Sunday, December 21, 2008

Solstice greetings

This December 21st, when the season is expressing its most foul temperment,
I hereby extend warm greetings to all!
-
We are now on the downhill slope to June 21st. It will go by in a heartbeat.
Lifes concerns and neccessities will seize us, carry us along
On a fast river of haste, hurry, worry.
We should get there soon.
-
Hopefully you are all in a warm, comfortable abode, sheltered
From winters bitter weather.
-
Additionally, it is hoped you are well-fed, perhaps with a cup
Of some warm beverage to sip.
-
Stay warm, be of good cheer, and hang in there.
Spring will be here soon.
-
Happy Holidays to Everyone!
Chris Pirillo is having a gift contest. He is offering three different gift bundles to lucky winners who enter via a Twitter comment, a posting on his site, or on their own blog post. Being a Star Wars fan, I of course chose the Star Wars package as my preferred win. This being Christmas, I would give away most of the items, to my local Starbase17 club, to local charities (would keep the encyclopedia for my own inner child, who can be pretty vocal at times).

Here is the link: http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/12/15/receiving-the-gift-of-giving/

It is worth checking out, to see what this dynamo is up to if nothing else *grin*

Also, http://geeks.pirillo.com is a fascinating site as well.

Happy holidays everyone!

Monday, December 15, 2008

The other day, while out running errands, I came across the same thing twice:

People leaving their car motors running while going into the grocery store.

Gas is so cheap that many folks do not care if they waste some, by cavalierly leaving their engine running
while going into a store.

All of a sudden, it is okay to pollute the air, to waste energy that is transported thousands of miles from the Middle East, all in the name of convenience!

Times like this, I wish for some kind of 'waste police' that would slap a 100-dollar ticket on people like that, and donate the proceeds to energy research of some kind.

How soon we forget, how easy it is to slip back into a mindset of burn, baby, burn that gas.

Heaven help us all.


Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Peace Institute invitation

I recently got an invitation in the mail to join the Carter Institute for Peace, or somesuch. Of course it was a solicitation for a donation (you can do your part to advance the cause for peace). Now, I would love to advance the cause for peace - I believe in peace, goodwill, and all that. But peace donations take affluence. And this is not an affluent age we are living in right now, especially me.
-
With an ongoing military presence in Iraq and Afganistan, not to mention military bases around the world, we are spending a lot of peace and goodwill already maintaining our open-ended commitments. Our new president-elect made a statement recently promising that we would continue to be the "greatest power on the planet." Considering the size of Russia and China, just how are we going to be able to afford to do this? Short of starving the people, I mean. It appears to me some strange shadow chacanery is going on here.
-
85 billion goes to AIG, and what? Dissapears into a vaccuum? And then they give them more? Why does CITI require so many billions. Wells Fargo is healthy, but they vaccuumed up 25 billion or so. These companies do not manufacture anything except paper waste and fattened-up execs. We should be putting more of this money into consumer hands, the ones who need it.
-
Peace is a great goal, worthy of strivings and efforts. But the average middle-class family today is being squeezed on both sides, laid off, charged more, and in general screwed over. Peace my foot. We will be lucky if there is not a huge increase in thefts and even violence in the near future.
-
Every decade since the 1970's has seen more and more financial shell games, bailouts like the S&L crisis, and international intrigues. When will this end, and how ugly will the end be, I wonder. Peace assumes affluence and stability. Desparate, hungry people do desparate things. Well-fed, healthy, affluent folk are ones most inclined to hold civilized discussions. Perhaps rationality itself is the province of the priviledged, well-off people.
-
The rest of us have not been served well by these leaders in business. They always seem to leave a worse mess for the next 'shift' to clean up. Sure, if only we could become energy independent. If only we could root out every last person who ever thought of terrorism. If only every nation on Earth were a functioning democracy. Would it help? Hard to say, but I doubt it. Human nature is too good at screwing things up. But peace is a nice thought anyways (I just can't afford it right now).
-
Maybe the best one can hope for is a "piece of the action". Get your bailouts, your tax rebates while they are hot. Hang on folks, this could be a real bumpy ride.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

The Obama Cookie

Boomers Cafe loaded with fattening stuff,
Bigger burgers and fatter fries for bigger
Appetites. Here there is no fancy frills or fluff,
All staple items to trip a diners’ trigger.
-
A special cookie is available there,
Full of tasty chocolate chunks;
Now is wildly popular everywhere,
Lift bored taste buds out of their funk!
-
Although many Boomers are dieting now,
They can find room for these cookies;
With a rich taste that makes one say, “wow”,
These are not made by any cookie rookie.
Time to travel to the Baby Boomer Cafe,
Buy a dozen, hand them out, make someone's day!

(Sonnet in response to news reports of the Obama Cookie)

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Memories of Mother

She was so dear to me,
A friend, a confidante, a supporter always.
There to comfort, to dry my tears, and yet
There to give me a push when called for.
-
Our loving, sweet mother.
She gave us life, nurtured us,
Endured our tantrums, cooked our meals,
Washed our clothes, made our beds,
Offered many loving words of encouragement.
-
Cold mornings on a paper route were warmed
Considerably by her driving me on the route!
-
Almost up to the end, when Cancer took her...
After losing her voice, she would still write
Loving notes of encouragement to me.
Motivating me on a first job,
Congratulating me on successes.
I still have them, of course, all treasured.
-
On this anniversary of her death in 1981,
I honor her memory once again.
Love never dies, it just gets passed on.
Feeling her warmth as I write this,
Dear reader, now I pass it onto you.
-
Thanks for reading this, and may you be
Even fractionally as fortunate as I was.


-

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Came Late to the Party

Too bad the coffeeshops are closing,
Unfortunate to see gadget stores going;
Now that economy is getting a hosing,
Yours truly got a laptop with wi-fi homing.
-
Either too soon to the mark,
Or a day late and a dollar short;
My timing seems on a lark,
Leaping forth while others abort.
-
Still pleased and amazed at connectivity,
Built into most laptop computers today;
Just one aspect of mobile productivity,
Hotspots abound all over town nowadays.
Though economic fallout descends around me,
My mobile Internet access will keep me happy
-
-
And the screen is really crisp and sharp too *grin*

Sunday, November 09, 2008

How about them Hawkeyes

National-ranked team with tough defense,
Their record matching determination to win;
Time for the Hawks to drop all pretense,
Join fierce battle with chance of victory slim.
-
Shonn Green started things out right,
Kelly and Royster responded in kind;
Penn State Showed assembled might,
Hawkeyes fought on, determined in mind.
-
Third quarter came with Hawkeye score,
Lions roared back with scores of their own;
Neither side yielded but struggled even more,
Yet Hawks destined to win titanic struggle at home.
Green and Murray put once mighty Lions down for good,
Hawkeyes stature standing tall in Big Ten neighborhood.
-
-

A tribute to the Iowa Hawkeyes football team in Sonnet form.
Congradulations to the entire team for a well-deserved victory.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Post-Election Haiku




Election over,
Democratic president,
Sigh of relief heaved.
------------------------------------
President chosen,
No more televison ads,
I sigh with relief
------------------------------
Noise level increased,
A new leader is chosen!
Good, no more attacks.
-------------------------------
I am so relieved,
Our new leader is chosen.
No more TV ads!
----------------------------
Joy, pleasure abound,
Obama was elected!
Stocks were not impressed.
--------------------------
Challenges abound,
Obama will have hands full;
Hope he can juggle.
-
-
-
Hopefully the next four years will be better than the last eight.

Monday, November 03, 2008

CBS Sunday Morning ran a segment on Patriotism last sunday, which got me to thinking....
And to writing some stuff. So, here goes.....
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patriotism

Devotion, support, love of country
Expressed in many different ways.
Military service, volunteer duties,
Fighting for civil rights for
Ethnic groups of various stripes.
USA comprised of many, many
Populations of subgroups.
White, Black, Hispanic, Asian
Pro-life, Pro-choice,
Conservative, Liberal,
Heterosexual, Homosexual.
All fortunate to live in such a large,
All-encompassing country,
Big Uncle Sam holding all
In loving, protective embrace.
This Election Day,
We can nod in
Acknowledgement
Of one another,
Our rights to be different,
Our freedom to disagree --
Yet our acceptance of one another.
We are all Americans,
Constantly learning from each other.
We can come together this Nov. 4th,
Participate in worlds greatest democracy,
Electing our leaders once again.
Civil rights struggles will continue,
New groups, new issues,
New, against old, entrenchments.
As we struggle for direction,
We can still love one another.
God bless America, in all its diversity, indeed.
-----------------------------------------------------
Patriotism II

Is it more loyal, patriotic,
To follow well-worn paths,
Enlist and follow orders,
Be made into a killing automaton?
Or fight unconventionally,
Standing up for civil rights,
Support the downtrodden,
Show unique kind of moral might?
Defending your country certainly honorable,
Difficult to know where hairs were split...
Between defending our borders, or
Promoting world-dominating policies.
True patriots will question authority,
Not for dissentions sake alone,
But to seek demonstrable truths,
The betterment of all our welfare.
John Adams, or Thomas Jefferson
Dynamic tensions between
Priviledged and Innovators,
Traditional and novel.
Rosa Parks, or George Wallace.
Barry Goldwater or John Kennedy,
Martin L. King or Richard Pryor.
Discordant tension, striving towards unity.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Patriotism III
We all seek what is right for ourselves,
And our fellow countrymen, countrywomen;
Bitter pill of democracy is the ongoing struggle
Argument, debate, haggling out of detail,
To find that which works reasonably,
Inclusive of at least the majority.
For the betterment of all.
Today, there are thousands, millions of
Gays and Lesbians who love the USA.
They are volunteering for community groups,
Supporting political choices, assisting with
HIV testing, counseling, outreach. All
Adding their threads of achievement to this
Huge multi-hued tapestry we call
The United States of America.
They also deserve the rights to liberty,
The right to love a member of the same sex,
To enter into legally-recognized civil unions.
The USA has survived and prospered
Due to its ability to change and grow.
We no longer allow slavery,
We have cleaned up our air, water;
We have made many strides in
In improving the lives of citizens.
Time to take the next step.
Grant the right to marry to
Gay and Lesbian couples.
Freedom for all, not most.
--------------------------------------------
Patriotism IV

We face many challenges ahead,
Domestic petroleum supply decreasing,
Economic turmoil straining the Fed,
External threats steady or increasing.
-
Social Security, Medicare funds will run dry,
Other social safety net programs in jeopardy;
We need new ideas, funding plans to try
To keep our large population safe and healthy.
-
Hopefully our newly elected president can achieve
Great strides in solving some of these major issues;
We can achieve what we can conceive and believe,
Disparate groups joining together, healing fissures.
Both candidates observed, "Our best years are yet to come",
With unity and purpose, We can attain these heights as one.
-
-
-
One nation, under God, indivisible. With liberty and justice for all.

