Poem World

I pray for you enough

2009-08-19T00:39:00.000-07:00

ENOUGH: Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged, and the mother said, 'I love you, and I pray you enough.' The daughter replied, 'Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I pray you enough, too, Mom.' They kissed, and the daughter left.

The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there, I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking, 'Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?' Yes, I have,' I replied. 'Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?' 'Well...I'm not as young as I once was, she lives so far away & has her own busy life. I have some challenges ahead, and the reality is - her next trip back will be for my funeral,' she said. 'When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I pray you enough.' May I ask what that means?' She began to smile. 'That's a prayer that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.' She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and she smiled even more.

'When we said, 'I pray you enough,' we wanted the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.' Then, turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory. I pray you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear. I pray you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more. I pray you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting. I pray you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger..

I pray you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. I pray you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. I pray you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye. Then, she began to cry, and walked away. They say, it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but an entire life to forget them. * Only if you pray, send this to the people you will never forget, and remember to send it back to the person who sent it to you. If you don't send it to anyone, it may mean that you are in such a hurry that you have forgotten your friends.

60 Things a Girl Wants but Wont Ask For

2009-07-18T06:39:00.000-07:00

1. Touch her waist.
2. Actually talk to her.
3. Share secrets with her.
4. Give her 1 of your sweatshirts.
5. Kiss her slowly.
6. Hug her.
7. Hold her.
8. Laugh with her.
9. Invite her everywhere.
10. Hangout with her and your friends together.
11. Smile with her.
12. Take pictures with her.
13. Pull her onto your lap.
14. When she says she loves you more, deny it. Fight back.
15. When her friends say i love her more than you, deny it. fight back and hug her tight so she can't get to her friends. it makes her feel loved.
16. Always hug her and say hi whenever you see her.
17. Kiss her unexpectedly.
18. Hug her from behind around the waist.
19. Tell her she's beautiful.
20. Tell her the way you feel about her.
21. Open doors for her, walk her to her car- it makes her feel protected, plus it never hurts to act like a gentleman.
22. Tell her she's your everything - ONLY if you mean it.
23. If it seems like there is something wrong, ask her- if she denies something being wrong, it means SHE DOESN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT-so just hug her.
24. Make her feel loved.
25. Kiss her in front of OTHER girls you know
26. DON'T lie to her
27. DON'T cheat on her!
28. Take her ANYWHERE she wants
29. Text message or call her in the morning and tell her have a good day at work {or school}, and how much you MISS her.
30. Be there for her when ever she needs you, & even when she doesn't need you, just be there so she'll know that she can ALWAYS count on you.
31. Hold her close when she's cold so she can hold YOU too.
32. When you are ALONE hold her close and kiss her.
33. Kiss her on the CHEEK; (it will give her the hint that you want to kiss her).
34. While in the movies, put your arm around her and then she will automatically put her head on your shoulder, then lean in and tilt her chin up and kiss her LIGHTLY.
35. Dont EVER tell her to leave even jokingly or act like you're mad. If shes upset, comfort her.
36. When people DISS her, stand up for her.
37. Look deep into her EYES and tell her you love her.
38. Lay down under the STARS and put her head on your chest so you can cuddle.
39. When walking next to each other grab her HAND.
40. When you hug her HOLD her in your arms as long as possible
41. Call or text her EVERY night to wish her SWEET DREAMS
42. COMFORT her when she cries and wipe away her tears.
43. Take her for LONG walks at night.
44. ALWAYS remind her how much you love her.
45. Sit on top of her and tell her how much u love her and then bend down to her face and kiss her while sitting on her.
46. Rub her back--feels good
47. Give her your coat if she's cold--thats always cute
48. Write letters on her back with your finger--feels good =]
49. Let her sit on your lap
50. DON'T poke her hard...but if you want to mess around just do it lightly.
51. HOLD her HAND in PUBLIC.
52. Even if she looks BAD one day tell her she's BEAUTIFUL
53. Keep conversations flowing...talk about anything usually they just go along with it.
54. If their hair is in their face move it out of her face and then kiss her passionately and gently.
55. Surprisingly sneak up on her and hug her from behind--loves it.
56. Kiss her in the rain.
57. Pick her up like in The Notebook and kiss her.
58. Slow dance with no music
59. Don't ignore her or be nervous around her--everything is going to be okay.
60. Love her, kiss her, hold her, and you'll be good to go.

Heart Touching Story: A Mother With One Eye

2009-07-16T20:28:00.000-07:00

My mother had only one eye,
I hated her as I was ashamed of her
She was a cook in the school cafeteria where I studied.

One day, when I saw still in a primary class,
She came to visit me to see for herself that I was all right.
I was very upset, how dare she do this to me?
After that incident I ignored her & looked on her
Only with hateful eyes ….
The next day, a fellow-student told me,
" oohhh , your mother has only one eye !"
At that moment, I wanted to crawl under the floor
And that my mother would be out of my life completely .
The next day I went to meet her & to tell here:
" because of you I am the joke at school,
Why don't you die and go away !?
But, she did not respond ….
I wasn't thinking and did not know what I was saying,
I was very angry .
I could not imagine
How she would react to my remarks.
And, I left town .

I studied relentlessly and obtained a scholarship
to continue my studies abroad.
In fact, I completed my studies, got married, bought a house and set up my family.
I lived a happy and a peaceful life .

One day, my mother comes to visit me.
It has been many years since she had disappeared,
She had never met here grand-children.
She remained at the doorstep
While my children were making fun of her
I shouted at her: " How date you come all the way here and frighten my kids?!
With a calm voice she responded:
"I apologize, I am at the wrong address."
And she disappeared.

One day, I received an invitation from my hometown school to attend a reunion under the " close family ties " topic
I lied to my wife and made her believe that
I was traveling for business.
After the reunion I stopped by the house
where I grew up
The neighbours informed me that
my mother had passed away .
I did not shed even one drop of tear!!!

The neighbor handed me a letter
that my mother had left for me
"My Dear son, I always thought of you."
I regret having visited you abroad
And frightened your kids
…I was very pleased when I heard that
you would come to attend the reunion
…The only thing was that I could not get up
from my bed to come and see you….
… I am broken-hearted that I brought
shame to you on numerous occasions…
… Did you know that when you were a baby
you had an accident and lost your one eye?...
… and , as any other mother would,
I would not let you grow up with only one eye….
So. I gave you my eye……..
I was very proud and happy to know that my son would be able to see the world with my eye
… with all my love…
…Your mother….

I love your Mom, I love you sooooooooooooo much.

A Message for My Broken Heart

2009-04-25T11:11:00.001-07:00

Wondering where to go, wondering what to talk to you, but seem like there is nowhere to go, no place to hide my secret.

Loving you is all I want to do but I never hate anything like this feeling too. It makes me smile but I know that I will be the one who cry.

Until now, I wondering why I still fight to keep the chance. The chance that will make me hurt.

A Message for Your Love

2009-04-24T07:44:00.001-07:00

Running away from the darkness, passing through the cool wing alone but I can't feel my body cool.

Where you are? Did you ever know how much I have been missing you?

It doesn't matter. I never care who really care. The only thing I care is YOU.

No this are all I can do for you. If you ever gave me a chance I would never give up.

Now I really feel so tired, my body is getting cooler and cooler as I never feel like this before. I think I need a rest.

I hate to say "Good Bye"

A Message for Your Love

2009-04-24T07:43:00.001-07:00

Another Funny Story

2009-04-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

A regular customer of a well known Chinese Noodle restaurant had a habit of knocking on the head of a young waiter before giving him the tip. It had taken for almost ten years since the waiter was about 12 years old until he was a full grown adult.

Upon realizing that he could embarrass the young man if he continued knocking on his head again, he decided to quit this old habit of his.

“I think it’s time that I shall stop knocking on your head,” said the customer before the young man, “I just feel that it won’t be appropriate anymore to do so as you are no long a young boy.”

“Well,” the young boy replied, “since you stop that I, too, shall stop spitting in your soup from today on.”

Shakespeare's Women - Breaking the Mold

2009-02-24T07:23:00.000-08:00

While it would not be accurate to say that Shakespeare attempts to embody all of the characteristics of the ideal Renaissance woman in all of his female characters, it is certainly accurate to say that he introduces us to female characters who go against the grain of the Elizabethan notion of what a woman should be. Shakespeare discards the notion of the subservient female and introduces us to women of intelligence, wit, power, and character. One writer of the Elizabethan era compared a woman with an education to a madman with a sword: "...you just couldn't tell what she'd do with it!" Shakespeare not only provides some of his female characters with a sword, but shows that they can wield it quite effectively. This article will focus on four of Shakespeare's women: Lady Macbeth, Cressida, Rosalind, and Cleopatra. In doing so, we will explore how Shakespeare "breaks the mold" of the common Elizabethan perception of the female.

Before we examine the characters, it is important to provide a brief summary of these commonly held perceptions. A woman in sixteenth century England had no vote, few legal rights, and an extremely limited chance of an education, much less a job. Freedom enjoyed by an Elizabethan woman was granted, and taken away, by her husband. He was the prince with power, and his wife was the loyal, loving subject. Both church and state supported this premise of wifely inferiority and it got a further endorsement from the law. When a woman married, she traditionally lost control over her property. Any legal loopholes that might have left some doubt as to women's inferior status were amply filled in by the teachings of biology and the theory of the four humors, which stated that women's bodies had a greater proportion of the cold and moist humors. This meant that women were passive, timid, and hesitating-fit to be dominated by men. When the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe died in 1601, his funeral eulogist praised him for "keeping his sons to their studies and his daughters to spinning and sewing". As we will see in the four women we are about to examine, they hardly fit into this mold.

We shall begin with Lady Macbeth who can be described as a formidable version of a woman who dominates her weak-willed husband. However, it would be wrong to see her as a monster. On the contrary, she is perhaps more than usually feminine. She is conscious of her woman's breasts, her mother's milk; knows "How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me"; and, when she thinks to carry out the murder herself, fails because Duncan reminds her of her father. Macbeth calls her his dearest "chuck", and she speaks, when sleepwalking, of her "little hand". In more modern terms, she might be described as an "iron butterfly"-delicate yet strong.

It is apparent from the moment we meet Lady Macbeth reading her husband's letter that she is not going to conform to the role of a subservient female. When she cries out to the spirits to "unsex" her, and when she brags that if she had vowed to do a murder she would follow through, we see that she does not conform to the ideal of the nurturing woman. Even if it were her own baby she "...would, while it was smiling in my face, / Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums, / And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn as you / Have done to this".

The resourcefulness and self-control of Lady Macbeth throughout the play is extraordinary, and hardly resembles the character of a dainty woman. It is only in private that she shows her weariness, and only after her mental collapse that she relents control. This does not, however, negate the power and fortitude that she has shown to this point.

Cressida is a completely different personality from Lady Macbeth, but no less strays from the accepted Elizabethan ideal. In Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde, the female character is less crafty, less self-possessed, less sensual, and less intelligent than Shakespeare's Cressida. Here again, Shakespeare takes a hammer to the mold. Cressida's soliloquy at the end of Act 1.2 reveals her as a sophisticated young lady who is expert at manipulating the emotions of men. We later find her wit to be far superior to that of Pandarus as they banter while watching the return of the Trojan soldiers.

Cressida's skill at the love game is derived from the knowledge that with her surrender will come a loss of power. However, Cressida retains her power through her unfaithfulness to Troilus and her subsequent games with Diomedes. Muir implies that Cressida's uninhibited behavior on her arrival in the Greek camp may perhaps be ascribed to a reaction from the strain of being put on a pedestal, but whatever the reason, we see a woman who is in control of herself and, more often than not, in control of those around her. If there were ever a character that wandered from the Elizabethan ideal of a subservient, uneducated, yielding woman, it is Cressida.

Perhaps the two women of these four who most dramatically usurp the power of a male-dominated society are Rosalind and Cleopatra. I believe that one of the reasons for this is that significant parallels can be drawn between these two characters and the most powerful "real" woman of her time-Queen Elizabeth. Before we explore these parallels, we should first take a brief look at the background of this powerful English monarch.

While most Elizabethan women were spinning and sewing, Queen Elizabeth was proving that a woman was more than capable of mustering a kingdom-and showing herself to be an almighty exception to the rules that governed women's lives. Elizabeth realized early on that marriage meant a loss of power, so she never married. Once the scepter was in her hand, she was determined not to relinquish it. The Pope later expressed surprise at Elizabeth's formidable authority: "She is only a woman... and yet she makes herself feared by Spain, by France... by all".

The most obvious parallel between Elizabeth and Rosalind is in donning the mask of masculinity. Much of the lavish praise that gushed over the queen in her lifetime exalted her "masculine" virtues of courage and intellect. Much like Rosalind, Elizabeth almost had to become a man at times in order to get anything done. Rosalind certainly understands how the game is played-"...in my heart / Lie there what hidden woman's fear there will / We'll have a swashing and a martial outside". Elizabeth knew as well as Rosalind that she had to maintain that swashing and martial outside. To call attention to womanliness in the wrong way would have been political suicide.

The obvious parallel between Elizabeth and Cleopatra is that they both had the disadvantages of being a woman ruler in a male-dominated court. Elizabeth gained control of the court by capitalizing on the fact that she was a woman-initially a young and attractive one. She, like Cleopatra, had to play a double role, alternating between the earthly woman and the divine majesty. If this is an accurate depiction of the young Elizabeth, then she shared Cleopatra's practical understanding in winning the court over with her "feminine wiles" and flirtatiousness, but both women rose far above the ordinary definitions of the feminine.

In the scene where Cleopatra questions the messenger about Octavia's physical appearance, Shakespeare may have been trying to show an example of her pettiness. According to Irene G. Dash, recent scholarship has revealed that this behavior runs parallel with that of Queen Elizabeth. If Shakespeare's audience knew of these incidents, this scene would have served to strengthen the impression that he was describing a real queen-a woman of power. Dash also points out that the people of Shakespeare's time wrestled with the problem of Elizabeth's refusal to marry. Surely, Shakespeare must have incorporated this experience into his portrait of Cleopatra. Queen Elizabeth ruled far beyond her "salad days" and never completely relinquished control of power. Through analogy, Shakespeare would have been reinforcing the image of a known woman monarch.

Now that these parallels have been drawn, we will explore the characters of Rosalind and Cleopatra in more depth. As You Like It is Rosalind's play as Hamlet is Hamlet's. As Harold Bloom denotes, Rosalind is Hamlet's equal in wit, intellect, and vision of herself . As the heroine in the comedy, Rosalind exemplifies the best of virtues to be found in a Renaissance English woman. She is intelligent, warm, witty, and strong of character. Touchstone and Jaques are poor wits compared to her, and her androgynous allure can appear so attractive, her virtuosity of wit so engaging, that all our attention becomes focused on her as if nothing else matters. Her ability to talk circles around Orlando seems sufficient proof of her complete triumph. The sense of Orlando being mastered creates a one-sided relationship in which the woman has control.

However, it would be a mistake to bestow the "scepter of Arden" on Rosalind just yet. Shakespeare does not completely ignore the sexual politics of his time. As Bloom points out, in order to love, Rosalind must reveal herself to Orlando, but in giving up the disguise, she also gives up the power it symbolizes. The liberation that Rosalind experiences in the forest has built into it the conservative countermovement by which, as the play returns to the normal world, she will be reduced to the traditional woman who is subservient to men. This presents a paradox of sorts because Rosalind is the architect of the play's resolution, but the resolution phases out the power she has wielded. But does it really? Her submission is explicit but not ironic when she declares: "To you I give myself, for I am yours". Bloom proposes that the casting of herself in the role of male possession is all the more charming because she does not have to be forced to adopt it; her self-taming is voluntary.

In the forest of Arden, both men and women are permitted an expansion of sexual identity that transcends restrictive gender rules. Just as Rosalind gains access to the traditional masculine attributes of strength and control, Orlando gains access to the traditional female attributes of compassion and nurturing. It is important to note, however, that Rosalind's possession of the costume and the power that goes with it is only temporary, whereas Orlando does not have to give up the emotional enlightenment that he has experienced in the forest. This causes Bloom to raise the question: What is Shakespeare's relation to the sexual politics in As You Like It? Is he taking an ironic and critical stance toward the patriarchal solution of his characters, or is he heavily invested in the solution himself?. I tend to lean toward the former because Shakespeare's women in Love's Labor's Lost do not give up their independence in the end. Perhaps the two elements of female power kept managable, and male power kept loving provided a solution that was, at the time, "As Shakespeare Liked It".

Cleopatra, to me, is the most complex character of the four women discussed in this essay, due in part to the dramatic range of emotions that she displays. Cleopatra is voluptuous, ostentatious, conscious, boastful, intelligent, haughty, tyrannical, fickle, tender, and loving. All of these traits combine to form an extremely complex woman and her complexity is further exemplified when Octavia is introduced as a dull foil to her. Shakespeare presents the prototypical acceptable woman in Octavia, and the independent woman of self-sovereignty in Cleopatra. Shakespeare suggests that a woman of power has the unusual opportunity of combining her sexual and political selves. Cleopatra commands others and is sovereign over herself.

