Welcome to Saturday's Potluck

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 08/07/2021 - 5:00am

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
Pablo Picasso

Welcome to the weekend.

The nest shared in last weeks column has been occupied by a California Quail. Not a perfect situation. She has to put up with me watering the plants a few feet away. The entry to the front door is off limits for a while and been blocked by a temporary fence to prevent a cat or human visitor from wandering too close.

soe hen.jpg

Her and I will simply need to cooperate for a while longer and show some tolerance for each other to create the possibility of a successful hatching. Then she has a new set of challenges.

________

Steady persistence, sometimes by multiple generations is required to make progress on important goals. July 29, 2021, Nez Perce tribe held a Blessing Ceremony for the 148 acres purchased in December called the Place of Boulders.

On Thursday, more than 150 Nez Perce (Niimiipuu) people returned and blessed part of their homeland, a hundred years after the U.S Army drove them from the Wallowa Valley in Eastern Oregon.

In direct violation of the 1855 Treaty of Walla Walla, the Nez Perce in 1877 were forced from their 7.5 million-acre homeland to a 750,000-acre reservation in Idaho.

For years, the tribe has worked to keep a connection to the ancestral land they were driven from. Last year, they successfully reclaimed part of that land.
...
The coronavirus pandemic only delayed the inevitable, said Nez Perce treasurer Casey Mitchell, also a descendant of Chief Joseph.

“The time is now for us getting our land back,” he said. “It means a lot, not only to us here at the council table but to our people as well. Our people have been waiting a long time to go back to the land.”

While the Nez Perce people have continued to fish and gather in the Wallowa Valley and near the property — a practice that the Nez Perce also fought to protect and preserve following years of struggles in asserting fishing rights guaranteed to them in U.S. treaties — the purchase represents the opportunity to officially call the land their own again, Mitchell said.

________

What is on your mind today?

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Submitted by QMS on Sat, 08/07/2021 - 7:37am

Good the Nez Perce reclaimed some ancestral lands

Kinda screwy they had to buy back what was rightfully theirs to begin with.
Treaties with the US govt. don't seem to mean much over time.
No wonder people disrespect 'the law'.

Thanks for posting SOE! Good luck with Ms. Quail.

—

question everything

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 08/07/2021 - 2:22pm

The expanding awareness of our governments

@QMS pattern of breaking treaties will increasingly hamper negotiations with other countries.

A week ago Imam Khamenei of Iran spoke of how US hinders the JCPOA (The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or commonly known as Iran Nuclear Deal).

n the recent negotiations, our diplomats really worked hard. Some of our diplomats really performed well, but the Americans stuck to their hostile position in an obstinate matter and they did not take a step forward. On paper and in words, they say that they will remove the sanctions, but they have not removed and are not going to remove them. The Americans have laid down a condition: they say that if we wish sanctions to be removed, we should include a clause in the agreement which signifies that we are willing to negotiate over certain matters in the future. They say that if we do not accept this clause, we will not have an agreement in the present time.

They violated the agreement once without paying any price and in the present time too, when they are told to promise and to guarantee that they will not violate it at another time, they respond that they cannot give such a guarantee. They are saying this explicitly to our friends and to our diplomats. They say that they will not give any guarantee about possible violations. They are like this.

Domestically so many laws are on the books the Powers in Control at the Moment (PCM) can basically prosecute anyone. Too many for an individual to keep track of them all.

—

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by dystopian on Sat, 08/07/2021 - 9:21am

quail babies

Hi S.O.E., and all. Hope all are well! The good news I guess would be that when quail hatch their young, they leave the nest almost immediately. Most smaller birds as in songbirds are about a month egg to fledging. Roughly two weeks incubation, two weeks to flight capability and fledging. Quail and grouse leave as soon as the last one hatches. They are off and running day one. Keep the bird dogs away from the quail...

P.S. love yer Picasso quote!

—

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 08/07/2021 - 2:36pm

Thanks for the info on time frames

@dystopian The variety of wildlife showing up is increasing. The reason is probably twofold, my increasing efforts for plant diversity and the drought has decreased forage nearby. The quail have stayed in the native habitat the couple of decades I have lived on this place.

—

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by mimi on Sat, 08/07/2021 - 9:42am

On my mind today: how to get justice in a world full of

rich criminals in power.

As always I have the wrong thoughts on my mind.

Have all a good weekend. I hope you stay healthy, sheltered, dry and cool and with some love around you.

Stand on your hind legs a bit more often. (Google translation for advising someone 'sich auf die Hinterbeine zu stellen'. Should mean as an advice to resist (the criminals in powere) a bit more often. Good luck with that.

—

https://www.euronews.com/live

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 08/07/2021 - 2:55pm

Sometimes legal justice is out of reach,

@mimi but we can annoy the rich criminals in power by enjoying life and not living in fear or anger.

—

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by Lookout on Sat, 08/07/2021 - 9:53am

Good morning...

