2005--What Have You Done?

[Lightning Rod]

Since this is the next to last day of the year and tomorrow is party time, this seemed like a good time to look back to the past year.

I asked myself, "What have you accomplished this year?"

Well, I have written over a hundred issues of The Poet's Eye. Besides the unfortunate fact that I have yet to make a dime off of this effort, it is my passion and I do it for the joy of doing it. Including background and research, each issue takes about two days to write. You can see the evidence here:

http://www.studioeight.tv/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=21

I have assembled five virtual music albums in the last year. The tunes were all done here in this room and the sound is shitty on most of them, but they are what they are, a document. It amounts to about four hours of music. You can hear much of it here:

http://www.studioeight.tv/LR

I have helped to keep the floors swept for another year here at Studio Eight dot TV.

The cat box is clean (at least for today.)

I'm not in debt and nobody is suing me.

Despite sustained abuse, my body seems to have held out for another year.

Even though doreen and I are together 24/7, we have managed to maintain domestic tranquility (or at least we haven't stabbed each other during sleep.)

The sky is not falling.

All in all, it's been a good year.

How about yours?

[V-Agent]

I've had an excellent year.

I turned thirty, business is good, I met a wonderful woman and some new friends.

I thank the powers for my good fortune.

[Doreen Peri]

I designed and launched several websites ... including these ...

http://www.herndondowntownalliance.org/
http://misillc.com
http://niagarafallsopenmri.com
http://pdimidgroup.com

I created a buncha banners for Studio Eight
http://studioeight.tv/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2390

I recorded a CD of spoken word poetry and piano music and songs called "Perimeters" and sent out about 60 of them to my friends.

Other than that?

Hmmm... lessee.... I joined the gym in August and haven't been to it once yet they kindly take out money from my checking account every month, nonetheless.

I read a book all the way through and read parts of about 10 books this year.

I studied the spiritual concepts of "Esoteric Christianity."

I learned to play scrabble very fast online .... even if I lose quite often, it's been a great exercise, very good for me mentally... helps reduce stress and is challenging.

I tolerated extensive dental work and feel much better about myself because of it.

I had new flooring installed in my home, cleaned out all my closets.

I painted about 10 pictures and I'm attempting to learn how to control the media (acrylics) but may decide to abandon it entirely for another visual media, maybe watercolors or pencil.

Unfortunately, I didn't further develop the main site
http://studioeight.tv
But I hope to move forward to do that in 2006.

That's about it, I think.

All in all, a good year. Thank you for sharing it with me.

And thanks to all who regularly stop by Studio Eight for your contributions, your positive energy, and your sense of community!

Wishing everyone a passionate and creative 2006!
Pray for peace. Work for peace. Love each other.

(Oh and I forgot... I also created a silly blog this year)

[Artguy]

Lots of positive stuff has past through my life...painting, exhibiting, meditation, studying (Buddhism)...however I have had challenges to deal with....the death of my Father....a near crippling injury at work that will continue to be troubling for some time to come...and the year has ended with finding myself extremely disturbed by a group of gangstas that decided to do a drive by shooting into a crowd of downtown shoppers on boxing day resulting in the death of a 15 year old girl, just one year younger than my own daughter...I can't imagine the pain.........

[WIREMAN]

personal life...a rollercoaster ride on a big rollercoaster....

on the creative side i had 2 shows of my wired ones william h. barker gallery in baltimore sold 2 pieces to the coolest couple , they host the annual Fairie Fest in Glen Rock Pa. every may day weekend an awesome event, i also had a show at Gallery Neptune in bethesda and sold 2 more wired ones and also hosted a poetry show that was a blast there......

lotsa poetry shows, all unique in their own way......

recorded a spoken word cd of my stuff which will be out soon.....

did my music jammin thing with lotsa musicians and started a band
with 2 awesome musicians from baltimore mayor martin o'malley's celtic rock band o'malleys march, jamie wilson on an assortment of percussion & ralph reinoldi playing electric guitar......we use my India electronic tabla and tambura as the launching pad for our pieces and are in the process of recording a cd.......

what a year, i'll never forget it......

[mnaz]

Traveled close to 30,000 miles, 110 desert dirt roads, trails.

Stayed in more than a hundred old, broken-down motels.

Lived in a beat-up trailer in the middle of Nevada for a month.

Drank some whiskey, got religion.

