Commentary: There are guns, and there are guns

Commentary: There are guns, and there are guns

I grew up in a gun-club family. My father and his father-in-law were avid duck hunters, and our weekend ritual during duck season was to rise before dawn, eat breakfast with other hunters in the only café in the area open at four a.m., and then hie to my grampa’s camp on a lake that was formed like a figure eight.

Surviving the holidays: Breathe deeply

Surviving the holidays: Breathe deeply

The holiday season is upon us! How will we ever survive the family gatherings, parties, large meals and the ever-dreaded shopping? Relax. There are a few things you can do to survive this short yet stressful period. One, remember that this too shall pass and that you will survive. Cut yourself some slack, and remember that no matter what you are going through someone else is going or has already gone through it as well. If you remember to take time for yourself, breathe and drink plenty of water, I promise you’ll make it.

Wind industry rules and the interest of Vermont citizens

I read Representative Michael Yantachka’s commentary, in the November 1 issue of The News, on Vermont’s new turbine noise rules with interest. Rep. Yantachka is a member of the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (LCAR), which gave its final approval to the noise rules over the objections of the wind industry on Oct. 19.

Mentors and M&Ms

Mentors and M&Ms

One morning in the early 1990s, my phone rang. It was not a nice man from Nigeria telling me I owed the IRS money. James Lawrence was on the line. “There’s a situation with The Charlotte News,” James said. “I’m asking all of the newspaper’s contributors to meet at the Congregational Church this afternoon.” He did not wait to hear my excuses. I showed up.

OutTakes

OutTakes

I’m tired of writing critical commentaries, which my last two have been. And besides, the natural world of Charlotte is not something one can easily criticize. Its skies, landscapes, clouds and harvest moons bring together many of the reasons for choosing here as home. Too often we fail to be conscious of the role our environment plays in our lives.

The complex rules of dealing with wind turbine noise limits

Although the legislature is not in session, many legislators serve on special committees that meet between sessions. The Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (LCAR) is one such committee, and it’s been keeping me busy this summer. LCAR consists of four Senators and four Representatives and is responsible for reviewing rules proposed by agencies of the executive branch of state government. Rules spell out the process by which an agency administers laws. Examples include the health standards of hotel accommodations, licensing of professionals, and standards for fuel oil tanks in our homes. It is LCAR’s job to review the rules to ensure that

Veterans Day celebration—A slightly different take

Veterans Day celebration—A slightly different take

Veterans Day, eh? I should be honored to take part in it, but, frankly, the Navy and I parted company on Treasure Island, California, in late summer of 1968 and have lived in blissful ignorance of each other ever since. I put my medals in a drawer and responded to a letter from the government asking me to become an active reserve with a “Thanks, but no thanks.” The country must have had a large enough supply of people (mostly men in those days) to keep their tanks full and did not feel the need to press too hard on those of us who said no.

Letters: More in the Mt. Philo viewshed

Letters: More in the Mt. Philo viewshed

I read with interest Rep. Mike Yantachka’s commentary (9/20) criticizing the Public Utility Commission’s decision to reject an application for construction of a large-scale commercial solar array in the iconic Mt. Philo viewshed. My reaction to the decision was quite different from Mike’s: Finally the PUC “build everywhere” policy seems to have been modified to consider land-use planning in reviewing large-scale commercial solar and wind applications.

Out Take

Out Take

I admit that I watched all the sessions of Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s Vietnam history. A young adult of the 1960s, I was there during the war and played a small a part in “Rolling Thunder” on an aircraft carrier bombing the north. But that was not the reason I found the series fascinating.

Alexa, a voice in a can

Alexa, a voice in a can

So, what does Alexa have to do with the future of humanity? An article in the September 10 New York Times says, “These Are Not the Robots We Were Promised.” Those expected were more mechanical than intellectual. These, on the other hand, bring brains, not brawn, to the world. According to Nicholas Carr, author of the article, Alexa’s cones will soon be scattered around our houses, and we will be able to converse with “solicitous A.I. assistants wherever and whenever we like.”