Thursday, November 20, 2008
THE WAL-MARTYR: DEDICATED TO BARBARA HALL & JENNIFER LYNCH
Infidels
apostates
blasphemers
fornicators
& general all purpose unbelievers
I am your terrorist for tonight
I am a weapon of Hamas destruction,
A mani-infestation of the Ku Klux Koran
I am here to blow you away
With the force of my faith
I am a smart bomb
You Children of Crusaders
think you have smart bombs
You have dumb dumbs
I am a smart bomb
I can loiter, backtrack, choose my moment
Your smart bombs cost millions
I cost the liberation of my soul
You are a stupid people
I am a stealth bomber
You Children of Crusaders
think you have stealth bombers
you don’t; you have wealth bombers
I am a stealth bomber
because I am an invisible minority
invisible to your assorted profiling systems
I can penetrate your insecurity systems
enter subways, discos, board buses,
Your stealth bombers cost billions and billions
I cost the liberation of my soul
You are a stupid people
Your Norad cannot detect me
even though I am in your schools
in your parks, in your malls, in your suburbs.
You are a stupid people.
Your NATO cannot stop me
though it is the most poetent gang in the world
with its fly-by shootings & inconsequential collateral.
You are a stupid people.
You love to live
We love to die
You love your bonds to the temporal
We love our wings to the eternal
You kill to live and make hell on earth
We kill to live and earn eternity in heaven
We kill to purify the earth of infidelity,
the Abomi Nations of Western Wickedmess
Your democrazies have liberated licentiousmess only
the widespread eagled dishonouring of your women
with their nakedmess
& unveiled gynecological generosities
with the perversonality of homosexual culture
you want to shove up our culture
with the Uniperversal Declaration of Unhuman Rites
You are a stupid people.
I am of the people of the God Squad
who will avenge your idolatries and idollartries.
We will bring down all your Manhatten man hatin’
towering boners of banality.
You are a stupid people
Your sons say,
“Daddy, I want to be pathetically correct when I grow up.”
Our sons say,
“Father, I want to be a Wal-martyr when I blow up”
Your sons say,
“I want to ejaculate.”
Our sons say,
“I want to detonate.”
I am an apostle of the Universal Declaration of God’s Rights
I am a weapon of Hamas destruction
I am here to blow you away with the farce of my faith
I am the price of your freedom
And I will make you pay
God is the greatest!
Allahu akbar!
ALLAHU AKBARBARIAN!!!!!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
TORONTO POETS WANT FREE SPEECH, ALWAYS
A mani-infestation of the policy of Poetry Proliferation & Proselytization. Free Speech facilitates Poets expanding the imagine nation. George Orwell wrote: "The imagination, like certain wild animals, will not breed in captivity." Free Speech is twice the fun of censorshit. Free Speech is tough on bad ideas.
Note the placards being raised:
LIVE UNCENSORED,
WE WANT WIT,
POETRY IS POETENCY,
DOWN WITH DULL.
Note the placards being raised:
LIVE UNCENSORED,
WE WANT WIT,
POETRY IS POETENCY,
DOWN WITH DULL.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
2008 GOVERNOR GENERAL'S AWARD FOR POETRY VIA FREE SPEECH
Click in image to enlarge
It was announced this morning that Jacob Scheier has won the Governor-General's Award for Poetry (English). Poet Scheier, currently residing in Brooklyn, New York, won for his anthology, More to Keep Us Warm. (ECW Press). The citation for his work reads: "More to Keep Us Warm invites the reader into a world of hope, pain, laughter and forgiveness – elements that reconcile the human drama through the power of love and sheer poetic invention. With deep affection for his work, Jacob Scheier manages his debut collection with precision, grace and stunning metaphor." The jury for the English poetry award consisted of Di Brandt (Brandon, Man.), Pier Giorgio Di Cicco (Toronto), and Connie Fife (Nanaimo, B.C.).
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
ROBERT PRIEST TAKES OATH OF ALLEGIANCE TO POETRY
My long-time poetent friend, Robert Priest is a poet, playwright, song-writer, and novelist. An exhibition of his vast imagination and poetic skills can be seen in these videos.
Robert Priest also known as Dr Poetry on CBC’s Wordbeat has performed his exciting mix of poems and songs all over the world. His words have been debated in the legislature, posted in the Transit system, quoted by politicians, turned into a hit song and widely published in text books and anthologies.
The author of fourteen books of poetry, he won the Acorn People's Poetry Award for his now classic Mad Hand (1988).
In his alias as Dr. Poetry he wrote and performed thirteen segments for CBC radio's spoken-word show Wordbeat.
As a songwriter, he co-wrote the number one hit, Song Instead of a Kiss,for Alannah Myles. You may even have seen him recently singing topical songs on CBC Televison's Sunday Night News.
