Thursday.

Cool but sunny again today.  I plan to get some more of the gardens cleared and cleaned up.

Mom and I have wondered for some long time why we have so many low and no calorie foods and drink and yet so many of us are over weight.  I have read some historical studies which show that the twin "epidemics" of obesity and diabetes have increased in parallel with the use of artificial sweeteners and the growth of the fast food industry.  Also perplexing is why so many people (several in my own family) can go on rigorous diets and exercise programs as rigorous as their physical conditions permit but still not lose much, if any, weight.  Well, they depended mostly on the artificial sweeteners and foods that use such to reduce their calorie content.  This piece from Green Prophet gives a plausible reason.

I hadn't heard that the walnut crops have been hit hard in several major producing areas with the consequence of rapidly rising prices.  We'll be watching that here because I usually add walnut pieces to our cereal.  However the Independent (UK) says that unscrupulous food manufactures are secretly adding peanuts in place of walnuts endangering some of their allergic customers at risk.

Friday.

Should have another sunny day and a bit warmer.  I got a nice handful of strawberries out of the pots I cleared out yesterday which all went into some yogurt.  Also cut down the tansy and pulled the basil.  It feels a bit early but all those plants are looking spent.  I plan to get some more clean up done today.  It feels much too early but the cool weather has definitely arrived and the trees are turning.

I wish the unemployed got paid as well for sitting on their asses and doing nothing as the Congress Critters do.  That would do far more to boost our economy.  I guess anyone who gets elected to Congress (or the Senate) have their empathy and shame surgically removed.

I guess the key here is the definition of "moderate" and I guess the Obama administration defines moderate as "not-ISIL and anti-Assad."  Mom asked where they intend to find the money since none of those budget "hard-liners" were demanding "off-sets" as they did every time any extension of unemployment benefits or other such legislation came up.