The image of Cleopatra riding the great beats of Antony's heart, "...in the scuffles of great fights hath burst, / The buckles on his breast", sets forth an image of Cleopatra as conqueror and he her captive. This, however, oversimplifies the situation. As Bloom shows us, Cleopatra is a study in contrasts. She loves Antony, yet sends him word that she has killed herself. She can be teased by her serving women, but threatens her messenger with a knife. She grandly speaks of having Herod's head, trades bawdy jests with her eunuch, dreams of lovers who were kings, taunts Antony, flatters Caesar's servant, outwits Caesar, and quarrels with Enobarbus. She is what she is because of her complete lack of resemblance to a typical, acceptable woman.

Nevertheless, since she lives in a patriarchal society, like Rosalind, she may still be limited by stereotypes for female behavior and subject to the rules established by the dominant group. In fact, Shakespeare creates male characters who express the views of society. They challenge her right to self-sovereignty. She is a "strumpet" and a "gypsy" to them. Enobarbus frequently denigrates Cleopatra as a person of power. Enobarbus offers his perceptions of Cleopatra when he is joking with the group surrounding the soothsayer; he suddenly warns, "Hush, here comes Antony". Bloom submits that Enobarbus' reference to Cleopatra as "Antony" reflects his own critical attitude toward this woman whose strength and self-confidence continually assaults and confuses him. It is exactly these traits, though, that make Cleopatra who she is-a sexual being and a person of power. She sees no need to "unsex" herself to prove her role, and she ultimately uses the male perception of a woman to outwit Caesar who plans to take her back to Rome as a hostage. Intent on dying, she knows that she must persuade Caesar of her desire to live if he is to be careless about guarding her, and she achieves her goal with cunning and genius.

The character of Cleopatra suggests the potential for women if they could have self-sovereignty and function as complete people, not in a sexless world where, like Queen Elizabeth, they must choose between marriage and career, but in a world where true mutuality might exist between men and women. Shakespeare forces us to observe Cleopatra as the one character who spans the entire drama. Capable, politically astute, and imaginative, it would be laughable to see her as a character who should lose her identity in a hierarchical society because she is a woman.

In conclusion, it would be fair to say that while Shakespeare does, in fact, break the mold of the commonly held perception of an Elizabethan woman, he does not allow his characters to completely avoid the bias of a male-dominated society. I believe that this only serves to lend more authenticity to the characters. Perhaps, as Bloom suggests, Shakespeare speculated with an ideal, wondering what might result if the concept of marriage and gender were not hierarchical, but more equal. What if the kind of relationship he envisioned meant mutual respect between two equals, like Antony and Cleopatra, who also loved one another? Would we not then have a richer society because one half of it were no longer limiting the role of the other half? If this is the ideal that Shakespeare had in the back of his mind, then it is indeed, "As We Like It".

Rick Huffman is a National long-haul driver who spent 20 years in the broadcasting industry before becoming a trucker. He describes the career change as, "...the best decision I ever made on one day, and the worst one I ever made on the next."

rickhu45@yahoo.com

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Reconfiguring Romanticism (24): Charles Darwin, from The Origin of Species

2009-02-15T20:11:00.000-08:00

On the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth (February 12, 1809), the following is the closing paragraph of On the Origin of Species as reprinted in Poems for the Millennium, volume 3, The University of California Book of Romantic & Postromantic Poetry, in the section called “A Book of Origins.” We take it as a meditation – practically a prose poem – on the poetics of evolution and include it there to heal the breech, if it ever existed, between poetry & science.

It is interesting to contemplate an entangled bank, clothed with many plants of many kinds, with birds singing on the bushes, with various insects flitting about, and with worms crawling through the damp earth, and to reflect that these elaborately constructed forms, so different from each other, and dependent on each other in so complex a manner, have all been produced by laws acting around us. These laws, taken in the largest sense, being Growth with Reproduction; Inheritance which is almost implied by reproduction; Variability from the indirect and direct action of the external conditions of life, and from use and disuse; a Ratio of Increase so high as to lead to a Struggle for Life, and as a consequence to Natural Selection, entailing Divergence of Character and the Extinction of less-improved forms. Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows. There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.

Capitulation

2009-02-14T20:00:00.000-08:00

I want a new job
devoid of all strife
or reasons to swab
I need a new life

I’m sick of the bills
that foster the mess
which thoroughly kills
my chance for success

so screw the whole world
whose problems are rife
the flag is unfurled
I need a new life.

In our Daily Life Quotations are so Essential

2008-12-04T08:15:00.000-08:00

Use quotations at strategically selected moments. You have probably been told by teachers to provide as much evidence as possible in support of your thesis. But packing your paper with quotations will not necessarily strengthen your argument. The majority of your paper should still be your original ideas in your own words (after all, it's your paper). And quotations are only one type of evidence: well-balanced papers may also make use of paraphrases, data, and statistics. The types of evidence you use will depend in part on the conventions of the discipline or audience for which you are writing. For example, papers analyzing literature may rely heavily on direct quotations of the text, while papers in the social sciences may have more paraphrasing, data, and statistics than quotations.

1. Discussing specific arguments or ideas.Sometimes, in order to debate with clarity and specificity the ideas of others, you need to quote those ideas word for word. Suppose you want to challenge the following statement made by John Doe, a well-known historian:

"At the beginning of World War Two, almost all Americans assumed the war would end quickly."If it is especially important that you formulate a counter-argument to this claim, then you might wish to quote the part of the statement that you find questionable and establish a dialogue between yourself and John Doe:

Historian John Doe has argued that in 1941 "almost all Americans assumed the war would end quickly" (Doe 223). Yet during the first six months of U.S. involvement, the wives and mothers of soldiers often noted in their diaries their fear that the war would drag on for years.

2. Giving added emphasis to a particularly authoritative source on your topic.There will be times when you want to highlight the words of a particularly important and authoritative source on your topic. For example, suppose you were writing an essay about the differences between the lives of male and female slaves in the U.S. South. One of your most provocative sources is a narrative written by a former slave, Harriet Jacobs. It would then be appropriate to quote some of Jacobs's words:

Harriet Jacobs, a former slave from North Carolina, published an autobiographical slave narrative in 1861. She exposed the hardships of both male and female slaves but ultimately concluded "slavery is terrible for men; but it is far more terrible for women."

In this particular example, Jacobs is providing a crucial first-hand perspective on slavery. Thus, her words deserve more exposure than a paraphrase could provide.Jacobs is quoted in Harriet A. Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, ed. Jean Fagan Yelling (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1987).

3. Analyzing how others use language.

This scenario is probably most common in literature and linguistics courses, but you might also find yourself writing about the use of language in history and social science classes. If the use of language is your primary topic, then you will obviously need to quote users of that language.

Examples of topics that might require the frequent use of quotations include:

Southern colloquial expressions in William Faulkner's Light in August Ms. and the creation of a language of female empowerment

A comparison of three British poets and their use of meter

4. Spicing up your prose.

In order to lend variety to your prose, you may wish to quote a source with particularly vivid language. All quotations, however, must closely relate to your topic and arguments. Do not insert a quotation solely for its literary merits.

One example of a quotation that adds flair:

Calvin Coolidge's tendency to fall asleep became legendary. As H. L. Men ken commented in the American Mercury in 1933, "Nero fiddled, but Coolidge only snored."

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A List of Sayings Collected From Old Cookbooks

2008-12-03T01:14:00.000-08:00

This is a list of some old-time sayings I have gathered from old cookbooks. Hope you will enjoy them.

Willingness without action is like a cloud without rain; there may be lots of thunder and lightening but no parched ground is watered.

Too little to save, Too much to dump. That's what makes the housewife plump.

"A smile is a light in the window of the face by which the heart signifies it is at home and waiting. A face that cannot smile is like a bulb that cannot blossom." Henry Ward Beecher

You find yourself refreshed by the presence of cheerful people. Why not make earnest effort to confer that pleasure on others?

"Whatever is set before you eat, asking no questions for conscience sake." 1 Cor. 10:37

Be grateful for your doors of opportunity--and for the friends who oil the hinges.

I set out to find a friend, but couldn't find one; I set out to be a friend, and friends were everywhere.

"We may live without poetry, music and art,
We may live without conscience, and live without heart;
We may live without friend, we may live without books;
But civilized man cannot live without cooks."

"He may live without books--what is knowledge but grieving?
He may live without hope--what is hope but deceiving?
He may live without love--what is passion but pining?
But where is the man that can live without dining?"
By Owen Meredith

There is no indigestion worse than that of trying to eat your own words.

We do not know how inexpensive the seeds of happiness are or we should scatter them oftener.

Little acts of kindness are stowed away in the heart like bags of lavender in a drawer to sweeten every object around them.

Strive always to be like a good watch--open face, busy hands, pure gold, well regulated, full of good works.

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When Pharaoh and His Folk Cried: O Moses! Pray for Us Unto Your Lord?

2008-12-02T01:12:00.000-08:00

Many people do not know Allah. This series (1-65) is an attempt to help them to know their Creator.

Verses 7:134-136 of the Noble Quran talk about: 1) When Pharaoh and his folk cried: O Moses! Pray for us unto your Lord? 2) When Pharaoh and his folk promised Moses to believe in him? 3) Has Pharaoh and his folk kept their pledge to Moses? 4) Allah exacted retribution from Pharaoh and his folk and drowned them and 5) Why Had Allah drowned Pharaoh and his folk in the sea?

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The meaning of verse 7:134

And when the terror, the chastisement, fell on them; whenever a torment fell on them such as the flood, locusts, vermin, frogs and blood

they (Pharaoh and his folk) cried: O Moses! Pray for us unto your Lord, ask your Lord for us, because He has a covenant with you, because of that with which He has commanded you.

If you remove the terror from us, if you remove the punishment from us; we verily will trust you, we will believe in you and will let the Children of Israel go with you with all their property.

In short, they said:

O Moses, pray to your Lord for our sake by the covenant which He has made with you, to remove the chastisement from us if we believe.

Indeed if you remove from us the terror, verily we will believe in you and let the Children of Israel go with you.

The meaning of verse 7:135

But when Allah removed, through the supplication of Moses, the terror from them to a term which they should reach, lo! they were already reneging, breaking their covenant and persisting in their disbelief.

In other words, but when Allah did remove from them the terror, the punishment for a term which they must reach (i.e. the drowning in the Red Sea), behold! they broke their covenant, they broke their pledge to Moses.

The meaning of verse 7:136

So Allah exacted retribution from Pharaoh and his folk and therefore He drowned them in the sea for, the reason, that they denied Our signs and were heedless of them, not reflecting upon them.

In other words, Allah took retribution from them, once and for all; therefore He drowned them in the sea: because they denied His revelations, His clear signs and were heedless of them; they were disbelievers in them.

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Verses 7:134-136 in different English translations of the meanings of Arabic Quran:

Verse 7:134

QARIB: and when the plague smote them, they said: 'moses, pray to your lord for us invoking the promise he has made with you. if you lift the plague from us, we will believe in you and let the children of israel go with you. '

SHAKIR: and when the plague fell upon them, they said: o musa! pray for us to your lord as he has promised with you, if you remove the plague from us, we will certainly believe in you and we will certainly send away with you the children of israel

PICKTHAL: and when the terror fell on them they cried: o moses! pray for us unto thy lord, because he hath a covenant with thee. if thou removest the terror from us we verily will trust thee and will let the children of israel go with thee.

YUSUFALI: every time the penalty fell on them, they said: "o moses! on your behalf call on thy lord in virtue of his promise to thee: if thou wilt remove the penalty from us, we shall truly believe in thee, and we shall send away the children of israel with thee."

Verse 7:135

QARIB: but when we had lifted the plague from them for a term which they had to reach, they broke their promise.

SHAKIR: but when we removed the plague from them till a term which they should attain lo! they broke (the promise)

PICKTHAL: but when we did remove from them the terror for a term which they must reach, behold! they broke their covenant.

YUSUFALI: but every time we removed the penalty from them according to a fixed term which they had to fulfil,- behold! they broke their word!

Verse 7:136

QARIB: so we punished them and drowned them in the sea, for they had belied our signs and gave no heed to them.

SHAKIR: therefore we inflicted retribution on them and drowned them in the sea because they rejected our signs and were heedless of them

PICKTHAL: therefore we took retribution from them; therefore we drowned them in the sea: because they denied our revelations and were heedless of them.

YUSUFALI: so we exacted retribution from them: we drowned them in the sea, because they rejected our signs and failed to take warning from them.

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Set of My Thoughts Dated 04.11.2008

2008-12-01T01:11:00.000-08:00

Set of my thoughts dated 4.11.2008

(1) You should try your best and if you are not in a position to achieve target, you should not be losing heart, but should find out another method to complete that project or leave and take up another project which is within your reach.

(2) If you believe in God, you can pray before Him, but at the same time you should not waste time to trace God and meet Him because these two things are just impossibilities and not possibilities.

(3) Every one of us must save something for the old age so that you could spend the last days comfortably and happily.

(4) The life partners must be one with two bodies and if you create some disturbance with the life partner, nothing on earth shall bring you happiness and satisfaction in life.

(5) If you are citizen of India, you must take care that no one is turning a terrorist or a rioters while living in your neighborhood.

(6) Read editorials of news papers and then you must think over those thoughts and you must come out with your comments on those thoughts. This the right approach towards news papers.

(7) Most of us are criticizing the functioning of Government, but we are not in a position to give suggestions. If you have got some suggestions please float those suggestions through news papers.

(8) You should not spend more than your share in the family income because others who are in the family have also got their share and they should not be deprived of their share in the family income.

(9) When you are out amongst the strangers, you must give good account of yourself so that others may have a good impression of you and of your behaviour.

(10) When we talk with another person, we must talk in the language which he understands and if talk in another language which he does not understand, our efforts to convey our things to him shall fail.

(11) You must know what is happening around you and must re-act if you like because you too are a living citizen of the country in which you are living.

(12) Making progress is your fundamental right and therefore, it is your duty to assess yourself quarterly, half-yearly or annually and you must see that you are going ahead and not backward.

(13) You should not jealous with your friend, but you should try to achieve those heights with your own efforts. Comparing your achievements with others means we too should achieve something for which we could be proud of.(14) Do not believe that you shall be getting another chance to come on this earth. Therefore, you should complete your targets within the span of this life.

(15) God, Devil, Heaven, Hell, Re-birth all are imaginations and therefore, we should not waste our time on these items.

Pithy Prose: the Wit & Wisdom of Eric Hoffer

2008-11-30T01:07:00.000-08:00

Part 10 of an occasional series

I am a collector of quotations. I have been ever since I learned how to write, I mean professionally, not in primary school.

I am particularly fond of what I like to call "pithy prose". These short quotations can cover an unlimited variety of subjects: love, religion, politics, human nature, etc. What unites them is their ability to say more in one or two sentences than could be expressed in a thousand-word treatise. It's like being able to pour a liter of liquid into a half-liter bottle.

They are superb examples of Mark Twain's famous dictum, "The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."

In principle, all writers and public speakers are capable of producing pithy prose, but clearly some are better at it than others.

Any collection of pithy prose must necessarily be biased in terms of what it includes and excludes. I make no apologies for my selections, only for the hundreds of other meritorious quotations I had to leave out.

No one will agree with all these quotations; this was not their intention. You may even find some of them repugnant or outrageous. This was their intention.

We seldom learn anything of value from what we already agree with. Only those ideas that grate on our nerves can open our minds. As with oysters, irritation can produce pearls. So if anything you are about to read annoys or shocks you, try to think clearly and dispassionately about what it is saying. You will either be confirmed in your current belief or shaken into re-examining it.

Either way, you win!

This article is part of an occasional series. In each article, I will be offering more amusing, educating, and exasperating quotations to your judgment. But just to be certain that we agree on what we are talking about, here it is in a nutshell.

Pithy Prose: A quotation where at first you may not be quite certain what it means. But when you become certain, you become equally certain that it couldn't have been said better any other way. In short, big ideas in small packages.

If you have a better definition of pithy prose, please contact me. I would love to hear it.

Who Is Eric Hoffer?

Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983) was known as "the longshoreman philosopher". Born in New York City, he was largely unschooled because he became temporarily blind at the age of seven; however, when he regained his sight at the age of 16, he read voraciously. At 18 he went to California, where he became both a migrant farm laborer and a longshoreman (dockworker). "The True Believer" (1951), his first and best known work, is a study of fanaticism and mass movements. It was widely praised for its pungent, aphoristic style and deep sociological insights.

1. A grievance is most poignant when almost redressed.

2. A man by himself is in bad company.

3. Charlatanism of some degree is indispensable to effective leadership.

4. Compassion is the antitoxin of the soul: where there is compassion even the most poisonous impulses remain relatively harmless.

5. Creativity is the ability to introduce order into the randomness of nature.

6. Every intense desire is perhaps a desire to be different from what we are.

7. Every new adjustment is a crisis in self-esteem.

8. Faith in a holy cause is to a considerable extent a substitute for lost faith in ourselves.

7. Far more crucial than what we know or do not know is what we do not want to know.

8. In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.

9. It is a sign of creeping inner death when we can no longer praise the living.

10. It is by its promise of a sense of power that evil often attracts the weak.

11. It is easier to love humanity as a whole than to love one's neighbor.

12. It is not actual suffering but the taste of better things which excites people to revolt.

13. It is not so much the example of others we imitate as the reflection of ourselves in their eyes and the echo of ourselves in their words.

