Ipod Fails Me

My trusty IPOD classic that I have had for years and years(it is first generation 40GB) has failed. Actually, it still works only the left and right buttons on the click wheel won't answer the helm so you can't select what you want to hear. The timing is atrocious since I am trying to hit the gym daily and music is a requirement for me to exercise. The fitness center does have head banging music blaring all the time but it is not my music and there is only the occasional song or artist I recognize. I did try to use my Android smart phone (Inspire) on the FM radio app but the reception in the gym was hit and miss. I checked with the Geek place up the road and they can't get the parts to repair mine as it is so old. Bye Old Friend.

Not to worry though I have just ordered a new IPOD Touch (32GB) from Amazon and it will be here tomorrow. I didn't read the specs to closely but I gather it will do more than play music.

East Coast Shakes

Seems there was a small (5.9) earthquake centered in Virgina somewhere between Richmond and DC. It is reported that the GOP has called an emergency meeting to figure out how to blame this on Obama. Being a Virginian by birth I can tell you that earthquakes aren't too common in the area. I'll have to do a little research and find out when the last one was.

Green Tomatoes

Updated:

I've got green tomatoes to use and I have about tired of frying them, though they are very good. Tonight I am going to try and create something new with them.
I've a little fresh pork shoulder as well as peppers and the tomatoes so I am going to try and make a stew. Tomatillo's are very much like green tomatoes(same genus though a different family and more closely related to the gooseberry actually) and you can make a green pork chili/stew with them so why not green tomatoes? Green and tart being the prime criteria here.
I'll brown the pork in smallish bits with a little cumin and garlic and add some chopped onion. I'll braise this for an hour or two in chicken broth until the pork is quite tender and then add the chopped green tomato and chopped red pepper with a jalapeno or two for a zap. Forty five minutes or so later I should have a passable meal along with some flour tortillas and maybe a little sour cream. I will report.

Excellent results with the addition of a bit of agave syrup and some oregano. We actually had a couple of friends share it with us and Kelly and Carmen pronounced it good. No left overs so that's some testimony.

Pump Me Up

You are probably not going to believe this but I have joined a fitness center. The new Atlanta Fitness just down the road offered a special for 28 bucks to join and 28 bucks a month and I did.
I don't know if I have mentioned it here but my job, which requires standing on concrete for 8 plus hours a shift, is causing me some considerable pain....ankles, knees, and especially the lower back. I get exercise in the garden but it is really mostly upper arm and walking type stuff and I need something to combat the pain caused by work. That means strengthening the lower back and the muscles in the legs and hips that provide support. I don't have the equipment at home so the only option is a gym and this seemed like a good deal. The place is state of the art with everything exercise related... all the machines, free weights and whatever. I've even contracted with a personal trainer to get me started on the program I need. It won't hurt to lose a little weight either, even though I am slowly shedding pounds due to the job. Even though I am a little over 6'2", I am carrying slightly over 260 pounds and trust me when I tell you that that 260 is only about 175 pounds of actual muscle mass. We'll see how it goes. I had my first workout yesterday and the second today and I just hope the saying "no pain-no gain" is true because I can sure feel muscles I didn't know I had. Let's hope the fact that I am actually spending money on this will be enough additional incentive to keep it going.

I also went out yesterday and bought some new shoes from New Balance that should help with my tendency to shift my feet to inside when I stand and walk (over pronate) along with some orthotics to help with the same problem. I'll give them the test tomorrow when I have a full shift starting at 645a. I'll know by the end of the day whether the investment of $150 on these shoes was worthwhile. BTW they are the New Balance 1123 and are very highly rated, especially for big guys with stability problems and over pronation issues.My experience with the New Balance hiking boots I have and wear occasionally to work bodes well as the boots have some of the same features as the shoe for increased stability.

Zombie USSR

I am feeling more and more like I've slipped into some alternate universe. Could you have imagined just 10 years ago that someone the caliber of Michele Bachmann would be considered for the highest office and would win a straw poll? Her latest is warning that the people of the U.S. are concerned about the rising threat from the Soviet Union. Seriously!

To top off all of the insanity, Rick Perry arrives on the scene and is also to be considered a serious contender for the presidency if you believe the media. I only have one thing to say and I am going to let someone else say it....

"Next time I tell you someone from Texas should not be president of the United States, please pay attention."-- Molly Ivins

Elvis is Still Dead But I'm Not

Just working too hard and often. I work, sleep and work for the last few days...two days off coming tomorrow so I'll be back. Off to work now for the 230p to 1030p gig. The good news is that I am only scheduled for 16 hours next week. Later.

Great Dogs of Fire

Since Madam is out having lunch with a friend for the friend's birthday I thought I would take advantage of the opportunity and indulge myself in a hot dog (which Madam does not like at all). Barker's Red Hots just opened a shop in town and its just around the corner. Damn fine "tube steak" and surely the best available in Atlanta. They are charcoal grilled to order and they use only the famous Sahlen's dogs. Being a good Southern boy mine were with mustard, onion, chili and slaw. I held back and only had two. The fresh made onion rings were very nice as well. I can highly recommend same for those of you in the Atlanta area. They also have a location on Windy Hill.
They started as the first street cart in Atlanta some 29 years ago and now have the two brick and mortar places as well. I don't have them very often but a good hot dog is one of my great weaknesses and this is a good dog.

See Saw

Off to work in a few minutes for a 430p to 1030p gig. Had the morning and early afternoon off and I basically did nothing. Read a bit and just generally vegetated and I have tomorrow off as well.

Can't say the stock markets are not exciting. As I am writing this the Dow is up nearly 540 points. I'm watching it but not getting emotional. It will be what it will be. I guess that's true of all the weirdness right now and you just have to keep your own counsel and do what is right for you and your environment. Try and insulate yourself as much from the strangeness and prepare yourself for the further strange to come. I for one don't understand it all on a gut level, only intellectually. You really can't get a grip on insanity unless you are will to be insane yourself cause it won't make any sense any other way.

Cream Crackered

I'm "cream crackered"  as my English friends would say. Just coming off an 8 hour close the store shift at 1030p last night and then opening again this morning at 745a. Subtract the travel time, shit, shower and shave time and you wind up with about 5 hours of sleep. Not good for this old man so I will be hitting the sack in short order tonight.
Not a bad morning this morning temperature wise with a few sprinkles. By mid afternoon the "few sprinkles" translated into brutal humidity and the temperature was pushing 100F. Getting into my car at 5 caused me to flash back to somewhere around 1958 and the annual family trip from North Carolina to Key West, Fl in August to visit Uncle Jack and his wife du jour. Mom and Dad in our 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 station wagon (two tone, white over green) with no air. This was before the days of  I95 so we followed US1/301 all the way. The famous 4x60 a/c(60 mph and all four windows down) and all of us sweating and sticking to the vinyl seats. Us two boys in the back seat and my younger brother Andy complaining regularly to Mom that I was breathing all his air. August through South Georgia in a station wagon with no A/C and vinyl seats...defines miserable.

There Went Any Progress in 2011

The dramatic fall in the market yesterday wiped out all of the gains in recent history. Investors fled to treasuries and gold. Treasuries are in effect a negative investment when you consider inflation but they are a safe haven. It's not like we haven't been here before. Way back in 1936 FDR tried to attack the deficits created by his New Deal and we promptly fell back into recession. We know what works and what doesn't work but that doesn't seem to come into play when you are dealing with the Jesus and  the Triceratops Tea baggers. Never let it be said that facts and experience get in the way of insane beliefs. The market may be over reacting but the investors know that we are teetering on the brink of falling back into a recession and they are bailing.

I think is safe to say that we haven't seen the end of all this. Yeah, they are saying that today's job report is better than expected but adding 117,000 jobs doesn't even keep up with the new folks coming into the labor pool.

One good point is the latest polling shows that the American people are properly blaming the GOP and tea baggers for the sorry state of affairs.

Heat, Heat, Heat

Got a couple of days off but it is too damn hot to do anything outside. Fortunately there is inside work to do and by that I mean can tomatoes and while there are piles and piles picked there are more to be picked. So that's what will going on around here for the afternoon and probably the morrow as well.

I haven't discussed the debt ceiling vote thingy as there are plenty of other folks out there that can do it better. I am just so frustrated with the fact that a relatively small group of insane people have managed to control the entire U.S. and twisted the priorities of government 180 degrees out of whack. How they managed to turn the focus from a real and painful employment crisis to the imaginary debt crisis is pretty amazing. You have to surmise that the result we got was actually what Obama wanted because Clinton proved that you can successfully tell the whack jobs (Boehner was one of those as well in 1995) to 'piss off' and they did.

Anyhoo...I can't say I didn't expect this and I can also say, once again, to gird yourself for the double dip recession that is on our doorsteps. All the indicators are there. Expect lots of cities to go bankrupt and maybe even a state or two and don't expect any improvement in the employment rate for at least a couple of years. We need to stimulate the economy and there isn't anyone with any money to do it. Let's just hope we can avoid a deflationary spiral. It isn't looking too great out there.

