http://mindsprocket.com/thebackpage The Back Page is where the feet go up on the desk at the end of the day. It’s that good book with a mug of hot cocoa just before bed. It’s where we goof off after a hard day’s work. The Back Page is our blog. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:32:05 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Ouch.  That title is a bold statement.  For the past few weeks, I've been searching for evidence to the contrary and have yet to find it. The Constitution of the United States is not just clear, but so extremely clear that misconstruing it is close to impossible (Article IX of the ... http://mindsprocket.com/thebackpage/2008/07/21/your-education-is-unconstitutional/ On a walk through the city this past weekend, I stopped in the park to see if I could catch some photos and maybe even a few thoughts in my notebook. I happened upon two birds, who kept following each other incessantly. Either they were best friends, or one was ... http://mindsprocket.com/thebackpage/2008/07/21/wonder/ Go see Wall-E if you haven't already. It's quite the social commentary, I wasn't expecting to see all my criticisms of American culture rolled into an animated movie in local theaters.  The message doesn't bombard or attack, though.  Even without looking for a message, it's still just an enjoyable animation. http://mindsprocket.com/thebackpage/2008/07/17/surprise/ So I was sitting in morning rush hour traffic, waiting to make a left hand turn. Though I deal with it daily and should be used to it, I still marvel at the volume of cars on the road in the morning and evening. But while I was sitting in my ... http://mindsprocket.com/thebackpage/2008/07/15/rush-hour-observation/     When is a writer legitimately a writer?  When do others look at her and identify her as such?  Is having the title, “writer,” a dream people hold fast to as small children, or is the responsibility to write thrust upon them without choice?  What makes a writer, well, a ... http://mindsprocket.com/thebackpage/2008/07/14/who-is-a-writer/ Do you like advertisements? I can't say that I'm a fan.  They are invasive, cause clutter, and more often than not unhelpful. "But wait!" the crowd shouts.  "You've got them on Mind Sprocket." Ah ha, good eye!  That is a sad fact indeed.  Unfortunately, like everything and everybody, we have bills to ... http://mindsprocket.com/thebackpage/2008/07/10/down-with-advertising/ If you've lived to the 'age of reason' as some call it (and if you're visiting our blog, then that is a likely possibility) then you know that life is not all cookies and cream. Life is a balance not of two things, but of everything. And that includes the stubbed ... http://mindsprocket.com/thebackpage/2008/07/10/i-listen-to-a-lot-of-beethoven/ Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.- Psalm 31:24 What do you put you hope in? http://mindsprocket.com/thebackpage/2008/07/09/thinking-late-at-night/ I had a whole Saturday afternoon to myself this past weekend. I took  a stroll down to Barnes & Noble and spent the afternoon sipping coffee and words.  While there, I was just getting comfortable into noticing only the voices of the books, not necessarily the voices of people in ... http://mindsprocket.com/thebackpage/2008/07/07/saturdays-are-for-enjoyment/ Somewhere along the way, we figured out that normal is just a setting on the dryer. --Anne Lamott in Bird by Bird Is there a single event in your life where you can say you asked "What does normal even mean?" or finally accepted something about yourself because you ... http://mindsprocket.com/thebackpage/2008/07/02/normalcy-in-reality/