Depression Humor I didn't post anything yesterday because I spent the whole day in bed sick. Nevermind my health, should I start dyeing my hair? Anyway I couldn't stand not feeling well enough to do anything, yet forced by illness to just lie around. Good thing I recovered quickly or I may have slip...

A Man Called Pig Pig Pen cops a feel from Janis Joplin Today is the 36th annivesary of the death of original Grateful Dead keyboard player and blues vocal stylist Ron "Pig Pen" McKernan. Many Deadheads argue that Pig's death marked the end of the band's best musical period, although others argue tha...

The Jews have Bernard Madoff and now the Catholics have Richard S. Piccoli in the latest despicable chapter of "f%^&ing your own". Piccoli, 82 , of Amherst, New York, a poor man's version of Bernard Madoff who even bears an odd resemblance, was charged on January 8, 2009 with running a multi-...

In Saint Michaels. Last night's snow and ice storm was really a hardship for my Big Green friend at Amherst College, since he never wears anything but a toga. Downtown Amherst was transformed into an icy wonderland, quite beautiful if you were looking at it through a window. However, if you were out...

The Dutch devolve. We here in Massachusetts smugly think we're so enlightened because we recently reduced the penalty for small amounts of marijuana to a hundred dollar fine, even though it really didn't go far enough. But at least we're going in the right direction. The Dutch were once so hip to th...

A classmate's perspective. The recent arrest and resignation of Massachusetts State Senator Dianne Wilkerson is exactly the sort of corruption story I usually pounce on. But in this case I have hesitated to say anything. The reason is that I once knew Dianne Wilkerson when we were both teenagers at ...

A grab bag of stuff. It's wonderful to be back in my beloved Amherst, however I sometimes find myself missing my also beloved Northampton. Last night I had the chance to spend some time in Hamp with some friends, and it was a very good time. It rained, sometimes torrentially all day, but just at dus...

And even a little ugly on the side. Yesterday Hampshire Gazette/Amherst Bulletin writer Mary Carey jogged by me in downtown Amherst, but paused long enough to snap a pic. Today was graduation day at Amherst College. In the parking lot there were occasional reminders of the role Amherst College has a...

A special guest. Everyday at the Amherst Survival Center we get people for lunch from every walk of life. Today we had a very special guest to serve, State Senator Stan Rosenberg! He was there to have lunch and to check out what the taxpayers are getting for their money. As he inspected our kitchen ...

I'm not calling it a relapse. This image of Miss Emily Dickinson is in downtown Amherst. This image of Robert Frost is on the same wall. This is how it went down. I was at a party in Amherst where a lot of weed was being smoked and a drug lust came upon me like a fever and I partook of some. To make...