Month: August 2013

40 Acres and a Mule

~ Randy Seaver ~ 5 Comments

I am a racist. Part of me is tempted to let that statement flutter alone in the social media stratosphere without context. I am curious about the the reaction, but I am not anxious to begin looking for a new job, new clients, new friends and a new wife. Of course, I'm talking here about degrees of … Continue reading 40 Acres and a Mule

Automatic for the People

~ Randy Seaver ~ 3 Comments

Note: Please see edits below. Maine Democrats are celebrating tonight, but I think they have a serious problem. Let me back up. Politics is fascinating. Don't puke just yet, at least not until you consider that observing politics offers the best of everything: intense drama, fierce competition and hilarious moments of human folly, all wrapped in a … Continue reading Automatic for the People

It’s hip to be square

~ Randy Seaver ~ Leave a comment

Seriously, could Biddeford become too hip? Don't laugh. It's now a question being asked in Somerville, Mass., another city that struggled to overcome negative stereotypes, according to a story from the Boston Globe. After almost three decades working the counter at Capone Foods in Somerville’s Union Square, Albert Capone has become a stranger in his own … Continue reading It’s hip to be square

Same as the old boss

~ Randy Seaver ~ Leave a comment

Joanne Twomey: A "real" Democrat? Some things never change. Once again, we are on the verge of another election cycle in the fair city of Biddeford, where local political maneuvering is a blood sport. According to the City Clerk's office, some very familiar faces have taken out nomination papers for a variety of elected positions. But … Continue reading Same as the old boss

Straight, No Chaser

~ Randy Seaver ~ 1 Comment

Yesterday was amazing. I'm not a social media expert, and I am wary of such titles. But I am fascinated by the new communications tools at our disposal. Within the last 48 hours, I published two new items on this blog, one about tension in Biddeford created by a push to enhance the city's "creative economy," … Continue reading Straight, No Chaser

Mr. Holland’s Opus

~ Randy Seaver ~ 2 Comments

Which Hollywood film better describes the city of Biddeford's ongoing struggle with issues such as "the creative economy," "cultural diversity" and elitism: Mr. Holland's Opus or Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome? In Thunderdome, a community barely surviving in a post-apocalyptic world is wary of strangers and outsiders. To avoid another global war, all disputes are settled by … Continue reading Mr. Holland’s Opus

When you’re a stranger

~ Randy Seaver ~ 1 Comment

Here's a picture now. Take a good look. Biddeford Mayor Alan Casavant and I are standing in line outside the Biddeford Ice Area on a Saturday night. Considering the hundreds of other people waiting in line with us, we both feel very out of place. We didn't know what to expect. We had front-row, ringside … Continue reading When you’re a stranger