He teaches a lyric-writing course at U.of T.'s School of Continuing Education. His Aphorisms have already appeared in The Farmer's Almanac, and Colombo's Canadian Quotations.His musical play Minibugs and Microchips received a $25,000.00 Chalmer's Award.
His novel, Knights of the Endless Day got an 'Our Choice Award; from the Canadian Children's Book CentreBoth of his books of poems for children: Daysongs Nightsongs, and The Secret Invasion of Bananas are on the CBC's recommended reading listAs a teacher/workshop leader he has been described as "Ontario's most popular poet in the schools" by Today's Parent Magazine.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
INFIDEL BLOGGERS AWARDS NOMINATIONS
Click on image to go to Infidel Blogger Awards
Not enough satire in your diet? Then quit grinding your teeth and mosey on over to the Infidel Blogger Awards. Completely unscientific; friends, family and business associates can vote. Lots of selections -- very pro-choice. Choose your winners and losers, whinners & hosers.
Exercise your freely selected choice by voting. Put down that turkey baster, set aside that executive decision, neglect your children for a brief spell, and vote. The community of infidels, fornicators, blasphemers, and apostates await your hip-jerk response.
ONTARIO COURT OF APPEAL HEARS ARGUEMENTS ON CRIMINAL POEM
Last year, November 23, Royson James wrote a column for the Toronto Star entitled, Councillors need lesson on economy. His column is a litany of wrongs, and ends with the call: “Councillors should be hanged, one a day, at noon, in Nathan Phillips Square. Charge admission. We'll net enough money to pay off most of our civic bills.”
Mr James was NOT charged and convicted of uttering a death threat. But Antonia Batista, 76, was. He was convicted last year of uttering a death threat in a poem.
A complaint had been made by Ward 9 Mississauga Councillor, Pat Saito, after Bastista posted 5 copies of his doggerel poem on utility poles in his neighbourhood complaining about Saito’s obsession with potholes. The poem, lyrically entitled, Parked Cars and Potholes in the City of Mississauga, contained this “death threat”:
Pat pot, patch pot
Look here look there
Pat pot patch pot
There is a car parked here
There is a car parked in there
This kept a Good looking lady from her
Working place and
By looking at pot holes She
Thought about doing
Nothing and winning the Race
When she got to Churchill Meadows
She was out of the Race
But She was too far behind in
Her work, and without thinking
She backed up and without making
Sure that it was safe to do so
She provoked a big accident
We are going to dig a pothole
About six feet long and three feet wide
And five feet deep to hide
Her body and God will take care
Of Her Soul, but We cannot
Forgive her for doing nothing
She can keep running
At a good pace but
We will make sure that she is in HEAVEN
And out of the Race
So please God take care
Of this SOUL forever and
EVER
But, but, this is satire, ain’t it? University of Toronto literary prof., Dennis Duffy, testified that he regarded the poem to be satire, adding; “Many of the great satires are in foul taste, and that is where they get their effect." Justice James J. Keaney briefly explained that because Batista did not have a high level of education it was unlikely he could know what satire was and therefore he could not have written the poem in jest. Councillor Saito, when told of the conviction, said she was “glad the poem was recognized as a death threat.”
Batista's lawyer, Clayton Ruby, stood before the Ontario Court of Appeal yesterday, and said the convicting judge was an expert in law, not in literature. He said the Justice Keaney mistakenly believed that he knew what satire was, thereby striking a blow against freedom of expression.
Ruby argued, “This judge did not realize that his training was in law, not in literature. There is no sign that this judge exercised the requisite caution that flows from the fact that this was political speech. We protect not only good and popular expression, but also unpopular and even offensive expression."
Exerpt from Globe & Mail:
However, Crown counsel Megan Stephens argued that no reasonable person could mistake Mr. Batista's poetry as being anything less than a serious threat to the well-being of a vulnerable political figure. She said that while being interviewed by police, Mr. Batista showed genuine anger toward Ms. Saito - proving that he had not merely satirized her in good fun.
Ms. Stephens also argued that Judge Keaney was perfectly capable of understanding the meaning of satire without having an expert explain it to him. "It is implicit in his reasons," she said. "He was aware of this evidence, but he did not find it overly helpful or necessary."
At one point yesterday, Judge Sharpe wondered aloud about whether Mr. Batista's writing really required expert analysis. "I want to be fair to your client, but I don't think he would describe himself as one of the world's great poets," he observed.
"Whether you are good, bad or indifferent, experienced or inexperienced, it is important to understand satire in its context," Mr. Ruby replied. Mr. Ruby also noted that a would-be murderer is unlikely to post death threats in public.
