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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Pickled Peaches
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Labor Costs in U.S.
Your "identity"
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Uses of Hot Pepper Jelly/Sauce, Chutneys, and Jams
A Saturday Drive to Litchfield County, CT
How to Pick a Kayak
Civilized: Fruit forks and knives
Loads of kayaking on Cape Cod
Psychology Experiments' Questionable Results

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Friday, November 3. 2023

Friday morning links

 Oops. California's Carbon Emissions Went Up Anyway


 'Renewable Massacre': SolarEdge Melts Down After Weak Guidance 


The Wuhan Cover-Up: How Fauci Conspired With Virologists To Deceive The Public And Smear Critics


 Chicago’s Solution to Its Failing School System: Stop Grading Schools on Performance. It’s become abundantly clear that the greatest obstacle to educational reform is the government itself.


 TGIF: Useful Idiots - Terrorists have brainwashed America. A woke ‘Snow White’ has been canceled. Long live Queen Hillary. Plus: equitable bird names, Mike Johnson is poor, and much, much more.


 Biden Issues Government's First-Ever Artificial Intelligence Executive Order To 'Support Workers, Combat Discrimination'


THE FRUITS OF THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS


 Faced with rise in Jewish hate, Kamala Harris tackles made-up ‘Islamphobia’


 Victor Davis Hanson: One Sick War


Hamas Keeps Making a Clear Case for Destroying Hamas

Posted by Bird Dog in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 07:19 | Comments (23) | Trackbacks (0)

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With respect to the Arab proponents of the Abraham accords and the activities of Hamas, I think we are seeing one of humanity's age old battles playing out: The old atavistic impulses of conquest and tribalism against the modern sensibilities of Enlightenment and societal cooperation.

There is no doubt that the Arab Muslim world largely lives with at least some of the fruits of modern civilization - technology, medicine, food supply, etc. But there is also no doubt that parts of the Muslim world are stuck in the paleo-past, a world of tribes, draconian punishments, brutality, violence - as in the 'stan' countries, in particular, but also some of the punishments that are meted out to westerners in the supposedly moderate ones. The struggle seems to be within the Mahgreb: Who will represent Mecca - is it Iran's old hard line ayatollahs, or the modern world of MBS, Saudi Arabia, where it presently sits? Fighting the Enlightenment is like fighting the tide, though - it's not in your interest. Although, witnessing the antisemitism that is pushing up in our own supposedly-enlightened country, sometimes it's hard to invest in believing that.

The Arab world will never prosper until they fully embrace the principles of modern Enlightenment.
#1 Aggie on 2023-11-03 08:53 (Reply)
"The Arab world will never prosper until they fully embrace the principles of modern Enlightenment."

And since their countries tend to have collective IQs in the low 80s, that's unlikely.
#1.1 Maniac on 2023-11-03 12:32 (Reply)
When I think of the Enightenment I think first of Napoleon. He was the epitome of the Enlightenment. I don't think anyone else wants that from the Arab Muslim world.

The Arab Muslim world will never get along with anyone else until they convert to a different religion, preferrably Christianity.
#1.2 jack walter on 2023-11-03 12:53 (Reply)
The Vendee did not do well during the Enlightenment either. There was a concerted effort to destroy the Catholic church and rob it blind. To this day the French still remain quiet over the issue just as they don't talk about the Vichy French of WWII.
#1.2.1 indyjonesouthere on 2023-11-03 14:15 (Reply)
The atavism of the Muslim world is fully matched by the Zionists, which is why they cannot reach some sort of accommodation. Peach will have to be imposed by outside forces, and those forces will have to include a number of countries, like Russia, India, China, besides any Western country.

As to the Enlightenment. That was an 18th Century movement, and it was replaced by the Romantic movement in the early 19th Century, especially in Germany. Remnants of the Enlightenment still exist, here or there, but the West has moved on, and we are now Post Modern or maybe even Post Post Modern.

