July 26

 Should be a nice day but one on which I will have to water the plants. Oh well, I will spend the next couple of hours enjoying (for the most part) my coffee. I say "for the most part" because, of course, the political news/talk shows are on which tends to raise my blood pressure and I will have to make a call to a cell phone company (which I won't name) to try to resolve a problem that has been on-going for two blasted months.

Stupidity of the day: Donald Trump trying to blast Harris for failing her bar exam. My mind stuttered because she is a LAWYER who has been a prosecutor and therefore practiced as a lawyer. To do that she had to be admitted to the bar and had to pass the exam. Well, I checked it out and found ComingSoon which clarified the matter. Yes, Harris did fail the bar exam--on her FIRST try. She shares that "distinction with 25% of the people who take the bar (information found on another site). She passed on her second try. JD Advertising listed a number of well known people who also failed their first attempts and an even more surprising number of prominent people who failed on their SECOND attempt. Given Trump's academic record of less-than-stellar performance, he is a pot that who really shouldn't be calling the kettle black. And Harris showed a nice level of self-reflection when she wrote in her autobiography that her preparation for the first attempt was the most "half-assed" effort of her life. I can't imagine the orange god admitting to anything but self-described perfection.

Update: I think the cellphone situation is resolved. I got e-mail confirmation of final payments. That is plural because there were two phones involved and each had to be done separately. I had to spend about an hour and a half on the phone through once dropped call and two transfers through the company departments. All the while every "representative" spoke English (sort of) none of them really listened. I did pat myself on my back for my restraint: I didn't swear a blue streak at top volume. It was quite an effort after the second transfer. Hopefully, the matter is done.

I did watch Biden's speech last night explaining why he was stepping out of the campaign. He showed far more grace and generosity that I would expect from any of the other politicians on the stage right now. But Biden has been noted for decades for his grace and generosity and empathy. Something else I noticed he didn't blame anyone and he didn't whine about how shabbily he was being treated. In other words, he was an adult. Quite a contrast with the 77-year-old going on 7 who is the other party's nominee.

July 24

 Partly sunny today with chances of intermittent rain. I went out and did some sweeping and weeding on the patio while things were fairly dry. I also moved a couple of the ties keeping the sunflowers connected (loosely) to the tall stakes. They are, probably, a month away from blooming.

Major irritation of the day: the female host on one of the supposedly conservative faux-news channels who claimed Harris slept her way up the political ladder. It is bad enough when men do that shit; it is absolutely unacceptable from an alleged woman.

Second irritation: JD Vance slamming Harris for a lack of accomplishment because she hadn't served in the military as JD had and she hadn't founded a successful business. Hey, JD, the man at the top of your party's ticket hasn't either. And he has a longer string of FAILED businesses (and other scams) than Harris' list of ELECTED offices she has won and lawsuits she has pursued and won against people like Trump. Just because she hasn't pursued the same career JD did doesn't mean she doesn't have experience or accomplishment.

July 23

 We are almost done with July. Damn how fast the year has passed. I had a post ready but decided not to publish it. Too much of the frustration I have with politics came out and I decided not to inflict that on anyone else. I did get out and watered everything deeply but I should do it again today. We aren't expecting much precipitation and the plants are big enough to suck up the water in the containers quickly. Most of the herbs are blooming. I am leaving them for the bees. 

I had noticed that some of the interviewees on the news reports who were asked about Kamala Harris' campaign for the Democratic nomination and possible (probably?) campaign for the presidency were skeptical that our electorate is ready for a female president. I keep thinking that the U.K. has had three female Prime Ministers. And Germany had Angela Merkel as Chancellor for about two decades. And Swedish women occupied all of the major government posts for one term. But then my mom said she really can't see Harris as president. That I think is the problem--we haven't seen it before and can't see it now. Instead, it is easier to see an 80-year-old man with serious character deficiencies and cognitive problems, who has been convicted of sexual assault and fraud in the office he tried so hard to steal to remain in power. Somewhere about forty years ago some friends and I, who were all either biology majors or minors, decided to form a school biology club. We were all women and were the drivers in this project but when I came to selecting officers all of them rejected the notion that one of us should be president or vice-president. They insisted that men should occupy those spots. Again, we had't seen women in those positions and therefore couldn't see it at that time. It really is time we start seeing with our imaginations.

To go onto something else--I watched the first disk of the Sandman season 1. I won't be watching the rest partly because mom really didn't like it at all. I thought it wasn't a bad film version but not really satisfying. So I re-read the first volume of the graphic novel by Neil Gaiman which is what formed the basis of the Netflix series. And that is why I won't be watching the rest of the TV series--I really prefer the comic. That isn't unusual. There are very few films based on novels, etc., that I think are as good as or, even more rarely, better than the original.

