Point of View
Local voices chime in on a variety of topics.
Living Without an Address #3: A little prayer goes a long way
read more…: Living Without an Address #3: A little prayer goes a long wayTo my surprise, help came from an unexpected source. After the first orange sticker, rock bottom hit. I was ready to end my life. Each day became harder than the last. I wound up in the ER one Sunday night, not knowing what would happen in the future. Things were not going well.
Felon to Freeman: Giving choices to those whose lives have been thrown off course due to incarceration
read more…: Felon to Freeman: Giving choices to those whose lives have been thrown off course due to incarcerationFrom the standpoint of a Black male and as a felon, I can tell you that the road is paved with obstacles and frustration. Our programs will provide mentorship, job training, health and wellness, financial education and even a clothing outlet to help men and women prepare for job interviews. These are just a few of the programs that we will have available.
Just one prick
read more…: Just one prickWhen the email from our headmaster went out that the school district had procured COVID-19 vaccinations for faculty and staff, I was initially ambivalent.
What’s it going to take to end youth homelessness in NH?
read more…: What’s it going to take to end youth homelessness in NH?Youth stay under the radar, they couch surf, work regular jobs, may even attend classes at school, and in many ways look like your average young adult. They are resourceful and resilient, and they are often experiencing homelessness for the first time– which makes them especially vulnerable. Most Granite Staters aren’t aware of their existence. But we are.
NH Council of Churches: We stand with new Hampshire’s working people and oppose ‘right to work’
read more…: NH Council of Churches: We stand with new Hampshire’s working people and oppose ‘right to work’As we prepare for these holidays and observances, it is time for people of faith to stand with all working people and oppose NH S.B. 61, this year’s version of the so-called “right to work” bill in New Hampshire which, despite its deceptive name, it not about providing access to work for anyone.
Soul Signs: Keeping my promise to help children who need love and care with Waypoint donation
read more…: Soul Signs: Keeping my promise to help children who need love and care with Waypoint donationI promised with my “Soul Signs from the Other Side” book sales that all money would go to charities that benefit “children without parents” as Mother Mary asked of me. It’s a love story about my late husband Bob who had a glioblastoma brain tumor in 2013.
Letters: Senators Shaheen and Hassan must do whatever it takes to get the For the People Act signed into law
read more…: Letters: Senators Shaheen and Hassan must do whatever it takes to get the For the People Act signed into lawThe House is about to vote in support of the For the People Act (HR1/S1) which represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen our democracy by putting more power in the hands of everyday people by strengthening our voting, elections, campaign finance, and ethics laws. Then it will be up to the Senate to pass the bill to get this game-changing bill on President Biden’s desk.
Letters: ‘Greed wins again … Let them eat cake, right boys?’
read more…: Letters: ‘Greed wins again … Let them eat cake, right boys?’At least be honest in your greed. You pretend maintaining a starvation wage is great for all when the only people it benefits are wealthy restaurant owners. The rest of us are thrown under the bus.
The Soapbox: NH’s U.S. Senators – thanks for doing what is right for NH
read more…: The Soapbox: NH’s U.S. Senators – thanks for doing what is right for NHIn NH fashion, Senators Shaheen and Hassan listened to those who would be most impacted by eliminating the tip wage and made the difficult political decision to break with leadership and party to vote against the bill. Tipped restaurant employees in NH were not asking for this; in fact, most are against it as they make more in tips than the minimum wage, including the proposed hike to $15 per hour.
My students weigh in on Cancel Culture
read more…: My students weigh in on Cancel CultureLast week, I taught David Foster Wallace’s essay “Consider the Lobster” to my College Composition classes, which are dual enrollment courses that offer college credits through Southern New Hampshire University. But I wrestled with this decision before ultimately concluding it could be one of those much-ballyhooed “teachable moments.”
If you haven’t filed your tax return yet, read this first
read more…: If you haven’t filed your tax return yet, read this firstThe IRS accepted our return on February 10, 2021. I thought I hade done everything right. That is, until the IRS2Go app version of “Wheres my refund” website, finally updated to “Approved” on March 1. But instead of saying a date that our refund would be deposited by, it stated our refund check would be MAILED. With no additional information as to why.
The Bizarro Bob Vila
read more…: The Bizarro Bob VilaBefore resigning myself to this truth and accepting the fact that I’m useless as a handyman, I endured many uncomfortable conversations in a variety of backyards and bars, drinking beers with the guys, and praying no one would ask me for an opinion about a shed that was being built, or an engine in a car or a lawnmower.
Challenges of this magnitude mean problems will arise. What’s important: the response
read more…: Challenges of this magnitude mean problems will arise. What’s important: the responseUnlike many of us who may feel existentially stuck, many GSIL consumers are literally stuck at home due to increased risk of adverse outcomes from COVID-19 and/or being homebound as a result of age or disability.
Examining the musical bones of the Kenny Brothers Band, and a Q&A about their new album
read more…: Examining the musical bones of the Kenny Brothers Band, and a Q&A about their new albumThey have a brand new CD out called “Friends and Lovers and Radios,” and GSM decided to touch base with the gents and see what they have planned for the coming summer.
And then came Dime: Pet shortages in the time of COVID-19
read more…: And then came Dime: Pet shortages in the time of COVID-19What’s going on? Is there really a shortage of pets in need of forever homes?
Blowin’ in the Martian Wind: On capturing a tiny slice of red stardust
read more…: Blowin’ in the Martian Wind: On capturing a tiny slice of red stardustStill, wind on Mars is neither an angry backyard bug nor a path toward her being an astronaut. What I hope it is though is the beginning of knowledge, of what Ralph Waldo Emerson called a “happy talent.”
Now More Than Ever: A Message from the Adjutant General of New Hampshire
read more…: Now More Than Ever: A Message from the Adjutant General of New HampshireIt’s no surprise many of you are feeling the strain of long hours and cold days. Others have had to put civilian careers or college on hold with no clear end in sight.
There are a number of things I hate about COVID-19 but my inability to whiff No. 2 ain’t one of them
read more…: There are a number of things I hate about COVID-19 but my inability to whiff No. 2 ain’t one of themLosing my sense of smell has been delightful. Yes, it has. I don’t need to smell. I’ve come to grips with it. And there was little internal wrestling involved. I bowed immediately, pledging my devotion to the consequences – if one chooses to call it that. In fact, I’d be okay if I never smell anything or anyone ever again.
Rush Limbaugh: What one man could do – and did
read more…: Rush Limbaugh: What one man could do – and didNo doubt the Limbaugh funeral will also draw some who simply wish to reassure themselves that the Limbaugh cadaver is really a corpse and that Rush is finally done talking, at least here on Earth. I heard someone on the TV say that Limbaugh’s was a voice of truth, “cutting through the noise.” Well, sometimes he was. At other times he was merely a megaphone amplifying the noise.