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
Birth, Death and All That Stuff in Between
How to Honor Labor Day, Every Day
My Yom Kippur Miracle (Repost from 2010)
Good intro to fly casting
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Easy for you to say: To the elites on mass immigration
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Your "identity"
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Uses of Hot Pepper Jelly/Sauce, Chutneys, and Jams
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How to Pick a Kayak
Civilized: Fruit forks and knives
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Psychology Experiments' Questionable Results

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Monday, May 15. 2017

Monday morning links

In Rural Alaska, A Young Doctor Walks To His Patient's Bedside


House calls are still done in the lower states too. My doc does them. A doc can learn a lot from a house call.


The New York Times Magazine takes an open-minded view of open marriage.


 Why Pop Culture (and ‘Say Yes to the Dress’) are Going Wild for Polyamory


Monogamy is so bourgeois and Christian. The rich and the poor often ignore such conventions. 


 There Is No Such Thing As "Healthy Food"


 How to ruin Mother’s Day with trigger warnings


 Pro-life Fresno students sue professor over literal erasure of free speech


 Michelle Obama to Moms: Don’t Allow Schools to Serve ‘Crap’ to Kids


 Meanwhile, Back in Reality, Vast Majority of Colleges Report Zero Rapes


Dilbert on climate 


 The Expertocracy - What if they don't know as much as they think they do?


They obviously don't, often 


 Even Prominent Conservatives Have Socialism Hiding Inside Their Heads - It turns out the problem isn't the socialism in our economics. It's the unexamined collectivist assumptions inside our heads.


 Elizabeth Warren Stabs at Trump, Ends up Pounding Hillary Instead


 ICE Detains Illegal Aliens With Prior Deportation Orders Working Construction at AIR FORCE BASE


 California Democrats Want More Money Spent to Defend Illegal Aliens


 Whatever You Call This Health Care Mess, It's Not Insurance


 Why working class Americans voted with their middle finger


TRUMP PLAYS THE OUTSIDER CARD; INSIDERS GO BANANAS


 Scholar (VDH) Unravels ‘The Big Lie’ Surrounding The Tump Campaign And Russian Collusion


Excellent interview with VDH. I listened to it twice.


 The New York Times Accidentally Exposed 'The Hillary Clinton-Russia Nexus'!


 Trump had good reasons to fire Comey


Goodwin:  I support Trump — but he’s annoying us all



 So here’s my plea, Mr. President: Make it easier for others to keep the faith. You’ll accomplish much more and many more Americans will be proud to stand with you.



 The Existential Roots of Trump Derangement Syndrome

Posted by Bird Dog in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 06:24 | Comments (17) | Trackbacks (0)

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Re healthful food: I just finished reading "The Big Fat Surprise," on the recommendation of someone here, I think. Its thesis is that the prejudice against saturated fat is a somewhat weird phenomenon of consensus among shoddy researchers who first buy into a fad, then start ignoring data that don't support the received wisdom, then talk some bureaucrats into their point of view, and thereby set up a system whereby public research money and cushy professional-society or academic positions dry up for dissenters. The author (perhaps carefully) declines to draw parallels to climate "science."

One of the most amazing aspects of the story is the degree to which a low-saturated-fat--and increasingly a low-any-fat--diet is labeled "prudent." OK, maybe the demographic data aren't supporting it all that well, and there are no controlled experiments to speak of, but hey, it's "prudent," right? Why wouldn't we continue to recommend something prudent? What kind of monster objects to prudence?

In the meantime, over a period of 50 years or so, we panicked and replaced saturated fats (butter, lard, etc.) with a series of stuff that increasingly proved no better and perhaps much worse for us, from hydrogenated oils to carb fillers.

I wonder if we'll find after another few decades that the Omega-3 ideas had some validity, but the rest of it was almost all hooey.
#1 Texan99 on 2017-05-15 09:31 (Reply)
Most of us could probably agree on what would be a really bad diet but even then I suspect we would be wrong. But no one seems able to agree on what is a good diet and almost without exception even there it seems we are wrong. Wrong in that we continue to make claims that cannot be substantiated for various foods. The quote from the article sums it up; "Inane ingredients in otherwise good food is the unmistakable mark of the hipster douchebag chef."
Kale is a great example of this. Now everyone wants to use kale in every recipe. Kale lasagna and kale soup, yadda, yadda. It seems to me that the "perfect" food from the viewpoint of the douchbag chef, is any food with literally nothing in it: No protein, no sugar, no carbs, no fat, no redeeming food value. None of those "trigger" ingredients that some group or other thinks will kill you.

