"Notable Today" Recognizes Susan Marie

Linked HERE
 

Notable Today recognizes Susan Marie

 

Buffalo resident recognized as among the more notable persons to have been born in 1971. 

 

                 © Susan Marie The City of Buffalo

Notable Today™ is recognizing Susan Marie with inclusion in the 2015 edition of the prestigious Notables of 1971 List.

Marie, a Buffalo, New York resident, is among a number of individuals born in 1971 to have demonstrated or achieved notability, as determined by the editors of Notable Today™.

Recognition on a Notables List™ highlights individuals who have become worthy of attention or notice in their local communities through career success, demonstration of a high level of personal integrity, worthwhile volunteer contributions or other considerations.

Notables Lists™ are intended to celebrate excellence, achievement, altruism, and newsworthiness.

Susan was nominated in October of 2014 for inclusion in the Notables of 1971 list, and selected by editors in December 2014 for inclusion in the Notables of 1971 List™, 2015 Edition.

 © Notables Lists™

One Hour With Lance Diamond

On WGRZ CH. 2 HERE

LIVE AUDIO ---> HERE

 © Rose Salley Artists United for Human Rights

 

Entertainer and Showman, the Incredible Mr. Lance Diamond is a legend. 

There aren't many entertainers that can boast of fans from more than one generation. People remember Lance from shows at the Executive in the mid 1970's. Today's generation recall him as the guest vocalist with the Goo Goo Dolls. 

All generations have seen him perform and considered him the best dressed and the hardest working showman in Buffalo Music.

Lance had one thing on his mind and that is to entertain beyond the best of his ability performing in the 70's with the New Breed. During the 70's and 80's he traveled across the U.S. and Canada. He traveled to Japan with Isaac as The Lance Diamond Show. 

During this time he opened for such national artists as James Brown, The Righteous Brothers and many others.
 
Mr. Diamond came to the attention of a new generation when he recorded with the Goo Goo Dolls on Down on the Corner and Never Take the Place of Your Man for Metal Blade, Warner Brother Records. 

In 1995, Lance was featured on MTV with the Goo Goo Dolls to raise AIDS Awareness for the No Alternative Album, along with Soul Asylum and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, performing the Rolling Stone's classic, Bitch. Lance recorded his own CD's, Gold and A Lance Diamond Christmas.

His shows were highly charged, non-stop motion. His golden voice and platinum wardrobe won him a devoted following of which he so lovingly referred to as his family. People traveled from miles to be taken in by the warmth and the style of a legend. 

Lance entertained in every major club in the Western New York area and toured the world with the USO entertaining troops. 

He was a constant featured artist at Buffalo's Thursday at the Square, the New Years Eve Ball Drop, Taste of Buffalo, Mash Bash and numerous mainstream events.

Featured in Time Warner commercials with a national appearance on A&E's (Arts & Entertainment Television) show Confessions of a Matchmaker, in addition, Lance had a #1 radio show on WJYE 96.1 FM. 

Lance received the Al Tinney Award for Outstanding Career Achievement, Top Male Vocalist, Radio Personality of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, The Legends Award, is inducted in the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame, and the City of Buffalo named November 23 as Lance Diamond Day.

I am honored to have known Lance and to be able to refer to him as my friend and my brother. God Bless You, you will be missed by the world. 

 Kids Escaping Drugs Christmas Benefit Show 

© Data Copyright The Lance Diamond Show  

The Human Soul Is Resilient

You know, you go through life dodging all kinds of bullets:  emotional, mental, physical and spiritual ones; with immense ease and one day the wiring so delicately constructed in the brain, well something tends to just snap. I do not mean break but kind of . . . loosen a bit. 

If you happen to notice this occur, that is a good thing. You can keep yourself in check. It does not seem to lessen that weight you feel on your back like the Great Wall of China, every damn brick, bringing you down into the dirt until you are on your knees, praying, to Gods you never met.

Some days you just punch through the clouds man, I mean nothing can stop you. Truly horrible things can occur and you deal with life with skill, like a pro, because you are a pro.

The days when every fiber inside of you is taut as a guitar string, those are the days you have to watch out for.

It makes me wonder what causes one to truly lose it.

Some turn to God, some to alcohol, drugs, sex, some people retreat further into themselves or project their entire lives onto others. 

A lot of people jump from person to person thinking that is going to make them better but in reality, it makes things worse. I mean you have to love you and no matter what horrid issue you are dealing with, it is temporary, it will pass.

The human soul is resilient.

I think back in my life when severely tragic things occurred, you know, life shattering moments when all the blood drained from my body and the bones in my skull just blew right apart from the sheer impact of the crash and burn.

It is in these memories I find solace. Somehow I got through the worst times in my life. 

