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The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barrons own blog. Paul Levy was the much-admired executive director of the Mass Water Resources Authority, who, from 1988-1992, led the stunningly successful cleanup of Boston Harbor.  He had previously chaired the Mass. Department of Public Utilities (1983-1987) and followed that…

The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog. After the failure of last week’s Senate vote on creating an independent commission to review the events of January 6th, attention has increased on the need to do something to end or modify the filibuster. Sadly, Democratic Senator…

The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog. In what rational universe could a democratic institution have 54 votes to advance an idea and 35 votes against, and the proposition fails? It would also have failed if there were 59 votes for it and just one…

The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons Barron’s own blog. Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips is a first novel set in the isolated Russian peninsular community of KamChatka, after the demise of the Soviet Union.  It’s hard-scrabble living even in its principal city of Petropavlovsk.  The story grabs…

The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog. Will in the World : How Shakespeare became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt This impeccably researched book has been called one of the best books ever about William Shakespeare.  I haven’t read them all, or even most. Still, I can…

The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog. Today marks four months since the US Capitol was stormed by a mob intent on blocking Congress from accepting the Electoral College win for President Joe Biden. Inside the Capitol, a smaller mob of 147 Republicans, also seeking…

The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons Barrons own blog. If you expected President Joe Biden to be a stuttering old man with a puzzled look on his face and wearing Depends, you may be disappointed. In his first 100 days and in his first speech to…

Less than 24 hours after Major Anderson had surrendered Fort Sumter, Massachusetts Adjutant General William Schouler sent Colonel Edward Jones, the commander of the Sixth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, the following instructions:  “Col. Jones: Sir, I am directed by His Excellency, the Commander-in-Chief, to order you to muster your regiment…