Happy New Year

Looking back over the posts for the past year it has been pretty grim at times.  Man's inhumanity to his fellows is a recurring theme.  From war to wealth inequality to naked racism, we play one tribe against another, one belief against another, rinse and repeat.  Yet there are voices being raised against senseless violence and aggrandizement.  The Nobel peace prize went to young activists who risked their lives to promote education among young women.   The protests after the incident in Ferguson, Mo. shows that there is pushback against things that have been tolerated for too long. The President has shown in the last two months he will not give in to the reactionaries.  So there is hope and triumph to go with the pessimism. Besides, we are within four months of the beginning of gardening and golf here on the NCR.  So, bring on the winter.  The days are getting longer and peace and justice are just around the corner.  Happy 2015 to all.

Inequality, Racism and Policy

There is probably several books in the title of this blog, but in essence it boils down to policies which favor entrenched minorities or rapidly shrinking majorities in the case of racism and what can we do about them.  Unfortunately, not much unless there is a generation defining event like the Great Depression and/or World War 2 that forces changes.   FDR's policies of protecting unions, vastly more progressive taxation and wage compression made for the growth of the largest middle class the world has ever known.  The people at the top of income distribution have been chipping away at those achievements ever since.  We are now approaching levels of inequality not seen since the 1920s.  A generation of hopeful young people are facing a future of significantly less opportunity than mine.  Yet, they don't speak with a single voice.  As I said, there will probably have to be a lot more pain before positive strides are made.  It will be an interesting few decades.  Here's hoping it's not a violent time in our history.  The racism illustrated by police violence is more prevalent and more intractable than income inequality.  As whites slip into majority/minority status, the hard liners will become more vocal and more violent.  We tiptoe around this issue in the media, but it will become more and more noticeable in the future.  The issues of race and inequality are bound together, but until the downtrodden of all races make common cause, they will be used to divide us.

Sliding into the New Year

Historically speaking, the produce business generally sleeps between Christmas and New Years.   In most cases, the wholesalers  and chain stores have over ordered before the holiday and are coasting into the New Year.  The producers, from potato farms in Maine to lettuce growers in Arizona are dealing with labor shortages as low paid employees take a little extra time with their families.  So supply is tight, but their is no demand.  The weather does not seem particularly disastrous in any area, so there is no hysteria regarding an imminent shortage of any product.  So everyone is looking to ease into a New Year with better prospects for fresh produce than 2014.  An expanding economy with more jobs means more money on the margins for consumers to indulge in a little more fresh food.  More restaurant meals means increased foodservice business.   It is a virtuous cycle which feeds on itself. 

Deafening Silence

The recent success stories regarding the economy, foreign policy and life in general have seemingly been ignored by Faux News and the right wing media machine.   It's like they can't even be bothered to search out the compliant pundit to denigrate the downfall of Putin's Russia or the sure fire first hand account of a botched Obamacare story.  The news, aside from the death of two NY cops at the hands of a deranged attacker has been a triumphant march for Obama's policies, and that doesn't fit it with the Fox News narrative.  A case in point is the Ebola story.  If an alien had landed in the US a couple of weeks before election day, he would have to have assumed Ebola was a huge threat to America and the government was powerless to prevent the imminent death of thousands if not millions of Americans.  As it turned out, not a single American died, mostly thanks to the calm professionalism of the doctors at the Centers for Disease Control.  By implementing commonsense precautions, they snuffed out the minor outbreak caused by one Texas hospital's missteps.  From trumpeting this as evidence of government ineptitude, we now hear the sound of crickets from the right wing.  Similarly, the 5% economic growth during the last quarter is evident only by the absence of coverage.  Granted, the President gets far to much blame when things go wrong, but conversely, he should be getting far more credit than he is for the recent good news.  Instead, there will be stories of how much golf he is playing in Hawaii.  So it goes...

Wishing you a Peaceful Christmas

Despite the numerous conflicts occurring around the world, there are signs that people and governments can work together to better everyone's lives.  From news the cutting of the rainforests is slowing and in some cases regenerating to new pledges to curtail carbon emissions, there are cautiously hopeful stories being heard.  People powered movements like the push for a new minimum wage of $15.00/hr. are gaining strength and despite the recent murder of two New York policemen by a deranged gunman, the demands for the end of police brutality will continue.  As we drift into the  haze of Christmas cheer it is worth thinking about what each of us can do to make this blue planet a better place in the next year.  So, enjoy the eggnog and the gifts, but keep and eye on the future.  I will certainly do so with little Hannah and Benjamin coming over to the house for Christmas Day.  At 5 months and 2months respectively, they are the future we need to worry about.   Merry Christmas!

I'm Dreaming...

As is usual in this situation, the weather people screwed up again.  From a prediction of rain today to a winter weather advisory this morning, the weather channel didn't even have the decency to acknowledge the drastic change in their forecast.  We had over 3 inches of new snow and more coming down.  The highway departments were either caught short by the forecast or figured the snow would eventually change to rain, so the roads are a mess.  Fortunately, the temperature is going up, so things will get better, eventually.  Even with the milder weather and rain, we'll still have a White Christmas here on the NCR.  Bah, Humbug.

Better Days are coming

While celebrating the Winter Solstice by listening to the dulcet tones of the Divine Mrs. M and an Episcopal Choir do their version of nine lessons and carols, a funny thing happened.   Although it was technically the first day of Winter, the day was just a fraction longer than the one before.  Tomorrow will be 7 seconds longer than today.  So, while it may be cold and miserable in the short term, it is really all about daylight hours and the coming of spring.  I totally understand why the solstice celebrations were so important to early civilizations.  The creeping darkness, especially in the northern hemisphere reached its peak and our ancestors fought back with festivals celebrating the return of longer days.  We have imposed Christmas celebrations over the  old pagan rites, but the message is the same.  Salvation is coming, spring will return and we reaffirm our connection with a life giving message of hope.

Garden Porn

As the nights get longer and sunlight becomes a fleeting memory, my thoughts turn back to gardening.  The almost daily arrival of new seed catalogs get the juices flowing.  I have a stack of them next to the bed and the last thing I do before turning out the light is linger over the photos of perfect produce.  I can then dream of warmer days and the feel of dirt underfoot.   Despite the cold reality of each new winter morning, summer is getting a little closer every day.

Fantasy Island

We have not had normal relations with Cuba since I was in the 4th grade, in 1961.  As I recall, we were taught by the nuns that Fidel Castro was as bad as Nikita Khruschev and was probably hiding under our beds at night.  After that indoctrination, my generation and the ones following mostly forgot about the biggest island in the Caribbean.  If anything, we were regaled by our elders about the  trade with Batista's Cuba and the legendary cigars and rum we were missing.  Cuba was an important market for Long Island potatoes in the 40s and 50s.  The early potatoes were snapped up by the Cubans and they continued to buy until their own crop was ready in January.  The loss of that market started the long decline in ag on my Island.  The news the president is trying to normalize relations with Cuba should be received with enthusiasm by everyone in this country with the exception of the first generation of Cuban exiles.  These dead-enders still hold onto the fantasy they will reclaim the property and privilege they had under Batista.  Good luck with that.   The rest of us will move on to a future of trade and influence we denied ourselves on behalf of this tiny minority which has wielded outsize influence for far too many years.

Through the mirror

125 or more children and teachers dead in a Pakistani military school.  The world is rightly horrified by the carnage and loath to believe that anyone would kill children as a political statement.  Of course, the deaths the killers were protesting take place in the Pakistani hinterlands where there is no media to document the hundreds if not thousands of innocents killed by the military in its war on the Taliban.  It would seem this is the outcome when an entire country has access to high powered weaponry.  We would do well to look in the mirror.  With a supply of guns which exceeds in numbers the entire population of the US, and with memories of a massacre at a Connecticut school, it's probably only a matter of time before something like that happens again in this country.  Perhaps we even provided the model for the terrorists.  Something to think about.

The Dark One

Dick Cheney is almost a caricature of himself these days.  If central casting sent out a call for someone or something so evil it is hard to take seriously Cheney responded and was hired on the spot.  His endless appearances on Faux News and his smirking dismissal of any culpability of the Bush administration for the torture regime which wrecked our nation's international reputation is enough to make me want to hurl.  If there is any justice in the world, he and some of his henchman should be in the dock at the international tribunal at the Hague.   As far as I'm concerned he is no better than some of the tin pot dictators tried and found guilty in that venue.   I doubt he will ever leave this country again for fear of such an outcome.  I hope he proves me wrong.

Silver Bells

Even the Grinch in Oneonta would be hard pressed to bah humbug the season as the carols ring and good cheer is expressed on every street corner.   Holiday concerts and parties, the ubiquity of the Tiny Tims among us blessing everyone and even the yearly ritual of the Christmas card list are guaranteed to get us into some kind of holiday spirit.  As the Divine Mrs. M and I went through our list of card recipients of previous years there was some sadness at the discovery so many had passed on, but newer  families are taking their place and many older friends remain.  Thinking about many of these friends and family members is a once a year thing, but it still brings out strong feelings of belonging to a greater family.  These are the ties that bind us all, regardless of our disagreements of things political during the course of the year.  So what if it is an artificial holiday designed to usurp a pagan ritual.  Let the silver bells ring, the Christmas trees glow and light the lights to banish darkness.  Happy Chankukah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza.  Celebrate the season with family and friends.