Wrote about 71.3 percent of a book.

Met three new Studio Eighters (I'm up to 7, now).

Won twelve dollars at video blackjack.

Wrote a ton of bad poetry.

Signaled for all my left turns.


A banner year, indeed.

[abcrystcats]

LRod --

I'm not in debt and nobody is suing me.

That's a MAJOR accomplishment, these days. I hope you know that.

Both of you have a fairly impressive list of creative efforts. I'm impressed, but I'm not surprised, LOL.

As for me ... gosh ... what did I do?

Well, I hunted for work and finally got a job I could stick to for more than six weeks.

I got a license to sell Property and Casualty insurance, and another license to sell Life and Health.

I kept my job when others around me were not keeping theirs.

I actually learned about 70/80% of the godforsaken and archaic computer system this company ridiculously maintains.

I MOVED.

I lost half a fingernail and grew it back.

I learned to sell, and I am still learning to sell.

I learned about some insurance products, and I am still learning more about other insurance products. This is less fascinating to me than playing Spider Solitaire on the easy setting on my computer, but because it's boring, I think that learning it is certainly an accomplishment.

I got job offers and refused them. Which doesn't mean I won't take a better one in the future.

I decided I need to change my whole life. No details, as yet. I'll share them when I change them, but I realized my life is fucked up and if I don't change, I'll be very very sorry. Reality sucks, but so does unreality. I have to choose between them, and I've been stuck in unreality for far too long.

Oh yeah: so far nobody is suing me, and I haven't incurred any debt for two years.

[lovingpenfull]

wrapped up my life in Oregon, sold my car, quit the job, collected my saved up time-off dollars from the job got some tax back, and said goodbye to friends, got a ride down to San Francisco

San Fran to Bangkok, bumped around, met some folks, into Laos, looking for work teaching, back to Thailand, got a volunteer job, quit it, another job this time paid, stuck with it for three months, had lot's of sex, quit the job, into Cambodia saw Angkor Wat, back into Laos, back to Thailand

wrapped up Thailand life, Bangkok to Calcutta, took in India, got sick, moved on, worked painting a hotel, moved into the ancient northern cities, met a Japanese gal, great time, up into the mountains to Dalai Lama's town in exile, saw him a few times

now sleeping with this chick, she is strange and I don't understand her, but I don't care about her weirdness, having fun, last day of the year, will walk around the cold town here and see what is going on tonight, just watch, pack up, and leave tomorrow night.

1st Jan, late night, bus back down into the heat of the plains, a good start to the new year

[judih]

fascinating year. So much energy, so much movement.

me?
Jan - helped a select group of special ed kids pass their english matric - reiki, confidence building, love - a good combination together with (oh yeah) curriculum

Feb - survived, published in Ray Soulard's Cenacle

march - survived - made chapbook

april - spring break - survived!

may - survived

june - survived

july - yes, vacation! joy, joy, music, dancing!

august - canada, family, love. USA, family, love. Beginning of 50th Anniversary Magazine brainstorming - interviews, generating positive energy. Back to school - downer, jet lag, ugh

september - onwards with kibbutz magazine. School.

october - kibbutz magazine. School. Holidays! joy, music, dance! Sudden home-visit of oldest daughter. Rapture! Harmonies. Love!

november - kibbutz magazine - mad dash to photograph 50 members plus scenic spots. looking into people's faces to find beautiful throbbing souls. no red-eyes, please! Daughter leaves for USA (sadness. house weeps)

december - school, kibbutz magazine about to be finished - 150 copies. Now kibbutz magazine gala evening. planning - no time, what time?

A year of jams, expression, hugs, lovemaking, laughter, pizza making, bread making, bran cake consumption. espresso, tea and water.
Long walks, legs rediscovering joy of connecting with the earth.
Writing - releasing illusions - the moment is what i've got.

studio 8 energy.
tribes poetry jams - daily release
spirit plant refuge - family of distant souls
arcanumcafe - what can i say
litkicks? a kick away
graham seidman, r.i.p. dear unique man

2005 - shalom

[Glorious Amok]

i started 2005 off right, by ending my marriage officially on January 1st. this New Years Day will be my 1 year anniversary - with myself! (and frankly, i prefer the company.)

directed my very first play, Oscar Wilde's Salomé. even designed the set and choreographed a bellydance for it. sold out on closing night.

