That perhaps seems like a trivial question, but it’s very much in the news here, thanks to something I believe are called the “core standards.” As I understand this, the “core standards” are a set of federal recommendations to be adopted by states determining how much of what type of writing students at various grade […]
Anyone who’s ever been involved in a major remodel knows what every architect and builder already knows: It’s much easier to design what you want and build it than it is to take what you have and convert it to what you want. But consider this scenario: As newlyweds, you bought a little two-bedroom house […]
I saw a meteor tonight. No showers in progress that I know of, so it was just a question of being in the right place (my back deck) at the right time (around 9 p.m.). Very bright and beautiful and gone in an instant. One of the things I like best about country living is […]
Dear Senators and Representatives, It’s time for you to take stock, too. I have a little wish list I’m going to share with you. But first, I’ll offer a little context to make it perfectly clear where I am coming from. We, the great washed and unwashed masses, elected you to office. Some of you […]
I’ve been following the international news a bit today, and not for the first time been envious of those countries who have nine political parties and big messy elections, countries where strange bedfellows have to form cooperative alliances in the name of getting the national business done. What? People of differing philosophies have to work […]
There’s nothing like the Sunday papers to make me really depressed. I’ve waded through the political shenanigans, the calls for gun control, the hand-wringing over the increasing problems of mental illness, obesity, the bankruptcy of the Social Security system, the dire state of the economy, the sleep deprivation of TriMet drivers (who are, apparently, falling […]
Reading the NYT Sunday magazine today, a sort of deja-vuish feeling kept niggling in my brain. But a quick cross-check of some stories revealed this: The 20 children who were slaughtered earlier this month were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The little community of Paradise Park, NJ, that was wiped out by tropical storm […]
It’s that time of year again. I gave up on NY’s resolutions a long time ago, replacing them with occasional yearnings throughout the year along the lines of “I really should do something different here.” Less stress that way, I think. But like Santa, toward the end of the year I like to make lists–happy […]
When I first heard the news story from Newtown, Conn., I wrote the next few days/weeks of commentary (talk radio and op/ed) in my head in about 10 minutes. And I pretty much nailed it. Unfortunately. A lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing, because the issues being discussed can’t be solved in sound bites […]
OK, why this, why now? I promise this will be brief. For several years I was an active blogger at “Marianne’s Virtual Salon” (http://mklekacz.wordpress.com/). But a whole bunch of things intervened. I went through some major life changes, including being diagnosed with a rare cancer, retired, devoted my efforts to attempting to write poetry, and […]
Marianne's Virtual Salon, Redux 