2 years and counting

Our new Republican overlords gave us a hint of what's to come last night.  Larding a must pass spending bill with goodies for the rich and the banksters, they threw it out at the last minute and appealed for bipartisanship.  That will be the watchword for the next couple of years.  Do whatever the republicans and their sponsors want or be branded a partisan obstructionist.  The sad part is the beltway media has already written this crap into our national conversation and it will be hard to dislodge it.  The only thing dems can do is continue, like Elizabeth Warren to point out the giveaways and hope a grass roots movement will build over the next two years and start a new populist agenda in time for the next elections.  The rising tide of inequality may even overshadow the social and racist agenda that has many poor and middle class whites voting against their own self interest.

Torture and the American Id

According to one poll, if Americans are asked if they would approve torture of terrorists in order to extract intelligence which would prevent attacks on the country, at least 50% of respondents would approve.   That's depressing enough.  Add to that the overwhelming evidence that "enhanced interrogation" doesn't produce reliable information, and we are plunging into a moral rat-hole for no good reason.   I want to believe that if the above question was revised to include the appraisal of the Senate Intelligence committee that we essentially threw together an amateur torture program that Torquemada would be ashamed of and hopefully the percentage of approval would be far less than 50%.   I really want to believe that our "Christian" nation would not be the band of blood thirsty vigilantes the polls would have us believe we are.  It is hard to think 8 years of Bush and Cheney have coarsened us to this extent.  May the flying spaghetti monster forgive us.

Orwell would be aghast

I'm sure if the Nazis had won world war 2 they would have called the killing of millions of Jews something like "premature deceasement".  Perhaps something more refined, but it has the same ring as "enhanced interrogation techniques" when used to describe torture.   As one minion of the Bush Administration once put it "we define reality".   This merry band of despicable human beings has permanently tarnished the United States' reputation as the exceptional nation we earned during the second world war.  In the chaotic weeks after the World Trade center bombing, the administration flailed for information about further attacks and in their panic abandoned any pretense of morality and told the CIA to do whatever was necessary to secure information.  Despite the fact the agency had determined 40 years before that torture did not produce reliable intelligence, those in charge must have panicked when faced with Cheney and his henchmen.   The result was laid out yesterday by the Senate Intelligence committee.   The spectacle of Bush, Cheney and their surrogates excusing this travesty of humanity is particularly revolting.  I would gladly contribute to buy plane tickets for the whole group to The Hague.

Handicapping the candidates

The 2016 hot stove league for the presidential sweepstakes is already going strong.  Most of the cable news shows are devoting at least a few minutes to the follies every night.   Most of the speculation is about who will face Hilary, the presumptive Dem nominee.  What a waste of airtime!

Holiday Blues

Waking up on a Monday morning with only 17 days until Christmas puts me into that panic situation again.  Then I realize that somehow everything will be done in time for the holiday and there is no reason to get excited.   Then I think about the billions of people around the world who have to worry about getting enough to eat today and all the anxiety about giving presents and entertaining people is put into perspective.  There are plenty of real problems like overpopulation, climate change, racism and inequality which need to be addressed.  As the countdown to Christmas continues, I will try to keep the real issues in the forefront of this little blog.  Meanwhile, it's time to get the snowblower ready for the first winter storm of the season.  This may be the NCR, but for the next few days it will seem more like the Arctic circle.

Veg market ups and downs

It's a helluva market, cauliflower up and lettuce down.  And farmers stare at a hole in the ground.  So much for a vegetable tribute to "On the Town".   The market certainly has had its ups and downs lately.  Fuel prices, which have driven freight rates higher for the last few years are declining.  Petroleum, which plays such an outsized role in modern agriculture, is making many aspects of farming a little cheaper.  Fuel, pesticides and fertilizer all depend on oil prices, so it will be cheaper to farm in the coming year.  Lower priced inputs will help, but $7.00 lettuce and $5.00 broccoli prices will kill any enthusiasm for farming.  Without demand, prices will languish.  Maybe if the minimum wage was raised to $15.00/hr. level, millions of people would be able to afford to eat fresh!  What a novel idea...

People Power

Another senseless killing of an unarmed black man, another non-indictment, cue mass protests.  Rinse and repeat.   It seems there is an endless list of these seemingly random killings these days and more and more outrage as a result.  While each incident is treated as a singular killing, the cumulative effect is beginning to move the debate on racial profiling and police brutality.  Can this nation treat a significant number of its citizens the way an occupying power treats conquered subjects?   I guess we may find the answers over the next few years.

Winter stutter steps

From 7 feet of snow in Buffalo to a mild rain in a matter of days.  Ski areas open and close like screen doors.  I am harvesting spinach one day and scraping ice and snow off the driveway the next.  Winter is trying to establish itself in this part of the world, but is only having moderate success so far.  Usually, once the cold arrives, even here on the NCR it rarely retreats until spring.  I am wondering if climate change is part of the reason for this stop and go weather.  Most news and weather outlets treat these swift changes as entertainment instead of teachable moments.  The same goes for the recent rains in California.  A day of rain will not reverse four years of drought, but if you listen to the news you would think so.  Gasoline prices have dropped and the news is SUV sales are going up again.  It is days like this I feel like humanity is a pack of lemmings looking for a cliff...

Stirrings

Whether the mass protests around the country in response to the deaths of Michael Brown and several other black men will continue is in question, but the feelings being released will not be buried.  Along with the drive for a living wage, the quest for social justice will not go away even if the media chooses to ignore it.  I find the mass "die ins" being staged around the country remind me of the 60s and 70s protest movements in response to the Vietnam war.  People of all colors are engaged in the fight and I believe that like the war protests, these shows of solidarity will eventually bring about long lasting change.  The big difference is the dems still had majorities in the house and senate and some legislators were responsive to the people.   With troglodytes like Steve King and Louis Gomert riding high, sympathy for the lower classes and people of color is unlikely.

Lack of posting

For those who follow this blog, I apologize for the lack of posts recently.   A combination of family and business pressure and illness is one explanation.  The depressing nature of the news is another.  It is tiring when confronted with racist, sexist and misogynistic news to try and come up with commentary which doesn't despair of human nature.   At times like these, I would prefer to commune with my 3 month old granddaughter.   When I look into that innocent face, it almost redeems the rest of humanity.   As we shop our way toward the winter solstice, I will keep trying to find the best of us.  Meanwhile, Hannah and my seed catalogs will be my hope for a better future.

Ferguson and frustration

As with the event itself, the timing for everything connected with the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. has been incredibly bad.  For the prosecutor to keep a militant crowd waiting until after dark to deliver the predictable non indictment of the officer involved was begging for trouble.  The mood was a hair trigger from violence and the presence of hundreds of media representatives from around the world acted as a catalyst for the trouble which followed.  The authorities, from the governor down to the county prosecutor to the police chief were incredibly tone-deaf to the needs of the community.  As has been famously said, a prosecutor can get a ham sandwich indicted by a grand jury by presenting cherry picked evidence.  The people of Ferguson needed a trial to prove or disprove the culpability of the officer.  It seems everyone involved wanted business as usual to prevail.  Communities of color around the nation are increasingly frustrated by the profiling of young black and brown men for no other reason than their color.  Lily white departments in majority black areas are another big problem.   I don't think the people of St. Louis have heard the last of this case.  It will act as a goad for changes around the country.

Big Brother is coming

The Divine Mrs. M and two of the spring-offs and their families made the trek to Long Island for a family function this past weekend.  A good time was had by all, but one aspect of the trip was fodder for speculation regarding out movements in the land of the free.  All of us used GPS technology in one form or another during the weekend, whether to show us a map, get directions or just make a call to keep track of each other's movements.  Ten to fifteen years ago all of this would have been impossible.  Whether the present situation is desirable is another story.  While GPS is very convenient for us to keep in touch, it also enables the government or even private hackers to tap into that information as well with unknown consequences.  Who needs to embed each citizen with a chip to keep track of them.  We are all seemingly willing co -conspiritors  in the surveillance state.

Crusade for the children

Although I am sure the usual suspects will be denouncing the president's plan to fix the broken immigration system, if you examine the substance, what they are really railing against are the children.   These kids were either taken to the US illegally by their parents when they were very young, or they were born here and are legal citizens.  The former are at risk of deportation from the only country they have ever known, while the latter could lose their parents or else follow them into exile.   It is common sense and common decency to fix the future for both groups and allow them the chance to live the American dream, as did our grandparents.  While our ancestors did not come here illegally because of the open door policy of unlimited immigration the newer cohort came for the same reasons.  They were looking for a better life for themselves and their children.   The difference between these waves of immigration is today's immigrants are far more likely to be people of color.  While the natives made sport of Italians, Polish and eastern Europeans in the 20th century, they were still white folks.  The present furor would be much less if the skin color of the children was a few shades lighter.

Haters and immigrants

Since the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, each successive wave of immigrants has faced the scorn and discrimination of the "native" population.  I laugh at my fellow 2nd generation Italians who look down at "wetbacks" .  Our grandfathers were patronizingly called Wops and Dagos by the white population of the late 19th and early 20th century.  We are merely aping the behaviors of former generations and it is a depressing spectacle.  The president will announce new regulations and discretion involving people here illegally.  This will spark predictable outrage among many who should know better.  However, as the republicans have discovered, there is no limit to the political advantage gained by stoking peoples fear and hate.  How else to describe the sight of people blocking buses carrying minors trying to escape the violence in Central America and demanding we drop 10 year olds at the Mexican border and wash our hands.  It is depressing in a uniquely American way.

