Maggie's Farm

The US did not know how to do this, not that the US could have. The NVA was relentless. It is so strange that Vietman is a nice place now for tourists, but so are Germany and Japan.

Was Vietnam another proxy war? The NVA was not stupid. Tanks? That was WW2.

Were any of our readers on the ground there? 

It's not entirely understood. There are theories.

 Brains Are Not Required When It Comes to Thinking and Solving Problems—Simple Cells Can Do It

William Shatner Slams European Union Gender Equality Proposal to Ban Star Trek’s Iconic, “To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before”

 Harvard’s ‘Diversity’ Chief Accused Of Over 40 Instances Of Plagiarism

 Across the globe, people are choosing to have fewer children or none at all. 

 Bestseller Reparations - In ‘American Fiction,’ director Cord Jefferson brings a devil-may-care effrontery to bear on the culture of self-censorship, progressive pieties, and artistic hypocrisy.

Stuart's Wednesday Potpourri 

Taibbi:  The Anti-Democratic Movement Targeted Ralph Nader First. We Should Have Paid More Attention. The recent ballot access challenges, political investigations, and canceled primaries are just an extension of a phenomenon we should have seen coming twenty years ago

Illegal migrants from all over the world. It is an invasion, of sorts, without arms. There are many routes to legal immigration and most Americans are ok with that. Who wants open borders?

It's not really understood. Maybe it's not new.

By the way, peanuts are, of course, not nuts even though they look like nuts. Like so many foods that the world loves, peanuts originated in Central America. 

Still undergoing renvoation by its Chinese owners. I always enjoyed the 1930s feel. It was a pleasant, elegant place with a good friendly bar.

 Inside the Waldorf Astoria’s $1 billion makeover

 The project has been mired in difficulty, starting when the holding company owning it was replaced in 2018 by another Chinese holding company. More recently, the chief executive in charge of the Waldorf project resigned after the price tag for the hotel/condo project ballooned to nearly $3B.

 Illegals from China, Turkey and India Cross Border in San Diego County

 Climate Change Causes Infant Mortality

 A Study of How Americans Die

  PUBLIC SCHOOL BLOAT

 Almost One-Third of Gen Z Now Gender-Queer

 EU Wants All 'Gendered Language' Erased

Tipping is good 

 Canadian officials fume over Tucker Carlson’s speech, proclaim they 'won’t stand for it'

 'Army Of God' Convoy Heads To US Border While EU Farmers Block Cities

The peasants are revolting 

 Soros, Facebook, And Omidyar Money Behind Attacks On German Farmers

Canada:  Public has proof that his (Trudeau's) government used faked intelligence to illegally frame protesting truckers as violent extremists.

“Undeniable at This Point” – Elon Musk Weighs in on Joe Biden’s Open Borders

 George Soros Spending Millions to Turn Texas Blue

Why? Strange.

Islam :

1,400 years ago, when Islam was created in the 7th century, Iran was Zoroastrian—today Muslim. Iraq was Christian; today it’s Muslim. Turkey was Christian; today it’s Muslim. Lebanon was Christian; today, with a Muslim majority, the Christians are disappearing from there. Egypt was Christian; today it's 92% Muslim. ..

President Joe Biden’s got blood on hands after appeasing Iran for years

  In The Little Book of Stupidity, Sia Mohajer draws on extensive research and makes surprising connections among ten of life's most pervasive cognitive biases. It is a story about how stupid we can all be...

300 years ago, China was the wealthiest country in the world: How The Opium Trade Destroyed China’s Greatest Empire. Is Fentanyl tit for tat?

I have no idea how these stats are calculated, but supposedly just over 70% of Americans are overweight, and 40% obese. 

It's just interesting. Asking "why?" is silly.

 What to expect from this year's rare double brood of cicadas

 A RABBI FOR CHRISTIANS

 Physical activity’s relationship with depression is more complex than it appears, study shows

 The Seven Laws of Pessimism -If life is better than ever before, why does the world seem so depressing?

 Biden’s new tribal consent laws force NYC Museum of Natural History to close Native American exhibits

 Diversity training does more harm than good

The News About the News Business Is Getting Grimmer

 You Can't Defend 'Democracy' and the Administrative State

Stuart's  Saturday Miscellany

 Trump must pay E. Jean Carroll over $83 million in defamation damages, jury rules

 Climate Alarmist Mann is Not Paying a Penny for his Army of Lawyers

Sketchy economics of rooftop solar 

 The Texas Resistance Backed by 25 Governors. Do states have a right to defend their own borders?

 Biden’s border dereliction forced Gov. Abbott’s hand, and caused a national crisis

" A follower just sent me this video from earlier today of a group of migrants on a boat reaching the shores of a beach  in La Jolla , CA. "

 Cultural Replacement: Why The Immigration Crisis Is Being Deliberately Engineered

 BORDER WARNING FROM RETIRED FBI AGENTS

 TGIF: Soldiers of the Resistance - Democratic Socialists of America has a budget crisis. Hamas thanks U.S. college kids. Trump keeps soaring. Oakland’s In-N-Out shuts down. 

