Category Archives: commentary

Booms Before the Fourth of July: Why Are We Doing This Already?

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Vibrant Fourth of July fireworks lighting up the night sky with red, blue, and gold bursts.

A Holiday of Mixed Emotions

The Fourth of July has always been a holiday of mixed emotions for me. I can feel overwhelming pride in being an American — I still get choked up over the Star‑Spangled Banner — yet I can also cringe at some of the politics and the things our leaders do in the country’s name. I feel nostalgia for growing up in the country, where we set off firecrackers and small fireworks in wide‑open fields. Though even then, I never liked the loud bangs. If someone ever invents silent fireworks, I’ll be first in line.

Fireworks: The Part I No Longer Look Forward To

As I’ve gotten older, my fondness for fireworks has faded even more. They’re the main reason I no longer look forward to this most patriotic of holidays. My love for my country hasn’t changed, but do we really need to celebrate with explosions? The big town displays are beautiful — I’ll give them that — but the noise is another story. And it would be one thing if it were limited to the actual holiday. But it never is.

Every neighborhood seems to have that person who wants to set off mini‑fireworks and firecrackers just to make noise. They’re illegal in Massachusetts, but no one enforces it. The police say that by the time they arrive, no one “sees anything,” so it’s a waste of resources. Meanwhile, the noise starts in mid‑June and rolls on for weeks. If we must endure it, can’t we at least confine it to July 4th itself?

Pets, Babies, and the People Who Don’t Care

I hate watching my pets cower under furniture, refuse to eat, and slink around in fear because some unfeeling jerk drove to New Hampshire, bought illegal fireworks, and decided to terrorize the neighborhood. And it’s not just pets. Think of the poor parent who has finally gotten their newborn to sleep — that rare, precious moment of quiet — when suddenly BANG! The baby jolts awake, terrified, and the crying starts all over again. Mom or Dad has to begin the whole exhausting process from scratch because someone wanted to play amateur pyrotechnician.

At least when I was growing up, we set fireworks off in the middle of a field — not ten feet from someone else’s home.

Drone Display – American Eagle

There Are Better Options — Use Them

So yes, this is a rant. I was sitting here enjoying a quiet evening when the pyrotechnics started next door. The cats ran, I jumped, and now I have to close my slider, lose the evening breeze, and turn on the AC — which is bad for the environment and costs money. Add that to the list of reasons I’m over this tradition.

Stick to the big, sanctioned town displays — or better yet, switch to drone shows. They’re stunning, and no one’s pets or babies end up traumatized. But please, leave the neighborhoods in peace.

How about you — are the early fireworks driving you (and your pets) up the wall too?

 

Clickbait Has Entered the Chat — And I’m Not Having It

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orThe curse of Oak Island is a major clickbait site. Photo of Alex Lagins and text is perfect example of the misinformation presented

My Feed Has Become a Circus

Okay, friends. I’ve got another gripe, and this one has been simmering like a pot of pasta water you swear you’re watching… right up until it boils over.

Let’s talk about clickbait — those dramatic, over‑the‑top posts that show up in your feed looking like they were written by someone who gets paid per exclamation point. They pop up on Facebook for me, but honestly, they’re multiplying like gremlins everywhere.

And here’s the funny part: for all the talk over the years about “fake news,” these posts are out here proving that plenty of people besides politicians love throwing that phrase around — and sometimes for good reason.

Oak Island: Apparently Everyone Is Injured, Missing, or Quitting

If you follow The Curse of Oak Island, you know exactly what I mean. According to my feed:

  • Alex Lagina has had 47 near‑fatal accidents
  • Marty has quit the show at least six times
  • Billy Gerhart has been injured, hospitalized, abducted by aliens, or all three

I binge‑watched episodes just to check — not a single mention. Not even a dramatic limp. So unless the finale involves a plot twist where everyone suddenly reveals their secret injuries, I’m calling nonsense.

Skinwalker Ranch: Clickbait’s Second Home

Then there’s Skinwalker Ranch. Recently the rumor mill insisted Dr. Travis Taylor was leaving the show to join Ancient Aliens.

Except… he’s been on Ancient Aliens for years. This is not new or  dramatic. This is not even mildly surprising.

