Articles written by K. Louden

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About me - K. Louden

I worked (too) hard for 26 years teaching college freshmen to write term papers and themes and to interpret literature and appreciate drama as literature. Whew! I've also written ads and news for radio. Thank God, that's behind me, and now, partially retired,

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Home & Garden > Landscaping Low maintenance landscaping: 1 of 17
Your Fantasy Garden Made EasySomebody said, "Everybody's got one garden in him." Yes, we're all said to have one garden, one house, and one novel in us. These archetypal patterns, perhaps inborn, infest our imaginations and make us itch to build, to create something that expresses our most primal selves as well as our individ... More..
Travel > Europe Travel experiences: Remembering Paris: 2 of 29
Paris is my pastoral romance.Walking the quay along the Seine, I feel as though I've been here before. Time is standing still, on purpose, just for me. Every building, every boat, every bridge seems familiar, a part of my past. That fellow who sits in front of Musee d'Orsay - hasn't he always been there? Some ineffable qualit... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Elections Archives US Elections 2008: How Clinton can draw distinctions between Obama and herself: 1 of 11
Hillary needs a slogan.The closest thing to a mantra I've heard from Hillary is "America is back." She didn't drive that home. "I will work for you" didn't work well, either. She never seems to be "rolling up her sleeves" and continues to look too prim in her quite nice clothes and hair. I think she needs a personal complimen... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Elections Archives US Elections 2008: Predicting March 4 Democratic primary results in Texas: 2 of 12
We've all heard that Hillary Clinton appeals to Hispanics in Texas. Likewise, we're aware that Barack Obama has been eroding her lead among them and other demographic groups, so Texas isn't easy to guess.Let's refer to democratic Senator Eliot Shapleigh of El Paso, who asserts that Clinton's universal health care package "wou... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Elections Archives US elections 2008: Assessing Hillary Clinton's economic policies: 3 of 14
Perhaps the best aspect of Senator Hillary Clinton's economic policy is that the public is more familiar with it than with those of other candidates. She has done a fairly good job of communicating her points. The worst thing about them is her unfortunate supposed association with NAFTA.Just last night on CNN, David Gergen ma... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Religious Concepts (Other) Condemning modern idolatry: 2 of 9
The psychoanalytic meaning sheds light.According to Erich Fromm (The Sane Society) and other psychoanalytic thinkers, "idolatry" is a neurosis that negates man's creativity. It amounts to one's failure to perceive of himself as the "doer." In ancient times, a person might genuflect before a statue that he had forged from ston... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Hatred and what it does to you: 5 of 20
Hatred is a paradox!Of course, love is better than hate, but let's consider its OBJECT. Isn't hating hatred a good thing? We NEED to hate everything that is destructive to love, life, health, truth, intelligence, happiness, and peace. As a matter of fact, nobody can love anything without hating that which would destroy the ch... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Incorrect grammar usage: 6 of 23
People Aren't "That"!"I am not a thing!" Sometimes I wanted to yell that at a student. Instead of the primal scream, I wrote it on papers. I wish I had a dollar for every time I wrote it.Finally, I discovered a roundabout way to drive home the point. Reading an article by Jane Goodall, I "aped" her disdain for folks who refer... More..
Travel > Germany Best travel destinations in Germany: 4 of 14
The Ghost of Bach in LeipzigWhen David agreed to go to Germany, he assumed that I would choose and research all the sites we'd visit and probably counted on seeing some castles along the Rhine. Isn't that what most people go for? Perhaps they don't go with a lover of classical music!We stayed most of the week in Weimar and Le... More..
Travel > Travel Diaries & Adventures (Other) Travel experiences: Off the beaten path: 25 of 84
Reviving Old Mills and Covered Bridges in West VirginiaIf you seek a romance with the past, you won't find a more romantic figure-or scene or story-than Lemuel Chenoweth's. Perhaps that is why West Virginia forester Randy Allan has bought Chenoweth House (built in 1856) in Beverly, WV and maintains it as antique shop and muse... More..