tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45862761908721084072024-03-08T15:20:21.983-05:0050 to 1Fifty words or One LineGlen Bingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11660211770841922325noreply@blogger.comBlogger488125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-43426010514262624132012-02-04T19:28:00.001-05:002012-02-04T19:28:00.224-05:00February 4, 2012 Issue: In TransitionIt's easy to feel a bit lost, or like you're stuck in a place you didn't necessarily want to end up. Sooner or later it will be time to act: We can't spend all our time <span style="font-size: large;"><b>In Transition</b></span>. In this issue of <b>50 to 1</b>, enjoy new work from <i>Ethan Swage</i>, <i>Nathan Schaad</i>, <i>Mike Entile</i>, <i>C.A. Cole</i>, <i>Mandy Brown</i>, <i>Robert Thomas</i> and <i>Duncan Whitmire</i>.<br />
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<i>Paul</i> thinks Punxsutawney Phil better get his act together. It's been a good winter so far, Phil, don't ruin it.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-64851321046254069492012-02-04T19:27:00.000-05:002012-02-04T19:27:00.231-05:00Delivery by Ethan Swage<b>Delivery</b> by Ethan Swage<br />
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The kids titter anxiously behind you as you swing open the door. The delivery boy gasps, stutters, blushes. Inside, you gather your clothes, collect high fives, then scamper off to the bathroom. You peek out the window—pizza boy’s still there—and kiss the breath-fogged glass. Mom is still cool.<br />
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<i>Ethan Swage</i> is a New Jersey–based writer, artist, and photographer whose work has appeared in publications including <i>Eclectic Flash</i>, <i>Blink/Ink</i>, and <i>Staccato Fiction</i>. He has thrown away his watch.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-41600580191566985852012-02-04T19:26:00.001-05:002012-02-04T19:26:00.208-05:00Spin by Nathan Schaad<b>Spin</b> by Nathan Schaad<br />
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When Naomi took the stand, she knew her prosecutor had no case. Still, he approached.<br />
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“You admitted, Miss Naomi, that you killed your son while he slept in his crib.”<br />
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“Yes.”<br />
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“Yet you still insist you are innocent of murder in the first degree?”<br />
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“It was a postpartum abortion, dumbass.”<br />
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<i>Nathan Schaad</i> is a creative writing graduate at Miami University. After graduation, Nathan took a sharp swerve into the interaction of law and people as a writing interest, which currently fuels much of his work. This is his first publication in a professional literary magazine.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-44008919443550113962012-02-04T19:25:00.001-05:002012-02-04T19:25:00.203-05:001st Line by Mike Entile<b>1st Line</b> by Mike Entile<br />
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Sammy Rotolo scanned the room of the shabby social club as he grabbed a piece of provolone from the antipasto platter and wondered if he was the only rat in the place.<br />
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<i>Mike Entile</i> has been writing historical fiction since his short story based on Custer's Last Stand won an award at his junior high's arts and science fair over forty years ago. Unfortunately, it's the last thing he's ever won.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-42897368868909142852012-02-04T19:24:00.001-05:002012-02-04T19:24:00.208-05:00You, Eternally Memorialized by C.A. Cole<b>You, Eternally Memorialized</b> by C.A. Cole<br />
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I’m writing a love flash, a poem without line breaks, hummed to the B-52’s, <i>love flash, love flash</i>, short, like the time we spent together. If you’d stayed, it’d be a short story, maybe a novel, but since you weren’t capable of sustained attention, a flash is all you get.<br />
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<i>C.A. Cole</i> seems to pare her writing down and down and down, and then it gets published. The above was once a novel.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-88450594719828053362012-02-04T19:23:00.002-05:002012-02-04T19:23:00.173-05:001st Line by Mandy Brown<b>1st Line</b> by Mandy Brown<br />
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"No one ever plans this kind of thing, right?" he asked, eyes wary, biting his lip as he signed his new name. <br />
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<i>Mandy Brown</i> enjoys biting off more of the world than others think she can chew. When she isn't changing the world, she's changing diapers because she's convinced the two are related. She is currently studying for her BA in English at Texas State University.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-77570551809492836742012-02-04T19:22:00.001-05:002012-02-04T19:22:00.138-05:00Grey by Robert Thomas<b>Grey</b> by Robert Thomas<br />
