The garden is in

… and not a minute too soon. I was going to put in a last row of carrots, but they’ll wait. And there’s a nice chunk of land waiting for fall crops (Chinese and Western cabbages, later beans and cukes, roots, kale, peas, lettuce).

Corn went in last night, after two final tiller passes. The Earthway seeder bogged down a bit, and twice picked up a clod of dirt that pushed the belt off. But seed was dropping and being covered. No guarantee how well distributed it is, but there never is with that thing. I also should have limed it…oh well, that can wait until we have germination.

I had the push mower out in the orchard, clearing a path around the fruit and intending to find a place for a couple of wild plums we were moving (Rusty had grown them from seedlings and had them in the front yard, where they did not do well…and she wants to convert that patch to lawn anyway.) I saw it was clouding up, and changed my priorities. Planted another several rows, then took the tiller in and got a bag to pick lamb’s quarters that Rusty wanted for a souffle and something to put strawberries in. I had the greens and was halfway through the berries when it started raining. I got in before it opened up…realized I’d left the Gadsden out and was going to retrieve it, but then it opened up. About 6/10 inch, so far…and thunderstorms predicted for the next week. So it was perfect weather for what I had wanted to accomplish, and now perfect weather to grow (assuming that we don’t get too much). If it stops, I’ll try to plant a tree or two; if not, I can be a musician this week (not much choice: 2 rehearsals, 2 services.)

“Civil rights” and total war

William Grigg, who is generally amazing, is particularly so here.

Pack of feral dogs attacks Amish

We’re plagued here by something called the Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions, which has mounted a petition drive to ban them. Now, I do not understand the fuss about “puppy mills”, as opposed to the “chick mill” at Mt. Healthy Hatchery, the “calf mill” at any dairy farm, or the “pussy mill” at…well, maybe I’d best end there. There is apparently a market for dogs, above, beyond and more specialized than shelters can meet. Not everyone wants the product of your Great Dane nailing the neighbor’s Chihuahua. Yes, some breeders are more humane than others, but if that were BODA’s issue, they could certify breeders, or get into the business themselves. Apparently, it’s not a big market, as there is only one dog auction east of the Mississippi, and that’s in Holmes County, Ohio.

Well, BODA has been trying to organize that community, without much luck. Holmes is Amish Central in Ohio, and the Amish don’t much like outsiders (mostly out-of-staters, at that) telling them how to live. They tried to have a meeting at the library, which was brought to an early end after the Ohio Animal Owner’s Association showed up to pass out flyers, leading BODA to call the cops. They’ve tried having meetings at “private businesses” (including the Berlin Hickory Smokehouse and Comfort Suites), who declined to rent rooms to them, apparently fearing community blowback. Now they’re organizing their members against the businesses and the local Chamber of Commerce, threatening a boycott.

Good luck with that. Folks go to Holmes to see the Amish. And the only reason the Amish are worth seeing is that for several centuries they’ve been telling the world to FOAD (or, as they’d probably say, “Find Out About Divinity”). The salt isn’t about to lose its savor, nor should it.

Catholic Libertarians

On “Kresta in the Afternoon” on Wednesday, Al and a guest (whose name I didn’t catch, except that she was on the LP platform committee in the 80s, and which is not up on Kresta’s blog) batted around the proposition of whether a Catholic could be a libertarian, without coming to any firm conclusion. I would think the question would be, “How can a Catholic NOT be a libertarian?”, but then, given my unique past, I would say that, and nobody is going to confuse my pronouncements on doctrine with those of Papa Ratzi. Interestingly, none of the Lew Rockwell crew were brought up, considering that (among other names) Jeffrey Tucker is a major force in the revival of Catholic liturgy.

