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Stay Alert

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (KJV) ( 1 Peter 5:8  ) 

This world is a dangerous place.  There is a real, ugly, no good adversary out there trying to push us off course.  Stay alert! Always being mindful of the choices you are making.  Grow godly community around you and enlist their help in finding wisdom for your life.  Pray for God’s protection as you go through your day.  Without His hand on our lives, evil awaits us. 

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Moment of Zen: Breakfast

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Last Friday in September

Thank goodness September is almost over.  It’s been a busy month. It started with Vermont Pride. There was a lot going on that weekend. All of it fun too. Then we had the 200th anniversary homecoming. That was a lot of work and very exhausting. I’m glad I’ll never experience anything like that again. Lastly, we had a major writer’s symposium on campus this week which meant VIP tours and dinners. At least I’ve been able to take some time off this week. Next week, we should return to some normalcy. I hope. October won’t be as busy, but a lot is planned to go on next month too. In fact thinking about it, it should be an eventful and exciting end to the year the next few months.

By the way, the picture above is near perfection to me. I saw it an absolutely fell in love. What do you guys think?

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Taking the Day Off

 I was off yesterday but had to go in last night for a presidential dinner. I subsequently got home late because I had to wait for the caterers to leave before I could lock up. Therefore, I’m basically taking the day off from blogging today. 

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Sonnet 116

Sonnet 116: Let me not to the marriage of true minds
William Shakespeare 

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove.
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wand'ring bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me prov'd,
I never writ, nor no man ever lov'd.

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Pain and Exhaustion

I worked ten hour days for four days last week out of a six day work week. Let me also add that one of those ten hour days actually was a fourteen hour day. Again this week I have a six day work week with two of those days being ten hour days. I am exhausted already, and I felt it full force yesterday when I woke at 3 am with a major migraine. I took some Advil and a Maxalt and eventually fell back to sleep. When I woke again at 8 am, my headache was still raging. I stayed up for an hour or so, drank some coffee, had a bite to eat, and took my medicine before returning to bed. By noon the headache had abated and I ran some errands. However, the headache returned last night, so I went to bed early. I’m just hoping that this week, while long, will be less stressful than last week.

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Peaks and Valleys

Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun. (KJV) ( Ecclesiastes 8:15 ) 

God wants us to eat, drink and be merry. He wants us to embrace life. But He also knows that life on earth comes with challenges, roadblocks and hardships. It’s a perfectly designed system of peaks and valleys, and it's our memory of the valleys that lifts us up when we experience the peaks. Without those valleys, the route to our Heavenly Father would take longer to reach. 

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Moment of Zen: Neighbor’s Kid

The kid just turned 18 (this is not him in the picture), and I love watching him slowly peel off his shirt to show off the body underneath.

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Migraine

Since Sunday, I have had an excruciating migraine. I got some relief on Monday when I went to see my physical therapist. She knows just what pressure points to press to relieve my headaches, but after a few hours it was back with a vengeance. I left work early yesterday because I was in so much pain that I was nauseated. I went home and took the strongest meds I have and went to sleep. Still no relief. Homecoming starts today, and we will be very busy the next four days. I need to be well so that I can do my part.

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Derrida/Coleman

Were it possible, I would be naked. Of the nude philosophy:
consider the globalization of the expensive american sound. 

Should we worry? We should work. I believe you’re right.
I distrust the word “white.” It’s sanctified propaganda. 

Repetition is my language of origin, the highest technology. Anyway
the body is only mine provisionally. For reasons that I’m not sure of,
I am convinced that before becoming music, music was only a word. 

I prefer to destroy the composer, renew the concept.
Extraordinary limitation playing freedom.

Credit

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Copyright © 2019 by Taylor Johnson. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on August 26, 2019, by the Academy of American Poets.

About this Poem

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“I improvised upon a 1997 interview between Jacques Derrida and Ornette Coleman, the PDF version of which I read was an english translation of the interview which was transcribed into french from the original audio of english. I was trying to play out Coleman's concept of harmolodics. In the interview, Coleman describes the brain as ‘a conversation.’ And I like when Derrida asks, ‘What is the strategy of your musical choice for Paris?’ I wanted to see what kind of conversation could happen if I put Derrida and Coleman in one head. Sometimes the language turns on itself, and turns itself over. Listen to ‘Civilization Day’ off The Complete Science Fiction Sessions.”
—Taylor Johnson

Author

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Taylor Johnson

Taylor Johnson's first book of poems, Inheritance, will be published November 2020 with Alice James Books.

