A Tough Guy’s Good Things List

This morning I had a conversation with a man named Gordon.  Gordon is in his 70’s.  He’s a big burly man who spent working life among the towering conifers of the Pacific Northwest.  To this day he still wears plaids, jeans, suspenders and heavy work boots.  His face and hands are sculpted by decades outdoors and his eyes are gray – brown like chips of smoky quartz. We sat at a sidewalk… Read More

Civil Rights Remembered in Wisconsin

A year ago, I spoke with Susan Stout (Voice 075), a PhD forester with primary oversight of significant research in the forests of the Allegheny of western Pennsylvania.  Then, yesterday I marched with a small group of people who gathered in the small downtown area of Whitewater, WI.  These things fit together. Almost 9000 miles down the road, I’m taking a break to visit here in Whitewater for the month.  This is… Read More

March 4th has it all over Super Tuesday

I drove into Cincinnati from Manhattan.  How many times will I be able to say that?  Not many. And it was no minor feat.  I’m guessing this is not the least bit surprising to any of you.  Still, we say these things out loud to one another – partly as a request for validation – a “wow” that fits with the relative enormity of the accomplishment.  The vast majority of Americans don’t… Read More

EX:Change Gift Idea — 100 VOICES

Listen to the voices of your neighbors.  One hundred voices from across the U.S.  All talking about change.  All speaking their dreams. Give the book to yourself, to friends or family.  Join us in the EX:Change as it continues to offer its invitation to all of us — Listen to each other.  See what is there in those with whom you think you have nothing in common.  See what is there in… Read More

Ancient Trees and Taxes

On matters of taxation, there’s confusion in our country.  Just where does that money go?  Another way to say this is to suggest that there’s too little education of everyday citizens on the whole economic thing.  How does it all fit together – the business part, the investment part, the tax part, the public interest part?  And how do we participate in it for the wellbeing of ourselves, our families, our communities… Read More

Dayenu: You gave us freedom, and that would have been enough.

“Maybe the most empowered change is to work to be less ignorant. We’re all ignorant and it’s a life long struggle.  If we commit ourselves to do our best to be wrong less frequently, well, that’s about the best we can do.” Peter Frishauf Last night I sat at a table with eight dear friends from two families.  Four of them are teenagers.  The rest of us are parents – you know,… Read More

Hawk Sightings

3-15-2009 PA Rte 6 W Allegheny Mountains Hawks. I have a thing about hawks. It’s part ornithological (I mean, what cool raptors). It’s part romantic/poetic (their metaphorical range is considerable). And it’s no doubt part mystical. The mystical part could be embarrassing from the perspective of ‘woo woo’ attributes since I tend to take their appearance as very good signs. If circumstances are dicey or uncertain in any way, the appearance of a hawk,… Read More