Looks like we might have a nice conditions for at least part of today. Over the last several days I got most of the patio swept and arranged most of the containers. We had a short stretch of much above normal temperatures which make the current period of normal May temperatures feel almost cold. I think found a way to secure my shepherd's hooks so I can have my wind chimes without toppling the buckets they are anchored in. I might even find one of the hummingbird feeders.
I made a lot of progress cleaning out the shed. I was so low on energy at the end of the last that I just threw everything in that I couldn't leave outside. Now I have to sort all that mess and pitch the things that aren't useful or, like a couple of containers, broken. I find a few containers like that each year simply because the extremes of heat and cold, and direct sunlight breaks down both clay pots and plastic containers. Thankfully the process takes a few years before the items degrade past usefulness.
Saturday we went to our local Ace Hardware store to replace a lightbulb for the bathroom mirror/cabinet and the spray nozzle which showed serious corrosion (I don't remember when I bought it but it was well used.) They have their plant tent in the parking lot so I took a look. We didn't buy any plants but I did find something interesting: the Emerald Tower basil shown here. Burpee and other companies have been developing varieties that fit into small spaces. We will go looking for plants starting next week.
Over the last few decades I have tried to be slower to respond to "breaking news." The first reports (and, nowadays, the second and third iterations) are so often very misleading. I remember, when I first heard about the bombing Timothy McVey perpetrated, I thought the criminal had to be some Muslim fanatic. I pulled myself up and powered up my skepticism meter and, therefore, wasn't all that surprised to hear new information identifying a homegrown terrorist. That skepticism meter has been working overtime over the last decade or so in this "Era of Trump." The stories about the college demonstrations is the latest has provided the latest episode straining my credulity.
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Why do the college demonstrations strain my credulity? It isn't the demonstrations themselves but the coverage. I follow several sources of news and the pattern is clear. Most, but not all, of the "conservative" commentators support the pro-Israel side without any consideration of the Palestinian grievances. Palestinians are almost invisible--or worse collateral damages. And they also, almost never, criticize Israeli actions. Most, but not all, of the "liberal" commentators support the pro-Palestinian side of the argument with no real consideration of Israeli grievance and no criticism of Hamas tactics. But there are no good guys or bad guys, and our various media and our government are acting as though their boys(Hamas or Israel) are wearing the white hat. But no side is thinking about deeper consideration. Like the Israel today is not the Israel of the 1940s. Like should we be supplying today's Israel with weapons, money and diplomatic cover. I don't suggest supporting Hamas but perhaps we should try to help Palestinians find something better than Hamas. And perhaps find a way to stop Israel from a defect annexation of the West Bank.
Another thing raising my skeptical antennae--the number of politicians, commentators, and ordinary people are willing to curb the right to free speech as long as it is speech they don't like uttered by people they don't like. Too many of us believe in the our own absolute rights but everyone else only has conditional rights--conditional on their whim.
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More computer frustrations. My new MacBook isn't maintaining a constant connection to the internet. The diagnostic page says it is connected to wifi but not the internet. My old MacBook connects and so does the iPad. Damn.
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