legolas by Laura, the live-action trailer

Tropical Storm Katia forms in the Atlantic – USATODAY.com

Tropical Storm Katia forms in the Atlantic – USATODAY.com:

Source: noaa.gov

Image Courtesy of ABC/GMA

Garden State Parkway Remains Closed Between Exits 98 and 92

The Garden State Parkway remains closed Monday between exit 98 and Exit 92. Southbound lanes below Exit 92 are re-opened. The Atlantic City Expressway is re-opened. Tolls will be collected beginning at 6 A.M. For more information, please follow the link below:

511nj.org :: Home:

Artist Reception Tonight at Sarah Street Grill - Rick Fisher to Perform

Kari Nespola

The Forwardian Arts Society is hosting an Artist Reception beginning at 7 p.m. featuring the artist Kari Nespola.  Our own mutant mouser, Rick Fisher will be performing 3 of his original songs at the event.  He is slated to perform at 8:30 p.m.

Sarah Street Grill is located in Historic Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.  The food is excellent and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming.  Bring a friend and then make new friends. After the reception, stay for the extremely popular and long-running Open Mike hosted by Diane &Willie

Diane and Willie

Rick promises he will not wear his sunglasses while playing.  He might wear his reading glasses, which would be more appropriate.   Rick plans on performing  "Day is Done" from his Acoustic Songbook CD, as well as  "Your Eyes Open", and "Heaven".

Directions to Sarah Street Grill are here:

http://www.sarahstreetgrill.com/directions.htm

Hope to see you there!

30,000 Page Views

Dear Reader,

Today, we crossed 30,000 page views.  Thank you for reading this blog.  I am deeply grateful that you take time out of your busy day to read the writings here.  We will continue to push to make this a premier story blog that will be read around the world.   Again, thank you!

Sincerely,

Rick Fisher
The Mutant Mouse Chronicles

Diffle County Report: The Jimmy Deagan Story

Diffle County Report: The Jimmy Deagan Story

A story by Rick Fisher 


Jimmy Deagan was an angry kid. His father was a drunk.  It was a family
 tradition. He had his father's eyes too. Tall, dark, and dangerously
handsome, Jimmy could have passed for a All-America High School
quarterback, except for those eyes.  Deep-set under dark eyebrows with
long, black lashes; they were piercingly beautiful. They were painful and angry.
They were unpredictable and deadly. They invited girls to ruin.


When Jimmy was twelve years old, he stole magazines from the local 
drug store. He didn't get caught.  Then he invited Robert (Bobby) Jenkins
 to steal magazines and laughed and ran away, while Bobby sat handcuffed
to a chair, waiting for his parents to take him home.  Jimmy showed that
stupid kid how to steal the wrong way, just for kicks. read more here ...
http://difflecounty.blogspot.com/2011/08/diffle-county-report-jimmy-deagan-story.html

Diffle County Report: Moving to Our Own Blog

Diffle County Reports is moving to it's own blog.  In order to allow Diffle County residents and loyal followers to to find their favorite Diffle County stories, we have moved Diffle County  to a new blog site:

GREETINGS FROM DIFFLE COUNTY 

In the next few weeks we will be moving our Diffle County stories to the new site.  Then we will begin adding more stories, including the climatic ending to the current murder mystery.  This is the first in a number of positive changes planned for TMMC over the next year. Our goal is to provide the best fiction/non-fiction story blog for your personal enjoyment.

See you in Diffle County! 

Ambeon- A Brilliant Album from a 14-year Old Girl

 Sometimes you personally discover a great talent years after they created their greatest work.  We lose our touch with the arts, with great painters, poets, musicians. Our daily lives are so filled up.  We have work, family, finances, problems, issues, tragedy, and joy.  Yet we are surrounded by so many great artists in our time.  

We can search back and love the artists of a different age. We can fall in love with the history of art. We can do those things, but do we forget to search for that same greatness in the world alive around us?  Even in our daily lives, we may choose X-Men over Midnight in Paris, entertainment over intellectual stimulation. It is our choice but we miss something that can substantially improve our lives when we choose big explosions and cool special effects over a brilliant writer and director's vision of love and happiness.

We must keep searching for those moments of unique beauty, of brilliant talent, and of stunning artistic achievement that can enrich our lives. I love Mozart, but I also love The Beatles, Shadow Gallery, Porcupine Tree, and The Civil Wars. I also love Astrid Von Der Veen who, at the age of 14, in the year 2001 wrote, recorded ,and sang lead vocals with the progressive rock band, Ambeon.  She was an amazing writer and fantastic vocalist.  

I discovered this album in a friend's CD collection this Spring.  I am so glad I discovered her for myself.  Below is one of my favorite songs from her debut.  It is 10 years since its release and the album stands up to the test of time.   

Ambeon, a side project of Aryeon's Arjen Lucassen, only produced one album. After its release, Astrid joined another band, released a solo album in 2005, and then disappeared off the radar, perhaps forever. 

Have a listen and discover then 14-year old Astrid von der Veen for yourself.  

Sunday Morning Video: The Civil Wars

Please enjoy a beautiful song for your Sunday morning from the extremely talented duo, The Civil Wars. This is the first installment in our new series,  Sunday Morning Video

Revolution Riders

There is a center walk
between the lanes
on the Roosevelt Boulevard
full of grass
trees
cars racing from
one light
to the next
stop, start
stop start

Dog walkers
center lane stalkers
watch
a human race for
concrete space
cardboard cubicles
watch
the giant clothespin
the old-money clip
liquid lunch
members-only club
windows with
black steel bars


There
servants and dogs
laid down with horses
stables in waiting
for the revolution riders
on the grass
riding fast
racing
from one lantern
to the next
start, stop
stop start

Across the pond
London burns
young men
shatter structures with
clothespin fire
yellow flamed
funeral pyres
anarchy rising
in the ashes of desire

We are the native-now
the enemy hide
in the luxury house
behind concrete walls
we own the center walk
the grass
the liberty tree
our faded history

Govern us with your
mad hatter tea parties
bailed-out bankers
laughing, counting
sell us a dream
at twenty-six percent
then steel it black
steal it back
start, stop
start stop

We are the upside-down
the sinking
under the grass
under the hooves
of revolution riders
start, stop
stop start
light the lantern way









Revolution Riders, A poem
by Rick Fisher @fishfire
Copyright 8/9/2011