Picked a Peck of Peppers

As I mentioned in the earlier post I missed a couple of days of harvesting and today managed to catch up. I might have planted too many pepper plants! In the back are jalapeno and in the middle are Mariachi (about half the heat of a jalapeno but a nice thick walled pepper). Front left are pasilla (var. Holy Mole) also called chile negro and of course the orange devils in the front are the deadly habanero. Now the trick is to get them put by somehow. I've still got plenty of jalapenos pickled from last year so I am leaning toward making hot sauce... maybe with a compination of habanero and jalapeno. I have never made a mole sauce which is where you are supposed to use the pasilla pepper. The other option is to dry them for use in making something over the winter. The big red peppers on the right are a variety called Carmen and are nice and sweet like my friend of the same name. Madam gave her a quart of dill pickles a couple of days ago and she promptly ate the whole thing. I upped the ante with a gallon but this time I got eggs from her chickens in return and yes they were very nice for breakfast this morning over good old Heinz Vegetarian beans and toasted ciabatta. It doesn't hurt, of course, that I fried them in Kerry Gold Irish butter. Yes, I know Kerry Gold is too good/expensive to cook with but what a luxury!
Since I have two straight days off it also means bread baking and I have a refreshed sourdough starter that is ready to become whole wheat bread. I'll make the dough tonight and let it rest in the fridge overnight and then form loaves and bake it tomorrow. If you bake bread at home and haven't tried letting it ferment overnight in the fridge instead of quickly on the counter then you should try it. Makes a world of difference in the flavor and texture. The cold doesn't stop the yeast but slows it down and allows for a full development of taste. Worth the extra 12 or 14 hours in every way. I also use the same overnight rest for my pizza dough and I'll put my pizza dough up against anyone's.

Out Of Control

This butternut squash got a little carried away and it is not even the largest we've picked. They don't usually get such long necks but I thought it was interesting. It is at least a pot of soup!

Don't Miss A Couple of Days

Madam and I missed a couple of days of harvesting which we got to this morning. As you can see we spent several hours just picking. Two bushels of tomatoes and other stuff. I spent the afternoon making Roma tomato filets which are now in jars but still a full day of work tomorrow putting the rest by. what you see is today's harvest and doesn't include an equal about of tomatoes that are loading down the dining room table.

Really Hot

Really hot here in Georgia and I am taking the full force of it at work. The corporate policy of relieving cashiers outside every hour when the heat is at dangerously high levels has been ignored for the last two days while I, of course, have been the outside garden center cashier. Two full days in the high humidity and upper 90's with no respite. No explanation from the PTB, naturally. I have the evening shift today (4 -1030) so it might be a little better but it will still be 97 or 98 at 4pm when I clock in but the good thing is that I have two days off tomorrow and Friday. Hooray! as I need a rest.

Not A Flower

Hummingbird in my face.
Flower?
No, red shirt.
Never mind!

Not Rational

I don't why I keep expecting something rational to happen with respect to the debt ceiling deal. Rational things happen when rational people come together and hammer out reasonable compromise. In the debt ceiling talks we don't have this. What we do have is a politically centrist White House trying to reach a rational compromise with irrational people(meaning the ultra conservative/teahadist bunch). This is no different than the discussions over climate change. One side, the rational one, has the backing of the facts and consensus of  an overwhelming majority of scientists. There is no question that human activity is having a negative effect on global climate and that it is getting more serious. That's the real world. On the other hand you have the climate change deniers who, in spite of all evidence otherwise, are insisting that just the opposite is true. They have a separate reality that is not based on fact and observable phenomena and to try to reach some rational agreement is impossible...they are not in the same universe. The same applies to the debt ceiling talks. The radical right doesn't agree with a majority of the world's economists and insist that the debt ceiling is no big deal...they are living in a separate reality untouched by facts and figures and therefore can't be reasoned with. We should expect the worse but I will say that were I Mr. Obama I would just rule the debt ceiling doesn't exist by virtue of the "full and credit" language in the Constitution and dare anyone to challenge me. The majority of the American people believe this and would back the President.

Speaking of Crunch

Well, another week ends with no real movement on raising the debt ceiling. It sure would be nice to be like the GOP and decide that in spite of running up huge debts on your credit cards you can just decide to not pay them. People just don't seem to be talking about the fact that we are not talking about NEW spending just about paying for spending already committed to by Congress. Two wars, a huge tax cut and a Medicare drug bill all on the old plastic.
It is not looking like there will be any resolution either and if there is I am not taking bets on who will blink but as batshit crazy as the GOP is I doubt it will be them. It is going to get ugly.

Maters and More Maters

Got a day off but it will be spent in the kitchen dealing with a gazillion tomatoes. I estimate a couple of gallons of tomato sauce will be the end result. I also have to do another batch of some kind of pickle...probably bread and butter or I will lose a bunch of cukes. I have a years worth of dills made so far so any more of those are definitely out of the question. There are also many, many peppers of several varieties that need attention. Last summer I didn't have a job so I had the time but this year it is a crunch.

Back To Work

Well, my little three day holiday is over but I got a lot done. Nice batch of sourdough bread, garden and yard work and even chipped away at a bit of the "honey-do". Our Greek friend came by yesterday to collect some tomatoes, eggplant and other garden goodies and seeing her inspired me to go Greek for dinner last night and I went with papoutsakia or "little slippers" since I am overrun with eggplant. I am not a huge fan of aubergine but this is a really nice dish and it works well with the Japanese type eggplant I have. Eggplant halves stuffed with a melange of lamb and veal, tomatoes, onion, garlic and just a hint of cloves and cinnamon all covered with a thick bechamel and baked. Very nice! Thanks for the inspiration Anastasia!
Since we are also overrun with tomatoes we are going for a Insalata Caprese tonight and the leftover papoutsakia.
Anyhow, back to work tomorrow and Thursday and off again Friday.

Holiday

I actually have three straight days off! Early work in the garden after I got a batch of sourdough bread going and another gallon and a half of pickles. Goddess knows what I am going to do with all these pickles!  The weather has turned a bit cooler for the weekend so it is quite nice out. I even managed lunch right in the garden. Cherry tomatoes, an ear of corn right from the stalk, a small green pepper and a bit of melon...lovely.
Going to spend the rest of the afternoon reading. I go in spurts of reading like this. I just finished the complete Pern series by Anne McCaffrey, some of which I have on the Kindle but not all are available, and the rest in dead tree form. Since I am into Anne right now I have picked up the Talent series, and I am on the second book of that "The Rowan" after whipping through Pegasus in Flight yesterday. Next Damia, Damia's Children and finally Lyon's Pride. I've read all these before but every once in a while I feel the need to revisit them. I'll do the same with Asimov in the near future and read the entire extended Foundation series again. Then it will probably be either Heinlen and the future history stories or E.E. "Doc" Smith and the Lensmen series. Going to have to see what's available for the Kindle or I will have to resort to the old paperbacks which are pretty well used and I am not sure they will take another reading without falling apart.

Snow Today

Wishful thinking! After five straight days of work...Monday and Tuesday were all day in the outside garden center with record high temperatures...I'm not looking forward to a day in my own garden with continuing high temps but a lot of work needs doing and I must water at minimum since everything is showing the strain of the murderous heat. It should be noted that after I did my full two days outside at a register the company decided on Wednesday that staff needs to rotated indoors every hour when we are under a heat advisory. My timing is impeccable.
If you are in one of the areas under the heat gun please be careful and watch for signs of heat stress. I know I will probably not last outside past about 1 or 2 pm today but I will have plenty of water and a hat.
We'll chat later.

Blueberry Jam Today

Had a wad of blueberries to process and we wound up with 30 half pints of jam. It turned out very nice and I used a low sugar recipe which gives the jam a real berry kick. Took the better part of an afternoon since you can only make jams and jellies in small batches successfully. It took three batches of 3 and half pounds of berries each to wind up with the 30 half pints. For each 10 cups of berries(3.5 pounds) I used 4.5 cups of sugar, 1/4 cups of lemon juice and 1/2 cup of water and followed the instructions in the box of no sugar Sure-Jell. Bring the berries, pectin, lemon juice and water to a rolling boil add the sugar and bring back to a rolling boil and boil for a minute. Pack in sterile 1/2 pint jars and seal with new lids. Process in a water bath for 10 minutes. Actually a very easy recipe and it turns out delicious jam.

Madam has already had a PBJ with the tiny amount of jam left in the pot and pronounced in luscious.

This was the first of many preserving runs this summer and we've barely dented the stuff from last year.

No Jobs

Really lousy jobs report this morning...only 18K jobs added last month and now the unemployment rate is at 9.2%. I don't expect to anything improve until we get all the people in Washington sedated with a little electroshock therapy thrown in for good measure. The GOP says the new job numbers mean absolutely no new taxes which will allow them to drag out the debt ceiling disaster until even more of the last minute. All these bad numbers which scream for investment and spending and nothing is coming out of DC except deficit insanity.

I sure as hell never thought I would be around to see the country in such a mess but when Bush was selected in 2000 I felt a definite disturbance in the force and should have seen the writing on the wall.