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Memories


Memory, sweet memory


I remember when
One used to pick up a heavy
Telephone handset,
stick a Finger into circular hole,
Pull down a dial at the correct number.

Long distance calls
Beeped, warbled, hissed.
It required an operator
For my collect calls from school.

That was back when I was
Young, skinny, desired by
More people than I would
Have thought possible.
-
Technology was clunky,
My body svelte, sexy.
-
Today, things stand reversed.
-
Slim cellular devices
Packed with many features,
Hard to dial, though, with
My wrinkled fat old
Fingers.


Who ever said life was fair.
Pitch black coat,
Darkness with legs,
Eyes gleaming outward,
Mouth opens, shimmers teeth,
Meows march forth,
Gripping my ears,
Demanding attention.
-
It tangles in my ankles,
Increasing the volume.
-
I hasten to fetch the dry cat food,
Unable to refuse such a creature.


The neighborhood beggar.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Mistakes

To be human is to make mistakes. We all have done so on various occasions, more often than any one would care to admit. The recent mortgage-backed securities debacle is a good reminder of that. Not too long ago, we could pat ourselves on the back and smugly observe, "look at us here in the USA - we are housing more of our people than ever before, sharing the good life with more and more." Until the whole mortgage securities market unravelled.

Most of the time we can learn from mistakes. We can learn our limits, or learn not to do something or other, as the outcome will be bad. When growing up, we had to learn the limits of our capabilities the hard way. Every action had a price (still does), and every stunt we pulled had some kind of cost involved, more or less depending on what we did. In adulthood, the penalties increase for various kinds of foolishness. Mistakes are the one thing we all have in common, no matter how hard we try and avoid them. Heaven knows, I have made more than my share. I just try to bow my head humbly and keep going sometimes, flaws and all.
-

Trouble is, we are all on this moving platform called our lives. Moving down the timeline, trying to make decisions in a changing world, changing society, changing country, even as we find ourselves changing. Juggling concerns, wishes, fears, hopes, dreams, desires, for ourselves or our children or families. Sometimes we take our best guess, our best shot at the time, given the circumstances. Some outcomes are unforseeable. Is it no wonder we make mistakes and blunders, small or large? To be human is to fumble in the dark, trying to find our way in a hostile universe. Seems to me we can hardly help making a lot of errors. Although hopefully we will try and correct them, learn from them.
Sometimes an error to one person is a smart move, or a well-performed act to another. Depending on belief systems. So it is difficult to even quantify what is a mistake sometimes. My definition is if it causes human grief, pain or loss, it is highly likely to be a mistake or error of some kind. Although I could be mistaken, after all, I'm only human *grin*.
-
-
Speaking of large mistakes... It also seems to me that the major root of terrorism is the human desire to get even with someone. If you are large and powerful, you have a huge regular army. If you are little and angry, you resort to terrorism to get even, because it is all you have. So for a counry to declare a "war on terror" is seemingly the same as a "War on Human Nature" . Well, that is us against us, and who is going to win that one? The (to me) mistaken notion that we can invade and bully our way to security is ineffective, and has a tendency to turn more against us. Hopefully the next president will realize this and rein in the dogs of war, giving our economy a real break. And, redirect the energies thus preserved into making our nation energy-independent.
-

Mistakes - life is hell sometimes, but if we learn from them as much as we are able, we can still end up better off than before. Just an opinion, of course.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Palin-tology
The analysis of Sarah Palin, her effect on McCains' campaign, her dress, speech, and most of all, her appearances on Saturday Night Live.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sarah Sonnet


Sarah speaks in her red dress getup,
Mimicking Tina Fey mimicking her;
News coverage continues without letup,
Keeping her name front and center.
-
For all of this publicity and attention,
Things are not changing in the polls;
Obama is good at support retention,
Palin noise machine not taking any toll.
-
Colin Powell weighed in with his support
For Obama, despite his party affiliation;
Sarah Palin proved she is a good sport,
Cannot guarantee White House destination!
Sarah will be able to go back to hunting moose,
When this failed campaign season turns her loose.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I would love to have someone like Sarah as a neighbor or member of a neighborhood association. A fine person she may be, but not for political office (IMHO), please.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Here is a quote from an email - factual information on financial history in the US.

..."From 1929 to 1931, hundreds or thousands of banks failed when depositors panicked and withdrew their money because they didn't want to be the last in line - the first guy to take his money out got his money, the later guys got nothing. The Glass-Steagall Act was put into place to stabilize the situation. Banks were forbidden to invest in anything other than loans and obligations of the US Government. In exchange for this limitation, banks were offered the chance to buy insurance from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
-
About the same time, the Savings and Loans were chartered and insured by the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation - and they too were restricted in their investments. They could only make loans secured by real estate, and originally the interest rates they could pay on Certificates of Deposit were set by the federal government. How boring is that? -

In 1981 or early 1982 those rules were loosened to the point of elimination.A few years later the FSLIC went bankrupt and it cost the US Government $160,000,000,000.00 to bail them out.
-
Never prone to learning from mistakes, Congress in 1999 passed the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which did away with Glass-Steagall. Nine years later, we're staring at a default of the $56,000,000,000,000.00 FDIC - thanks to the repeal of Glass-Steagall.

-When will they ever learn? "

Indeed, we are seemingly afflicted with a giant case of the 'stupidity flu' when it comes to passing financial laws in this country. Lately, while washington pols have been admonishing people to "not panic", they have done major panicky moves every day. Throwing hundreds of billions at the problem, bailing out corrupt companies left and right. Acting panicky is not a good way to inspire confidence. Someone should read up on what was done in the early thirties perhaps, and re-do those things. In any case, it looks like we are in for
another rough ride.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Two Cars

Riding my bicycle blithely along,
Decided to stop by a friends' place;
Right on the way home, won' t take long,
Instead of a holler, will greet him face to face.
-
Upon stopping by, found him standing outdoors,
Rode up, greeted him, began to chat;
He informed me his vehicle was out of order,
Danged timing chain went, and that was that!
-
So, later I drove over to his place,
Fetched him and his friend;
We drove to where the car was placed,
Lined the two cars up, our way to wend
-
Pusher and pushee, through stops and turns,
I kept my bumper aimed straight and true;
Hands gripping wheel, stomach did churn,
Finally pushed him into his driveway, up which he flew!
-
Mission accomplished, I travelled back home.
On the way, what did I see?
A neighbor stuck at an intersection, alone,
I was thinking, "It sucks to be me!"
-
Felt like I should help him out,
He has helped me oftentimes before;
So I got in the car, went back out,
Pulled up behind him: he swung open his door.
-
We greeted each other, with customary jibes,
Me and another offered to push him off
The roadway, into a nearby lot, an easy ride;
We did so, swiftly, even as some kids scoffed.
-
After chatting a bit more, I took my leave,
Legs felt tired and rubbery from a long day;
A sigh of relief I can now heave,
Two good deeds done, now can rest and play!



.....Almost reminded me of a winter snowstorm, pushing cars around and all.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Triple Sevens

Monday, surreal brightness outdoors,
Foul blackness in financial corridors;
Nature's fall warmth, color magnificence,
Paralleled by markets' disastrous incidents.
-
Backroom paper-shuffling steals and deals,
Increased mortgage debts exponentially;
Commissions and kickbacks greased wheels,
Most people keep paying bills, fortunately.
-
In a normal casino, Triple Sevens mean big payoff,
A hundred or thousands of tokens to one;
On Wall Street it means a gigantic selloff,
Traders deciding that losing is no longer fun.
-
It remains to be seen what will happen to us all,
The average joes and janes, slogging through days.
A lot of giant companies are taking the fall,
Paying the ultimate penalties for fraudulent ways.
-
Perhaps a time to size up things overall,
Time to start fresh, after cleaning up mess,
Of failed companies, large and small,
Re-learning while under economic duress,
Why we need tight regulation of financial markets.
So we can build real value to back our paper assets.
-
-
-
I keep hoping we have hit bottom with this mess, and then it keeps getting worse.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Does it?

Because I'm called "kid" does it mean I am young?
Because I'm called "Fag" does it mean I'm a burning stick?
Because I am accused of doing nothing, does it mean I do?
Because I'm called "nigger," am I suddenly African-American?
-
Because I'm called a man, should I suddenly walk taller,
Given a reprive, today, by hidden forces of judgement?
-
Because I'm called a 'writer' and a 'poet',
Do I put on the snot and sneer?
-
Because I'm smirked at in the bars, should I be surprised
When some of them later hit on me at a different venue?
Should I grovel in the mud, or stand tall with the stars?
-
It all depends upon who I chose to believe.
I have worth - I know this. It is usually enough.
But some kind words also make a huge difference!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Modify the bailout. Ideas here!