My grandchildren were with us this weekend. I offered them some apple juice and the 11 year old declared that they weren't allowed to drink that because the dentists said it is too sweet. So instead we had oranges that I had bought just for them. Apparently the dentist either has had no comment on oranges or is unaware of the sugar content of oranges. Where does it all end?
#1.1 OneGuy on 2017-05-15 10:26 (Reply)
When kale became a fad several years back I thought that finally people knew what it was as I have been eating kale in a hotdish since the 1950's. It is rice and diced potatoes mixed with kale and fried in a pan with plenty of butter. Add a bit of sausage if you wish. Serve on a plate with plenty of salt and a couple of dollops of butter and you're ready for a days work. I have never subjected myself to the Moochel diet and even after butter, eggs, fatty pork, salt, and other unmentionables were treated as harshly as cigarette smoking, I continued. Why? My grandparents lived to the 80's and 90's...that's what they ate. I never shopped at whole foods.
#1.1.1 indyjonesouthere on 2017-05-15 17:11 (Reply)
I'm not at all sure I could agree with anyone on what a bad diet is, absent a series of large controlled double-blind studies conducted by demonstrably honest people. There are very extreme examples of what happens when a whole population becomes so dependent on a single food that they develop critical deficiencies in vitamins or protein--very rare. You could call those bad diets, but they have little relevance to anyone not stranded on a ship or island.

I know what happens when we eat too much. It doesn't seem to matter that much what we eat too much of. Similarly, people caught in famines need more food, but it doesn't seem very important in what form it comes.

There's decent evidence that switching a whole population from a meat and animal-fat diet to something more agricultural wreaks havoc quickly. Beyond that, mostly balderdash, almost purely emotional appeals.
#1.1.2 Texan99 on 2017-05-16 11:20 (Reply)
"...the unexamined collectivist assumptions inside our heads."

That is the direct result of decades of liberal propaganda piped into our homes by the televised legacy media. (The Marxists 'seized the telegraph office first', as it were.) Of course, the Rosenbergs were innocent; of course, Arthur Miller was a great playwright; of course, Senator McCarthy was an evil nut and wrong about communist influence in our government; of course, America lost in Vietnam. I was so brainwashed that I didn't realize until about 10 years ago that Miller's plays were the cultural equivalents of soviet tractors, propaganda.

The major networks (ABCCBSNBC) did this by 1) controlling the communications spigot; and 2) filtering every fact through their own biases; and 3) interpreting such 'news' as they did choose to reveal to us, for us. In short, they have shaped many of our current attitudes and defined what 'right-thinking' people believe. It's the price we've paid for 'free' television. The media has been working on us for much, much longer than many of us may have realized.

And we've been lied to for such a long time now that we can barely tell truth from fiction. Now that other avenues of obtaining news are open to us via the Internet, we have to fight to free our minds from the results of the left's pernicious brainwashing.
#2 ahem on 2017-05-15 10:04 (Reply)
"I support Trump - but..."

I do wonder about people like this. The most common thing I hear "legitimate' and non-partisan commentators make is Trump needs to stop tweeting or stop talking or stop something. And always it is claimed to be an attempt to "help" Trump; to help him be more presidential or less controversial. But my gut tells me that they want him to fail and if they could just shut him up so that all that would be heard was the naysayers that they could destroy Trump.

I say Trump should continue to be the honey badger and the hell with what the peanut gallery says. Their advice got all of Trump's competition exactly nothing in the last election. Their advice is toxic. Let Trump be Trump. I think what really pisses them off is that he chooses not to take their sage advice.
#3 GoneWithTheWind on 2017-05-15 10:34 (Reply)
I agree with you. Most people have no idea how hard you have to fight and how many battles you have to lose before you win a war. This is the instant gratification crowd who think victory comes by magic; they couldn't accomplish what President Trump accomplishes if someone were to put a gun to their heads.

And they envy his indomitable spirit. Consider the basketball player, Michael Jordan, who also had one. At the end of his career, he had worn out his welcome: people wanted him to fail because they were tired of being bested.

He doesn't need the so-called help of mediocrities and losers.
#4 ahem on 2017-05-15 11:25 (Reply)
My feeble mind is boggled once again.

