Saturday--

Happy Fourth everyone.  Truth is I am already sick of the patriotic music attached to exhortations to buy whatever and patriotic sentiments issuing without thought or sincerity from every talking head on TV.  Just as bad as the rote expressions of "gratitude" to those in the military.  People have been lighting off fireworks for the last three days and, I expect, will continue to do so for the next week.  At least that is a shorter time than when the economy was more robust.

Nothing much planned except to hunt down and drown some more Japanese beetles and spray the plants they seem to like.  Expecting warm temps so I will water everything early.

I like Neil deGrasse Tyson.  I also agree with the point Katherine Hayhoe makes:  science can tell us what is happening, and how and why it is happening but how we respond comes out of our values which isn't the province of science.  There is no reason why a religious leader, any religious leader, can't have an opinion on value judgements.  Or any political leader.  Or any businessman.  Or any ordinary person anywhere.

If they feel they have to deny something, it is a pretty good bet that something is coming down the road.  The precedent was set in Cyprus and most advanced countries have enacted legislation that encourages this kind of looting.