Theology Of The Purloined Election

Who won the 2020 presidential election?

Joe Biden did; fair and square.

Court after court after court agreed; including courts presided-over by judges appointed by Donald Trump.

Republican secretaries of state agreed on the matter.

Donald Trump's own attorney general agreed.

Recounts confirmed it.

Audits further confirmed it.

Lawsuits were settled over it. 

Time and again the stolen election hoax has been tested and rejected whenever it finds its way into a courtroom, a sworn affidavit, testimony or deposition is undertaken to present evidence.

Nevertheless, it remains an article of faith in MAGA World and no heresy on the subject matter is permitted because Donald Trump demands it be so.  Absolute fealty and obeisance to the Dear Leader is enforced.  

Even those Republicans who cannot bring themselves to say that the long-dead Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez was somehow involved in hacking the vote tabulators in 2020 are loathe to distance themselves from the Big Lie.  They'll shuffle their feet, nervously change the subject and suggest that voting by mail during COVID was somehow unfair.

As a general rule I don't pontificate (pardon the pun) about religion on social media.  Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs; and if you follow one of the three Abrahamic religions or something else that is your business.  Not mine.  But I'm acquainted with a handful of individuals who gushingly worship the president.  Some days I think that ordinarily level-headed and rational adults have somehow become spellbound by magical wishful thinking.  It's kinda creepy.

The stolen election has now been elevated to a modern day political New Testament.  It is the closest thing American politics has conjured-up in my lifetime to idolatry.  Yup; and there's a Commandment that addresses this business of idol worship.

The public profession of faith in a thing known to be false because devotion to the Leader requires it.  Yuck.

Velvet Antlers

From the trail cameras we have  buckaroos....

 

Naturalizing

Several years ago we decided to gradually reduce the amount of turf grass in the yard and seed it into native plants as pollinator habitat. 

It takes several years for these plants to establish themselves; nevertheless the ‘upland’ location (where the ancient farmhouse foundation is buried) is putting-on its own fireworks display. A seasonally “squishy" section at the north edge of the yard that is doing really well too. I figure as summer progresses more species are going to continue to pop.

Last fall, I retired my big garden adjacent to the machine shed and it was seeded into natives. At the present it is looking quite raggedy and rough and is due to receive some spot treatment of weeds.

There remains a section along the side of the road that was sprayed Tuesday.  After it is thoroughly dead it will be tilled under and seeded this fall. If you don’t like seeing wildflowers along the side of the road you’re likely one of those Godless Communists I’m hearing so much about from certain of my acquaintances.

Bottom line; less turf = less maintenance. More flowers = more pollinators = happier birds.

In case you’re wondering about the dump trailer in the driveway you’ll have to wait.

Bee balm (wild bergamot)

Black-eyed Susans

False sunflower (Oxeye)

Feverfew (wild quinine)

 

Motherwort

Update From The Oriole Ranch

This past week the Orioles really began hammering the feeders.  In four days I've gone thru two 30 oz. Jars of grape jelly and a navel orange.  As of last Monday we had not spotted any fledglings.

That changed on Tuesday with the appearance of the Graduating Class of 2026 having fledged the nest to come to the feeders. 

They still haven’t completely figured-out how to feed themselves so it is hilarious to observe the youngsters alight and then chatter and whine for an adult to feed them.

They’ll get the hang of it before too long.

Here are some photos from Thursday courtesy of the Oriole Cam on the porch…..

 

Friday Morning Technology

I've touched on the nostalgia of 80s computing technology and pricing before. 

Here's a nostalgic compilation of television advertisements featuring home computing pioneers such as Apple, Atari, Commodore, Tandy and Texas Instruments.  Early marketing strategies featured family educational applications, gaming, the transition from typewriters to word processors and the quantum leap to 24K of memory.  

Burgess Meredith does voice-over for Commodore, Ed Grover was the voice of Apple in the 80s and even Bill Cosby pitches  for Texas Instruments.

Oh to be able to travel back in time to share the capabilities of the latest and greatest iPhone. 

Weed Alert!

I found this growing in our newer backyard pollinator habitat.

Birdsfoot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), a perennial legume with small, yellow, pea-like flowers.  It is known for a sprawling growth habit and is commonly found along roadsides, in meadows, and in waste areas.

It is used as a forage crop due to its winter hardiness and ability to tolerate poor soil conditions; nevertheless, as a native to Eurasia and not North America it is a weed or invasive species.  

I'll nuke with some RoundUp first opportunity.

 

Garden To Table

I collected seven harvests of spinach from one of my raised garden beds already.  We love fresh spinach.  Yesterday I resowed one of the two rows.  My second sowing of radishes is poised for picking and last evening we had fresh garden lettuce on grilled burgers.  Everything else is coming along nicely.

 

Anyway, I made a loaded quiche recently with onion, bacon, Gruyère and garden spinach along with a rich egg and cream custard. 

 

Pretty good chow. 

 

The secret is the crust. It is made with lard….