I am not an economist, but shouldn’t the deficit be going down if we have a “strong economy”?  In 2016, candidate Trump talked big about eliminating the debt (all $19 trillion at the time) “over a period of eight years.” After taking office, however, he doesn’t seem all that concerned, even going so far as shrugging off the projected “hockey stick” spike in debt that his own … [Read more...]

By Aaron Bishop Harmony, MN Mythconception #9: A Newsweek article in 1974 stated we would be “a frozen ice cube” by now.  I believe the goal of this mythconception from an online commenter in the online Fillmore County Journal is an attempt to convey an air of wild guessing or pure speculation when it comes to the science of climate change. Never mind the fact that … [Read more...]

I first learned about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in my high school psychology class. My teacher insisted that we internalize and understand the topic. He was, and is, a great teacher (he’s enjoying retirement now). He was a “Don’t judge others until you take a walk in their shoes” kind of teacher. What he taught me about Abraham Maslow has stuck with me to this … [Read more...]

When you truly know someone, you can generally tell when they are lying or not telling the entire truth. It’s more difficult when you don’t know someone, and harder still if you admire them and often agree with their point of view. It’s easy to let our guard down, because let’s be honest, trust isn’t a bad thing. That doesn’t mean too much trust can’t get us into trouble, … [Read more...]

From the heat of flames and twisted metal, an America rose from the ashes of 9/11; an America that was strongly united in spirit if not in direction. “Never Forget” signs were everywhere. Even at 11 years old, I knew I would never forget. I will remember the brave men, women, and rescue dogs as they risked their lives to save people inside the burning buildings, and then later … [Read more...]

Have you ever experienced an argument where the other side “just didn’t get it”? Have you ever been on the side of the argument where you “just didn’t get it”? I believe many modern arguments can be more productive if opposing sides begin with, and maintain, an equal understanding of the definitions of key words in the discussion. Some words have multiple meanings that are … [Read more...]

I would like to address common myths and misconceptions about Climate Change. Mythconception #1: “Climate Change used to be called ‘Global Warming’ but the Earth hasn’t been warming, so it’s called ‘Climate Change’ now.” Global warming is a term describing the overall impacts of atmospheric and oceanic temperatures as a result of greenhouse gases on Earth. As time progressed … [Read more...]

What happened? The GOP-controlled Senate passed a bill by voice-call in the late hours of December 19 with measures that would have provided enough funding for the government to continue functioning into the early part of February. This bill did not have money allocated for a border wall that President Trump had repeatedly stated Mexico would pay for.  It was expected this … [Read more...]

The Gilets Jaunes, or “Yellow Vest” demonstrations began in France on November 17 and were initially a protest of rising petroleum taxes. At about $6.30/gal already, this impending rise of $0.17/gal was the straw that broke the camel’s back. My partner and I were in France for the first month of these citizen-led disruptions. From the news snippets I have seen, it appears as … [Read more...]