Culture
Patriotism is learning to live with one another
Since I was a young child I was fascinated by pyrotechnics. While the chemistry of fireworks is fascinating, and the artistry that goes into creating the visual display is impressive, I have never really cared for the volume of the resulting booms. While I personally have never been in a war zone, I think about all the friends and family that have and imagine how hard it is for some of them to deal with a display which could look and sound something like a battleground. So, during this celebratory season around the 4th of July, I often think about the people I know who ...
Sorting ourselves out
We shift between groups throughout our lives and other people put us in groups without our knowledge or consent all the time.
Hands up don’t shoot
All people deserve, and should receive, respect and proper treatment by police. This is not a radical concept. Police simply need to act professionally and in accordance with democratic principles and existing law.
Earth Day dreams
On a cool, cloudy Saturday, April 24th, the Citizen's Climate Lobby of Marathon County and North central Area congregations Organized to Make an Impact (NAOMI) of Wausau were able to gather a gloriously diverse family of good folks who showed up to plant trees for Earth Day in one of our local parks.
Reimagine waste: Creative perspectives
Following Earth Week, the 51st Earth Day, and my 45th birthday, I had an idea for a series of articles that we are launching this week, called “reimagine waste.”
Early spring gardening
The freezer is emptying out and the jars of fruits and vegetables, jams and sauces are looking mighty thin in the pantry. Luckily, it’s time to gear up for another garden season and start the process of planting, tending, harvesting and preserving all over again.
New regulations carry the promise of under-enforcement
This lack of enforcement is nothing new. The big difference in the circumstance of the mask mandate is that the decision not to enforce was politically motivated.
Go vegan for Earth Week
My alma mater, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, has long celebrated not just Earth Day, but Earth Week on its campus. I too celebrate Earth Week, and honestly attempt to do right by the planet everyday. While we need far more than the actions of individuals to tackle problems such as climate change, some individual actions really do make a difference. One of the most impactful is to adopt a plant-based diet.
Peace groups call for police reform
The Duluth area Northland Chapter of Grandmothers for Peace and Twin Ports Veterans for Peace Chapter 80 call for the reform of the public safety practices in our communities.
Too Lazy; Doesn’t Read (TL;DR)
Originally this phrase was Too Long Didn’t Read or TL;DR. This expression was first used on me by someone I considered a friend. After looking up the new acronym, I was insulted and a little hurt. Well, not immediately. I knew that they were busy with school and had family issues that took up a lot of their time and mental capacity. Then it occurred to me that if in fact they were too busy or too tired, why did they take the time to even be where they could see what I wrote? After all, it is not as though I wrote it out in soup in the kitchen floor. So, they must have had another reason for taking the time to write those four letters. What could those reasons be?