"Once again, we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice."  Dave Barry, humor writer.   “Oh look, yet another Christmas TV special! How touching to have the meaning of Christmas brought to us by cola, fast food, and beer…” Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin & Hobbes   We have a credit card that accumulates “Reward Points.” We are “rewarded” for buying more than we want or need. For me this is more annoying than motivating. It is a just one more example of our mindless, greedy commercial culture. But this Christmas, ...

  Some men see things as they are and ask, 'Why?' I dream things that never were and ask, 'Why not?'  Robert F. Kennedy.   I recently stumbled on to a website that asked a number of “why not” questions. “A 21st Century Vision for America: Guiding Principles for a Great Nation,” is the work of Gary J. Evans, PhD and a business management consultant. It is a product of his “deep concern about the current state of American politics.”   Dr. Evans creates a practical, plain language vision of “our country as most Americans would want it to be.” He describes “an America that cares about people, protects our rights, ...

  "I'm asking you to look at the data — the real data, not just something you see on Facebook — and realize that the science is real and that wearing a mask will not only protect the gains we've made, but also help your family members and friends stay healthy."  Phil Scott, Republican Governor of Vermont   “What the coronavirus has revealed is the power of America’s cult of selfishness. And this cult is killing us.” Paul Krugman   I worry about my grandchildren's futures. Their world will be very different in many ways. This won't just be because of technological changes. It will be because we are reeking havoc on ...

  (Author’s note: This was originally written about homelessness in Duluth, Minnesota. The statistics may differ but the problems AND SOLUTIONS are similar in Wisconsin and across the country.)   "A lot of us are one paycheck away, and there's just a variety of folks that can experience homelessness. It's not just a certain group of people, and it's really important we stop characterizing people and just start helping them."  Shelly Bruecken, member of the Loaves and Fishes community and homeless advocate in Duluth.   Homelessness continues to be a problem all over the country. Last week homeless advocates put up tents ...

  Veterans Days was originally a day to celebrate peace. The original holiday was Armistice Day which marked the end of the fighting in WWI on November 11, 1918. That day became  an international holiday to remember the war and work for peace. In 1926, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution creating Armistice Day to “commemorate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations.” But in 1954 it was changed to Veterans Day.   WWI was the ”war to end all wars.” It was one of the most unnecessary wars in human history. The horror of WWI did create a strong desire for peace by ordinary people. Especially in ...

  Northwest Wisconsin is again electing a Representative for the House of Representatives. This election has the same candidates as the special election in May. The difference now is we have the House voting record of Tom Tiffany over the last few months. This record along with the information from the candidates' campaign websites should be considered by voters.   In a recent article Wisconsin Public Radio news says Tiffany is the most conservative of any of Wisconsin's Republican representatives based on this voting record. Looking at 72 roll call votes, WPR says he has been more than twice as likely to vote “no” than “yes...

  You may think that elections don't matter. All the politicians are corrupt and it makes no difference who wins.  But this year the future of Social Security is at literally on the line.   Social Security is an 85 year old program that provides basic financial security for all Americans. Social Security is a cherished and essential financial safety net for millions of Americans. It serves not only people in retirement, but many who are disabled, and children who have lost a parent.  Many people in Wisconsin would have NO INCOME without Social Security.  Many would be in poverty or have their incomes seriously reduced without ...