A little after 9 this morning I heard an explosion from outside the house and caught sight of a simultaneous flash out our front door. A large tree limb had fallen across the power line that runs down a side street to the houses behind. We never lost power but…
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At 845 am the wind is moderate with higher gusts; the rain is steady but the intensity varies. NECN reports that Hurricane Irene has now cleared New York City and is heading into Connecticut. The expected track will take it north-northeast through that state and then on into Central Massachusetts.…
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The city of Lowell announced about a year ago plans to identify the Palin Plaza area of the Lower Highlands neighborhood “Cambodia Town” in an effort to brand that sub-neighborhood with an ethnic identity reflecting its residents and businesses and also to create a possible tourist destination. It seems that…
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Yesterday the Archdiocese of Boston published the names of 159 priests and former priests who were in some way connected to the clergy sex abuse scandal. While victim rights groups were pleased with this release, they were also critical that many other names were still being withheld. These included clergy…
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A message on my home answering machine alerted me that the book I had ordered had arrived. The call was just in time because even though I had forgotten the title of the book, I knew the Pollard Memorial Library book club meeting was next week (Thursday, September 1 at…
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The Patriots took a break from their study of practice film last night and saw a real movie, The Fighter. The evening was particularly special for the players because joining them for the movie and a discussion afterward was Micky Ward (shown above with Deion Branch). Here is the reaction…
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I suspect there’s been dirty tricks in politics since there has been politics. Nixon’s resignation as president of the United States really grew out of dirty tricks on steroids. So the internet is not the cause of modern political shenanigans, but it has helped the “art form”, if you want…
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Here’s a story that’s stuck with me ever since I heard it many years ago: A severe flood was forecast but John, a man of great faith, refused to evacuate. As the water rose, a National Guard truck pulled up to take him to safety. John refused to go, saying…
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Spinning through the radio dial yesterday I came upon a national political talk show and caught a caller from Texas proclaim that Jon Huntsman was no conservative because he “flunked all four tests” which were (1) he supported same sex marriage (when the host interjected that Huntsman only was for…
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I can’t say I recall hearing the names Nick Ashford or Jerry Leiber before seeing their respective obituaries this week, but I certainly recognized many of the songs they independently wrote. Working his co-composer and then wife, Valerie Simpson, Ashford’s songs include Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Your Precious Love,…
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