Welcome to the Pike X Relaunch

(t's been a long time..so let's talk!)

Welcome to the Pike X Relaunch

I know it’s been a long, LONG time. And at the end of this post I’ll tell you what I’ve been doing, why I’m relaunching now and why Pike X and Delaniac are joining forces and what that means.

But right now, I’d like to start a genuine conversation with you about the state of journalism today. I’m also going to share a quite-unrelated Tallgrass & Tumbleweeds because I had so much fun writing it last summer—hope you’ll enjoy reading it 😊

So let’s talk.

What is “news” to you—and what isn’t?

I’m asking because I think our answers to this shape our experience of the world and how we interact with each other.

On May 13, 2025 the Pew Research Center issued the results of a study collected data on: What is “news” to Americans—and what isn’t?

Key Findings of this study included:

1. Defining “news” has become a personal, and personalized, experience. People decide what news means to them and which sources they turn to, based on a variety of factors, including their own identities and interests.

2. “Hard News” stories about politics and war continue to be what people most clearly think of as “news.”

3. Most people agree that information must be factual, up to date and important to society. “Personal importance” or “Personal relevance” were also often cited.

4. There are consistent views on what is not news—people can distinguish between “news” vs. “entertainment” and “news” vs. “opinion.”

5. 55% of Americans believe it’s at least somewhat important that their news source share their political views.

6. People don’t always like the news, but say they need it.

7. People’s emotions about news are at times tied to broader feelings of media distrust, or specific events going on at that time—perhaps in combination with individuals’ political identities.

Today, I am much more interested in hearing your thoughts on this topic than making you read the ramblings of my mind. But it also seems unfair to ask you to open up, yet not be willing to share where I’m coming from:

I believe “news” matters.

I define “news” more broadly than just hard news stories about politics and war.

I am concerned that I get more news than I should from unreliable sources because I don’t devote specific time and energy to critically evaluating what I stumble across or what trusted friends post on social media. And because I primarily use free news outlets, despite my conviction one should be willing to pay for news.

I am concerned that “news organization/corporations” and “social media” manipulate all of us, due to our desire to get information quickly and in concise soundbites.

IF most us agree that “news” must be factual, up-to-date and important to society (or personally), WHY do we have such media distrust?

Your turn. Talk to me.

Or if you’d rather have a chuckle or a laugh (and are by miracle still reading this tome) here’s a Tallgrass & Tumbleweeds from last June, THE WILD FOWL ONES.

Dear Readers,

Let me begin by saying I no longer think my ducks are dim-witted nor do I harbor any belief that my chickens are exceptionally bright. That’s not due to any demonstrations on their part of intelligence or stupidity. I have, however, accepted that my three month old poultry are adolescents. Need I say more? Trying to “supervise” 18 teenagers twice a day for an hour outside the run was far more disturbing to my daily life and way more stressful than any previous efforts to give them a taste of freedom. I briefly considered a suggestion to keep them locked up but dismissed it. I’m not “Warden” material. And one doesn’t have to be a genius to know treating teens like criminals does not end well.

So I decided to set them free each dawn and try to go about my day. I promised myself I’d let the ducks figure out how to get out of jams on their own, no matter how long it took. And if a hawk got a chicken because it strayed from under the tree cover of the yard, well, that was just a part of poultry-raising life I vowed I would accept. For the first ten days, my juveniles rewarded my trust by not causing any serious trouble and by putting themselves to bed in the coop each night. And they’d follow me anywhere for their treats when I rang the bell and called, “Peas!” My work got done and when I’d glance out the window, they were always in sight. They ate less feed because they feasted all day on bugs and worms. And when they napped on the lawn, I called them my babies and swore they looked like angels.

I did not blame my little cat Luca when I found my patio flower pots savaged. However, I refused to believe any of my darlings were delinquents. “Deer did this” I said, knowing full well deer never come that close to the house. When I found two chickens on the porch, I thought it was so cute that I posted on social media about it.. I refused to face the fact that the chickens were breaking bad until the mess on my hands, so to speak, was impossible to ignore.

It's unfair to suggest that chickens are intentionally (and persistently) defacing every inch of the patio. But I have threatened the little hoodlums they’ll get the electric chair, not incarceration, if I keep having to hose everything down. I can’t understand why, with six acres of grass available, I can’t get the little thugs to leave 150 square feet of concrete alone. The cats are useless deterrents, though they spend long hours on the patio furniture. Apparently I was a little too successful with integrating our animal family because they don’t flinch when the chickens flock in or, having been led astray by the Wild Fowl Ones, the ducks also waddle up. I’m trying to “scare them straight” with a motion-activated Hallowe’en skull. I haven’t ruled out frying them but I’m still searching for a punishment to fit their crime.

Until next week—keep your eyes on the stars and your back to the wind.

Post Script: We’ve got more than twice as many ducks and chickens now and still threaten them all regularly. And we’re still hosing down the patio every damn day.

Now, to answer Relaunch questions you may have…

Where have I been and what have I been doing?

