Who says religion is stuck in the Dark Ages? In 2003, Pope John Paul II sent his first text message. Addressed to thousands of subscribers, the missive became a daily ritual that his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, has continued. If you’re too busy to pray on your own, you can buy a plea to God on InformationAgePrayer.com. If you’re Jewish, just make sure your computer speakers are facing Jerusalem. Always wanted to prostrate yourself at the Hajj?... Read more

Ten years ago, on Town Meeting Day 2000, Burlington voters authorized the first $6 million in bonds to create Burlington Telecom. City leaders promised that a state-of-the-art, publicly owned cable, Internet and telephone network would be cheaper and provide better service than its out-of-state competitors. At that time, they were Adelphia Cable, which is now owned by Comcast; and Verizon, which has since sold its landline business to FairPoint.... Read more

Some people just can’t stay away from Burlington Telecom. We’re talking about BT’s former general manager Tim Nulty and former city councilor and mayoral candidate, Democrat Andy Montroll.

Even though they’ve been out of the picture for months, Montroll and Nulty are part of the so-called “Group of Nine” that is stepping up to bail out BT. Montroll was an early BT supporter and served on the city’s board of finance through 2009.... Read more

A legislative vote on Vermont Yankee’s future is headed for a meltdown, er, showdown next week.

Rebuffing calls from Gov. Jim Douglas to wait on deciding VY’s fate, Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin says it’s time to decide whether VY should operate for 20 years beyond its scheduled closing date of 2012.

A vote would allow Shumlin, who is running for governor, to assume a leadership role at a time when his rivals are stepping up calls for an up-or-down vote on VY.... Read more

The Helen Day Art Center’s decision to exhibit a video game that gives players the chance to shoot George W. Bush was defended at a forum held last week at the Stowe gallery.... Read more

Do you want to be an “interactive storyteller” when you grow up? How about a “technical documentation writer” or a “content designer”? These are just a few of the futuristic-sounding next-generation careers for which Champlain College is preparing its students.... Read more

At 7:02 on a Friday morning, Earl Handy, the owner of old-school Burlington diner Handy’s Lunch, posts the day’s specials. The soups are meatball-studded Italian Wedding and a hearty broccoli-and-cheese blend. The sandwich du jour, called a Sea Dog, comes with fries and a Coke for $7.90.... Read more

Remember when “social studies” class was as dry as the chalk dust on the teacher’s fingers? Students sat through an explanation of the Teapot Dome scandal in September, only to be rewarded with the fireworks of the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade a few long months later. This semester at Hartford High School, five seniors actually look forward to social studies. That’s because they’re literally putting their town on the map — Google Earth style — in 3-D.... Read more

When you were playing Donkey Kong in 1981, you probably weren’t thinking about the artwork. It’s even less likely that you — or the game’s designers — considered the game’s message, or the feelings it might elicit in the player.... Read more

When I tell people I don’t own a television set or have cable, they often assume that I don’t watch TV. They’re wrong. My laptop is my boob tube, thanks to an embedded DVD player and the Web.... Read more