The last bastions of the Enlightenment, the hard, real sciences, mathematics, medicine, and technology are rapidly being destroyed in the West (but not the East) by wokeism. I expect to see the Jefferson Memorial and Monticello torn down someday, and medical schools graduate shamans.
#2 bob sykes on 2023-11-03 09:54 (Reply)
bob skyes: As to the Enlightenment. That was an 18th Century movement, and it was replaced by the Romantic movement in the early 19th Century

The Enlightenment belief that humans could resolve all problems through reason was overthrown by the Napoleonic Wars and the Romantics. Humans are not rational creatures, but rationalizing ones.

bob skyes: Peach will have to be imposed by outside forces

Fortunately, peaches are both kosher and halal, so there is that common ground. Give peach a chance!
#2.1 Zachriel on 2023-11-03 11:21 (Reply)
QUOTE:
Humans are not rational creatures, but rationalizing ones.


Speak for yourself (yourselves! hahaha).
#2.1.1 eeyore on 2023-11-03 14:07 (Reply)
If you're looking for the east to save science, you're setting yourself up for disappointment, with the exception of Japan, Twain, and S. Korea. All three of which are partially assimilated into western culture. It will have to be saved mostly by the political right in the west, or not at all.

As for the notion that the lion's share of the blame for the current state Mediterranean coast of the middle east does not rest on the Palestinians, Arabs, and other Moslems, it is complete BS.
#2.2 James on 2023-11-05 13:53 (Reply)
Re: Oops. California's Carbon Emissions Went Up Anyway

Yeah, well, CO2 emissions continued to rise at pretty much the same rate while much of the world was locked down. Same as during The Great Recession. It makes you wonder…
#3 mudbug on 2023-11-03 10:15 (Reply)
mudbug: CO2 emissions continued to rise at pretty much the same rate while much of the world was locked down. Same as during The Great Recession. It makes you wonder…

Wonder no more. There were dips in the global rate of CO2 emissions during both events, about 2% during the Great Recession and 5% during the COVID pandemic. However, the rate returned to trend shortly thereafter.
#3.1 Zachriel on 2023-11-03 11:17 (Reply)
So most of the economies of most of the Western world including a substantial portion of the Chinese economy were shut down for months and to a lesser extent beyond that and CO2 emissions were only reduced by 2%?

If the goal was to reduce CO2 emissions (and I know it wasn’t), that’s not much bang for the buck. Yeah, I still wonder…
#3.1.1 mudbug on 2023-11-03 18:04 (Reply)
mudbug: So most of the economies of most of the Western world including a substantial portion of the Chinese economy were shut down for months and to a lesser extent beyond that and CO2 emissions were only reduced by 2%? . . . Yeah, I still wonder…

No need to wonder. Real U.S. GDP dropped 2.6% in the Great Recession, while global real GDP dropped less than 2%.
#3.1.2 Zachriel on 2023-11-03 19:41 (Reply)
The media is reporting 24/7 about getting our "Americans" out of Gaza and "back home". You would almost think that these are some retired farmer couples from Iowa who took their first overseas trip to see the Middle East. They are not. Most of them have never been to America and almost all of them are Muslims. They have bought or coerced American citizenship while keeping their own citizenship because they aren't Americans they merely want that dual citizenship status so they can escape their own country when they need to. When they get "back home" they will require welfare forever. While you and I can retire after age 65 with a comfortable $1500 a month Social Security these working age faux Americans will get $2200 a month cash, free housing, free food, free cell phone, free college, everything that you have to pay for they will get for free AND they will actively work to convert our government to a pro-Islam country. Are we stupid or what?
#4 OneGuy on 2023-11-03 11:18 (Reply)
OneGuy: Most of them have never been to America and almost all of them are Muslims.

