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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Monday, January 25. 2021

Monday morning links

How many early human species existed on Earth?


Sorry Scotland, haggis is actually English


 Why ‘Just Follow the Science’ Won’t Solve All Our Problems


A government ruled by scientists would be hell


CA Gov. Newsom Hides Key Covid Data Used to Justify Endless Lockdowns, ‘Too Complex and Would Confuse the Public’


 Elon Musk Now Wants To Drill For Natural Gas In Texas


Amazon Says Workers Voting To Unionize Can Only Do So In Person Because Mail-in Votes Would Be Susceptible To Cheating…


Powerline:



 More or less without exception each one of the executive orders promulgated by the gentleman from Madame Tussauds on January 20 belies the principles of good government, though each one in its own distinctive way. Taking the rationale of any one of them to its logical conclusion, one can infer the others and the tyrannical dystopia they mean to hang around our necks. We’re on the road to find out...



Former Trump Adviser: Biden’s Early Priorities Uniting Country Against Him


 Biden quietly embraces far-left ‘critical race theory’


 Biden's brag about 1 million daily vaccines was already achieved by Trump



It's Happening Already: Joe Biden Calls a Lid Four Days Into Presidency


 "Unity" With The Program Of The Left Is Not An Option


Almost nobody voted for the things this administration is doing 



Taiwan Reports Second Day Of Airspace Incursions By China – Meanwhile, Biden* Sits On His Ass Doing Nothing…


 China Authorizes Coastguard to Fire on Foreign Ships in Disputed Waters

Posted by Bird Dog in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 06:54 | Comments (28) | Trackbacks (0)

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Biden calls a lid - Remember Hillary Clinton's campaign ad about "3AM?" How well do we think Joe Biden would do at 3AM?

On a larger level, it is a reminder that Democrats don't actually mean the things they say during campaigns or in other PR moments. Words have instrumental meanings, to be used for effect at the time and thrown away, rather than solid meanings.
#1 Assistant Village Idiot on 2021-01-25 09:16 (Reply)
The natural corollary to this is, if he isn't capable of remaining on station for a complete work day, then at whose direction are all these Executive Orders and other instructions being compiled?

If the Republicans are smart - and that's giving a lot credit in the face of the evidence to the contrary - they will start a long slow game of pointing out the discrepancies, drawing attention to the idea of the nation being governed by the anonymous handlers of a senescent leader - and reminding Biden voters of Words From The Campaign Trail. And also reminding them, in a positive way, that there was little doubt who was in charge during the Trump years. We're already seeing the signs that many Biden voters are already getting that sinking feeling...
#1.1 Aggie on 2021-01-25 09:44 (Reply)
Won't matter - we're in for 4 years of whatever the Dems have planned, or just what they come up with on the spur of the moment for that matter.

After all, the results of their intentions don't matter, because their intentions are so pure there's no way they could possibly go badly...
#1.1.1 Jlawson on 2021-01-25 10:14 (Reply)
"We're already seeing the signs that many Biden voters are already getting that sinking feeling."

Would you expand on this. Are you noticing this among your own acquaintances or have you seen indications on line or in media? The only objection I have seen is to the reversal of the policy promoting XYs in women's(XX)sports.
#1.1.2 Exasperated on 2021-01-25 10:16 (Reply)
You might check with the pipe-fitters and other oil industry-connected unions who backed Biden complaining about him canceling the Keystone pipeline and restricting new fracking and drilling on federal property. Or the radical leftists complaining that they're being shut out of plum positions in the Biden administration by the Old Guard retreads from the Obama administration. This wasn't what they were expecting from Biden even though he clearly spelled out his positions during the campaign - who could have known that Biden was telling the truth?
#1.1.2.1 Jerryskids on 2021-01-25 12:27 (Reply)
Well the easiest example is the Rasmussen approval levels. How does a 'beloved Candidate Uncle Joe' who got a record 80 million votes from 'live, existing, verified human registered voters', with absolutely no fraud in a totally legit election, come in lower than Trump and below Obama in the Presidential Approval tracking poll?
https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/biden_administration/prez_track_jan25