Remembering the Fourth

Happy Fourth of July. I hope everyone has a great holiday. Play safe and travel safe. Please remember that the "official" food for Independence Day is the hot dog. You must have at least one dog today even if you also have a burger or something else. Please also note that a proper "tube steak" requires mustard, onion, chili and cole slaw and absolutely no ketchup. I will allow mustard and sauerkraut as a substitute for those that insist. However, it must be good brown mustard and fresh kraut not canned. Also, the dog must be grilled over and open fire and should be slightly toasted. For those not having access to an open fire I will allow it to be plugged into a 115vac wall outlet for a minute or so but be careful.

This time of year always brings back memories of the 4th of July summers of my younger days. Andy (my younger brother) and I were always sent to Narrows, Va to spend a few weeks or a month with our paternal grand parents. Ruby and Burt.  The Fourth was celebrated in a big way and it was required that the extended family all got together in the Narrows Town Park known as "The Boom" (loggers used to float big logs down Wolf Creek and they would collect in the deep water of the mill pond. When the big logs would crash into logs already there there would be a big "boom' hence the name.) There was usually around twenty of the family gathering with all the traditional picnic dishes. Burgers and dogs on the grill but also always fried chicken, potato salad, cole slaw, pickles and such. Always one or two of Grandmother's famous cakes like Lane or Lady Baltimore. Oh and for sure a fresh blackberry cobbler and homemade ice cream...most likely peach. Lots of fun and a swim in "The Boom", at least until you were forced out because your lips were blue from the cold mountain water. Not sure such times exist anymore except maybe in a few small towns. Pleasant memories.

You guessed it....I have to work today from 1130a to 830p...at least it is time and a half. No picnic for me and no swim in "The Boom". 

Cold Water Dill Pickles

The pickling cucumbers had a sudden flush and we wound up with a couple of gallons of perfectly sized cukes for pickles this morning. I have an old family recipe for cold water dill pickles that is really easy and it makes very nice pickles.

All it takes per gallon of pickles is:
8 cups of cold water
2 cups of cider vinegar
3/4 cups kosher or pickling salt
1 tsp alum
1tsp cream of tartar
4 large sprigs of dill heads(flowers)

This will make enough brine for a gallon jar of pickles. As you can see I had two nice 1 gallon pickle jars rescued from somewhere so I had to make two batches of brine. Make up the brine using the water, salt and vinegar making sure all the salt is dissolved. Wash, but don't soak the cukes and pack in the jars with two heads of dill on the bottom and two heads on top. Put the dill and alum in the jars and fill the jars to cover the cukes. Cover loosely and leave at room temperature for 6 or 7 days. You can then refrigerate and keep them for several months or longer. The pickles work in the jar and there is no rinsing or anything else required. Feel free to add garlic or hot peppers or any other herbs or seasoning you like. Just don't alter the vinegar, salt, water mixture and don't leave out the alum and cream of tartar. This is an old fashioned way of pickling. If you don't have gallon jars you can use any 1gallon non reactive container. That means no aluminum. I could have just as easily used a pickle crock. If your cukes are small enough you can easily do this in quart jars as well. You also don't have to put them in the fridge but they will continue to ferment and won't last as long.
Even if you don't have a garden, this time of year pickling cucumbers should be in the farmer's markets as is fresh dill so you can still give making good old fashioned pickles a try.

You should also remember that pickling was just another method our ancestors had of making the garden last beyond the summer season. Cucumbers seem to come all at once in the garden and they would go to waste without a good way of preserving them. It doesn't hurt that they taste pretty good as well. Now I just have to wait a week.

Respite

A nice quiet day off. Since I have to work on the 4th I decided today would be a good day to grill a few ribs and enjoy some of the fruits of the garden. Fresh corn on the cob roasted in their shucks, pig sickles, and fresh green beans. Corn was glorious with Irish butter but the ribs were lacking. The pork nowadays is just too lean to do a really great rib and these turned out just a little dry but tasty. Back to work tomorrow but I do have Saturday off which should allow a little more battery charging. Going to have to do something with cucumbers.

Running Hard

Today is the last in six straight days of work. 12 to 9pm and I get a day off tomorrow. Did get some garden time in this morning. Picked lots of cukes, a dozen tomatoes, okra, eggplant and peppers. We even had the first corn from the garden last night for dinner. Nothing better than freshly picked corn on the cob especially with Irish butter and sea salt. The fourth of July holiday should bring and end to the full work weeks as shopping normally slows during the summer and staffing is reduced accordingly. I am only scheduled for 29 hours next week with a couple of half shifts. Probably a good thing as I am getting tired of 40 hour weeks and the garden is showing the neglect even though Madam is doing some good work out there.
Off to pack my lunch and head out.
Oh, and I did get my lab results back from the doctor and everything looks good A1C, lipids and all that. Did detect some micro albumin in the urine  which is not unusual in diabetics but something that might need to be dealt with by a specialist as it might indicate kidney issues or other subclinical things.

Very Interesting

Encouraging

An extreme eight-week diet of 600 calories a day can reverse Type 2 diabetes in people newly diagnosed with the disease, says a Diabetologia study.
Newcastle University researchers found the low-calorie diet reduced fat levels in the pancreas and liver, which helped insulin production return to normal.
Seven out of 11 people studied were free of diabetes three months later, say findings published in the journal.

I am a Type 2 diabetic and I would love to rid myself of the need to spend nearly 400 bucks a month for various meds (the 400 includes Lipitor BTW but the big hitter is Actos at almost $260 a month). The thing is, while I don't really eat that much, a 600 calorie a day diet for 8 weeks would surely be almost impossible for me to follow. I would have to be locked up. 600 calories is not very much food and my handful of peanuts for a snack and a couple of glasses of wine would slam me for a day. My occasional 'big breakfast' with hash browns or grits, bacon, eggs and toast would zap me for days. I love salads and veges as much as the next guy but 600 calories? Goddess forbid a couple of sausage biscuits.

Seven Years and Counting

Today is the "blogiversary" of The Fallenmonk. Yep, I published the first post on June 23, 2004. Many thanks to all the folks who have been loyal participants and contributors to this little corner of the "tubes". We have made some great electronic friends over the years and from all over the world. I appreciate each and every one of you.
It is only fitting that I repost the first real post on the Fallenmonk and that is the excerpt from George Fowlers's The Dance of the Fallen Monk that inspired the name and so perfectly reflects a large part of my philosophy. Of course, you also have to mix in a little Pagan, Wiccan, Buddhist and Discordian for a somewhat accurate picture of the philosophy around here.

Now I understood for the first time that all these problems are caused by a race asleep and thrashing about in its panicked nightmares. There will be wars and holocausts and genocides as long as God is portrayed and thought of as a tight-minded legislator, a feudal lord, an offended King, a hypersensitive Artisan – even if church managers condescendingly tack onto that ridiculous list the not-very-convincing footnote that He is also loving. As long as people dream that they are insecure and needy in some sort of eternal jeopardy, there will be atrocities. But as the human race grows up spiritually, and as individuals gain a personal experience of the God they have been worshipping in fear, they will recognize that much of their theology and philosophy is built on nightmares. That will be the day of peace. I suddenly found myself unwilling to sit it out in the mountains of Utah. I wanted to play an active role in the process of the world’s awakening. – George Fowler, "Dance of a Fallen Monk"

As the man says "thanks for all the fish" and Hail Eris!

Edited to fix the date ......June not July....thanks Broken Arrow....

Coming Home to Roost

I mentioned a few posts back about the new Georgia immigration law (modeled after Arizona's) that was designed to drive illegal immigrants from Georgia. Well, guess what? It worked. A study conducted by the Governors office on the impact of the new law is in and it ain't pretty.

According to the survey of 230 Georgia farmers conducted by Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, farmers expect to need more than 11,000 workers at some point over the rest of the season, a number that probably underestimates the real need, since not every farmer in the state responded to the survey.

The Rethuglican Governor Nathan Deal proposed that farmers try to hire the 2,000 unemployed criminal probationers estimated to live in southwest Georgia. One farmer tried it and it was a disaster. All of the probationers quite the first day and while they did pick a few cucumbers the Latino workers in the same fields picked 5 times more during the same period.

This is just another example of what happens when you elect stupid people into government. It is what it looks like to have a stupid governor.  This is what rule by the stupid party looks like. Let me see...who could have predicted that there would be a labor shortage if you criminalized your cheap labor.

All I can do is shake my head and wonder what motivates people to vote for these people. I know the  Democrats are a disaster in their own right, but really, the GOP boys and girls are just incompetent, stupid, and evil.

Medicare For All

Did you know that there is one town in the U.S. where everyone in town get Medicare?
It's Libby, Montana.

They don't have to be 65 years old or more.
They don't have to wait until 2014 for the state exchanges.
No ten-year roll out - it's immediate.
They don't have to purchase a plan - this is not a buy-in to Medicare - it's free.
They don't have to be disabled for two years before they apply.
They don't have to go without care for three years until Medicaid expands.
They don't have to meet income tests.
They don't have to apply for a subsidy.
They don't have to pay a fine for failure to buy insurance.
They don't have to hope that the market will make a plan affordable.
They don't have to hide their pre-existing conditions.
They don't have to find a job that provides coverage.

