Thus Spoke Ginger
I
began my adult life going down my yellow brick road when I returned from
studying overseas at New College of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
I got a job and the very next thing that I got was an Irish Setter, and her
name was Ginger. Over the next handful of years, my three children came
along. Ginger literally helped them to toddle their way down their long
yellow brick roads of their lives.
Nearly
fifty years later, I am still journeying on my yellow brick road, but the road
has entered the twilight years of my life. In the past decade, I have
danced with death twice and both times successfully. I've had a couple
other dances, which weren't life-threatening. Nevertheless, dancing with
death caused me to realize that the remainder of my journey is limited.
Therefore, I took seriously these two recent concerns. I went to my
internist who did dozens of tests and found out that neither would result in
ending my journey in life.
The
very next thing that I did was to get an Irish Setter puppy. Guess what
her name is? Man, my new puppy brought back a flood of many memories. However,
this Ginger is different, or, perhaps, I am more in tune and listen to my
newest Ginger more than I did a half century ago with my first Ginger. My
new puppy has a bed where she plays with her toys, but, more importantly,
Ginger watches me while I teach online or as I write essays for my webpage.
One
day, I heard what sounded initially like purring. I turned toward Ginger,
and she began to talk. Ginger wanted to talk about the political issues
that interested me. She said that Nietzsche wrote a book, Thus Spoke Zarathustra,
which is the English
title of the Nietzsche's German title, Also sprach
Zarathustra. Ginger sees herself as a modern-day
version of Nietzsche. Ginger suggested that I used that as the title for
this index page, Thus Spoke Ginger. Additionally, she suggested that I write about
her observations on life
in this newest section.
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The Virgin King
Enjoying Life in Another World
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09/20/24 |
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A Funny Thing Happened To Me
As I Age, Not So Gracefully
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09/16/24 |
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The Cat Lady
By the Dog Gentleman
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09/11/24 |
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Ginger Has Done the Dance
We Are Bonded as Dancers
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08/21/24 |
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Lessons Learned in Former British Colonies
Like America, South Africa, and Myanmar
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07/31/24 |
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The Third Old Man
Or Three Coins in the Fountain of Life
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07/29/24 |
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It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again
With the Father and Son
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07/05/24 |
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I’m Leading Death Again
On My Dancefloor of Life
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06/10/24 |
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Trump’s Roosting Chickens
Are Coming Home to Roost
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05/01/24 |
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Ginger Trains Her Owner
And I’m Obedient
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04/03/24 |
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It’s Better to Burn Out
Than to Fade Away
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03/06/24 |
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Ginger’s New Fashion Statement
Keeping Her Happy and Healthy
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03/04/24 |
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Unexpected Events
Can Create Opportunities for Greatness
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12/25/23 |
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Ginger’s Gift to Dr. Derrè
Ginger Stated, “Dr. Derrè’s My Vet”
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12/01/23 |
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Mary Had Little Lamb
And PaPa Al Has a Big Irish Setter
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11/27/23 |
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On the Road Again
Ginger, the Pooh Dog, and Me
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11/10/23 |
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Ginger’s 7th Birthday
What’s Life All About, Alfie?
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10/30/23 |
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Ginger’s Check-Up
Again, at Purdue Veterinary Hospital
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10/04/23 |
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My Second Shot
Or the First Insurrection
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09/22/23 |
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The Importance of Happenstance
For Heavenly Clauses
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09/08/23 |
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Another Dance for Ginger
Learn and Live in the Moment
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09/01/23 |
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Ginger’s Gifts
From Michelle
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08/25/23 |
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Ginger’s Tribute to Her Vet
“Thanks, But Can You Get Me Bigger Treats?”
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04/12/23 |
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A Golden Opportunity
Explaining Ti Ti to her Class
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04/10/23 |
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What’s It All About Ginger?
