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Maggie's FarmWe are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for. |
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Sunday, June 4. 2023Reminder that there is a child out there better than you30 minutes of Merlin outside my New England farmhouseMerlin has better hearing than I have now. I just use the voice ID part. Merlin is a free app. List below the fold - Continue reading "30 minutes of Merlin outside my New England farmhouse" From today's LectionaryGenesis 1:1-2:4a 1:1 In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 1:2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 1:3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 1:4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 1:5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. 1:6 And God said, "Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." 1:7 So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. 1:8 God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. 1:9 And God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. 1:10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 1:11 Then God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it." And it was so. 1:12 The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. 1:13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. 1:14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, 1:15 and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth." And it was so. 1:16 God made the two great lights--the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night--and the stars. 1:17 God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, 1:18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 1:19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. 1:20 And God said, "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky." 1:21 So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. 1:22 God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." 1:23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. 1:24 And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind." And it was so. 1:25 God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good. 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." 1:27 So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 1:28 God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." 1:29 God said, "See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 1:30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. Saturday, June 3. 2023A visit to the Post Office in the USI needed 200 regular stamps. You see neighbors - all waiting in a line. The location is ramshackle. It is pre-tech in every way but plenty of employees. Going into the post office is like going back in time. Or back into Mr. Rogers. I waited a while while a few people got their packages stamped by a little kiosk, then I got 100 stamps from the machine. Took too long for me to get the other 100, plus there were impatient people behind me.
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Who killed our Cottontails? All gone. Fox? Coyote? A Red-Tail or owl could not have cleaned them out so quickly. Rabbits are food for everything, but that was quick.
GreenlandGreenland is the largest island on the planet. It's a country, sort-of. Part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Guess the population. What its largest town? Was it green during viking times, or was that marketing? Answers below the fold -
Continue reading "Greenland"
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Saturday morning linksHusbands with Much Higher Incomes Than Their Wives Have a Lower Chance of Divorce Elon Musk Weeds Out Remaining Woke Twitter Employees With Avocado Toast Trap Tucker Carlson is the new Voldemort. His biographer Chadwick Moore has been added to the lengthy Fox blacklist Schneiderman's Miscellany Ex-Anheuser-Busch exec reveals how lefty investment firms pressure companies to go woke How the Teachers Union Broke Public Education - A former public school teacher documents the profound betrayal of America’s students Zelensky Miffed Over NATO Inaction, Demands Membership & Security Guarantees 'Now' Image via AVI:
Friday, June 2. 2023Friday morning links ‘Pride’ is Nothing to Celebrate Well, in the LGBTQ+ world, it's a socio-cultural revolt against shame and embarassment. Not real pride. School district presses phys-ed teachers to don LGBTQ pride apparel Kay S. Hymowitz joins Brian Anderson to discuss how gender-identity ideology is influencing vulnerable young people and attempting to overturn all that we know about child development. Misgendering is an ‘act of violence,' university argues Hospital Official Bemoans “Heart-Wrenching” Decision to Discontinue Child Gender Transition Services - The decision came after the Texas Legislature approved a bill barring gender transitioning procedures and treatments for children. Georgetown University developing ‘adultification bias’ trainings Let's try infantilizing college students. VDH: Is the Sleeping Conservative Dragon Finally Waking Up? Conservatives often slept through the woke revolution only to awaken to a country their apathy allowed to transform into one they no longer recognize. Can they finally breathe fire? Chicago Democrats Divided Over Spending $50 Million On Illegals Due To High Crime, Mafia Closes Its Chicago Office " Target CEO Brian Cornell responded to the BLM race riots with a memo claiming that, “the murder of George Floyd has unleashed the pent-up pain of years, as have the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor.” Much of that pain was directed at robbing Target." Chris Wray Did Not Admit FBI Had Damning Biden China Bribery Document – Until James Comer Notified Him He Already Had Seen the Filing Government and media have a license to lie. Are There Any Democrats Left Who Are Not Fully On Board With The Agenda Of The Radical Left? Trump’s cruel attack on Kayleigh McEnany is the final straw in his false loyalty schtick Trump's Truth Social Ramblings Are Reaching Kamala Harris Levels of Incoherence Trump's Waterloo? Trump is a jerk at heart. Good in many ways, but a jerk. China Today Why is China an enemy? Thursday, June 1. 2023Got a bright kid?Or some unused brain cells which are eager to be put to use? Classics: Feynman's Basic Physics Lectures Recordings from 1961 are imperfect, but content is worth it. Enthusiastic teacher.
