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Abnormal Photography

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https://imagesbylawrence.wordpress.com/

Anxiety

“Closed Off” (c)Lawrence A Capozzolo

Walls thought imploded,
closing in again.

Clocks ticking,
racing towards tan.

Life ending,
constantly starting again.

Knowing too much,
a brain fills too quick.

Raining towards the bay,
my thoughts cannot stay.

Working around a following spy,
i ask myself why.

I cannot lose this constantly collapsing box.

-Lawrence Capozzolo

My Neighbor – Mr Rogers

(c)2018 Focus Films

Recently my wife and I had the opportunity to view “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?“, the new documentary on the life of Mr. Rogers at the Tull Family Theater.

This is one of those few and rare documentaries that has the capability to alter how you live out the rest of your life … not because of the film maker, script writer, or directory – but simply because of how the man the documentary is about lived his life.

To set one thing straight up front … the rumor that Mr. Rogers created all of the Millennials in the world because of the “You Are Special” mantra, you need to watch the film or watch the last college commencement he gave … that’s not what “You Are Special” was even remotely about.

To those who hold on hard-core to what society tells them is right, or fears becoming friends with someone who might be slightly off-kilter from their beliefs, or fears talking with someone who is not 100% perfect – skip this film, because you will change and have these things happen to you after watching it.

Mr. Rogers was a Christian …. an ordained minister. He was probably one of the very few people who acted as a Christian should act: show God’s love, grace, and understanding. He didn’t have to tell anyone that’s what he was doing – ever.  They just knew. The children just knew. That’s how you knew he was real.

He was the kid that was made fun of when he was little.

He was the kid that was sick much of the time when he was little.

He became the man who raised all of us and showed use that being a man wasn’t a stereotype.

He promoted equality better than anyone else (without pushing other’s rights aside to do so) … and stood for nothing less.

He taught us how to have self-worth without destructive pride intervening.

He promoted humanity without eliminating “human”.

By example, he showed that hate was not an option.

By the end of the documentary you will realize three things:

1. Society stopped listening to Mr. Rogers example of “Love thy neighbor, love thyself”,
2. and started listening to society’s “Hate thy neighbor, hate thyself”
3. We are all the same -“human”. That’s simply what he was teaching us.

Kudos to Mr Rogers …..

-SWB

Bridge To A Lost City

“Lost City” (c)Lawrence A Capozzolo

Speeding for life,
trying to escape the urban skew.

The city once was,
a central heartbeat of all.

But after catching a great ball,
it let it slip causing a great fall.

The resulting mess,
caused all to digress.

Screaming across the last and only route,
leaving family behind with other roots.

Never looking back,
that bridge – the longest mile filled with asphalt black.

Keeping lifetimes of memories,
decisions to be avoided at best.

Wondering what would happen,
with all the rest.

-SWB

Wiener World (A Pittsburgh Icon)

“Hot Dog King” (c)Lawrence A Capozzolo

No … this is not a blog posting on a less than family friendly movie.

Get you head out of the gutter.

No, really – stop thinking that!!!! It’s REALLY embarassing.

To the food …

Wiener World is probably one of the last established long time food icons left in the city that almost brings visions of a New York scene in an episode of Seinfeld. We did try the soup guy thing, but that didn’t stick.

I guess hot dogs are easier —- everyone loves a hot dog. I mean, what’s better than something that contains 2% of stuff that should never be in your daily intake. Just kidding.

WW has been around in the city ever since I can remember – sort of like S.W. Randall Toys and Gifts. It’s one of those things that’s never not been there. It’s also one of those things you easily forget to visit occasionally.

Don’t miss out on this one …. it’s a treat.

Tradition, taste, and hot stuff on a bun … perfect!

Our rating … we skip on this one. You just can’t rate tradition. Kudos to Wiener World for keeping it alive.

-SWB

PS – don’t forget the chili.

Skyline

“City Sky” (c)Lawrence A Capozzolo

Skyline,
it’s nature to live for.

New,
sophistication on high.

Old,
tradition found.

Bold,
change to erase.

Need,
things required.

Haves,
more than have-nots.

Height,
views for few.

Views,
far and far.

-SWB

Broken Doors

“Doorway” (c)Lawence A Capozzolo

Broken Doors sitting alone,
once to freedom now to blight.

