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	<title>Mike&#039;s Circular FileMike&#039;s Circular File</title>
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	<link>http://mikescircularfile.com</link>
	<description>The weblog of Mike Pontillo – Mr. Know-It-All without the antlers</description>
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		<title>Reality check</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=309</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=309#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:43:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Maury Povich]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[parody]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[television]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[I have often said that watching reality television is one of the quickest ways to lose whatever remaining faith you have in humanity. Not so long ago, we Americans considered reality TV an oddity of certain foreign cultures. These shows &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=309">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Amusement at my expense</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=248</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=248#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 May 2011 21:49:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accountants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=248</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We have an infestation at the office where I work. There are grotesque creepie-crawlie creatures that emerge from the floorboards and scamper around the office. At some point or another they turn up in every part of the company. We &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=248">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>A Christmas Carjacking</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=228</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=228#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 May 2011 00:08:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shari]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stupidity]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=228</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As I recall, the incident took place the last week of December, 2008 in the parking lot of our neighborhood Jewel grocery store. Shari and I had just spent our first Christmas together as an engaged, cohabitating couple.  We drove &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=228">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>My secret has been exposed</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=202</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=202#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 29 Jan 2010 07:15:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flatulence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[McDonald's]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[McRib]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sex]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=202</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – January 28, 2010 – Argentina&#8217;s president recommended pork as an alternative to Viagra Wednesday, saying she spent a satisfying weekend with her husband after eating barbecued pork. &#8220;I&#8217;ve just been told something I didn&#8217;t know; that &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=202">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Making adjustments</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=200</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=200#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Dec 2009 07:07:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shari]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=200</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have been absent from this space for some months now and I apologize for that. I have an excuse: I am a newlywed. I can only use that excuse for another four months, so I shall make the most &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=200">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://mikescircularfile.com/?feed=rss2&#038;p=200</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>A little less freedom, please</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=196</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=196#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 21 Jun 2009 06:56:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homosexuality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sex]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tattoos]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=196</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We live in an age of unprecedented freedom of expression. Despite lingering pockets of prejudice and repression, the majority of us consider ourselves to be reasonably open-minded, and this has allowed tremendous latitude among those who previously felt the need &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=196">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Sugar, Sugar</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=193</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=193#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Jan 2009 06:49:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dieting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[McRib]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=193</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Some years ago, I was diagnosed with adult-onset diabetes. It’s one of the trendy diseases, increasing in popularity every year as our crappy eating habits and sedentary lifestyle catch up with us. It’s also a family legacy, one of the &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=193">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Some advice for my Republican friends</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=187</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=187#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Nov 2008 06:40:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[morality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rant]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=187</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[History. We made history. My Republican friends are no doubt in a foul mood right now, so I want to speak directly to them. Democrats, you may leave the room. ______________________________ force break Hello there. I know you think I’m &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=187">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Passing milestones</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=185</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=185#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Oct 2008 06:28:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cubs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[divorce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryanne]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shari]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[White Sox]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=185</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I’m celebrating a couple of anniversaries this week, and I’d like to invite you to join me. First off, believe it or not, Sunday marks the fifth anniversary of Mike’s Circular File. My web-based bully pulpit went online on October &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=185">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Reflections on the end of another Chicago baseball season</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=179</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=179#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:20:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Catholicism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cubs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[White Sox]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=179</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image adapted from www.matthewoverton.com I’m a Cub fan. Being a Cub fan has its privileges. Among them are suffering, humiliation, and heartbreak. This year, the pain was almost exquisite. The Cubs finished the regular season with 97 wins, only to &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=179">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Baby, baby, oh baby</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=175</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=175#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Sep 2008 06:14:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[morality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[religion]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=175</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have always been mystified by the phrase, “the miracle of childbirth.” Pregnancy and childbirth, under the right circumstances, is a wondrous and joyful thing. It is not, however, a “miracle.” Something that I have spent my entire adult life &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=175">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Why iHate Apple</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=173</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=173#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 31 May 2008 06:11:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Apple]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=173</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I hate Apple. Hate it, hate it, hate it. I hate the fact that “iPod” has become a generic term. The correct term for such a device is PMP — Portable Media Player. Many companies make them, you know. The &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=173">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Primary intelligence</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=166</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=166#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 04 May 2008 05:29:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stupidity]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=166</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This coming Tuesday promises to be quite significant for the political aspirations of Senators Clinton and Obama. The states of Indiana and North Carolina will be holding primary elections. If the pundits are correct, the results could force Hillary out &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=166">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Coming to grips with mortality</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=162</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=162#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 15 Feb 2008 05:22:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[death]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nicole]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryanne]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tribute]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=162</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The first essay I posted here was on the subject of death. Let me apologize in advance for revisiting the issue, but it is very much on my mind today. If self-awareness is a blessing, fear of death is the &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=162">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Who knows what evil lurks</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=159</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=159#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Jan 2008 05:18:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stupidity]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=159</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There comes a time in every man’s life when he must look deep into his own soul and observe his true self, honestly and without prejudice. What he finds may not necessarily please him, but he cannot truly claim to &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=159">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Treading water in the dating pool</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=155</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=155#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Oct 2007 05:14:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dating]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=155</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I swore I would never do this. Just try to pin me down to a type &#8211; can&#8217;t be done. I&#8217;m a political liberal with a conservative lifestyle. I&#8217;m a computer geek with social skills. I&#8217;m a Cub fan, but &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=155">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The D-word</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=151</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=151#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 28 Aug 2007 05:01:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[divorce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marriage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=151</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It seemed like a strange system to me, once I had figured it out at the age of six. You grew up, got married, had a kid or two, and then once you got old, like about forty, you were &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=151">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>Ogre exposed</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=147</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=147#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 May 2007 04:58:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[McDonald's]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[movies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=147</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“Flat fee my foot! I get residuals, or ye can hawk yer own goddamn cereal!” Is it just me, or are you getting sick of Shrek as well? The guy is everywhere. This marketing blitz is unlike anything I have &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=147">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Please don&#8217;t lock me up</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=144</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=144#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 May 2007 04:54:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=144</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There’s something of a flap going on about Greg Olsen, the Chicago Bears recent first-round draft pick. Apparently, as a college freshman at Miami, Olsen and some of his buddies recorded a rap song with lewd lyrics and demeaning references &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=144">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>This seems squirrelly to me</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=137</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=137#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Apr 2007 04:34:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[McDonald's]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PETA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rant]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=137</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As a writer of random thoughts which are posted on the Web for all to see (all twenty of you), stories like this give me pause. A couple from the town of Thackthwaite in northwest England had read an article &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=137">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Stupid People IV: Going Postal</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=129</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=129#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Apr 2007 04:22:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stupidity]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=129</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I hate going to the post office. Maybe I’m wrong, but there had to be a time in the recent past when the post office wasn’t the local hangout for morons with loads of free time. I went to the &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=129">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<title>The shallow end</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=127</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=127#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Mar 2007 04:20:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[parenting]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=127</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I blame the parents. We’ve known for some time that the past couple of generations of young people have been raised to be “soft.” They’ve been coddled, indulged, overprotected, and given stupid designer names by parents who grossly overestimate the &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=127">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<title>Homosexuality: The Final Solution</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=125</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=125#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Feb 2007 04:17:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homosexuality]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=125</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The following is an excerpt from my forthcoming book, &#8220;The Unattractive Guy&#8217;s Guide To Relationships.&#8221; It is forthcoming because I am still writing it. Sometimes, in moments of quiet desperation and loneliness, the unattractive guy looks deep into his soul &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=125">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<title>Roll reversal</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=122</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=122#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 03 Feb 2007 04:11:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rant]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=122</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I am not a vain man. When I am wrong, I will gladly admit it. It’s simply not a frequent occurrence, and almost never happens now that I am no longer married. But, being a reasonable fellow, I’m willing to &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=122">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<title>Audio Magazine #2</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=113</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=113#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Oct 2006 04:04:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Audio Magazine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=113</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Well, I had so much fun doing Audio Magazine #1 (apparently much more fun than you had listening to it) that I&#8217;ve decided to do another one! Hooray! Humor me. The theme of this audio magazine is &#8220;Songs For My &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=113">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://www.mikescircularfile.com/AudioMag/MCF_AudioMag_2.mp3" length="16874791" type="audio/mpeg" />
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		<title>Sounds of the Whale</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=104</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=104#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Aug 2006 03:47:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flatulence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[humor]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=104</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I used to enjoy going to the symphony. But I don’t go anymore. My mother and I are afraid to show our faces, because we managed to cause a scene at a performance of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra at Governors &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=104">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://www.mikescircularfile.com/audio/savethewhales.mp3" length="301192" type="audio/mpeg" />
