Today, I got greedy, and went back for more. Oh, the feeling of sneaking into my browser at 5 a.m. when no one else’s up and looking. Knowing the rest of the world is asleep and you’re sitting there, in your footie pajamas, alone and all sneaky. I had to have one more peek. [...]
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August 20, 2010
Posted by Carla René in: Attitude, Book Marketing Online, Books, Comments & Discussion, Creative Writing, Entertainment, Fiction, Freelance Author, Humor, Life Experiences, Literature, Opinion, Personal Experiences, Publishing, Short Stories, The Writer's Corner, Writing Essentials
 Leave a comment August 18, 2010
Posted by Carla René in: Attitude, Book Marketing Online, Books, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Creative Writing, Entertainment, Fiction, Freelance Author, Humor, Inspiration & Motivation, Life Experiences, Literature, Marketing, Personal Experiences, Short Stories, The Writer's Corner, Uncategorized, Writing Essentials
Leave a comment We’re so focused on failure, that we never prepare ourselves for what to do when it finally works. Maybe that’s the reason some self-sabotage themselves before ever becoming successful. They never prepared themselves mentally for handling the situation when they finally hit it big. And mental preparation is needed for success. Just ask those folks who are busy being successful. But they probably won’t have time to return your call. [...] August 15, 2010
Posted by Carla René in: Attitude, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Creative Writing, Current Events, Entertainment, Fiction, General Topics, History, Humor, Life Experiences, Lifestyle, Personal Experiences, The Writer's Corner, Uncategorized
Leave a comment  I had a killer audition today.
At 11:00 a.m., I called Nathan and told him I wasn’t there yet–that I would be a little late. He assured me it would be okay. But I felt like crap about it. I met him at a huge warehouse that used to be a local department store, with its windows blackened. His was the only vehicle in the parking lot, which made me a little nervous, but never-the-less, I went in anyway. I began by filling out some paperwork, and then we talked for probably an hour. He was happy to share his concept with me. Continue reading Tales from the CriBt. August 11, 2010
Posted by Tina Rae Collins in: Comments & Discussion, Faith, Non-Fiction, Religion, Spirituality
Leave a comment Here’s a little mystery. Chris is given some information and he must decide who the perpetrator of a deed is based on information he is given. The story begins. Joshua walks into a room with Chris. Joshua never lies and Chris knows that. Joshua says, “See those ten tables? They were filled with pizza. Jeru ate all the pizza on seven of the tables and he ate all of the pepperoni pizza.” Joshua leaves the room and Jock comes in. Jock also never lies and Chris knows that. Jock says, “Man, Chris, a guy came in here awhile ago and ate every single pizza off all ten of those tables, including all the pepperoni ones.” Chris scratches his head and says, “You know what? I bet that was Roman. I’ve seen him eat five pizzas myself and he’s a really big guy. Yeah, it must have been him.” Continue reading Who Ate the Pizza? August 9, 2010
Posted by Carla René in: Advice, Attitude, Book Marketing Online, Books, Comments & Discussion, Creative Writing, Entertainment, Fiction, Freelance Author, General Topics, Humor, Inspiration & Motivation, Life Experiences, Literature, Marketing, Non-Fiction, Opinion, Personal Experiences, Publishing, Self-Help, Short Stories, The Writer's Corner, Uncategorized, Writing Essentials
Leave a comment This week has been *very* busy for me. The publishing world (I promise, this ties If you create it, they will come. Continue reading How to Market your Talent if you Cross-Pollinate (some practical guidelines) August 7, 2010
Posted by Carla René in: Attitude, Book Marketing Online, Books, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Creative Writing, Entertainment, Fiction, Freelance Author, Humor, Inspiration & Motivation, Life Experiences, Literature, Marketing, Motivation, Personal Experiences, Publishing, Short Stories, The Writer's Corner, Writing Essentials
2 comments I’d like to think it was because at that moment in time, she didn’t see little old me from the dairy farm with no money–she saw Carla René, the brilliant, undiscovered painter who should’ve been the one to paint the Sistine Chapel instead of that deadbeat, Michelangelo. [...] August 6, 2010
Posted by Carla René in: Attitude, Book Marketing Online, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Creative Writing, Entertainment, Fiction, General Topics, Humor, Inspiration & Motivation, Life Experiences, Literature, Marketing, Non-Fiction, Personal Experiences, Publishing, Short Stories, The Writer's Corner, Writing Essentials
2 comments Once or twice this week I was able to sneak under Discipline’s radar. I got a lot done! I rent a room in my landlady’s home, so while she’s been on vacation this week, I have been keeper-of-the-canine, and with him being a German Shepard/Husky mix, he’s required a lot of my attention. I’ve also cooked a few good meals for myself, and came up with “DJ Squeak,” her cat’s new rap name. So you see, it wasn’t all fun and games. But, discipline always finds me and drags me back. [...] August 5, 2010
Posted by Carla René in: Attitude, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Creative Writing, Entertainment, Fiction, Humor, Inspiration & Motivation, Literature, Short Stories, The Writer's Corner, Writing Essentials
