Note that reading SPINDICATED has been proven to cause mass hysteria, anal leakage, inflated bowels, wet spots and may have accidentally caused you to think.
All opinions expressed in SPINDICATED are those of the individual writer and may not necessarily reflect all staff here at SPINDICATED. If you think/ or fear that you do not have a personality or a sense of humour, rent one and then proceed to reading. We have tons available here for sale, lease and rent. I'm sure we can find an opinion and brain to suit your needs. ~because we care...or something like it~
This month’s OVERDUE edition is…well…late? All our staff here at SPINDICATED have been looking forward to this release. Big thanks to all our fans and regular readers. We wouldn’t exist without a readership- or writers.
The long awaited SPINDICATED. You see, in our world there aren’t any clocks or remnants of time. No, none of that modern fangled fun stuff. No siree. Not for us. We stick to our sun dials and work our fields and hurry the news along the typewriter. One letter and inkset at a time. Today we post what we have, in hopes that people haven’t forgotten us- much.
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Slower than a snail, hard hitting like a nail:
- greetings from the editor by kryspin
- editorial in the briefing room by kryspin
- SPINDICATED CONTEST
- anniversary by poetryality
- medical wonder or blunder by all4luv
- glue of the universe by rambler
- read with me by Vaseline
- Alaskan oil spill vs. Alaskan life by rainydaywoman
- don’t shoot the cartoonists for telling the truth by brodie25
- drift by watuwant
- Edge by E A collins
- rhymes and reason by I-like-rhymes
- bonus by legion mesmer
- AP families by mistic moonlight
- my mom’s a moron by Atsielorion
- brightest blessings by serenity unchained
- holiday poem by catressa
- my thoughts on plagiarism by simple sarcasm
- valentine’s day spinart by LEPEKAHA FOEHN
- love friend or foe? by Merija Gilbert
- final word by kryspin
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GREETINGS FROM THE EDITOR - KRYSPIN
Man we’ve been away for quite a while now…we didn’t even release our birthday edition in November! But you know, we all lead very busy lives and it’s a shame when most of the group has business to do all at once. It happens. Ah well, let me admit publicly that part of the waiting is MY FAULT…I’ve been really swamped with college work (taking journalism…what a busy and wonderful program). I didn’t get editor because it boiled down to GPA, but I was a primary candidate and I know some people in class were shocked. But hey, I still know what I’m doing and maybe someday I’ll be editor of a newspaper.
Regardless, thanks for reading this edition and patiently waiting. I’ve had a few new members hounding me, asking “when’s the next edition coming out?” and of course the ever classic “where’s kryspin?”.
Now I feel like Waldo, or Carmen Sandiego!
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editorial in the briefing room
by kryspin
TRIVIA (5pts per answer…first person only!)
All previous releases
- Which edition has had the most hits and views in SPINDICATED HISTORY?
-which edition was the first team release?
- which edition covered controversial battles on allpoetry?
- which edition had a controversial problem and sparked site wide debate?
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~~!!
It seems even though spindicated has been a little sporadic with release dates, we still have loyal fans and great writers. here’s a chance to win a few minor points for having come around.
Note that this edition is a bit of a mix since November. And November was our birthday. We’re a year old. Still in diapers and keeping readers up all night with long editions, we’re young and ever growing.
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SPINDICATED CONTEST
( allpoetry.com/Contest/1918090 )
Stranger things have happened, well maybe not. But in the spirit of weird SPINDICATED is doing what it does best: Bringing out the weirdos!
Be sure to enter and win big points. READ THE DAMNED RULES!
now to tease and entice here's the prizelot:
1st place: 700 > article in next SPINDICATED
2nd place: 500> article in next SPINDICATED
3rd place: 200 > article in next SPINDICATED
LOGO/ cover photo: 60 points
Other entries may appear in the next SPINDICATED or releases shortly after.
Promotion for this event will be featured in March’s closing SPINDICATED.
(so these all appear in April)
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Happy Anniversary SPINDICATED!
©2005 Matt-Jack
Well I'll just be a fried green tomato (I love them by the way) it has been a whole year already. Kryspin, I think you are marvelous darling! WE MADE IT! YEY! HOOT! HOOT!
I remember about a year ago when I came across this bright, energetic poet who wanted to start her own magazine at AP. At the time I was writing for AllWrite and thought I might just lend a hand. I won’t pat myself on the back or anything but I will say I was, and still am a strong supporter of her efforts. I was one of the first to join the team. The Magazine has been a no holes barred favorite of mine. The writers are raw and uninhibited. The editor allows a real feel of freedom of expression. She rarely asks any of the authors to edit their work. As a matter of fact she has yet to ask me to change a thing I've written. I suspect after our latest bout with plagiarism, she will be a bit more cautious. (Had to throw that in there)
SPINDICATED Magazine is raw and sometimes dangles over the edge but if one spends about 30 minutes reading the articles they will walk away with something insightful to chew on for the rest of the day.
I have watched the progress of SPINDICATED since it’s inception, and I am very proud of kryspin, our editor. She teaches here at AP now. As I said; I am very proud of our editor. The writers on board have been faithful and consistent. Even with school and the run-a-muck-goings-on of a normal day, the writers that contribute to this magazine do so with dedication and loyalty. I 'd like to say Welcome to all of our new contributors/writers. Let's leave this year on a high note and advanced to the new year with confidence and stability.
CONGRATULATIONS KRYSPIN! I LOVE YOU!
My first article seems to ring loudly even more now than it did back in January of this year. But then I’ll let you be the judge of that.
An Obituary
© January 2005
Renee Matthews-Jackson
With much regret, and unbridled sadness, I must inform all readers that Freedom Of Expression passed away last night. After a long, tiring battle with the woes of a society that is hell bent on candy coating life, free word usage has exhausted it’s strengths and given way to death. Even the muses employed to enhance her courage grew weary and finally faltered under the pressure of misunderstanding, and judgment. She fought the hard battle but in the end, she could not resist the passions of those who would have her quieted.
