By the time we actually get to Christmas, it's hard not to be numb: Stores started putting up their Christmas decorations before Halloween, and my email box has been clogged with "free shipping" enticements for months. Shopping becomes a competitive sport instead of a pleasure, budgets are pushed aside by [...]
According to a story in today's The Morning Call, Mark Mendelson is going to jail...finally. In my opinion he should have been there years ago. I'm just disappointed he was able to cut a deal that may reduce his time well below the sentencing guidelines.
This weasel is responsible [...]
Like many of my generation, I have countless "war stories" of what it was like to be a woman, growing up, starting a career, and becoming a young wife and mother in this country in the 1950's and 60's. The retelling of those stories of gross sexism and blatant discrimination [...]
In retailing it's called "lost leaders"...offering the public a deal on an item many people want. The tactic usually works, crowds enthusiastically show up at the store to find out that the item "hasn't arrived yet" or "is all sold out". In politics, it's called the old switcheroo; promise the [...]
This week, a disturbing report appeared in news outlets across the country: Veterans make up 11 % of the U.S. population, yet they represent 26% of the homeless, a highly disproportionate number that is expected to increase as more Iraq and Afghanistan veterans muster out. The stress brought on by [...]
In the military there is a principle called "No Excuses": When mistakes are made or the going gets tough, you don't place blame or give convoluted explanations, you assume responsibility, learn from the situation and move on.
Last night, the ever increasing Democratic registration edge in the city of Allentown went [...]
Tip O'Neill's famous quote that all politics is local never rings more true than during an off-year election like the one that will take place tomorrow across Pennsylvania.
The excitement and turn-out generated by a Presidential or Senatorial election cycle is sorely lacking. There are the usual yard signs at Rt 22 exits [...]
My first memory of the "race for space" was standing with my parents on the front steps of our home on a chilly October night. They had gotten me out of bed, wrapped me in a blanket and told me I had to come watch history being made. My father [...]
The story of Daviay Legrand, the little boy who was killed when two Allentown Police cars collided, has generated tremendous emotions on both sides. Twenty-five comments were posted on The Morning Call Forum in response to my op-ed column making the case that Officer Guth, whose car struck Daviay, [...]
Life is full of no-win situations; understanding and recognizing that fact requires a maturity level that separates adults from children. We've all been on the receiving end of inequity...wanting to stamp our feet and scream "It isn't fair". Grownups know that life doesn't happen in black and white. Within the [...]
A favorite child's game used to be "cowboys & Indians". I doubt there's anyone over the age of 40 who didn't have a cowboy hat, a cap pistol holster set, or an Indian headdress with feathers. Everyone would run around the dining room table or the back yard pretending to [...]
"Patriot's Day" is coming to a close; it's hard to believe the terrorist attacks of 9-11 happened six years ago. It seems like yesterday. I doubt there is an American over the age of 16 who can't tell you where they were that day. It's the Pearl Harbor of this [...]
In my last post, which was over a week ago while I was on vacation, I mentioned that I was headed to the out islands of British Columbia. I promised to continue the "travelogues" from the trip once I returned to civilization and internet access. Days later, when I was [...]
I was planning to write an extensive "travelogue" tonight complete with the gorgeous photos my husband I have taken the past two days, but the best laid plans and all that; The weather has been so spectacular that we stayed out hiking and exploring all day, and by the time [...]
I was planning to write an extensive "travelogue" tonight complete with the gorgeous photos my husband I have taken the past two days, but the best laid plans and all that; The weather has been so spectacular that we stayed out hiking and exploring all day, and by the time [...]
It seems hard to accept that summer is almost over; it is one of the mysteries of physics that summer is so short while winter goes on forever. Before the last rose falls, those waning golden days call to us to enjoy their glory.
And so I have: Leaving behind the [...]
It seems hard to accept that summer is almost over; it is one of the mysteries of physics that summer is so short while winter goes on forever. Before the last rose falls, those waning golden days call to us to enjoy their glory.
And so I have: Leaving behind the [...]
My father loved boxing. I can still see him sitting in front of the radio, (My parents resisted buying a television until I was the only kid in my class who didn't have one...I was mortified.) He'd sit in his favorite chair, following every move as the announcer described the [...]
My father loved boxing. I can still see him sitting in front of the radio, (My parents resisted buying a television until I was the only kid in my class who didn't have one...I was mortified.) He'd sit in his favorite chair, following every move as the announcer described the [...]
I love politics; not as much as I used to 20 years ago when Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill were daytime adversaries and evening friends, but it's still a fascinating chess game played with live pieces. The indefinable element that shifts momentum from one candidate to another...the "big mo" that [...]
I love politics; not as much as I used to 20 years ago when Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill were daytime adversaries and evening friends, but it's still a fascinating chess game played with live pieces. The indefinable element that shifts momentum from one candidate to another...the "big mo" that [...]