Many U.S. citizens who became trapped in Gaza are Palestinian-Americans who became citizens after meeting legal qualifications, including proving at least five years U.S. residency. Many others are aid workers, such as Ramona Okumura, a 71-year-old prosthesis expert making prosthetic limbs for child amputees.
#4.1 Zachriel on 2023-11-03 11:36 (Reply)
So you agree that they aren't some retired couple from Iowa and that they are mostly dual citizens who aren't American at heart or in philosophy. How much does it cost to buy a U.S. citizenship? Does the Biden administration keep the money or does it go into the treasury. Maybe he just keeps 10%.
#4.1.1 OneGuy on 2023-11-03 19:49 (Reply)
OneGuy: So you agree that they aren't some retired couple from Iowa

Okumura is from Seattle.

OneGuy: How much does it cost to buy a U.S. citizenship?

The filing fee is $725, but you otherwise have to qualify. Relatively few Palestinians qualify due to immigration restrictions on Palestinians.
#4.1.2 Zachriel on 2023-11-03 21:52 (Reply)
Zachriel: What doesn't it know?

Astrophysicist, property lawyer, affirmative action expert, search engine, newspeak dictionary, constitutional scholar, carrier of Trump Derangement Syndrome, master of the non sequitur, pretentious movie critic, high school civics teacher, financial analyst, the ackchyually guy, nitpicker, Historical art critic, armchair economist, poverty expert, theoretician of science, Covid apologist, speech therapist, climate scientist, civil engineer, sociologist, political analyst, Biden apologist, divorce lawyer, epidemiologist, Federal prosecutor, atmospheric scientist, military strategist, Level 2 Priest of Vaxx, Keeper of the Science! Gateway, civil trial lawyer, faulty comparison detective, Level 4 Climate Cultist, immigration lawyer
#4.1.2.1 eeyore on 2023-11-04 09:32 (Reply)
Most are offspring of such people, and have never been to the US. And for every Romona, there are probably 5-10 who are either Hamas members of supporters. Better they never leave Gaza.
#4.1.3 James on 2023-11-05 13:59 (Reply)
House Quietly Passed Resolution That Suggests Using Force Against Iran

What's the point of doing this? It's merely a resolution. Resolutions are not binding law, but rather express the collective sentiment of the House on a particular issue. Usually resolutions are made to score political points but this one was done"quietly."

Why?

Hmmmm . . .

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/house-quietly-passed-resolution-suggests-using-force-against-iran
#5 feeblemind on 2023-11-03 12:28 (Reply)
Too many lofos and dupes sinks the ship?
Maybe that is what happened to Rome and Byzantine is the red headed stepchild of empires for some reason.
I love "edgy" youth on their latest $2000 Apple laptop sipping a $6 coffee prattling on about Queen Hillary uber alles and orange man bad.
What's so bad about an uncouth vulgarian tweet insulter anyway.
I kinda liked $1.87 a gallon, no wars, rebate checks, a sibling took photos of the gas prices back in November 2020 for posterity.
Having way too much fun mocking genzies and millennials about when ya get drafted and someone should do an update of the Dead Kennedys classic.
#6 Long Dark Nuclear Winter on 2023-11-03 14:47 (Reply)
About that AI executive order, I have 2 unoriginal thoughts: act in haste, repent in leisure; and when you fry to be all things to all people, you end up being nothing to anyone. But hey! I'm just an old hunk of meat.
#7 Mike Anderson (Link) on 2023-11-03 17:34 (Reply)
That is similar to 'go mad in crowds but regain sanity one by one'. I think that originated in comments made on financial follies.
#7.1 indyjonesouthere on 2023-11-03 22:13 (Reply)
The Fed and the administration have a problem. Inflation continues and is causing serious harm to the economy and to the lower and middle class. But the underlying problems in our economy not fixed back in 2009 are still threatening even worse harmful effect such that if we increase interest rates sufficiently to lower inflation the economy will likely collapse. But neither are what concerns the administration. Their problem is that if they don't increase interest rates the lower and middle classes will likely not vote for them. But if they do increase rates and bring down inflation but collapse the economy the lower and middle class will likely not vote for them. They don't really care about the lower and middle class but they care very much about getting reelected. This is a real problem.
#8 Anon on 2023-11-03 20:48 (Reply)

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