Month: July 2024

Chicken Parade – Don’t Take Away Our Birds

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On Monday, July 29 at 8:00 a.m., Des Moines residents opposed to changing the City’s chicken ordinance will parade with their birds around City Hall, 400 Robert Ray Drive, to show community support for maintaining Des Moines’ strong, long-standing ordinance allowing residents to raise chickens and other poultry. The event is called Chicken Parade – Don’t Take Away Our Birds.

At least one Des Moines City Council member wants significant changes to the City’s ordinance, with a proposal under consideration that would outlaw roosters and reduce the number of hens allowed from 30 to 12.
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The great cash vs card debate

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When it comes to cash, I believe it should remain the primary currency of the future, along with barter. Charles is of a different mind. You’ll have to listen to the first segment of this week’s program to hear his take, and my knock-out rebuttal (exaggerating for sport).

Charles and I would be interested in hearing whether you’re a cash, credit, or crypto kinda person, and why you make that choice. Contact me at ed@fallonforum.com.

Bottom line for me, I don’t want a big bank taking a cut out of my purchase. Case in point: I recently sold an audio version of my book, Marcher, Walker, Pilgrim, for $10 using Stripe and Payhip (alas, as far as I know, there’s no option to independently market an audiobook). Stripe, owned by billionaires John and Patrick Collison, and Payhip took a cut of over 10%, leaving Climate March, the book’s owner, with $8.91. Continue Reading →

SCOTUS ruling helps Trump be dictator beyond Day One

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Charles Goldman and I dig into recent rulings by the US Supreme Court. Of all the Court’s disturbing decisions, most troubling is the so-called “Chevron” case.

The long and short of it is the Chevron ruling gives a future president way more power than he currently has.

How much power? Well, is it a stretch to suggest that the ruling confers the power of an autocrat? Charles and I don’t think that’s an overstatement.

We also discuss the climate activists who spray-painted Stonehenge a lovely shade of orange. After a bit of haggling over whether orange was the right color choice, Charles and I wrestle with the question of how far is going too far in the fight to save us from the worsening climate crisis. Continue Reading →

The political fallout of Summit’s CO2 pipeline permit

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I discuss the ruling by the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) to approve Summit Carbon Solution’s CO2 pipeline. Many (most?) Iowans are livid at the IUB’s decision to grant a private, for-profit company the authority to condemn private land for a risky, questionable purpose.

But it’s not a done deal. The IUB ruling says Summit can’t begin to tear up Iowa fields and forests until it receives approval in South Dakota and North Dakota. It’s hard to know how those decisions will play out.

In Iowa, the controversy over CO2 pipelines had the potential to shake up the political landscape. But not any more.

Why? Because Democrats blew a golden opportunity to be the defenders of rural families under attack by corporate interests. I’ve written about this frequently in my blog and talk about it often on my radio show and podcast. Continue Reading →