I just finished a book that should have been more interesting than it was: Nomad Century. The first half described what we might expect as large populations move because of changing climate conditions, especially across national borders. We are already seeing some of that. I remember when the Biden Administration soon after coming into office sent Kamala Harris to talk to Mexican and Central American presidents hoping to forge some arrangement to stem the migrants going through Mexico and ending up at our border. I didn't expect much and she didn't accomplish much. Migration is an intractable problem because the drought is compounded by gangs which are compounded by government and oligarch affiliated death squads. Similar conditions set off the migrations from Africa into Europe which continue. I wasn't very satisfied with the second half where the author went on far too long on what she thought should be done. Most of those prescriptions would require far more national and international cooperation than is likely at this time. I have read a number of stories lately of political movements definitely critical of "green" measures.

July 19, 20

 It has been a nice clear, sunny, and dry day--a bit warmer than yesterday.  I will have to check the plants tomorrow for watering but I don't expect they will have dried out from the deluge we had early in the week. I had to go out this morning to get a new e-reader because my ancient iPad seems to be on its last legs. It might last a good while yet but I thought it best to get a replacement while I had the time to become accustomed to it. As it turned out I didn't go with another iPad, thought the cost has gone down considerably. Instead Barnes and Noble has a Lenovo 9 with a large memory that can easily accommodate my "library" and much more besides.

We kept BBC on the TV all day. It provided a lot of information on more than that damned Republican Coronation. They had enough to give me an idea of what went on. I haven't changed my mind on Trump or his sycophants. I hope they lose but the Democrats are in a race with them to see who can actually reach bottom first. I am reminded of the Will Rogers quip: I don't belong to an organized political party; I'm a Democrat.

They also had extensive coverage of the Crowdstrike IT snafu. It isn't really surprising that the disruption spanned the world or involved so many industries and companies. Here is another article on the situation. A couple of decades or so ago, I was buying a new Apple computer and I was talking to the sales associate about the current spate of hacking. The salesman (and it was a man, you didn't see many women selling computers) remarked that I wouldn't have to worry about that because Apple (at that time) was too small a part of the market to make it worth hackers' time. Several years ago that had changed a bit as Macs have become a larger portion of the computer sector. But the financial institutions, the hospital chains, city governments, and other entities use other systems and are big enough to attract hackers--witness the ransomware attacks over the last few years. It's the Willie Sutton rule: you rob banks because that's where the money is. Nowadays, a lot of the money is pixels in computer systems.

20*********************************************************************

Another nice day. I should get out and tidy the patio and planters but I don't have any ambition at all. I have been able to open the door and windows again for a while. When it warms up outside I will have to close up but til then we can enjoy a fresh breeze.

As I read this article I wondered how many countries weren't affected by the Croudstrike caused IT outage. All the information I found dealt with companies not countries. Russia has actively worked to separate itself from international networks since they invaded Ukraine so it is no surprise that they didn't feel any discomfort. I suspect that other countries not deeply integrated in the global economy/information systems wouldn't be either: N. Korea, Iran and others.

Hurricane Beryl did a nasty job on the electricity infrastructure in Texas. That has led to a debate about how much more reliable underground lines are as opposed to the overhead lines. Areas that had underground lines were still without power while some neighboring areas had theirs restored. And vice versa. The Weather Channel had a piece about the new composition poles which are stronger and more lightweight than the wooden poles. We have noticed that our utility company is replacing a lot of their poles and we also have a patchwork of areas with overhead lines neighboring areas with underground lines. We haven't had any prolonged outages for several years. The utility company is also aggressive about trimming trees to remove dangerous limbs and reduce the likelihood the tree itself will come down. 

July 18

 Early and not yet light. 

As I said I am not following the Republican Convention or any of the politics closely but occasionally I find a post worth passing on so I will continue linking to them.

It is sad that N. Carolina Republicans saw fit to gerrymander Democratic Congressman Jeff Jackson out of his seat. Here he provides interesting pieces describing the machinations in the House as well as lucid and moderate commentary on the current politics. Here he provides more solid information on the assassination attempt.

Update: partly sunny, breezy, and cool. Nice. We have the doors and windows open. Might be a nice day for hot tea for supper instead of the cold tea I have in the fridge.

Tom Englehardt (on his Tomdispatch) site has a melancholy but, I think, accurate article. I remember reading his book THE END OF VICTORY CULTURE when it first came out and felt a faint feeling that worse was to come. I wasn't thrilled (and am not now) that Biden and Trump are squaring off again. I believed that something was coming down the pike that neither the men nor the parties behind them will be able to handle. It is nothing less than the end of American hegemony. But Biden, with his thoughts still stuck in the world of the Cold War, and Trump, with his pipe dream of "Make(ing) America Great Again," have the vision or the personality to chart a new course. So we will stumble into a very murky future.