Leave a comment It’s amazing how topics can just hit ya without expecting it, y’know? Like now. I was responding to another writer who replied to yesterday’s article, and in that response, I found myself soon delving deep into the topic of adding more conflict to one’s writing, when I realised, I’d probably be better off to expound upon that and put it here for public consumption. Not that it will actually give you consumption, but follow along. How are you with conflict? My friend, mid-list author J. A. Konrath (who just got published for an interview this week in Newsweek about this whole self-pub craze), was a member of my online writing group before he was anyone with his six-figure advance from Hyperion Press for Whiskey Sour, and when he had time to contribute, he would always hammer one thing: If you’re having trouble with your piece, go back to conflict. And he was right. Conflict is inherent in everything we touch, see and do. So why do we avoid it in story-telling? Maybe because we’re afraid of it. How often do we avoid it in real life? I know in private, when I get behind the wheel of a car, suddenly I’m possessed with Turret’s Syndrome, but when I’m sober? Look out! Continue reading Conflict! I need more conflict! August 3, 2010
Posted by Carla René in: Attitude, Books, Comments & Discussion, Creative Writing, Entertainment, Fiction, Humor, Inspiration & Motivation, Literature, Marketing, Personal Experiences, Publishing, The Writer's Corner, Writing Essentials
Leave a comment After ALL of this self-aggrandising I’ve done, you’d think some of it would have paid off a little quicker. I think I broke some rules of etiquette, but here’s what I did: [...] August 2, 2010
Posted by Carla René in: Advice, Attitude, Book Marketing Online, Books, Comments & Discussion, Creative Writing, Entertainment, Fiction, Humor, Life Experiences, Literature, Marketing, Opinion, Personal Experiences, Publishing, Short Stories, The Writer's Corner, Writing Essentials
8 comments I will not puff myself up (except for the lie about implants) to make me seem better than I am. Merely looking at me will convince you of this. So I won’t lie and say I’m not a fresh, new face on the publishing scene. I am. Have you seen my skin?? The real point being, I’m just starting out on this self-publication journey, and instead of blogging ad nauseum about toxic waist (Pun intended), or deforestation, or even the recession, I’ve decided that I’d like to share my pure and raw experiences, both good and hideously disfiguring disappointments, in the blog. I mean, what good am I to keep around if you can’t truly mock me? [...] July 1, 2010
Posted by Michael Crumling in: Accountability, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Congress, Current Events, Democracy, Education, Freedom, General Topics, Governance, History, Legal, Military, Non-Fiction, Opinion, Philosophical Genres, Politics, Social Issues, The Pundit's Corner
Leave a comment A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bears arms shall not be infringed.Twenty-seven little words packed with so much meaning, and causing so much debate. The recent McDonald v. Chicago decision seems to put to rest nearly fifty years of debate; especially when teamed with District of Columbia v. Heller. These two decisions hold that the Constitution of the United States extends the individual right to arms and that the Second Amendment is applicable to every city and state. Did they make the right decision? Continue reading Chicago loses, Americans win!June 30, 2010
Posted by Tina Rae Collins in: Comments & Discussion, Faith, Inspiration & Motivation, Non-Fiction, Religion, Spirituality
Leave a comment Sometimes I want to smack myself because of my inability to understand scriptures. All my life I have seen the following passage as referring to heaven. John 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. I guess I shouldn’t be too hard on myself. After all, Jesus did leave earth and go up into heaven to the Father. But in what way did he prepare a place for us? Yes, he was a carpenter by trade, but we surely don’t think he went up into the sky to literally construct mansions. He said his disciples knew the way. In another place we find: Continue reading Many Mansions June 27, 2010
Posted by Michael Crumling in: Accountability, Attitude, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Current Events, Freedom, General Topics, Governance, History, Non-Fiction, Opinion, Philosophical Genres, Politics, Social Issues
4 comments When I was a boy my Pap would tell me that a good man should over-deliver and under-promise. Your word and your handshake were a contract. The good rules to live by were the “Golden Rule”, The Ten Commandments and the Constitution of the United States. Regardless of what you believe, these are a great foundation. I understood the golden rule from the time I was a small child. In my household, we tried really hard to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. I have a great deal of empathy as an adult, as a result of this early upbringing. The Ten Commandments were much clearer to me as I entered the middle years of school. As a small child, the concepts are difficult to grasp. With time and a little maturing, it is easy to understand the ethical implications. Don’t lie, murder, steal, cheat on your commitments, or desire to take private property. You should honor your parents and not worship self-indulgent or self-proclaimed “gods”. You should work only six days in the week. One day should be reserved for family members and also those who labor for you; to rest, family and thanks to your creator. I always had difficulty with the graven image issue, but none the less, these are good rules. The Constitution, its’ causes, its’ meaning, and the intent were difficult to grasp. The language was a bit nebulous from the perspective of a child, the need for it unclear. Continue reading Closing Pandoras Box June 11, 2010
Posted by Minnette Coleman in: African-American, Comments & Discussion, Freedom, History
One comment As a writer in the United States I am always glad that we have freedom of speech in the United States. Or do we? While doing some research recently I discovered something that happens to oftenin our society and in other countries. Freedom of speech is often only tolerated as far as those in power allow you to be free. Continue reading Wanting to be Creative as a Crime May 21, 2010
Posted by Prentiss Gray in: China, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Current Events, Foreign Relations, Geopolitical Events, World Issues
