Four years ago this week, (the third week of February) I was discharged from Spring Harbor, a psychiatric hospital in Westbrook, Maine. It was my most recent hospitalization. I have been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for more than 40 years, sometimes on a voluntary basis; other times as an involuntary patient. I have … Continue reading The Dangerous Type
Category: LESSONS IN MEDIOCRITY
Biddeford After Dark | When writing was fun
Biddeford After Dark” is a five-part series of articles that I wrote more than 20 years ago while serving as the editor of the Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier. According to what I wrote at the time, the purpose of the Biddeford After Dark series was “to explore what was often ignored: what happens in our community after most people have gone to sleep.”
I’m a boy and I’m a man
Ralph Waldo Emerson once quipped that “a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” This week, I offer a solid example in which society is best served from at least a little bit of consistency. State Rep. Maggie O’Neil (D-Saco) has introduced a bill (LD 706) to lower the voting age in Maine from … Continue reading I’m a boy and I’m a man
Outrageous Fortune
Every time I start to feel a bit of optimism about the future, the reality hammer drops on my head. Today, we learned that restaurants in southern Maine will not be able to re-open as originally scheduled because of ongoing concerns about the Cov-19 epidemic. The social media reaction to this news has been swift … Continue reading Outrageous Fortune
Climate Change: what your parents never told you
‘In the absence of science, religion flourishes . . .’ -Unknown One of today’s most hotly debated public policy matters is the subject of Climate Change, formerly known as “global warming.” Before I go any further with a blog post that will surely divide my followers and Facebook “friends,” let’s get right to the meat … Continue reading Climate Change: what your parents never told you
Political shakeup in Saco
Following the unexpected announcement that State Sen. Linda Valentino (D) will not seek re-election for a third term in the senate, there has been a seismic shift in the city of Saco's political landscape. State Rep. Justin Chenette -- Valentino's protegé -- announced simultaneously that he would seek Valentino's seat. Both moves were kept secret … Continue reading Political shakeup in Saco
Bad News for Saco, Good News for Saco
BREAKING NEWS . . . And this just in from over the transom: According to multiple sources, State Senator Linda Valentino, a Democrat, is expected to announce Sunday (March 6) that she will not seek reelection to the Maine State Senate. Valentino, who has served two terms in the Senate and is now a member … Continue reading Bad News for Saco, Good News for Saco
Gimme back my bullets
There is a good article in today's Portland Press Herald: Maine boosts reporting to FBI database to prevent gun purchases by mentally ill. As an advocate of both mentally ill people and the Second Amendment, I was pleased to see that the newspaper approached the issue is such a comprehensive manner. During gun control debates, … Continue reading Gimme back my bullets
Money for nothing
There were a few lessons to be learned this week for campaign operatives and political junkies in Maine. 1.) A financial war chest does not necessarily win an election; 2.) Voters in small communities become weary of aggressive campaigning that lasts for more than two or three months; and 3.) Negative campaign tactics still work, … Continue reading Money for nothing
Dog Day Afternoon
Like everyone else in Biddeford, State senator David Dutremble is troubled by the allegations of child sexual abuse that has roiled this city for the past several weeks. On June 23, Dutremble wrote on Facebook: “The more we dig, the sicker I become with my city!!” https://www.facebook.com/#!/ddutremble/posts/10153347027281590?pnref=story I called him out on that post because … Continue reading Dog Day Afternoon