I just saw a headline that gave me a cynical laugh: MASS DEPORTATION IS FASCISM. Not really. I guess people really don't read their Bibles any more--unless they are trying to justify what ever they are trying to force feed the rest of us. During the 500sBCE the Babylonian Empire deported many of Jews from the Kingdom of Judah. How many deportations, how many deportees isn't really certain but the Exile lasted about 50 years until the Babylonians were conquered and Jews allowed to return to Judah. Skipping forward several centuries and the Romans did the same after putting down the last Jewish rebellion in 135CE. Jews remained a minority in the area until the modern state of Israel was established in 1948. Russian czars pursued policies of both deportation and "Russification" at various times and the Soviets did the same in Ukraine under Stalin. And we aren't clean on this either given the Trail of Tears during the 19th century. Fascism has nothing to do with deportation. Deportation is a TOOL various political systems have used to deal with "troublesome" populations of "others."

July 17

 I didn't look at my e-mail or post yesterday. I got to see a bit of what the storms that went through Monday night did. The weather service put out severe weather warnings for our area including tornado warnings. We decided to sleep in our recliners on the lowest floor of our apartment instead of the bedroom on the upper floor--just in case. Shortly after we turned off the lights  the alerts started going off on our phones and the sirens blared. The wind was the most intense we have experienced for a good while. We came through with no problem. But other areas of the city weren't so lucky. I had to go out to get some stamps and take books/other materials back to the library. Along the way I passed through an older section of town where I saw a lot of tree limbs down, and one large tree uprooted and lying across the street. I had to detour a couple of blocks to get to the library but I didn't see much else. Our local power company posted an update to our e-mail detailing power outages and projecting when power would be restored. Again our own area didn't experience the outages.

We are NOT watching any part of the Republican Convention (a.k.a., Trump Coronation). I was, and am, skeptical that Trump's calls for "unity" indicate any kind of shift in his rhetoric or "policies." Some time ago Trump expressed what he meant by "unity" when, in an interview, he praised Xi Jinping saying that when he spoke every one in China did what they were told in lockstep. (my paraphrase) He was clearly envious and wished he got that kind of response over here. And the so called policies are simply restatements softening, mildly, Project 2025. His choice of J.D. Vance doesn't do anything to make me think any changes would be anything but cosmetic--putting lipstick on a pig.

The "Not Qualified" Chorus is starting with J.D. Vance in the subject line. I guess no one reads any part of the Constitution--ever. The qualifications are 1) 35 years old, 2) natural born citizen of the U.S. and 3) resident of the U.S. for 14 years. That is it. It really is time some of our so-called pundits (of what ever political stripe) stop wasting ink (or pixels) talking about this non-issue.

I wonder if there is anything the MAGA crew and their corporate handlers won't try to privatize to make a profit. Take a look at this piece. So, they think it just fine if only those who can pay for anything can get it and the rest of us are up a shit creek without a paddle. I have said before some things should not be for sale and not all services should have bean counters squeezing for as much as they can extort.

July 14, 15

 We have scattered  thunderstorms moving through. One earlier storm dumped a lot of rain--it rained so  that I couldn't see across the street. Before the rain I had to take a bag of trash to our tote and I stopped by a couple of the flowers to put up some trellising because earlier winds and heavy rain had bent them over. The forecasters are predicting about a week of this.

Vinay Prasad posted a piece the resonates with us. Mom has complained about the same behavior in doctors she has seen. Most she hasn't seen a second time. I noticed that other doctors have begun to talk to patients while an assistant enters data in the computer.

15*********************************************************************

Welcome to half-past July. It is going by way too quickly. We have sun right now but are also under a heat warning. The heat index might reach triple digits. Watching the Weather Channel mainly because the news channels are focused 1) on the attempt to assassinate Trump and 2) the Republican Convention. I don't want to focus on either. I look at the print news on line which gives me as much information as I can use and I can ignore the mass of speculation. 

Texas is still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Beryl. A week after a significant proportion of customers are still without power and some are looking at being without for another week. A lot of people are asking "why"? Few are talking about 1) an aging infrastructure that 2) hasn't had adequate maintenance or upgrades and 3) was designed for a different climate "normal." The problem isn't limited to Texas.

