Part 1: Tigray The evil of modern states is their power to decide who eats. Russel Lawrence Barsh, ‘The Nature and Power of North American Political Systems,’ American Indian Quarterly (1986)   In mid-February, heads of state and government of the African Union (AU) convened at the organization’s headquarters inRead More

As you know, I spent last week dealing with tech and admin issues and so didn’t cover CBRM’s budget deliberations. This turned out to have been a brilliant strategical move because, in a most unexpected plot twist, council suspended talks on its operating budget on Thursday in hopes the provincialRead More

Editor’s Note: This column last appeared on 3 April 2019.   What to do this week It’s about time to start tomato seedlings inside to have them ready for transplanting at the beginning of June. Each year I agonize over the wide variety of colors, textures and sizes available. IRead More

Poker Face I haven’t enjoyed a TV series as much as I enjoyed Natasha Lyonne’s Poker Face in a very long time. It’s not a “Golden Age of TV”-style show like Deadwood or The Sopranos or Mad Men (all of which I also enjoyed very much), it’s a throwback toRead...

Editor’s Note: This column first appeared on 28 March 2018.   What to do this week If you have a greenhouse, that perfect place that will be housing some of those seedlings from the crowded windowsills very soon, this week is a great time to get it cleaned up andRead More

Editor’s Note: This column first appeared on 21 March 2018.   What to do this week This week is a good time to talk about a couple of things you might want to get to around the garden soon. One of those things is any plants you might have broughtRead More

Editor’s Note: This column last appeared on 14 March 2018.   What to do this week This week, we have a success report from Madeline about her globe artichoke overwintering experiment, and some encouragement to think about the early spring pruning of your trees and bushes. Let’s start with pruning.Read More

Editor’s Note: Today’s column first appeared on 7 March 2018.   What to do this week I’m back after a short break. Thank you all for your patience. I hope your onion seedlings are started! If they are not, you can do them in soil blocks. If you have themRead More

The whole frame of geopolitics…seeks to manage tensions and power struggles among those who rule, while the vast majority of people—as well as plants, animals, land, and water—are controlled, confined, or killed to serve those interests.—Ray Acheson, ‘Abolishing Geopolitics and Building a World Without State Violence,’ Metapolis, September 2022  Read More

Editor’s Note: This column last appeared on 3 March 2021   What to do this week I really think people shouldn’t have lawns. Lawns are for grazing sheep. So that is my rule of thumb: your lawn should be either big enough to graze sheep, or small enough to cutRead More