Fruit Flies

 Every year at some time I have to make a fruit fly trap.

A wide mouth jar, cider vinegar, and a cone of paper.

I made this one and within an hour I had fruit flies trapped.

A simple solution!

Jennifer Rubin Says it Well

from the Washington Post, September 13, 2024

by Jennifer Rubin

Two revealing surveys of religious groups in the United States 

What caught my eye The last survey from the Public Religion Research Institute tells us there is a large group of authoritarian-inclined Americans who are overrepresented among Republicans and White evangelical Christians. Republicans are about 2½ times more likely than Democrats to agree with measures of political violence: that “patriots may have to resort to violence to save our country” (27 percent vs. 8 percent); that “everyday Americans will need to ensure the rightful leader takes office, even if it requires taking violent actions” (24 percent vs. 10 percent); and that “armed citizens are needed as poll watchers” (24 percent vs. 10 percent),” the pollsters found in a survey of 5,000 Americans. Using the Right-Wing Authoritarianism Scale (RWAS), a questionnaire developed to measure authoritarian-inclined ideologies, the study also found, “Two-thirds of Republicans score high (67 percent),” compared with 35 percent of independents, and 28 percent of Democrats. Republicans who hold favorable views of Trump are 36 percentage points more likely to score high on the RWAS than those with unfavorable views of Trump (75 percent vs. 39 percent). Similarly, White evangelical Protestants are the religious group most likely to score high on the RWAS (64 percent), followed by smaller majorities of Hispanic Protestants (54 percent) and White Catholics (54 percent).” Whether authoritarian personalities are inclined to certain religious sects or those sects already foster this disposition is unknown. What we do know is that a high percentage of Americans who favor Christian nationalism are authoritarians. (Christians who believe “the final battle between good and evil is upon us” are strongly linked to support for authoritarianism and Christian nationalism.) That makes their attachment to authoritarianism essentially an article of faith, not something they are willing to rationally reconsider. And that, in turn, poses a threat to our pluralistic democracy in which religious and racial supremacy are unacceptable. Just as many Southern Christian churches reinforced and bolstered proslavery ideology, some modern White Christian sects appear to cement fascination with a hierarchical, racist and anti-democratic view of American politics. That makes it more essential than ever that all other Americans (who do outnumber White Christian authoritarians) band together to defend tolerance, civil liberties and the rule of law. At the other end of the political spectrum, Jewish Americans remain as attached to the Democratic Party as they have ever been, despite the MAGA movement’s attempts to lure them by defending Israel’s hyper-ideological, right-wing governing coalition. A new poll from the Jewish Democratic Council of America, a partisan group that supports Democratic candidates, found that Vice President Kamala Harris leads former president Donald Trump among Jewish Americans by a margin of 72 percent to 25 percent, even higher than President Joe Biden’s level of support in 2020. Trump’s antisemitic insults (e.g., agreeing that second gentleman Doug Emhoff is a “crappy Jew”; saying Jews who don’t support him should have their heads “examined”) have not gone unnoticed. “Nearly all — 91 percent — of Jewish voters are concerned about antisemitism in the United States, and Jewish voters trust Kamala Harris more than Donald Trump to fight antisemitism by nearly a three-to-one margin (60 percent vs. 23 percent),” the survey found. “80 percent of Jewish voters disagree with Donald Trump’s repeated insults targeting millions of Jewish Americans, and 84 percent of those voters think his insults are antisemitic.” Historically, Jewish Americans have leaned Democratic, citing the party’s support for social justice, unions, immigration, civil rights, access to abortion and other progressive causes. Naturally, Trump’s animosity toward all of those issues, coupled with his blatant antisemitism, have turned off the vast majority of Jews. America’s support for religious freedom has allowed a wide array of faiths to flourish in the United States. When a significant number of Americans reject pluralism and insist on White Christian domination, our democracy is at risk. Uniting America might require efforts of communal outreach and interfaith reconciliation that go far beyond politics.

Cherry Tomatoes

 The CSA that daughter Emily and I share has a plethora of cherry tomatoes.  I had a bowlful and decided to roast them with garlic, basil, salt and paper and olive oil.  400º for 25 minutes.

It smelled delicious.

An easy supper then with cheese filled tortellini tossed with the tomatoes.  Sprinkle on parmesan cheese and serve.