Jeremiah Johnson has an interesting piece this morning: What is the purpose of liberalism? Notice that is liberalism with a small l. It isn't the same as capital L Liberalism. Just as small d democracy isn't the same as capital D Democracy or small r republicanism isn't the same as R Republican. He also notes one of the last prolonged periods of political violence--the 2+centuries of religious warfare. What is evident today is that we have a new generation of demagogues who think their religious/social/political beliefs should be shoved on everyone else. And some of those demagogues don't mind violence to accomplish their ends. Trump is a useful tool for them because he has no ideology, no moral base and is focused only on himself and his immediate desires/whims. However, I am glad that young idiot they think tried to murder him failed. The news reports say he is re-writing his convention speech supposedly to be more moderate. I will believe it when I hear it because he changes like a weather vane. And "moderate" is entirely in the eye (or ear) of the audience.

This post by Ugo Bardi brought an amused smile to my lips. Not a "ha ha" smile but one that says "oh, shit, he is so right." I wrote some time ago that the elections from 2017 through this one is the last gasp of my generation (the Boomers) in presidential politics. But I am rethinking that. The average age of the Senate is 64--the same age as my youngest siblings who were born at the tail end of the Baby Boom. We forget that Trump and Biden (and I) were born at the leading edge of the Boom. Some of those senators might decide to grab for the ring.

I think I will rant on a nonpolitical theme: nuisance phone calls. We have been deluged with calls hawking funeral pre-arrangements, "new" benefits we may qualify for from Medicare, and so many others. We have had more than 20 a day along with calls where no one answers for several a minute or two before the call cuts off. Sometimes we wonder if we can do without it. It makes us wonder about the condition of the insurance companies behind the calls.

July 12, 13

 We expect good weather today--if the forecast holds. I hope so. The gardens need a chance to dry out a bit. And I really should do some pruning and clipping. We have errands planned early.

However, I still have a bit of time to read what is in my e-mail. And this piece was interesting. I saw the original reports that Greece was introducing a 6-day work week. That was surprising but there wasn't much detail in that piece. The one I linked to gives some of those details. I grew up in the time when unions had won the battle for an 8-hour day with a five-day work week and overtime pay. At least for most workers. That seems normal though various elements in our society, including some employers and very conservative politicians, have been chipping away at that "normal." The Greek law is voluntary and mandates a bonus of 40% of regular pay for the extra day and other protections for workers. The government's argument for the law rests on the declining population and the lack of skilled workers. I wonder if it might induce some of the younger workers who left Greece during the prolonged economic slump.

And I wonder how this will work out. I had to look up where the three countries are. I could place them in Africa but not precisely. They haven't been on our news lately. I think I remember that Mali kicked the French "peace keepers" out a few weeks ago or so.

Richard Haas has a post on the current "debate" on whether Biden should stay in the campaign. He correctly notes that this has been a bad year for incumbents and Biden is an incumbent. Trump is an incumbent once removed. But Biden is the candidate promising continuity while Trump is the arsonist pledging to burn it all down (or with the help of the Heritage Foundation try to turn the clock back to some imaginary Eden of a century or more ago). People want change. Haas also notes that "Trump-proofing" NATO is probably not very realistic. My guess (and I am not an expert) Trump-proofing would mean restructuring to manage without the U.S. And would go well beyond NATO to our alliances and economic relationships in the Pacific and with the E.U. As far as finding a stronger candidate to challenge Trump, I don't see any such emerging. Haley made a good effort but lost the primaries and is now urging her delegates to vote for him. I haven't seen a Democrat who is likely to both unite the party behind him/her or strip off many Republicans.

13*********************************************************************

Sunny again and the temperature is on the rise--heat indices in the 90°s. Needless to say I won't get any gardening done today. I have been too lazy drinking my coffee and reading.

I noticed that Biden's speech, quite a good speech actually, last night has done nothing to shut up the media and politico chorus trying to push him out. During our grocery shopping yesterday the cashier at the dairy expressed the same disgust I feel about the whole mess: what do we have to vote for between a party determined to undermine our Constitutional government (on the grounds that they are actually returning it to its original purity (self-serving crap)) and another party which by its actions is betraying the very democracy they are claiming to protect by subverting it in the effort to prevent something worse (also self-serving crap because they are actually protecting their own butts). Looks more like our choice is between "damned if you do" and "damned if you don't.

Stray thought: I a very glad that Biden took on Trump and Project 2025 (which Trump is trying to distance himself from) directly and vigorously. It is about damn time. Now if only the rest of the party will follow suit instead of wetting their pants.

July 11

 Sunny today with possible thunderstorms developing this afternoon. I am sure my garden hose feels like an orphan--I have picked it up so seldom this year. Beryl gave us a lot of rain over the last two days but no really high winds or tornados up here. Southern Indiana got a couple.

