In Honor of Amy Winehouse, Laid in Rest

Recitative

Thy hand, Belinda, darkness shades me,

On thy bosom let me rest,

More I would, but Death invades me;

Death is now a welcome guest.

Aria

When I am laid, am laid in earth, May my wrongs create

No trouble, no trouble in thy breast;

Remember me, remember me, but ah! forget my fate.

Remember me, but ah! forget my fate.

**************************************************************************** This song sung by the avant-garde Klaus Nomi, who also met an early tragic Fate, seems to fit the sad passing of Amy Winehouse, a truly talented artist gone too soon as many others of her caliber and spirit have.. namely Janis Joplin, whom she was often compared to, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix.. etc. Also check out this article by Russell Brand, a former fellow addict and also friend and colleague to Amy. http://www.russellbrand.tv/2011/07/for-amy/

As Klaus sang in his aria, do this for Amy and all the others who have gone too soon.. and in a tragic way.. most recently, that would be Whitney Houston.

Remember me! Remember me! But ahh! Forget my fate!
Updated June 6, 2012

The 'Old World:" Croatia, Possible Photo Book in the Works

Taken back in the Summer of 2007, I thought I would give a preview of a possible photography book showcasing traveling I've done, most epecially in Croatia, land of my ancestry and heritage. 

Some past photography

Been looking through some of my old photography, some of which can be seen here:

http://elizabeth-photography-las-vegas.blogspot.com/

But anyway, to showcase some more, thought I'd upload some here. These were taken for a photography class at CSN in Spring of 2008. Class was aptly called Las Vegas Document, taught by Heather Protz, a quite capable teacher that let us bring our own creativity out. That's the best way to teach and learn I believe. I believe everything we need, if we are so inclined towards a certain path, is inside of us, we just need someone or something to help us bring it out. Sometimes that happens on its own, through life, but sometimes we need someone else to catalyze us too. Anyway, with that, here are a couple of those photos. Maybe more later.

Copyright Elizabeth Aralica 2008-2011

Bicuspi 5247

From the continuing series of "Spoems." Spoems - poems caught in between spam.

This particular one is from Fabrizio Blumberg, a lesser known poet, but a more proficient spammer in the "Spoem world.'

Here it is, the latest from Fabrizio, wherever you are!

...the air without breaking floated away over The Hill.

Very pretty! said Gandalf. But I have no time to blow smoke-rings this morning. I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging. and its very difficult to find anyone. I should think so in these parts! We are plain quiet kand have no use for adventures. nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you -

And it stops. I'm afraid some of this 'Spoem' is to be considered 'lost art/literature.' Well it is difficult to find such art, at least we have procured some of it! Where could we find such literature?! Well of course I know it is from the Lord of the Rings series. But it's just funny how bit and pieces of it end up everywhere like some ancient cave writings.. the emblem of a natural world lost to the digital...

Tune in next time for more of 'Spoem Theatre!'

~Brought to you by amb/en, lev/tra, cial/s, amox/cil/n, proz&c, v/agra, som&,mer/d/a, val/um. and Tr&madoI.

Should fiction be required reading? (a GRE practice essay question)

Since I have been considering going back to get my Master's Degree in English or Creative Writing (Poetry), specifically an MFA, I was looking through an online practice test for a GRE through the library website and came up with this essay based on one of the practice questions they had there. I thought it was a good essay, so I thought I'd post it here.

Should fiction be a required form of reading? We should then ask - should society study truth at all? For as Ralph Waldo Emerson so eloquently put it, “Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures.” Non-fiction is of course the bare truth, if it is told truthfully and factually that is, but fiction reveals truths that are sometimes hidden by 'facts.' In fact, as another great literary/philosophical person once said, 'Give a man a mask and he will reveal the truth.' So, fiction is in fact that mask that will reveal the truths of society that we so need to hear and understand.

Thus it is my contention that of course fiction should be required reading. Not only is fiction part of the greatest world literature, but it also reflects truths that society as a whole needs to learn as I mentioned. I mean, think about it, what if we were never required to read Plato's 'The Cave' or Shakespeare's Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear or Romeo and Juliet or Twelfth Night or A Midsummer Night's Dream? What if we had never read Voltaire's "Candide", Sartre's "No Exit," Conrad's The Heart of Darkness, Hugo's Les Miserables or Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter or Bronte's Wuthering Heights? How bland and flat would our thoughts be then...? If we cannot think big thoughts, we do tend to become small. Oh yes, children and adults might eventually wander to these books on their own, but what if they did not? Then what..? Is that not the purpose of schools, education and teachers? To point the way to these great works of literature, harbingers of truth?

