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Sorry to repurpose 1 Corinthians 15:55, but I was raised in a revival tent [read cult], so the biblical reference makes sense. Revving engine? Check. Squealing tires? Check. Some inbred shouting? Check. Eye roll. I know who’s coming for me. Well, not personally– who’d want that? But FFS, I don’t have time for this. Who,… Read more
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Like everyone, I’ve pondered what’s to be done with my remains upon expiring. It’s unfortunate that mummification fell out of fashion. Initially I planned to donate my body to science. They use human remains for many things, some as organic crash-test dummies. I learned that from Mary Roach’s book Stiff. My following choice was to… Read more
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“Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world.” – John Steinbeck Long before our current era, I lived in a post-truth household. An alternate reality. A couple adopts a certain breed of dog one of them nagged the other for, & that dog adores the one who was reluctant.… Read more
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[I was trying to make this the German equivalent of ‘My Struggle with Plants,’ but ‘Mein Kämpfen mit Pflanzen’ is the closest I could get & it’s still grammatically incorrect. Sigh.] When I applied for financial aid to go to community college, I qualified for a work study job to supplement my grant monies. I… Read more
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In my defense, the most colorful street celebration in a U.S. city sounded like a cultural thing I might enjoy. Not least because I’ve always had my odd form of dress-up; I could hide in plain sight amongst the revelers. Celebrations traditionally include lots of people. Willingly surrounding myself with lots of people was going… Read more
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A Penny Dreadful One year, as a birthday or Xmas gift, I received a small popcorn machine. I was around 8. It was just like a mini movie theater version, fronted with clear plastic doors, a hinged popper & lid, a compartment to dump the popped corn below, a scoop & about 200 tiny red… Read more
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It was a gradual process getting accustomed to the farmyard sounds here. The chickens’ favorite hang-out, in the huge rhododendron just outside a bathroom of the house, was filled one morning with their preening & clucks. Availing myself of the facilities, I heard sudden loud cackling. It’s disconcerting to have a laugh track accompany one… Read more
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A Tale of the West Ever have a neighbor you don’t get along with? In this one place, I was surrounded on all sides. A couple of them detested me from the get-go. The few who took to me, the feeling wasn’t mutual. Perhaps the whole street was thus. I don’t know, since the ones… Read more
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It’s been suggested by some biographers that various creative types are a superstitious lot. I take issue with that claim. Anyone who knows what it’s like to use the wrong tool for the job will understand. Here I sit writing with a (gasp!) ballpoint pen. I’m forced to do so because my real pen is… Read more
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It started like any brilliant idea starts– with a pile of sticks. & no, I’m not talking about burning someone at the stake. Although, in a way, the holiday is kinda foreshadowed by ritual sacrifice, a quasi-sin eater situation. Otherwise the birth of some random carpenter-turned-preacherman wouldn’t have been a cause for remembrance, let alone… Read more
humor of the dark
Huh? 