Stray thought as I caught the morning (s)news: The Democrats really have their panties in a twist over Biden. I am almost at the point where I will vote third party no matter what happens with them. If they manage to push him out they will negate the votes of everyone who came out to vote for which ever candidate. I am sure every one just loves how the party pooh-bas disrespect them. And they are obsessing over a process they can't control. Biden may win; he may lose. Whoever they somehow choose to replace him (if they do) may win or lose. Right now it is a toss-up and we have no guarantees. But more than the "problem" of who heads the ticket is the fact that they still have no real policy to offer against the Republicans. There is a lot they can, and should, challenge in that watered down PROJECT 2025 with a crumb or two for the lower orders--which they can forget quickly if they win. In a battle between two devils I prefer to get out of the way.

I spent a couple of hours this morning pulling out four rounds of crocheting on my latest project. It just didn't look right. I misread the instructions on a row the provided the base pattern for what followed. Right now I am a bit past the rows I had to remake.

I do like Alexandria Ocasio Cortes. She just introduced a bill to impeach Justices Alito and Thomas. It won't go anywhere with the Republican majority but I am glad she introduced it anyway. The Democrats in the Senate have called on the Justice Department to investigate Justice Thomas' grift gifts.

Another stray thought: some people simply can't accept an answer or result they don't like. Not just Republicans who are still moaning about the election they say was stollen from them though no evidence of fraud in significant amounts to change the result. (Note to Republicans: YOU LOST. DEAL WITH IT AND MOVE ON.) But also Democrats who are insisting Biden "make his choice." I seem to remember that he said days ago that he isn't quitting the campaign. They seem to think there is something conditional there and the reporters are egging them on. (Note to Democrats: HE WON. DEAL WITH IT AND TRY TO HELP HIM WIN.)

Rhyd Wildermuth has some observations about the Olympic Games beyond the glitz and glamor. I have seen articles since the the Beijing Olympics about the displacement of residents in the areas where a venue is to be built. I didn't know the practice went back to the German games of 1936.

July 10

 Early right now--still dark. We have had some heavy rain overnight. That continues the rain we had yesterday which left the gardens somewhat bedraggled. Since I can't go back to sleep I might as well see what is in the news.

I hadn't realized that writing checks is becoming passé. Target is going to refuse to accept them as of the 15th of this month. We don't do much shopping at Target so it won't impact us and the last time I used cash. We have drifted back to cash and checks though I do use my debit card in some cases. Dealing with the credit card companies became more frustrating as we both got older and the process much more complicated. So we have gradually eliminated them. I also don't trust the "cashless" systems enough to rely on them totally.

Evidently residents of Barcelona are fed up with foreign tourists. Recently protesters fired water guns and threw things at tourists shouting for them to go home. I have read of similar discontent in other places. A town in Japan at the base of Mt Fuji installed barriers to prevent pushy tourists from using a favorite space from which to take selfies including the mountain. The Spanish protestors complain that the tourists have driven up the cost of living for locals. I wonder how much of the considerable money tourists spend actually benefits ordinary citizens.

Stray thought: Saw a headline (didn't read the article) that asked if the Democrats are ready for "generational" change. I wondered why it focused on the Democrats. After all Joe Biden isn't the only elderly candidate. Trump is only 3 years younger. Both men are undeniably old. But both managed to win their primaries. To put my thoughts bluntly, neither faced any real opposition. Nikki Haley managed to get a maximum of about 20% of the Republican vote and stayed in until Trump had accumulated enough votes to win. There was a similar percentage of voters who remained with her even after she dropped out which shows a core of voters who wanted someone else. Biden didn't even have that much opposition. As an incumbent the party coalesced around him even though polls indicated he also had a substantial number of Democrats who wanted someone else. It isn't just the Democrats who rejected a passing of the torch.

I read this morning (forgot the link) that June has followed the pattern set for the previous 12 months. June also exceeded the target of an average 1.5°C temperature rise above pre-industrial levels. Some people might prefer to believe that climate change isn't happening but it is much harder to ignore the heat, or the storms, or the fires. All of those are causing damage to our infrastructure. Damaged roads, railroads, or electric lines all have to be replaced. I just looked up the number for billion-dollar-plus environmental/climate events so far this year: 11 so far. That doesn't include hurricane Beryl.

Joyce Vance hast posted the Republican Party platform with commentary. She is right that such documents rarely express substantive programs and this one is especially devoid of substance. I notice that though Trump insists that he "doesn't know anything about Project 2025" and "doesn't know anyone involved" (both lies) This platform echoes that document in the few specific proposals and can easily be put into the more nebulous ones. It isn't much better than the 2020 platform which simply said "We agree with Trump."

John Ganz makes a valid point: we could erase Trump and/or Biden and it won't make much difference. The world has changed and was changing before they became presidents. I have said before that they and some other leaders in this world (Putin and Xi for a start) are either living in the past or trying to recreating the past. The present has already left them behind.

