August 6

 

Six days into August and I haven't had to water anything so far. We have had rain each day--often heavy. We have also had some nice sunshine. The temps have been on the cool side which is a nice change from the heat of July but reminds us that Fall is just around the corner. The gardens are looking good although one of those heavy rains knocked the convolvulus down. One variety of the sunflowers I planted are blooming and the other is a week or two behind. The blue butterfly pea is also blooming. Pretty but I don't think I will plant it again. We have been getting a handful of cherry tomatoes every few days--just in time for a big salad.

I have been busy doing some dusting and other tidying I usually ignore until I can't stand it any more. I am also going through my drawers to get some room by culling some of the least worn/used items--putting those items either in a storage box or in our bag for charity donations. Or, if badly worn. into the trash.

I have avoided the news to an extent. The insanity gives me a headache.

August 7

August 9

Well, #45 has found a way to hold a rally with cheering "followers" and have the government pay for it: call it a press conference and hold it at his golf club. He did that twice over the last two days. Do you think  he might extend his "holiday" so he can continue having his performances? As for the effect of his executive orders take a look at this CNN story. Damn little, damn late and what little is in there will help damned few. This article focuses on the effects of his payroll tax deferment on Social Security and an already grim picture becomes even bleaker. With the rise in the numbers of the unemployed the tax revenues dedicated to Social Security and Medicare have fallen drastically along with all other taxes. I called this a deferment because tax payers will have to pay it back. I have suspected frequently over the last 20 years that, if we ever had a sufficiently serious crisis, the politicians would appear before the media wringing their hands and crying crocodile tears bleating that they had no choice but to cut the programs that grandma and grandpa depend on. I thought they would simply cancel the payments but keep the taxes to be applied elsewhere without the fig leaf of the "trust fund" buying treasury bonds.

August 10

What a Monday to wake up to!!! But then it has capped off an unbelievable weekend. See the last paragraph on #45's so-called press conference. The press coverage continues today. But along with that mess looting/rioting began about midnight and continued till after 4:30 this morning. The police were kept running from one site to another by "hundreds" of looters hitting stores along the downtown stretch of the Magnificent Mile in Chicago. Can't blame it all on lawless blacks either because we saw a lot of lawless whites joining in the melee. I noted that it has been about a week since the "extended" unemployment payments ran out and the eviction protections lapsed. Buckle up, boys and girls. It is going to be a very bumpy ride well to next year whoever "wins" the election. I put that in quotes not because of the possibility of fraud, or political shenanigans (as in destroying the postal service to destroy mail-in voting) but who in their right minds would want the quagmire they are going to get. I know, I know. We have two septuagenarians who appear to want the job and it is now a choice between who you don't want vs. who you don't want more. That is a lesser-of-two evils on steroids choice.

Tom Englehardt has a post this morning that only reinforces my gloomy outlook. I didn't know that New York City has been reclassified as a humid subtropical area. WTF!!!

David Kaiser also has a good piece with a disturbing foray into history. Hopefully, not a foretaste of our history but now-a-days who can say.