tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11011009946105183732024-03-05T01:03:16.882-05:00The Freelance Retortby Brian MoloneyBrian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.comBlogger728125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-82484614774702018012021-05-05T15:19:00.004-04:002021-05-06T09:21:55.232-04:00A State of Wait<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3XoLcZhX3hzt07JSKn3i4UsGvVFf3NN2fM8ml7Q_H4-exWmT5Hxqteni8ANMna4gL2eU0dcCXc0gwPrMH-jDNzZ_9OybteWSfMf09hJJGLkYZptk9PvXiPymzRM3d47NDT67FAvxGNvs/s281/wait.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="179" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3XoLcZhX3hzt07JSKn3i4UsGvVFf3NN2fM8ml7Q_H4-exWmT5Hxqteni8ANMna4gL2eU0dcCXc0gwPrMH-jDNzZ_9OybteWSfMf09hJJGLkYZptk9PvXiPymzRM3d47NDT67FAvxGNvs/w255-h400/wait.png" width="255"></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Let me be the last to wish you a Happy New Year!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hopefully.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I know…you’ve heard that before…but not from me; not for a couple
of years.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yep…time flies…unless it takes the train.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Okay, that one’s a retread, too. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Maybe a re-re-re-retread.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">What can I say? After hatching these pithy pearls of wisdom
for nearly a decade, all of the good lines are in the hopper, already.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">And since the analytics tell me—chatty as they are—most of the Retorter Faithful resides in roughly the same age demographic as I do—give or
take a decade…or two…sometimes three—I figure you can’t recall what I wrote 2 months
ago, let alone 2 years ago.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Oh, right…I didn’t write anything 2 months ago…or 3 or 4, for
that matter.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVW69D7u8xcB0OaVuxfWXTl1pxXKOVHritjKztuB7D1AwrYmlbZfcgG5T1fDAFS79Dx6JUUr2u0Frv7-yqMdGUpbrvCecbHVpQOhfvb3tSDesNlAchmSfLnjJXHXhYOmVcx_8Ge9bPOXc/s768/analiystics.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="768" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVW69D7u8xcB0OaVuxfWXTl1pxXKOVHritjKztuB7D1AwrYmlbZfcgG5T1fDAFS79Dx6JUUr2u0Frv7-yqMdGUpbrvCecbHVpQOhfvb3tSDesNlAchmSfLnjJXHXhYOmVcx_8Ge9bPOXc/w200-h134/analiystics.jpg" width="200"></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br>You remember the analytics. They were a great doo-wop band
back in the 50’s…I think…. maybe. And If they weren’t, they should have been.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">At least that’s what the numbers say.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Get it…a little advanced math humor, there. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">What? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I thought you wanted new. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Math is new…at least for me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Nevertheless, here I am, wishing you a Happy New Year…and
Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and all the other days I may have neglected.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">So that’s another new slant on things.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoweQTB12_Qp59jedNpppmPlWGOBH-4_KyCkhDTCfDX2WvMfBmBmCdlS1Dc7KXzZ1CCIJrby9sOn2wJ_fqMkRMksUMZY6YdhoAycMHcrIjuy_PwmcRV0RnF73_Z7sf9V_zWlnBKFrPJ78/s1350/Drummer+monkey.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1350" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoweQTB12_Qp59jedNpppmPlWGOBH-4_KyCkhDTCfDX2WvMfBmBmCdlS1Dc7KXzZ1CCIJrby9sOn2wJ_fqMkRMksUMZY6YdhoAycMHcrIjuy_PwmcRV0RnF73_Z7sf9V_zWlnBKFrPJ78/w200-h200/Drummer+monkey.jpg" width="200"></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">But that can be fixed with a new pair of orthotics.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Ba da bump…!<br><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ha…how about that, looks like I’ve still got it!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">But the doctor says it should clear up in a month or two.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Ka-ching boom…!<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ha…I’ve got a million of them!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hey, you gotta admit it’s been worth the wait…right…right…am
I right?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In fact, it seems as if waiting is all we’ve been doing these
last 13 months or so.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Waiting, waiting, waiting….<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In fact, we’ve been in a state of wait.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">At first, we waited for this <i>“thing”</i> to run its course
and disappear so we could get on with our lives…not to mention baseball opening
day.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">But that didn’t happen.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we spent a lot of time waiting for our take-out to arrive.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ9J8NiR1pmBvXtXfJ1I_TWYVemzzzR3Y8qI8uNYHvi8AA-NiYeXFbZXFZm-wF2dvfHyLMY08enzj-YXNUGNTx6uLEQqQDrnPxj9jzsdvJG6NlHQjelRzL3kKlYftMXuKdvUDvKiersAE/s800/Yugo.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="800" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ9J8NiR1pmBvXtXfJ1I_TWYVemzzzR3Y8qI8uNYHvi8AA-NiYeXFbZXFZm-wF2dvfHyLMY08enzj-YXNUGNTx6uLEQqQDrnPxj9jzsdvJG6NlHQjelRzL3kKlYftMXuKdvUDvKiersAE/w200-h130/Yugo.jpg" width="200"></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">That half Peperoni-half anchovy should be here any
minute; although anchovies might be a bit sketchy after 7 hours in the back of
Yugo.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">We waited for the toilet paper truck to return.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">We waited for the numbers to peak, then plateau, then drop.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">We waited for sports to return.<span></span></span></p><a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2021/05/a-state-of-wait.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
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</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-31247716802642261902020-11-25T06:57:00.004-05:002020-11-25T23:18:04.891-05:00Thankful Thanksgiving<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROzgFbMifgJJCOmiKIlduxLFjU-g8DMupCrCHDIBladw430-t9Ayqlwz5iyUBE9jF9ZKiuFQHy4JUACP7XQBWmcPbaMc6-7UueZ6Q6InFRhwn98UUXuUaEIWu4pPFd67wW1U6ekd2_Ak/s1136/time+passing.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1136" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROzgFbMifgJJCOmiKIlduxLFjU-g8DMupCrCHDIBladw430-t9Ayqlwz5iyUBE9jF9ZKiuFQHy4JUACP7XQBWmcPbaMc6-7UueZ6Q6InFRhwn98UUXuUaEIWu4pPFd67wW1U6ekd2_Ak/w225-h320/time+passing.jpg" width="225"></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">I guess 6 months is a bit of a stretch between Retorts…at
least public Retorts. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As Z will tell you—and anyone else in my close limited circle
who has the misfortune on the rare occasion to <i>“swap air”</i> with me, which is frowned upon under the best of
circumstances, but especially now in these, the most virulent of times—I’m
prone to verbally retort to every other sentence that passes as conversation
amongst friends.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Which is why my circle is close and limited in the first
place. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Plus, the fact I usually don’t remember most people’s names,
no matter how long they’ve been ensconced in said circle, doesn’t help.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Okay, stop all the eye rolling. Don't you recognize a bit of
humorous hyperbole when you see it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> Of course, I remember
all their names. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Just not the ones that belong to them specifically. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">But why nitpick.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">An asymptomatic super spreader by any other name is
still a less than six-foot away social distancing threat.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4k2yy11eLmV6TnMeVn5Ue1ZOPxyRStHtI-_YfAhI-bCKSf0dQoNGEItQNUbMInnqFuf7w-mUiVeeSMHf7NqXI7QFusdgchiUqowslHDhDJRzL2fScQdtCEb1LasPFyTUIgYfNZJTQuk0/s1100/social+dist.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="1100" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4k2yy11eLmV6TnMeVn5Ue1ZOPxyRStHtI-_YfAhI-bCKSf0dQoNGEItQNUbMInnqFuf7w-mUiVeeSMHf7NqXI7QFusdgchiUqowslHDhDJRzL2fScQdtCEb1LasPFyTUIgYfNZJTQuk0/w200-h113/social+dist.jpg" width="200"></a></div><br>Or, in my case, twenty feet—can’t be too careful—which renders
most of my retorts unintelligible, anyway.<o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Not that distance matters when it comes to the lucidity quotient
of my spoken witticism’s. Z says, I mumble and, for the most part, give the impression
of someone choking on a peanut butter cup, which I think is so unfair.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I don’t even like peanut butter cups.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Milky Ways or Snickers, perhaps…but nothing with peanut
butter, unless jelly’s attached, preferably on some sort of bread.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">So, by now, you’re wondering…has it “really” only been six
months? And wasn’t that a nice, peaceful six months…despite all the global doom
and gloom. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It did seem to go fairly quickly. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Each day blending into the next.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Mondays morph into Thursdays with weekends signifying it’s only
a couple of days until Monday…again. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">And on and on it goes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2020/11/thankful-thanksgiving.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
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</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-33944262688451493442020-05-21T10:58:00.002-04:002020-11-24T06:35:15.951-05:00Onward We March<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxW6RaMBNQFdQ_dp2BkukREemwLYrZvKr1jYjOdvFJz8B2CjmWZXS8cCL2b8ezFkUza5PGm_xhNDxuaAELBK9hMolkXxV-pwY7CU3_xseu4AGZWCN6g6hPpmTdlROZQjESZ-LOCsnCCE/s1600/banna.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxW6RaMBNQFdQ_dp2BkukREemwLYrZvKr1jYjOdvFJz8B2CjmWZXS8cCL2b8ezFkUza5PGm_xhNDxuaAELBK9hMolkXxV-pwY7CU3_xseu4AGZWCN6g6hPpmTdlROZQjESZ-LOCsnCCE/s320/banna.jpg" width="316"></a><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
My banana annoyed me this morning. <br>
<br>
Yep…that’s how it’s been, these days.<br>
<br>
My fruit is irritating me.<br>
<br>
And to be honest, it probably wasn’t the banana’s fault…at
least not entirely.<br>
<br>
I was just in my usual <i>“Mandated Lockdown”</i>bad morning mood, which, after nearly 2 months, is a bit more intense than my
usual, every day, bad morning mood.<br>
<br>
Because on those occasions, I almost never get angry at my
bananas.<br>
<br>
Peaches, sure, but not bananas. <br>
<br>
Peach cups come with all that sticky peach cup juice which,
if not opened carefully, can lead to a multitude of sticky peach cup juice
incidents.<br>
<br>
But bananas are pretty much incident free, sticky or
otherwise.<br>
<br>
Until this morning.<br>
<br>
This morning, as I sat down to peruse the online morning
news, I began peeling my banana—no differently than I do on most banana mornings—but
found a few too many of those stringy banana peely thingy things hanging off said
banana…and in some places in between the banana and the peel itself. <br>
<br>
But that, in and of itself, is no reason to incite banal
banana bashing.<br>
<br>
In the past, this sort of issue was easily addressed by
simply grabbing hold of said stringy banana peely thingy thing hanging off the
banana, and placing it to the side.<br>
<br>
Except, in this case, with these particular stringy banana
peely thingy things, they were somehow removing themselves, with no apparent
stringy banana peely thingy thing rhyme or reason. Just falling free, before I
could grab them, and dropping onto the floor, or my knee or foot or whatever
happened to be in the way.<br>
<a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2020/05/onward-we-march.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
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</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-38716288926109621272020-04-15T11:46:00.000-04:002020-04-15T14:23:47.413-04:00Hunkering Down<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOm4YAMPNE_BugIPU88ZBrOPCIBANtPyTMyY0zphZ2LtC2iIYujWKYY7u9cY1VB0YCxRhMcfmSOy5oXoiRzFBdudl0n5Ax8kN3gWLFNT4QQ37Kp_27_4NebF7xcCSUs9zhSrFb8x4_fA/s1600/hunker.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOm4YAMPNE_BugIPU88ZBrOPCIBANtPyTMyY0zphZ2LtC2iIYujWKYY7u9cY1VB0YCxRhMcfmSOy5oXoiRzFBdudl0n5Ax8kN3gWLFNT4QQ37Kp_27_4NebF7xcCSUs9zhSrFb8x4_fA/s1600/hunker.png" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="441" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOm4YAMPNE_BugIPU88ZBrOPCIBANtPyTMyY0zphZ2LtC2iIYujWKYY7u9cY1VB0YCxRhMcfmSOy5oXoiRzFBdudl0n5Ax8kN3gWLFNT4QQ37Kp_27_4NebF7xcCSUs9zhSrFb8x4_fA/s320/hunker.png" style="cursor: move;" width="320"></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br>
<br>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Like the rest of you, no matter where where is, we’ve been biding
our time, staying inside, hunkering down, waiting for the world to hit the
reset button.<br>
<br>
But it looks like it’s gonna be a while.<br>
<br>
And despite my last post of 2019 <a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2019/12/meet-new-year.html" target="_blank">“Meet The New Year”</a>s, somewhat prescient theme…I obviously had no idea any of this
was coming. <br>
<br>
I had a much more mundane form of calamity in mind for 2020.
