CONTEST: Dance, puppets! DANCE!
29 03 2008I had mentioned, back when I had moved over to my new online home, that there were things that I wanted to do differently with this ballooning blog and the community that came with it. For a while now, it’s been a lot of me posting this picture or that post and you dutifully reading. And I know you’re reading because the stats tell me so. But before I moved, I had no real idea how many of you there actually were. Comments were my only real way of tracking interest. Then I learned a few skills and discovered that, sweet barking cheese*, there’s a lot of you.
But save for a few of you, the quantity of comments have been, well, let’s be honest, anemic. Too many veggies, not enough protein? I know you’re there. I see you. But I thought to myself, how can I convince people to participate more? What possible incentive would they have?
The answer was instant – if you give it, they will come.
Also, I am not above bribery.
That, dear readers, is a Dear Label bento box lunch kit. It’s a larger, flatter model than the one you’ve seen me use. It’s accompanied by a rice mold, come foil cups, some sauce bottles, some green plastic dividers…
…and copious gratitude. This is one of a few ‘thank you’ contests I’ll be doing over the next few months. Thanks for reading. Thanks for stopping by. Thanks for making me want to do things like this.
But there’s a catch. Yes, to enter the contest, you have to comment. But not just any generic, OH HAI variety of comment. No, my puppetsreaders. You’re going to have to work for it just a little bit.
Haiku. English 5-7-5. Topics have to be spring, food, or spring food. Post it. One winner will be chosen through a panel of impartial judges.
Now, as with all contests, there are rules, though we’re pretty basic about them.
Rule # 1: Any one who knows me personally is automatically not eligible. That’s out of fairness’ sake. You know who you are. But fret not, you will probably get them from me as gifts without having to compose any poetry at all. Maybe.
Rule #2: No purchase necessary and void where prohibited. You may not offer to purchase the above kit. You may not bribe me with gift certificates or massages or long walks along the beach (that’s JJ’s job). I may not be above bribing you into commenting, but commenting with bribes is unseemly…and will get you disqualified.
Rule #3: Originality is a balm to my soul. Plagiarism is a giant no no. We live in an Internet world and I read a lot of haiku. I will know. Oh, I will know. And it will break my heart, which I don’t think you want to do, right?
You have until Thursday, April 3, 2008 to compose and post your entry in the comments below. A winner will be chosen the following weekend.
The light is green. You are go. Good luck and good writing!
(So I clicked ‘publish’ and then had one of those scary doubting moments…gosh, I hope they actually comment…)
(next day - oh nice. You guys make my heart sing. Though I can see that this is already going to be a tough one.)
*sweet barking cheese is an exclamatory statement promoted/originated by photographer Kyle Cassidy, for whom I have great respect and admiration. The man has mad skills. And he’s always in a good mood. He loves life and is grateful for it. And it is that, and his photography, which I want to emulate.
TIMES UP. CHILLINS! Winner to be announced soonish…
tableauvivante
Inspector Vino
Springtime in the south
Walking barefoot in the dirt
Time for garden work
The best part of spring
Isn’t the birds and the bees
It’s asparagus
Winter’s sweetest gift
The clementine heralds spring
Golden, round, and ripe
“Spring” you say is topic
But I am cool and sweeping leaves
Aussies read you too!
(X-posted from LJ)
Spring is Sprung you say
crunchy bentos full of vege
healthy and full colour
Cherry blossom time
The air warms and the birds sing
The earth is renewed
Miss 400-yen
Bento lunch at Air Force gate
On Okinawa.
Earth will yield to green
Vivid colours, tastes of spring
Candy for the soul
Strawberries bursting,
Tomato blossoms setting.
At last spring is here.
I defy you, devil woman! =)
We got the Salsa, who’s got the chips?
LOL
Oh dearest panda….resistance…she is futile.
You know you want it
Unmutilated haiku
Properly written
Asparagus green
Is the color I wait for
In Oregon cold
leeks, rhubarb, blossoms
salmon swim towards market
towards my table
Puppet I am not
Yet I now shall mention spring
For dancer I am
Macarons today
From the commissary. They’re
Bland, big, almondy.
Come on, LA. I
know you can do better. How’s
the rice krispie treat?
In search of perfect
rich treat to get me through the
day. This will not do.
Peanut butter, sweet,
lemon, chocolate, or even
sour. I’m not picky.
The first strawberries
of the season. Yes, I think
these will do nicely.
Since I don’t know you personally… yet.
Is it wrong to put
horseradish cheese sauce on fresh
asparagus spears?
the cherry blossoms
make me claw at my red eyes
please pass the kleenex
[...] really neat entries in the contest! I love using my powers for good. If you haven’t entered yet, remember you have until [...]
Lightning and Snowflakes
thunder crashing overhead
Welcome, Spring weather!
Delicate breezes
A glass of Savignon Blanc
And fresh shucked Oysters.
The Farmers Market
like any young bud in May
Wants to be visited
Bees begin their dance
Butterflies break free and fly
Robins search the skies.
spring, a time for change
so i am making bento
that don’t contain rice
[...] you entered the contest yet? Don’t be shy! Head over and compose your entry. Tomorrow’s the last day. The judges panel will convene this weekend and a winner will be announced shortly [...]
[...] is the last day you can enter the contest, so get out your haiku wands and bust out some mad 5-7-5. Unhappy with your entry? Think you [...]
Fed up with preserves
Tableau pops into her mouth
One fresh strawberry
goodbye sweet citrus
cherry blossom your farewell
soon we will have figs
A goose waddles by.
Can this be a sign of Spring?
He slips on the ice.
-_-;
(Ok, so this is more of an account of what happened yesterday in my work parking lot. We had a lot of late snow fall in Toronto this year.)