Category Archives: musing
Christmas 2020
Not being a Christian, I don’t celebrate Christmas, but it’s impossible to avoid observing it when the world around me makes it so clear in myriad ways that, first, Christmas is coming, and, at last, Christmas is here. Fine with … Continue reading
Standing Up for Black Lives
Even when you think you get it, watching a police officer murder a black man on video is shocking. Even when you think you get it, watching two white men take the law into their own hands and stalk and … Continue reading
It Could Have Been Me
Today would have been my friend Rachel’s 67th birthday. She stopped getting older when she died of cancer this past December, age 66. She so wanted to see Donald Trump impeached but she didn’t quite make it. She died on … Continue reading
Viral
“Going viral” has been idiomatic English for quite a while. Just about everybody, or everybody with an internet connection, knows what it means: a meme or image, story or video, goes viral when it’s diffused far and wide through the … Continue reading
Supply Chains
When the shelves — any shelves, in any store — are fully stocked, I seldom think much about how the products got there. When I can find everything I need, I seldom think “What if I couldn’t?” More often I … Continue reading
March License Plate Report
I spotted Illinois in very early March and was looking forward to a good, solid March until COVID-19 and the stay-at-home orders skewered that expectation. I was on the road even less than usual, traffic was way down, and from … Continue reading
The COVID-19 Chronicles, Continued
A few takeaway points from the national news: The number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise nationally and in Massachusetts, along with the number of deaths. The number of confirmed cases on the Vineyard has risen to two, of whom … Continue reading
Technophobia in the Time of COVID-19
I had a strong hunch three days ago when I posted “Life in the Time of COVID-19” that this was not a one-post topic. It’s not. Since I’ve been working from home as a full-time freelance editor for more than … Continue reading
On Paying for Local News
Just before Thanksgiving, the Martha’s Vineyard Times announced that as of January 2, 2020, it would be going to a paid-subscription model. This is a big deal. Founded in 1984, the paper has been delivered free to all Vineyard postal patrons … Continue reading
Indulgence
In 2019 my car and my teeth have eaten up most of my disposable income. More than my disposable income: the rear brake job in the spring took three months to pay off, and it’s just been joined by the … Continue reading