The kind of things we’ve all become numb to over the past few years.<br>
<br>
But this is what we’ve got, which kind of makes all the
other stuff seem like a safe harbor in the midst of a storm.<br>
<br>
So, as I said, we’ve been hunkering down for the last month,
minding our P’s and Q’s which…you know... tend to get a little rowdy in times
of global crisis.<br>
<br>
P more so than Q, who tends to take things as they come, good
times and bad. <br>
<a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2020/04/hunkering-down.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
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</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-43468881034314813742020-02-27T15:20:00.000-05:002020-02-27T15:21:34.740-05:00Frivolous February, We Hardly Knew Ye….<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsGXnLtpT_HBtyRkRPdv3JFPWDib8hDLBE7KMvZ4xhXvCuSJP8CvGGqTDsTE_inhzUL1QFlO_sZvqchHEnqmIXUYjPDbk3ldcBIRiCw9nTYZEydWI5Hgdf_8XdwWOJQ3ddakuQzQA7ps/s1600/Goodbye-February.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsGXnLtpT_HBtyRkRPdv3JFPWDib8hDLBE7KMvZ4xhXvCuSJP8CvGGqTDsTE_inhzUL1QFlO_sZvqchHEnqmIXUYjPDbk3ldcBIRiCw9nTYZEydWI5Hgdf_8XdwWOJQ3ddakuQzQA7ps/s1600/Goodbye-February.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="435" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsGXnLtpT_HBtyRkRPdv3JFPWDib8hDLBE7KMvZ4xhXvCuSJP8CvGGqTDsTE_inhzUL1QFlO_sZvqchHEnqmIXUYjPDbk3ldcBIRiCw9nTYZEydWI5Hgdf_8XdwWOJQ3ddakuQzQA7ps/s320/Goodbye-February.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320"></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
What happened to February?<br>
<br>
February, we hardly knew ye.<br>
<br>
Except for some silly Valentine cards, flowers and candy—be
you so inclined—and some oft overlooked federal holidays, Frivolous
February has pretty much served as a place holder bridging the gap to Maddening
March, when we can actually start smelling spring wafting in through the back-porch
door.<br>
<br>
Even if it’s only my neighbors very fragrant dryer sheets
wafting across the driveway…and then in through the back-porch door.<br>
<br>
But at least you can open the back-porch door in
March…sometimes. <br>
<br>
Not that February has been unkind; nope, not this year.<br>
<br>
Around these parts, it’s made nary a whimper; not even a
hint of snow or icy temps that I can recall.<br>
<br>
Which, I suppose, is why it’s pretty much slipped our
notice.<br>
<br>
So, there’s that.<br>
<br>
However, since I wanted to get an early start on the
Retorting, this year, I disappointingly find myself knee deep into 2020 with
nothing to show for it…as some are apt to rudely point out. Especially since I
pulled that <i><a href="https://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2020/01/heres-something.html" target="_blank">“here’s something under the wire”</a> </i>caper, at the end of
January.<br>
<br>
Some people were not very happy about that, having gotten
themselves settled in for some full-fledged belly rolling retortage only to
fall prey to some lazy, smart ass slight of verbiage. <br>
<br>
Sorry about that; it seemed like a good ide at the time. <br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0Qmkke104YftadN7_JwdisfZNmICAKsVv3e4zlggp4ftjlxy52X5cfiflpDum9OH_ulIdLo_FYb20BHJhYvDaXDHu6QCOzX7ddtTg9Mb4vjX4BQOx5gSM6o-4AQhWWj8Q2oNBuVHwTs/s1600/mean+man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="940" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0Qmkke104YftadN7_JwdisfZNmICAKsVv3e4zlggp4ftjlxy52X5cfiflpDum9OH_ulIdLo_FYb20BHJhYvDaXDHu6QCOzX7ddtTg9Mb4vjX4BQOx5gSM6o-4AQhWWj8Q2oNBuVHwTs/s200/mean+man.jpg" width="183"></a></div>
Still, the new federal guidelines in regard to excessive
belly rolling content is scheduled to take effect, sooner rather than later, so
I thought I’d better cut back.<br>
<a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2020/02/frivolous-february-we-hardly-knew-ye.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
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Google + FreelanceRetort
</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-83370552740342555672020-01-31T19:36:00.003-05:002020-02-01T14:45:22.528-05:00Here’s Something!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1_faPETEWYSXTIZB1puY0P_JygXQy4g7xxlm7Y2u7nJIOBihm4yTXwkP0mY1ANBBaPf6wcBLxRAQVPDsCQF-XIZqBt6GclXJSVx1xpNbp2q6O7dY9F5YoxRQ5cpxaCGOIdiXaJqC78Rk/s1600/istockphoto-1077824512-1024x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1_faPETEWYSXTIZB1puY0P_JygXQy4g7xxlm7Y2u7nJIOBihm4yTXwkP0mY1ANBBaPf6wcBLxRAQVPDsCQF-XIZqBt6GclXJSVx1xpNbp2q6O7dY9F5YoxRQ5cpxaCGOIdiXaJqC78Rk/s320/istockphoto-1077824512-1024x1024.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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I told myself I would post something in January, this
year.</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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Especially since, last year, I didn’t get the Retort off the
ground until Mid-March.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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But, as you know, there’s been A LOT going on in January.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So I’ve been a bit distracted. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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How could I not with all thats in the news, lately.</div>
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<br /></div>
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BIG BIG stories like these, banging on the
door, demanding my attention, every day.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.05pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.05pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<b><i><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">Firefighters
rescue deer from backyard pool in Ohio<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<h1 style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.05pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.05pt;">
<i><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></h1>
<h1 style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.05pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.05pt;">
<i><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">Escaped cow leads police on chase through
Texas neighborhood<o:p></o:p></span></i></h1>
<h1 style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.05pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.05pt;">
<i><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></h1>
<h1 style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.05pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.05pt;">
<i><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">Large snake rescued from storm drain grate
at side of road<o:p></o:p></span></i></h1>
<h1 style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.05pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.05pt;">
<i><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></h1>
<h1 style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.05pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.05pt;">
<i><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">Kansas resident finds 6-foot boa
constrictor hiding in couch<o:p></o:p></span></i></h1>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.05pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.05pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which may or may not be the same snake rescued from the drain.</span></div>
<h1 style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.05pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.05pt;">
<span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">Right? <o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<h1 style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.05pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.05pt;">
<span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">So, since I hate to disappoint myself, which to be
honest, I really don’t…I’m posting something tonight... just under the wire. <o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<h1 style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.05pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.05pt;">
<span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">Ready?<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<h1 style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.05pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.05pt;">
<span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">Here goes….<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"><o:p> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTb_CgDXRLDeDmm7JejwfojBaiM-bmzSzGyWiTrz0zUblfE5Om1vd5cD1R6ReWHO-azmzAOaSITX-6XXWTXKqeLhYWhqE4E8vVaK6VXYDkoOY5tfOlSFumZrVfa5VSa2uq678a7oHCjGA/s1600/6834060-wire+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="1300" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTb_CgDXRLDeDmm7JejwfojBaiM-bmzSzGyWiTrz0zUblfE5Om1vd5cD1R6ReWHO-azmzAOaSITX-6XXWTXKqeLhYWhqE4E8vVaK6VXYDkoOY5tfOlSFumZrVfa5VSa2uq678a7oHCjGA/s400/6834060-wire+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</o:p></span></h1>
<h1 align="center" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.05pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.05pt; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 28.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">SOMETHING<o:p></o:p></span></i></h1>
<h1 style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.05pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 8.05pt;">