She was born in a time when she was not privy to justice. In a time when silence was a virtue, a time when women had no voice and men watched every word they spoke. As an infant she huddled in lantern lit rooms, and lived underground. As she grew her vocal cords grew stronger and her audience enlarged. As a teen she led masses of novelists, poets, laureates, playwrights, philosophers, writers of profound papers, and visual artists.
Her theories held enormous weight in the days when sheer facts were the norm. She has waxed from whence she came, returned to the silence of yesteryear.
Do mourn for her. She touched many with controversy. Outstretched hands with spots of ink no longer share our present space. She leaves to dwell on her passing, generations that will have to re-enlist their beacon, and light the way for tomorrow’s children. We will miss sweet Freedom Of Expression. Her popularity faded because of words that described every niche in the universe. Expression covered the globe in a diverse exhibition of non-conformity and now she has been laid to rest. Her fight ended with not one person attending her place of rest. She left alone and frail because those who promised to stand by her dropped away like feathers from a frantic wind swept dove.
Do blame yourselves for never coming to her defense, and allowing the monster of Censorship to slither it’s way into your system of belief. You took Big Brother in as your own brother married his sister, and helped give birth to their offspring without a thought. You are the culprit in the eternal loss of Freedom of Expression. You should grieve until Kingdom come.
I was going to write about plagiarism and the fact that I wanted to leave this insane asylum of a site but I believe the person was publicly humiliated and that’s fair enough. I leave often but seem to always be drawn back so, in a sense I've never left. I did take down all my poetry, and have assumed a new name. The old person, has left the building and won’t be coming back. My name for this site has changed. Believe me, I am the same person metamorphosing every single day so, keep up with me if you can.
I am so proud to be here with SPINDICATED for the beginning of our Second Year. It has been a blast, I mean off the planet kind of blast. Climb aboard or just read when you get a moment, don’t scan through the articles, read them. They are guaranteed to raise a few eyebrows and bring a few smiles.
Peace
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medical wonder or blunder
November 17, 2005
By: all4luv
There are many known uses for marijuana, however, this article will concentrate on only one, the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. There are a vast number of conflicting opinions on the validity of the true medicinal values of this plant. They include claims of it being effective for several various ailments, while others say that its value is limited to specific circumstances. On the other side of the debate, there are those who feel it has no medicinal value at all, and others still, who claim there are, but that they're superceded by more effective drugs.
There have been many scientific research studies conducted, by various agencies and professional groups,all of which show that marijuana does have at least some medicinal validity. However, some of these studies also have produced results claiming adverse reactions and that dangers to your health also exist, whereas other results have given no indication of any permanent adverse effects. Is it a medical wonder capable of combating pain, or have research results been blunders, that failed in their accuracy regarding adverse effects?
Francis L. Young, an administrative law judge with the D.E.A. (Drug Enforcement Administration),declared Marijuana to be one of the safest therapeutically active substances known, when in its natural form.
In the United States Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administrations Marijuana Rescheduling Petition, heard on September 6, 1988, the opinion and ruling conclusions of Francis L. Young, included the following:
"The evidence in this record clearly shows that marijuana has been
accepted as capable of relieving the distress of great numbers of very ill people, and doing so with safety under medical supervision. It would be unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious for DEA to continue to stand between those sufferers and the benefits of this substance in light of the evidence in this record."
"The administrative law judge recommends that the Administrator
conclude that the marijuana plant considered as a whole has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, that there is no lack of accepted safety for use of it under medical supervision and that it may lawfully be transferred from Schedule I to Schedule II. The judge recommends that the Administrator transfer marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II."
Dated: SEP 6 1988
Francis L. Young
Administrative Law Judge
Still the controversial issue remains to be debated, and heard in various courtrooms around the nation to this date, both in state courts and federal courts as well. The issue continues to divide the nation, and likely will for many years to come in this writer's humble opinion.
Marijuana was used for thousands of years, for several varying medical conditions, and was legal in the United States for all purposes, until 1937. Currently there are only seven Americans who are allowed by federal law to legally obtain and use marijuana for medical ailments. They do so under supervision of a program called the IND (Investigational New Drug) compassionate access program, where the patients receive the marijuana from the government. In 1992 George H.W. Bush closed the program to new applicants due to the numerous applications from AIDS patients, and the IND remains in operation solely for the seven surviving patients already approved.
The conditions deemed legitimate for using medical marijuana for treatment, by one or more court, legislation, or government agency in the U.S. include:
. nausea and loss of appetite;
. reduction of intraocular pressure (within the eye);
. reducing muscle spasms;
. relief from chronic pain;
. AIDS;
. Glaucoma;
. Cancer;
. Multiple Sclerosis; and
. Epilepsy
Many patients have also reported it to be effective for arthritis, migraines, depression, bi-polar disorder, menstrual cramps, alcohol and opiate addiction treatment, and various other afflictions. Also, unlike other medications, no one has ever died from an overdose, and further this is believed to be virtually impossible to do.
Lets look at the words of one of our poets at AllPoetry's opinion given in an interview she agreed to do with me concerning her personal experiences with marijuana used medicinally, and her opinion on the issue.
all4luv: "First, would you mind stating your name, and location for our readers?"
Sharon: "SHARON #########, SHEFFIELD, UK"
all4luv: "What are your views on the usage of marijuana for medicinal purposes in general, do you oppose, or support it's usage?"
Sharon: "I most certainly do support the usage of Marijuana, it has helped many people overcome severe pain."
all4luv: "Are you personally, or someone close to you affected by this issue, and the possible outcome of whether or not it's usage is ultimately approved, if so who, and what is their relation to you?"
Sharon: "My husband has been taking part in clinical trials presented by the government in order to establish the true benefits of Marijuana to the sufferer. He was chosen from many patients attending the pain clinic, and was chosen because of the degree of pain which he was experiencing after having his hand severed in an accident."
all4luv: "In what way is your husband affected by this issue?"
Sharon: "My husband leads a full and comfortable life, if it ever came about that he was refused this treatment, then i wouldn't like to think about the outcome and the overall affect it would have on him"
all4luv: "Do you personally feel that marijuana has been effective and necessary for your husband?"
