Society
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Yosemite: The Line We Will Not Let Donald Trump Cross
I suspect anyone who has visited Yosemite National Park knows that, when you leave, a part of you stays behind. The place pockets a piece of your heart. Yosemite is one of those rare American places where the scale of the land makes you feel minuscule in comparison. The beauty is something that no picture… Continue reading
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Data Centers Are Coming, Let’s Plan Smartly
Donald Trump isn’t totally wrong about his views on data centers. Let me quickly dart away from any metal in my den that may draw the bolts of lightning, and I’ll be back with you in a minute. Ok, I survived that. I don’t think I’ve ever been able to say that Trump wasn’t totally… Continue reading
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Doty Land Podcast: How Do We Find Happiness? Or Does It Find Us?
Here is the link to this podcast episode. Musicians, singers, and songwriters Tim Grimm and Sergio Webb performed in Madison, Wisconsin. The outdoor house concert was especially special, but the larger message about how life presents people and moments in such random designs begs the question to be pondered. Do we find happiness, or does… Continue reading
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Letter From Home: “Early Retirement Allows Gentle Pull To The Next Chapter Of Life” 8/29/26
It has been in the offing for a while, but now it is official. James Wilson, my husband, retired effective yesterday. Smiles abound. And the opening hours of that new chapter could not have started in a more serene, tranquil, and unexpected way. We were both reading books on the front lawn (James with early Maine… Continue reading
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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
