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Fire in L.A. Not very fun. Ash all over the place. At work, FITZ was pretty funny when he just walked out and lit one up.

"You going to smoke?" M. asked.

"Yeah," he said, and chewed on his butt. "Why?"

M. shakes his head. We walk around the corner. Girls wave hello. We wave back.

***

Was on the 'puter. It gave me a message. HORSELESS PRESS wants a comic. I said okay, and sent it off.

Thank you Jen and Erika. Smooches, P.

***

Tonight is the L.O.U. Otherwise known as the Loggers BBQ. Tonight we will be celebrating the end of another week, Panauh's graduation, and his first night in Los Angeles. As of today, my youngest brother, by over 10 years, will be my new roommate. I have already made dishes the priority.

"Just do the dishes and we're cool," I tell him.

"Cool," he says.

We're cool.

***

I have been thinking about this combo between itunes, netflix, and amazon. I like the idea. The support from the world too. I will try and draw a schematic of what the page will look like. I am going to take this thing as slow as an onion inside the ground. I am not very clear yet. I am hearing all the ideas though. JIM GOAR says to have downloadable poetry. WWYISG wants to create a host site that houses other website, a collective as they said. JOHN SULLIVAN is encouraging to use MCS or web format that is not based in a chronological fashion i.e. Blogger, Blogoshpere, etc.

I hear all of that like a bag of chips under my chair. Although I will try and illustrate this point visually, there is one which may need text, and that is the idea of format. It may be possible to have poets and writers (not the magazine) record their material as audio or vlog tracks as well as pdf formats. Then users of this site we are creating would be able to download a record, or say a dvd with short films or a mixed cd of original music and literature.

If we create some type of cooperation with satellite radio. Maybe, we could get our library aired as either podcasts or (once the library is extensive), simply play the material at random 24 hours a day. (This second tangent came just now, so you can see there is some sitting to do with this thing. I get excited and just fly.)

Anyway, I will take more about this later. I just wanted to put out the idea of changing the format in which poetry is presented. Why not move things away from the text? What if we started releasing our books straight to itunes. These are thoughts I have been having--encouraged by MOKSHA and holy snails.

***

What else? Courting some agents for "...Strategies." We will see what direction this book takes. It seems to have a trajectory all its own. Let me take this virtual space to say, Thank you, and love to all those who are offering such kind words. It was uplifting to see all your comments on the GOAR side, and also for ELLIPSES to offer their kudos.

KYLE KAUFMAN is a cutie. Check out DACHEUX's latest painting. What else?

I don't know. I still can't get over it. Tonight the 3 brothers will be reunited. We haven't been together in years. Now we are rocking the same city. What will L.A. do? There might be mass hysteria. I will put up pics of the festivities.

Lots of love to all,

Pirooz

Jeffrey Peterson: Bringing Laughs to Burning Man

Q. What is Burning Man?

A. Burning Man is an annual experiment in temporary community dedicated to radical self-expression and radical self-reliance.

-from The Burning Man Website

Pirooz: Burning Man seems an interesting idea. An entire city built in the Nevada desert, only to be burned down a week later. It must be quite an experience with its own rules and community. What was it like? You say you feel a changed person. What happened?

Jeff Peterson: The Burning Man is so much more than a party to me. It's a life changing event that puts us in direct contact with the kindred spirits that we seek instinctively in the modern world. For seven years I have made the spiritual journey to an enchanted city that exists for 7 days each year but has a lasting impression that extends a lifetime. The art is amazing, the visuals are astounding, the celebration is overwhelming but it's the people of Black Rock City that makes this an oasis.

People from all walks of life gather together in this temporary community to free themselves from the trappings of the "real" world. In Black Rock City you can reinvent yourself or in my case, rediscover the true self that has been chiseled down by the cycle of life. Getting in tune with what really matters is at the heart of the Burning Man and the hugs are healing to a soul in need of understanding and compassion. The barriers break down and we let down our guard for this brief window of opportunity.

