| | | Monday, August 18
Many people have never heard of the DIF, or the Depositors Insurance Fund. Since 1934, this organization has quietly and dutifully been protecting depositors' money in Massachusetts mutual savings banks. The best part is, there are no forms to fill out, it costs you nothing, and it picks up and covers every cent in deposit accounts where FDIC coverage leaves off.
Full Story Monday, August 18
One of the most iconic images of the strength of America is the World War II poster of Rosie the Riveter with the bold words, "We Can Do It!" When our nation rose to the greatest challenge it had known, mobilizing to protect democracy and the free world, our efforts brought out the best in us.
Full Story Friday, August 15
If you're watching the Olympics, you'll see as many oil rigs as medal platforms this summer. John McCain's new ads feature a plug for new drilling off our coastlines (along with the usual, irrelevant accusations against his competitor.)
Republicans, belatedly acknowledging that economic problems are more than just "mental," think they've found a winning issue in rising
Full Story Friday, August 15
I spent last weekend selling my childhood. It wasn't something I had planned to do. After all, I was attending a bachelor party at Foxwoods Casino on Saturday, which has nothing to do with selling one's childhood. Gambling away your future, sure, but not your childhood.
I believe everyone should visit a casino at least once, just to see how it works.
Full Story Thursday, August 14
Windsor Lake in North Adams is not a natural body of water. It was created by the owners of the former Windsor Print Works to provide immense amounts of water needed to process its cloth.
Close to the turn of the 20th century, the Windsor management hired 100 immigrant laborers to build dikes on the west and south sides of a swampy area off Bradley Street known locally
Full Story Thursday, August 14
They chew tobacco mixed with cocaine, 10-year old children guarding checkpoints, carrying leftover Kalashnikov rifles capable of firing 600 rounds a minute and killing at 4,000 feet.
One of them asks an approaching American relief worker for candy. After getting some, the boy lets the man of mercy continue down the road to offer basic medicines to isolated, impoverished
Full Story Thursday, August 14
We have been embroiled in a no-win war in Iraq for the past five years, to the tune of $79 billion of American money to date, and are seemingly no nearer a resolution than when we engaged.
I can't even begin to contemplate the suffering and the casualties that the Iraqi people have endured, and I can assure you it has been much greater than our own.
Full Story Thursday, August 14
Often now as I travel about, many will recognize either my truck or me because I have a passion for restoring wildlife and, specifically, for working diligently to bring back habitat suitable for good wildlife populations.
Invariably the conversation will start something like this:
"I used to see a lot of quail and rabbits when I was growing up.
Full Story Wednesday, August 13
Johnnie Carrier
When my doctor called on Saturday morning, I knew it was for reasons other than he wanted me to come to a BBQ to allow me the chance to impress his wife and friends with my uncanny knowledge about "Wrestlemania" or my screaming at apparitions in imitation of Mary Todd Lincoln.
Full Story Monday, August 11
It's easy to get disappointed with life. Some may say that teenagers have the easy life. And without me pointing out the simple facts that, yes, we do not have to pay the bills and raise a family, we still do encounter things that can bring us down just as easily as the late-fee or the messy kitchen or the cranky boss.
Full Story Monday, August 11
Relish magazine
In her book "CookWise" (William Morrow, 1997), Shirley O. Corriher has a chapter called "How rich it is!" which focuses on recipes in which fat is a major ingredient.
If you're not a food chemist but someone who likes to bake cakes, you'll probably enjoy reading the section on cakes where Corriher explains what makes the liquidy mass of ingredients that
Full Story Monday, August 11
Hello, my name is Seth, and I am an addict. Like most addicts, I've been on and off the wagon a number of times. There were times where I was almost clean, and there were times when I had a three-pack-a-week habit.
I picked up the addiction before I went off to college, but once I wasn't living with my parents, things got worse.
Full Story Monday, August 11
Dawn, my wife, now walks around as if she is Paris Hilton (after suffering the debilitating effects of gravity, of course). The reason for this transformation is due to the arrival of Zelda.
Zelda is our 10-week-old cav-a-poo (or cav-a-doodle) who is half Prince Charles cavalier spaniel and half poodle.
Full Story Friday, August 8
Swift Boaters, make room on board for Paris Hilton. We knew it was coming. Every four years, just as Olympic promos start saturating the air, Republicans sic their misguided, misleading or entirely untruthful attack ads on the Democratic nominee.
Apparently, endless war, rising gas prices and a government that is out of control aren't enough for us to worry about; we also
Full Story Friday, August 8
I remember when, if you ate meat on Friday, you would go straight to You-Know-Where.
When I was very young, my mother, on summer Friday mornings took me by the hand and we went to the North Adams railroad depot where the "fish car" was on a siding. Several kinds of fresh fish were displayed on pans of ice for housewives to make their choices.
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