<span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">Stay tuned…more to come in 2020…promise…sort of…maybe…who
knows…?<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<span style="color: #050505; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">___________________________________________________</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Brian-Moloney/e/B00XRIW226/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1" target="_blank">Looking for More....</a></span></h3>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Brian-Moloney/e/B00XRIW226/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: "times new roman"; font-weight: 400; margin-left: 16px; margin-right: 16px;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUw5YBcXZEUNFOrTybSePYW_P2_GyqSADLAE495c074QTHzzwzkZF-H3_NAY6PCCgaJar9bsz4OYveftL22jsq5LxtG_P_kZ_2pN9rI0gds3Mpwc_f0mX17NXVawMXiMmL2AdgAqEkS0/s400/Keymaker+Logo+3.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></h3>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
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</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-85554395979743424472019-12-31T14:48:00.001-05:002020-01-01T11:21:58.540-05:00Meet the New Year….<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_7cVyuLaew06HUtFeObCjTHTJtsYMfG8PAVxSqOts2WaaBFV7vR4MpjplMC4BoYl5DQjmZFWbaWMk-ANpdiQeu9GHBrWzLhdVVj2bJkO-DlvNICFhCx10sbz9X2nhncawjGYTK9kxzU/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_7cVyuLaew06HUtFeObCjTHTJtsYMfG8PAVxSqOts2WaaBFV7vR4MpjplMC4BoYl5DQjmZFWbaWMk-ANpdiQeu9GHBrWzLhdVVj2bJkO-DlvNICFhCx10sbz9X2nhncawjGYTK9kxzU/s400/20.jpg" width="400"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, another calendar is just about gone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Right now, 2019 is packing its
bags, more than happy to get out of Dodge before the preverbal sh…stuff…hits the
fan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDI11iFwbb6xBCHNTfW01u6M4osS-W2yMueUYF5cFEuaZ6PwoiRX-pAG1mf4pXbj5ebsr-zd1RsUwuOzDtnuIRNX-PNxKb5D2q2lXS-7d2qPxYIGQhYkjGCF9aF4zec1guedgKA7F39bk/s1600/packing_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="582" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDI11iFwbb6xBCHNTfW01u6M4osS-W2yMueUYF5cFEuaZ6PwoiRX-pAG1mf4pXbj5ebsr-zd1RsUwuOzDtnuIRNX-PNxKb5D2q2lXS-7d2qPxYIGQhYkjGCF9aF4zec1guedgKA7F39bk/s200/packing_.jpg" width="200"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2019 can’t hide that goofy grin on
it’s face as it folds the last of August and the brrrrrrrr months into tight
little squares and packs them away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the meantime, 2020 is out back, pacing,
already looking the worse for wear; already a little grey showing around the
temples, and a few too many wrinkles around its eyes…at least for a fresh new
baby year, which hasn’t even gotten its feet squarely on the ground, yet.<o:p></o:p></span><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yep, I guess it knows, like the
rest of us…this is going to be one mixed up, screwy year.<o:p></o:p></span><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Except 2020 is in charge of keeping
it all together, in one piece; however it pans out, folks are not going to
forget 2020. </span><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Nope…not for a long long time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you listen closely, as the winds
of change rattle through threadbare trees, it sounds very much like…<i>“Meet
the new year…same as the old year”.</i><o:p></o:p></span><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You know the tune…everybody knows
the tune. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Of course, now, you’ll be humming
it the rest of the day and probably night. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Maybe tomorrow too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Which annoys 2020, to no end.</span><br>
</div><a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2019/12/meet-new-year.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
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</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-61699817547543167262019-12-19T19:18:00.000-05:002019-12-19T19:21:25.614-05:00The Christmas Rush<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOvqq7vU3gFDdqRmHvqw1ERe80Zs4Luv6hSNfebMAI0wUagjVFewUpOIztk-sa36hempZsUpUMBZALUX-Sq_NJyTF3HRcdEiB1Q_xnymcmG6MkddGvF3Rgg5WBGrolIWod-w-Zjr9lA7o/s1600/xchristmas-rush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="394" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOvqq7vU3gFDdqRmHvqw1ERe80Zs4Luv6hSNfebMAI0wUagjVFewUpOIztk-sa36hempZsUpUMBZALUX-Sq_NJyTF3HRcdEiB1Q_xnymcmG6MkddGvF3Rgg5WBGrolIWod-w-Zjr9lA7o/s400/xchristmas-rush.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400"></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br>
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Every year I take a look at my past Christmas posts to see
what sentimental side of the fence I should land on. If I was in a negative
mood, last year, I’ll try to balance it out with something positive, this year.<br>
<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbFKcawy8eILSGf49BIznpHn-rfhkWVzBfGjOsHr0A5m3kcMRipHvpRmWPVKg3gT4hUF8DELY1fTjD-XVZhh9v74BhHXgImndJ-ZhdnOGLC3hvCUjNUiSDVTd0s0TMHhZWtuo-EtUCvs/s1600/george-bailey-at-bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="803" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbFKcawy8eILSGf49BIznpHn-rfhkWVzBfGjOsHr0A5m3kcMRipHvpRmWPVKg3gT4hUF8DELY1fTjD-XVZhh9v74BhHXgImndJ-ZhdnOGLC3hvCUjNUiSDVTd0s0TMHhZWtuo-EtUCvs/s200/george-bailey-at-bridge.jpg" width="200"></a>However, sometimes, I write positive even though I feel negative.
The thought being, maybe I can write myself out of the negativity.<br>
<br>
So, figuring it all out is a crap shoot.<br>
<br>
Which, I suppose, is hardly in keeping with the Christmas
spirit. <br>
<br>
But sometimes it’s just cool to write “<i>crap</i>”,
whenever the opportunity presents itself...holiday season or not.<br>
<br>
Although, some people might say….<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqvecfGueW_TToWOyT491okrQ9QD0rKIks9nNIioavTRtmR1iDSUTOVGSTKYoOn3X7ybvbdmfVgJuUD8Qm4a6DcvBZ_SP9moI4lrdV_A9nLcjuSP6WPqu5xNbpYf7OGaSZ5K6HiEjYPU/s1600/crazy-christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1154" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqvecfGueW_TToWOyT491okrQ9QD0rKIks9nNIioavTRtmR1iDSUTOVGSTKYoOn3X7ybvbdmfVgJuUD8Qm4a6DcvBZ_SP9moI4lrdV_A9nLcjuSP6WPqu5xNbpYf7OGaSZ5K6HiEjYPU/s200/crazy-christmas.jpg" width="177"></a><br>
In any case, I’ve decided to go positive, this year. <br>
<br>
And no…not in a <i>“I’m positive Christmas is going to su—make
me crazy…again…this year!”</i> kind of way. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i></i><br>
<br>
It’s all full speed ahead, holiday cheer, ho ho ho, jingle jingle
all the way.<br>
<br>
<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIcA8fYfrEgjXQ7eKJyYEWr6ri1Yac6jTUpf166iFhHujq5RnAbR_oa0tClwHI3koyY5mEheJ3kgi_gGVy_wrK77IcBd_6bwQ12m2K-X7Bnim6c5k6u3646gExEFeK4O4jYoAXajLnfI/s1600/GB+life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="618" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIcA8fYfrEgjXQ7eKJyYEWr6ri1Yac6jTUpf166iFhHujq5RnAbR_oa0tClwHI3koyY5mEheJ3kgi_gGVy_wrK77IcBd_6bwQ12m2K-X7Bnim6c5k6u3646gExEFeK4O4jYoAXajLnfI/s200/GB+life.jpg" width="200"></a>Boughs of Holly, Sugar Plums dancing, Mistletoe hanging, Toddies
imbibing and logs on the fire...George Baily's got nothing on me!<br>
<br>
I’m all in.<br>
<br>
Except for….<br>
<br>
No…not gonna go there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not this year!<br>
<br>
Perry Como, Andy Williams, Charlie Brown, Nat King Cole…<br>
<br>
Even with all the hub bub, dashing through the snow…oh what
fun is to sing a sleighing song tonight!<br>
<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8I0ul6aysedhHUEeVs4QQkAHzh2DOsI9JsBhz62eKP59RWrtZH6MpGJ9KTPbBmopKx9eOEEE5R79yLIkR5Z-_jcHpUNRdGIPXa6EpI1S0r7cA-_D7Ggi2O0X4hNRunbwYCNtJUacAbB4/s1600/santa+run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="400" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8I0ul6aysedhHUEeVs4QQkAHzh2DOsI9JsBhz62eKP59RWrtZH6MpGJ9KTPbBmopKx9eOEEE5R79yLIkR5Z-_jcHpUNRdGIPXa6EpI1S0r7cA-_D7Ggi2O0X4hNRunbwYCNtJUacAbB4/s200/santa+run.jpg" width="200"></a></div>
But a lot of people are in a bit of a hurry.<br>
<br>
I guess they don’t have my positive, no pressure Christmas
attitude.<br>
<br>
There’s such a rush towards Christmas.<br>
<br>
Especially in a year when Thanksgiving comes sooooo late in
November.<br>
<br>
Short holiday turn-arounds tend to put folks into a panic getting
all their holiday decorating and traditions underway. They’re untangling lights
and unpacking ornaments even before Uncle Henry has finished carving the
turkey.<br>
<br>
Next door neighbors are out blowing up their inflatable snowmen
and <i>whathaveyous</i> long before Santa turns the corner onto 34<sup>th</sup>
street. <br>
<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGXIPQCuWXMTWLDfjTgf9bK7WHlkugL_58RPVM6CbBSwv6LczsXh5Ixw21Ix9XivtQkBCqws0-zlJGJhZjAni8gfM0uAXtnsZarD3iUNHKhD2FN-tM9e7hwUg-x6IFYOb9DQX18zvJis/s1600/charlie_brown_hed_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="1100" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGXIPQCuWXMTWLDfjTgf9bK7WHlkugL_58RPVM6CbBSwv6LczsXh5Ixw21Ix9XivtQkBCqws0-zlJGJhZjAni8gfM0uAXtnsZarD3iUNHKhD2FN-tM9e7hwUg-x6IFYOb9DQX18zvJis/s200/charlie_brown_hed_0.jpg" width="200"></a>Houses require decorating, inside and out. Parties need to
be planned, menus must be decided. Christmas carol play lists must be created.
