How J.D. Vance Avoided Becoming Pete Buttigieg
There are a lot of parallels between the paths of J.D. Vance and Pete Buttigieg. Though close to the same age, Vance (40) and Buttigieg (42) don’t superficially seem to have much in common. Vance grew...
View ArticleRise of Luxury Urbanity as a System: Sydney CBD
In 1971, after a lifetime researching and explaining the Central Business District, American geographer Raymond Murphy gathered his knowledge together in The Central Business District: A Study in Urban...
View ArticleDemocrats Green Agenda Could Gift Midwest to Trump
The Midwest will decide who wins the White House in November. Much has been written about Kamala Harris’s not-so-subtle appeal to Michigan’s Muslim voters, and her choice of Tim Walz as running mate...
View ArticleAuto/Transit Job Access Ratios: 50 Large Metro Areas
What a difference the remote work revolution has made. The University of Minnesota Accessibility Observation auto and transit access data for 2021 (the latest) indicates a huge improvement in 30-minute...
View ArticleThe Midwest: Solving the Networking Problem
First I want to thank everyone for reading, sharing and commenting on my recent post on talent, ambition and culture in the Midwest. It was easily the most popular piece I’ve written in this iteration...
View ArticleInvasion of the Water Snatchers
Drought has hit Schleicher County hard. Lots of the stock tanks are dry. The only plants that appear to be thriving on this part of the Edwards Plateau are scrawny mesquite trees and the ever-present...
View ArticleHow AI Will Embolden the Tyranny of Big Tech
The emergence of artificial intelligence marks the latest acceleration of the digital age. Like any revolution, this one has winners and losers and will likely transform the relationship between people...
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The Dangerous Evolution of Cancel Culture
Academic boycotts targeting ideas, individuals, and institutions deemed problematic are no longer just in vogue for faculty. This illiberal and anti-intellectual tactic has now been adopted by...
View ArticleWhat’s Good For Generac Is Bad For America. We Bought One Anyway.
If you are in the business of selling standby home generators, hurricanes, severe weather, and blackouts are good for business. And as the frequency of blackouts across the country increases, companies...
View ArticleCity Suburb Relationships — Where the Midwest is Worst
Does anyone really think about the relationship a city has to its surrounding metro area? It means a lot more than you might think.I saw something on X/Twitter last week that brought this to mind. A...
View ArticleThe Brotherhood of Man in a Waiting Room
Many states are beginning to limit the use of cell phones in schools for various reasons ranging from their impact on mental health to being distractions in the classroom. It would be good practice if...
View ArticleKamala Harris Runs for President as Businesses Flee Her State
Good vibrations aren’t a policy platform. While Kamala Harris is campaigning on a promise to create an “opportunity economy,” employers are fleeing her home state of California. Over the past decade,...
View ArticleThe Uglification of Michigan Lake Towns
In 1873, as a result of the Homestead Act, my great-great-great grandfather, of French-Canadian descent, was awarded 160 acres of land in Leelanau County, Michigan for military service in the Civil...
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Dallas-Fort Worth to Top Los Angeles? Official State Population Projections
Recently we reported that current, official population projections by state agencies indicate that Texas will become the most populous state by 2050. Over the following 10 years, the gap is projected...
View ArticleClimatism or Energy Humanism?
On Saturday, I gave a 10-minute TED-style talk on energy humanism to about 300 high school students. The talk was part of an all-day event at the John Cooper School in The Woodlands called the Summit...
View ArticleMasking Urban Weaknesses
In a recent post I noted problematic city/suburb relationships that harm Midwestern cities and metros. Urban problems are on full display for all to see. But there’s a flip side to the poor city/suburb...
View ArticleThe Future Belongs to Fabians
In the 3rd century BC, the Roman Empire was on its knees. Hannibal had smashed its armies, and Rome itself seemed within his grasp.And yet, the Eternal City didn’t fall. Under General Quintus Maximus...
View ArticleThe Intersectional Problems Facing Working Class Men
The idea of “intersectionality” originated with black feminism. Black feminist activists noted that they experienced racism on account of being black and sexism on account of being women. But their...
View ArticleThe Liberals' Open Immigration Policy Has Failed
For decades, Canada won a deserved reputation as a country with a sensible immigration policy that brought in large numbers of workers, entrepreneurs and innovators. Yet Canada’s current immigration...
View ArticleThe Great Unraveling of the American Experiment
“Ordinary Americans of all backgrounds and convictions recognize that the entire political ecosystem—not only its leadership and its governing institutions, but also its leading ideas and ideals—is...
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