It began in 1999 as a weekly column in the Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier — and then jumped here — and then jumped to an occasional column in Saco Bay News and then was finally retired and archived here after I launched the Biddeford Gazette in November 2024.
Between 2000 and 2001, All Along the Watchtower was also a live, weekly talk show that was aired on Biddeford’s public access television station. My good friend — and best man — Brian Keely was my co-host. We had such fun. I miss those days, but I miss Brian more.
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It’s hard for me to believe that people have been paying me to write local and state news for more than 30 years, but here I am — living my dream of working on crushing deadlines with intense public scrutiny, horrible hours and pathetic wages.
In reality, my roots in journalism can be traced back to the mid 1970s, when I was 11 years old and delivering both the Portland Press Herald and Journal Tribune. Even then, I was fascinated by journalism and politics. Eric Reiss, then editor of the Journal Tribune, allowed me to experience working in a newsroom as an unpaid, student intern in 1981. I was hooked.
My professional journalism career didn’t begin until many years later, starting in the mid 1990s. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege and honor of working with some of Maine’s most notable and respected news editors. I tried to learn along the way. The results are mixed, but I always loved the job.
Today, I run my own non-profit news company, covering my hometown of Biddeford, Maine. I try to share what I have learned — and what I have failed to learn — with anyone who will listen to me bloviate about the industry. I infrequently teach a basic journalism class via the Biddeford Adult Education program. FMI | CONTACT
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My professional public relations career began in 2006 when I was hired as a senior associate at Barton & Gingold, a Portland-based firm with a stellar, statewide reputation for political and policy consulting. The firm was sold in 2017, and I then decided to launch my own specialty firm.
Today, I continue to advise a diverse array of clients throughout New England, concentrating on providing written content and legislative/referendum campaign management. CLIENT TESTIMONAL EXAMPLES
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I abhor political correctness and identity politics. In these posts, I take the gloves off and tackle topics ranging from abortion and gun control to climate change and LGBTQ+ issues. If you’re easily offended, don’t visit this section of the site.
Democrats describe me as a “right-wing lunatic.” Republicans describe me as “a liberal reject with no moral compass.” My Libertarian friends describe me as “a pandering, feckless writer desperate for attention and adoration. I wear all three of these labels proudly.
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I have been hospitalized on various psychiatric units more than 20 times – voluntarily and involuntarily — since being honorably discharged from the U.S. Air Force back in 1982.
I was last hospitalized in 2016. This is now the longest stretch of my adult life outside of a psychiatric unit. I take medications, participate in ongoing therapy and underwent rigorous rounds of ECT (Electro-Convulsive Therapy) treatments.
I am lucky. I have good health insurance. I have an amazing and supportive spouse. I am not facing food nor housing insecurity. Surprisingly, despite my terrible diet and complete lack of exercise, I am relatively healthy. I also have several really good friends. I rely on them. Heavily.
With all those things, I can work, function and be a contributing member of society. More often than not, mental illness is an invisible illness. If you ever wonder why more people don’t seek treatment or get help, just look at some of those Facebook comments that were made about Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. during his U.S. Senate confirmation hearings. Or take a look at how Hollywood still treats mental illness with films such as Silence of the Lambs.
Today, I am a self-appointed advocate of those who suffer in the shadows while battling their own mental health challenges. I have participated in public forums and testified on these issues before the Maine Legislature,
It’s 2026, and stigma is still a thing. Let’s all try to do better.
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LESSONS IN MEDIOCRITY | OUTLAW JOURNALIST 