And now for something completely different…


Been thinkin’ about it, and I’m going to be instituting a few new thangs for Blue Inkblots.

We’ll still be having dialogue and debate on issues of the day, as well as analysis of the day’s news. It is true that the war in Iraq has been a major thrust here recently--since this is a crucial time in Iraq and since my son is currently deployed to the Fallujah area with the Marine Corps, and since many of my readers are other Marine parents—but that won’t be the only thing we discuss.

One thing I most want to avoid is nastiness and name-calling on any subject. There are plenty of angry blogs out there on both sides of the aisle, where people who all feel the same way get on and feed one another’s rage. The Internet is cluttered with them.

I’d like Blue Inkblots to be more about coming together somewhere in the middle on some points, agreeing to disagree on others, and overall, a mutually respectful tone, which I’m proud to say, we’ve managed to do so far.

I think there is a great and growing hunger in this country for a return to pragmatism and common sense, negotiation and compromise, give and take--in politics as well as other areas of our lives. A return to civility, if you will.

There will always be extremists on either side, particularly on one issue or another of great personal importance. We all have things that get under our skin. Right now, of course, I’m preoccupied with the war, but that’s not all I want to talk about. It would get boring for all of us.

Meanwhile, my husband suggested that we all lighten up once in a while. I think that’s good advice.

So, from now on, I’m going to do a feature I’ll call Friday Funnies.

It works like this. During the week, there will be any number of important matters we’ll cuss and discuss. But during that time, if I come across something that makes me laugh out loud—especially considering my bad mood with my son being deployed and all—then it will make it into the “Friday Funnies.”

I’m going to avoid political humor. Obviously, I’m going to laugh when good comedians poke fun at this administration. But some of my conservative readers would take offense, thus defeating the whole point of Friday Funnies.

Then, on Sundays, I’m going to start a new feature I call Sunday Stillpoint. A few words of inspiration to lift our spirits before we tackle the work-week. It might just be an uplifting story or it might be something wise from some of our greatest spiritual leaders of all religious faiths, or maybe just something I read someplace that resonated with me and helped me make it through another miserable day when my son’s life is in terrible danger.

Normally, I read about a hundred books a year. Many years ago, I developed the habit of taking copious notes whenever I came across one that was particularly inspirational to me, as if it were for a college class. I couldn’t really understand WHY I had this compulsion, but I’ve filled up several college-type notebooks.

I’ve got all kinds of good stuff stored up, and I look forward to sharing it with you.

But for now, it’s Friday, and you know what that means.

Scroll on down for Friday Funnies.