He Teaches Physics…and Can Explain It
Last night I attended a meeting of the local cable TV station. A sort of goofy guy my age sat down next to me, and said he was there because his son was attending the meeting. “I’m the driver,” he explained. But later as we sat together eating pizza, he […]
High Speed Rail in Western Mass: Yes, We Can!
Train service is one of the things that travelers know is much better in Europe and Asia than in the US. Who hasn’t traveled to say, Switzerland or England, and marveled at the speed and the efficiency of their rail transport? I took a train across Austria a few years […]
Obama Thinks He Can Sell Us Anything
I voted for Obama, like everyone I know. But it’s been hard for me to put into words why I’m disappointed in how his presidency has worked out. Despite the virulent naysayers who can’t find anything amiss, I found a writer, Bret Stephens of the WSJ, who put it into […]
In the Slums of Naples, Bosses are Challenged
In the gloom that we called Sunday afternoon, we watched a movie filmed in contemporary Naples called Gomorrah. Like its Biblical namesake, this southern Italian city is indeed a place full of vices and the portrayal of life in the tenements was gritty and grim. It was one of those […]
When Times Are Tough, Give and You Get
January is a tough month, as anyone with a payroll and hungry vendors can attest. But it is wise to consider that every year, we survive and thrive and make it to February and beyond. I called up my sister this morning and she gave me some interesting advice. Counter-intuitive, […]
It’s the Time of Year When We Hate It Here
Now is the time that every one of us here in New England settles into our winter funk. We ask ourselves why we do this, why we live in a place that for so much of the year is unfriendly because people are so cold. Slipping around on ice, trying […]
At the Neighborhood Watch, We Share Our Stories
Last night a meeting was held in a Holyoke elementary school, gathering people together who live in Ward 7. It was about forming a neighborhood watch, after many of us had been burglarized. When the official from the Sheriff’s office asked who had been broken into, a majority of people’s […]