..."The latest figures include 36% who Strongly Approve of the job Biden is doing and 40% who Strongly Disapprove. This gives him a Presidential Approval Index rating of -4. (see trends)"
#1.1.2.2 Aggie on 2021-01-25 12:29 (Reply)
It's Happening Already: Joe Biden Calls a Lid Four Days Into Presidency....any one with half a brain or experience with patients with dementia should have known Biden wouldn't be able to last even full days. Even with Parkinson's or MS the energy level drops shortly after the morning. The left knew it was impossible for Biden to carry on like a president should. The dipshits have a vice leftist to fill in when the curtain finally drops and there are further Marxists pushing them both. So sad for this country and it's people. Look into Biden's eyes, there is no one there most of the time.
#2 JC on 2021-01-25 09:17 (Reply)
I don’t remember where I read this comment but keep it in mind.
"Many of Skeezy’s and Sleazy’s voters convinced themselves that they were voting for moderation."

Of course, Day One’s EOs reveal the opposite. What do you expect, the Prog/global corporatist agenda was derailed for four years. You gotta kill that American Dream and replace it with a very diminished and shriveled version for the new Americans being enticed across the border.
#3 Exasperated on 2021-01-25 09:32 (Reply)
re Taiwan Reports Second Day Of Airspace Incursions By China – Meanwhile, Biden* Sits On His Ass Doing Nothing…

China Authorizes Coastguard to Fire on Foreign Ships in Disputed Waters


China is testing Biden's puppet masters to see how far they can go. As Biden has long been on the Chinese payroll, the Chinese are likely just getting warmed up.
#4 feeblemind on 2021-01-25 09:35 (Reply)
It wasn’t hard to see this one coming. A free Taiwan will likely be a memory soon. Biden will cut them loose without a thought. The only question is which country will be next.
#4.1 mudbug on 2021-01-25 10:38 (Reply)
My guess is they will choose to ignore China's aggressive behavior for as long as they can.

I can't see a Democrat controlled House and Senate plus a friendly media imploring the puppet masters to respond to China's actions.
#4.1.1 feeblemind on 2021-01-25 12:11 (Reply)
Agreed. The Chinese will be sure that the Democrats will not consider Taiwan is worth it on any level. They have a history of doing this starting with Vietnam and including Ukraine.
#4.1.1.1 mudbug on 2021-01-25 14:20 (Reply)
re Amazon Says Workers Voting To Unionize Can Only Do So In Person Because Mail-in Votes Would Be Susceptible To Cheating…

The irony is rich here for all that want to see it.
#5 feeblemind on 2021-01-25 09:37 (Reply)
Leftism is caused by an irony deficiency.
#5.1 Christopher B on 2021-01-25 09:40 (Reply)
I can't keep track of the hominid family tree; you may or not be aware that it is often visualized as a river delta (aerial view) now to reflect its complexity, backward gene flow and looping.
FWIW: The Mt Toba bottleneck has been debunked, see John Hawks.
#6 Exasperated on 2021-01-25 10:04 (Reply)
John Hawks is the real deal, which you are doubtlessly aware of but might be news to the Farm in general. His blog is a good place to start for catching up on what has happened in anthropology since you were in college.
#6.1 Assistant Village Idiot on 2021-01-25 21:21 (Reply)
Re: Science

If anybody wants to discuss the merits of science, it's important to bear in mind that "Science" has two very different meanings. The first definition of science is the act of observing, without interfering. The premise being that only passive observation can yield honest results. The second definition of science is that it's an active tool for creating human happiness, which is supposedly the highest thing to which man can aspire,

I agree with the second definition. First of all, science in pursuit of happiness is a noble objective, and it can be measured with great accuracy. So it's possible to establish metrics, and then run a cost/benefit analysis on different theories in order to choose the best ones. So active goal-oriented happiness-seeking science is accountable. Either a new procedure or medicine is cost effective, or it's not.

Science as passive observation, on the other hand, is what they call "Basic Research". There's no goal or timeline or cost estimates. They just give smart people a bunch of money, and wait to see what happens. NASA has always claimed that new inventions come from basic research. And if you watch the homosexuals on "Big Bang Theory" you'll see that they never talk about cost, or results. That's because those little butt bandits are so wonderful that they don't have to justify their expense. They are royalty.