2 comments  We're here for the "guns for cheeseburgers" exchange! North Korea – a call for help?After finishing a piece the other day on the apparent torpedoing of the south Korean cruiser, I began to try to find an answer for my own question. Why would North Korea do that? After just a little reading I discovered that South Korea is the North’s biggest trading partner, to the tune of almost one and a half billion dollars a year. I discovered that both Korea’s want to get back to being one country, although each on it’s own terms. I also did some research into this very secretive country’s current state. It’s not great. After a decade of floods, droughts, failed farming practices and serious economic problems, they are doing better, but it’s still no garden spot. For the last 20 years the US, South Korea and China have been pouring in aid. Although the North Koreans stopped taking US aid in 2006, no doubt to teach us a good lesson, their other neighbors are still pouring it on. Why is everyone doing that? Because even before they had the Bomb, they were refining nuclear material. North Korea has a strong industrial capacity and great mineral wealth. No one want either bombs or nuclear material up for sale, from a country that’s falling apart. You can’t talk or deal effectively with an unstable state. Continue reading Hi, we’re North Korean, conquer us! May 18, 2010
Posted by steve sangirardi in: Comments & Discussion, Creative Writing, Humor, Life Experiences, The Writer's Corner
Leave a comment Stephen Sangirardi Empathy Bard715@aol.com By the way, what is empathy? I’ll tell you what is, and keep it locked in your cranium! You walk into a small men’s room at some public place, and noticing that the one stall door is closed, you rightly conclude that someone is squatting on the bowl, [...] May 14, 2010
Posted by seamus in: Accountability, Advice, African-American, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Communications, Congress, Creative Writing, Current Events, Democracy, Democrat, Economics, Entertainment, Freedom, Governance, Homeland Security, Inspiration & Motivation, Islam, Journalism, Life Experiences, Minorities, Morality, Motivation, Opinion, Personal Experiences, Politics, Republican, Social Aspects, Social Classes, Social Issues, Terrorism, The Economy, The Media, The Pundit's Corner, World Issues
2 comments Amazing how many high government officals (including the Attorney General), political pundits, politicians, school officials and religious leaders comment so harshly on the immigration law in Arizona and publicly admit they haven’t read the ten page document. The document basically states that when being stopped for a traffic violation or questioned concerning a crime that [...] April 30, 2010
Posted by write2bfree in: Accountability, Attitude, Biography & Memoir, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Communism, Creative Writing, Current Events, Democracy, Economics, Finance, Freedom, General Topics, Geopolitical Events, Governance, History, Literature, Minorities, Morality, Opinion, Philosophical Genres, Politics, Social Aspects, Social Issues, Sociology, The Pundit's Corner, The Writer's Corner, World Issues
Leave a comment Charles Dickens’ novels show the degradation and exploitation of the working poor, but his solution (as pointed out by Orwell) was that those in power would become better people and in their new-found compassion create a safer, healthier environment for the workers. This would extend even to educational opportunities and a chance to move up the ladder, but only so far, never far enough to threaten the existing order. To counter this “benign ruler” point of view, some people in the early 1900s began to organize the working poor. Those most effective and trustworthy came from that background and took action. The work of Camus and Orwell springs from a real knowledge of poverty (Camus) or being an outsider among the privileged (Orwell). It must be pointed out that Camus took a dim view of Marx, and Orwell was horrified by Stalin’s Communism. But these two writers have held the greatest influence in the minds of Western thinkers who call themselves liberal. Camus went so far as to coin the term “libertarian socialist.” Continue reading A Measured Voice March 25, 2010
Posted by Prentiss Gray in: Accountability, Attitude, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Communications, Congress, Democracy, Freedom, Governance
2 comments We have posters who enjoy the repartee of comments, in fact revel in the discussions that surround their’s, and other’s work. Conversely we have some posters here who simply post and don’t seem to care if they get any comments at all. They never respond to comments. Now we have at least one poster who does not allow comments. “No comments, please!”What does that mean? I’ve been thinking about it since the first “No Comments” post was put up a day ago. I’m sure I don’t know. The post is called “A new american civil war” and right at the top where it usually says “Leave a comment,” instead it says “Comments are closed.” That’s because at the bottom of the WordPress composing area there are two selection boxes that allow (or disallow) comments and track backs. At first I though it was some kind of server problem as in “Uh, Oh. SWI’s been hacked again and it’s going down. Poor Bob…” But no, Bob (our fearless editor-in-chief) checked and the poster meant to do that. He wanted to post without allowing any comments to the piece itself. I suppose we can post our own comments as separate pieces though. Continue reading No Comment March 25, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Comments & Discussion, Fiction, Freelance Author, Journalism, Literature, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Short Stories, The Writer's Corner
9 comments Yesterday, one of our contributing writers posted an article with a “Comments Are Closed” tag on it. Quite frankly, I did not know this option was available to our contributors and wanted to weigh in on this subject. There was a time when I almost begged for comments. Our site is improving in this [...] March 24, 2010
