Carolyn - Red Berries

january 09
 introduction.
Here’s what to expect on tailcast in the early part of this year:

- New homepage
- New quickbrowse page (so you can see content by medium and
category from any page and by latest, highest rated and featured)
- Audio Player v2 with cover art (picture flow) and related music videos
- Shop to sell artwork in cards and on posters
- e-book publishing
- our own tailcast video options and much more!

We are testing out ways to embed electronic books and magazines. We are
starting by uploading all of our previous tailspins in the community section.

Next month we will enable you to upload pdf and word documents to be
converted into ebooks and displayed on the site using scribd’s software
platform. This means your work also gets additional marketing on the net.

Looking forward to your feedback. In the meantime, enjoy the latest offering
of art and writing from the members of www.tailcast.com

Happy new year!

Rachel - Spanish Speedway

 contents.
3. Blogs on Tailcast Milas Year-end Ramblings
6. Jonny Randomness... that’s Jonny
8. Hyla Levy How the Grinch Stole 2009
10. Art on Tailcast Tom Edible Musicians
11. Steve Shotgun Shells
13. Crazydiamond Stranded
15. Edward Garvin Neuron Wallpaper
17. Sushiko Telamone
18. Mis-BUG First Step
19. Stella Abstract
21. Pseudo Silo
22. Willhardi Tikkaat
23. Writing on Tailcast Velvetlungs Dear Doppelganger
25. Penitent Dream-Convergence
27. Jessica Dennison Hold To Yourself
29. Richard Lowery Home
31. David Barron Inner Peace
33. Dimz Rivers
36. Noey The Frost
37. Jakkyl Would It Kill You To Smile?
 3.
blogs on tailcast
Milas - Year-end Ramblings
Here it is - the end of 2008. I can’t help but wonder
what happened to this year. It seems to have been
one of the shortest years I’ve ever experienced. I
just had Christmas dinner with the relatives a few
months ago. And here we are, thawing out another
turkey.
Last night I made the rounds to the mall and the
super stores, collecting all the gift cards the
nephew and nieces will get as this year’s
contribution. I’d prefer to buy gifts, I suppose.
But kids grow up so fast. Their tastes change
overnight. And forget asking for gift ideas. No one
ever suggests anything but gift cards.
I used to buy books and art supplies for the kids.
I’ve always tried to encourage reading and
imagination, usually with things that also
encourage their spiritual growth. But with all the
new techno-gadgets Santa brings them, their
excitement over anything as archaic as a book has
noticeably dwindled over the years. So I give up.
And Santa is now on my list, the peckerhead.
I looked at my nephew’s Myspace page this
=morning and discovered that he is suddenly into
country and western music. I’m glad we have that
in common; but it’s sure a good thing that I opted
for gift cards, rather than music CDs. I would have
bombed if I had bought music.
I guess my dissatisfaction with the way Christmas
has changed since I was a kid is nothing new. I
hear people complain about the secularism and
the consumerism from the time the stores set up
their Christmas displays across the aisle from the
Halloween clearance until we’ve finished making
our gift exchanges after the big day. Yet, nothing
seems to change.
And this year, things will remain the same in my
family. I have to get to the family gathering far too
early in the day - so our side can do the gift swap
before the other side shows up for dinner.
Apparently, it would be traumatic if the in-laws
watched as I unwrap my ironically sloganed
coffee mug when there aren’t any gifts for them at
this particular gathering. But I suspect any trauma
would apply only to our worrisome hostess.
I won’t go into all the other strange things that
dampen the Christmas spirit for me. But I’ve
decided that it’s time to change the few things I can
control. I’ve never really caught on to the idea that
we are in a new century, a new millennium. I was
born late enough in the 20th century that I grew up
knowing I would be around for the new one. But
until they tried to cause world-wide panic with all
that hoo-ha about computers switching over to
2000, I’d never given any thought to a new
millennium. Gotta say, so far, I’m unimpressed.
All that is to say, I don’t really “celebrate” New
Years. I don’t dress up and go to parties. I don’t
pop open the bubbly. Heck, I don’t always stay up
until midnight. So needless to say, I have never
bothered with resolutions.
Resolutions are promises you make to yourself to
stop doing what you know you should never have
started doing, or to start doing things you know you
should have been doing all along. And when you
break those promises, you don’t think, “Wow, I’m
not as disciplined as I imagined myself to be.” No,
instead you think, “What a loser.”
And here is where I contradict myself. I’ve made
some decisions that certainly seem like resolutions.
But I’ve decided that I am not going to call them
such. In fact, I’m skipping New Years and heading
straight into my first plan of action…spring
cleaning. Next weekend while the rest of you cats
are nursing hangovers, I’ll be separating my worldly
possessions into “Keep”, “Toss” and “Charity” piles.
The accumulation of junk in my life has gotten out
of control. Enough is enough.
Okay, fine. I’ll admit that this is something like a list
of resolutions. Sue me. The other big decision I’ve
made is the epitome of a resolution. Only a few
 4.
years ago I was a skinny vegetarian who walked a I’ve had on my mind lately.
lot, and who secretly practiced a few yoga poses.   
I was happy, healthy, and had a lot of energy.  I Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!
don’t know when or how it happened but I’m no
longer a vegetarian.  I probably never will be one
again.  I like seafood too much.  But I’m also no
longer skinny. 
 
