We 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.
On the same day that the NYT refused to publish the famous cartoons due to sensitivity, they printed a photo of "Dung Mary". Well, slap me with a mackeral, as Mr. Free Market would say - how dumb can they be? Conspiracy. Yes, I am deeply offended by both Dung Mary and by their hypocrisy and hatred of America. I insist that they cease publication as of today to avoid further offense to me and my friends and family. Let's plan a mass protest march like the Moslems are doing...no, that would be cruel to kick 'em when they're down. They could be headed to jail anyway for revealing defense secrets.
Will the wedge issues for 2006 be terrorist wiretapping and illegal immigration? If so, I think Repubs win. Am. Prosect.
With friends like this...Brownie threatens Bush. It proves the guy wasn't really ready for prime time (Brownie, I mean...I think).
Get 'em all riled up into a lather, then claim they need an emotional outlet. WTF? 100,000 Moslems to march in London. Sounds strangely like Al Sharpton tactics.
Miss the Superbowl Commercials because you were busy blogging? Here they are. H/T , Charmaine
No snow, warm weather for Winter Olympics. Should we blame Bush?
"Oh, I'm sailin' away my own true love, I'm sailin' away in the morning. Is there something I can send you from across the sea, From the place that I'll be landing?
No, there's nothin' you can send me, my own true love, There's nothin' I wish to be ownin'. Just carry yourself back to me unspoiled, From across that lonesome ocean.
Oh, but I just thought you might want something fine Made of silver or of golden, Either from the mountains of Madrid Or from the coast of Barcelona.
Oh, but if I had the stars from the darkest night And the diamonds from the deepest ocean, I'd forsake them all for your sweet kiss, For that's all I'm wishin' to be ownin'.
A plea for self-censorship from Slate. I knew this was coming. H/T Protein Wisdom. The article is worried about "stereotyping". Gimme a break. Since when is sterotyping illegal or unconstitutional? We all do it, all day long. It's called "learning" from experience.
What is wrong with these idiots? They are stereotyping themselves to the point of self-satire. And this comes after discovering that the entire Mohammed cartoon thing was a scam by sleazebag Imams to rile up their people against Denmark. Thank God the leaders of the US are not omega male metrosexuals like Europe has. Like Blair.
See also our piece on "Dont MaKe 'em Mad" - scroll down.
The CSM has been doing a fine series on the New Churches. This is one I think I'd like to go to. Quote:
Clearly, there are varieties of megachurches. Yet visits to this one in Milford, Conn., suggest deeper explanations for their appeal. One of the oldest towns in America, Milford boasts Cape Cod houses on shady streets, a beachfront on Long Island Sound, and miles of strip malls along US Route 1. It's becoming a bedroom community for New York City.
Started with the aims of reaching the unchurched and creating a faith community that "demonstrates the kingdom of God on earth," Kingdom Life Christian Church (KLCC) has had a visible impact on members, on Milford, and beyond.
Bible-focused, with dynamic leadership, highly structured youth programs, and adult home fellowship, the church is drawing people from communities all along I-95.
At a Wednesday night Bible study in the hotel ballroom-style sanctuary, a friendly, buoyant group of about 600 is surprisingly diverse: white, Latino, and black; children and parents, all with Bibles in hand. (Teenagers have their class in another building.)
And I love this quote from Pastor Ramirez:
"God's going to knock us out of our comfort zones," he cautions the gathered faithful. "God is at work in the world ... and is building a spiritual city, a spiritual Jerusalem.... Every stage is going to be uncomfortable ... until we are in the divine order."
Read the whole piece. Wonderful. Image from the CSM article. (And yes, if you want to, you may mock and satirize this without fear of beheading!)
Why were Dems so rude and hostile at the King funeral? Here's one reason: more and more black Republican candidates. Dems feel that they need to try to scare their people back to the plantation, so they are pumping victimization, instead of opportunity, as hard as they can. It's a negative message, and it won't work in 2006.
How can you keep selling victimhood when the country is full of black Republican candidates? Despite the Democratic-produced stereotype of poor, single-mother, victimized blacks, American has a rapidly-growing population of middle class, church-going, solid and ambitious black families. Why would they stick with a political party which demeans them and uses them? They won't.
Lynn Swann is just one of many. This guy can run. And will win. Aspiring blacks and hispanics are part of the future of the Republican Party - if it will stand for its principles...which it has not been doing recently, for lack of a good orator.
This great photo yesterday - not from the funeral.
Abu Hamza gets 7 yrs in jail for inciting murder. That's a start.
