“Watch your mouth. Don’t use those curse words!” Faris chastised the only Jewish member of the FBI investigative team as they surveyed the damage from a massive bombing and shooting attack at an American compound in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We were watching a 2007 film called “The Kingdom” […]
We had a visit last night from a tall Chinese student named Sitian. He is a computer science major at UMass, and he applied for an internship with GoNOMAD. For the first time, the roles were reversed, and we were in a new position of really, really wanting him to […]
I don’t know about you but I can’t remember another time when I was so glad to be back to our regular routine…no more holiday days off, no more closed cafe, no more distractions from the good work that we all love. No, it’s simply, finally, Monday morning, January 4, […]
Have you ever taken out a payday loan? These loans are famous in working-class and minority neighborhoods and can add up to as much as 400% annual interest! In Virginia, the state is trying out a new program that offers cash-strapped workers a way to avoid the trap of these […]
My friend Johnny Jet presented a digest of all of his 2009 travels, and it inspired me to do the same. I often wonder just when I went to a certain place, so publishing the full record is a good way for me to remember them. Below is my 2009 […]
In the NY Times, Northampton was described as a “town on tenterhooks.” This expression goes back to 14th century, and refers to the ‘tenters’ which were used to stretch out wool in the sun, so that it wouldn’t shrink when it was being cleaned. The woodent tenter held it stretched […]
John Paul Stevens has been on the Supreme C0urt for 34 years. It is thought that he might someday become the longest serving justice of all time. I watched him on television tonight, and at 89 he was as spry and sharp as a man of 60. It was remarkable. […]
I read in the Boston Herald about a tragedy…that donated clothing is being turned into rags. Rags! You’d think the clothes were alive or something. People are upset, and vowing to only bring their throwaway clothes to Goodwill, not to to the boxes that sit in many Cape Cod Supermarket […]
When Barry Morrow won Best Screenplay Oscar for Rain Man, he gave the precious statuette to the original Rain Man, Kim Peek, who had inspired the screenplay. The savant who would become world famous after the movie won four Oscars died last week, leaving the world without an incredible mind […]
It’s Christmas and a feeling of peace and contentment wafts through the air. Everybody is busy with some new toy or gadget; others are casually pulling their loot together to get ready to bring it home. It’s a satisfying thing to know that virtually every business has stopped, for a […]
Some things are exciting….like being energy neutral. I read today about Net-zero homes that make and save as much energy as they use in the WSJ this cold morning. WOW! In Greenfield, Rural Development is putting up duplexes with these features, and can add $37K to the price of the […]
I read so many things today I can’t think of where to begin. The Recorder had a story about how some police unions are suing a local town over Quinn Bill benefits. This law provides steep raises for any cops who take on-line or other dubiously challenging college courses. It’s […]