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She has kind of motherly hair; gray curls peppered against black locks. Each crease in her face is a story about sleepless nights with crying babies, doctor visits and missing child support checks. When she asks if I want a dance, I say, no, but I’ll pay for one anyway.<br />
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<i>Robert Thomas</i> is a writer living in Seattle, Washington. He hopes to change the number of pieces he has published from "0" to "a bunch". He's currently working on a novel that will, most likely, be rejected many times.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-22526965083427084152012-02-04T19:21:00.001-05:002012-02-04T19:21:00.172-05:00Navigation by Duncan WhitmireNavigation by Duncan Whitmire<br />
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We proclaimed our love with the frequency of certain birds during long migrations, checking in every few seconds because the world is big and the sky bigger. One day I said I love you and heard silence in return. Now I sense I’m headed north toward a cold dark winter. <br />
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<i>Duncan Whitmire</i> lives and writes in southern New Hampshire, where he works at a school for children with disabilities. Fiction of his has appeared in such journals as <i>Flashquake</i>, <i>Dispatch Lita-Review</i>, <i>34th Parallel</i> and <i>322 Review</i>. Please visit his website at <a href="www.duncanwhitmire.com">www.duncanwhitmire.com</a>.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-69640660816929740902012-01-07T22:08:00.000-05:002012-01-07T22:08:08.444-05:00January 7, 2012 Issue: Old Long SinceAnother year in the books, another round of "Auld Lang Syne" sung by the masses. I've always wondered what the real words were to that song, since I'm pretty sure the only times I've heard it sung correctly were when I was watching <i>It's A Wonderful Life</i>. Turns out, the literal translation of the title is <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Old Long Since</b></span>, and while that is not quite grammatically correct, it somehow makes more sense to me then a lot of other things this time of year. In this new issue of <b>50 to 1</b> we look at some fantastic new work from <i>KC Kovacs</i>, <i>Mark Boss</i>, <i>Andrew Stancek</i>, <i>Harry Pauff</i>, <i>Abigail Wyatt</i>, <i>Chuck Dillon</i> and <i>John C. Mannone</i>.<br />
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<i>Paul</i> is going to have to start treating politics like a spectator sport if he's ever going to be able to take it seriously again.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-61888479820454098032012-01-07T22:01:00.002-05:002012-01-07T22:01:26.704-05:00Thanks A Lot by KC Kovacs<b>Thanks A Lot</b> by KC Kovacs<br />
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Oatmeal stuck to the inside of the bowl like dried cement, resistant even to the Brillo pad she expertly wielded. The metal scraped and squealed as she dragged it along the bottom curves. Her glance moved to the remaining pile of dishes. One more thing he was never good for.<br />
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<i>KC Kovacs</i> wanders the universe, trying to remain as anonymous as possible. You probably don't know her, even though you think you do.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-12691649178148765912012-01-07T22:01:00.001-05:002012-01-07T22:01:12.824-05:001st Line by Mark Boss<b>1st Line</b> by Mark Boss<br />
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The smell woke her - something thick and coppery.<br />
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Mark Boss writes novels, which are available at most online booksellers. He blogs at: <a href="http://www.chimpwithpencil.com/">www.chimpwithpencil.com</a>.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-37435779104606844382012-01-07T22:01:00.000-05:002012-01-07T22:01:00.307-05:00Juicy by Andrew Stancek<b>Juicy</b> by Andrew Stancek<br />
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Eve stretched, plucked the radiant apple off the high branch and bit. Tart juice oozed down her chin, lingered, rolled down one breast. She bit again. She glanced at her sleeping companion and his snake. She shook him, thrust the apple into his hand. “Eat.” She realized they were naked.<br />
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Some of <i>Andrew Stancek's</i> recent fiction appeared in <i>Pure Slush</i>, <i>A Twist of Noir</i>, <i>Right Hand Pointing</i>, <i>Prime Number Magazin</i>e, <i>Istanbul Literary Review</i> and others. <a href="http://www.thiszine.org/">THIS Literary Magazine</a> nominated him for a Pushcart Prize.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-18130106789475438752012-01-07T22:00:00.002-05:002012-01-07T22:00:49.286-05:001st Line by Harry Pauff<b>1st Line</b> by Harry Pauff<br />
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The day I put a piece of bologna into the CD player and cranked the volume up was the day I knew I had to go to rehab.<br />
