Living in Society
Politics mostly social commentary.
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The challenge of winter is to continue exercising at least half an hour each day regardless of weather. Taking a shovel to a couple inches of snow on the driveway is a natural, yet as warm as it’s been, isn’t a consistent source of exercise. Walking the trail is out, although some neighbors do it.… Read more
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Will the Silurian Aquifer have enough water to support the population that draws from it? Answers to that question are a bit sketchy due to infrequent research into groundwater projections. A 2011 study published by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources had this to say about nearby Coralville, which draws water from the Silurian Aquifer.… Read more
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A person wouldn’t know it in Big Grove Township yet today has been designated a Global Day of Action Against Nuclear Weapons by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). This is in advance of the upcoming Second Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) which convenes… Read more
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We collaborated on the Thanksgiving Day menu yet I did most of the cooking. I made baked beans, wild rice, steamed broccoli, sweet potato and apple sauce. No specific dessert yet the baked beans served double duty because of how much brown sugar was in them. I made applesauce in the morning from the last… Read more
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Stars were bright at 4:45 a.m. despite a neighbor’s holiday lights interfering with the darkened sky. Orion and Ursa Major were easily evident, as were outdoors lights in the yards of distant neighbors. Points of light all jumbled together to create a personal galaxy. So began a day of cooking for us and countless others… Read more
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It would be great to write just one more post about Thanksgiving and be done with the holiday. Aside from the fact certain relatives get time off because of it, Turkey Day serves no useful purpose. Politicians make hay over the cost of Thanksgiving dinner. The American Farm Bureau Association reported a 4.5 percent drop… Read more
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I’m cautious when I write the first Goodreads review of a book that has been published for more than 20 years. That I read The Wide-Brimmed Hat at all is attributable to finding a first edition copy in a thrift shop or used book sale, and that it was written in and largely about Iowa… Read more
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A library is curated, which means it inherently contains the biases of the librarian or curator. How will books be organized? When space is at a premium, which go to a thrift shop and which go into a box for potential future use? Which books should be acquired and which checked out of a library?… Read more
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Even though State Representative Brad Sherman is one of the most radical, right wing members of the Iowa legislature, a Democrat would have a heart of stone if they couldn’t empathize with his situation when he announced he would not seek re-election in House District 91. Sherman wrote, “My Daughter (age 41) died suddenly and… Read more
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I drove my 2019 Chevy Spark due west from North Liberty into gathering darkness between plot after plot of agricultural land. I paid close attention to the road as there was little traffic and light faded to darkness all around, making it difficult to see where the blacktop ended. A combine had its headlights on… Read more
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