 Israel’s War on Hamas is the Least Deadly War in the Region. So why does the media describe it as “among the deadliest… in history”?

 Good News: US Halts UNRWA Funding Over Staff Involvement in October 7 Attacks

Crowd pleaser, tear-jerker from Nabucco -  Va, Pensiero from the Hebrew slaves in Babylon (Spanish subtitles here, for some reasons). Original, and English translation, below.

Va, pensiero, sull'ali dorate;
va, ti posa sui clivi, sui colli,
ove olezzano tepide e molli
l'aure dolci del suolo natal!

Del Giordano le rive saluta,
di Sionne le torri atterrate.
O, mia patria, sì bella e perduta!
O, membranza, sì cara e fatal!

Arpa d'or dei fatidici vati,
perché muta dal salice pendi?
Le memorie nel petto raccendi,
ci favella del tempo che fu!

O simile di Sòlima[10] ai fati
traggi un suono di crudo lamento,
o t'ispiri il Signore un concento
che ne infonda al patire virtù!

Fly, my thoughts, on wings of gold;
go settle upon the slopes and the hills,
where, soft and mild, the sweet airs
of my native land smell fragrant!

Greet the banks of the Jordan
and Zion's toppled towers.
Oh, my homeland, so lovely and so lost!
Oh memory, so dear and so dead!

Golden harp of the prophets of old,
why do you now hang silent upon the willow?
Rekindle the memories in our hearts,
and speak of times gone by!

Mindful of the fate of Solomon's temple,
Cry out with raw lamentation,
or else may the Lord strengthen you
to bear these sufferings![11]

No matter where you live in the US, Chili is a basic warming winter supper. Always good for lunch too on a ski slope with a cold beer or two.

Chili is like barbecue: every region and every locale has developed its own favorite version. Up here in Yankeeland, it's usually made with ground beef and lots of beans. It's OK, not great. Something like this recipe. That's what moms and dads here make.

That's OK after a morning of skiing, but that is a pic of a real Texas Chili: no beans and no ground beef. 3/4 of a cup of hot chili powder?!? Well, I did that. Unless your Mom was a Texan or a Mezzican-American, you probably never had it like that. Stewed meat in tomato, garlic and hot pepper sauce, hot and spicy as hell - or as spicy as you decide to make it.

Got a deer on hand? Venison is as good, or better, than beef. Use your least-desirable cuts because it tenderizes during 7 hrs. in the crock pot. Best to kill the deer first too, if you know how to do it. Bow, spear, or AR-15. Who cares?

You can put the pure-meat version on rice if you need to. Never on brown rice. My rule of thumb: Nothing on brown rice. It took the Asians thousands of years to make rice white, so why go backwards? At Maggie's HQ we use Costco's tasty Basmati but there is nothing wrong with Uncle Ben's.

It's been a long road, with many changes over the years (but with no changes to our antique graphic presentation).

We (and "we") has changed plenty over the years. I spose our vision - if there was one - has been to be an eclectic site. Yes, we try to have a daily bulletin board of interesting and/or timely items, but we don't aim to "cover the news," whatever that means.

It can look like a conservative site, but it's intended to be more contrarian. Traditionalist. Skeptical for sure - always because the world is full of BS and propaganda and always was. When the MSM is riding some ideologically-motivated, politically-biased hobby horse, we like to offer other views. Sometimes rightly, sometimes in error, but I still think our perspectives are mostly rational and skeptical.

I do appreciate all of the people who send me links to use. That's good, but it would be fun to have more voluntary writers. People do get worn out by it over time and, if it's no longer fun, why bother?  Simpler just to email links to the Editor - little ol' me.

As best I can tell, several millions of people look at our site each year from all over the world (blocked in China I think but not in Norway). That is cool, but there is no vision of what we want to be or become - if anything. Never made one penny from this hobby, and some think that is stupid. Maybe, but I never made a penny from playing tennis either but when I played well, Mrs. BD noticed...

If you have plenty of good content, Substack seems like a place to offer it these days. Getting crowded though. Lots of competition in the arena of public affairs but not many sites love Farmall tractors.

Yeah, always loved our old Farmall except on steeps. Little scary on steeps - not built for our New England hills. 

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 BLAZING SADDLES HISTORY MONTH

 This Lancet paper on ‘dangers of undervaccination’ should never have been published

 Why We Went Crazy During the COVID Lockdowns

I didn't 

 Last year, for Black History Month, Franck Sylvestre was canceled for racial stereotypes even though he’s black

 EU Looks To Accelerate Development Of Small Nuclear Reactors

 Great News! The Climate Is Much Better Than Predicted. Now We Can Calm Down!

