May 22nd, 2026 | Architecture and Design, General, History, Politics, Society at Large
“Trump announces planned DC site for sculpture garden / Raises questions on congressional approval needs.” Dan Diamond, Washington Post, 16 May 2026 Donald Trump didn’t so much win the election for President as he did—from his point of view—acquire the...
August 28th, 2025 | General, Health, Society at Large
Covid-19 cases are on the rise again. I know. I—the poster child for vaccinations—have got it. Apparently last June the Center for Disease Control, when it updated its variant tracker, identified it as NB.1.8.1., which they are calling “Nimbus.” It’s not an apt...
July 30th, 2025 | General, History, Politics, Society at Large, visual arts
Banksy didn’t say it first. “To Comfort the Disturbed, and to Disturb the Comfortable” is the title of a poem published by poet, activist, and educator César A. Cruz in 1997. It makes sense, however, that Banksy’s murals do exactly that. Tyrants hate art. Real art,...
February 9th, 2025 | General, History, Politics, Society at Large
On March 25, 2002, my husband Dan and I stopped in the town of Béziers during a tour through France. It’s a wonderful spot in the Languedoc, buildings crowding up the steep hill that borders the Orb River. The Cathedral of St.-Nazaire is visible from every side,...
November 7th, 2024 | General, History, Politics, Society at Large
I spent November 5, 2024, working at my local polling place. Had just enough time to shower and dress, walk Ping, have a swallow of tea, and trot over to Samuel Adams Elementary School before the clock chimed six. There’s a lot to prepare: putting up signs, plugging...
September 17th, 2024 | Boston, General, Pets, Society at Large
People with dogs in the family lead fairly regular lives. Even more than the need to get to work and school on time, to show up at medical appointments, and get dinner underway at a decent hour, we are governed by the routines of pet bladders and bowels. Even the most...