MoDo thinks Hilary Hillary Mrs. Clinton needs to get angrier. Hmmmm.
Anglicans dump Israel investments. Not only is that wrong-headed, but what are they doing with investments anyway? Give what you have to the poor, and follow me, eh?
World gone nuts. 6 year-old suspended for sexual harassment. Jeez. I still touch cute gals. Is that wrong? But they touch me much more than I touch them.
World gone nuts, #2: Did Yahoo drop the dime on Chinese dissidents? Democracy Project. We have had NO Chinese readers for two weeks, and assume we have been shut down there. Is Maggie's Farm dangerous? How can we check it out? Anybody know?
Do not read before breakfast: the Religion of Peace... Atlas.
No-one wants to take us up on our Help Wanted advt? We are serious. (scroll down)
Blogs and politics: What effect, if any? Ca. Yank thinks it's different for Dems and Repubs.
A married man was having an affair with his secretary. One day they went to her place and made love all afternoon. Exhausted, they fell asleep and woke up at 8 PM. The man hurriedly dressed and told his lover to take his shoes outside and rub them in the grass and dirt. He put on his shoes and drove home. "Where have you been?" his wife demanded. "I can't lie to you," he replied, "I'm having an affair with my secretary. We had sex all afternoon." She looked down at his shoes and said: "You lying bastard! You've been playing golf!"
The entire Cartoon War was staged by radical Imam-provocateurs. So it appears. But how many ignorant Moslems, without the internet, in the Middle East will ever learn that piece of the story? Makes CNN look like even bigger buffoons that we already thought they were.
One of the con-artist frauds here. The cartoons here. Even Dershowitz gets it, but the press doesn't.
Update: Wretchard summarizes all of the key events and issues here.
News Junkie had it right yesterday afternoon. Gwynnie has been in the pet hospital for a couple of days and hasn’t been keeping up on her blogging, but is astounded not to have read (yet) that this is D-Day, le moment criticale, the time for the media to choose what is important to them: freedom of the press and objective news coverage, or their hatred of Western Civilization and their goal of the destruction of a president.
Bravo to those French and German editors who understand and value their freedoms. To the pit with CNN and the other British and American editors who chose not to re-publish cartoons that were newsworthy only for their very vapidness. And as a side issue, isn’t anyone commenting on the fact that it took well paid organizers with thousands of carefully printed Danish flags FIVE MONTHS to get this fire to burn?
Why don’t we have some lynchings and burnings the next time Christianity is slandered? Why didn’t we blow up the Brooklyn Museum when it features a painting of the Virgin Mary spattered with feces? Why don’t we trash the New York Times for supporting the desecrators?
Because, gentlemen, we hold ourselves to an elevated form of behavior called “civilized”. Gwynnie has said this before: the media do not hold brown peoples to civilized forms of behavior BECAUSE THEY DO NOT BELIEVE THAT BROWN PEOPLES ARE CAPABLE OF CIVILIZED BEHAVIOR. THIS IS THE HEART OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE RACIST!
We have finally come to the great moment when this is all laid out before us. The choice was clear and it was narrow. The media front-paged their hypocrisy and racism. All the great religions deserve our respect, and all the major religions deserve equal treatment.
Image below of our brave press, boldly Speaking Truth to Power When it isn't Scary, thanks to Cox and Forkum:
Banning hot-cross buns in England. WFT? Michelle. Those Brits should try emigrating to Pakistan or Saudi Arabia and getting them to ban something. Hello??? Where is Chamberlain Churchill when you need him? Have you abandoned all self-respect?
Who is speaking for Britain? Is anyone home? Don't let Maggie's Farm give up on you as our proud Homeland! Where is that Anglo-Saxon-Norman spirit? I do not think that we American cousins are planning to rescue you this time. You are on your own...hot-cross buns. I love 'em. And we love you folks - don't give it away. You have a precious heritage.
Mediterranean Diet? Healthy for some, delicious for all. Science Daily
Gonzales says NYT being probed in leak case. About time. Remember what Nixon got in trouble for? Not the break-in - the cover-up.
The totally disgusting Coretta King funeral. Heard a bit of it on the Hannity radio show - too awful to listen too. And the in-your-face hatred and disrespect shown to Bush demonstrated an out-of-control hatred that should be beyond civilized people. Turning a funeral into a political stunt. Beneath normal human dignity, and shows no honor to the deceased's life, or to the corpse. But I guess it's a bully pulpit...for the desperate and shameless. Bush was as gracious as a man can be. Agree with him or not, there is a real person in there with a code of behavior.
