Drops In the Bucket . . .

As children, most of us grew up with the belief that there are nine planets in our solar system. I was taught a very cute mnemonic device ( M y V ery E ducated M other J ust S erved U s N ine P ickles) to remember the names of the planets in the correct order ( M ercury, V enus, E arth, M ars, J upiter, S aturn, U ranus, N eptune, P luto) . Millions of solar system models have been made -- giving easy A's to kids around the world. Every primary science textbook and hard-bound encyclopedia shows these 9 planets surrounding our resplendent sun. But in 2006, the dillweeds at the International Astronomical Union (IAU) voted that Pluto was not a planet. Only 4% of its members voted. In what other galaxy can only 4% of eligible voting members pass such a momentous decision. The world would be in utter ruin if only 4% of any given governing body could vote and pass their agenda. Granted, we'd all probably have a public health care option in the United States if this were th

While souls sing of Their dreams once forgotten Eyes flash across the throngs And alight on desire Music cascades down Mounds of flesh And pools in the thighs Parted in dance Smiles are illuminated By the red lights overhead Flaws erased by the darkness And the burning of spirits The echo of billiards Landing in pockets Empty of tithing money Reverberates in the lulls Hymns to the gods of leisure While discordant voices Sing away the night Not mother's lullaby But comforting nonetheless

There was a character on the show, "That 70's Show," named Kitty Foreman [Debra Jo Rupp]. I will just assume you don't know who she is. She was the "matriarch" that watched over a group of teens that hung out with her son. Whenever she was happy, nervous, worried, extremely uncomfortable, or speechless, she would let out a high-pitched laugh. I can't help but relate her laughs to my bouts of laughter. I can't quite convey how it happens. I find the weirdest things funny. I find the placement of newspaper articles funny, I find color choices funny, I find bad jokes funny. At my old job, I went out to lunch with five of my coworkers, and there were some really funny comments made. I laughed and giggled really loudly. While they all smiled and laughed briefly, I noticed that they did not find it as funny as I did. Instead of shutting up or fading off gracefully, I kept right on laughing till I turned red and was slightly gasping for breath.

We wrestle on the bed For a few moments Tongues invading and retreating Arms twisting Embracing Caressing We attack and surrender Willingly disarmed Hips thrusting and accepting Legs entwined Pressing Convulsing I would give up my territory If you only wanted it forever

I had preeclampsia and eclampsia during both my pregnancies. A friend of mine shared a story about her pregnancy with preeclampsia. I wanted to share mine. This is Preeclampsia.org's description of what preeclampsia is. "Preeclampsia is a disorder that occurs only during pregnancy and the postpartum period and affects both the mother and the unborn baby. Affecting at least 5-8% of all pregnancies, it is a rapidly progressive condition characterized by high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine. Swelling, sudden weight gain, headaches and changes in vision are important symptoms; however, some women with rapidly advancing disease report few symptoms. Typically, preeclampsia occurs after 20 weeks gestation (in the late 2nd or 3rd trimesters or middle to late pregnancy), though it can occur earlier. Proper prenatal care is essential to diagnose and manage preeclampsia. Preeclampsia, Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH) and toxemia are closely related conditi

"Here," she said, "in this here place, we flesh; flesh that weeps, laughs; flesh that dances on bare feet in grass. Love it. Love it hard. Yonder they do not love your flesh. They despise it. They don't love your eyes; they'd just as soon pick em out. No more do they love the skin on your back. Yonder they flay it. And O my people they do not love your hands. Those they only use, tie, bind, chop off and leave empty. Love your hands! Love them. Raise them up and kiss them. Touch others with them, pat them together, stroke them on your face 'cause they don't love that either. You got to love it, You! ... This is flesh I'm talking about here. Flesh that needs to be loved." -- Toni Morrison "The fragrance always remains in the hand that gives the rose." -- Heda Bejar "The hand is the cutting edge of the mind." -- Jacob Bronowski "You can't shake hands with a clenched fist." -- Indira Gandhi "

In concentric circles we moved Never touching in our self-centered orbits The inertial gaze of our eyes focused on opposing wants Oblivious of the other's existence Then the Fates erred in cruel neglect Crossed our lines and thrust our destinies together We were never meant to travel life as one Our stars were far too volatile to share this gravity Inexorably and inevitably we clashed As the Titans against the Olympians Our Golden Age was headed for the end And we were helpless to stymie the fall In supernova splendor our joining had been heralded The universe reeled when our auras entwined But just as awesome was our implosion And the black hole that left our union in tatters