WRITINGS by Ricky Padron: Evidente

Intercambiar miradas usando un código que tu y yo conocemos. Nostalgia: Si no tengo el oxigeno que tu presencia devuelve. Alegría: idealizar este sentimiento eterno como el universo de Dios. Nutrir el alma en tu ausencia, viviendo un hermoso sueño cuando tomas el timón de mis pensamientos. Cautivar ilusiones aún en la distancia escuchando mi música QUE ES TU VOZ. DAME UNA SEÑAL, tu silencio tortura. R. Padron.

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POEM by Matt: Tour Love

I'm in a band
For us to become famous we've gotta tour
As you can imagine that doesn't sit well with her
I'm in London drinking wine
Then I'm coming back home for a short time
Then playing in Egypt for the Pharaoh
See her again in a short while
I'm growing; gaining perspective on life
She's stagnant; nothing new, ever so narrow
Many stories to tell as I arrive back home
As if the rock star version of Indiana Jones
The world is mine to tour
And sadly I want more, more than her
And suddenly my home is no longer where it used to be
My home is the tour, the tour is my life
And I've lost my wife

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WRITINGS: Q & A with Dr. Carlos Wolf

Q: I just came home form from seeing my mother’s plastic surgeon. I am interested in having breast augmentation. I am eighteen years old. When I asked him what type of implant I should have, he said that if I want it to feel natural I should get silicone implants. My mother asked him if it was ok for me at my age and he told her that I probably had some scoliosis and that would make it legal. I have never been told I had scoliosis. I am uncomfortable, what do you think? 

A: You have reason to feel uncomfortable. If this surgeon or any surgeon is willing to lie in order to get around FDA rules, think how he'll treat you if anything goes wrong. Silicone Gel-filled implants are indicated for females who are at least 22 years of age, as well as for revision surgery to correct or improve the results of a primary breast augmentation surgery. It is also indicated for breast reconstruction that includes cancer, trauma or severe breast abnormality from improper development. While the “natural” feel of a silicone implant is alluring, the maintenance may not be. It is recommended that once you have a silicone gel-filled implant you get a breast MRI approximately once every two years. This is done in order to make sure that there are no micro perforations in the shell. The cost of the MRI over the lifetime of the implant along with the cost of the initial implant ,makes the over all cost of silicone implants much higher than a saline implant. While this is not the only reason to think twice, ask you doctor lots of questions to determine if what you're getting is really what you need.

Connect with Dr. Carlos Wolf on FACEBOOK, Click HERE. 

For more info visit Miami Plastic Surgery, Click HERE. 

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WRITINGS: Phone has it's own mind!

For the record I must start by letting you know that what I am going to tell you has been by FAR the worst emotionally disturbing phone oops I’ve ever experienced….So confidentiality is asked of you LOL to pleeeease not repeat this story to anyone that knows me lol. That being said I’ll continue on..

About 2 months ago I made a trip to Chicago to see my brother and assist him with the movers since he had just gotten promoted and was on his way to San Francisco. I stayed with him for a week and was finally done with the exhausting move coordination and was ready for RELAXATION. My weekend was to be a relaxing, spa like experience at my brother’s partners house. It’s the quaintest little suburb that I’ve been to so far and extremely relaxing as a get-away for those who neeeed to “get-away”.  Johnny set me up in his master bedroom which he likes to keep sooo country in style and it was the best sleep I had alllll week. I was kept company by their terrier princess named Scarlet (she’s on my friend list on facebook). When I woke the next morning she was all passed out next to me and I decided to take her picture with my phone and send it to my brother…I titled it “Sleeping Beauty” and pressed send on my phone. I get a text back with a response of “that’s so gross”. I kinda was perplexed about his response and went back to the picture text that I sent him…. To my HORROR my “dysfunctional phone” sent my brother a VERY different photo…not very tasteful AND not meant for his eyes to EVER SEE! My “dysfunctional phone” sent him a nudie picture of me that I had sent a friend earlier instead of the one of Scarlett!! To top it off..I was laying down on the bed which of course matches with the title I wrote him..Sleeping Beauty (lol)…about HIS dog LOL.

We laugh about it now…but ooooh I was sooooo emotionally distraught and disgusted the MOMENT I saw what I sent him..lol. He kids with me and accuses me of sending him “Sister Porn” EEEWWWW!!! Soooo that’s my “dysfunctional phone” experience that I HAD to share with you LOL!