July 9

 We had rain overnight and will probably get more today. Then the remnants of Hurricane Beryl will start moving up this way. The Weather Channel has been following the storm in minute detail. That storm was a big surprise to everyone. I remember when the storm started to form when the experts on the site didn't expect it to become a serious threat: in the "wrong" place, too early in the season. Well it did form becoming the earliest Category 5 in history. And it weakened after devastating several islands only to reform all the way back to a Cat 5. Beryl did that TWICE and became a strengthening Cat 1 when it hit Texas. It retained that level of wind well inland.

Stray thought: The "Reform" candidate won the election in Iran. Already pundits over here are dismissing him as not REALLY a reformer. Well, reform is a word that needs a reference to something that should be changed, i.e. reformed. None of our critics have supplied that reference. I suspect all too many think what needs reforming is the Iranian government theocracy (as in abolished). But since the candidates in the election had to be approved by Iran's theocrats such "reforms" were never likely. Maybe it is time our leaders and pundits break the habit of trying to force other countries to adopt what we think best for them. 

Another stray thought: I have seen several stories over the last few weeks covering the closing of several chain restaurant stores. Pizza Huts and Hooters are the latest. In the case of the Pizza Huts and a couple of others  the problem was supposed to be a dispute between franchisees and the company that set up and supplies the individual franchises. But I makes me wonder if there is a problem in the restaurant trade. Are people simply not eating out as much as some economists thought post COVID or is it people not really having the income to patronize restaurants. If it is the latter perhaps the economy isn't really all that good for the people that would patronize Pizza Hut.

For those who are pissed because they feel prices are too high take a look at this and think about how it affects consumer prices everywhere. More cargo carriers are avoiding the Red Sea/Suez route because of the Houthi attacks on shipping. The only route to Europe or the eastern U.S. now is around South Africa's Cape of Good Hope which adds about two weeks to sailing time and increases all of the costs (extra fuel, crew etc.).

I found this WIRED article from the end of April when the NY TIMES article from the blog I was reading turned out to be behind a pay wall. Think about how many of our systems depend on GPS input: Smart bombs, drones, aircraft (both military and commercial), your car navigation system, emergency and disaster relief services.

When I read the wonderful statistics about a "booming" job market I consider the information with a high dose of skepticism because I also read stories like the one above about closing restaurant chain locations which often happened without much notice to the employees suddenly out of work. Or stories like this one from SFGATE. I also read an article recently that said as many as 25% of companies advertising open jobs aren't really looking to hire anyone. They are simply either trying to intimidate their current workforce by emphasize how vulnerable their jobs are or padding their resume file. And the pundits wonder why a significant part of the voters aren't buying the rosy economic news.

July 8

 Sunny today--so far. We had a couple of pulses of rain yesterday with sunshine for the rest. I think we have enough rain for the plants. I think this will be a morning for small chores and reading. And maybe some needlework.

Stray thought: Michael Moore appeared on a news/commentary show over the weekend to give his views on Biden's problems in this election. He made a point that in Michigan, where Moore lives, about 300k voters are either of Arab ancestry and/or Muslim and that group of voters are very unhappy with Biden's policy on the Israel/Hamas war. That block of voters represent more votes than Biden won during the last election. How many will support Biden in November or cast a "protest" vote for a third party, or refuse to play the "choose the least evil" game no one knows. I doubt many will go to the Republicans if they remember Trump's immigration policy and "shithole" countries remarks. Or the promises to round up immigrants for mass deportation which I doubt would be restricted to Hispanic people or to illegal immigrants.

Another point a different commentator made is that the protests over the Israel policy involved many young people born after September 11, 2001 and involved young people who are neither of Arab ancestry/heritage nor Muslim. These are politically active people who don't remember the Cold War or the last third of the 20th century except what they read in books or hear in history classes (if they had real history). To put that into familial terms: my siblings and I are Boomers (ages between 62 and 75; their children (my nieces and nephews) are millennials in their 40s (approaching 50) who are parents younger people in their 20s growing families of their own. The world has changed but the politics seem to be frozen in the Cold War. Our choices have come down to an old Cold Warrior and an old narcissist grifter felon with no political ideology or moral compass.  

July6

 Good morning. Nice and sunny to start. Our high temperature today should reach into the mid 80°s this afternoon. Our neighbors only shot off a couple of fireworks last night so we did get a good sleep. The cats have calmed down but they still won't let us get out of sight.