I applaud the bipartisan rescue effort underway described by the President tonight. , it shows there is still a bit of cooperation left in our society. But here are a couple of ideas that I wish they would all consider, in their haste to free up markets and keep our economy going.
Take 200 billion of that 700 billion, and allocate it to energy independence. The remaining 500 billion could be used to shore up and free up markets, etc.
Spend the 200 billion over a number of years, but don't drag it out too long. Spend at least 20-30 billion a year Over what we would probably have spent otherwise, and do not alter the course a few years out. Our survival may depend on it.

Allocate massive sums to build electrified rail transport in medium-sized cities. People would no longer need to pay for expensive and polluting buses, instead they could ride a clean, efficient, frequently-running electrified rail system to get around. Less gasoline usage. Fares could help offset costs.

Also, allocate massive sums to get many more plug-in electric vehicles on the roads. Fund further research into cars that can get part of their battery energy from the sun, say, incorporated into the paint (solar collectors).
Fund the development of cars that run on natural gas, and help fund the deployment of refuelling stations (pay gas stations to install pumps.)

Fund hydrogen production garnered from renewable sources. Fund wide-scale deployment of Hydrogen refuelling stations. Fund deployment of fuel-cell powerplants for houses.

Fund massive deployment of solar and wind power generation on a neighborhood scale, widely deployed around the U.S. Especially on farms and ranches.

The idea here is to attain near-total independence in energy. If we are going to throw around hundreds of billions of dollars, we should be throwing some into gaining energy independence. This will garner an enormous savings to us all in the future, shore up our balance of payments, and make us a stronger, more secure nation overall. It is an obvious thing, really.

Rather than throw all this wealth into buying up bad wall street paper, we should at least throw a good chunk into purchasing energy security and independence. This will give us real returns, over and over. And it will pay back the government with taxes on the resulting energy produced. This should be far easier for many to support, than just a direct bailout of incompetent bankers on Wall Street.

So - anyone out there who reads this, the idea is, use at least some of our tax money to buy us all a brighter future, rather than just bail out the irresponsible few. Thanks for reading.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Yield up beat cop slot

Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Energy price spikes,
Unending overseas warfare, bleeding wealth;
Not much on the evening news to like,
Depressing facts overtake us with stealth.
-
The US today is being overwhelmed,
Variety of disasters hitting at once;
Left with powerlessness at the helm,
Any leader would look like a dunce.
-
The lone superpower, leader of the world,
Cut off at the knees, floundering around;
Natural disasters, self-made debacles hurled,
Desparate financial stop-gap schemes abound.

We can no longer afford to be worlds' beat cop;
Should let go, let someone else bleed at the top.


(why do we have to guard the worlds shipping lanes?)

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Multitasking

One often hears the comment,
He or she can multitask;
Usually followed by a lament,
Only one thing at a time can I grasp.
-
The truth is, as usual, more complex.
We all carry multitudes of thoughts;
Billions of neurons that can multiplex,
A trillion signals, something nature wrought.
-
In the store, on the road, or at work,
Each of us awash in a sea of thinking;
Eddying currents of concerns lurk,
Intents, purposes, desires never shrinking.
-
We twitch, fidget, shuffle our feet, drum our fingers --
Completing some tasks as other concerns still linger.


-
- Now, what else was it I was going to do? Ah, yes...

Friday, September 12, 2008

Going out on a chilly September night

My workday will be done, thought I,
All done so I can relax and read.
Then my boss called, did not know why,
To tell me of emergency, then beg and plead.
-
Could I go clean a building, way out west,
Just a quck trash and dash, nothing hard;
Co-worker gone to funeral - could not protest,
Sympathy caused me to lower my guard.
-
So now I must venture out later tonight,
At the hour when I usually go to bed;
Drive twenty miles in the moonlight,
Show up to clean a building, brick red.
Despite leadened limbs and tired brain,
Will clean it quick and out, not complain.

------->And I did, made OT too<-----------------

Saturday, September 06, 2008

They are at it again.
-
Now the party, claiming to detest government control,is
Emplacing two mortgage entities directly under it!
-
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been taken over.
Officials high in the Fed and Bush administrations
Have decided that our nations future is too valuable,
To be left to market forces. Needing to guarantee
Financial markets, they have siezed control of two
Giant financial institutions, ones that underwrite
Home mortgages for millions of homeowners.
-
Debts will be covered, but stockholders are left
Holding nearly-worthless paper. Poor investors.
So much for laissez-faire. So much for free-market
Economics. Welcome to closet socialism?
Maybe it will work better? We can only hope.

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Relationships

Relationships, solid as rock, or ethereal as the wind.
Moving from one to the next, tarrying awhile.
Like a monkey grasping limbs to move about in the trees,
Some branches are solid, hold a long time. Others
Snap after a short time, forcing the monkey to move on.
Some relationships become more solid with time,
Enduring weathering events, gaining strength of character.
Others shatter easily, were never meant to be at all.
The monkey keeps moving, wondering to himself,
"When will I ever settle down?"
"When will I grasp that final limb?"
Only time will tell.

--
The Last Gift
The Republicans have given us one last gift.
And it is a doozy.
One that will reverberate throughout the years,
Warfare clashing resonating throughout history.
-
To recap, they gave us an unpopular war
In Iraq, one costing trillions of dollars,
As well as thousands of US soldiers, and untold Iraquis.
They showered big business with tax breaks,
And the rich saw their taxes go way down.
President Bush made enemies around the world,
Emboldened regimes like Venezuela and Cuba.
Antagonized our longtime allies, especially France.
Bullied countries large and small.
Basically pursued a line of helping the rich.
Corporate thieves get away with wholesale theft,
While small-time criminals do hard time. Wear
A suit, give money to the GOP, and you can seemingly
Do anything and get away with it.
-
But now, the final gift, or rather, time bomb.
Georgias' president invades his own provinces,
Russia invades them back, upon a request for help.
And the U.S. jumps all over Russia, sending aid and munitions
To Georgia. The administration rounds up the allies,
NATO, and in general takes a confrontational tone
With Russia, riling them up big time.
So, in leaving office, George & Co have left the USA
With a huge debt, badly tarnished international image,
A reputation for torture and flouting international laws.
And now, we are also stuck with a new cold war.
Thanks a lot, G.O.P., you have destroyed our country.
-
-
Love energy


What does it mean?
Down in the doldrums,
Sitting in a chair,
Several choices, none appealing.
-

Mind gets made up, fingers punch buttons,
I call, he answers. "Sure, come on over!"
My heart soars. A place to go, full of love.
Visit him and his roommate, eat pizza,
Chatter like crazy, pet the cats, view hail damage.
At my home, I struggle to move through routine.
At his home, I'm on fire.
What does it mean?
-

Who knows. It felt good to visit an old friend again.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Round Universe

Was noticing the other day, how a metal framework looked curved out of the corner of my eye. My very rounded eyeball, that is. This set me to pondering.

Our universe seems filled with round shapes. Planets, stars, asteroids, all spherical. Spiraling galaxies, going round and round, tracing some kind of circle.

Nature spins, whorls, coruscates, branches out in increasing diameters. There is so much that is round, and so little that is a naturally occuring square or parallelogram. Sharply-angled lines, boxes, geometric shapes seem to be an artificial imprint of humankind. We impose our gridded-out sense of order, to keep track of things. To make the universe hold still, show a count, display a picture. Even though we are ourselves a product of the universe, replete with all of our curved and rounded bodily surfaces. We square off everything to get a better grip on things. Which makes me wonder a few things.

Would we be better off with round houses? Circular rooms, that overlap perhaps? Round cars? Round TV's, computers, chairs, etc.

Are we a product of universal entropy, the final "running down", and our lines and squares and angles yet another manifestation of finality, entropy, and ultimately, an ending of things?
With the common state of matter existing energetically in a circular, rounded shape of being, should some of our philosophies and institutions better reflect this, to better insure our survival as a species?
Heady stuff, to be sure. Like the thought experiments we used to do as schoolkids, IE maybe our universe is a speck orbiting an atom in a giants universe, or vise versa. - maybe our solar system/galaxy/universe is a particle contained in a drop of water, that is falling as rain. or is in water being drunk or digested by a giant being. Silly, perhaps. Also, in a way, illuminating.

Which brings me round to light. Is light not a particle, or a wave, but a "something spinning in a circle so fast, it gives off a glow? What is the glow made of? Who knows. It makes my head spin (in a circle) thinking about it.
But our universe does seem to be made with roundness in mind. Perhaps we should incorporate more roundness into our devices - maybe they would mesh better with the external enviornment.
I'm sure I'm not the first one to think of this - but it does give me pause.
-
-
-

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Homeownership

Lessons learned from owning a home,
Include various remodeling skills;
Plumbing, laying tile, electrical code,
Roofing, painting, landscaping thrills.
-
One ability no one warned me about,
One neccesary quality to survive and thrive,
Is a very thick hide, ignorance of doubt,
Ability to press onward despite jeers and gibes.
-
For no matter what one says or does,
Someone is always complaining,
Criticizing, laughing as if it was
Any of their business pertaining.
-
Every time I decide to go out into my yard,
Criticized or jabbed by some neighborhood retard.
Wish that they would be similarly jarred,
Cut down derisively, hoist by their own petard!
-
-
-
Sometimes I almost don't hear anything at all,
Other times it seems to be a chorous of negativity.
It really is a shame.

Thursday, August 07, 2008

The Iowa State Fair is Coming!

