Thursday--

Ah, yes!!!  It is almost mid day and I noticed that the shadow of the house is just kissing the top of my fence.  The patio will be getting more light and heat from now on.  Spring has arrived, or almost since tomorrow is equinox.

Found this as I wandered the web.  I can't remember a time when I haven't had to wear glasses because of shortsightedness.  Evidently the increases over the last three or four generations has been breathtaking.  The old explanation that our genes are to blame doesn't seem to hold water when the incidence of myopia goes from less than 10% in the grandparents' generation to over 30% in the present generation.

Mark Morford always provides a good read.  He has this take on California's water problems.

I have rarely seen a mainstream outlet put this matter so bluntly.  I have thought for some time that contamination of the food supply is an inherent problem in the industrial food manufacturing system. "Components" come from very long distances (often from other countries), large volumes of product are pushed through at the highest possible speed, and any contamination (bacterial, metal, or plastic) at any point int he process can taint large batches that are sent to many locations and sold before the manufacturer becomes aware of the problem.  I should have said above that contamination is an inherent problem in food processing, period.  Small producers can also experience contamination problems.  However, their lower product volumes mean that fewer consumers will be affected.

Every once in a while you hear someone spouting off about "mandatory" voting.  Oregon has just passed a new law that would automatically register eligible voters when they get a driver's license or state id.  The secretary of state would automatically mail all registered voters a ballot before each election unless they opt-out and are dropped from the rolls. But nothing in the article says those ballots have to be returned.  Americablog discusses the pros and cons of mandatory voting.  If they want to make voting mandatory I want more of a choice.  Something like "Hillary or Jeb or None of the Above."  Right now I know I will vote for local and state candidates but leave blank the presidential race.

John Michael Greer has another interesting post on the growing split between science/scientists and the larger non-scientific society.  I have noticed that I am far more skeptical of scientific claims and am very likely to ask, especially about drug studies or medical advice, who is paying for the research.  I am very likely to subject the latest "nutritional" advice to severe examination.

Ilargi at Automatic Earth is on a good roll today.  He is totally right--we have lost Jesus, we have lost our compassion and we have lost our humanity.  I love the IMF's claim that Greece is its worst "client" ever--just because it won't cut it's throat with its own knife because the IMF wants it to.