a drowsy poet's hideaway

Original Riddle: Lo Mein

noreply@blogger.com (aDrowsyPoet) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 04:53:00 +0000

Lo Mein © Joshua Emmanuel Isaacson

Like the depths of sea,

an extensive container of sorts.

Ever moving, never slowing.

Ever guessing, never knowing.

Realizing, clueless.

Free, enclosed.

It peers outside, never exposed.

Listening attentively, hidden from view.

Potentcy unmatched, fragile delicacy.

Desperately important, reletively unused.

_____________________________________________________________________

Can you solve it?

Original Poem: Céfiro

noreply@blogger.com (aDrowsyPoet) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 02:39:00 +0000

Céfiro © Joshua Emmanuel Isaacson

She comes and goes

Always a sudden greeting

She can be cheerful and warm

or icily bitter.

Her wandering eyes cannot be tamed.

She cannot be grasped for long,

She is constantly moving,

Excelling at escape,

She squeezes through the cracks.

She can ease your pain,

or chill your soul.

She can steer your life,

or let you rot in place.

She is an apt musician,

but her whistles haunt you.

She is admired,

many have sought her beauty,

her elusiveness beyond them.

She can extinguish your anguish,

or fan the chaotic inferno.

She does what she pleases.

She is well traveled,

carving her initials as testament.

Her art is erratic,

sometimes her strokes are rough,

other strokes are soft.

She paints a genuine picture.

Her adventurous life is always messy.

Though her absence can be tranquil,

it's equally discouraging.

She determines the length of her stay,

moving on when she deems the time is right.

Her constant presence becomes wholesome,

her departure leaves a void.

You can try to chase her,

but it's best to simply hold her hand.

___________________________________________________________

Wonder what it means to you.

Music Spotlight: Fleet Foxes

noreply@blogger.com (aDrowsyPoet) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 02:14:00 +0000

For those who like folk or indie rock, I strongly suggest you check out Fleet Foxes. I discovered these guys on my quest to expand my music taste, and they haven't let me down.

They're based out of Seattle, the cradle of grunge. They can be compared to My Morning Jacket, Monsters of Folk, and Band of Horses.

They have a self-titled album, Fleet Foxes, that has some pretty great tracks. The first notable track is White Winter Hymnal. It starts out slowly, building up a pretty powerful harmony that's quite enjoyable.

Another great track on their self-titled album is Blue Ridge Mountains. It appears it's quite literally about the lead singer's brother Sean.

Fleet Foxes also has a self-titled EP, which also contains some great tracks. The first of which is In the Hot Hot Rays. Has some great guitar riffs. Another fun track on the EP is Anyone who's Anyone.

Mykonos is a track from an earlier EP, but it seems it got some radio play a few years ago. It's fairly good, but I like their current style a bit better.

Check them out and enjoy the video!

Further Reading

Packers more than fine without Jolly

noreply@blogger.com (aDrowsyPoet) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:33:00 +0000

Already old news, Johnny Jolly has been suspended for at least the 2010 football by Mr. Goodell. However, one shouldn't worry about this development.

The Green Bay Packers are more than fine without Johny Jolly in the lineup.

For starters the Packer's Ted Thompson showed shrewed foresight as he was proactive in this years draft, picking up two Defensive Ends, No. 56 overall Mike Neal and No. 230 overall CJ Wilson.

Both Defensive Ends were productive in college, and were standouts in the NFL Combine for the Bench Press.

Considering Johnny Jolly was not going to be a starter this season, with BJ Raji moving inside to Nose Tackle, and Ryan Pickett bouncing to the outside at Defensive End, the Packers already had their Defensive Line in place.

Defensive End Mike Neal had a reputation for playing a considerable amount of defensive snaps at Purdue: over 90 percent of the time, he was on the field. The Packers Defense use base defense about 40 percent of the time, changing their lineup in favor of Nickel or Dime defenses.

This is going to significantly reduce the amount of snaps that a Defensive End like Mike Neal is going to have an opportunity for. However, this is beneficial as he and other Defensive Lineman are going to be more fresh toward the end of games, offering a stronger potential for pass rush from the line.

Generating pass rush and collapsing the pocket was not Johnny Jolly's strong suit. He contained blockers and batted passes. Having Pickett and Raji as the starters ought to actually improve the Run Defense, as they're large athletic men able to command some double teams.

The Packers need to collapse opposing team's pass pocket, not contain it. Johnny Jolly didn't really contribute to this need, and he will not be missed.

Also in the fold are Jarius Wynn and Justin Harrell. Jarius Wynn is a bit smaller than CJ Wilson or Mike Neal, but has the benefit of having been in the Packer system for a year, as well as a year in the off season program. Justin Harrell is a huge athletic man, with the potential to wreak havoc for opposing Quarterbacks.

Harrel's health is going to be a concern going into Training Camp, but many signs point to his recovery as rather successful. However, one shouldn't hold their breath regarding Harrell until he survives at least one Training Camp.

Even without Jolly the Packers have one of the deeper lines in the NFL for a 3-4 defense, which ought to come in handy down the stretch when the Packers are presumably making a push for the Playoffs.

Bleacher Report Article

Top ten: Quotes of Alexis de Tocqueville

noreply@blogger.com (aDrowsyPoet) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 04:34:00 +0000

Have you heard of Alexis de Tocqueville?

Alexis de Tocqueville was a political thinker who wrote a book entitled Democracy in America. He was a Frenchman born in 1805, and lived through the French July Monarchy, Second Republic, AND Napoleon's regime before his passed away in 1859. He is the forefather to modern political science and has impacted political thought and progression with his literary works, analysis, and commentary. Below are his top ten quotes regarding government, philosophy, and politics.

