A ‘Vote of No Confidence’

 

     I know, I’m silent for months and then I start putting out multiple posts in a week.  It’s all part of the fits and starts with me.  Sometimes I can’t put things together for months and then it’s a big blaze of posts all at once.  Just bear with me on this one, as I try to work through my thoughts.

     I have some difficulty with recent events regarding the ‘outing’ if you will of Mozilla’s CEO (he gave $1,000 in 2008 to a group which did not want California to have same-sex marriage) and the subsequent reaction by both sides before and after his resignation.  It’s not whether or not I agree with his opinion (he is more than welcome to it), or his choice to resign (if you’re becoming the focus instead of the company, than maybe you need to remove yourself from the situation).  I have an issue with this concept of ‘boycotting’ a product or company seemingly for almost no reason.

     Here is what gets to me. Calling for a boycott of Mozilla products (or Chik-fil-A as another example) for whatever reason says to me that you don’t believe simply telling your friends, family, neighbors, and acquaintances that you will no longer use said product is not enough to achieve your desired result. Or, more specifically, you don’t believe your position is in the majority (aren’t we supposed to be under the rule of the majority?) and so you intend to force your position through coercion rather than reason.

     Allow me to give an example of what I mean:  I do not like Rite Aid.  I have used them in the past, and their customer service has left much to be desired.  As a result, I do not get my prescriptions from them and avoid shopping there for anything.  I also let people know (when an appropriate situation comes up) that I will not shop there and why.  Is that a boycott?  No.  In my mind, it is a choice.  I have ‘voted’ if you will with my feet and my wallet.  Now, if enough people follow my lead (or maybe I’m following someone else’s lead, who knows?) then their bottom line will suffer to the point they will either change (feedback is important) or go out of business.

     To summarize, I believe screaming ‘boycott!!!’ because a business does,or doesn’t do something you think is right is ‘quitting the field’ of persuasion because you either can’t be bothered to try and persuade others, or you’re just being selfish and throwing a tantrum to get what you want.  Either way, to the adults of the world you end up looking and sounding childish.

So this is what it takes to get me back to blogging

 

     Yeah, I know, it’s been a really long time.  I went and looked at my blog and realized it’s been almost six months (October 2013 was the last post) since I last posted.  It’s not that there weren’t things to post about.  Christmas, New Years, current events, I would see something and start thinking ‘I should post about this’. Then life would take over and it would be two weeks later and the momentum for posting was gone.  But now, I’ve latched on to something and I’m not going to let go.  So, damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead, and off I go...

     Political minded individuals are aware the Supreme Court decided today that there should not be any limits to how much an individual (or corporation – I believe they can be considered the same thing for the purposes of money and campaigns) can donate to campaigns.  The bottom line is:  for those individuals and entities who are so inclined, they can contribute the maximum individual amount (there is still a limit to how much can be given to an individual campaign) to as many campaigns as they like.  So, now your favorite bogeyman (George Soros or the Koch brothers are the best known for both sides of the political spectrum), can spend as much money as they like on as many races as possible to get the government they want into power.  Does it scare you?  Maybe it should.

     There are some people who believe this is another of those decisions that signal the end of the republic (or at least the end of the world as we know it – yes I like that using that phrase just to give people the earworm), others believe this is freedom.  I tend to look at it this way:  Those who have the money can spend it on the candidates they want, as many as they want.  I do not have a lot of disposable income that I can invest in the political process, and the only thing I have is my vote.  This decision tells me that money is more important than voting.  Remember the golden rule.  No, not the ‘do unto others’ one, that’s just crazy talk, the one I’m thinking of is ‘ he who has the gold, makes the rules.’  Money has spoken, and the vote just lost part of its voice.  How long before voting has no voice?

End of the Garden Year 2013

 

     It actually happened around the 4th of October (that’s when the frost hit the plants), but I haven’t taken the time to sit down and assess the gardening this year.  But, I figure I can take the time now, after all the plants were pulled, the ground tilled (yes, I’m in at least good enough condition to till – with lots of breaks) and I can start thinking about next year.

     As far as the plants grown from seeds, they were overall a success.  We were able to get green beans, peas, and carrots to use as fresh vegetables or to can.  We still have some pints of canned green beans and there are still some peas in the freezer.  We didn’t get quite as much as I might have hoped or wanted, but it was better than getting nothing.

     The plants did not do quite as well.  The green peppers just did not ever get going.  I think it was probably their placement, as they didn’t get quite enough sun to truly produce fruit.  The weather may have also played a factor.  The tomatoes weren’t too bad, we were able to get some for salads, but I didn’t get them caged or staked and the two plants we had fell over.  They still continued to produce fruit after falling over, but I didn’t get them off the plant before the frost hit.  Lost some, but not too many. 

     The cucumbers did OK, we got a couple that we could use in salads, but not enough to consider pickling.  The zucchini did not do very well.  We only got one or two small fruit, and there were quite a few others that spoiled on the plant.  We didn’t get any squash either.  Again, that might have been placement, as I don’t think I gave the plants enough room to spread out.

     So, how am I going to fix this for next year?  I’m certainly not planning to cut down on plants, so the only choice in the matter was to expand.  I decided to mark out where I wanted the garden for next year and ‘busted’ the sod.  I didn’t have enough time or energy to rake the area out, but I’m hoping that will make it easier come next spring.  I’ll also try and have more assistance when I actually start preparing the area.

     The bottom line for this year:  It was a definite learning experience, and there were enough good results for me not to be discouraged.  Next spring I intend to be back at it with an even bigger plot to work with.