Open in past finding chance,
now hanging unto slowing rust.

Pathway once to dreams,
creating nightly imagination.

Things once better through a door,
today all questions – not much more.

Walking through is a job,
will the rust hold on?

Will the door fall,
ending the dreams and all?

Broken doors, everywhere,
seldom noticed, always feared.

-SWB

A Beer’s Lament

“IC Shadow” (c)Lawrence A Capozzolo

A beer’s lament,
a passion unkept.

Smoke up a tube,
mash boiling in June,

A tongue tied in a bun,
tasting no longer fun.

A beer’s lament,
a passion toyed.

Shadowed from light,
it seems no longer right.

-SWB … celebrating bad poetry n brews.

Memories Unbroken

“Beehive SouthSide” (c)Lawrence A Capozzolo

Clear in my mind,
words spoken enter the light.

Smells of fresh flakes of coffee,
grab the sounds romping in my mind,

The colors around,
from life being poured by the pound.

Many a state of mind,
created in the midst.

Memories that bind,
enduringly enrapt in my mind.

-SWB

Screaming Weasel

Yep … that’s us!

A bit about “us” – since many have only been introduced to us recently, and nobody ever reads the “about” tab – and honestly, some time we just put things in it to be goofballs.

Most of the time it’s me, the author, Lawrence Capozzolo (signed SWB). An American, or Italian/German American, or mutt, or one of the people that’s paying a mortgage to house my step-daughter’s four furry critters (two dogs, a cat, and a rat). We’re pretty sure the animals had their lawyer get their names on the deed for the house too. They may have taken ours off at this point.

SWB started originally started in 2006 when I purchased my G4 iBook and it had iWeb on it. I made my first posting after I noticed a blog called That’s Church (I’m pretty sure that was still its title back then – but I’m getting old, and memories fade fast now … so I could be incorrect.) The person writing “That’s Church” eventually went on to write for Pittsburgh Magazine.  Although my blog become popular in about fifteen countries doing about 1.2 million hits a year, I chose getting back into I.T. work (I could have been smarter and went back to school for carpentry or plumbing or HVAC …. but NO, I stuck with I.T.) therefore still writing but not keeping it up eventually doing it professionally.

The blog was started, like others at the time as a rant blog (humorous rant). I figured people would find humor in the annoying blabberings of us tech types, and I was right. Now that I’m close to 50 (ok …. REALLY close) I’m getting back into writing for it and doing photography for it again (unless otherwise stated – those photos are really mine) basically because of ageism (tech is becoming like the NFL … if you didn’t get your first Ferrari right in the beginning, the youngin’s aren’t going to give you a chance to get one now … you’re too old to work in tech) I’m back to writing. I like doing it anyway.

I don’t know if I’ll get my numbers back up or if I’ll ever get a donation (but although I’m not a non-profit, please keep in mind I have to replace two cars, a furnace, and put a kid through university – so have a heart, consider donating).  Right now I do a little sound engineering work, etc – waiting to get back into tech if I ever do.  If I just end up writing, better yet.

Back to SWB. It will continue to be a showcase for humorous rant, really bad poetry, attempts at legitimate poetry, and whatever gets thrown into it. Some others may write for it (if they do you will know). If you like the writing, please like the posts or blog – if you really like it – follow, if you think I should put it into a book – donate. Remember, books still do things like enabling me to generate enough money to donate to others that love to do what writers love to do.

The photography is also part of the showcasing in SWB, I’ve been doing this since the age of 13 …. so 36 years. You’ll notice various formats (slide, digital, modified, etc). The other site I write for Pittsburgh By Mini Cam is designed to be for low-res photography.

Yes … we do on purpose write badly, strangely, and horrendously (this is different from “badly” as it indicates a “graduate” level of “bad”). We try to make you think by readings that make you feel that Scotty forgot to but a few brain atoms back into you after beaming you up.

We just have fun.

… and we do consider padded rooms to be ultra comfy posh places. The straight jackets are slightly annoying though – especially when you have to type with your teeth.

We are the late show, art gallery, literary short, stand up comedian, sitcom, political humorist, poetm, life loving, opinionated schmucked (buggered for the British folks) up oxygen breathing carbon based units that you will hopefully learn to as least like. If not, click the “like” button anyway – people lie all the time.

