It’s time for the Veepstakes, a cherished American pastime. But at the risk of ruining our current fun — who’s gonna partner up with Kamala Harris? — it’s my sad obligation to point out that rarely, if ever, does the choice of a running mate make a big difference in the balloting. Granted, it’s possible […]

Bowling didn’t make the cut again. Neither will baseball and softball, ballroom dancing, pole dancing and a host of other sports be featured in the 2024 Summer Olympics games in Paris. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is picky about the sports it chooses. A sport must be widely practiced globally, draw a high level of […]

Several events have got me thinking about my own mortality. To wit: I profiled a 96-year-old man for Oak Leaves, the Thornton Oaks monthly newsletter. When I asked his age, he said, “I’m 69, but I have dyslexia.” He ended our conversation by saying, “I don’t know why death is so popular but everyone seems […]

The political campaign these days often makes it sound as if the ultimate fate of the democracy and the country will be decided in November. It’s now or never. But this year’s election, though of unusual importance, will not represent the last word in American history no matter how much the campaigns raise fears. Of […]

For the first time since the horrific events of June 7 — when a man released on bail in Auburn murdered one person and burned down two houses before being shot to death by police — the newly renamed Maine Commission on Public Defense Services met last week to consider the enormous backlog in finding […]

It suddenly, 70 years later, floated to the surface of my brain in my morning shower, the most common venue for all my important brain surfacings. It was a song I’d been taught as a kid in Music class. A stirring song. Rousing. Inspiring. Weird. These were the words: “Morning comes early and bright with […]

The next four weeks, culminating in the Democratic National Convention, are crucial for Kamala Harris. Half-buried until now in the thankless job of vice president, Harris has an excellent second chance to make a favorable first impression – to successfully define herself and her candidacy, trumping Team MAGA’s tsunami of smears. In the brief passage […]