So when somebody says "Science" what they usually mean is passive non-goal oriented research. A blank check for millions of graduate students. But their "Science" must always call for bigger government, or there won't be another grant for them next year. Washington D.C. does not want any cost/benefit analysis of "Climate Change Regulations" to take place, and they certainly don't want happiness to become an object of national discussion. If happiness were actually "the goal" then taxes would go down, gaslighting would be prohibited, and everyone could watch really meaningful videos about transactional analysis, attitude measurement, and color symbolism. Then they would be able to orient their lives. But people who have their head on straight don't take orders very well. The "science" which we have in America is pure ideology, masked as truth. You can't believe a word of it.
#7 Ron Liebermann on 2021-01-25 10:11 (Reply)
Even when scientists refer to science, they generally mean scientism.
#7.1 JJM on 2021-01-25 11:15 (Reply)
Science at its base must be Moral -- honest, integrity, faithful to its principles. It does not matter if the science is Passive or Aggressive; Basic Research or Applied Science, it must be honest about its assumptions, data, findings, and intentions. Otherwise it is just ideology, agenda fodder, manipulative.
#7.2 Jan Blickenstaff on 2021-01-25 11:33 (Reply)
From the article: efforts to address complex social problems will always come with tradeoffs.

The problem with "listening to the science" isn't just that there's no clear consensus on so many things and that just because there's a consensus doesn't prove that the consensus is correct, it's that science is only one aspect of the cost/benefit analysis that needs to be done before deciding on a course of action and that the cost/benefit analysis is an individual weighing and not a collective. Try telling a starving man that science has determined that eating rotting food out of a dumpster is not safe. However dire climate change may be, starving to death shivering naked in a cave like our hunter/gatherer society ancestors might be too high a price to pay for combating it in some people's minds.
#7.3 Jerryskids on 2021-01-25 12:51 (Reply)
CA Gov. Newsom Hides Key Covid Data Used to Justify Endless Lockdowns, ‘Too Complex and Would Confuse the Public’

Given the countless examples over the years we have of elected officials making it clear they have no idea what they are talking about, this excuse is comical. My conclusion is that Gov. Newsom finds the data complex and confusing.
#8 Gringo on 2021-01-25 11:26 (Reply)
Amazon Says Workers Voting To Unionize Can Only Do So In Person Because Mail-in Votes Would Be Susceptible To Cheating…
Didn't complain about that in our last election...
#9 Sam L. on 2021-01-25 11:59 (Reply)
Sorry Scotland, haggis is actually English

Mainland China and South Korea are now engaging in a war of words over who invented kimchi. Sorry, too complicated to explain, but it's quite heated.
#10 Jim on 2021-01-25 13:24 (Reply)
Sorry England, but there are records of people eating stuffed sheep's stomachs since at least the ancient Greeks.
#11 Another Guy Named Dan on 2021-01-25 14:18 (Reply)
Imagine a society ruled by the Top Scientist, Flipflop Fauci.

As for Taiwan, I think the signs are clear. China is serious about taking them over, just like Hong Kong, just like Tibet, and just like us if they get the chance.
#11.1 RebeccaH on 2021-01-25 16:13 (Reply)
Time to give clear orders for all US Naval vessels to return fire when fired upon or when it becomes apparent that they are about to be fired upon. Particularly in the East and South China Seas, and the Yellow and Philippine Seas.

There are three types of leaders. Those that make things happen; those that watch things happen; and those who wonder what happened. (Biden is clearly of the latter group.)
#12 ruralcounsel on 2021-01-25 15:54 (Reply)
"A government ruled by scientists would be hell"

As every working engineer knows!
#13 Donald Greer on 2021-01-25 16:48 (Reply)
Species. If we can have X-number of genders, then X-number of human species is quite logical. Wouldn't want ours considered superior. That would sound...Well, you know.
#14 SgtBob (Link) on 2021-01-26 13:18 (Reply)

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