This Is Me--2024 A to Z Theme

My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2025 the theme is a random assemblage of things that are on my mind--or that just pop into my mind. Whatever! Let's just say I'll be "Tossing It Out" for your entertainment or however it is you perceive these things.
Showing posts with label University of Tennessee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label University of Tennessee. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

You've Been Given The Bird!

Hey!   Wake up dodo bird!



C'mon Arlee wake up and face the music!  And I'm not referring to any Battle of the Bands.
        While I was sleeping I was chosen as the honoree of a special event.  Maybe you've heard about it.  If not, I'm going to tell you about it.  Cheersfest was started by Mark Koopmans last year when we roasted Alex J. Cavanaugh. Yeah, we all had a fine time with that.

        Now I'm in a fix and you all are in the driver's seat.  Time to dish it out to the Bird and I ain't talkin' turkey.   It's time for the second annual Cheersfest blogger roast and I am this years roastee.   Come on and give me the business.  Have fun while you make me squirm.


"They like me!  They really like me!  Or wait maybe they don't like me.  I don't know whether to laugh or cry.  Maybe I'll cry.  Everything's a blur."

 What's a Cheersfest? 

        Here's the way originator Mark Koopmans puts it:


“Ever attended a Christmas party where you bump into the one person who was always there for you during the past year. You’d thank them for being such a RockStar, right?”
So began the inaugural CheersFest (aka AlexFest) when our Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh, was roasted and toasted in December 2012.
Everyone, including A-Cav had such a great time that we’ve decided to do it again.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the 2013 recipient of CheersFest is none other than Arlee “Lee” Bird.”
On his main blog, “Tossing It Out,” Lee describes himself, in part, “as a writer, speaker, entertainer, music lover, collector, husband, father, grandfather, friend, traveler, seeker of truth and wisdom.” He majored in English while at the University of Tennessee, has blogged since 2008, and currently has six blogs that delve into his diverse mind.
The original brains behind the annual A to Z Challenge, Lee can be counted on to pay it forward and is a well-respected member of the blogging community.
Hosted again by Mark Koopmans, Morgan Shamy, David Powers King, Stephen Tremp and The Ninja Captain himself, CheersFest 2.0 will go LIVE! Dec. 9, 2013.

What Do You Do?

In order to proper cheer (or roast) the Bird, here are four questions for you to answer on CheersFest Day, but please keep the retorts short – (no longer than 20 words each):

· Why did Lee come up with the A-Z Challenge?
· If someone dreams about being a juggler, what does it mean?
· Is a post by Mr. Bird worth two in the bush?
· Who could play Lee in a documentary? (Living or dead.)

In +/- 100 words, (excluding the title) write flash fiction using all these prompts:

· Bird

· Juggler

· Challenge

· Brown Jacket

· Tossing



For Bonus Points:

· In +/- 40 words, can you come up with a caption for Lee’s Facebook picture?





As usual, the Very Demanding Rules of CheersFest include:

· Join the Linky List *below*

· Have fun

· Post your 200 (total) word contribution ON Monday, Dec. 9, 2013.

· No, seriously. Have Fun!


There Will Be Big Prizes!

After all entries have been carefully scrutinized for entertainment value (or if it makes me cry because it's so beautiful), I'll be picking two winners who will be winning extraordinary prizes:

· An autographed color photo of Arlee Bird appearing as the Court Wizard in the World of Fantasy Players production of The Magic of Cinderella.   Also included in the first prize pack is an assortment of promotional materials from Lee’s show biz days with a personal letter and a brief history of his entertainment career.

· A personalized graphics design from Jeremy at Being Retro for the winner’s blog. (Jeremy will design a header, badge, button, banner, or whatever might appeal to the winner.)

Okay so I don't have a book to autograph and I'm not going to be baking cookies.  But the prizes will still be fun!

So are you ready to face the Blogman?



If so, the Linky is now open. Sign up below and we’ll see you on Dec. 9th

...
       C'mon now--no excuses.   It'll be fun!  Not going to be around?  You can always preschedule your post.   And it doesn't have to be some literary masterpiece.   Just hack it out if you need to.   The more entries we get, the more work I have to do.  You want me to work don't you?



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Wednesday, December 14, 2011

A Me in My Sonnet

writingImage by found_drama via Flickr

            Have you signed up for the Deja Vu Blogfest brought to you by D.L. Hammons?   It's a fun way to dig back through the blog archives to present one of those early posts that may have been missed or a post that is special in your eyes that you want to highlight.  Do you have an oldie but goody that you'd like to share with the rest of us?   Friday is the day to do it.  Start digging for buried blog treasure now and sign up on D.L.'s page.         

           I think it's kind of fun and enlightening to look through ones old writing samples to see where you were then and how far you've come since.  A while back Deniz Bevan at The Girdle of Melian brought up the subject of reading old writing and sharing it on ones blog.  Since we're were on the topic of Deja Vu and last week I talked about and shared an example of some of my old writing, I thought in this post I might share a bit of a flashback from the 1970s.

            The following poem was from an assignment in a Writing of Poetry class that I took at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.  I don't recall the exact date, but this probably comes from about 1973.  This particular assignment was to write a poem in sonnet form.  From my dreamy-minded love-longing self of college days, here is my sonnet.

paper-life - "femme fatale"Image by MagdaMontemor via Flickr

                    Sonnet 
She is the question without an answer. 
Though I try to comprehend her meaning, 
I fail, losing my view of that gleaming 
Vision I beheld.  Then, like a dancer, 
She pirouettes from sight, my last glance her 
Hands acknowledge .  I linger in dreaming, 
Probing her significance, then seeming 
To gather the impression that man's her 
Basic prey.  Laughing, she throws her head back, 
 Swoops down with painted claws, tears out my heart. 
I, stumbling at her feet, weak from the attack-- 
I look up.   What love might she impart? 
Deeply I search for meaning in her face, 
But comprehension my mind has erased.


        Do you save your old writing?  What have you seen when you reread writing from younger days?  



                         



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