 By Anonymous

QUICK LINKS:

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LOCAL: Paso Fino Horse show this weekend! May 26-29

If you are looking for something to do this weekend, there is an International Paso Fino Horse competition 25th Anniversary Spectrum 2011 in Tropical Park Equestrian Center this weekend starting May 26-29 (7900 SW 40 Street).  Thursday Admission is free!  The rest of the days, $5.00 with children under 12 free of charge.  Horses are coming from Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, Nicaragua, Cuba, etc..

Make sure you visit the Puertorrican cuisine booth "Reyna de las Alcapurrias" for some Alcapurrias, arroz con gandules, lechon, pasteles, etc..  You are going to love it!!!

WRITINGS by Ricky Padron: Piensa

Conciente que la vida tiene fecha de vencimiento, que el tiempo enseña, perdona, olvida y cura. Que un dia puede ser NO muy bueno, pero que muchisimos van a ser excelentes. Que el triunfo sabe a gloria cuando se obtiene con sacrificio y que el rencor jamas suma, solo quita la paz interna y opaca el brillo del alma. Que el perdon es necesario y la felicidad UN DERECHO.

Ricky Padron

QUICK LINKS:

Hurricane Season is approaching! Are you prepared? Get info, click HERE.

Check out our POETRY CONTEST for Charity. Click HERE.

LOCAL: Lady of Fatima, Holy Mother of Vintage

Welcome to Lady of Fatima's Vintage Clothing and Apparel! The boutique features rare vintage clothing items as well as hand silk screened vintage inspired designs. We comb through vintage thrifts and consignments so you don't have to! As a Miami-based online vintage & apparel emporium, you may find antique treasures from the late 50's to the early 90's! ENJOY!!!

Visit Lady of Fatima on FACEBOOK, click HERE.

POEM by Matt: Shower me with words

A word word from your mouth
Could be as sharp as a knife
As cold as a blizzard with no end in sight
As vulgar as profanity
As rough as a rock's edge
As smooth as a pebble
As warm as the sun's rays at 7:30am
As surprising as a proposal on a 2nd date
As uplifting as a compliment
As sweet as Key lime pie
As sour as a Warhead
As generous as charity
Though free to all these options and more
Why choose the negative?
I'd rather give and take and feel the suns rays on my face
Than the scare of a knife and stone
Forever I will choose the positive word
I'll give you a vacation from your hectic day with my sentence
Desert with verbs
Love with words
Shower me, shower you with words

By Matt

Photography by CC.

ADDITIONAL QUICK LINKS:

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Check out our POETRY CONTEST for Charity. Click HERE.

EDUCATION: The Culture of Narcissism - American Life in An Age of Diminishing Expectations. By Christopher Lasch

Suggested BOOK:

National Best Seller 1979. The Culture of Narcissism -  American Life in An Age of Diminishing Expectations. By Christopher Lasch.

Highly recommended book. Offers insight about American culture today. Why is our culture today so evidently narcissistic? Why the decline of morality and values? Why are expectations diminishing? Christopher Lasch dives into the root cause, our political history, psychological traits and other contributing causes. It makes you think about some of the challenges we face as a culture today, why we behave the way we do and possible future consequences as a result.

Wikipedia excerpt: The book quickly became a bestseller and a talking point, being further propelled to success after Lasch notably visited Camp David to advise President Carter for his "crisis of confidence" speech of 15 July 1979. Later editions include a new afterword, "The Culture of Narcissism Revisited".

Learn more, click HERE.

BUY THE BOOK, click HERE.

 ADDITIONAL QUICK LINKS:

Hurricane Season is approaching! Are you prepared? Get info, click HERE.

Check out our POETRY CONTEST for Charity. Click HERE.

WRITINGS: What does a Woman do?

29 years old, single in Miami. She's fun and independent. She can be sexy, smart, a little silly. She draws attention, good and bad, she tries to make a distinction between the two. She's been hurt by foolish mistakes. She's smart enough to learn from her mistakes and beware of those who use and abuse. She's living in a narcissistic culture, people taking selfishly, no compassion. She see's and hears people talking about themselves and taking photos of themselves over and over. She struggles to meet someone truly genuine and humble in this type of culture. She's tired of going out nights, watching the self absorbed players play, not wanting to be a product of that environment.

Where does she find peace?

She finds peace in her studies, in her charity volunteer work, in her time. Striving to live the opposite of the narcissistic culture.  She thinks of the greatest gift, love... she is giving and caring. She's hopes to meet someone honest and loyal. She focuses, she continues in her charity work and creativity. She meets people and talks, encourages positive things and rejects negativity. She works to accomplish not just for herself but for the people around her. One love under one sun... She believes the world would be a better place and maybe she might find love along the way.

