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Z. Endspec (intro.)
Introduction What did William Blake, Pablo Neruda, Aldous Huxley, Richard Wagner, Louis Armstrong and Lightnin’ Sam Hopkins have in common? Names of the illustrious who share the same commonality also include John Taverner, Louis Leakey, Marshall McLuhan, David Bowie and even Queen Elizabeth the First… Untold millions of ordinary folks could be added to the list. Their commonality…
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Z. Endspec #1:

“Well, honestly, I’ve been in the insurance business about 20 years,” he said, “The chances of going by accident are about 1%. You’re far more likely to go by sickness: heart disease, cancer. After you hit 50, accidents are very rare.” “OK”, I gritted teeth, “so you mean a term policy covers both death by…
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Y. Tombstone Chronicles

Introduction: ‘Aftermath of a Lengthy Rejection Slip’ was Charles Bukowski’s first published story… Robert Pirsig claimed to have accumulated 103 rejection slips before his masterwork, ‘Zen and Motorcycle Maintenance’, was accepted… Much more intimidating was the boast of Truman Capote that he “never had a rejection slip.” I have no presumption of comparing my experience to that of…
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K. Snippets of Gratitude (intro.)
No dog owner can ever be convinced that a certain look in a beloved pooches’ eyes can be something baser that ‘Gratitude’. No matter what science informs about the nature of canine sentience, it is impossible to describe their dog’s reactions without attributing human emotions: trust, joy and utter thankfulness in the presence of the…
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K. Snippets of Gratitude

With a grim nod, W.S. slipped around me to withdraw a book from the mahogany bookcase. “This–– this was my late sister-in-law’s child.” He handed it over. ‘Ribbons of Steel: The Story of the Northern Alberta Railways.’ I leafed through. The photos were sharp, and the paper was high-quality. On the overleaf of the dustjacket…
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I. Soundtracks (con’d)

Like many Canadians of my generation, I became a devotee of Saint Leonard from the first hearing ‘Songs of Leonard Cohen.’ Through the mid-1970s, I eagerly awaited the release of each of his albums. I was never disappointed in his music until ‘Death of a Ladies Man’ (1977). The excuse that the nearly unlistenable record…