Recent controversies have only strengthened his campaign. By Douglas E. Schoen May 15, 2008 Conventional wisdom suggests that these last two months have been bad news for Barack Obama. He hasn't been able to close the door on Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton, who swept West Virginia on Tuesday. He's been dogged by controversies over his words and associates. Meanwhile, Republican John McCain has been getting a jump-start on the fall campaign. Although those things may be true, so is th...

I'm having a very good day... And I wish the same for all of you! (Image)

I just ordered new glasses... They should arrive by the end of this week, or the beginning of next... There will not be any photos until much later...:evilgrin: I want all of you to see them when I post my YouTube debut, when I read my poem! I wouldn't blame you if you didn't talk to me... :P

He is sooooo much fun to talk with! Even though we've never met face-to-face, I still consider we've met... He's an incredibly smart, funny and wise person... I am so damn lucky with my friends! Did you have a great phone call today? (Image)

I just received an email from my community college... The poem I submitted for publication has BEEN ACCEPTED! It will be printed in the spring edition of the Myriad... And it will be available in their brand-new online edition too! This is the first time they've had an online edition... And my poem will be in it! Here's the link: (Link) I am also going to read it at their Annual Reading! I'm in shock... But it's a happy shock! :woohoo: :woohoo: Thanks to all of you who have helped a...

Summer of 1957: I was almost 14 years old... (Image) And Friday: It's 50 years later! (Image)

Insidious disease of war is behind many military suicides By Al Martinez Recent reports from Iraq and Afghanistan bring to mind a sad case from Korea. May 5, 2008 I awoke last night at 4 a.m. thinking about Gonzalez. It was a conscious memory, not a dream. I could see his round, dark face and the loping, off-balance gait he had acquired humping over the mountains of Korea. Four a.m. is a creepy time, as still as death and as black as the inside of hell. Cinelli is out of town for a week, le...

I haven't had a new pic in such a long time... I hope you like it! (Image)

Writing him off as twisted does nothing to promote reconciliation. May 1, 2008 'God damn America," declared the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. in 2003. But if that got you worried that Wright was somehow not a true American, this week's events ought to set your mind at rest. With multiple televised performances, Wright has now definitively proved he shares that most quintessential of all American traits: a profound desire to hog the airwaves and proclaim, "It's all about me." Next stop: "American...

What would you do if I suddenly became unpleasant, or rude, or angry? All the time? Some days I just want to bust loose! I have no idea why, either... But I get tired of being the good girl, the good wife, the good whatevah! I won't do it, don't worry... *sigh* I have no idea where this shit comes from, I really don't...

I saw my very first McCain for President bumpersticker... Big old pickup truck... Jacked waaaaaaaaay up on monster tires... No other distinguishing stickers of note... Yikes... ...:scared: Anybody else seen any?

Love doesn't make the world go 'round... Love is what makes the ride worthwhile... I really identify with this ... What do all of you think? :grouphug:

Yours are so nice... I have so many that I love, but these are the top! Mt. Shasta: (Image) The perfect wave: (Image) A bird in the surf: (Image)

(Image) :bounce: :bounce:

If you like George Bush's foreign policy, you'll love the GOP's current candidate. By J. Peter Scoblic April 23, 2008 John McCain knows a lot less about foreign policy than he'd have us believe. This, anyway, is the impression that's been growing in recent weeks, not least because of a much-discussed New York Times story published recently that painted a growing divide in his campaign between "pragmatists" and "neoconservatives." The candidate reportedly lacks firm ideological convictions, s...

AlmaNova They are a young couple; she plays the flute, and he plays the guitar... Just stunning! He is from Bosnia, and his compositions reflect his heritage... She is an American girl, with European roots, and her music reflects that... They play a blend of music from the Balkans, Spain, Latin America, and the British Isles... I was transfixed! (Link)/ :woohoo:

Funny how small things can add up, and then seem not so small... You all have been so kind to me, and I really appreciate it... I've been told by my poetry teacher that my growth is off the charts... But... I look at the poetry magazines, and all the work is so damned polished, and perfect, and beautiful... Mine just clunks along, and right now I feel as though I will never write anything that lovely... I'm in such a hurry... How many more years do I have, anyway? I wish I didn't feel t...

