Author Archives: Jim deMaine

“Honest Men Like Me”

Commentary by Heather Cox Richardson Today’s major stories must be seen in the context of President Donald Trump’s dramatic losses in court and his plummeting poll numbers. Yesterday, Trump told the Department of Justice to investigate ActBlue, the platform that … Continue reading

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The Ugly Historical Echoes of Kennedy’s Comments on Autism

By Jessica Grose Opinion Writer in the NYT (thanks to Ed M) Last week Robert F. Kennedy Jr. held his first news briefing as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, to address a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and … Continue reading

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Smoke signals

Thanks to Pam P.

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Gov. Josh Shapiro: Finding Moral Clarity After an Arsonist’s Attack

By Josh Shapiro — Mr. Shapiro is the governor of Pennsylvania (thanks to Mary Jane F.) I woke up to yelling in the hallway. A few seconds later, there was a bang on the door. It was just after 2 a.m., … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, Government, Religion | 1 Comment

Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge gains recognition for trees more than 300 years old

Thanks to Pam P. for noting this small but significant contribution to Earth Day The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge has officially been recognized by the Old Growth Forest Network, a nonprofit dedicated to identifying and preserving ancient forests across … Continue reading

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Can’t help

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Earth Day

By Heather Cox Richardson Today is Earth Day, celebrated for the first time in 1970. The spark for the first Earth Day was the 1962 publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. A marine biologist and best-selling author, Carson showed the … Continue reading

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One more scam to beware of

Thanks to Mary M.

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Noble Prize winner talks about future of AI

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What is ‘ordo amoris?’ Vice President JD Vance invokes this medieval Catholic concept

Ed note: As reported in the NYT Pope Francis and JD Vance don’t see eye to eye on what loving the neighbor should mean. “Pope Francis on Tuesday harshly criticized President Trump’s policy of mass deportations and urged Catholics to … Continue reading

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The rebel

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Word of the year by the Economist in 2024

from Wikipedia (thanks to Mary M.) A kakistocracy (/ˌkækɪˈstɒkrəsi/ KAK-ist-OK-rə-see) is a government run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens.[1]: 54 [2][3] The word was coined as early as the 17th century,[4] and is derived from two Greek words, kákistos (κάκιστος, ‘worst’) and krátos (κράτος, ‘rule’), with a literal meaning … Continue reading

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It’s time to expand your vocabulary

Thanks to Tim B.

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Movie title message

Just read them in sequence! Thanks to Tim B.

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A baker’s view of Easter and Passover

Thanks to Ed M.

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Hooked on the Mariners?

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First They Came – by Pastor Martin Niemöller

from the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust First they came for the CommunistsAnd I did not speak outBecause I was not a CommunistThen they came for the SocialistsAnd I did not speak outBecause I was not a SocialistThen they came for … Continue reading

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Need to smile? Enjoy the one-liners!

Thanks to Ed M.

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What’s Happening Is Not Normal. America Needs an Uprising That Is Not Normal.

Ed note: This “call to action” by David Brooks is a challenge to us all. What steps strategically will help to slow the tsunami of dysfunctional destructive edits coming from the White House? Doing nothing, thus caving in, isn’t an … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Education, Government, Law, Politics | Leave a comment

Among the prisoners

Thanks to Mike C.

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‘This Should Be Shocking:’ Read a Federal Appeals Panel’s Sharp Rebuke of the Trump Administration

By Adam Liptak and Alan Feuer in the NYT Ed note: I hope we all have a chance to read this beautiful 7 page ruling below from the conservative Judge Wilkson. It states in clear language that we all (citizens or not) have … Continue reading

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Ordering your eggs

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One Simple Hack to Ruin Your Easter

The price of eggs has some online creators suggesting that potatoes are a suitable alternative. Please believe me, they are wrong. By Kaitlyn Tiffany in the Atlantic (thanks to Mary M.) Like countless others who have left their hometown to live … Continue reading

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News Commentary by Heather Cox Richardson

Ed note: Heather Cox Richardson’s newsletter gives context to current events that is more readable and incisive than most commentators. I’ll try to more frequently post her essays because of the need to put the daily chaos into some kind … Continue reading

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Taxes

Thanks to MaryLou P. A fine is a tax you pay for doing wrong, and a tax is a fine you pay for doing all right. Everybody should pay his income tax with a smile. I tried it, but they … Continue reading

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