Last thing added to my bucket list

Last thing added to my bucket list

~Ann M Meyers


Last thing added to my bucket list 

Here is the problem, I can't remember.  Was it driving the Nürburgring?  Was it reading something?

Not only can I not remember what was the last thing I added to my bucket list, I can't hardly remember anything on my bucket list, let alone the important things I should be remembering!  Dr. Appointments, etc.

What happened to me?  I'm only 38. 

I'll have whole conversations and forget them.  And I won't have been fiddling with my phone or computer.  I will be there, checked in, responding.  Then later, the memory, gone. 

So maybe, that's what I need to put in my bucket list.  Perform memory improvement exercises.  Or read books on the subject? or Watch videos, or something?

What was I rambling on about?

Video to link-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/10/how-to-improve-your-memor_n_874691.html

Game to link-

http://www.lumosity.com/landing_pages/188?gclid=CM3G5cji47YCFYyY4AodYTQAog

Book to link-

http://www.amazon.com/Moonwalking-Einstein-Science-Remembering-Everything/dp/0143120530/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1366822535&sr=8-6&keywords=memory+improvement

Follow my voice!

From the keyboard of our littlest Samurai, Taryn's story from her childhood:

The topic for this post is to tell a story about or from your childhood, well since im still sort of a child I figured I would give this one a go! I have had soo many crazy things happen to me throughout my childhood. From taking a four wheeler out on a frozen lake to blowing up a bounce house with fire crackers. One of my favorite most crazy memories though took place at a cabin in TightWad Missouri. (I recommend you stay as far away from there as possible *grins*) 

Ephemily's DIY Cards Against Humanity Tutorial

The Samurai of Spoken Word have an event coming up where we're going to be playing a party game called Cards Against Humanity team trivia style. I'm excited for several reasons. First of all, it's going to be a hoot juut because the game rocks. (It's best described as Apples to Apples for people going to hell.) But, I also get to use my own home made deck AND be the MC for the night. I can't wait for the 28th.

One of the Worst was also the Best

One of the Worst was also the Best- by Ann Myers

When the idea of Worst TV show was thrown up as a blog topic, I thought short and easy and this came to mind. 

Pine Barrens

The "the thirty-seventh episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos"(1)  It's the 3rd Season.  For those not "in the know", The Sopranos(2) follows the life and exploits of Italian Mafia Don, Tony Soprano and his wide cast of characters. 

A long time in the making - 118 Migration - Safety

Those of you who know fellow Samurai Will Ross either in person or online know that he's been working on his opus, 118 Migration, for as long as most of us can remember. It's not uncommon for friends to chide him when he's up to his regular antics with "Shouldn't you be writing the ending of 118?". And with that buildup, we the Samurai are proud to announce that along with fellow authors Chris Wiig and Aaron Sailors, Will has released Safety (One Eighteen: Migration) [Kindle Edition]

From his keyboard to your eyeballs, here's his summary of what you get for your $6 ebook purchase.

At long last: The Kindle edition of Book 1 (Eps 1-10.) The print edition has a bit more background information (things that didn't fit/wonked the flow of audio drama) so it's got 10-20% "bonus content."

If you've been a fan of the audio drama and want the book version, this is the perfect companion.  If you're new to Will, Chris, and Aaron's craft, you can start from scratch with the podcasts here.  I can promise you, this is a zombie apocalypse series you won't want to have passed on.

My Light-bulb Moment

by Will Ross

My girlfriend and I had a small, low wattage lamp in the living-room of our place in Albany Park. At night we liked to turn off all the lights in the place except for that, and watch terrible terrible television like Bridezillas or The Jersey Shore, while we made fun of it and hoped not to be hit by random gunfire.

Well, things were going quite well with us for a few months... then one day the light burned out. Using her cell phone for light, we scoured the apartment for a replacement bulb, and eventually found one. It wasn't quite designed for this lamp, but we reasoned that the wattage was about right, and it would fit.

It was unfortunately, no ordinary bulb....

a cursed item, forged in the boiler room fires of the GE Electric company by Jack Welch himself, this bulb was somehow circular, fluorescent, blue, and yellow, all at the same time. Capable of emitting a ghostly, humming light to the room that turned your skin the pallor of a zombie, and made all the cat's eyes glow turquoise, this is the bulb that would light our evenings for the next three months.

Named by the dwarves The Lightbulb of Relationshipial Strife, it did its job well...

January, We have shows!

So of course I figured after our one year anniversary I would sit back relax enjoy the moment and chill a bit.
Then the phone rang.
Well okay not the phone but my email, the nice people at the Slowdown told us they would like to have us back on January the 30th.
Which put us in an interesting place because we had a date scheduled for Jan 28 at the Pizza Shoppe. Now we know you love us but two shows in three days is a bit much, so we decided to do something a bit different for the 28th.
We've been kicking around the idea of doing a improv show of some sort for some time, so we decided this would be a great chance for us to do something a bit different.
Ephemily introduced all of us to the game "Cards against Humanity" a while back, for those of you unfamiliar it's basically Apples to Apples for people who are going to hell. It's warped, deranged and more than a little evil.
So for us it's perfect. Which means that on Jan 28th we will be debuting our Samurai Cards Against Humanity Game Night. Come watch us shame ourselves, more so than usual.

