Not satisfied

It's just that it has been one of those weeks. Here's to a better week ahead...

Important Poetry Writing

This past week was set ablaze for poetry. With his comments, Mark Edmundson caused pens to write furiously; many articles and responses on his essay in Harper's Magazine (http://harpers.org/archive/2013/07/poetry-slam/.   Not free online, Harper teases you with a portion.)
...and still counting:
http://therumpus.net/2013/06/david-biespiels-poetry-wire-the-cynicism-of-mark-edmundson-or-poetry-is-still-not-dead/
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2013/06/can-modern-poetry-be-saved/66497/
http://christopherkondrich.wordpress.com/2013/06/21/a-brief-reply-to-poetry-slam-by-mark-edmundson/

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2013/06/can-modern-poetry-be-saved/66497/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2013/06/20/why-is-modern-poetry-so-bad/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/seth-abramson/why-is-contemporary-ameri_b_3474969.html

...and the fire keeps coming. Nothing like a controversy to bring some sales - all the comments on the article made me want to read the essay myself. So until I read the essay myself, I'll read other people's comments. In the meantime, enjoy my private yet public art. Private because of the flowers in my garden but public because the Newtown incident had recently happened when written.

tweeting, pleading for likes

Disciplining yourself to do what you know is right and important, although difficult, is the highroad to pride, self-esteem, and personal satisfaction.
Margaret Thatcher 
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/satisfaction.html#pwW9AdYxdKU2T4AQ.99 

I've been noticing something lately in my twitfeed and DM:

Please like my facebook page at ....

I couldn't comprehend why someone is on Twitter pleading for someone to go to Facebook and "like" their page. Don't they have the discipline to build their Facebook following on Facebook? Why are they annoying us on Twitter? Then I joined Facebook to add more social media to promote my book (last year December to be exact, I've been on Twitter a bit longer). Then I realized that they are smart people.

In Facebook to build audience, you can invite email contacts, invite friends, share page or create an ad.

1. Invite email contacts - if someone isn't on Facebook, they're not going to join just to like my page. I can recall prior to joining Facebook finding those emails annoying.
2. Invite friends - Sure enough I invited some of the people on my friend page and some did like my fan page. 
3. Share - after I write this I'll share...public setting anyway so it's searchable etc.
4. Create an ad - this one involves money... you can run a campaign based on clicks. 

So, those people in my twitfeed and DM may be annoying but they're smart. They're using Twitter to gain more clicks for their page without having to pay.
Here's my fanpage likes:

So to be equally annoying to you, please like my fanpage at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tortured-Souls/173397456139588

And to thank you, here's a poem I read at the poetry reading yesterday:

Rain

Even if I had to drive through blinding rain
Just to hear you sing

lines from Sing from Adventures in The Courtyard (see Poetry Sampler blog for full poem and publication tab on where to purchase).

In Florida, we drove through the rain for many things this past week, work mostly for me. Tropical storm Andrea dropped a mother load of water, in Hollywood, Florida, teens were rumored to bringing their inner tubes to the streets. Last Thursday evening, police diverted traffic going north on Pine Island Road in Sunrise because of an accident involving motorcycle. The motorcycle was lying on its side on the slick road but there was no person with it so I hoped s/he made it off the motorcycle ok. Asides from that, I spent a lot of time thinking about my rain playlist (yes, I know that I should have been writing but I have several rain poems already). 

This weekend I spent some time going through my cassette collection. Yes, I just gave a tell on my age. Then I converted some of my cassettes to mp3 music so I can listen. Ah, I found a cassette single by Billie Myers called kiss the rain so now that will be added to my current rain playlist:

Here Comes The Rain Again - Eurythmics 

Purple Rain - Prince

Rain - Madonna

It's Raining Men - The Weather Girls

Rain Over Me - Pitbull f. Marc Anthony

Have You Ever Seen The Rain - Creedance Clearwater Revival
I Can't Stand the Rain - Tina Turner
It Will Rain - Bruno Mars
kiss the rain - Billie Myers
November Rain - Guns N' Roses
Set Fire to the Rain - Adele
Umbrella - Rihanna (so it's not in the title but umbrella does make me think of rain).

That's what in my rain playlist now but I am aware (due to whimsical internet research instead of writing) of a couple more songs (since there are older songs, I will continue checking through my cassette collection before purchasing):
Blame It On the Road - Milli Vanilli (last, scoff but yes, I had this album so I will search through my cassettes...I have found where I have lent out a cassette, have the case but no cassette in it...bummer)
Rain Drops Falling on my Head - Burt Bacharach (doubt I have this one but it's a catchy little tune and I do like show tunes)
Singing in the Rain - Gene Kelly? (ditto...Friday afternoon, I was washing my car in the rain, ok I just soaped it and let the rain rinse)
Everytime that It Rains - Garth Brooks (I have never heard this song but I have heard:)
When the Thunder Rolls - Garth Brooks (does thunder rolls without rain? maybe! but I like this one and I even remember the cool video)
Can You Stand The Rain? - New Edition (another song that I have to search through the cassettes)
Making Love in the Rain - Janet Jackson (I have several Janet Jackson CDs: Design of a decade, janet and Damita Jo but if the internet said this is one of her songs so I'll list it hesitantly)

SO...What's on your rain playlist? Any of these? More than these? Let me know!

One for the Road

Yes, I am one of those people who go to restaurants and take pictures of her food. So no surprise that I would find pictures of food on my phone.

 

Papdi Chaat

Chicken Korma

Delicious Basmatic  Rice in forefront and Chana Masala in background

Gulab Jamun

I had seen a Groupon for “Tandoor and Curry” and decided to get it. I invited my friend who is an aficionado when it comes to Indian food. So off we went one Saturday evening for an evening of Indian food. They had a gorgeous buffet but I don’t like buffets (because I will try to eat more than my money’s worth) and the Groupon wasn’t valid for the buffet. We were seated and got the menu. Appetizer was Papdi Chaat. My friend had the Chana Masala while I had the Chicken Korma. Dessert was Gulab Jamun. Overall, the experience was savory: the appetizer had a sweet, tangy taste while the entrée was spicy then the dessert was sweet. Tandoor & Curry Restaurant (or Indian Chillies) is located at 4465 N. University Dr, Lauderhill, FL 33319.

That great experience made me want to try some other cuisines.  So when I saw a Groupon for a Hungarian restaurant, I bought it. Why not?

On the plus side, they served a lot of food for the money. 

Food we both liked: corn chowder and spetzle. 

corn chowder

Spetzle in the background of the Chicken Paprikash  

Food she liked: red cabbage. 

Red Cabbage

Food I liked: potato pancake and salad. 

Potato Pancake

Salad

On the negative side (since I watch too many cooking shows plus I looked up their menus and googled for images and ingredients so I knew what I would order), the entrees were disappointing: big pieces of bland chicken drowning in sauce (server also left an extra jug for sauce in case I needed more), the egg batter on the tasteless fish

Flounder Francese with yellow rice

seemed undone and the desserts tasted like they were made earlier in the week, frozen (and freezer burned) then warmed up and served with whip cream.

Crepe

Apple Strudel

My friend had asked for the filling on the side not inside but they couldn’t accommodate (nothing wrong with prepping some components ahead of time but couldn’t they wait until serving time before putting it together? Or not… to accommodate the customer. Where is Chef Ramsey?  Looking around, the demographic of the crowd was an older and they seem to be regulars by their banter with the staff. They seem to enjoy the food and the social atmosphere by the family style seating arrangement. Maybe it's my palette because I do like spicy food or maybe they need Chef Ramsey.