14. It is often the failure who is the pioneer in new lands, new undertakings, and new forms of expression.

15. It is remarkable by how much a pinch of malice enhances the penetrating power of an idea or an opinion. Our ears, it seems, are wonderfully attuned to sneers and evil reports about our fellow men.

16. It is the around-the-corner brand of hope that prompts people to action, while the distant hope acts as an opiate.

17. It is the malady of our age that the young are so busy teaching us that they have no time left to learn.

18. It sometimes seems that intense desire creates not only its own opportunities, but its own talents.

19. It still holds true that man is most uniquely human when he turns obstacles into opportunities.

20. Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind.

21. Man is the only creature that strives to surpass himself, and yearns for the impossible.

22. Many of the insights of the saint stem from their experience as sinners.

23. Men weary as much of not doing the things they want to do as of doing the things they do not want to do.

24. Nationalist pride, like other variants of pride, can be a substitute for self-respect.

25. Our frustration is greater when we have much and want more than when we have nothing and want some. We are less dissatisfied when we lack many things than when we seem to lack but one thing.

26. Our sense of power is more vivid when we break a man's spirit than when we win his heart.

27. People who bite the hand that feeds them usually lick the boot that kicks them.

28. Propaganda does not deceive people; it merely helps them to deceive themselves.

29. Rudeness is a weak imitation of strength.

30. Social improvement is attained more readily by a concern with the quality of results than with the purity of motives.

31. Someone who thinks the world is always cheating him is right. He is missing that wonderful feeling of trust in someone or something.

32. Sometimes we feel the loss of a prejudice as a loss of vigor.

33. Take away hatred from some people, and you have men without faith.

34. The beginning of thought is in disagreement - not only with others but also with ourselves.

35. The fear of becoming a 'has-been' keeps some people from becoming anything.

36. The greatest weariness comes from work not done.

37. The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.

38. The only way to predict the future is to have power to shape the future.

39. The savior who wants to turn men into angels is as much a hater of human nature as the totalitarian despot who wants to turn them into puppets.

40. The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness.

41. The weakness of a soul is proportionate to the number of truths that must be kept from it.

42. There are no chaste minds. Minds copulate wherever they meet.

43. There would be no society if living together depended upon understanding each other.

44. Those in possession of absolute power cannot only prophesy and make their prophecies come true, but they can also lie and make their lies come true.

45. Thought is a process of exaggeration. The refusal to exaggerate is not infrequently an alibi for the disinclination to think or praise.

46. To know a person's religion we need not listen to his profession of faith but must find his brand of intolerance.

47. To spell out the obvious is often to call it in question.

48. To the old, the new is usually bad news.

49. We are least open to precise knowledge concerning the things we are most vehement about.

50. We are more prone to generalize the bad than the good. We assume that the bad is more potent and contagious.

51. We can be absolutely certain only about things we do not understand.

52. We have rudiments of reverence for the human body, but we consider as nothing the rape of the human mind.

53. When people are bored it is primarily with themselves.

54. When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other.

55. Wise living consists perhaps less in acquiring good habits than in acquiring as few habits as possible.

56. You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you.

57. You can never get enough of what you don't need to make you happy.

Previously in this series

Part 1 Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of Mark Twain

Part 2: Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of Oscar Wilde

Part 3: Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of People Named "W"

Part 4: Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of Anatole France

Part 5: Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of Ambrose Bierce

Part 6: Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of Friedrich Nietzsche

Part 7: Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of Anon

Part 8: Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of People Named "H"

Part 9: Pithy Prose: The Wit & Wisdom of Johann Goethe

Strategic Thinking from Art of War Author Sun Tzu Relevant Today

2008-11-29T01:06:00.000-08:00

Few writers from ancient times enjoy the same level of recognition as Sun Tzu, the famous philosopher and general from ancient China. Quotes from his timeless treatise the "Art of War" appear in popular culture and the whole book is frequently studied by business and military students around the world. Sun Tzu's "Art of War" presents thirteen chapters that describe how to factor in all important variables when trying to win a conflict. The principles can be applied to military problems as well as the challenges of the marketplace or even personal struggles.

The precise dates of the birth and death of Sun Tzu are not known, but history has verified his existence around the year 500 B.C.E. in China. Born of Sun Ping, a senior military officer in the state of Qi, Sun Tzu grew up with an education focusing on military affairs. At the time, it was common for Chinese generals to write about their philosophies of war, but it has been the work of Sun Tzu that has survived the ages. What made his "Art of War" so compelling that it is quite literally still in print 2,500 years after it was first inked onto strips of bamboo?

Part of the resilience of Sun Tzu's ideas comes from his success as a general. Ancient China was a complex chessboard of highly civilized yet warring states, and Sun Tzu enjoyed a respectable career within this challenging environment. Sun Tzu was in the employ of He Lu, the ruler of the state of Wu, who made him a general of the kingdom. In this role, Sun Tzu participated in numerous campaigns. His successes included the destruction of the Yue state, the territorial expansion of Wu, and the occupation of the city of Ying.

His successful application of his strategic thinking surely lent his literary work strength. His "Art of War" is not limited to narrow military concepts such as positioning soldiers on the field. Sun Tzu took into account all the forces acting upon a state. War is a tool of the state, and as Sun Tzu wrote, "War is a matter of vital importance to the state; a matter of life or death, the road either to survival or to ruin." But this crucial element of state power could not operate independently of diplomacy, politics, economics, geography, and philosophy. Each chapter in the "Art of War" explores these and other factors in detail and teaches that the application of military force must be used with a multidisciplinary approach. Geography is certainly given great emphasis because the actual land that is being fought over underpins military strategy, but it is not the sole consideration for a general.

Among the many sage pieces of advice that one can take away from the "Art of War" is Sun Tzu's insistence that war should not be started hastily, with optimistic assumptions, or without good intelligence. The stakes in war are too high for the state to lose, so therefore it must only employ its military tools when it can achieve victory. The economics of warfare is repeatedly stressed by Sun Tzu because of the heavy toll that maintaining an army in the field extracts from its society. War should not be the first tool that a state uses to gain its desired outcomes because it is so expensive.

In Sun Tzu's final chapter of his book, he opens with a statement that rings very true today as my own country, the United States, finds itself financing a prolonged war. From Chapter 13 "Use of Spies" Sun Tzu wrote:

"Now, when an army of one hundred thousand is raised and dispatched on a distant campaign, the expenses borne by the people together with disbursements of the treasury will amount to a thousand pieces of gold daily. In addition, there will be continuous commotion both at home and abroad, people will be exhausted by the corvee of transport, and the farm work of seven hundred thousand households will be disrupted."

Reading this, I am amazed by how little some things can change even after thousands of years. War is expensive, and its cost radiates throughout the populace supporting the army. This truth dramatically reveals the wisdom that Sun Tzu offered in his writing. From the "Art of War" a reader will gain a clear method for assessing almost any given situation and then planning a route to success. In his discussion of war, Sun Tzu teaches his readers to think about where they are, what they are doing, can they support what they are doing, do they know what they are up against, what is the easiest method for achieving their goals, and so forth. Sun Tzu continually reminds the reader (and during his life no doubt himself) that the state must not think about only what it desires without giving weighty consideration to outside influences. For individuals, this all inclusive way of thinking helps them to surmount the blinders that emotions often place on their actions. Obstacles to victory cannot be ignored. They must be dealt with thoughtfully.

The world of ancient China that Sun Tzu lived in might have been simpler in the sense of less technology, but the stakes of warfare were no less important than they are today, and the path to finding victory or success was no easier.

As a very short work, the "Art of War" can be read in an hour or two, but it will give readers something to think about for years. His advice sticks in the head. It might not be easy to follow, but Sun Tzu's famous statement that "every battle is won or lost before it is fought" serves as the ultimate reminder that victory comes to those who plan.

The Gift of Giving

2008-11-28T01:06:00.000-08:00

The Act of Giving is something we all possess! We can smile at a stranger and that is our gift to them. When we dig inside the web of personalities, giving gives us a sense of empowerment and satisfaction.

When you receive a gift you feel special in a good way, you feel like your important. That truly is a wonderful gift to give anyone.

* When was the last time you smiled at a stranger?

* When was the last time you gave yourself a gift?

* When was the last time you did something nice with no thought of what you would get back?

One gift I know I have in my possession is Knowledge and knowledge can lead to power. Every person I share with I am giving them the gift of my knowledge, do I have to share.........no..........do I want to.........yes I do.

When we all do our online interacting, how do we make that other person feel special and important? Are we giving them a Cyber Handshake or Greeting out of the way? Are we commenting
and encouraging? That is one way right now you can share a gift, yes it costs nothing but truly gains a good feeling for that other person. Did you know if you made there day that they would remember you better?

If you can lighten ones persons day and make a lovely impression on them what would you choose to do? Who Are you going to share you Gift with?

Become a Better You by Joel Osteen Gets an A on My Scorecard

2008-11-27T01:05:00.000-08:00

So I just got done reading Joel Osteen's book "Become a Better You". It is a 320+ page book filled with information on, well, as the title suggests becoming a better you. I must say before I write my review here that I am Joel fan. I think he is easy to listen to and has a great message week in and week out.

Now I know many devout Christians do not like Joel for the reason that it is a non-denominational service that implements the works of the bible and Jesus Christ with everyday life such as goal setting, achieving success and so on.

To me I think what Joel is trying to do is absolutely what a lot of people need in this world. I think gone are the days of the teachings of Jesus Christ through brimstone and fire.

I was born to a Catholic family, attended Catholic school from kindergarten to senior year in high school and through those thirteen years, when I say brimstone and fire, they would teach you the works of Jesus Christ through saying that if you don't believe you go to hell, things like that. We can save that conversation for another time though.

For now I want to tell you about what I thought of Joel's new best selling book. It was definitely an easy read. I finished the book in less than two weeks, which for me is quite an accomplishment because for whatever reason I have never been a fast reader. In any event the book is an easy read and well written.

Each chapter clearly outlines a path on how to become better at relationships, life, and work, family you name it. At the end of each section, which is comprised of many chapters each, Joel gives you an outline on what to do to improve your life in those areas he just wrote about. You are given a series of steps to take, and questions to ask others and yourself. It is a nice outline to follow.

The book is filled with a lot of real life examples, not only in Joel's own life but from others that attend his church in Texas and watch his TV program. My thought is using examples to get your point across about anything is always a good way to get your reader's attention.

All in all I would give this book an "A". It was what I expected it to be, had a clear and defined outline on how to get where you want to go, and most importantly it related everything in the book with the teachings of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

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The Path to Personal Growth

2008-11-26T08:04:00.000-08:00

Something that most of us come to understand is the path to personal growth. However our journey to that realization may be varied. Experiences in our day to day lives teach us the importance of paying attention to what we are learning from challenging and something painful situations. As we grow our experiences teach us to follow a path that may make sense at the time. As a young man, before I was introduced to a path of personal development, I probably looked at the world differently. At that time, I adopted the knowledge I learned from my friends, my family and even from experiences in school. My viewpoint then was the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. For many of my generation, our parents told us get a college degree, secure a great job and work hard and everything would be fine, that's what life was all about. But this did not work for me. For me, and others, we found that when life did not seem to work, this limiting philosophy was to blame.

I still remember the day my life was changed after listening to the tape of Mr. Jim Rohn. He taught me that rather than wishing life was easier, strive instead to be better. Face challenges in life by developing stronger skills. Look at challenges as the path to wisdom. What changed for me was the impact that personal development (PD) began to have in my life; I became devoted to mastering it in all areas of my life and making it my personal philosophy.

What about you? Have you given any thought to upgrading your life by studying PD?

Let me tell you it will take time and energy to create the habits of a stronger mind taking full responsibility for where you are going in life. So if you were to take that on what would that mean for you? Well for others it has meant being open minded, welcoming new ideas, establishing strong standards for your life. It doesn't happen overnight but surprisingly, putting one foot in front of the other you can get there. Who you become in the process is the part that is most exciting! An analogy that I love is the planting of a seed. It is something we can all relate to. Once that seed is planted it will grow, the roots may remain hidden under the ground for some time, but eventually the sprouts will burst through the ground and small green leaves will push their way through the soil and grow into twigs that become strong branches and eventually become a resilient and mighty tree. What went into cultivating that tree? It takes care, like water, sun, healthy soil, nutrients. Through the harvest, the foundation will come. No short cuts here! The analogy of the tree can be compared to the steps of Personal Development, let me share them with you now. The four principles that transformed my personal and business life are:

1. Endless possibilities come from new ideas obtained though a learning process of personal philosophy.

2. The necessary traits are a winning attitude, an inspiring life, empowering beliefs, enthusiasm, excitement and the willingness to make thing happen, rather than just wait for things to happen.

3. Combine the knowledge you have learned with action. Without taking any action your knowledge would be wasted. Nothing we suffer is in vain; it is all part of our growth to a more rewarding life.

4. Our results are always giving us feedback. By tracking our progress we can see the path we have journeyed Measure your results as a target for success!

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The Tragic Sense of Life, Miguel De Unamuno's Unique View of Immortality

2008-11-25T08:03:00.000-08:00

Whenever doubt assails me, I turn to The Tragic Sense of Life and my faith is quickly restored. Faith, reason, the man of flesh and bone, and immortality of body and soul, are themes that Unamuno discusses with the ardent --fanatical I'd say-- hunger for God.

After such shoddy fiction as The DaVinci Code, and fake TV Documentaries (The Tomb of Jesus), I find solace, wisdom, respect for God, and much joy as I read pages upon pages of this beloved book--The Tragic Sense of Life.

Such heavy thinkers as Aristotle, Kant, Hegel, Spinoza, and Descartes, Unamuno views with distrust. Little value does he place in knowledge--gnosis, rationality-- going on the attack against Descartes' arrogance as well as Spinoza's atheism. Wither knowledge? He asks: "The end of man is to create science, to catalogue the Universe, so that it may be handed back to God in order...." he answers himself by quoting a thought from one of his novels.

Concluding that the man of reason and wisdom isn't the true creature that God created, but a shadow (or simulacra), he posits that the man that agonizes on a daily basis and craves for immortality is God's creation. Undisturbed by what scholars may think, he lavishes praise to man-agon whose lot is to suffer the dread of having been cast into an alien universe.

Like Dostoesvsky's irrational, irreverent, disdainful Underground Man who says, "After all suffering is the sole cause of consciousness," Unamuno, sees suffering as the flow of life in this real world. Thus, he prefers passion and suffering to reason, truth, and beauty. Suffering is the prelude to the ideal world of eternity where one returns to God.

Lesser thinkers such as Lucretius, John Stuart Mill, Freud, Marx, Sartre, and other atheists never felt the meaning of the word 'suffering.' Freud came close to understanding it when he said that religion comes about because of the human desire to escape death (The Future of an Illusion). That is partially correct. The ultimate truth is that men are the only beings that go through life knowing that death is a certainty--hence his lifetime suffering.

Those who are wise accept that certainty and find consolation in death as a return to God. Those who are knowledgeable seek more knowledge instead of acceptance and live to die alone; and what can be sadder than the utter desolation of a godless man or woman?

With unequivocal voice Unamuno rejects St. Paul's return to God where one is absorbed into peace and quiet for eternity. No, Unamuno says, the hunger we feel for immortality is for us to go on living in this life and in the other with full consciousness, the very same consciousness we own now. This is a daring view. This is the Unamunian never-ending longing for "a life in which each one of us may feel his consciousness and feel that it is united without being confounded, with all other consciousnesses in the Supreme Consciousness, in God."

Kindred spirits Unamuno finds:

Among the men of flesh and bone --the suffering ones-- there have been typical examples of those who possess this tragic sense of life. I recall now Marcus Aurelius, St. Augustine, Pascal, Rousseau . . . Kierkegaard, men burdened with wisdom rather than with knowledge.

You'll find some fine translations of this book, but I prefer J. E. Crawford Flitch's who has taken the trouble to add his own Endnotes. Believers as well as unbelievers could well profit from Unamuno's book.

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Warrior Wisdom - Ageless Wisdom For the Modern Warrior by Bohdi Sanders

2008-11-24T08:03:00.000-08:00

I was fortunate enough to read an advanced copy of "Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior" by Bohdi Sanders to provide an endorsement on back and inside cover. When the book came out, I read it again. It is that good! In fact, I can't say enough good things about this book, I enjoyed it that much.

First of all, it is readily apparent that Sanders and I have studied much of the same things over the years. While we have not studied the same martial arts, we have studied much of the same warrior literature that has been written over the years. This includes ancient texts and modern works. Because of this, I recognized many of the quotes Sanders has in "Warrior Wisdom."

Before I go further, this is a quote book, but also much much more than a quote book. There are 167 entries or chapters to this book. Each entry starts with a quote. It is many of these that I was familiar with. Quotes such as, "He is victorious who knows when and when not to fight" by Sun Tzu and "In order to progress in life, one has to improve every day in an endless process." From the Hagakure. If all this book contained was 167 quotes on warriorship, I would still have enjoyed it, and would most likely read it again and again at various times. However, Sanders did not just compile a list of quotes. After each quote, Sanders has written commentary on the quote and what that means to those living as warriors today.

