State of Liberation

Welcome to the All-New State of Liberation. Here, you will read the truth about what happens in politics. There will be NO fake news, NO click bait, NO misleading headlines. If you see something written on this site and you feel that it is incorrect or inaccurate, please feel free to question and challenge. There will be a number of things that will be covered on a regular basis. From World…

American Horror Story: Freak Show Returns

The hit TV anthology series has recently aired two all-new episodes of the Freak Show storyline and no one even notices. The storyline was believed to have ended two years ago but we were shocked to see these two new episodes. In these two special episodes, it features the scary clown that haunts our nightmares and the two-headed lady that can’t seem to keep her story straight. (more…)

The White Helmets Were Worthy Recipients Of The Nobel Peace Prize

A group of volunteers called the ‘White Helmets’ who risk their own lives to rush into newly bombed areas in Syria to save as many people as they can were candidates in the running for the Nobel Peace Prize 2016. They lost out to the Colombian President who took the prize but their nomination has raised their profile to demonstrate that human kindness prevails even among the ravages of bombs…

The American Dream: A Crucial Factor In The Presidential Elections

It remains a mystery to progressives like me and millions of others globally on why Donald Trump is still maintaining a respectable share of the polls ahead of the Presidential elections in November. His opponent, the formidable Hilary Clinton, turned in a super impressive showing at the first Presidential televised debate and has gained a 5 point lead over Trump but this still puts him at…

11 Ingredient Hacks From…Better Homes And Gardens??

Ingredient “Hacks” and Better Homes And Gardens in the same title?? “Back in the Day” as they say, we lived in Nashville, TN and my three sons were Kindergarten age and below.  Their Father and I, a few years prior, made the decision for me to stay at home with the boys.  Well, actually I made that decision on my own!   Let’s just say, money WAS an “object”.  Also, with three little ones running…

Dreams In A Spotlight – So You Want To Be A Rock Star?

So you wanna be a rock star? You hear it, do you? The distant call of hysterically screeching  girls, the howl of your guitar amplified to ear splitting blood loss levels? You sway to the anthem Mark Knopfler and Sting serenaded us with in 1985? “…money for nothing and chicks for free…” . Cool. Pull up a threadbare motel chair, pass the overflowing ashtray and let’s rap brother… because before…

Are You A Short Story Writer? Check Out Our Free Story Story Writing Contest!!

The Collective Voice Magazine’s 1st Annual Short Story Competition Submission Deadline: March 1, 2017 Calling all writers! Whether you’re a seasoned fiction writer or you have never tried at all, this is the competition for you. As this is our introductory competition, there will be NO ENTRY FEE! That’s right, it’s completely free! The rules are simple. Write a fictional short story, with a…

Seattle’s Women’s March Shows Hope!

I took a little walk on Saturday afternoon and felt a glimmer of hope. Saturday, January 21, 2017, a Winter Day that make us living in the Pacific Northwest want to get outside.  The sun was shining and the temperature was perfect.  The buildings in the City of Seattle were glistening. Image by Teresa Branam Wilgus State Of Liberation Some of you probably know, in November (Thanksgiving Time) I…

Championship Sunday; What’s Your Prediction?

Well, how did your Fantasy Season do for you?  Mine, not so good! If you participate in Fantasy Football, I hope your Season fared better than mine.  I will not elaborate on the specifics.  Let’s just say, “Fantasy Football 2016-2017 was not a great year for me.” I would love to lay blame on the drafts, but I can not. No, it wasn’t due to injuries, suspensions or trades. This Fantasy Season for…

A Year of Flexibility- Reaching for the Toes (4)

When you become active, it’s weird to discover parts of your body that you didn’t even know exist. I was sedentary major of my life. I regarded my brain as a separate entity from the body. The brain will say run and the body doesn’t get the signal. The left and right legs do not want to work together and I trip and fall. I also did not like to stretch in PE classes, thinking them a waste of time…

I Just Want To Be Clear, Donald Trump

I just want to be clear about a few things on this “historic” day. I want to be clear that I didn’t vote for him. I do not approve of his rhetoric, his racism, his misogyny, his sexism, or his blatant hatred. I want to be clear that I do not approve of his dirty tactics and his complete disregard for the “little people.” Nor do I approve of his complete lies and empty promises. By this, I mean…

Beauty and the Beast- Coming Soon

Release Date:  March 16, 2017 Director:  Bill Condon Rated: PG-13 Description These beautiful  characters are coming to life once more in this remake of the Disney classic Beauty and the Beast.  Starring Emma Watson, the young and beautiful independent women named Belle is taken prisoner in an attempt to save her father from a hideous beast.  Over time, she meets the castle’s staff. Belle begins…

I’m Just Not Sure? Inauguration Thoughts.

7:59 am Pacific Standard Time, January 20, 2017. I woke up about 5:30 am this morning thinking I would get some things done while it was still quiet.  An article or two have been on my mind lately, I wanted to get a few more resumes submitted today. Turning on the television to watch the “pre” Inauguration events, not on my morning “To Do” list. I like the silence early in the morning, no…

My Best Friend 20 Years and Counting

To my best friend of 20 years: Time sure flies as we live life. Our life as friends takes us way back to sixth grade. That awkward stage of life. Those dreaded middle school years. Friendship, for us, began after I moved back to my hometown. I was only at my new school for three months when my mom passed away. My dad found it fitting for us to move back to where we belong, close to family, during…

Silence the Body & Mind

We live in such an overly active world. Our minds run a marathon in under a minute with what feels like a bazillion thoughts. Our breath has become just as short and shallow. There is a deep connection between the mind and the breath, and maybe you will see that by controlling the breath, we can slow down the mind. But why would that be beneficial? We need silence. We need stillness. We need…

A Year of Blogging #6: My Fortune Cookie Says…

Prompt: Write ten thoughts that will be stuffed inside a fortune cookie for perfect strangers to read. Response: I sat down to write this post a few days ago. I quickly came up with ten silly, off the wall thoughts that I would love to see stuffed in a fortune cookie. After reading what I wrote, I decided to scrap it and take a more serious look at this prompt. With the recent state of racial…