Top Ten Reasons Why People Are Into Top Ten Lists

10.  Ten is a nice round number.

9.  More than ten is too many, less than ten is too few.

8.  Alliteration. 

7.  Lists are easier to digest than paragraphs.

6.  Lists are fun to write.

5.  The anticipation of the count down.

4.  Top ten lists are generally funnier than top eight lists.

3.  The middle ten is not as noteworthy as the top ten.

2.  Most of us have ten fingers.

1.  We like to cross things off.

*images gleaned from the community art project at the Elaborate Bungle show

Peace Time

Thanksgiving Wedding

The Yenta recognizes in each of us the potential for love.  

She understands that inner beauty only blossoms in the presence of acceptance.  

She knows that some are more inclined than others.

She relies on instinct to tell her such things.  

This is the yenta.

Monkey Mind, Cat

Hardy Boys #1, The Tower Treasure: A New Perspective

On the Listening Scale Rated E.C.*

Matt Turner, cello.  Tad Neuhaus, guitar.  Joanna Dane, vocals.

*extremely challenging

Elaborate Bungle Room #2: Results

Thank you for coming out,

Even though it was pouring.

Thank you for filling The Fire

with your attention and conversation.

Thank you Ellen for working the door,

And Elyse for working so hard.

Thanks Ned and Deedee for all your help 

and for buying all the snacks.

Thank you for singing, Bob,

That beautiful ballad for Fran, your wife of 48 years.

Thanks for coming from as far as Peoria and Florida, 

and as close as right next door.

Thank you Matt and thank you Tad,

for playing the music you do,

And thank you all for your burning questions,

most especially, Lola.

And thank you Adam, for being the hippest guy in the room.

Unsolicited Advice #2: Participate.

Last Call.

Elaborate Bungle.

7 pm tonight.

@ The Fire, Appleton.

$7, cassette included.

Do you have a Burning Question?

Bring yours to the Elaborate Bungle's cassette release party

@

The Fire

Appleton, WI

Saturday, November 16, 7pm

(That's tomorrow folks!)

Correspondence

Thank you for your message.

I hope to hear from you again.  

I would love to read your stories.

And see your Skowhegan ring.

How true that those who expect so much, 

We are bound to disappoint.

Our passions are not theirs to have,

Our resolve our only hope.

Where in the Neighborhood?* November Edition

*Bring your answers to Elaborate Bungle's cassette release party

@

The Fire, 230 E. College Ave., Appleton,

Saturday, November 16th, 7pm.

Unsolicited Advice #1: Do the Assignment

What's the worst that can happen?

Something unexpected.

Found Poem #1*

*one of a series to be recited at Elaborate Bungle's cassette release party

Saturday, November 16th, 7pm

The Fire, 230 East College Ave.

Appleton

The Believer Interviews Elaborate Bungle as They Prepare for Their Highly Anticipated First Cassette Release

to purchase your very own cassette visit ickerrecords.com

or come to The Fire in Appleton, Wisconsin, Nov. 16th, 7pm*

*an intimate venue

Tomorrow: Repeat

Today, I will write something. It will be concise, but dense, a pill in prose. I don't know exactly what it will be, even after I'm finished writing it, because it won't be a story or a poem or a character sketch or a letter or an epistle or an anecdote. This is not by choice. I would much rather write something with an easy label, but easy labels have never been easy for me. I will spend about 30 minutes writing it and then I will spend hours, who knows how many, carving, grinding, scrapping, smoothing. When I am done, I will spend more time, who knows how long, reading it over and over, silent, aloud, pointing at each word, trying to decide if each is in its proper place, that nothing has escaped my attention, though usually something does. Then, when I am sufficiently sick of it, I will post it. One person will read it and find it repetitive - that some old thing she always writes. Another will read it and think, "I could do better." One will read it and not understand. Another will read it and think, "I feel exactly the same way!" Another will think, "How does she come up with this stuff?" And someone will conclude, "She certainly has a lot of time on her hands." Few will read it carefully. More will skim, looking for the twist, of which, there is none. Some will start to read it and not finish. One will read it and write a comment, but then delete it instead of posting it. One will even reread it, to make sure she properly understood. One will read it, searching for himself between the lines. If asked about it later, none who read it, including the author, will remember exactly what it said.  A great many will not read it at all. And tomorrow I will get up and do it all over again.

Mama Doesn't Like to Hear That Anything is Less Than Good