This wonderland cannot fully be explained in words, it must be experienced to grasp the love energy that exists in this limited time space. With the positive vibrations that are flowing in me at this moment, I am a far better man after my vision quest in the desert and I have a much deeper understanding of my place in the universe. Love is the recurring theme, love of expression, love of people, love of life. Come, see for yourself the undeniable power of the Burning Man.

PK: Man, that makes me want to go. I had visuals of a city burning to the ground; music like "Chariots of Fire" busting in the background. Tasty. What'd you do this year? What community were you part of?

Jeff Peterson: My community is the city itself. I am part of the hub of Burning Man, Camparctica- the ice vending camp. There are only two things that are for sale in this gift society; Coffee and Ice. Coffee is a luxury, while Ice is a necessity. I lifted up to 14 tons of Ice in a 40 degree truck for 3 hours over five days. Volunteering puts you in the center of the action. Giving back to the community is so rewarding. The people that I work with are the cream of the crop, top notch folks from all over the place. Under the direction of our beloved leader The Ice Queen, Camparctica is the most vital component of the festival. Being a member of this fold is something that fills me with pride and joy. This is my home away from home.

PK: In past conversations, you've said that Burning Man helps you put away the work grind for a community that is more your people. That sense of community. I can hear it in how you talk about this place. It sounds very magical. How has the Burning Man experience changed your view of the corporate life versus your comedic night life?

Jeff Peterson: The Burning Man equips me with the mindset to keep things in perspective. The Corporate world is stitched into the fabric of America. It is a fact of life that must be taken into account. My daily bread and butter comes from the corporate structure and my creative ambition of being a successful stand-up comic also relies heavily on that corporate structure. Performing stand-up at Burning Man blends my desired occupation with my ultimate location.

Being at Burning Man refreshes my faith in humanity and thus makes me a better, more sensitive individual in this society. The way things are in Black Rock City is how we burners feel things should be, but until things change, we'll take seven days of revolution. John Lennon would feel right at home.

Pirooz: I read the Rolling Stone article. The reporter didn’t seem to think Burning Man was anything but an excuse for people to party.

Jeff Peterson: Once again, Rolling Stone missed the point. This rag mag has been out of touch for too long and this article is a shining example of their lack of knowledge on the counter culture they want so badly to represent. The Bozo they sent was no mere reporter, he was what we refer to at Burning Man as a "spectator", a non participant. How did he miss the point? He was never "at" the event, he only observed those around him. You had to "be" there is not just a quaint expression in the case of Burning Man. The event must be experienced to have a viewpoint. The citizen of Black Rock City is part of a collective conscience and onlookers will never get that. It's too bad that all this reporter saw was naked yuppies in a homo erotic, drug induced frenzy, staring at glow sticks while listening to techno. He overlooked the love of humanity and community, the relentless self expression on a mass scale and the joy that comes with letting go. I guess he'll never know.

PK: Was this the first time you performed at Burning Man?

Jeff Peterson: I brought my gifts to the playa in the past. I've sung with bands, created artwork, dressed in costumes, read my short stories. This year my gift was to make others laugh with my original stand-up comedy. This is a novel concept for Burning Man, one that may take years to establish but from an acorn an oak will grow. I got some laughs and wonderful feedback and that's a good thing.

PK: When's your next gig?

Jeff Peterson: I'll be at the Ice House Annex on Thurs. Oct. 6th for some more rock-n-roll comedy, so grab your bong, it's 4:20, time for funny. Thanx bro- see you there, next year!

PK: No doubt.

Jeff Peterson is a comic in Los Angeles. He will be at The Ice House Annex on Thurs. Oct. 6th. Click the above link to reserve tickets or Email Jeff for more info. on his upcoming performances or his journey to the post-burn in L.A. and Frisco. Jeff is also the creator and author of SHEEPMAN.

SELF PUBLISHING: ON BEING THE NEXT ITUNES

It seems the decision is coming together in larger bits. Like DACHEUX says, "Little bit, little bit...BOOM!" Luckily, I am getting several BOOMS in such a short time frame, that I cannot stop myself from giggling or shoving my hand in my mouth like, "Can it be this easy?"