Having to put food on the table and keep the tax collector from the door often means that I spend time working out of town as I did these past two weeks. Getting caught up on all the news requires a marathon morning of newspaper speed reading. The story that [...]
Having to put food on the table and keep the tax collector from the door often means that I spend time working out of town as I did these past two weeks. Getting caught up on all the news requires a marathon morning of newspaper speed reading. The story that [...]
It's amazing what you learn when you spend a little time with your friends and neighbors; you learn where you can save ten cents on a gallon of gas, or how good the food is at a new restaurant, and you also find out that your EIT, (earned income tax) [...]
It's amazing what you learn when you spend a little time with your friends and neighbors; you learn where you can save ten cents on a gallon of gas, or how good the food is at a new restaurant, and you also find out that your EIT, (earned income tax) [...]
Looking at the world through rose colored glasses makes for a pretty picture, but not an accurate one. Life is full of color and grace; within that spectrum of color are the many shades of gray of our personal character, and finding a state of grace involves the courage to [...]
Looking at the world through rose colored glasses makes for a pretty picture, but not an accurate one. Life is full of color and grace; within that spectrum of color are the many shades of gray of our personal character, and finding a state of grace involves the courage to [...]
I promised, several months ago on this blog, that I would not let go of the story of the deplorable way in which ASD has handled and is handling what appears to be the cover up of the rape of one first grader, and the alleged rape of several others [...]
I promised, several months ago on this blog, that I would not let go of the story of the deplorable way in which ASD has handled and is handling what appears to be the cover up of the rape of one first grader, and the alleged rape of several others [...]
On a chilly, damp, Independence Day, there's more time for reflecting on the meaning of this holiday than if bright sunshine beckoned us out to play.
The freedom I enjoy as an American and especially as an American woman, is something I never take for granted. My generation of women [...]
On a chilly, damp, Independence Day, there's more time for reflecting on the meaning of this holiday than if bright sunshine beckoned us out to play.
The freedom I enjoy as an American and especially as an American woman, is something I never take for granted. My generation of women [...]
Any good 1940's spy thriller or war movie includes at least one heroic woman who is working for the "underground", risking her life to overthrow the evil Nazi's. Sometimes she succeeds and we see her drinking champagne as Paris is liberated: Sometimes she does not, as the screen fades to [...]
Any good 1940's spy thriller or war movie includes at least one heroic woman who is working for the "underground", risking her life to overthrow the evil Nazi's. Sometimes she succeeds and we see her drinking champagne as Paris is liberated: Sometimes she does not, as the screen fades to [...]
Any good cook knows that some recipes require longer cooking times and are better served after a few days in the refrigerator. My grandmother's Irish stew is a good example; hours of dicing, slicing, simmering and stirring, followed by a chill down period, produces the perfect blend of flavors.
Any [...]
Any good cook knows that some recipes require longer cooking times and are better served after a few days in the refrigerator. My grandmother's Irish stew is a good example; hours of dicing, slicing, simmering and stirring, followed by a chill down period, produces the perfect blend of flavors.
Any [...]
I've just returned home from a very nice night out in downtown Allentown. Yes, downtown Allentown, where my husband and I, along with Vic and Jody Mazziotti, attended the opening of the Warner Bros. exhibit at the Allentown Art Museum. Attending AAM exhibit openings is a favorite pastime of ours; [...]
I've just returned home from a very nice night out in downtown Allentown. Yes, downtown Allentown, where my husband and I, along with Vic and Jody Mazziotti, attended the opening of the Warner Bros. exhibit at the Allentown Art Museum. Attending AAM exhibit openings is a favorite pastime of ours; [...]
The departure of some of Allentown's most experienced and well regarded managers has made its way on to the front page of the newspaper. Yesterday's article "Allentown's String of Resignations Lengthens" brought to the public's attention a subject that has been the frequent topic of private discussions for some [...]
The departure of some of Allentown's most experienced and well regarded managers has made its way on to the front page of the newspaper. Yesterday's article "Allentown's String of Resignations Lengthens" brought to the public's attention a subject that has been the frequent topic of private discussions for some [...]
On a golden summer day like today, it is easy to close my eyes and remember what it felt like to be a kid. Months of freedom and fun lay ahead; no freezing cold waits at the bus stop; no nights spent agonizing over homework; no fear and trembling as [...]
This Sunday's column, "West end makes progress toward theater district" generated more response than I expected; almost all positive, including several phone calls to my home from business and property owners within the district. From my "Perspective", the column was informational, not controversial, so the amount of feedback surprised [...]
It is with a deep sense of gratitude that I write this Memorial Day post as a way to honor all those who serve in the United States military and to remember those who have fallen in that service. It is also a time to remind the Pennsylvania readers of [...]
In this age of instant communication, scenes from around the globe play out on our TV and computer screens daily; all the cruelties people and nature can inflict are there for us to see. We watch, from the safety of our living rooms or offices, saying to ourselves, "What a [...]
