Maggie's Farm

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.

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Much Sorry with Delays
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How to Honor Labor Day, Every Day
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Easy for you to say: To the elites on mass immigration
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Labor Costs in U.S.
Your "identity"
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Thursday, September 18. 2014

Thursday morning links


Photo is another from Zambia - a Great Egret. Basically the same bird in North America, which we used to term American Egret.


Remembrance of Trumpets Past -Rosh Hashanah as described in the Torah looks very different from the Rosh Hashanah we know today. What happened, and what exactly are Jews celebrating?


Boswell promised not to attend more executions but ultimately always gave in to his morbid compulsion


Lincoln Log Manufacturing Moving to Maine


Beyoncé’s Theology of the Body


How Ancient DNA Is Rewriting Human History


Don't Be a Jerk. Buy Life Insurance.


How many young women can a school legally punish for dress code violations?


California Sorority in Trouble After Taco Event Deemed Racist


Tacos are racist


Not safe to display American flag in American high school


American flag is racist


Could the Apprenticeship Model Work Here?


Despite Liberal Media’s War on Football: Rate of Criminality in NFL Half That of General Public


Why Congress will never take back the NFL’s tax break


Ray Rice vs. Bill Clinton


Chinatown Bus Pioneer Fung Wah Strangled by Federal Bureaucracy


Sierra Club and Sierra Club Foundation Accused of Tax Law Violations


Surber: Go away, Hillary


Thornston on GMO: When Activism Kills


Are things good enough in California?


Even the New York Times Fears Socialized Medicine


Obamacare: From game-changer to background noise


Scotland’s Moment of Destiny


Scottish Independence: Politicians Love Democracy So Much They're Trying To Subvert It


The “No Boots on the Ground” Mantra is Strategic Foolishness


40% of Europe's Jews hide their Jewishness


The Islamic State of Sexual Violence


How Peace Negotiator Martin Indyk Cashed a Big, Fat $14.8 Million Check From Qatar


Lonely Ukraine - The embattled Eastern Europe country is finding few real allies in its struggle with Russia.

Posted by Bird Dog in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 05:58 | Comments (10) | Trackbacks (0)

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The lesson for the kids in the American flag case is that if they must also threaten violence and school disruption to get their views across. Nice. The law is an ass.

Interesting one of the incidents was a student shoving a Mexican flag in the face of a student wearing a shirt displaying the American flag. One was an overt act of assault, while the other was a passive display. The administrators (and the court) decided to ban the passive display.

Remember kids, be violent or be quiet.
#1 JKB on 2014-09-18 07:16 (Reply)
American Egrets:

we call those water turkeys in our neighborhood.


--------

Chinatown Bus Pioneer Fung Wah Strangled by Federal Bureaucracy

When not targeting buses and other people delivery services (the locals in my area who drive the Amish around are thrilled about the DOT compliance and fees) they are busy pulling over truckers. You know. Those people who are busy transporting all goods (and services) that keep the country running. Because the state inspection system isn't harsh enough to keep vehicles in safe repair.

One customer got a DOT fine for his trailer - he just purchased off the lot BRAND NEW, - he was driving it home, -because the brake lines were not painted.

This isn't about safety. It's about feeding the beast.

Everyone of our commercial customers has complaints about FMSCA.
#2 fjord on 2014-09-18 07:29 (Reply)
"Could the Apprenticeship Model Work Here?"

Apprenticeships are racist. Hey, I'm only working with the theme here.

Lonely Ukraine

You would think that a situation like this would bring a country to a virtual halt, but that's not the case at all. I ordered some Russian Army straight code keys (Morse) from a ham in the Ukraine and they arrived two weeks after I ordered them. There are some other products that Ukrainian hams sell that are being delivered here in the US everyday.

That being said, it is unfortunate that we have a wimp for a President who seems to believe that just by his mere presence and speechifying abilities he can bend the world to his will. Putin wouldn't have dared to it with a stronger President and a strong NATO. Sadly, both have diminished in the age of Obama.
#3 Tom Francis on 2014-09-18 10:11 (Reply)
Re: Scottish Independence

Since I neither live in Scotland nor anywhere else in the British Isles, I probably don't have a good perspective on relative merits of Scottish independence (on the main, I'm for most freedom and independence movements).