The Haunting Question
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04/03/23 |
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Ginger and I
Our Trip Down the Yellow Brick Road
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03/13/23 |
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Than
Myanmar’s van Gogh
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01/11/23 |
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Problems are Assets
Seize the Problems
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12/09/22 |
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My Twilight Hauntings...
About Immortality
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11/25/22 |
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A Message from Missoula
And the Dangling Dog
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11/04/22 |
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Ginger is Now Six
As We Do the Dance
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10/28/22 |
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Picking Mentors
It Will Change Your Life
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09/09/22 |
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Diversity Visas
What’s That All About, Alfie?
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04/24/22 |
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Acclimating to the New World
In Mt. Lebanon, Taunggyi, and Crown Point
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04/20/22 |
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I Have Miles to Go
Before I Sleep
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04/04/22 |
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My Family in Myanmar:
A Sequel to What’s It All About
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03/28/22 |
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Two Views of the Ides of March
One for Caesar and One for My Family
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03/14/22 |
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History Is Repetitious
Then and Now
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02/21/22 |
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The Tale of My Foot
Years Ago and Today
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02/11/22 |
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When I Become a Billionaire…
A Jaguar SUV Will Be in My Garage
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01/26/22 |
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Christmas:
Past, Present, and Future
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12/24/21 |
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Waking Up…
To Getting Old
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11/29/21 |
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Ginger and I
In Our Recovery Modes
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11/22/21 |
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A New World Order
The World from Campbell’s Perspective
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11/01/21 |
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Happy Birthday, Ginger
I Wish You Many More with Your Blue Dolphin
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10/29/21 |
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Ti Ti and Education
Why Is Education Critical?
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10/04/21 |
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The Pros and Cons…
Of Replicating Our Parents
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09/06/21 |
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Realizing the New Normal
What’s All About, Alfie?
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08/30/21 |
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Ginger Doing the Dance
And An Important Takeaway
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07/28/21 |
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Disinformation Is Deadly
So, Why Lie to America?
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07/19/21 |
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Resurrection
I’m Alive Along with My Computer, and Ginger
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07/07/21 |
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One Year Hence
Reincarnation of Gawain and the Fox
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05/28/21 |
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A Funny Thing Happened While on Zoom
My Fourth La Danse Macabre |
04/19/21 |
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Dealing with RealityIn the Human and Canine World |
09/18/20 |
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The Story of Tom and JerryWhat’s in a Name? |
09/02/20 |
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"Give Me a Place to Stand...And I Will Move the World.” |
07/20/20 |
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Plague DoctorThen and Now |
04/06/20 |
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GingerPart 3 of a 4 Part Series |
02/05/20 |
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KaylaDog Whisperer |
02/03/20 |
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Autotelic
Vincent, Me, and Modafinil
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09/27/19
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Ginger, King of the
Mountain
Taught Me a Lesson
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07/24/19
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Ginger’s Vet
My Shrink
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07/19/19
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The Dog Days of Summer
Without Air Conditioning
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07/17/19
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Nietzsche and Ginger
Übermensch or ÜberGinger
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05/27/19
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From Mud
To Macadam
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11/30/18
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Ginger’s Vet…
My Psychiatrist
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10/17/18
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The Woman in Green
From Ginger’s Point of View
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10/08/18
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“Holy Mackerel”
Thus Spoke Ginger
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10/01/18
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Ginger and Me
Just the Two of Us
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09/21/18
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The Pearl of Death
Or the Lesson of Life
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09/05/18
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The Invasion of the Sewer Snatchers
They Are Coming to Take Our Sewers
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09/03/18
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Ginger Is the Love of My Life
As Seen in Music That I Love
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08/20/18
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Deep State
Bob Woodward and Me
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08/15/18
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Roger Stone and I
What Do We Have in Common?