Global warming etc.

As naturally as the swallows coming home to Capistrano, climate change deniers will seize on reports of 6 ft. of snow in Buffalo as confirmation that global warming is a hoax perpetuated by a crazed band of weathermen, hell bent on making everyone drive less and give up our God-given right to burn as much hydrocarbons as we please.  All 50 states have some snow cover today, thanks to a polar air mass which has driven as far south as Florida.  It is ironic that  much of the world is still experiencing temperatures far above normal, while the 2nd largest generator of greenhouse gases is in the deep freeze.  May the flying spaghetti monster help us all.

Inequality and the demonization of the poor

The classic line, "And then they came for me and there was no one left to speak up for me", refers to the last victim of a totalitarian government.  It could easily do for the rapidly shrinking American middle class as it falls to globalization and the outsourcing of many well paying jobs.  With near instantaneous communication, jobs in finance, industry and healthcare will be offshored.  Mechanical substitutes will continue to whittle away lower skilled jobs like bank tellers and airline check in clerks.  Even lower skilled jobs like vegetable harvesting will increasingly mechanized.  The consensus is this is a mixed blessing as there is no increase in employment in newer industries such as the ones which accompanied previous rounds of technological advances.  As capital becomes more and more important and labor less, what will future generations do?  Will there be vast numbers of permanently unemployed proles?  We see indications of that bleak future in today's large number of more or less lifers on the unemployment lines.   In many cases through no fault of their own, these people have been replaced by foreigners or machines and the likelihood of them ever finding work again is vanishingly small.  Instead of solutions to this problem, these people are being demonized as lazy moochers.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next decade, but I think more and more productive people will be experiencing this grim little morality play and the sarcastic comments they made about their unemployed neighbors will come back to haunt them.

So much to do, so little time

Winter is coming to the NCR as well as to Winterfell.  I struggled against Mother Nature all day on Sunday.  The goal was to harvest as much as possible of the remaining bounty in the garden, while gambling the present cold snap will let up before it takes out the rest of the fall vegetables.  The jury remains out as far as cold damage.  There are still a fair amount of Brussels sprouts, leeks, broccoli cauliflower, kale and spinach out there, but temps will not rise above freezing for 36 hours starting tomorrow.  Temps during the latter part of the week will barely crack the freezing mark, so the broccoli and cauliflower are toast.  The other, hardier veg may make it through to Thanksgiving week when we should reach the upper 40s for a few days.  Meanwhile, I received my first seed catalog for 2015...

Health care follies, ship of fools edition

As Ted Cruz gleefully marshals his wingnut coterie to attempt the repeal of the ACA yet again, it would behoove us to look at this circus from an historic perspective.  The GOP has opposed every progressive piece of legislation since the New Deal.  Social Security, medicare, minimum wage, 40 hr. work week and now universal health care.  They have steadily pushed back against anything that might improve the lot of the 99% and have even co-opted many from that cohort to vote against their own interests.  Unfortunately, this time around they are using the social media as well as the traditional news outlets to rail against health care.  Even when it has been shown Obamacare is not a job killer, is improving health outcomes and even lowering the long term deficit by slowing the growth of health care spending, they just plain make up their own narrative and shamelessly push it on an all too gullible audience.  If the internet was up and running in 1936, your grandmother would presently be starving to death in the absence of Social Security and we would all be wringing our hands at the spectacle.  Ah, the stupidity....

Climate change and the irrelevance of republicans

Just as the republicans in the senate are getting ready to install James Inhofe, the poster boy for scientific ignorance, as the chair of the science and technology committee, the president cut a deal with China to lower emissions of greenhouse gases.  Since the main talking point of said republicans is we shouldn't agree to lower emissions since China never will, as Joe Biden would say, this is a BFD.  To have the two largest polluters agree to cut emissions should clear the way for a new global agreement next year in Paris.  As one activist put it, this agreement should put the Keystone pipeline controversy to rest.  As well, it undercuts the fracking industry.  If the Chinese can commit themselves to renewables by 2030, we certainly can't be seen as falling behind in that technology.  Perhaps we can do even better and have a totally renewable energy supply by 2030.  Green jobs, green technology and a commitment to reverse climate change will gain momentum just in time for the 2016 elections.

terminator, here we come

It seems the newest generation of "smart weapons" will soon be able to operate without human supervision.  They will be able to pick and choose from a menu of targets and no operators will be able to override the choice.  If this sounds like the beginning of the end for humanity, at least as far as warfare is concerned, I would have to agree.  It is amazing how predictive science fiction is of our future.  With the increase of artificial intelligence to greater than our own, it is only a matter of time before our machine overlords decide the meat puppets are a nuisance and take matters into their own hands.  

Misinformation and mendacity

Fox News, Breitbart, Hot Air, Limbaugh, Glen Beck.  It's scary that many mis-informed citizens depend on the aforementioned  sites for "news".   For the most part, these outlets feed off each other in a fact free bubble.  A typical story the other day started on Breitbart with a report that Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers, two supposed radical mentors of the President were listed in White House visitor logs.  The outrage in the right wing media was over the top.  Of course when nearly 100,000 people/month visit the white house, the chances that an ordinary citizen with the same name as a more famous individual will sign in is pretty high.  After a little research debunked this meme, Breibart issued a half hearted correction and then moved on to a new outrage.  Most of the people who frequent that site do so to have their prejudices affirmed, so very few even bothered to acknowledge it.  For them, the infamous Rev. Wright and socialist Bill Ayers were certainly in Washington to continue the indoctrination of the Muslim Anti-Christ.  And so it goes for the next two years.  Then we can look forward to the Hilary Clinton follies....

Scrambling

The traditional growing areas in the western US are definitely having problems as fall rolls into winter.   Virtually all the lettuce crops are out of sync with demand and prices are heading to the stratosphere.  Other categories like broccoli and cauliflower are following the trend.  As the local deals continue to clean up in the east and Midwest growing areas the western area takes control.  The last few years have seen an oversupply of lettuce and other crops during the winter with low prices hammering farmers' bottom lines.  If fewer acres were planted and the weather continues its roller coaster ride, we could be in for a bull market on veggies this winter.  Whether consumers' pocketbooks can stand the strain is another story.  Meanwhile, on the NCR we eked out another reasonably mild weekend.  I harvested potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, leeks, cabbage, spinach and kale for a friend who contributed to the Divine Mrs. M's singing group.  It looks like this may be the last week for many crops.  When the forecast highs are still below freezing, most of the aforementioned veggies will call it a season.   I did plant one last bed of softneck garlic for braiding and some tulips.  That is definitely the last for 2014....

Another in a series

Of gardening last hurrahs.   This weekend is probably the last for borderline hardy vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli.  There is quite a few heads to harvest and they will keep in the barn for a week or so.  Time to cut some red cabbage for holiday dinners.  Cabbage can take a few hard frosts, but there has to be a thaw at some point and that looks like a non starter by the end of the week.  The beets and carrots can take some freezing weather if they are covered with a little straw. That will leave us with Brussels sprouts, kale and spinach in the open garden.  There again, even here on the NCR, things look rather bleak as we head toward the ides of November.  A big storm in Canada is forcing an early season cold snap on us.  We'll probably warm up for Thanksgiving, but the damage will be done.  Time to start watching the mailbox for seed catalogs!

We're all Republicans now

At least that is what the Nice Polite Republicans on NPR would have us believe.  After beating the drum for the past two years about how demographic shifts spell doom for the GOP, now the party is somehow resurgent.  More than likely, the older white cohort of steady conservative voters is making its last gasp.  Electing hog castrators, personhood pushers and various and sundry cranks who carry around there own "Get off my lawn" signs is not the sign of a healthy, competitive party.  There will always be people who gravitate toward a message which promises opportunity and responsibility and projects the image of the macho, independent man who disdains big government.  That message was long ago hijacked by big money corporate interests who couldn't care less about the rubes who buy into this malarkey.  Unfortunately, many of the boomer generation have bought this particular farm and unless there is some buyer's remorse, they will continue to vote against their own interests as they age.  (Think "Keep your government hands off my Medicare").    Most people agree with the Democrats stand on the issues.  It's just a matter of keeping the message relevant.  It's the Marlboro Man vs. the 99%.  Unfortunately, it is easier to build a campaign around the archetypal American than a bunch of unwashed hippies.   Fortunately, the Marlboro man's prognosis is not so good.

Apathy and stupidity

Using a barrage of negative ads and counting on the apathy of the average Democratic voter set the stage for a huge midterm win last night.  Ceding control of the Senate to Republicans will give the President fits during the final two years of his term.  Much like Clinton in the 90s, Obama will find a pugnacious opposition.  The difference is Mr. Obama faces the added problem of a deeply racist Republican base which will be demanding impeachment as he struggles to defend his legacy.  The ironic and troubling part of this debacle is the signature achievement of the Obama years, the ACA, is probably what cost the Dems control of the Senate.   If the many beneficiaries of Obamacare had actually voted yesterday the news would be different.  Instead, as they are wont to do, low information, mostly Dem voters stayed home yesterday, with predictable results.  It's up to the minority leaders in the house and senate to keep the party relevant in the runup to the 2016 elections.

