Chuck thanks for the mention. You are a kind hearted gentleman.

ja, real kindhearted...where's yr silktown homepride, old boy? did you perhaps ferget someone? hm? i sit here looking out at yet another gloomy day,

made gloomier by by supposed buddy's memory lapse. I think that this lapse can be explained: it is from too much abstention of LSD...too much wandering shellshocked through Manchester streets, looking for racoons to lead him down garbage chutes....too much

absence of Dylan from his itunes....ach....well....perhaps it has something to do with something Mr Emmerlng told you in the principal's office one summer day when you skipped class to go to that grateful dead concert to lecture the acidheads on the value of just saying "no thanks"....you were Caught, and scooped up by my dad's
henchmen & delivered into his
office, shamefaced, and asked,
"young man, why do you persit in
bending my iron rules?"

this is probably the answer. what the hell was the question, i forget...hm...oh...well...

at least you mentioned Angelique Simonetta

and of course Newton.

i give you..um, a "C+"

jim, about to go down main street to get cigs.....past the grand new "Bennet Academy"...ach, they shoulda bombed that place in the Iraq War...the scene of many teenaged humiliations...



still love ya, JME

I'm honored to be mentioned, a humble thank you. I thought about it, and I'm stickin' around.

Much love, and rated!

Many thanks for the mention, Chuck. Although I think I'll have to come up with a more worthy post to headline my space now. :-D

Well, as Jack Palance said as Curly in "City Slickers", 'Day ain't over yet.'

Thumbed.

I am so glad you included metaness - I love them! If you are new to their blog, it may help to go back a few posts. As someone else said, they are like the Seinfeld of OS.

Mr. Mustard, thank you so very much for this post. You are filled with grace and love for what is right and good. You are one that I respect and always look foreward to, and thank you so much for Warren Zevon. A man that we all can relate to.

You are a dear, dear person! Thanks for the mention, and for doing such hard making a wonderful list of posts that will keep me reading (and probably listening all day).

Rated, dugg, redited, bookmarked, Zumapick!

I never gave you credit, you old dog you, siring all of these fine bloggers...oh wait...metaphorical seeds. Carry on.

Very thoughtful call out to some very talented writers here. Am well familiar with all your flower children but only half of the seedlings. Will happily make their acquaintence.

I am glad you are still here. Warm thoughts....

Excellent picks!

There are a few I have yet to read, but when you point them out I know I should get over there. Thanks for your generosity, as always.

A lot of these are favorites of mine, either old favs or new ones, but I'll make it a point to visit the ones I'm not as familiar with. Thanks for getting 'em out there.

oh, you've embarrassed yourself again by forgetting to include Moses Mendoza. No worries!

Ooop! I also meant to say, here are some others; Voicegal, Jimenace, JK Brady, Bill Beck, Natalie B, Tinkerertink69, DeliaBlack, Libertarius, Sirenitalake, Lifehalflived, and I could go on and on.... Some of these folks post regularly, some not so often, but if you see something by any of them in the feed, it's always worth having a look:)

And Wordsmith and BoomerBob and Scupper and....

Thank you for this list.

Really sweet. I'm so glad you got rid of the "Mean".

Mr Mustard,
Thanks, your generosity in doing this is very appreciated. Warren Zevon's is a fitting song for OS right now. Transition is often so difficult and many will be missed as many already are. It helps to have people like you here to point us all toward the good. I hope you know that you are much appreciated for this and so much else.

Dear Mr. Mustard,

I can’t tell you what an honor it is to be included in this list—and how timely your kind recognition is, considering how heartbroken we are by the recent usurpation of our space by the OS moguls. We had a post all ready to put up yesterday, but we feel so violated by the ad that has been forced into our space, we have hesitated to continue posting here. We have devoted decades to preserving the integrity of our work, and in one fell swoop, OS came and shat upon it all. And we don’t even have the option of going around and cleaning up after them. We’re forced to sit and let the stench of their turd perfume the air—and we’re expected to be grateful for it. But I know this is not the place to vent—I appreciate your loving wish to sweep away the negativity. I just wanted to let you know how much weight your kindness bears as we agonize over what to do next.

Thank you again for serving as the Patron Saint of Open Salon. We appreciate your beneficence.

(Oh, and a special thank-you to mamoore for her sweet words :-)

—Melissa

I think I'm missing something...are people leaving OS and moving on? I've been busy and just catching up here.

How very kind of you. Thank you.

An addendum: I tried publishing this postscript three times, and each time, it failed to appear. Is it perhaps because I have too many links? I will try splitting this into two separate posts to see if I have any success.

—Melissa

P.S. I don’t know if you are aware of the mustard seed metaphor that has come up in recent exchanges with the luminous and hilarious—if not, it’s yet another example of the coruscating synchronicity that keeps occurring as kindred spirits forge this unique community of creatives.

P.P.S. The theme of the ordinary—a topic dear to my heart as the mustard seed—has also been popping up simultaneously among conversations among consonantsandvowels, Newton, Angelique, and me. Like here, here, here, and here, to name just a few.

Muah! If you were here, I'd give you a big hug. Don't let that play get to you, Dude....

so sorry you are leaving. miss you already. can we still tweet? peace

It seems such a shame that the"Almighty"would take a voice such as Zevon's when it is needed here on Earth. Mysterious ways, indeed. I have read most of the posts on your list, and have no argument on any that you have recommended. I just hate it for the ones who are leaving. May God, Bless!!

