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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…
Read More »The Moses Greeley Parker Lectures’ new season has already begun. Click here for the 2011-12 schedule. The programs are free and open to the public thanks to the generosity of Mr Parker many decades ago. The series began in 1917. The Lunchtime Lectures require reservations because of food service planning.…
Read More »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…
Read More »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…
Read More »Burning of Washington 1814 On this day August 24, 1814 British forces invaded Washington, D.C. and set fire to the Capitol and the White House. Most members of Congress and other officials fled from DC when they got word that British forces under General Robert Ross overwhelmed American militiamen at…
Read More »Warren Buffett got the ball rolling in this country with his NYTimes op-ed piece calling for higher taxes on the super-rich—really, going back to brackets that existed not long ago. And now bbc.com is reporting that some ultra-wealthy citizens of France are calling on their government to tax them more…
Read More »Fort Monroe today, with the city of Hampton, Va., beyond it. The star-shaped citadel is the Civil War-era fortress. The Sesquicentennial Remembrance of the American Civil War has engendered a tremendous groundswell of grass roots preservation activism. Many of these activists are hoping to see a new role for historically…
Read More »“Blue Carnival” by Richard Marion (c) 2011 See more artwork at www.richardmarion.net
Read More »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,…
Read More »Some recent nights have been noticeably cooler, a sure sign that fall is on the way. The colder weather outside reminds us that we will soon need to activate our home heating systems so it’s an appropriate time to think about energy conservation. The city of Lowell has launched a…
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