studied some meditation, found it to be more useful while i'm running than while i'm sitting.

toured my very first professional theatre show. a puppet show, for money!! played that at 2 elementary schools a day, for about a month. a puppet show, for money!!

travelled to the Czech Repulic, spent a month there studying theatre and history in a renaissance castle. spent a weekend in Prague, saw cathedrals that changed my life, even tho i'm not religious. saw the only still standing theatre that Mozart performed in. saw lots of opera. then spent a week in London, kept an intense schedule of art galleries and museums, including the David Bowie display.

moved out of the city, into the country. we have no neighbours that are visible from our property. you can hear them out there sometimes, but only trees, as far as the eye can see in every direction. my last apartment was upstairs from a tattoo parlour called The Black Rose and across the street from a biker's blues bar, because my life was a Tom Waits song at the time. now, it's mostly just a soundtrack of waves.

built models. model building is awesome. in fact, i built a scale model of that theatre in Prague which Mozart had performed in.

stage managed a show for my university with my favourite director. the show was colourful, powerful, meaningful. something i'm really proud of.

re-met a beautiful woman who i had first met 2 years ago in a french immersion program in northern Québec. am very, very happy to have re-met her.

travelled in the states some, met Hester, who has the coolest house EVER and who sings EVERYTHING right out of her heart. met Jim Furnish who drove me along the beach of the Pacific Ocean in december, and kicked over a dead squid that some gulls were devouring so we could look at it closer. met mnaz who has beautiful music, and who drove me from Astoria to Seattle.

formed very close bonds with my university friends. am so glad to have gone back to school when i did. all the rest of my life, these will be my university friends.

[panta rhei]

i've been to the north sea.
began to learn a new language.
hummed a little song while i walked.
got two new english students.
turned our futon mat into a sofa.

we bought a new car.
enjoyed a long, warm and sunny fall.
did some wonderful trips into the black forest and french vosges mountains.
visited and been visited by many dear friends.
been busy with our business and organized a few movement events.
planned definite trips to prague and new york for 2006.

i read a few good books.
wrote a little, pained a little, did some drawings.
tried to play flute alongside with my daughter.
been involved in the local exchange ring project.
spent some wonderful and intense days with my mother.
had a few aha-moments.
had some times of frustration.
and some moments of pure bliss.
participated in many amazing dreamscapes.
swam. trekked. skied. dove. ran.
laughed and cried.
created.
understood.
and didn't.
saw shooting stars and the full moon from many angles.
listened. pondered. wondered.

i am thankful and enriched.
i was part of another precious year that made me expand.

tonight's silvester night.
happy new year, everyone!

[Arcadia]

a ver...

. Teach 63 kids language, literature, social sciences, Arts, civic & ethic formation and huerta. Learned and had a lot of fun with them.
Specially loved to teach 7º grade and wanted to kill (in a methaphoric way) half course of 6º grade (sometimes).

. Had only two big discussions with the authorities of the school. And we didn´t reach to an agreement at the moment. Let´s see next year.

. Had a very good relationship with the parents of the kids.

. Played with my amazing sobrino Bruno.

. Co-coordinated a learning group that did two interesting trabajos in the community.

. Re-coursed literatura europea II at the facu.

. Went to several marchas.

. Cooked pasta, chop-suei, salads and hamburguers to my friends and family (I had now a new cocina so I could use the oven and parrilla next year).

. Coordinates the ecology and medio ambiente taller in the encuentro de mujeres in Mar del Plata. Very moving experience this year.

. Was the hostess and also member for the second year of an autogestive-learning group about buddhism and literature. Not knowing if we will continue, but the two years were weird and great.

. Met new people.

. Went to a zen dojo for the first time.

. Learned how to scan and mail images.

. Learned how to download an mp3.

. Learned how to copy a text from one site to another being online.

. Read and write here and sometimes in litkicks.

. Read, listened to music, went to see plays and films, slept (maybe too much), walked, talked and have great time with my friends.

. Tried to keep the departamento in order (with no success).

. Knew new beautiful beaches in the south of brazil.

. Could anticipate problems very clearly but not solved them.

. Worried, was enthusiastic, then suspicious, then worried again, then had some hope, then got angry, then.... about latin america governments. I don´t have to forget that there is also the pueblo, always.

. Enjoyed the days and also sometimes felt very bored and tired.