Photography by CC.

ADDITIONAL QUICK LINKS:

Hurricane Season is approaching! Are you prepared? Get info, click HERE.

Check out our POETRY CONTEST for Charity. Click HERE.

WRITINGS by Sandy's PAGE: The End of The World

May 21st, 2011.

What if the world really did end tonight? Isn't this what people have always wanted to know, when it would all end? So you can say all the things you wanted to say, ask for forgiveness from family or friends, make amends, open your heart for one last moment…..

But what did we all do today? Laughed and Lived like nothing is going to happen.

I woke  up at the usual time, kissed my kids good-bye as I went off to work, I’ll get home do some laundry, maybe take a nap. Get dressed go out to dinner with some friends…(Scoff) just another day.

But if today is the last day? Its been wasted. Sites on line are all mocking with disbelief,  one woman said  “the world cant end today, I'm getting married at 3”

If we wake up tomorrow, call your family and tell them you love them, say your sorry, make amends-because we all have “Bucket Lists”, we all have wish lists, we all have desires that need to be fulfilled.

We’ve all wondered what would you do if you have one day to live and today was it????

 ADDITIONAL QUICK LINKS:

Hurricane Season is approaching! Are you prepared? Get info, click HERE.

Check out our POETRY CONTEST for Charity. Click HERE.

WRITINGS by Ricky Padron: Recuerda

Cuando tu cielo vista de gris, recuerda que mas arriba vive un sol que traerá un nuevo día, mientras esperas su luz, te regalo la voz de una montaña, la inocencia de los niños, la sabiduria del anciano, la rebeldía de mi ayer adolescente, la ternura de las madres, la bondad del humilde, el canto del mar, la timidez del primer beso. Te dedico la paz de una oración y el pronto re-encuetro con el amor Ricky Padron.

Photography by CC.

ADDITIONAL QUICK LINKS:

Hurricane Season is approaching! Are you prepared? Get info, click HERE.

Check out our POETRY CONTEST for Charity. Click HERE.

POEM by Maritza ROSE: Positive Inspiration

Stay positive every day

Keep a smile on your face

Don’t dwell on the past

What the future holds is great and vast

And when you feel down think of something that makes you happy

Feel it inside, live it love it enjoy

Don’t be grumpy

Find a hobby keep your mind busy

Meditate

Take a walk, swim, drive, shop

Don’t let your energy go to waste

When no one is around, you always have you

Take advantage

Fix yourself up, play some music, write a poem, make a sandwich

Grab some coffee with an old friend

Go out and socialize

Be careful but have fun

You don’t want to ruin your life No matter what the case is There’s always something worse

We’re not the only ones who live on this planet earth

By Maritza ROSE

ADDITIONAL QUICK LINKS:

Hurricane Season is approaching! Are you prepared? Get info, click HERE.

Check out our POETRY CONTEST for Charity. Click HERE.

POEM by Matt: Vagabond

The coolest person on Earth
No responsibility
Doesn't have to stay in one place
Now you see him, now you don't
What's his purpose? What makes him so cool?
I don't know… and that's probably why
He's enjoying every second of his day
I'm not
He doesn't have to go to work everyday
I do
The grass is always greener on the other side
But this one is true
I'm scared to be free and so are you

By Matt.

 Photography by CC.

POETRY CONTEST! ----Click----> HERE!

POEM by Danny H: Bobby McGee

Broken glass lies where I stood

A million little pieces is so misunderstood

My face lies all over the floor along with yours, broken picture frame and all

A memory from a better time

A time when we smiled

A time when we laughed

A time when I believed we would last

Those days are gone

Gone with the wind

Now all that remains is remorse and sin

You broke my heart, NO! 

You grabbed it and ripped it out

Piece by piece, vessel by vessel

I could feel how cold you were as my pulse slowly started to slow

Now staring out the window, praying for a new day

No...a new beginning to something I desperately tried so hard to fix

As my eyes close and I drift away I know that tomorrow will be a new day

A day in which I will be me

It is now safe to say if you love someone set them free

I'm sorry i was never you "Bobby McGee" 

By Danny H.

ART: "I PAINT NY" Link up with the Artist on FACEBOOK, click HERE.


POETRY CONTEST! ----Click----> HERE!