Sharon: "Yes i do, in my mind there is no doubt that the aid of Marijuana can and has raised the quality of the sufferer's life, and without it my husband would not function in the daily running of his life."
all4luv: "Were any other options explored by your husband, other than marijuana, and if so what were they, were they effective, or not, and to what degree was there effectiveness in comparison to the effectiveness of marijuana?"
Sharon: "After trying many other methods----Morphine based drugs, snake poison,Tens machine, all to no avail, he found Marijuana gave the best and instant relief"
all4luv: "Do you personally feel that marijuana was/is the best, or only effective treatment for your husband?"
Sharon; "Yes."
all4luv: "Is there anything you'd like to add, or say to our readers out there, on this controversial issue?"
Sharon: "Marijuana used in pain management should be available to anyone and everyone, why should people live their lives tolerating unnecessary pain when there is a safe and effective solution."
That dear readers is one of the resounding questions asked several times over by numerous people from all walks of life, including, Montell Williams, who actively rallies for and speaks out on the issue of making medicinal marijuana legal and available for use in medical treatment. Montell, who suffers from the debilitating disease known as M.S. (Multiple Sclerosis), says that marijuana has been the only thing that has kept him going and made his pain bearable. He mentions several various other treatments that weren't as effective, such as Morphine. At one point Montel was facing up to seven years in prison, if convicted of possession and use of marijuana for his M.S. There are countless other celebrities and social icons who also support this issue, as well as many noted authorities, such as the D.E.A. judge aforementioned, and several other legal entities, all of which are members of the organization NORML(National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), a highly accredited and respected organization.
A CNN/Time poll published November 4, 2002 found that 80% of Americans believed that "adults should be allowed to legally use marijuana for medical purpose if their doctor prescribed it..."
Support is vast, and the claims of multiple benefits for various types and degrees of ailments, are numerous in the use of this drug medically. Still, there are those who have other concerns regarding the legalization and/or decriminalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes, concerns that are real, and have an impact both socially and legally, and need to be addressed. One of these concerns is that if marijuana is approved for medicinal use, that it will send a message to youth and all of society that marijuana use is acceptable socially, to be used for any purpose, furthering the use of marijuana recreationally. Although it is already used vastly, it is not considered acceptable in any way by society because as of yet, there is no legal acceptance for any type usage, therefore, those who use recreationally keep it out of public sight for fear of criminal prosecution. Then there are those who, despite the scientific data and studies, still feel there is no legitimacy to the drug's claimed medical benefits, stating that even were the claims correct, that the pros don't outweigh the cons when it comes to health risks. To date the only real claims of adverse side effects are claims of the possibility of Emphysema-like conditions, and prolonged, but not permanent, impairment of memory. Although these claims of adverse effects have not been fully proven to be completely accurate, or to be applicable for all uses, such as medical vs. recreational use. Some believe these effects to be true findings, and fear that there could be countless others not yet discovered that may be detrimental to your health. In many ways these are legitimate concerns, but should they be enough to make millions suffer continually when their pain could be eased by using the drug with a doctor's guidance?
In the end all we can do is stay as informed as possible on all issues and aspects of this debate, and to form our own opinions accordingly, until the courts decide whether or not to allow the use of marijuana medically.
In closing, I leave you with these thoughts to ponder:
How dangerous can this drug really be, in light of the fact that the government sends a chosen seven people the drug themselves, to be used to alleviate medical ailments?
If it's safe enough for the government to distribute to them, why not to all who would benefit as much, if not more so?
And lastly, what does the government know that they aren't telling us concerning the drug's safety, as one would assume they wouldn't give it to any citizen if it were harmful or dangerous to their health in any form or fashion?
Happy Thanksgiving To One And All!
Until next issue, I wish you peace, love and light,
all4luv
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NOTE
Last name of Sharon, whom I interviewed, is withheld for reasons of privacy
Sources:
Source of conclusion by Francis L. Young:
www.druglibrary.org/olsen/MEDICAL/YOUNG/young1.html
Source of CNN/Time Poll: CNN Online Library Archives
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glue of the universe
by rambler
Though I’ve gotten better at not allowing it to overwhelm me I tend to be cynical at times. A flaw. What else is new? So when I lost my wallet in a Target store last Sunday evening I wasn’t very hopeful that it would be returned to me. The tide of cynicism especially began to rise when I tried to enlist the aid of young Target employees. My requests for help were often met with glassy eyed stares as if I’d asked them to solve Maxwell’s theorem on the fly. In my mind I began playing the part of Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man. “My wallet is a write off. Yeah, definitely a write off.”
Not that I stood to lose a lot. The wallet contained ten dollars cash, three credit cards within spitting distance of max out, driver’s license, library card, social security card, Visa check card and a few other plastic cards ranging from insurance info to the grocery store discount cards that provide shoppers with money saving illusions. It was an inconvenience more than anything else. I use the Visa check card almost daily. I use the library card a lot and had no desire to show up at the local DMV to get a duplicate driver’s license. Once a lifetime to visit that bureaucratic armpit of the universe is enough. But that’s life. And I had no one but myself to blame.
So after I haunted the isles of Target long enough to make people wonder what the heck I was doing, I went home. I called Capital One and had them cancel my credit cards. I went online and sent my bank an email letting them know about the lost check card. I was particularly worried about that because it accessed the money in my checking account. Though it had my picture on it somebody could easily use it for online purchases. The next morning a return email said they had canceled it and were sending a new one. I was somewhat worried about my social security card, with identity theft becoming a growing problem. But I thought that no smart thief would try stealing my identity if he really wanted to adopt a lucrative persona. He wouldn’t get far with mine. On Monday the bank gave me a temporary ATM card until my new one arrived. So I could survive until my new plastic image hardened once again into faceless consumer. Did I mention I was cynical?
Last night my son handed me the phone. It was Rosa and she had a strong Spanish accent. My mind morphed into a big question mark, quickly scanning all memory banks and chance associations as to who Rosa was and why she was calling me. She told me that her brother worked at Target and that he had found my wallet. She was calling for him because he was at work and her English was better than his. She gave me her address and I drove across town to their house.
