Thursday Afternoon With A Ballpoint Pen & A Sketchbook

C'est une journée triste pour la presse et pour la liberté

                                                      It is a sad day for the press and liberty

No doubt you have read the news - another terrorist attack. 

The offices of the satirical French newspaper Charlie Hebdo were stormed by three heavily armed men, clad in black from head to foot. They killed 12 people and wounded 11.  Most of the major media outlets are side-stepping who may be responsible with statements such as "no groups have claimed responsibility."

However, there are videos all over the Internet that clearly record the terrorists shouting "Allahu Akbar," and there are several websites and Twitter accounts allied with extremist Islamist terrorist that have posted support for the attacks.

So, draw your own conclusions Mr. Affleck.  

Four cartoonists were killed in the attack. Cartoonists. Possibly the most harmless people on the face of the planet. A cartoonist was what I wanted to grow up to be, a person who entertains, provokes, amuses, confounds, etc. with simple drawings and a few words.

Sure, cartoonists can be offensive, but part of growing up, of maturing as a human being, is being able to ignore whatever you find offensive in words and pictures. If you or your belief system is so fragile, so weak, that a mere picture or a few words can be a threat, maybe it's time you found a way to toughen up, or found a stronger ideology.

Two of the people who were killed - on the left, Jean Cabut who used the nom de plume "Cabu," and on the right, Stephane Charbonneir, who used the nom de plume "Charb." 

A cover of the French publication Charlie Hebdo that featured a cartoon of Muhammad saying "A thousand lashes if you're not dying of laughter"

I grieve for the fallen cartoonists, the other members of the staff of Charlie Hebdo, and the fallen French policemen. if I could have any wish fulfilled it would be that every single newspaper, magazine or whatever publication on the face of this planet would publish their cartoons, especially the ones deemed offensive by the terrorist, on their respective front pages today.

*The images used for this post were appropriated by me from the internet. If any of the material is protected by copyright, please notify me and I will either secure permission for use or replace it with a non-copyrighted image.

It's Just One Glorious Day After Another

It's amazing how long I've managed to live without

                                           All those things and people 

                  I thought I could never live without

Not The Only One

You are not the only one

Not the only one that hates themselves, their family, and the whole of mankind

Not the only one in love with the whole wide world

 Not the only one that hopes the car they're in will fail to take the curve and go flying through the guardrail 

Not the only one who wants to live forever

Not the only one who thinks that people would despise them if they knew what they were actually thinking

 Not the only one who despises people for what they assume they are actually thinking

 Not the only one who wants to hole up in a dark room and shut out the world

 Not the only one who wants to be able to get out and explore the planet 

Not the only one who wishes they were born in another time, another place, to another race or another gender 

Not the only one happy with who they are, what they are, where they are right now

Not the only one that loathes cats, or dogs, or hedgehogs, or religious people, or atheists, or Republicans, or Democrats, or those who straddle the fence

Not the only one who embraces diversity

 Not the only who hates Rap, or Rock & Roll, or Pop, or Jazz, or Country

Not the only one who whistles in the dark

Not the only one who gets it

Not the only one who doesn't understand

Not the only one who hates drama, or romance, or comedy

Not the only one who is happy

Not the only one who is depressed

Not the only one who wishes they didn't have to feel anything at all

Not the only who wants to stand out

Not the only want who wants to blend in

Not the only one without a clue

Not the only one with brilliant insight

Not the only one overwhelmed by it all

Not the only one who just wants something to do

Nope, not by a longshot

It's Just A Small Patch Of Black Ice, What Harm Can It Do?

As Warm As Her Heart Was Going To Get

He said, Baby is this one of those things
that's going to last forever?
She said, Baby let's see if we can make it
through the end of the week
                 C'mon Baby, He cried, Why do you want                                to talk to me like that?
                 Why oh why do you want to make me
                 twist in a tornado?
                                She laughed
                                And she winked
                                She blew him a kiss
                                And she blinked
                                She turned away
                                And she slinked
                 C'mon Baby, He sighed, Why do you want
                 to walk away from me like that?
                 Why oh why do you want to stake me
                 through the heart with a stiletto?
He said, Baby the way your mood swings
Is no fun whatsoever
She said, Baby I know you're not attracted
to women who are quiet, shy & meek



                 
                 

A Rip In The Paper Sun

Keep thinking you have all the time you could possibly need

To chase down every dream, achieve, succeed