News

Blackstone House of Horrors: The Story Doesn’t Add Up

by Bill Brenner September 15, 2014 News

There’s a pretty awful story unfolding here in Massachusetts, about four children living in filth and neglect at a home in Blackstone. It reads like a horror movie: The house was infested with vermin, 2-foot stacks of dirty diapers were everywhere and feces covered the walls. The two youngest kids showed signs of neglect. Police found the remains of three infants and a number of dead animals in the house. Mood music: The mom, 31-year-old Erika…  [Read More]

A (Small) Defense of Shepard Smith

by Bill Brenner August 14, 2014 News

A lot of people are incensed with Fox News anchor Shepard Smith, who suggested Robin Williams was a coward for killing himself this week. My first instinct was to call him out for being an idiot, an enabler of insensitive motormouths uninterested in learning about how depression really ticks. But I’m going to take the road less expected. I’m going to defend the guy a little bit. Mood music: First, let me clarify three things: I…  [Read More]

Curse You, 403: Forbidden Error!

by Bill Brenner April 15, 2014 News

UPDATE: We believe we have fixed the setting issues behind the problem. But if you encounter an error message, please let us know. Thanks! For months, my OCD has been triggered by a vexing, mysterious problem: Some of my readers keep getting “403: Forbidden” errors when trying to read posts. I’ve looked high and low for the cause and solution, to no avail. Mood music: What probably infuriates me most is that I can access…  [Read More]

Respectful Disagreement about the Valley Patriot

by Bill Brenner November 6, 2013 News

In recent months, I’ve taken the editor of one of my local newspapers to task over what I’ve seen as his overeagerness to make judgement calls. I unfollowed Tom Duggan on Facebook at one point because I was so pissed off. Duggan and I have since had a conversation, and I want to make sure everyone understands this: I stand by my earlier criticisms. But it was in no way meant as a personal attack….  [Read More]

The Jokes About Aaron Hernandez Are Sad

by Bill Brenner June 27, 2013 News

Update April 15, 2015: Hernandez has been convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole. A lot of jokes are making the rounds after the arrest of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez on first-degree murder charges. It’s human nature to do this sort of thing. But it’s also sad. Mood music: One of the more popular jokes had to do with Hernandez switching from tight end…  [Read More]

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