WRITINGS: I'm too SEXY

I use to read penthouse magazine and fantasize about being the next center fold. I jog 5 miles around the city in the late afternoon while the sun is setting low... I caused a car accident last Tuesday. He was staring right at me as I ran by. I was wearing cut off shorts and a white baby-t that was soaked from the sprinklers down the block. He whistled at me right before he rear ended the Bentley Phantom stopped in front of him. The driver of the Bentley was stopped at a green light staring at me when it happened. All I could do was laugh and jog on... Then I jogged by the city skate park and tried to ignore the boys staring at me, I guess they don't see too many blonde hair blue eyed girls around here... After all it is Miami, primarily Latino. Finally I jogged to the dock at the Yacht Club to take a break, I stopped for just a few minutes and heard a call "Hello! can I get you a water?" I turned and looked to see a shirtless man standing aboard his yacht. His chest was sweaty and hairy under his thick gold chain. He was wearing khaki shorts and penny loafers. He looked like a real machismo. I was thirsty but I said "No thanks" and jogged down the dock to the water fountain. I waited there for a young boy to finish... I noticed him peeking at me out of the corner of his eye as he sipped... When he was done I bent over to take a drink and noticed him checking out my back side. He must have been 13 or 14 yrs old. I couldn't help but laugh inside... Was it my breasts? My doctor did a great job!... or was it my golden tan skin and baby blue eyes in contrast with my blonde hair shining in the sun..?.. or maybe the hormone pills were really doing their job... I haven't stopped taking them since the sex change.


POETRY CONTEST! ----Click----> HERE!

MUSIC: Invisible

Hear them on The CALL FM 91.9 

"LIKE" Call FM on FACEBOOK, click HERE.

Visit their website, click HERE. 

CHARITY: Poetry for a Cause! POETRY CONTEST!

OFFICIAL RULES:

• Poems must be a minimum 10 lines / maximum 30 lines
• Poems must relate to the Homeless
• Poems must include any of the below KEY TERMS
  
• Poems must be submitted via email to: writerscornerstone@gmail.com
• Deadline is June 1st (6/1/11) 
• Poems will be judged by The Homeless Voice organization 
• The winning poem will be announced on Writer's Cornerstone and published in The Homeless Voice newspaper! Additional prizes to be announced...

THE PURPOSE: 

• To raise awareness for the Homeless; families, men, women and children who are less fortunate. 
• Consider the difficulties and challenges that the Homeless face. 
• Consider the following charity organizations:
• http://homelessvoice.org/
• http://www.cphi.org/
  
• http://www.standupforkids.org/Miami/local-contacts.aspx?loc=15
  

KEY TERMS: 

• The Homeless Voice 
• Community Partnership
• Stand up for Kids
• Homeless 
• Shelter 
• Love
  

WHO ARE THE HOMELESS?

• Men, Women and Children
• Victims of domestic violence or abuse
• Unemployed families evicted from their homes
• Men and women in need of rehabilitation and detox
  
• Mentally handicap men and woman
  
• Men and women in need of eduction and work opportunities
• Disabled veterans 

HOMELESS CONTRIBUTING CAUSES:

(Courtesy of Wikipedia)  

• Unavailability of employment opportunities.
• Poverty, caused by many factors including unemployment and underemployment.
• Lack of accessible healthcare. People who have some kind of chronic and weakening disease but cannot get healthcare either because they don't have money to afford it or because the government will not give it to them are simply too weak to go and work every day so they remain poor and homeless.
• Abuse by government or by other people with power.
• War or armed conflict.
• Mental disorder, where mental health services are unavailable or difficult to access or as a result of deinstitutionalization. A United States Federal survey done in 2005 indicated that at least one-third of homeless men and women have serious psychiatric disorders or problems.
• Disability, especially where disability services are non-existent or poor performing.
• Social exclusion, including because of sexual orientation and gender identity
• Substance abuse
• Lack of affordable housing. An article in the November 2007 issue of Atlantic Monthly reported on a study of the cost of obtaining the "right to build" (i.e. a building permit, red tape, bureaucracy, etc.) in different U.S. cities. The "right to build" cost does not include the cost of the land or the cost of constructing the house. The study was conducted by Harvard economists Edward Glaeser and Kristina Tobio. According to the chart accompanying the article, the cost of obtaining the "right to build" adds approximately $600,000 to the cost of each new house that is built in San Francisco.
• Domestic violence.
• Relationship breakdown, particularly in relation to young people and their parents.
• Prison release and re-entry into society.
• Disasters, including but not limited to earthquakes and hurricanes.
• Forced eviction – In many countries, people lose their homes by government order to make way for newer upscale high rise buildings, roadways, and other governmental needs.The compensation may be minimal, in which case the former occupants cannot find appropriate new housing and become homeless.
• Mortgage foreclosures where mortgage holders see the best solution to a loan default is to take and sell the house to pay off the debt. The popular press made an issue of this in 2008; the real magnitude of the problem is undocumented.
• Foreclosures on landlords often lead to eviction of their tenants. "The Sarasota, Florida, Herald Tribune noted that,by some estimates, more than 311,000 tenants nationwide have been evicted from homes this year after lenders took over the properties."
• Criminality-- Some homeless may have committed crimes and are therefore hiding from the authorities.

