Category Archives: Uncategorized

Time to Require the Vax at the UW

Earlier this summer, despite the fact that over 600 colleges and universities had already announced that they would mandate vaccinations when students returned this fall, UW System President Tommy Thompson refused.  His fig leaf of an excuse was that none of the vaccines had received final, formal approval from the Food and Drug Administration. NeverContinue reading “Time to Require the Vax at the UW”

Tough Compassion on Homelessness

The City of Madison is chasing its tail on its homeless problem, but don’t blame the current mayor. No past mayor has been able to solve this puzzle either, and one of them was me. The city has been struggling with homeless encampments. The strategy has been to designate official sites in city parks whereContinue reading “Tough Compassion on Homelessness”

Pic of the Day/Scotch with Lighthouse

Here’s one from the archives, specifically August of 2013. This is the Sand Island Light in the Apostle Islands. I used to spend a couple of weeks in August volunteering for the Park Service as a light house keeper. I was a tour guide; the lighthouse was automated and needed no keeping. You had toContinue reading “Pic of the Day/Scotch with Lighthouse”

In Defense of Nation Building

If there’s anything that Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, MAGA hat-wearers and BLM tee shirt wearers agree on it’s that America should not be in the business of nation building. I think they’re all wrong. A common trope is that the quick collapse of the Afghan military and government is proof positive that tryingContinue reading “In Defense of Nation Building”

Afghanistan Mess Was Not Inevitable

The Biden-apologist company line on his disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan goes like this. It was inevitable. This is what an exit from a war we didn’t win looks like. But that’s simply not true. Leaving aside the argument that we should not have left in the first place (which is my position), the fundamental problemContinue reading “Afghanistan Mess Was Not Inevitable”

Reality Comes to the West Side

Sometimes theory runs head on into the real world. That happened recently in the shadow of Camp Randall Stadium. Let’s say you’re an affluent, white liberal living in University Heights. (This, of course, is redundant. If you live in the Heights you are, pretty much by definition, affluent, white and liberal.) As such, you areContinue reading “Reality Comes to the West Side”

I’m Still With Biden

I believe that Pres. Joe Biden was wrong to pull U.S. troops from Afghanistan and that his administration’s handling of the withdrawal was disastrous. I still support Biden and it’s not because I’m a partisan Democrat. Yesterday was the darkest day of Biden’s administration and among the worst for America in recent years. The 13Continue reading “I’m Still With Biden”

Progressives Can’t Deliver Majority

For the hard-left in the Democratic Party, it’s all about them. It’s about their romantic visions of rushing to the barricades, of being outsiders standing against The Man (and they do really mean The Man), about being so very, absolutely and unquestionably right about everything. What it is not about is winning elections, establishing aContinue reading “Progressives Can’t Deliver Majority”