Dear Friends,
HERE’S THIS WEEK’S PODCAST, with Jeffrey Weiss and Ed Fallon:
(01:33) Stepping aside for Harris, Biden puts service above self;
(19:24) How Trump or Harris might impact Ukraine;
(37:47) Alleviating the epidemic of loneliness and isolation;
(54:47) Des Moines’ sneak attack against backyard chickens, with Kathy Byrnes.
[BREAKING: If you’re a Des Moines resident and support local food security, we need your help against a sneaky plan to weaken Des Moines’ backyard chicken ordinance. Here’s a link to next Monday’s “CHICKEN PARADE – DON’T TAKE AWAY OUR BIRDS!” Please come. Bring birds, if you have them, and spread the word.]
Before I offer advice on how to battle America’s loneliness epidemic, and tell you who these gorgeous people are in the photo at left, here’s a synopsis of this week’s program:
KAMALA HARRIS. Even though Harris’ lightening-quick ascension as the Democratic Party’s nominee for President is the antitheses of how the democratic process oughta work, Jeffrey and I concur that she will be a much stronger candidate than Biden — both in terms of politics and policy. We discuss who Harris might select as her running mate, and whether her decision will come soon or wait until the Democratic Convention.
UKRAINE. Will a Trump or Harris presidency affect US policy toward Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, or will the status quo continue? My thinking is that, in a Donald Trump/J.D. Vance administration, we’re likely to see a shift away from blank-check support for the Ukrainian military. Jeffrey’s not convinced, and calls out politicians like Vance, who claim to be “isolationist” while still committed to global intervention and a bloated military budget.
LONELINESS. Loneliness and isolation are on the rise in the US. As Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, US Surgeon General, said in an extensive report released last year titled, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, “If we fail to [address loneliness and isolation], we will pay an ever-increasing price in the form of our individual and collective health and well-being. And we will continue to splinter and divide until we can no longer stand as a community or a country. Instead of coming together to take on the great challenges before us, we will further retreat to our corners—angry, sick, and alone.”
One way Kathy and I connect with others is through bocce ball. Yeah, who knew that a couple of Irish Americans could do OK at an Italian game! Over the past seven years or so, we’ve gone from learning the game to coordinating one of three leagues at Tumea and Sons Restaurant.
The photo above? That’s three generations of Tumea: Joe, Samara, and Mario. Mario’s brothers, Louie and Joe Joe, also help run the restaurant, but they’re not as good looking as Mario, so I left them out of the photo.
I doubt it’s their intention, but the Tumea family is doing its part to address the loneliness epidemic. During seasonable weather, around thirty people show up on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to play bocce ball, eat and drink, trade smack talk, and connect with other people in real life.
Smartphones get blamed for the loneliness epidemic, and rightfully. But not completely. The US Census found that 30% of Americans live alone — up from 5% in the 1920s! As I wrote in my book, Marcher, Walker, Pilgrim:
“In America today, it’s quite possible, perhaps even the norm, not to know most or any of one’s neighbors. The living room’s ‘entertainment center’ has replaced the public theater for plays, movies, and concerts. Meals, even groceries, can be purchased by phone and delivered to one’s door. Nearly all shopping can be conducted online. With a small investment in a treadmill and weights (delivered to one’s door), a solid program of physical exercise can be managed without ever stepping outside.”
A point I make in my conversation with Jeffrey on this week’s program is that battling isolation and loneliness takes effort. For Kathy and me, in addition to our bocce ball league, we build connections through Irish jam sessions, dinner with friends and neighbors, activism, and attending many of the rich cultural activities Des Moines is blessed with.
If you’re inclined to share, I’d be interested in hearing what you do to build community and connections, how you avoid isolation and loneliness. Thanks for reading, listening, and doing your part for a better world.
Ed Fallon
*******
In addition to our PODCAST, listen to the Fallon Forum on these affiliates:
– KHOI 89.1 FM (Ames, Iowa)
– KICI.LP 105.3 FM (Iowa City, Iowa)
– WHIV 102.3 FM (New Orleans, Louisiana)
– KPIP-LP, 94.7 FM (Fayette, Missouri)
– KCEI 90.1 FM (Taos, New Mexico)
– KRFP 90.3 FM (Moscow, Idaho)
– WGRN 94.1 FM (Columbus, Ohio)
– KKFI 90.1 FM (Kansas City, Missouri)
Please support the local businesses and non-profits who make this program possible. Click on their logos on the Fallon Forum website and in our weekly email, and visit Bold Iowa, and Birds & Bees Urban Farm. Thanks to Des Moines Irish Session for providing our bumper music, and thank you for supporting a civil alternative to the shock jocks!
Ed Fallon