I was a bit amused reading some of the comments in my e-mail this morning. One of the bloggers had something to say about doctors who have no legal experience commenting on the Supreme Court's immunity decision. One of the commentators wondered what would happen if a president did something claiming it within his role as president but the Court ruled against him. Would, could he ignore the ruling and what would happen if he did? I was amused because that situation has already happened long before our current court made their decision. Andrew Jackson pursued a policy of removing the Cherokee tribe from their territories in Georgia because white men wanted the rich land for new cotton plantations. The tribe sued and won all the way up to the Supreme Court. What did Jackson do? Shrugged and said they made their decision--let them enforce it. Cherokee removal continued and is today known as The Trail of Tears. 

I was amused by the ignorance of history displayed by the comment. Of course, the Trail of Tears is an episode, like many others, that contradicts the story most of us learn of the triumphant conquest of an empty land by heroic (white) American settlers. All too many are happy to continue forgetting such episodes.

I wasn't amused the Court's decision. It gives the lie to our famous boast of being a nation of laws not of men. The court system doesn't have an army or police force to enforce its decisions. They depend on voluntary compliance and, if that fails, to an armed force under the control of a separate arm of government. Over the last couple of years our faith that the courts are (mostly) fair, (mostly) respectful of precedent, and (mostly) free from either oligarchic or popular pressure.

The circus surrounding Joe Biden continues. Robert Reich has a good account of what is happening. Several things irritates me beyond simple irritation. First, how the Republicans have closed ranks around Trump who is everything Reich describes. I remember how the political pundits chewed over whether John Kennedy as a Catholic was acceptable to the voters who wondered if the Pope would be pulling his strings. I also remember how the political pundits wondered if a man who was a DIVORCED ACTOR MARRIED TO A DIVORCED ACTRESS could be considered a fit person to be President. Only one side is asking if Trump is morally, temperamentally, or in any other way fit to be President. Instead we have one of our elderly (three years between them) candidates under fire for being old. Only one being criticized for memory lapses, misstatements, gasping for words when talking though both have been plagued. But only one lies every time he opens his mouth (and it isn't Biden). 

Second, both men came through an established primary system and have garnered the majority of the delegates for their parties. Both parties have been criticized for aspects of the system that seems to have tipped the scales for and against various candidates, including the winners. But my point is that BIDEN and TRUMP won. The efforts to jettison Biden would basically negate ALL the votes cast in the primaries. Once upon a time we talked about political decisions being made in smoke-filled back rooms. Now, it is made in the glare of cameras on news/commentary shows and in social media. In neither of those scenarios do ordinary people have much of a say.

Third, the whole issue is WINNING at all cost. On both sides. Most of the Republicans who hold to ethical/moral values have either left the party, been forced out, or are keeping their heads down and mouths shut. If those who remain win, they are committed to shoving their vision of America down the throats of the rest of us--their "devotion" to individual rights or law/order be damned. Democrats are almost worse. Do they really have a better chance of winning with Biden or by replacing him? No way to know. But some are willing to sell their souls to win.

July 5

Hope you all had a good 4th. Ours was good until the neighbors started the fireworks then it became hell. The cats haven't settled down yet though they are getting a bit calmer. Some of the firecrackers sounded like military ordinance. I looked outside to make sure the crackling and flame colored light that played across our window was not a real fire. Thankfully it wasn't so serious. I hope our neighborhood idiots aren't going to repeat the performance tonight. I suggested that we pack up the cats and check into a motel somewhere quieter between the 4th and the 8th of July. We are both seriously sleep deprived.

Ugo Bardi has an interesting piece discussing the Chinese "one-child policy" including the assessment that it has been a failure and the story circulating on line that the Chinese government used the Club of Rome's LIMITS TO GROWTH. Several points can be drawn from the post. First, you have to check the sources for the story you are reading. Are they credible? What facts, if any, are they presenting? Second, it isn't always easy to tell conjecture from fact especially when the conclusion aligns with your biases. Third, what ever motive governments have for taking the actions they do, people have their own motives for their actions. That is something Bardi doesn't discuss but other commentators have. Fourth, trends are difficult to change especially if people don't want to conform to the changes. China tried to reverse their population policy but people don't necessarily want to have more children for various reasons. Pixie dust can create an desirable illusion but sooner or later reality vanquishes illusion.

Because there wasn't much on TV last night for the hour or so before we tried to go to bed (see the first paragraph to remember why I used "tried"). Though only a few of the district elections were called before we tried to call it a night, the exit polls were indicating a probable humiliating defeat for the Conservative (Tory) government. This morning confirmed what the exit polls were projecting. Rishi Sunak is out and Kier Starmer is in and the Labor party has a huge majority in the House of Commons. A couple of interesting points came out of the commentary. First, some of the numbers indicate that Labor didn't really increase its normal vote totals by much. Instead, the Conservatives lost a lot of support that went to a new "Reform" party or to other smaller parties. Second, the Conservatives will need to rebuild their party going into the future though they are still the second largest party. A lot of disaffected Conservative lawmakers moved over to those third parties. They and those Conservative members who were defeated were very bitter and vociferous in their criticisms. Medhi Hasan hits most of those criticisms in his "good bye and good riddance" post. It reminds me of some of the complaints from former Republicans who are still conservative but have left the party.