I’m not fat.  But growing up skinny, people notice
when you put on a few pounds…40 in my case. 
And will someone please tell me why people think
it’s acceptable to comment on my weight gain?! 
Do they think because I’m a dude that I’m not
protected under the guidelines of political
correctness?  Something about weight gain brings
out other peoples’ knack for stating the obvious. 
Maybe I’ll start responding by pointing out a few
obvious things myself - see how they like them
apples.    
 
So, I complained to a friend recently that I’m
having trouble losing weight, but thank goodness
I’ve stopped gaining.  Well, the 5 pounds since
Thanksgiving has changed my attitude.  I am tired
of slipping on my loafers because it’s soo much
easier than tying my shoes, or taking off my
cowboy boots.  I’m tired of my intestines crying
in pain when I finally loosen my belt at the end of
the day.  And to think, I used to get irritated that I
couldn’t find jeans to fit my skinny waist with a long
enough inseam to fit my legs!
 
And there’s my other decision.  I’m going back to
my healthier lifestyle.  I’ve already started
walking and attempting to practice yoga again. 
I still have the mind of a skinny person.  I haven’t
gotten comfortable with being chunky yet.  So I
expect a full recovery.  Of course, I broke down and
bought a new pair of jeans last night – as a
Christmas gift to my gut.  But on a positive note…
I’ve now got my fat jeans to show off when I get
skinny again.
 
Well, I started writing this to tell everyone at
Tailcast to have a wonderful Christmas, and/or a
happy Hanukkah.  I didn’t plan to write an essay. 
But I’ve been sort of quiet around here in recent
weeks…blame the lingering nasty bronchial
infection I picked up after Thanksgiving.  I’m all
better now.  Anyway, I ended up writing everything
Lapislazuline - Refraction

Jonny - Randomness...that’s Jonny
I’m on my bed, grooving away to 1985 by
bowling for soup. Hehe, in a good mood. Oooh
yes ghostbusters theme tune now :D ..... do do
dod oooooooooooo do do dod oooooooooo . Who
ya gonna call?? GHOSTBUSTERS.... yes I know
you’ve stumbled apon a random post and you’re
probably thinking what on earth haha....
6.
I just love a bit of classic music, doesn’t everyone?
Maybe secretly they do...
Nothing like a good tune.. wonders what other
people’s feel good tunes are?
Yup well I originally came on here to write a little
poem or something but I got sidetracked, story of
my life haha.
I was watching some of the tennis on tv and it
reminded me of Mrs todd, a lady I did gardening
for and she would always invite me afterwards and
we would have a drink and some biscuits, she
always had the plate and tin out already for me
and we would sit there often with some sport on on
the telly and have a chat :) She was in her late 70’s
or early 80’s, but yes she left us this year, so I was
reminicsing over that, I miss those times with her.
Old people are awesome.
This lead me to think about my friend who died on
November 30th 1999, never got to see the year
2000..and wondering what he might have been up
to now, so a toast to those loved and gone :)
I knew a lady in the village you lived through 3
centurys! She was born in the 1800’s and lived
right through till 2001. 103 when she died. Mrs
Morse :) Lovely little old lady who always got loads
of cakes out for us when we went to visit her with
Mummy. And I was quite small then and used to
play with her washing pegs :) I can still see those
glasses for the squash she had and the table and
the room. The quaint house she lived in is now
completely altered, times change but the memories
still live on :) Only in the last 6 months of her life
did she have to go into a home, now thats
something to accomplish, being independent at
that age.
Haha what a random little post this is, but I like it,
there you go an insight into my random head and
village life and things. Hope you made it this far
and didn’t find it boring :)
 7.

