Christmas: It’s not all shmaltz and treacle

by David Benjamin “If I could work my will, every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.” — Ebenezer Scrooge, A Christmas Carol MADISON, Wis. — As I was scrolling the channel guide last night,…

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Brusveen was here

by David Benjamin In a period roughly between 1974 and 1983, I was an editor and columnist for the Mansfield (Mass.) News, where I served in a plethora of roles that included reporter, photographer and columnist. In the latter capacity, I wrote an opinion column called The Fourth Estate, a sports column called The Fifth…

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Dear Judge Amy

by David Benjamin   Amy Coney Barrett Associate Justice The Supreme Court of the United States 1 First Street NE Washington, DC 20543   Justice Barrett: Congratulations on your appointment to the Court and on dodging the bullet that was aimed at your integrity by Donald Trump’s absurdist plot to overturn the election. You are…

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The Fourth Ghost

by David Benjamin “So now Della’s beautiful hair fell about her, shining like a falling stream of brown water. It reached below her knee. It almost made itself into a dress for her.” — O. Henry, The Gift of the Magi   Ebeneezer Scrooge awoke in a daze from a fitful sleep. Rubbing his face…

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