Mélissa, the bartender-poet

Monday night after practice, Sly and Bill decided to head out for some refreshments at the Pêle-Mêle Bistro (47 Laval Street, in Hull, where the beer is inexpensive, the food is great and smoking is allowed – what can we say, we're part of that dying race that still likes to mix alcohol and tobacco). Anyway, we were sitting at the bar talking about new features to add to the Blog when Bill suggested a "Thought Of The Week" feature. Mélissa, the spunky bartender overheard us and exclaimed: "A thought of the week? Why not a Poem Of The Week? I just wrote one today. You can use it if you want..."

So here it is, from the pen of Mélissa the bartender-poet (with English subtitles).

Terre
Un astre voyageant dans l'obscurité
Frayant son chemin vers l'éternité
Une race tenace menaçant la sobriété
Érode et dévaste son existence maltraitée
Comme une maladie ravageant le système
Immunitaire
Cette race attaque l'astre dont elle devrait être fière
Sa seule chance dans l'univers
Se détruira probablement dans des années-lumières
Elle nous a permis une vie
Elle s'est nommée la Mère
Nous devrions aider et être fière
de notre TERRE

And for your anglophone convenience...

Earth
Wandering through darkness
Tracing a path towards eternity
A tenacious race threatening restraint
Eroding and devastating its misused existence
Like an illness scorching the
Immune system
This race attacks the planet in which it should take pride
Its only chance in the Universe
Awaits possible destruction, light-years away
A planet allowing life to be
A planet called Mother
We must help and be proud
of our EARTH

What do you say people? You've got poetry, haiku, deep or shallow thoughts, artwork to share? Send us an email at lisgaroconnor@yahoo.com. We'll arrange to have a picture of you taken with Lisgar O'Connor and we'll launch you and your creation into cyberspace...

Sly, Mélissa and Bill at the Pêle Mêle Bistro.

Lisgar O'Connor's blog (kinda) makes the news

A little commotion happened in the Lisgar O'Connor entourage last weekend when the Ottawa Citizen mentioned Lisgar O'Connor's blog in its Saturday April 23 edition.

The story, authored by Alex Munter and titled "Found Ottawa's Best Blog Yet?", mentions the Lisgar O'Connor blog the following way:

"Perhaps the blog with the most Ottawa-sounding name so far is Bill King's http://www.lisgaroconnor.blogspot.com/.

Mr. King is a federal public servant whose passion is music. His blog recounts the misadventures of his two-person 'folked-up blues band' which is called - surpise, surprise - Lisgar O'Connor.

Mr. King got into blogs by accident.

'I was dating someone who worked in information systems. I hardly even knew they existed before that.'

He loves the chaotic chatter of the medium.

'There's a cyber-democracy going on out there, or anarchy - whatever you'd like.'"

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Reached at their respective homes, the chaotic duo had but few comments: "I didn't know our blog would make it in the Ottawa Citizen this weekend," said Bill. "I'm selling a few more empties to purchase a copy."

Sly didn't know either since he only reads the New York Times. "It was a surprise when we got a phone call from a long-time fan relaying the news," he confided. "Thank the Great Goddess there are people who pay attention to what's happening to us, otherwise we'd have no clue whatsoever. We'd be like two meteors speeding through space oblivious to their surroundings and to how much damage they can make."

Sly is reading the Ottawa Citizen's story about blogging, grateful he is not a meteor.

Barrymore's in Ottawa - Local Eyesore Number Five

A Venue We Can't Abide

Sadly, Lisgar O'Connor announced that the popular duo will not play Barrymore's because it was voted the no. 5 Ottawa eyesore by The Ottawa Citizen's readership. "We only play nice beautiful venues attended by polite, well-groomed and God-fearing patrons," said Sly and Bill.

"We know that legendary artists have been gracing this building with their performances for years, but we must hold fast to our principles: 'the packaging is all that counts; content is trivial, the medium prevails'."

- Sly and Bill, reached at the recent Global Blogging Symposium (GBS) in New Fish Creek, Alberta.

Bill relaxes between sets. Sly is outside, having a smoke.