-Lawrence A Capozzolo

SWB – “making legimate writer groan in agony”

Giving it some gas

“The Pump” (c)Lawrence A Capozzolo

… actually more like filling up the tank.

BTW … this is a keyhain camera (Vivitar Digital Mini Camera) pic of the Citgo in Sewickley, PA – which I believe may possibly be the very last full service station in the country. I think we need to get it put on the national list of historic sites (and immediately after install a row of Tesla charging stations next to the gas pumps just to see the confused looks).

… so, getting on with it.

Since SWB is sort of revived (actually it’s becoming more of the defunct Confused Words poetry blog than Confused Words was … although I think someone took over that blog name on WordPress), we are going to try to revive a unique photo blog we started specifically for Art All Nigh in 2010 (if I remember correctly) – Pittsburgh By Mini Cam. The photo blog was specifically for images taken with those Digital Mini Cameras found in most Pharmacy stores for about $10 each. You know, the little cameras with imagers worse than a 1990s $5 web camera? Yep … those little things on the end of a keychain that make you wonder if you accidentally ate a handful of magic mushrooms after looking at the images.

Those cameras, albeit with their horrible images, are just plain fun …. because you have no idea what you took until you download them …. sort of like using a GoPro with really really really (x50 here) bad quality.

Many equate them to the cheap plastic cameras of the 50s and 60s or the discount single use cameras of the 80s. They take crap, but it’s just plain fun.

Anywayz … watch the site Pittsburgh By Mini Cam for new entries.

The first image series kicking the site back off will be from Sewickley and War Memorial Park near Pittsburgh PA.

-SWB

 

Strange on the road

“Stagger Street” (c)Lawrence A Capozzolo

Along the road enjoying the view,
askew I stagger a bit.

The peds look strange at me,
like they’ve seen a deformed, mutated bee.

I wish I could tell them it’s only I,
oh … I wish, I wish, I wish I could see.

Guys in black with pretty silver plaques,
follow me now, saying they need to take me back.

“Where”, I say, “I’d really like to stay”,
my words failing to keep them at bay.

A trip, a blip, and ooodly-bop,
the sound my brain makes before it goes “pop”.

I missed missing a big dark thing with a bright light at the top,
maybe that wasn’t my brain going “pop”.

Oh …. that’s the taser bringing the white light,
from the guys in black trying to make me drop.

I guess they succeeded,
i just wish they would get the spinning city to stop.

-SWB

From our really bad poetry series – a wonderful poem about a typical day on Grandview Avenue in Pittsburgh :-).

… an no I’m not glorifying drinking, I just write the dumbest thing I can think of about the pic in the posting and proceed to write award-winning poetry (although opinions about the award wining poetry bit may differ).

National indie bookstore day

Take note tomorrow is Indie Bookstore Day (April 28, 2018) – click here for info. Despite the fact that “they” have deemed bookstores a dying breed … I completely disagree.

I do believe that hands are being changed from the Wally World sized mega libraries, back to where books belong … with the indie dealers that love them, and know them. I don’t care who you are, but the experience of buying something from someone that actually uses the product, or in this case, has read it …. makes a big difference.

I like going into my indie bookstore, where the shop keep (yes, I watch to much British TV) might have a bit of a intellectual “attitude” because they actually read their books on something other than a pad or phone (which means they actually comprehended the book too). I like the fact that they can hold a conversation with me on an author, a subject, or an issue – and have a clue.  Try that at Goliath Books!

We have a great indie store near where I live called The Penguin Bookshop. Great selection, and it sort of reminds me of Black Books – except the people at Penguin are actually sober.

If it’s in stock tomorrow I will be buying Alan Alda’s new book on communicating.  Check it out here.

If you aren’t buying books, buy one tomorrow (or maybe today) …. start a habit!

-SWB

Woohooooo! The flowers are back!

Golly gee, I’m excited!

Because of flowers?!?!?!?

Well, sort of … not all flowers, I guess.

A special kind of flower – but rare? No.

Does it have odd colors? A Unique design?? Nope.

What’s so special?

It’s most popular in Spring in PA.

Well ….. what???

Official PA State Flower

Yeah …. that flower.

Welcome to Pennsylvania Spring and safety orange.

-SWB

…. as my dog would say – “grooooooaaannnn”