I mean, the past doesn't make the present any easier to deal with but it helps me to remember that I am strong, I am a survivor and nothing, I mean nothing . . . 

Can.
Ever.
Break.
Me.

Not for good.

It is in times such as these, I think about the sun . . .

Gallagher Beach, Buffalo, NY 

© Susan Marie

A Thousand Words [Urban Blues Remix] Susan Marie & Nikki Richards

This is a remix of my spokenword and the passionate guitar of Nikki Richards in New York City. He was kind enough to collaborate with me, adding music to my words. 

i can write
one million poems
describing
the sweet breath
of breeze
like peaches in summertime
how they cool your brow and palette
on a day
that is sweltering,
simultaneous

or how the speech
of our forefathers
can never suffice
to explain the thoughts
that explode inside my brain
like atoms, splitting
supernovas in space
constellations ablaze
neurons sounding
and resounding
across synapses
like trapeze artists
on tripwires

and i can write
of the speech of animals
foreign to the human sense of sound
and how only they comprehend,
truly,
what they say
to one another

and i can even write of God and the heavens
the beauty of the skies at dawn and sunset
colors yet undiscovered
painted
for us all,
daily

i can write of it all
a thousand words
describing everything

yet not one word
or poem
can ever compare
to the softness of your gaze
like the canvas of the morning tide
or your silent roar
not unlike that of the mighty lion
or precisely how your spirit connects
to my very own

i can write of it all
mere words
i can write
one million poems

and not one can ever truly describe

you

but i can try


 

Please check out Nikki's work here:  https://soundcloud.com/nikki-richards-2

© Words by Susan Marie 
© Music by Nikki Richards 

confetti

 

when i was a child
my sisters used to tell me tales
of princes and kings
and dragons slain

of gold and silver
and queens and crowns
of fairies and forests
and elves and trees

and of mystical kingdoms

and glories of conquests

and of love found and lost

and gained

again

and of pain and heartbreak

dark hearts of madness

evil men and women

that shook their angry fists

at the coming of a pure dawn

and raged

against the deep velvet coat of night

and
everyone
was
always

so

utterly
happy

eventually

and my eyelashes used to flutter

like the wings of birds in flight

resting, finally

in eternal silence

like the princesses in the tales told

awaiting a kiss of a lover

awaiting her throne

awaiting her death

awaiting her birth

awaiting the day

when she

will truly

be free

from eternal 

waiting

woman

always

waiting

for whom?

waiting

for what?

waiting

why? 

the answer eluded me then

as words waltzed crescendos

across my subconscious self

curling like smoke rings

holding hands with each other

letters forming words

creating sentences

one day to be recalled

and written

Oh, such sweet innocence!

like the first snowfall

in slow motion freeze frame

landing upon the grass, still green

Autumn barely gone

and all the little children
standing outside

mouths wide open

chins tilted towards the sky

cerulean

catching snowflakes

in awe
of the wonder and divinity

of Mother Nature

pure

like the chalk lines freshly sketched
around your body
lying face down
in a pool of my

heart
broken

lying tattered and torn

shredded
like confetti

on New Year’s Eve. 

25 Things I Have Learned

On Thought Catalog HERE 

 

 © Theresa Durant Photography

Every moment I do my best to learn from every experience. Human beings tend to focus only on positive experiences. Negative experiences eventually become positive if one is paying attention. 

At the close of every year, I ask myself: 

What have I learned? 


1. That all of us are valuable parts of one race, the human one, and all of us have numerous purposes. Some yet to be discovered. Do not discount your own being. None of us are greater than another. 


2. That an immense ever growing desire to learn about everything is a rare and beautiful way to be. Do not ever allow anyone to cause you to lose your wonder. 


3. Not everyone will understand your struggle, outlook, opinions, beliefs and especially, your heart. That is okay. Stay by those who do. Learn from those who do not. 


4. Move on when any experience discounts the importance of your own existence. 


5. Before you move on, grieve, heal, grow and positively teach others through your actions. 


6. Love is wondrous. It exists. Do not ever be afraid to show others that you care for them, and that you love. The world needs more of this. 


7. Love yourself. We are only human. We are supposed to make mistakes. We are not perfect, we were not created to be omniscient. This is what being human is all about. Bliss, pain, progression, repeat.


8. If you want to create, then do it. What are you waiting for? You have the ability to do whatever you want. There is no time stamp on creation. 


9. All. Art. Heals.  


10. Nature is a peacekeeper. Let us be more kind to her. 


11. Be responsible for your behaviors, words, and actions. Blaming others is projection and denial. Causing pain to others because you have refused to deal with past hurt causes more pain. Say sorry. It need not matter if one says it back. You did your part. Move on. 