As another great literary figure said, Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Major Colombian novelist and short-story writer, 1982 Nobel Prize for literature, b.1928), "Fiction was invented the day Jonas arrived home and told his wife that he was three days late because he had been swallowed by a whale.”

Fiction is as old as time itself, from the first day that primordial man finished his hunting for the day and the woman and perhaps also the man prepared the food and they had time to sit around the fire in the cave or under the stars and began telling tales. Fiction was born! The truth is that fiction should not only be required reading, the fact is that fiction, or truth disguised and masked, is a vital and integral part of life and the question should not be 'should fiction be required reading, the question should be ‘what fiction should be required reading?’ The question should be not if, but what.

Copyright Elizabeth Aralica 2008 (that's me)
Do not use without permission! That would be plagiarism!

pla-gia-rism
  [pley-juh-riz-uhm, -jee-uh-riz-] Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1.
the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work.

Electronica music from Slovakia

I believe in promoting artists and art, so here is some electronic music from Magnatude, a site that does just that. This particular album is by Domased, a techno artist from Bratislava, Slovakia. Name of album: Return Back.


Return Back by Domased

More Doorways and Streets...

More doorways and streets...

Doorways

The doorway to whatever...

Los Angeles, June 2008

The latest on the elections... MSNBC

Category: News and Politics, summarized from MSNBC

October 22, 2008:

What's the latest now...? According to MSNBC, a very reputable news source, apparently Al Queda itself has said that if McCain becomes President, it will further their agenda because he wants to stay in Iraq forever and that will further drain the United States, which as Keith Oberman said, would be a 'war of attrition' Interesting, since some have said that the attack on the World Trade Centers was symbolically an attack on our very financial system, which it was really, besides an attack on our country and people. But you see, their really is more than one way to make one's point and fight a war! But as far as the financial attack, just think - what exactly has happened the last several years since we have been in Iraq...? Our economy has worsened and worsened since being there... part of the 'enemies' plan...? No? You know these modern day terrorists also work in very subtle ways, not only extremely gruesome and outright ways. But very subtle as well. Also, Al Queda said that they might target the United States specifically if McCain were President... hmmm, interesting, very very interesting... so now, Obama - falsely called a 'terrorist' - although he is so far from anything of the sort whatsoever..! - is apparently the smarter choice. It's not even worth mentioning, as his side hasn't at all. Why should they? Of course the media has had to address it since that is what they do. But anyway, I knew he was the smarter choice early on - almost from the beginning. McCain is actually a nice guy and respectable, he is. He has great qualities that would make a good President. And even Sarah Palin has very likable qualities. But I, as does Colin Powell - a man who is widely respected and liked - really feel that Obama is the sensible, rational choice. It's not a matter of which party to pick, which race, or even which sex, it's simply a matter of who is the best choice. And I think it's Obama. And so should you all!!

The future of toys...?

 

When I was at the CES show earlier this year, I caught this on video. It's a pretty simple prototype, basically MP3 players reacting to music and sounds I guess... but perhaps it's the future of toy robots...

Dennis Kucinish asks us to write to our Congressman

In response to one of Dennis Kucinich's video messages, i decided to write to my Congressman, which happens to be Jon C. Porter. Here is what i wrote. Tell me what you think... I know it has some typos and other errors. I hope it sounds okay enough to have sent. At least the message is there...

Hello Sir,

I know you care about the public at large, otherwise you would not be in Office. Anyway, the respectable Dennis Kucinich has made me and others aware that about $138 billion more dollars is earmarked to go to Iraq, even after the current administration is no longer in office. This to me, as to others as well I'm sure, such as Dennis Kucinich, does not make sense. Not when people are out of work, out of their homes, out of health care, etc. It is simply not good policy or good sense to pilfer all our funds out of our country to a far away place which really probably doesn't even need us there. And if the argument is that we are there (in Iraq) because of the so-called 'War on Terror' well, recent events such as in Pakistan, have shown that that is not even where the action is! Well, you may not directly have to be involved with this being a representative in Nevada, and not Washington D.C. directly, but things that happen at the top do filter down to the bottom. Well, Dennis Kucinich said it would be a good idea to write our Congressman so that's just what I'm doing. If there is anything you can do to influence Washington on what they do with our funds, our tax dollars, then please do it. Iraq will still be there even with we are not...! But will our great country still be great after all these 'foreign missions' for pursuing terrorists (which of course is important, but it should be done in the right place and in the right way), or pursuing oil, by the way - where is it?? Do we have it??? So, anyway, as I said, if you can do anything to influence the Executive realm, then please do so! Thank you...!

Sincerely,

Elizabeth A.

