A Broke Ass (not so) Starving Artist Returns to NYC

I'm back. Well, on my way. En route. Tonight at 7pm, I will read some of my poetry and works-in-progress at WordUp Bookstore (www.wordupbooks.com). I look forward to sharing my work and creating a history of doing so. Wordup feels like the right place to for a potential professional artist to present his workings.

This weekend getaway marks the first of what I hope will be a monthly routine: The lure of the big grey beast calling me to eat from its bellyful of Life. I hope to come out filled to the brim.

Besides Wordup, I'll be lazze-faireing in Lower Manna-hatty, checking out Duarte Square and the Museum of the American Indian. Duarte Sq is home to a monument dedicated to Juan Pablo Duarte, the famous liberator of the Dominican Republic. But I must admit, I've got ulterior motives:

I am in search of Juan "Jan" Rodrigues. The First New Yorker. There may be a plaque in his name at the square. I'll tell you more about him at a later date...

All this to be said: IT'S FREE. Wordup. Museum. Jan. They're all at no cost to the participant. Just time. time and effort. Can we remain in such a way to be free to have choose our time? Or, is it only through a "break" from the work schedule, the 9-5, or 6, 40+ a week, 365, years of service for what? a weekend? 2 weeks paid vacation? How can you break when you know you have to come back...

Hi. Got a bit lost in reality. My bad:o}

My fellow brokes,

Enjoy your time off. Don't stress about shit you can't control at the office. It only matters in the annual report. Laugh. Love. Live. I'm planning on taking a bit of my own advice. See ya later.

forever Free,
B.A.S.A.

Labor Day For Some, Not for All

Labor Day!! Woohoo. Just had a long weekend and Monday off. But the person that got me some Starbucks didn't. Or the bus driver that drove me back to Washington, DC. Or the CVS employee that rang up my Gatorade. I can probably go on with a longer lists of those who labored on Labor day. Doesn't that sound a bit...ironic?

Look, I'm happy to have had the day off. And yes, I participated in the Labor-less activities of movie going and traveling. If it wasn't for this day, I would've missed out on my god-fatherly duties of seeing my godson Jace. Again, very happy to have been off.

But my brokeians, I couldn't help but be aware of the contradictory concept of a national day where EVERYBODY gets the day off. Doesn't that include the folks at Starbucks? I mean, I easily could've roasted a cup at my frat brother's parents place. But then again: Breakfast that morning at the diner was quite massively delicious.

This is the curious conundrum in which I find myself when thinking of our culture and its idea of time off. Seems like you can get it...but at the expense of who?

forever Free...till my labor day,

B.A.S.A.