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Month: May 2018

Pronouns: The monkeywrench

One of the sorrows of living in the “everything is terrorism” era is the dearth, almost the death, of monkeywrenching opportunities. The harmless prank of the 1990s has become the terroristic threat of the 21st century. Still, monkeywrenching can never die, and one perfect (and perfectly charming) opportunity exists, particularly for you who are forced to live among the politically correct and the worst sorts of social-justice pecksniffery. That opportunity lies in the previously humble, unassuming pronoun. You know: he, she, his, hers, its, they, theirs. —– Now, before I get pitchforked to death by the urban mob, I must…

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Be prepared (or not)

Over at the Cabal forums we’ve been discussing a couple of related issues: being as prepared as possible before moving ahead with plans; and why people make choices to live in seemingly crazy places — like that one that’s now disappearing in lava in Hawaii. I took not the hard-hard line, but also not the softline on being prepared for what you’re getting into. Sometimes you just have to take a leap, but such leaps are best taken once you’ve thought things out and learned what you can learn. That pulled me back to a moment I’d prefer not to…

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There are better ways to waste time today

I’d just finished the illustrated article on adorable Internet pet terminology and was halfway through the blow-by-blow description of Michael Jackson’s death. I still hadn’t gotten over my irritation with the “tell me again why I’m supposed to care about this foul-mouthed camera-hogging teenage activist?” article … when it occurred to me I need a few hours break from the ‘Net. It also occurred to me there’s a good reason why even smart people might prefer to visit cute-pet pages or read about Meghan Markle’s wedding than slog through the fetid ooze that passes for “real” news these days. But…

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Holy ground

Earlier this spring, this arrived at my house: Yes, a lump of dirt with grass attached. In a soggy, soiled paper towel. I was thrilled. That’s no ordinary sod. It’s holy ground from Lexington Green, and a surprise gift from a friend. I potted it the next morning. Although a few blades instantly turned white, as if lesser soil had suddenly sucked all the chlorophyll out of them, 24 hours later the grass was thriving again. It’s still growing strong today. It truly felt (and feels) like a sacred object — much moreso than most items ever decreed holy by…

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