Paying it forward

As our children mature, the Divine Mrs. M and I wonder if  and how they will attain and maintain the same or better life than we have had.  Prices for everything from child care to tires and taxes seem to be rising much faster than wages and the kinds of jobs available don't offer the security or possibility for advancement that our generation took for granted.  It is almost a given that both spouses must work to maintain what our parents felt was a middle class lifestyle.  Granted, budget busters like cable TV and $4.00/gallon fuel oil were not something they had to deal with.  What is happening is the gradual squeeze on the middle class of this country.  Those on the lower rungs are in danger of falling into poverty, while those further up the ladder have to scramble just to stay in place.   Elections have consequences, and in particular, the ascent of Ronald Reagan and the assault on unions were a watershed moment in our lives.  Our votes still mean something, although with the present Supreme Court, they will surely be under siege for at least the next 4 years.  Low information voters informed by Faux News and right wing PACs seem ready to sign on to the treadmill to oblivion.  I hope for the sake of the next generation we can pull back from this abyss.

Gardening Eden

The late fall garden is a bittersweet feast.  It is always a pleasure to skip the endless planting, weeding, fertilizing frenzy of the summer and just harvest the bounty at the end of the season.   Cauliflower, leeks, broccoli, spinach, carrots, beets, Brussels sprouts and kale are still at their peak.  The potatoes, onions and other storage type veggies are in and ready to use.  The only problem is to decide what to cook.  The other problem is the inevitable freeze.  So far, even the galinsoga has survived with some damage.  The hardy crops can take quite a bit more cold weather, but several days of sub-freezing temps will put everything but the kale into a tailspin.  I am hoping to keep things going until the ides of November.  Time will tell.

On the line

With the mid-term elections only days away, the media frenzy has reached fever pitch.  Most pundits are sticking with the GOP wave theory which holds the republicans are playing on a favorable field and should easily retain control of the house and grab the senate as well.  The counter theory is the dems will get their voters to the polls and steal enough seats to keep control of the senate.  The stakes for the future are high.   If the senate rolls, the President will be unable to confirm the appointment of a dog catcher, let alone a Supreme Court justice or an attorney general.  Not enough is being made of this potential.  Let's hope the general public chooses wisely on election day.

Winter

I am told some people actually look forward to the four months ahead of us here on the NCR.  The idea of bundling up to walk the dog or check the mail, let alone turning up the thermostat or putting on the winter tires is enough to make me scream.  Maybe it is just age speaking, but I sure hope global warming improves the weather from November to April.  Unfortunately, the prediction is for snow starting next Saturday.  If November comes in like a Lion, perhaps December, et. al will behave more lamb like.   Meanwhile, the garden continues to grow.  Late spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and beets are the mainstays, but there are also potatoes to dig and garlic to plant.  I hope the forecast for the weekend moderates as we get through the week.

The pull of cynisism

With the mid term elections just two weeks away, it is easy to give into the despair of anything good coming about as a result of this exercise of democracy.  Paul Krugman of the NYT is upset by the plutocrats pouring money into the system to generate the results they want.  Another columnist, Tim Egan feels the Supreme Court is to blame for this travesty.  Unfortunately, as others have pointed out, people get the government they deserve.  Low information and uninvolved voters have helped bring about this situation also.  I have spoken to people who consider it a badge of honor that they have never voted.  They blame the situation we are in on everyone but the person staring back from the mirror every morning.  Although it will never happen here, compulsory voting on the Australian model is one way to boost participation.  The other is for the unwashed masses to finally take back their democracy before it is irrevocably gone.  Oh, wait....

A contrast of cultures

Living as I do on the northern border of the US and having close contact with Canadians on a regular basis, the similarities between us and our neighbors are striking, but so are the differences.  For one thing, Canadians do not suffer from the delusion they are the exceptional people on the planet.  This attitude breeds a tolerance for difference which Americans could emulate to our benefit.  The other major difference is Canadians' reaction to crisis.  Within two days, two soldiers were killed by homegrown terrorists and the Parliament building came under gunfire.  If these things had happened in New York and D.C., America would probably be under martial law with mandatory curfews and soldiers patrolling the streets with live ammunition in their guns and orders to shoot first and ask questions later.  The lack of hysteria and calls for reflection and calm in the wake of these attacks in Montreal and Ottawa is admirable.  Of course the lack of a Republican party has something to do with this equanimity.  I won't be surprised if our American chicken littles start calling for Canada to lock down the border and get control of it's terrorists. 

Back in the saddle

After a brief trip to sunny southern California, it's back to the cloudy and rainy skies of the NCR.  While October is usually a gloriously sunny month, albeit chilly, this year has been wetter than normal.  As if to make up for the drier than normal summer, the rains keep coming.  The late crops have generally responded well.  Carrots, beets, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, etc. are now the best of the season.  As usual, there is more than the Divine Mrs. M and myself can eat, and my usual outlet at the farmers' market is unavailable.  I guess we'll just enjoy what is left as long as the weather holds.   November is the cruelest month, however, so it will probably be a short window.

This and that

I am presently sitting in the Phoenix airport waiting for the redeye connection to Philly.  Not my idea of fun on a Sunday evening.  I started this journey in Anaheim and will hit three airports by 9:30 a.m. Monday.  That will be followed by a 2 hour drive to Casa Monzeglio from Albany.    As Danny Glover observed to Mel Gibson , "I'm too old for this %$##@.  I am musing about the carbon footprint I am leaving on this cross country extravaganza.  It will probably wipe out all of my conservation efforts for the year.  It would be instructive for my fellow travelers if the carbon load each trip puts on the world was listed on each airline ticket.  If the government charged the appropriate carbon tax to remediate  the damage to the environment, most airports would become mausoleums overnight.  At least until fleets of vastly more efficient jets enable reasonably priced travel to resume.  Our modern society depends on cheap travel to function, but we have not yet priced in the continued burning of huge amounts of fossil fuel to the equation. 

A Metaphor for the Times

All Ebola, all the time seems to be the mantra the media has settled on.   Why miss a chance to cause a nationwide freakout regarding a disease that 99.99% of the population will never have to grapple with.   The same can be said for the terrorists who have made small town America their target...not.  However, if you listen to newsradio or are minimally aware of current events, you probably know more about ebola and ISIS than you ever wanted to.  Meanwhile, the population remains laughably ignorant of who is running for what office in less than 3 weeks.  While making calls for the Democratic candidate in my congressional district, I spoke to many people who didn't know who was running or what their positions were on major issues such as social security and health care.  If the media was as interested in educating the populace as it is in scaring us, we could make more informed decisions about the future.  Instead, as Halloween approaches, we are treated to one scare after another.

Changing the food system

Since I work on one of the virtuous parts of the food system, vegetable distribution, I read Marc Bittman's column this morning with amusement.   While he also gets to pontificate from a somewhat lofty perch as a food gadfly and cookbook author, he also gets into the weeds (pardon the pun) of the food system and diagnoses the problems.  Chief among them is the foisting of foodlike substances onto the population instead of food.  As he defines real food, it is something that was served 100 years ago.  What most people eat today is stuff that may or may not have been food at one time, but has been processed to the point it is almost 180 degrees from what food should be, namely nutritious.  What can most of us do about the big picture?   Elect better representatives, who will be responsive to people rather than corporations.  Eat better at our own tables.  Less junk food and more vegetables.  Eat a salad at least once a week.  While it may not sound like much, substituting an apple for a candy bar or a salad for a Big Mac is a tangible difference we all can make.

Bittersweet endings

Saturday was the final Farmers' Market of the season here on the NCR.  Some diehards will continue to sell at an indoor market for a few more weeks, but mid October is a long enough season for me.  There was still a nice harvest of fall vegetables (not veggies, as the Divine Mrs. M is quick to remind me).  Spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, beets and nappa cabbage were the highlights, but I still harvested a few heads of lettuce and bunched some basil from the cold frames, so Almena Gardens finished the season on a high note.  I still plan to cut back the offerings next year, and even the accolades from some regular customers are unlikely to change my mind.  There is something about interacting with the people who consume the crops you grow which is almost as important as the money which enables you to do it.  Let's face it, you have to be passionate about growing, because the financial rewards are meager at best when you do it as a part timer.  

The new moralists

In his latest column in the NYT, Paul Krugman rails against the new generation of moral preachers who feel debtors must suffer for their "sins".  Meanwhile, the entire economy remains sluggish to the point of recession again as these same debtors continue to reign in the spending which drives output.  As Krugman puts it, "your spending is my income and my spending is your income".  When either side of the equation is low, both sides suffer.  As millions of underwater homeowners cut spending to pay debt, the economy suffers.   The new moralists are unmoved by the suffering the world is enduring in the name of moral rectitude.  Similar medicines were prescribed after WW1 in England and a decade later the country was still struggling.  The real cure would be debt forgiveness, but around the world, powerful interests are lined up against anything which fails to punish those who in many cases got in over their heads with the active assistance of the same banks which now insist on repayment in full.   As Krugman suggests, another recession may force a reexamination of this policy, but don't count on it.

Be Afraid

That's the message the Republicans are peddling in the runup to the 2014 midterm elections.  The narco-islamo-Marxist-Kenyan-ebola carrying terrorists are coming for you.   Hide under your beds and vote Republican.   The world is a scary place and we need to secure our borders, bomb anyone who crosses us, especially if they are brown or black and restrict our own civil rights in the name of some elusive security.  How did it come to this?  When I was growing up, the GOP was the swaggering, macho man party.  Democrats were wimps and appeasers.  Now, Republicans are wetting their beds over terrorists and suggesting the Dems are naïve regarding the threat to "our way of life".  As far as I'm concerned, the biggest threat to America is the cowardice being encouraged by a deranged political party which has nothing to offer but fear and hate.  I hope the country I know and love roundly rejects this prescription and votes for courage and love.  I'll sleep a lot more easily at night knowing adults are in control.