Holiday outings scheduled and fulfilled.<br>
<br>
Old Aunt Lucy’s not gonna strap those elf ears on by herself,
anymore.<br>
<br>
<i>There’s less than a week now, people…let’s go go go go go….!</i><br>
<i><br></i>
<a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-christmas-rush.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
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</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-74401678682544055122019-11-28T09:51:00.001-05:002019-11-28T10:45:52.615-05:00Small Town Thanksgiving - From 2011<div style="margin: 0px;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzjYjr5fNTxP1CvC4KV9AFwFE3Ll3wksilTdTwuo4nK1xDDVLPmMtAQF0UwFs0oddWjUX4zW7aiPQiRi_gPmCP4qrJlQgYxADmpMVxeeTPda9OVrjBI-ZDOFA_XxRTDurDDqu4KXxZGbk/s1600/Turkey+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxQDH6EQKIhJ2B2X-m2Xa4bBDaGCviX86lvxOAXIqw0-o2DsfXVMOhFIAr0z63_tgEswa1cBmT5jkMhnJHrgDlkfSIfsxi-6ZCBwAArKcpQ0Rq2I4Tx4diVQPyoUinJLX-h4dzjC7Tp0/s1600/Turkey+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzjYjr5fNTxP1CvC4KV9AFwFE3Ll3wksilTdTwuo4nK1xDDVLPmMtAQF0UwFs0oddWjUX4zW7aiPQiRi_gPmCP4qrJlQgYxADmpMVxeeTPda9OVrjBI-ZDOFA_XxRTDurDDqu4KXxZGbk/s1600/Turkey+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: &quot; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1590" data-original-width="1600" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzjYjr5fNTxP1CvC4KV9AFwFE3Ll3wksilTdTwuo4nK1xDDVLPmMtAQF0UwFs0oddWjUX4zW7aiPQiRi_gPmCP4qrJlQgYxADmpMVxeeTPda9OVrjBI-ZDOFA_XxRTDurDDqu4KXxZGbk/s320/Turkey+8.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320"></a><b><i><u><sub><sup><strike><br></strike></sup></sub></u></i></b></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thought I’d share my original Thanksgiving story from 2011. </span><br>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m
sure most of you have never read it and if you have, I’m sure you’ve forgotten
it. It’s one of my personal favs, mostly because it was written at a time when
I actually knew how to use a semi-colon. </span><br>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But does anyone really know how to use a
semi-colon?</span><br>
<a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2019/11/small-town-thanksgiving-from-2011.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
Like The Freelance Retort on Facebook
Tweet @FreelanceRetort
Google + FreelanceRetort
</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-6099983746911160562019-11-15T05:05:00.000-05:002019-11-18T08:18:31.440-05:00Social Insecurity<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVj4H7FU_VktiHpTv0XhCyNXSlUaGauyESQrRhAeib39ye3WQ1sxooMcnSXs0LmybQZ_GF1aSdsThCkJIEQtMUVRdpaErvrM5-5EeQif72fIpRhlpkwdkz2LFYqyYTvHkursqDak8FZ4/s1600/red+tape.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="164" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVj4H7FU_VktiHpTv0XhCyNXSlUaGauyESQrRhAeib39ye3WQ1sxooMcnSXs0LmybQZ_GF1aSdsThCkJIEQtMUVRdpaErvrM5-5EeQif72fIpRhlpkwdkz2LFYqyYTvHkursqDak8FZ4/s400/red+tape.png" width="212"></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 110%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 110%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The government is doing everything in its power to
make me feel old. </span></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 110%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And I’m not talking about the endless mind numbing,
word bending, brain freezing, back bending, gobbledygook that comes out of Congress
and the White House every minute of the day.</span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 110%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or the watching paint dry, snail’s pace at which
things do or do not progress and are or are not resolved.</span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 110%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I mean, one of these days they’ll make that Nixon
fella pay for what he did…or didn’t do.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 110%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No, I’m talking about something on a more personal
level…something that really matters…at least to me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 110%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you recall—and why would you, even though you
should—I turned 65 earlier in the year.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NGg_NpNhz2XgDudYFqjsZ_4DEAxiYOAh2ftNPpCjZ286ACVsdqqnYqieDppLNOBViI77FvT_UCVYm5gmK7hPM4b4lHNPx1UqCy0D0FFVB7IR9NBqIOprx6ClIZdWthQURu8VA5xGOZg/s1600/-old-cows-home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="1300" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NGg_NpNhz2XgDudYFqjsZ_4DEAxiYOAh2ftNPpCjZ286ACVsdqqnYqieDppLNOBViI77FvT_UCVYm5gmK7hPM4b4lHNPx1UqCy0D0FFVB7IR9NBqIOprx6ClIZdWthQURu8VA5xGOZg/s200/-old-cows-home.jpg" width="200"></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 110%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 110%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">65…that magic number which evokes images of broken-down
cattle, lumbering out to pasture, spending their remaining days munching on
bean curds, or whatever it is old cows munch on. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 110%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">65…the age your grandpa hung those risqué posters of
Betty White, down in his rumpus room.</span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 110%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">65…the age when people politely say you haven’t
changed a bit, since High School, which makes you wonder how bad you must have
looked in High School. </span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 110%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">65…the age the government says you must begin to reap
your Medicare benefits; in whatever part of the alphabet you should choose…be
it A…B…C…or D. </span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 110%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pick a letter, any letter…just pick one…or two…or
three…or all the letters you want.</span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 110%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They’ve got a letter for everything. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 110%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once you’ve deciphered all of that and you’ve gathered—you
think—all the letters you’re gonna need to cover that unexpected goiter removal
at age 75, you’re now ready to take on Social Security, which, in my case, I
can begin receiving at age 66, my full retirement age, </span></span><br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 110%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgl2oPDAK7Q4WD0RkNDTCvAR_LEOd4LfUZGdr7S_dVbpNjLU6XregB4bk9lMsEak4PD1ytBDxXM1nsa6901Tdx0wwejm6Vrarv1w0VdZvQTBxkBg8iFD1GeKnww7YIvG78SkkcdB6gfMU/s1600/money+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="859" data-original-width="880" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgl2oPDAK7Q4WD0RkNDTCvAR_LEOd4LfUZGdr7S_dVbpNjLU6XregB4bk9lMsEak4PD1ytBDxXM1nsa6901Tdx0wwejm6Vrarv1w0VdZvQTBxkBg8iFD1GeKnww7YIvG78SkkcdB6gfMU/s200/money+6.jpg" width="200"></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 110%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">which is just a mere
third of a year away.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 110%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course, if I were a year younger, I’d have to wait another
2 months, past age 66 to rake in the moola.</span></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 110%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And if I were <i>two</i> years younger, I’d have to yet
endure an additional 2 months…etc. etc. etc.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 110%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, it appears there are times when younger isn’t
necessarily better. </span></span><br>
</div></div></div><a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2019/11/social-insecurity.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
Like The Freelance Retort on Facebook
Tweet @FreelanceRetort
Google + FreelanceRetort
</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-63627726211601774842019-11-08T15:58:00.000-05:002019-11-08T15:58:00.384-05:00Back Then - Right Now<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlJhukMGLzFKsm82EB8X_vk2tmfQeWqYrlkz3JWCaTQ4VJsIcQSjbF74Rk2-g2qKAYFGRUrBEWHKUWojLG2fGxUmwH1xIu8Y7ACIStJpNbHeotqhmwQABGgfqpw28QtAh9jLANMrvzbo/s1600/cartoon+kids.png" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="276" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlJhukMGLzFKsm82EB8X_vk2tmfQeWqYrlkz3JWCaTQ4VJsIcQSjbF74Rk2-g2qKAYFGRUrBEWHKUWojLG2fGxUmwH1xIu8Y7ACIStJpNbHeotqhmwQABGgfqpw28QtAh9jLANMrvzbo/s400/cartoon+kids.png" width="400"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlJhukMGLzFKsm82EB8X_vk2tmfQeWqYrlkz3JWCaTQ4VJsIcQSjbF74Rk2-g2qKAYFGRUrBEWHKUWojLG2fGxUmwH1xIu8Y7ACIStJpNbHeotqhmwQABGgfqpw28QtAh9jLANMrvzbo/s1600/cartoon+kids.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With Halloween’s ghosts and ghouls well in the rear view, we
now commence gobbling up bushels of November days, trotting ever onward toward
Thanksgiving. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See what I did there? </span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I incorporated as many cliched, Thanksgiving references I
could stuff into a single, festive serving.</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There…I just did it again!</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not easy….</span></div>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwVapunDOris4ByIMwM4NYw6GA_QEiaXn5w0dknBYRBIRA_UPKh5srAJPy9TZHUaKW6VSL-d9LhgQBQXDjeBloZkeVUFotqtJ_PsirtWLJJTimyxUGssoi02Kij6Fm2mshdYBj2wclx8/s1600/lazy+turkey.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="203" data-original-width="249" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBwVapunDOris4ByIMwM4NYw6GA_QEiaXn5w0dknBYRBIRA_UPKh5srAJPy9TZHUaKW6VSL-d9LhgQBQXDjeBloZkeVUFotqtJ_PsirtWLJJTimyxUGssoi02Kij6Fm2mshdYBj2wclx8/s200/lazy+turkey.png" width="200"></span></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No indolent <span style="background: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Meleagris+gallopavo&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS838US838&oq=Meleagris+gallopavo&aqs=chrome..69i57&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">MeleagrisGallopavo</span></a>, am I.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>You won’t catch me sitting
idly by, bogged down in cranberry jelly dodging Turkey shot.</span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Uh uh…not me…</span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Besides the
fact, I prefer lying, idly by, I’m always on the lookout for new and exciting
gobbledygook to confuse the issue and keep you, the reader, scratching your
head.</span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How’m I doing?</span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, we snuck in
another Halloween, last week; complete with several Billion little holiday
revelers pounding on our front door. It was a bit touch and go for a while,
whether or not we would. The weather was an issue, most of the day, with a threat
of heavy rain in the evening. Luckily, except for a few isolated showers, it
held off and we shoveled out a couple of truckloads of “Fun Size” candy bars. </span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzfpERj0X8KLeh79p4Pv4FKsWpcCobRV8e0JwEfeo0SIqfdbaEvX4SbZjAzsp8lqVrsxNgD-gpwTFik8ve0iwO0pkDKtd3_jtMJvIUeJjT-b5i4bQ_y9Ylisnot6dH-jurvoKlcne18k/s1600/fun+candy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzfpERj0X8KLeh79p4Pv4FKsWpcCobRV8e0JwEfeo0SIqfdbaEvX4SbZjAzsp8lqVrsxNgD-gpwTFik8ve0iwO0pkDKtd3_jtMJvIUeJjT-b5i4bQ_y9Ylisnot6dH-jurvoKlcne18k/s200/fun+candy.jpg" width="200"></span></a><span style="background: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although, <a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2018/11/time-and-again.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">as I queried,last year,</span></a> what’s “Fun” exactly about teeny weenie candy bars.</span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;">So I’ve started
a campaign aimed at all the major Willie Wonkas among us, to rebrand these “Fun
Size” confections more appropriately as </span><i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; margin: 0px;">“Terribly Life Crushing, Disappointment Size”.</span></i><span style="background: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which—besides
the fact, I used the same line last year and it still sounds a bit harsh<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">—</span>I believe is more appropriate.</span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why sugar coat
it…so to speak?</span></span></div>
<a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2019/11/back-then-right-now.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
Like The Freelance Retort on Facebook
Tweet @FreelanceRetort
Google + FreelanceRetort