Pickups are lining the space along the fence now.
Rides are being erected, cranes dotting skyline.
Front Gates are barricaded shut now, no more pre-fair gawkers allowed.
Animals can be heard, lowing, mooing, bleating.
Sound systems tested, heard in ones' living room.
Ready or not, here it comes - the food, the noise, the hustle and bustle.
Worst of all, the endless traffic.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aug. 6th

Neighborhood quietude beautific, peaceful.
Sunday afternoon sunshine dapples quiet streets;
Children play in roadways, parents casually watchful.
Fairgrounds silent after weekend horse trainer meet.
-
Silence soon shattered by frenetic increase
Traffic, activity pick up, campers begin streaming
Into lots, along with many pickups, without surcease.
Agricultural trailers, combines, grain bins massing ...
-
Sky glider rides soon take flight,
Food vendors pile in, lining the avenues;
Trailers of every description fight
For any free space to unload their purviews.
In preparation, state fairgrounds fill up in a jiffy,
When the hordes arrive, it all must look spiffy!
------------------------------------------------------------------
Aug. 7th

The fair is here, the fair is now,
Come on out and see the butter cow.
Shaun Johnson in creamy yellow,
Other famous faces, also with a dairy glow.
Horses, pigs, sheep, and camels,
Variety of types of four-footed mammals.
Food stands galore, loaded with greasy goodies,
Dessert counters to top off high-calorie feasts.
Gawk at displays as you avoid travelling beasts,
Take in a free show, or artwork display at least.
Thrill to the rides, cruise the sky glider,
Enjoy people watching, can be even wilder.
Indulge yourself in fairs' sensory overload,
Before returning, satiated, to your humble abode!

------------------------------------------------------

Like it or not, the fair is here. May as well enjoy it.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

RAGBRAI
-

One sweltering day in late July,
Humidity saturating warm summer air;
What do the news crews, cameras spy,
Many bicycles appearing out of nowhere.
-
Thousands of enthusiastic riders,
Swarming down state highways;
Towns welcome the two-wheeled gliders,
Offering refreshments, and a hearty welcome always.
-
After a grueling daily ride, hills and all,
Riders offered showers, food, other measures;
As long as one avoids flats and falls,
Then one can revel in post-ride pleasures.
Ragbrai, the huge bicycle party across the state,
Now a staple activity on Iowans summer plate!



They are at it again *grin*

Monday, July 21, 2008

Planetary Spectacle

Fun celebrations of US Independence Day,
Barbeques, music, fireworks galore;
Throngs of citizens, festive and gay,
Enjoying time off, concerts, parties and more.
-
Television showing cooking, drink concotions,
Inexpensive, enjoyable activities for families;
Financial cares, employment woes forgotten,
Viewing sky spectacles, hearing patriotic homilies.
-
Yet even as we celebrate, a bigger show is coming,
Many nations are gathering, joining efforts together;
Scientists from around the globe are meeting,
Conferencing, writing papers, taking measures.
-
Future Space exploration, colonization efforts,
Will be international, combining many abilities;
Dwarfing any one nations' more meager effort,
We will occupy our living space with more agility.
Humans, whether Americans or other nationalities,
Will leave our cradle, discover amazing new possibilities!


Something I wrote around July 4th.
Mirror crack'd for good

First day back at work, after vacation,
Pushing myself through the paces;
Rejoining working peoples' convocation,
A sunburned rat rejoining the races.
-
Cleaning routine pursued with vigor,
Until encounter with first floor restroom;
Seeing piles of broken glass was a trigger,
To reduce my mood to uncharacteristic gloom.
-
Slivers and shards scattered all over the place,
On sinks, countertops, toilets and the floor;
Jumbled piles of heavy, jagged mirror face,
I gripped my broom, feeling a touch of horror.
Eventually much sweeping, vaccuuming too,
Made ugly shards dissapear, renewed my mood.


-
-
-
What a welcome back. But I got thru it okay.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Aftermath

Now the ugly brown waters are receding,
Absorbed fecal, diseased detrius leaving;
Powdery coating of destruction left gleaming,
A dry, sunny afternoon, now a cleanup proceeding.
-

Some lucky cities dodged the bullet this time,
Many unfortunate ones got hit dead on;
Weary Iowans once again begin the climb,
From disasters' human and economic prostration.
-

Yet somehow we do it, over and over again,
We grit our teeth, square our shoulders,
Pick ourselves up and gradually regain
Our capacities, though weary and older.
Midwesterners are like the trick punching dolls,
Leaning and rolling around, still we will not fall down.
-
-
-
And it is a good thing for the hungry people that we keep going, and going, and going....

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Flooding


Silent but deadly,
Waters creep upward,
Engulfing everything,
Even hope and optimism --
They could be the black mists of the underworld,
Or perhaps what Greek mythmakers emulated.
Our homes, our livelihoods, our future hopes,
All drowning in the ponderous sea overtaking us.


And me without a paddle.


The whole Midwest is really getting socked this year.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Devastation


Went out into the yard today, and what did I see,
Twigs and branches everywhere;
A limb of a large tree almost hit the house;
Barely missed a big Insurance claim,
And an even bigger mess indoors.

Still, I am fortunate.
Pasrkersburg, Iowa was leveled by an EF-5.
Sights of people gathering scraps of belongings,
Amongst devastated piles, formerly houses.
Lives were lost, family tragedies wreaked.
Will take them years to recover from this blow.

But the summer storm season has barely begun,
More tornadoes are on the way I am sure;
Seems like we delude ourselves with temporary,
Fleeting pleasures and hopes, while Mother
Nature prepares to deliver her next punch.

Life is like a series of brief oases of
relaxed happiness, bounded by lengthy
Periods of unceasing struggle against adversity.
"Where is the happiness?" small part of me wonders.

"Might as well get used to it," real life responds.

It was a nasty weekend in parts of Iowa last Saturday.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Consumption Crash

Watching gas prices soar,
Am reminded of the times before...
We had several warnings about this,
Ignoring them all, in our hubris.
-
1973, the first OPEC oil shock,
Then only ten percent of our stocks;
Threw everyone into consternation,
Began talk of energy conservation.
-
Measures were adopted, large and small;
Soon reneged on, as prices began to fall;
Another round of shortages in late 1970's,
Renewed concern, brought back measures.
-
Early Eighties, and prices sunk once again,
Drillers went broke, Motorists bought bigger.
Nine-eleven, 2001. Price shock repeated.
Brief station gouging, followed by charges.
-
Today, there is no relief on the horizon.
Our only hope, relief from four-dollar gas,
To discard our pride which caused it all.
Consumption of petroleum must crash.
-
Lowering pride, and riding a bicycle;
Humbling oneself, and taking the bus,
Daring to be different, walking to work,
Finding another way, buying a smaller car.
-
Our time is running out. Our pride
In what we drive, image of our "ride"
The biggest thing standing in the way,
Between ourselves and a solution.
-
Do we have any moxie left as a people?
We could be better than previous generations;
Discarding profligate consumptions,
Humbly returning to simple transportations.
-
We must crash the petroleum market,
Crash our fuel consumption,
Crash the greedy traders who profit from our pain,
Crash the whole energy-guzzling infrastructure.
-
Returning to simpler times,
With cleaner air to breathe;
Life might get more fine,
A cleaner world, we can leave.
-
-
-One can hope anyway

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

No Slavery

What if the USA had never enacted slavery?
What if no state ever deemed it economically necessary
To turn a race of African people into property?
-
Would we have electged a black president by 1876?
Would there have been more rapid interbreeding,
a more thorough mixing af races, more half-and-halfs?
-
There probably would have been less resentment, less
Intergenerational hatred, less ineriority complexes, less
Drug addiction. Having never been made unequal,
There would never be any questions of equality, period.
-
Because of an economic and political set of decisions,
Mainly by sourthern states, in the 1790-1810 time period,
We wreaked a disaster upon a race of human beings,
And we as a country are still paying the price for this.
-
In America, it seems, there have always been big winners,
And even bigger losers. We should learn from past blunders,
Strive to do better in the future. Morality counts as much
In economic affairs as it does in sexual ones, if not more!
-
-
-
Just musing today

Monday, May 12, 2008

Busy Saturday

Got the groceries bought, all put away;
Time to plant more flower seeds;
Things line up for another busy saturday,
Chores and pleasures plentiful indeed.
-
Thank goodness I got to sleep in,
Rest uninterrupted by shrill alarm,
Body energized for work and sin,
Weekend pleasures should do no harm.
-
Perhaps after all the frenetic running,
Scrambling around, doing variety of tasks;
There will be time to sit and do nothing,
Take deep breath, stretch, relax at last.
Put on a movie or documentary,
Peacefully lazy, contentedly sedentary.


So sedentary, I did not enter this until Monday.

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Three power world

Since China is a major player on world stage,
Possessing nukes, missiles, warheads galore;
New world strategic framework is presaged,
Time to include them in Start talks and more...
-
America, faded glory notwithstanding,
Is still a Superpower nevertheless;
Russia's military is still outstanding,
Capabilities give US planners no rest.
-
China has advanced military power,
Largest army, giant navy, missiles galore;
Strategic nuclear arms make them tower,
Over other Asian nations, and more...
-
Now is the time to forge a new treaty,
Limit three sides to deterrent-only capability;
If USA, Russia and China - the Big Three,
Sign strategic compact, peace is a high probability.
-
-
-
We should do it, in my ever so humble opinion.

