Archive for December 17th, 2010

December 17th, 2010

More Civil War Commemorative Stamps (1995)

by PaulM

“On June 29,1995, the U.S. Post Office issued a set of 20 commemorative stamps showing 16 individuals and 4 battles of the Civil War. Official first day of issue ceremonies were held in front of the Cyclorama Center at the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. A pictorial cancellation showing a Civil War cannon was available at the ceremony. However, as the Postal Service also released the set of stamps nationwide, numerous unofficial first day of issue cancellations were possible.

“Unlike the usual policy of commemorative stamps being issued on significant anniversaries of persons or events, the set of 20 stamps were not intended to mark any date associated with the Civil War. Rather, they were the second in a series known as Classic Collections, which feature 20 stamps related to a theme, with historical information about each stamp printed on the back.

“Three of the stamps in the set had a tie to Georgia — those featuring generals Stand Watie, Joseph E. Johnston, and William T. Sherman. Interestingly, this set marked the first time the Postal Service has issued a U.S. stamp showing a Confederate flag (except for the 1976 Bicentennial set of state flags, which showed the battle flag on the state flags of Georgia and Mississippi). The 1995 set showed several Confederate battle flags and the Stars and Bars on the C.S.S. Virginia (though shown with a mistake). In the selvage (margin) at the top of the sheet can be seen an array of Confederate and Union flags.”

(c) Carl Vinson Institute of Government, The University of Georgia

Note this Georgia-based reference to the “C.S.S. Virginia,” which is the re-named U.S.S. Merrimack (built in 1855 and named for the Merrimack River), a ship that was captured by the South, armored-up, and then re-named “Virginia.” What many of you reading this learned in school was that the famous 1862 ironclad battle was between the “Monitor and the Merrimack,” but not so in the Confederate States’ account of the naval contest. Some Southerners blame faulty news reporting by Northern papers for the historical misnomer. In 1861, the original “Merrimack” was captured in the harbor at Norfolk, Va., where the U.S. Navy had sunk the ship to prevent use by secessionists. The hull was raised and converted into an ironclad for the South’s navy. See the C.S.S. Virginia website.—PM

CategoryCulture, History, Lowell | Comment2 Comments »

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December 17th, 2010

Governor Patrick signs new Homestead Law

by DickH

Earlier today Governor Patrick signed into law a major revision to the state’s Homestead statute that was enacted by both houses of the state legislature a short time ago. With the governor’s signature, the new law will take effect 90 days from today. I’ve previously written about some of the contents of this new law, but the major changes are these: All homeowners receive an automatic homestead exemption of $125,000 without doing filing anything. A homeowner may obtain enhanced protection of up to $500,000 by filing a Declaration of Homestead form at the local registry of deeds (that’s the exemption amount under existing law). All existing homesteads will be grandfathered in under the new law. The new law also makes it clear that when a homeowner refinances or obtains a home equity loan after recording a homestead, that new mortgage has no adverse effect on the existing homestead. In other words, there’s no need to record a new one. The new law also states expressly that property that is held by a trust may be the subject of a homestead, something that was open to debate under the old law. The new law also clarifies the relationship between the homestead and joint owners of property, both for spouses and unmarried joint owners.

Besides the automatic homestead, the major new consumer-friendly provision allows a homeowner to sell a personal residence that is protected by a homestead and to apply the homestead’s protection to the proceeds of that sale for the shorter of one year or whenever a new personal residence is purchased. This means that someone who is in debt but who has a homestead, is not trapped in his house but may move to new quarters that may be cheaper or closer to a job. Under the old law, the homestead only protected the house and so as soon as it was sold, the creditor could seize the proceeds from the sale.

There are many other provisions of the new law. From now until the time it takes effect ninety days from now, there will be much discussion about the meaning of the new language. For now, it’s safe to say that this is a change in the law that is helpful to home owners.

CategoryCurrent Events | Comment4 Comments »

December 17th, 2010

Wahlberg, Bale and Russell on Charlie Rose Show

by Tony

Last night I watched the Charlie Rose Show and saw a great interview with Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale and David O. Russell talking about The Fighter. All three had some interesting observation about the City of Lowell and the real life characters in the movie. Rose skillfully put the three hollywooders at ease, making the conversation casual and entertaining. At one point Wahlberg told Rose how proud he was to be able to tell people that he could “kick Batman’s ass”.

To hear the interview first click on the picture of Mark Wahlberg below, then “again” click on his picture on the Charlie Rose website:

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December 17th, 2010

“The Best and the Worst” by Steve O’Connor

by DickH

An essay from Steve O’Connor:

The Best and the Worst

Have you ever found yourself in a room in which you felt out of place because you didn’t have a trust fund or a summer house in Falmouth? Has anyone ever approached you and said, “Are you aware that this is a private beach?” Or “Are you a member here?” At such moments, one comprehends completely the impulse toward revolution.

My father must have felt this same resentment. He was what we always called “a drywall man,” and was consequently usually covered with joint cement and the dust of sanded joint cement. His name was James O’Connor, and his truck bore in florid script the nickname he loved, “Gentleman Jim.” I think I sense smiles of recognition among a few old timers in the listening audience. My older brother Rory and I learned the drywall trade, and spent many a day taping and troweling, and sanding the finished walls. Most of our jobs were in houses that were under construction, but once I remember going to a grand house in Andover. There had been a leak, and we were to replace the ceiling, finish it and paint it.

Jim told me to start unpacking the tools, lay the drop cloths, and set up the step ladders. I had just about got everything in, when I heard the woman of the house speaking sternly to my father. “Now I want you to leave this room the way you found it! I don’t intend to be cleaning up after you! And if you get paint on the walls, you’d better clean it off right away!” She railed on, with all her warnings and demands, as if she were speaking to little children whom she knew could not be trusted. My father gave me a look, and a slight nod of the head in the direction of the door, and it dawned on me that rather than unpacking the tools, he was packing them back up. The task master must have noticed the same thing, because she paused in her harangue and asked, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“We’re leaving,” Gentleman Jim said.
read more »

CategoryCulture, History, Lowell | Comment11 Comments »

December 17th, 2010

St Patrick’s Church

by DickH

Tony Sampas shows us some of the stained glass windows in St Patrick’s Church in the Acre neighborhood of Lowell

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December 17th, 2010

Civil War Centennial Stamps (full set)

by PaulM

CategoryCulture, History, Lowell | Comment1 Comment »

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December 17th, 2010

Damn the Facts. Full Speed Backward.

by PaulM

I haven’t dragged economist-columnist Paul Krugman over here for a while because he’s been so ticked-off about everything in Washington, DC, but his NYTimes column today deserves a mention. He blows the whistle on Republican members of a commission charged with investigating what caused “the current financial and economic crisis in the United States.” For the GOP crew, it seems that ideology is bulldozing reality one more time in the political swamp. Read Krugman’s opinion here, and get the NYT if you appreciate the thinking.

I think what’s important in this episode is the continuing trench battle to control “the narrative” for political advantage. Is there nothing off limits to “spin?”

CategoryCurrent Events, History, Lowell, Politics | Comment2 Comments »

December 17th, 2010

Is Obama Just Being a Grown Up in a Room of Whiners?

by PaulM

Matt Bai of the NYTimes analyzes the compromise tax bill that is headed to the President’s desk today. Read the opinion piece here, and get the NYT if you want more.

Such compromises, ideal or not, are the building blocks of responsible governance. If that makes Mr. Obama some kind of triangulator, then it could also make him a successful president.

CategoryCurrent Events, Election 2010, History, Lowell, Politics | CommentNo Comments »

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