</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-76295628085086762832019-10-29T17:06:00.000-04:002019-10-30T07:47:13.946-04:00When Last Convened….<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoeL9oICCnUMFqLkkZbTIj5anZFdgHvHfBTCy0PtRhNyzLkDIFGz-G0kt_szaHuKCKFd4nGIecc93fDFJV3qBFwlAxh5srj_erLVj4_z4n39fWYM7HdG4c74KCPQkzd40EioeO2I6050s/s1600/judge-wood-hammer-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCUen_-nKDB0R3ZDJUTH9dGc4d_Gxc4iAfyzhHYrVZUduOhAh9B66MGz_nbkTzDEuqYCDkv2T1PsZoh4feoVRmQRDV4yDC-ngbhq0ytwO4S-YfyQQ-uKJzd_WX-Czwxyb3VnJDT4ivo_o/s1600/judge-wood-hammer-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="275" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCUen_-nKDB0R3ZDJUTH9dGc4d_Gxc4iAfyzhHYrVZUduOhAh9B66MGz_nbkTzDEuqYCDkv2T1PsZoh4feoVRmQRDV4yDC-ngbhq0ytwO4S-YfyQQ-uKJzd_WX-Czwxyb3VnJDT4ivo_o/s320/judge-wood-hammer-.jpg" width="308"></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoeL9oICCnUMFqLkkZbTIj5anZFdgHvHfBTCy0PtRhNyzLkDIFGz-G0kt_szaHuKCKFd4nGIecc93fDFJV3qBFwlAxh5srj_erLVj4_z4n39fWYM7HdG4c74KCPQkzd40EioeO2I6050s/s1600/judge-wood-hammer-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoeL9oICCnUMFqLkkZbTIj5anZFdgHvHfBTCy0PtRhNyzLkDIFGz-G0kt_szaHuKCKFd4nGIecc93fDFJV3qBFwlAxh5srj_erLVj4_z4n39fWYM7HdG4c74KCPQkzd40EioeO2I6050s/s1600/judge-wood-hammer-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br></a></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoeL9oICCnUMFqLkkZbTIj5anZFdgHvHfBTCy0PtRhNyzLkDIFGz-G0kt_szaHuKCKFd4nGIecc93fDFJV3qBFwlAxh5srj_erLVj4_z4n39fWYM7HdG4c74KCPQkzd40EioeO2I6050s/s1600/judge-wood-hammer-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #b00000;"></span><br></a></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
When last convened, I was opining on how quickly we’d
progressed from <span id="goog_1205556192"></span><a href="https://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2019/07/january-to-july-in-blink-of-eye.html" target="_blank">January to July, in the blink of an eye.</a><span id="goog_1205556193"></span></div>
<u><span style="color: #000120;"></span></u><br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
And now, with yet another blink, we’ve landed in the waning
days of October, </div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
I really need to get some eyedrops.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
I wonder what would happen if I sneezed?</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hello, 2055!</i></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNeQ_nRD_VGYkbtJB15cJPtowsrodgTV_mXQvo4z4DI9aoXVV1maBJ3Ww08rmGLM28VLpESip_9JJ4O-uJ36n7kOAQ5L3rCvba_5WZe71iWqEmpyYzJ93rC7ph3rea_EZ_cScnvwIXto/s1600/old+old+man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="612" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNeQ_nRD_VGYkbtJB15cJPtowsrodgTV_mXQvo4z4DI9aoXVV1maBJ3Ww08rmGLM28VLpESip_9JJ4O-uJ36n7kOAQ5L3rCvba_5WZe71iWqEmpyYzJ93rC7ph3rea_EZ_cScnvwIXto/s200/old+old+man.jpg" width="200"></a></div>
If all goes according to plan, I’ll be 101, in 2055.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
101, thinking…<i>Ahhh, I miss 91…t</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hem were the days!</i></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
All that wild partying and galivanting with the hot chicks from
the Geriatric Cognitive Dissonance wing.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
I’ll probably be signing up for Medicare Part Y by then;
still without Dental or Vision coverage.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
But that’s okay, because, by then, I’m sure they’ll have
found a way to regenerate bicuspids and corneas.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Have snap on Knee and Hip replacements.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Velcro shoulder replacements.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Total Brain recalibration and rehydration that will allow us
to recall where we left our keys…back in 2014.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
So that should be pretty cool. </div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
In the meantime, how was your summer?</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pvryd7u1gontu7zs_y1EoZbMq6wr9Kt7mr4TwLtX-jLKlZotnZTsf-nTVQudWrwU_DsF4uc5dwKBrehklbmoSoE0jpFZcyx1jEounGO_BKDyTieNyqIaPAh5BoIm3Aoyg-zJxrUaMaY/s1600/hot+summer.png" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="262" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pvryd7u1gontu7zs_y1EoZbMq6wr9Kt7mr4TwLtX-jLKlZotnZTsf-nTVQudWrwU_DsF4uc5dwKBrehklbmoSoE0jpFZcyx1jEounGO_BKDyTieNyqIaPAh5BoIm3Aoyg-zJxrUaMaY/s320/hot+summer.png" width="320"></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br>
<a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2019/10/when-last-convened_23.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
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</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-22861403088648267942019-07-26T10:35:00.000-04:002019-07-26T10:35:55.148-04:00January to July in the Blink of an Eye<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz57-rLuTLOPsE4ygPICVO7c94t5M_LlY1rT_AeyeByHafi35Tvaav_N53x0hOAniG3LzKnPf3PD1TNiPmVtEcb4tTf12NhqANalovND9sqkctXTydzed7_pch2yab_oYM32uQpUi4MaY/s1600/flying+time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></a><br>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz57-rLuTLOPsE4ygPICVO7c94t5M_LlY1rT_AeyeByHafi35Tvaav_N53x0hOAniG3LzKnPf3PD1TNiPmVtEcb4tTf12NhqANalovND9sqkctXTydzed7_pch2yab_oYM32uQpUi4MaY/s1600/flying+time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="581" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz57-rLuTLOPsE4ygPICVO7c94t5M_LlY1rT_AeyeByHafi35Tvaav_N53x0hOAniG3LzKnPf3PD1TNiPmVtEcb4tTf12NhqANalovND9sqkctXTydzed7_pch2yab_oYM32uQpUi4MaY/s320/flying+time.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="309"></a></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz57-rLuTLOPsE4ygPICVO7c94t5M_LlY1rT_AeyeByHafi35Tvaav_N53x0hOAniG3LzKnPf3PD1TNiPmVtEcb4tTf12NhqANalovND9sqkctXTydzed7_pch2yab_oYM32uQpUi4MaY/s1600/flying+time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br></a></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<br></div>
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<br></div>
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<br></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<br></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
These days, we fly from January to July in the blink of an
eye.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Even while producing factitiously formed frolics of rhyme,
which, in and of itself, might be considered a caustic crime. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Sorry…once you get mixed up in a cycle of random rhymes and sophomoric
sophistry…not to mention atypical alliteration…it becomes a bit of a treacherous
trick to essentially exit.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
But I will persevere, if only so I can be done with this before
lunchtime…both mine and yours.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Not to mention August.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
So, let’s not…mention August…at least not yet…not until it’s
time.</div>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFj3wLSPf-ESI2p55K35CcSapljsClnscqNFq2akYmYO2yqIzluExVPFAtGK273UocXRNfguZpzrK9XpX_zuV01EPFuYpMKyTH52_zpxzyTqmHLlf0nZ50BKL2xMFoLvOaEiWHOO_zB4/s1600/detour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1523" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFj3wLSPf-ESI2p55K35CcSapljsClnscqNFq2akYmYO2yqIzluExVPFAtGK273UocXRNfguZpzrK9XpX_zuV01EPFuYpMKyTH52_zpxzyTqmHLlf0nZ50BKL2xMFoLvOaEiWHOO_zB4/s200/detour.jpg" width="190"></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Which is where I was heading with this…again…until, you know,
the desultory detour. </div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Time, time and more time. </div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
It all comes back to time.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Time and time again.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
And I’ve been wasting a lot of it…time, that is…trying to figure
out where it all goes, and why it goes so fast.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Not that I need tell you.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I just did a “<i>time</i>”
keyword search of past stories and discovered…well…I waste a lot of time,
discussing time in some form or another.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
I guess I missed my calling as a watch maker.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
But I’ve made some progress in my temporal <span style="background: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;">temporality</span> fight, over
time. </div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
I’ve figured out you can’t really worry about it, too much.</div>
<a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2019/07/january-to-july-in-blink-of-eye.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
Like The Freelance Retort on Facebook
Tweet @FreelanceRetort
Google + FreelanceRetort
</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-47124587603035567952019-06-24T12:49:00.001-04:002019-06-24T12:49:38.696-04:00Racking Up Another Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7a5UhcIGvtMSZ6RwbrofhjOOOkq5eI5Mhp2mcD8WqdM_gzS2P-KX4XpUwZWO2FEMDeeEqposHHkZryBYhYanQ6XJCjKWicrz8nL10o6m2IbKovj5iHrZg1sq1Lpyp5tOH92RuinNKAv4/s1600/Summer+sol+222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7a5UhcIGvtMSZ6RwbrofhjOOOkq5eI5Mhp2mcD8WqdM_gzS2P-KX4XpUwZWO2FEMDeeEqposHHkZryBYhYanQ6XJCjKWicrz8nL10o6m2IbKovj5iHrZg1sq1Lpyp5tOH92RuinNKAv4/s400/Summer+sol+222.jpg" width="400"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7a5UhcIGvtMSZ6RwbrofhjOOOkq5eI5Mhp2mcD8WqdM_gzS2P-KX4XpUwZWO2FEMDeeEqposHHkZryBYhYanQ6XJCjKWicrz8nL10o6m2IbKovj5iHrZg1sq1Lpyp5tOH92RuinNKAv4/s1600/Summer+sol+222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<br>
<br>
Summer is now officially here!</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
As of 11:54 A.M. EST, this past Friday, the sun arrived at its
highest point in the northern hemisphere, which means we experienced the greatest
amount of daylight and least amount of darkness of any day of the year, not
counting the ever present dark, gloomy, rainy skies we’d been living under for the
last 6 months…or thereabouts </div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
My lawn looks spectacular, however, including the bountiful
new crop of mushrooms within, so there’s that.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Yep, we can all start officially enjoying the summer, whole
hog, instead of the half hog unofficial enjoyment we’d only been permitted
between Memorial Day and now.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
So go for it!</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
In any manner of hog you prefer.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
And don’t dawdle because we only have a measly 3 months of
official summer left, and you know how that goes.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
The LL Bean Fall catalogue is flooding your local post
office as we speak, and I’ve already started unpacking my Christmas lights.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
It goes fast.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Which is why I don’t get as hung up on the comings and
goings of the seasons as much as I did when I was younger...ish.<br>
</div><a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2019/06/racking-up-another-summer.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
Like The Freelance Retort on Facebook
Tweet @FreelanceRetort
Google + FreelanceRetort
</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-82655114213848973712019-05-10T14:34:00.001-04:002019-05-10T14:34:34.146-04:00Off You Go…go….<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOEGRMQEaKMXFS7B1Pkv2azjR5Il-gTM9AGaW3zxjfcVvx8fjqMWbwkX1dNZ_m5oSCa2C2KjARjE2hHcZF-rc4LJoQzTJsnBoJt8keldvQEKaL6OjIV-E7bXd6tsrC9akCfaZAAbK9Xw/s1600/phone+talk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="400" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOEGRMQEaKMXFS7B1Pkv2azjR5Il-gTM9AGaW3zxjfcVvx8fjqMWbwkX1dNZ_m5oSCa2C2KjARjE2hHcZF-rc4LJoQzTJsnBoJt8keldvQEKaL6OjIV-E7bXd6tsrC9akCfaZAAbK9Xw/s320/phone+talk.jpg" width="320"></a></div>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<br></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<br></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<br></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
You probably don’t spend too much time talking on the phone
these days.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
You probably text more than talk. </div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
You’re in…you’re out.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px 48px;">
Don’t forget, to bring your pants home, this
time!</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Texting is short and simple.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Talking, is not.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px 48px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“How
are you? No, I didn’t know about your eczema flare up. Yes, I did see that
movie. No, I won’t tell you how it ends. No, I didn’t see that one…oh, he was
dead the whole time…no kidding. So, you ended up with sausage instead of
meatballs? <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I suppose that was a nice
change.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>How long of a procedure is that?