Life goes on

Driving into work this morning I experienced a frisson of fear listening to reports of the spread of the ebola virus.  With a 50% fatality rate, it is as near to a death sentence as you can get.  Until recently, the disease was something "those people" had to deal with.   Now it is something the rest of the world must reckon with.  Since two of my daughters are nurses, I am even more concerned than most.  Trying to diagnose masses of people traveling internationally is probably harder than herding cats, so in the long run the entire world will be dealing with ebola.  In the meantime, life continues to happen and aside from that jolt this morning, I'll continue to do my thing unless/until the virus gets measurably closer to the NCR.  The Divine Mrs. M is attending a confab of Jane Austen devotees in Montreal.  All I can say is to each, his own.  I'd rather play golf....

Legacies

Mario Cuomo would probably profess nothing but pride in his son, Gov. Andrew Cuomo.  I doubt those are his real feelings.  Elected in a dark blue state, Cuomo fils is as far to the right as possible and still be called a Democrat.  His actions in the fracking debate and a little known push to mine in an upstate wilderness area are perfect illustrations of his ignoring the ideals of the party he supposedly represents.  It is abundantly clear his administration is just waiting for the election to be over so it can approve fracking for natural gas in the state's southern tier.  Despite plenty of evidence of harmful effects on land and water, the governor has remained mum on the question of his support.  His  enabling of test drilling for the mineral wallostonite in an upstate Wilderness Area (not far from the NCR) is another indication of how far Cuomo has strayed from his father's legacy as a protector of natural resources.  I am a lifelong Democrat and usually eschew protest votes, but I think I will be voting for the green candidate in the coming election.  Mr. Cuomo needs to know his policies are not in keeping with the mandate he was given four years ago.   He needs to remember the liberals in his party's base are not to be taken for granted.

The rise of equality

With the Supreme Court's decision to not hear cases regarding gay marriage, it is only a matter of time before regressive state laws are overturned and everyone in America enjoys equal rights to marry the person they love.  It is amazing to me how fast the change has been from a barely whispered longing to full out protest to public weddings.  I would guess the change flows from the fact everyone knows someone or is related to someone who is gay.  It is not a lifestyle choice and people who through no fault of their own are attracted to others of the same sex deserve the same privileges and protections the rest of us take for granted.  Unfortunately, although everyone knows brown and black and yellow people, the same march toward equality is not so obvious.  There is an atavistic terror of the "other" lurking in almost everyone.  This deeply rooted bias was probably once a survival trait, but in a global culture it is distinctly out of step.  The quicker we integrate everyone into society as equals the better off our culture will be.  I hope when my granddaughter is my age we will be measurably closer to that goal.

Finally

We got over half an inch of rain on Saturday and by this morning the garden was shedding the dusty dry look it had acquired over the last month.  Despite the light frost, the hardy crops are loving the moisture.  The cauliflower and broccoli should be ready for a good harvest next Saturday at the final Farmers' Market of the season.  Spinach is coming on strong also.  There is no really cold weather predicted for the next 10 days, so the harvest will continue.

Better weather

It looks like we will finally get the soaking rain I have been looking for this Saturday.  Being a glass half full kind of gardener, I'll say it is a little late, since the fall crops can't take full advantage of this bonanza due to short days and cooler temps, but the spinach, cauliflower and broccoli will gain from the moisture.  Even the last of the summer squash and lettuce should mature before the farmers' market ends next week.   If we had not had the couple of frosty nights two weeks ago it would still feel like midsummer here on the NCR.  Except of course that it gets light later and dark earlier.  October is still my favorite month in the garden.  Very little weeding and diseases, no planting and plenty of harvesting.  It almost makes you forget the Chinese fire drill of the previous 5 months.  But not quite.  Next year will be the year of the cutback.... I'm pretty sure.

Responsibility

It seems everyone should be happy now that the head of the secret service fell on her sword and resigned in the wake of numerous incidents where the safety of the President or the security of the White House were compromised.  I doubt very much the situation will change much, especially since the disgraced director was on duty for barely more than a year.  That is time enough to change the carpet in the office, but certainly not the culture which condoned the "wheels up, rings off", motto of agents assigned to foreign destinations to protect the President.  Or the lax security on the White House grounds.  This is an ingrained problem developed over many years.  It will probably take many years to change, and it will take many more resignations and firings among middle and upper management positions to accomplish that change.  Will the new director have the stomach for it?   Probably not if he or she is a veteran of the service.

Almost Perfect

With just a modicum of precipitation this could easily be one of the best fall gardens in my memory.  A light frost a couple of weeks ago has been followed by consistent temps in the mid to upper 70s and plenty of bright sunshine.  The only missing ingredient has been rainfall.  With less than half an inch during the past 30 days, the late plantings of spinach, cauliflower, broccoli and other fall crops have stalled and may not mature before the real cold sets in.  I've even watered some plantings by hand to try and speed things up, but the soil is so dry at this point it would take a pretty good rain to get the soil moist.  There is prediction for rain on Saturday, but at this point I'll believe it when it happens.

Focus

Anyone following the news from either the left or the right is being whipsawed by the velocity of the news cycle.  From the possibility of "boots on the ground" in the middle east, the focus of all news organizations switched overnight to speculation on how a man was able to penetrate White House security and make it to the doorway of the President's residence.   Either the public or the press has an acute case of attention deficit disorder.  It is certainly harder to have a nuanced debate about national priorities when stories are covered and dropped during a relentless 24/7 news cycle which craves novelty over comprehensive coverage. 

The visibly invisible

The Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans came out today and the usual suspects are at the top;  Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and the Koch Brothers.  These 4 men, plus Larry Ellison of Oracle control more than a half trillion dollars.  I don't know the percentages, but I would guess that is more than the bottom 50% of Americans own.  The inequality contained in that statement is mind boggling.  Truly, most of us have no idea how great the difference is between the 1% and the rest of us.  While we point at celebrities like Robert Downey who earns $75 million per year, many hedge fund managers make 10 times that "salary" with little or no fanfare.  I'm not jealous of the rich and famous, but I think the inequality they represent is bad for society.  We need a more progressive tax policy and an upgrade in the minimum wage and other programs for the poorest.  A more homogenous society is a happier one.

Killing browns and blahs

Well, we seem to have cranked up the killing machine in the Middle East again.  Airstrikes on the newest enemy to replace the Saddams and Al Queadas we had been killing up until now.  Pretty soon, the boots will hit the ground and Americans will start dying.  The Masters of War are already rubbing their hands together as profits soar.  Meanwhile, here in Murica, young black men are dying at the hands of the police in what seems to be record numbers.  However, I think the more likely explanation is in the wake of the Trayvon Martin incident and Michael Brown killing in Ferguson, Mo., the media has heightened our awareness of just how dangerous it is to be young and black in 21st century America.  So, all in all it is shaping up to be a good decade for haters and war profiteers.  What a world!

Summer returns

The temps forecast for this weekend are more July than late September.   As often happens after a hard frost, Mother Nature compensates by cranking up the thermometer for a few days.  This makes gardeners crazy.

The Forever War

That was a book title of a Sci-Fi novel by Joe Haldeman.  The plot was a war against aliens which drags on and on with the antagonists finally forgetting what caused the war and continuing to fight for the sake of fighting.  That seems to be the modus for our latest installment of the forever Mideast war.  This war has its origins in the CIA coup which replaced a fledgling democracy in Iran with a client monarch.  The Shah was deposed and US complicity in his rise sparked the Iranian hostage crisis.   Next came the  proxy war against the Soviets in the 1980s in Afghanistan under Reagan, continued under the first Bush with the first Iraqi war.   There was a brief pause during Clinton's two terms and then the Shrub involved us in the gratuitous war to prove he could accomplish what his father failed to do, namely get rid of Saddam.  By this time the Muslim world had equated the US with the great Satan.  Now, a new generation of jihadists is continuing a pointless war of attrition and we are seemingly powerless to avoid it.  As climate change accelerates and we eventually move away from fossil fuels perhaps we can finally say goodbye to the middle east and let them settle their differences among themselves.  In the meantime  we will spend more blood and treasure chasing a chimera.

Limping to the finish line

Well, we didn't get the big one last Thursday.  The temp dipped below freezing for a couple of hours, burning the top leaves of the summer squash and zinnias, but most of the rest of the garden escaped damage.   The bad news is no rain in the forecast until the middle of next week.  The late plantings of the cole crops are not maturing due to dryness and the later spinach plantings are also stalled by lack of moisture.  It is a shame, since the weather channel is predicting temps in the upper 70s for the weekend.  Time to put most of the garden to sleep for the winter and get one bed ready for next year's garlic crop. 

Climate Marchers Unite

Over 300,000 people of all walks of life, from pagans to capuchin monks gathered and marched in NYC yesterday.  They were highlighting the frustration of ordinary people with the "leaders" who are meeting at the UN this week to plot a response to climate change.  Despite the frost here on the NCR last week, the world as awhole is on its way to recording the hottest year ever.  Do these idiots at the top really think this global warming thing is going away, or is that most of them feel they will be protected by their status when the water creeps over the dikes?