POEM by Maritza ROSE: Left

You surprised me one day 

sneaking up on me like the wind 

Just the thought of you still there 

made my stomach spin

I couldn't come to an agreement

To let you stay

You would take too much of my time

Would it be of my dismay

Up and down my emotions rattled

Like a roller coaster

They couldn't settle 

Depression took a toll on my mind 

No matter what I tried

I couldn't unwind

Even though I wasn't alone 

I felt as though the decision had to be my own

As much as I cried

I finally decided to let you stay 

The next step was to Exclaim exclaim exclaim

Then one day you left me

After I was attached, and my love grew

You left me stranded

You left me blue

By Maritza ROSE 

POETRY CONTEST! ----Click----> HERE!

EDUCATION: Blast from the past! Jimmy Carter's Malaise Speech from 1979...

Jimmy Carter's Malaise Speech in 1979...

Carter's speech focuses heavily on The Energy Crisis... much like President Obama's urge to American's to conserve energy today...  We all need to be mindful, conserve and not be wasteful. Our irresonsiblity and carelessness only contributes to a much bigger problem. We can expect clean energy alternatives in the future and a rise in the cost of fuel, etc. to incentivise clean energy alternatives. Carter's speech is a reminder that there has been an ongoing growing problem. What will our future generations face if we continue on this path of carelessness and wastefulness? I'll be 29 years old in June... what will our world be like when I'm an old lady? The least we can do is educate ourselves and be mindful, understand the bigger picture and how our actions today will impact our future. We should all be mindful of our own personal consumption and waste. Think about our environment, we cannot afford to continue to be careless. There is a future consequence to our convenience today. Consider this when you purchase plastic and paper plates, utensils, paper towels, throw away mops, wipes, disposable air fresheners, soap bottles, disposable everything! We need to be responsible and make an effort to conserve energy. Electricity and water; don't leave water running carelessly or your AC running on a cool day or when your not at home, or your tv on when your not watching it. Buy a ceramic spill proof coffee mug and ask that your coffee or tea be poured into it rather than using a disposable cup. These are some of the little things we can do to help conserve.

Excess and Materialism (things), should not be our priorities... 

I hope that the following excerpts from Carter's speech will be an inspiration and reminder of the very real problem we face today:

"In a nation that was proud of hard work, strong families, close-knit communities, and our faith in God, too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns. But we've discovered that owning things and consuming things does not satisfy our longing for meaning. We've learned that piling up material goods cannot fill the emptiness of lives which have no confidence or purpose"

"The symptoms of this crisis of the American spirit are all around us. For the first time in the history of our country a majority of our people believe that the next 5 years will be worse than the past 5 years. Two-thirds of our people do not even vote. The productivity of American workers is actually dropping, and the willingness of Americans to save for the future has fallen below that of all other people in the Western world".

"As you know, there is a growing disrespect for government and for churches and for schools, the news media, and other institutions. This is not a message of happiness or reassurance, but it is the truth and it is a warning"

"These changes did not happen overnight. They've come upon us gradually over the last generation, years that were filled with shocks and tragedy"

"There will be other cartels and other shortages. American wisdom and courage right now can set a path to follow in the future."

"Little by little we can and we must rebuild our confidence. We can spend until we empty our treasuries, and we may summon all the wonders of science. But we can succeed only if we tap our greatest resources -- America's people, America's values, and America's confidence."

"Our Nation must be fair to the poorest among us, so we will increase aid to needy Americans to cope with rising energy prices. We often think of conservation only in terms of sacrifice. In fact, it is the most painless and immediate way of rebuilding our Nation's strength. Every gallon of oil each one of us saves is a new form of production. It gives us more freedom, more confidence, that much more control over our own lives."

