Becoming who we are and who we will be
read more…: Becoming who we are and who we will beWe are about three weeks into Little Bean’s first grade when it occurs to me that I am no longer aware of the person she’s becoming.
Point of View
Local voices chime in on a variety of topics.
Open Letter: ‘Dear low-wage workers of New Hampshire…’
read more…: Open Letter: ‘Dear low-wage workers of New Hampshire…’Eighteen months after the start of the pandemic, you are still not receiving a fair wage for the valuable work you do. Your courage and your sacrifices—which in some cases included the lives of family members and coworkers—have been taken for granted.
Majority of NH COVID infections, deaths among unvaccinated, but state doesn’t publicize the data
read more…: Majority of NH COVID infections, deaths among unvaccinated, but state doesn’t publicize the dataWhile state data show that 96.5 percent of New Hampshire’s COVID-19 infections, 93.6 percent of initial hospitalizations and 93.5 percent of deaths have occurred among unvaccinated individuals since January 20, these statistics are created manually within the department and thus are not part of the daily or weekly information released to the public.
It’s time for the city to commit to safer streets for all of Manchester
read more…: It’s time for the city to commit to safer streets for all of ManchesterThe Manchester Transit Authority and Manchester Moves deserve immense credit for committing the initial match funding to this project. Now it’s time officials in city hall take note and commit to safe streets for all Manchester residents, not just the wealthier neighborhoods.
The 1990s and the year of the Spider Plant hair
read more…: The 1990s and the year of the Spider Plant hairThe Spider Plant, I believe, derived from a cut Cobain may have once tried. With my hair growing long and shaggy, in order to execute The Spider Plant, I needed to shave the back and the sides with the clippers while allowing the hair on top of the head to grow long and hanging over the shaved sides like the leaves of a hanging spider plant growing over the planting pot.
Not everything is as it seems, sometimes it’s better
read more…: Not everything is as it seems, sometimes it’s betterAs I made my way through the aisles, I got a stare from a white male, maybe in his mid-30s to early-40s. He had a scraggly beard, work boots, faded jeans, and a worn T-shirt. On his waist, an open-carry but holstered handgun. I’d made my complete assessment of him within seconds: Proud Boy member, Pro-White hate group, Far-right conservative. I just knew that in the parking lot, he likely had a 4×4 pick-up truck that was plastered with inflammatory and divisive slogans, topped with at least 16 American flags. I’ve seen this all before.
The Soapbox: We can prosper together with cross-racial solidarity
read more…: The Soapbox: We can prosper together with cross-racial solidarityWith communities buzzing about the most recent culture war on Critical Race Theory, I’ve had the chance to attend several school board meetings where there were people either outside or inside school board buildings protesting something they know little about.
How to watch football like a middle-aged man with high cholesterol
read more…: How to watch football like a middle-aged man with high cholesterolWhen your wife tells you the grass is getting long, pretend it was an observation, not a directive. Put your arm around her shoulder, pull her close as you both stare at the lawn. Say something profound. Crib Socrates. Say, “Beware the barrenness of a busy life.”
On Labor Day, talk is cheap without a living wage for ‘essential’ workers
read more…: On Labor Day, talk is cheap without a living wage for ‘essential’ workersOn this Labor Day let’s commit to really doing something for our essential workers. Let’s guarantee them a wage that allows them to live with dignity and free from the stress of living in poverty or near poverty. It is the least we can do.
The Soapbox – Mask You a Few Questions: Why I’m weary of vaccine and mask mandates
read more…: The Soapbox – Mask You a Few Questions: Why I’m weary of vaccine and mask mandatesThe entire premise of lockdowns, mask/vaccine mandates and other orders is that there is a health crisis caused by coronavirus which is extremely deadly. It started as asking people to stay home for two weeks to “flatten the curve” and has grown to mandating vaccines for all. While it was harder to prove this was not the case in 2020, the data is in and it is clear that coronavirus is not as deadly as currently advertised.