Candid Camera

Sixty two years ago today the iconic TV show Candid Camera first aired on ABC. Few people (or at least me anyway) remember that Candid Camera actually began as a radio show called Candid Microphone. In June of 1947 Candid Microphone hit the airwaves with a bang. Its quick success prompted…

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Book Review: Freefall

Joseph Stiglitz is one of the great economists of our time, a reputation that was secured even before he accurately predicted the financial collapse and its magnitude. He is a professor at Columbia University and a winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics. But perhaps more importantly, he is a…

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Walden: Life in the Woods

On this day in history August 9th –  a literary note – In 1854, Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden’’ which described Thoreau’s experiences while living near Walden Pond, was first published. Walden Pond State Reservation  Concord/Lincoln, Massachusetts  From the Massachusetts Depatment of  Conservation and Recreation website (more information here): Henry David Thoreau lived…

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1990 State Election

1990 was a big year in state politics. The voters elected a new Governor and Lt Governor, Treasurer and Attorney General. The following post has been added to our “Elections” section (see link at upper right) for future reference: In 1990, John Kerry was elected to his second term in…

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Bob Herbert: A Cause for Concern…for Alarm

Writing this week in the NYT, columnist Bob Herbert decried the educational slippage in the nation. He says we’re collectively, but especially the younger and up-and-coming generations, getting softer intellectually. He cites figures. UMass Lowell, I should say,  is doing its part to buck the trend described in the column. Note the comments, too, which…

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