Leg - Face In Sun

 8.

Hyla Levy - How the Grinch As we all know, credit card companies – or, more
correctly, their corresponding banks - like people
Stole 2009 who carry high balances so they can collect more
in interest. And they sure have a lot of money to
make up for due to the sub-prime disaster. But it
seems to me as though they are trying to do it, as
usual, at the expense of those less well-off. Greed
(and George W. Bush*) got them into this mess,
I got a gift for the holidays! Visa upped my credit and greed will get them out, is what they must be
limit by $1000! Did I ask for a credit increase? NO. thinking.
Did they ask me if I wanted an increase? NO.
I called to see how much money I had left on my Some might say, well, you are an adult and you
card – I’m always at or near my limit – and that’s should be able to take responsibility and not spend
how I found out. A few days ago. And it made me the money. To which I reply, if that were
very angry. realistic reasoning, then why would so many
people already be in debtor hell? Easier said than
What were they thinking? “Hmmmm. Now here’s done in other words. (Actually that was a real
someone who pays her minimum balance on time, conversation. I could not have envisioned
is at her maximum credit limit, doesn’t make a ton someone coming up with the ‘you are an adult…’
of money (to pay off her balance) – the comment on my own.)
perfect candidate for a credit increase!” My limit
was raised on December 16. Tis the season where For once in my life I did something smart and told
people SPEND, SPEND, SPEND. What a great my bank to get rid of the increase and leave me
time/opportunity to drop temptation at their feet! with my $4.00 of available credit.
 9.

Tom - Edible Musicians

 10.

art on tailcast

(L-R)
John Lemon
The Artist Formerly Known As Peach (Edro)
Elvis Pearsley (Crispy)
Johnny Cashew (JC Wooley)

Courtney Loaf (Jenny)

Sid Vichyssoise and Johnny Rotten Tomato (Hyla)
Dolly Parsnip (Crazydiamond)
 11.

Steve - Shotgun Shells

12.
 13.

Barry Vincent (Crazydiamond) - Stranded

14.
 15.

Edward Garvin - Neuron Wallpaper

16.
 17.

Sushiko - Telamone
 18.

Mis-BUG - First Step

 19.

Stella - Abstract
Stella - Abstract Painting, Acrylics and Ink
 21.

Pseudo - Silo
 22.