Posted by Prentiss Gray in: Accountability, Comments & Discussion, Democracy, Foreign Relations, Freedom, Governance, Republican, World Issues
4 comments Anybody who reads the March edition of Harpers will be shaking their head at the absolute stupidity and gall of the Bush administration when it concerned itself with the operations at Guantanamo. There were three “suicides” at Guantanamo in 2006. Three inmates climbed to the top of their washstands, tied handy ropes to the top of a wire fence wall and hung themselves. It really was a thoroughly strong effort, after all, they did this with hands and feet bound. Just to make sure no one was disturbed, before they jumped to their collective doom they stuffed rags down their throats beyond the gag point and strapped them in with more gags tied around their heads. Did I mention they did this all at the same time? Those tricky terrorists, take that America! The defense department described the event as an “act of asymmetric warfare.” Yup, no doubt in my mind. Asymmetric warefare, that when you kill yourself to really piss off the enemy, right? Whoa, devastating. Continue reading Tortured to death: Somebody needs to get a rope! March 15, 2010
Posted by Bruce Essar in: Book Review, Books, Comments & Discussion, Current Events, Publishing, The Writer's Corner
3 comments Power to the social networkers and bloggers! [...] March 9, 2010
Posted by Kaye in: African-American, Attitude, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, History, Music, Opinion, Social Issues
5 comments Anyone who has ever set foot on a historically black college or university campus knows that there is something called stepping, the form of percussive dance where the entire body is used to produce intricate rhythms and sounds comprised of a mixture of rapid footsteps, spoken word, rhyme, hand claps, syncopation and synchronization. Stepping is generally performed in groups or teams and finds its origins in African foot dance. African American Greek-lettered fraternities and sororities across the nation have always taken pride in their step performances and often organized fierce competitions Alpha Kappa Alpha (ΆΚΆ), Alpha Phi Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta (Deltas), Iota Phi Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi (Kappas), Omega Psi Phi I (Que Dogs or the /Ques), Phi Beta Sigma, Zeta Phi Beta (Zetas), and Sigma Gamma Rho comprise what is known in the Black community as the “Divine Nine” and are celebrated for their innovative and sometime provocative step routines. Continue reading The Culture of Step February 16, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Comments & Discussion, Question of the Day, Relationships
One comment Is there more than one “one and only” for everyone? We welcome your thoughts and comments. February 15, 2010
Posted by Tina Rae Collins in: Comments & Discussion, Faith, Inspiration & Motivation, Religion, Spirituality
One comment
1 Corinthians 1:3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; 6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says Christ was confirmed in the Corinthians by the gifts they received. The only gifts that would confirm are spiritual gifts. These people were to be confirmed by spiritual gifts unto the end. What end? They were to be confirmed, behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of the Lord. The spiritual gifts were to help them be blameless in the “day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” That’s the end. Paul is clear that the Corinthians were to have spiritual gifts unto the coming of the Lord. Those spiritual gifts were to confirm them, and the gifts would not go away because they were to keep the Corinthians blameless “in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Continue reading Confirmed Till the End February 15, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Accountability, Comments & Discussion, Healthcare, Question of the Day, Relationships, Social Issues
Leave a comment Do you feel a responsibility to take care of the elderly? Your relations and/or strangers? We welcome your thoughts and comments. February 14, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Comments & Discussion, Current Events, General Topics, Question of the Day, Relationships
Leave a comment Is Valentines Day just a commercial holiday or something more? We welcome your thoughts and comments. February 13, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Comments & Discussion, Current Events, Lifestyle, Question of the Day, Social Issues
3 comments What do you think of Body Piercing, Tattoos, and Branding? We welcome your thoughts and comments. February 10, 2010
Posted by Bill Hazelgrove in: Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Current Events, Democracy, Democrat, Opinion, Politics, Social Classes, Social Issues, The Pundit's Corner, The Writer's Corner
Leave a comment Sarah reads from her palm. She mixes up names and trashes the English language and makes up little idioms like shout outs and six pack joes and hockey moms. She really isn’t into all that minutia of policy and stumbles around when pressed and mixes metaphors and trips over sound bytes and puts her pedagogy’s where her pedagog should go. In short she is no verbal linguist. But neither was George Bush and he reined for eight years. Do not underestimate the populist who can’t talk. For years we laughed at George ruining the English language. That Texas boot just stuck in his craw every time he had to quote some leader from the Mideast or get those evildoers straight in his mind from Afghanistan. He just didn’t like all that foreign talk but he could chat about a barbecue or a pickup truck or having a beer. Enter Palin the Palm reader. Sarah read from her palm like any other high school kid who cant keep his facts straight. It is an old trick and one that belies the person who just wants to get though the test and doesn’t really care about learning. Sarah just wants to get through the interviews and then get back to being Sarah. That she does very well. She really doesn’t have the intellectual curiosity of a Barack Obama or the encylopedic knowledge of policy and procedures that Bill Clinton possessed. Continue reading So what was written on Sarah’s Palm…George Bush? February 9, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Comments & Discussion, Personal Experiences, Question of the Day, Relationships, Social Issues