When Rosa opened the door I said, “I know you.” Yes. I’d seen her at the gym a number of times. The same Sunday I’d lost the wallet in fact. A slender woman, thirtyish, with dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. She explained to me how her brother had found the wallet. They had looked on my driver’s license to find my address and then looked my phone number up. She told me to check and satisfy myself that everything was there. But I said that it was obvious to me that there was no need. The genuine sincerity of her smile and the simplicity of her whole demeanor persuaded me of that. She also turned down the money I offered as reward, telling me “if you want God to do right by you then you must do right by others.” The simple straightforwardness of that declaration was so refreshing to ears used to hearing legions of words used to justify every kind of behavior. Cynicism receded like a tractor-trailer in a Porsche’s rear view mirror. There was a cute little boy beside her who kept smiling and wanting to shake my hand, which I gladly did.
Sometimes when I’m sitting on the couch reading I’m not aware of the refrigerator’s hum until it quits. Only then do I appreciate how quiet the room becomes. There are so many nasty things going on in the world and their constant hum makes one forget the quiet. But here, in Rosa’s home, I heard the hum switch off and the quiet descend. And I told Rosa, with the best words I could find, how much of a pleasure it was to be in the presence of people who where the real glue of the universe, those who by their simple faith and matching actions (faith is faithfulness) kept things from completely falling into the abyss. Her eyes communicated thankfulness for my recognition and a humility that said she wouldn’t take full credit.
The mass delusion we feed on through the nightly news and other psychological white noise is that cohesiveness rests on what happens in political hot spots and planning rooms where “experts” gather like hyenas around a fresh kill. But I know different. The glue of sanity and restoration runs through unnoticed homes like that on 1313 Valley Run Drive where faith manifests in simple actions that keep us from spinning off into gibbering madness from the seeming abundance of meaninglessness. And their small act of faithful meaning acts like a drop of food coloring in a glass of water.
All this over a wallet, you might be thinking? Water drips unnoticed on a boulder for a thousand years and wears it away while a civilization fails with a sick whimper, crawling in its own vomit. Whatever does not command the servile attention of the self-absorbed is invisible to them because they only see that which flatters them and reminds them of the gods they believe they are. They make a lot of noise because, in their arrested development, noise convinces them that something is happening.
But during the high tide of cynicism somebody quietly picked up a wallet and went out of their way to find the owner. There was no noise. No trumpets were blown or awards given. But something was happening.
The universe was being held together.
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read with me
by Vaseline
It’s the end of November folks, the best holiday of the year is rolling around and most of us are wondering what to buy for our love ones. Unfortunately, I will not be giving you ideas or tips on what to buy this season, rather, on what not to buy.
A main concern of modern parents; how to raise my child the best way I can. Are the toys on the market this year really educational for your children? This is what this column is all about.
I saw a commercial a week or so ago advertising the ‘Read with me’ Barney and Friends DVD Series. After trying one on display at the mall, I realized that unless your child is driven by fashion, they will see nothing exceptional about this except the fact that the old tree house is gone and they now hang out in a new urban style caboose.
The fact that this new version of Barney and Friends is pretty much insulting for the real carton children are used to, is not the only reason why I think parents shouldn’t buy interactive programs for their young kids (0-5). The best way to give a child a rich and full childhood filled with successful learning is by spending time with them. Especially the mother. A child is much more responsive to the mother’s touch, her voice, her smell. Attention is what children crave the most, and by giving them the appropriate attention, they are prone to better learning abilities and grow up to be stable, responsible adults.
Crazy huh? A simple gift could change your child’s future. So parents, this year, be wise in the gifts you offer, and never forget, the best gift you can give is love.
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Alaskan oil spill vs. Alaskan life
by rainydaywoman
A recent oil spill of 267,000 gallons of crude oil was leaked, through a corroded 1/4 inch hole in pipeline, into the majestic beauty of Alaska's Prudhoe Bay. The spill covered about 2 acres, near and around one of the many caribou crossing areas. The spill was undetected for 5 days, until a worker smelled the oil as he passed by in a vehicle. Although these numbers will never come close to comparing to the devastating spill of the Exxon-Valdez, amounting to 11 million gallons, the threats of oil contamination are ever looming over Alaska's wildlife.
The spill was a leak, in close to thirty year old pipelines, that run from Prudhoe Bay to Prince William Sound. These pipelines stretch a distance of 800 miles. This is not the only spill to occur even this year. Alaska alone experiences 300-400 spills per year. That to me is astounding! Most are not as large as these listed, but I think any amount is a significant impact on the caribou, migratory birds, fish and many other creatures. Many people are thankful that this tragedy happened in the winter, making the oil colder and in turn, not spreading to the extent it could have. Still, oil cleanups are not cheap or easy, and leave traces and even pools in some cases in the ground.
Congress is looking at opening drilling sites in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, in Northern Alaska. This to me presents two obvious choices: Either, drill and make the money hungry oil companies richer, and damage the wildlife that still exists, or leave the pristine, natural silence as it is. Not a hard decision in my eyes.
I also wonder if tapping into the depths of the earth is damaging to the layers beneath us, possibly fueling more earthquakes, tsunamis, and upping the volcanic activity. You would be astounded at the numbers of drill sites in our country alone. I see this as an ongoing crises that needs attention from all of us, to preserve our future and for the future of our grandchildren and beyond. Thanks for listening.
I have taken facts and numbers from numerous sources, CNN news, National Geographic, and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
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don’t shoot the cartoonists for telling the truth
by brodie25
Comedy is too bloody truthful. Laughter makes truth an easier pill to swallow. When cultural points of view of the truth collide, it turns quite ugly quick. When the Sunday comics come out it can be much worse. A cartoon showed an Arab dragging a dead camel through the desert to an oasis. The clever parallel to dragging a dead horse to water painted a pretty clear picture about how useless all the energy to fight over a long dead issue. The Danish cartoons in question came out last fall, yet extremists are still rioting. To put the shoe on the other foot, it must be far from dead to the Muslims or they would be in peace talks by now.