I know it’s been a long, LONG time. My aggravation and dismay with social media, including Substack, greatly contributed to my decision to “go dark” professionally, if not always personally. But I haven’t spent my time doom scrolling and being miserable.

I have been, as my Precious Egg Brian James would say, hella busy working my dupa off and having fun.

Readers of my syndicated column, Tallgrass & Tumbleweeds, now available in 20 Kansas newspapers, keep me sharing my misadventures and Midwestern musings each week. I will be making these tales available here on PikeX and eventually, as a collection.

And awhile back (in 2023) I joined the newsroom of The Hays Daily News, as its freelance News Reporter.

Then there’s my Sunflower Seven Interview Series, The Devils You Knew documentary, my independent publishing, and my growing Coyote Web Synergy client base and services. But enough about me for now, let me answer a few other questions you may have.

Why relaunch now?

I decided that if I don’t like the social media experiences I’m having, I will attempt to create experiences I enjoy. And that means real connections and having true whole body laughs together. And having real conversations.

How?

Well of course I’m gonna talk about Life on the X including the hysterically, and often insane, antics of our ducks, chickens and cats. No doubt I’ll also share my own escapades, both on Road X and on that road that goes on forever. And I want to hear your stories.

When I say I want to have real conversations with you, this is not because I think I have anything important to say or that I expect anyone to care what I think. Today I’m thinking I’d like to have conversations about art and music and theatre and education and history and the future of journalism. Not all at once mind you, and who knows what other topic might grab my attention. Sure the state of our world and our perspectives are bound to enter our discussions. It may be a fool’s errand, but I believe it is worth a try to provide a space for thoughtful, fact-based civil discourse.

Based on what he’s seen me accomplish, Doug Delaney calls me a Web Witch. But I’m not going to bore you with the technical details of how I plan to accomplish this. I’d rather show you. For one thing, Substack won’t be the only place to read full posts. And If I do my job right, you’ll just see the opportunity we have. If this is going to work at all, it will be because we, yes me and all of you, do it together. Speaking of Doug and doing things together, PikeX and Delaniac are joining forces on Substack & all other social media platforms.

What the hell does that mean?

It means each of us will post individual content but we’re going to work together to not only make our content more widely available but also so that we can engage with more of you. And we do have a curious cross-base of readers (and content topics) due to the fact that Doug is from Levittown, New York but has lived in Kansas more years than I have, and the reverse is true in that I lived in Philly, PA more years than he lived in New York. Yes, I am aware Philly and Levittown/Long Island are not the same at all, but they share what is recognized as a regional, Mid-Atlantic cultural flare.

Why are we doing this?

First, let me/us make one thing clear: WE ARE NOT DOING THIS TO MAKE MONEY.

We are truly grateful for our Substack subscribers who support what we do with paid subscriptions and we will reciprocate by continuing to deliver exclusive content to our Patrons. Paid subscribers to one will receive (if they’d like) a complimentary paid subscription to the other.

But our relationship with our Patrons does not diminish our appreciation for all readers of our content, for which we have one standard: Our Best Effort. That’s the deal. We write it. You read it.

I/we don’t mean to seem touchy about this. Of course, we will make money if you buy our books or send work our way (and of course, we’re going to tell you about what we’re doing) but both of us loath the use of social media to panhandle or run money scams. So we want to be clear that we’re not doing that.

Oh right, the question was, “why join forces?”

For six years, we’ve collaborated in a variety of ways. The fact that we don’t speak for one another has contributed to the success of those efforts. So, it’s up to Doug to tell you why he works with me. Here’s why I choose to work with Doug and why I’m excited about this new thing.

I choose to work with Doug because we challenge and push for the best from each other and we get things done. I also choose to work with him because Doug is the most talented living writer, without diagnosed mental illness, I’ve ever read.

At the same time I first read Doug’s work (sheesh, that was over 40 years ago), my literary aesthetic was being shaped by three titans: A.D. Cope, Troy Boucher and Dan Daniel, my Southwestern College English professors and mentors. And that is the foundation from which I assess the merits of all storytelling, including Doug’s works.

Way back then, Doug was the unqualified “most talented living writer I’d ever read” because I hadn’t yet discovered Sherman Alexie (whom I consider the most talented living writer, with diagnosed mental illness.) Now when I read what Doug writes, I simply think, damn this writer has honed his craft in breathtaking and impressive ways.

I’m not gonna list all Doug’s awards and accomplishments. You can read about them here: www.delaniac.com .

But don’t take my word or anybody else’s. Go read what he writes.

Doug is fond of saying that “anything worth doing is hard.” And often, both our individual and collaborative work is challenging and difficult. We have each been described as “formidable,” so we become a unique force when we work together.

Most of all, we are both writers who love good stories, well told. And conversations that make us laugh or think. To that end…In future, both PikeX and Delaniac will feature guest posts from talented individuals who can do either, or both. As soon as he can fit us into his schedule, Dave Lungren will be our first guest.

‘Til then, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

Doug will do be doing his Delaniac thing. And my next post will include both another “conversation starter” and Tallgrass & Tumbleweeds.