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Smoking
I recently rediscovered Barry Manilow. I bought a “greatest hits” compilation of his on iTunes called Ultimate Manilow, and found I knew the words to every song! The arrangements, the melodies, the build to the moment of maximum drama: these were really good songs. I mean really, really good. The sentiment in the lyrics was…
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On the milestone of my 200th post
Shortly after moving in to Stonewall Gardens Assisted Living in 2015, I turned 50. A milestone. Last week, now in my eleventh year here, I turned 60. Another milestone. And thinking that a good idea for a post, I did lots of research on milestones – their origin in, where else but ancient Rome, their…
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More Fool Me
Well it’s here. April Fools’ Day. I didn’t post anything for it last year. And the year before that, I mimicked the BBC’s 1957 Swiss Spaghetti Harvest story from the news program Panorama. So I thought this year I would talk about the origins of the day. Seriously, no joke. Despite its widespread popularity across…
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Schrödinger’s Cat
One of the most famous thought experiments in modern science and philosophy is Erwin Schrödinger’s cat, a paradox that captures the strange and counterintuitive nature of the microscopic world, brought to our modern consciousness by the Caltech physics nerds on the hit television sitcom The Big Bang Theory. Introduced in 1935, the idea was not…
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A round of a’paws
Dogs are among the most socially connected animals we interact with on a daily basis. Their behavior reflects the deep bond they form with us, particularly when it comes to moments of separation. Yesterday, in the midst of a game of Rummikub during our “Games with Chuck” activity in which I finally beat Betsy at…
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March
March is the only month that feels like it’s arguing with itself. One day it is inspired by Mars – bold, blustery, and ready for battle. The next day it remembers it’s technically almost spring and shows up with sunshine and birds chirping like they’re auditioning for a woodland musical. You wake up, see golden…
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Why February Has Only 28 Days
At its simplest, most basic level, a calendar is a way to organize time. Now, we could take that statement and go “deep,” having a philosophical discussion of the concept of time itself. However, after last night’s cavalcade of mirth and misinformation known as the State of the Union, my inclination this morning is to…
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What is the magic of Christmas?
Whether you are Christian, and particularly if you are not, the Christmas season is hard to miss. It generally runs from late November thru to early January. Ostensibly, it recalls and celebrates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth in the town of Bethlehem, thought by his followers to be the long-awaited messiah or savior, prophesied…
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Wheelchair Invisibility
I arrived at the furniture store around 11:45 last Sunday morning. I am in the market for a new recliner. A recliner is not just something in which to relax while watching the television for me – it is as essential to my life as breath itself. I can’t walk. I can’t stand up without…
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Family
Back in my 30s I dated a guy named Jojo. He was a Filipino (or Pinoy as they call themselves) from the Philippines who had come to America on a student visa for college, and when he graduated applied for a green card and stayed. As a gay man (and a handsome one at that),…
Your mileage may vary.