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		<title>It&#8217;s mah birfday</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=99</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=99#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 May 2006 03:39:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[humor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nicole]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=99</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today is my 42nd birthday, and there’s a place that I’d like very much to celebrate it, but I am unable to do so. I have written in this space before about my little sister Nicole, the Irish dancer, who &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=99">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<title>Celling out</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=93</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=93#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 26 Mar 2006 03:31:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=93</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the advantages of being an old fart is that it gives you perspective on how things change over time. One of the disadvantages is that nobody wants you to share that perspective with them. I can remember when &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=93">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<title>It&#8217;s official: I&#8217;m old</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=91</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=91#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Feb 2006 03:28:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aging]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=91</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last night I was driving home from my sister’s house. It was a bitterly cold night, three degrees and dropping, and I had about forty miles to drive. I thought I might like a hot cup of coffee in the &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=91">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<title>Junk food for thought</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=86</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=86#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 2006 03:21:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dieting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flatulence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[KFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[McDonald's]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[McRib]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=86</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As I approach the age of 42, I am finally coming to grips with the fact that I can no longer eat the same sort of junk food that I’ve enjoyed all my life. I have come to this conclusion &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=86">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<title>Just say no</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=84</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=84#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2005 03:14:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prostitution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=84</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In the early 90’s, I worked for a big hospital supply company, providing computer support to a number of plants that manufactured exam gloves. Almost all of that business is in Malaysia these days, but at the time, I was &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=84">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<title>Audio Magazine #1</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=81</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=81#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Dec 2005 03:04:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Audio Magazine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=81</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Well, I&#8217;ve now gone and made the Circular File a full multimedia experience. Here, for your listening pleasure, is my first Audio Magazine. Some people would call this a &#8220;podcast.&#8221; Whatever. Just click the icon below to listen, or right-click &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=81">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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<enclosure url="http://mikescircularfile.com/AudioMag/MCF_AudioMag_1.mp3" length="15802517" type="audio/mpeg" />
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		<title>Irish these judges had a clue</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=76</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=76#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Nov 2005 02:58:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Irish dance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nicole]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=76</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have just returned from this year’s Mid-America Irish Dance Championships. My 17-year-old sister Nicole is a competitive Irish dancer, and I have made the pilgrimage to this annual event for the past four years. The event, which is called &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=76">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<title>Go, (wince) White Sox!</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=74</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=74#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Oct 2005 02:54:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cubs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[White Sox]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=74</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I’ve been talking to myself a lot lately. “Just keep repeating it. You’re taking the high road. Don’t clench your teeth when you say it.” You’ve got to believe that these White Sox are for real. They are coming off &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=74">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<title>The News in Review</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=71</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=71#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Aug 2005 02:48:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Atkins diet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[breastfeeding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cubs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dieting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[White Sox]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=71</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As you have gathered by now, Mike’s Circular File is not a “blog” per se – I don’t update it daily, and my postings are all lengthy columns or stories. Sometimes I think I’d like to use it as a &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=71">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<title>Unspoken Vows</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=69</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=69#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Jul 2005 02:45:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[divorce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tattoos]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=69</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I had been at the table for about ten minutes when he walked in to the bar area. I caught his eye and he headed toward me. He was smiling, but my first thought was that he looked really tired. &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=69">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<title>&#8220;An Argument for Birth Control&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=67</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=67#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Mar 2005 02:43:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=67</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[No, this is not an essay on Planned Parenthood. It’s a short story. The Circular File has gotten a bit dusty lately, as I’ve been spending my free time on some music recording projects and haven’t been writing. But I &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=67">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		</item>
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		<title>Let&#8217;s give it up for&#8230;Lent!</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=63</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=63#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Feb 2005 02:39:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Catholicism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[morality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PETA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[religion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[school]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=63</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today begins the season of Lent, in which, across the globe, Christians (and especially Catholics) observe the forty-day period between Mardi Gras and Easter Sunday with their own peculiar mix of ritual and superstition. As a child in Catholic school, &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=63">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>Stupid People III: Voting While Stupid</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=60</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=60#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Nov 2004 02:36:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[morality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stupidity]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=60</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Up until this point, I have chosen not to post any essays that are purely political in nature. I have two good reasons for this: first, that there are countless other sources of political coverage on the web, many of &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=60">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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<enclosure url="http://mikescircularfile.com/audio/MCF_Stupid_3.mp3" length="3635307" type="audio/mpeg" />