Just a rant

 

     OK, this idiocy categorized as the government shutdown has been going on for almost two weeks now.  There doesn’t appear to be an end in sight, and when there might be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, it turns out to be a freight train attempting to run us (the country collectively) over.  Both parties in power have barely moved from their starting positions.  If someone isn’t careful, or some sense of agreement doesn’t start showing, this country is in serious danger of going down in pyrrhic glory.  I’m not in as bad of shape as some, as I was one of the ‘lucky people’ to get to go back to work, but there’s no longer any guarantee of anything at this point, so that is definitely coloring my perspective.

     I thought we elected people to represent us.  Is this situation really what we wanted the people to represent us to give us?  Now that I think about it, when you look at the perspectives being expounded by those on the left and the right on the internet and across the radio and TV, maybe it is.  People want what they want, and to hell with everyone else.  Apparently we are no longer a ‘society’ but rather a group of individuals who happen to inhabit the same geographical area.

     I thought the Constitution was designed at least in part to protect its people.  Allowing things to continue like this is not protecting people.  The shutdown and the resulting furloughs, park closures, etc., seem to be designed to cause maximum harm.  And the government we have in place (and I am including all branches of the government in this)appears to be incapable of protecting us anymore.  What does that say about this country and the people we have running it?

     For those who are of the opinion that ‘the government shutdown/impending debt ceiling fight is a good thing’, take a look around when you are out and about.  The people you see are being affected by this, whether directly or indirectly.  I ask you to think about what that says about you, if you are willing to inflict suffering on other people in such a seemingly callous manner?

     You’re upset about how much the government has influence on our lives?  Fortunately or unfortunately this is how our government and society is set up today.  Want to go back to how the government ran when this country started?  That is not realistically possible.  In other words, that horse has left the barn.  Our government and society has evolved and changed due to the different incidents and philosophies that have come and gone over the years, for better or worse. 

     Yeah, Ook has really come out swinging this time.  He’s howling and banging his club.

Well, this is unfortunate

(Image Credit artofmanliness.com)

     What do I mean by unfortunate?  Well, those who know me will know that I am an employee of the U.S. Government.  That means on October 1st, because the President and the Congress could not reach an agreement to fund the government either through continuing resolution or annual budget (I know, haven’t seen one of those for a while but they are supposed to be done), then non-essential portions of the government ‘shut down’ until the situation is resolved.  I was one of those considered ‘non-essential’ and was sent home after setting up my out of office for my work email (not with the snarky comment I wanted) and ensuring there were no ‘loose ends’ to be dealt with by the military personnel who now have to do their work and the civilians.

     The bottom line of this impasse (for lack of a better term) is:  the House of Representatives (controlled by one party) is holding funding for the government hostage in order to change a previously enacted law through ‘defunding’.  The Senate and President (the other party obviously) will not let the funding pass with the defunding legislation attached.  They ‘passed’ funding bills back and forth, with the only difference being the defunding legislation.  At this point, no one is talking, the fingers are pointing, and there appears to be no end in the immediate future.  Ideological purity has taken the place of governing, and apparently every issue is a ‘hill to die on’.  Everything is a fight instead of a negotiation.  The process of lawmaking no longer fits the ‘sausage making’ metaphor.  It better fits the ‘death matches’ of the Roman Coliseum, with the fervent party supporters playing the part of Caesar, determining the fate of the combatants.  Well, if you’ll excuse me I don’t want to have the gladiators, I’d rather have the governors.

     Now, as much as that law is based on good intentions (we all know where that leads), it is really the height of arrogance to think you can hold the government or the country hostage in order to change the law.  Last time I checked, that was what the legislative and judicial branches are for.  But hey, we can just throw everything out the window I guess.  Personally, I really do not care what political party or persuasion you are. If you cannot do what is necessary in order to ensure the government functions as smoothly as possible, then you do not deserve to be in office.I know I am taking this very personally, but I think I’m allowed.

Decided to Change Things Up

 

And update the theme on my blog.  I don’t know whether or not I’m going to keep it this way or perhaps change it again or even change it back.  Maybe the lighter, happier colors will bring happier thoughts.  One can hope, anyway.

Canning

 

Growing up, I assisted my parents for many years canning green beans, wax beans, carrots, tomatoes, applesauce, and pickles.  One of my prevalent childhood memories is sitting in the dining room many evenings during the summer and early fall with the canner steaming and rattling.  The pressure canner we had used specific weights (5 pound, 10 pound, 15 pound) you would put on a steam vent to build the pressure for canning. 

I mentioned a little while ago that I was going to can the green beans I picked from our garden.  We finally processed them the other day.  This was the first time I had ever tried canning on my own.  Finding the pressure canner, jars and lids was not difficult.  The pressure canner we picked up is different from the one I remember growing up is there only one weight (15 pounds) with a pressure gauge to measure the pounds of pressure inside of the canner.  You can still pick up pint and quart jars in stores, as well as lids and canning salt (you don’t use table salt because the minerals will end up as sediment in the bottom of the jar).

For this first go round, we only did 3 1/2 pints of green beans (that was all we had).  It was really weird to do that.  I was always in the cutting and filling of pints and quarts with the different fruits and vegetables we grew.  To actually be the person putting the water in, running the canner and getting them through the process was completely different.

 

We’re hoping to get more green beans (we even picked some up from the local farmers’ market to get additional pints) and carrots (store bought again at this point since my carrots are not yet ready).  To be able to have processed green beans and carrots without so much salt will help us as we try to change our diet.