Category Archives: public life
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
On Living in Bubbles
I’ve been accused of living in a bubble. It’s true: I live in a bubble. Several bubbles. Bubbles have a bad rap. If someone accuses you of living in a bubble, they generally mean you associate only with people who … Continue reading
Post-Veterans Day Musing
I don’t “celebrate” Veterans Day but I do indeed observe it. I notice. I take note. Coming of political age during the Vietnam War, I was not favorably disposed to either the military or the U.S. government. In the decades … Continue reading
Living Dangerously at the Farmers Market
Weekend shocker: Yesterday I bought (i.e., paid for) lettuce. Lettuce does, infrequently, come into my apartment thanks to gardener friends with an excess of greens, but green vegetables, especially leafy green vegetables, are rarely seen in my kitchen. What I … Continue reading
Tam Lin Goes to a Selectmen’s Meeting
How is writing about Martha’s Vineyard like a puppy chasing its own tail? Real life inspires fiction and fiction starts looking like real life and pretty soon you’ve forgotten which came first. Round and round and round . . . … Continue reading
Tam Lin Starts Socializing
Good dog trainers emphasize the importance of early socialization for young puppies, with a focus on the first three months (13 weeks). Travvy’s early socialization was mostly hit-or-miss, which most likely contributed to the, uh, challenges we had later with … Continue reading
April License Plate Report
A pretty spectacular month! The April scorecard: D.C., West Virginia, Nevada, New Mexico, Minnesota, Hawaii, Mississippi, and Missouri. West Virginia, Hawaii, or Mississippi! Any one of the three would be cause for celebration, but all three in one month? I … Continue reading
Yes to the Housing Bank
Spring is town meeting season in New England, and that includes Martha’s Vineyard. Four of the six island towns — Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury, and my town of West Tisbury — hold their annual town meetings (ATMs) next Tuesday, April … Continue reading
Post-Election Pep Talk
Yes, it’s a bummer that Beto didn’t win in Texas, and the voter suppression that went down in Georgia should infuriate anyone who believes in representative government, but if you’re disappointed in Tuesday’s election results and you’re not a Republican, … Continue reading
2018 Election Roundup, Part 2
Part 2 of my 2018 Election Roundup is devoted to the three questions on the Massachusetts ballot. Part 1 was devoted to the candidates. For a detailed description and complete text of each one, along with an argument for and an … Continue reading
