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This is not semantics

It’s bad when you don’t know what you don’t know. But it’s worse when you don’t know that you don’t know what you don’t know. The message being: Humility. Follow me?

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Forgotten past

This evening I spent about three hours cleaning out boxes of old letters, cards and mementos from the past. I threw out a lot (much of which made no sense to me), but in the process, I uncovered parts of my past that I had completely forgotten. For example, in 1992, I nearly moved in…

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Happy Camper

Last week I brought my students to a YMCA camp for three days of outdoor education. On the morning of our departure, I donned a tee-shirt that featured the smiling face of a presumed camper and the phrase Happy Camper emblazoned beneath. I wear it every year on the first day of camp. And as…

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The bride is pretty

I have noticed a disturbing trend over the past year that I have managed to document and analyze in order to determine if my observations have been accurate. As a wedding DJ, I have heard hundreds, if not thousands, of toasts, almost always by the best man, oftentimes by the father of the groom, and…

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Peanut allergy is peanuts by comparison

Results published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology indicate that more than 30% of children with food allergies report being bullied or teased — often repeatedly — because of their eating restrictions. As the father of a peanut-allergic daughter, you might think this is cause for concern. Think again. Her last name is…

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Most famous Newington resident?

Last week I received an email from a fellow Newington resident and fan named Tony that read: I have an oddball question for you that I’ve been thinking about for a long time – do you think you are the most famous current Newington resident?  The reason this question occurred to me is that I…

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Rewriting Melville

When I was in 8th grade, I was asked to write a book report on a novel by a famous American author. Mrs. Bennett took the class to the library and instructed us to spend the period searching for a book that we would read and then use to write our reports. Book reports, by…

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The truth will set the wolves on you

I don’t like to lie. There was a time in my life when lying was my unfortunate specialty. Attempting to maintain two or three girlfriends at a time required a great deal of plotting and deceit (the fact that they lived in different states most of the year helped a lot), as well as the…

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Yes, I am left handed. As a result, I am more likely to be President or a murderer. Or both.

The question my frequently asked at a book signing: “Oh, you’re left handed?” This is also the stupidest question that I am asked at book signings because I am asked this question while signing a book with my left hand. So yes, I am left handed. Actually, like most left handers, I am slightly ambidextrous.…

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