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O BEAUTIFUL FOR SPACIOUS SKIES
The week ending on October 8 was an eventful week which may have consequences for every American as we travel down the road toward prosperity. Three events took place, one involving a baseball decision and two others having local consequences. But let us deal first with the baseball decision. As you may be aware, the…
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SMOKERS MUST BE WEALTHY PEOPLE
Everyone knows that I am not a man of great wealth. The fact that I worked for 43 years for AT&T will tell you that I am not a man of considerable means. But nonetheless I smoked cigarettes for 16 years, starting at age 16. Finally I quit smoking cigarettes or, as my father put…
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APHASIA AND ARTHRITIS
In the last few months here in the great luscious garden state of New Jersey, we find that teachers are retiring in droves or perhaps flocks. They are retiring at this time because they sense that shortly their benefits may be curtailed or removed through the generosity of the new governor, Chris Christie. This is…
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SHOOTING ONESELF IN ONE’S OWN FEETS
A scholar casually reading the title to this essay may conclude that it is not in accordance with the King’s English or at least the King James version of the English language. But if you will bear with me, I will try to explain to the doubters why I contend that we are shooting ourselves…
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PETERING OUT WITH HURRICANE IRENE
I am dictating these lines in the early afternoon of September 4. Today is Sunday and so far it seems to be a peaceful day. I cite the peace and quiet of this Sunday as contrasted with the multitude of problems that existed just one week ago when Hurricane Irene was upon us. It would…
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NEWS OF “LA OUTHOUSE”
You may recall that the large house across the street from this residence installed an outhouse some 16 or 17 months ago on their front lawn. During that period of time, the outhouse became beloved by delivery men, the postman, and my friends and relatives. The sad fact of the matter is that on November…
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SAINTLY THOUGHTS AND OTHER ECCLESIASTICAL MATTERS
I am quite aware that it is unseemly of me to dictate an essay on saintly matters and other ecclesiastical thoughts. Be that it as it may, on this Yom Kippur afternoon that is where my thoughts are headed. A learned gentleman once said to me that Catholic saints offer some specific qualities. For example,…
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A LECTURE ON THE ART/SCIENCE OF FALLING
It is my hope that all of you grammarians who read these essays will be aware of the fact that I really said “falling” not “falling down.” I have observed over this long life that things do not fall up. The fact is that they fall in a downward fashion. And so this lecture will…
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NON-BREAKING NEWS FROM LONG HILL DRIVE
Three non-breaking news items have occurred in recent weeks and they constitute the essence of this essay. In the past few weeks we have been met by an invasion of breaking news from Washington as well as from itinerant politicians. All things considered, the breaking news has had its share of attention. The burden of…
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DIRECT DEPOSIT?!!
On very rare occasions an incident will happen that demands to be written about. In this case, I am led to believe that if this essay is not written promptly, an indescribable act will be committed on my front porch. The incident in question took place on Friday morning before the start of the Labor…