Expectations are not high for the United Nations’ climate talks underway in Cancun, Mexico, but delegates hope to make some progress on laying the groundwork for a new agreement to address global warming. The conference, for instance, is looking for a way to ensure that nations follow through on pledges made a year ago in […]

Apparently the plight of the unemployed and the financial discomfort of the middle class is providing the leverage needed to guarantee generous tax breaks for those earning $250,000 a year and up. With Senate Republicans united behind the goal of preserving the Bush tax cuts, no other legislation was likely to move until the Democrats […]

I don’t know exactly what my sister’s husband is doing today, but I’ll find out when I call to wish him a happy birthday. I’ll be checking in not only because our chronological ages will be identical for the next couple of months, but because those individuals who were born on this date all need […]

Being the resilient creatures that we are, we always manage somehow to transcend all of the wrongs we commit against each other. No amount of force we exhibit in all of our misguided crusades against one another is ever too excessive. While we will stop at nothing to insist on justice or retribution from those […]

Thumbs up to the Dorcas Society of Buxton/Hollis for their determination to continue the tradition of performing “The Old Peabody Pew” every holiday season. Having a live performance of the work of famed author Kate Douglas Wiggin gives residents a true connection to the past and helps them feel a sense of community that would […]

Since the heating season is a time of heightened risk for home fires, now is the best time for everyone to consider ways to deal with the increased risk that cold weather brings. Home heating equipment is a leading cause of fires. Space heaters, including wood stoves, are particularly dangerous, accounting for 32 percent of […]

I can remember learning the multiplication tables as a kid. I liked the clear sequence of numbers, their calm, orderly pattern. I also liked the certainty they afforded ”“ two times two was always four; there was no room for haggling. The tables, we were told, were an essential part of life, a way to […]

A bipartisan bill passed by the U.S. Senate promises to reduce the dangers of food-borne illnesses ”“ if a final version can survive the turbulent politics of the lame duck session of Congress. There is a broad consensus that the safety of the nation’s food needs better protection. After a series of outbreaks, Americans now […]

For many low-income Mainers who struggle year-round just to stay even, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is essential to keeping warm through the winter. This week’s chill is a reminder that heating bills will only rise in the months ahead. Unfortunately, with the worst possible timing, LIHEAP is beginning the winter of 2010-11 […]

“Don’t touch my junk ”¦” These words, which went viral last week, still ring in the ears of many people when they think of overly aggressive TSA employees patting down airport passengers. A lot of people are outraged by other TSA actions that have brought about mixed emotions, concerning privacy and civil liberty issues, as […]