"All the traditions of our past, all the lessons of our heritage, all the promises of our future point to another path, the path of common purpose and the restoration of American values. That path leads to true freedom for our Nation and ourselves. We can take the first steps down that path as we begin to solve our energy problem."

"Energy will be the immediate test of our ability to unite this Nation, and it can also be the standard around which we rally. On the battlefield of energy we can win for our Nation a new confidence, and we can seize control again of our common destiny." 

READ the complete speech, click HERE.

WATCH the complete speech, click HERE.

 Photography by CC.

MUSIC: Nice, Naive And Beautiful

Played on Miami Radio Station CALL FM 91.9

LIKE the call on FACEBOOK, click HERE.

www.callfm.com

Use the SEARCH field on this blog site to browse other topics: Education, Charity, Poem, Writings, Music, Local.

POEM by Chiquitta Hills: Tired of The Struggle

It seems like all my life I've been in the struggle

One way or another

From my childhood til now

No money in the bank

I just can't do without

Being on welfare not because I want to

I really need it because that's the only way I can survive

I guess I got to do what I gotta do to keep my dream alive

I hate borrowing money saying I'm gonna pay you back when I get it

Some people stop answering their phones

Cause they don't want to lend it

Sticking to my gut, trying to be independent

As a single mother raising two sons on my own

Their daddy left me, and I'm afraid to be alone

It's a challenge trying to turn a boy into a man

Being a product of their environment is not apart of the plan

I'm tired of the struggling, I wanna do better

I want to come up and make this cheddar

Lord knows I need to be blessed

Please get me out of this mess

This situation causing me to stress

I know what my kids are thinking...

Daddy and momma always fussing and fighting everyday

Every month they're worrying about how the rent gonna get paid

All this drama coming into my life

I don't know which way to go, is it left or right

I pray to God to make a decision for me..

And show me how life is suppose to be

I'm like a kid that needs a teddy bear to cuddle

Please God rescue me out of the struggle

By Chiquitta Hills, Elegant

 

Photography by CC. 

POETRY CONTEST! ----Click----> HERE!

CHARITY: Art Is Life Fundraiser! 6/10/11

StandUp For Kids presents the 3rd annual Art Is Life Fundraiser!

FridayJune10th, 2011 7-11pm

Our annual fund raising night honoring Miami's homeless youth through the arts!

 

7pm | cocktail reception 9:00pm | live art auction

BAKEHOUSE ART COMPLEX 501 NW 32nd Street | Design District
 

Want to learn more? Contact us at miami@standupforkids.org

Join us for an evening of bringing Art to Life with the works of the Bakehouse Artists featuring Live Paintings |Live Auction & Raffle Live Bands | Live Energy Reading

Special Performances by: Danger Flow

$40 | OPEN BAR | FOOD 

Reserve your tickets or donate at www.firstgiving.com/artislife2011

Dress: Miami Chic  

http://www.standupforkids.org/Miami/default.aspx

CHARITY: A Special Thanks to Friends on FACEBOOK!

Thank you to everyone on Facebook for allowing us to share our page, Writer's Cornerstone to promote local artists and charity organizations like CPH and The Homeless Voice, etc. Please keep an eye out for our upcoming Poetry Contest to raise awareness for the Homeless; families, men, woman and children who are less fortunate. The wining poem will be published in the Homeless Voice newspaper!... and other prizes will be awarded. Official rules will be posted later this week. 

A very special thanks to:

•  Patricia Vila of CHP Community Partnership for the Homeless  
•  Dr. Carlos Wolf  of Miami Plastic Surgery 
•  The Homeless Voice organization 
•  Our Writers for your continued support!

"LIKE" us on FACEBOOK, click HERE.

MUSIC: Anacapri at The Top! Live Jazz - Friday night 5/13/11

Thanks to all of you who made our reopening a wonderful evening. We're back and by your comments we'll keep on keeping on. Don't miss Ed Calle in an intimate setting..... He truly is one of the finest. 

Please support Live Music!

Bobby D.

POEM by Matt: Vitamin Voice

I long for her voice as I long for nutrition
I might as well have her converse with me 3 times a day
Every sentence a different meal from around the world
Filling me perfectly, an exact 2500 calories
A breath, a grain of salt
A laugh, an enormous bite of my guilty pleasure
Fruits grow on trees
But her tones Carrie my satisfaction
Unprocessed but full of hormones to send me on gratitude
And multitudes of happiness in altitudes of no return
More than enough, vitamins A-Z, organic, whole foods
Feed me more, for more is perfect, unmeasured
Appetizing, scrumptious, yummy, luscious, delectable Mouthwatering
How I long for her voice

By Matt.

