when the times change, my thinking changes

My most recent for Democracy Journal: time for some direct action

dark days

Time for a post-mortem

More post-fact culture commentary

This important article was written over the weekend, and it includes portions of an interview I did: post-fact world dawns

Shapeshifter Politics

More on the Donald...

More on Trumpism as we enter (thankfully) the last few weeks

A nice round of hot mic politics

Joe McCarthy's Ghost!!!

A recent piece I did on comparing Donald Trump to Richard Nixon, no, not this time, but to Joseph McCarthy.  Today as the Republicans try to disown their own candidate, it's not a bad time to revisit one of those in the past the Republican Party wouldn't disown.  And the title comes from the wonderful band, the Minutemen!  Enjoy: Joe McCarthy's Ghost!

What's Voting All About???

My latest for Democracy: What's Voting All About?

Bye, Bye Mr. President Intellectual

This for the Chronicle Review: The Intellectual as President

My latest on the politics of education

Enjoy: What Kind of Civic Education?

I'd like to call your attention to...

Not just this piece that I wrote for timeline.com (the politics of stupid) but to the publication itself.  Timeline.com is a site that I'd encourage people to visit.  It offers a broader and more historical perspective on issues -- something that warms my heart about on-line writing in a day and age of short-sighted, 24/7 news.  Enjoy.

We live in different times -- post-fact

A reflection on the implications of Trumpism: Post-Fact Times

talking more trump and nixon

C-Span this morning: Trump/Nixon

Irving Howe once defined his work as worrying...

And here is a bit of my own recent worrying: Clinton and Slogans.

Trump, the New Nixon?

I am included in this rather interesting story in the New York Times: Trump/Nixon

STAYING WILD

In response to a smart article at the Baffler, I offer this: staying wild

X-Pedition 2016

So since Vicky is working full time now at Next Gen, I had to rework a way to get out west for a bit and then link up with Jay and her to do a shorter trip together.

So, this: A trip down the Dolores River that flows into the Colorado River close to Moab.  Packraft of course.  Then hook up with the Kokopeli Trail, something I've wanted to mountain bike ride for quite some time, all the way back to Gateway, Colorado (the put-in).  Must have been a fifty miler on the bike, at least, and the haul was up 4000 feet.  Shooweeh.  Well, first off, I flipped in the Dolores in a Class Three plus rapid.  Then the crawl up the Kokopeli was quite a trip.  The ride down through John Brown's Canyon was one the most fun things I've done -- straight down through a beautiful winding canyon, along a stream.

Then four packrafting trips, all around Jackson and the Teton Bridger Wilderness.  I used the following descriptions to go with: Wyoming Packrafting.  I did Pacific Creek, Bear Creek, North Buffalo Fork River, and Green River and Lakes.  All fantastic -- North Buffalo was quite a ride.  But biggest of all was the hike into Pacific Creek, where I first ran into a moose, full rack, at least seven feet tall.  And then -- and this turned surreal -- I look up and there's a grizz just thirty feet from me.  He snorts.  I get out my bear spray.  He walks a bit and then snorts at me again.  And I think, well you probably know what I think...  And then he bolted into the woods.  Hoowee.

After these four trips, with some car camping thrown in here and there, I met up with Vicky and Jay in Boise, Idaho (Bear Creek, my final trip is in eastern Idaho).  We then went luxury and floated with OARS down the Snake River through Hell's Canyon -- a marvelous five day trip.  Caught some bass.  Went through some Class IV rapids.  And rode a Dory through some Class IV.  That was one of the grooviest experiences we've had in our travels.

And then race back across the country, making it home with only two nights on the road.  Shazam.

More Trumpism

Here's a nice "syllabus" to understand Trump.  Yes, I participated.  Enjoy: Understanding the Donald.

The Fumes of the Bern

My reflection on the meaning of the Bernie Sanders's campaign, now at the moment of loss...  Here it is: Fumes of the Bern

For those with Netflix...

I was recently alerted to the fact that Netflix now has "The 1970s" accessible.  The show originally aired on CNN.  I am in the last two episodes -- one on Carter, the other on punk rock.  Enjoy.

TRUMPISM!!!

And who could resist but to write about this... TRUMPERIFIC

Video from Conservative/Progressive Conference

For those who would like to see my visage in action, you can check out the video of a conference I attended and participated in at the Hauenstein Center in Grand Rapids, MI.  Just scroll down a bit, and you can access that footage here: Prog-Con.

Wherein...

I combine my interest in the world of higher education, politics, and ... punk rock.  And yes this has become a regular gig, so to speak.  I'm delighted to work with Michael Tomasky and be at a publication helmed by E.J. Dionne.  Enjoy:

Burning Down the House

One rather important demographic in this election...

My latest for Democracy Journal: Millennials!

Been doin' some rethinking of a big issue

I think it's time to rethink some progressive ideas about race, class, and liberalism.  And here I do my best: Black Lives Matter Really Matter.

Who Exactly is Bernie Sanders?

Here's a piece I just did for Democracy Journal.  Enjoy: The Problem with the Sanders Analogies