Dear Friends,
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S PODCAST AND RADIO SHOW
(01:36) An Irish-American’s brush with sainthood, with Kevin O’Hara – LISTEN
(18:53) Temporary nomad, Sarah Davis, on why she’s taking a “pause” – LISTEN
(36:50) Court rulings — two good, one not-so-good – LISTEN
(54:01) Farmer mental health stats and resources, with Kathy Byrnes – LISTEN
ALMOST A SAINT
Among the living, Kevin O’Hara is one of my favorite authors. His books are about:
— Walking a donkey 1,700 miles around the perimeter of Ireland (Last of the Donkey Pilgrims);
— Human-interest stories from his thirty years of work as a psyche nurse (Ins and Outs of a Locked Ward);
— Growing up as a first-generation Irish American in the 1950s and ’60s (A Lucky Irish Lad).
If you want to check out Kevin’s books, and I hope you do, DON’T USE AMAZON! Order through your local bookstore, or from Kevin directly at kevinbohara@gmail.com.)
Kevin’s my guest during the first segment of this week’s program. We touch on the shared experience of being doused with mosquito spray by a truck, in his case, and by a helicopter, in my case — both in small towns on opposite sides of Massachusetts.
Yes, back in the day, they indiscriminately sprayed DDT! During the day! When kids were out playing! I remember feeling the sticky stuff on my skin. Kevin and his friends would actually run after the spray truck, breathing in the fumes until they felt light-headed.
It’s kind of shocking that we’re still alive.
Most of my conversation with Kevin is about his brush with sainthood as a ten-year-old boy. It’s a delightful story. Give it a listen.
SELF-CARE FOR A LONG-TERM CAREGIVER
Sarah Davis is my guest during the second segment of this week’s program. She’s a podcast host, an instructional designer, and now, a temporary nomad.
Why a nomad? Sarah writes in her Substack column that as a caregiver for her mother, who suffered with dementia, “I moved through the world in troubleshooting mode—always alert, always managing, rarely resting—focused on survival and on another person’s needs. When that chapter ended, I didn’t feel relief so much as emptiness. I knew I needed to return to myself, but I realized I didn’t need a vacation. I needed a pause: a space wide enough to hold grief, to rest, and to let my attention return.”
Sarah’s pause involves temporary nomadism — taking her to Ireland, Italy, and Portugal, among other destinations.
You can follow Sarah’s experiences at Postcards from the Pause. You can hear my conversation with her here.
BIG OIL BEATS GREENPEACE — FOR NOW
On August 22, 2017, Energy Transfer Partners (i.e., Big Oil) sued a handful of environmental groups working to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline. Bold Iowa was one of those groups and was mentioned 18 times in ETP’s lawsuit, with my writings and organizing efforts specifically cited.
In 2019, Bold Iowa was dismissed from the lawsuit. Here’s a press release. Other small organizations were dismissed, as ETP set its sights on Greenpeace — the one group with deep pockets, even though it was only peripherally involved in resisting DAPL.
Though clearly a SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) lawsuit, a North Dakota judge just ruled against Greenpeace, ordering the group to pay ETP $345 million! Greenpeace is expected to appeal. Stay tuned.
COURT RULES AGAINST KRISTI NOEM
Last week, a federal judge blocked a Department of Homeland Security policy that had prevented three Minnesota members of Congress from touring a DHS facility in their districts, with director (now former director!) Kristi Noem putting the kibosh on it.
What is DHS hiding? As more and more information leaks out about the horrible conditions in these detention centers and the treatment of detainees, it’s easy to understand why Noem was trying to prevent the public from seeing inside the walls.
BETTING ON THE APOCALYPSE
There’s a gambling and prediction business called Polymarket where you can bet on pretty much anything, including when a nuclear weapon will be detonated.
I don’t know what kind of sick person would bet on nuclear war, but apparently $900,000 had been wagered — specifically on when a nuclear bomb will be dropped this year! — until a federal judge intervened.
Thankfully, before anyone could “win” that bet, the court shut it down.
As a story in The Lever said, “The debate on whether prediction markets encourage insider trading on war, death, and geopolitical violence is heating up, especially after hundreds of millions of dollars flowed into bets tied to recent U.S. strikes in Iran and Venezuela.”
CANCER AND WATER QUALITY
The bad news is Iowa has the fastest growing rate of cancer in the US. According to Investigate Midwest: “America’s farmers and farmworkers, their families and neighbors, are being diagnosed with cancer at rates higher than the national average. A growing body of research indicates that pesticides are partly to blame.”
The good news is that a report released by the Harkin Institute presents conclusive research showing that Iowa’s “voluntary” approach to keeping pesticides, nitrates, and other contaminants out of our water is failing. With such a strong body of research from the office of a distinguished former US Senator, it just got a lot harder for polluters to defend “voluntary compliance.”
Can Iowans expect the Republican legislature and governor to do anything? Probably not. At least not this year. But poor water quality and its connection to Iowa’s rising cancer rate is becoming a crisis that politicians can’t ignore if they hope to remain in office.
MENTAL HEALTH AND FARMING
Kathy recently attended the Mental Health First Aid training offered by the Iowa Farmers Union for IFU members. The goal of the training is to equip community leaders to better recognize and understand mental health issues in the farm community, as well as to help individuals experiencing mental health issues to learn how to access appropriate help.
The training was provided by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach with a specific focus on rural farmers and ranchers.
Thanks for reading, listening, and taking action.
Ed Fallon
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