Category Archives: public life
A Fantasy for Greg Abbott
So it seems that Texas governor Greg Abbott, following what seems to be a well-worn page in the MAGA playbook, sent several busloads of migrants to Washington, D.C., and had them dumped in front of Vice President Kamala Harris’s residence. … Continue reading
Where the Money Goes
The end of the year fast approaches, with the arrival of 1099s and tax time soon to follow. I am a bit ahead of my usual: I have almost finished inputting my credit card transactions into Quicken. This is proving … Continue reading
Giving Thanks
I like the idea of Thanksgiving — a day for counting one’s blessings, giving thanks, and hanging out with friends and family. Reality is more problematic, as reality invariably is. Notice how, in the run-up to the holiday, news outlets … Continue reading
If you haven’t voted yet . . .
or know someone who hasn’t and maybe could use a little nudge, or more information, or a ride to the polls — I posted my “Pre-Election Prep Talk” a couple of weeks ago. If you read it, you will recognize … Continue reading
What We Envision
Like the stillness in the wind before the hurricane begins . . . Dylan’s “When the Ship Comes In” has been one of my most favorite songs since my college antiwar activist days. I still know all the words, but … Continue reading
Pre-Election Prep Talk
I thought of titling this “The Perfect Is the Enemy of the Good,” but (1) it’s too long, (2) it’s a cliché, and (3) I don’t always agree with it. However, when it comes to electoral politics, it’s a good … Continue reading
Unexpected Visitors
You knew I was going to write something about what’s going on, right? Martha’s Vineyard hasn’t hit the national news this way since the first Clinton visit in 1993. As features editor for the Martha’s Vineyard Times I had a … Continue reading
My Primary Picks
This post is for you, Massachusetts voters! Our primary is less than two weeks away — the day after Labor Day, and the day kids go back to school. Who the hell thought that was a good idea? No one … Continue reading
Thinking About Liz Cheney
On the landing of my grandmother’s house, two very tall matching mirrors faced each other across 10 feet of carpet. When I looked into one of them, I could see duplicates of myself endlessly receding into the glass. If I … Continue reading
Fourth of July
Yeah, it’s the sixth already, but here’s a comment about the parade that I just posted on Lucian K. Truscott IV’s Substack (to which I subscribe and where I frequently comment). I live in a small town on the largest … Continue reading
From the Seasonally Occupied Territories . . . 