We had a wren hatch and raise four fledges in a begonia on our front porch early this summer. She flew in the house once when scared as we used the front door (and it took a while to coax her out). We moved to the side door for a few weeks. Now we have wrens everywhere.

In fact we've had quite the bird show of late. The ivory billed cuckoo has become a regular with its long tail and the gold finch are back working the wild sunflowers.

The garden is bountiful and the tomatoes are a challenge to keep up with their harvest and use. Lots of tomato salad and soup/stew additions. Planning on pizza this week too with fresh tomato, basil and so on.

Trade day was very sparse this AM. It is the weekend of the world's longest yard sale, and it seems everyone has set up along the roadways. http://www.127yardsale.com/

You know, buy someone else's junk and make it your own.

I'm not participating cause of the Delta variant. I don't want to be a spreader...
https://news.yahoo.com/vaccinated-people-infected-delta-variant-20520040...

Been catch up on the mowing, always a challenge this time of year. I leave large swaths unmown to promote the fall wildflower show which should start in a month or so.

Hope you and your homestead are thriving despite your ongoing drought. We're moving into our dry season from now till November generally speaking.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

—

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 08/07/2021 - 3:43pm

Your concern for possibly passing infections to others is

@Lookout seems to be where we should all be at this moment. It will not take much to overwhelm our medical system again. I have started to receive mail advertisements for pharmacist openings around the state from more than one company. A clue a healthcare worker shortage may be on the horizon. Have not investigated further into possible reasons such as burnout, Covid infections or new vaccine requirements for employment.

The 127yardsale is a fascinating concept. (FAQ page)

The 127 Yard Sale began in 1987. Mike Walker, former Fentress County Executive in Jamestown, TN, planned the event to encourage travelers to bypass interstate highways such as I-40 and I-75 in favor of scenic routes that would take them through rural communities and allow them to experience what the small towns and cities had to offer.

Where are the yard sales?

Everywhere along the 127 Yard Sale route! In the front yards of people's homes, fields, pastures, on side streets along the route, in empty lots, at businesses, community parks, and town centers. Some areas will have large groups of vendors together which we call "Major Vendor Stops", while others will be set up separately. As you meander your way from one yard sale to the next, Highway 127 will take you through rural areas with beautiful scenery, so enjoy the ride.

For the moment my water situation is good. The land is tied to older water rights.

—

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Sat, 08/07/2021 - 9:56am

Good morning soe. Good for the Nez Pierce.

I have alsway been amazed at the willingness of other nations to enter into treaties with the US. Any perusal of the history of the US' interactions with the Indians makes it blindingly obvious that this country does not respect and honor treaties if it is remotely to its benefit to breach them. It is said that we have broken every treaty we ever made with the indians. I can't swear that to be true, but we sure have broken a great many in big ways and even more in the details.

Having a yard full of quails could be a really fun thing, providing there is enough shrubbery and foliage for them to do their thing in. One of the really fun memories from all of our CA camping trips is all the times that we've been in quail habitat and hence able to observe their antics. Here's to maximum nesting success.

GOOD NEWS! Psychopaths make up only 4.5% of the population. ( Psychopaths make up 4.5% of the adult population, according to a new meta-analysis -- https://boingboing.net/2021/08/05/psychopaths-make-up-4-5-of-the-adult-p... ) The Full study looks to be worth a read or at least a skim, and I'm saving it for just that - here, for example, is one interesting question:

Despite all the data that support the validity and usefulness of the psychopathy construct, a source of controversy concerning it has to do with the possibility of considering it as a categorical or a dimensional construct. A categorical classification allows a clear differentiation between people who have psychopathy and people who don't, because there would be qualitative differences between them. In contrast, if it is considered as a dimensional construct and therefore, a maladaptive variant of the normal personality, there would only be quantitative differences between such persons.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.661044/full

be well and have a good one

—

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by QMS on Sat, 08/07/2021 - 10:32am

And only 4% of the population are sociopaths.

@enhydra lutris

Couldn't get the percentage of people in politics, but my guess would be about 8.5%.
.

Yes, politicians are more likely than people in the general population to be sociopaths. I think you would find no expert in the field of sociopathy/psychopathy/antisocial personality disorder who would dispute this… That a small minority of human beings literally have no conscience was and is a bitter pill for our society to swallow — but it does explain a great many things, shamelessly deceitful political behavior being one.

https://attackonliberty.com/government/percentage-of-sociopath-politicians/

Be crazy and have a good one.

—

question everything

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 08/07/2021 - 4:13pm

Interesting the number of psychopaths in prison population

@enhydra lutris is a higher percentage than the general population. Since United States has a high incarceration rate compared to the rest of the world, do we have more psychopaths? If so are we creating them by pollution, high medication use, social culture or immigration policies?

1) The prevalence of psychopathy in the general adult population can be estimated at 4.5%.