Then on Jan 30th Come Join us at the Slowdown at 8:00 for a show full of all you have come to expect from us, Poetry, Stand Up, and Storytelling all in one place. For the low price of ... NOTHING! FREE! Well okay we'll ask you for a donation for a charity that needs the money, and the people at the Slowdown will be happy to sell you a beer or six, but aside from that No cover.

So come join us, the year is starting and we are off and rolling!
Best to you all.
Dave Nesbit

Samurai Resolutions

Happy 2013 everyone!  We've got some new tricks this year.  Every month, we're going to try and get a new samurai to showcase their talents with a fresh blog post to keep the energy alive.  Topics can range from a personal rant, to sharing never before published poetry.  The point is, we want you, our fans, to get to know us and our individual personalities better.  It's going to be a fantastic new year!

It's been a year!!

On December 26 a bunch of crazy and brave souls stepped out onto the stage at the pizza shoppe. 3 hours later it was decided we had to do it again, and again. And here we are one year later prepping for our one year anniversary.

That Year has seen a lot of performers both come and go, some people moved onto new places, others stepped up to the group and haven't left. All of them though have left us a year rich with stories, laughs and growth as artists and performers.

So come join us for our one year anniversary show on New Years Eve. The Samurai will rock the stage then invite the audience to join them in a pub crawl of Benson. We look forward to seeing you, and we hope to see you and more over the coming year.

Thank you all so much!!

We have New performers!!

Please help me to welcome two of our newest Samurai. Samuel Schrage an excellent stand up comedian. He opened the show properly in November and got us all on a roll, and he will be playing our Nov 26th Spotlight show.

And Jessica Taryn Kleckner. I'd call her a slam poet but somehow it seems a bit deeper than that. Come check her performance out on Dec 10. She lit the place up bigger than life at the last show, and We're sure she'll do it gain.

Pictures and other goodies in a little while.

Nov 26 Samurai Spotlight!!

Come join us on Nov 26th for a Samurai Spotlight Show. Two of our crew will go up and perform for you.
First We have Sam Schrage, A new member of the group who does amazing stand up.
Second we have the always engaging Marlowe Mapes. Who will bring to the stage her mix of poetry story telling and more!
Doors open at 630 there's an open mic at 7 and the show begins at 8.

Nov 26 at the Pizza Shoppe Collective. 6056 Maple st.
The Show is free but we will be taking donations on behalf of the American Red Cross.

Samurai Spotlight! Oct 29 The Pizza Shoppe

Two Samurai arrive and take the stage for longer sets than usual. Yep that's it. Two hours two samurai and an intermission. Come down and see how they fill the time they're given!

Show starts at 8 with an open mic night proceeding it at 7.
Admission is free. If you're in the mood feel free to donate to the nights charity.

The Venue

The Pizza Shoppe Collective
6056 maple st
Omaha Nebraska.

So skip football and join us for a night of entertainment that is out of the ordinary and performers who could be rightly called out of their minds.

Welcome To The Board, Ephemily!

I originally posted this on my own blog, ephemily.org.  I've reproduced it here for your reading pleasure.

I originally wrote about the idea of volunteering with Planned Parenthood in my post “Putting My Actions Where My Intentions Are”, but I thought I’d write an update to that.  Last night at a little after 10:00 PM, I got an email congratulating a group of us, and welcoming us to the Friends of Planned Parenthood Board.  I made it!  As far as what it means to be on the board, here’s an excerpt of the list of responsibilities that was sent to me before I applied for the position.

• The Friends of Planned Parenthood Board is charged with fundraising efforts for the benefit of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland.  It is also responsible for enhancing public awareness and understanding of Planned Parenthood.

It’s a 3 year term, with a maximum of 2 consecutive terms.  It is an unpaid position.  Board members are required to attend board meetings (held over lunch once a month), assist in fundraising, serve on one or more committees for the annual benefit, volunteer at events, and solicit donations.  We’re also tasked with being a liaison for Planned Parenthood, and advocate what the organization stands for.  Well, aside from the asking for money, I kinda already do that now.  So, I get to represent an organization I support already, and I can add the gig to my resume.  All around, I think the next three years will be an adventure.  I might have an inner politico after all!

The Return of Megan K. McGuire

Samurai Megan K. McGuire graced the crowd with her spellbinding presence this last week, where she read several poems by the late poet Adrienne Rich, who passed away in March of this year. She also read some of her original work, which included this rhythm piece- Apolitical

Wait - Adrienne Rich

In paradise every
the desert wind is rising
third thought
in hell there are no thoughts
is of earth
sand screams against your government
issued tent hell’s noise
in your nostrils crawl
into your ear-shell
wrap yourself in no-thought
wait no place for the little lyric
wedding-ring glint the reason why
on earth
they never told you

~*~*~*

Apolitical - Megan K. McGuire


If we continue down this path
Make the mistakes
we threaten
to- We're doomed.