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<i>Harry Pauff</i> drives a green car, enjoys sushi and loves writing.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-45850445246427553472012-01-07T22:00:00.001-05:002012-01-07T22:00:36.661-05:00The Home-Coming by Abigail Wyatt<b>The Home-Coming</b> by Abigail Wyatt<br />
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The house is cold, biting, bitten, gnawed at by winter. Upstairs, a woman sobs as a new-born infant howls. At the foot of the stairs, between peeling walls, a grey-faced young man seems to hesitate. His eyes take in the first floor landing and then slide towards the still-open door. <br />
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<i>Abigail Wyatt</i> writes for her life near Redruth in Cornwall. She resents having to go to work and lives in fear that she will just run out of time.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-61370164999379194632012-01-07T22:00:00.000-05:002012-01-07T22:00:23.530-05:001st Line by Chuck Dillon<b>1st Line</b> by Chuck Dillon<br />
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No one makes it through a lifetime without doing something incredibly stupid, and as of last night, I was no exception. <br />
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<i>Chuck Dillon</i> is a question wrapped in an enigma wrapped in bacon.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-91338360810447977982012-01-07T21:59:00.000-05:002012-01-07T21:59:08.039-05:00Afghanistan on Christmas Day by John C. Mannone<b>Afghanistan on Christmas Day</b> by John C. Mannone<br />
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Snow fell thick and the ground grafted its new skin. Clouds gathered over the scarred land: months of abuse, the black-and-blue hills, pounded. Even the tanks and their turrets were covered and silent. White landscape delved into gray sky. And there was peace on Earth, at least for one day.<br />
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<i>John C. Mannone</i> has been nominated three times for the Pushcart. His work appears in <i>Conclave</i>, <i>The Medulla Review</i>, <i>Rose & Thorn Journal</i>, <i>Hinchas de Poesía</i>, <i>The Pedestal</i>, <i>Magnapoets</i>, <i>Glass</i>, <i>Lucid Rhythms</i>, <i>Prime Mincer</i> and many others. He is the poetry editor for <i>Silver Blade</i>, an adjunct professor of physics in east Tennessee and serves as a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador. Visit <a href="http://jcmannone.wordpress.com">The Art of Poetry</a>.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-59892263855442303102011-12-03T13:42:00.002-05:002011-12-03T13:42:00.070-05:00December 3rd, 2011 Issue: The Long HaulNovember was a crazy month, let me just say. <b>50 to 1</b> went on a bit of a hiatus as I tried to concentrate on my novel. Yes, you read that correctly. Did you know November was National Novel Writing month? <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org">These guys</a> did, and challenged folks to write a 50,000-word novel in thirty days. Somehow I decided it would be a good idea to get involved, and settled in for <span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Long Haul</b></span>. <br />
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This issue brings you the work of <i>Benjameno Ĉarlo Kraŭs</i>, <i>Marta Pelrine-Bacon</i>, <i>Michelle Morouse</i>, <i>Sam Cicero</i>, <i>Glen Binger</i>, <i>Mary Ann Back</i> and <i>Jill Simons</i>.<br />
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<i>Paul</i> managed to make it to 47,300 words in his novel, if you were wondering.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-65171482002310623192011-12-03T13:41:00.001-05:002011-12-03T13:41:00.553-05:00Self Interview, Part 13 by Benjameno Ĉarlo Kraŭs<b>Self Interview, Part 13</b> by Benjameno Ĉarlo Kraŭs<br />
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<i>So if everyone’s on drugs, when do you know your use has become a problem?</i><br />
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When you find yourself cutting open the mesh gym shorts whose pockets held the fifty gram bag you went through, in order to get at the previously-unattainable bits that were stuck between the folds.<br />
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<i><a href="http://benjamenocharlokraus.com/">Benjameno Ĉarlo Kraŭs</a></i> is a poet, polyglot, editor of two journals, publisher of <a href="http://diamondpointpress.com/">Diamond Point Press</a>, founding member of <a href="http://poemswithoutborders.org/">Poems Without Borders</a>, web designer, nonfiction writer, essayist, literary critic, literary translator, and inventor of the poetry form <a href="http://quincouplet.org/">quincouplet</a>. People often ask him how he manages to do so many projects at once.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-81130536939192778962011-12-03T13:40:00.001-05:002011-12-03T13:40:00.435-05:00Drifting Through Space by Marta Pelrine-Bacon<b>Drifting Through Space</b> by Marta Pelrine-Bacon<br />
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Eden Ashe was the last astronaut on the moon. The others went to Mars and then into deep space. She never heard what happened. She watched the lights go out around the earth. When they no longer answered her radio signals, she climbed the debris of the spacecraft and jumped.<br />