More recently, a Globe and Mail cartoon showed the ruins of a bombed out mosque and a television reporter blissly saying 'This latest mosque bombing has shocked the world! To what extremes are these people prepared to go?' The other half of the carton shows two terrorist hiding in a basement with a pen and paper and a book of 'How to draw cartoons.' I saw more power to that idea and there would be far fewer casualties taken in the war on comics.
Freedom to judge? Should a cartoonist un-censor their pen and bare it as a sword of righteous rage to smite down the fools so deserving of retribution of a good laugh? Or should they benevolently say nothing and turn a frustrated blind eye? Reserve judgement and play the role of modestly polite citizen and swallow any pride. Should society meekly let aggressive egos mask their insecurity in shallow power trips? Society cannot help but be judging everyone constantly adjusting responses and analysing reactions.
It's so tempting to kick in some proud fool's kneecaps and give them a taste of reality that they are not special as an unique snowflake. They could likely find as many problems with the one pointing out any small flaws. 'How dare you suggest I change? I can't believe you have the nerve.' That's a direct quote from a local pub when this writer was drinking on the weekend. So hard to please everyone in their small-headed pride and avoid confronting the problems. Tempers flare far too quickly when that happens.
With that in mind, who should point out other people's failings? Especially those with different beliefs. Should that best be left to those in charge of the country? Merrily, most of society would follow the American Idol pied piper to ruin. 'Hey, he's singing an awesome karaoke tune!' Never question where they are being led. Too drunk on ideas of false freedom to shop, become the next top model and take the privileged seats on the bus to hell.
If anyone else were to submit an editorial cartoon to a major newspaper of influence questioning Muslims violence with some valid points, some enraged cleric would be liable to want their head on a stake too. Yet, some bold cartoonists are in hiding having risked everything by painting an violent picture of how Muslim extremists think and act. To provide a word of past history, Danes have off-colour humour when it comes to religion. A painting on a railway station wall a few years ago depicted Christ on the cross with an erection. Why should the Muslims be surprised as nothing is sacred anymore?
In all essence, the cartoons were quite humourous if the Muslims would drop their serious act and lighten up a little. But then again, a westerner wouldn't understand how sacred it would be to see mis-representation of their prophet, Muhammad, pleading that the fighting stop because he had run out of virgins in paradise. Just to think that the holy prophet was displeased with the amount of casualties is quite a blasphemy. Depicting the most holy figure in their Qu'ran is quite an insensitive action though.
Some cartoons were a bit more offensive, like Muhammad's turban with a bomb fuse on it or a bearded Muslim with devil horns. However, the one most striking to me was of a Muslim turning to the other two in the room and say, 'Hey, relax. It's just a bunch of Danish funny papers. What's the big deal? The other two had drawn swords and bombs ready to go off.
The truth is too uncanny when there are death threats against those cartoonists now. To prove the point most frighteningly, Muslim clerics have offered $11.5 million dollars and a new BMW for those cartoonists' heads. Talk about smoking in the gunpowder magazine storage room with the no smoking sign out of order. Yet, another cartoon issued has a cartoonist at his desk in the dead of night desperately trying to cover up his work.
Talk about freedom fighting in the media beyond the Americans' oil pipe dream and bold insurgents who fight against the freedom offered. Never talk openly about the people affected on the sidelines. Those civilians are buried after being in the crossfire. Wait, there aren't many of those around in the Middle East to worry about anyways. They are all armed and hiding in the bushes to run down Bush's soldiers of fortune. Maybe they felt too threatened to do anything less then pick up weapons to fight.
Those westerner lads are only there to pay college tuition and a chance to make it out of dead-end jobs at 7-11 to something more thrilling. Some are proud to follow military tradition of their family having always served in the armed forces. Maybe 9-11 brought out their patriotic duty to go bring justice and peace to a foreign land to protect their own soil. Funny world when those protecting their own soil go to invade another person's homeland and cannot figure out why they fight back so bitterly. To put it in perspective, a Afro-American cartoon from the 1960's shows two black guys trudging through the Vietnam jungle and saying, 'Maybe after we free these poor bastards from oppression, they might come back to America and fight for our freedom.' Makes one wonder about visible minorities like the aboriginal Native American population over there fighting along with their Caucasian brothers-in-arms.
Freedom to fight for what is right and wonder what is right to free. Those in power will always fear freedom. Freedom of speech without silence, freedom of vote without fear, freedom of artistic expression. One must see artistic expression as a vital freedom, as it is the most powerful tool of one person's ability to convey their individual thoughts to the masses. Who knows how many artists traded in their brushes and paints for AK-74 guns. Their religion expected them to go and destroy the heathen enemy, not paint about the injustices of it all. Someone had never told those clerics screaming damnation on the foe about political commentary. For the international community of politicians to plead forgiveness on those editors' mistakes is weak though. Pulling college newspapers off in Prince Edward Island, Canada is disrespectful to freedom of publishing to the original intent to have solidarity with the original cartoonist's freedom of speech.
Some would criticize it to be not a relatively inexperienced young writer's place to point out people's flaws; as a poet, student and open minded thinker, maybe it is. Much more seldom to be able to point out some solutions and be listened to by those who need to hear. As the future leaders and decision makers, they better start listening to us young'uns.
For more on the subject, check out these editorials from both sides of the issue.
service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,398792,00.html
service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,398853,00.html
or something to the editor's defences.
www.aim.org/briefing/4400050C/
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drift
by watuwant
The first significant snowfall of the year
piles up outside, and my mind is gone,
swirling away, as it is wont to do.
It is a good morning for contemplation,
snug as I am with a hot cup of coffee on
the table and the lingering buzz of the days
first cigarette shuddering through me
as I shake off the cold.
In a world of epiphanies, my mind is a
wonder at it all.
The significance of how each flake of snow,
haphazardly falling outside,
yet merging wondrously with where it lands
is not lost within
the perfection inherent in each,
reminding me of something I read awhile back,
“God does not reveal
godself to godself through outward observation,
but through inward experience.”
I have come to know that there are no
coincidences in life and all is unfolding as it should,
just as I have known this morning was coming,
affording me the opportunity to sit here, pen in hand,
letting my mind flow across the paper in a manner
befitting my purpose.