The answer is yes. DAVID ST LAWRENCE makes self-publishing sound like a joy and much more in-depth with the advent of blogs and THE LONG TAIL. His advice is simple:

1. Get your book made by a printer.

2. Get a 1800 number and business name.

3. Use your blog to create traffic with BlogAds or another group, or even get your friends to host some real estate space on their blogs with a pic of your work.

4. Make a partial download of the book available for free.

5. Sell the book directly to customers through paypal, and skip out on the whole Amazon experience.

If you click on his SELF PUBLISHING category, you'll get a more through look at these steps.
There is also SETH GODIN who is specifically trying to help nonfiction authors, but whose advice applies to all artists within this corporate mania. So does David's.

Are you trying to get some music out there? A photograph? A painting? It all becomes simple with these two. They are definitely delivering the goods, and giving my some very juicy ideas on the possibilities of book publishing. Isn't it possible to have downloads cost money? Couldn't you have downloads in multiple formats?

The possibilities are endless. JIM GOAR is looking to publish his new book. TE BALLARD and others in her community want to see their book in print. KYLE KAUFMAN and SARA LARSEN are working on EL POBRE. NIKKI WIDNER and DAVE GARDNER are rocking ONE LESS. MELISSA BENHAM kicking ARTIFACT funky fresh freestyle. DECHAUX is trying to get those paintings out there. THE STARVING ARTISTS are trying to release music. DOWNTOWN HARVEST is looking for a record company...

Well, maybe, we don't have to look any further. Maybe, it's pooling our resources together to create a host site, where all these items are linked, downloadable, interactive, etc. Maybe, it's time we created a format like ITUNES, that moves beyond music to include books and paintings. Maybe, we can create our own expanding roster of art available on the world wide web.

We could invite other artists to post with us. A rock band from Kansas, a string quartet from the Adirondacks, a poet in Schenectady, a children's book author from Rhode Island, even a novelist from Los Angeles.

How do we house something like this? All it takes is a blog. All it takes is traffic and word of mouth. Please, friends, hear me on this one. Talk to me. What have you got? Can anyone see it? JOHN SULLIVAN are you there? WSSIYG? What are your ideas? Is this possible? Is it easy?

TSC: Sorrow, My Friend

David St Lawrence, Quicksand, and The Longest Tail

David St Lawrence is opening my eyes to the possibilities of the blogosphere. Visit him, get his book, or talk to the guru. The longest tail is the answer to business in today's market. I will be looking into this. My only problem is funds for creating a publishing service. Maybe, David has the answer. I have to get these books I'm writing out there. Guru Lawrence may have the answer, or at the very least, the best marketing guess I have heard.

David, if you're reading, will you take THE WHOPPER STRATEGIES on board with QUICKSAND? Can we make some sort of partnership? Talk to me, brother. Where are you? Oh, Laurence, you're my only hope...

Funnily enough, Mike (the guy from the Exercise tips) gave me a great TAGLINE for STRATEGIES. Dilbert meets 1984. A humorous, light-hearted approach to the dangers of corporate culture. I thought that was great and told him so. Then we continued with the shoot; him and I doing push-ups on this new reality show called THE GYM. It airs on the Fitness Channel in October.

But, back to the point at hand. OH, LAURENCE...

The dream continues. Now I see some stairs. Thank you for sharing your expertise. Let me know when you're prepared to take on other books to BENT CROW PRESS.

TJC: Off To Mars

Mike's Exercise Tip #1

Watch video here

Each day I go into the WG, MIKE makes me smile from the wist side to the east. His grassroots approach to working out, humor, and charisma are a welcome addition to LOGGERS UNITED (Lou, for short). He makes every exercise tip an experience for exercise enthusiasts, reality buffs, or friendly visitors alike. Each day he advises me about calorie intake, and the best ways to build muscle mass. It is a great honor that he has agreed to share some of his athletic wisdom with the world.

