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.
The idea of individual agency, which lay at the core of the case for traditional human rights, is now seen as part of the vernacular of oppression, as it interferes with the movement to separate people into racially defined categories. Likewise, the idea of dialogue rested on the idea of a shared language. Instead, we now are required to accede to the belief that we all inhabit mutually impenetrable realms marked by our identity, and that some of these realms confer special insight and intuitive powers that allow one to interpret and identify hidden meaning and concealed bias in the language of others.
It is a long read, mixing public policy with religion. The personal parts are good, but the public policy parts get complicated. Religion is mostly about the transcendent (to me, anyway), but policy is about hard core earthly reality.
I liked the way One Cosmos talked about Vertical Being and Horizontal Being. How they do, or should, intersect is above my pay grade.
His book is a must-read for anybody. It is a maritime classic. This is fun - who knew that the Brooklyn Bridge blocked tall ships? Melville changed his life, it seems.
I had my first one of the season this week, creeping around a woodpile. They are a cold-weather wren, much darker than our ordinary House Wren which has pretty much migrated south by now.
Winter Wrens are are a bird of the Northeastern US and eastern Canada during breeding, most often seen in woodpiles, brush piles, and similar sorts of places. You need good eyes to see them but when they are in the mood they sing up a storm.
That 3 generations could have spanned almost the entirety of the US' existence is rather astounding. Yet it is a fact, there is still one of John Tyler's grandchildren left alive.
I first learned two were alive many years ago when an article about this arcane bit of Americana went viral. It's great trivia, but easily forgotten. Yet one of them died, so the trivial knowledge was revived.
What I find just as interesting is the Gardiner name, which the recently deceased held. John Tyler had married a Gardiner daughter. The Gardiners deserve a bit of study. If you have the time I recommend looking them up, and reviewing the history of their island - Gardiner's Island - off the coast of Long Island. Mrs. Bulldog and I were out on the East End last weekend (lovely weekend on Block Island) and the topic of Gardiner's Island was something we began discussing and started reading about. The family (particularly the last "Lord of the Manor") have an intriguing and eccentric history...as does the island itself.
I don't know how many Maggie's readers utilize social media, in particular Facebook. I do use Facebook, for a variety of reasons, even though I am aware of the privacy issues it poses. It remains a very good tool to share thoughts, experiences, moments in time, etc. It has helped me re-connect, and stay connected, to many family members and friends. I have investigated other, less intrusive, media like Parler, but I have not made that move to utilize yet.
I am not writing about social media, per se, though. Whatever your thoughts on its benefits or detriments are yours and you're welcome to them. Social media is a reality now, and I doubt it will be going away anytime soon. Personally, I don't use Instagram, Twitter, or most other social media. I limit myself to Facebook and Linked In. One for personal, the other for work.
What I find particularly troubling lately is the number of friends I have posting pictures of themselves mailing in ballots and writing "I voted, make sure you do, too - you know who I voted for." This is no different than taking a selfie while you're in the voting booth and saying "I voted, you know who I voted for." And while some people have done this, most people would find it very distasteful.
This may be the new reality, though. If it is, it's a troubling problem for the democratic process. The social pressures to 'vote the right way' are being ramped up. A new generation may not understand the problems with this, and many people who don't understand Democratic Theory may not, either. Here is a view supporting selfies which I find abhorrent, since the premise is based on the reason it being good is that it allows millienials to "convey information about their political views and engage with their friends about elections." No offense, but the vote itself is, and should be, private. While many of us share our political views, and even how we voted, that's a personal choice - not a fashion statement. Turning voting into a fashion statement is a dangerous thing. For what it's worth, the article supporting selfies points out that fraud is typically engaged via mail-in votes - a fact I'm sure Slate has shifted its position on in the last few months...
A final note. As I pointed out in the first sentence, the privacy issues of Facebook are problematic. Imagine sharing your selfies on Facebook, which already has collected a ton of information about your political views from your posts, what you've clicked on, even sites you've visited (just a reminder - not having a Facebook account does NOT mean you're immune to them collecting your data. They can do it whether you're on there or not - and they certainly do collect it.), and now they can prove from your selfie that you 'did the right thing for the party.' It's a pleasant thought.
After a few years of shoeing horses, briefly interrupted by a temporary job mining silver, I ran a brush-clearing and landscaping company as a side hustle. During this scramble for meaningful independence, the leftist tendencies I’d absorbed at college dropped off bit by bit. Life as a capitalist entrepreneur brought out the best in me, even when I was flirting with homelessness. Moreover, being in the real working world pushed me into contact with people, ideas, and situations that challenged me in all sorts of ways. After a few near-fatal incidents with horses (one of which left my skull and jaw shattered), I began pursuing my own business full time in 2016.
I'm not sure about the rest of the world, but North America has lots of warblers. They come up north in May to breed, and head back to the Caribbean, Mexico, and South America in September and October.
You really need to be an expert to identify them without their springtime migration breeding colors. They mostly look like the photo, or otherwise nondescript. All around my gardens for the past few weeks.
I know three people who have no trouble with fall warblers. I am completely incompetent. Not very good with female warblers in springtime either. Too many hobbies, and not enuf IQ either (me, not the warblers).
In Spring, they are tiny jewels to look at if you do not have a sore neck. Best places to see them in the Eastern US are Cape May NJ, Central Park in NYC (my day record there in May), and Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge (also in NYC). All Atlantic Flyway.
Don’t Defend Columbus—Celebrate Him. 
Microsoft Allows Employees
I had my first one of the season this week, creeping around a woodpile. They are a cold-weather wren, much darker than our ordinary House Wren which has pretty much migrated south by now.
Image: Cool t-shirts for gals