The Fire next time

According to bible scholars, fire will be the agent of choice when the flying spaghetti monster decides to cleanse the earth.  Thanks to the tRump administration we may have a choice in how we are incinerated and at what rate.   A new climate report by government scientists, which was leaked to the press before Scott Pruitt's EPA could redact it, states there is incontrovertible proof human caused climate change is a thing and it has already affected weather in the US.  It will be interesting to see how The Donald's lackeys spin this latest "leak".   I doubt Cheeto Jesus will read more than a paragraph or two before declaring it as fake news, just like every other inconvenient truth he is presented with.  Meanwhile, he threatened North Korea with "fire and fury"  if they keep making threats and testing missiles and weapons.  Kim Jong Un then threatened to attack Guam.  The ball is now in the president's court.  So, what will it be, long term climate annihilation or short term nuclear extinction.  Over 60 million Americans voted for this choice.

Re-building the ark

After marveling at the 10 inches of rain in New Orleans last week, the local environs were treated to their own "rain bomb" which dumped 6 inches of rain in approximately 30 minutes.  Along with the rain, we were treated to 70 mph winds, which made a hash of leafy greens on the verge of harvest.  It was a highly localized event, with farms less than 5 miles away sustaining very little or no damage.  Growing up in an agricultural area on Long Island, I don't remember anything approaching these levels of rainfall.  We had some droughty spells, which involved moving a lot of irrigation pipe, but we rarely lost a day or a crop due to excessive moisture.  The weather forecast in this area continues to feature rainy forecasts through next week.  Growers who were hurt by the latest deluge  have very little time to make up for the damages they incurred.  Transplanting is delayed by soil which is still too wet to work and we are approaching the last days when it will be feasible to expect the crop to mature before frost.  If a cool and wet climate regime becomes the norm in this area for the immediate future it will definitely alter the crop mix growers will consider.  Many acres may be abandoned or turned to other agricultural uses such as grazing.  That is how climate change is already making itself felt in this area.

That famous river in Africa

Denial was front and center as Chuck Schumer addressed a gathering on the NCR last week.  The local NPR reporter was figuratively scratching his head as Schumer opined he could work with McConnell and Trump on many issues.  He added the democrats were rolling out an economic plan focused on the economic worries of "middle class" (read white) voters and would remain laser focused on economic issues.  If economic worries were what motivated whites in the last election, Hillary would have won in a walk.  She presented real policies which would have addressed the issues facing America in the 21st century.  What they really wanted was what tRump offered, namely the permission to hate and fear those who don't look like them or believe the things they want to believe.  A case in point is the state of West Virginia.  A higher percentage of the population depends on federal government programs in that state than any other, yet republicans control virtually all of the state government.  The recently elected democratic governor just changed his registration to republican.  Oh, and did I mention the population is overwhelmingly white.  Unless and until democrats realize they are the party of those left off the whites' only train and start pumping up their base of blacks, latinos, Asians and educated whites, they will be a pathetic also ran.  As the republicans found out many years ago, racism is a potent issue and will remain so in many areas for years to come.  Economics has little to do with the resentment and hate felt by many of Schumer's working class voters.

A bigger issue

Those of us who think politics have been consumed since the 2016 elections by the phenomena of Donald Trump.  How this blatantly unfit charlatan could have been chosen as the republican candidate and then elected is so far beyond me as to be in another universe.  His constant antics and the hateful policies he pursues rivet our attention to the exclusion of virtually all other issues.  However, after reading a new article about the coming climate apocalypse in New York Magazine, I am truly terrified for the future of the human race.  While the worst scenarios won't play  out in the remainder of my life, my grandchildren will be at ground zero when the wild weather, ocean rise and other associated climate changes start the process of mass extinction of most life on earth.  Whether it is suffocation as oxygen starts to decline, starvation because of crop failure or death by hurricane or other natural disaster, it looks like a grim future for our immediate descendants.  Our fascination with Trump will be looked at in the not too distant future like a distraction which helped keep us from focusing on the biggest problem confronting the human race.

Illusions

There is a heady whiff of bi-partisanship floating in the air around DC this morning that is probably launching a thousand beltway pundit articles praising this development.  I am referring to Tennessee senator Lamar Alexander and his co-chair of the senate Health Education Labor and Pension committee who will hold hearings next month on the possibility of stabilizing the health insurance markets.  As anyone looking at this issue with a clear eye can tell you there is no compromise possible between democrats, who want to cover as many people as possible as a basic human right and republicans who feel health care is a privilege which must be earned.  This is an either/or decision not something that can be compromised.  If a few republicans cross over, a  deal could be done, but those defectors would inevitably be challenged by the crazies in future primaries and would lose their seats.  It would take a true profile in courage for that to happen.  I'm not holding my breath.

Augustian Blues

August is one of the hardest months to sell produce through ordinary distribution channels here on the east coast.  Farmers' Markets, roadside stands and backyard gardens yield a bounty of fresh produce which jaded consumers snap up with resulting poor sales at local supermarkets.  Unless it is an item which is hard to grow, such as spinach or other cool season crops, there is little demand.  Everyone is waiting on local tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.  Besides, there are still vacations to take and children leaving for college.  The combination of all these factors make produce sales devilishly hard in August.

The Follies continue

Kelly is in.  The Mooch is out.  Ivanka is whining.  tRump is tweeting.  It would seem we can just rinse and repeat for the next 3 1/2 years or until the GOP grows a backbone and starts impeachment proceedings.  Athenae at the blog "First Draft" takes down a National Review columnist who opined that republicans were taken in by the con of Donald Trump.  He advertised he was a businessman who could run the country like the well oiled machine that was the Trump Organization.  As she puts it, that is BS.  Once it was clear The Donald was going to win the nomination against a field of under achievers, the establishment made a Faustian bargain to support him in the expectation he would sign the bills which would disestablish decades of social progress.  For the average Trump voter, most did not care about his business record, but were inspired by his relentless political incorrectness.  They voted for him to stick their thumb in the eye of the vicious coastal liberals who Fox News and Rushbo were telling them looked down on their values.  Thanks to the cover provided by the GOP, Trump was able to sustain his message of racist, immigrant bashing misogyny with very little pushback.  With an assist from James Comey, he was pushed over the electoral college finish line and in an everlasting stain on our republic is now the president.  I don't see any way out of this...