Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Espresso Yourself @The Pen

Last night I swiped a menu from The Pen (SLurl), a sort of beatnik-ish coffee shop created by Marianne McCann, during another Espresso Yourself Night and I thought I'd share it with you.



Espresso Yourself Night, every first Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. SLT at The Pen, located in the heart of Bay City - Mashpee, just off Route 66!

What is "Espresso Yourself?" It's a chance to take your spot on the stage and share. Tell a joke, share your poetry, read a chapter from your favorite book, sing a song. Just share! Voice or Text. Talent not required, but passion is mandatory. Also, no mimes.

The key here is to participate. How can you participate? Just choose an item off our menu!

1. ESPRESSO Our main stock in trade: Read a poem. Poetry is always encouraged at the pen. Share one of your own, or one by someone else. Read it on voice or type it out. You can even pre-record some sound files if you want to get really inventive.

2. CAPPUCCINO Share a favorite story. Could be something you've experienced that you want to share. Could be a story out of a book that makes you think or that you just enjoy. Maybe it's a story of your own, too, that you wish to share. All is encouraged.

3. CAFFÉ AU LAIT Share a picture of something you've built recently - or something you've built in the past - tell us about it, what were the challenges? What was fun? Share the experience.

4. CAFFÉ AMERICANO Free Advice. Tell Linden Lab how to fix Second Life, or tell us how to use it! This is soapbox time! Rant, rave, share.

5, CAFFÉ MOCHA I read the news today: tell us something you read in the newspaper/saw on the telly/spotted online that caught your eye. Tell us what's going on!

5. CAFFÉ MACCHIATO Random beauty! Show us a photo of something that caught your eye. Share something of beauty and tell us about it. Maybe it's a pretty thing from your first life, or maybe it's a gorgeous place in here.

6. CAFFÉ CORRETTO Surprise us: hand puppets, juggling, wacky gags, etc.! Do something different, weird, and wild. Delight the audience by going outside the box.

Just want to hang out? We'll let you can do that too: but you can still talk, still interact, and still be a part of the show. Everyone is a participant, even if you might not realize it.

Also, why not toss a few bones in the ol' tip jar, too, or buy a fresh cuppa? It helps keep the lights on. 

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During last night's gathering I took to the mic and ranted ...

A topic near and dear to all your hearts is Topless Tuesday, but with so many children here, I'll have to speak in euphemisms. Let's talk about Anthony and Maureen, two total euphemistic people not related to anyone in this room for examples. (Editor's Note: Anthony and Maureen were 2 meters away from me.)

I used to be a beatnik like you, then I took a mic stand to the knee.

Anthony works out, eats right, and waxes his chestorial region so he's considered fairly attractive. According to the government, he may display this attractiveness anywhere that is not prohibited by a specific law, such as in a restaurant or where it may start a riot.

Maureen also works out, eats right, and has no relationship with gravity whatsoever so her torsicular portion is considered by many (more than by just Anthony, that is) to be freakin' fantabulous. Regardless of this, though, the government feels that Maureen should not proudly display the results of her sterling genetics and careful lifestyle for fear that someone might ... well, who knows might happen. Something they deem might be untoward such as floods, locusts, and mime insurrection.

Is this fair? Nay, I say, and not in a livestock way. Tis not fair that women (for Maureen in this example represents all women) should be banned from such expression for fear of whatever some minds fear. And so, I thought I'd bring Topless Tuesday to the Second Life MySL feeds.

Let's de-stigmatize the female form. Certainly, there are situations whereupon it might be inappropriate. Funerals, perhaps, or Sunday-Go-To-Meetin' events, and the like. But they would be just as inappropriate for men, too. The problem lies not in the presentation, but rather the reception. I challenge all of us, men and women alike to elevate our maturity along with our eyes and show women the same respect as we show men.

Perhaps I'll rant again next month. See you there?

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