I wish to thank my recent readers from France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Greece, whomever they may be. As always I appreciate my loyal viewers from Germany and Russia, two countries which oddly have never been the best of friends! And of course last but not least my fellow American readers, who still comprise the vast majority of my "hits" or views.

The glory is in the quest.

Just heard that Beyoncé spends $145,000 a month on her hair

Well I guess you would have to when you were born with native African hair and you are desperately trying to make your hair like a Norwegian white woman's. Just telling it like it is, as they say.

Wounded Hunter

by Catharine Otto

I felt like a hunter

Having been almost mortally wounded,

Now having the inflicting prey in my sights ,

And being told, “Hold, Hold,

Don’t fire--

For this person who is acting your enemy

Is really your heart’s desire.

He is too blind

To see the blood coming out your side,

But if you wound him now

He will surely die.”

It was either the voice of an angel speaking words of truth,

Or the devil speaking lies,

But I listened.

Panther ( appeared in April, 2011, Decanto Poetry Anthology)

by Catharine Otto

I see my panther lolling in moonlight...

On your gleaming back is the lunar sheen

Delineating your shoulders (muscles and bones), rolling..

In your iridescent eyes, greenish-white-gray, I see

A thoughtful cross between tenderness and hunger,

Keenly approaching me now.

I can't help but wonder

What you really seek?

Besides a home, all the familiar longings?  A dream, perhaps? In me?

Should I be afraid of all your perfect cat muscles, spy-like,

Advancing? Yet deep down I know

That you can never be more than a match for me--

Too much of a kindred spirit, nearly a twin--

Almost a brother.

Panther bones rolling

Glistening in a moonlight night

Only towards me.

When I eventually become a mom, a mama bear on steroids will make me look tame.

The Intrinsic Value of Music as Creation

One of my favorite compositions is the short choral selection "Banziflor et Helena," from Carmina Burana. I love the victorious, jubilant quality, so much so that I wish it could played at my funeral one day, as a way of expressing the fact that death can still be a victory through the after life, and to express that my love is a victory.

Carmina Burana, a compilation of  songs composed by Carl Orff set to poetry written in the Middle Ages, is shunned by some due to the Nazi admiration of the work, and it is alleged that they commissioned Orff to compose it.  Though none of the lyrics are concerned with German nationalism, Judaism, or anti-Semitism in any from, the instrumental music does have a majestic, soaring Germanic style and many of the lyrics are sung in the declaratory fashion common to German opera, with the exception of a few, very tender pieces such as "In trutina" and "Stetit puella." Yet to me, it is irrelevant who composed Carmina Burana and why: the music stands for itself, as a creation with its own independent, intrinsic, inherent value, much like the value of a child stands free of its parents, however evil they may be.  As a musician I believe that beautiful music is inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit can and does act through anyone--however flawed-- to create beauty: even through a possible Nazi collaborator.

Refusing to listen to Carmina Burana because of alleged motivations for its creation is to me as pointless as destroying every last superb Herbert von Karajan orchestral recording, because it is now said that he was in some ways acquiescent to the Nazis. The creation of inspiring, beautiful music no matter what the circumstances is part of the victory of God, and should be heeded as such.

American Teenager Justina Pelletier Finally Being Rescued from Forced Psychiatric care for a Medical Condition

The following info was cut and pasted from BenSwann.com, not written by me.

BenSwann.com has been closely following the story of 15-year-old Justina Pelletier, who has been in the custody of Boston Children’s Hospital for over one year against her parents’ will. Earlier today, the Massachusetts Department of Children & Families (DCF) broke its silence on what is now a highly-publicized case.
Earlier this week, a Suffolk County judge ruled  that Justina be moved out of a medical facility and put into a foster home.
Justina’s parents, Lou and Linda, have been fighting to get their daughter back home ever since the hospital initially took custody of her last February. Years ago doctors diagnosed Justina with mitochondrial disease, which causes loss of muscle control. Despite this diagnosis, Justina was able to live a happy and relatively normal life with her family in Connecticut.
During a visit to Boston Children’s Hospital during February 2013, doctors claimed that the teen has somatoform disorder, not mitochondrial disease. 

Read more: http://benswann.com/state-official-breaks-silence-about-justina-pelletier/#ixzz2ulp4lpDi
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