The Tangled Web Of Charity
UNITED STATES—It all seemed like a bad dream. Then his eyes blinked open and his phone was ringing. There was the voice of rather like Peter Lorre saying when will you be coming. Dallas girded his response with preternatural wakefulness and hearty cheer.
“Oh, I’m on my way.”
He had already been stolen from that pleasant cliff at the end of...
Pollarding And Coppicing Pruning Techniques
UNITED STATES—Just about any other arborist will say that pollarding and coppicing are wrong. These techniques ruin trees so that they can never develop into their natural form. Although restorative pruning after pollarding or coppicing is possible, it is usually more trouble than it is worth. However, no one can deny that properly pollarded and coppiced trees can live...
Deducting Cafe Society
UNITED STATES—Can the expenses incurred by a writer working at a café be written off on taxes? You bet if it qualifies as a business meeting, then it will qualify as a tax deductible expense.
This is the first year I’ve been getting receipts for my ritual morning expresso. Let me tell you evasion is the mother of tax evasion....
Limiting Fast-Food Consumption
UNITED STATES—It is the one thing many of us go to when we just have one of those days where the notion of cooking or being in the kitchen is not on our radar. Fast-food is something we all love, even those who secretly argue behind the scenes that they don’t indulge in it, at some point in their...
Colorful Berries Feed Overwintering Birds
UNITED STATES—Plants compensate for their immobility by procuring the services of animals and insects. They bloom with flowers that attract pollinators with colors, fragrances and flavors. Their fruits use similar techniques to attract those who consume the fruits to disperse the seeds within. It is a pretty ingenious system. The animals and insects probably think that they are taking...
Finally Remembering Kevin
HOLLYWOOD—Kevin had found the Jesus thing by happy accident. This robe got a rise out of people and he gladly embraced his resemblance to the popular notion of Jesus. The qualities were in him, as his friend and neighbor Brian Hamilton observed, “He put on the robe and somehow grew into it.” It changed him subtly, but changed him...
Oh, What A Sweet Tooth!
UNITED STATES—We have been chatting about food the past few weeks in our efforts to highlight the importance of eating healthy and ridding our bodies of potential toxins and all things unhealthy. Last week we took the approach of talking about things that aren’t always the best for the body, but they have benefits. This week the conversation turns...
Finally Remembering Kevin
HOLLYWOOD—Kevin had found the Jesus thing by happy accident. This robe got a rise out of people and he gladly embraced his resemblance to the popular notion of Jesus. The qualities were in him, as his friend and neighbor Brian Hamilton observed, “He put on the robe and somehow grew into it.” It changed him subtly, but changed him...
Herbs Add Spice To Life
UNITED STATES—Out in deserts, where vegetation can be a scarce commodity, cacti, agaves and yuccas protect themselves from grazing animals with thorns, spines, caustic sap and distastefully textured foliage. None of these defense mechanisms is perfect. They only need to be better than what the competing specie are using. Many plants find that objectionable flavor and aroma work just...
Resisting Carbs Is A Major Battle!
UNITED STATES—With the New Year still in full swing, we’ve chatted about the importance of getting on a healthy track when it comes to food. We’ve chatted about fruits; we’ve talked about veggies, now the conversations shifts to the one category where I suffer a great weakness: carbs. When it comes to carbs they’re vital to the body because...