2 comments Do you consider yourself normal or abnormal? We welcome your thoughts and comments. February 8, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Comments & Discussion, Current Events, Question of the Day, Terrorism
3 comments Should Racial Profiling be used to help identify, and prevent, potential acts of Terrorism? We welcome your thoughts and comments. February 7, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Comments & Discussion, Question of the Day, World Issues
One comment Do you think there will ever be a world war or Armageddon that will end the world as we know it? We welcome your thoughts and comments. February 6, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Comments & Discussion, Current Events, General Topics, Question of the Day, World Issues
3 comments Is Money the root of all Evil? If so – why? If not – why? We welcome your thoughts and comments February 5, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Comments & Discussion, General Topics, Opinion, Question of the Day
Leave a comment At what point does something in Moderation become something in Excess – Religion, Sex, Politics, Chocolate, Prunes? We welcome your thoughts and comments. February 4, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Books, Comments & Discussion, Journalism, Literature, Publishing, Question of the Day
Leave a comment What is the future of print media and literature? What is the future of this type of printed material that you can hold in your hand and physically turn the pages? We welcome your thoughts and comments. February 3, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Comments & Discussion, General Topics, Question of the Day
3 comments “People are just People” is a saying we have all heard from time to time. Are people really the same in all parts of the world? If so, how are they the same? If not, how are they different and what makes them different? We welcome your thoughts and comments. February 2, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Comments & Discussion, Life Experiences, Question of the Day
2 comments What have you not done in life that you would still like to do? We welcome your thoughts and comments. February 1, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Comments & Discussion, Current Events, Environment, Health & Fitness, Lifestyle, Medical
Leave a comment Should there be a ban on smoking – if so – in what places or areas? We welcome your thoughts and comments. January 31, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Comments & Discussion, General Topics, Question of the Day
One comment Does good physical appearance equate to success throughout the world’s societies? We welcome your thoughts and comments. January 30, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Attitude, Comments & Discussion, Current Events, Education, Family, Health & Fitness, Lifestyle, Sex
Leave a comment Do you think their will be a cure for HIV/Aids? What should – or could – be done to prevent it? We welcome your thoughts and comments. January 29, 2010
Is their life in outer space? Do you believe in Aliens and UFO’s? We welcome your thoughts and comments January 27, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Children, Comments & Discussion, Current Events, Family, Question of the Day, Relationships, Sex
2 comments Sex Education in Schools – too much, too little, just right? We welcome your thoughts and comments January 26, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Comments & Discussion, General Topics, Question of the Day
4 comments What is the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you in public? We welcome your thoughts and comments. January 25, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Comments & Discussion, Family, Life Experiences, Personal Experiences, Question of the Day
8 comments Alcoholism has touched my family – my brother and brother-in-law died from it. Has it touched you or your family? We welcome your comments, thoughts, and stories. January 24, 2010
Who is the strongest – women or men – and why and in what way? We welcome your thoughts and comments. January 23, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Comments & Discussion, Current Events, Question of the Day, Terrorism
2 comments Do you think terrorism will effect you personally – if so, how? Has it already effected you personally – if so, how? Do you think worldwide terrorism will ever be defeated? What are your thoughts? January 22, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Comments & Discussion, Current Events, Lifestyle, Question of the Day, Relationships, Sex
7 comments There have been many publicized cases of infidelity in marriages and relationships. A defense that is sometimes used is Sex Addition. Is this a real addiction or a rationalization/excuse when the participating parties get caught? What are your thoughts? January 19, 2010
Posted by Tim Roux in: Accountability, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Humor, Morality, Opinion
6 comments As you know, we have a hacker who turns up on this site from time-to-time. As you may not know, we also have a wit-cum-satirist-cum-forger who is now regularly in the habit of changing other people’s postings to satirise them. Whilst I am delighted that the guy has a sense of humour somewhat absent from his substantive work, and while I delight in satire labelled as satire, I do have some doubts about people changing other people’s posts here. Example #1 Hi I am Prentiss Gray, jerk number #2. Just check out my comments and postings thoughout the site. I work hard on being the number #2 jerk of the site. Example #2 Jerk #1 here. Continue reading Wit, satire and forgery December 12, 2009