Date Published: 2019-08-26

Source URL: https://poets.org/poem/derridacoleman

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The Reveal

I teased y’all Thursday about something that might be coming to fruition. It looks like I will get to do the training to become a Certified Interpretive Giide. Education is a major part of my job and that includes giving tours. It’s also a nice addition to my CV/resume. I had looked into the training a few months ago, but none of the training sessions were nearby, so I put the idea on the back burner. Then, it became a possibility when a training session opened up in Vermont. As I looked at it though, the timing of the training interfered with my New York City trip at Thanksgiving and my birthday. Once I realized that the museum would only pay for the training and not the travel (major budget cuts at the university), I realized it didn’t matter where I did the training. So the next desirable place was Birmingham, Alabama. I’d be close enough that my family could visit. However, it coincided with one of the programs I have been planning, so I took another look at the schedule. The next closest to my family was Pensacola, Florida (hence the beach pictures). The only drawback to Pensacola is that they haven’t yet made their quota for the number of students necessary. Once I sign up, they still need two more students to sign up for the training class to make. If it doesn’t make, there is one in Montgomery, Alabama in the new year. That would put me really close to family. I might also consider going somewhere that might be fun to visit. My preference is Pensacola but we will see how that goes.

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Self Ambition

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.  But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. (NIV) ( James 3:13-14 ) 

We all possess some degree of selfishness. The important thing is to acknowledge it and let others know of your intentions. People will be more understanding if you reveal it rather than hide it. If you feel strong enough to mirror God's ways, change your direction by giving time and money to those less fortunate than yourself. If you don't feel strong enough, ask God for the strength. 

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Moment of Zen: Whatever This Is

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News

I have some news. It’s not official yet, but should be on Monday. It’s not a new job, but a possible new training. Stay tuned for more. The main news is where I might be going.

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Pride: Vermont Style

Pride in Vermont is unlike any other Pride. First of all, it’s small, though they had their largest contingents of marchers this year with just over 1400 people marching. The Pride Ball was sold out at 420 tickets. And The Guerilla Bar Takeover at Drink Bar Friday night was packed to the gills. Everything had a good showing and it was heartwarming to see so many people out in support of the LGBTQA community in Vermont.

So let’s start with Friday. We first had dinner at Splash at the Boathouse on Lake Champlain. All three of us, two coworkers and myself, had the burger which was delicious, as were their homemade potato chips. We left there and made it just in time for the start of the Hump! Film Festival. Some of the films were quite erotic, it is amateur porn after all. Some were a complete turn off, such as the guy fisting himself and all the lesbian porn. I kept looking at my watch during the lesbian porn hoping it would be over soon, which did not go missed by one of my coworkers. After Hump!, we went to the Guerilla Bar Takeover at Drink Bar. We had one drink there but it was so crowded we had to leave. We met a friend of ours at the more quiet Whiskey Bar. After that, we called it a night.

Saturday, I did not have anyone to go with me to Pride Ball, so I went alone. I had so much fun. The drag shows were phenomenal. The first one lasted about an hour and a half. The beautiful Miss Czechoslovakia was there. She always has a great performance. Butterball performed and was fabulous. She was my favorite performer of the night. I love old school campy drag queens over the often more vulgar and just pretty looking drag queens you often see today. Butterball was campy goodness, and the butterfly dress was beautiful. They had two burlesque performers. I’m not a fan of burlesque, but it’s popular in Vermont. Usually it’s women dancers who really should not be stripping naked. Mike Oxready performed in the first set to a song that rapped mirrored his T-shirt that said “Fuck Trump.” Mike was the only drag king to perform in the first set. There were a few other drag performances. Two that stood out were Farrah Nuff and Shani. After the first set, a DJ was brought out and I left shortly after that. It was getting late and I still had to drive home.

Sunday was the big day. It was the day of the parade. A huge crowd turned out for it. The streets were lined several people deep. There was no rhyme or reason to the order of the people who marched. Probably the largest contingent of people were from St. Michael’s College, a small Catholic college of less than 2000 students, who probably had more than a hundred students there including the hockey team. My favorite queens, Nikki Champagne and Emoji Nightmare we’re in the parade. (See the first picture.) They had hosted the Ball the night before. The LeMay Sisters were at the restaurant across from me but did not march this year. There were some strange participants such as the Star Wars group and the Hearthlight group who were dressed as medieval women. The Burly Bears were there along with many other groups. Ben and Jerry’s always has a group in the Parade as does Bernie Sanders, whose people seemed to be handing out chunks of carrots. It’s definitely a unique parade.

