A Little Snake Held its Head Up, Feigning Sleep
We took a walk on Sunday down a road off Rte 122 that lead to water. It was a road that once connected one of the submerged towns: Dana, Enfield, and Prescott, that now lie beneath the mighty Quabbin reservoir. It was a fitful spring day, with gusty breezes blowing […]
Viewing Art by the Diva of Detritus in Northampton
Last night was spent in the big city. Big city, of course, to a rural guy like me being Northampton. I called my pal Jack up, who doesn’t get out of Greenfield much, and he whisked me away in his Lincoln to the Center for the Arts. There I had […]
Tiger’s Streak Ends and Golf Courses Revert Back to Nature
The front cover of the NY Times business section had a ghastly aerial photo of a large patch of green, being overtaken by the desert that surrounded it. It was an abandoned golf course in Dubai, which was originally designed by Tiger Woods, just before the events of November 2009, […]
Matzoh and Mistletoe: The American Jew’s Identity Crisis
There are about six million Jews in the United States, but to many people with this heritage, their religion means little. To other Jews, it’s how they identify themselves. Some Jews are religious but many more enjoy celebrating Christmas. The topic is fascinating to Kate Feiffer, herself a Jew who […]
Having Lunch with Interesting People is Tonic for the Soul
Having lunch with interesting people is a tonic for the soul. I learned this from my father, who was always known for his lunches with pals. He was a very regular lunch-goer, the traditions would last decades. I am carrying on this tradition at the cafe, and today I enjoyed lunch […]
Charlie Sheen to his Audience: “I’ve already Got Your Money!”
“I’ve already got your money!” cried fired comedian and druggie loser Charlie Sheen, to an audience member who demanded a refund in Detroit’s Fox theater on Saturday night. It went downhill from there, according to an AP story in today’s paper. Who deserves to be called out as a fraud […]
Breakfast with 3 Members of the Greatest Generation
I had breakfast today with three members of what some have called the Greatest Generation. It was my father, Nathaniel, and his two longtime friends, Sandy and Philip. All three men are in their mid-eighties and I felt honored to join them at their regular Saturday morning ritual, dining at […]
Forget Returning Bottles, Cardboard is the New Hot Commodity
A few years ago, the price of recycled paper was so low that municipalities were no longer getting any money from the tons of waste they brought down to the Springfield Materials Handling facility off I-91 in Springfield. The market had tanked, we were drowning in an oversupply, and things […]