The economy of guns

I don't know if there are any studies indicating a connection between economic distress and gun use, but recent trends seem to show some congruence.  The pictures of flabby white men parading around with assault rifles strapped to their backs is almost a textbook illustration of frustrated inadequacy.  I believe if these jerks had well paying jobs and a feeling of connection to society they would not be spending what little money they have on these displays.  Growing up in the 50s and 60s, I remember guns being treated as tools for hunting, not totems proclaiming our "second amendment rights".  These fools playing as "freedom fighters" would fold like wet cardboard if they had to confront trained soldiers.   The solution to this problem is the same as with many others in our society today.  People got no money and no good jobs. Fix those problems and most other of society's ills will disappear.

apathy and the death of democracy

The title sounds a little pompous and I am certainly not going to publish an opus on the subject, but some recent studies and my own experience seems to show that most of my fellow Americans pay little attention to politics and when they do it is to wish a plague on both parties.  It is unfortunate, especially at this juncture, when one of the parties vying to govern the US has evidently lost its collective mind.  The rump of today's Republican party is composed mostly of gun nuts, religious zealots, racists and know nothings who have driven the party so far to the right it is scary.   To these idiots, science is something to mock, facts are deniable (see climate change) and anything that does not fit the preferred world view is rejected.  Unfortunately, these people vote and if the broader American electorate does not participate in the process, this minority of haters will wield power all out of proportion to their actual numbers.  The really terrifying thing is the far right has no interest in democracy or the practice thereof.  The rise of a charismatic leader to marshal the hate and direct it is a prospect I would hate to see, but the conditions are there and we ignore them at our peril.

Wet and Wild

Meaning the growth in the garden.  The showers keep coming and we get enough heat and sunshine between to encourage everything, including or especially the weeds.  The insect pests are making their annual appearance also.  Cabbage butterflies, flea beetles and cucumber beetles abound, although not doing too much damage yet.  Meanwhile the round of planting, spraying, weeding and fertilizing continues.  This is the absolute apogee of the gardening season and I grudge every rain delay which puts me farther behind. 

Patriotism and the Fourth

It is hard these days to feel patriotic pride in America.  Yes, we still maintain the trappings of democracy.  We vote for national representatives every 2 years and a president every 4.  In the meantime we congratulate ourselves on our exceptionalism.  At the same time, the Supreme Court has virtually assured our votes are meaningless as a tsunami of money flows into the political system.  Even if we figure out who are the good guys and vote for them, there is no guarantee they will stay that way in the face of money that would have tempted Jesus, let alone Judas.  The people we are supposed to trust to do the best thing for the people are hopelessly compromised by either their belief system or the Koch brothers.  So, we enjoy the parades and fireworks and tell ourselves we have the best government in the world.  Good luck with that.

Crops gone wild

Well, not quite, but the warm weather has put a charge into many warm weather veg.  The Divine Mrs. M picked some sugar snap peas for supper last night and they will really produce in the next few days.  The lima beans have sprouted and the peppers and tomatoes have really jumped over the last few days.  I made new plantings of beets, radishes, scallions, rutabagas and fennel ahead of today's predicted showers.  The soil is still a little wet, but it won't get any drier today.  The corn has started to throw up a tassel and is well ahead of the old saw "knee high by the 4th of July".  The only casualty of the warmer weather is the lettuce plantings which are rapidly coming together.  I'll probably lose one this week. 

Comings and goings

America is gone from the World Cup and as usual, the pundits are predicting the country has finally fallen in love with the beautiful game.   Of course it didn't hurt there was no football, basketball or hockey on TV.  Baseball continues to plod along the arc of its season, so there was little or no competition and America fielded a decent team.   However, I doubt Major League Soccer will be SRO anytime soon.  By the time the last goal is scored and a champion is crowned, America's attention will shift to football training camps and the jargon of soccer will be filed away for another four years.  Meanwhile,  with showers last night and today the weeds are responding with mass sproutings.   If there is a respite, the wheel hoe  will get a workout this weekend.  The strawberries continue to produce and the hot weather crops are finally starting to show some life.

Summertime

Having pledged to welcome hot weather and not complain, I won't.   The weeds are certainly not.   Every shower starts a new batch and the plentiful subsoil moisture keeps them going.  The combination of planting, harvesting and weeding is stretching the time resources available.  The Divine Mrs. M and I picked 13 quarts of strawberries last evening and processed them for winter use.  In between I planted another bed of basil, cilantro and dill and weeded bed I planted 2 weeks ago.   Using the last light of day to check the rest of the garden, it looks like the calm before the storm.  As long as I can spend a night or two killing weeds each week I will stay ahead.  Unfortunately, Mother Nature is threatening to turn on the faucet again next week.  Meanwhile, the sugar snap peas will be ready to pick tomorrow and the first iceberg lettuce will make an appearance this weekend.  The asparagus will be allowed to grow out this week so it can produce food for next year's harvest.  The tomatoes are really growing in the heat, but we are still a month away from first harvest, barring any late blight problems.  The succession lettuce plantings are looking robust and the first broccoli is being harvested.  Looking down, things are looking up...