How often do you hear about Eid, or Ramadan? Probably not that many times, unless you are reading about it or have a neighbor who celebrates them. In the six years I have been in the U.S. I can barely remember going through the week without hearing the word Christmas or Easter; they are on […]
American Journal Opinion
Posted inAmerican Journal
Letter: Balentine’s column on biased media shows his own biases
John Balentine’s prescription (“Making the media great again, Nov. 3) is to eliminate all news reporting and have only “direct feeds” of events, thus eliminating the rampant bias he claims we (he?) are all weary of. He encourages us to “thank Trump for exposing the media’s biases” (“Fake News! Unfair!”). Balentine implies that reporting to […]
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Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Mainewhile: Sacrifice now to celebrate the future
We’re doing Thanksgiving a little differently in my family this year. Well, OK, a lot differently actually. Like you (I hope), we are staying apart in order to be able to be together once this virus is under control. Ethical qualms about the origins of the holiday aside, I love Thanksgiving. Love it. I know […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Here’s Something: Don’t lock ME down
There’s been a lot of talk of renewed lockdowns as coronavirus cases rise here in Maine and around the nation. For all our sakes, let’s hope it’s just mere talk. Joe Biden’s prediction of a “dark winter” during the final presidential debate was one of the bleakest things the Democrat said during the never-ending campaign. […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Life Unwound: Listening for lightness
I remember the Indigo Girls’ song with the line “Darkness has a hunger that’s insatiable but lightness has a call that’s hard to hear.” I wonder if what we hear is a matter of attention. I wonder if my focus, if our focus, gets pulled to the darkness, fed by the 24-hour news cycle, these […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Guest column: Seen from afar
Have you asked yourself how much our election matters to those outside of the United States? It may depend on who they are. But the refugees who were approved but then rejected due to the Trump travel ban see our election as a lifesaver for them. A Biden presidency is their only hope now. For […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Mainewhile: Hard truths, hard work have to be faced
Election 2020, possibly the longest, most stressful election in our nation’s history, has finally come to a close. We have a new president-elect. You can be forgiven if you thought of the election as an end point, the finish line. We have a habit of talking about it that way in our national conversations. But […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Here’s Something: Prepare now for Portland exodus
While most of the country rejected socialist economic policies and the progressive Democrat candidates espousing them on Election Day, Portland voters fully embraced government control of the economy and will soon feel its devastating effects. With Portland’s approval of rent control and a $15 minimum wage by 2024 – as well as a whopping $18 […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Here’s Something: Make the media great again
I’m going to make a prediction. No, not regarding the outcome of the election (which has yet to occur as of this writing), but regarding how Americans will soon get their news and information. The next trend in media will be direct sourcing of information. No filtering by editors and reporters. No middleman, in other […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Life Unwound: Finding calm amid chaos
In 1980, in a yoga class on my jade green mat, in a softly lit studio with gentle music playing, I found a way to quiet, even with a loud mind whirling like a ceiling fan and living in a country which thundered and raged like now. The teacher said, “Gradually something will ground you […]