Thanks to Max Baucus who inserted a special section into the Affordable Care Act just for Libby, Montana. You can read all about it here. What is really galling is that Max Baucus was the primary reason "Medicare for All" or single payer was taken off the table when Congress was negotiating the health care law.

Not Just The Oceans

While we are talking about the first day of summer and the fate of the world's oceans it is probably germane to mention that other parts of our environment continue to fall apart.

Surface temperatures in the Arctic since 2005 have been higher than for any five-year period since record keeping began in 1880, according to a new report from the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program, an international group within the Arctic Council that monitors the Arctic environment and provides advice on Arctic environmental protection…Temperatures in the Arctic permafrost have risen by up to 3.5 degrees in the past two to three decades

There’s a lot of methane in permafrost which is released as the temperature rises and methane increases the rate of climate change.

Does anyone have any good news on the environment?

Longest Day

Today, June 21, is the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, which means it's the longest day of the year in 2011.  The summer solstice occurs when the sun is the farthest north in the sky, directly above the Tropic of Cancer. The exact moment of the solstice today will occur at 17:16 GMT or 1:16 pm EDT today.

Here in the U.S. we usually consider this the first day of summer but in many other cultures it is considered midsummer and, of course, for our friends 'downunder' today marks the winter solstice or the first day of winter.
For those of you at one of the poles you will have a full 24 hours of either daylight or darkness (daylight at the north pole).

Here at chez Monk you can tell it is summer because we are eating full meals just from the garden. Last night it was roasted baby Kubocha squash, fresh sliced tomatoes and cucumbers with Greek feta and Kalamata olive oil and roasted new potatoes. Glorious!

Everyone enjoy the first day if summer and the longest day of the year (or the longest night). It's going to be a long day for me regardless since I have to work from 130pm to 1030pm.

To all my fellow pagans may your Litha be bright and blessed and to all my fellow Buddhists Namaste.

We're Toast

According to a just released report by the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) The worlds oceans are in "serious decline. The report (via the BBC) is frightening. Increased CO2 absorption and the resulting increased acidity, overfishing, pollution from agricultural runoff and other factors are negatively impacting the world's oceans and at an ever increasing rate. We are looking at massive extinctions of species and huge dead zones globally. It really is an emergency and the sad thing is we aren't going to do anything about it until it is too late. We could be the last generation of humans on the planet because if the seas go we go too.

The report also notes that previous mass extinction events have been associated with trends being observed now - disturbances of the carbon cycle, and acidification and hypoxia (depletion of oxygen) of seawater.
Levels of CO2 being absorbed by the oceans are already far greater than during the great extinction of marine species 55 million years ago (during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum).

We know what has to be done but in isn't going to happen. So sad.

A Taste of Summer

I just had a homemade pimento cheese(extra sharp cheddar) sandwich on soudough(homemade) with sliced homegrown tomato(picked 10 minutes before), freshly ground black pepper(Penzey's Extra Bold Tellicherry) and a sprinkle of Maldon Sea salt.  It was a mighty fine sandwich...maybe even memorable. I just thought I would share and if you want to stop by I can make you one. Off to work in the garden before it gets too, too hot.

Jackie Evancho

I happened to catch Jackie Evancho's Dream With Me concert on PBS Great Performances last night. Holy smoke! It is almost impossible to believe that voice and talent are coming out of an 11 year old girl. I can't imagine what she will be like with a few years of experience under her belt. I mean seriously...how many 11 year girls can take on Nessun Dorma from Puccini's Turandot and actually get it right?

Lazy Day

Finally a day off after four straight hard days. I had to go see the doctor this morning for my semiannual check and blood tests to check for all the "old man" things. No apparent problems but it will be a couple of days before the tests come back from the lab. I was almost home when the doctor's nurse called and said that I would have to come back and donate more urine to the cause since I didn't quite hit the mark. I go back in the morning and try again. I did get a shingles vaccine which the doctor recommended. Never had them but my brother had an awful attack this spring so I figured it couldn't hurt.
My best laid plans for a productive afternoon fell apart when I laid down for a minute and here it is five o'clock already. I never take a nap in the afternoon but I was obviously needing some rest. Another day off tomorrow so maybe I'll get some work done after all. We did get a "frog strangling" storm yesterday afternoon so the garden was really too wet to work in much and my "moat" did its job once again so no flooding. A few cukes, zukes, egg plant and okra harvested. Peppers are setting fruit and there are a few pink tomatoes which should be ready in a couple of days. No major infestations of pests so all is well.

Leaving Out The D

I just noticed that if you leave the "De" (Democrat)out of Federal you get feral which is real close to what we are going to experience in very short order.

Back To The Grind

I've had every other day off for the last few and it has been nice but I am starting back into a four day stretch today with an 1130a to 830p shift. Madam and I have gotten some good gardening in and are starting to get more out than we can eat. Having a bit of zucchini overload at the moment as well as eggplant. Only a couple of plum tomatoes so far but that flood isn't far off. Still brutally hot and no rain in sight other than a chance of a thunder shower today. It rumbled a bit and got a bit windy yesterday afternoon but nothing came of it. Unless we get a good drenching I am going to have to water again which is going to really slam the water bill. The city is also start adding a "strormwater utility fee" to our water bills next month which is supposed to be based on how much impervious surface you have on your property. I'll probably see another 4 bucks of charge. Oh well.

Off to make my lunch and get ready for work. Play nice.

Pluck It

Check out Google's new thing. It is very cool and you can actually record your stuff.

Update: Google has given the Les Paul guitar doodle a permanent home.

Newt Escape

It seems Newt's entire campaign staff up and walked out on him....That's too, too bad and not a real good sign but it makes me happy.

Just A Kiss Away

Here is another one of those “songs around the world” featured in the Playing for Change documentary.  I don't usually do videos but if I remember correctly I actually did a previous Playing for Change cover of Stand By Me which also blew me away.

Being a pretty big Stones fan I never considered this particular song a good candidate for a cover since Mick and the boys completley own it but this is brilliant. Different but honest to the original. I've listened to it three of four times now and see and hear something new each time. Enjoy!

H/t to Balloon Juice who got it from Brad Delong who got it from Gizmodo.

D-Day

You can go here for some images for this very important anniversary but I must say that the hat must be tipped to Paul Krugman for the pun of the day

Lightning Bugs

There is something very comforting and elemental, if you will, about stepping outside on a summer evening and seeing the lightning bugs flash. It just feels right.

Lace Cap Hydrangea

You don't often see them but I have a nice lace cap hydrangea by the garden path. I just love how a few larger blooms circle the center in a random pattern. Lovely blue as well.

As usual click the image to enlarge.

2011 Garden

Here is the obligatory garden picture for the year. Just so you know I am not lying about actually gardening with all my free time. As you can see, lots of tomatoes and peppers. Behind the tomatoes in the back are okra, eggplant and sweet potatoes. And yes that is corn you see in the back. Once again I will try and beat the critters to it.

You can click the image to enlarge.

Baked In More Ways Than One

The heat finally ran me out of the garden early this afternoon. It is only the first couple of days of June and already we are breaking records for heat. Right now it is 94F and only 3pm. Probably see 96F again today. Just as a point of reference that is roughly 12 degrees hotter that the average for this time of year. If this is a preview of the coming summer we are well and truly screwed. Oh! and Al Gore is still fat.
As you can see I did manage to get the bread baked today. First homemade bread around here in a couple of months...what with ovens on the fritz and the work schedule. It takes me two days to make a proper sourdough. The first day is waking up the starter and making the dough that needs to ferment overnight in the fridge and then making loaves, proofing and baking on the second day. You just can't get proper flavor without the slow rise in the reefer. The same goes for a proper pizza dough.
Fresh zucchini salad tonight. Small zukes sliced, Vidalia onion and maybe some pinto or garbanzo beans in a quick lemon vinaigrette served over fresh roquette(arugula) from the garden . The zucchini are coming fast and I need to stay ahead. We had a zucchini pizza last night. Shredded zucchini, sharp white cheddar and light tomato sauce. Actually quite nice.
Work tomorrow and off again on Monday.
Oh and need I mention that we will have sliced bread and Irish butter with the salad tonight?

Breather

Finally a day off! Still had to get up and get out early for a haircut appointment but still a day off. I had asked my hairdresser to save me some hair and now I have a big bag of hair to spread around the garden in hopes of deterring deer. I do believe the Milorganite fertilizer has helped but I saw track this morning. It may be just an old farmer's tale about the hair but we will find out.
Speaking of the garden. We had our first okra last night for dinner. The old Southern classic fried okra and tomatoes. As I mentioned here earlier I burned the first aubergine(eggplant) but there is more to pick today and there are also zucchini and more okra so the onslaught of veges is about to begin in earnest. If I didn't insist on such things as real Irish butter(Kerry Gold), Parmigiano Reggiano, Kalamata olive oil, and drinking wine my grocery bills would drop to near zero due to the garden. Neither Madam nor I require meat and can make meal after meal with nothing but produce from the garden.
Since I have a whole two days off I am also going to have enough time to get a batch of sourdough bread done and the starter is just now coming back to life in the kitchen...it has been neglected for weeks and weeks and with the oven out for over two months I haven't made bread in like forever.
I am off to enjoy my day off. You guys play nice.

