00.003-05:00

I looked the book over 10+ times this morning and submitted it. I hope I caught, changed and revamped it to the point of not needing to do this again.

My hope is to have it available by next Friday.

Tastes Like Paper

2009-08-05T15:47:00.002-05:00

The final draft is so close I can taste it, it is a heady wood pulp mixed with an aromatic bouquet of ink.

I have the draft in hand, will submit changes by Friday the 7th and the book should be ready by Friday the 14th at the latest.

Website

2009-08-04T08:41:00.002-05:00

journeyto1000.org

Please feel free to look it over and be critical, the site is very basic as I think it should be. I will be making some minor adjustments tonight adding in a little bit more info.

http://www.journeyto1000.org

DC Starbucks Memorial

2009-08-02T20:28:00.005-05:00

An internet acquaintance sent me photos of an amazing memorial in DC. It is in memory of three Starbucks employees who lost their lives. The story is so strange in its assumption of what happened I will not post it but here is what my acquaintance said:

I live in the greater metro area of Washington, DC.　I travel a lot in my job I came across a memorial, at a Starbucks, to a unpleasant incident I heard about years before. 3 employees were murdered after hours and took a year roughly to find the ones that did this. What you see in the attached pictures is a 2 story memorial to the 3 that were murdered there and there is always fresh flowers. The last picture is hard to see because I was having to shoot through glass.

Here is what the last two pictures read:

In memory

Mary Caitrin Mahoney
Assistant Store Manager

Aaron David Goodrich
Barista

Emory Allen Evans
Barista

Miss You.
　
　
　
　
This memorial, designed by Starbucks partner Ryan Sherman, serves as a legacy to the memory of our three partners whose lives were taken while they still had so much to give.

The Grass:
The memorial is composed of three separate maple panels brought together by intertwined blades of grass of cast aluminum. Three young people whose lives were shortened in an instant are eternally tied to our hearts. Grass is the playground of the youth.

The Boxes:
A steel box dedicated to each of these partners and engraved with their initals, holds the memories. Each family will place objects of their choosing in the box and seal it. The box is then permanently attached to the memorial to stand as a reminder of our partners. The boxes are abutted to wood elements that stand off slightly from the blades of grass. It is the memories of youth that we cherish.

The Clouds:
An abstract cloud of pure white holly floats in the middle of each panel. Each box is suspended from its cloud by a structure of aluminum and copper. Clouds that are the stuff of our childhood dreams.

Promo Video

2009-08-02T11:11:00.006-05:00

This morning my stepson and I worked on a promo video and we posted it to his Youtube page, Macally99. He is the coolest dude ever.

Latest road bump

2009-08-01T12:45:00.005-05:00

Is the same as yesterday, I found two more overlooked instances of using the wrong title in the book. NOW I have to wait for the proof, make sure that the rest of it is in order, then submit the changes in title again, wait for the next proof then maybe this chapter in J21k will be complete.

Why would someone mess up the title to their own book? Up until 5 days ago the title had always been Return As A Once Dean Man, however ...and yet you continue to provoke the night sounded more interesting to me. I got to add ... which is not usually seen in titles and I decided to keep it all lower case. It also has a place in the chapter of the same name.

If anything this gives me a Little more time to figure out how to promote J21k, in order to meet this dream.

J21k Care,

Shawn

Finally, some poems

2009-08-01T11:05:00.004-05:00

Below is a poem from each section of the book, enjoy!

From Within:

A Walk in Time

Silent on the eve of
Carpe Diem.
Wandering a course of
Lightening and sunshine kisses.
To cry through someone else’s
eyes, if only for a second to
relieve her heavy laden heart.
The spider of passion creates
a webbed cloud of despair
Heavy on her soul - the silver
lining poisoned by venom.
Yet she wanders a course of
lightening and sunshine kisses
A demure concourse of solemness
and despair create an emergence
of bitter memories,

Constant on - Steadfast on - Never on - Or Death?

From ...and yet you continue to provoke the night:

Who will procure the heart?
Everlasting happiness
Or the decay of time?

We never foresee the
Trials just around the bend
Will we continue tomorrow
Or cease today?

The mind does not fathom
Contemplating this daily
Until the final moment arises
And we are left with that only.

From Daily Grind:

I still realize my love for you
At this very moment,
Standing on this very second,
Wrapped in this insignificantly
Quantifiable amount of time.

The overwhelming nature
Of it begs for more
But I will take what you
Can produce on a daily basis
And know it is your all.

I do not know if any one agrees with me but I feel the above poem is very Rod McKuen like.

Introduction

2009-08-01T11:02:00.004-05:00

Introduction

…And Yet You Continue to Provoke The Night is separated into three chapters with five different feeling and ideals:

~ Within – The darkness of pain. Poems that are not sugar coated, they are the bare naked truth of the internal struggle and sadness that only we can know, alone in our darkest hour, when we feel so very far away from God. Her and She are a central theme in many of my poems. Almost all are real with infinite sadness, hopes for the future or innocent happiness. I have lost touch with all of them but their memory is here within the pages. Final ideal for Within, the historic struggle and the never ending fight to push away sin and draw ourselves closer to God.

~ And Yet You Continue to Provoke The Night – Poems about Nicole Joslyn and Alan Lowrie and the tragic night of 10/24/2004.

~ Daily Grind – Retired pastor Frank Moore, a member of the church I attend, has written one
poem a day for the last 50 years. I decided to give it a try, to see how long I could go without missing a day. I feel that true poetry comes when it wants to, from deep within, since these are daily, most are forced to keep my "deadline" while all are posted on an online forum there are very few I have kept and believe are from the heart and worthy of print.

Synopsis of the book

2009-07-31T17:52:00.002-05:00

The book is just awaiting final approval from me then it will be ready to go. Initially I was assuming late August early September but that may be pushed up.

From the back of the book:

The internal struggle and sadness that only we can know,
when alone in our darkest hour.
The life changing joy and absolute euphoria we rarely feel.
The pain of tragedy, when your whole world implodes and
nothing will ever be as it was.
...and yet you continue to provoke the night
brings the darkest poetic essence of our lives
to the forefront for all to feel.

What's in a name?

2009-07-31T08:05:00.005-05:00

Just got word I don't know the name of my own book! The cover title, Amazon.com title and ISBN title were all ...and yet you continue to provoke the night but the title, referenced three times, inside the book was ...and yet you continue provoking the night.

The official title is ...and yet you continue to provoke the night.

I started a project several weeks ago it is writing and posting a poem daily for as long as I can. Here are the results thus far: Daily Grind

What is Journey to 1000?

2009-07-30T18:39:00.001-05:00

Journey to 1000 (J21K) is simple. I am a poet in the middle of releasing my first book titled ...and yet you continue to provoke the night. All author royalties for the first 1000 copies sold will got to Take Back The Night in memory of Nicole Joslyn and Alan Lowrie who were murdered 10/24/2004.

Journey to 1000 will document my endeavour. Please understand that Take Back The Night as well as the Joslyn and Lowrie families know nothing about this, hence they do not endorse or support my book or what I am doing. This is an independent project driven by the stories of Nicole and Alan, two people I knew nothing about until recently. More about that later.

What makes me think I can do this and achieve 1000 book sales? I've been a magician, escape artist, movie producer and TV producer. If I put the same drive and motivation into J21K, who knows.

In the next few days learn a little about the book, why I am doing this, why the people named above and so much more.

J21K Care,

Shawn