Bill Clinton’s Madness: A Consequence of Heart-Bypass Surgery Brain Damage We Need to Understand and Show Some Compassion One of the savviest politicians of our generation, known for his wit, charm, and calm under extreme pressure, Bill Clinton appears out of character in the speeches and interviews televised since his bypass surgery September 6, 2004—and his mental deterioration may be accelerating. Remember, this is the president who withstood public impeachment before the entire world ...

The orange is heavy in my hand; I want it in my mouth Its skin is tough and dry, but I know that something wet and sweet lies within The colors are blotchy and uneven, but who cares? They are superficial I need to reach the fruit inside But my fingers sting as they tug at the peel My paring knife can cut where I cannot The skin yields to the knife; the small pieces fall away I am careful not to cut the fruit itself I must not waste any of its sweetness The fragrance meets my nostrils;...

I'm writing a poem... It's called "The Sensuous Orange." It's not done, not yet... But I feel like teasing you a little... So, here are the first two lines... The orange is heavy in my hand; I want it in my mouth Its skin is tough and dry, but I know that something wet and sweet lies within Not to worry...I will post the entire poem when I'm done! Enjoy... :evilgrin:

Went down to the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park today... Here's some of what I saw: (Image) (Image) (Image) (Image) (Image) (Image)

I am so incredibly happy to be here... To have found DU, and especially the Lounge... To have this forum where I can talk, post pics, and toss out my poetry for you all to read... It means the world to me! You guys have changed my life, and I will be forever grateful! I love you all... :loveya: :grouphug: :loveya:

I can hardly stand it! I made some brownies tonight with Ghirardelli's brownie mix, and they smell so amazing! Can't eat them yet... They have to cool! Good thing I'm safely upstairs and far away from them! :9 What yummy thing did you get to eat today? :hi:

The opening line was spoken by someone Tuesday night at the open mic I went to... And I thought, "What a great line! I see a poem emerging from this!" This is not my usual work... I do hope you like it... Never piss off a woman poet She has powers you cannot imagine Worse than a voodoo doll She will Incarcerate your soul In an Iron Maiden And strut away laughing While your soul screams As it thrashes against the spikes :scared:

Every week, I've gone, and I've been so damn nervous... It hasn't stopped me... But tonight, I said to myself...lighten up! Have some fun with it! And I did. And something very cool happened... The audience had fun too... I think I have this thing licked! Here's the two poems I read tonight: Love is the reason I write It has slashed my borders And freed my heart mind soul The newness of time is its gift I have walked in strange landscapes With only your smile as guide Now vi...

Smirking at sexual attacks on inmates makes us all less safe. By Ezra Klein March 30, 2008 'From the studio that brought you 'Brokeback Mountain,' " intones the preview for the light comedy "Let's Go To Prison," "comes a penetrating look at the American penal system." In case that was too subtle for you, the DVD box features a dropped bar of soap, just waiting for some poor inmate to bend over to pick it up -- and suffer a hilarious sexual assault in the process. Or maybe you're not feeling u...

Do not do what I just did! I thought it would be fun to check out just how the new procedures are for logging in... So........I logged out... And then I couldn't get back in...:cry: I tried what was suggested about deleting cookies... Never mind... I finally got a new password, and I'm back... But that was a scary 15 minutes...:scared: DO NOT LOG OUT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, DO YOU HEAR ME?

I hope you like it! Parche’s Poem You have been waiting patiently For me to get around And off my silly ass To write something profound. But profundity ain’t my thing So this will have to do All I really want to say? How much I admire you! You always have such cool threads Full of aeroplanes They make me want to get on board And not come home again. So I’m wishing you a happy day Full of cake and presents And I hope that my silly poem Will seem so very pleasant! Happy Birt...

The blood courses sluggishly under my skin Dry wrinkles appear My nerves are flattened Muscles lie slackly against my powdery bones Tomorrow I may live, or die Right now it’s too much effort To think The world is alien through feverish eyes Any minute now there will be a phantom here He will carry me away To the place where I will feel whole, and well, again.

As many of you have been, I too have been watching "John Adams." Tonight it struck me as I watched the flag blow slowly across the screen... It proclaimed: "Join, or Die" And my mind came here, to our endless fighting... And I knew at once that we must do as that flag said to our founding fathers... Or we will have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory... We must remember who the enemy is... It is not ourselves... But the Republicans... We must not yield to the petty infighting, the ...