10. Consider any individual at any period of his life, and you will always find him preoccupied with fresh plans to increase his comfort.

9. A democratic government is the only one in which those who vote for a tax can escape the obligation to pay it.

8. When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.

7. There is hardly a political question in the United States which does not sooner or later turn into a judicial one.

6. There are two things which a democratic people will always find very difficult - to begin a war and to end it.

5. There are many men of principle in both parties in America, but there is no party of

principle.

4. In politics shared hatreds are almost always the basis of friendships.

3. History is a gallery of pictures in which there are few originals and many copies.

2. Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.

1. The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money.

Tip: Keep your Spaghetti sauce from getting watery

noreply@blogger.com (aDrowsyPoet) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 01:00:00 +0000

This may seem a little ridiculous, but after thinking about it do you actually like having a puddle of reddish water at the bottom of your plate when you're eating your Spaghetti? I sure don't. One of my best friends and I had a conversation regarding it, and he 'heard' of a solution.

Now first, I'd like to point out that most people suggest NOT running your Spaghetti noodles through hot water after they have been boiling, to reduce the moisture. However I disagree. You don't want your Spaghetti to stick!

The solution we discovered was: Warm your plate up BEFORE you put the noodles and Spaghetti sauce on it. Apparently the moisture is drawn out from the contrasting temperatures (At least initially). This might sound, again, ridiculous but it DID work for us. We even tested it with different style of plates.

Gustare!

Call out: Chris Christie

noreply@blogger.com (aDrowsyPoet) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:26:00 +0000

Mr. Chris Christie has become one of my personal heroes. He's the Governor of New Jersey and a very candid man who is upfront about his beliefs and ideology, but he's also a very genuine man and father. His views tend to align with my own, particularly less government and more freedom.

Even if you disagree with his positions, you can appreciate his candor and candidness. Below he quickly and bluntly explains who he is.

Here is an interrogation a CNN Panel

And lastly a rather poetic response to the Teachers Union in NJ

Enjoy!

Music Spotlight: Gold Motel

noreply@blogger.com (aDrowsyPoet) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:52:00 +0000

Being a huge fan of the Hush Sound you can imagine my excitement when I discovered miss Greta Salpeter had a side-project while the Hush Sound is on hiatus. This project is called Gold Motel, which is a combination of Greta and her good friends from This is Me Smiling, another product of Chi Town.

No offense to Bob Morris of the Hush Sound, but I just love Greta's voice. Gold Motel is her trick and pony show, and for the most part does a pretty good job. Check it out below

Further Reading

Call out: Las Vegas Hotel Owner Tells it Like it is

noreply@blogger.com (aDrowsyPoet) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:10:00 +0000

Jim Simpson over at Truth & Consequences diligent to his mission posted an interesting interview courtesy of CNBC. He provides his insight as well. Jim is a very candid individual that I stumbled onto when reading about Obama's master plan.

Truth & Consequences - There is no Right and Left, only Right and Wrong: Las Vegas Hotel Owner Tells it Like it is

Steve Wynn is spot on with the insane spending machine, known as Congress. I for one am tired of my paycheck being siphoned.

A look back: Green Bay Packers Defense Poised for a Great Year

noreply@blogger.com (aDrowsyPoet) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:41:00 +0000

I recently posted my first article on Bleacher Report, regarding the Packers defense. Part of my personal reboot is getting my name out there for my writing, for when I eventually publish my book, thus it's a great outlet to get some content out there!

The article touches on BJ Raji, the two new rookies, and some underlying stats that people don't seem to see.

Check it out Packers Defense

Music Spotlight: Seabird

noreply@blogger.com (aDrowsyPoet) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:12:00 +0000

As I scour the internet for various ideas, I tend to discover interesting and tasteful music. I did just that when watching 'If you really knew me' courtesy of MTV, on Nathan Bransford's writing blog.

Seabird an indie rock band, hailing from Ohio, played some fitting music to match the social tensity in MTV's 'If you knew me'.

I liken the band to Coldplay, Train, and even some Radiohead. Their message seems fairly positive, which can be contributed to their 'Christian' labeling, but it doesn't detract from their skill. They arrange their music very well, vocals have some range, and they use a good assortment of instruments.

They've appeared in Pushing Daisies, Numb3rs, and Grey's Anatomy so they're getting some well deserved exposure.

Grooveshark has a good bit of their music for you to listen and check out. Black & Blue, This Road, Apparitions are a few tracks I'd check out.

Below are links to some of their music!

Further Reading

**Note I'd like to call out MTV for hosting such an interesting and intriguing show 'If you really knew me'. Basically MTV goes to various schools around the country discovering their cliques. MTV does it's best to disband them by shedding light on the issue, and letting kids have an open mic. I'd recommend checking it out on MTVs website.

Their link below

http://www.mtv.com/shows/if_you_really_knew_me/series.jhtml

Blog Reboot

noreply@blogger.com (aDrowsyPoet) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 19:20:00 +0000

Hello! I'm officially 'rebooting' my blog with a very personal flair. Pardon the dust as I add, rearrange, and modify various content. Though the initial 'purpose' is more for myself, to use as an outlet for my various thoughts and opinions (aka journal), it can be very useful or interesting to various people (thus I'm not journaling)! I anticipate writing various articles that range from political stances, to personal philosophy, and more fun oriented topics such as the Green Bay Packers, random strange facts, newly discovered music, or my poetry.

I'm working on establishing my personal brand, my stamp on life, and social networking lends its hand to meet people.