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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Wednesday, August 6. 2014Is Africa fed up with foreign aid?It sounds as if many Africans are. Video. Related: White Messiah Complex - Why do liberal interventionists think the Third World needs them?
It's called "moral narcissism" but some would term it "moral imperialism" or "cultural imperialism." Kipling had the last word on that topic.
Posted by The Barrister
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13:04
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Wednesday morning linksI'm sorry but I forget where I found that new How To Play The Bass. Lesson One: Don't Play The Bass, You Idiot, Play Something Else Her Throne Defunct, a Princess Fights Eviction From Her Manhattan Walk-Up The dad in this ad is not an idiot This food blog is amusing: Culinary Bro-down Patricia Krenwinkel talks feelingly about how she threw her life away for Charles Manson, 45 years ago. I don't think she is dangerous anymore Scrabblers rejoice: 5,000 new words are on the way Environmentalists Shocked That Local People Protect Forests Better Than Do Governments Andrew Cuomo’s Moreland Commission episode may prove worse than Chris Christie’s
Not your grandfather's Scots Sunday’s Gaza UNRWA School Bombing Was COMPLETELY STAGED Pallywood is effective Migrants clash in France as camp tensions soar The Malaysian Air Shoot Down Changes Nothing: America Cannot Save Ukraine Save it from what? It's not our issue. US is racist for not paying for every Child in the World “Americans Got $2 Trillion in Benefits from Federal Government in 2013″ I did not see a penny of it Steve King to Illegal Immigrant Protester: 'I'm Really Sorry That You Come from a Lawless Country' NYC: Spontaneous Pro-Israel Rally Erupts in Response to Protestors Haha. Don't mess with NYC's Diamond District Maliki finally aids Kurds; will Obama? Egypt starts digging new section of Suez Canal ISIS slaughtering Shiites “Americans Got $2 Trillion in Benefits from Federal Government in 2013″ - See more at: http://proteinwisdom.com/?p=54669#sthash.3L3f9gsC.dpuf Tuesday, August 5. 2014David Stockman on Russia, the Ukraine, the Fed, and marketsExcellent stuff: Washington’s Perfect Storm Of Policy Failure: On The Folly Of Massive Money Printing And America’s Collapsing Imperium When I read this, I wish he were back in the government. A quote:
Money and psychology Handling money is almost, or more, complicated than handling love and sex. People want both so much that it often scrambles their brains and incites irrational or self-destructive behavior (see our morning links today). Money is difficult to obtain, all too easy to get rid of. Romance and sex are easy to obtain, difficult to get rid of. Having some money put aside means security and power over a crazy world, and love and sex mean, well, whatever they mean to you. I once lived beyond my means, and made all sorts of rationalizations for it (eg turning wants into needs, like shoes, luxurious impulses, and "therapeutic shopping"). I learned from that, and some discipline from a financial spouse helped. I was smart about love, but dumb about money even though, before I married, I worked for every penny. This is right: Self-Control Makes for Savvy Saving. Wealthy people hate to spend money. Re spending saved money, Actually, Some Material Goods Can Make You Happy
Posted by Dr. Joy Bliss
in Our Essays, The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation
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17:39
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Almost CarpaccioAssigned to bring a large platter of cold red meat to an outdoor supper party last weekend. Decided to bring a platter of almost-carpaccio - thick Costco New York Strip grilled very rare - just a few minutes per side to sear it, cooled off, then sliced thin with my amazing meat knife. Although we love carpaccio, not everybody does so I sometimes fake it by sizzling the surface for about 3 minutes per side. Decorate at time of serving with salt and pepper, some shaved Parmesan, and a splash of truffle oil and serve the platter on a bed of arugula or dandelion. Nice treat. Photo shows one way it can be done. Yes, lemon can be ok with rare meat. Italians do like that. I'd say either truffle oil or lemon - not both. How to taste whiskeyExpert Gerry Tosh Offers A Wonderfully Informative Lesson In Conducting a Proper Whisky Tasting It is informative, but I am fine with Dewars and sometimes Teacher's. If you offer me a rare treat, I will enjoy it though. Tuesday morning linksA Kate Bush update Ten things men want from a relationship The Magna Carta Plays Boston - Without it we are not what we became Oldest critter in the world Poor thing has not had a date in years What a little kid can do Every little boy's dream and an argument for child labor. We all misunderestimate the competence of kids. The Pursuit of Happiness And The Kingdom of God Kids and TV: How Much is Too Much? Any of it is too much. It's called the boob tube. Don’t Buy This Dip: The Fed Is Not Your Friend 7 essential truths that most investors understand intellectually, but don’t accept emotionally despite empirical evidence Science Is Not Democratic Kerry Trying To Out-Feminize Obama, Spotted Riding Pink Girls’ Bike… Why Obama Is Concocting An Impeachment Threat: Because He Has Nothing Else. From Braised Lamb Mexican Pizza & Occupying the Fusion Movement: (h/t Am. Digest)
The recipe looks delicious Mythical Carbon Pollution Is “An Affront To God” Or Something Dumbest song ever? True Or False: America Desperately Needs More STEM Workers CA Gov. Jerry Brown: Nothing Stops This Train Not even logic The invisible hand at work: But..but..who will build the roads without government? UK guy built one in 10 days so drivers can bypass 14-mile detour Put Down the Cupcake: New Ban Hits School Bake Sales Thank God for the government, saving our children from demonic cupcakes Beyond ‘Beyond Stagnation’ - Dissent’s symposium shows the limits of the Left’s thinking about our economic problems:
MEDVED: Confessions Of A One-Time "Peace Protester” ISIL Controls More Resources, Territory than Any Extremist Organization in Venezuela: Keep the people poor and dependent Monday, August 4. 2014Why Schools of Education are a Waste of TimeCheerful news du jour
The usually calm VDH is ticked off. He lives on the front lines of this insanity. Happily, these law-breakers mostly avoid the Northeast.