 

Photography by CC.

EDUCATION: Armed Humanitarians: The Rise of the Nation-Builders by Nathan Hodge

Suggested BOOK:

Combining recent history and firsthand reporting, Armed Humanitarians traces how the concepts of nation-building came into vogue, and how, evangelized through think tanks, government seminars, and the press, this new doctrine took root inside the Pentagon and the State Department. Following this extraordinary experiment in armed social work as it plays out from Afghanistan and Iraq to Africa and Haiti, Nathan Hodge exposes the difficulties of translating these ambitious new theories into action.

Ultimately seeing this new era in foreign relations as a noble but flawed experiment, he shows how armed humanitarianism strains our resources, deepens our reliance on outsourcing and private contractors, and leads to perceptions of a new imperialism, arguably a major factor in any number of new conflicts around the world. As we attempt to build nations, we may in fact be weakening our own. 

In May 2003, President George W. Bush declared victory in Iraq. But while we won the war, we catastrophically lost the peace. Our failure prompted a fundamental change in our foreign policy. Confronted with the shortcomings of "shock and awe," the U.S. military shifted its focus to "stability operations": counterinsurgency and the rebuilding of failed states. In less than a decade, foreign assistance has become militarized; humanitarianism has been armed.

Nathan Hodge is a Washington, D.C.-based writer who specializes in defense and national security. He has reported from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Russia, and a number of other countries in the Middle East and former Soviet Union. He is the author, with Sharon Weinberger, of A Nuclear Family Vacation, and his work has appeared in Slate, the Financial Times, Foreign Policy, and many other newspapers and magazines.

Courtesy of GOOD READS, 

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EDUCATION: FREE Video Library - Khan Academy

A free world-class education for anyone anywhere.

The Khan Academy is an organization on a mission. We're a not-for-profit with the goal of changing education for the better by providing a free world-class education to anyone anywhere. All of the site's resources are available to anyone. It doesn't matter if you are a student, teacher, home-schooler, principal, adult returning to the classroom after 20 years, or a friendly alien just trying to get a leg up in earthly biology. The Khan Academy's materials and resources are available to you completely free of charge.

How it works for students

Students can make use of our extensive video library, practice exercises, and assessments from any computer with access to the web.

1. Complete custom self-paced learning tool
2. A dynamic system for getting help
3. A custom profile, points, and badges to measure progress

Coaches, parents, and teachers

Coaches, parents, and teachers have unprecedented visibility into what their students are learning and doing on the Khan Academy.

1. Ability to see any student in detail
2. A real-time class report for all students
3. Better intelligence for doing targeted interventions

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EDUCATION: You Want Fries With That? By Prioleau Alexander

Suggested BOOK:

Description

A Fred Meyer Recommends Pick

Ever fantasized about quitting your job and starting over? Prioleau Alexander did just that. Here is his laugh-out-loud funny, endearing, and humbling exploration of life at minimum wage. 

The American Dream used to include a white picket fence, 2.2 kids, and a dog. In today’s frantic world, it’s . . . well, let’s be honest—it’s quite different. But what would happen if you did have the nerve to quit your white-collar job? Prioleau Alexander can tell you: He walked away from a lucrative career as an advertising executive, seeking a life “like that dude on Kung Fu.” Over the next year he worked minimum-wage jobs as a pizza deliveryman, ice cream scooper, construction worker, ER tech, fast food jockey, and even cowboy on a Montana dude ranch. In YOU WANT FRIES WITH THAT?, Prioleau explores life at minimum wage and proves unequivocally that the grass is not always greener on the other side.

Learn more about Prioleau and the book at http://www.SouthernFriedWriter.com

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WRITINGS: Smokin Guns (stories)