Willhardi - Tikkaat
 23.
incomplete. If it isn’t, then it was a school

writing on tailcast
assignment. Writing is a release, how I can
interpret what I see and feel with the tool I’ve been
given, the English Language, and sometimes a tool
I’ve earned, the Spanish language. Release.
release. Music, writing music is what it wants to
do; whatever my fingers want to say when they
wrap around the neck of a guitar, or slide along the
keys of my great-grandmothers piano; whatever
melody that embeds itself in my tongue and lips.
Velvetlungs - Dear Doppelganger Valuable to a group of boys in a soul/rock band.
Art, visual art, where ever my pen wants to take
me. release. I had an art show once at a local cafe,
Dear my future-self, or doppelganger, and the only piece that sold was an 8 x 10 doodle
or whatever... from my algebra notebook in high school.
I find most of my “artistic successes” are accidents,
I have been thinking for days about how to events for which I cannot be credited. My most
properly respond to your letter. So far, I still have simple chord structures that write themselves, the
nothing; just the reverberating sensation I had at haphazard strokes of a black oil pastel, the Ouiji
the initial read-though; some wide-eyed college kid Board of expression. I frustrate people when I can’t
with her lips pressed tight against a clenched fist, take compliments.
legs crossed on a chic piece of modern furniture
in the student union, swallowing each eloquent And I guess that is why “velvetlungs” exists. I
phrase, forgetting that she consumed it, then doing accept your challenge.
it all over again and finding the taste more stinging
and succulent. All those vanities. All those boys. The looming guilt.
The looming desire. The looming God,
Nothing seemed real after that. Or maybe hope , compassion and all those demons. The
everything seemed real, more animated and need to kick over all the sand-castles I build around
comical, just absolutely absurd; a transcendent, a hope of something sustaining. A monarch
fascinating isolation. butterfly dying on a beach. All the clothes and
colors, All the times I rouge my lips and darken my
The light is dim, but at least it exists. eyes. The sudden lust of violence. (Is this
I’m a little insecure to write, or try to make sense coming from me?) (why would I slam someone’s
out of words to you. Like singing a sugary pop head into pavement?) ( why would I crash my own
song to Beethoven. But I’ll get through it. car?) Who is telling me to do this? It is the perfect
literary character. “I have been chosen. I will one
Do you have more I can read from you? day, destroy myself when I will to do so.” And in
I don’t feel naked under florescent lights for some that conviction, invincibility, he or she will die a
reason. I feel warm, I feel my soul balancing itself mediocre death.
under my skin. the ghost asleep in my bed.
Who are You? Where are You from? “Thank you, Grandma, for the French toast.”
My pseudonym has indirectly caused our soul “It’s sunny outside. Let’s go to the park!”
orbits to overlap. “Have a nice evening!” (grins at a baby in a
Could you imagine if all human interaction was like polka-dot dress)
this? Haha. “I know now that no thing is lost. Define yourself
The small talk formula. “So what things do you do, long enough by the absence of some missing piece
I mean, own?” and you become inseparable from the absence
itself. And you realize that the absence does not
Here’s something I’ve never admitted to anyone. exist because something has been taken away
Yes, everything, practically everything is from you, but because something has been gained,
some dark insight. And you stop trying to dress the
wound and just bleed freely. Because you know
that the absence is a presence, an unyielding force
that will be with you always. It is your secret power,
your strange brand of courage, your fucking heart. “ 
Yes, Yes, and Yes.  Our bright black we share.

How do we face the disease and the small talk

world?

Paying bills, going to the post office, picking up milk

and eggs.

Nothing, fellow believer, nothing has ever been

more intimate than this. I never planned on it,  nor
do I ever plan on experiencing it again.

Velvetlungs - Lamp3
 25.
Penitent - Dream-Convergence
I became consious of a small room around me,
I was sitting behind a table, facing myself on the I don’t know.
opposite side. Nothing happened for a great deal
of time, until we both said hello simultaneously.
[All conversation was said at exactly the same
time, myself and my double.]
“Um, hello.
Hi.
Why are we talking at the same time?
Because we’re the same person.
Wait, if I was going to answer that question, why
did I ask it?
And that one.
Oh dear.
This can’t be good.
We should probably stop copying each other, there not real.
isn’t even a point to this.
There must be a point to it, otherwise it would not
be happening.
Hmm.
But what kind of revelation should there be?
Maybe its time to realise that you think you’re the
real one and I’m the copy.
When, in fact, you might as well be the copy, or, we
are both real, and this is all for some sort of strange
convergence.
That could be very true, but how can I know which
one is which?
Maybe the point is you can’t.
Maybe the point is that we will both wake up, if real
or illusory, to the thought that somewhere you are
doing exactly the same thing, at exactly the same
time.
Thats pretty strange.
True.
Or it could be that you’ll wake up and worry you’re
That sounds more like something I’d do. “
[Awoke]
~P~
Taro Grieves - Seeing Double
 27.

Jessica Dennison - Hold To Yourself

(absolutely random poem, inspired by thesong “Love Hurts” by Incubus. If you listen to the song while
reading it may make some kind of sense. I felt compelled to add this side note because it seems like
every time someone reads my poems they’re like,WTF? lol!)

