LBJ’s Power Broker Legacy Began While He Was in College
I read an interview today in the WSJ with Robert Caro, the historian famous for his super sized collection of books about Lydon Baines Johnson. He told Brian Bolduc a story that revealed a lot about the man who would be president, then decide not to run again. When LBJ […]
Writing Is Harder for Some and Gadgets Easier for Others
Writing is much harder than you’d think it would be. I get this every time I sit down with someone far more technically proficient than me, what I get is that to them, the hardest thing is thinking of what to say. That’s not true for a long-time blogger; our […]
It’s Hot to Live Near the Train Station
There is a huge movement toward living near railroad stations. Building techniques and quieter trains mean that people are paying top dollar to live right next to the tracks. To ditch one’s car commute seems like the ultimate urban treat. A story in the WSJ today included photos of Collingswood, […]
Greenfield Emphatically Says “YES!” to New High School
If I lived in Greenfield, I’d be in the majority of the voters who last night overwhelmingly approved borrowing $24 million to receive matching state funds to build a new $66 million high school. I think that anyone would agree that the existing school wasn’t up to any kind of […]
The Rip Van Winkle of the Civil War
I often dig down rabbit holes chasing stories getting myself lost in tales of history and current events. I found out today at the NY Times website about a man who was known as the Rip Van Winkle of the Civil War. The piece was written by Albin Kowalewski. Isaac […]
What Happens to our Passwords When We Die?
When you die, what happens to the things that keep us all connected while we are living? What happens to someone’s Facebook page, or Twitter account? Who turns that off, who takes care of these details? How many people, I wonder, have left this earth with unread emails that nobody […]
Would You Trade in Dog Poop for Wi-Fi?
I read on a scurrilous website called Jezebel a story about how a Mexico City park is dealing with dog poop. To encourage people to be vigilant about their collecting and scooping, officials have devised a box with a scale on it. For each dog poop deposited, it measures out […]
Don’t Throw Out that T-Shirt, Recycle It!
Tucked inside a supplement in last week’s Gazette was a fascinating story about what happens to the clothes we don’t want. A photo of bales of compacted used clothing each weighing half a ton was taken at the Salvation Army Donation Center in Springfield. I remember in the market in […]
Welcome Rain and Pondering Becoming One of ‘Them’
In my country neighborhood in South Deerfield, we truly appreciate this slow, steady rain. Mostly because I live next to a tilled field, and since it was so warm in March, they plowed it much earlier than usual this year. Our window sills and our deck get caked with the […]
Your Foot Is a Terrible Thing to Waste
Have you ever broken a bone, or believed that your bone was more ok than it really was? After breaking my foot in March, requiring surgery and pins to hold the bones together, two weeks on I began relaxing and walking around with my black boot brace on. I was […]
Cups and Trophies Crashed to the Ground
Don’t you hate it when that happens? Today’s WSJ reports that the Coaches Trophy, awarded to Alabama after winning the BCS National championship in January was knocked over and shattered by the father of a Crimson Tide player. The $30,000 crystal football trophy wasn’t the first that was broken by […]
Which Cell Phone Club Are You A Member Of?
Have we become our cellphones? Many members of the Android club proudly eschew anything made by Apple’s arrogant late CEO, Steve Jobs. They proudly sit in front of PCs and for phones—no iPhones for them. They’re Android people. No music from iTunes? No problem, they’re just happy to not give […]
Seeing Today’s Crowd, I Realized, Andrea–You Did Have an Impact
Today I joined what felt like nearly 1000 people to celebrate the life and untimely early death of a dynamo woman who made an impact across the valley and across New England. Among the speakers this morning at the very packed Log Cabin, in their biggest banquet hall, was a […]
An Elderly Couple in a Customized Van Chases Away Sunday’s Blues
Sunday afternoons can often be times of melancholy. I’m not sure why, but I’m pretty sure it goes back to my days as a schoolboy, thinking that no matter what I did, having to go to school was only hours away. Not that I hated school, it was just that […]
Hey man, like, What Happened to the Smoke Out?
Every April 20 at the University of Colorado at Boulder, ten thousand visitors descend on the Norlin Quad to join the many thousands of students who live there for a day of civil disobedience. They light up joints, fill bowls full of weed, and flaunt their right to get high, […]
Andrea Raphael: A Bright and Shining Smile and a Hug for Everyone
A bright, shining smile was what you got when you locked eyes with Andrea Raphael. She was always so happy to see you, in fact she was thrilled. Her passing leaves a giant hole in our community and mostly in the lives of her small children Christopher and Maeve and […]
Are You a Tough Enough To Be a Tough Mudder?
In our age, there is a never ending quest to be the toughest and the mightiest, and it’s a battle to come up with events that are each harder than the next. It’s no longer enough to run dozens of miles and swim dozens of meters. Meet the Tough Mudder. […]
Fenibo Plays Nigerian Afro Pop Hits at the Arts Block
On Saturday night the Arts Block was jumping with the sweet rhythms of Nigeria when the big 12-piece band called Fenibo played their Nigerian Afro beat music for an enthusiastic crowd of dancers. Fenibo himself is the band’s only Nigerian, he’s shown at the left of the photo. Some of […]