Do the Dems have a future? Ex-Donk wonders, and doubts it. And Happy Blog Birthday Ex-Donk. We're the same age. And I am an ex-Donkey too. Lots of us are.
Thailand censors biography of their king. What's the fun in being a king if you can't do stuff like that?
Evangelical leaders want to fight global warming. Is this their, um, area of expertise? We do understand the idea of stewardship, but... um. Science Times.
Few like to admit that hate and anger are enjoyable for human beings. From a psychiatric standpoint, hate and anger are "pleasurable" emotions, and righteous anger and hate are among the most satisfying of human emotions.
I had planned to write Part 2 on Depression this week, but this is more pressing. Our News Junkie put his finger on it yesterday when he referred to the "Hate Party" going on in the Middle East. Indeed it is a party. What we are not permitted to report, in this modern-day New Puritanism world, is how much fun they are having.
Those Moslem haters of the Western World are having a great time. Adrenaline flowing. Peer-sanctioned excuses for disinhibition of emotion, leading to destruction. Mobs led by instigators getting everyone high on regressive group-think. Riots, fights, and mayhem run deep in human nature. Don't we enjoy watching it on the news, and in movies?
This is not unique to extremist Moslems, by any means. The NJ referred to the KKK's fire-lit Parties of Hate, but I can simply point to yesterday's Coretta King funeral for the most recent American Hate Fest, or the Kos website. People, sad to say, do enjoy opportunities for free expression of hate and anger. It is common, in Psychiatry, to find patients who refuse to let go of it, it is so satisfying and enjoyable. (I know, this truth is not supposed to be stated. People are just so nice at heart, aren't they, Jimmy Carter?)
It is not necessary to be a paranoid to be looking for a fight. All humans are energized by a battle, but generally the guard-rails of culture and civilization contain the expression of these impulses. But humans welcome socially-sanctioned opportunities for it. Paranoid individuals, and those from paranoid-tinged cultures, have an easier time finding those opportunities, especially when led by clever manipulators. Europe, and the Middle East, now are filled with such folks who are like the half-in-the-bag guy at the bar saying "What you lookin' at?"
Spoiling for an exciting fight. And dangerous, because they haven't signed the Social Contract. It's one of the reasons we need civilization: not to repress such emotions, but to contain our base human nature so we can pursue more worthy goals and more benign relationships.
In this New Age of psychology run amuck, we all give too much validity and credibility to emotion. Since when are we expected to "understand people's feelings"? That is pop psychobabble, for the most part. It's very odd that a revolution of Reason, The Enlightenment, has led to this idealization of emotion. Can we blame it all on Rousseau? As irrational biological instincts which really cannot be controlled (although behavior in response to them can be, by normal sober adults), emotions deserve no particular respect, and they are meaningful data only in a shrink's office (or, if the emotion is passionate love, to your beloved). How come on this blog we constantly feel the need to repeat the AA Mantra: "Feelings aren't Facts."?
How to deal with out of control anger, tantrum, and mayhem? In my profession, with firm limits. In the big world, with the firm limits of force. Such things wake people up to an anti-regressive reality. Nothing else will. Reason does not work with the regressed, with the paranoid, or with those intoxicated with the barbarian, yet human, joys of rage and destruction. Fight for free speech? With great pleasure!
According to the report by Expose the Left (nee Political Teen), Sam Donaldson pontificated that the cartoons were wrong because they made Moslems angry, as if Moslems were rabid dogs. Now it's my turn to pontificate. Four points:
First, worrying about making someone angry as a principle for limiting speech and publishing is absurd. There are always some group of folks who will get angry about something or other. For instance, I get furious when I read the New York Times, yet they continue daily publication, (for the present, anyway). Some people are really pissed off at this and other blogs. Too bad. Are we all supposed to burn buildings to get some sympathy and consideration, and to stop people from pissing us off? Succumbing to people's emotions, especially irrational anger and irrational hatred, is not only cowardly - it makes the very idea of free speech a joke. (And, by the way, don't we all remember Donaldson worrying, years ago, about saying anything to make the Soviets mad? It's a submissive reflex in the guy - probably married to a dominatrix.)
Secondly, I believe in decent, mannerly, and tasteful behavior. Those are important values of civilization. But I reserve the right to speak and write whatever I want, even if someone thinks it's tasteless or unmannerly. Sometimes it's just fun.
