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.