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Bikeride

I rode my bicycle again today,
Was out on a cool April evening.
Softball teams playing out a ways,
Boisterous groups of girls competing.
-
Two locomotives tugged railcars lazily along,
Seeming not to be in any particular hurry;
I rode past the screaming softball throngs,
Their frenetic catcalls not my worry.
-
A car would occasionally roar past me,
Thankfully giving me a wide berth;
Crossed a bridge over a swollen creek,
Frothing waters seemed to burble with mirth.
-
Finally reached the main bike trail,
Flat tunnel through tree-lined prairie,
My scenic exercise landscape, holy grail,
Toddlers and kids out, had to be wary.
-
My legs churned along on automatic,
Deep, steady breathing similarly routine;
To watch attentively for pedestrians is pragmatic,
Appreciating attractive ones, without acting obscene.
-
Frogs, insects serenading in shallow pools,
Left by rains alongside the trail;
Deposited in long ditches, temperature cool,
Parallelling trail and nearby rails.
-
Bright green grass, flowers on lawns,
Greeted my eyes pleasantly as I rode;
Not going to be any television pawn,
Trapped by obesity in my humble abode.
-
Though I endured the usual catcalls,
Bratty teen idiots making sarcastic remarks;
Exercise, fresh air, beauty - I enjoyed it all,
Head and body recharged; health and hope sparked!
-
-
-

Not even all the smart-assed alpha males on the East Side dampened my mood that day.

Monday, April 28, 2008

In praise of prose 2

Free poetry diction from form of tradition,
Set yourself off in a new direction;
Let loose one's poetry from restriction,
Explore virgin worlds without protection.
-
Shakespeare waving wand of discipline,
Petrarch insisting on romantic minglings?
Milton inscribing formalistic epistles,
Even Lear formatting Limerick jinglings --
-
Rather, launch creative verbiage outward,
String sentences in various combinations;
Shift one's mental focus laterally,
Casting out the technical restrictions.
Savor novel essence of precision verse,
Liberated from prison of meter and rhyme.
(Ironic how a Sonnet can turn into a rant)


Rewrite of a workshop poem, one that morphs from formal to informal.
A clean religion

Others go to church, worshipping a diety.
Attending regular services, gossiping regularly.
My own preference is to clean on Sundays.
-
As I scrub off, dust, remove last weeks' dirt,
Shrug off and remove resentments, hostilities;
Clear my mental field of last weeks' useless clutter.
-
Reset and renew commitments,
Forgiving and releasing others
From responsibility for any pain.
-
Vaccuuming up and throwing away
Memories of harsh words and slights,
Misunderstandings and stumblings.
-
Communing with nature while filling compost heap,
Enjoying the renewed sense of hope that comes,
With sparkling clean countertops and a shiny floor.
-
Throwing away old mental trash and junk,
Leaving my livingspace clean and pristine;
All set for another busy, productive week!
-


Has worked well for me, although it has not done much to alleviate the disapproval of society, directed at anyone who does not attend a "real" church.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Earth Day part 2 - realities.

Torrential rains give way to afternoon sunshine,
April's favorite trick, first torture and then tantalize;
Balmy evening air, greening foliage sublime,
Find springtime nature fantasies realized.
-
Airwaves are full of Earth Day chatter,
Green promises, proposals, suggestions;
Make pleasant-sounding verbal pitter-patter,
Darkened by vistas of stark realizations.
-
Soaring gas prices a grim, daily reminder,
Developing economies soaking up every drop;
World politics keep hobbling oil finders,
Shortening period to next price shocks.
-
Could it be time for a bold, counter-intuitive move?
Throw open Alaska, Continental Shelf, let the Majors groove!
Responsible exploration and development possible today,
Maintain our modern economy, standard of living this way.
-
-
We have a national resource piggy bank, and it is called Alaska. Time to tap it, like it or not.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

A salute to Karl Albrecht and Brain Power
-
-
Feeling stupified by complexities of life?
Overwhelmed by choices, large or small?
Don't give in to external or internal strife,
You do not have to suffer a mental fall.
-
Just crack open a book called "Brain Power,"
Written by lecturer-consultant Karl Albrecht;
Learn about ways to make creativity flower,
Sharpening skills like a scholastic veteran.
-
Spend time daily setting better habits,
Making freewheeling associations;
Twiddling knobs on your concepts,
Improving memory and visualization.
-
Go out and try new things,
Do puzzles and play games;
Give your imagination wings,
Stoke your creative flames.
-
Problem solving, Crap Detecting,
Learn to think on your feet.
Modify paths you are selecting,
Never acknowledging defeat.
-
Building cognitive skills,
Enhancing your brain power;
Finding new mental thrills,
Read it all in a few hours!
-
So here is a big salute to Mr. Albrecht,
For causing us to take a look;
Inside our brains, all wired and wet
With one simple yet critical book.
-
Some of the origins of digital revolution,
Computers, Internet, devices galore,
Surely derives from thought evolution,
Outlined in this one information store.
-
Want to unleash your true, hidden potential,
Inventions, ideas that could change the world?
Read "Brain Power," gain your credentials,
As another innovator, shining mental power unfurled.
-
-

Every adult in the USA should try and get, read, study this book.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Scoring bananas
-
-
-
Payday finally arrives, just in time,
I've been broke, charging on my Visa;
For work change, down to my last dimes,
Finances more precarious than Tower of Pisa.
-
Big paycheck generates weekday excursion,
Trip to Hell-Vee for cash and groceries;
Was reminded of my personal aversion,
To this location for scoring necessities.
-
Verbal jabs coming at me out of nowhere,
Confused teen clerks trying to multitask;
Shoppers queuing up in lines everywhere,
Twitching, glaring, fidgeting, moving up at last.
-
Once again, a simple attempt at shopping,
Finds me wading into pile of problems popping.
Clutching bananas, made my escape at last,
Abandoning problems intractable and vast.
-
A train was going by on my road home,
Resultant delay failed to perturb my mood,
Grocery store stupidities will fire my hormones,
More than any railroad delay will make me brood.
-
-
-
Whew!
-

Saturday, April 12, 2008

One fine April day,
My crazy cat, feeling like going astray,
Leaped out an opened door, happy and gay,
Stalking through the snow, looking for prey.
-------------------------------------------------------




My silly, stubborn Snick.....

Friday, April 11, 2008



Midwestern Precipitation

Spring rains keep coming down,
Falling in unceasing waves;
Weather keeps a perpetual frown,
On exhausted midwest wage slaves .


Other bad news adding to misery,
Economic meltdown, bank foreclosures;
Oil prices continue to increase rapidly,
Joblessness conspires to upset our composures.


Midwestern folk keep getting deluged,
Bad news, worse events keep conspiring;
People beaten down, seeking refuge,
Lousy things just seem to keep transpiring.
Gives new meaning to definition of Midwestern stoic,
Getting through a normal day can be downright heroic!


Sonnet on the continual rain of bad news nowadays.

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Stuff of Space and Time
-
-
I recently read a science-fiction novel,
In which material was made of "space-time"
Rules of mathematics, physics wobble,
As one moves across a surface sublime.
-
Humans discovered artificial construct,
Upon entering giant conical asteroid;
Journeying through levels, were struck,
With changing values in encased void.
-
Reality is, everything made of substance,
Spacial stuff combined with linear timeline;
Houses, cars, ships all attain permanence,
Through craft combined with material design.
Physical values remain, unique forms manifested,
Each made of Space-Time, differently suggested.
-
-
-


The books were Greg Bears "Eon" and Eternity".

Saturday, April 05, 2008

MLK assasination 40th anniversary


Grainy, black and white footage shown,
Marchers arm in arm, singing and chanting;
Police cars, dogs hover, as teargas blown
Across peace activists, angry bullhorns ranting.

Social justice changed hearts and minds,
Bought at high price in blood and tears;
A preacher left his church, commited acts divine,
Won equality and justice, despite threats and jeers.

Dr. Martin Luther King and his peers,
Changed history, paying the ultimate price;
America stayed intact, despite peoples fears,
King went to memphis, ignoring safety advice;
By giving his life in peaceful martyrdom,
He gave an entire race new hope and freedoms.



Written on Friday, april 4th, 40th anniversary of MLK assassination.

Thursday, April 03, 2008

One in Fifty


Helpless infants, one week old,
Only control they have is crying;
Burly, badass boyfriends, ever so bold,
Find their incessant noises trying.

So they pick up baby, slam into a wall,
Shake it, kick it, slap it around;
Anything to stop that confounded bawl,
Throw it up, let it drop to the ground!

So many broken families today,
Single parents caring for little ones;
High-risk boyfriends come over to play,
Frustrations taken out on daughters and sons.
One in fifty kids today are neglected or abused,
Grim statistic on our society, we all stand accused.


Did this after hearing about this today on the news.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Lofty and mundane


Reading science fiction, watching science fact,
Brain cells illuminated with remote possibilities;
Mind travels back and forth, across factual tracts,
Landscapes of ascendant technological probabilites.

Then one comes crashing back to Earth.
Got to get chores done, get a damn haircut;
Meet society's expectations, prove one's worth,
Clean house, clean car, pay bills, make the cut.

Forced to intermingle with judgmental beings,
Needing, requesting, paying for their services;
Fighting traffic, struggling with computers, seeing
That yesteryears' miracles are todays nervousness.
As I slog through daily trials with bitches and glitches,
Lofty predictions of futuristic ease leave me in stitches!


Another sonnet about the shitskies of daily living.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Everything is Tentative

Life is so ephemeral,
Fleeting like the wind;
One day you are a juvenile,
The next struggling to get thin.

Those long, endless days of youth,
Afternoon hours stretching sunnily,
Little thought given to status or couth,
Traversing moments, hours, days happily.

Another friend passed away the other day,
Commonality, acquaintance all too brief;
Add him to the list, those who have gone away,
Building ever larger my internal store of grief.
A seven-month battle with cancer, Randy finally lost --
I still live, older, having survived fate's coin toss.


In Memory and honor of Randy Van Hosen, who passed away recently.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Financial Gyrations


Markets swinging up and down,
Moving to latest buzz or news;
Business analysts smile or frown,
Pontificating latest Wall Street views.

Federal Reserve pumping money in,
Inflating hopes and stock prices alike;
Cutting interest rates, hoping to win
Economic battle, aiding banks plight.

