Month: June 2025

“The enemy” is sometimes right

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First off, regarding the title of this message, I don’t see the world in terms of enemies and allies. Thus the quotation marks. Sure, there are hard-core evil-doers who pock-mark the annuls of history with their wickedry. Adolf Hitler. Vlad the Impaler. Oliver Cromwell. The Zodiac Killer. Jack the Ripper. That’s the tip of the ne’er-do-well iceberg, the sordid sliver of humanoids the world would have been better without.

But of the estimated 117 billion people that have, at some point, called Earth home, most have been decent, reasonable, and good. Granted, that’s an opinion, not a fact. But it’s an opinion I’ll back-up with 67 years of personal experience. 

This week was, for me, a reminder that there aren’t too many people in today’s world who I’m willing to tag as “the enemy.” (I do put Donald Trump in that category, with apologies to my friends who voted for him. If history proves me wrong, I’ll apologize.)

I use the term “enemy” lightly because, as this week demonstrated, politics does indeed make strange bedfellows. Here are some of the Republican voices I’m finding common ground with this week, in response to President Trump’s decision to bomb Iran and the threat of nuclear war:
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“What do you do for work, Ed?”

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What do I do for work? Great question. A lot of Boomers are retired, yet I remain gainfully employed — as a full-time volunteer. If you’re inclined to support my work, either donating, spreading the word, listening, reading, or providing feedback, my colleagues and I (all volunteers) would be grateful:

1. The Fallon Forum. Our platform includes a radio show that airs on seven stations, a podcast, a weekly email blog, and a Substack post. DONATE HERE. 

2. Marcher, Walker, Pilgrim — my memoir from the 2014 Great March for Climate Action. I’d sold about 1,000 copies when COVID took the wind out of that sail. The book is owned by Climate March. All proceeds go to climate action, and we’ve still got a pile of books to unload.
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A Robot Wrote That?

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A ROBOT WROTE THAT? It’s no secret that I’m immensely concerned about the threat AI poses to our very survival. That said, I’m eager to have conversations that challenge my presumptions about the technology.

My dialogue this week with Drake writing prof Carol Roh Spaulding was one of the most enlightening discussions I’ve had on the subject. I love the story Carol shares about the jumping spider — written by GEN-AI from the spider’s perspective.

It’s brilliant writing, but Carol’s subsequent questions for GEN-AI reiterate some of my concerns about the technology. I hope you’ll listen to our discussion and share your impressions and feedback.
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Joni Ernst vs the Tooth Fairy

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Joni Ernst’s “apology” for her heartless “we all are going to die” comment was one of the biggest political mistakes I’ve ever seen.

Last week, I was cautiously optimistic that Ernst’s likely Democratic opponent, J.D. Scholten (check out J.D.’s inspiring announcement video), had an outside shot at defeating her. But after Ernst’s blundering one-minute-and-eight-second snark, I’d call this race a toss-up.

Even if one tried, it’d be hard to pack so much political stupidity into one minute. The painfully close-up video. Strolling through a cemetery. Pretending to apologize. A self-serving religious plug.

But my favorite “duh” moment was when Ernst said, “I’m really, really glad I did not have to bring up the subject of the Tooth Fairy.”

Huh? Alright, I’ll give you my interpretation of that. Deep down, Ernst knows her political career is over. That’s why she’s walking through a cemetery, headstones symbolizing the many Iowans her votes have hurt. Continue Reading →