I found myself many times thinking, "He nailed that; that's how warriors should think and act." It is very apparent that Sanders has taken considerable time studying and thinking on warriorship and what it means to be a warrior. His personal definition goes beyond someone who is in the military or who engages in war. His definition of warrior can be obtained without having to actually kill in battle, but to engage oneself in the war of life, and live with honor and integrity. Don't be fooled that Sander's definition neglects the traditional concepts of battle and warfare that is indeed found in the term warrior. Sanders believes modern warriors should train and be prepared to battle injustices and be able to defend themselves and others. However, developing character shines through in many of the commentaries. I agree with Sanders one hundred percent in that warriors must live by a higher standard and the standards he presents in this text, if adhered to, will make anyone, man, woman, or child a better person, a stronger force for good, and a powerful example of someone who epitomizes character.

I find myself now picking up the book periodically to read one entry, and not just read it, but to study Sander's commentary and ask myself if that is how I am living. Personally, I find my military service and my martial studies to be part of me, not just something I did or do. They are a way of life. Sure, that may sound funny to some, but for those that actually live this way, we know it is a powerful way to live. The warrior's edge that I write and speak about is just what this book is about. Its about living more powerfully with honor, integrity, and self-discipline.

I encourage anyone to read this text and focus on the character and self-discipline lessons Sanders shares. Incorporating even some of the advice into your daily living will make a difference. If you are a warrior, or desire to live as one, read Warrior Wisdom.

Alain Burrese, J.D. is a mediator/attorney with Bennett Law Office P.C. and an author/speaker through his own company Burrese Enterprises Inc. He helps people discover their warrior's edge through writing and speaking about a variety of topics focusing on the business areas of negotiation and success principles as well as self-defense and safety. He is the author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks, several instructional dvds, and numerous articles. You can find out more about Alain Burrese at his website.

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On The Genealogy of Morals - A Polemic

2008-11-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

If you are interested in knowing about the birth of Christianity and about morals then the book by Nietzsche is the one you should read. The book is titled On the Genealogy of Morals and is a polemical work of philosophy. Published in 1887, philosophers worldwide have regarded this book as one of the best philosophical book ever made.

First of all, this book was made by Friedrich Nietzsche because his first one, Beyond Good and Evil was considered to be too complicated to understand and does not explain all about morals. The book, On the Genealogy of Morals is primarily focused on morality and its origins. It emphasizes more on Christian morality and moral prejudice.

In this book you will find three essays namely "Good and Evil, Good and Bad", "Guilt', 'Bad Conscience', and Related Matters", and the third essay is called "What do ascetic ideals mean?" As you can see, the On the Genealogy of Morals book focuses a lot about morality and Christianity. You have to consider that morality is quite a broad word to understand and many people have different morality.

You have to consider that many people have different perceptions of what is good and what is bad. Because of this, there will be a conflict of morality. In fact, this book has stated that humans don't even know themselves even if they have vast knowledge. In short, many people don't know what morality is and they have different ideals where it is difficult to understand what is moral and what is not.

Although there are laws about morality, you have to consider that it still conflicts with other ideals. There are different philosophies about morality and many people have different perceptions. What this book will explain is about the origins of morality and will mainly concentrate on the widely accepted Christian morality. As you may know, Christian morality is filled with different ideals that seem favorable in the human way of life. You have to understand that many religions have different morality. However, Christian morality is widely accepted because of its ideals and many people consider the philosophy behind Christianity is right.

For example, in the past people consider slavery as part of life and is part of their moral principles. However, as time changes and as society evolves, slavery is now viewed as immoral in modern countries.

This book also explains about the human conscience and regards it as the voice of God in man. As you read further on, you will see that guilt is also an issue in morality. For example, if you hurt a person or kill a person, do you feel guilt? Many societies today views hurting or killing a person as immoral and for good reasons too. The Christian values state that it is wrong to kill or hurt someone. Because of this education and this ideals that have been imprinted in one's mind since childhood, you will feel guilty about hurting or killing a person.

These are some of the things that you can expect in On the Genealogy of Morals. You have to consider that this book is quite hard to understand. You will also need to adjust to the philosophical way of thinking in order to fully understand the contents inside this book.

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Music For The Stars!

2008-11-22T01:00:00.000-08:00

Alan Cohen author of, " Chicken Soup For The Soul," and other inspirational books said that in his work, "Lifestyles Of The Rich In Spirit."

A prominent political figure from a Muslin nation visited one our University recently to speak and answer questions, and I watched the president of that institution challenge him and attack him verbally. There was no peace in the words he used to describe his guest, he had his mind made up that this man represented the enemy and a war of words was in order. It was obvious to everyone that this man and his country were works of the devil and it was our duty to eliminate him first by dehumanizing him, and then by threats of war.

The guest answered the questions as best he could; he knew that the majority of the audience would not accept his words, but he tried to explain his country's position on several topics that struck fear in the hearts of Americans; but our thoughts had already established that this man was someone to hate. He on the other hand, stood his ground firmly and explained his position as clearly as he could given the atmosphere of emotions that surrounded him. He did not claim to hate or want to destroy us, he said he wanted to be our friend; he said that his religion was a peaceful one and that his country wanted to live by their beliefs without interference from other nations. He saw the conflict in Iraq as a senseless attempt to control something that was not under our control; it had been in existence for centuries before we were born as a country and always found a way to resolve its own issues. In the mist of all the anger and resentment he found himself in, he maintain his composure and expressed his feelings about how we had created the situations we found ourselves involved in, and that we were the ones that are forcing other nations to conform unconditionally.

The real issue is not about this man and his country; it is about each one of us. As Alan said, we must find the peace in our hearts in order to heal our separation. If we are motivated by fear, anger, and hatred, that is what we will manifest; the face of this man was that manifestation.

We do not practice what we preach in church each Sunday, we do not follow the teachings of Christ if we attack and fight in order to control. Destroying never brings healing, but forgiveness does. Through all the years of fighting we still do not get the concept of unity; we still put ourselves up on a higher plane of existence; we are disconnected from our source and do nothing but fight in order to reconnect; years of conditioning has made us what we are, a group of wanderers looking for redemption in all the wrong ways. It is us against everything else, when in fact there is nothing else; what we see is a mirror, there for us to remember who we really are.

Alan said something else in his book, " The most significant contribution you and I can make toward world peace is to be peaceful ourselves, to give peacefulness to those whose lives we touch daily, and to forgive ourselves for our errors, to the point at which we love ourselves no matter what we have ever done."

Now is the time for that forgiveness; now is the time to reunite within myself, to be the spirit that expresses the love that fills my heart. I can change and will change in order to be at peace; I ask for help from my source and it is given; I ask for love to fill my body and it is given; I ask to share that love with all life and it is given.
This Russian folk song explains my thoughts:

If the people lived their lives

As if it were a song!

For singing out the light

Provides the music for the stars

To be dancing circles in the night.

Howard (Hal) Thomas Manogue, was born in Philadelphia, and is a forerunner to the Indigo children, a now age term for misfit with an intuitive nature, a desire to know his truth with a gift of giving and sharing. Hal retired from the shoe industry after 35 years of sole searching, and discovered his real soul. He enjoys art, music, philosophy, psychology, nature and people.

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Book Review - Connections - The Five Threads of Intuitive Wisdom

2008-11-21T01:00:00.000-08:00

Someone once asked Edgar Cayce if others could do what he did, and he answered, "Yes, if you are willing to pay the price." For some, this referred to the material sacrifices Mr. Cayce and his family made to pursue his work. Yet there is another level of meaning to his reply. Many of his statements about intuitive or psychic development pointed to the necessity for personal transformation, not merely the learning of a technique. One could learn the technique of automatic writing, for example, and produce works of wonder. Although Mr. Cayce acknowledged that automatic writing was a valid channel for bringing in new truths, he consistently advised people away from it and toward the alternative, alternative, inspirational writing. This latter method requires, however, more than learning the trick of getting your hand to write while you're not paying attention. It requires one to learn how to enter into the consciousness of an ideal, and then surrender to the flow of that awareness as it moves into the writing phase. The caterpillar doesn't become a butterfly by pasting on wings, but rather by allowing itself to melt into liquid which then crystallizes as a butterfly.

I've given students a taste of this kind of transformation through dance. Typically I use Cayce's favorite music for harmonizing, Strauss's "Blue Danube Waltz." Don't try to "do a dance," I suggest," but rather allow the music to dance you!" It is a fun way to explore the difference between making an effort to perform a trick and to enter into the mystery of oneness. In her book Connections: The Five Threads of Intuitive Wisdom (Tarcher/Penguin), Gabrielle Roth presents a similar self-transformational approach to intuition. The author, an artist of the dance and a respected exemplar of someone living the intuitive life, shares personal stories of her struggles, transformations, and discoveries. There is another life to live, more real than what typically passes for living, and there's a divine human being ready to live that alternative life, she writes, provided we can escape the addiction to the consciousness of the separate self that must be in control.

"To fully realize our intuitive abilities," she writes, "we need to be instinctive, intimate, intent, integral, and inspired. Each of these energies is a facet of intuition, our connection to the divine force that moves all things. The problem happens when we stop trusting its supreme intelligence, intelligence, when we allow our intuition to be overwhelmed and diminished by the loud, reactive defensive voices of the ego."

By instinctive, she means the wisdom of the body. A good example is the way the body can naturally move to music if it's allowed. Wisdom can emerge from the dance, as you can discover for yourself. When you are troubled by a situation and don't know what to do, if meditation doesn't help, try dancing! When you sit back down, exhausted and spent, you may be surprised to find that you now know how to move past your predicament.

By intimacy, she means the momentary dissolving of boundaries that create separations between ourselves and the life around us. Learning to listen, to experience a heart connection with other life forms, is a form of cooperation with life that supports intuitive awareness.

By intent, she means the ability to embrace change, even chaos, while knowing intuitively that one has an inner connection with one's destiny that will shake off potential mistakes and alert one to the symbolic cues life uses to call us forward.

By integrity, she doesn't mean being right or good, but rather she asks that we be real, authentic, not weakened by contradictions, but strengthened by the paradoxes we can accept. It's not about what we say, but what we are aware of within. Being honest with ourselves, having the innocence of a pure heart, gives us courage to trust intuition rather than doubt it and suspect it of personal contamination.

By inspiration, she means the intuition of Spirit. It is the ability to allow life to breathe you, to move you along your natural path of soul expression. Everyone has a purpose, a calling, a destiny. With intention we can set an ideal, and then allow the Spirit of Life to move us toward the fulfillment of that ideal. Very often life will take us to a new level of awareness, to an even greater ideal, provided we are willing to be moved. Once again, dancing to inspirational music is often a great awakener, a wonderful meditation on being moved by Spirit.

Gabrielle Roth's personal confessions - exuberant, earthy, wild, sensitive - of her experience with intuition echo the description of the spiritual path described in both idealized and practical terms by Edgar Cayce. More than learning intuitive skills, the goal is personal tr ansformation that allows one to "express the face" of the Creator in one's own individual manner.

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The Fundamental Connection Between Sickness and Creativity

2008-11-20T07:59:00.001-08:00

Thomas Mann, a German short story writer-novelist was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1929. When his diaries were unsealed in 1975, they told of his struggles with his sexuality and which found reflection in his many works. His Death in Venice (1912) is a short novel wherein perverted love, decay and death result from a breakdown of traditional morals of a celebrated middle-aged writer Aschenbach belonging to Munich.

A dedicated artist with strong moral attitudes, Aschenbach proceeds on a holiday to Venice. In the hotel he finds himself watching a fourteen-year-old boy of Polish family whose flawless beauty and profile recalled a piece of classical Greek sculpture. From then on, after the initial aesthetic response, Aschenbach is lost. Sensuality he has subdued all his life. But now, the conflict between sensuality and intellect keep troubling him all the time. Looking at the boy, Tadzio, fills him with the anguish of love, expressed outside the door of the boy's bedroom. One night, a dream filled with orgiastic Dionysian imagery reveals to him the sexual nature of his feelings for Tadzio. And it leads to following the boy, contemplating, dreaming - spanning the whole gamut of unrest, ecstasy and fear.

Aschenbach's judgment becomes diseased and perverted. Thus, Achenbach's encounter with a silent stranger standing alone at a mortuary at Munich with bellicose gaze straight into the eyes sets his heart throbbing with horror and enigmatic desire. The stranger's white and long lips, exposed gums, red eyelashes over pale eyes, two vertical furrows like horns on his forehead - these give him the mask of death and the marks of the devil. The stranger symbolizes the demonic atmosphere that pervades Aschenbach's progressive decline. He also, in the meanwhile, suffered the bonhomie of a lascivious young-old man, roughed and drunk - all these prior incidences are indicative of his innate moral decadence, and of what he is to become when he follows the boy Tadzio through the 'odour of the sickened city' , Venice.

He (Aschenbach) becomes, with the aid of a cosmetic expert's rouge and hair dye, the old-young fop, and is constantly lured into the sight of the boy, who seems to be aware of his attentions, and, in return, seems also to be encouraging and tempting him.

On a near-deserted beach Aschenbach watches Tadzio for the last time, driven to agony on seeing the boy unsupervised for once, fighting with an older boy where Tadzio is quickly bested. Angrily, Tadzio leaves his companion and wades over to Aschenbach's part of the beach, where he stands for a moment looking out to sea; then turns halfway around to look at his "lover". To Aschenbach, it is as if the boy is beckoning to him. Irrevocably caught in the fatal fascination of the boy's corruptive beauty, he tries to rise and follow, only to collapse back into his chair, and soon after dies of cholera in the silence of his homosexual love.

When news of his death becomes public, the world decorously mourns the passing of a great artist, his artistic reputation remaining unharmed. But the secret of his moral degeneration, too, dies with Aschenbach's death.

Aschenbach had been the 'Apollonian' artist (Apollo, the god of reason and the intellect) who cultivated the classical virtues of restraint, moderation and harmony. But after seeing the beautiful boy his repressed emotional and sexual urges found release in 'Dionysian' lawlessness (Dionysus, god of unreason and of passion), where the developing neurosis led to his unnatural obsession, infatuation, moral collapse, broken health and inglorious death. Achenbach is portrayed as the unheroic hero of the story.

Aschenbach embodies the conflict between Art and Life - between creativity and sicknesses in real life.

Mann, although attacked sarcastically by his enemies for having made paederasty (boy-love) acceptable to the cultivated middle classes, it has been pivotal to introducing the discourse of same-sex to the common culture; Mann probably intending to stress the need for a balanced existence.

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One Door Away From Heaven Book Review

2008-11-20T07:52:00.000-08:00

Like many of Dean Koontz's books, this novel tells the story of several people whose lives intertwine in strange ways. It's a tale of fate, duty and hope, starting with a woman in need of help. Micky Bellsong is at a crisis point in her life. She is staying with her Aunt Geneva (an extraordinarily entertaining character) when she meets a young girl named Leilani. The girl soon reveals her terrifying homelife involving a killer stepfather and an uncaring mother, and before Micky has time to react to the news, the girl vanishes with her family. Micky soon finds herself on a mission to save Leilani.

There's another plot that follows a little boy and his dog, a journey that becomes terrifying even to the book's readers. Koontz tells this part of the story in the present tense, further intensifying the struggle. Of course, the boy and Micky eventually cross paths, and the world will change when they do.

I think One Door Away From Heaven will be well-received by fans of horror that yearn for just a little bit more out of their thriller novels. Koontz delivers action and suspense, yet at the same time offers philosophy and theories to his readers. This one is definitely a page-turner with a higher purpose. The book delivers fast-paced action along with some very serious themes, like assisted suicide and substance abuse.

I loved the feel of this novel. It was exciting and suspenseful, and it provided a really good message at the same time. Very well-written with a great plot and full of meaning. A perfect novel!

Every so often, I come across a book that I just need to share. Reading this made me want to buy a copy of this book for everyone I know. I think everyone should read this one. Upon finishing One Door Away From Heave, I felt really good about life, as a Koontz novel typically leaves me. I like that the author portrays a good message about life in this novel.

Some find Koontz difficult to read at times, due to his twisted plot lines and deep philosophical streaks. In the end, I think his novels are worth the read, particularly if you're in the mood to think about the deeper meanings behind life and our existence. For me, Koontz novels get better when he stopped following a formula. One Door Away From Heaven is truly a great read!

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Love Lifted Me!

2008-10-30T18:45:00.000-07:00

Love Lifted Me! :

Love lifted me

Enabled me to be

Providing me safety

Continually comforting me

Progressively encouraging me

Empowered me to become

I now confidently run

Into the unknown

For it is there

I've repeatedly grown

Trusting in my Creator

To provide friends and home

He sets the universe in motion

Moves heaven and earth

To align me with His purposes

Because my heart and life is His

He fulfills my every dream

Always exceeding my expectations

Sending me loving sensations

By the Spirit

And through my wife

God is love

Love is patient

Love is kind

Love is Karla

On my mind

Love is selfless

Love is bliss

Love is Karla

Whom I kiss.

Love is honesty

Love is truth

Love is the fairy

Who takes my tooth

Love is Karla

Who I hold and smooch

Ugh oh

Butterflies on the loose!

