Society
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Where Is Empathy And Decency In Trump Administration?
There are, simply put, increasingly sad and cruel stories happening in our nation. Like you, I read and hear about them occurring in a far too regular fashion. Without doubt, Donald Trump is largely responsible for the most repulsive of these stories, as in the case of a man born in a German refugee camp… Continue reading
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Letter From Home: “Conversations” 11/13/25
It was a beautiful night in Madison. Clear skies and the temperature was 46 degrees. For November at 9 PM, I call that a win. As such. I put the top down on the convertible and set off to pick my better half up from Dane County Airport. With many days of news stories about… Continue reading
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The Old Farmer’s Almanac Still Shapes Us
For all the chaos and turbulence that blast their way into our lives, some constant mainstays continually comfort us and remind us that not everything needs to be upended. A few weeks ago, James and I bought the latest edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac, that humble, yellow-jacketed companion of what is described as a… Continue reading
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Transgender Suicide: There Are Not Two Sides To Every Issue, That Is A Conservative Ploy
The news this week of the suicide of 21-year-old Lia Smith, a transgender Middlebury College student, was perhaps the saddest story that did not come from Washington, D.C. She soon was to graduate and was known to be intelligent and proved herself to be a former student-athlete. My husband, James, was a graduate of Middlebury,… Continue reading
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Americans Need A National Anchor Like Molly Ivins
Saturday during the highly energetic No Kings Rally in Madison, I looked about at the scores of people and considered what made all of them similar. One of the themes worthy of consideration over the past decade of deep political divisions and ever-increasing cultural rancor is what commonalities still link Americans regardless of where we… Continue reading
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Saturday’s No Kings Protests Were Acts Of Patriotism In Its Purest Form
Saturday was one of those days when the ideals of the nation were forefront from coast to coast. From Bangor, Maine (not far from Corinth where my husband James grew up) to Berkeley, California, Americans gathered not in anger, but in absolute resolve to fight against authoritarianism and fascism. In Madison, like every other place… Continue reading
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Children’s Public School Lunches Should Be Free
I stumbled upon a news story from WFHR, Wisconsin Rapids. (A radio station that was often heard in our home during my growing up years.) On one hand, it is an uplifting story of humanity reaching out to assist others. On the other hand, it underscores why there is a need for a statewide policy… Continue reading
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Detroit Needs To Move To EV Future With Haste
While the rest of the world accelerates toward an electric vehicle future, the United States clings to a past powered by gasoline and nostalgia. From Oslo to Shanghai governments, and automakers are investing billions in electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, battery innovation, and clean energy transitions. Yet in Washington, the Donald Trump administration continues to champion… Continue reading
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Cruelty Is The Purpose In Trump White House
A Bluesky posting from Adam Kinzinger caught my attention this week. The thing that bothers me so much is not the “we have to enforce our borders and laws.” We do. It’s the giddy joy and celebration they have at the misery of people far less fortunate. Always punching down Since Inauguration Day, there has… Continue reading
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Toxic Hyper-Masculinity Made For Deadly, Absurd Weekend
This was an awful weekend with unleashed violence across the nation and the most boorish behavior on parade. To top it off, Sunday evening the nation watched a 60 Minutes segment that underscored what is happening in the nation and how we got to the place we now find ourselves. I was truly surprised that… Continue reading
Caffeinated Politics 