State park trail entry point.

Journey Home

Tales from the pilgrimage.

Living in Society

Politics mostly social commentary.

  • Hillary and the Narrative

    CORALVILLE — Hillary Clinton held a town hall meeting in S.T. Morrison Park on Tuesday with more than 500 people in attendance, according to event organizers. After a brief speech, she called on audience members, taking 13 questions covering a wide range of international and domestic issues. Her command of the current political scene and… Read more

  • Reading Naomi Klein

    Unlike the climate crisis story spoon fed to us in decreasing numbers of corporate media stories, in social media memes, and in fleeting conversations at community gatherings, in This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs The Climate, author Naomi Klein said there is a nascent, global movement preparing to take climate action. “The climate movement has yet… Read more

  • Working to Write

    I work to write. It became clear at CRST Logistics I couldn’t combine writing with a career the way William Carlos Williams, Wallace Stevens, and every college teacher who took ink to paper did. I transitioned to being a purveyor of writing and speaking. It has been tough to consistently secure enough income to support… Read more

  • Five Things About Iowa City

    By design, we built our home not in, but close to Iowa City when we moved back to Iowa from Indiana. The intention was to be within commuting distance of jobs in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities. Over the years I’ve worked in all three, so the idea has been validated. Iowa… Read more

  • Hillary Post-Jefferson Jackson

    Beginning with the first debate on Oct. 13, it has been a fast and wild ride for Democrats. Hillary Clinton held her lead in the polls, and Bernie Sanders appears to have reached a ceiling of support. Vice president Joe Biden won’t enter the race for president. Webb and Chafee bowed out. The Benghazi hearing… Read more

  • Iowa Caucus Notes

    Going into what is arguably the biggest political event of the year for Iowa Democrats — the Jefferson Jackson dinner on Saturday — the Feb 2 caucus is coming into focus. Despite a field of six plus Joe Biden, the contest has never been about more than two candidates, front runner Hillary Clinton and Vermont… Read more

  • Walmart, Work and Value

    The consensus in social media was Walmart’s substantial stock decline on Wednesday – in advance of lower earnings projections – couldn’t have happened to a better group of jerks. The jerks are the five individuals and groups who together own half of outstanding Walmart stock – the Walton family. When people talk about re-distributing wealth,… Read more

  • Walk in the Garden

    The garden and trees turn to fall colors all at once — right now, as I write. First frost can’t be far away, maybe next week. Leaves and grasses turn without freezing temperatures. The landscape assumes a warm brilliance. I picked more than 200 pounds of apples Wednesday and donated them to Local Harvest CSA.… Read more

  • Fall Setback

    I slept for twelve hours last night fighting a cold I hope doesn’t turn into something else. The big comforter kept me warm, and except for doing two loads of laundry around 1 a.m., I slept in four two to three hour parcels. I feel achy, this morning, but the coughing reduced significantly. I’m easing… Read more

  • It Takes More Than A President

    It’s hard to disagree with Bernie Sanders (I-VT): a political revolution is needed to make sustained, progressive change in the U.S. political system. It takes more than a president. “No president, not the best intentioned in the world can implement the changes we need in this country without a political revolution,” Sanders said at the… Read more