Love feels great

Love is my fate

Love warms my heart

Love is Karla

A work of art

From whom I can't depart

Love is precious

Love is sweet

Love makes me want

To move my feet

Love, you cannot stop

It makes you skip

It makes you hop

No matter what happens

When you've got love

You're definitely not a flop

Love burns hot

Love goes deep

Love is Karla

Whom I must keep

Love is everything

Love makes you sing

Love is consistent

It's not merely a fling

Love is commitment

Love is earnest

Love is incomparable

You can taste it

As if it were edible

By far, love is the best

It both excites

And gives you rest

Love always strengthens

It assures your soul

Love is a promise

Love makes you whole

Love never fails

It cannot cease

Love is stronger than hatred

Your ails, it does release

Love is spiritual

Love is godly

Love enables you

To endure all happily

Love is an inner knowing

Love is a profound revelation

It has no bounds

It affects every nation.

First Kiss & Love to My Husband

2008-10-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

First Kiss

Long after we met
Still standing in forever
Our kindred spirits released
Beyond our wildest desires

To find love alone together
For I found you there
In nights glow lights
Full of moon beams

Shed of inhibitions
With no one to see
I kissed you secretly
Under the naked tree

Webbed in shadows
Embraced yet still free
For I found you there
In the warmth of the eve

Without a summer breeze
To be dancing in the droplets
Of Nectar sweet as a honey bee
Subtle light and free

To fly with you in dreams
Relished natures fantasy
Will blush my heart
When our lips touch

For I found you there

Heather Mirassou

Love To My Husband

I am drawn to you like
The stars to the midnight skies
The Earth to the burning sun
Water to thirsting flowers

I am comfortable with you like
An old pair of boots
A faded pair of jeans
My favorite sweater and scarf

I am at peace with you like
Sitting in a boat in the middle of a lake
Taking a walk in silence in the country
Listening to rain drops fall in the dark of night

I am alive with you like
The laughter that is uncontrollable
The heart that goes thump, thump, thump
Running through wildflowers in the wilderness

Every ounce of my being
Mind, body and soul are riveted by you
I am alive with you, free with you, comfortable with you

I love you

Heather Mirassou

About the Author:
I am kind, compassionate, a good listener, a loving mother, and very spiritual. I am enjoying life in my forties and realizing my life purpose and dreams. During the journey...I am focusing on dreams, goals and passions that I have not fulfilled. I have written over sixty poems and just picked up my pen after two years. To my amazement, it was like I never left my pen or passion. Words started to fly onto the paper, dance and come to life.

Halloween Decoration Tips

2008-10-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

There's an ever increasing variety of Halloween-related decorating choices to add spookiness to your home. The sky is darkening. You feel chill and ghostly horrors in the air as the moon shines brightly on this cloudless night... But where do you start in planning your Halloween decoration?

There are a lot of ways to decorate for Halloween. With some people concentrating on witches and monsters and others concentrating on graveyard sites and zombies. Take a ride around town and look at all of the great decorating ideas. Most people just decorate to entertain their neighbors and for the trick or treating kids that stop by. You too can turn you home "boo-tiful" with few decorations.

Plan to buy your pumpkins early to get the best selection. By selecting a variety of shapes and sizes of pumpkins, you will be able to make a variety of interesting jack-o-lanterns ghosts. And don't forget about those miniature pumpkins, they can make great party favors or Halloween decorations also. And the day before the party, carve your pumpkins and double check you have enough candles or use small flashlights to show off their ghostly grins.

Add hauntingly spooky background ghost music or a collection of sing-a-longs for the kids. Also, you might want to incorporate some Halloween special effects outside with spooky horror sounds as your guests walk up to the front door. There are a lot of special music tapes or CD's available to purchase.

Then, if you have railings on your porch, you can also find Halloween-colored garland to thread through the rails at the same store where you found your Halloween lights for the tree. It can be especially potent when combined with your spooky decorated Halloween tree.

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Funny Birthday Poem For a Boyfriend

2008-10-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

Have you ever realized that there is better way of sending funny birthday poems for a boyfriend? You are probably sending your funny birthday poem for a boyfriend through the regular mail. Well if you are a member to an online social utility, then it would be easier for you to send messages like those for free. An online social utility is a website where you can sign in or register for free and use all the applications and tools available for you. Post on your blogs, chat online, send messages, post comments on forums and the list goes on.

If you are a member to this social networks or online social utility, your poems can be seen worldwide on the internet or you can make private. When you make it private, it would only be you and whoever you allow to see it. You will be the one who will dictate who can and who cannot see your poems. You may also want to create your own group of classmates or friends that are really into poem writing and that kind of stuff.

Memberships to these social interactive networks are mostly free. Becoming a member gives you a lot of choices in terms of sending and communicating to your boyfriend or the people around you. To connect and communicate to people you know cannot be easier. You can find people too, on a network like this. Best of all you can chat online with your boyfriend, relatives, classmates, schoolmates and people you know.

There are other things you can do with your poems. You can write more a let the whole know who wrote them, and then you become an instant celebrity or a well known poem writer. Some people make a living writing poems or write them on a part time basis. And the best vehicle for you to be known and recognize is through this social networks. The benefits of being part these groups are the free access to keep in touch with your friends or boyfriend. Another thing you can do is create a group of people who do the same thing as you do so that you can connect and communicate on how to do things.

It is so common nowadays to be a member of an online social utility network especially younger people. They love being well connected to their classmates and schoolmates that some of them may be registered to two or even five different websites. It is a craze that is going to be very popular especially sending messages and keeping in touch.

In today's world, sending messages are mostly done online or through the internet. Using short messaging services can cost a lot of money if you use too long or more frequently. Whereas, in an online social utility network, it is free and you can do it for hours or as long as you can click the mouse of your computer. Thus, sending a funny birthday poem for a boyfriend can be done easier using a social group or community.

By Shellaine Enfesta

One Night Standard

2008-08-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

It has all come down
to this: you loved me once
on a Wednesday night.

Twists and turns
of our flesh and bones,
just to see what would
become of us.

It was magic while it was,
and you said goodbye
as you tied your shoes.

I won't ever forget
the sharp shape
of your back;
a silhouette across
Thursday morning.

HOW TO BECOME AN IDEAL FRIEND

2008-07-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

Its not easy becoming a friend or making one because a friend is not a state of mind. Its real and its in your face. A friend is someone who makes your life worth its while a little more than yesterday. While everybody has their own definitions of a "friend", the long and short of it is we all need friends to make our lives better. We at TheHolidaySpot value our friendship as much as you do and would like to share our ideas of how to become an ideal friend with you, for if wasn't for you we wouldn't be where we are today.

HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY...

In friendship "honesty" is the key word. One should always be honest to his or her friends.
Don't overlook their faults, even if you have none for you are his friend!
Praise them honestly and openly.
Say you're sorry, when you hurt your friend. Don't let them assume it.*

GIVE MORE THAN YOU TAKE...

Be there when they need you or you may wind up alone.
Love them unconditionally, that is the only condition. Make them feel special, because aren't we all special?*
Never forget them, who wants to feel forgotten.*

BE SUPPORTIVE...*

Cheer them on, we all need encouragement now and then.*
Encourage their dreams and aspiration, Life seems almost meaningless without them.
Your words count, use them wisely.
Use good judgement.
Wish them luck, hopefully good*
Eamine your motives before you "help" out
Just be there when they need you
Really listen, a friendly ear is a soothing balm*

FORGIVENESS...

Forgive them for, "To Err is Human", and you just may end up making the same mistakes in course of time..*

KEEP THE FAITH...

Have faith in them. For, there is no love without trust.
Zip your lips when they confide in you*

EXPRESS YOURSELF CLEARLY

Know when they need a hug, and couldn't you use one?*
Offer to help, and know when " No thanks" is just politeness*
Quietly disagree, noisy No's make enemies*
Verbalsise your feelings*

HAVE FUN...

Get together often, misery loves company, so does glee.
Talk frequently, communication is important.*

Enjoying your friendship is the order of the day. So its not what we call a friendship if you don't feel right.
Always remember a friendship is worth it when you are able to enjoy the amazing relationship with no holds barred. Its a mutual bond for life that you cant give up.

Beautiful Losers - Winning Within With Attitude

2008-05-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

By Paul Davis

Beautiful and gracious losers

Huh? What did I hear you say?

I know it's a new concept anyway

One many fail to wonderfully discover

Gloriously awaken to and uncover

It's because most fight for their right

To exert their image and reputation

Exalt and uplift their societal station

Such loathe a moment of degradation

Their self-image frail and easily derailed

By an unkind word or condescending look

Hence they are often hooked and overcome

As they succumb and easily run to appease

Do whatever it takes to remove intimidation

Peer pressure and emotional manipulation

They bend, bow, and break ever so easily

Just the thought of such does make me queasy

An authentic life quenched by fear and timidity

As for me on the contrary, I cannot merely be

A product of my environment, turbulent stupidity

Opinionated animosity and frail human tendency

To respond ever bitterly whenever we do disagree

A foolishness certainly and definitely not for me

Call me a loser because I'm not loaded with cash

Call me a loser because I don't know every celebrity

Call me a loser because with me you disagree politically

Call me a loser because I don't embrace your ideology

Call me a loser because I don't drink with you socially

Call me a loser because I don't dress as you fashionably

Call me a loser because I don't drive your brand of car

Call me a loser because I don't talk and think as you are

Call me a loser because I break the mold and am bold

Call me a loser because I have a purpose beyond yours

Call me a loser because I have my own opportunity's doors

Call me a loser because my pursuits and pleasures differ

Call me a loser because I know God above and prefer

To be spiritually minded and possess heavenly vision

Call me a loser because I don't yield agreeably to opinion

Regardless of what you think or say in Christ I have dominion.

Invite Paul to speak in your city!

Out Of Darkness - Dealing With Darkness And Breaking Through Darkness

2008-05-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

By Paul Davis

Out of darkness, even gross darkness

Almighty God commands forth the light

Setting life in order, making all wrongs right

Giving groping, confused, and troubled men

Illumination, revelation, knowledge, and insight

While they endeavor to press on through life

When they find themselves fearfully financially tight

Going through earthly and an overwhelming plight

Of situations and circumstances, engulfing their soul

It is the Lord of hosts that mightily arises to cajole

Far more so considering God's promises are true

Pure, noble, good, and able to take you through

The darkness presently, gruesomely swallowing you

When you wrestle with direction and what to do

When your aims and objectives delay in fruition

When you seek realignment and a new position

When you kick, bawl, squall and refuse to listen

When you need a higher and divine perspective

When you're tormented within and are ineffective

The Lord of love and life provides the breakthrough

Just drop your pride and humbly draw near for grace

Like a tender child seek God above, pursue His face

Beyond just His hand, apprehend His thoughts and heart

Before you finish praying, making requests, and depart

Take time to listen to what His Spirit wants to say to you

The Spirit of truth will amazingly reveal and direct you

And suddenly the light will shine in darkness to show you

Though the darkness will fail to adequately comprehend it

Your spirit within will awake, be quickened, and grasp it

Meanwhile your mind may argue, reason, and maybe bicker

Yet yield to God's Word and you will fulfill your destiny quicker

For God, who wonderfully said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"

Made His light shine in our hearts to give us the glorious light

Of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ

Embrace Jesus as your loving Savior and experience newness of life.

If you liked what you read, check out A New Earth - Connect with Your Creator & Experience Endless Awakenings

I Know The Times You Suffer

2008-05-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

By Sue Lueck Carlson

I know the times you suffer. I know the times you're sad.

I know the times life beats you up. I know the times you're mad.

I know the times your heart is broke. I know you cry at night.

I know the loneliness you feel. I know when things aren't right.

I know the passions of your heart. I know how hard you try.

I know the times you're down and out. I know you want to die.

I also know what lies ahead. I know the peace you'll feel.

I know that you will smile again. I know your heart will heal.

I know it's hard to live on earth. I know one day you'll see.

I know you'll understand the pain. I know you'll come to me.

Now it's time for you to know how much I love you still.

I never left you in bad times. Please know I never will.

I will hold you through the rough times.

I will wipe each tear you cry.

There is so much good around you - choose to live and not to die.

Just know that up ahead awaits the reason for the pain.

The only way a flower grows is from the falling rain.

Now be at peace and smile for me. These words are just for you.

I love you, Child. Your new day's begun.

Hold on! I'll see you through.

God wants you to know how much you are needed on this earth. There are things that only you can do. He knows you are struggling right now but if you hold on, you will see things in a different light.

Love Quote by William Shakespeare

2008-05-16T06:45:00.000-07:00

If you want to say something to that one person who is the most important to you then you have definitely come to the right place. You will find a variety of love quotes which you can use to pep up the spirit of your partner and make him/her realize that he/she matters to you the most.

One can use these quotes to bring a smile on the faces of their beloved ones as well as to make them realize their importance in one’s life. These quotes can also be used to say something which one could not express in any conversation. They can also be used to convey some part of your feelings while leaving the rest to be implied.

Love is merely madness...

Some Famous Birthday Quotes

2008-05-12T20:26:00.000-07:00

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."- Abraham Lincoln

"Born on Monday, Fair in face; Born on Tuesday,Full of God's grace; Born on Wednesday, Sour and sad; Born on Thursday, Merry and glad; Born on Friday, Worthily given; Born on Saturday, Work hard for your living;
Born on Sunday, You will never know want." - Anonymous

"Believing hear, what you deserve to hear:
Your birthday as my own to me is dear...
But yours gives most; for mine did only lend
Me to the world; yours gave to me a friend."- Martial

"Hope your Birthday gently breezes into your life all the choicest of things and all that your heart holds dear Have A Fun- Filled Day." -Anonymous

"Maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had, and what you've learned from them, and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated." - Anonymous

"Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year: The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again." -Menachem Mendel Schneerson

"They say that age is all in your mind. The trick is keeping it from creeping down into your body." -Author Unknown

"Once I was looking through the kitchen window at dusk and I saw an old woman looking in. Suddenly the light changed and I realized that the old woman was myself. you see, it all happens on the outside; inside one doesn't change." - Molly Keane

"Middle age occurs when you are too young to take up golf and too old to rush up to the net." - Franklin Pierce Adams "Thirty five is a very attractive age; London society is full of women who have of their own free choice remained thirty-five for years." - Oscar Wilde

My mother groaned, my father wept, into the dangerous world I leapt; helpless, naked, piping loud, like a fiend hid in a cloud. - William Blake

"Have you not a moist eye, a dry hand, a yellow cheek, a white beard, a decreasing leg, an increasing belly? Is not your voice broken, your wind short, your chin double, your wit single, and every part about you blasted with antiquity?"-William Shakespeare

With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come. -William Shakespeare To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent that is to triumph over old age. -Thomas B. Aldrich

Love and Walls

2008-05-08T22:21:00.000-07:00

By Thandiwe Mapi

Love and walls

Walls, intended to bring security
Walls to ensure of no scrutiny
Walls to keep us unscathed
Walls so unbreakable, and so inviting

Walls built without knowing
Of owner's knowledge
Causing uncertainty, leading to destitute
Tall and rigid,
For all to notice,
Without quivering

Why walls and tomorrows
Why an order of things with love.

Security and comfort I seek
Unbreakable it should be,
But dear Lord, let I not deprive any being
Let I encompass,
In my sanctuary

Let me furnish love openly and wall-lessly
Let me value nature
In case I forget how to adore, let me eternally
Learn the joys of loving.

T. Mapi

My heart

I think of all the colours of sorrow
I see black as the intense colour of sorrow
I see life as rejecting of my contribution
I see only grey skies, no birds singing lullabies

I cry and mourn, ask why
I look deep within and find whys
I see a helpless heart thumping for the sake of it
I look hard into my heart
I then inform myself to get up

My heart leads the way to getting me up
With my heart I learn to crawl, get up
Because my heart won't give up
I have learnt to do likewise
As long as I live, I love my heart

T. Mapi

Never too far

Hills and mountains
Rivers and oceans
Towns and cities
Faces and characters
All these amid us
But we are never too far

Hours to days
Days to weeks
Weeks to months
Months to years
Without seeing us
No tremendous moments to share
Yet, we are never too far

Hearts matted jointly
In the equivalent bit
In the identical strength
Hearts thumping as one
Giving a pledge that
We are never too far...

We are never too far
Because we part to convene
To share and live life as shaped for us
Mountains and oceans are of no significance
We are, and we always will be never too far...

T. Mapi

About author: My Name is Thandiwe Mapi, i am not a poet but i love poetry and i believe in the sense it makes to unravel things. I believe in love and its importance in grooming us into who we are. My poetry might not have the necessary rhime that is required in poetry but it puts forward my feelings about that particular topic, in most cases it is love.

For A Sunday Afternoon

2008-05-03T23:11:00.000-07:00

By Dennis Siluk Ed.D.

1) The Sun, and Coffee at Starbucks

The sun has no door today-but it's looking for one;
its face is in the window-slightly, it has white bright
knuckles this afternoon-
It drags its Sunday rays along the profile of my face.
The trees outside, from where I sit, across from me
through the window,
are porky-pine green, and beyond those, are peach
colored balconies.
I'm at 'Starbucks,' Benavides: the walls have long
stretched out pictures, of a weird coffee pot,
tables, circles, coffee cups, and musical things, things
like horns and notes, and so forth...!
My latte is strong, I like it like that, and I sip on it,
while reading: Shelley, Dylan Thomas, and Plath.