I have no idea if it’s considered cosmetic or not.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Well, your guess is as good as mine. Okay, I
guess your guess is better…I guess.”</i></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Talking can drag on…for a while.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEhFjeORLUHG0f-ZTPMPfP4Bfbhxc7o5HRPShfOTektXmsIkdIQp79r55FV2aSUCp481bw1OVsgSWUNsmcEsM8EsS1rXWSfoMMVNyaZ9E26MwlXO_sRwr87X4aeL1Kz7_l6oc1QyLK8-k/s1600/go+goo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="144" data-original-width="256" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEhFjeORLUHG0f-ZTPMPfP4Bfbhxc7o5HRPShfOTektXmsIkdIQp79r55FV2aSUCp481bw1OVsgSWUNsmcEsM8EsS1rXWSfoMMVNyaZ9E26MwlXO_sRwr87X4aeL1Kz7_l6oc1QyLK8-k/s200/go+goo.jpg" width="200"></a></div>
<br>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Especially when you’re not quite sure how to get off the
phone.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Even after 8 hours.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
You could use the direct approach.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px 48px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Holy
Moly, my kitchen is on fire…I have to go!”</i></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Or Holy Moly, whatever…fill in the blank. </div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Because Holy Moly is always a good go-to escape route no
matter what you attach to it.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Or you can be even more direct… </div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“You know I really don’t care about anything you’re saying…in fact,
while you’ve been yammering on and on for the last hour, I’ve been cleaning my
oven, and the hour before that I was counting the litter in in the litter box.”</i></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
You could say that…some people do…not saying who.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Although, unfortunately, for the most part, people don’t like
to be rude.</div>
<a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2019/05/off-you-gogo.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
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</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-25720443856375084872019-04-26T10:10:00.000-04:002019-04-28T08:00:10.659-04:00Impeachment and me<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVRJCeCTTYY4Hh-BV03zsm8hmtcVQBBY3hjv6YF08Vql3xuxEy8zjK8bMh2evgfSL2bkxIADiKDsqybSk0zixVloYIjFPQHY1sJ34FXv5-gUnNvtGxQ34Kb1PwQZpqNGbQrKi1mJSgLM/s1600/no+worries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVRJCeCTTYY4Hh-BV03zsm8hmtcVQBBY3hjv6YF08Vql3xuxEy8zjK8bMh2evgfSL2bkxIADiKDsqybSk0zixVloYIjFPQHY1sJ34FXv5-gUnNvtGxQ34Kb1PwQZpqNGbQrKi1mJSgLM/s1600/no+worries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVRJCeCTTYY4Hh-BV03zsm8hmtcVQBBY3hjv6YF08Vql3xuxEy8zjK8bMh2evgfSL2bkxIADiKDsqybSk0zixVloYIjFPQHY1sJ34FXv5-gUnNvtGxQ34Kb1PwQZpqNGbQrKi1mJSgLM/s400/no+worries.jpg" width="330"></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br>
<br>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; text-align: justify;">
<br></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; text-align: justify;">
<br></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; text-align: justify;">
I may have been a little hasty in
my rush to claim full and complete exoneration, a few weeks back.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; text-align: justify;">
Yeah….</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; text-align: justify;">
Especially since <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">full</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">complete</i> pretty much mean the same thing.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; text-align: justify;">
Apparently, there are some
obstruction of justice issues, still on the table.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; text-align: justify;">
Like my dirty breakfast and lunch
dishes.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; text-align: justify;">
And possibly a late night snack
or two.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; text-align: justify;">
Possibly.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; text-align: justify;">
Z said there’s no justice in that…especially
since she <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">knows</i> I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">know</i> she can’t stand a messy kitchen and I expect she’ll clean it all up in the morning.</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; text-align: justify;">
Along with all the dirty laundry left on the floor, which Z hates, especially since most of it belongs to my friend Vladimir, who dislikes going to the laundry mat. </div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; text-align: justify;">
Vlad say's he's above all that, and I believe hm. </div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; text-align: justify;">
I have no reason not to.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRvmqnlFSLjHoLbuIzHoApDNrFUQzQ5-ocSjYeO9Bn2aExVqBN5jlip67JvL1ZH052tWVBsT9wRHXZlkQ5dkrIKIBOoahn307N31V_Mzi2AbNGSSNbyJTLIwZhGdVpv5pfMb8xVbf25s/s1600/big+eye.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="297" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRvmqnlFSLjHoLbuIzHoApDNrFUQzQ5-ocSjYeO9Bn2aExVqBN5jlip67JvL1ZH052tWVBsT9wRHXZlkQ5dkrIKIBOoahn307N31V_Mzi2AbNGSSNbyJTLIwZhGdVpv5pfMb8xVbf25s/s200/big+eye.png" width="200"></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; text-align: justify;">
He' was very forthright and genuine when I looked him right in the eye and asked him about it.<br>
</div><a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2019/04/impeachment-and-me.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
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</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-49901778622255728712019-04-19T09:55:00.001-04:002019-04-19T09:55:17.378-04:00A Cinematic Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyRSDbRXmGmgudxtfNh6UD_Qv8EdFpYOocTtUi_e6T-bgjDOZRIIrrhs3D-lUY9E66HRwQ779wciDT_idZgArL0OqMVVsgqTO4iiI3IIGx0HP87svoyUDvw0UFinQ6Ndzs5jGF15a7PqQ/s1600/Kid+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyRSDbRXmGmgudxtfNh6UD_Qv8EdFpYOocTtUi_e6T-bgjDOZRIIrrhs3D-lUY9E66HRwQ779wciDT_idZgArL0OqMVVsgqTO4iiI3IIGx0HP87svoyUDvw0UFinQ6Ndzs5jGF15a7PqQ/s320/Kid+3.jpg" width="265"></a></div>
<br>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<br>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I was a kid, which some people—I won’t say who—say I
still am, I liked to view my life as a movie.</span><br>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Complete with soundtrack, special effects...oh, and of
course, an audience.</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Somewhere, out there, perhaps in a galaxy far, far away sat
a rapt audience hanging on my every move.</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course, since my daily, <i>real</i> life was kind of average,
at best, and boring, at worst, it was important to create alternate scenarios, all
of which involved some sort of secret agent work.</span></div>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiksDvpVKvE-JCnCtHIAZrx_GhLsBDlQJhCD8Q_b4Beybs4w7taUSsLi8MjYkCLw1xik_ku9EnnFNVGbi_L2f-BAq1jugEBwNM6DevFBGqXV22MkteMfxVOuyLOLdgZzy7BqL3AaXBHbE/s1600/kid+spy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="420" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiksDvpVKvE-JCnCtHIAZrx_GhLsBDlQJhCD8Q_b4Beybs4w7taUSsLi8MjYkCLw1xik_ku9EnnFNVGbi_L2f-BAq1jugEBwNM6DevFBGqXV22MkteMfxVOuyLOLdgZzy7BqL3AaXBHbE/s200/kid+spy.jpg" width="178"></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I mean, what better cover could there be for the world’s
greatest covert hero than a suburban 5<sup>th</sup> grade Catholic school kid?</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maybe a nun; especially since they could conceal any manner
of weapons under those big, baggy outfits they wore, back then. </span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You’d be amazed at the sheer number of items they could whip
out of their sleeves, alone.</span></div>
<a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2019/04/a-cinematic-life.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
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</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-52519049235719256702019-04-12T13:09:00.000-04:002019-04-12T13:09:38.888-04:00Are Black Holes Really Exciting?<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZdCVI1I77HgROQOZonxpT1vlrsjloVzjXK07KnjyUh60_eQI6ffsvNA8vI6F2Wjd-P_8NubnPSXZICUbk0qtIjwba3qTIelzk3Zapud5DyAx8CYZJ0gV_2JwFnJu6a8f1Tevi2-4MoM/s1600/Black+Hole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1256" data-original-width="1600" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZdCVI1I77HgROQOZonxpT1vlrsjloVzjXK07KnjyUh60_eQI6ffsvNA8vI6F2Wjd-P_8NubnPSXZICUbk0qtIjwba3qTIelzk3Zapud5DyAx8CYZJ0gV_2JwFnJu6a8f1Tevi2-4MoM/s400/Black+Hole.jpg" width="400"></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK34dKNr8Vf6DWQUslsrJVDR1d-acVRQLfTafob3PWEWXuLkhPWd9KQ4VWJ0UugPnxn4JupZAD8q9hsnU6u6Icq3tIkQv48sv5OyRNCsGCWN3A3ERiDUeKONaptdtEPWclGSj2rQYMLUs/s1600/Black+Hole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Everyone’s excited about this photograph depicting the first
actual view from earth of a Black Hole.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sort of....</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The so-called
event horizon, beyond which even light cannot escape and where all known
physical laws break down…sometimes, also referred to as The White House.</span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sorry…I couldn’t
resist.</span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; margin: 0px;">According to
the scientists, a black hole is the region around an extremely compact clump of
matter whose intense gravitational force so powerfully distorts and warps space
that you might think of it as a puncture </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">in</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> space itself. </span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kind of like what
one of my old college roommates produced on Saturday mornings after his usual raucous
Friday nights.</span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Originally, according
to the NY Times, black holes were just one mathematical solution to Einstein’s
field equations of general relativity. There was no guarantee that they
corresponded to real astronomical objects. </span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Even Einstein
was skeptical that they existed…as well as the need to tip, since he was known as a