Cooker

Not looking forward to this afternoon. Off to do the 12p to 9p shift and I am scheduled to be outside garden. Another scorcher today with the forecast of 97F. Going to be a rough one. Off to the sweat lodge.

Another Day, Another Dollar

Off in  few to start the fifth day in a row at work. I still have two more in the stretch of seven in a row. Hard day yesterday...I thought most folks would take the day off and sit around the grill and drink all day. No, they were at Home Depot buying mulch, pine straw and Goddess knows what else...horrible busy. No break in the hot weather either and the forecast today is for 94 or so. Makes working in the garden center a huge party.

So tired yesterday when I got home at 730p that I put dinner in the oven and after a large martini fell asleep. Madam woke me to inform me that I had toasted dinner completely. Shame too, since part of it was our first Japanese eggplant of the season and some very expensive Reggiano. Cold cereal for dinner as a result.

Everyone enjoy the first day of a short work week and the 'unofficial' beginning of summer.

Idiots

I think it is funny/sad that in their effort to out "asshole" the Arizona GOP our own GOP here in Georgia passed an immigration bill (HR87) modeled after the Arizona one giving the police the right to hassle anyone they think might be illegal. Even though it doesn't go into effect until July it is already causing a huge number of migrant farm workers to avoid coming to Georgia to pick vegetables and fruit out of fear of being targeted though most are here legally. The net result is 500 million dollars or more worth of Georgia crops are going to go unpicked and spoil in the fields.

Remember

It's Memorial Day so don't forget to put out the flag. All of you who don't have to work today and will be enjoying your day off take a few minutes out of the burgers and beer to remember the purpose of the holiday. The official "moment of silence" is at three pm but sometime today pause and give thanks to all those who have served and lost their lives in service to our country. Regardless of your feelings about any given war or conflict nothing should diminish our respect and gratitude for those who have lost their lives or been disabled in our service.
Since I have to work today please have a cold adult beverage of your choice for me and I like my cheeseburger with mustard, onion, pickle, and the lettuce and tomato are optional. If its hot dogs then mustard and onion, slaw and chili if available. Enjoy your holiday.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is really an odd holiday. While it is a day reserved for honoring those killed in action defending our nation from aggressors it is also a day that, for many, symbolizes the first day of summer. Schools are letting out, municipal pools open, everyone makes an effort to haul out the old grill and burn something dead. To a large degree I think many people overlook the actual purpose of the holiday.

Thank you for your sacrifice both yours and your family's. I think the best way for us to recognize the magnitude of sacrifice so many have made in defense of our country would be for us to GET THE HELL OUT OF IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN NOW! Both are costing us precious lives and both were wrong from the outset. The treasure of lives being wasted and resources being squandered is unforgivable.

Water Controlled

The heavy rains the other night proved my water control strategy for the garden. No flooding and my "moat" diverted all the runoff from the neighbor's scorched earth back yard around the garden. It was worth the day spent digging the "moat". Lot's of growth in the garden with all the rain. Spent the morning redirecting tomato plants back into their cages and the like. Lots of small green tomatoes, a few tiny cukes and at least one zucchini and a couple of Japanese eggplant. Really disappointed in a new variety of yellow squash I planted this year. It's called'Horn of Plenty" but it is not growing and looks terrible. The zucchini planted next to it and at the same time are four times larger and blooming. I guess I am going to have to replant some of the old traditional "Yellow Crookneck" if I am to have yellow squash.
Off to work the noon to 9pm shift at you know where in a few minutes but at least I got a little garden time in this morning.

Terrorists, Plain and Simple

Republicans are terrorists. It's pretty obvious when you consider what they are doing with respect to the debt ceiling vote. Steve Benen at the Washington Monthly points out how “McConnell puts Medicare in the ransom note“:

The Republican debt-ceiling strategy hasn’t been subtle: GOP officials are threatening to cause a recession, on purpose, unless Democrats give them the spending cuts they want. It’s Hostage Taking 101…

Today, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) went much further in clarifying what’s on the ransom note.

In a Capitol briefing with reporters Friday, McConnell declared affirmatively that unspecified Medicare cuts are on the table in bipartisan debt limit negotiations, led by Vice President Joe Biden, and, he expects, will be part of the solution. But in response to a question from TPM, he went further than he has in the past in laying down a marker on that issue. Medicare cuts must be part of that deal to get his support — even if negotiators manage to find trillions of dollars in savings elsewhere, even if his other priorities are met.

“To get my vote, for me, it’s going to take short term [cuts, via spending caps]… Both medium and long-term, entitlements.,” McConnell said. “Medicare will be part of the solution.”

To clarify, I asked “To clarify, if [the Biden group] comes up with big cuts, trillions of dollars worth of cuts, but without substantially addressing Medicare, it won’t get your vote?”

“Correct,” McConnell said.

You need to read this carefully as this is no small thing.  Here is the Senate’s leading Republican saying,  that without Medicare cuts, he’ll try to create an economic calamity on purpose..and this is regardless of what other cuts might be made.

While we don't have any details about what kind of cuts McConnell has in mind it is very telling that he has put it out on the table that killing Medicare is all the GOP really cares about. The Democrats need to ride this horse over and over and they need to let the public know that Senate Republicans will create a recession unless Democrats agree to Medicare cuts.

Te definition of terrorism is "The use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims." The proper response on the part of Democrats and the President is  ‘We don’t negotiate with terrorists‘.

JustNoting

Before I head off to bed I thought I would just note that all of the GOP are insane and mean to boot. If you voted for the GOP in the last election you are a cretin and I sincerely hope you reap the full measure of their insanity as you deserve it. Just sayin'.

Getting Smaller

I'm a big guy...always have been. I come from a family of big guys. Since I started my part time job(which somehow manages to be 40+ hours a week) I have lost 20+ pounds and while I am still a big guy I had to break down today and go buy some shorts that would fit. Six foot two and 245 I have a bit of a gut so I am now fitting nicely into size 46. Yeah, it is still tubby but an improvement. Madam made me go through my closet today and get rid of anything that doesn't fit and I made a major dent. Lots of 52 belts and 50 pants will find their way to the charity tomorrow.

I did have the day off today but I am scheduled for the next 7 days straight and most if not all are in outside garden...which is hard work. I'll survive but it will be a challenge.It still surprises me how much money the folks are spending on their landscaping. While some includes veges and herbs most in not edible,.

Good work in the garden today. Everything watered,even though we are now getting the forecast rain. Some weeding and tying up of peppers and tomatoes. I really need to take a picture as it actually looks pretty good considering the lack of time I have to work in it. Props to Madam for all her help.

Well it is 9pm and bed time as I have to be up at 5am. As usual I only made a small dent in the "tubes" and all those messages hanging fire will just have to wait. Spring will be over soon and I will be back to 24 or 32 hours a week and I can give this place a little attention.

First Monday

I have the day off for the first Monday of the world that didn't end. Actually Armageddon did begin last Saturday but no one noticed since it wasn't any different from any other day. Jesus looked around at all the self proclaimed born again Christians but couldn't find anyone that met the criteria for rapture. He decided to go to drinking instead and wound up the day with a major buzz and a hooker with a "heart o' gold" in a nice little dive in Porto Vallarta. Reports are, that said hooker has had a radiant smile ever since so maybe at least one person got "raptured" Saturday. 

Anyhow, I got up and got dressed thinking I had to spend the morning getting my starboard hearing aid repaired as it seemed to have stopped working yesterday afternoon. To my surprise it was working fine this morning. It might have just needed a rest. So I have the rest of the day to whatever, I'll probably wind up in the garden but it is nice to be a bit at loose ends after the weeks and weeks of "no time,no time".

Not good news on the weather front. Joplin got whacked hard last evening by a tornado and they expect to find more bodies. Already they are counting 89 dead. We have good friends that live just South of there in Bella Vista, AR. but it looks like they were spared any damage. Seems like the tornadoes are just a bit fiercer these days but I am sure it has nothing to do with Global Climate Weirdness.

The good news is that flooding in the Atchafalaya River Basin is not going to be as bad as feared. The ground is evidently a lot drier than the last time the gates of the Morganza were opened and the gates are being opened gradually enough that the river basin is managing. Here is hoping for the best. Regardless, it is only a matter of time before the Big Muddy makes the Atchafalaya River Basin its permanent home as that it where it wants to be. The Moganza spillway is attempt by the Corps of Engineers to keep Baton Rouge and New Orleans on the Mississippi in spite of the river's wishes....good luck with that.

Off to do something with my day off. Oh! and don't look at the financial markets this morning. Both Greece and Italy's credit ratings took a hit late last week and it isn't pretty and not even discuss the GOP's intent to bring our economy to its knees by holding the debt ceiling hostage. It's going to be ugly.

