The Visit . When I saw her gnarled fingers, shaved head, eyes like knots of wood, I didn’t say anything. He waved her out of the room, asked us to sit down, served iced drinks. He talked about ’75 when he worked security at the embassy in Phnom Penh and…
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After a little respite local playwright Jack Neary is back blogging. This entry is cross posted from Jack’s own blog, titled Shards. Welcome back Jack. Clearly, I need to work on my blogging. Clearly, I am not a dedicated blogger. It’s good that I have only eight followers, because, clearly,…
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From BBC news online here’s a report on yesterday’s sentencing of Khmer Rouge prison overseer Kaing Guek Eav or “Comrade Duch” to 35 years in jail. He may, however, only be required to serve 19 years. The public response in Cambodia was mixed, with some people saying they had expected…
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The article below concerning UMass Lowell student Paula Bustus of Andover and the Bridgewell Day Center first appeared in the Andover Townsman. It is an interesting read. Local engineer-to-be develops fun tool to help developmentally disabled UMass Lowell electrical engineering student Paula Bustus of Andover had had no experience with…
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The Annie E. Casey Foundation* whose focus is on “helping vulnerable kids and families succeed” has just released its National KIDS COUNT program report. The report evaluates the status of “kids” using 10 indicators: Percent low birth weight babies Infant mortality rate Child death rate Teen death rate Teen birth rate…
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According to a story at SouthCoastToday.com – the Governors of Massachusetts and Rhode Island have signed a memorandum of understanding about any development of off-shore wind farms. The Governors see this as a move to protect the interests of both states and to position them to best take advantage of every economic and environmental…
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Uncle Dave is stirring it up again over there at the NYT. Today he’s channeling his young liberal self in a green army jacket who got practical along the way older and turned “kinda conservative.” What’s really going on is that he admires President Obama. He wants to see him…
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Marie posted a link to the boston.com story about today’s historic decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in the case of Papadopoulos v Target Corporation. The case involves not a controversial social issue but the nuances of tort law, but it’s repercussions for property owners are far-reaching. Mr Papadopoulos…
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Some observations about this year’s Lowell Folk Festival from a casual observer (me) who can remember the first one many years ago: The many performance sites – Boarding House Park, JFK Plaza, Lee Street Stage, St Anne’s, Market Street Stage and Dutton Street Dance Pavilion – make the festival more…
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It has become common since the beginning of the Tea Party movement to hear Thomas Jefferson’s “Tree of Liberty” letter quoted. Specifically, the sentences about the need for shedding the blood of patriots and tyrants and about the need for a rebellion every twenty years or so. I had always…
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