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08/08/18
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The House of Fear
And the Orange Pips
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06/08/18
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Sherlock Holmes In Washington
While We Drank Ginger Grog
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04/04/18
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Sherlock Holmes Faces Death
The Times They Are Changin’
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03/07/18
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My Heart Issues
Both Hearts
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02/14/18
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The Water Horse of Loch Ness
And Our Water Horses of Life
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02/07/18
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Dressed to Kill
Ginger and I Watched Another Sherlock Holmes Mystery
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01/29/18
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Terror by Night
The Third of our Date and Dinner
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01/08/18
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Ginger's World...
Blends with My World
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01/03/18
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The Scarlet Claw
A Date Night Movie
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12/18/17
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Ginger's World...
Blends with My World
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12/06/17
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Why Ginger?
The Hauntings of My Pooh Dog
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11/24/17
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What is Kepler Looking For?
Intelligent Life in the Universe
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11/15/17
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The Many Michelangelo Painters of the Cave
The Renaissance of the Paleolithic Period
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11/13/17
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The Tattoo of My Pooh and Me
Ginger and Don Quixote
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11/10/17
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The Reason Behind...
Everything
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11/08/17
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Impulse Control
Ginger and Trump
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10/23/17
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Ginger and Santayana
Remember the Past
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10/09/17
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Ginger and I
Promises To Keep and Miles To Go Before We Sleep
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09/29/17
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Ginger
AKA Longshanks
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09/27/17
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Mr. Lee and Mr. Rotteveel
Two Stories: About When I Was Young and When I Am Old
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09/22/17
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Ginger and Ra Ra
My Pet Family
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09/18/17
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Lammy Coo Was Crewed
By Gingie Pooh
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09/13/17
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When Dreams Aren’t Realized
What Should You Do?
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09/01/17
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Ginger
And the Issue of Kissing
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08/30/17
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Minnows or Manhood
Or Scent of a Woman....
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08/28/17
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Ti Ti and I
A Most Haunting Relationship
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08/04/17
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Ginger
And Her Unconditional Love
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07/28/17
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Self-Portraits...
By Vincent, Jack, and Owen
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07/19/17
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Just Drop Me Off
And Ginger’s Toy Dog
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07/14/17
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I Pledge Allegiance
To Donald the Dumb
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07/03/17
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Donald the Dumb’s Dilemma
Falling from Great Heights
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06/21/17
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Breaking News from Ginger
About Trump Colluding with the Russians and Putin
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06/02/17
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Jack and Owen’s Creation
A Birthday Cake for Their Mother
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05/29/17
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Ginger’s Predecessors
And My Domesticated Carnivore
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05/19/17
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Class, Easter Ham, and Kayaking...
The Morphing of My World
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05/15/17
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Ginger’s World…
Donald the Dumb’s Cave
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04/24/17
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The Meaning of Life
It Is All About Fighting the Good Fight for Others
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04/19/17
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Life Is a Bowl of Cherries
Or the Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men
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04/14/17
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This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef...
And Ginger Devoured the Little Piggy’s Ear
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04/10/17
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Pride Before Fall
Learnings from History
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04/03/17
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Chick Magnet
And the Hauntings
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03/31/17
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The Hauntings
About Bobby and the Gingers
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03/27/17
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Ginger's Bed
Fit for a Queen
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03/21/17
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A Tweet to God...
A Tweet from James Baldwin
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03/20/17
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Ginger's Explanation...
For Her Man Cave
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03/13/17
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On Riding to Samara
Then and Now....
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03/10/17
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Invictus
Thank You, Mrs. Davis
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03/06/17
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A Dog's Purpose
The Person's Purpose
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03/03/17
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Romney and Irish Setter
The Political Right is Often Wrong.
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02/24/17
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Kennedy Socks
Presidents and Camelot
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02/20/17
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Ginger, Socks, and Poe
Finding Lenore....
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02/13/17
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Lambs Eat Ivy
And Ginger Eats Lamb Ears
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02/06/17
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The Meaning of Ginger
The Winter Solstice
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02/01/17
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Ginger, the Dances, and the Lady
It Is All About Determination
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01/02/17
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