Newt Poison

I apologized a few posts ago for Georgia inflicting Newt Gingrich on the American people. DennisG has a post up this morning at Balloon Juice about old Newt that is worth a peruse but I want to hightlight one bit. It's a quote from L.H. Carter who, back in the day, was a close confidant and supporter of Newt.

“The important thing you have to understand about Newt Gingrich is that he is amoral,” says Carter. “There isn’t any right or wrong, there isn’t any conservative or liberal. There’s only what will work best for Newt Gingrich.
“He’s probably one of the most dangerous people for the future of this country that you can possibly imagine. He’s Richard Nixon, glib. It doesn’t matter how much good I do the rest of my life, I can’t ever outweigh the evil that I’ve caused by helping him be elected to Congress.”

That's really all you have to remember about Newt but at the rate he is going his campaign will be over in a couple of weeks.

Salmon Teachings

I'm just echoing something that Hecate posted but that resonates completely:

My friend the great Dakota activist Waziyatawin once said, “That defeatist attitude makes me want to scream. The battles we’re fighting are overwhelming, but we know things won’t get better if we do nothing. Our only hope is enough people intervening and taking action, people willing to risk something now so we all don’t lose everything later. The only sense of empowerment I feel is by taking some kind of action, whether it’s writing, working to undermine the existing structures, or sitting on the open prairie in December with a Dakota man trying to save our landbase.” She went on: “If our actions will do nothing, why would anyone even want to live anymore? That kind of hopelessness, in the defeatist sense, means an embracing of victimage and complete powerlessness. Here the salmon have much to teach: either they make it upriver to spawn, or they die trying.”

If our actions make it so there is even a one-thousandth of 1 percent chance that things will work out better for ourselves and the planet, then it is our moral duty to act and act and act. Before it’s too late.

Am I optimistic? Not in the slightest. Am I going to quit? Not on your fucking life.

You should read Derrick Jensen's entire post here.

I Jumped The Gun A Bit

I said a couple of posts ago that it looks like Mother Nature had decided to skip May and go right into June. It was an unbelievable 48F this morning here in Atlanta. I had to turn the switch from Air to Heat of all things. Got some much needed weeding done this morning but I actually had to bundle up a bit...very strange.

Anyhow, off to work at 345p which is a very strange shift. Only a little over 6 hours and it also means no lunch break. In recognition of the cool weather and the upcoming missed dinner I had a big bowl of chili with Fritos for lunch also known as "Frito Pie" though to be perfectly accurate a "Frito Pie" is when you open up a small bag of Fritos and have a couple of big spoons of chili added and you eat it out of the bag. Yes, the chili was from a can, but it was Trader Joe's low fat beef chili which is actually quite good for a canned product. I will get a couple of 15 minute breaks so I will have a granola bar and a banana to sustain me. The good news is I am scheduled for the garden register which means I will out in the fresh air and with the cool and overcast I don't expect it to be too busy. I worked the garden register on Sunday as well and it was a blowout. Throngs of people with loads of stuff. There were any number of customers that checked out with around a grand's worth of bedding plants, vege plants and assorted mulches and soils. Some serious spending went down.

Off to get dressed.

Sleep In

Don't have to don the orange apron until 130p today so I get chance to sleep in until 630. I do have to work until 1030p tonight but again I don't start until 1345 on Tuesday. It is nice, for a change, to not "have" to get up at an appointed time. Going to spend a little quality time in the garden this morning and as you can see I am actually getting a moment to cruise the tubes.

Trying to send positive energy to all those in the path of the Big Muddy. Let's just hope it is the only material things that suffer. Lot's of people, pets, farm animals and the like are threatened. What are the farmers going to do with the cows and chickens when their farm is going to be under 25 feet of water?

Money Honey

Well, today is the day the U.S. hits the debt ceiling and it sure looks like Congress isn't going to do a thing about it. The hypocrisy of of the GOP is absolutely mind numbing and their ability to ignore the reality of where all this debt came from is insane. The thing is...all of this debt is something the Congress has already approved in their budgets and spending, so what we are talking about here is them merely acknowledging that they ran the plastic card through the reader and are going to pay for all they booze, broads and expensive toys, nothing more. It is going to very interesting to see how this plays out over the next couple of months, and you know they are going to drag this out til the very last minute, as the Treasury juggles the books to try and keep the party going.

I'm also wondering if the Prez and Dems are secretly feeding the Retardlicans rope over this mess and will gladly allow the idiots to hang themselves with it. It shouldn't be that difficult to hang the default squarely around the necks of the GOP.

Tomorrow You Need To Remember

To put out a bag of canned goods for your local food banks:

You can help “Stamp Out Hunger” this weekend by joining with the Letter Carriers’ (NALC) in the largest one-day food drive in the nation. NALC asks that you collect canned goods and dry food, such as tuna, canned meat, soups, pasta, rice and cereal, and leave them in a bag or box by your mailbox on Sat., May 14. Your letter carriers will pick them up as they deliver your mail. NALC members will deliver the goods to local food banks, pantries and shelters to help needy families in 10,000 cities and towns in all 50 states and U.S. jurisdictions.
This is NALC’s 19th annual food drive, held on the second Saturday in May. National and local NALC food drive coordinators hope to expand on last year’s record of 77.1 million pounds of donations collected along postal routes. Over the past 18 years, NALC members have collected and donated more than one billion pounds of food to help feed hungry Americans.
Demands for food assistance have reached record levels. More than 50 million people—including 17.2 million children—live in households that are hungry or at risk of hunger, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s a 30 percent increase in one year and represents more than one in seven households in the country (14.6 percent).

Skipping May

It seems we are skipping May this year in Atlanta. It is almost 3pm and already my thermometer is reading 90F. The forecast is for 92 or 93 today and I am pretty sure we are going to make it handily. Started trying to get some garden work done but decided it was too damn hot so I am back in the air conditioning and contemplating a cold beer. Probably going to see what is on offer over at Netflix. I am paying the $8 a month to download flicks but have only used it a few times. I got the first month free with my Blu-Ray player and the movie quality is quite good. Not that many years ago I wouldn't have thought I could sit in my den and have access to thousands of movies, in High Def no less, on demand for just 8 dollars a month or even that my disc player would be smart enough to use the Internet.  Today might be a good day to vegetate and marvel at the wonders of science with cold beer in hand.

In a similar vein... I was just thinking the other day about the first transistor radio I saw...I guess it was in the fifties and how amazingly small it was compared to the conventional tube jobs. Now I look at my HTC 4G Android phone and find it hard to understand the leap from that first transistor radio to what we have now and I was fully involved in the technology evolution...it just seems like such a huge leap. Seriously, have you seen what the new smart phones can do?

Breather

I'm finally at a "catch a breath point" with the garden. Everything of import is planted or transplanted and just some incidental stuff needs to be done. Still lots of mulching and assorted stuff to do but I can finally sit back and pace myself a bit. No longer is every minute of not working time a must be in the garden time. Looks pretty good too, all things considered. I rushed a bit and took some shortcuts and some of the rows aren't as straight and perfect as they should be and I am sure Pop is looking down and shaking his head. I'm sorry but I claim old age and weak morals or whatever. I have two days off to get some stuff done but it will be a less frantic pace. Next week I have been cut to 22 hours so there is even less reason to go at full tilt as there will be lots more time for all the chores.

Still trying to catch up on what's going on in the world. My thoughts are with all the folks along the Big Muddy for their trials this week. More storms and water are not going to improve the situation.

Apology

Today we "officially" are informed that Newt Gingrich will run for POTUS. As someone who has lived in Georgia for the majority of his life (though I really consider myself a Virginian) I want to sincerely apologize for inflicting Newt on the rest of the U.S. The candidacy is ridiculous, of course, and even as screwed up as we currently are I don't think we are screwy enough to elect Newt. He just needs to invigorate his income stream and insure that he will get his regular visits on the well paying Sunday talk shows and pump up his book sales.

Momday, Monday

Finally Monday and I have a day off. Worked four straight long days and the weekend in the garden center. My store is located in East Cobb county and the area is very affluent which means the residents spend big on their yards in the spring. I had several customers check out yesterday with over $500 in bedding plants and mulch and stuff. There really doesn't seem to be much of a recession in that area, at least. Anyhow, working the garden center checkout on a nice spring weekend day means hoards of people and long lines and not a chance for a breath between customers. It also means a lot of bending and lifting and it leaves me pretty much exhausted. I work again tomorrow but have Wednesday and Thursday off so I may recover before I have to work the next weekend. The week after my hours have been cut drastically to only 3 days so it won't or shouldn't be nearly as quiet hereabouts.
Speaking of gardening that is where I am heading. Madam and I are dog sitting for Minimonk and we have Megan so I will have company in the garden today.

Mixed Emotions

Waking up to the news that Bin Laden has been killed leaves me with mixed emotions. On the one hand I guess it ends one long trial and will provide some closure to people. On the other I can't help but feel that killing him will just provide the terrorists with a martyr and rallying symbol. I suppose we'll just have to see how it all plays out. I am sure, however, that well hear from the Retardlican fringe that this is just another lie from the Kenyan Muslim who is turning America into a Socialist country and/or if he is really dead then why didn't we bring the body back to put on display.