But clickbait doesn’t care about facts. Clickbait cares about CHAOS.

Josh Gates: The Internet’s Favorite Target

And poor Josh Gates. The man can’t sneeze without a dozen fake headlines appearing:

  • “Josh Gates hospitalized after mysterious expedition”
  • “Josh Gates fails dangerous Bigfoot mission”
  • “Josh Gates quits everything forever”

Meanwhile, Josh is probably somewhere eating a granola bar and minding his business.

Expedition Bigfoot: The Latest Victim

Last night I saw a post claiming Expedition Bigfoot was canceled because of a “major discovery.”

Sure. And I’m the Queen of England.

No announcement or source. No evidence. Just a dramatic headline and a blurry photo of a forest.

Why This Drives Me Up a Wall

I miss the days when the internet was a place to get information, not a scavenger hunt where every clue leads to a website that looks like it was built in 2009 and written by a caffeinated raccoon.

If I want to know whether a show has a new season coming, I shouldn’t have to dig through twelve fake news sites, three AI‑generated thumbnails, and a pop‑up asking me to “accept cookies” like I’m entering a bakery.

Is It Just Me?

Please tell me I’m not the only one drowning in this nonsense. If your feed has become a carnival of fake headlines too, pull up a chair — we can commiserate together.

 

Daylight Saving Time: The Time Change We Just Can’t Shake

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It’s early March, which means two things in New England:

  1. We’re all pretending it’s spring even though the wind still bites.
  2. The annual Daylight Saving Time debate is warming up faster than the weather.

And because I can’t resist a good trivia rabbit hole, I stumbled across a Jeopardy clue that sums up our relationship with DST better than anything else:

Clue: To combat fuel shortages, Congress enacted this for almost 10 months in 1974, from January to October.
Category: “D” in American History
Value: $600

Yes — the answer is Daylight Saving Time.
We didn’t just “spring forward” that year. We practically launched ourselves into permanent daylight.

We Tried a Long-Term Relationship… It Didn’t Go Well

The idea wasn’t new. Allegedly, Benjamin Franklin pitched something similar to save candles. Germany used it during World War I to conserve fuel. And in 1974, during the energy crisis, Congress said, “Let’s try this full-time.”

Ten months later, after dark winter mornings and a nation full of cranky schoolkids, the experiment quietly ended. But the twice‑a‑year clock shuffle? That stuck around like a houseguest who never got the hint.

Every Year We Swear We’re Done With It

By now, the pattern is predictable.
Early March rolls in, and suddenly:

  • Congress floats a bill
  • Someone suggests permanent DST
  • Someone else suggests permanent Standard Time
  • Committees form
  • Studies are commissioned
  • We all complain
  • And nothing changes

It’s the legislative equivalent of “We should really get together sometime” — said with no intention of actually scheduling anything.

And Yet… Here We Are Again

Daylight Saving Time officially ends on the first Sunday in November, but the real cycle ends when we stop grumbling about it — which, let’s be honest, is never.

We tell ourselves it saves energy.
We tell ourselves it gives us more daylight.
We tell ourselves it’s tradition.

Mostly, we tell ourselves whatever gets us through that groggy Monday morning after the switch.

Countdown to the Clock Shuffle

So here we are, early March, inching toward the big weekend.
Coffee makers are bracing themselves.
Humans are sighing.
And the cats? Well…

Banner and Balboa are thrilled.

In their world, Daylight Saving Time is the greatest invention since the treat bag.

Breakfast arrives a whole hour earlier — a development they fully support and believe should be made permanent immediately.

If Congress ever needs motivation to finally pick a time and stick with it, they

should consult the feline lobby. Banner and Balboa have notes.

What About You?

Do you love the extra evening light, dread the clock change, or simply follow your pets’ lead and accept breakfast whenever it arrives?

 

Striped Cows? That’s Ig Nobel

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🧪 The Ig Nobel Prize: Science That Tickles Your Brain

These scientists may never win a Nobel Prize, but five days ago they lined up to see if they’d be honored with an Ig Nobel Prize—a celebration of research that’s equal parts hilarious and thought-provoking.