P.P.P.S. Sorry to be clogging your comments with meta-postscripts, but I just noticed the link to consonantsandvowels got messed up in the P.S. above. It’s supposed to read: “. . . recent exchanges with the luminous and hilariousconsonantsandvowels—if not, it’s yet another example of the coruscating synchronicity . . .” consonantsandvowels is another must-read mustard seed for everyone to savor.

P.P.P.P.S. I am clearly having serious typing problems today. If I weren’t so obsessive about grammar and punctuation, I’d let this go, but of course, I noticed a missing space after “hilarious” in my P.P.P.S. This really is getting meta! (It's starting to remind me of that scene from Swingers (I’m not even going to bother trying to link that!) where the protagonist keeps digging himself deeper and deeper with each new voicemail, as he painfully attempts to repair the damage of the last one :-)

Chuck, I'm honored to be on your list. Thank you so much!

This is a lovely list of bloggers, Mr. Mustard. They all spread beauty and joy here. Thank you.

Wonderful gesture and list, Mr. Mustard. I add Owl Says Who as a must read! xox

Will do so, sir :) you are a kind man indeed. I look for your seed posts as it offers an alternative to some of the day-to-day stuff on the main page. I've read most of them and fav'ed but will check out the others. Nanatehay, thanks for the 'bumpage'. I really hope metaness does not leave, the OS will be poorer for it and I will be even more so. They are some true creative geniuses. I can understand their issue with the ad stuff, tho. I am making do with what I have to myself. Personally - I will keep coming back for the creativity and f%*k the police! umm... i Mean i really don't care about the ads lol... So many have left already -

peece!
dj

oh my god, sweetie, when you said you had something for me, i figured it would be a flower or some dark chocolate (hint, hint) but nothing like this, especially with the completely tasteless Chelsea Handler parody of the Real NJ Housewives that i have up now. shit. i've got some deleting to do, man. :) i love you so much, mm, as sooooo very many do.

and i adore this song. i saw warren zevon in his last public appearance on Letterman and it was heartbreaking, as is this song.
the person i would share is my beloved friend Junk1. she doesn't post very often but when she does, her words are heartfelt and brilliant and to the bone. love love love and gratitude!!!

Thanks for the plug, my friend. Truly an honor to be included. I will try to live up to it. You mentioned most of my favorites in your seeds and flowers, and, since I'm relatively new, most Open Salon writers are probably already familiar with anyone I would recommend. Maybe I can steal your idea and "skip some stones across the water" when I find a few who should be getting more attention than they are getting. Thanks again.

One last thing: Thoreau said that friends are kind to each other's hopes; they cherish each other's dreams. Or something like that. Unfortunately, not many writers are good at being friends. Egos often get in the way. I admire your efforts to rise above all that in support of other writers. Crafting a good sentence is not nearly as important as being a decent human being.

a little recognition is sometimes all you need to fight another battle.

Wow, I thought you liked me, I thought you liked my writing...I guess not ;_(

Just teasin'! Thanks, Theo! You made my day...that someone who writes with your abilites and wit would give accolades to me...WoW! Thanks

Hi, Chuck! Great suggestions, I´ll stop by the blogs I haven´t read yet, I promise.
Can I add a few more?
m.a.h
high lonesome
gwendolyn glover
walkawayhappy
karin rego

and so, so many more; What a wonderful place this is!
Kisses!

How nice! Thanks for spreading the love around. I'll have to catch up on some of your suggestions.

Thank you for watering and nurturing so many on OS, including me. I heart you.

i forgot to mention psychomama. she's an excellent writer who deserves more attention. i think you'd really like her stuff. she's very intellectual and very very knowledgeable in your former profession. love love love and thanks for coming to see my photos.

Dearest Mr. M - I have just now returned from Oahu - I left the day you posted this. I am rendered mute by your generosity in mentioning my blog, filled as it is with the off photograph and poems that confuse most, but perhaps inspire a few. Given that a more recent one mentioned the idea of "revolting" (I will leave it to the reader to decide how I, the poetess, might mean this, should he/she check out my little poem) at a time when there is much discussion about Editorial front page picks, advertising, etc., perhaps a small seed will indeed germinate, then culminate in a "big bang" Eternal/Now explosion of time/space infiniteness - Here's to all the "flame people" on O.S.! - Angie

Mr. M.,
I see you still haven't made any ...heh...corrections to this little pimpout. Oh, well. I labor in obscurity, with the hope that someday, long long after i have thrown myself off the main st 384 overpass into the onrush of an 18 wheeler tansporting oranges to the starving children in Bridgeport...

long after my body slams down to the pavement, i free at last, in non-earthboundedness, to fucking sit in my leisure & think & think & think like like i always wanted to..

long after that they will find my work & say, "hey, wuzznt that other extraordianry genius, mr ketchup or something, in the same town? hm, wunder y he didnt mention his fellow silktowner>? this brilliant man, jme, whose works sell for $40.99 in borders now, making his family rich....

hm. I am not at all obsessed about this slight.

ach, happy 4th.

going to the bandshell? did they postpone?

Merci, Mr. Mustard.

Metaness clued me in to your flowers. I really appreciate it. It helps the disillusionment I've been feeling re: the ads a little less...uh...disillusioning? (Ladies and gentlemen, wordsmith Beth Mann!)

But seriously, it helps. I'm trying to get past this whole stupid ad thing and move forward. But its tough. Figuring I'll let my soul ride it out in the direction it chooses.

People like you remind me of why its so worthy here.

I am really late getting over here, was checking to make sure I got caught up on different friends. Thank you so much for mentioning me in this post. I feel very honored to have you as a friend. Thank you! You are the best. {HUGS}

Great seeds to sow. And Warren Zevon? Excellent picks across the board. :)