Third, I see a coming risk of self-censorship to avoid trouble with Islam, leading the West further down the road to censoring unpleasant truths. PC baloney already rules in many areas of life, witness Larry Summer's intimidation by a handful of hysterical, hypersensitive females at Harvard. If a bright, full-grown guy can be intimidated by that, how intimidated would he be by a bunch of Jihadists? He'd give them the whole dang school in a second, along with honorary doctorates in Jihad Studies!
Fourth, I believe that the so-called "rage" is really an effort to intimidate and silence the world, freeing the Jihad to continue their relentless pursuit of the Caliphate wherever and whenever they have the chance. (They aren't truly angry - they are having an old-fashioned "Hate Party," like the KKK used to have.) Filling Europe with unassimilated Moslems was a good start. Shutting down criticism and satire is a next phase. Wiping Israel off the map is next.
Blame-shifter Ray Nagin continues to have new tricks up his sleeves. Now he is soliciting foreign aid, due to failures of Admin. Hope New Orleans can see through the tricks he uses to try to salvage his ruined reputation as a leader. His title should be changed from Mayor of New Orleans to Complainer of New Orleans. Pathetic.
Senate Intelligence Committee is studying the Loftus tapes, in which Saddam discusses his WMDs. NYSun. This will be a big story, and should put an end to the "Bush lied" nonsense.
The hearings on the NSA and wiretapping: the lawyers at Powerline are doing a fine job with it, and making waves in the process. It seems to me that there is a valid legal issue here, but the purpose of the hearings is more to score points, because no-one will dare demand that the NSA stop what it is doing. Furthermore, having these hearings in public is nuts.
The guest author of our Aliyah Diary, Nathan (who has never fired a gun in his life) received this letter last week after expressing an interest in joining the Civil Guard Bicycle Unit. He will do it:
Dear Natan,
In terms of moving forward in becoming a Civil Guard Member and joining the Bicycle Unit, here are the steps:
Application Form 6012 - Please fill out both pages and fax it back to me. You can also pass on a hard copy to me or rescan it and email it. This is the first step.
Background Check - After receiving and processing Form 6012, the police will conduct a cursory background check on you.
Rights and Responsibilities Lecture(s) - Should the background check not find anything disqualifying, you will be invited to Rights and Responsibilities Lecture(s). These cover issues such as: legal authority, conducting operations, detaining suspects, making arrests, using communications equipment etc. This information is taught lecture style in groups of between 1 and 3 classroom meetings. After the last meeting, you are "sworn in" and receive a temporary Civil Guard ID. This allows you to go unarmed on patrols with more senior and experienced officers. Keep in mind that most of what you need to know you learn on the job.
Firearms Training - You will be invited to the next scheduled firearms training sessions. They usually include a night-time classroom training session (dry fire) and a daytime actual shooting qualification at a firing range (wet). The dry fire classroom training is usually held at an area school where you are acquainted with the weapons, view their field stripping and learn the basics of safety and marksmanship. General Civil Guards people train only on the .30 caliber M1 Carbine. Bicycle and other special unit volunteers also train on pistols like the 9 mm FN Mk.III and the 22 caliber Beretta 71 (and sometimes on the Micro-Galil Assault rifle though this weapon has little use in the bicycle unit). This extra instruction may require you staying on after the general Civil Guards have completed their training on the carbine. I have prepared some English language guidebooks for using each of these weapons which I will give to you at the proper time. The "dry-fire" training is followed within usually less than a week by "wet" training either at a commercial range (indoor) or at the regional police firing range (outdoor) in Bareket. You will be required to demonstrate some (minimal) proficiency on the weapons (Rifles at about 30 meters, Pistols at about 10 meters) in order to be qualified to carry aweapon. You must repeat weapons training at least once every two years.
On the Job Training - You will be paired with senior and experienced officers (starting with me) for the first six months of your service, during which as a rule you will ride unarmed.
Map via Michelle. Should have linked it but just had to post it. The grey color is the (thus far) vast area of dhimmitude. This is not the end of this kind of business. Just the beginning. Note the Brits in the dhimmi column.
A quote from Jack Straw in the Scotsman (P'line found the article):
"If people looked at these cartoons and were to replace the images of the Holy Prophet with images of Jesus Christ or the Virgin Mary, they can see that, even in our culture, if they were directed at the Judeo-Christian traditions, there would be similar outrage," he said.