First awarded in 1991, the Ig Nobel Prize was created to spark public interest in science. Each year, real Nobel laureates gather at MIT to present the awards. The mission? To “honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think.”

💸 The prize? A whopping 10 trillion Zimbabwean dollars—worth about $0.40 USD.

🐄 Striped Cows?

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By Tomoki Kojima

The 2025 Ig Nobel Prize in Biology went to researchers who painted cows with zebra stripes to see if it would protect them from biting flies. Early results suggest it might work—but it’s probably not the most practical solution for farmers.

🎭 Can Anyone Attend the Awards Ceremony?

Absolutely! You don’t need to be a Nobel laureate to enjoy the show. Much like the Academy Awards, the Ig Nobel ceremony is:

  • 🎙️ Recorded and broadcast on National Public Radio in the U.S.
  • 🌐 Streamed live online—so if you’ve got Wi-Fi, you’re in.

🏆 2025 Award Categories (Drumroll, please…)

The categories change each year, but here’s a taste of the 2025 lineup:

Category Winning Research
Aviation Studying how alcohol affects bats’ ability to fly and echolocate
Biology Painting cows with zebra stripes to deter flies
Chemistry Testing whether eating Teflon increases satiety without adding calories
Engineering Design Analyzing how smelly shoes affect the experience of using a shoe rack
Literature Tracking the growth of a single fingernail over 35 years
Nutrition Investigating which kinds of pizza a certain lizard prefers
Peace Showing that alcohol can improve foreign language fluency
Pediatrics Studying what a nursing baby experiences when the mother eats garlic
Physics Exploring the phase transition in pasta sauce that causes clumping
Psychology Investigating what happens when you tell narcissists (or anyone) they’re intelligent

✉️ And the Winners Are…

Too many to list here—but if you’re curious, you can find the full rundown on MSN’s Ig Nobel Prize coverage or Ars Technica’s winner spotlight. Just goes to show: you really can win an award for almost anything.

Oscar Award Stock Illustrations – 1,597 Oscar Award Stock Illustrations, Vectors & Clipart - Dreamstime

 

Where Were You That Morning? A Tribute to September 11

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🕊️ A Morning Like No Other

Do you remember where you were on the morning of September 11, 2001?

📺 “Is This a Movie?

I remember it vividly—not in the way you recall a birthday or a vacation, but in the way your body remembers shock. I turned on the news, expecting the usual hum of morning chatter. Instead, I saw flames, smoke, and chaos. For a moment, I thought it was a movie trailer. Something surreal. Something scripted. But it wasn’t.

http://t1.gstatic.com/licensed-image?q=tbn:ANd9GcRySpddvMmJFPuEyCE2SFMWlzGpdI9kqGiJW_aYUNf5XSyKYZOcZc-GIsfX10aaraG0

Internet

🧊 Numbness and Silence

It was horrifying.

I remember how I felt. Numb. Just stunned. My mind couldn’t catch up to what my eyes were seeing. The towers—those iconic pillars of the New York skyline—were collapsing. Lives were being lost in real time. And across the country, hearts were breaking in unison.

🤝 A Nation United in Grief

In the days that followed, grief settled over us like a heavy fog. But so did something else: unity. Strangers became neighbors. Flags waved from porches and overpasses. First responders ran toward danger with a courage that defied comprehension. And in the quiet moments, we lit candles, whispered prayers, and held each other close.

Twenty-four years later, the pain hasn’t vanished. But neither has the resilience. Every September 11, the Tribute in Light rises over Manhattan—twin beams piercing the night sky, echoing the towers that once stood tall. It’s a symbol of remembrance, of hope, of the promise to never forget.

🚒 Heroes in the Ashes

To the families who lost loved ones, to the heroes who gave everything, and to the millions who carry the memory of that day in their hearts—you are not forgotten. Your stories live on in our reflections, our ceremonies, and our quiet moments of pause.

Fred George, Ash Wednesday, Dusk, 9/12/01, New-York Historical Society, Gift of Here is New York

Today, I remember. And I honor.

 

Raising the Flag at Ground Zero - Wikipedia

Raising the Flag at Ground Zero- Wikipedia