That air time was used at all stemmed from an imprecision of definitions. I don’t think there is any doubt that Catholicism and Objectivism are incompatible, and no Objectivist would argue otherwise. I’ve been in the process of unpacking that baggage, pulling out the clean clothes from what stinks, and I find it amusing to note how much of the Commie Weltanschauung persisted in Rand’s thought: primarily a belief in the perfectibility of Man,  a tendency toward authoritarianism, and a separation of sex from reproduction, leading to a lack of children. Much of the Kresta discussion centered around radical individualism, which is part of the baggage inherited from Rand, but not inherently part of libertarianism.  If we believe that “order happens”, then as the State withers, the family, church and other voluntary organizations will grow. Likewise, an attack on the integrity of church and family strengthens the state (more single moms=more state aid=more votes in keep and increase aid). This all fits nicely into the principle of subsidiarity, and is not radical from either the Catholic or Libertarian viewpoint.

What’s not to like?

After 100 years, Mark Twain’s autobiography is coming out. And people ask why he put it on hold.

Michael Shelden, who this year published Man in White, an account of Twain’s final years, says that some of his privately held views could have hurt his public image.

“He had doubts about God, and in the autobiography, he questions the imperial mission of the US in Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. He’s also critical of [Theodore] Roosevelt, and takes the view that patriotism was the last refuge of the scoundrel. Twain also disliked sending Christian missionaries to Africa. He said they had enough business to be getting on with at home: with lynching going on in the South, he thought they should try to convert the heathens down there.”

Revolution? Depends!

Whoever writes at mainepolitics.net is pissing his briefs over the Maine Republican Party’s new platform, which is now “a mix of right-wing fringe policies, libertarian buzzwords and outright conspiracy theories…. The extremism this document represents is unique and unsettling.” I think it’s fine and dandy, myself. Sure, there are some things I’d tweak, and yes, it’s definitely a Republican platform as opposed to a libertarian one. But it’s more than I’d ever expect from the GOP anywhere, let alone Maine.

Buck stops at Bing

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing said Thursday the city has no answer to the recent spike in violence that has left at least 12 people dead, including a patrolman, two teenage boys, a grandmother, the adult son of another police officer, and a 7-year-old girl

I’d like to commend Bing on his candor. If people want to kill each other, all the police can do is mop up afterwards and assess a cost for the deed.

But there’s a problem here, and it’s indicated by the boldface above. That was a “spike in violence” that the police were directly responsible for. And if Bing has no answer to that, he should read Radley Balko, who does.

I can’t draw

…so I blew off Draw Mohammed Day. To make up for that, I’ll send you here. Warning: blasphemous, tasteless and crudely sexual images.

Linux time at home, anti-virus for your car?

IBM, the company that enabled the Holocaust, has just filed patents giving it (or licensees such as the State) constructive ownership of your car. Meanwhile, researchers on the Left Coast have hacked a sedan.

Wir sind gefickt.

Washington cheesesuckers demand bigger, fancier free rubbers

OK, I know that 3% of DC has HIV (regrettably, the wrong 3%). I know the little bastards (predominantly literally) are going to do it anyway, and that they won’t pony up for condoms when there is crack to be bought. I know the public health arguments for this program. I don’t care. The government should not be subsidizing promiscuity. I have a major problem with the demand of the Church that secular authorities enforce “morality” (that generally being sexual, as opposed to “thou shalt not steal”, which some bishops think is a perfectly valid means of applying “charity”.). But I think we can agree that government shouldn’t be in the business of spending Other People’s Money to promote IMmorality, yes?

Worse, they’ve bought the marketing, and they have to have Trojans. And big ones too. So they’re getting them.

The number of free condoms that the District dispenses has been steadily increasing. The health department distributed 3.2 million last year, including about 15,000 in schools. The city, which has 600,000 residents, is on pace to hand out more than 4 million condoms this year, having distributed about 2.5 million so far. The program cost about $165,000 last year. The Durex condoms cost the city 5.7 cents each, but the Trojans will cost 6 cents to 9 cents each (depending on size).

It’s not like they’re distributing Brand X White Label from the far reaches of China. They’ve passed the tests. Back when I was using them, I was certainly sensitive to price. People who can’t afford condoms can’t afford the consequences when they leak, which is possible with any condom.

When the guy who handles AoSHQ’s queer beat gets his mind boggled, you know it’s mindboggling.