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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…
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Duck You
It isn’t easy. I resigned from my job at 41 – medical reasons and all that – which means for the last 17 years I literally had nothing I have to do. Oh sure, there’s an appointment here and lunch with a friend there, but filling my days is a bit of a challenge. For…
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Finding Sunlight in Darkness
This morning I read a press release about the “scrubbing” of LGBTQ+ resources and information from government websites by the new administration in Washington DC, and it felt like something I should write about. I even thought of a way to write about it: pointing out how the administration’s efforts are an attempt to “erase”…
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The Great Debate
Happy New Year! From time to time, I wade into a controversial topic here on taxpoodle.net. Really existential questions like should you drape the loose sheet of toilet paper over or under the roll, and whether there is any real difference between catsup and ketchup. I do this not to advocate any position other than…
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This is how religions get started
Perhaps the most erudite commenter on religion of my lifetime, the late Christopher Hitchens, once said: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him will believeth in anything. – Hitchens 3:16 In 1963 at a small, liberal arts school in Northfield, Minnesota called Carleton College,…
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The Fall Classic
As today marks the first game of the 2024 World Series, I thought it a good time to share my time-tested and remarkably successful betting scheme. But before I do, can we just acknowledge the arrogance of calling a sporting contest played exclusively by American teams a “world” series? I am reliably informed that there…
Your mileage may vary.