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Monday morning linksWhere Do Cocktail Prices Come From? Requiem for an Egg Cream: In Search of a New York Classic How Your Face Shapes Your Economic Chances What’s Almost as Certain as Death? Not Talking About the Inheritance Caring for Ebola Patients Deeply Scary For Health Care Workers Will mandates for doctors come next? Justice Ginsburg: Buying Contraceptives for Others is One of the ‘Obligations That Citizens Have' Rep. DeLauro: Tax Every Teaspoon of Sugar Apparently, the Clintons don't think authors should be allowed to write unauthorized books about them. US Biofuel Boondoggle Is Bureaucracy at Its Worst Reynolds: Public servants acting as public masters NYT: Hope Dwindles for Hondurans Living in Peril To the Students for Justice in Palestine, a Letter From an Angry Black Woman The IDF has destroyed Hamas’s flagship terrorism project: its network of tunnels Toon below from Sultan's One Million Ceasefires Caring
for Ebola Patients Deeply Scary For Health Care Workers - See more at: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/02/caring-for-ebola-patients-deeply-scary.html#sthash.DfwkQFJ1.dpuf Sunday, August 3. 2014A brief history of self-respect, self-esteem, etc."Self-esteem", "amoure propre", is a strange concept, self-respect is very hard-earned, and self-hatred, whether deserved or neurotic, is a big challenge. Some thoughts: If Narcissus were here he’d be busy on instagram. Can we have a virtuous sense of worth without the vanity of self-love?
Posted by Dr. Joy Bliss
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The Education of Heather MacDonaldShe is one of the few in the Maggie's Pantheon. I have posted Part 1 below. Here are parts two and three. And four. Good fun.
Posted by Bird Dog
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Stuffed Zucchini (actually, Stuffed Zucchi - or is it Zucci?)It's summer squash season around here, a two -to-three- month squash explosion during which little zucchinis turn into 1 1/2-foot Zucchis seemingly overnight. Besides cold soups, it's fun to stuff those big zucchis. Google Stuffed Zucchini to find tons of recipes. Best ones I've had use seafood stuffings with clams and shrimp. Scoop out the pulp, fill with stuffing, wrap in foil and bake until done. Brown the top at the end. A "zucchini" (singular, zucchino) is an immature Zucca (gourd). From today's Lectionary: Loaves and fishesMatthew 14:13-21
New England architecture: Southport, CTSaturday, August 2. 2014A young man's simple guide to selecting females, and vice versa
Video here. Yes, it's a comedy sketch, but young males need to know that women are always seeking guys, and young women need to know that guys are always seeking gals. Human nature. There is no need for anyone to be shy or non-judgemental. Give war a chance
Related, even David Frum confesses: Photographs as Weapons of War in the Middle East - Why it's so difficult to see the reality behind the images Golda Meir's famous quote: "We will have peace when Palestinians love their children more than they want to kill Jews." Does anyone wonder why no other Arab states will accept Pali immigrants or refugees? They don't trust them and don't want any of them - not one. I'm sure many of them are fine people, but their reputation is terrible as a group. During all these years, Pali governments could have built a mirror Israel next door but instead of working for their population, they just want to kill Jews. They have had their chance to be civilized, prosperous, and happy. FYI, here's the long history of Gaza.
