Tom Morse has been making maple syrup in East Montpelier, VT, for a long time. So has his father. And so did his father. 

Returning to Vermont after months away reminds you why you came here 32 years ago.

Pick any subject - politics, money, getting your tires changed. The advantages of living in Vermont come rushing back every time you return. It's small, safe, and easy to navigate, and it resists the destructive forces of the market economy.

Joe Biden’s press conference last week was strangely thrilling to me. For the record, I have never been a huge fan. His bellicose views on busing and abortion and his failure to stand up for Anita Hill so many years ago are blemishes. And his general behavior - a loud, speak first and listen later - always struck me as not serious.

I didn't know Lindsey Boylan a few months ago. But using the direct message (DM) function of Twitter, we met in the disembodied way of modern society; in the way you can meet anyone nowadays. I was interested in her campaign to become the next borough president of Manhattan.