Humor
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SPOTTED DICKS & FLICKS
Lately, I’ve been brushing up on all things British so asked a friend from Rugby to catch me up on the lingo over lunch. Towards the end, she asked, “Oh! Have you ever had a spotted dick?” That caught me off-guard. What was that? A you-know-what with spots? Some kind of fish? A polka dot dickey? Took… Read more
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EN GARDE!
These medieval fencers are a regular sight at my local park. Watching them thrust and parry reminds me of lovers quarreling. But here’s the difference: fencers wear protective gear. Lovers have no such protection. When they go at each other, they are often defenseless. And just because men have 25% thicker skin than women does not make… Read more
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DON’T FENCE ME IN!
From Paris to Poughkeepsie, this is a common sight: upheaval in sidewalks due to tree roots. Each time I stumble over one, I wonder why anyone would plant a tree in such a tiny spot, surrounded by cement. If you take something wild and confine it, expect problems. The same goes for people. If you… Read more
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in
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counterfeit counterintuitive
“It’s easier to fool people than to convince them they’ve been fooled.” —Mark Twain And boy was I fooled. I had several hundred dollar bills to pay a local, moving man. At the last minute, I decided to cash one so that I would have some smaller bills to give him a tip. When I… Read more
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PJs AND BIRTHDAYS
When the first freeze of winter hit, I pulled out my flannel PJs and found only one mismatched pair, which had a long-gone, elastic waistband. They were given to me almost 20 years ago. I did the math and realized that my next pair may well outlive me. So, I purchased these, so I’ll look… Read more
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by
in
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The Bark & The Bikini
I found hundreds of these tree bark striplings lying in the gutter, covered with mud. They had fallen from a Manzanita tree on a populated street in La Jolla. Countless people stepped on them as if they were garbage, not noticing them at all. But their paper-thin delicacy and colors captivated my eye. After rinsing… Read more
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JUSTICE SERVED?
On this Human Rights Day when we celebrate the humanity of all people, we continue to endure a leader who does not. Ours is a greedy, self-serving, bombastic child more focused on building a ballroom than providing for the citizenry. His vile tongue sets a demoralizing example. Never mind his wanton past and pardons for… Read more