Today Georgia standard time became Alabama Daylight savings time. I leave most of our clocks at this setting year round. Here on the Eastern/Central time cusp you just ask is that fast time or slow time. So we're back on slow time here at the house. Nature doesn't have to ask about time, blooms are coming on strong.
Yes, it is time for change in many ways and on many levels. Next week we will have changed time and leaped forward an hour...except not all.
Most of Arizona hasn’t observed Daylight Saving Time since 1968. Hawaii abandoned the Uniform Time Act a year before Arizona, in 1967, simply because of its relative proximity to the equator, which makes Daylight Saving Time unnecessary. The sun rises and sets around the same time each day in Hawaii, making the idea of springing forward and falling back redundant. A handful of U.S. territories also don’t observe Daylight Saving Time for essentially the same reasons as Hawaii — ample sunshine throughout the day. These places include Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The real change we need isn't adjusting our clocks, but redesigning our entire system...the capitalist, consumer based, polluting, militaristic, manipulative and controlling system. They won't change, so we have to adapt to some sort of new normal and take care of ourselves and others.
We lost our beloved cat, Ellie, this week. She had a difficult last year with an overactive thyroid...always hungry and eating but unable to gain weight. At least death provides sweet release from suffering. We buried her next to her life long friend, our old dog Merle. We feel privileged to have shared her 15 year life. She was a joy to everyone who knew her... sweet and loving. We all ride this cycle of life from birth to death, it is up to us to make the best of the journey... and help others when we can, spreading love along our path trying to emulate our pets.
I started this piece early last week as a gardening reference, but as the week has progressed I've begun to think about the odd juxtaposition of the collapse of the Texas power grid (Houston we have a problem) with achievement of landing a rover on Mars....old and new indeed. Like much of the country we had some cold weather (teens) this week. None the less, we kept a few crops growing mostly under covers. Many folks (even locals) are amazed that we keep a garden going most of the year. This year of COVID has particularly focused our attention on the garden and homestead. It has been nice to have a productive project during these odd times. Thought I would include some photos of the old (soon to be harvested) and new (soon to be planted) crops. We'll also look at the weeks news and see what we can find of interest. Jump in below the fold and add anything on your mind in the comments.
As I thought about this Valentine theme my first notion was the US loves money...but that can't be right cause the US Fed creates currency willy-nilly, as much and as often as needed. However, follow the money and you arrive at America's true love...its corporate oligarchs. They receive trillions in created currency to purchase their own stock and protect profits for the market. Reagan created the "plunge protection team" back in the '80's to make sure the market wouldn't collapse, and now the Fed is in the business of funding them. The commoners are fodder for the profit mills in our neo-fuedal system. War was another tempting US love (7 min), but that also accelerates the oligarchs wealth, so I'm sticking with oligarchs as the primary US romantic obsession.
Who Rules America: The Rise of the Military-Industrial Complex | ENDEVR Documentary 2012
This theme occurred to me for a couple of reasons. First, I wonder about the long term social consequences of our year long (so far) pandemic experience... no hugs, no handshakes, no kiss on the check nor pat on the back...just distanced digital dialogue with NO Touching! This is not a natural human condition. And secondly, I wonder what has happened with so many C99 voices who are no longer participating. I'm concerned about several of our old members. For example, Mark from Queens disappeared about the time COVID hit NYC. Eyo has health issues and hasn't been around in a while. Hecate, NC Tim, and and so many others who used to write here no longer are around. We know OPOL, Ek, and River Lover passed on to the other side. We all can see our community shrinking. I really wonder why.
JtC suggests some of us offend one another causing departure. It puzzles me that rational folks here (who we have come to know) have such thin skins that they leave when someone's opinion differs from theirs. Perhaps it is the stress of these odd COVID times that has people oversensitive? I don't know, but it sure seems bizarre to me to bail on C99's mostly evidence based discussions when journalist like Julian are being tortured for telling the truth about US war crimes, alternate media is being throttled, and rational evidence based conversation is non-existent on MSM. We need C99 now more than ever IMO. So, how can we not only maintain, but build, our community?
Not Us...but THEM!
I think we are purposefully set up to fight against our own interests...red/blue, gay/straight, libertarian/socialist, BLM/Boogaloos and an array of other divides. As a result we fail to see the real impediment to a functioning society benefiting most people and protecting the planet is the oligarchs. This week the rigging of the market by the elites to limit the people's investment was made obvious with the Gamestop fiasco. I suspect that soon, designed distractions will insure we're pitted against other working people while the oligarchs laugh all the way to the banks they own. This became plain to me this week when Jimmy was attacked (45 min) for daring to speak to a boogaloo boy (40 min). There are many views we hold in common with this person. The idea we should not even talk with people who have different ideas is absurd. For my perspective we must learn to focus on policy issues NOT identity politics designed to keep us apart. TPTB assassinated MLK when he dared to try to unite blacks and whites in a working class coalition. Since that time, we've failed again and again to rebuild that working class movement...in part because we are divided or thwarted whenever that becomes a possibility (OWS and the 2016 Bernie campaign come to mind).
The twins' cousin would always respond to political or economic complaints with the response, "It ain't gonna get no better, Cuz". And sure enough, I don't think it will. Biden will fulfill another local saying IMO, "it's better than it was when it was so bad". Unfortunately it won't be good, just less bad (maybe). This piece lays the situation out well.
There is an intense effort in the Democratic Party-aligned media to present the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris as a fundamental turning point in American politics.
No doubt there is immense relief among millions in the US and around the world to see the fascist Trump leave Washington, two weeks after he spurred on an insurrection aimed at stopping the congressional certification of Biden’s victory.
But with the transfer of the White House from the Republicans to the Democrats, it is necessary to counter illusions about what this government will or even can do. Its actions will be determined by the interests of the ruling class under conditions of an unprecedented social, economic and global crisis. However, efforts are underway to chloroform the public about the realities of the procapitalist, imperialist politics of the Biden administration and the catastrophic economic and social conditions under which it begins.
...and the empire keeps rolling along
I personally think the impeachment is foolish. Somewhere between 30 and 40% of Americans are Trumpeteers. How will they react to the Drumpster being de-platformed and impeached? My guess is not well. Just as the US doesn't support the election of people who we don't approve (because they won't allow US corporate rule)...from Evo Morales to Maduro...we don't believe in our own citizenry to reject Trump at the polling booth. So cheer on the corporate censorship...except you might be next. Just as these same folks cheered the banning of Alex Jones...but that led to the censorship of many voices on the left...and certainly their de-moneyfication and loss of revenue. Krystal and Saagar think son of a Mitch is playing the dim(wit)s yet again. They may be right.
Some combination of intention, greed, and buffoonery is at the root of this nation's inability to deal with the current rash of pressing problems. From COVID to forever wars to ecosystem destruction to our sick care system to disputed elections and the transfer of power...almost every dimension of national interests look very much like failure. The headless empire dances not knowing it is dead. Unemployment is at record highs, small business closure topping the charts, 4000 US citizens a day dying of COVID, the Capitol invaded to thwart an election,...and the stock market reaches record highs. Pretty obvious to see where the priorities lay.
And in the End...
