Prologue: Christina and I both grew up in homes that observed meatless Fridays, which lasted until the Second Vatican Council; after which Pope John XXIII, seeking to modernize the Church, enacted several reforms, which included an end to both Latin services and meatless Fridays. However, in deference to Christina’s sense of nostalgia for life before the Vatican Council, … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: Bumble Bee Economics
A View from my Porch
A View from My Porch: Tatts & Piercings; A Primer for the Curious
In January 2023, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) will enact regulations for the oversight of the tattoo and piercing establishments and their respective practitioners and operators in the nine communities in LLHD’s SE CT service area. Background: Connecticut had passed legislation requiring some oversight several years ago, but an organized monitoring and inspection … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: Tatts & Piercings; A Primer for the Curious
A View from My Porch: Brendan and the Pirates — Securing Passage of Crude Oil to The West
I reported a few “Views” ago that my son had landed in Bahrain on an extended mission with the United States (US) Navy. Brendan is attached to the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC). This is a multinational consortium that was established to provide order and security for trade and shipping in the Arabian Gulf region of the Middle East, with particular focus on … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: Brendan and the Pirates — Securing Passage of Crude Oil to The West
A View from My Porch: 50 Years — A Retrospective
Editor's Note: We send warmest congratulations to our longtime contributor Tom Gotowka and his wife Christina on their Golden Wedding anniversary. Christina and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary this past July 22nd, and that’s gold. In preparation for the event, I spent some time reminiscing about those years, and I am sharing some of my thoughts in this “View,” … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: 50 Years — A Retrospective
A Special ‘View From My Porch’ in Recognition of Independence Day: CT’s General Israel Putnam was a ‘Man of Legendary Courage’, a Brooklyn ‘Rock Star’
Prelude: The June 9 edition of The Day reported that the team of Tessa Grethel and Sophia D’Amico — both Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School seventh graders — took first place in Connecticut in the junior group exhibit category of the National History Day Contest with their project titled “Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Origins of Atomic Diplomacy.” Phil Rizzuto would … [Read more...] about A Special ‘View From My Porch’ in Recognition of Independence Day: CT’s General Israel Putnam was a ‘Man of Legendary Courage’, a Brooklyn ‘Rock Star’
A View from My Porch: The Shady History of Connecticut Tobacco — The Finale
It’s been a little while since the publication of Part 1 of The Shady History of Connecticut Tobacco , but during that hiatus, there has been other remarkable news covered in the media. Decisions regarding COVID mitigation were moved to municipal leadership, including school superintendents. Judge Ketanjii Brown Jackson, who was nominated to the Supreme Court by President … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: The Shady History of Connecticut Tobacco — The Finale
A View from My Porch — The Shady History of Connecticut Tobacco, Part 1: The Age of Discovery to the Jamestown, Virginia Colony
It’s been a while since my last View, which was A Primer on The American Rescue Plan. Since then, I have spent some time thinking about tobacco; and frankly, that’s a subject on which I have rarely, if ever, reflected. Then again, it’s not COVID, or its aftermath; and has nothing to do with the events of Jan. 6, 2021, or their aftermath. To explain, Christina and I saw … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch — The Shady History of Connecticut Tobacco, Part 1: The Age of Discovery to the Jamestown, Virginia Colony
A View From My Porch: A Primer on the American Rescue Plan, What’s Happening to the Money in Old Lyme
Over the past several months, the regional media have covered American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding decisions made in several Southeast Connecticut communities. On July 26, the New London Day carried the headline, “American Rescue Plan Funding Floods Southeastern Connecticut.” Even before that, on June 15, Old Lyme’s First Selectman Timothy Griswold reported, “The American … [Read more...] about A View From My Porch: A Primer on the American Rescue Plan, What’s Happening to the Money in Old Lyme
A View From My Porch: Continuing the Tikka Saga — with Slides of Trips to the UK
Clearly, we all need a break; this lighter essay is mine. In August, LymeLine published a recipe for chicken tikka masala from Lee White cooked in an "Instant Pot.” We made the dish, pictured below, with her recipe and found it to be an authentic and tasty interpretation of the “British staple.” Christina and I enjoy the aromatic spices, and have some “history” with … [Read more...] about A View From My Porch: Continuing the Tikka Saga — with Slides of Trips to the UK
A View from My Porch: Not Your Grandma’s Community Hospital
The healthcare landscape has changed remarkably in Connecticut. You may have noticed some name changes, new signage, and that “opportunities” for care have increased to a level that rivals access to coffee. In this essay, I’m going to review this new landscape, and consider why it developed. My goal is to help the reader make sense of Connecticut’s new, and still evolving, … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: Not Your Grandma’s Community Hospital
A View From My Porch: An Extra Inning for ‘I See Great Things in Baseball’ — The ‘Phenom’ and More Thoughts
This has been an unusual summer. Christina and I have been very “COVID – cautious” and, of course, fully vaccinated. We’ve postponed or canceled trips, missed Brimfield, both May and July, and probably Sept. And so, I retreated to my secure baseball space, and drafted this essay. There’s a lot of baseball jargon here. In 2019, LymeLine published a series of essays on … [Read more...] about A View From My Porch: An Extra Inning for ‘I See Great Things in Baseball’ — The ‘Phenom’ and More Thoughts
A View from My Porch: Epic Poems of Folk and Rock Part 3 — The Rock and Roll War
Editor's Note: This is the third column by Tom Gotowka under the heading, 'Epic Poems of Folk and Rock.' Find Part I at this link and Part II at this one. I continue the “epic poems” theme in this essay, but shift to the epic works of conflict; focusing on the rock and roll genre, as influenced by the Vietnam War. In review, Part 1 presented several works of folk music … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: Epic Poems of Folk and Rock Part 3 — The Rock and Roll War
A View From My Porch: Epic Poems of Folk and Rock Part 2
In my previous essay, I discussed a few contemporary works of folk music, that, in my opinion, are natural successors to the epic poems of antiquity. I continue the “epic poems” theme in this essay, but shift to the epic works of conflict; focusing on the rock and roll genre, as influenced by the Vietnam War, which remains in my memory as a chaotic and tragic period of American … [Read more...] about A View From My Porch: Epic Poems of Folk and Rock Part 2
A View From My Porch: Epic Poems of Folk and Rock, Part I
In this essay, I posit that many works of contemporary folk and rock music are the natural successors of the epic poems of antiquity. In support of that hypothesis, I begin with a brief review of the epic genre; and then, discuss a few contemporary works that I feel meet the epic standard. The Epic Poem: An epic is a long, narrative poem that chronicles the extraordinary … [Read more...] about A View From My Porch: Epic Poems of Folk and Rock, Part I
A View from My Porch: Is it Time for Americans to Acknowledge Climate Change?
Last April, LymeLine.com published a “Primer on Global Warming and Climate Change” Since that time, there has been a change in Presidential leadership; and, in January, the United States transitioned from a science-averse, to a science-centric Executive Branch, which may have an impact on how the Country views climate change. This essay is a “refresh” of the April essay, … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: Is it Time for Americans to Acknowledge Climate Change?