The US Has The Biggest Govt In The History Of The World... By A Very Wide Margin

 “The administrative state,” Heritage Foundation President Dr. Kevin Roberts declared in front of the annual gathering of the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, “is the greatest threat to democracy in the United States, and we need to end it.” 

 The Top 1% Richest Of the Country Feel That Normal Americans Have Too Much Freedom, and That Meat, Fuel, and Electricity Should Be Strictly Rationed to the Lower Orders

Red States Declaring 'I Am Texacus'

 Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Calls for Ceasefire in Gaza - but not in Chicago

 Trump’s Insults and Rants Mask a Ruthlessly Efficient Campaign

 ‘Europeans Will Succumb to Islam,’ Says Former Intelligence Chief

 You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet As the Long Knives REALLY Come Out for Trump

 Who Is Winning the War in Gaza?

 The October 7 'genocide' video evidence in full

Police states always install political officers in organizations. Nazis, communists, etc. I am always reminded of the Political Officer in the Hunt for Red October movie.

Yeah, DEI administrators are political officers. It makes sense for employees to fear them.

Roger Kimball discusses Bill Ackman's "touching naivete" and related issues. 

It's about 140 square miles - the size of many US towns. Maybe 6 million people packed in it.

 Farmers against beavers in Scotland

 REMEMBERING MAO’S CARNIVAL OF HATE

 Fifty-Year-Old Male Who Identifies as a 15-Year-Old Girl Is Welcomed on the Girls' Swim Team

 Most Gen Z lack this workplace skill — and it could cost them a job

 The Harvard DEI complex is stronger than ever

 Public Education's Alarming New 4th 'R': Reversal of Learning

 The Bachelor and The Bachelorette provide evidence for evolutionary theories of partner selection

 How to Slander a Person and Get Away With It, NBC and ADL Edition

  ADL Alerts Law Enforcement to Matt Walsh, Chris Rufo, Libs of TikTok

 The Most Dangerous Conservative

UK Doctor Suspended After Calling Hamas Attack On Israel A "Very Welcome Punch On The Nose"

 NYU Professor Tells Students of Hamas Atrocities: ‘We Know It’s Not True’

 News Host Charles Payne Turns the Tables on Democrat Strategist Jessica Tarlov and Goes Scorched Earth on Joe Biden’s Sick Hatred of Trump Supporters

 Donald Trump's Next Move Should Be a Trip to the Southern Border

Tests were always useful to me, same as tests are for me in the gym. Otherwise, it's hard to know how you are doing. Finding out your strengths and weaknesses, etc. Sometimes painful, but of course. If you don't care, fine. 

 EDUCATIONAL TESTING AND THE WAR ON REALITY & COMMON SENSE

 They Are Coming For Your Coffee Now

Not likely 

 Kerry calls for greenie restrictions on farming, or people will starve

In the Biggest Cases, Big Law Tilts Decisively Left

 Have Our Elites Lost The Mandate Of Heaven?

 More Academic Integrity Problems at Harvard

 The shameless campaign to silence Jordan Peterson - The world-famous psychologist is being sent for re-education by his professional body.

 The LA Times Appears to Be in a State of Imminent Collapse

 Nine Democrat Governors Pressure Biden and Congress to Address Border Crisis

 NYPD Police Officer Who Threw Water Cooler at Fleeing Drug Suspect Charged with Manslaughter

 ‘I’d Stay Hidden’: CNN’s Van Jones Urges Biden to Repeat 2020 Basement Campaign

 Why I love the blue-state refugees moving to my red state

 MSNBC Hosts Utterly Melt Down Over Trump's NH Win

 DONALD TRUMP, RACIST?

 ‘Lord Ram Has Arrived’: Indian PM Modi Leads the Consecration of the New Grand Temple, as Hindu Religious Fervor Sweeps the Country

 Israeli Military Now Says It's "Impossible" To Destroy Vast Hamas Tunnel Network

 Hamas Leader: We Reject a Two State Solution. We Demand It All.

  Yale students walk out of class on first day of semester to protest school’s ‘complicity in genocide.’

 Not Just America, Canada is Being Demographically Transformed. Only 9% of Canadians want more immigrants.

 Canada Considering Measures To Limit Migrants Entering The Nation Demanding Asylum

From Hillsdale (if only I could go back to college now): Mathematics and Logic: From Euclid to Modern Geometry

Your brain is hard-wired to avoid exercise. Here's why

 Trust The Science? Fauci Finally Admits Pandemic Errors

 The New Victorians - Cancel Culture is happening on a historic scale, 

 Climahysterics Predict One Foot Of Sea Rise For NYC In Next Decade

 They’re Black Democrats. And They’re Suing Chicago Over Migrants.

 Playwright David Mamet Says ‘Trump Was the Best President Since Abraham Lincoln’

Germany in Decline