I have read enough reviews in my time, and even written enough, to come up with a Saturday morning categorisation of the art of reviewing. You, no doubt, can identify some far more insightful and incisive categories of your own, in which case feel free to do so below or in a responding article. The tragedy of reviewing – any reviewing – for me is that God may be omnipresent and omniscient, but He doesn’t write reviews. So, in His estimable absence, we are stuck with the three lesser gods who do – the Bigger, the Bagger and the Bugger – although not necessarily in that order. The Bagger frolics energetically and joyfully amid a relatively new category. S/he can be male or female (from now on everyone will be referred to as ‘he’) but his defining feature is speed. He takes some care over the craft of reviewing, but much less over the effort of reading, and virtually none over the trouble of understanding. Reading at the average rate of one page every thirty seconds (he reads one book a day – do the maths on a 500 page novel, leaving him enough time to compose the review as well), he is going to come to much the same conclusion as Woody Allen when he speed-read ‘War & Peace’ – “It’s about Russia”. Any subtlety of expression, construction or psychology will whizz right on by, a mere tickle to his mind if noticed at all. ‘Good reads’ get good reviews, multi-layered symbolic or allegorical novels get merely scratched at the surface. Bag the book and move on. I even know one reviewer who copies and pastes his remarks from one book review to the next. That really is an economic and efficient process he has there. Continue reading Reviewers – The Bigger, The Bagger and The Bugger November 18, 2009
Posted by Prentiss Gray in: Accountability, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Current Events, Democracy, Family, Geopolitical Events, Opinion, Religion, Television
Leave a comment  Everybody dance now! You know I never thought I would become some kind of “liberal blogger.” It’s just that as I get older I see and hear things that bother me. Take Glen Beck’s 9 principles and 12 values…. If I were a tea party supporter, I’d be pissed. This is probably the greatest fear of Tea party organizers; getting politicized. I was watching “Meet John Doe” last night on AMC and I was very much reminded of our current times. During the movie a story is created to enrich a newspaper’s circulation, but ends up as a nationwide movement of people reaching out and assisting each other in their own communities. The movement is torpedoed by a wealthy financier who is unable to use the power of the “John Doe” movement for his own political aims. So, here we have a noble non-political effort by individuals throughout the United States, slowly and inexorably having it’s strength and resources sapped by a media pundit and his “cause.” I think it’s the actual words of the 9 principals that give me the shivers. On the surface they seem quite benign, as I’m sure the rise of the Nazi party in Germany, or the beginning of the reign of Saddam Husein were seen as enormously beneficial. It’s always how principals are translated that counts in the end. Let’s look at these principals and feel free to tell me what you think.
November 16, 2009
Posted by Bill Hazelgrove in: Comments & Discussion, Democracy, Democrat, Opinion, Politics
Leave a comment Who can forget seeing Oprah with Barack at the big rally in Chicago? There she was the number one woman in America with sway over millions of American women and men and she was standing with the man who would change the world. Oprah loves Barack Obama. Let there be no mistake. She supported him, exhorted his candidacy from her show, told her faithful to get out and vote. She was there in the crowd at the Election Night party in Chicago and she cheered and cried when he won. Then when he was elected she went to the White House and dined with President Obama and Michelle. She is President Obamas’ number one fan. So why did she give Sarah Palins’ kick off to her Presidential Campaign the dream boost? Let there be no mistake. This is not a Book tour. This is the kick off to Sarah Palins’ run for President in 2012. She studied the Barack Obama model and has taken careful notes and she will emulate his strategy right down to the spidering internet support. She will put her book in every hand she can and then she will slowly drift toward center. The book , the tour, the publicity, is all a smokescreen to get her into American living rooms. What is Sarah Palins’ goal? To defeat Barack Obama in three years. And she just got one heck of a lift from a woman who is dedicated to the man Palin is trying to destroy. Continue reading The Politics of Oprah–This Is Not A Book Tour November 10, 2009
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Creative Writing, Family, Freelance Author, The Writer's Corner
One comment
Last Saturday – from suggestions made by some of our contributors – we changed the appearance of our site. I think the new site is more October 29, 2009
Posted by npofahl in: Attitude, Comments & Discussion, Creative Writing, Entertainment, Family, Freelance Author, Humor, Inspiration & Motivation, Lifestyle, Personal Experiences, Uncategorized
2 comments
The Ridiculous Side of Shop Till You Drop Nancy Pofahl
The holiday gift giving season will be soon upon us. Hurrah! I love it! Decorating trees with lights that don’t work. Wrapping gifts with gift wrap that tears immediately after being taped to the gift. But most of all, I love the SHOPPING! Ok, maybe ‘love’ is too strong a word. How about ‘grudgingly accept’?
My preferred way of shopping is through the internet. Being disabled, this allows me to shop without tripping people with my cane or running them over with my mobility scooter. Did I mention I can’t see very well? Many an angry mob have chased me through shopping malls throwing hangers, shoes and sales clerks at me. That’s another column altogether.
Shopping with my daughter, Erika is an experience unto itself. She will try on every piece of clothing in any given store, all in the hopes of finding that magical garment that looks just right. I have to stop her when she starts grabbing baby rompers.
