Social Commentary
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Dolly’s Open Hand vs. Trump’s Closed Grifting Fist
A lesson in genuinely meaningful ethics. Two very different American stories are in focus this week: rich people and what they do with their wealth. One belongs to Dolly Parton, an iconic superstar who lived a life that treated success like a resource to be shared. The other belongs to Donald Trump, who treats financial… Continue reading
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Dolly Parton: Music And Heart On Display In Madison Concerts
Dolly Parton took the stage at the Dane County Coliseum on October 29, 2005. It was the first major concert that my husband, James, had ever attended. Walking down an onstage staircase, she held the audience in the palm of her hand from the first note. I know that sounds trite. Except it is the… Continue reading
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The Larger Message About Jed York, Owner Of San Francisco 49ers, Arrested In Prostitution Sting
Here we are again with a story about the unseemly side of the NFL. Just in time for the start of a new season, when many Americans will opt to sit inside on beautiful fall Sunday afternoons to watch television. San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York pleaded no contest to a pair of misdemeanor charges… Continue reading
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Caffeinated Politics Podcast: Politics, Power, And Public Trust
Trump’s Conduct and the Collapse of Norms A Historic Wave at the Governor’s Mansion Law, Stewardship, and the Long Arc of Accountability Continue reading
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The Real Danger Isn’t Turning On Red In Madison, It’s The Pedestrian Who Never Looks Up
Madison’s latest flirtation with banning right‑on‑red turns is the kind of well‑intentioned civic tinkering that sounds good in a mayoral campaign literature piece. But this idea misunderstands how people actually move through Madison’s downtown streets, how drivers behave, and how pedestrians should behave. Right‑on‑red is a logical, practical, efficient traffic valve that keeps intersections from… Continue reading
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How We Live Is What Endures
Several years ago, I sat through a funeral service that would have been comical had it not been about death. The person in the casket had been a philanderer of the first order, and his deeds had occurred over a long span of years. Much of the community knew about those deeds. But we were… Continue reading
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In Praise Of A Novel That Teaches Us To Care
It has been a dramatic week in Wisconsin, and now it is time for the weekend. Everyone needs a few days to unwind. Family is coming by our home Friday night, and rain is slated for much of Saturday. James and I have dinner with a friend on Sunday. In between all those reasons to… Continue reading
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Francesca Hong Thinks Sexual Exploitation Is A Career Ladder To Be Protected In Wisconsin
Let’s be honest, there is only so much that any Wisconsinite should be forced to endure during campaign season. (I am thinking that, and I love politics.) Today we are reminded of the travesty of Francesca Hong backing legislation that would decriminalize prostitution for adults and create a “sex workers’ bill of rights”. That comes… Continue reading
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The Last Uncomplicated Boys: What A 1934 Magazine Cover Says To 2026
For many months, I have had a photo from a 1934 Saturday Evening Post in my ‘to do’ pile, as I wanted to add some commentary on the painting’s innocence and place it in context with our helicopter censors, who would deem this unacceptable on a cover of a best-selling magazine today. Somehow, it would… Continue reading
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Local Leaders Say It Is “Increasingly Clear” Williamson Street Must Reopen To Traffic
The line from Madison Alder Davy Mayer and Dane County Board District Supervisor Yogesh Chawla jumps off the screen. It arrives at the opening of the sixth paragraph in their latest update to constituents about the growing issues at the corner of Williamson Street and Baldwin Street, where the police shooting of Corey Ruiz occurred… Continue reading
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