You who happen to read these words
are in for a treat,
as you inexorably see how these thoughts come together,
merging in perfect clarity.
Sometimes it seems that the haphazard aspect of
our world, teeming with the vagaries of duality,
tosses us around such that we feel powerless against
these outside forces. Blowing us here and there, the
winds of fate can appear harsh, even cruel,
in their happenstance upon our lives.
We can then find ourselves lost, victim of a
pointless crusade for survival amidst a sea of insanity,
bereft of purpose, except for the barest of glimmers
that somehow, somewhere, we can make sense of it all.
The mind that thinks these thoughts is unique
in its glimmering refusal to let hope die. It is unique
in its unswerving devotion to a belief in a better world
for everyone. This mind is alone in its power,
within which we all abide.
This mind is but a collection of individual flakes
of perfection,
drifting their way through it all, as we land
precisely where we think we are.
Now, how does this project onto a world gone awry?
Herein lies the key to it all, the drift that is carrying us
back to the beginning of a unified mind.
There are no victims, anywhere, that have not thought
themselves into the circumstances they are in. To think
otherwise is to make a mockery of godself experiencing
godself, resulting in a world full of flakes judging accordingly.
Catch this drift and you begin to wake up to the perfection
inherent in unity. Fear takes on a new meaning as
Faith, Evidence And Reality
change the world that you see,
and happenstance becomes a thing of the past.
Catch this drift and you reclaim your power within
a world of our making, making it a world of forgiving
those flakes who have yet to catch this drift…
and one flake becomes a snowball,
careening through our mind
gathering up the other flakes
until the circle is completed.
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Edge
by E A collins
Flowers of soot and rust
blossom on iron structured beams
as old as those who walked
across its span
to reach what lay beyond
their covetous core and
forlorn desires
near the place where future melts into
decay
and the child of your dreams
is nothing more than
the dancing pixie
of floating neon
reflected on vaporous bodies
standing near the edge.
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rhymes and reason
by I-like-rhymes
WARNING THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE EDITORS
In May of this year I was feeling depressed. There was I,a teacher and a budding performer in folk clubs (reciting poetry) suffering from a lost voice. Not a sore throat but a lack of voice. Both my job and my hobby were looking to be things of the past.
Then I found Allpoetry whilst browsing the web. From the start I was hooked.
My voice is still not back to its stentorian, parade ground drill instructor, level but it is strengthening and I am easing my way back into work but I am still writing here and thoroughly enjoying my own efforts and reading those of other like minded souls.
I cannot remember the name I first logged in as but the comments I read and received showed rhyme was not popular with many members. Being the awkward soul I am I changed my name to the present one and flaunted my love affair with rhymes. Yes I really do like rhymes.
People say that rhymes are not necessary, that they take the reader's mind away from the subject, that they are just a quick fix for bad poetry; and maybe in some cases they are correct. However I still like them and so do my audiences. The only places where I receive resistance to rhymes is at my regular once-a-month "poetry" club meeting where we read our latest efforts to each other.
Why this split? Why do the audiences love rhymes when the "poets" dislike them so much? I believe the answer lies in two directions. First the poetry many people learn in school hasn't changed much since my day and it still centres around rhyme and rhythm. Second, creating or adhering to a rhyme pattern is not as easy for most people as just writing thoughts.
Also people like rules! Yes even in this apparently lawless age; most people like rules. They like to know the boundaries of behaviour and are happiest when working and living within those boundaries. Fee verse makes them feel uncomfortable. Is this piece they're reading a poem or a short story. It's got lots of short lines like a poem but they end in the middle of clauses or sentences, you have to read them like prose. traditional verse is more comfortable for them. It is easier to read (and they can see where the breath breaks are coming as well!).
Who is right the audience or the writer? Well until the audience changes I for one believe in giving them what they want and that is structure rhymes. Certainly there is a place for the poetic prose that is labelled free poetry but it should be clearly announced for what it is and that's not poetry. Just like they would hate punk rock at a folk concert audiences don't like free verse at a poetry concert.
So what is the right meaning of poetry in the modern era [ allpoetry.com/Poem/1296401 ] ? Is there a place for rhyme and does it still work [ allpoetry.com/Poem/1296511 ]? and where do I fit in? Poet or not [ allpoetry.com/Poem/1303492 ]?
Let me know!
Jim S
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bonus
by legion mesmer
Nov 23, 7:35
would like to contribute the following:
It was in reference to a contest wherein the rules were so restrictive and demeaning that I was compelled to rise to the challenge.
I wish I were an author
of such immense intellectual girth
as to envelope all the monumental conceit
displayed in just a few terse words
as the self promoting sponsor
of this contest displays.
I wish I was an eraser
of such magical proportions
that a single pass would emanate
even a small iota of ego
we have evidenced
in these statements.
I wish I was composed of
a talent so pure
as to burn words immortal
on the fabric of the air,
letting them hang there for others to see
and learn.
I wish I were a teacher
able to reach the minds
of those who wish to learn
and not close them out
for their stumblings.
I wish you were too.
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AP families
by mistic moonlight
when I first came here it was through invitation of another poet and her husband. We seem to extend our AP family through specific word of mouth.
I started my family with a daughter then nieces, nephews cousins uncles aunts, sisters, brothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, mom dads.. grandchildren.. my neighbour (also known as my daughter). Then of course friends and acquaintances, we all are known to each other by reading commenting on each others writes. Let it be stories, poems or columns. From happy writes to the saddest or vicious writes.. that would [and does break so many hearts]. We lose part of our AP families through death, let it be murder, accidental suicide, or even stillborn which is a loss to most of us.
Pain is shared as well as happiness, we earn points from commenting on writes, or hold contests to support our poets.. give gold to the best, silver, then bronze.. all stamped trophy pics on each winning poem. Points given to most.. and honourable mentions to some for nice writes.
We can buy points through AP, Kevin has a system set up so we can charge our cards for them. Then of course our families are awarded with extra points to host contests, to learn responsibilities of correct judging poetry. We have little support groups for religion, death related, alcoholic and other addictive habits.