Frosty start

We'll see later today just how frosty it was this morning.  It was a little above freezing at 6 a.m., but I'm sure we dipped a couple of degrees before the sun started to warm things up again.  I didn't bother to cover anything except some basil in a cold frame, so the summer squash is probably toast.  Hopefully the peppers and tomatoes survived, otherwise the offerings for the famers' market are going to be mostly hardy stuff like kale, broccoli and potatoes.  I think the lettuce will be OK since the last plantings are in a relatively protected location.  It's still way to early to experience this degree of cold.  There are still a lot of growing days left this fall.  The weather people are predicting 75 degree temps and thunderstorms for the weekend!

The NFL and women

If you had told me a month ago the NFL would be in deep trouble due to domestic violence charges to players, I would have probably laughed.  The 20 billion a year juggernaut seemed immune to bad publicity.  Although over 50 players had been arrested during Roger Goodell's tenure as commissioner, the fallout has been minimal.  Then came the video of Ray Rice punching out his fiancé.  The power of that visual has destroyed the "business as usual" mentality the league has operated under.  Now a steady parade of new victims are stepping forward and the damage is considerable.  Yes, the diehard fans will watch their teams come Sunday, but advertisers are skittish.  If the big money beer and car companies begin pulling their ads, the poop will begin hitting the proverbial whirling blades.  The league is starting to lose its tenuous hold on the female population.  There are many ladies who while they don't like football, tolerate their men's infatuation during the fall.  When they start to voice strenuous misgivings about a sport which advocates violence during games and has begun to spill over into private lives, their men may have to take notice.  Perhaps they will watch their home team and skip other games.  Maybe some men will decide to support women and give up the Sunday ritual.  Even this speculation will damage the NFL brand.  That coupled with the recent concussion scandals may not bring football down, but it will certainly make many fans think twice about supporting it.

People Power

In today's NYT, Mark Bittman does a little publicity for a people's march against climate change which is happening this weekend in the city.   This, against the backdrop of a climate change summit at the UN next week.   As we all know, the UN is a toothless tiger which will put on a show, with little or no effect on the single biggest crisis facing humanity.  As he points out, massive marches for or against any issue rarely have an immediate impact.  However, they do begin to move policy over time.  The problem is we don't have a lot of time to affect the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, and unfortunately we still have a large percentage of the population who either don't believe the science or despair of being able to do anything in time.  I have to admit I am sometimes in the despair camp.  But with  my beautiful little granddaughter lighting up my life, I think  it is time to start becoming active in the fight for a livable planet for the next generation.  Please join and start making noise to our elected officials about actually doing the job of planning for the future instead of cowering before corporate giants.  Which is more important, Exxon-Mobil's quarterly profits or Hannah's future?

Crisis Du Jour

Ebola, jihad, nuclear proliferation, North Korea, the economy, climate change.   If you are the president, take your pick of crises to deal with.  It seems the modus for the 21st century is to lurch from one bad situation to the next with no time for reflection, only the demand to do something, anything.  Then the blame game starts.  Congress spends most of its time avoiding responsibility for anything and blaming everything on the White House.  The coming election promise an even more gridlocked situation.  It would seem the nation has decided to hold its collective breath until 2016.  I hope things are not at a critical juncture at that time.  As the pressure mounts, will people demand a "strong" leader who will provide certainty at the cost of liberty.  I hope not, but seeing the quality of our elected congresscritters, I wouldn't bet the farm on democracy.

Reminders

I don't really need a reminder that winter is coming.  The NCR is similar to Winterfell in this case.  We always know the season of dread is just around the corner.  36 degrees in the yard this morning and more cold weather predicted for later in the week.  Between the cold and dryness, the garden is in suspended animation at the moment.  The late crops like spinach, broccoli and cauliflower need some rain, while the summer lovers need warmth.  Since neither wet or warm is predicted, the stalemate will continue through this week at least. 

The video age

I truly doubt we would be having any debates about blowing up the middle east if two Americans had not been beheaded on video.  Likewise, Ray Rice would have participated in a blowout win over the Steelers last night if the video of him brutally knocking out his wife did not become public.   It seems we are all doubting Thomas' these days.  We have to see the bloody corpse or the knockout blow before we act.  Is it too many bloody video games,  the embedded cultural violence we all take for granted, or is it a moral sickness we suffer from in the 21st century.  Personally, I think our society suffers a collective Post Traumatic Stress Disorder brought on by the above mentioned factors.  Sooner or later, there will be a reckoning.  Hopefully it will not be as violent as the events which precipitated the condition.

Same old, same old

I'm sure the stocks of munitions manufacturers are soaring this morning as we get back into the business of blowing up people and real estate in the middle east.  Although most intelligence agencies have concluded ISIS is not an immediate threat to the US, the drumbeat to do something, anything is overwhelming the administration and those who have urged caution.  Because 2 American journalists were brutally murdered, we now have to spend billions and expose thousands of servicemen to danger.  It's a shame we couldn't summon such an outpouring of righteous anger when an unarmed teen was shot by a policeman in our own country.  While the two incidents may not be comparable, the reactions to them are certainly not.  I for one am tired of the relentless war brought on by our past foreign policy blunders.  Let's rethink our policies instead of killing more people.

Letting the dogs slip

Here's hoping the President does not "Cry Havoc"  tonight.  The media has been playing up the use of the military once again and it looks like there will be minimal pushback from Congress.  It almost looks like a replay of the Iraq war, although in this case the administration looks like it is being sucked into the maelstrom instead of leading the charge.  The spectacle of Americans beheaded on video has galvanized a war weary population as few other events could do.  That military force will have little or no effect on ISIS unless it is overwhelming does not seem to affect anyone's calculations.  What we need is a nuanced debate.  What we will get is a headlong rush to blow up something and kill some people without a clear plan.  Sounds familiar.

The NFL and violence

While it is hard to feel sorry for former Raven's running back Ray Rice, I wonder how many other NFL stars would be out of work if surveillance cameras were trained on them at inopportune times.  The problem America's most successful sport's league has to deal with is the glorification of violence.  From pee wee leagues through Friday night high school games to the Sunday afternoon pro games, the players are exhorted to hit harder and make spectacularly violent plays.  Last year, the head trauma problem was exposed.   This year it seems domestic violence will be spotlighted.  How many hits can football's reputation take?   After seeing non-stop replays of Rice's brutal punch out of his fiance', it was hard to watch the Monday night game without thinking about the potential for any athlete on the field to be the subject of another video.   When you glorify violence, look the other way at the use of drugs which exacerbate the problem and do little or nothing when it spills into private lives, you can expect more Ray Rice type videos in the future.

Getting Richer

For a mere 129,000,000, you can have a waterfront mansion in the Tampa, Florida area.  It includes 465 ft. of beachfront, a 2 million dollar gold leaf staircase and 11 bathrooms.  That is the most expensive publically offered house in America today.  For that price you could buy a pretty large chunk of the NCR with cash to spare.  If this is a snapshot of America's future, we are in more trouble than I thought.  The level of inequality in this country is rapidly approaching the age of Louis XIIII.  And we all know what happened then.  Just sayin...

Another comedian gone

Unlike Robin Williams, but embracing a similar vein of humor, Joan Rivers was a phenomenon during the 60s and 70s.  I never much cared for the skewer everyone type of humor she specialized in, but she spared no one, including herself.  She re-invented herself several times, from a talk show gadfly to a one woman hurricane and a QVC pitchman and finally the host of a fashion put down show.  She never lost the sharp edge which cut everything in its path.  Ironically, the Divine Mrs. M appreciated the QVC Joan Rivers as she never did earlier in her career.  In any case, I salute her and mourn the passing of another funny person.  We need them more than ever.

Another last hurrah

Corn, beans, squash and peppers are loving the late season blast of warm we are getting.  Even the late plantings of lettuce that looked to be late are catching up.  We need a little moisture, and Mother Nature looks willing to oblige on Saturday.  I am trying to resist the siren call of the planter, but I'll probably make one last planting of broccoli rabe this weekend.  It is supposed to mature in 40 days, although as we approach October it will be more like 60 days.  I will also plant some spinach and other greens in the cold frames this weekend.   It should be ready for Thanksgiving here on the NCR.  After that, the next thing I plant will be the garlic in October.

Taking on the partisan right

In the NYT today, Thomas Edsall, a normally even handed columnist bends over backwards to make the "they both do it" narrative of left and right approaches to the problem of poverty fit his narrative.  After painstakingly grabbing at straws such as the left's reaction to Patrick Moynihan's somewhat racist paper on the black ghettoes in the US, he finally admits some on the right are moving toward a more nuanced view of poverty in the US rather than the default position of blaming the poor for their plight.   Off shoring of American jobs, increasing inequality and the breakdown of the working class due to these factors are now being touted by some on the right as possible reasons for the divisions in our society.  Of course, until the white working class stumbled into the abyss, it was assumed by these same pundits that blacks were to blame for their inability to break out of the cycle of poverty.  Amazing how viewpoints can change.   At the end of his column, Edsall appeals to both sides to come together.  He then admits there is little to be done in the present global environment where capital has the upper hand and labor is hobbled by low wage competition in developing countries.  Government action to level the playing field is really the only option, and that will be opposed by the right.