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In youth, he read the EncyclopediaAt the end of his interview (we posted a week ago) with Lex, Elon Musk says he read the entire encylopedia in youth. Doesn't say which one. Britannica? Possibly. There is no substitute for curiosity. There are plenty of people with Elon Musk's brain power, but who never try to apply it. That's OK but it is inspiring to see.
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What is so rare as a steak in June? Burgers and hot dogs on the outdoor grill? Excellent. Also, marinated butterflied legga lamb. But a good steak? Nope. I know others have different opinions.
Thursday morning links
Welcome To Major League Baseball’s Struggle Sessions ‘Fastest girl in Connecticut’ Chelsea Mitchell suing state after losing to trans athletes The threat to German sausages is real 17 Deaths On Mt. Everest Blamed On ‘Climate Change’ In California: Kill the goats, keep the union hogs happy. Hundreds of UFOs have been spotted 'all over the world', Pentagon chief admits as NASA unveils findings into first ever study of unexplained phenomena in the skies I blame climate change EVEN LIBERALS HATE CRIME Wednesday, May 31. 2023Bird of the Week: Northern ("Baltimore") OrioleI saw a pair of them in my tall oak tree this morning, and I suspect that they are weaving These exotically-colored Eastern songbirds are never common, but are regularly seen - but only if you look up into the tree-tops. One odd fact about these orioles is that they like to eat oranges. Some people put orange halves out to attract them. You can see a video of orioles constructing a nest. Orioles tend to breed fast, then head back to their home in the tropics in mid-late summer. Image: This male is a bit on the yellow side, more like a female. Most of the males we see in New England are more flame-orange. The Orchard Oriole seems unusual in New England and is smaller, darker, and tends to nest near water in the South and Midwest.
Wednesday morning links
Marc Andreessen on A.I., Bitcoin, and Billionaires - Is the A.I. breakthrough for real this time? Climate activists were in for a surprise after they tried to hurl orange powder at London's famed flower show Plants cause global warming now UMich botanical garden employs DEI manager, hosts ‘confronting racism’ training 200,000 cows to be culled in Ireland in order to meet climate targets Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Says American Pushback Against Woke Politics Is "Scary" “We Have a Captive Audience”: Boston University to Require Students to Take Social Justice Writing Courses Elon Musk Pulls Twitter from European Union’s ‘Anti-Disinformation’ Agreement - French Digital Minister threatens to ban Twitter if it doesn’t follow EU rules. Randi Weingarten Has Zero Credibility Dethroned. The apparent impending demise of The King’s College is instructive about the pitfalls lying in wait for even the best-intentioned institutions of higher education. Chronicle: Higher-Ed received billions in Covid-Relief funds. Where did it go? The Great Student Loan Nonpayment Boondoggle Is Over "A little more than a year ago, I attended a virtual symposium on “Nudges in Health Care...” Why The Media Is Attacking Free Speech Ann Colter not loving Trump: How not to be President France Contemplates the Bear - A novel presenting Putin’s worldview sympathetically has taken France by storm. Tuesday, May 30. 2023Tuesday morning links
10 Years after Sheryl Sandberg’s book ‘Lean In,’ women are on the outs No Laughing Matter: John Cleese Holds Line Against Calls To Cancel Scene In 'Life Of Brian' When will the lawsuit come? For doctors, it’s a matter of time America’s Dangerous Shortage Of Free Thinkers Memory-Holing of COVID False Narratives Picks Up Steam Gorsuch rightly slams freedom-crushing ‘rule by indefinite emergency edict’ CNN: Work Requirements Are “Offensive To Poor People”… The Nation: Biden Must Remake His Candidacy Ukraine war is an existential struggle — for the West What? Monday, May 29. 