AP has a system set up to see who can get the most applauses or comments on poems.. satisfaction for competitive poets, lol.
Then of course we have support system for each of our people within our family using links on our authors’ pages to share their poeticness with ALL of AP. Can one person be happy with a family in real life and here in AP (can I say extremely happy as I share my husband with our kids in here)? And then of course he and I have outside interests amongst ourselves with out the family.
We share everything in AP
Collaborate in contests with anyone who wants to. Help others with posting ..show them how to communicate with others through wandering through contests and commenting introducing one’s self to each other.. welcoming them to AP I even have MrDoug and 80 yr old for my grandfather and Grandma in her 70s.. so we do share our families with all wide range of mom and dads and a variety of genders, we have such a world wide population of poets in here... but all are our family in one way or another...we are all related— from 5 yrs old to late 80's, can't get any better than that!
Rejoice over great news, like college graduation or pre-school or earning an award for accomplishments. In their home lives; some have a very poor outlook, and look for us to support and we try and support as much as we can, and if we don't know how… we have links to connect them to local at home groups for soulful help and pray they seek it out. Some leave and we hear nothing for months and ‘wham!’ they come in and yell of pure joy that they did seek help and won their battles.
So AP families are here and do share in almost every aspect of living in and outside of AP. I for one am so proud to be a part of many families as we join as one big AP family. In the end, I can also see
some lost loves and hopes of romances gone astray due to distance and I personally saw some rejoice in so much happiness through their searching for ways to be together in real life.
I see families here as one and we try to interact as one. Sharing through our communication messengers etc…
Such joy can be had in this place we call our 2nd home lol.
any more questions please ask and do whatever you wish with this..
My heart is so full... I don't want to over do it lol!
love and peace with much respect I post this to you my sweet daughter and have fun deciphering it.
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my mom’s a moron
by Atsielorion
EXTRA! EXTRA!!! READ ALL ABOUT IT!!!!
MY MOM IS A MORON!!!!!!
My mom is now officially a stupid, idiotic, moron.
Sometimes, I use her ergonomic desk chair (usually while watching TV) and I will occasionally play with the air pump for viewing comfort. Well, my mom got mad at me for changing it. So I told her to change it back. She got frustrated and insisted I change it for her. Then, I asked if she even knew how to change it, and she said "No." That about did it for me. So, I tried to force her to PAY attention while I TAUGHT her and showed her how it was done. I went up.... and down.... and up..... and down a few times on the chair! She was getting madder and more frustrated b/c she was trying to work from home and insisted she was having a call coming in soon. So then, after I change it back to the position she wanted it in, and she sat down, I slightly "adjusted" it again so that it lowered a very tiny bit. She got mad again and yelled for me to fix it. I now can't help but realize that I overestimated her intelligence. My mom is a lot dumber than she appears to be then. Perhaps in time, she may redeem herself. But until then (if there ever is a then), I will be convinced (for good reason too) that my mom is officially a moron.
~Ats~
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brightest blessings
by serenity unchained
Paganism and Wicca. How to discern the difference between the two? Some say the two beliefs are the same thing, those of us who practice know there is indeed a definite difference. The main difference being the practice of magick, and casting of spells. In this column I will discuss origins of both faiths, and the differences between the two. I will also discuss the way the two combine in obvious, and less obvious ways.
Paganism is considered to be one of the worlds oldest religions. It is also believed that many Christian based belief systems stem in some sense or another from Pagan beliefs and practices. Most of Europe consisted of Pagan societies in the time before the bible ever existed. Pagans lived in harmony, much like Native American Indian cultures, with the land and animals. They believed that you should never take more from the land than is needed, and should always give back some of what you taking by growing of plants, and breeding of animals. Pagans gave name to the spirits they believed inhabited the Earth. One of the most commonly known is Gaia, or Mother Earth. It is the Pagans that developed the calendar through astrology. They also had Sabbaths and Ebits according to the different seasons. Though traditional Pagans did not practice magick, they did perform ceremonies and rituals, as many churches do in modern times, for the symbolism evoked from them.
Paganism has long been practiced throughout the world. There are many different forms or “paths” in the Pagan belief system, though Paganism is not a highly structured religion. That is one of the main draws to Paganism; the relaxed state of it. Unlike Catholicism there are no structured prayers. There are no churches; Pagans prefer to worship in “natural temples” outdoors. They can call “the one” by any chosen identity of deity they feel most comfortable with. They honor their dead, and the ancestors before them. They revere women, so Paganism is an ideal break from the more male dominated faiths of this world. There is also the fanciful, or fantasy aspect involved in some sects of Paganism. Many who walk a Celt path believe in fairies, dragons, little people, and gnomes. This is a refreshing break from the norm, and adds a softness that does not exist in traditional Christian beliefs. It in no way detracts from the seriousness of the religion however; Pagans are some of the kindest and most respectful people around.
~Wicca/Wiccae
Wicca, or Wiccae as some call it, is a fairly new religion as far as being organized and recognized. It is however a very old practice and belief system. Wiccae, or witches, have been around for hundreds of years. Who can forget the famous witch trials in the United States? It made Salem Mass. a place of notoriety in American history.
Wicca, like Paganism, is an earth based religion. Witches hold a high reverence for nature. It is believed by most Wiccans that all things on earth hold an energy all it’s own. Plants, animals, stones, herbs, all hold an energy that can be borrowed from to assist in achieving a need, or acquiring information. Witches practice magick. They have long been the healers in villages and communities, with a strong understanding of the healing abilities of plants and herbs. They perform rituals and ceremony, as any other religion does, but theirs leans a bit more to the “theatrical” in a sense. Everything used in ritual is strong in symbolism. The tools of the witch vary from path to path, and beliefs. Almost all use candles, incense, herbs, paper, and most important; words.