12. Be mindful of how you communicate. Words. Hurt. Be kind to yourself and to others.


13. Run through the sprinklers in Summer, make snow angels in Winter, lay beneath the trees in Autumn and get out in the sunshine at the first sign of Spring. 
Nature = instant healing. 


14. We get one chance to do something lasting while on Earth. Whatever you do, make it count. 


15. Cease obsessing about how you look, what you did or did not do, thinking about the past, blaming yourself for things you had no control over and most essential, remember that you cannot control everything. Do what causes you to heal and let it go. There are amazing people waiting for you out there! 


16. Hug those you care about. Tell them you care. Show them you care. Recognizing another human soul is crucial for progression on both ends. Bring more happiness into the world and to yourself. 


17. Some people will never move past their own hurt. If you are unable to make a positive impression, move on. You tried. It is up to them now. 


18. You are not a doormat.  
Say it! --> I am not a doormat.


19. If you are in need of help, get it. Cease being ashamed of being human. We have all screwed up. So what? If you never screw up, you never learn lessons. The important thing is to keep going. 


20. Tell your children you love them. Hug them. Give them confidence. Motivate them. Teach them how to be responsible, active parts of all society. Teach them what you know. Show them through your experience. You were given this role because you were chosen as a guide to another human soul. Your job is to help them be the best version of themselves possible. Be grateful for your family. Make sure they are aware of this. Some people have no one.


21. Put down your technology and get out into nature. Trust me, it matters. A lot. 


22. Learn about different languages, cultures, faiths. We have such a wondrous world.  


23. It is okay to disagree with anything that does not suit you. It is not okay to attack others for not agreeing with what suits only you. 


24. It is NORMAL to have a wide range of human emotions.


25. Wherever you are, remember, if you did your best with what you have, that is all that matters. Keep doing better.

I leave you with this. 

Why do I leave you with this short video? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny3bFLzXfdw

See for yourself.

Peace, 

Sue 

Date Club: The Trouble With People #2

If you missed Part I, go -->  HERE 

I managed to land myself into the funny, exciting, confusing, and absolutely creepy world of dating. 

This propelled me to start a short series [writing and radio interviews] about relationships [from all perspectives] because quite frankly, a lot of people seem to be EXTREMELY confused about the differences between dating, relationships, love, like, attraction, friendship, passion, spark, sex, making love, long-term, short-term and just for fun.

After reading numerous articles by so called "relationship gurus" advising men and women to solely act in favor of the other gender or partner, rather than WITH one another or for self, I found such advice not applicable to reality whatsoever. 

Most disturbing is that people pay strict attention to "relationship gurus" as well as pay hard earned money for advice that is as general as horoscopes in the newspaper.

With that being said, I invite you to look through my eyes and experience the world of dating, online and off. 

Come on, I promise it will be more than interesting. Some of this stuff is downright hysterical, some of it is painful truth, a lot of it is purely horrifying, some of it is fun and most of it is 100% absolute nonsense.

Thus, I hereby dub this experience, "Date Club" after one of my favorite movies. 

First rule of date club: 

Do not take anything serious in date club.
 

The first order of business is an online profile.

How hard is it to take a non insane photo of yourself and post it online? 

One would think this is an easy task. 

I have a few DEFINITE PHOTO DONT'S:

- selfies in public toilets or any toilet, anywhere, ever

- on a tractor, with a shotgun, in the wild

- trying to look sexy, ending up with a "serial rapist" look 

- the "I was just released from prison, again" look

- with a bunch of small children = weirdo pedophile 

- with women or men hanging all over you

- with people marked out, whited out, or cut out

- all curled up in bed causing you to look [psychotic?]

- with your head cut off showing ONLY your body 

- you and your friends

- you in a club, wasted, holding up a drink with your friends

- you and your parent!

- naked, walking in fields of wheat 

- just between your legs with women's undies on when you  
  are a male seeking a female

- just your eyes, up close, real close, TOO close 

  [See line #3]

-with sunglasses on [in.every.single.photo]

-dressed like Pirates of the Caribbean [in.every.single photo]  

-just your chest, muscles, torso, breasts, butt, body parts

-ONLY working out 

-doing some Evil Knievel stunt 

-in your work attire 

 [like right before surgery, by trays of sharp instruments] 

-depressed, sad, not smiling [might need psychotherapy]

-with a ton of people [hmm, I wonder which one you are?] 

-with makeup on [blush, eyeliner, the whole nine] when  
 you are a man seeking a woman

-just your tattoos

-on your bike, in your sports car, on your yacht [I get it] 

-dancing, anywhere, especially disco

-drunk, and/or drugged

-teeth would be nice . . . 
-naked torso with a crucifix hanging from your neck  
-with your guitar on your couch [in. every.single.photo] 
-did I mention no Axl Rose or Poison attire? 