Foolish lending standards started it all;
Giving money to poorly-qualified borrowers;
Bad loans led to subprime mortgage freefall,
Housing defaults burning bond insurers.

Stocks of banking institutions tumbled,
Losses and red ink multiplied;
Freezing effect left CFO's humbled,
Stock, derivative traders petrified.

When, how will this all end?
Recent Fed actions seem to help;
More positive signals to send,
To battered consumers needing help!

Those struggling with high prices,
Scrounging to pay for gas;
Giving up treats and vices,
Slogging through economic morass.

Future looking bleak for common folk,
Outsourcing, plant closings crushing blows;
Endless Iraq warfare diminishing any hope,
Sapping U.S. commodity and oil flows.

Alternative energy our only glimmer,
Single bright spot on the horizon;
Motorists forced to drive slimmer,
Give up those giant expeditions!

Trade in SUV's for compact transportation,
Cut back on usage of heat, lights,
Welcome to 21st century consumption,
Everyone affected by Fossil Fuel plight.

Possible that citizenry will come out ahead,
May well be that USA will be far better off;
Clean enviornment, energy independent,
Our hopes and dreams once again aloft!



Lets hope so anyway. (c) 2008 Mike Wilson

Monday, March 17, 2008

Lunch with friends


Ate lunch with friends today,
Managed to fire off some words,
Personal experiences, opinions --
Listened to their offerings,
Soaking in, savoring hot,
Tasty food and juicy information.

Saw an old ex-employer,
Had lost his legs, sat in a wheelchair,
Wounded in past, wasteful conflict...
Now just another burden on taxpayers.
But their table seemed happy, too.

A romantic interest was there,
Invited me out Saturday night --
Good, something else to anticipate,
Circus of life continues to revolve,
in a not-too-unpleasant fashion.


This was actually written yesterday, after a Sunday lunch with friends.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Spring


Sun escapes continual cloud cover,
Bursting forth in blinding brilliance;
Air feels balmy, like arms of a lover,
Ice cover melting, leaving wet translucence.

Birdsong begins pervading the air,
Flitting shapes colonizing awakening trees,
Blades of grass segue into green, here and there,
Bitter colds' harshness yields to warmths' ease.

There is promise of better days ahead,
Despite drumbeat of dire financial news;
Surviving hard-frozen winter dread,
Summer plans, hopes begin to fuse.
Made it through another dark, harsh Iowa winter,
Lighthearted, longing for rewards of warm Summer!



Cannot wait until summer vacation this year!

Monday, March 10, 2008

Another Beach


Another medical problem appears,
Pain, palpitations, or passing out;
Bodily health, once again in arrears,
As latest condition rears its ugly snout.

As Dad gets older, crosses boundaries,
He keeps encountering new conditions;
Sturdy body still presenting quandries,
The ex-Marine commences another mission:

Another beach to hit, positions to take,
Another objective to reach, fort to breach;
Enemy Gunners relentless, hot lead rakes,
Lobbing Anyurisms, Strokes, anything within reach!
This determined Marine, today, surely will prevail...
All the other beaches he has taken, how can he possibly fail?



For my father in Florida, now facing more health issues in the hospital.

Saturday, March 08, 2008

Reading is vital


Reading is important, for the whole person,
Illuminate your mind with possibilities;
Planting multitudes of mental seeds,
Sprouting into future potentialities.

Aside from the present benefits,
Granting mental release and adventure;
Brain made fertile, nutrified with ideas,
Providing future knowledge nodules.

High school, college classes alike,
Tap into, interconnect the nodules.
Even as more reading is required,
Then writing assignments, summaries.
Early reading fully prepares mental soil,
For rich harvest of ideas, knowledge later.
Older adults, too, can keep their minds sharp,
Bathing in flow of information, soaking in ideas.


In honor of local reading programs, and for Susan.

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

What the hell?


It started with persistent pain,
Down deep within my lungs...
Not a muscle pull, this was sustained.
Asbestos, Cancer fears swirled, unsung.

Then the cough, sore throat began.
Was hoping it was a minor cold;
Pain and cough meds lent helping hand,
Flu-like symptoms making me feel weak, old.

Ironically, rest of life is going well,
Finances holding steady, writings published.
If could just get through this flu hell,
Life become a banquet, to be relished...
Cruel, subminiature strands of DNA,
Robbing me of time to live, work and play.


Just when I thought I'd make it thru the winter without catching another bug, comes this....Yuk.

Monday, March 03, 2008

CanUSAda


Two monumental nations, vast resources,
Shared dedication to democracy;
Frontiers tamed with wagons and horses,
Pioneers escaping rule of aristocracy.

Two entities facing common tests,
Energy, global warming, immigration;
Terrorists, other enemies will not rest,
Keep trying to provoke conflagration.

Perhaps an all-encompassing solution,
Novel, cheeky, bold new proposal:
Merger of equals, ending any confusion,
On who is the most powerful nation on Earth.
CanUSAda, the new collossus formed,
Leads the world to a bright new morning.


We should do it, the sooner the better.
Bragging Rights


While friends struggle to get employed,
An acquaintance quit over salary dispute;
Meanwhile I'm feeling somewhat bouyed,
Although holding a position of low repute.

The economy is sinking into recession,
Unemployment rate creeping higher;
Foreclosures spiking, engenders depression,
Situation is beginning to look pretty dire.

But, I stuck it out through early years,
Now have seniority and higher wages;
Good rapport with office eases fears,
Retirement security for advanced ages.
By sticking it out with a good company,
Am safe and sound, even in a bad economy!



Was feeling pretty good (at least most of the day) after our FBG ESOP celebration last Saturday. Too bad I cought a minor cold somewhere along the line as well - s--t happens I guess.

Friday, February 29, 2008

Moving a Mountain


Multitude of wheels, all turning, synchronized,
Eighteen windows, peering with empty gaze.
Company's goal, developers' dream realized,
Soon, on High Street, moving building will amaze.

It was constructed in 1902 as elegant living,
Murillo Apartments, grand three-story edifice;
Condos attempted there, markets unforgiving,
New office project finally pushed it over precipice.

Now, it is time for the old dame to travel,
Better that, than face the wrecking ball --
Condominium dreams having unravelled,
Will be basic housing, a roof and four walls.
Finally coming to rest just a few blocks away,
New Sherman Hill place to live, work and play.


Moving a large, old apartment building, the whole thing, a few blocks to make way for a new Insurance building in downtown Des Moines. Weighs something like 500 tons.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Kabookie Dance


Funding for Space
Difficult at best,
In a conundrum.

Shuttle program ending,
Orion still in development,
Astronauts soon grounded.

Should we buy more Soyuz craft?
Could we rely on civilian Transports?
Some unfunded capsule by Boeing?

Congress grilling NASA,
Administrator struggling,
At a loss for answers.

Unless US astronauts
Magically sprout thrusters,
They will be stuck on Terra Firma.


- with apologies to all involved, watched the congressional hearing today on NASA-TV,
when the congressman said "Kabookie Dance" I just had to write something about it *grin*.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

In praise of prose


Free prose diction from form of fiction,
Set yourself off in a new direction;
Let loose one's poetry from restriction,
Explore virgin worlds without protection.

Shakespeare waving wand of discipline,
Petrarch insisting on romantic minglings?
Milton inscribing formalistic epistles,
Even Lear formatting Limerick jinglings --

Rather, launch creative verbiage outward,
String sentences in various combinations;
Focus one's mental seeing eye inward,
Document resulting fascinating revelations.
Savor novel essences of unique verse wines,
Liberated from formal prison of meter and rhyme!

How about that, a sonnet about not writing sonnets.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Petrarchian playground


Writing poetry in Sonnets is fun,
Whether preferred form is Shakespearean,
Or if your pleasure is Petrarchian,
Can cover any subject under the sun.

Close, intense battle between Clinton, McCain?
Continuing warfare, bombings in Iraq?
Other worldwide extremist terror attacks?
High gas prices driving one insane?

Just get out pen and paper,
No reason to hesitate --
Cast out all your emotions...

Writing passions never waver,
Use the medium to initiate,
Deeper, thoughtful human convocations.

An experiment in alternate sonneteering.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Unquenched desire for springtime


Cold, grey snow crunches underfoot,
Air steams out of my aching lungs,
Knives of chill assault exposed skin,
Breathing ragged, head faint, hurrying inside.

Another brutal winter morning,
Headed into work, no choice,
Would so much rather stay in bed,
Warm, saturated with pleasant dreams.

Dreams of sunshine, warm green grass,
Birdsong, kids playing outside, flowers.
Masses of flowers swaying and scenting
Balmy breezes, caressing ones hopes,
Sweetening vision, magic summer skies.

I make it inside, relieved --
Gasp for breath, momentarily thankful
Just to be alive. Rapidly, though,
Fantasize warm, beautiful springtime,
Evanescing through my busy workaday mind.


Hope the weatherman is right about a coming warming trend!
$100.00 Oil


We rise each day, struggle to get ready,
Hustle any kids to school, hurl selves to workplaces;
Slog through assignments, keeping tempers steady,
Bosses, kids, daily requirements put us through paces.

Prices keep going up, wages lagging behind,
We take another job, tighten our financial belts;
Home heating products price continues to climb,
We watch our financial hopes and dreams melt.

Amidst our struggles, shadowy traders lurk,
Bidding and selling oil futures, deriviatives;
Keep buying, driving up crude prices, the jerks,
Causing drivers to pay more, spew out expletives.
These greedy, criminal trading entities,
Causing an American economic catastrophe.


Time to go shopping for a bicycle.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Below Zero


Global Warming is coming, Beware!
So the refrain is yelled and screamed;
Every nation, pay attention, be very scared,
Real change, not just an enviornmental dream.

Air pollution, fossil fuel overconsumption,
Obviously a bad idea. Renewable
Energy technology neccessary, valid assumption,
Need for some change is not debatable.

