"You've lifted me up, each and every step of the way." Just after 5:00
(I will say that if you check the Engish captions on this thing, they are quite bizarre. Can't tell if they're done by a detractor or just someone incompetent in the English language.)
Via Basel: A Cog in a Machine
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I am a cog in a machine within a system operated by a distant entity—a
system with layers of hierarchy, both human and automated, whose
motivations, valu...
Companions of Jesus
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Today the church honors two unsung, and largely unknown, first Apostles:
St. Simon and St. Jude, Companions of Jesus. St. Simon the Zealot
(sometimes calle...
Wall Cano, FROM THE NEW YORKER
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https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-writers-voice/souvankham-thammavongsa-reads-wall-cano
A family from Laos lives in a basement apartment where cardb...
The Killing Stones
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Changing to Ann Cleeves and her The Killing Stones was like cleansing the
[reading] palate. Really grateful to the crime book club member who
suggested thi...
Breaking Our Routines
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I’m a creature of habit; I love routine. This morning, as I was preparing
to run on the treadmill, we lost power to our house. AEP assured us it
would be...
Favorite Reads of Q3 2026
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Not as many books as usual to cite in Q3, mostly due to the research
needed for returning to the Penns River series and wanting to re-acquaint
myself...
Review: SOMEBODY ALWAYS COMES LOOKING
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*SOMEBODY ALWAYS COMES LOOKING by Paul Cleave (Upstart Press, 2026)*
*Reviewed by Alyson Baker*
*When Luca and Katie meet on a beach in Malaysia, the attr...
The Border is at the Base of my Building
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Díaz-Canel’s visit to the neighborhood brings police, plainclothes agents,
and a stay-at-home order that disrupts even the most basic tasks. 14ymedio,
Hava...
Pluribus Wake & Dance First
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The show* Pluribus* on Apple TV is a binge-worthy series with an
interesting premise, and now it's been nominated for a whole bunch of Emmy
awards. I d...
I'm Still Alive — Take Two
-
I’m still alive — and not yet on Substack. The previous post announcing my
non-expiration was true, but I did not return to full volume. No one wants
ful...
It’s Good to Talk: Why Dialogue is Fundamental
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The reasons why humans developed complex speech are still contested, but as
a writer it doesn’t really matter if it’s due to a uniquely shaped hyoid
bone,...
I Swam With America!
-
On the 4th of July, the usual 6:30 a.m. time for Early Bird Lap Swim was
pushed back to 9:00 a.m. for a general holiday celebration for the
community. I ...
The More Things Change
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Back in July of 2009, Do Some Damage launched with seven authors on
Blogspot.com.
Now, sixteen years later, the site is moving to a Substack newsletter.
...
Tom Maderos at "Escape Into Life"
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This blog hasn't seen any activity of late, but it's still here and I have
a couple of reasons to revive it, although I don't expect there will be
many ...
The Last Hurrah
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‘Relax will you. It’s just an abandoned warehouse.’
‘Well, it’s giving me the creeps.’
‘We’ll just glance it over and skedaddle. Tomorrow you’ll be a fre...
Cecilia “Cissy” Suyat Marshall
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Justice Thurgood Marshall’s widow, Cecilia Marshall, died this Tuesday.
After her husband’s death in 1991, she continued to occasionally appear at
the Co...
Eight Basics of Successful Nonprofit Leadership
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Leading a nonprofit is, in many ways, like leading any kind of business.
Some of these I learned growing up watching my father run his small
business. For ...
#104 / The Shared American Story
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Ken Burns (pictured above) is an American filmmaker who is known for using
archival footage and photographs in documentary films about American
history....
Snatches of the Everlasting Gospel 3
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[image:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNcpxZh71l2jCbTs7-nYBJmgvJTJrPf4wq2oyZ_7AbYvqESjZ94wqaJOKAPexY3gBRlHz2aFVqubZU16pxnLZA5...