There are no clouds today in Lima, just mist from the
ocean, mixed into the atmosphere, a lazy
lazy mist at that; a stiff and thick kind of mist, like
soup-with slow moving feet, for I can see patches
of blue beyond it, and the sun, the sun I so love
seeping through a porthole or two, still looking for
that door.

#2362 4-27-2008

2) Intrusion (Poetic Prose, and Confessional Poetry)

When I was a young man, I was likened to terrified fish, an alcoholic that is what I was back then, not how I wanted to be. It is forty-years now. I know now I was better off with no father, thus, I had to row my way to where I am today, through a generation of vipers. Mother was always fearful I'd become nothing more than driftwood, but thick salt kept me up, and I didn't know (floating just above my neck). My mother and brother were happy (perhaps the only ones) when I somehow slipped through the keyhole and finally opened the shut door and joined the opposite continents. A late bloomer you might say.

visit Dennis site.

Man On Fire; If I Walked With You In The Garden

2008-05-03T23:07:00.000-07:00

By Peter Ponzio

Man on Fire

Red flames descend from the sky,
Burning into the depths of his eyes,
And crackle as they engulf his hair,
In tongues of fire.

The eyes, the eyes, stare out in
Placid indifference, while all around
Tongues of flame lick at the very air
Combusting in the night.

No stars here; no limned moon;
No serene reflections on the fiery
Pools below; only fire and burning,
And passion sleeping in those lidded eyes.

Saint or madman? Artist or lunatic?
Does it matter to a man on fire?
Can mere words express the desire
That fanned the flames into a conflagration,

And set the canvas alight? Oh, I long
For a flame to consume my desire,
To quench the thirst of my longing,
To plunge headfirst into the flames

That destroy all conscious thought,
All empty lies, all words written on
Cracked parchment. I long for the
Purity of fire, the peace of flames.

If I walked with you in the Garden

If I walked with you in the garden,
Like Adam or Ezekiel, or your friend
Enoch, I would not ask you why.
Instead I'd thank you for the
World you made, for the stars
In the skies, the birds of the
Air, the fish of the sea, and all
The creatures that abound there.
And I'd ask your help to preserve
These things, so that we don't
Destroy in one selfish moment
What took you six days to build.

If I walked with you in the garden,
I'd ask that you make man's
Burden light enough to bear;
That you give us strength to accept
What we must, and courage to do
What must be done. I'd ask that
You give us wisdom, so that we
Could be as merciful to one
Another, as you are to us.
I'd ask that you grant us tolerance
So that we stop the senseless
Bloodshed that masquerades
As belief in you.

If I walked with you in the garden,
I'd show you my heart, and ask
That you repair it, so that
I could always do what you require.
I'd ask for a song to sing so
That men might remember their
True calling, and not the vain
Lusting after things to make
Them forget.

And when at last my time draws near,
I hope that I have done enough with
What I've been given, that I be
Allowed to walk with you in the garden.

About Author

Peter Ponzio, the author of Children of the Night, is a CPA with over 30 years experience in Corporate Finance, holding positions as divergent as Treasurer, VP of Sales Administration, Vice President of IT, and General Manager of an internet start-up company in the late 1990s, and CFO at a subsidiary of a Fortune 100 company.

Mr. Ponzio graduated with a degree in English literature from Loyola University of Chicago, and is currently attending Northwestern University in pursuit of an MA in Literature.

Love Quotes

2008-03-01T00:30:00.000-08:00

Yeats once wrote:

"But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams”.
The world of literature is filled with romantic love quotes and it is interesting to study the various styles and ways in which poets have expressed their love. The quote mentioned earlier is a typical example of Yeats’s writing style and is often referred to as ‘dark romance’ for its ironic yet poignant style.

Contrary to popular belief, love quotes are not written as quotes and the quote mentioned earlier is an excerpt from Yeats’s poem titled “He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven”.

Romantic poems and love quotes are used in greeting cards, everyday writing and even in motion pictures. Although Yeats has never been considered the most romantic poet born, Lord Byron is well known for his romantic poetry and is the author of popular love quotes like

“She walks in beauty, like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies;

And all that's best of dark and bright meet in her aspect and her eyes:

Thus mellow'd to that tender light which heaven to gaudy day denies”.
Like Yeats, Byron has written poems that are ‘miserable’, but Byron’s writing style is considered far more romantic and there are hundreds of love quotes that can be selected from Byron’s poetry.

P.B. Shelley on the other hand, has a more direct and philosophical approach to love. To quote a love quote from Shelley’s ‘Love's Philosophy’:
“The fountains mingle with the river
And the rivers with the ocean,
The winds of heaven mix for ever
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single,
All things by a law divine
In one another's being mingle -
Why not I with thine?”

As is apparent, Shelley has a completely different approach to romance and is more ‘direct’. Although the term romantic poetry only emerged in the 18th and 19th century, poets like William Blake, Lord Byron, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Percy Bysshe Shelley, William Wordsworth and John Keats are believed to be the great romantic British poets of their time. Interestingly, it was Yeats that once wrote that his was the generation of “the last romantics”.
What is equally true about romantic poetry and love quotes is that, each poet is ideally suited for a particular purpose.

Depending on the situation, a person can choose from a variety of poems. For a gentler and less intense love quote Shelley is the ideal poet, whereas for an intense quote Blake is undeniably the best choice. On the other hand, if you are looking for a love quote that can express deep love and true emotion then Yeats is perhaps the best choice. Similarly, Byron’s poetry is filled with love quotes that can compliment a loved one.

If you are looking for love quotes or poems that will help you express your love a look at some of the poets mentioned above is a must.

Article Directory

Greatest 10 Love Quotes of All Time for Valentine's Day

2008-02-24T07:57:00.000-08:00

If you have it [Love], you don't need to have anything else, and if you don't have it, it doesn't matter much what else you have.

- James M. Barrie

Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.

-Franklin Jones

You are the only incense I burn upon the altar of my soul.

- KM MacKinnon
THE BOOK

Love is a canvas furnished by Nature and embroidered by imagination.

- Voltaire

At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet.

-Plato

Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.

- Robert Frost

Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.

- Henry Louis Mencken

I love you - those three words have my life in them.

- by Alexandrea to Nicholas III

Death cannot stop true love; it can only delay it for a little while."

~The Princess Bride

A beauty is a woman you notice; A charmer is one who notices you.

-Adlai Stevenson

Article Source

Fading In The Dark

2008-02-08T23:15:00.000-08:00

Fading in the dark;
Only you are watching helplessly so far
Will you come closer or just stay and watch?
I will know if the time comes.

The life-cycle of love, the chain of love,
Or maybe you never lock with me.
Sadness comes to my heart as the time is coming,
No wall no raing but you still not come,
what I can here is the word "SORRY".
But that is enough.

Days of Me

2008-01-12T17:51:00.000-08:00

Days of Me

When people say they miss me,

I think how much I miss me too,

Me, the old me, the great me,

Lover of three women in one day,

Modest me, the best me, friend

To waiters and bartenders, hearty

Laugher and name rememberer,

Proud me, handsome and hirsute

In soccer shoes and shorts

On the ball fields behind MIT,

Strong me in a weightbelt at the gym,

Mutual sweat dripper in and out

Of the sauna, furtive observer

Of the coeducated and scantily clad,

Speedy me, cyclist of rivers,

Goose and peregrine falcon

Counter, all season venturer,

Chatterer-up of corner cops,

Groundskeepers, mothers with strollers,

Outwitter of panhandlers and bill

Collectors, avoider of levies, excises,

Me in a taxi in the rain,

Pressing my luck all the way home.

That’s me at the dice table, baby,

Betting come, little Joe, and yo,

Blowing the coals, laying thunder,

My foot on top a fifty dollar chip

Some drunk spilled on the floor,

Dishonest me, evener of scores,

Eager accepter of the extra change,

Hotel towel pilferer, coffee spoon

Lifter, fervent retailer of others’

Fumor, blackhearted gossiper,

Poisoner at the well, dweller

In unsavory detail, delighted sayer

Of the vulgar, off course belier

Of the true me, empiric builder

Newly haircutted, stickerer-up

For pals, jam unpriser, medic

To the self-inflicted, attorney

To the self-indicted, petty accountant

And keeper of the double books,

Great divider of the universe

And all its forms of existence

Into its relationship to me,

Fellow trembler to the future,

Thin air gawker, apprehender

Of the frameless door.

-Stuart Dischell

In a pulse

2008-01-12T17:46:00.000-08:00

In a pulse
In the way
my heart quickens
in a pang,
in a desperate left-turn sidestep
whirling girliganhula crazy
absence
what are you finding?
Behind your couch,
in candles blown out

I am finding pieces of you
wrapped up in old socks
held together
with mangy hair-ties,
in between a particle of dust
and a dead fly’s abandoned leg
you are there
or more, what you were
and what you passed to me -
with a sense of martyrdom & legacy-
is becoming slowly my self-awareness,
my left-turn right-march
falling on the floorjump up dedication,
my striveand drive

and yes,
In a pulse
In the way my heart quickens
I hear what you taught meand can no longer uphold,
urging
me onwards
and up.

via pizazzwriting.wordpress.com

DO YOU LOVE SOMEONE THIS MUCH?

2007-12-27T18:00:00.000-08:00

A girl and guy were speeding over 100 mph on the road on a motorcycle...

Girl: Slow down. Im scared.

Guy: No this is fun.

Girl: No its not. Please, its too scary!

Guy: Then tell me you love me.

Girl: Fine, I love you. Slow down!

Guy: Now give me a BIG hug.

Girl hugs him

Guy: Can you take my helmet off & put it on yourself? Its bugging me.

In the paper the next day :( A motorcycle had crashed into a building because of brake failure. Two people were on it, but only one had survived. The truth was that halfway down the road, the guy realized that his brakes broke, but he didn't want to let the girl know. Instead, he had her say she loved him & felt her hug him one last time, then had her wear his helmet so that she would live even though it meant that he would die.

Poem for peace

2007-12-19T21:19:00.000-08:00

Our nation’s innocence is lost,Stolen by acts of hate.

Helpless people paid the cost,For them it is too late.

Daughters, sons, husbands, wives,Sisters, friends and brothers.

All of them have lost their lives,To senseless acts of others.
New York’s city has been defaced.Bodies lay in rubble.

They can never be replaced.But war won’t end our trouble.

Angers only escalate,As we point out the guilt.

Violence will perpetuate.While we dig through the silt,
Cries of anger, cries for war,Echo in the air.

As if our bombs and missiles soar,It will make it fair.
People claim “eye for an eye”Our nation wants to fight.

If their innocent people die,Then will that make US right?
Punishment surely must take place.These murderers must pay.

But they are groups and not a race.Keep liberty in mind, each day.
We are people of goodwill,Of truth and love and light.

Please give thought before you kill,Take heed before you fight.
We ask, what do we tell our children?

How do we give them ease?

Reactions set examples for them,

Should we not teach them peace?

By Tammy Kane

Ulysses By Alfred Lord Tennyson

2007-12-19T21:12:00.000-08:00

“I cannot rest from travel; I will drink
Life to the lees. All times I have enjoyed
Greatly, have suffered greatly, both with those
That loved me, and alone…
I am become a name;
For always roaming with a hungry heart
Much have I seen and known - cities of men
And manners, climates, councils, governments…
I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet experience is an arch where through
Gleams that untraveled world, whose margin fades
Forever and forever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!..
And this gray spirit yearning in desire
To follow knowledge like a sinking star
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought…
Come, my friends,
‘Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
For my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

Ulysses
By Alfred Lord Tennyson

Poem to say that I love you

2007-12-14T07:25:00.000-08:00

Why I want you even it may never know
will I fire my heart.
You mean to me more than the lovely sky
no matter where I am it still in the hand of sky.

From the dark sky to the heavy rain,
no matter what I still in the sky.
Never think about the hardness it has come
I still happily in the hand of your sky.
Yet the silent still come.

I am thinking that in a moment of neglect
I might fly from this silent sky,
augh in the eyes of the man who like a sky
and beside you begin life anew.

The silent make me think this way
yet I dare not to make my way of the sky
even you wish me to be.

From behind the bars, every bright morning
the look of a child smile in my face;
when I begin a song of joy,
his lips come toward me with a kiss.

O sky, if I want one day
to fly from your silent,
what shall I say to the weeping child's eyes,
forget about me, for I am captive bird?

Fisher Man and his wife

2007-12-11T18:59:00.001-08:00

There was a man who went fishing with his son in a river. When he dropped his fishing line into the river, it got tangled around the root of a tree but the man thought that his fishing line caught a big fish; he could not lift the line; then he told his son to go home and tell his wife to quarrel with the family and the neighbors because he did not what his relatives to ask for some fish. Then his son went to his house to tell his mother to provoke a quarrel. She put on only a strip of cloth round her chest and wearing a s short bikini and she pretended to be like a foolish woman then she painted her face black; and then went to her relatives’ houses.

All her relatives saw her in a strange condition so they asked her “Hi! Why did you do this? Why do you put that black on your face? “Then she blamed them and called them names “Damned! Are your heads heavy when I paint my face black? What is that to you. Do I hurt you when I paint my face black?

All her calling them names and they were very angry with her; then they called her names in return. Some were very angry they took her to the judge. The judge asked her to pay money to those whom she called names.

After the fisherman had told his son to ask his wife to provoke a quarrel with his relatives, he dived to take the fish that the fishing line had caught. When he dived into the water, his head was hurt by the tree which got tangled with the fishing line, his eyes began to bleed; then he fumbled around to fish the fish but he found only the root of the tree then he got out of the water and put up his hand to shield his eyes and finally he went to the place where he took off his clothes. But while he dived into the water, his clothes were blown away by the wind.

The fisherman felt very cold, his eyes pained him very much and he wanted to go home but he could not because he was naked; then he hid within a bush till night came. At night he crept in to his house but he could not because there was light so he asked for clothes from his wife. When he put in on, he entered his house. His wife told him that she gave as a fine all the money and goods to their relatives because she called them nmes.

The two lost everything; the man did not catch the fish, his eyes were hurt, his clothes were gone and his wife was fined by the judge.

THE HUNTER AND THE BIRDS

2007-12-11T08:28:00.001-08:00

There was a hunter who had caught a black bird, a peacock and a heron. He taught them to play circus. He taught the black bird how to speak like men, and the peacock and the heron how to dance. When the hunter taught the tree birds skillfully, he took them to play circus for the king in his palace for gift and money from the king as he wanted. The king asked him “What do the tree birds know”

The hunter replied “This black bird can speak like men” then he let the black bird talk. The black bird spoke showed his knowledge in talking the human language, and then he asked the peacock to dance as well as he was taught. The king was delighted to see the two birds and he told his men to put them in the cage to be in the care of servants.

Next the hunter took the heron off the cage and let him act for the king, but the heron was a clever bird and knew bad times and good times. He thought that the black bird ad the peacock who showed their skill to the king who was delighted to their act, were put in the cage to be in the care of the king’s servants. IF I showed my skill to the king he would put me in the cage as he did to the two birds. Being always in the cage, I shall have no freedom and no happiness. So it is not good to show my dancing. Let me pretend to be ignorant. Then the heron did not dance and cried “krack! Krack!” The hunter try to make him dance but the heron did not do anything, he just cried then the king saw that the heron did not know how to cat so he told the hunter to free him. The hunter freed the heron as the king told him.

When the heron was free from the hunter he flew up and talked to the peacock and black bird “Being clever and proud and making people amused you both, peacock and black bird are in the cage. It is wonderful and happy for you but for me, it is unhappy to be in the cage so I did not show my knowledge. I pretended to be ignorant and I became hated by people then they freed me and now I will see my family whom I left. You, peacock and black bird showed your skill which tied up your neck. I do not admire at all the skill which put you in the cage. Oh poor birds, you did not knew what was good or not good for you in showing your skill so you had better live in the cage for you can not go anywhere. Thus the heron told them proudly and he flew away to his place.

The Hungry Liar

2007-12-09T23:07:00.001-08:00

Once a boy live with his mother who fed a pig grew up, the boy wanted to eat it;; he said “Mother! I want to eat pork. Mother, may I kill your pig to eat it?”

The mother refused saying “No! Why do you like to eat so much?” keep him to sell.” When the boy heard his mother’s refusal, he still wanted to eat pork day after day.

One day, the boy woke up and told his mother “Mother! God send me a dream last night of a place where is a lot of gold. Mother! Could u go with me to bring the gold?”

The mother asked him “where is it?” “If u go with me and do as I tell you. You will see the gold?“ Said the boy.

The boys with his mother took a basket and went to the forest far away from home, then the covered a place with the basket and sat tightly on it and call his mother “Mother! Come to help me to push the basket down on this place where there is a lot of gold.

Mother! Keep on pushing it and wait for me while I run back home to get hoe to dig for the gold. Mother! Keep on pushing the basket, do not leave it. If you leave it, the gold may go away.”

When the mother heard what her son told her, she pushed on the basket strongly and waited for him to come back from home. The boy arrived home, killed the pig and asked his friends to eat and drink happily. The mother waited for him in the forest for a long time. She did not see him come back and was very tired. Her hands and legs were weary so her hand left the basket; then she looked in the basket. Nothing was in it.

