The road ahead for commuters may be less crowded ... or maybe more. One theory has it that, as people gradually return to work, they will shun mass transit out of safety concerns and commute, instead, by car. That could create problems on our roads if people try to drive five days a week. The other speculation is that the “new normal” will mean less commuting overall as … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: The Road Ahead … for Rail Commuters: Will They Ever Go Back To Metro-North?
Columnists
A View from My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches, Part 2: Nazi Aggression through “A Rain of Ruin from the Air” on Hiroshima
Nazi Aggression through “A Rain of Ruin from the Air” on Hiroshima Part 1 ended with a review of Theodore Roosevelt’s extension of the Monroe Doctrine to enable the United States to exercise “international police power” in the Western Hemisphere. I continue my review of significant speeches with one of Winston Churchill’s wartime speeches. As noted last time, my selection … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches, Part 2: Nazi Aggression through “A Rain of Ruin from the Air” on Hiroshima
Talking Transportation: Cruise Ships Hit COVID Storm, What Happens Next?
Have you ever taken a cruise? According to that industry, something like 28 million people worldwide took to the high seas last year. But that still leave 80 percent of Americans who have never cruised, enjoying the midnight buffets, spas and casinos at sea. Obviously, cruising has lost its allure since the megaships became epicenters of COVID-19 outbreaks, trapping … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Cruise Ships Hit COVID Storm, What Happens Next?
A la Carte: Going to Grill, But No Idea What? How About Bourbon- & Mustard-Glazed Pork Chops
I grew up in a house where, if something needed fixed, my mother called someone. My brother also grew up in the same house and, generally speaking, he didn’t learn how to fix things, either. I went to college and majored in English. My brother went to MIT undergraduate and then got himself a masters and Ph.D. in metallurgy at RPI. I married a man, who also majored in … [Read more...] about A la Carte: Going to Grill, But No Idea What? How About Bourbon- & Mustard-Glazed Pork Chops
Legal News You Can Use: Does Mediation Make Sense for Your Divorce?
If you and your spouse are pursuing an amicable divorce, going through litigation may not make sense. No matter what your feelings are toward each other, you may both be clear communicators and able to work together. If you have children, you may want to avoid a contentious process to protect them, too. In these cases, mediation may be your solution. Yet, it’s … [Read more...] about Legal News You Can Use: Does Mediation Make Sense for Your Divorce?
Reading Uncertainly? ‘How Democracies Die’ by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt
Two learned Harvard professors open this provocative challenge to many of our conventional beliefs with a brief sentence: "We feel dread ..." Their worry – that “democracy” as we have known it may be seriously threatened: “Democracies may die at the hands not of generals but of elected leaders ... who subvert the very process that brought them to power.” They cite Hitler, … [Read more...] about Reading Uncertainly? ‘How Democracies Die’ by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt
Letter From Paris: Thoughts on Life Under Lockdown in Fontainebleau, How France Has Coped With COVID-19
There have been many deadly pandemics in the history of the planet but this is the first time ever that one has affected so many people. COVID-19 forced half the world population - or more than three billion - into confinement. I guess this is the price one has to pay for living in a globalized world. Each country handled the coronavirus crisis in a different way. How did … [Read more...] about Letter From Paris: Thoughts on Life Under Lockdown in Fontainebleau, How France Has Coped With COVID-19
Gardening With ‘The English Lady’: Tips for the Merry Month of May
“The darling buds of May” is such an apt phrase for one of the most enchanting months, bloom on bulbs and trees and the fresh foliage on trees winking in the sun. By now, you have probably removed most of the winter debris, pruned broken branches and re-edged borders. Do not however, apply that spring layer of composted manure as the soil needs to warm up to 60 degrees for … [Read more...] about Gardening With ‘The English Lady’: Tips for the Merry Month of May
A New Columnist Joins LymeLine! Welcome Maureen Haseley-Jones, ‘The English Lady,’ with Her Gardening Tips
OLD LYME -- We are delighted to announce that Maureen Haseley-Jones, known professionally as, 'The English Lady,' has joined the swelling ranks of LymeLine columnists. Maureen will be contributing a monthly gardening column with tips for that specific month of the year, We may divide the column into two on some months depending on its length. Her first column will be published … [Read more...] about A New Columnist Joins LymeLine! Welcome Maureen Haseley-Jones, ‘The English Lady,’ with Her Gardening Tips
A la Carte: Pineapple Upside-Down Cake is Perfect for Parties!
I remember the first time I went to the Fancy Food Show at the Javits Center in New York City. I had taken the train into the city, grabbed a cab and arrived at 10 in the morning. It is the biggest food convention in America and I thought I could see everything in one day. By early afternoon I was bushed and my feet hurt. It was lunch time and I picked up a sandwich On my … [Read more...] about A la Carte: Pineapple Upside-Down Cake is Perfect for Parties!
A View from My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches, Part 1: Washington’s Farewell through Theodore Roosevelt
Part 1: Washington’s Farewell through Theodore Roosevelt I enjoy reading historic speeches. I often find them to be inspiring; and they can fill gaps in my understanding of an important event or period in history. In this essay, I begin my review of these speeches, and provide some context for the events that precipitated their creation. These essays will not be an … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches, Part 1: Washington’s Farewell through Theodore Roosevelt
A la Carte: May Means Meatballs … and Sausages and Gravy!
It is May and May usually means lots of sunshine and warm evenings. It is my favorite season of all, because trees are budding out, tulips are bright and gorgeous, lilies and irises are two weeks away as are lilies of the valley, mu birth flower. I am grateful that the people who sold me my condo, whom I knew from the yacht club, were gardeners. The best I can do is add a few … [Read more...] about A la Carte: May Means Meatballs … and Sausages and Gravy!
Legal News You Can Use: Work, Disability and SSD in the Age of COVID-19
From New London to Los Angeles and beyond, the world has shut down to contain and fight the COVID-19 virus. The global lockdown has upended life for billions who now find themselves isolated in their homes. While the isolation of self-quarantine and the anxiety of worrying about the illness that could lead to death is an alien experience for most people, it is for … [Read more...] about Legal News You Can Use: Work, Disability and SSD in the Age of COVID-19
Talking Transportation: Flattening the Commuting Curve
In the post-COVID-19 world (whenever that may be) commuters will be asking themselves one question: Is this trip really necessary? Sure, when the quarantining is lifted and the life-threatening virus seems to have passed (at least until it returns next fall), we may look forward to getting back on the train and on the crowded highways. But the weeks of not commuting have … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Flattening the Commuting Curve
Talking Transportation: Airlines Hit COVID Turbulence
I’ve always been fascinated by the airline business. Even though I’m not a great flyer, the whole idea of moving hundreds of people from point A to point B in a metal tube has astounded me. I even remember the good old days of “Youth Standby” flights in the 1960’s when we could get a 50 percent fare discount just by helping fill empty seats. But until recently the planes … [Read more...] about Talking Transportation: Airlines Hit COVID Turbulence