“Catharsis”: Release, Purification, Cleansing, Liberation ”. T he act or process of releasing a strong emotion, especially by expressing it in an art form” I have often sat in an attempt to write, without much on my mind as to direction, content or context. The blank screen stares back at me and, usually, wins the stare down contest. Sometimes, however, a tiny spark ( and I mean tiny ) of imagination lights up the back burner and, slowly, a warming feeling comes about, from back to front. Much like a spreading pool of brackish water as a tilting, unseen ladle slowly feeds the growing puddle. As this feeling grows, an idea begins to be born. A random thought; a small bit of information which wants to grow, to form, to take substance. Sometimes it is a diffuse silhouette which has no real meaning; yet, sometimes it becomes a recognizable shape, one which can actually be morphed into a somewhat intelligent line, a story, a telling. I have to be truthful. The less I sit to write...

With the help of electronic and social media, the old “ambulance chasers” are exploding all around us in an all-encompassing virtual universe. During those long nights when it is difficult to reconcile sleep one sits in bed and stares, half alive, at those late night movies which loosely fall into the C+/- category. I do not really expect to see an Oscar winning performance ( although sometimes there has been a surprise or two ) relegated to that time of the morning. Of course, as an alternate, there are the cheap ads and innumerable "infomercials" to be had. Worse than cheap sweet wine. What used to be exclusive selling time for vacuum cleaners and kitchen knives has become time for learning about all the diseases you might have been exposed to from the day you were born, and how you can become rich by just calling (888-SUE-THEM) and talking with one of the available specialists on the subject. Apparently these phone people are extremely well versed in all possibl...