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<i>Marta Pelrine-Bacon</i> is a writer, artist, teacher, mom and wife, living in Austin, Texas. For her art she takes the rough drafts of her novels and short stories and cuts up the pages to make pictures or whatever else comes to mind. She drink too much coffee and speed skates. She has had a fairy tale published in the online journal <i>Cabinet des Fees</i>, and her art published in a few other places, too.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-80590390398204632232011-12-03T13:39:00.001-05:002011-12-03T13:39:00.328-05:001st Line by Michelle Morouse<b>1st Line</b> by Michelle Morouse<br />
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Once in a while, she received checks from him in random amounts, like royalties from some long ago, one-hit wonder.<br />
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<i>Michelle Morouse</i> is a life-long Michigan resident, pediatrician and novice writer.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-81203487553862021322011-12-03T13:38:00.005-05:002011-12-03T13:38:00.512-05:00The Mayor's Shower by Sam Cicero<b>The Mayor's Shower</b> by Sam Cicero<br />
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Lately, the mayor was having a harder time mustering the courage to get out of the shower every morning. The warm water would flow all around him until the tub overflowed. Once he heard the neighbors bang and shout, “We’re being flooded!” he knew it was time to get out.<br />
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<i>Sam Cicero</i> was born in the woods along the Northern New Jersey coast in an age of great darkness: the Reagan years. He survived the wicked times by eating cast offs from a local pizza shop. He is the founder and head editor of the literary zine <a href="http://lofidelity-zine.blogspot.com/">Lo Fidelity</a>.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-30360661605771819982011-12-03T13:37:00.001-05:002011-12-03T13:37:00.539-05:001st Line by Glen Binger<b>1st Line</b> by Glen Binger<br />
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Fingers crossed behind her back, she promised him that it was his son – it had to be.<br />
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<i><a href="http://glenbinger.blogspot.com/">Glen Binger</a></i> writes things when he isn't in grad school, defending America from becoming more stupiderly dumber. He was born in space.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-40144664689072791032011-12-03T13:36:00.001-05:002011-12-03T13:36:00.130-05:00Mr. Starks by Mary Ann Back<b>Mr. Starks</b> by Mary Ann Back<br />
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Mr. Starks is unnerving. His smile is taut when he comes to call. His eyes, black and merciless, mask an insatiable hunger.<br />
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I catch my reflection in the mirror and see that he has returned. Trepidation is gone. It’s time for our midnight stroll – and time for us to feed. <br />
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<i>Mary Ann Back</i>, of Mason, Ohio, was awarded the 2009 Bilbo Award for creative writing by Thomas More College. Her writing has appeared in many publications, including: <i>Short Story America</i>, <i>Every Day Fiction</i>, <i>Bete Noir</i>, <i>Eclectic Flash</i>, <i>The Loyalhanna Review</i>, <i>Flashes in the Dark</i> and <i>Flash Shot</i>.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-87051023337569128092011-12-03T13:35:00.002-05:002011-12-03T13:35:00.620-05:00I Envy the Girl in Line in Front of Me at the DMV by Jill Simons<b>I Envy the Girl in Line in Front of Me at the DMV</b> by Jill Simons<br />
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There are two types of people at the DMV: those who look impeccable because they know they are getting their photo taken, and everyone else. I’m everyone else since I chose to pull my hair into a clip and insist they do not take a picture for my new license.<br />
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<i>Jill Simons</i> is a elementary school teacher. She's usually creating stories for her students, but can sometimes find the time to write for grown-ups too.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4586276190872108407.post-47471692549985382912011-11-05T17:55:00.000-04:002011-11-05T17:55:05.214-04:00November 5, 2011 Issue: The WarmthSeems like the weather is finally starting to behave true to form. That storm we had last weekend was a doozy. Another one of those, and I'm going to start missing <span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Warmth</b></span> of summer even more. This issue of <b>50 to 1</b> features the work of <i>Michaela Halsey</i>, <i>Sander Blome</i>, <i>Chris Diz</i>e, <i>April Johnston</i>, <i>Stefanie Snider</i>, <i>Edward Garza</i> and <i>Adam Johnson</i>.<br />
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<i>Paul</i> had waaaaaay too much candy this week. Curse you, Halloween. Curse you.Paul Mullinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08342387711052394010noreply@blogger.com1