Musings on jobs well done

Charley Pierce's labor day blog post was very much to the point of teh murky scribble I posted earlier today.  He was musing about the role of unions in the pride Americans seemed to take in their work in the middle of the last century.  The focus of his remembrance is a carousel, built in 1909, hand carved and still running in a tawdry mall in Minneapolis.  The men who carved those horses did a job for the ages, not for next week.  The same goes for the people who made our cars, our furniture and the thousands of other products we use each day.  Most of them are now made in China or Vietnam by people who work for starvation wages so we can have cheap consumer goods.  Neither the nameless masses in the far east or the American consumer has the time or the money to enjoy the fruits of their labor.  Meanwhile, even among the 12% of Americans who are still unionized, there is antagonism instead of solidarity.  It would seem the gilded age has come again and will stay as long as the sheeple allow themselves to be manipulated by the powerful. 

To have and to have not

Joe Nocera, the business columnist of the NYT says we should be educating our kids to take advantage of the"knowledge economy" and let the rest of the world make our consumer goods.  Who needs factory jobs, he says.  Meanwhile, nearly 2 billion Indians and Chinese are probably hearing the same message and will be rapidly educating 5 times our number of children to take these same jobs.  Do you hear a giant sucking sound as the internet enables well educated people around the world to do our banking, investing, health care diagnoses, etc.  If this sounds like a replay of the loss of American factory jobs, it is.  Only this time around, there is no educational alternative to get us to the next job.   What the pundit class and Americans in general don't seem to realize is there is a class of low education Americans who for whatever reason can't or won't be assimilated into the knowledge economy.  For these people, the middle class factory job is the end of the rainbow.  Besides, the keyboard commandoes who think they will be masters of the universe will soon find themselves working for peanuts as they compete against billions of highly educated people around the world.  Those factory jobs may be the future....

Too hot, too dry

I never thought I would use hot and dry in the same sentence this year, but as we celebrate Labor Day, it appears I must.  We were supposed to have some rain yesterday, but we didn't get enough to settle the dust.  Chances of showers are predicted throughout the week, but as it gets drier, the rain probability tends to evaporate.  There remains ample subsurface moisture, so established crops will continue to mature, but the lettuce and other shallow rooted or newly planted crops need some rain.  The weeding and harvesting continue, and spaghetti sauce making has commenced.   I will probably plant some spinach in cold frames later this week for late fall/ early winter use, but that is about it for seeding.  The dry weather should also give the lawn mowers a rest.

A probable pyrrhic victory

The employees of the Market Basket chain celebrated the return of open handed CEO Arthur T Demoulas as a victory for the working man.  Demoulas had been ousted by his cousin in a move that was widely seen as a prelude to benefit cuts for employees of the chain who have been compensated at a much higher rate than similar worker in other chains.  However, I have been told by someone on the Boston produce market who has done business with Market Basket for many years there is far more to the story than what the press has covered.  In his take on the saga, the whole family is a little dotty, although shrewd business people.  Arthur T's side, while on the worker's side has also been taking advantage of some business dealings to the detriment of his cousin's interests.  In order to buy his way back to CEO, Arthur T has now brought in outside investors who will expect a high return on their investment.  The days of wine and roses for employees may be short lived, and if Demoulas has trouble servicing the new debt, there are suitors waiting in the wings.  Unfortunately for the workers, Kroger is not in business to look after their interests.

Post Racial Racism

Without even reading the columns themselves, the titles of Nicholas Kristof's and Charles Blow's articles in today's NYT offer affirmation of my own speculation regarding racism in the US.  White privilege over the course of centuries is so ingrained that people like Bill O'Reilly refuse to acknowledge the built-in bias which allows them to slide through life on rails greased by prejudice.  Meanwhile, on the black side of the equation, the same centuries of injustice have caused an underlying hatred of whites which bubbles to the surface after such egregious incidents as the killing of an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson Mo. two weeks ago.  The refusal of white America to confront the institutionalized nature of racism would seem to doom any possibility of comity between the races.  I think the passing of each generation is breaking down the barriers, but the final solution will be the reduction of white America to a minority group in the near future as migration of large numbers of brown people changes us to a truly multi-racial society.

Chasing Papa's ghost

An American was killed on a battlefield in Syria last week.  This would ordinarily not be news, as we have been getting killed on battlefields in almost every year since the Revolutionary War.  The difference is this is a civilian who made his way to Syria to take part in the civil war.  The last time this sort of thing happened was the Spanish civil war in the 30s.  This conflict was immortalized by Ernest Hemingway in "For Whom the Bell Tolls".  That war was seen as a just fight against the fascist dictator Franco and by extension a battle against fascism everywhere.  The war in Syria is a fight against a dictator whose only goal is to preserve his power at any cost, including the commission of atrocities against his own people.  Unfortunately, the forces arrayed against Assad include some scary Islamic terrorists whose ultimate goal is the creation of a theocratic Islamic state with less freedom than what it would replace.  The murky motives of many of the other groups appear no better.  What idealists such as this fallen "freedom fighter" need is an organization which will promote justice for all people.  The UN could be such a  force for freedom, but we need to get over our petty nationalism and promote the welfare of all the world's people.  Right!

Late summer surge

Finally, a week of sunshine and warm temps will hasten maturity on many lagging crops.  the winter squash has had a tough time of it as well as my later plantings of corn.  Both were planted on a section of the garden with heavier clay soil which has been too wet for most of the summer.  Coupled with cooler than normal temps and cloudy days, it has been hard for these crops and the sweet potatoes in the same area.  The warm, dry regime will help, if powdery mildew doesn't get to the plants.  The early blight in tomatoes is advancing and the cool nights and heavy dew isn't helping on that front.  What fruit is on the plants will continue to ripen, but  blossoming has virtually stopped and the smaller fruit will probably never size up.  The cole crops continue to look good and I continue to plant spinach for our own use.  Anything planted now will mature long after the farmer's market is a hazy memory. 

Go south old man, go south

Paul Krugman's column in the NYT this morning is definitely food for thought.   He opines the reason the South has experienced much higher population growth than more northern cities and regions is the high cost of northern and western housing, not the pro business polices pursued by the Rick Perry's of the South.  He may be correct up to a point.  What I think he fails to understand is the continuing demographic shift the baby boom generation has initiated.  Many if not most of the increase in population in many southern states is driven by older people who are shedding their high priced, highly taxed houses in favor of cheaper living and better climate in the south.  So what if they work the last few years before retirement at lower paying jobs.  It is more than made up for by the lower cost of living.  Besides, many 55 plus boomers are already retired from well paying jobs with great retirement benefits.  That is a boost for southern economies.  Until cheap housing stocks in the south start getting scarce this cycle will continue with high productivity in northern areas and a graying retirement population driving a low wage, low productivity economy in the south.  If that is the economic miracle Perry hopes will drive his presidential campaign, I have a bridge for sale in Brooklyn.

Social media and protest

Thanks mainly to social media, the situation in Ferguson, Mo. nearly spiraled out of control last week.   Images of a highly militarized police and their reaction to a seemingly justified protest of the death of an unarmed black teenager fanned the flames.  Looters took advantage of the situation and outside agitators were drawn to the chaos, but the use of cellphone videos and twitter allowed a much more nuanced view of the rioting than the mainstream media and the police would have had us believe.  In an era where anyone with a smart phone is a reporter and recorder of real time images it has become much harder for the authorities to whitewash what was essentially criminal behavior by police.  While it may contribute to racial polarization, it also gives both sides images and information which may change minds regarding what life is like in America's ghettoes, circa 2014.   Policy makers especially must take heed.  If Ferguson is a microcosm of this situation, we can expect more of the same later this year if the economy continues to leave large swaths of the population behind.

Weather or not

I may have used that title on previous postings, but it is irresistible at certain points in the season.   A little light rain is falling as I write and it is probably necessary to germinate a late spinach planting and work the fertilizer into some lettuce plantings, but other plantings will suffer as a result of too much water.  The heavier soils are balanced on a knife edge at this point and the winter squash and tomato plants don't need any rain at this point.  Besides, I need clear weather to mow, weed and harvest.  the forecast for next week looks good in that respect, so I'll hope we dodge the heaviest showers today and have clear sailing for a couple of weeks.  I doubt I'll complain about dry weather for the balance of the season.

They got nothin

The republicans will probably win a few seats in the Senate, but not enough to gain control.  The house will remain in their hands for a few more cycles, until the demographic tsunami they have helped create washes them out of power.  Meanwhile, they have nothing but Obama hatred to pump up their base.  The ACA, or as the pundits say, Obamacare has worked, so there is not much political capital to be gained by attacking that.  The economy has continued to grow and the job creation numbers are better than anything under the last couple of Republican Presidents so that's not a good line of attack.  As house guests pointed out last weekend, even with the slowly grinding economy, hotel rooms were at a premium on the NCR this past weekend and there were no events to draw tourists.  The events in Ferguson will probably fire up the Democrats base voters and without an appeal to racism, the repubs really can't make political hay out of the situation.   So, it comes down to tying every Dem candidate to Obama and hoping that is enough.

Slipping away

The planting season is rapidly drawing to a close.  I transplanted a couple of hundred lettuce, bok choy and nappa last night and watered them in as the mosquitoes descended.  This morning it was 48 degrees in the garden.   I am still seeding spinach, but the only other candidates for the process are radishes and broccoli rabe.  Most of the summer weeds have stopped sprouting, but the galinsoga seems to love this kind of weather.  It is carpeting my last plantings of lettuce and crucifers.  The summer crops of tomatoes, peppers and eggplant are stalling with the colder mornings and wet soils while the potatoes and onions are waiting patiently to be harvested.  Warmer, drier days are still ahead, I hope...

