As I watch the horrors of this administration unfold, I am struck by how much of this was predicted but not inevitable. We remember Orwell’s “1984,” and its depiction of a dictatorial society. Then there was Nostradamus and his predictions for our time with plagues (COVID and measles), natural disasters (climate change) and the creation […]

My friends said they were coming to my office. I didn’t know why. I worried. They walked in with happy tears. Her sister and niece had been given permission to come from South America. These friends are my family here. They’ve made Maine home in a way that I pray we Mainers reciprocate. I have […]

Sen. Susan Collins “presses RFK Jr. during contentious hearing.” How many times have we seen this headline? In this case, it reminds me of someone asking an arsonist to explain why he kept starting fires after hiring him to be the chief of the fire department. As I recall, the senator explained that her vote […]

The Economist magazine talks about the insurance industry. Many homes are uninsurable because of the rising ocean, flooding and wildfires. Insurance companies can’t sustain the losses and remain solvent. These properties are not insurable. This is what happens to capital holdings from ignoring climate change. A property without insurance means no bank mortgage. The property […]

According to the Maine Principals’ Association, there are two transgender athletes competing in high school sports in Maine. The headline of one recent article was “NCAA president says there are ‘less than 10’ transgender athletes in college sports.” A letter last week asked us to “imagine” a conversation between parents and their “athletically talented, elementary-aged […]

In Maine middle schools in the mid-1960s, students received civics instruction. We were taught that the proper salutation for elected officials began with the word honorable. Hence, we referred to the Honorable Sen. Muskie, the Honorable Gov. Curtis, etc., as we sometimes contacted our elected officials in civics learning endeavors. This acknowledgement of praiseworthy regard […]

High school sports have never been about fairness. If they were, everybody would come across the finish line at the same time. Short, stout fellows like me would not be seen as having any kind of advantage over athletic girls. But I have never been any good at sports. I did participate. I ran in […]