From the UPI, not The Onion:

Prank pineapple left at Scottish gallery included in modern art show

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2017/05/13/Prank-pineapple-left-at-Scottish-gallery-included-in-modern-art-show/6821494711666/?utm_source=upi&utm_campaign=mp&utm_medium=3

Look: California police department offers to test meth for gluten

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2017/05/12/California-police-department-offers-to-test-meth-for-gluten/7861494620634/?utm_source=upi&utm_campaign=mp&utm_medium=1

Austria's Green Party to teach women how to urinate standing up

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2017/05/05/Austrias-Green-Party-to-teach-women-how-to-urinate-standing-up/5701494016577/?spt=slh&or=1

The world is off its rocker.
#5 feeblemind on 2017-05-15 12:04 (Reply)
Some are off their rocker and face down in the gutter.
#5.1 indyjonesouthere on 2017-05-15 17:17 (Reply)
"In Rural Alaska, A Young Doctor Walks To His Patient's Bedside"
Okay, I'm a sucker for this type of story. Kinda brought me back to "Gunsmoke" and Doc. The dutiful old curmudgeon taking care of the citizens of the old west.
But, then the story transitioned into the typical liberal scree, "oh woe is me if the ACA is replaced."
Hey, the ACA didn't benefit those folks did it!?!?!? They still had to go on Medicare/caid in order to pay for their health care. And if Alaska is sssoooo rich in oil; why don't they tax the heck out of that to pay for their "citizens" healthcare?!?!?
Get the feds out of the health insurance field. Allow the citizens to purchase health insurance that is structured to their needs across state lines.
Steve
#6 Steve on 2017-05-15 12:29 (Reply)
Permanent resident Alaskans get a check every year from the oil funds generated from the petroleum extraction. Apparently, they don't use those checks to buy health insurance.
#6.1 JK Brown on 2017-05-15 13:23 (Reply)
If you think Conservatives aren't little government socialists, then you are smokin' some bad weeds. Socialism is a materialistic philosophy based on taking private property to "do right". Conservatives generally want to "do right" as directed by Christianity. Progressives want to "do right" as directed by Marxism. But both groups are damn well going to "save" you and themselves by using government to see you "do right."

It is an unfortunate reality that the question is not capitalism or socialism, but rather how much socialism (usually in the form of interventionism). The liberty to use your saved capital to generate wealth for yourself is not a liberty many will support for others, even as they lament others denying them that liberty.
#7 JK Brown on 2017-05-15 13:33 (Reply)
That conservatives want to install Christianity is one of those tired cliches based on feelings and bad history. A lot of conservatives would like to change abortion law to varying degrees, I suppose. I'm not seeing where the income redistribution comes in there. Gay marriage has been forbidden by every society until recently. I'm not seeing any socialism in that anyway. Are there pockets of conservatives insisting the government build their churches?
#7.1 Assistant Village Idiot (Link) on 2017-05-16 00:22 (Reply)
Assistant Village Idiot: Are there pockets of conservatives insisting the government build their churches?

More common are religious conservatives wanting to erect religious monuments on public land. Many also want to retain their charitable tax deductions while endorsing political candidates or even running businesses.
#7.1.1 Zachriel on 2017-05-18 08:18 (Reply)
I saw the story about the illegals working on the Air Force Base yesterday. It caught my attention b/c I work in consulting helping small businesses with proposals for government contracts - I have done many proposals for construction contracts. This article leaves out many facts that would've helped:

1) The 2 illegals were working for a subcontractor, and this was a 'new' contract on the base.

2) A federal construction contract has many clauses in it, including one about NOT hiring illegal workers. All workers must be LEGAL to work in the U.S.

3) The subcontractor likely had to provide social security numbers to the contractor or other documents proving their workers were legal to work in the country.

4) A basic check of the facts revealed the truth: these 2 were not legal to work in the country, and, therefore, were not allowed to work on the contract.

All was done correctly and in line with government contracting rules and clauses within contracts that contractors MUST follow or they may lose the contract.

The pathetic part, to me, was the Mercury News acting as if this was something 'new' and 'shocking.' These kinds of clauses have been in gov't contracts for years. I think the difference is: we finally have a president and an administration who is enforcing the clauses/laws!

These two men KNEW they were here illegally, KNEW they were under deportation actions from years ago, but chose to remain in the country anyway. I do not feel sorry for them at all. They made their beds, now they can lie in them.
#8 MissT on 2017-05-15 14:14 (Reply)
I am retired and have been for 18 years. When I worked I had to fill out an I-9. Being obstinate and argumentative I asked WHY? Hell I had been working their for a few years and they knew I was a citizen (this was about 1995 or so). I was told it was a re-required form that "everyone" working had to fill out. I said "everyone"??? Yes! I was assured that "everyone working in the U.S. was required to prove citizenship (or other right to work) to their employer. Yet there seems to have been no enforcement or follow up or we simply would not have this problem.
#9 IdahoBob on 2017-05-15 18:11 (Reply)
Michelle had the schools serving crap to kids, who dumped it.

I like Mr. Hanson.
#10 Sam L. on 2017-05-15 18:18 (Reply)

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