But, our roads are coated with snow so cold,
Icemelting chemicals do not even work;
Bitter winds cutting through anyone so bold,
To venture out to job, store or church!
Seems like we could use a dose of Global Warming,
Because here in the Midwest, we are really freezing!


Come on already, Springtime, and hurry!

Sunday, February 17, 2008

White s--t


Heavy, wet stuff, clumping and coagulating,
Some sticking on shovel, some sliding off --
Some light, some heavier --
Perfect snowman construction consistency.
Brilliant flashes of sunlight break, glimmer.
Wind a persistent gale, constantly groaning,
Telling me, Do not even think about leaving today!

But, the neighbor made it out okay...
Damn them anyway,
I mutter, hefting the shovel.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Relating to, "But Outer Space" by Robert Frost.


Personal Spaceflight around the corner,
Bigelow and Rutan building new ships;
Paying passengers cross Khazak border,
Ride Soyuz craft for their ISS trips.

International Space Station coming together,
Shuttles visiting, adding more components;
Europeans Columbus vessel making it better,
Pleasing space habitation proponents.

All this noise and hullabaloo,
Generates exitement and adrenaline.
If one could live a century or two,
Could see some of it come to fruition.
Reality is agonizingly slow progress,
Fits and starts, and occasional successes.


-written for a poetry contest, so I put it here too.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Shrinking Thinking Machines


One human generation ago, computers were mainframes.
Hulking core memory, transistored, tubed goliaths.
Giant rooms, air conditioning tonnage, thick cables;
Operators, Programmers, acolytes serving a machine-god.
Common folk saw only printed invoices, punch cards.

Suddenly, first Personal Computers emerged.
Radio Shack, Commodore, Apple I, Altair;
Tiny memories, limited abilities, huge prices.
First, one had to program them, and then run them!
Cellphones and Internet were still laboratory infants.

Big Blue waded into the fray, IBM PC appeared.
Standardization, some useful software, increased deployment.
Industry shakeout, smaller players dissapearing.
Commodore, Radio Shack perservered, struggling...
Memory and disk capacities increasing, displays improving.

Cellular phones propagated far and wide,
First bricks, gradually giving way to flip-phones.
Rudimentary cellular datacommunications appeared;
Multimedia PC's, CD-ROMs, Modems made their debut.
Windowing software, mice made them easier to use!

Finally, worldwide Internet made universal appearance,
WWW and E-mail taking the world by storm.
PC and Macintosh hardware capabilities increasing,
Moore's Law confirming their assault on Mainframe power.
Cellphones became handheld multimedia entertainment centers.

Today we live in a wired, wireless world.
Audio-video entertainment over IP networks,
Discretely-switched copper yielded fast,
Enmeshed with soft-switched optical grids;
Terabyte-tweaked reality now straining wetware brains!


One human generation, many machine iterations :-)

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Floating a hundred miles up in Space,
A secret Soviet ship spied quietly;
Designed while the US was winning Moon race,
Almaz helped the Soviet Union move ahead militarily.

Cosmonauts could photogragh anywhere they wanted,
Untouchable, protected with an onboard cannon;
Rendered US Space technology, once so vaunted,
Second Fiddle in Space Station technology canon.

Still, US managed to develop the Space Shuttle,
Able to deliver, and retrieve, giant satellites.
Once this program got underway, US able to whittle,
Any perceived lagging, its flexibility in world spotlight.
With an American Shuttle and a Russian Space station,
Earth got itself a giant new complex, useful to many nations.


This, after watching the fascinating NOVA program on MOL tonight.
Floating a hundred miles up in Space,
A secret Soviet ship spied quietly;
Designed while the US was winning Moon race,
Almaz helped the Soviet Union move ahead militarily.

Cosmonauts could photogragh anywhere they wanted,
Untouchable, protected with an onboard cannon;
Rendered US Space technology, once so vaunted,
Second Fiddle in Space Station technology canon.

Still, US managed to develop the Space Shuttle,
Able to deliver, and retrieve, giant satellites.
Once this program got underway, US able to whittle,
Any perceived lagging, its flexibility in world spotlight.
With an American Shuttle and a Russian Space station,
Earth got itself a giant new complex, useful to many nations.


This, after watching the fascinating NOVA program on MOL tonight.
Snowflakes


A thousand fat, fluffy flakes falling,
A thousand tears dropping for inhumanity;
A thousand regrets for failure to pursue a calling,
A thousand memories flowing inside an entity.

Snow, adding to endless white blanket, coating desolation
Covering wounds and pain on this barren plain;
Hiding thoughts of past pleasures, masking frustration --
Constant shovelling and salting can drive one insane!


For some, this Valentine's day, white flakes bring promise,
A thousand happy smiles, fleeting moments of joy;
Chocolates, flowers, dining out, giving gifts with bliss,
A thousand sweet nothings, and no need to be coy.
But for others, it is just another cold February day,
One to be endured, heading springtime's way.


Snow was descending gently and regularly outside the windows, prompting this.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Little by Little


One module at a time, we are building history,
Slow, graceful ballet, 210 miles above the Earth;
Stark, hostile, beautiful place of mystery,
Humans still discovering Outer Space's worth.

Bolt by bolt, minute by hour, day by week --
Creeping steadily closer to a permanent habitat;
Expansion, discovery of new vistas we seek,
Where we are going determines where we are at.

Long after I've left this old Earth,
Our planetary system will be studded with colonies;
People travelling to tourist worldlets with mirth,
More extraterrestrial, than Earthside, municipalities --
The Solar System itself will be our new conveyance,
Cruising the Galactic arm, watching for other intelligences.


A Sonnet triggered by the construction going on overhead (210 miles or so),
while they are installing Columbus module on the ISS.
Salute to our troops in Iraq.



Ever wondered what the worst job was?
Sometimes ours must seem that way;
Well I got news for you, cuz...
Our soldiers in Iraq do it every day.

Patrolling streets in vulnerable Humvees,
Attacking strongholds, defending weak areas;
Al-Queda or muslim fanatics will not be appeased,
No job for anyone weak, or prone to hysteria!

Although their job seems to be getting better,
As terror cells and groups are destroyed,
Suicide bombers will suddenly make them wetter,
Blood sprayed about, as Osamas' proxies deployed.
Any employment here in our safe, war-free country,
Has to be better than this hazardous, yet honorable, duty.


Sonnet to honor our people in uniform.

Friday, February 08, 2008

The Waver


Walking to work in the morning,
Cold, dark trudge in a tired mood;
Another dreary, routine day a'borning,
The week sure seems long, I brood.

Out of nowhere, the grey four-door roars,
Window down, hand out waving, horn honking --
One bright soul greeting a friend or paramour,
His heartfelt greeting intercepted by me in passing.

Some good souls exist like this,
In varying places around downtown --
Brightening peoples morale, unconditionally,
They are not afraid to publicly clown around.
Releasing tensions and amusing us "normal" folk,
Thank goodness for their bold gestures, granting hope.


The guy rolls down his window and waves, even on very cold days.

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Overpopulation


Earth's human population is busy multiplying,
Adding more people at a prodigious rate;
The rate at which resources used is increasing,
Putting the planet in a precarious state.

Differing races have differing outlooks,
On how many kids should be in the family;
In India, a Victorian philosophy was mistook,
Uncontrolled breeding is wreaking a tragedy.

China is trying to keep it's numbers down,
Other Asian countries mostly the same;
Catholic Hispanics refuse to slow down,
Ancient religion's lessons mostly to blame.

If we, all races, keep procreating irresponsibly,
We will end up destroying our future, irrevocably!

A somber thought for today - Overpopulation kills!

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Here is a beautiful write from a friend, enjoy!
----------------------------------------------
The Symphony of Homo Sapiens Sapiens

Since ceaseless fluctuations
are the rule, not the exception --
the only rule was change
from the dawn of Earth's conception.

A kaleidoscope of meanings
paints a symphony in words,
a synaesthesia of music ...
alike from angels and from birds.

Constellations swarm the heavens --
groups almost as old as Time,
and they symbolize the pinnacle
towards which our race must climb.

From the sharpening of that first stick
to landfall upon the moon --
the triumph of four million years
sings the naked ape's proud tune.

Will the human race forge onward
to explore our Universe,
or will "space-ship" Earth degenerate
to a black, death-ridden hearse?

Each journey starts with one first step,
yet we're narrowing our choices.
Can our actions withstand scrutiny
from all creation's voices?

Global warming and pollution
could soon make our world too hot.
We should treat old Earth more gently:
she's still the only home we've got.

(c) James Dunlap 2008
--------------------------------------------------
I will feature poems from other writers here from time to time.
Super Tuesday 2008

And, the results are in, folks!

Alabama became the Obama-rama, and Huckabee hicks ruled,
Arkansas, lots of cheap land, and they liked Clinton and McCain,
Arizona - Hillary was Hottest, and McCain sizzled;
California - Hillary and McCain were the brightest stars;
Conneticut - Barack and John McCain made the cut;
Delaware - Obama and McCain incorporated wins there;
Georgia - Obama and Huckabee Both did peachy here;
Illinois - Obama and McCain won the Land of Lincoln;
Massachusetts - Clinton and Romney won over the patriots;
Missouri - Obama and McCain really showed them here;
New Jersey - Clinton and McCain charmed the jerseyites;
New Mexico - Hillary Clinton managed to enchant them here;
New York - Clinton and McCain both bit the Big Apple;
Oklahoma - Clinton and McCain both struck it big;
Tennessee - Clinton and Huckabee both volunteered to win here;
Utah - Obama won them over, Romney got annoited by his fellows;
Alaska - Barack Obama, Mitt Romney soared over this massive state;
Colorado - Obama and Romney reached the highest pinnacle;
Idaho - Barack Obama won all the potatoes here;
Kansas - Barack Obama ruled the land of Oz;
Minnesota - Obama picked up 10,000 lakes, Romney reeled them in;
Montana - The wide open ranges went to Mitt Romney;
North Dakota - Obama and Romney swept the great plains;
And last but not least (well ok, maybe least), is...
West Virginia, where Huckabee mined out the most delegates!