The lightest beams Encased

sprinkle gleams so safe
in e’ry direction but do not worry
off Irish skin though the worst is yet to come

Like swords Hold to yourself

they fly Hold fast
all about and strong
as our body’s ascend for it is the only thing you truly have

Wrapped in light My darling,

and entangled in this dream I am not forever
this is no lie
Intertwine Only for now, trust me
these screaming souls
that will n’er worry Look into my Irish eyes
no n’er a gain

Klarabella - Strumpbyxor
 29.

Richard Lowery - Home

Suspended in a sun-spun cradle of running gold;
Painted in greens, yellows, browns; veined and
framed with blue.
Furnished by a vulcan heat, a giant’s grip, an arctic
cold;
Populated through time and nature’s magical
alchemy,
We are in contemplated, regulated, massive
infinity.
Keen we are to shoulder responsibility’s fragile
burden;
Defending our right to bear it, seldom seeking to
share it;
Claiming mastery over chance and definition for
our order,
Pretending knowledge of chaos, insight to past and
future,
We wait, suspended, spinning, for time to come.
What we wait for, known only each to lonely each –
To fall in love, to make a name, to eat a humble
peach –
We wait for here, in the cruel and precious now;
Where tenderness hides savagery and warriors
hold the peace.

Crispy - Gathered On The Edge

 31.

David Barron - Inner Peace

Arisen from a bed of pine, the sun blinds me,

Shielding my eyes I greet the dawn,
Another day I give thanks to god,
I know him not, yet I feel humble in this place,
To dress I must, then face the day,
Something to eat, then rest and stir at open fire,
Watching clouds go scudding by the caves mouth,
Ahh inner peace, who would pay a kings ransom
for some today.

Hejtejp - Birds
 33.

Dimz - Rivers
As I float along this river, your hands are caressing
my head
As I experience the shiver, I know that this river is
what you said

After I sway with the motion, your my beautiful

ocean
You send me away...
But when I return, I realised and I learned
That he heard me when I prayed...

I remember watching the movie with that sparkle in

your eye
And as I look at your face, I could sense that the
angels were passing me by
Cos when I observe my life I thank God for this day
Though you are not my wife, you still are my life, so
believe me when I say

I love you...

Your like the sand lines marking my life into the

shore
Even when I get to the cliffs, my love doesn’t shift,
as I take one step more
And as I fall through space with the thought of you
deep inside
I am no longer falling, the heavens recalling me to
you just in time

Then I remember your beginning, right up from the

start
Because when I saw the passion, it was pure
satisfaction, we all want to make art
We may be on top of the eye , and looking right
over the fading night
But as we ascend to the black, my light soon
comes back, as your standing to my right
I remember from that time the action of the night
When we embraced it was satisfaction and delight
Then I pull back slightly and gaze into the mist
Then my legs start to tingle as the green
intermingles as I navigate the abyss

I love you...

Klarabella - Sommartider
35.
Noey - The Frost
The forest whispered menacingly, stretching its
countless limbs out with a long, harmonious groan.
Threats came from underneath the trees’ faint
breaths as the wind plucked their leaves from their
branches.Bitterly the icy air sliced at the trunks and
sunk its cuspidate teeth into the bark. The trees
wailed. Winter was coming to shred the forest of
her gorgeous gown; red, oranges, and browns
soon to be stripped and tossed complacently into
the air. Then the snow would come --- a much
chillier and heavier frock than the dress the woods
wore now. With screams and howls, the trees
showed their detest for the Frost’s accomplices,
snarling at the cool breeze and the
pelting storms. Though the change was utterly
inevitable, that most certainly did not inhibit the
timber from displaying their resentment so vividly.
Abruptly the whole forest hushed. The Frost was
coming.

Victoria Karllson - Frozen

 37.

Jakkyl - Would It Kill You To Smile?

