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A TINY CANDLE AT THE END OF A LONG DARK TUNNEL
When the United States began to sink into the quagmire that engulfs our banking industry, the stock market, and our fortunes, most politicians contended that we were only in a recession. Those of you who have been reading Ezra’s essays for a few years will be aware that for more than a year I have…
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“BECAUSE THAT’S WHERE THE MONEY ISN’T”
Mr. William Sutton was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1901. There were five children in the Sutton family. As soon as Mr. Sutton completed the eighth grade, he quit school and that was the last of his academic career. We find that the records show that William Sutton departed this vale of tears in…
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IN MEMORIAM ROSEMARY ROCHE DADY 1928 – 2008
Robert Browning, the English poet, once wrote these lines: Grow old along with me The best is yet to be, The last of life for which the first was made. Poets are dreamers. They are not pragmatists. The last of life for aged people involves loss of hearing, reduced visual acuity, arthritis, and…
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THE SUNDAY AFTERNOON BLUES
Perhaps the most famous in the genre of blues songs was one composed by W.C. Handy. That of course was “St. Louis Blues.” Those of us who list St. Louis as our place of birth do not necessarily go around singing “St. Louis Blues” at all hours. The composer, Handy, wrote of a man who…
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IOWA AND BLIND PEOPLE
Apparently the sheriffs in the great state of Iowa have an inordinate amount of power. Among other things, they can determine which blind person will be issued a gun permit. Most of those applying for a gun permit as blind people say that it is for target shooting. None of them say that it is…
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GIFTY’S SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT
As some of my readers know, I have employed home health aides as a means of avoiding institutional care. I require help during the evening and midnight hours. Among other things, my ability to stand up or get up during the night time is limited. During the course of an evening, I may stand up…
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SO BP HAS IGNORED GRUBER’S LAW
The title suggests that there are two principles involved in this humble essay. The first is, of course, British Petroleum (BP), an organization that is now hip deep or chest deep in grave trouble. The second principle is the dermatologist named Gruber, whom you will come to know before this essay is finished. Taking the…
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A TWOFER
The title to this essay is a phonetic one as spoken by Americans. Its real derivation comes from baseball. If a hitter gets two hits in his four or five at-bats, he will announce that he had a “twofer.” (If he was hitless in his times at bat, he would mournfully say, “I had an…
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UDDERLY REDICULOUS
Ezra’s Essays have been distributed to the movers and shakers around the world for the past 13 years. In all that time, there have only been a few occasions when the proprietor of Ezra’s Essays has been moved to make an award. In the current case, the proprietor of Ezra’s Essays is moved to award…
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WHO CHANGED THE RULES?
My breakfast was interrupted this morning by a report from Washington that Peter Orszag, the Budget Director for President Obama, had fathered a baby child out of wedlock. He reports that the little child, a girl, is a beautiful creature. It was also confirmed that during the pregnancy of his girlfriend, Mr. Orszag was romancing…