If you would like to write to your Congressman, go here:

https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml
*************************************************************************************

Your constituent

One other thing: I thought it would be interesting to state the definition of a constituent to remind us of our duty and responsibility in this country of ours as a 'citizen.' Here is is:

Inhabitants of constituencies

A constituent is one who can or does appoint or elect (and often by implication can also remove or recall) another as one's agent or representative. A constituency is all the constituents of a particular agent or representative.

Depending on the context, another closely-related meaning of constituent is that of a citizen residing in the area governed, represented, or otherwise served by a politician; sometimes this is restricted to citizens who elected the politician. All the constituents who are registered to vote are referred to as the electorate.

Constituent service is representatives helping their constituents handle problems that can be best handled by a representative getting involved. Members of the U.S. Congress (both Representatives and Senators) working in Washington, D.C. have a governmentally staffed district office to aid in constituent service. Many state legislatures have followed suit. In the UK, service of this type is named constituency casework - Members of the UK House of Commons will appoint staff using their Parliamentary staffing allowance to appoint caseworkers to assist constituents with problems.

Elected officials tend to believe that responsiveness to their constituents is their highest professional responsibility.[citation needed]

In a looser sense, corporations and other such organizations can be referred to as constituents, if they have a significant presence in an area.

Russell Brand - the 'movement'

Saw Russell Brand over the weekend at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles... what a magnificent creature! Seeing him on television or hearing him on radio is wonderful enough, but seeing him in the flesh is even more so!! He is a fascinating, hilariously entertaining creature. He has this unique contradictory nature in which he appears very silly yet he projects serious undertones and intentions. And even though he has a somewhat chequered past, ie. drug addiction, sex addiction, he is in my mind, a man of morals! He is extremely respectful towards women, lavishing sweet hugs and kisses on his female fans after his shows. And even though his somewhat sordid past due to "youthful folly, jubilance and hijinx! as he so delightfully recited on the David Letterman show visit in May of this year... apparently prevented him from coming through to America a couple weeks earlier than that show. He entertainingly tells about it on the show which I will include here for your enjoyment... he is extremely intelligent and witty, a modern day Oscar Wilde of sorts, spouting words like a fountain and jumping around the stage like a schoolboy... or a young lion... you must see him! Here is the excerpt from the David Letterman show from May 15.



Not only witty and funny, but very intelligent and humanitarian as well as you can see here as Russell goes to Oxford University to spread the message of universal truth when it comes to racism. A racist group called the BNP was due to visit Oxford just the day before and Russell was there to help promote truth and beauty in only the way he could do it!

Politics as Usual?

So I heard a snippet of a rather well known reporter, (Brian Williamson) ask current Presidential hopeful Barack Obama about rumours on the internet that he grew up Muslim, and even lay his hand on the Koran and tried to hide that fact. Okay first of all folks, as Jon Stewart pointed out, on whose show I saw this snippet, so wittingly quipped, since when do internet rumors count as professional journalism? Oh, I know, I love the internet as much as anyone else, probably more so, but aren't professional broadcast journalists supposed to gather their own information and not rely on rumors circulating on the internet? Also, second - what if it is true? What if Barack Obama has some Muslim roots? I actually thought he may have all along with a name like that. Not meaning that in a derogatory way at all, just that it simply sounds like it may. So since when did being a certain religion or culture become a crime in this great country of ours? Isn't that what America is NOT all about? I mean isn't that what we're fighting for over in Iraq? There are some that say all their problems stem basically from being a 'religious' state. Something that our founding fathers and the Constitution warn very strongly against. If our country or even one state or one county becomes a religious entity, then it's through! I believe the American people have enough common sense to know that if something like that even hints at happening, it's time to bring out the true spirit of America. I believe enough in America for that to happen if something goes too far. But back to Barack. One more thing - it sounds like the old Communist witch hunts back in the 40's and 50's here in America... are you or are you not a Communist? One other thing - if indeed Mr. Obama has a Muslim background, and if he were to become President, would that not instill a little bit of confidence in our Middle Eastern Muslim allies, I am not talking about the extreme revolutionaries who care not a whit about anyone's life, including their own, I am talking about the obvious allies we have in the Middle East who have become increasingly mistrusting of the United States intentions at times. I am sure that has been happening somewhat. Why not, when it seems that our country is willing to attack a country for almost any reason, whether the facts are right or not and even if the country has not directly attacked our country in the first place. Isn't that against the Constitution somewhere anyway? Sorry, the truth hurts I know. But, the bottom line is just how far political jabbing will go to try to bring the opponent down. But come on guys, at least use the facts. I was disappointed in this one journalist at that point, even if he was told to say that. He should know better. If the news or journalists don't know better, though, it's up to the rest of us to know better. Thanks Jon Stewart for being one of those people.

Literature in Las Vegas?