After the Parade, there was a Pride Festival but I couldn’t find parking anywhere nearby, so I decided to run some errands in Burlington and wait for the Burly Bears party to begin. When the time came, I went to the Burly Bears party at Red Square. The staff at Red Square, from security to the bartenders, were all shirtless. They were fun to admire. They also had some go-go boys dancing in little gold shorts that left little to the imagination. They had marched earlier with the House of Madam which you saw a picture of Monday. I mingled a little bit. I talked to Emoji for a while and saw the LeMay Sisters. I stayed for about two hours then headed home.

It was a fun but exhausting weekend.

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Slicing Limes for Dustin

Slicing Limes for Dustin
by Stephen S. Mills

 “and what does it mean
if he tells his wife she’s unpleasant or dull
and what
does
it mean
if his wife takes sleeping pills or walks
in front of a car?”
—Diane Wakoski, “Slicing Oranges for Jeremiah”

And what does it mean to stand in a kitchen
slicing limes for cocktails?
Limes for Dustin?
For drinks we will consume
which will make us happy for a time
then horny
angry
sleepy
depressed
and maybe
if we are lucky
fully alive for just a second?

And what does it mean
that we can’t eat as many limes as we want?
That we can so easily get sick
on the citrus?
Stomachs aching?
What does it mean to care
for a sick person?
To wash his body?
Comb his hair?
And what does it mean
for a body to show signs of stopping?
Or for a mind to get confused?
To regret an action?
To do the things it never thought possible?

What does it mean
to stand here
taking care
of you
taking care of me?
To find comfort in this knife
puncturing the bright green skin
of a lime?
Green balls of light.

And what does it mean to fall in love again
and again
with limes in drinks
and the cutting board
smeared with pulp?
Or to go out into the city
and dance
with other bodies?
To be on display?
To have more drinks with sliced limes?
Limes cut by other hands
by other men
in other places.

And what does it mean for an old queen to say
we don’t live in the real New York?
That it’s gone?
Dead?
That somehow only one person’s experience
is real?
And what does it mean
to never want to be that old queen?
To never be that jaded?

And what does it mean
that we stood outside
the Stonewall Inn and drank cocktails
with limes
on the day the Supreme Court
struck down DOMA?
Was that not real?
And what does it mean to only look backward?
To always be longing for another decade?
Another time?

And what does it mean for two men
to be protected
under the law?
To call each other husband?
And what does it mean to know
that if we ever want to leave
each other
it will have to be official?
Paperwork goes both ways. 

And what does it mean to become
a housewife voluntarily?
To slice limes for a husband?
Limes for Dustin?
And what does it mean to be married
yet remain queer?
Remain two men in love?
Bonded together?
What does it mean?

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Pride

Pride was a lot of fun. Three days of festivities, and I am exhausted. I didn’t have the energy last night to write up about Pride, but look for the full details Wednesday. I hope everyone had a great weekend.

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Relationship with God

Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. (KJV) ( Proverbs 4:5 ) 

Choosing to follow God will impart wisdom to you through your relationship with Him. Stay tuned into God's word by reading the Bible. When you find yourself drifting away make an effort to stay connected. Make it a priority and do whatever it takes. 

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (KJV) ( Romans 8:35 ) 

The answer to these questions is an emphatic NO! Nothing can separate Christ from us once we ask Him into our hearts. But also realize that troubles are NOT an indication that God is withholding His love for us. Calamity, persecution, hunger, destitution, danger, and death are all a result of living in a broken world. 

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Moment of Zen: A Good Book

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Vermont Pride 2019

Celebrating and supporting Vermont’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community of all ages, as well as educating and serving as a bridge to create alliances with each other and with the greater community as a whole.

The Pride Parade kicks off at 12:30pm and is a beloved institution here in Vermont and throughout the world. It began as an anniversary celebration of the Stonewall Riots but has evolved over time to encompass the many LGBTQ heroes, struggles, and victories since. The parade begins at the south end of Church Street and ends at Battery Park where the festival is held.

The Pride Festival is one big party in Battery Park following the parade. It’s a place for the entire community – LGBTQ+ and ally – of all ages, races, and backgrounds to come together. Colorful, showstopping performers (Drag! Dance! Comedy! Poetry! Burlesque!) will be sure to entertain on stage while the park is filled with fabulous vendors with info and activities (and food!) for all.

Visit Pridevt.org for more info.

Since 1983, thousands have come together to celebrate the rich diversity that is the LGBTQ community of Vermont. Pride Center anticipates an even larger gathering this year. 

I’ll be there with my pride shirt on.