My issue is with the article. About the vote today, the writer states:
QUOTE:
By definition, this is the PUREST possible form of the democratic process.
Is a purely democratic processes some high ideal? No! Pure democracy is just institutionalized mob action - which is the reason our founders did not institute a Democracy in the Constitution.

Then he states:
QUOTE:
Western nations have spent years (and trillion of dollars) force-feeding representative ‘democracy’ down the throats of developing countries at gunpoint.
He doesn't specify who we forced representative government on (Iraq is a common target of that claim, but it didn't look like the voters there were unhappy with the purple thumbs they got for voting).

The author complains that:
QUOTE:
Government, in fact, is supposed to be the responsible steward to protect and champion democratic rights. At least, that’s the BS they’re constantly selling us.

But that’s not what’s happening.

British politicians are scared to death that Scotland will file for divorce. So they’re doing everything they can to influence the outcome of this supposedly impartial democratic process.

They’ve spent an incalculable amount of money trying to influence the outcome, effectively subverting a democratic election.
Obviously, 'Government' here refers to the UK Government. Is the author claiming it is closing down polling places, squelching the political speech of those in the independence movement, or other nefarious tactics? No, they're spending money trying to convince people to vote 'No'. Well, isn't that part of the Democratic process he bleated on about earlier? Since it is an issue that affects the entire UK, shouldn't they be able to say something about it to the voters?

One thing he doesn't mention is that this 'democratic process' will include sixteen year old voters. Presumably, their ability to vote was determined by a 'democratic process'. I'll leave it to those of us who are older than sixteen to remember how reasonable and responsible we were at that age.
#4 mudbug on 2014-09-18 10:41 (Reply)
The best argument I've seen for independence is that Paullie "The Beard" Krugman is against it.
#4.1 Sam L. on 2014-09-18 14:59 (Reply)
"Are things good enough in California?" "Democrats control both the governor’s office and the Legislature."

95% of all warrants for murder in Los Angeles are for illegal aliens.
Less then 2% of illegals are picking crops but 41% are on welfare.
More then 66% of all births in California are are to illegals on medi-cal paid by the U.S. taxpayer.
75% of LA's most wanted are illegals.
More then 43% of all food stamps are given to illegals.
Nearly 60% of all occupants of HUD properties are illegals.
More then 39% of California students grade K-12 are illegals.
More then half of all gang members are illegals.

Coming soon to a state near you.
#5 GoneWithTheWind on 2014-09-18 10:51 (Reply)
My Drunk Kitchen, Ep. 7: Tacos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT46FV64dr8
"Tacos are the most versatile fruit."
.
a classic...
#6 TomArmstrong on 2014-09-18 12:28 (Reply)
It should be a clue about a society when it has a vertical sandwich for a horizontal mouth. (actually I love tacos, but I still think it says something about a society)

That video is racist - well, according to some idiots! (actually, I thought it was funny and cute: Jargarita!
#6.1 mudbug on 2014-09-18 12:56 (Reply)
re Rate of Criminality in NFL Half That of General Public

How does the NFL rate of criminality compare to the general population that is in the same income bracket?
#7 feeblemind on 2014-09-18 21:24 (Reply)
Apprenticeships are not confined to Germany; Britain did - and maybe still does - have a robust system of directing their non-academic youth into the trades. It didn't always work - knew one lad who had done his 'time' but who, thanks to the stupidity (or malevolence) of his boss, didn't get his certification. In Canada, there were places like Trail, B. C., where the local smelter had a strong apprenticeship program where the local kids could get a trade. That program closed in the 90s, but it was great while it lasted.

When one thinks of good jobs these days, the trades stand out. Electrician, plumber, painter, welder - the list goes on. Even 'odd' things like arbourist have a steady market. We should be encouraging more kids to take these practical courses.
#8 Frances on 2014-09-18 23:41 (Reply)

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