So... does it exist? Literature in Las Vegas? Lost Vegas? Sure....! You say, just saunter down the strip on a sunny day and watch the literature fly all over the sidewalk! No! Not that kind. What about seedy, smoky (well maybe not so anymore with the new no-smoking laws in place) seedy, smoky, dark ex-coffee joints where squeaky, reticent college students sweat out limp poetry readings... But where is the enthusiasm? Squashed by the sun? Or perhaps blown away with all the 'literature' blowing in the wind? How about the many books you find in the libraries here in town? "There are libraries in Las Vegas?!" You query... Yes! There are libraries.. only they are fast falling behind the new kid in town... people don't go to libraries to read books anymore. They go to use the computers and check out movies.... it's true.

So, the quest continues... I ask again... is there literature in Las Vegas? Are there bonafide writers.thinkers.poets who really care what is said and read? I believe there are folks. And soon, you might be able to see this for yourselves, for colleagues and I are on a mission to seek out these 'writers' and 'poets' and 'literary' types in Las Vegas and update what is taken for 'literature' here in the desert of the lost.. Perhaps we will find our literature and those who hunger and thirst for it will be sated... we will see...

"Man of the Year" - a Dark Disappointment

This is in reference to an article I wrote on xanga.com last October 2006, but I thought it was timely to present it again in this forum, so here it is. So I went in seeing this movie with high expectations.. after all Robin Williams was supposed to play a comedic Presidential candidate, something we could all use at this dark time of politics. But instead of coming away with a lighter and more inspired hope of the current political situation, I left with a depressing sense of foreboding. Here is more detail, resposted from my article on xanga.com.

"Man of the Year"

Modern day Film Noir masquerading as a political thriller?

Or what? Make up your mind!

First of all, I must say, the choice of actors in this film was quite excellent, Robin Williams as the comedy central, Bill Maher type character turned would be president, Laura Linney as the quasi-paranoid, must-tell-the truth at any cost! heroine, Christopher Walken as Robin William's manager/confidante/friend among others and even Jeff Goldblum (aka 'The Fly' fame) as the subtle yet shady legal counsel for the technical software company which manufactures the innovative, yet defective voting software for the country. The filmmakers were smart to get such good character actors in this film. But that 'smartness' stops there in my opinion.

At first it seemed quite upbeat and funny, and I thought - oh! I thought - finally an upbeat light movie brightening the current dark undercurrent in American (and world) politics. Could it be? I thought: "I like this movie!" Or so I thought at first. But the light-heartedness soon gave way to a dark, paranoid vein that doesn't stop tortuously flowing until the very end and stays with you long after you've left the movie theater. I don't want to feel depressed after I've left a movie theater, especially after paying a price that is still not more than base minimum wage in this country. How's that for politics?

Anyway, this political thriller I suppose it was - intertwined with elements of classical film noir - the characters outlined in dark shadows coupled by themes of paranoia and corruption in the city - really didn't get to the point, what were they trying to say exactly? I mean, is it always that important or essential to tell the truth about something like that? When nothing is broke, why fix it? Are they saying that T.V. comedians shouldn't run for President because it will just be an impossible dream that someone with obsessions with telling the truth will have to mess up? Maybe that's what they wanted to say, it's obviously political propaganda clevery disguised in a dramatic story line.

I think because Presidential elections are coming up in the next few years and there has been so much hype concerning various issues which I do not need to delve into here, some of the political parties are desperate, and they know that they have to resort to all sorts of behavior to keep the party line going. They realize they need to start early. Thus "Man of the Year" was conceived. My theory anyway. Any thoughts on the issue? What did anyone else think of the movie if you saw it?

Updated August 9, 2007:

Since this movie came out last October 2006 already, and it's not August 2007, can anyone even tell me if they remember this movie? I didn't think so.. sorry, Robin Williams.. some things just aren't meant to be.. hopefully we'll have a better outlook when it comes time for the real election...

Original posting here:

http://www.xanga.com/item.aspx?tab=weblogs&user=miss_xyz&uid=541240027

Teri Nunn of Berlin belts it out...

... at the Berlin/New Romantics concert Saturday, August 26th at the South Coast casino in Las Vegas. They were great! Not like a 'retro band' that has come back from the vaults of the 80's, but as good as a brand new band with experience to back them up. I've already seen Berlin twice before this and I will see them again and again...

Teri Nunn sings a sit-down ballad...

Teri Nunn sings a ballad with her two great band members..

Teri Nunn of Berlin gets up close and personal with her fans. Concert at the South Coast in Las Vegas August 26th.

A picture of an old building in downtown Nashville, visited there a couple of weeks ago.  

Billy_Idol_Do You Want Me to Cry?

Video I recently recorded at the August 11th Las Vegas show. Short video but sounds good and has clear visuals for the most part. This clip shows that he's a soulful singer and a solid performer. A must-see in concert!