I cannot overemphasize the importance or significance of this. J. M. W. Turner is one of my top three favorite painters of all time. When I studied European art history for a semester in Copenhagen, it was Turner who caught my eye first and held it the longest. 

What is it about his art that makes me pause to enjoy?

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I saw Atonement at a free screening before its initial release date.  One of my friends had a free pass, but she couldn't go so she gave it to me.  I don't know that I'm prone to Oscar vibes, but if I am, this one didn't give any off. Don't get me wrong; I enjoyed it, but I didn't leave the theater thinking, "Man, that's gotta get nominated for something."

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If you haven't noticed yet, we've added polls in the middle column of the page just below the Recently Written article links. The polls rotate each time you visit, so hopefully we'll get to ask you all kinds of questions.

Why Poll the Readers?

Good question. The simple answer is: we want to know you. You are a solid 51% of our motivation for blogging, so we want to know what makes you tick. Not only is it informative for us, we think you'll like to know how other people think too. 

So check it out, vote your best answers, and we'll see how it goes. While I'm thinking of it, feel free to add a comment to this post with your suggestions for poll topics and questions. 

Keep it real. 

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I have said that you will not get positive campaigns until positive campaigns work.  I have just watched the Republican debate in Florida and I must say that I am very impressed with all the candidates.  Everyone answered the questions that were presented to them and did not turn ugly on their fellow Republicans.  Compare that to a couple of days ago in South Carolina, the Democrats were selling tickets to an ultimate fighting cage match.  Three candidates come in, only one walks out! Continue Reading

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I am not Martha Stewart, nor do I want to be regardless of how much money she is racking in. However, I do find that being crafty or attempting to be crafty can improve one’s mommyhood. There are many items that should be stocked in a mommy’s arsenal of crafty-fun things. Beyond the colored paper, crayons (washable of course), water color paints, beads, boxes and yarn; there should be felt. It is a fairly inexpensive fabric and there is a rainbow of colors to obtain.

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January 30, 2008 ended an era. Much like the last day of Ron Kirk’s (Dallas’ former mayor) time in office, or the last game of Michael Irvin’s hall of fame career…..yesterday ended an era. What happened you ask? The 60th and final issue of Vertigo comics’ Y: The Last Man hit comic book stores and bookstands.            

Now if you’re like most of my friends (and former girlfriends), you’re probably wondering what I’m talking about. I’m talking about one of the best non-franchise (Batman, Spider-Man) titles to come out in the last decade. Y: The Last Man is a comic book first, a piece of mythology second, and then it’s all wrapped up in a Shakespearean masterpiece. You will laugh on one page and choke back tears on the next. I know this from experience. The writing (Brian K. Vaughn) belongs in the pages of a NY Times bestseller. The artwork (Pia Guerra) is exactly what you want in this type of story (i.e. it doesn’t distract from the story).

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No matter what stage of payment you're in, you're going to get contacted by a dozen or more student loan consolidation companies. That sucks when you've already passed the stage of qualifying for any student loan help. The rest of you are looking to further your professional careers and start families and buy houses and cars and such, and those student loans are getting in your way. It's time to make a change. It's time to fix it!

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