Blogging

Winterized

6 March 2012

Perhaps I should let you know that I haven’t frozen to death. In fact, it’s been an extraordinarily mild winter, according to locals. A few have accused me of ruining Maryland’s weather, but that’s silly. It would take me far more than six months to do that. But there has been snow, and a few [...]

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Gifts

24 December 2011

I was up late again, sitting at the computer trying to get some writing done until long after midnight. I was having a little trouble with my focus. The ideas just weren’t coming to me, probably because of the day. Even though I’m well into middle age and not at all religious, I was working [...]

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Holiday Spirit

22 December 2011

It was the end of December, and something was missing. I wasn’t the only one who’d felt the absence. Several friends had mentioned the lack of that special December-y something in the air. I’d initially chalked it up to the lousy economy, but even the people I knew who still had money noticed it. The [...]

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A Different World

17 December 2011

Moving from South Florida to the DC/Maryland/Virginia area involves a bit of culture shock. Following are a few of the areas where I’ve had to adjust. These are just my initial impressions, so salt them as heavily as you’d like. Geography When you break it down, nothing is straightforward here, least of all the roads. Everything [...]

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An apology, an offer, and a bowl of cranberries

23 November 2011

“You should never apologize for your failure to post on a regular basis,” I am told. Yes, but… well, I’m told a lot of shit I don’t believe, generally by people who are paid to fill conversational dead air with their alleged wisdom. So, sorry for the unconscionable gap in updates. There are reasons (of [...]

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Window of opportunity

11 September 2011

In May of 1998 I made my first trip to NYC, in the company of my friend, Diana. It was a very short trip, just a couple of days, so there wasn’t time to see much more than a couple of landmarks. I fought my acrophobia enough to go to the observation deck of the Empire State [...]

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Public Parting

18 August 2011

I knew I’d face various unanticipated difficulties in moving out of state after decades living in South Florida. However, I didn’t foresee this: Some very kind people and good friends have arranged a public going-away party for me on this Saturday, August 20th. To be honest, I’m a bit uncomfortable writing about it. Inviting people [...]

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Found Notes on Hurricane Andrew

17 August 2011

I was living with my wife in a Plantation apartment when Hurricane Andrew struck. I believe it was Marie’s first hurricane, and while I had been through several tropical storms during my twenty-two years in South Florida, it might as well have been my first, too. This comes to mind because I recently discovered a [...]

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Now Face North

1 August 2011

“Everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” It is time I did something.

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Words and pictures

6 May 2011

“A hierarchy of “acceptable” creators had emerged. Reading Batman was still declassé, but Art Spiegelman’s holocaust memoir Maus was required reading. There’s no better sign of a new form’s acceptance into the rarified atmosphere of Art than the emergence of taste-makers to divide work into the divergent ghettos of literature and entertainment.”

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