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14:01
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Saturday morning linksPaul McCartney, Still on the Run at 72 Now that Richard Dawkins is attacking Muslims and feminists, the atheist Left suddenly discover he’s a bigot 10 Great Things About Young Nannies All Education Is For-Profit Education Severe Ancient Droughts: A Warning to California:
Learning Law Without First Getting the JD Porn-surfing feds blame boredom, lack of work for misbehavior = Employees rarely face criminal prosecution for time and attendance fraud 4 Reasons to be Pissed Off About Social Security and Medicare Rand Paul: The Unintended Consequences of Interventionism -Libya’s civil war should have never been our fight. The world has been free-riding off of America for decades on many fronts; Barack Obama’s legacy may be to put an end to that. . . . Poll Shows GOP Standing Tough On Border Most Important Issue Bloomberg Everytown Anti-Gun Ad Reinforces Pro-Gun Rights Obama's Inexplicable Love for the Dark Side - Even the American left is finally realizing that this is the strangest administration in living memory. A tale of two hospitals: One in Israel, one in Gaza - Israel saves its enemies; Hamas endangers its friends Social Media Jihad: Islamic State ramps up gruesome Internet campaign Saturday Verse: Archilochus (680-645 BC)We only have fragments of Archilochus' lyric poetry (ie accompanied by a lyre), which have been found over the years on shreds of papyrus. Here are a few of those fragments: - My one great talent lies in making - I am the servant of Ares, Lord of Battle, - Some Thracian is delighted with the shield, which beside a bush - Not many bowstrings will be stretched nor slingshot - I long for a fight with you, just as a thirsty man longs for drink. - The fox knows many things, - There is no country fair and desirable - I have no interest in the business of Gyges and all his gold, Here's a brief piece on his poetry. Here's a brief bit on Greek lyric poetry. Here are the types of Greek lyric poetry. Most names quite familiar to us. Friday, August 1. 2014Fish Fumet (for fish soup and fish chowder)Dr. Bliss' Blissful Fish Stock (Fumet) Clam chowder is very good, but cod chowder is great. Here's how I begin: Chop up a hunk of salt pork into 1/2" or 1" pieces. Bacon is a poor second choice. Plus some butter. Chop carrots or parsnips, onion, garlic, celery - easy on the celery, one or two stalks. Sautee in the pork and butter until soft. There's your mirepoix. Toss that into a stewpot, then a pile of fish heads and/or bones (from lean fish - no salmon, trout, tuna, bluefish etc. Heads are the best - your fishmonger has 'em and will happily give them to you). Add black crushed peppercorns, a bay leaf, some parsley, and one clove. A sprig of thyme is good. Cover with water and a cup or two or three of drinkable white wine, and simmer, covered, for an hour or two, while consuming the rest of the wine. Cool it, strain preferably through cheesecloth but I use a strainer, chill in fridge then remove any fat on the surface. Some people like to find some bacon or salt pork in their chowder, so you can salvage them from the strainer, or make new. You can reduce it or use as it is (I always thicken chowder with corn starch), as the base for fish soup or fish chowder. Don't use it as a base for New England clam chowder, though, because the fumet will overpower the delicate clammy flavor. Clam Chowda requires a different recipe. Eat fats! Enjoy them! They are delicious and juicy.I've been preaching this ad nauseam but everybody has his own food religion based on superstition, old wive's tales, antiquated misinformation, and various quackeries. If ignorance floats your boat, then go for it and be happy with the placebo effects, but just do not pretend that it makes sense. There is no reason at all to avoid dietary fats, and this has been well-known for over a decade. I was wrong - we should be feasting on fat, says Dr. Mosley. If your triglyceride numbers scare you or your doc, take some statins. Eat all the carbs you want, too, unless you want or need to lose weight. If you wish to be more slim, trim, and muscular, quit the carbs and exercise hard. And, for God's sake, quit with the stupid organic stuff. It's just marketing. Marketing genius for sure, just like the people who sell water in bottles.
Posted by Dr. Joy Bliss
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14:27
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Do not be surprised by evil, pray for good in ourselves and in othersCommenter "Monster from the Id" on Belmont's Lost in Translation: Evil exists because human beings exist. No other living thing, and no inanimate object, is capable of being, thinking, feeling evil or of committing evil acts. Only us. "The world" is not a wicked place. And Humanity is not a wicked thing. Evil is just one of many capabilities we possess. We have to recognize it and (if we're sane) choose not to indulge in it. That's not easy. Most of all, we shouldn't deny evil or act all surprised when it turns up. Like it or not, it's business as usual for us humans. Fortunately, it's not the WHOLE business. We can do better... Friday morning linksPhoto via Theo What? Janet looks at 89 penises Amusing comments, of course. Celebrating 25 Years with the Backpack of a Lifetime New York Times Reporter: ‘Some People Are Deserving of Incivility’ The 10 Most Overrated Destinations in the Midwest The 10 Most Underrated Destinations in the Midwest The dangers in frank discussion of homophones How to Whistle With Your Fingers Study Finds College Still More Worthwhile Than Spending 4 Years Chained To Radiator Marriage Won’t End Poverty. But It Will Help (A Lot). "Three Lost Decades" – How The American Middle Class Is 20% Poorer Now Vs. 1984 The ‘Billionaire’s Club’ Behind the Green Movement Border security is national security:
Krauthammer’s Take: Democrats Will Regret Obama’s Lawlessness Noonan: The admin is trying to divide America Here’s What Wall Street Bulls Were Saying In December 2007: Read And Take Cover! Report reveals ‘disturbing trend’ of brazen attacks against border security by gangs, drug and human traffickers White House is Begging for Impeachment Sheriff: Over 120,000 Illegals Arrested in One Sector CIA Admits Spying On Senate Computers US Attorney to Cuomo: Witness tampering and obstruction are still illegal, you know Qatari tech helps Hamas in tunnels, rockets: Expert Kidnappings and oil sales: How al Qaeda, Islamic State reap millions Toon via SDA
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