You heard me. This is the
Slippery slope the
Road to hell
Disaster
how can we teach
This leave this to our
Children?

We owe it to them
Ourselves to stop
This heresy this injustice
Cannot stand

Cannot stand our rights
Our lies our way of life
Is at stake!

Is this
What you want?
Are you angry
Yet? Who are these clowns
These idiots who think
They can take what is ours?

We must defend ourselves!
Do you hear me?
We must defend
Our biggest fears
Will be
Realized. They are Greedy.
Realized. They are Corrupt.
Realized. They are un-natural
Unreal unlike us

Don't
wait,
do not
stop

March! Fight! Protest!
Pick up the phone and give!
Vote!
Vote for the person you want
voting for you

Don't let them ruin
The world. Watch out
For those who
Claim to
Speak the truth!

Just one more thing to
Decide.
Who the hell are "THEY".?


To see her work performed, check out the first half of the May 21st show on our Ustream Channel.

Who let the Rogues out?

So yesterday was a good day.
Not only did our show raise the bar on excellence, I had a personal milestone yesterday.
My fantasy novel, Rogues of the Black Fury, hit the streets.
Who let the Rogues out?
I did.
That's right, a kick-ass fantasy story that can be encapsulated as Navy SEALS vs. Al-Qaeda in a Renaissance-style fantasy setting.
A link to the Kindle edition is below, but it is also available in trade paperback and all e-reader formats.


“Bold, colorful characters pull the reader into an unforgettable adventure with the perfect mix of suspense, intrigue, and action.” —Jeanne Cavelos, author of The Passing of the Techno-mages 

“Rogues of the Black Fury mixes a berserk action thriller sharp as a mercenary’s sword with hard-bitten fantasy so gritty it might scour your bones clean by the time you’re done.” —Matt Forbeck, author of The Amortals and Carpathia

Samurai Dave Speaks!

For our April 30th show, we had two milestones.  First, we debuted at a brand new venue.  Thanks to the Slowdown for the opportunity to branch out and grow this thing we've made.  Second, we hit a record amount in donations to our cause.  Our local NPR affiliate of choice took home just over $500, or enough to keep them on the air for 4 hours.  Prior to the show, our own Dave Nesbit gave a radio interview with KIOS.  We're so proud!  He was up early, and even using big words!

You can listen to it here.  http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kios/ppr/kios.m3u

Homemade Fusion

Samurai Megan McGuire is featured tomorrow night in 'Homemade Fusion' with the Candy Project at the Omaha Community Playhouse. Come on over and listen to a crazy bunch of singers rant about masturbation, stalkers and candy bar love. It's free- voluntary donations to the Playhouse accepted. Part of the 21 and Over performance series.

For more information, please visit their website:  http://www.thecandyproject.com/

The Samurai Perform at Dreaming, Sat May 5th

We so crazy! In just 3 days, the Samurai of Spoken Word take the stage at Dreaming. This time to raise money for St. Monica's House.

St. Monica’s is a behavioral health treatment organization dedicated to serving women. They accept women age 13 and over, who are diagnosed with substance abuse and/or co-existing mental health issues. Fees are assessed on a sliding scale, based on the income of a client, her ability to pay, and availability of funding.

See the show at 5:30pm, Saturday the 5th at 712 S 16th Street, Omaha, NE. 

An Appology to Our Fans

Dear Fans,

There was an mistake last night (4/30/2012) and we want to make sure that some great poets get credit for the works that were covered.
Rives - "Dirty Talk"
Anis Mojgani - "Shake The Dust"
Mike McGee - "I like You"
Shane Koyczan - 'This is My Voice' Remix

In the heat of great poetry we missed the proper mention, and we apologize.

Thanks for coming out and supporting poetry, storytelling, and whatever it is that Dave does.

~The Samurai 

 *Edit:  Ryan Lacy, as a result of the backlash of his performance on April 30th, has chosen to step down from the Samurai of Spoken Word troupe.

Experience the Samurai

Parenthood, the Samurai's pet cause, is holding a fundraiser in on Sunday, May 19th called "Are You Experienced?".  The event starts at 6:00 PM in the Orpheum Theater lobby, with tickets starting at $100.  This includes drinks, a buffet, and open seating.  All of the above, plus reserved seating and an after-party is available for $150 per seat.  Both levels include cocktails and silent auction.

Dave, our PR guy, reached out to Planned Parenthood and asked if we could somehow be involved to help raise money for the cause.  The theme of the night is experiences, but somewhat more, well, reserved than many of our live shows.  Keeping in mind that we need to keep anything we have to offer legal, we the Samurai, brainstormed a few ideas for what we had to offer.

You will find the following examples of experiences available to bid on during the auction: