“Have you ever noticed a tree standing naked against the sky, How beautiful it is? All its branches are outlined, and in its nakedness There is a poem, there is a song.” — Krishnamurti My mother would have celebrated her 87th birthday last week, and reading the above words reminds me of something she said […]

U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins upheld regulations for clean air last week by voting against the Congressional Review Act. Mainers should be pleased our senators stood up for the health of Maine’s air, and urge the women to continue their support of reasonable environmental regulations. The resolution, introduced by Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY, […]

Thanks to creativity, hubris and the ability to utterly disregard whatever vestiges of a conscience he may have possessed, Lee Atwater carved out a wildly successful career as a political strategist. As George H. W. Bush’s campaign manager during the 1988 presidential election, he organized the spreading of rumors about Michael Dukakis’ imaginary mental illness, […]

A high school football coach in Wyoming recently crossed the line with a survey he gave to his players asking about their feelings. Buffalo, Wyo. High School football coach Pat Lynch gave his players a survey entitled “Hurt Feelings Report” in which players on his team were asked to select from various offensive options to […]

National Recycling Day is coming up on Tuesday, Nov. 15, so Maine is now recognizing its own recycling week with several entities trying to get the word out about the importance and benefits of the three Rs: Reduce, reuse and recycle. Biddeford will celebrate Recycling Day today from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the […]

Thumbs up to all the supporters of 19th Century Willowbrook Village, which announced last week it will be able to open for both the 2012 and 2013 seasons. It’s heartening to see the community rally around this organization by hosting fundraiser dinners and purchasing memberships. We’re glad Willowbrook will continue to welcome visitors and hope […]

Veterans Day is here again, giving us all time to pause and recognize the contributions of all those who have served in the armed forces, past and present. It’s a good time to remember that this day was originally called Armistice Day, made a legal holiday in 1938 by the federal government as a way […]

In response to my now famous “the-class-war-is-over-the-rich-guys-won” column, a gentleman from Kentucky writes a rather snarky letter posing several piercing questions that I will now answer: Q: How much do we have to make to be “rich?” A: There’s no set number for richness. Generally, $250,000 a year is a good wage, but if you […]

Is Herman Cain ready for the presidency of the United States of America? Allegations about past incidents could haunt his Republican candidacy, even though his business experience and personality have drawn support. The road could be rocky for him for two reasons: Lack of trust and of appropriate experience. The Republican campaign for the nomination […]

Board members of 19th Century Willowbrook Village in Newfield announced some good news this week: The museum will be able to open for both the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Supporters said this summer the museums’ future would be in danger without financial support, but earlier this week said they will press on for at least […]