Late in Mr. Ruby's presentation, Judge Lang noted that the legal test Judge Keaney was bound to apply in the case involves whether a reasonable person would perceive Mr. Batista's poem as a death threat. "The reasonable person is not trained in literature," she said. "I'm still having trouble with your argument."
"The reasonable-person test does not in any way negate the use of expert evidence," Mr. Ruby countered. "You would want that person to have as much information as possible. Once you understand satire and what it is, this is clearly satire."
The court reserved judgment on the appeal.
Sources: Globe & Mail, Globe & Mail editorial, Toronto Star.
Mr James was NOT charged and convicted of uttering a death threat. But Antonia Batista, 76, was. He was convicted last year of uttering a death threat in a poem.
A complaint had been made by Ward 9 Mississauga Councillor, Pat Saito, after Bastista posted 5 copies of his doggerel poem on utility poles in his neighbourhood complaining about Saito’s obsession with potholes. The poem, lyrically entitled, Parked Cars and Potholes in the City of Mississauga, contained this “death threat”:
Pat pot, patch pot
Look here look there
Pat pot patch pot
There is a car parked here
There is a car parked in there
This kept a Good looking lady from her
Working place and
By looking at pot holes She
Thought about doing
Nothing and winning the Race
When she got to Churchill Meadows
She was out of the Race
But She was too far behind in
Her work, and without thinking
She backed up and without making
Sure that it was safe to do so
She provoked a big accident
We are going to dig a pothole
About six feet long and three feet wide
And five feet deep to hide
Her body and God will take care
Of Her Soul, but We cannot
Forgive her for doing nothing
She can keep running
At a good pace but
We will make sure that she is in HEAVEN
And out of the Race
So please God take care
Of this SOUL forever and
EVER
But, but, this is satire, ain’t it? University of Toronto literary prof., Dennis Duffy, testified that he regarded the poem to be satire, adding; “Many of the great satires are in foul taste, and that is where they get their effect." Justice James J. Keaney briefly explained that because Batista did not have a high level of education it was unlikely he could know what satire was and therefore he could not have written the poem in jest. Councillor Saito, when told of the conviction, said she was “glad the poem was recognized as a death threat.”
Batista's lawyer, Clayton Ruby, stood before the Ontario Court of Appeal yesterday, and said the convicting judge was an expert in law, not in literature. He said the Justice Keaney mistakenly believed that he knew what satire was, thereby striking a blow against freedom of expression.
Ruby argued, “This judge did not realize that his training was in law, not in literature. There is no sign that this judge exercised the requisite caution that flows from the fact that this was political speech. We protect not only good and popular expression, but also unpopular and even offensive expression."
Exerpt from Globe & Mail:
However, Crown counsel Megan Stephens argued that no reasonable person could mistake Mr. Batista's poetry as being anything less than a serious threat to the well-being of a vulnerable political figure. She said that while being interviewed by police, Mr. Batista showed genuine anger toward Ms. Saito - proving that he had not merely satirized her in good fun.
Ms. Stephens also argued that Judge Keaney was perfectly capable of understanding the meaning of satire without having an expert explain it to him. "It is implicit in his reasons," she said. "He was aware of this evidence, but he did not find it overly helpful or necessary."
At one point yesterday, Judge Sharpe wondered aloud about whether Mr. Batista's writing really required expert analysis. "I want to be fair to your client, but I don't think he would describe himself as one of the world's great poets," he observed.
"Whether you are good, bad or indifferent, experienced or inexperienced, it is important to understand satire in its context," Mr. Ruby replied. Mr. Ruby also noted that a would-be murderer is unlikely to post death threats in public.
Late in Mr. Ruby's presentation, Judge Lang noted that the legal test Judge Keaney was bound to apply in the case involves whether a reasonable person would perceive Mr. Batista's poem as a death threat. "The reasonable person is not trained in literature," she said. "I'm still having trouble with your argument."
"The reasonable-person test does not in any way negate the use of expert evidence," Mr. Ruby countered. "You would want that person to have as much information as possible. Once you understand satire and what it is, this is clearly satire."
The court reserved judgment on the appeal.
Sources: Globe & Mail, Globe & Mail editorial, Toronto Star.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
POETRY GROUP BANNED FROM PUB
Poetry group banned from pub by council on health and safety grounds
A poetry group has been banned from performing in its local pub on health and safety grounds after the council said the landlords had the wrong licence.
By Stephen Adams 30 Oct 2008
The Royal Standard in Ely, Cambs, has been threatened with a £5,000 fine because it only has an entertainment licence for singing and not speaking.
More here: The Telegraph
A poetry group has been banned from performing in its local pub on health and safety grounds after the council said the landlords had the wrong licence.
By Stephen Adams 30 Oct 2008
The Royal Standard in Ely, Cambs, has been threatened with a £5,000 fine because it only has an entertainment licence for singing and not speaking.
More here: The Telegraph
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