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Room 219</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=58</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=58#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Oct 2004 02:33:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[divorce]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=58</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The tears came at the oddest times, it seemed. He had spent so much time in quiet introspection these past weeks, mentally retracing sixteen years worth of footsteps. At those times, when a good cleansing would seem appropriate, it didn’t &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=58">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<title>Lactation frustration</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=53</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=53#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Aug 2004 01:06:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[breastfeeding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[piercings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=53</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A woman named Kasey Madden was visiting a gym in Burr Ridge, Illinois last fall with her 5-month-old daughter. The baby got hungry while Ms. Madden was working out, so she took the child over to the gym’s day care &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=53">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8220;Aieee, Robot!&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=48</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=48#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Jul 2004 01:02:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[movies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[parody]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the Internet]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=48</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Recently, Mike’s Circular File received an anonymous e-mail message containing what purports to be an early draft screenplay for this summer’s most recent blockbuster film. Unfortunately, we have no way of verifying this claim, but since this is the Internet, &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=48">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Snowballs, sit-ups, and a jumping jerk</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=45</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=45#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 Jun 2004 00:56:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[humor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nuns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=45</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“So, Mike,” says the interviewer in my fantasy, which occurs a few weeks after some major popular web site has linked to Mike’s Circular File and I have achieved momentary web fame, “who would you cite as major influences on &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=45">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>An objective, measured treatise on cilantro</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=43</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=43#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 29 May 2004 00:52:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[allergies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cilantro]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rant]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=43</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Cilantro is a scourge on the planet. It is poisonous, nauseating, and the primary cause in over eighty percent of all cases of demonic possession. Chefs who cook with cilantro should be disemboweled with a potato peeler. Anyone who grows &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=43">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Stupid People II: When Carbs Attack</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=39</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=39#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 May 2004 00:45:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Atkins diet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dieting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stupidity]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=39</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I am rapidly losing patience with this low-carb business. All of a sudden, the poor carbohydrate has become Public Enemy Number One. One moment carbs are an integral part of the Food Pyramid, and now they’re considered about as healthy &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=39">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://mikescircularfile.com/audio/MCF_Stupid_2.mp3" length="4897544" type="audio/mpeg" />
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		<item>
		<title>Lo, a plague is upon us</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=37</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=37#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 May 2004 00:41:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[piercings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stupidity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tattoos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the Internet]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=37</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I invite you to consider the greatest threat to human life on this planet. Back in the sixties, most people thought it was nuclear annihilation. In the eighties and nineties, it might have been AIDS. Today you might suggest terrorism. &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=37">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://mikescircularfile.com/audio/MCF_Aplague.mp3" length="3789691" type="audio/mpeg" />
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		<item>
		<title>McRib and the decline of Western civilization</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=34</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=34#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Apr 2004 00:36:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[courtesy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dieting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[McDonald's]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[McRib]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[parenting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[school]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=34</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I had lunch at McDonald’s today. McDonald’s and I have not been on the best of terms lately. First of all, I am attempting to lose weight, and walking into McDonald’s when you are dieting is like pulling the pin &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=34">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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<enclosure url="http://mikescircularfile.com/audio/MCF_McRib.mp3" length="3789168" type="audio/mpeg" />
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		<item>
		<title>Bring in da noize</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=31</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=31#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Dec 2003 23:50:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Catholicism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nuns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[school]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=31</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Back in the 1970’s, I was a student at St. Mary Star of the Sea, a Catholic grade school and parish in the West Lawn neighborhood of Chicago’s southwest side. I therefore was privileged to have the full Catholic Experience, &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=31">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
<enclosure url="http://mikescircularfile.com/audio/MCF_DaNoize.mp3" length="4278964" type="audio/mpeg" />
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		<item>
		<title>White Sox fans take all the fun out of it</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=27</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=27#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 26 Oct 2003 23:44:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cubs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[White Sox]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=27</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Now that the 2003 baseball season is officially over (it was unofficially over on October 16), I need to indulge myself and vent a little. And I’m going to speak in broad, unfair generalities, because that’s what venting is. So &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=27">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>NEWS BRIEFS</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=21</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=21#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Apr 2003 23:38:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[current events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[parody]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PETA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=21</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Back in 1997, an e-mail humor newsletter called &#8220;The Daily Probe&#8221; began publishing. I contributed (very) occasionally to it from 1997 to 2000, and actually had a few pieces that got in. I think it was due more to the &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=21">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A lesson on Cookie Day</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=17</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=17#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 Dec 1999 23:34:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[morality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryanne]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=17</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today is Cookie Day. Each year, in the weeks before Christmas, my wife invites her niece over to bake and decorate sugar cookies and construct a gingerbread house. It’s one of our traditions. Holidays are meant for this sort of &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=17">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Life, death, and Walter Payton</title>
		<link>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=13</link>
		<comments>http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=13#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Nov 1999 23:30:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Pontillo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[death]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[religion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tribute]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Walter Payton]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://mikescircularfile.com/wordpress/?p=13</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Walter Payton died a few days ago. It was a loss, a tragedy for everyone who knew and admired the former Chicago Bears running back. When I heard the news, my gut reaction was simple. I think it’s a thought &#8230; <a class="more-link" href="http://mikescircularfile.com/?p=13">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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