notorious cheapskate, among the other geniuses.</span></span></div>
<a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2019/04/are-black-holes-really-exciting.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
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</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-80570454812596778072019-04-05T17:36:00.002-04:002019-04-05T17:45:07.461-04:00Completely Exonerated!<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjL2u8JaUHC7wKXo4f_kQkQqMnMuNakq5UrWpPoE6Khjts_3lbtuhZj9NJbpBkaCWY1-zsxAFC90bqZgVMR_xLSJu7dVpucWR-VF3SOMBpHWTkJxEp_zWhnGGv6DVVmXGxd6xLfFPrlA/s1600/snoop+dance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjL2u8JaUHC7wKXo4f_kQkQqMnMuNakq5UrWpPoE6Khjts_3lbtuhZj9NJbpBkaCWY1-zsxAFC90bqZgVMR_xLSJu7dVpucWR-VF3SOMBpHWTkJxEp_zWhnGGv6DVVmXGxd6xLfFPrlA/s1600/snoop+dance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjL2u8JaUHC7wKXo4f_kQkQqMnMuNakq5UrWpPoE6Khjts_3lbtuhZj9NJbpBkaCWY1-zsxAFC90bqZgVMR_xLSJu7dVpucWR-VF3SOMBpHWTkJxEp_zWhnGGv6DVVmXGxd6xLfFPrlA/s320/snoop+dance.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="192"></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br>
<br>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<br></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After months of endless suspicion and accusation, I’m please
to say the <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Mueller </span>Report has completely exonerated me!</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Completely….</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I can’t tell you how relieved that makes me.</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Well, actually I can tell you…and in fact I probably just
did.</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I guess it’s just one of those weird things you say but don’t
really mean.</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Like… <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">after months of
endless suspicion and accusation, I’m please to say the Muller Report has
completely exonerated me!</i></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Anyway, my point is…I’m in the clear. </span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">No more WITCH HUNT!</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So I’m glad that’s over. </span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Because witches are pretty scary.</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Especially the green ones with the brooms and weird hats.</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And hopefully that “Fixer” fella will stop sending me snap
chat messages asking for advice.</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">How should I know what color tie works best in C Block?</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At least, now, I can get back to doing the people’s work.</span></div>
<a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2019/04/completely-exonerated.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
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</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-58833961816785199072019-03-29T07:13:00.000-04:002019-04-01T11:25:55.663-04:00Here’s an Idea<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJp3oOvCMFKrBwCS5KT3AMvToq8d9m-o6Vt1MzMiri8GwKMsd7HhOzrPFgAaUPmIXCLXXujkxfWnQ5E-nEilgKktEBY0T30O3yRIz075udikqcCi_0e56qfreYCJN5iTwbKdjsg5a8yA/s1600/idea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJp3oOvCMFKrBwCS5KT3AMvToq8d9m-o6Vt1MzMiri8GwKMsd7HhOzrPFgAaUPmIXCLXXujkxfWnQ5E-nEilgKktEBY0T30O3yRIz075udikqcCi_0e56qfreYCJN5iTwbKdjsg5a8yA/s1600/idea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="815" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJp3oOvCMFKrBwCS5KT3AMvToq8d9m-o6Vt1MzMiri8GwKMsd7HhOzrPFgAaUPmIXCLXXujkxfWnQ5E-nEilgKktEBY0T30O3yRIz075udikqcCi_0e56qfreYCJN5iTwbKdjsg5a8yA/s320/idea.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="254"></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Everyone has an idea.</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Except my Uncle George; at least according to my Aunt Sally.
Aunt Sally always says Uncle George has no idea…no idea at all. Then she
usually winks and walks away.</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In any case, distant relatives aside, there are a lot of
ideas floating around, so there’s a pretty good chance you’ve had one
yourself…maybe more than one…maybe even a couple.</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Even me…I have an idea once in a while.</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Like this one…an idea about ideas.</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hey…I didn’t say it was a great idea…or even a good idea. I
just said it was an idea…about ideas.</span></div>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWuNZi0FQ-3yJPxfHb4LCsPeJmMi8fTSoiiT0nllALyYnbWCCEA-SQT4frd1jQ00nTpUwVzSYsE4q-jcfAbh-p039PturiRRhWVjI-ZbKvw3XSxF5sUh5SC715ZvRdKluGpoZA-W0oUxo/s1600/confused+88.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="419" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWuNZi0FQ-3yJPxfHb4LCsPeJmMi8fTSoiiT0nllALyYnbWCCEA-SQT4frd1jQ00nTpUwVzSYsE4q-jcfAbh-p039PturiRRhWVjI-ZbKvw3XSxF5sUh5SC715ZvRdKluGpoZA-W0oUxo/s320/confused+88.jpg" width="129"></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My first idea about ideas is the more you say it, or read
it, the weirder it looks and sounds.</span></div>
<a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2019/03/heres-idea.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
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</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-11684706493237161842019-03-22T10:42:00.002-04:002019-04-01T11:26:21.372-04:00Spring Hope’s Eternal<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: &quot; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4F5_Uve30Fxs09TS1oJqUGLbB9iNEO1VITdvpYlNYN9sFyYVWWS_ovHn_4KgFcl5mFvSgit2slaZjWSCO4Ms9ZY6NyD3QrzyyUyKB4xgZroIq63D6FFTNtmWDS2qE7br9K2YKvmAh3-w/s1600/spring+hope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4F5_Uve30Fxs09TS1oJqUGLbB9iNEO1VITdvpYlNYN9sFyYVWWS_ovHn_4KgFcl5mFvSgit2slaZjWSCO4Ms9ZY6NyD3QrzyyUyKB4xgZroIq63D6FFTNtmWDS2qE7br9K2YKvmAh3-w/s400/spring+hope.jpg" width="400"></span></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Hope sits on the doorstep of Spring.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Every year, with a big smile, waiting to be let in.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">It’s the best thing about spring.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Hope.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">After all those abbreviated, dreary days, grey skies,
drizzle and frozen nights blanketed with snow...it’s spring!</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The sun hangs high, stirring lawns, awakening buds, elevating
new sprouts of crocuses, daffodils and tulips upward and outward.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">All of it shouting in celebratory tones…we made it!</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">It’s spring!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rU0mdgvlgy9-DcvnjqtKXxXV1mbZPYhqYI-1Ef0AUkfop3O-ntOWpDljajzKX-QDRwI-P98ZPUd25XHO1FPt33m6e9YkcoqHs53_zzwCt67PFEfqU5mJWbMN2sI1keXmGlNhxoJibas/s1600/bird+sights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="581" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rU0mdgvlgy9-DcvnjqtKXxXV1mbZPYhqYI-1Ef0AUkfop3O-ntOWpDljajzKX-QDRwI-P98ZPUd25XHO1FPt33m6e9YkcoqHs53_zzwCt67PFEfqU5mJWbMN2sI1keXmGlNhxoJibas/s200/bird+sights.jpg" width="193"></span></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Now, instead of merely dreaming of better days, we can actually
set our sights on them—months of them—ahead.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Not that we’re totally without hope throughout the bleak months
of winter.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">We hope Netflix finally comes to its senses and starts
streaming “The Musters” after all of our complaints.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">We hope the nor’easters arrive packing mostly rain, and, if
not, hope most of the snow drifts on our neighbor’s driveway instead of ours.</span></div>
</span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2019/03/spring-hopes-eternal.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
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</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-15648430275783747782019-03-15T13:47:00.000-04:002019-04-01T11:26:49.973-04:00The Essence is Time<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2qqEMlUwisHwcHe1NXp7I83qXRNQrECERiiA2M30I_qe3OmsYQnOAijP5d6-WqYNhJk7k9dwFVJupcGWYdEcI9BGgsIU-gtOe0juE0bJVlc48dgaOki0ogS8jZ0dUCzhYLMeoBRyCLE/s1600/wind+road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="450" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2qqEMlUwisHwcHe1NXp7I83qXRNQrECERiiA2M30I_qe3OmsYQnOAijP5d6-WqYNhJk7k9dwFVJupcGWYdEcI9BGgsIU-gtOe0juE0bJVlc48dgaOki0ogS8jZ0dUCzhYLMeoBRyCLE/s320/wind+road.jpg" width="320"></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br>
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<br>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let me be the last to wish you a Happy New Year!</span><br>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hopefully, I’m the last, because if people are still wishing
you a Happy New Year, a couple of days before St. Patrick’s Day, then both you,
and they, need to get out more.</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Like me...I need to get out more, at least enough so my
tires don’t crumble with dry rot, again.</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, it’s been awhile.</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve been a little slow out of the gate getting the retorts
rolling, this year. </span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not that it was intentional. </span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It just was. </span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not sure why. </span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="margin: 0px;">As I was telling Super Retorter,
Joan, just the other day, e</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">very time I sit down to write I
seem to get easily distracted and that’s the end of that. </span></span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">I think I’m going to blame Trump. He’s constantly
after me to </span>work</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> up </span>pithy </span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">new
Tweets for him</span> to put out there</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">.