Upcoming Events
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Lit Crawl Belfast:
As part of the Belfast Book Festival, come to No Alibis see me and Rosemary
Jenkinson read from works by our favourite crime authors,...
Six Days in Phoenix
-
On day one, Thursday, we marched to the Capitol, 75,000 strong. The
legislature basically flipped us off, and adjourned until Monday.
On day two we h...
SCHEHERAZADE
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[image: Image result for scheherazade]
On Friday night the Prom was Scheherazade, live from the Albert Hall. I
have listened to it three times since th...
New Year’s Discount
-
Happy New Year to all my readers! This year begins with two discounts for
you: North Sea Cottage (the first mystery about Tora) is available for $
0.99 onl...
A Barrel of Salt: Salzburg, Austria
-
Last summer I started this post talking about a saying my father handed
down to me. “You can’t know a man until you’ve eaten a barrel of salt with
him.” T...
Surprise invasion of Japanese punk
-
A strange bit of synchronicity occurred in my life this week, courtesy of
Netflix. I have a two disk at a time plan with them. (Yes, that's right,
I stil...
Flanless in the kitchen, six p.m.
-
My walking buddy complains her flannel pajamas are no longer warm, cheery,
or comforting on these very long nights of early winter.. The thrill is
gone, a...
Grazie & Arrivederci!
-
So that's the end of the Europa Challenge! Thanks to everyone for a great
five years of reading and reviewing! I'll leave the blog up so folks can
find you...
Meeting Points
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Meeting points, in water, sky or paint; the places where blue turns red &
runs into the sea; edge of a face that bends into shadow; shape that
changes sh...
Dahlia Lithwick on the mentally ill in jail
-
I'm reviving this somewhat moribund blog to post a link to an article by
Slate's Dahlia Lithwick on a mentally ill man who died after four months in
jail a...
New Website! New Blog! 2 New Programs!
-
Striving always toward full integration of the logical - linear and
analytical with the intuitive - creative and imaginative, I've united those
parts in a ...
Sayulita
-
It's not October anymore.
Something a bit more timely for the top o' the blog, okay?
My most amazing friend, Raquel, swept me out of my daily routine ...
-
Dear All,
This is Cynthia, I am David's sister in law and Naomi's sister. I am so
sorry to tell you that David passed away Friday evening. He was at home,
...
It Lives!
-
It has been quite a while since I have updated this blog. Some things have
changed over the last year, I changed jobs last October, after thirteen
years ...
UNDER CONSTRUCTION ~ OVER DELIGHT
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UNDER CONSTRUCTION ~ OVER DELIGHT
* AT THE BIJOU * ?
Yes, that's right.
From our newly refurbished red velvet reader seats . . .
to showcasing AUTH...
-
Intermidable. Also very long.
This flight will be unpleasant till the end.
I have no pateince left that I can spend,
I am as crabby as a crabgrass lawn.
Th...
William Kentridge at Volte gallery
-
The South African artist William Kentridge is showing at Volte gallery in
Colaba. Anybody in Bombay between now and March 20 should definitely put
the ex...
Worlds Collide Under Purple Skies
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It's amazing to me how often my Japanese world collides with my American
world. Two years ago, I happened to be on vacation in *New Orleans*. I
was sitti...
Assistant Editor On Board!
-
TFFO writer Tom Pitts is the new TFFO editorial assistant at Out of the
Gutter Online! Click here to welcome him to the operation!
Gay Male Poetry Post Identity Politics, Part Five
-
I am now posting the last of the presentations from my AWP panel on gay
male poetry post politics. Like Aaron Smith, Brian Teare questions the idea
and the...
Cheat sheet:
ReplyDelete"You've lifted me up, each and every step of the way." Just after 5:00
(I will say that if you check the Engish captions on this thing, they are quite bizarre. Can't tell if they're done by a detractor or just someone incompetent in the English language.)