My daughter is a beautiful woman. I’m biased, of course, but she would look good in the sales bag. She has the body for clothes. Tall and proportionate with curves. I have the body for sleeping bags with the bottom cut out. Hey, don’t laugh! I hear this year’s winter assortment is quite nice. Continue reading The Ridiculous side of life October 27, 2009
Posted by Bill Hazelgrove in: Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Democracy, Governance, Healthcare, Politics, Social Issues, Sociology
4 comments We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. So if we are to take these words at their core and apply them to the year 2009 then we must extrapolate that all people are created equal and have certain inalienable rights and one of them has to be have equal and fair heathcare. If we decided we could no longer have a country half free and half slave and we could no longer just have men with the privilege to vote and that blacks and whites must have not separate but equal opportunities but really have equal rights to education and advancement and the pursuit of happiness then it has to be our charge to finally right the wrong of monetizing the most basic right of all–the right to health. You cannot have a country where some people get the best healthcare and others get none. You cannot have forty six million people without healthcare coverage while others enjoy the very best places like Mayo clinic. It is simply not fair. Not when we can give this right to everyone. The pursuit of happiness must include health. We cannot offer a public option that will only ensure those who can qualify–it is time for the bold step. It is time to INSURE EVERYONE. Like FDR and like Lincoln it is time for Obama to right the wrongs that have been perpetuated by greed and by the immorality of putting a price tag on a person’s health. Continue reading The Pursuit of Happiness–the public option should be for everyone October 20, 2009
Posted by in: Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Creative Writing, Current Events, Journalism, The Writer's Corner
4 comments SAVE THE NEWSPAPERS? WHY? October 16, 2009
Posted by Lloyd Lofthouse in: Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Current Events, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Relations, Freedom, Geopolitical Events, Heroes, History, Homeland Security, Islam, Military, Morality, Opinion, Religion, Terrorism, The Pundit's Corner
3 comments
War During America’s brutal and bloody Civil War, General William T. Sherman said, “War is cruel and you cannot refine it” and “war at best is barbarism.” Sherman is also credited with saying “War is hell.” Alexander the Great was known to be both a wise philosopher and a fearless conqueror. In the fall of 335 BC, Alexander marched to the gates of Thebes (a Greek city that broke free from his Macedonian empire when Alexander was twenty). He let the people of Thebes know that it was not too late for them to change their minds. The next day, the Macedonians stormed the city killing almost everyone in sight, women and children included. They plundered, sacked, burned and razed Thebes, as an example to the rest of Greece. Alexander did not fight a “refined” war where women and children were spared. After Alexander conquered the Persian Empire, he ran into trouble in Afghanistan and used the same tactics to quell the rebellious Afghans. Genghis Khan (1165-1227 AD) was one of history’s more charismatic and dynamic leaders. During his lifetime, he conquered more territory than any other conqueror, and his successors established the largest empire in history. As an organizational and strategic genius, Genghis Khan created one of the most highly disciplined and effective armies known, and this same genius gave birth to the administration that ruled that empire. After he died in 1227, the Mongol armies dominated the battlefield until the empire stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the Adriatic Sea. Genghis Khan, like Alexander, spared no one when he met resistance. When people surrendered, he was benevolent. When they resisted, his armies slaughtered everyone like Alexander’s armies did. Continue reading War October 14, 2009
Posted by dromkeen in: Accountability, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Communications, Current Events, Opinion, Television
2 comments Does anyone know the answer? No? Well, does anyone know the question? Which, to me, is the question. We humans seek THE answer. The get-rich-quick scheme. The fountain of youth. Megamillions lottery jackpot. We will pay for the answer. We will pay a lot for the answer. Whether we know the question or not. Public discourse in our country has devolved into a contest of answers. Red state vs. blue states. Conservatism vs. liberalism. Us vs. them. Having an answer to fight for or against is more important than knowing what question the answer is supposed to answer. Sarcasm, bullying, yelling people down are the hallmarks in the sphere of Answerists. If I am someone whose career depends on my feeding energy into a following, Rush Limbaugh would be an example, I have to package my thoughts and opinions as facts and certainties. I have to reduce complex questions into simplistic concepts so they can be filed under one of my preconceived certainties. Whether I think through the issues or not. Continue reading Questions and Answers October 13, 2009
Posted by Alan Caruba in: Children, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Current Events, Family, Opinion
Leave a comment Ruining Halloween for Everyone By Alan Caruba
