I’ll bet you’re dying to know that the state of Kansas is flatter than a pancake . . . really! KANSAS CITY, Mo. – I don’t know why I’m always the one who has to stand up for my neighbor, Kansas.Heck, I don’t even like Kansas all that much, though I like lots of Kansans. […]

Bangor Daily News, Aug. 4The history of aquaculture in Blue Hill Bay has so far been short and contentious. Now, environmental groups and coastal landowners are preparing to contest the latest proposal from a small company to place salmon pens off Tinker Island near the mouth of the bay. Erick Swanson and his company, Trumpet […]

So what is it you have against gay marriage?I’m not talking to the guy next to you. He doesn’t have a problem with it. No, I’m talking to you, who is fervently opposed.The number of folks who agree with you is up sharply since June, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down anti-sodomy laws in […]

Too few children get vaccinated.It’s hard to believe, but a “panel of experts” says so, and they recommend the obvious: another federal program to force insurance companies to cover them, and more federal money to ensure universal vaccination.So here’s another reason for the state to “intervene” in the medical business. Just one problem: Intervention is […]

Allegations and counterclaims are flying between Auburn’s mayor and the city police department.The longer this shameful situation continues, the more embarrassing it is for the mayor, the police and the city.Mayor Normand Guay was charged Monday night with driving under the influence. He was released from police custody and given a summons to appear in […]

Last month in Washington, 50 people attended a private screening of actor Mel Gibson’s new film, “The Passion,” about the last 12 hours in the earthly life of Jesus Christ.We were required to sign a confidentiality agreement, promising not to write or speak about the film without permission. That restriction has now been lifted.As one […]

AUSTIN, Texas – About every six months, I am seized by a desire to Get Organized, so I start doing archaeological excavations into the midden heap on my desk. The result this time was a sort of time-lapse photography of where the country is headed.Going through stacks of old newspaper articles, speeches, reports, studies and […]

Families should not be broken up so sick children can get treatment.We’re not breaking new ground with this idea. It’s so obvious. But, unfortunately, the country’s mental health care system forces some parents into an impossible decision: Give up custody or the child will be denied appropriate treatment.Sen. Susan Collins is doing something about this […]

Every once in a while, I get this urge to moo.Yes, I’m referring to the sound cows make, particularly cows that are being herded somewhere. I get that urge in amusement park lines sometimes. But mostly, I get it in the summer at the movie theater.Have you ever experienced a moment of blinding clarity? A […]

No fraud or theft. That’s good news, we guess.From 1999 to 2002, $31 million went missing from the books of the Department of Human Services. An auditing firm, hired at a cost of more than $200,000, was brought in to find out what happened. The auditors discovered that there were no indications of criminal activity […]