When President Obama back in 2010 said of the flawed Affordable Care Act, pass it now, fix it later, perhaps he never dreamed of the extent to which politics would have paralyzed the U.S. Congress. In the past, with major laws like Medicare and Social Security, legislators took an engineering model approach. Pass it. Test …
Boston Olympics? costly diversion
The initial images of the Sochi winter Olympics - tap water the color of urine, treacherous unfinished sidewalks, bathroom doors that wouldn't open, failed opening night electronic display - have given way to images of skiers doing death-defying summersaults off the chutes, elegant ice skating, breathtaking bobsled runs, the excitement of the T. J. Oshie goal …
Real life after the good ship Lollipop
Shirley Temple was three years old back in the 1930's when she started her performance career. She achieved major league stardom between the ripe old ages of six and 11. With her curly hair and twinkly eyes, she sang and danced and achieved the moniker of America's Sweetheart well before the days of American Idol. …
Slaps and Claps
Claps for the Boston Sunday Globe's photojournalism spread by Mary Beth Meehan showing the pattern of violence in New Bedford against Mayan Guatemalans. They fled the war in Guatamela and came here for peace and opportunity, but they're being beaten and robbed by African-Americans and Puerto Ricans. They live in constant fear. Seems there's no end of viciousness that …
None-of-the-above an option for dissatisfied voters?
We believe in informed consent. What about informed dissent? The New Hampshire Union Leader recently reported that Granite State legislators will consider a proposal to allow voters unhappy with their choice of candidates to mark their ballots for "none of the above." What it says is that they care enough to go to the polls but …
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Does moral turpitude negate high art or sports accomplishment?
No mistake about it. Woody Allen's latest movie, Blue Jasmine, was deserving of an Oscar nomination, especially for Cate Blanchett's performance. Allen also recently won lifetime achievement recognition in the Golden Globes. This is more troubling. Allen is prolific and creative, but what does lifetime achievement really mean? NY Times' Nick Kristof last weekend published an open letter …
Continue reading Does moral turpitude negate high art or sports accomplishment?
Marty Walsh paints the big picture
If Boston Mayor Marty Walsh can avoid giving away the store in the next rounds of union negotiations, he'll save some money to help fund some of his promised initiatives. He avoided discussion of the challenge of union money demands this morning when he laid out his vision to the greater Boston business community, with the New England Council packing the Boston Harbor Hotel's Wharf Room. …
Cardinal charms New England Council
Women have always played an important role in service to the community and to the Catholic Church. They are at the helm in various Catholic hospital systems, universities and foundations. The great unanswered question for many women is whether they will ever be allowed to become priests. Short of that, however, there is every expectation of women …
Obama speech strategically crafted
President Obama's state-of-the-union speech is a reminder that most of what we'll remember was how it was said, not what was said. Smart beginning, high energy, powerful ending. It was brilliantly crafted to make the most of a not-great situation: low approval ratings (37%, 40%), Congressional resistance to doing almost anything, election-year jockeying, the cusp of …
More remembrances of Chet
The media have taken the measure of the man: Chet Curtis was a prince. Smart, caring, funny, calm and comfortable. No argument there. Chet had many "princely" trappings - a huge salary for the time, what seemed to be an ideal family, a boat, a plane, a Nantucket vacation home. He and Nat were rich and …
Marjorie Arons-Barron 