Anyhow, I have a day off and the weather is good so I intend to spend it in the garden. Maybe I can get the rest of the planting done and my water line to the garden repaired. I was saddened to discover a young king snake entrapped and dead in the netting I covered the okra with when I toured the garden last night after work. Either choked or died from too much heat. I'll have to give it a proper burial this morning first thing if an owl or some other predator left it for me to dispose of. King snakes a good to have around as they keep less desirable snakes like copperheads, moccasins and rattlers away. Maybe its momma is still around.

Good breakfast (eggs scrambled this time Steve) so I am fueled and ready to go.

Happy Beltane

Happy May Day and for all you Pagans Happy Beltane! Going to be a nice day here in Atlanta for doing what you should do on a nice spring day especially one with so many traditions. Unfortunately, I have to work and that is where I am headed. Enjoy!

Royal Hoopla

Madam was up and watching the royal wedding proceedings at just after 4am this morning. I stayed in bed for a bit longer but in honor of the occasion I got up and fixed a proper English fry up for breakfast. Fried eggs, sausage, potatoes, toast and beans. Plenty of good Irish breakfast tea as well. Now I am off to sell stuff. Pretty day so I imagine we will be busy in the garden center.

I actually got some good work done in the garden yesterday even though it is still too wet to do much. All of the tomato cages are up and staked, the okra is planted as well as the sweet potatoes. One or two more good days and I will have the bulk of the spring chores done. Still have to get all the cukes and squash plants in as they are getting quite large in the greenhouse. Work the entire weekend so it won't get done until Monday.

Everyone have a great day and congratulations to the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. No one throws a wedding like the Brits. Kate is a fine looking young lady and looked very regal. Since they have been a pair for some 10 years I give this match a good chance of lasting for a long time. Now they just need to skip old Charles and make William king.

Close But OK

We dodged the worst of the weather last night here in Northern Metro Atlanta. We got a good bit of rain and a little wind but nothing like what other parts of Georgia experienced and certainly not what tore through Alabama. The pictures this morning from Tuscaloosa are pretty shocking. I wouldn't be surprised if the death toll hits 200 when all is said and done. The convergence of several different weather patterns really heterodyned into some wild and dangerous weather. Let's hope we've seen the last of that kind of stuff for a while.

Homemade Pasta

I make it pretty regularly, especially when Kelly or Carmen give me some fresh eggs from the chickens in their yard, but a lot of people don't realize how easy and wonderful fresh pasta is. It is really a snap to make and you don't have to have a pasta machine(though I have a nice Italian one). The Flavor of Italy blog has a very good step by step on the process with pictures that is about as clear as I have seen. Just be forewarned that homemade pasta is like many other things, Irish butter, proper tea, homemade bread and on and on....once you have it you are spoiled. Give it a try and there is not even a complicated recipe to remember. For each serving you need 100grams of flour and 1 large egg and the rest is technique.

Enough is Enough

I know I shouldn't be, but I keep getting surprised by how low, mean and evil the GOP can be. Not satisfied with the pain of no medical care, hunger and overall hopelessness you come a story like this.

under a new budget proposal from state sen. bruce casswell, children in the state’s foster care system would be allowed to purchase clothing only in used clothing stores.

...under his plan, foster children would receive gift cards that could only be used at places like the salvation army, goodwill and other second hand clothing stores. - michigan messenger

What is it going to do the the foster child's already challenged self image when you tell him or her that they are not good enough to have a new pair of shoes or a nice new pair of jeans or even a tea shirt. These kids have the world stacked against them and this Retardlican SOB wants to kick them in the teeth. I think I am going to be sick.
H/T Cookie Jill

Ditched

OK, there is now a one foot deep and 18 inch wide ditch along the whole Northern boundary of the garden. All of the runoff comes from that direction and I am pretty sure this will divert it around the garden and into the empty lot next door. Digging a 75 foot ditch in wet dirt is mighty hard work but it is the only way I am going to get the garden to survive the downpours we have been getting. The forecast is for more supercell thunderstorms tonight and tomorrow so it won't be long before I have a full test of my handiwork. Did I say ditch digging is hard work? I am, as the Brits say, "cream crackered". Back for a day shift tomorrow and off again Thursday but working Friday, Saturday and Sunday and yes I have to open the store Saturday and Sunday. For Saturday that means being there at 545a for the 6am opening but I get a break on Sunday since we don't open until 8am. Anyhow, ditch accomplished, so the rest of the afternoon is sitting in front of this computer trying to get caught up...Google reader just says 1000+ unread messages and has for awhile...Goddess only knows how many there really are.

Thwarted Once Again

It has been quiet around here because I am working. Seems I close one night and open the next morning over and over. Leaves me absolutely no time for anything but sleep. Finally got two days off in a row and I got up early and started trying to get caught up in the garden. Tilled, hilled the potatoes, and all the other little things that the garden has been too wet to allow. Madam helped me get most of the pepper plants in  and we were going great guns...we might have even gotten the sweet potatoes planted. However the clouds opened up and we got another frog strangler. I just checked and there is a small river running through the garden. The huge deluge cut through one row of peppers and several are washed away. There is water standing 2 - 3 inches deep everywhere. So frustrating and now I won't be able to do anything tomorrow since it will still be soaked. Ever since my neighbor cleared his back wooded area which is slightly uphill from me I can't control the run off. and it floods me every time. We no longer get gentle soaking rains just downpours which do nothing but race downhill and wash away my hard work. It looks like I am going to have to solve the run off problem before I can expect to garden. I am off again Thursday and maybe it will just dry enough to get the sweet potatoes and okra in and replace all the washed out peppers. The Goddess is making it very hard for me to get a garden in this year and I have been good....really I have.

Games

The Goddess is playing games with me again. There are two deer(I think they are two does but they are young and could be otherwise) that know that I go out nearly every morning at first light to fill the bird feeders and check the garden. There is a maybe one hundred foot section of natural area between the back yard and the garden. Lately, each morning these two deer are somewhere on the path through the natural area and between me and the garden. When they see me they make a few bounds to the garden and if I move closer they then bound over the fence into the open forest of my back neighbor's 'estate'. Each morning they have also nibbled the tops out of a few tomato plants. Each day that  I can, I replace the chewed plants but the next morning a few more are nibbled. It seems as if the two deer are seeing how many times I can respond to the predation and each morning are waiting to see my reaction. Goddess only knows what will happen when I get the eggplant and peppers in the garden. I am already dreaming of new ways to protect them but when the Goddess is playing games.....
Oh! and I have a nice new head cold....bah!

S&P Rating is Worthless

It continues to amaze me that the latest from the S&P stating that the US Government's rating is "negative" though still AAA is being taken with such seriousness by the media and others. If I am not mistaken the S&P and other rating agencies were the main cause of the financial meltdown. Their rating of all the hocus pocus credit instruments as AAA which allowed the criminals on Wall Street to run their high crimes undeterred should have put them out of business and a lot of them should have done some prison time. Anyone with any sense would know that any "opinion" by the S&P is bullshit.

Cage Fight

Spent most of the day making more tomato cages. I bought a 150ft roll of concrete reinforcing wire and cut it into 8 square bits and then form the cage by joining the ends. As usual I didn't emerge unscathed as the cut wire is sharp point after sharp point. I'm slightly bloodied but have half the cages made. I usually get about 30 or so cages out of a roll so there are few more to do.

The damn deer have nipped off a couple of more tomatoes. I am spreading all the tomato cages around the garden to trip them up and the already planted tomatoes are surround with a wall of cages. Very frustrating but at least I have more plants ready in the greenhouse. The torrential rains have left the garden too wet to work in for now but I am off again Thursday so I should get some more planting done. I am having real worries that all my tender pepper plants, okra and eggplant are going to ravaged by the whitetail and I am devising ways to foil the critters.

I am trying to refrain from any political comment until the stupid subsides a bit. I am just at the shaking my head stage now and just can't work up the spit to consider anything going on worth wasting my limited time on. The politics in this country have gone from bad to Alice in Wonderland as in Mad Hatter strange and it isn't for a somewhat sane person to even consider.

Early Sunday

Getting ready to head out this early Sunday morning. Turned quite cool last night as the temperature is a chilly 45 right now. Should be a busy day as it is supposed to warm to 72F and be sunny. This kind of weather brings the crowds to the DIY store...especially the garden center.

I'm about halfway through Joe Bageant's last book Rainbow Pie. Thought you might like to
read the introduction to the book. 
Good read so far and it is bringing back some memories of my own Blue Ridge youth.

Have a nice Sunday.

Missed Us

We dodged the bullet on the thunderstorms yesterday. We got a LOT of rain but no damaging winds. The garden is very wet with water standing in the few rows I have already. Working the weekend Fri, Sat, and Sun so not much else going on around here as a result.

You sure wouldn't know there is a recession going on judging from the amount of building material I sold today and I will probably sell tomorrow. Crowds of people spending big dollars on stuff and the garden center was a zoo.