Words are a powerful tool in any belief system. Catholics, Christians, and many faiths all use prayer as a means of communicating to their God and asking for the things needed most at that particular time. Words are used in all ceremonies, and rites, no matter the religion. Witches use words in a very similar manner. They weave words together to cast spells, induct fellow witches to a coven or circle, and use words in personal communication with their deities. They write their spells and evocations down to create a “Book of shadows”, which is basically a bible or spell book for a witch. It is a very valuable tool for a witch to have.
~The merging of the two
Many Pagans started to lean toward Wicca with the simple belief that the two are the same; except on uses a stronger sense of magick. They are a perfect combination to some, and to others are merely similar. Whether you practice one, the other, or both, you will be more enlightened and better in touch with nature and the natural energies within. The best way to decide the path that is best for you is to read, study, and decide what feels natural to you.
May the spirit guide you
Nature bide you
And your heart and soul be one!
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holiday poem
by catressa
The Many Gifts of You
Sweet Angel born to sorrow and strife,
demons that plague you
emotions run high.
The Greatest gift sent from above
God's only child
sent here with Love.
Shadows in doubt
darkness in pain
I've honoured your Mother
hallowed her name.
Life reborn
freedom through loss,
not many options
you carried the cross.
When all was done
and words were said,
You Died for us Jesus
with each drop that you bled.
Come Christmas Morning
I'll say your name,
the miracles of you
I'll speak with no shame.
I've always wondered
how she could watch,
knowing her son
would save us through loss?
Tears I am sure
she shed when you died
but a Mothers heart
so full of pride.
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my thoughts by
simple sarcasm
My personal thoughts on plagiarism is that it is stealing, plain and simple. It also proves that the plagiarist has a lack of talent and is NOT a writer in any way shape or form.
It seems that the whole subject of plagiarism is a hot topic in the world of academia and professionalism.
I always go by what my parents taught me (about stealing), if it isn't yours keep your hands off of it! Same goes for written thoughts, if it isn't yours, either, keep your hands off of it or give the originating writer(s) proper credit.
Simply Simple(without the sarcasm).
Below I've pasted an article on the subject. The link to said article is pasted below the article:
----"If you steal from one author, it's plagiarism; if you steal from many, it's research."
Wilson Mizner, U.S. playwright (1876-1933)
Source: The Oxford dictionary of quotations edited by Angela Partington.
Rev. 4th ed. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 1996. p. 478.
Misconceptions about plagiarism abound, as you can see from the tongue-in-cheek quotation above, but it is a serious matter in academia and the professional world. Penalties for plagiarising can include receiving an 'F' for the class, academic probation, expulsion, or even degrees being withdrawn, among other consequences. In the professional world, legal suits and professional humiliation have ensued.------
From the University of Oregon Libraries.
libweb.uoregon.edu/guides/plagiarism/students/
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valentine’s day
by LEPEKAHA FOEHN
Celebrate Valentine’s Day the way it was intended: Hook up randomly
By LEPEKAHA FOEHN
Looking for a Valentine?
Take a pencil, scribble your name on a slip of paper and throw it in a box full of other people’s names. Then sit back and let your lover pick you.
Or more simply, go online and sign up for a personal ad profile and wait for HandsomeGreenEyes27 to email you.
Either way, your random Romeo could just be your new practice sex partner for a year—or a dumb-witted hapless fellow not unlike your last date.
But before you write off the luck of the draw as an untested way to hook up this Valentine’s Day, consider that the Roman’s started the tradition in just that manner.
Young men would draw the names of young women, and they would partner for the Festival of Lupercalia. The resultant playful puppy-love romping would sometimes last until another name was drawn the following year.
The ceremony honored Juno, the goddess of women and marriage—not the god of Boogie Nights like you might have guessed.
Then in 270 AD—or somewhere near that time because I wasn’t there and neither was TiVo—Claudius the Cruel ruled Rome and found it difficult to find soldiers willing to march off to battle and die.
The original flower children, these young Roman men preferred to make love not war. Ol’ Claudius got his panties in a bunch and called off all engagements and weddings in Rome.
But the weddings didn’t stop. A good number of couples probably made some, Baby-I’m-going-off-to-war lovin’ and ran off to secretly find a priest willing to marry them.
They found someone named Valentine.
Not much is known for certain about him—the period had at least seven priests by that name. But some tales say that couples who had lost their heads in love could call upon Valentine, who some say later lost his own head as punishment from the notorious emperor Claudius, a.k.a Mr. Cruel.
In other versions, Valentine was imprisoned and supporters wrote letters and sent flowers his way before returning home to frolic between the sheets, presumably on honeymoon.
Meanwhile, Valentine languished and died.
The history of the seven Valentines have mostly blurred into one, but you could hope that Pope Gelasius knew more than we did when he converted the Festival of Lupercalia into a day to honor a since-sainted martyr in 496 A.D.
But the Christian influences of the time called for more than a name change to the festival: They also traded the names of those sexy, young girls in the drawing with the names of saintly, old men. The premise was that men would draw names of role models they could emulate rather than pretty models they could—well, you know.
It was a good plan and nobody made love on Valentine’s Day ever again.
Yeah, right.
Actually, the plan didn’t work but kept people feeling as prudish as possible until the 14th century when the gang had a bit of a sexual revolution and put the women’s names back in the hopper.
The church tried again.
And failed again.
Try again, fail again? This sounds like most of our own efforts on Valentine’s Day, leaving us all with the choice of being naughty or nice this year.
But don’t expect that HandsomeGreenEyes27 wants to be your religious role model when he asks you to be his Valentine.
wink
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love, friend or foe?
by Merija Gilbert
Love is probably the one thing that everyone world wide can relate to. It’s not necessarily such a great thing though. Love can be so painful!! You think of the worst break up that you’ve ever had and all the tears and suffering you experienced because love was lost. I know so many people at the moment that are recovering from heartbreak. I know that my first love took me at least 9 months to get over and now 14 months later I am almost ready to date again…almost!!
Not to mention the ‘cost’ of loving anyone. When we love people we make ourselves vulnerable to hurt and upset and not only that which is normally involved in any relationship but then you’re also susceptible to get some of theirs! You not only get their joys and laughs; you get their pain and hurt.
Love also makes us clingy, needy and desperate and not only in a partnership, any kind of re
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