His eyes were burning and tearing from the dirt spiraling up from the ground, the air had a dull bitter taste and the sky began to grow dark as rolling thunder clouds slowly approached from the horizon. "Shhh shh" he said as he dug his heals into the sides of his old tired horse, she was a brown and black mare with a shabby unkept mane. He took off into a gallop opposite the perusing storm.... down and up the hills and across the small stone creek just beyond the forest, he rode straight through to the small saloon at the edge of the town. "A whiskey!" he yelled out as he jumped from his horse swinging the reins around the hook post. There he stood at the saloon doors, sweating and breathing heavily, his pants wear soaked and covered in his horse's brown hair, his chest was sweaty and glistening underneath his beaded feathered necklace... "A whiskey" he yelled out again as he lifted his long black hair from his back, twisting it into a braid. He approached the bar slowly and motioned to the bar tender who was standing behind the wooden bar polishing his whiskey glasses. "Now I told you, you can't keep coming here, you don't belong here!" ... "A whiskey" he said again as he removed his necklace and threw it on the bar. "What's this? bone and feather?... take your stuff and get on outa here".... frustrated he pounded his fist on the wooden bar... he reached into a small leather sack tied at his waist and placed a small carved pipe on the bar.... "Ohh now what's this?" asked the bar tender as he reached for the object... "Ah Ha a smoking apparatus" he said as he turned it in a circular motion examining the piece, "it's bone... hmmm...ok well I suppose thisa buy yeh a drink" he grumbled "You're lucky there's nobody in here otherwise you might get yourself gunned!, here, drink this, drink it fast and get out!".... He grabbed the glass swiftly from the bar and swallowed the whiskey in one gulp, "Ahhhh" he gasped as he placed the glass on the bar and turned away to head for the door.. "Hey!!" yelled the bar tender calling to his attention as he threw his necklace at his back.. "Now don't come back!"... He squinted his eyes in dislike and licked his lips as he knelt to pick up his necklace at his feet. Suddenly there was a rumble in the air as the storm began to approach closely now.. He sprung to his feet and fled out the door to his horse, he tossed the reins back as he gripped his horse's matted mane and swung himself up to quickly flee from the storm... Off he went galloping away from the saloon back towards the forest. Minutes later it began to rain hard on the saloon and the small town, there was a merchant store that sold commodities like fabric, leather, meat, flour, soap, milk, honey and jarred goods, there was a lumber yard and livestock paddock down the way from a few spread out log homes. The rain barreled down hard, inside the saloon sat the bartender as he further examined the pipe, it appeared the hallowed bowl was stuffed with some smoke that had been freshly lit. The bartender reached down to grab his match box from the bottom shelf under the bar. He struck the kerosene dipped match against the bar and lit his pipe... he puffed it heavily and immediately noticed an unfamiliar smell, it was a distinct smell unlike tobacco, the aroma was strong and earthy.  He began to cough and swallowed a lump in his throat.... he felt immensely calm and light headed.. "HHHmmmm.... well isn't this something...." he whispered to himself as he went for another puff.

By Anonymous

 
 Photography by CC.


POETRY CONTEST! ----Click----> HERE!

WRITINGS by Sarah B: The Cadaver

So cold… ice cold
Eyes blue as sapphires
Hair as fine as cashmere
I cried so long …
So long .
My soul was tortured
With thorns of regret
Oh… and the blood
Oh… and the terrors
My tortured twisted soul
Twitching… itching…
Stitching up the pieces
Of a burdened life without you
Your departure was agony
I was resurrected into hell
The flames burning
The fire torching my soul
There is nothing left
A broken shell of porcelain
So fragile, weak, and empty
Sorrow has filled the well
The well of tears
I drank… and drank… and drank…
Until I had a mouth full of salt
So dry…
So cracked…
So parched…
A deserted soul
Scorched and steamed
Who could love this deserted soul
You did once, my tender love
Now you’ve since gone
You joined the departed
The lost ones
Your love was warm
A warm blanket
Cradling my fragile heart
My frightened soul
Frightened you may leave me
Now you’re gone…
A cadaver on a marble slab

By Sarah B. 

POETRY CONTEST! ----Click----> HERE!

ART: Carlos Luna - Cuban Artist

Incredible Artwork by Carlos Luna. Truly amazing!

Check it out! Click here ------> AMAZING ARTWORK!

POEM by Maritza ROSE: Get Over It

People and things go by every day

Getting unnoticed

One of the things people want

Is to be recognized 

For the things they do 

For the things they say

What happens when they don’t 

They crave the attention of others 

And go through extremes just

To get somewhere in life

To be someone Every day people wonder 

If when they pass away 

They will be noticed

In reality most people are not

So why do we care so much

About being on the top

Of the list

Will it really make a difference 

Do we have to be in history books 

All over the world

Is it right for us to be selfish

And want all the attention for our own 

The murders, suicides, robberies, Rehab stays, DUI’s, 911’s

All these acts just to

Get something that fades away 

You will never get all the attention In the world

No one will

Get over it

By Maritza ROSE