Still a ways to go, but one big outcome is that John McCain has emerged as the
Republican front-runner in this race. Should be interesting in the weeks ahead!

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Nation-building 21st century style.


Once, great powers colonized a new continent,
Sent out mighty ships, laden with people and supplies,
Established toeholds, then cities on virgin firmament,
Suceeding despite losses, to the natives' surprise.

Eventually the new colonies became independent,
Coalescing and growing stronger over the years;
Resulting nations equalled or surpassed the parents,
In one case leading the world, first among peers.

Similarly, fledgling space colonies started,
Once established, self-sufficient and thriving;
May grow, prosper, any attacks thwarted --
To become greater than any nation surviving.
Perhaps one day this extraterrestrial meta-nation,
Will come to Earth's rescue, says this meditation.


Europe----> America ------> Mars?

Monday, February 04, 2008

Self Evolution

Humanity, the first species to evolve itself,
Ever since social organization arose;
Over many thousands of years, selecting
On a self-imposed basis of trading success.

A new survival of the fittest,
If you could rise to the top,
Survive the ordeal of slavery, or
Still procreate after enduring untold hardships.

If you could compete in cutthroat business arenas,
Wage war on opponents in a real or an economic
Mode, and win over many obstacles, then procreate.
Competitive commerce sorted the winners from losers.

Humanity accelerated its own evolution,
Raising the bar repeatedly, academically;
Brainpower forced to get more capacious,
By self-imposed competitions and restrictions.

The end product had better have a premonition,
Too much competition could lead to our extinction.
Stewards of a planet full of other species growing,
We should make sure we do not end it for everyone.

Friday, February 01, 2008

Young and Old


Once a youngster, distainful of hired help,
All those older waitrons, maids, dishwashers;
They seemed like losers, sidetracked by life ---
Just wreckage on the economic highway.
Pitied, perhaps, and then passed on,
Fading rapidly away as one speeds
Ahead to a bright future, full of promise.

The view seems a lot different,
From the side of the road.
Missed turns, missteps, mistakes.
Now I wear the serving uniform,
I, the older waitron, custodain --
Cleaning up after bright, young
Attractive, smiling faces - speeding
Toward their percieved bright futures.
The shoe is on the other foot --
Even now, it does
Not seem to fit very good.


Imagine that - no sonnet today.
They will be back, trust me:-)

Thursday, January 31, 2008

The Eagle is Tired


This old bird is looking mighty frazzled,
Talons worn down from too many tangles;
Proud, dominant form that once could dazzle,
Needing all of the monetary help it can wangle.

Hundreds of billions owed around the world,
Peoples' futures squandered on fruitless wars;
When latest peace initiative were unfurled,
Our own mistakes, failures were abhorred.

When those smiling, confident Republicans parade,
Across public stages and places in front of cameras;
Remember, they launched these financial charades,
Bankrupting the country with these terror chimeras.

Please, vote for Change this year in the White House,
Before our tired old eagle is reduced to a sick mouse!


I have this feeling that B. Obama will take the nomination - he
definitely will get my vote, a vote for Change!

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Surprises in the race


John Edwards dropped out of the race,
Deciding to yield to history's blaze;
Now it is down to just two faces,
Which candidate will his delegates raise?

John McCain sweeps to victory again,
Becoming front-runner, winning key state;
Mitt Romney drops to second, losing early gains,
It is obvious who may head Republican slate.

Guliani dropped out, throwing support to mcCain,
Edwards telling his supporters to keep fighting;
Remaining campaigners straining to lay claim,
To a job that, to me, would be frightening!

Super Tuesday is coming, make or break time.
Lucky two will win, a victory sublime.
With a thousand delegates in the pocket,
Their campaign will take off like a rocket.


Wonder who will face the former POW, the A-A or the Woman?

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Clobbered by weather

Enjoyed the balmy January day,
Highs in the fifties, a sweet surprise;
The next day, clobbered in a nasty way,
Bitter cold temps descended by sunrise!

Walking into work, one day enjoyable,
Tortuous the next, the cold wind biting;
Ventured out later, weather was horrible,
A fifty-degree temp drop can be frightening.

No matter how joyful one's state of mind,
Nor how optimistic an attittued feels --
Bitter cold, blowing snow renders one blind,
Outdoors spreading icemelt robs job appeal!

Wild weather gyrations increasing winter frustrations,
Want to flee, escape these climactic perturbations!

Monday, January 28, 2008

Traffic woes

What will I face driving home today?
Cellphone yakker pulling out without looking?
Wait, is that a train blocking my way,
Potholes jarring my car, prompting swearing.

Brain feeling tired, eyelids feeling heavy,
Not easy paying attention when feeling drowsy --
Despite tailgaters pushing, trying to keep steady,
Those slowpokes ahead are the ones driving lousy!

Yet alternatives exist to all of this aggravation,
Riding a metro transit bus is one possibility;
A scooter can be fair-weather transportation,
Conserving gas, cutting pollution all a responsibility.

Any way you slice it, it is not easy to get around;
I need to find alternative ways to get into town.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

South Carolina

Hillary Clintons' latest politics,
Have an unsettling amount of dirty tricks;
John Edwards' relentless attacks,
Cannot seemingly prevent his falling back --
Seems like only Barack Obama,
Stirred them up in South Carolina.

A new, different, minority President,
May indeed indicate popular sentiments!
If so, then godspeed, Mr. future president,
Hope you can get us out of our economic predicament.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Accellerate learning!

A Fiery-eyed young entrepeneur,
Product of the staid American Midwest;
Boldly launches his venture, seizing the future,
Helping area youths become their mental best.

A new approach to brain improvement,
Raising peoples' I.Q. with personal trainers;
Students can reach new levels of achievement,
Maybe could help Iowa restrain a brain drain.

These optimistic youthful risk-takers,
Skip competitive brawls by leaping ahead;
Old benchmarks shattered by new standard makers,
Re-firing an economy that looked nearly dead.
The higher power must really be feeling beneficent,
Geniuses helping us escape our economic predicament.
-
-
Poem sparked by article in the Des Moines Register about an
entrepeneur and his new venture, called LearningRX .
http://icanhascheezburger.com/


This website has loads of cute animal pics.

Some harmless fun on a Saturday morning *grin*

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Just watched the national news today, and some hilarious events prompted this sonnet.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another day in the Presidential campaign

The wild campaign circus is under way,
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton trading charges;
Hillary needs to find out how to hold Bill at bay,
His sound bites, and star power, looming a bit too large.
-
Dennis Kucinich decided to transit out of the race,
Mike Huckabee finds himself sliding to third place;
Repubs hoping McCain can occupy White House space,
Guliani and Edwards struggling just to keep up the pace.
-
Whether betting it all, or transiting out,
Sicking Rambo on Walker, Texas Ranger --
The remaining contenders are all hoping for a rout,
I don't think I've seen an election year stranger...
-
Whomever manages to be the last candidate standing,
Had better help our US economy make a soft landing!



-----We can only hope----------

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Lets just skip it.

United States is spending more and more on defense,
Paying for wars and revamping old technology;
China and Russia building up arms in reaction to Us,
We in turn react and build up even more.
-
Wait, I have an idea: Lets skip it.
Lets just skip the inevitable world war.
How about if we do something different this time around.
Try international peace on for size.
Look at all the advantages of skipping another world brawl:
We can jump ahead to new scientific advances,
We could skip right to surging economic recoveries,
Consumers revamping their whole households.
No war reparations need be charged or paid.
No giant reconstruction projeccts for the losers.
Because there would be no baby boom,
Like there have been after other wars,
We would be keeping the population under control.
-
I know it is a radical concept, but
we should all wage peace upon one another!
Join in united efforts to wipe out disease and hunger,
Colonize the Solar system,
Develop new sources of clean energy,
Save our fragile spaceship Earth from global warming destruction.
But we'll probably do the same old stupid things we have always done --

(We never seem to learn. *sigh*)

Just this once, I wish we would try peace instead.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

John Lennon

Was he more popular than Jesus?
In his heyday he was red-hot,
Was sure tragic he had to leave us,
His last released album really hit the spot.

Starting out as one mophead among four,
Put in his years of hard, grueling touring;
Skillful and unique songwriting came to the fore,
Knocked American groups from top 40 moorings!

As the Sixties progressed, the hits kept coming.
Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts;
Lennons' creativity had the longhaired fans really loving,
Everything the Beatles produced, until they split apart.
John, with his unique voice, was the 60's utimate freak --
His music and activism helped our culture really peak!

Writtten for John Lennon contest on Allpoetry.com

-
Up Your Attitude

My ancestors were enslaved by white people,
They gave everything to this bigoted nation --
Three hundred years of abusing black people,
Our human rights were on a permanent vacation.
-
So now I ask, 'why should I work?'
'Why sweat it, why give a damn, I don't care' --
'Aint gonna prop up a country for any white jerks!'
'Think I'll chuck it all, live on permanent welfare.'
-
But the time for retribution is now long past,
Dr. King would have us working in harmony,
If this multicutural nation is ever to last,
We, all races, need to pull together, in unity --
Selfish, angry, lazy attitudes will lead us to anarchy.
We must rise, rise above our hatreds, work for universal prosperity!

- written in honor of the principles and memory of Dr. Martin Luther King.

Avoid Nuclear War

  Ever since I’ve been alive, all I’ve known is the nuclear sword poised, hanging over us all, ready at any moment to fall and send u...