July 4

 Happy Independence Day

So far it has been quiet. Last night not so much and probably tonight as well. Our neighbors across the street fired of some very loud firecrackers last night and our  cats were definitely not happy. They cuddled close all night. At least we haven't had fireworks going off every evening for the previous month and, I hope, might not for the next three weeks like we had some years.

I don't plan on doing anything much today except read and, maybe, some needlework. Mainly because I have done both almost every day for the last 60+ years and they still give me pleasure. So here's what I am reading today:

Starting off is this piece by Robert Reich which seems rather pertinent given the political situation. Given all of the "pearl clutching" on the Democrat side about Biden's abysmal performance at the debate the issue of age might be a good topic of discussion. What isn't is the fact that there is no similar discussion on the other side. Biden is old, unquestionably old. But Trump is only three years younger. While Biden admits the fact Trump tries to cling to an illusion of youth which is shattered every time he opens his mouth and issues another incoherent or insane "thought." On a personal level, Reich's observation resonates with Mom and me. We aren't as spry as we once were. We forget where we put the keys. We make lists of groceries we need to buy and errands we want to accomplish. We nod off while reading, watching TV, or playing a game on our computers. Sometimes it is damned frustrating. A stray thought on all the political crap: I wonder who will be the "power behind the throne" with either candidate. With the Supreme Court decision on Presidential immunity, that phrase is very appropriate nowadays. I would rather trust the advisors behind Biden than the Heritage Foundation twits trying to return the society to their notion of godliness who are behind Trump. I lived a third of my life when women couldn't open a bank account, open a credit card or get a mortgage without a male cosigner. Or when you couldn't get a divorce unless you could prove fault. Reno and Las Vegas did profitable business in providing divorces to those who could afford to establish residence. I have no desire to go back to that just so some self-righteous and smug assholes can feel good about themselves because someone else has to feel worse.

Michael Klare at Tomdispatch has a good piece on American foreign policy. One aspect of Klare's essay reflects something I have thought for some time. Our foreign policy as he describes it rests heavily on our military power but military power is a hammer and not every problem is a nail. Englehardt's intro to the piece notes that our circle of "friends" seems to be shrinking. I don't think many countries in the "developing" world were ever really friends though we often tried to portray them as such. Russia and China, have been making diplomatic advances in that group for some time. Trump's last administration and the possibility of another is cracking the alliances within NATO and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have cracked other relationships as well. A third part of Klare's piece also reflects my own thoughts: we are still stuck in a Cold War mindset even though the Cold War ended, so we were told, in 1991. Neither of our adversaries today are the same as the respective countries in 1991 but we are pursuing the same tactics. Andrew Bacevich wrote extensively on this matter in ON SHEDDING AN OBSOLETE PAST. Unfortunately, we have on candidate for President who following a Cold War strategy and another who is the front man for a cabal that wants to throw us back to even more distant time. 

July 1, 2

 Welcome to July. Nice and sunny. Not too hot. Tomorrow I will have to water the gardens. I think the balloon flowers have just about finished their blooming cycle. They are supposed to be perennial here but that doesn't mean perennial in my spaces. I will observe them through next spring and see if they come back. I need to get out in the morning to get some plants pruned back and a couple of supports in spots to corral a couple of plants threatening to spread into other plants.

I started a new crochet piece in a pineapple variation. I like doing those patterns. I tried to start one of the filet patterns but the only white thread I have is size 20. I used to crochet with that size fairly often but I don't have the dexterity or eyesight to use it any more. We stopped off at Michaels and I picked up two gigantic balls of the size 10 thread. So far I can work with that.

02**********************************************************************

I got things watered this morning. And made some mental notes for some pruning and pots needing trellises. The weather prediction today indicates showers moving in later today and persisting through the next three days. Update: the predictions changed and pushed the rain to later in the week with a more broken pattern.

Responsible Statecraft posted this piece by Edward Hasbrouck on proposed changes to the National Defense Authorization Act which deal with the military draft--and yes it is still out there. I agree partly with his final conclusion: it is unworkable today and they should not have contingency. I agree that a draft today is unworkable for many of the reasons Hasbrouck cites. And I think that the draft itself should be eliminated but there should be contingency planning in case we find ourself in a DECLARED war. I emphasize that term because none of the wars after WWII were declared in any Constitutional manner. In other words, if the government isn't prepared to mobilize the society/economy for a war don't have a draft. And if there is a declared war women would be drafted along with the men.