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I missed taking note of Bastille Day (July 14), but my family has been following Le Tour de France on the Versus Channel. The coverage is first-rate—and worth watching as a travelogue as much as for a bicycle race. In honor of the French (mostly French Canadian) roots of many…
Read More »The Lowell Summer Music Series charges ahead this weekend with ’90s alt-rockers Cake on Friday and singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading on Saturday night. Think of the presenters for the next couple of days, and give the Woodstock cheer: “No rain, no rain, no rain.” For ticket info and the full schedule,…
Read More »From www.truth-out.org, there’s an interesting op-ed essay by Henry A. Giroux titled “The Disappearing Intellectual in the Age of Economic Darwinism.” He assesses the impact of this trend on public conversation and policy-making in our democratic republic. Giroux really smacks “academics,” whom he says are not as a group responding to the…
Read More »Boston.com has a lead story by Globe business reporter Rob Gavin about the need for workers in Massachusetts with mid-level skills for jobs in pharmaceuticals, health care, insurance, and more areas. Based on a new employment study, the article makes a strong case for more emphasis on community college programs to…
Read More »Kudos to Glenn Prezzano for making Merrimack Valley Magazine better and better with each issue. As a region, the Merrimack Valley needs this kind of publication to develop and maintain a distinct personality and image. The combination of local content, local writers, local photographers and designers, and business talent is…
Read More »National columnist E. J. Dionne in his latest essay charts a route out of the political thicket for the Obama-led Democrats, but he senses a nagging lack of passion among the “D’s” and sees “I’s” trending toward the GOP for the fall. Read Dionne’s essay here, which I picked up from…
Read More »Bob Dylan said you don’t need a weatherman to tell which way the wind’s blowing. Bob Forrant says we shouldn’t wait for the economists to tell us which way the economy went, but should seed the clouds ourselves to make some money rain. Read his latest take on the regional economy in…
Read More »Following is the third and final section of my poem “Colorado,” which I hope our readers have enjoyed. I’m working on a new collection of poems and prose sketches whose title is “Stars in the Dark.” The book includes older and new writings, most of which are not related to…
Read More »Really. Op-ed columnist Ross Douthat says the US needs a better targeted class fight that should pit “savers v. speculators, outsiders v. insiders, the industrious middle class v. the reckless, unproductive rich.” Read Douthat here, and consider subscribing to the NTY if you appreciate the writing.
Read More »Following is the second section of my poem “Colorado,” which I introduced yesterday. The Blood of Christ or Sangre de Cristo Mountains are in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. The range is either the beginning of the Rocky Mountains on the way north or the last stretch of the Rockies heading south.…
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