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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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Monday, November 7. 2022A Bluebird Day Our Sunday hunt was not productive of meat, but we must have seen 50 Bluebirds. Whether a migrating flock or a local population, who knows? They do not migrate much, depending on food supply. Berries in winter, bugs in summer. They are a kind of thrush, like robins and lots of other birds. The Eastern Bluebird likes large fields, meadows, pastures, beaver marshes, and golf courses. Backyards, not much. Woodlands, no. If you scatter 5 or 10 Bluebird houses around a large meadow, they will find them sooner or later. Tree Swallows will find them too, and they can fight about it. From All About Birds, Eastern Bluebird Pic from my pal yesterday of a male. The females are brown. Yes, they love to sit on fenceposts. Some Useful AdviceRecently, I've had a number of bad events occur. Supposedly, these things happen in threes, and I'm hoping that's how it goes. I won't share the first two event details. Needless to say they are both very upsetting and expensive events. The third event was VERY expensive. And very avoidable. What made it particularly galling was how it happened to me, someone who is ridiculously careful online because among the roles of previous jobs I've held, one has been the management of online privacy and data. Compelling partner companies to take extra effort, steps or other precautions to protect user data and information. If your company is like mine, you take tests each year to identify several different forms of potential identity capture. Phishing, Spearphishing, downloading Trojan horses, etc. There are many ways to do it, and I'm familiar with all of them. I've always passed these tests with flying colors, and I've even caught several transgressors over the years. Before I tell my own, very humbling, story, let me say this kind of event is not just an issue of being online. My stepmother is not as adept online as I am, so does not engage the internet to nearly the degree I do. Yet several years ago she was scammed out of several thousand dollars in attempting to do something good for her grandchild - so she thought. Unfortunately, she (much like I am about to detail) missed one or two key details in her situation, and fell victim to a con over the phone. Anyone can be a victim. Continue reading "Some Useful Advice" Monday morning links
Doctors Advised to Suggest Suicide to Patients as Canada Runs Out of Basic Painkillers After Backlash, University of Chicago Appears to Cancel ‘The Problem of Whiteness’ Class DERSHOWITZ: Why Is The Left So Afraid Of Twitter? Censorship is their last redoubt Democrat Campaign Chief to America: Eat Chef Boyardee to Offset High Gas Prices, Stomach Inflation New York Red Wave is coming ashore Karine Jean-Pierre: Biden Regrets That People 'Twisted' His Promise to End Coal Narcissism In Climate & Woke Victim Movements Sunday, November 6. 2022The New England Hurricane of 1938
Posted by The News Junkie
in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation
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13:08
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From today's LectionaryJob 19:23-27a 19:23 "O that my words were written down! O that they were inscribed in a book! 19:24 O that with an iron pen and with lead they were engraved on a rock forever! 19:25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; 19:26 and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God, 19:27a whom I shall see on my side, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. Saturday, November 5. 2022Provencal Cooking, with Fennel and Seafood
It's perfect with simple seafood. Here's my first course (lousy photo): Warm salad of sliced octopus on a bed of sauteed fennel. Main course (which was not really needed) - a rare filet of French beef with a jus with olives, not mushrooms. And usual Euroland runny mashed taters.
Hunting
Posted by The Barrister
in Hunting, Fishing, Dogs, Guns, etc.
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14:13
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Re affirmative action
Saturday morning links
School Choice Is About To Revolutionize K-12 Education Bloated College Administration Is Making Education Unaffordable. Our campuses are stuffed with non-academic office workers. If elected to Harvard’s Board of Overseers, I‘ll propose firing most of them. Elon Musk Explains Why Laying Off Employees Was Necessary: “There is No Choice When the Company is Losing Over $4M/day” Biden AGAIN Falsely Claims He Used To Be A College Professor… Chronicle: A Conference Says Academic Freedom Is in Danger. Critics Say the Event Is Part of the Problem. Michael Beschloss Echoes Joe Biden’s Bizarre Tuesday Speech and This Is Why We Must Take What They Say Seriously Fortress Unionism - Despite shrinking ranks, labor groups are thriving financially, while skimping on member spending. ‘Equity’ Was a Costly Error Biden lets in millions who have no asylum claim — and they’ll never leave The media’s coverage of Kari Lake takes bias to new extremes If Republicans Win, They Will Burn Your Home, Steal Your Possessions, Take Your Lives, And Laugh As They Enslave Your Children Oh no! Is Trump back? Friday, November 4. 2022Doing physical sturdiness correctly
This youtube is correct, but makes it sound complicated. It's not. Main tip is that you push the world away with your legs. And keep back straight. No way to hurt yourself with this.
How would winning the Powerball change your life?
