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Mining the news

To sustain a weekly column over a 40-year period requires paying attention—and getting more than a little help from others. Columnists’ eyes are always open for some entertaining tidbit. Their paws are poised, ready to pounce on ideas and nuggets of information. People know that a huge network of necessarily anonymous readers send in those church bulletin typos and linguistic grotesqueries that other readers enjoy. Of course, relatives and families help supply the pouncers searching for subjects. The Marty mail from sons and daughters slips many ideas my way.

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