2023Monday morning links 1895: The Soldier’s Faith - Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. brings the song of the sword to Harvard’s graduating class. ANTI-COVID POLICIES WERE A DISASTER Jordan Peterson Considers Every Possible Meaning Of Bible Story Except That It Might Mean Exactly What It Says Funny ENVIRONMENTALISTS ARE WHY WE CAN’T HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE They aren't "environmentalists" Is America's falling fertility rate caused by the over-prescription of antidepressants? One in FIVE adults are on mood-busting drugs which sap libido and sperm counts My cheating boyfriend told me he was a sex addict. Was it a disorder – or just an excuse? Gee, that's a hard question The Encampment State - Billions in spending have failed to solve California’s massive—and worsening—homelessness crisis. "Homeless" is not the problem Good 'This place deserves to be shut down': Migrant hotel employee reveals the 'free for all' of drugs, sex and violence inside New York City's The Row since it was closed to tourists to make room for border crossers 'Bike Karen' Race-Hoaxers Flee Like Hunted Rats to Avoid Lawsuit Microsoft kicks Vivek Ramaswamy off LinkedIn Citywide Youth Curfew Begins In Baltimore As Mayor Strives To Restore Law And Order Georgia GOP flat earther raises eyebrows Presto-Chango, See Which Democrat Attack Transforms Into 'Republicans Pounce!' The disinformation campaign against Ron DeSantis - So much fake news and woke hysteria is being spread about the presidential hopeful. Biden keeps turning his political enemies into ‘terrorists’ Decoration DaySunday, May 28. 2023Coppola discusses the Making of The Godfather Part 1For small jobs
Sure, I have regular pruning saws, but those electric things are nifty. I go with Ryobi because I already have all of their betteries and chargers for blowers and trimmers. For heavy-duty, I do have a Stihl Farm Boss which I love to use, but it is overkill for small jobs. For example, I have overgrown lilacs. Neglected to remove 1/4 or 1/3 of their older main stems annually. 3" thick now. You can find all of the mini-chain saws on Amazon.
The Book of CharlieWaPo has some thoughts about “The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man,” by David Von Drehle.
From today's Lectionary: Pentecost
2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2:2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 2:3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. 2:5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 2:6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 2:7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 2:8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 2:9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 2:10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 2:11 Cretans and Arabs--in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." 2:12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" 2:13 But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine." 2:14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 2:15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. 2:16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 2:17 'In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. 2:18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. 2:19 And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. 2:20 The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. 2:21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' A corner of our Maytime front gardenThat's Fritillaria, Bluebells, some Hosta, Coral Bells, Dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea.
Saturday, May 27. 2023A KGB spy's story
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Saturday morning links
MEMORIAL DAY? NOPE, IT’S ‘TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE’ How trans ideology came for therapy Review: You Hurt My Feelings. Little lies. OUR ILLITERATE COLLEGE STUDENTS Beer industry "in shock" from Bud Light boycott It's not a boycott - just avoidance Supreme Court Takes Away EPA’s Power Over Backyard Puddles. Sorry, puddle police. Newsom Blasts Target CEO 'Sell-Out', Claims Nationwide "Systematic Attack" On LGBTQ People Imminent Students attending law school — in San Francisco — claim campus steeped in racism DHS funds program that classifies Republican Party as "far right extremist" organization with links to Nazis Pregnant Nurse Hunted By Internet Mob After False Accusations Of Theft and Racism Will Sue, Lawyer Says Engineering Racial Outcomes - A federal appeals court ruling on admissions at a prestigious Virginia high school could have major implications for future court fights over affirmative action. Harvard Law Exposed: Courses Encourage Ape Behavior
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