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Wikipediasnob
I love a good dose of etymology – word origins, and how their meaning has changed over time, not to be confused with entomology, the study of bugs. But you have to be careful. There are lots of stories out there. Many are not true. Before we all had instant access to the Internet on…
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The Penguin Lessons
Last March, I wrote a movie review here. I mentioned how I tend to steer clear of recommending movies (or tv shows, or albums, or books) because I realize that tastes vary and what I think is good you might regard as rubbish, and vice versa. I could tell you my favorite tv show right…
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Books for Looks
In my apartment, I have a small credenza sitting under a window that faces north and offers me a stunning view of San Gorgonio Mountain, which, at 11,500 ft., is the tallest mountain in Southern California. On the credenza sits a plant, a photo of Gordon, a tchotchke, a Mexican ironwood (the Olneya tesota tree…
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An Ode to the Dumpling
If we’re going Asian, I gotta have potstickers, gyoza in Japanese restaurants and jiaozi in Chinese eateries. Either way, they are dumplings – made with garlicky meat or shrimp and vegetables, wrapped in a thin noodle-like wrapper with pleated edges – and they are delicious. You can get them steamed or fried, and they are…
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The Test
80 years ago today, a man died. He has long been a hero of mine, though I know him only from history books. He was a disabled man who, at the age of 39, began experiencing symptoms of a paralytic illness that would confine him to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. At…
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Cotillion
As a young boy I showed little interest in the things boys generally show interest in. But if there was one thing I was fascinated by, it was kitchens – the cupboards, the appliances, the counters. While Chris, and Dave, and Brock were out riding skateboards, I was usually in my mom’s kitchen. I would…
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A Movie Review
I’m not in the habit of doing movie reviews, here or anywhere else. Mainly because people like what they like, they have their own tastes which may or may not match mine, and de gustibus non disputandum est, a Latin maxim meaning “in matters of taste, there can be no disputes.” So my telling you that I…
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Let’s talk about porn
It’s our third rainy day of the year here in the desert, and if the 17 years I’ve lived here are any indication, it will probably be our last. Gordon is quite unhappy with it; not only is he frightened of the raindrops when they fall on him, but it is cold out (48 degrees)…
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Tacos
Now I’m all about a good steak, and pairing it with a lobster tail for surf and turf is delicious. If I’m feeling like pasta, it’s gotta be carbonara, and I’ll jump at anything with peanut sauce on a Thai menu. I have made my affection for the French Dip sandwich known, as well as…
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The Avolatte
If you’re like me, and let’s face it, not many are, then you too love the newest coffee craze taking California by storm. Californians love their coffee. But not a piping hot mug o’ joe at Denny’s or your local diner, served with those little thimbles of creamer. Folgers? Maxwell House? Yuban? No, I’m talking…
Your mileage may vary.