When the mother knew that her son played a trick on her, she came back home. She saw her son had eaten up the pork with his friends and rank happily. She was very angry with him and told her brother “My son is very bad. I will not feed him alive any more. You must put him in the sack and throw him alive in the river.” “What was wrong with you? Why do you want to kill your son?” said her brother.

She told him “he plays a trick on me asking me to stay in the forest and to collect gold. I had waited for him along time in the forest until I was hungry. When I came back home I saw that he with his friends had killed my pig and ate it. I had only one pig which I feed for sale.”

Then her brother but the boy in the sack and brought him to the river. When he arrived at the river, the boy said to his uncle “oh my uncle! Please have pity on me. I will die so please go back home and bring my book of lies which I put on the self. When I die I will be reborn. If I do not have the art of lying how could I play trick for food? I may die again.”

The uncle took pity on his nephew, and then he went back home to pick on his nephew and then he went back home to pick up the book for him. The uncle left him by the side of the river.

At that time a leper came to the boy. On learning there was a leper near by he said “To heal my leprosy I have been in the sack a long time, but I can’t see for myself if it has been cured or not. But when I touch my body, it seems to have been cured. The leper heard that the boy was in the sack to treat the leprosy so he asked the boy “Have you ever been cured?” The boy told him “Because I have been a leper, one put me a long time in this sack for being healed but I do not know whether I have been healed or not. Please have pity on me to untie the sack.”

The leper heard the boy said he had cured then he asked the boy “May I cure my leprosy in your sack?” The boy was very happy and he thought “I won’t die. I have this leper to die for me” The boy told the leaper “If you want to heal very fast, you must not speak to him.” When the leper knew the boy’s explanation, he go in the sack and told the boy to tie it up. The boy tied the sack and went away from in.

His uncle could not find the lying book so he knew that his nephew told him a lie. He was very angry and thought “When I arrive at the river, I will throw hi into the river so he walked with a stick.

The boy wanted to be cured so he kept silent. The uncle thought that it was his nephew and after the drubbing he threw him into the water.

When the boy went away from the leper, he met another liar who bathed. That liar saw the boy from a far, he dived for a while and then emerged “I dived to the bottom of the river, I saw people playing cards. I won a lot of money but I could not take it with me. I brought only a little.”

The boy heard and trusted him so he dived into the river to take the money from the people. When he dived, he hit his head on a tree in the water and it started to bleed. Then he knew that the man who told him was a liar too. The boy planned to get even with him and came out of the water. “When I dived into the water to ask for money from people as you have told, I saw many people playing games; I won and got lot money. When I asked money from them, they told me to ask from you. If you do not believe me, look at my broken head.”

The liar knew that the boy was cleaver to lie against a liar. Finally the liar gave him some money and asked him to be brotherly so they could lie together from that day on.

The deer, the crow, and the tortoise

2007-12-02T20:06:00.001-08:00

There were three animals who were friends: a deer, a crow and a tortoise. One day the deer went to look for food in the forest and was caught in a hunting trap. When the tortoise and the crow went to search for the deer they saw him in the trap. They asked him “why did you not see the trap?” Then the deer told them “Oh friends! I was wrong, please help me to save my life.”

The crow and the tortoise agreed to help the deer, and then the crow took some water to soften the trap. They gnawed the trap from evening to dawn, but they could not sever it, they could server only the strings. When the hunter was coming, the crow and the tortoise told the deer. “Friend! Now the hunter will come soon. We can gnaw only two strings. You must break it yourself.”

While the three animals were speaking to one another the hunter came; then the crow and tortoise left the deer alone. They entered the forest to wait for the deer. When the deer saw the hunter come near him, the deer broke the trap and went away into the forest.

The hunter was very sorry to lose the deer then he ran after to bring him back, but he could not run so fast; and then he saw the tortoise who hide in the forest. The hunter brought the tortoise back and set the trap again.

When the crow saw the hunter take the tortoise back, he told the deer a plan to save the tortoise from the hunter; then the crow said to the deer “Let the hunter run after you he will drop the tortoise down and then you must run into the forest.”

The deer agreed. When the deer ran near the hunter, he pretended to have a broken leg; he ran only three legs in front of the hunter. The hunter did not know the deer’s tricks; then he thought the deer had a broken leg, because he was caught by the trap and he ran after the deer.

When the deer looked back he saw that the hunter did not drop the tortoise yet so he planned to be a crippled animal again and ran slowly. The hunter thought “What good is this tortoise? He is enough for only two meals, but the deer will give me much meat.” The hunter dropped the tortoise, and he let the hunter get closet to him. When he was far enough from the place where the hunter dropped the tortoise, the deer came back and picked up the tortoise with his month and the crow guided them into the forest. They live in the forest peacefully.

The crow and the deer

2007-11-30T21:23:00.001-08:00

Once there lived together as friend two animals, a crow and the deer. Later on a wolf met the deer in the forest and wanted to be his friend; then the deer agreed. The two animals often met each other. But the crow know that the wolf was very wicked and this honest; then he warned the deer not to be friendly with the wolf. The crow said “The wolf pretends not to be friendly, when you are taken in by his tricks, he will kill you sometime” By and by deer fell into the wolf’s tricks, so did not listen the crow’s warning. He agreed to come to the wolf’s place everyday.

One day the wolf saw a trap in the forest; then he would lead the deer to it; and when the deer was caught in the trap, he would eat him. Planning to kill the deer, the wolf went to tell the deer that there was good food somewhere in the forest. It was not easy to find food, when the deer heard this, he was very happy to go with the wolf who guided him to the trap. And finally he was caught in the trap. Being afraid of death, the deer called for help from the wolf; the wolf pretended to be afraid of the man who came to see the trap; then he went in to the forest to hide until the deer would be killed; then he would eat him.

One day when the crow did not see the deer come back in the evening; he flew around everywhere as far as the forest where the deer was caught in the trap; then he saw the deer and said to him “Oh, firmed! Why are you caught in the trap?”

The deer told the crow “this is my mistake in believing the wolf who asked me to come with him to find food here; now, when the trap holds me, he leaves me here and goes away. Please save my life.” The crow told the deer to play a trick with the hunter; the he said “when you see the hunter come to see the trap, you lie down as a dead deer and don’t move. Don’t even breathe! The hunter will hear me crowing, you are get up and run into the forest away from the hunter.” The deer agreed to the crow’s plan.

When the hunter came to see his trap; he saw the deer caught; then he thought that the deer dad died. He took the deer off the trap and out him on one side; then he looked around him; when the crow saw that the hunter was not paying attention to the deer, he crowed to let the deer run away and the deer ran quickly at high speed into the forest. When the hunter saw that the deer ran away, he took a sward and ran after the deer to throw the sword at the deer, but the sword dropped on the wolf that waited for the deer’s meat in a bush near the trap, the word struck the wolf’s neck killing him.

The crow guided the deer to the forest where the hunter could not kill him anymore.

The Female crocodile who wanted to eat the monkey’s heart

2007-11-28T18:42:00.000-08:00

When in one of the former births, the Buddha was born as a monkey, called Mahakbin, he was and lived in the forest near the river in which there was a small island in the middle. That island had every kind of fruit for his food. Between the river and the shore, there was a sand bank. The monkey leaped from the shore to the sand bank first, then to the island.

Meanwhile there were two crocodiles, female and male, living in the river. Latter in the female crocodile with child want to eat the monkey’s heart, then she told her husband “I am eager to eat a monkey’s heart. If you can not find one for me, I will die and leave you alone.”

The male crocodile said “Oh, darling! Do not worry. If you are eager to eat it, let me bring one for you because I see every day a bog monkey who always crosses the river to the island. Usually he stops on the sand bank before going to the island; I will swim and creep on that island to kill him for you.”

The Crocodile swam to the island and crept on the sand bank to cover it. He thought that the monkey would think that he was the sand bank,

When then monkey cam back from the island at sunset, he leaped over the shore of the river and he almost leaped on the bank which the crocodile covered; he almost leaped on the bank which the crocodile covered; he saw the crocodile on the bank; then the monkey wondered “This bank is always as high as the surface of the water and why this bank is higher today? Maybe there is some ferocious animal who lying on it and want to kill me and then the monkey called the bank of sand “Oh, friend Sand water, but today you are bank! You are always as high as the surface of the higher. How can you grow so high?” The monkey repeated this sentence three times.

When the crocodile heard the monkey call the sand bank, he thought that the bank was not talking to the monkey, because he covered it, then he pretended to be the sand bank and replied “Oh, friend monkey I am not higher than yesterday. Pease leap on me!”
The monkey: Oh Poor animal, my bank does not know how to talk, who are you?
The crocodile: I am the king of the crocodiles who live in this river.
The monkey: Why do you sleep on this bank?
The crocodile: Oh monkey! I want your heart for my wife, because she is eager to eat your heart.
The monkey: If u need my life, please open your mouth widely and close your eyes, I will jump into your mouth and be sure to closer your mouth.

Then the monkey saw that it was a good chance to leap to pass to the shore. He then jumped on the crocodile’s body and from there leaped on the shore as fast as an arrow. When the crocodiles thought the monkey passed over his back could not catch him; he was very sorry to be witted by the monkey; and he left the sand for his place in the river.

The Blackbird and the monkey

2007-11-28T18:41:00.000-08:00

There were two blackbirds: male and female who set up their nest on a tree. Meanwhile it was raining; a homeless monkey who was stricken with cold came to stay under the blackbird’s tree when the blackbirds saw him terribly shivering, one counseled him “Oh, Brother Monkey, you have two hands and two legs as a man does. Why don’t u build home for your dwelling?”

The Monkey said: “I have two hands and two legs as a man does, thus I am a nestles animal. The trust is I cannot do it.” The blackbird said again “You do not need knowledge to build your nest. You see the bird have only one beak and they can build the nest which they need for their protection from the cold and the rain. You had better think it over. Am I right or not? All the animals in the world have their own dwelling to protect their babies and their mates from suffering. If you cannot build a good nest, you just put branches one on another and you cover it with leaves for your own nest for a while. You do not depend on another dwelling or on a branch or on a tree. It is very difficult for your mate and your young ones. Monkey you have two hands and two legs, I think you can do it. Please do it, do not wait for your knowledge to help you.
All the animals have only strength will work in their own way. They never work like the human being. You see even the worm, the locust and the termite which are very small, but they have their own habitation, and you, why can’t you do it? Other animals have no more knowledge thank you, but they are able to build habitations for their own. You said that you can’t do it, and you are lazy animal.”

When the monkey heard the blackbird criticize him, he became very angry, because he was ashamed before the blackbirds, and then he swung straight to blackbird’s nest and drop it down.

Do not give counsel those who don’t want to listen.

The rabbit and the palm fruit

2007-11-28T01:53:00.001-08:00

There was a rabbit that lived under a palm tree near a hillock. One day he was sound asleep, when a rope palm fruit fell down on the ground near by. He heard the cracking sound of the dried palm leaves.
At this sound, he was frightened, and said to himself “It is an earthquake!”, and then he jumped up and began running without looking behind. When the Oxen saw him in high speed, they said to him,” Rabbit! Why are you running so fast? What is the matter?”
The rabbit shouted in haste “brother oxen! It’s an earthquake! Don’t stay here! Run!” The oxen heard what rabbit had said and they were frightened too, and they began to run, and soon after they met the Pigs and Deer. They too ran after the Oxen and the Rabbit. When the Elephants saw them running, they too, asked “why are you running, Oxen? What is the matter?” The Oxen told them “do not stay here! The earthquake is coming!” Hearing the story, the Elephants jointed them. When they all reach the Lion’s den, the clever lion seeing all the panic-stricken animals asked the Elephants. “Why are you running? What is the matter?”
The Elephants replied,” We do not know exactly why. We saw the Oxen running, so we ran after them we heard something about the earthquake.”
The Lion ask the Oxen “why are you running? What is the matter?” The Oxen said “we do not know either. We saw the Deer and the Pigs running, so we ran after them”
The lion asked the Deer and the Pigs, but they answer like wish, so finally he questioned the Rabbit. The Rabbit answer “I am none too sure, myself while I was sound asleep under a palm tree, the earth breaking up pierced my ears, so I was afraid and began to run.”
The clever Lion then led all the panicky animal to the palm tree, and show them the cracked palm fruit lying on the ground. The embarrassed animal gave the Rabbit a sound rebuke and went back to their own places.

How to tell you that i love you

2007-11-17T22:54:00.000-08:00

Do not tell you that love you like the sky
because sometimes sky is not clear.

Do not tell you that love you like the earth
because you can not see.

Do not tell you that love you like my breath
because i do not know when I will stop breathing.

Tell you that i love you very much, you still not believe
so all i can do is to love you forever.

You Make Me Hot

2007-11-16T22:52:00.000-08:00

You're a red hot dishwith a pinch of fun...

You're a piece of metalbeneath the August sun.

You're a raging fireon a winter night.

I don't know how you do it,but you sure do it right!

You ignite a sparkthat hits the spot.

Oh, yeah.You make me hot!

The Lost Dr.Suess Poem

2007-11-16T22:51:00.000-08:00

I love my job,
I love the pay!
I love it more and more each day.
I love my boss, he is the best!
I love his boss and all the rest.
I love my office and its location,
I hate to have to go on vacation.
I love my furniture, drab and gray,
And piles of paper that grow each day!
I think my job is really swell,
There's nothing else I love so well.
I love to work among my peers,
I love their leers, and jeers, and sneers.
I love my computer and its software;
I hug it often though it won't care.
I love each program and every file.
I'd love them more if they worked a while.
I'm happy to be here. I am. I am.
I'm the happiest slave of the Firm,
I am.I love this work, I love these chores.
I love the meetings with deadly bores.
I love my job -
I'll say it again -
I even love those friendly men.
Those friendly men who've come today,
In clean white coats to take me away!

Prince and king

2007-11-14T01:17:00.000-08:00

My name is prince

The son of king

I live in my palace

I study everywhere

I love love

I hate hate

I stop war

I keep pease

I am waiting for you at the crown here to bring you with love and peace.

Evil and devil

2007-11-14T01:12:00.000-08:00

My name is evil

The son of devil

I live in hell city

I study at University of Hell Technology

I love hate

I hate love

I want war

I kick pease

I am waiting for you down here at the hell hall of fame.

Unforgotten friend

2007-11-14T00:57:00.000-08:00

Memory is still on

when i last saw your face

when i last heard you laugh

when i last called your name

Remember when

I was at your last party

I helped you with your homework

we played in your yard

its been so long

since we held hands

since i saw your smile

since i didnt miss you

since i saw you-alive.

May this thing won't happen agian to anyone....

Up and down feeling

2007-11-14T00:40:00.000-08:00

Lovely like a moon

Bringing little light to the world

Looking like the ideal life she is having.

Will anyone read the inside world

Lasting the whole night alone

Make a sleep by tear

Turning up once again

Wearing the dam mask all again

Predending to the world

Leaving laugh and light.

The secret that deep down in the pot

Unable to share, unable to express

Misery, will you leave the life ot the little girl alone

If you are a girl having problem that you can't find a way to say and express while you need to pretend that you are happy, what will be the best way to do?

By Marg Kay Ash

2007-10-28T06:31:00.001-07:00

Don't limite yourself. Many people limite themselves to what they thinking they can do. You can do as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can acheive.

We must have a theme, a goal, a purpose in our lives. If you don't know where you are aiming, you don't have a goal. My goal is to lived my life in such a way that when I die, someone can say, she cared.

By Edgar Allan Poe

2007-10-24T02:25:00.000-07:00

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.
I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.
And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.
The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me-Yes!-
that was the reason
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.
But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we-
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.
For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,In her tomb by the sounding sea.

Funny poem for you

2007-10-22T22:39:00.000-07:00

Twinkle twinkle little star,

you should know what you are,

and once you know what you are,

Mental hospital is not so far.

Life Explained

2007-10-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.

"Not very long," answered the Mexican."

But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American.

The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.

The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. I have a full life."

The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."

"And after that?" asked the Mexican.

"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."

"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.

"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.

"And after that?"

"Afterwards? Well my friend, that's when it gets really interesting, " answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!"

"Millions? Really? And after that?" asked the Mexican.

"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends.

"And the moral of this story is: ......... Know where you're going in life... you may already be there.

Love someone who not love you back

2007-10-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

Loving someone who not love you
like trying to catch water by your hand.

No matter how hard you try,
the water will flow through your fingers.

It will never be stay in your han.
The more you try the more it hurt.

Learn to love someone who love you
is better than to love someone who not love you back.

Valentine's day

2007-10-20T09:57:00.000-07:00

Valentine's day is so special for celebrating for your special. You will smell the roses every where on earth. Everyone holds rose as they are smilling. what's a remembering time of the world.

Quoted by Steve Case

2007-10-20T07:28:00.000-07:00

I am probabily not going to be satified with anything we do. I think there's always the possible of doing better. And I'd say we're doing better than we were 2 year ago, in term of delivery and quality of service, but nowhere near what we should be doing.

Quoted by Charles Thomas Munger

2007-10-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

Forgetting your mistake is a terrible error if you are trying to improve your cognition

You need to have a passinate interest in why things are happening. That cast of mind, kept over long perriods, gradually improves your ability to focus on reality. You do not have the cast of mind, you are destined for failure even if u have a high IQ

Kid's Letter

2007-10-20T01:57:00.001-07:00

Dear Pastor, I know God loves everybody but He
never met my sister. Yours sincerely, Arnold.
Age 8, Nashville.

