Welcome back to the odd and whimsical poetery of the Peeps related to holidaze! Let’s investigate what today is, because we need all the holidaze we can celebrate, right?
Lately, every day seems to be many holidays! Which is good, because we all have our favorites. So I will pick out one or two, and you can click the link above if you’re curious about the rest. This is an Open Thread, so please feel free to add your favorite pomes and photoes and holidaze for today in the Comments!
First a solemn note (no worries, we will resume fun shortly down below):
Today is About One Year Since The First Covid Case In the US, And Today We Have Passed 400,000 Deaths
There was a beautiful, moving ceremony at the Reflecting Pool in DC today including 400 lanterns, reflecting the power of a real President (if you missed it and wish you hadn’t, see PBS for full video). It made things a little dusty here, but it’s healing dust.
Yesterday was MLK Day
Officebss did a wonderful MLK tribute with quotes and poetery in yesterday’s MOT. If you missed it, you may want to go here. Here are a few snippets:
Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced,
where ignorance prevails, and where any one class
is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy
to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons
nor property will be safe.
– Frederick Douglass
I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically
bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that
the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never
become a reality . . . I believe that unarmed truth and
unconditional love will have the final word.
– Martin Luther King Jr.
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed—
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.
.
(It never was America to me.)
— Langston Hughes
Between MLK Day yesterday and Inauguration Day tomorrow is the much-prized Artist as Outlaw Day!
By some definitions, a true artist is one who breaks rules, shifts an art form in new directions, and makes people think in new ways, all while remaining true to their own artistic vision. These earthshaking artists can be seen as outlaws, as they rebel against the conventions of their time. While most outlaw artists forever remain outside of the mainstream, some popular stars have introduced avant-garde concepts and ideas—the Beatles and Bob Dylan being two examples. We celebrate all outlaw artists today, whether they work in visual arts, music, film, writing, or any other type of art.
How to Observe
You could celebrate the day by making your art, or by exploring artists who can be classified as outlaw artists. There are hundreds of such artists, and some may be considered outlaws more so than others. The definition of who qualifies as an outlaw will shift depending on who you ask as well.
I’ve been happy to present OranguTrump with his ridiculous red tie several times, but will refrain tonight. We have had quite enough of him! I thought you might enjoy looking back at less frequent guests. We hope to see their backsides soon (preferably in prison jumpsuits) if we haven’t already too!
Sure, they may look a little foolish. But am I being an outlaw or did they already make themselves look foolish? Maybe both.
Here’s an interesting artists’ website, The Arts Desk: Poems inspired by paintings. One sample:
Nude Descending a Staircase
by X.J. Kennedy
Toe upon toe, a snowing flesh,
A gold of lemon, root and rind,
She sifts in sunlight down the stairs
With nothing on. Nor on her mind.
We spy beneath the banister
A constant thresh of thigh on thigh--
Her lips imprint the swinging air
That parts to let her parts go by.
One-woman waterfall, she wears
Her slow descent like a long cape
And pausing, on the final stair
Collects her motions into shape.
Mew descending a staircase: More or less graceful?
Please to remember that Pootie Diaries post twice a day!
The regular Pootie Diaries post daily at 1:45 pm Eastern (on Sundays at 3 pm Eastern)
and the evening Open Thread Pootie Diaries post at about 10 pm Eastern
Please to show ‘em both some lubs!
In Loving Memory of Swampyankee:
In Loving Memory of Jan4Insight:
And almost finally, please note da roolz:
PWBPeeps is a group that posts a daily diary and nightly open thread for animal lovers. We share photos, seek & give advice about pet health and behavior issues, support each other in times of sadness and stress, celebrate together when times are good, and on most days have an inordinate amount of fun.
You are welcome to join us!
Here are a few not-too-onerous PWB rulez
Violate ‘em and we’ll say that you’re crulez
- Do not “Troll” the Pootie Peeps Diaries. If you don’t like animal diaries, there’s no need to tell us about it. Just go find some other diary more to your liking.
- Whatever happens in the outer blog STAYS in the outer blog. As in, no pie fights. This is a place to relax and play; please treat it accordingly.
- If you would like a pic from the comment threads, please ask the poster. He/she may have a copyright to those pics. Many thanks!
- There are some pics we never post: Snakes, creepy crawlies, any and all photos that depict or encourage human cruelty toward animals. These are considered “out of bounds” and will not be tolerated.
- If you’re not sure about an issue...please ask. Someone is always glad to help.
For those who missed our Earth Day special, Climate Change helpful hints from the aminals are here!
If you are looking for our illustrated poetery, we will keep here da list!:
Srs Ogden Nash (and Other) Poetry for December 31, New Year’s Eve, Illustrated! (At the end of which is the list of all our illustrated Ogden Nashes.)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for January 7, Illustrated! (Marge Piercy, Twisted Sister)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for January 14, Illustrated! (Ogden Nash, Francesco Marciuliano)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for January 21, Illustrated! (Shel Silverstein, Muhammed Iqbal, Elena Carlena)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for January 28, Illustrated! (Rita Dove, Anonymous, KoalasofNYC)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for February 11, Illustrated! (Neil Hilborn, Jeannine Atkins)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for March 3, Illustrated! (Poemasabi)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for March 31, Illustrated! (Rebekah Bastian, traditional song)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for April 7, Illustrated! (G.K. Chesteron, Faith Shearin)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for April 14, Illustrated! (David Bowie, Robert Lowell)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for April 21, Illustrated! (I Am Your Dog by Author Unknown)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for April 28, Illustrated! (Francesco Marciuliano again!)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for May 5, Illustrated! (Elena Carlena cartoons, Venessa Medina-Rosas)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for May 12, Illustrated! (nelpogrando)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for May 19, Illustrated! (Edward Monkton, Giles Andreae)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for May 26, Illustrated! (Lesbia Harford)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for June 2, Illustrated! (Sienna Luna)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for June 9, Illustrated! (Christopher “Kit” Smart)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for June 16, Illustrated! (Russell Edson)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for June 30, Illustrated! (Rosa Silva’s cat)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for July 7, Illustrated! (Mark J. Halliday)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for July 14, Illustrated! (Vivian Shipley)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for July 21, Illustrated! (Sawyer Sewell, David F)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for July 28, Illustrated! (Carma Reed)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for August 11, Illustrated! (Bob Raczka)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for August 18, Illustrated! (The Sumerians, William Topaz McGonagall)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for August 25, Illustrated! (Kathleen Graber)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for September 1, Illustrated! (Daver Austin)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for September 8, Illustrated! (Terri Cannan)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for September 15, Illustrated! (Ada Limón)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for September 22, Illustrated! (William Butler Yeats)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for September 29, Illustrated! (Olivia Kent)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for October 6, Illustrated! (Gareth Taylor)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for October 20, Illustrated! (Lawrence S. Pertillar, Gerald E. Greene)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for October 27, Illustrated! (MiladyMar)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for November 10, Illustrated! (Edgar Allan Poe)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for November 17, Illustrated! (Emily Johnston)
Srs Not-Srs Poetry for January 5, Illustrated! (Samuel Taylor Coleridge)
This is an open thread! Please chat away in the Comments. Enjoy!
PLEASE NOTE: Your humble diarist is NR, so consider yourselves +1 as long as you behave! ;-)
And Finally, In Especially Loving Memory of Ginger the World’s Best Pootie
(and maybe Oreo too!)