House Divided

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I’ve just finished reading House Divided by Raul Ramos Y Sanchez. It is a sequel to his first novel, America Libre. Its a fascinating story about a near-future world, in which the United States has turned on itself. Hispanics are no longer citizens and have been placed in quarantine zones. The country is at war [...]

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The World Wide Head

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You and I have something in common. Just by the fact that you are reading this, I know that you and I belong to a select minority of people in the world, estimated now at the beginning of 2011 to be 2 billion strong.  A large number, yes, and nearly a third of the world’s [...]

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No Such Thing as an Empty Hand

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We all meander through points in our lives when the world seems to be taking from us more than it gives. If a steady income is not coming in, for example, that seems to be when the car breaks down, a child suddenly needs expensive medicine, the furnace dies, the fridge starts making strange noises, [...]

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Selling Out

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There is a small terror here on earth some might call hell. You see it almost every day, though you might not recognize it. It’s hidden in the shadows of coffee shops and the late-night check out counters of grocery stores. It is a place where small demons rule, feeding on heartache and regret, while [...]

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My Rules for Poetry

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Did that get your attention? The title was just a lure. There are no rules of poetry any more than there are rules for what you should do after you wake up in the morning. The post I wrote recently on Murderous Poets seems to have cause a stir. It was only a small stir, [...]

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Website Launch: Pencils and Crayons

After a bit of discussion, not a little debate, and some quick planning, I’m pleased to announce the launch of a new website: www.pencilsandcrayons.com. Cool name, right? Yeah, I know. I was actually surprised it was available. The website came after my rant on Murderous Poets last week, and the shabby condition in which poetry [...]

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Lest We Forget… The Madness

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On November 11th, 1918 at 11:11, a cease fire began in the War to End all Wars. It was not actually the end of the war. It was just a cease fire. The Great War, as it was called for a while, would not officially end until Germans signed Treaty of Versailles, on June 28th, [...]

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Murderous Poets

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Name your five favourite poets. Most human beings in North America have a hard time doing this, especially if they are asked to exclude composers of song lyrics. Only those who are very well read even begin to start answering. Is it any different in Europe, or Asia? Do the masses of South America still [...]

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Meet Me Backstage

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I have just added a new section to my website. You’ll find the link at the very top of this page in the tabs, and on the side, called Backstage. I wanted to create a place where I could thank my friends – that is the small handful of people who really truly love my [...]

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Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead

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There are some books I try to put off reading. Good books. Books, I know are going to do more than entertain me, that are going to push me, inspire me towards doing more. Any good book should inspire its readers, but there are some – just by looking at the cover – you know [...]

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