That relativistic, morally nihilistic, ridiculous, patently untrue and pathetic statement says everything that is wrong with the England of Tony Blair. Does that thinking imply that if England had had high inflation and a rotten economy in 1923, they would have created their own Hitler with their own Pub Putsch? Indeed, it reveals the limpness of Liberalism in the West - along with its elevation of emotion above reason. "Let's not make anyone angry." Grow up, weenies. The world isn't like that - being a wimp is not a defense strategy to protect your nation.
The Prof wonders whether the Vatican is turning relativistic...I doubt it. For a direct, refreshingly non-relativistic and classically crude take on the Middle East, try RTLC. More cheery news on the Shiite creed of the coming apocalypse and the 12th Imam in Washington Times.
How socialized medicine becomes politicized and paralyzed: Brit judge orders treatment, hospital refuses. BBC. At least in England you can pay your own doctor if you want to. In Canada, you're chained to the government plantation. But it's a short drive to the US for freedom and choice in medical treatment.
The continued growth of mega-churches. Congregations of 16,000? CSM. It is difficult for a Yankee, where our Protestant churches often have 150-300 members, to comprehend how such huge churches can feel like congregations instead of like rock concerts. But it clearly works for folks. It's not for me, but God bless 'em.
De-bugging Australia. Bed bug infestation. Gross. Hey, Aussies: wash your sheets and call 1-800-Mattress.
Specter claims Admin broke law. If so, please fix the law.
Marsh Arabs restoring their marshes, with a little help. Amazing. Big Lizard. Saddam destroyed the Birthplace of Civilization, just to eliminate political enemies. What a destructive, dangerous, low-life scumbag. Not to mention that those marshes are an important migratory bird location.
Is there something emotionally missing in Hillary? Orlando Sentinel. Yes, there is something about her that feels creepy and insincere. And I am talking psychology, not politics. A Nixonian streak.
Why isn't the Admin showcasing the US economic boom? Good question. Kudlow
PC interfering with clear thinking and honest speech in Europe. Blair has been the worst offender, according to MacQueen at TCS. This kind of BS offends me: do I have to burn a building for someone to care about my feelings?
Americans are comfortable with nuclear power. CSM. Let's get lots of it. Cheap, clean, and endless.
We are looking for a special person with latent blogging tendencies, perspicacity, wisdom, a go-for-the-jugular attitude, a legalistic bent, a mind for detail, a sense of humor, and a moderate, balanced, centrist view of the world to produce a new blog to monitor the New York Times.
We are fortunate to have Patterico calling the La-la-land Times on their bias and baloney, and Squaring the Boston Globe keeps a watch on that wholly-owned organ of the loony Left. But, remarkably, thus far no-one has taken on the job of holding the arrogant, condescending, and paleo-leftist Gray Lady to task, leaving many bloggers the task of doing so, on a part-time and occasional basis.
Is anyone out there up for this enjoyable job, which could lead to fame and fortune, babes or guys or whatever you like, a new Maserati in the driveway, free beers, social popularity, and doubtless countless appearances on the Sean Hannity radio show and on O'Reilly?
If serious about taking on this adventure in a diligent manner, email us. Maggy's Farm will be happy to set you up with your own blog, and cover your start-up costs and twelve month's operation, and more if necessary. Our prosperous Gwynnie agreed to pay for that. The only unpleasant part of the job entails reading the darn NYT daily while remaining calm and not blowing a gasket. (Yes, the Washington Post is next on the agenda. But First Things First.)
Mark Steyn, as always, nails it in his piece titled Sensitivity can have brutal consequences:
But if you frame the issue in terms of multicultural "sensitivity," the wimp state will bend over backward to give you everything you want -- including, eventually, the keys to those skyscrapers. Thus, Jack Straw, the British foreign secretary, hailed the "sensitivity" of Fleet Street in not reprinting the offending cartoons.
Straw hailed them not for their manners, but for their timidity. In brave England? The England of Churchill? Are Straw and Blair our modern-day "better red than dead" weenies? Read Steyn's entire piece - especially our readers in Europe. You have been fore-warned, as the Jihadists say, which is all they need to do to get murder off of their consciences, apparently, according to their rules. Awake yet, Europe, our friends and cousins? Or still asleep?
The CSM has been doing a fine series on the New Churches. This is one I think I'd like to go to. Quote:
Why were Dems so rude and hostile at the King funeral? Here's one reason: more and more black Republican candidates. Dems feel that they need to try to scare their people back to the plantation, so they are pumping victimization, instead of opportunity, as hard as they can. It's a negative message, and it won't work in 2006. 
Banning hot-cross buns in England. WFT? 
According to the report by 
Blame-shifter Ray Nagin continues to have new tricks up his sleeves. Now he is 