When I was a kid, some seven decades ago, Halloween was one of the most enjoyable holidays other than Christmas. The sixth graders in my town, in cooperation with local merchants, would paint Halloween scenes on the windows of stores and, on the great night, kids of all ages would go forth with bags and baskets to make a circuit of homes on their street to collect a bounty of candy. Flash forward to present times and it is often the grownups who are having the most fun if the sales of Halloween costumes and the many Halloween parties are any indication. Kids? Well, they are treated like an endangered species. Among the first signs that Halloween was being exploited was the way UNICEF decided to use the holiday to get little kids to collect money for it. Apparently it is not enough that the United States contributes over twenty percent of the UN budget or that UNICEF advocates a number of “New World Order” educational programs. According to a news release from The Thinking C.A.P.P Foundation, based in Hollywood, California, while Halloween is “a fun time for millions of children across the country, unfortunately there are thousands that end up in the emergency room due to preventable accidents.” Thousands? Emergency rooms over-flowing with injured children? I seriously doubt this. The foundation is devoted to “teaching children to protect their lives” and CAPP stands for Children’s Accident Prevention Program. Do we really need such a foundation? Isn’t it the job of PARENTS to teach their children what they need to know to avoid accidents? Continue reading Ruining Halloween for Everyone October 13, 2009
Posted by Bill Hazelgrove in: African-American, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Current Events, Politics, Sports
2 comments The St. Louis Rams. Ok. Rush wants them. Why not? He’s got the bucks. He wants to do what rich men do Actions have consequences. We all learn this early on. If you take the money then you have to suffer the consequences. Life. Work. Business. Call it what you want. Rush makes a tone of money by being divisive. He makes a lot of money spouting off about the left and blasting his right wing ideology into the airwaves. He has become a celebrity. He has become part of culture. He enjoys the strange position of being the spokesman of the ultra right. Ok. But now he might suffer the consequences. Race is a big topic for Rush. The President. Mcnabb. The NAACP. He has spouted off on a few occasions. He is not known as being a man who promotes racial harmony. He doesn’t believe in that really. He believes in Rush and Rush’s opinions. Rush does not set a tone the NFL wants to embrace. In fact they want to run from that. The NFL sees itself as representative of America and America does not want men like Rush Limbaugh in their living room on Sundays. Continue reading Race and the NFL–Rush Limbaugh wants a team October 12, 2009
Posted by Alan Caruba in: Accountability, Comments & Discussion, Current Events, Foreign Affairs, Global Warming, Governance, Healthcare, Military, Opinion, Politics
Leave a comment Mr. President, Please Do NOTHING By Alan Caruba
I had a strange epiphany the other day. If I were to write a letter to President Obama, it would say, “Please do nothing.” It seems to me that Obama’s forte is to do nothing much of the time. Well, not “nothing.” He is giving speeches, but those incessant, self-referencing speeches do nothing to change the minds of America’s critics and enemies. They have rapidly reached a point where Americans find them an object of ridicule. I am not concerned about his playing golf; a lot of presidents did that. The pick-up basketball game is okay, too. The man is under a lot of pressure to “do something” about problems here in America and around the world, so it is only reasonable that he relax in ways that best suit him. The effort, however, to do something is what worries me about President Obama because he is so wrong about his top two issues, healthcare reform and his renamed cap-and-trade tax on energy use. He is wrong about the latter because there is no “global warming” (now called “climate change”) to justify penalizing everyone for turning on a light, watching TV, using their computer, and the million other ways we all use electricity. He is wrong about healthcare reform because all the polls demonstrate that Americans want to (1) have a choice about whether to have health insurance and (2) like the insurance plans they’re in. He’s wrong, too, because (3) the government is incapable of “cutting waste and fraud” out of Medicare and because adding thousands more to the rolls (4) will require that other thousands are denied treatments they need in a timely manner. Continue reading Mr. President, Please Do NOTHING October 12, 2009
Posted by Alan Caruba in: Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Current Events, Democrat, Governance, Health & Fitness, Medical, Opinion
5 comments The Swine Who Live to Scare You By Alan Caruba
For a very long time I have made my living as a business and science writer. That profession tends to make one fond of facts. It’s the reason my blog’s URL is “facts not fantasy” and why I call it “Warning Signs.” It is the reason I founded The National Anxiety Center in 1990 as a clearinghouse for information about “scare campaigns designed to influence public opinion and policy.” We live in a world of competing lies, all swirling around us and generated by government and what are now called “non-governmental organizations.” These NGOs suck at the government’s teat or insert themselves into larger organizations such as the United Nations in order to steer them in directions that will fatten their purses and wallets. These are the swine who live to scare you because they know this is the way to benefit from your ignorance, gullibility or because you will not take the time to check out the “facts” they are telling you, using them like cattle prods to make you and others move in the direction they want. All of which brings me to the Swine flu or its more politically correct name, H1N1. It is another variant of the flu that goes around the world every year. Do you remember the Bird Flu that was supposed to kill millions, but didn’t? Or what about the regular seasonal, but unnamed flu that kills an average 36,000 Americans every year? Continue reading The Swine Who Live to Scare You October 11, 2009
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when they become very rich–they buy professional sport teams. So he has the right. Absolutely. As Bill O’Reilly said on his show last night, he has right to buy any team he wants and it is unAmerican to tell him he can’t. Ok. But the NFL also has the right to say no.
The Gaslight Journal is Done
Begun back sometime in 2001, this book was originally a fluke of an idea… [...]