Bridging

Last semester at UMass there were signs all over campus claiming "Hate Has No Home" at the University.

Of course, what exactly constituted "hate" was never clear, prompting a counter-campaign claiming that there were Orwellian overtones to the signs, with accusations that they were an attempt to muzzle non-leftists by dismissing right-wing views as hate speech.

Fortunately, those chilling no-hate signs have largely vanished from campus, replaced this semester by a new campaign about "Building Bridges."

That is a far more welcoming and inclusive message. We should be trying to build bridges across our ideological divides, not demonizing those with whom we disagree. This represents a far more enlightened response to our divisive times than the previous heavy handed, partisan tinged no-hate campaign.

Bartlett Hall loves you.

One of the most popular coffee shops in Amherst is Share, which for a long time used to be known as Raos.

Imagine my surprise the other day to discover that it is vacating the premises!

Wonder what's the story behind that?

Soda heir Jeff Ziff was down in Springfield this week, where he happened to see the removal of the scaffolding and screens covering the new Springfield casino underway and took a few pics.

I never knew this was the motto of Hampshire College before I saw this sticker on King Street in Hamp.

I also came upon this bumpersticker on King Street.

It reminded me of this funny recording Captain Skypilot Ken Babbs the Intrepid Traveler sent me starring Wavy Gravy and the San Francisco jazz-fusion band ZERO.