Dan and I didn't finish all of it so another day I'll call it pasta salad!

"Foliage Experts Predict a Colorful Fall"

 That was the title of an article in Wednesday's local paper.  The reasons given for the high expectations for color are several. 

A good growing season.

No fungal diseases like last year when the rains wouldn't stop.

A mild winter and long season has meant trees have stored up energy.

Ideal weather conditions for foliage include warm days and cool nights which are all in our weather forecasts.

But and there's always a hedge.  If we have storms and heavy winds into the peak the leaves can be stripped.

Photos from my walk on Wednesday morning.  The colors are starting.

My Political Cartoon

 

One Year Ago

 

We were in Spain, specifically Priego do Cordoba, in southern Spain.

Remembering those two weeks and sharing some random photos.

We had an apartment in the Barrio and lived like locals for our stay there courtesy of UnTours.  Everywhere you looked in the landscape were rows and rows of olive trees.  Did you notice them in some of the photos?

***

Today I'm a ballot clerk for our township.  It's primary day.  I'm on duty 8 am - 7 pm while the polls are open.  I don't know if I'll be doing this on November 5th too as I'm taking someone's place who normally does it.

Found on a Car in VA

 My brother in law in Charlottesville, Va captured this on the back of a car at the grocery store.

Observation

 

 

The goldenrod is in full bloom along this fence line. 

Here’s my observation-apple trees along the road sides. Were they planted there or are they volunteers?

This one has been here for quite awhile. 

It’s loaded with apples. 

Do you see apple trees along the roads where you are?

Love thy neighbor. No exceptions. That is Faithful America’s motto, and that is the work that Faithful America members like me give ourselves to both online and in our communities. Our faith informs our politics – not the other way around.  We oppose Donald Trump, Christian nationalism, and the religious right because of the ways they attack love and social justice. To us, loving our neighbor means caring for the most vulnerable around us, looking out for those who have been marginalized by unjust leaders and systems. To learn more about Faithful America and how you can organize to love your neighbors with other social-justice Christians, visit Faithful America. 

 

This year’s False Prophets list is headlined by  none other than Donald “Dictator on Day One” Trump himself – also known as the Christofascist MAGA movement’s golden calf. It seems Trump really was right about one thing: He truly could “stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody” and not lose any of his support from the religious right. This is what Scripture calls idolatry. To read more about Trump’s blasphemous record and his followers’ idolatrous devotion, visit Faithful America’s False Prophets Page here.

Garden Art

If you've read my blog for awhile you know I like to place or make items to put in my gardens.  The shutter angel, an old iron wheel,

 

rock statues, or an old gate. I also have two old hand plows.

Last Saturday there was an estate sale around the corner. Sadly the owner of the house is no longer living.  Several years ago he was shot and killed doing a good deed for a friend in Woodstock, VT.  The house has been empty since then mostly because the heirs live in Toronto. For the estate sale the neighbors ran it.  One of those name your price sales.  I went looking for garden art.  Here's what I came home with;

and you can see they went right into the garden.

This next item was on an outside door.  I thought it looked like an owl.  It's really the foot from a cast iron stove.

Dan put it on my garden door on the barn.

Not pictured because they are still in my barn are a single andiron, a black coal or ash pail and two rectangular pieces of slate.  I also got a pair of brass candle sticks (not pictured either).

This is the last thing I got - a table for the porch.  I think it will be a good spot for a flower pot or a pumpkin.  I may spray paint the base to match our porch chairs.

I spent $30 for all of this.

There were lots of people there both days.  All the tools, lumber, and equipment were a big draw.  I wonder what will happen next for this house.

Project 2025 threatens us all if tRump is elected.

From Faithful America

Happy Labor Day! As Christians, we support living wages,

labor rights, and safe working environments for all God’s children --

yet these fundamental freedoms, along with our democracy itself,

are at stake in this upcoming election. Project 2025, the MAGA movement’s

Christian-nationalist agenda for another Trump term,  is not only a major

threat to justice for all but also to our basic freedoms.

Trump can try to distance himself from the plan after public backlash, but we know

his plans for a second term are nothing short of an authoritarian power grab.

Learn more about what Project 2025 would do here. 

More about Faithful America here.