2) This prevalence is much lower than that found in the offender or prison population, which usually ranges between 10 and 35% (Nicholls et al., 2005; Guay et al., 2018; Fox and DeLisi, 2019).

A subject worth studying for answers.

—

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by QMS on Sat, 08/07/2021 - 5:30pm

perhaps the prevalence of testing on the inmate population

@studentofearth

skews the average from the general population (being less tested)?
Psyche issues are generally not screened in basic health care settings.

Psychotic reactions also go along with stressful conditions such as
poverty, abuse and a whole array of electronic noise (media saturation).
What is pathetic about psyche issues is the lack of acceptance and
care options within our system. Go see a shrink, it goes into your medical
records, somehow accessible to potential employers and law enforcement.

Oh well.

—

question everything

Submitted by on the cusp on Sat, 08/07/2021 - 7:51pm

Texas runs new inmates through a 30 day "diagnostic".

@QMS I know Michigan has a similar program.
The inmates are tested for various mental health conditions, and trained how to cope with the prison system.
Oh, and invariably, they are psychologically goofed up.

—

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Submitted by QMS on Sat, 08/07/2021 - 8:11pm

Michigan doesn't surprise me

@on the cusp

was a psychological inmate of that state for many years.
Ypsilanti was a study in insanity during undergrad.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1401403.The_Three_Christs_of_Ypsilanti

spent enough time in Texas to know crazy rides in the back window
of the pick-ups just under the rifles

—

question everything

Submitted by on the cusp on Sat, 08/07/2021 - 10:27pm

That's how Texas

@QMS rolls.

—

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Submitted by studentofearth on Sun, 08/08/2021 - 1:11am

The paper referenced was a meta-analysis of multiple studies

@QMS around the world using similar tests to identity psychopaths. The comparisons were done in percentages and should account for various sizes of study populations.

To study the influence of the country of origin on the prevalence of psychopathy, the samples were grouped into three categories: North America (USA and Canada: 43.75%), the United Kingdom-Australia (31.25%), and mainland Europe (Sweden, Belgium, and Portugal: 25%).

It prompted the question considering our high incarceration rate at the time of the studies did the combined total of individuals in prison and the general population result in a higher percentage of psychopaths than other cultures?

The separation of physical and mental conditions in our medical traditions is unfortunate. They are interrelated, physical conditions can initiate mental changes and the reverse is true. Yet, they are often treated separately. Physical conditions are considered curable and mental conditions are controlled. A history of mental diagnosis does not go away. Significant effort has been made to remove the stigma, yet it remains effecting lives.

—

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by Granma on Sat, 08/07/2021 - 11:08am

Do let us know

How the quail hatching goes. Thanks for sharing about it.
(Have to admit that I cannot see the nest when i examine the picture. Guess I don't know what to notice.)

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 08/07/2021 - 12:31pm

She is not easy to spot. Why I hit her with water two

@Granma days in a row. First time thought - Oh a young robin who can't fly very well. Second day - again maybe after worms, but the flight strikes a memory cord. Third day - leaned over fence to look for strawberries and she exploded into flight in front of my face. Yep - classic quail flight pattern. Why here? - Oh look eggs and a nest. Very hard to see when settled in her nest.

Right side of picture is a metal fence post. Follow the bottom of the fence across the picture just past the strawberry leaves. Her topnot feather and eye become noticeable. Neck is pulled down and beak is pointing to the left side of the picture. The gray patch under the leaves is her body.

—

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by Granma on Sat, 08/07/2021 - 1:58pm

Thank you! See her now.

@studentofearth She does blend in. I wonder why she picked that place. She must have seen you working nearby. Maybe it's cooler there among the leaves and where you water and that appealed to her. Maybe she planned to eat some of those strawberries.

Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 08/07/2021 - 4:20pm

My guess

@Granma the spot is a little dryer than most of the sheltered locations. The
tight fence and shade clothe around her prevents foot traffic from me and potential predators from traveling through the area.

—

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by on the cusp on Sat, 08/07/2021 - 10:41pm

A mockingbird has a nest in a tree

at my office. I can't see it, but have noticed a bird attacking my cat, and flying fairly close to my head.
Unfortunately, the attacking bird is territorial of the path from my parking spaces to my office's rear entry, which also includes the handicap ramp for my clients.
Hope the attacks do not last much longer!
Very cool about the quail.

—

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Submitted by studentofearth on Sun, 08/08/2021 - 1:15am

Hopefully the situation resolves itself soon.

@on the cusp Birds can be pretty tenacious.

—

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Submitted by on the cusp on Sun, 08/08/2021 - 10:47am

One actually struck me in the back

@studentofearth a couple of years ago. This, too, shall pass, and I can always use the front entrance to the building.
I had a rental for almost a year, right beside my office, while construction was being done. A mockingbird built her nest right at the entrance of that building, as well. A fledgling fell to the ground, and we rescued it before the cat pounced, and moved it to a safe, cat free property.
It's always something!

—

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981