“Would it kill you to smile?!” That was the last stuck to me like glue. But he was in another class,
thing I heard before being blinded by the brightest and that’s why he won’t be appearing in this story.
flash of light this side of…whatever that phrase is.
There was something about this particular day that
But this story starts two days earlier on a set it apart from all the others. Maybe it was the
Thursday. I was a pipsqueak second grader with a rainy weather. Maybe I hadn’t slept well.
fresh mouth. The bigger boys picked on me. Whatever the reason, Ricky got to me that day.
I smarted off at them. They picked on me some He spent the morning tripping me and saying
more. That’s just the way things were. And lucky things to get the other kids to laugh at me. And I
me, I couldn’t smart off like a normal second just wasn’t up to telling him off. Maybe it was
grader. I let them have it with both barrels, usually because Becky laughed at me. She was the one
making them angrier. This only led to threats of girl who I never wanted to laugh at me. I loved her.
violence come recess. My teacher only thought I
was the most helpful student in class. She had no This next part is where the story really takes off.
idea the only reason I stayed in from recess to help The stupid teacher sat me next to Ricky at lunch.
her was to avoid getting my butt kicked all over the I tried to eat quietly and not draw attention to
playground. myself. I talked to Opal a little bit. She was the
kind of girl who was nice to everyone. She never
The villain in this story is a tall skinny kid called giggled when Ricky and his lackeys picked on me.
Ricky Glasco. I remember the name was Glasco But at some point one of the other girls pointed at
because I secretly called him something that I my head and started laughing. Apparently Ricky
thought rhymed with Glasco. Unfortunately, in this had flicked jelly in my hair. There was a big sticky
story Ricky learns that secret. glob on the top of my head, very near the front.
Other kids started laughing as well. I was so
The morning had started the way most mornings embarrassed; I did the only thing I knew to do.
did. A few boys called me a few names. A few I started pulling out the sticky hairs. By the time
girls giggled. Good old Dean stuck by me, not too we went back to class I had a bald spot the size of
close though. We were closer friends in our a silver dollar in the front of my head. The teacher
neighborhood than at school. Craig would have wrote a note to my mother.
Leg - Concrete1
The next day Mother tried her best to comb my hair so. I was marched off to the principal’s office like I
so the bald spot wouldn’t show. No luck. I went had pissed on Ricky’s head. I don’t remember my
to school with the evidence that proved I was as punishment. But my teacher wrote a note to my
much of a whatever second graders called each mother.
other back then as those kids thought I was.
Later that evening my father took me out to the
Obviously, my teacher had questioned me about garage for one of his home-style haircuts. Mother
pulling my hair out. I told her one of the kids had decided I couldn’t pose for pictures the next
thrown jelly in my hair. I’m sure I told her it was morning at Olan Mills with a shiny gap in my head.
Ricky. But believe it or not, that evil woman still sat She thought Dad had better try to even it up a little.
me next to Ricky at lunch. And we had meatloaf Yes, that’s right. Saturday was the day my
for lunch. I remember it was meatloaf because family was posing for pictures. So Dad went to
when Ricky went to get a second milk I unscrewed work on my head, and I ended up being the only
the salt shaker and dumped most of it on Ricky’s boy in second grade with a buzz haircut, topped
meatloaf. off with a bald spot the size of a silver dollar…right
there in front.
Before I’m labeled as a brat I should explain
something. I did not originally intend to dump all The next morning I stood looking at myself in the
that salt on Ricky’s meatloaf. I’m sure I had seen mirror. Buzz cut? Check. Big ass bald spot?
that old trick of loosening the salt shaker Check. Coke bottle glasses with black plastic
somewhere on TV. I intended for Ricky to dump frames sitting crooked on my pug nose? Check.
salt on his own meatloaf. But then I got carried One adult front tooth, one missing front tooth?
away with myself. Double check. Bowtie to frame the whole effect?
What do you think?
Of course, as soon as Ricky tasted his food he
knew he had been vandalized. As he got up to go And now you know why the last thing I heard
tell on me, I called him by the secret name that I before being blinded by the brightest flash of light
thought rhymed with Glasco. Could the teacher this side of...whatever that phrase is...was “Would
have gotten to my table any quicker? I don’t think it kill you to smile?!” And it nearly did.
Hejtejp - Hej Solen
 “
“
If there is to be any peace it will come through
being, not having.

Henry Miller

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