Please. Just be you and if that is you, good luck finding the
alternate you . . .

These are just a few and there is, oh, so much more . . . 

I need to talk about user names . . . 

Address what NOT to say on first contact . . .  
The actual date . . .
Phone calls . . .
Texts . . .

Stay tuned for Series #3, "The Trouble With People" with more realistic advice, from direct experience, and live interviews showing the male perspective vs. the female perspective. 

There are awesome people to be found and lasting relations in all kinds of fashions. Thus far, I have had all kinds of experiences and they are way too good to keep to myself. 

In everything, be careful, have fun, be nice and be clear about why you are REALLY seeking out anyone. That is, if you even know why yourself.

Proper communication is the key people! 

First rule of date club: 

Do not take anything serious in date club.

mouths, silenced, stitched, shut [For Peshawar]

Photo © Wall Street Journal/Associated Press

the faces of
children
shame
innocent
children

blood in the streets
of
the faces
of children
muddied
hardened

weeping tears
like willow trees in Spring

mouths
silenced
stitched
shut
like sewing needles
stuck
harshly
into skin, soft
like bullets
flying
a ricochet
hitting
soft
matter

drawing blood
and more blood
and blood of lives
lost

the present
vomited by forefathers
from past
repeated
set to
rewind
constant

Oh, the innocents,
their dear souls wander
lost and weary
beneath starshine
and the world does not weep
mankind does not weep
the children weep
My God
the pooling of the blood
of the hearts
snuffed out
dead
cold
lying like
fish out of
water
eyes bulging
bloated
on fire
ablaze

they watched
as those they loved
were murdered
they stared
as bodies burned
they stood like statues
as they were
questioned
attacked
harassed

the innocents
the children
the nation of children
blown out
like candle wicks

the faces of
children

shame
innocent
children

blood in the streets
of the faces

of children

mouths
silenced
stitched
shut


© Susan Marie

© Hasan Javad Chatha for speaking these words to me:

"Our government is hungry for our blood. Blood of the nation of the children. Shame."

Behavior, Accountability and Social Media [1/2 Hour Radio Interview]

 On CNN International HERE
ON WGRZ CH. 2 News HERE 

Technology is a powerful tool created to utilize proper and quick communication. The history of the internet began in the 1950's with the creation of electronic computers. In the 1990's, there was a rise in computer use due to instant messaging, email, and the World Wide Web.

In our present societies, social media has turned into a "psychological dumping ground" where people often use technology to complain without action.

The internet is a wondrous place where global connections are made, friendships formed and causes are implemented in order to create a better world for all of us.

The internet is also a frightening arena where others use it to abuse, control, rant, and attack individuals who are attempting to connect to the world and each other, on a larger scale.

In this half hour radio interview with Ruthann Amarteifio of Air Amarteifio Radio, we discuss issues such as Ferguson, reactions of people from different classes, accountability for actions, behavior, responsibility, respect, and dignity.

You can listen to the discussion by clicking this link:  "Behavior, Accountability and Social Media"

Social media is used for various purposes. Everyone has a right to be online. Everyone has a right to freedom of speech. This is not about rights. This is about holding oneself accountable for behaviors, actions and words.

We exist in a world of blame. Blaming institutions, government, media, races, ethnicity, cultures, nations, and faiths.

Without action, blaming is nothing more than complaining.

"It is one thing to think a black-hearted thought. It is another thing to speak a black-hearted thought in front of others. It is an entirely different issue when that black -hearted thought is posted online." - Susan Marie

The Trouble With People

Men say women are difficult and vice versa. Truth is, people are difficult. There is no magic "soul mate fairy" that comes riding on a gold stallion with wings to deliver in your lap the perfect person just so you can be happy.

It takes work. It takes two people to constantly give. Each has to work to be good, loving, kind, communicative, supportive, caring people. It takes self-control not to flip out on another when you are angered. It takes self-awareness to recognize what you need to work on inside your own self to be a great partner and it takes self-respect to not allow yourself to be abused.

My point is life is about finding people you can tolerate, and those who can tolerate you. Find people that are different than you are so you learn and grow, as well as those who are the same as you are in order to feel camaraderie, and find people who act out of a place of love and most importantly, self-love.

There is no such thing as perfection in humans. We are fallible creatures. We are made this way for a purpose. We are meant to make mistakes and meant to succeed and learn from both. By doing so, we pass that knowledge on.

Seek the simple. Seek those who view the world with open eyes, past human faults, past innocent ingrained beliefs and ideals, and directly into the soul for that is where breath is and breath sustains life.

I wonder when I will cease seeing into souls and stare at the world with blinders on?

Hopefully, never.

Alas, this is the path of a seeker. It is one filled with immense beauty and insufferable pain.

© Susan Marie