Off to bed as I have to open tomorrow so less than 12 hours between shifts. Dinner was a vodka martini and a handful of peanuts. Maybe I'll have some time for a good breakfast before I head off tomorrow...I just have to get up a bit early to get it done.

Chernobyl Again

Updated below:

The American media aren't really telling the whole story here. The initial reports of iodine isotopes being dumped into the ocean were no big deal(the half life of most of them are just a week or so). Now that we know the actual fuel rods are burning we are actually getting isotopes with very much longer half lives such as Strontium-90 which is somewhere in the 1,000 year range if memory serves. This is not good news as these isotopes will be with us for a very long time and within that time infiltrate everything we eat or drink. You can't find any general agreement on the effects of ionizing radiation on the human body but everybody agrees that the less we are exposed the better. I, for one, don't like my eggs to glow in the dark or my morning coffee to be self heating. This is going from bad to worse on a daily basis and it appears the tectonic activity smacking our friends the Japanese around aren't letting up much. I really don't see much upside here.

Sorry for the gallows humor...I couldn't help myself.

Mr. Bates has brought to my attention that the half life of SR90 is only 28 years or so. I must have been thinking of another isotope like Plutonium or Cesium or whatever. There are many that have half lives of thousands of years. Still, whatever radioisotopes are spewing from the Japanese reactors are not just old short lived iodine.

Thwarted!

Just as I got home tonight the skies opened up and the rain came down in buckets. My plans for a day in the garden are dashed since it will be too wet to do anything. I can get some seed started in the greenhouse but no work in the garden for me. We are even under a tornado watch....go to bed, crack the window and sleep to the sound of falling rain as a consolation.

Bad Start To The Season

Besides the fact that this "part time" job is working me 40 plus hours a week and putting a serious dent in my gardening time the wildlife has it in for me as well. Out of the 80 or so tomato plants I stuck in the ground on Monday the deer have eaten the tops out of about 10%. What's more they didn't bother the Better Boy or Rutgers plants which can be replaced easily(though expensively) at the local garden store but the Italian Heirloom I grew from saved seed which must be regrown with the resulting loss of a month. They went right down the row of heirloom plants and neatly nipped off the tops which effectively is the same as killing the plant outright. On my day off tomorrow I will have to replant and start over. I have to work the afternoon and close today which mean I won't get home until about 11p.
Due to the lack of gardening time some of my tomato plants got a little too leggy in the greenhouse so I am trying an experiment. I have cut the tops off all the plants that were too tall and planted the cut off tops in trays. I am hoping they will quickly root and I can get them into the garden...it's an old trick my grandfather used to use when he would "sucker' his tomatoes(breaking off the extra branches that form on indeterminate varieties (like Rutgers, Cherokee purple, etc.) and just stick the "sucker" in the dirt and grow a whole new tomato plant. We'll see.
Tomorrow will be a busy day as I hope to get a huge amount done in the garden. Several varieties of beans, some of the peppers, the rest of the tomatoes. I also need to get the seeds for cukes and different squash started in trays tomorrow and I still need to get carrots, beets, more leeks and stuff moved to the garden. I also have okra plants to get moved but they can wait a week or so since they only really get going when it gets good and hot and they will wait patiently in the trays for awhile...besides okra was the first thing the deer attacked last year so no sense rushing it.
It's almost time to get dressed for work and I still have a few gardening chores to do like mist the tomato cuttings and such. Later folks.

The Dark Side Or The Light Side

Am I the only one torn between hoping that the GOP forces the government to shutdown so that we can see what price they pay politically or hoping that a shutdown is avoided thereby preventing the economic turmoil  and the even more disastrous screwing of the majority of Americans?

I sure would like to see the GOP pay for their stupidity...it just irks me they are continuing to be such asses with no consequence. The change in the political wind in Wisconsin was refreshing, no?

Just Take It All

The absurdity of Mr. Ryan's "Prosperity Gambit" makes it unworthy of comment. If anyone with half a mind just reads it they will understand that it is just a way for the wealthy to get the rest of what should belong to us of the great unwashed lower class. Lower the taxes of the wealthiest and let the poor just suck it up. It's nothing but political and economic sadism.

My question for all those 55 and under is, how do you want your tax refund? I'm apparently safe(for now) at 62 but all you folks 55 and under have been paying taxes into Medicare for a long time....many of you tens of thousands of dollars. If the Rethugs succeed in screwing you out of Medicare don't you think you should be refunded all the money you have paid in as a separate tax out of your paychecks? Would you like a lump sum, a credit on your income taxes for a few years or maybe an annuity that will pay you a few grand a year for some years? Something to think about.

Almost Frost

The Goddess had some fun with me yesterday. The forecast was for a potential frost last night(figures the day after I put out tomatoes) and I rushed home from work and spent several hours covering each of the 80 or so tomato plants in a nice teepee of wheat straw in hopes of preventing any damage. It got close but we missed a frost by a few degrees and it appears that, other than a little wind damage, the plants made it through the night. I've got the morning off as I get to close tonight but it is grocery day so the morning will be consumed with shopping. I also have to drive out to Tractor Supply for birdseed. So it is Tractor Supply, Kroger, and Trader Joe's this morning and then rush home to uncover tomatoes and then off to work at 130p.

Other than dodging the frost last night there is some more great news... my ovens finally got fixed yesterday. I've been without them for over a month and so no fresh bread or anything else baked. Now I just have to find the time to bake some bread. BTW the experience with A&E Factory Service was less than brilliant. The first tech just looked at the oven and ordered the wrong part after nearly two weeks of waiting for him. Another week waiting for the part to arrive and then another week week waiting for the proper part and another week to get it installed. Granted my Bosch ovens are common but jeebus what a trial. I'll definitely look for another repair service next time rather than using the one recommended by Bosch.

Dodged The Bullet

We got quite a bit of rain last night but I think we missed the worst of the storms. Still too dark for me to check on all the tomatoes put in the ground yesterday but they all had little bamboo stakes so they should be ok. My schedule was changed and I was called in early this AM so I am off to sell stuff.
The tomato plants had gotten so tall in the greenhouse that I was forced to used a post hole digger to dig the holes for them. They are all nice and deep and that should actually help drought resistance once they form roots along the long buried stems. Still have a few more to plant but the majority are in the ground...now we just keep the fingers crossed and hope it doesn't frost again this spring.

Rampant Vegan Sex

The post title is not quite accurate but I thought it would be interesting to see what kind of weird traffic it might generate. It is that time in Atlanta again when virtually everything is blooming and the pollen is drifting in clouds with everything coasted in fine yellow dust. It is a riot of plant reproduction outside. This is the prettiest time in Altanta with all the dogwoods, azaleas and such in full color.
It was a gorgeous weekend but I had to work but I have today off and it is going to be full time in the garden. My tomatoes are way too"leggy" and they need to go into the garden today...some of them are over a foot and a half tall and I am going to have to plant them sideways in a very deep hole. I think the garden is dry enough to finish tilling a space for them so that is the primary goal for today...at least get most of them in. The second batch of tomatoes I planted in early March are still ok but the February ones have gone wild. Yes, it is still too cool for them to put on much growth but I will lose them all if I don't do something. Rain is expected tonight and tomorrow and I have to work Tue., Wed. and Thurs. so today has to be it. If I am lucky I will also get time to get the second crop of peas sown...we'll see. I managed to get the lawn mowed after work last night so that is out of the way and it was looking pretty shabby. I didn't reseed last fall so there is really not much actual grass out there just clover and nutshedge, dandelions and the like...it is green however.
Well, the sun is up and I am off to the garden. Big breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast so I am fueled for the morning at least.

Fried Rice

Long day today and not much energy to cook and the over is STILL on the frits....maybe next week. It was left overs tonight...All I had leftover was a couple of cups of rice so I went to my go to meal of fried rice. A little pancetta(homemade) onions, celery and carrots and you have dinner. I love fried rice and it is what I call my default meal. I always try and have some leftover rice in the fridge and with a few vegetables and maybe something like chicken or a pork chop leftover you can have a good meal. I always scramble an egg into it at the last. Nice, quick and simple and not to mention hot.

Do you have  a 'go to' recipe/meal that you can whip up in  few minutes? I have several but fried rice is going to be right at the top of the list.

No Time

I had two days off. Yesterday was rain and I had to do the taxes. Today was nice but chilly and I managed to get a little gardening done but not nearly enough since everything is so wet from the days and days of rain. The garden is going to be late this year. Damn tomato plants have gone crazy in the greenhouse and have shot up to a foot and a half over these cloudy days...going to have to dig a two foot hole to plant them in. Didn't get the second planting of peas in but I did get the leeks in the ground. I have two days off next week and the weather is looking positive...lets hope I have enough spit to get all the work done.

At least I am getting a tax refund....since I was unemployed most of last year I paid estimated taxes since I expected to have to take some distributions from my  IRA. Thank goodness the little bit I had in a Roth got me by and I overpaid. I owe the state a bit but the Feds owe me a couple of grand and that's a good thing.

It's going to be insane at work tomorrow....it's the "Black Friday" weekend and there are some really good deals to be had. Lots of stuff half price especially in the garden center. I'm going to work my butt off tomorrow.