Governator watch out. There's a new dog in town. He can put you down in a heartbeat. He knows pushups. He is an elegant machine.

Rant n' Roll

Slush piles accrue. They get monstrous.

Publishing is about money. Got to earn those bucks somehow. No one's buying poetry books. Maybe, like an English student at Georgia State, because his professor says, "Oh, check out Burt Kristbaum. He rocks." Meanwhile, Burt Kristbaum is his buddy from back in the day.

That's how poetry is sold these days.

Poorly.

The question is will poetry make bank ever again? Will there be more thought put into
poetry collections to make them function as entertainment as well as art?


This is where a book like Harryette Mullen's "Sleeping With the Dictionary" succeeds so well. It has a title that is dope, plus a series of poems that are unified in their process and action. It’s a great book. Really a textbook on how to write poetry and have fun with it. A must have.

It's not as good as WHOLE MILK though. That book is the shiz nit. No doubt about it. Pure entertainment and fun. Helps you dream. The world needs that. The world needs poets who dream. I need poets who dream.

I like the cover of Mullen’s DICTIONARY. It's okay. I guess that's the extent of thought that goes into putting out poetry books. Make the cover look good.

Man, make the cover look fun? Are you kidding? Make the poetry fun. For shiz nit sakes. Make it dance!

That balance between entertainment and language is the key to making poetry marketable again.

Then we segway into Kyle's note about FENCE and naked chiquitas on the cover.

Now don’t get me wrong; poetry can function as art, but it is also entertainment. People don’t like poetry. I don’t write poetry. People are really into movies. Television is the bomb. (For as much as DYLAN hates it). This language. The commercial. The blatant commercialism that makes you cringe a bit. Mmmm. Good stuff. The things dreams are made of. Whole books. Pages of it. Right there.

The best poetry book I’ve read this year is Loren Goodman’s FAMOUS AMERICANS. That is the ultimate shiz nit. Loren, if you’re reading, I love that book and what you’re doing. This is a must have on anyone’s list for what will be the poetry that is a marker for a change in the art form. Then get WHOLE MILK.

These two books are the best I’ve read so far. They make me giddy and a little cartoony. They relate to both the literary mainstream and American culture in beautiful ways.

That contempo lit scene (CLS) will catch on. But right now they ain’t got shit on these books. The CLS are outdated and too much about ego. Nothing wrong with deconstruction. Nothing wrong with messing with a bit of language. But to do it, and have fun, and not care what who said what? Man, that is the shiz nit. That gets you the real accolades. People coming up to you. People buying your book. People saying you made a change in their lives. People coming out in droves, because the poetry makes you laugh, because it can be somber, because it can make you cry and fart at the same time.

This is what is missing, and what WHOLE MILK and FAMOUS AMERICANS bring to the table.

Let’s talk about Benjamin Franklin. No, it’s Super Mario Brothers. It’s transformers. It’s reality TV. It’s the mission to Mars. It’s cup of noodles on a Friday. JP says, “Let’s go to Peaches.”

I’m down. I like fried chicken. I head over. We take JP’s car. Subaru. Laid out. Morphine on the freak show. I try to flick it to the next station.

“Dude, what are you doing?” JP asks.

“How do you get to the next song?” I ask.

“Just flip it,” he says, and flips it.

Then we groove for a bit, driving down Lankershim. JP looks over at a car wash. He points up at the sign, “I like that script.”

I look up. It’s got that kind of Eastern feel.

“It’s Arabian and shit,” he says.

“Mmmm,” I say. “yeah.”

Then I am looking at signs. Pretty soon, there’s too many. I can’t even keep up. None of it matters. PEACHES does though. I like fried chicken. Catfish isn’t bad either.

I order up some catfish, mac and cheese, coleslaw, and mashed potatoes.

“Man, you’re hungry,” JP says.

“Yeah, I am,” I say.

