Good Tuesday, Everyone.  Yesterday was pleasant--we actually had a full day of uninterrupted internet service.  First such day in more than a week.  We'll see what happens today.  The TV was also solid--also the first day in more than a week.  I have some routine garden chores planned but nothing major.  Everything is progressing well.  Looking forward to our own spinach tonight.  (Update:  I just filled a gallon baggie with fresh spinach.  Yipee!!!)  (Update: we have had two short outages on internet so far.  I harvested the spinach during the first and a bunch of lemon balm during the second which is now drying in the dehydrator.)

This BBC story is depressing.  As much as one-third of the anti-malaria drugs may be counterfeit.  And this story about fake electronics from China in American military planes is also.

We have seen more of the Post Office ads for their 'Every Door Direct Mail' program and we have noticed that almost everything we get is some form of advertising.  I include all of the little 'reports' from our elected representatives in the advertising column.  Now the mainstream media has taken notice.  We communicate with family by e-mail and cell phone.  We get, I would guess, fewer than 20 pieces of mail a year that isn't some form of advertising.  That is one reason why we aren't overly concerned about the proposals to cut delivery to five days a week.

Several decades ago Robert Heinlein created a wonderful curmudgeon named Lazarus Long (a.k.a., Woodrow Wilson Smith) to whom he attributed a wonderful aphorism: in a government of the people, by the people, and for the people--don't tell the people.  That is clearly advice our government has taken to heart as illustrated in this tomdispatch post this morning.