</span></span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKR6QgC2LCDw8S9Do-42pI8l82KTrnPd_mHm4QDppFCZHZZGiM-vnNQvRbyQmqbJCWRPF83z5PKccPqfhJpZpvWgqhBrVQyNI3Dq1ArGUamIz6lv90mLPTcKCL4_xzzu3YTEIOXHogslk/s1600/750780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1147" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKR6QgC2LCDw8S9Do-42pI8l82KTrnPd_mHm4QDppFCZHZZGiM-vnNQvRbyQmqbJCWRPF83z5PKccPqfhJpZpvWgqhBrVQyNI3Dq1ArGUamIz6lv90mLPTcKCL4_xzzu3YTEIOXHogslk/s200/750780.jpg" width="143"></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="margin: 0px;">Of course,</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">
I have no idea what I’m talking about</span>, especially at that hour of the morning,</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">
so I just throw out any nonsense that </span>pops</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>in</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">to mind</span>,</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">
just to get rid of him. The next thing I know he’s got the whole world in an
uproar. </span></span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Crazy, huh?</span></span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Go figure….</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve also spent a lot of the new year trying to find myself…again.</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This year I found myself in the cookie cabinet, which wreaked
havoc on my waistline.</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not to mention the cookie cabinet. </span></div>
<a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-essence-is-time_15.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
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</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-19128652512041601142018-12-31T05:05:00.000-05:002018-12-31T05:05:06.641-05:00A Great Idea for Year’s End<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78lTG_IltT5-XJH55k22XRAAC1EO4N-ueHwVKi06szsYPdwujUIiwLVsGdpdpgv9n-T9EWRlqhryH_VBCe5hHSxbmUGdNVlkgLo4mqiUXEX8HjC0n_tXfa0RjO-yzHGAjXr_oMSs8dGU/s1600/HNY2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; float: left; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-right: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="474" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78lTG_IltT5-XJH55k22XRAAC1EO4N-ueHwVKi06szsYPdwujUIiwLVsGdpdpgv9n-T9EWRlqhryH_VBCe5hHSxbmUGdNVlkgLo4mqiUXEX8HjC0n_tXfa0RjO-yzHGAjXr_oMSs8dGU/s320/HNY2.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="317"></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
I came up with a great idea for a year end story.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
The other night, right there at the mall as I was riding up
the escalator at Barnes & Noble...of course, of course.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
It was perfect for the season and one of those easy right brain
downloads that really do just write themselves.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Plus, I was actually chuckling to myself at all the humorous
possibilities.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Unfortunately this isn’t it.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
Not even close.</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OIUgzp0HG78yy-S6IDslhbPiOSqRfxishS96KrkzXCTxphT5QoamAN4hBnvVsB6rN7-_suS6ZQgKvxGriS3iqmBArlWmrLFJD008qieGKZN_FODJtlVSsGxaNQvgwUnzguHN94Qy7RY/s1600/confused+face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OIUgzp0HG78yy-S6IDslhbPiOSqRfxishS96KrkzXCTxphT5QoamAN4hBnvVsB6rN7-_suS6ZQgKvxGriS3iqmBArlWmrLFJD008qieGKZN_FODJtlVSsGxaNQvgwUnzguHN94Qy7RY/s1600/confused+face.jpg" style="cursor: move;"></a><br><br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
It totally slipped my mind by the time I got home, and I’ve
been trying to recreate the circumstances in which it popped into my head, ever
since.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
As, I said, we had been in the basement of the book store,
looking for Z’s annual Polar Bear calendar, without success. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I was now riding up the escalator and passing
a little girl of about 8, on her way down.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
As we passed, the little girl actually made eye contact with
me and gave me a big smile, which is not a situation I’m accustomed to;
especially since when I walk thorough most stores, let alone ride up their
escalators, I normally assume the expression of a prisoner undergoing enhanced interrogation
techniques.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfMTXL04v8VslgRHL_bRE5tJWQWqAUVIaFel_aEvVX0LFZUH5iUh3FjwDUC-ZQhqFgToQlHI-SBizL_AzTf1hvu73H-7he76Yl5-Adfsu32U6yoC3nHK8kvfE31wXauCEfONp-z8TcCI/s1600/old-man-monocle-240tp121109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfMTXL04v8VslgRHL_bRE5tJWQWqAUVIaFel_aEvVX0LFZUH5iUh3FjwDUC-ZQhqFgToQlHI-SBizL_AzTf1hvu73H-7he76Yl5-Adfsu32U6yoC3nHK8kvfE31wXauCEfONp-z8TcCI/s200/old-man-monocle-240tp121109.jpg" width="133"></a></div>
<br>
So I don’t usually generate smiles, except from folks
sporting monocles.</div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
I kind of nodded, which is about all the congeniality I can muster
in these uncertain situations, monocle or not, and snuck a quick glance behind,
since surely this unadulterated friendly gesture was certainly not directed towards
my unwelcoming countenance. </div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
But there was no one else nearby. Z had already gone
on up ahead.</div>
<br>
<a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2018/12/a-great-idea-for-years-end_31.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
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</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-39231223658272385012018-12-24T11:44:00.000-05:002019-12-10T18:02:02.227-05:00The Magic’s in the Memories<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvoW_JXiReNt7198tdUUYlQ1RDzvt85EIcb1WurBs7VDCizOeLN-5oYm1OiNPn9K56tT6eQO0t2lFyHwCmI9vCiF8F0r4ZZ1ELIKMxBD2_4ywsSEfxwvhJbpMTNFlx_uc2_U3_W5Aut7U/s1600/xmas+magic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvoW_JXiReNt7198tdUUYlQ1RDzvt85EIcb1WurBs7VDCizOeLN-5oYm1OiNPn9K56tT6eQO0t2lFyHwCmI9vCiF8F0r4ZZ1ELIKMxBD2_4ywsSEfxwvhJbpMTNFlx_uc2_U3_W5Aut7U/s320/xmas+magic.jpg" width="320"></a><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m constantly dismayed by the lack of magic in my recent
Christmas holidays...more and more with each passing yuletide.</span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But, no big deal.</span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m constantly dismayed by a lot of
things...especially the inconsistency of the haphazard size variation found in
the O’s in my box of Cheeri-Os. </span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I mean, shouldn’t they all be the same?</span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You might think that’s an odd thing to be constantly
dismayed about, and you’d be right, which is my point...but chances are, more
than a few of you will be checking out you own nilly willy O’s in about 5
minutes.</span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyway, despite my constant <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dismayity</i> over this issue—the missing holiday magic...not the
cereal—I take comfort in that I don’t appear to be alone.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig9-G9pXjKCq0e7wl2dGjtKdRTB3YTAQlveNMFdFu_gNv5u-1FkKofStiI_1H4nEnDO-tvTfD0lmU0Ee1kOuv6qyxwZaGt_AyiULM5_SGwMPi86frHJvNDsWC2gT8uge70zOEAVgUUYNg/s1600/eaves+dropping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="481" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig9-G9pXjKCq0e7wl2dGjtKdRTB3YTAQlveNMFdFu_gNv5u-1FkKofStiI_1H4nEnDO-tvTfD0lmU0Ee1kOuv6qyxwZaGt_AyiULM5_SGwMPi86frHJvNDsWC2gT8uge70zOEAVgUUYNg/s200/eaves+dropping.jpg" width="200"></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hear it all the time, especially while
eavesdropping.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br></span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px 48px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“I
don’t know...Christmas isn’t what it used to be...especially since I have to
buy my own presents.”</span></span></i></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px 48px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“I
swear, I used to hear tiny reindeer bells, up on the roof...but not anymore.
Now it’s just the neighbor’s kid crashing his drone into my chimney. ”</span></span></i></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px 48px;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“I
can still recall when sugar plums danced in my head? Nowadays, there’s not a
sugar plum to be found; not since the E-coli scare of ought 12.” </span></span></i></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px 48px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">“My
family’s lost all our old holiday traditions...like hiding Grandpa’s teeth in
the mashed potato bowl! Man, that brings me back...and to this day, I still can’t
eat anything mashed</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">!”</span></span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay, sure. Some of those reminisces might sound a
bit peculiar to you, as they do me. But who are we to judge another’s Christmas
reveries. </span></span></div>
<a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-magics-in-memories.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
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</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1101100994610518373.post-54291606534662897302018-11-21T12:54:00.000-05:002018-11-21T13:02:05.327-05:00Thanksgiving Cavalerity <br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdb8baLo2dhcANsPzI0AM99esxdjD4Qr6-I_i5o-gZxzMDHt2ptJB_H8QEfrKZYDXYfkXlo5mvCqkADEP4Ubtl1Bgzfgx1u8HZ-5EPk1EsUpOpDeRV52SjNg03ZldmU5l8Wms_S3NDUM/s1600/eat+beef+turkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="189" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdb8baLo2dhcANsPzI0AM99esxdjD4Qr6-I_i5o-gZxzMDHt2ptJB_H8QEfrKZYDXYfkXlo5mvCqkADEP4Ubtl1Bgzfgx1u8HZ-5EPk1EsUpOpDeRV52SjNg03ZldmU5l8Wms_S3NDUM/s320/eat+beef+turkey.jpg" width="226"></a></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: &quot; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You can tell the Christmas hub bub season is upon
us, because everywhere you look folks are running around gobbling up turkeys.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Get it...turkeys...gobbling up?</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know...what can I say? </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s a gift.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which is very appropriate for the Christmas hub bub
season. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You know...<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gift</i>...cause
it’s Christmas...right?</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or should I say “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Clause</i>
it’s Christmas!”...<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ha ha ha...I can’t get
enough of me....</i></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyway, once we get through all this big, turkey
gobbling, family gathering, giving thanks hoo ha stuff we can get onto the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“real”</i> holiday festivities and start
drinking egg nog, which sounds gross, and, at least to me, tastes even worse.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However, tradition demands it...for some...not
all...and certainly not me.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But first, like I said, if you were paying
attention, which I’m sure you weren’t, because who does these days, there’s all
this turkey stuff.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_FzVONRs-2b8bmDdoMI8UvX4oAHk8L7aL6gjHX-lGya-e_-2HvelH-r1zx0SXdSZGLgyxlAjCHqt7BSPWm_f6bcoZHem4w0Qd1KeTSmYvypAWQeDtwsnioVtQ52KBRXOhfVjT0cTAWFc/s1600/horror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_FzVONRs-2b8bmDdoMI8UvX4oAHk8L7aL6gjHX-lGya-e_-2HvelH-r1zx0SXdSZGLgyxlAjCHqt7BSPWm_f6bcoZHem4w0Qd1KeTSmYvypAWQeDtwsnioVtQ52KBRXOhfVjT0cTAWFc/s200/horror.jpg" width="200"></span></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Horrified by my Thanksgiving Cavalerity?</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I know...sorry...I made that up.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cavelrity...no such word.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But there should be since it kinds of sums up the kind
of second class treatment Thanksgiving gets these days.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which I’ve written about before...and before that...and
before that...and which I’m sure I’ll write about again.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Same ol same ol.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was on the fence as to which way I wanted to go
this year, theme wise...at least until my neighbor pointed out, in no uncertain
terms, I was gonna bend his fence...which I thought was<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>rude.</span></span></div>
</div><a href="http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/2018/11/thanksgiving-cavalerity.html#more">To read the rest: Click here. I ask so much....</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">Posted by Brian Moloney - Freelanceretort@gmail.com -
You can read more at "The Freelance Retort"
http://freelanceretort.blogspot.com/
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</div>Brian Moloneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12849274639037366384noreply@blogger.com0