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STORY SHAPE: MORE SAG IN THE MIDDLE?

Story shape and physical fitness have that in common, the middle. From the beginning of ‘good fortune,’ the main character has a few moments until things dip downward. Think of the fanatical diet and exercise demon losing their edge in a Las Vegas buffet and taking off from the high dive into the Mexican, Italian, […]

AMERICAN IMMERSION CLASS STARTS NOW

An American immersion class is more than how to fold a flag without dragging it in the dirt. Still, when you do get to that part don’t drag it in the dirt. No, my friends, an immersion class begins with requirements. Just as we’ve seen in old WWII movies, you need to know a few […]

GENTLE SUGGESTIONS FOR GOOD TIMES

Who doesn’t make gentle suggestions? Call it good manners if you know the difference between a request and an order. ‘Would you please help me?’ instead of, ‘Get over here and make yourself useful.’ This happened recently:

READING LESSON: WHO? WHAT? WHERE?

A reading lesson is more than the title for a blog post, more than a list of books, but it’s not more than you need. If you didn’t know, now you know. I need a lesson, you need a lesson, we all need a lesson. After a writing lesson, I’m here to help. All ready? […]

MARRIED WEED COUPLE LOSING GRIP

What happens when a weed couple changes their stance? When one of them decides to light up and the other doesn’t? If they are baby boomers, you’d expect them to do something baby boomer-ish, like write a letter to Dear Abby? No way. They’d sit down, after fifty years of marriage, and figure it out. […]

READING BOOKS CREATE NOVEL IDEAS

Reading books are a lifeline to another time. Not everyone gets it; not everyone thinks they need a lifeline. I don’t start reading a book with that in mind, but when I finish a good one it feels like the writer tossed me a line. That’s the good news. I’m of the mind that berating […]

LEGACY STORIES NEED LEGWORK

Legacy stories are history stories, as in historical. Some are accurate depictions of a time, an era, and get passed down. Others are told with a touch of how the teller wished things had turned out, and they get passed down too. With the advent and encouragement of and for citizen journalists, where is the […]

HUSTLER MAN FAIL AT DINNER TABLE

I watched a hustler man work the magic one night at a dinner table. He was alone, wife out of town, with a few married couples. One woman caught his attention. Hustler: You seem very happy tonight.

HPV-16 CANCER IS A SNEAK

HPV-16 cancer is on the ballot this time around. You wouldn’t know it because there’s no hoopla, but it’s there. Sometimes it’s here, sometimes it’s there, but most of the time it’s a mystery. But, dear readers, as you know, cancer of any kind is a hard road to travel. What are my cancer talk […]

FANCY PEOPLE, BUT NOT TOO FANCY

My wife and I are not fancy people, but one of us is more than the other. As it should be, as long as it’s not me. I’ve seen fancy and come away with the same feelings each time: No Thanks.