Dear Pastor, Please say in your sermon that Peter Peterson has been a good boy all week.
I am Peter Peterson. Sincerely, Pete.
Age 9, Phoenix

Dear Pastor, My father should be a minister. Every day he gives us a sermon about something.
Robert Anderson.
Age 11, Miami

Dear Pastor, I'm sorry I can't leave more money in the plate,
but my father didn't give me a raise in my allowance.
Could you have a sermon about a raise in my allowance? Love, Patty.
Age 10, New Haven

Dear Pastor, My mother is very religious.
She goes to play bingo at church every week even if she has a cold.
Yours truly, Annette.
Age 9, Albany

Dear Pastor, I would like to go to heaven someday because I know my brother won't be there.
Stephen.
Age 8, Chicago

Dear Pastor, I think a lot more people would come to your church if you moved it to Disneyland.
Loreen.
Age 9, Tacoma

Dear Pastor, I liked your sermon where you said
that good health is more important than money but I still want a raise in my allowance.
Sincerely, Eleanor.
Age 12, Sarasota

Dear Pastor, Please pray for all the airline pilots. I am flying to California tomorrow. Laurie.
Age 10, New York City

Dear Pastor, I hope to go to heaven some day but later than sooner. Love, Ellen.
Age 9, Athens

Dear Pastor, Please say a prayer for our Little League team.
We need God's help or a new pitcher. Thank you. Alexander.
Age 10, Raleigh

Dear Pastor, My father says I should learn the Ten Commandments. But I don't think I want to because we have enough rules already in my house. Joshua.
Age 10, South Pasadena

Dear Pastor, Who does God pray to? Is there a God for God?
Sincerely, Christopher.
Age 9, Titusville

Dear Pastor, Are there any devils on earth? I think there may be one in my class. Carla.
Age 10, Salina

Dear Pastor, I liked your sermon on Sunday. Especially when it was finished. Ralph.
Age 11, Akron

Dear Pastor, How does God know the good people from the bad people? Do you tell Him or does He read about it in the newspapers? Sincerely, Marie.
Age 9, Lewiston

A minute for GOD!!!

2007-10-20T01:54:00.000-07:00

U Got a Minute?
When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out
God is all you need.

U Got a Minute?
60 Seconds for God? All you do is simply say a small prayer
for the person who sent you this.

Father God bless _________ in whatever it is that you know he or she may be needing this day!
And may __________'s life be full of your peace, prosperity
and power as they seek to have a closer relationship with you. Amen.

Now send it on to 5 other people. Within hours 5 people have
prayed for you, and you caused a multitude of people to pray to
God for other people. Then sit back and watch the power of God
work in your life for doing the thing that you know he loves.

A Redneck Valentine

2007-10-20T01:52:00.000-07:00

Collards is green
my dog's name is Blue
and I'm so lucky
to have a sweet thang like you.

Yore hair is like cornsilk
a-flapping in the breeze
Softer than Blue's
and without all them fleas.

You move like the bass,
which excite me in May.
You ain't got no scales
but I luv you anyway.

Yo're as satisfy'n as okry
jist a-fry'n in the pan.
Yo're as fragrant as "snuff"
right out of the can.

You have som'a yore teeth,
for which I am proud;
I hold my head high
when we're in a crowd.

On special occasions,
when you shave under yore arms,
well, I'm in hawg heaven,
and awed by yore charms.

Still them fellers at work,
they all want to know,
what I did to deserve
such a purdy, young doe.

Like a good roll of duct tape
yo're there fer yore man,
to patch up life's troubles
and fix what you can.

Yo're as cute as a junebug
a-buzzin' overhead.
You ain't mean like those far ants
I found in my bed.

Cut from the best cloth
like a plaid flannel shirt,
you spark up my life
more than a fresh load of dirt.

When you hold me real tight
like a padded gunrack,
my life is complete;
Ain't nuttin' I lack.

Yore complexion, it's perfection,
like the best vinyl sidin'.
despite all the years,
yore age, it keeps hidin'.

Me 'n' you's like a Moon Pie
with a RC cold drank,
we go together
like a skunk goes with stank.

Some men, they buy chocolate

for Valentine's Day;
They git it at Wal-Mart,
it's romantic that way.

Some men git roses
on that special day
from the cooler at Kroger.
"That's impressive," I say.

Some men buy fine diamonds
from a flea market booth.
"Diamonds are 4ever,"
they explain, suave and couth.

But for this man, honey,
these won't do.
Cause yo're too special,
you sweet thang you.

I got you a gift,
without taste nor odor,
more useful than diamonds...

IT'S A NEW TROLLIN' MOTOR!!

Yipeeee....Yee Ha!

A free hug

2007-10-20T01:51:00.000-07:00

I'm sending you this hug --
IT'S FREE!
A special hug for you
FROM ME!

This hug will make you feel
SO GOOD!
Can you feel it?
I KNEW YOU COULD!

HERE IS A FREE HUG FOR YOU!

Hole-learn to control your temper

2007-10-19T22:32:00.000-07:00

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper.
His Father gave him a bag of nails
and told him that every time he lost his temper,
he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence.

Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger,
the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down.
He discovered it was easier to hold his temper
than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all.
He told his father about it and the father suggested
that the boy now pull out one nail for each day
that he was able to hold his temper.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father
that all the nails were gone.
The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence
He said, "You have done well, my son,
but look at the holes in the fence.
The fence will never be the same.

When you say things in anger,
they leave a scar just like this one.
You can put a knife in a man and draw it out.
It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry,
the wound is still there. " A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

Friends are very rare jewels, indeed.
They make you smile and encourage you to succeed.
They lend an ear, they share words of praise
and they always want to open their hearts to us.
" YOU ARE MY FRIEND AND I AM HONORED!

Please forgive me if I have ever left a hole

Forever on my mind

2007-10-19T09:54:00.000-07:00

The fragrance of a yellow rose
Floating about the air,
Reminds me of another time,
And of a beauty so rare.

The melodic strains of an orchestra
Wisping through the night,
Remind me of another time,
And so of a lovely sight.

Remembrance such as these
Flood my thoughts with rhyme
And I can not help but long for
The song of another time.

A time when life made sense to me,
When love was everywhere;
When you and I would dance and dance
While your fragrance filled the air.

Such memories consume me,
And they constantly remind;
That you, my sweet, are in my heart
And forever on my mind.

You Make Me Hot

2007-10-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

You're a red hot dish
with a pinch of fun...

You're a piece of metal
beneath the August sun.

You're a raging fire
on a winter night.

I don't know how you do it,
but you sure do it right!

You ignite a spark
that hits the spot.

Oh, yeah.
You make me hot!

I am thinking of you

2007-10-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

Star light, Star bright...
First star I see tonight...
I wish I may, I wish I might...
Be with you...
This very night.

Just wanted you to know that even
though we're not together in person...

I Wish We Were!

I'm thinking of you!

Spring Is Here

2007-10-19T09:35:00.001-07:00

Bees soon will buzz,

Rabbits soon will hop,

Birds soon will sing,

Frogs soon kerplop.

Chicks soon will peep,

Kids soon will play,

Sun soon will shine,

A fine spring day!

Cherish Your Friends

2007-10-19T09:34:00.001-07:00

Friendship may be a simple thing
But lots of love, it can bring.

Things to share and talk about
It's something you just can't do without.

All your life, friendship lasts
Through the years, you'll look back.

Remembering the laughs and happy times along with the cries and sorry sighs.

Fiendship can never come apart
Especially when it's straight from the heart.

Friendships don't die, they continue to grow. So be sure to cherish the friendships you know.

What Can Be Stop Me From Loving You

2007-10-19T09:30:00.000-07:00

Life ends when u stop dreaming,
Hope ends when u stop believing,
Love ends when u stop caring..
Friendship ends when u stop sharing..You know you are in love when all you can think about is that one special person and you can't stand to be away for more than one second. You miss them even when they are standing right next to you. You fall asleep thinking about them, and dream about them every night.

Say that I love you

2007-10-19T09:28:00.001-07:00

You believe me when everyone says I'm a Lion
You put up with me when I am being a Snake
You put up with me even when I act like a Worm
You even put up with me when I am hard to Bear
So I just wanted to say that "I Love You!"

The Lost Dr.Suess Poem

2007-10-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

I love my job, I love the pay!
I love it more and more each day.
I love my boss, he is the best!
I love his boss and all the rest.

I love my office and its location,
I hate to have to go on vacation.
I love my furniture, drab and gray,
And piles of paper that grow each day!

I think my job is really swell,
There's nothing else I love so well.
I love to work among my peers,
I love their leers, and jeers, and sneers.

I love my computer and its software;
I hug it often though it won't care.
I love each program and every file.
I'd love them more if they worked a while.

I'm happy to be here. I am. I am.
I'm the happiest slave of the Firm, I am.
I love this work, I love these chores.
I love the meetings with deadly bores.

I love my job - I'll say it again -
I even love those friendly men.
Those friendly men who've come today,
In clean white coats to take me away!

Be your angel

2007-10-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

I am a small man to you

I'm smaller than other people look at me.
I live in your heart.
That's where I have my fun.
I don't suppose you've seen me.

Though I'm with you all the time,
I doubt you ever love me.
Before I was so big,

Big enough to make things.

Now I was just a small man.
Just using your hand can hold me,
And gave me hope and dream.

Now you have so many man,
The man who deserve your love.

They become is your eyes, and ears, and hands

Will he become you special!

Should the small man back to the big!

No reasons for just stay without hope.

No reasons for just look and down.

Feeling hurt but never say a word.
With way too much for me.

But I just stuck here in your heart

and can't get through it.

The only thing i can do is

To keep close watch on you.

Blessing you with care;
Saying I must never leave you,
And I vowed to stay right there.

Love conversation

2007-10-19T00:31:00.000-07:00

A man and a woman were eating in a restaurant and they are lovers. They loved each other every much.

While they were eating, a conversation started:

Woman: Do I look pretty?
Man: No.
Woman: Do you like me?
Man: No.
Woman: Would you cry if I leave you?
Man: No.

At the time the woman started to feel very up set that she cried and walked out of the table.

The man caught the woman arm and say “you are not pretty but you are beautiful”, “I don’t like you but I LOVE you”, “If you leave me, I won’t cry, but I will DIE”……

Mother

2007-10-18T23:11:00.000-07:00

m is for the Million things she gave me.
o stands for the love that Only she can give.
t is for the Tears she shed to save me.
h is for her Heart of purest gold.
r is for her Eyes, with love-light shining.
r means Right, and right she'll always be.

Put them all together, they spell
A word that means the world to me.

True Love

2007-10-18T23:01:00.000-07:00

True love is to no to love a perfect person,
but True love is to love an imperfect persone perfectly

Love is to be gentle

Love is to be kind

Love to be giving

Love to be forgive and forget

Love is to respect each other

Love is to be endured

Old is the past, but last is the future.

Would you love me?

2007-10-18T22:34:00.000-07:00

If I said you had a good body,

would you hold it against me?

I ll give you all the love as much as you can take.

All you have to do is to let me in.
IF my heart can say it ll always say i love you.

If you can read my mind

2007-10-18T22:32:00.000-07:00

Things haven’t turned out like I have hoped,

but life goes on, so I just stayed on the road,

thanks to all of you.

It's a shame that I have been blinded all this time,

I'm sorry everyone!

To you,

I know our friendship may be over,

but I think that we should forget the past

and look up to what is next in our lives.

I always wanted to stand right by you,

which are what I always wanted, to be with you.

There is nothing more important than that for me.

Poem for my special friend

2007-10-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

I thank you for your friendship,
for the radiance of you smile.
I thank you for always going,
the extra mile.

I thank you for giving unto me,
each day, the sunshine.
For the thoughts of you that
sometimes causes my words to rhyme.

I thank you for the laughter
that has removed some tears.
And for listening to my silence
throughout the passing years.

I thank you for your inspiration and love.
That surely must have been sent from above.

Thanks For Being My Friend!

Poem to all my friend

2007-10-18T22:29:00.001-07:00

For all the friends that you may know who'd
love to know how much you really care.
What better way to say it?

For all the times I needed you
And you were there for me
For all the times you showed
You cared so unconditionally

For all the times a simple word
From you brought lots of smiles
For all the times you sent your
Love to me across the miles

I hope just once I've done for you
And helped to make your day
As happy and as meaningful
In each and every way

As you have done for me
So many times before
For you deserve it all
That and much, much more!

Mirrors

2007-10-18T22:28:00.000-07:00

Mirror, mirror on the wall
Do you have to tell it all?

Where do you get the glaring light
To make my clothes look just too tight?

I think I'm fine but I can see
you won't cooperate with me;

The way you let the shadows play
You'd think my hair was getting gray.

What's that, you say? A double chin?
No, that's the way the light comes in;

If you persist in peering so
You'll confiscate my facial glow,

And then if you're not hanging straight
You'll tell me next I'm gaining weight;

I'm really quite upset with you
For giving this distorted view;

I hate you being smug and wise ~
O, look what's happened to my thighs!

I warn you now, O mirrored wall,
Since we're not on speaking terms at all,

If I look like this in my new jeans,
You'll find yourself in smithereens!

Life Before Computer

2007-10-18T22:27:00.001-07:00

An application was for employment
A program was a TV show
A cursor used profanity
And a keyboard was on a piano!

Memory was something that you lost with age
And a CD was a bank account
And if you had a corrupted disk
It would hurt when you found out!

Compress was what you did to garbage
Not something you did to a file
And if you unzipped anything in public
You'd be in jail for a while!

Log on was adding wood to a fire
A hard drive was a trip on the road
A mouse pad was where a mouse lived
And a backup happened to the commode!

Cutting, you did with a pocket knife,
Pasting, you did with glue.
The Web was where a spider lived
And a virus was the flu!

Funny Quotes On Marriage Day

2007-10-18T22:17:00.000-07:00

"In my house I'm the boss, my wife is just the decision maker."
-Woody Allen.

"My wife and I were happy for twenty years. Then we met."
-Rodney Dangerfield.

"Ah, yes, divorce...from the Latin word meaning to rip out a man's
genitals through his wallet."
-Robin Williams.

"A married man should forget his mistakes; no use two people
remembering the same thing."
-Duane Dewel.

"When you see a married couple walking down the street, the one
that's a few steps ahead is the one that's mad."
-Helen Rowland

"I have never really understood this liking for war. It panders to
instincts already well catered for in any respectable domestic establishment."
-Alan Bennett

"Eighty percent of married men cheat in America. The rest cheat
in Europe."
-Jackie Mason

"Marriage is like putting your hand into a bag of snakes in the
hope of pulling out an eel."
-Leonardo Di Vinci.

"I don't think I'll get married again. I'll just find a woman I don't like
and give her a house."
-Lewis Grizzard.

"I'm the only man in the world with a marriage licence made out to
whom it may concern."
-Mickey Rooney.

"I haven't spoken to my wife in years. I didn't want to interrupt her."
-Rodney Dangerfield.

"The difference between divorce and legal separation is that legal separation gives a husband time to hide his money."
-Johnny Carson

Need you to hold me

2007-10-18T22:13:00.000-07:00

I love how it feels when you hold me in your arms.
I love when you whisper in my ear.
You make me feel charmed.
I feel no fear.
I love how you comfort me when I'm sad.
You brighten my smile every day.
Having you makes me so glad.
When I need you, there's no delay.
Your love brings a glow to my face.
You give me butterflies inside.
You'll never be replaced.
This joy you bring me won't subside.

Friendship's Road

2007-10-18T11:50:00.000-07:00

I have a warm and friendly feeling
As I think of you today;
And I wish that we could visit,
But you're many miles away.

Separated by such distance,
Yet our emails bring us near;
Through the miles we share a friendship
That's become to me most dear.

Friends through correspondence;
Still, your face I need not see
For your soul shines through the words
Every time you write to me.

You have a special way of writing,
Warming as the sunshine rays,
Bringing joy and inspiration,
Brightening up my days.

You have enriched my life, my dear one,
And I'm glad God willed we meet,
"Friendship's Road" is that much nicer
Traveling it with one so sweet.

A rose

2007-10-18T11:16:00.000-07:00

Rose is so special,
it deserves to be passed to everyone
at least one rose for a special time
Life without rose is nothing.

Make a wish as you give
to your sweet so everything
will be with you all time.
It is a remembering time
for everyone.

A true love will send it back
It is a friendship and love
builder at the same time.

Make your friends and love always with you with rose.

Be mine valentine

2007-10-18T11:01:00.001-07:00

B lessings are the things we take for granted.
E ach holiday we notice what we see.
M ost know the Earth is utterly enchanted
Y et walk through life and love mechanically.
V aluing one's gifts takes resolution
A fter days and nights of fantasy.
L ove brings the sweet relief of absolution,
Enveloping our hesitance in need.
N o touch inspires so swift a revolution,
T ransforming all the hieroglyphs we read.
In your love is the charity of spring,
N either self-obsessed nor blinded by some creed,
E mbracing the grey dawns that blessings brin

be mine valentine