Rotating Pineapple

 In Bible college, someone told me that the peace sign is a broken cross, that the hippies who employed it believed that shedding Christianity was one step toward the attainment of utopia. Years later, in Stephen King's Hearts in Atlantis, someone explains that the peace sign is inspired from the semaphore alphabet. Semaphore is a way of communication using only two small flags, one held in each hand. Each letter has its own semaphore tradition and, if you're adept at it, you can probably send and receive messages as fast as I can type this paragraph. In semaphore, the N is conveyed by holding a flag in each hand and pointed at the floor at about 30 degree angles from the body. The D is conveyed by holding one flag straight up at the sky and the other pointing straight at the ground. When you superimpose these two semaphore positions together, you get something that looks like the peace sign. ND stands for Nuclear Disarmament. - The world would be a better place if we didn'...

 Usually I never ask for material things but I sure want one of these this year: Now what is that monstrosity? It looks like what an IPad might look like if it was built in 1980. No, it is a freewrite, a no frills laptop that allows writers to do nothing but write. There are no email portals, web browsers, or a boatload of notifications. You plug it in and let the muse carry you away. I used to be a prolific writer but my output went way down when I got on social media. My problem is that my writing machine is also my entertainment delivery machine. I want a freewrite so I can discover my first love again.  But if that’s too pricey for you, Santa, I also need socks

About 10 years ago, my friend, Natalie, and I were discussing our respective journalism careers. Hers started in 1998 in a small town in southeast Saskatchewan. Mine started in Regina in 1999 after I moved there with her. She got a job at a weekly paper there and she introduced me to her editor, who hired me. "I owe my career to you," I told Natalie. This did not impress her. She said that her role in my career trajectory was an infinitesimal one, that I should give myself some credit for my own success. - Still, if I didn't meet Natalie, I might not be where I am right now. When I moved to Regina, I had no ambitions toward a journalism career; all I wanted to do was write a novel. Natalie told me about the job at the paper and encouraged me to go in and meet the staff and see what happened. I wound up surprising myself, I was a pretty good - if not raw - reporter and that job in Regina led to further opportunities in Saskatchewan, Quebec, Alberta, and Ontario, where I re...

 No idea. The gremlins must have eaten it. Sorry.  I think the original title was something like: Ways to Get There. Something kinda vague. Maybe it's a good idea I didn't write anything that day.