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Tense Moments
When our nation is on the verge of bombing another country, I have trouble posting photos of butterflies and bees. News reports say Syria may be targeted this Thursday. My run and gun spirit of writing is deflated right now. So, I am reposting my photo of shadow crosses in the forest.
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Chemical Weapons Crisis
The most unsettling aspect of my brief military training involved preparing for a chemical attack. All I remember was that death would be quick and painful. Now, our government says chemical weapons have been used by the Syrian government against its own citizens, a charge denied by Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad. We’ve issued one of…
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Bloomberg’s Bathroom
The New York Times reports today that Mayor Michel Bloomberg offered this advice for those who want to achieve: “arrive early, eat at your desk, stay late and don’t go to the bathroom so much.” The article says he threw out the bathroom admonishment on his radio show. Maybe he didn’t mean what he really…
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Disappearing Ponds
This leaf is floating in a public pond in Sacramento, California. The color/clarity of the water doesn’t look normal, but, the photo is very close to reality on the day I took the photo; i.e., don’t drink the water. This pond is a favorite for geese, ducks, turtles and fish, so I can only assume…
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Don’t Litter
The lowest form of littering is to abandon fast food wrappers in rocks along the coast. If you make the effort to go to the ocean, respect it. I don’t like people who litter and this goes back to the “beginning.” True story: at the age of 19, I was awestruck by this cheerleader. I…
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A Losing Season in Perspective
My love of baseball extends to big time rooting for the San Francisco Giants, the World Series champions of 2010 and 2012. But the 2013 season has been full of disappointment and, of course, too many losses for the Giants. As a zealous fan I can’t bring myself to say the Giants will be…
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Historical Walk
Long walks are great therapy. See the Long Walks Page for suggested walks in Europe and the United States. #2. Jockey Hollow, Morristown, New Jersey My favorite walk in my early years was the area where General George Washington housed his army during the winter of 1779-80. The photo above is of “the soldier huts”,…
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Writing Exercise
Write every day. If you don’t know what to write, start by typing “blank page.” The idea is to move your fingers—that physical sensation of striking the key pad. If you develop anxiety after typing “blank page” because you have no idea of what to write about and you feel stupid for…
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Moth In the Morning
Off to work this morning when I spotted a moth “resting” on my front gate—that’s what moths do in the daytime, they rest. I was struck by the contrast in textures: the rough ancient redwood vs. the soft, fragile moth. Also, the redwood, aged by 60 years of weather, turns gray in low light and…