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January 25, 2006

January 25, 2006

Exit to/from where?

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Laurence: No Exit

Toby spent all afternoon eating popcorn, peanuts, and cotton candy at the county fair.

Watching the clowns tumble and joke under the big top, the midway feast now wanted out.

As she ran for the exit, a spotlight shone on her and the ringmaster grabbed her hand.

"Let me go," she said.

"Ever rode a horse?" he said, grinning. "I'm hung like one."

The crowd roared, the world spun, and Toby heaved up everything she'd ever eaten.

She woke up in a pile of hay, covered with clown makeup.

The ringmaster turned out to be hung more like a shrimp.

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Ted: "See the Great Egress": P. T. Barnum

Too damn many. Too many of these suckers are just hanging around, looking at the same 'oddities' that they have already seen. Too many are starting to wonder about the 'Fishman' skeleton and the two headed snake. I even heard some talk about calling the sheriff and having the show run out of town. I tried to make the damn exit look exciting, to lead them on to the midway and the rest of the show. I need more turnover here, move them through fast to let the next group in. But how? I need them to want to leave...

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Jim: The Midway of the Mind

“Are you going to spend all day riding the carousel, Fred?” asked the green-headed duck.

“Probably,” I grinned from atop my gaudy wooden steed. “This is my favorite carnival ride. It reminds me of my life.”

“How so?”

“I have the sensation of movement without really going anywhere,” I replied.

“And when the ride is over, you just step off,” he somberly retorted.

“Not me. That’s not where I’m going.”

“What do you mean, Fred?”

I pointed toward an exit sign hanging over a small door that led into the bowels of the machine. “I’m going that way,” I said.

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