Author Archives: Ed Fallon

My lunch with two Zionist friends

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Which brings me to last week’s conversation with two friends I’ve known for 25 years. Mostly, we dwelt on shared experiences. Biking. Art. Music. Climate change. Urban sprawl.

The conversation unexpectedly veered to Gaza. I was blown away when my friends asserted that they are Zionists. And that launched a very uncomfortable discussion.

Every time I brought up the horrors of what Israel is doing in Gaza, they deflected to the hostages.

Every time Kathy or I shared facts presented by most media, facts verified by video and first-hand accounts, they refused to accept the legitimacy of those sources.

One even accused the UN of culpability in Hamas’ horrific attack on October 7, 2023.

They regarded any criticism of Israel as anti-semitism, which I resented. I didn’t earn a degree in religious studies, learn to read the Bible in Hebrew, and spend two weeks in Israel years ago to be labeled “anti-semitic.” Continue Reading →

Tom Harkin is right about Iowa’s water quality problem

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Iowa’s water is so bad it should be the top issue in the next election. We’ve known about the crisis for years, but state and federal officials have done nothing. As a result, Iowa’s water quality is now worse than ever.

That fact is evidenced by a comprehensive report just released by Polk County government, Currents of Change.

What’s contaminating our water? Fertilizer and manure runoff are the primary culprits. High levels of nitrates and other toxins are making people sick, and literally killing some of us.

Iowa has the second highest rate of cancer in the nation.

Des Moines operates one of the most expensive nitrate removal systems in the world, at a cost to residents of $10,000 per day. Beyond the cost, people are rightfully concerned about the system’s capacity to bring nitrate concentrations down to the federal level — a level some experts feel is too high. Continue Reading →

My take-aways from Trump’s July 3 rally in Des Moines

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I went to last week’s Trump rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds to (1) hear first-hand what the President had to say, (2) interview rally attendees, and (3) check out the counter protest.

Last things first, between 50 and 100 protesters showed up. Many conveyed important messages. A few were counterproductive, like the woman who yelled “racist” at everyone (including me) entering the venue.
 
Once inside, I spoke with five Trump supporters, two who agreed to be interviewed. My summary of those conversations is at 5:15 of this week’s program.

Here are my takeaways from the rally:

TRUMP IS FUNNY. Humor is part of what endears Trump to his base. Objectively, while it’s not brilliant comedy, Trump is indeed sometimes humorous. Continue Reading →

“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.
Continue Reading →

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 →

Snake bite hero, and more

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HEY SNAKE. BITE ME. I go solo for most of this week’s program, starting off with the incredible story of Tim Friede, who Pope Leo really oughta canonize. Can you imagine being bitten by venomous snakes 200 times? On purpose?? Then injecting yourself with snake venom an additional 700 times???

That’s exactly what Friede did over the course of 18 years. No, he’s not a nut job. No, he’s not a snake-handling religious fanatic. But those are both good guesses. Friede’s goal in enduring such discomfort and risk (he once landed in a coma) was pure altruism: to see if his body could develop immunity to snake venom through repeated exposure.

Scientists recently confirmed that Friede appears to have been successful in that effort. His blood now holds the potential to save the lives of some of the 140,000 people who die each year from snake bites.

Oh, and, like Pope Leo, Friede is from the Midwest, which as this Raygun shirt confirms is the best region on Earth. Continue Reading →

Make Des Moines the Local Food Capital of the U.S.

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When it comes to food, Des Moines is most prominently known for the World Food Prize. It’s also home to the second largest farmers market in the country, and we have more and more grocery stores and restaurants sourcing locally grown food.

Furthermore, Des Moines has grower-friendly ordinances that allow residents to keep chickens, bees, rabbits, and even a couple pygmy goats and potbelly pigs. We’re also able to raise food in our front yards and, with some restrictions, on the parking strip between the sidewalk and the street.
Continue Reading →