I would hire more help and maybe a driver, avoid making new "friends", and consume much better wines. Buy some good land, and get a Netjets account. But what's the deal? You win $1.5 billion and have to give back a third. Your reply in Comments.
Friday morning links
Is IQ a load of BS? Children as young as three have been defined for life by IQ tests. World-first human brain cell map shows gene activity changes Elon Musk To Fire Half Of Twitter Today Even Liberals Should Be Skeptical of Racial Preferences in Higher Education, The practice is inconsistent with liberal values. Must New York City Double Down on Leftism? Elon Musk is having himself a fine old time responding to critics of the $8 dollar blue check Tucker Carlson explains why the Democrats must rely on censorship to maintain political viability. Bill Clinton joins other Democrats in spreading a big lie against Republicans on the campaign trail MSNBC Democrat Says GOP Win Will Bring “Brutal Authoritarian System” The world does not need is an American administration that embarrasses itself at every opportunity. Joe Biden Complains Oil Companies ‘Should Be Drilling More’ After Vowing to End Fossil Fuels TGIF: Matches Made in Hell Edition. The CDC and the teachers union. The Department of Homeland Security and Facebook. AOC and Elon. And other unholy unions. Does the US have a treaty with Taiwan? Thursday, November 3. 2022Standardised testing and meritocracy
Merit, say, for employment in my field, is relatively easy to assess. We want to hire people who are personable enough to be good colleagues, bright, eager, good writers and speakers, and easily-trainable. If they don't work out, they have to leave. We do not care about your golf game. So, in my view, merit has to do with the right fit for a job or task. The right talent stack, as Adams would put it. I know that many private secondary schools (the PSSAT) and, of course, still most higher ed wants test scores. The SAT and ACT are basically proxies for IQ or, at least, functional IQ as it has to be applied to a test. But is IQ a measure of general merit as a human being? Of course not. It matters, but how much? Let's say you are head of admissions at a competitive higher ed school with far more applicants than spaces. Your job is to try to field a group of smart kids with enough talents to field sports teams, an orchestra, some math geniuses, etc. Fill each bucket. What would you do?
Posted by The Barrister
in Education, The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation
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14:10
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Thursday morning links
How Covid drove the world insane Teachers Union Boss Backs Call For “Pandemic Amnesty”… PROF GIORDANO: Remote learning is an epic fail.Remote education should be forbidden for students in the K-12 system and those in their first couple of years of college. The push to expand remote education is part of the push to lower standards. Biden’s Energy ‘Windfall’ Tax Is Election Theater For Economic Illiterates Chronic School Absenteeism in SF Moral Toddlers Making a Mess. Adult toddlers throw tantrums for the same reason as children: they desperately want something and have no idea how to get it. Wokeness Is The Acid Dissolving Christianity. If you compromise with it, you will ultimately abandon the faith ALL THE BEST PEOPLE FAVOR RACIAL DISCRIMINATION Affirmative Action is the Last Systemic Racism in America. The Supreme Court can erase this racist stain on our present and our future. For ‘inclusivity’: Cambridge U. teaches ‘gender-neutral’ version of German Wednesday, November 2. 2022A few observations about ProvenceA handful of my observations is below the fold - cheese, hiking, etc - check it out - Continue reading "A few observations about Provence" PowerballA $2 Powerball ticket is the most fun you can buy for that price.
Posted by The News Junkie
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10:16
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Wednesday morning links
Free Bird: On Elon Musk and Twitter. In more than a decade on Twitter, Walter Kirn watched as the platform manipulated reality in real-time. Now? ‘Let the wild rumpus begin.’ AFTER THE HARVARD CASE, WHAT NEXT? TRUTH COPS - Leaked Documents Outline DHS’s Plans to Police Disinformation Bring Back Standardized Testing Biden again wrongly says son Beau died in Iraq in stumbling Florida speech Kari Lake Torches the Media: You Idiots Will Fall for Anything David DePape Is Sick, And So Is San Francisco. This isn’t the first time in recent history that the Right has been the Left’s scapegoat. Illegals Bearing Giant Venezuelan Flag Attack Border Patrol Tuesday, November 1. 2022Tuesday morning links Cannabis use does not increase actual creativity but does increase how creative you think you are, study finds Puberty blockers given to children 'as young as NINE' at Scotland's Tavistock Centre: Sandyford clinic under fire for giving life-changing drugs to autistic and troubled youngsters who may have been 'misdiagnosed' as trans What Does the Death of Facebook Mean? Will social media matter less? The Press Has Officially Lost Its Grip On Reality As conservative comedians the Hodgetwins tweeted: “The left went from ‘Twitter is a private company, it can do what it wants!’ to ‘Twitter is dangerous and should be shut down!’ all within a week.” Should Convicts Have to Earn Their Keep In Prison? Why Lifelong Democrats in Oregon Say They’re Ready to Vote Red
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