Then we all sit around. The whole WG crew. It’s an MC, 2 writers, a comedian, an actress, and a filmmaker. We're a movie waiting to happen. A production crew ready to be made.

Does anyone realize this? Man, it’s good to be alive. To be rolling with this crew. To be eating catfish on a Friday. To know that artists are working so hard everywhere to bring their hearts to the table. To have fried chicken with other artists—no matter what they do. No matter who they are.

We are the gang. It multiplies upon itself for those who are willing to call themselves a part of this dream. The dream to create for themselves. The dream to connect to the world. The dream to change the way this planet people thumps.

“Is this possible?” a voice asks.

I tell the voice it is. It is possible. This thought. These hearts. They multiply. One on another. Small particles. Like dust. Orbiting. To make deserts and oceans and small valleys, where the conifers grow wild, and Tanto lifts a neck to hum:

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm (turn this sideways) ; >………


Don't sweat the technique, P.

I miss the Love in my TOES: Mars and Beyond

Spicy sandwich. She loves me. Spicy gumball. She loves me.

I announce to my WG comrades that I will write a poem.

I call it LATECIA, I say.

Latecia laughs. She says,

L is for laughing...

Then it continues naturally


A is for "all together"
T is for today
E is for everlasting
C is for compassionate -compassionate, good one.
I is for incredible or insatiable
A is for apple -- no, I'm just joking. A is for (laughing) Amsterdam...all together...no, I have an a....Hmmm...A is for...A is for (looking at soda can)...admirable.

You work with that, she says.

Last night I thought about going to the coffee shop to post a little something on dreaming. I didn't though. I had writing to do. Other writing.

Here is what I have to say about dreaming. My TIPs on DREAMING. These are my PSA's (Public Service Announcements) for a new millenium and HAPPY HAPPY (like PIZZA PIZZA but better, because it's about being full in a different way).

Folks get up off the ground. DREAM. Do it. Now.

Take 2:

Folks this ground you lift yourself from it is uh...the place to begin the DREAM. Do it. Fo sho'!

Cut! Cam PL's to MS--P sitting in chair. Man with baseball hat approaches.

Man with Baseball Hat: Matte?

P: Yes.

CRew: Okay, we're rolling. Quiet on set. And...go!

PL and ZI to MCU-P sitting in chair.

P: Hey, I like monkeys. In my dreams. What up? Do it. NOW! Dreaming, that is--ah poodu! Can I do that again?

No, you can't.

That voice. I know that voice. Is it? It can't be? But, is it?

It is.

I couldn't believe it Burt Kristbaum. I mean he was a living legend.

B: I still am.

PL and HOLD on MS--Burt Kristbaum.

B: May I?
P: (VO) Please do.

B: Look folks dreaming is a very necessary thing for the beginning explorer. It can make or break an expedition. That is why my crews go theough an extensive training regiment that details dreaming and its relation to successful dowsing techniques, exploring the lower foundations, and moving in aerial space. Without this fundamental vision, success ratios for most explorers drops a considerable amount.

P: I knew what Burt was talking about. When I was a kid, I used to dream all the time. I would be like, "I want to go out with Gina Leathers," and then the next day she would go out with me. I would get a note in gym class. It said, "I like you." Then I would get back from gym pretty happy, even though we lost at dodgeball. I would be in Science class. Mr Fronzeo would be making us watch something about space. I would get really excited. I liked space. Then JJ Rooney, would smile at me. She would hand a note around the desks. It would get to me. It would say, "Tina likes you. She sent the note."

Then I would dream about us getting married. Then I stopped. Tina got mad at me. I fell in love with JJ. She sent me a note the next day. Then I dreamed about her. I didn't dream about Mary though. I wasn't dreaming about her at all. I am dreaming about a house on the mountain. I am dreaming about lots of money. I like money.

Burt: I am dreaming about Mars. The expedition. Those stars. The voice in my childhood. How she would call to me. Over and over. Over and over...

PSA--Take 3:

It is good to dream. It makes life possible. It makes every moment real special.

-P, from The Whopper Strategies