May 1

Welcome to May. This year is one-third gone. Sunny with mild temps likely to go higher. All of the really rough weather has bypassed us. Over the last few days I got half of the patio swept and rearranged. I plan to do the other half today. Four of my buckets and two small pots need to be cleaned out. I plan to take out the valerian and put in something else, and nothing is coming up in the indigo and second asiatic lili pot except weeds. They are going to go. I am still restraining the urge to see what is in the garden centers though many of the supermarkets have their plants out. Most of those were hanging pots which I can't hang and have no place for--not really interesting.

Evidently the authorities ended the Columbia siege (not other word for the take over of a campus building) fairly peacefully. Interesting that the police used a ramp to get in by way of the second floor. They are still processing the 40 odd people they removed but the police and the university administration say several (at least) are "professional" agitators. Wouldn't surprise me given the history of recent demonstrations where people not affiliated with the demonstrators converted a peaceful demonstration into a damaging riot.

Several news segments spent time comparing the current college uprising to the 1960s. Though each involve young people (not children as some of the commentators have said) but there are some interesting differences between then and now. First, the students of the 1960 had much more "skin in the game." The men could have been drafted, especially if they lost student deferment's. Second, the U.S. spent both men and money in an effort to confront Communism where ever they imagined it. The argument then was between critics of American policy and those who supported the government. Today the anti-communist motive has morphed into an anti-Israel stance and the opposition is a pro-Israel vs anti-Hamas (shading into anti-Palestinian). Any anti-government sentiment seems to be a minor note in the cacophony. William Hogeland has an interesting piece on the two instances of student unrest. I will have to re-read it. He has some points I hadn't thought of.

Nationalization by another name. While some people have come out against "globalization," I have thought that process has reached its apogee.  Even the U.S. is retreating from integrating global industries and supply chains. I and, I am sure, many others remember the dislocations of the medical supply chains during the pandemic when everything from personal protective equipment, drugs, surgical gloves, ventilators to everything else hospitals depended ran out or were impossible to find. But I also remember a slump in the auto industry because parts made in Thailand were unavailable because of flooding which took out the Thai factories. And more recent shortages in canned cat food because the supply of tin for the cans was disrupted. Many companies have been "re-shoring" their operations.

My reaction hearing about Kristi Noem and her dog was: you have to be smarter than the dog.