Closing the circle

Celebrating little Hannah Grace's arrival was the order of the weekend.   Ms. Rock made her first appearance for many family members who made the trek to the NCR from L.I. and central NY.   Much as we did when our own children were born, celebration of  continuity is important in the lives of families and by extension of our own.   The increasingly hectic pace of modern life makes such celebrations more meaningful, since we increasingly have little time to spend with family.  As each member made the appropriate noises while holding this new person I could feel the torch passing to a new generation.  The Divine Mrs. M and yours truly, while not irrelevant, are now the grandparents.  That is reason for celebration.   The new generation has closed the circle of life once again.

More of the Same old song

Ferguson, Mo. has become the latest example in the case for a racist America.   When the cops who are sworn to "serve and protect" refer to those demonstrating the probable murder of a black teenager as "4000 animals", America has a serious, unresolved problem.  Although I have not checked, I doubt Faux News has had much coverage of the situation in the suburb of St. Louis where the probable crime took place.   Much of white America has too much political and moral capital invested in the proposition there is no racism in the US.  Meanwhile, black men face de facto execution for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  As economic inequality worsens, blacks and whites seem to have less and less interaction.  This new segregation on the basis of race and economic status poses serious threats to our democracy.  A permanent underclass of black, brown and poor whites is a recipe for social unrest.  As many in the putative middle class find themselves sliding into poverty, they are looking for scapegoats.  The "other", or someone not like them is an easy target, and with the proliferation of guns, the temptation to rage against something or someone eventually becomes irresistible.  We need courageous political leadership, not the dithering democrats or the pandering republicans we now have.

Humanitarian missions and the military

With the crazy weather associated with climate change and the continuing social revolutions around the world, there is more calls for humanitarian missions than military intervention.  Yet, the US continues to rely on a war machine to distribute aid to disaster stricken areas.  While success at these missions redounds to the army, navy, etc., it is a ridiculous use of resources.  I don't want to pay for propaganda for the military.  Why not  organize a force for peaceful distribution of resources, like a government funded Red Cross or Salvation Army.   The government could easily appropriate some of the military's money and come up with a compact force capable of projecting aid around the world without the intimidation factor.  A modest proposal...

Comfort zones

In the NYT today, Marc Bittman doesn't exactly rhapsodize about his childhood food experiences, but it struck a chord with me.  His mother's idea of a balanced meal was meat, potatoes (mashed) and a green vegetable (usually canned peas or beans).   She must have gone to the same cooking school as my mother.  We were usually blessed with more fresh vegetables, although I can still remember stuffing canned peas in my pockets to get rid of them.  As he points out, and I can testify, you can modify the menus you grew up with to take advantage of the abundance available today, but if you really want comfort food, you will get as close to Mom's cooking as you can.  Kale and arugula may be the watchwords today, but a wedge of iceberg with thousand island dressing instantly transports me to the 1960s.

A sad day for the rest of us

The world is a distinctly less funny place this morning.  Robin Williams' passing is cause for reflection on humor and the toll it seems to take on its brightest stars.  As he was only a little older than me, his career arc coincided with my own.  I thought Mork and Mindy was a flash in the pan and I really didn't appreciate the madcap humor he spewed so effortlessly.  To me, his turn as a disc jockey in "Good Morning Vietnam" is his signature role.  It illustrated both the humor and the pathos he was able to bring to a role.  To my daughters, he will always be remembered as the big, blue  genie in "Aladdin".   His multiple personality riffs appealed to the parents, while the lovable personality engaged the children.   For all the laughs, he must have been crying on the inside, a Pagliacci among clowns.  If there is a hereafter, I hope he is keeping a new audience in stitches. R.I.P Mr. Williams.

Another blurry weekend

Harvesting, planting, weeding and watering are getting very old.  The tomatoes have finally started to mature, but early blight is stealing up the vines, so the vines don't look nearly as nice as they did a couple of weeks ago.  Applying triage tactics to the garden means weeding only the younger plantings.  The onions which looked so nice several weeks ago have matured, but the crop is overrun with galinsoga, so the harvest will be like playing hide and seek.  The second planting of corn is maturing, but will the skunks and raccoons wait and let me get a few ears or will they just ravage the whole planting several nights before the ears fill out?  Heavy rain is predicted for later this week which in a dry year would be welcome.  This year, not so much.  At least we had a chance to dry out a little before the latest onslaught.  I wish there was some philosophical thought to add to today's ramblings, but frankly, I'm too tired and behind to think of something pithy to say.

Post Iraq syndrome

This morning the news is Obama authorizes air strikes in Iraq if US servicemen are endangered.  The real reason is both humanitarian and political.  This is the conundrum facing policy makers in the post-Bush era.  The US public has lost its taste for "foreign entanglements", but there remains a role for the US in the middle east because of our past transgressions in the area.  We owe the people of Iraq the chance to make a country out of the mess we left them, but we can't babysit them (and the Afghans) forever.  The next president will have to make some painful choices when it comes to  our commitments in the world.  Straight talk to the people by this administration will make those choices easier.  Unless and until we wholeheartedly support a strong United Nations, we will have to use our diplomatic and strategic assets to try and keep the peace.  But the purse and the American peoples' patience will be limiting factors to our effectiveness.

Farmers' Markets

My favorite food columnist, Marc Bittman had a piece about farmers' markets the other day which caught my eye.   While praising the efforts of growers to make local, high quality food available to the masses, he then proceeds to name various exotica he acquired at markets around the country.  I only see the small market in Plattsburgh each Saturday and I can tell you, my offerings of bok choy are probably the most exotic thing the natives are likely to see as far as produce is concerned.  The shoppers who buy in our market are mostly well meaning people, but I doubt they would be willing to part with extra cash to keep growers in business.  For the most part, farmers' markets are more a labor of love than a get rich quick scheme.  I am reminded of this each week after devoting 90% of my free daylight hours to growing and probably making less than minimum wage after deducting the cost of fuel, seed and fertilizer.

Sugar and responsibility

Before the latest session of the clown show known as the US congress adjourned for the rest of the summer, Rosa DeLauro, a dem from Connecticut introduced a bill which would have taxed producers of sugar laden drinks.  The consumption of excessive amounts of soda is a rising health concern, especially among the younger generation.  While we know this legislation would not go on to become law at this time, it is important to be introduced.  Taxes on cigarettes and the eventual proof of the connection between smoking and cancer were a long time coming.  The line between soda and obesity will be considerably easier to draw, but unless we start the process, it will never happen.  That's why Ms. DeLauro's bill is important in the long run.  The health of generations to come depend on actions we take now.

Not for the faint hearted

Gardening on the NCR this year has been a test of internal fortitude.   A long cold winter, followed in turn by a cold, wet spring and a cool, wet summer have confounded many plans and plantings.  Add a radicchio loving deer and corn harvesting raccoons and skunks and it has put more frowns than smiles on my face of a morning.  The heavier soils in the back gardens have begun to dry out once more, but I was throwing 30% of the lettuce harvest on the ground last Saturday due to bottom rot.  My next two plantings are in the same area, so things are not looking good again this weekend.  I was able to get the first fall planting of spinach in on Saturday as well as some radishes and a test planting of an early carrot variety, Mokum, which I would like to see mature in early October.  The winter squash plantings look good, but they are far behind where they would normally be this time of year.  The bright spots have been potatoes and onions.  I had none of either last year due to flooding, so the large onions and plentiful spuds are welcome.  As always, the weeds are horrific this time of year.  They sprout and seemingly set seed in a matter of weeks, especially the thrice cursed galinsoga.  Fun, fun, fun....

Tea bag follies

While this blog does not have a huge following, occasionally I hit a nerve among those who peruse my scribblings.  In particular my reference to tea baggers provoked a comment about "classy libs".  When I refer to tea bag republicans, I don't think of the scatological version of the term, but the image of middle age and older men and women with teabags stapled to their hats, trying  to act like latter day tea party patriots at Boston Harbor.  In particular, the stupidity of protestors who want Uncle Sam to "keep his hands off my medicare".  Of course, medicare is perhaps one of the most successful government programs for seniors.  In the Republican view of the future, many people who now collect government benefits negotiated by strong unions (yes, I'm talking about you Kevin) would be reduced to beggary, since we obviously can't afford to take care of union workers.  As I see it, one of the main functions of government is to level the playing field between labor and capital.  Encouraging unions and enforcing the laws on the books are two ways to do this.  The other is to directly or indirectly transfer wealth from the fortunate who have had opportunity to those who through no fault of their own were born into families with little means to get ahead.  Those of you who feel differently should look at the payer of the checks you are cashing before yelping about "socialism".  Nuff said.

Scary state of the union

As the Republicans in the House fold their tents and head for home in their clown car, it is scary to contemplate the state they are reducing our country too.  They have redefined the "do nothing Congress" to the extent they make the republicans of 1948 look like ball of fire.  Of course, the cowardly John Boehner is the real reason this congress can't get out of its own way.   He is so afraid of the 30 or so tea bag republicans in his caucus he refuses to work with Democrats to craft needed legislation.  One or two real compromise bills passed by the Dems and whichever Repubs feel they can work with the president would probably show the country who the real obstructionists are and how they can be circumvented.  But Boehner is more worried about his speakership than getting the country headed in the right direction.  This is how the country is being held hostage by a few know nothing idiots in safe seats.  The long term solution is to make as many congressional districts possible competitive seats.  That will allow a real debate on policy and prevent the preaching to the choir that so many congressmen now do.  In the short term, Boehner needs to grow some stones and put the country ahead of his own legacy and his party.  Do I hear crickets?.....