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.

Our Recent Essays Behind the Front Page

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
Peach update, with pie
NYC update
Easy for you to say: To the elites on mass immigration
For NYC on 9/11, Sailors' Snug Harbor
Pickled Peaches
Water Shoes
Labor Costs in U.S.
Your "identity"
Good news about The Great Courses
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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Wednesday, May 8. 2024

Wednesday morning links

Ozempic: Magic Pill or Devil’s Bargain?


 Migrants are Closing Down Broadway


Stuart's  Wednesday Potpourri


 “More than 40,000 dead, you’re arresting kids instead!”


College students identify as kids now? 


 Do Our Rulers Really Believe What They Say They Believe & What To Do About It


 Replace "Donald Trump" saying this instead of Kathy Hochul. Do you think it's racist now?


 World Media Never Seems to Tire of Regurgitating Hamas Propaganda



Posted by Bird Dog in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 06:43 | Comments (24) | Trackbacks (0)

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From Stuarts always-entertaining potpourri:

QUOTE:

Recent research published in The Journals of Gerontology: Series B has found that that maintaining a routine in social interactions is associated with enhanced emotional well-being of older adults.


Start with a freebie calendar and put all your regular meetings and outings on it (I also use it for menu planning). Your routine will emerge like an old Polaroid snapshot.
#1 Mike Anderson (Link) on 2024-05-08 09:06 (Reply)
So I'm old, but the social scene has never been my thing. Don't relate to many people and am never comfortable in a social setting. I guess I am doomed.
#1.1 JC on 2024-05-08 09:22 (Reply)
Any day on the river is a good day.
#1.2 rocdoctom on 2024-05-08 10:01 (Reply)
"Ozempic: Magic Pill or Devil’s Bargain?" I fear eventually people will find out that the side effects in the future from taking the miracle fat cure will show dangerous results like the covid vaccines are showing now. Just remember "people" are trying to keep the dangers of the vaccines under wraps and may be doing the same thing with fat cure treatment. There is a lot of money to be made from pharmaceuticals, too much to kill the golden goose.
#2 JC on 2024-05-08 09:16 (Reply)
There is a claim in the article on Ozempic that essentially claims that Europe/Ireland ate better and therefore wasn't as fat as Americans. There is probably no other issue so little understood or misrepresented as the issue around diet and obesity. I live in Germany in the 60's. Without exception every German over the age of 40 was obese. They all ate their traditional diet, no processed foods, no sugary foods and they all looked like ballons. Not saying this to offend it was simply a fact and because I was 20 something and in good shape this distinction stood out clearly to me.

IF, as is claimed, the American diet makes us obese THAN we would indeed all be obese. IF a traditional "good" diet and work and physical activity made us slim those Germans in the 60's would have been skinny. Both of these obvious truths destroy the sugary/fatty food causes obesity myth.

So what causes obesity in people without serious health issues? Genetics, genetics, genetics, and age and to a lesser extent lowered physical activity.
#2.1 JustMe on 2024-05-08 10:39 (Reply)
JustMe: Without exception every German over the age of 40 was obese.

Obesity in Germany
#2.1.1 Zachriel on 2024-05-08 11:11 (Reply)
In my best sanctimonious Zach-bot voice:

"Your graph did not address the claims. It neither accounted for the time period in question nor the over age 40 aspect."

Go ahead and spin up Chat-GPT (again) to get some relevant data.
#2.1.1.1 eeyore on 2024-05-08 12:12 (Reply)
I know it is impolite to talk about other people from another country. It is not my intent to say anything bad about the German people almost everyone I met there in my four year residence there were great people, smart and hard working. The women, especially in the smaller towns, would ride bicycles to shopping or to their work etc. Without exception you would always feel pity for the bicycle. The women did not have beer bellies they had monster thighs and asses and everything else. The men had big bellies but in general they were simply big, big through the chest and arms and just big. Not weight lifter big but more well fed working class big. The younger men and women (younger than 35) were typically quite normal looking, rarely skinny but not fat.

I live in a 55+ community of about 1500 or so people. Almost everyone is overweight and 50% or more are grossly obese. It is typical for older people.

Being overweight isn't good but if your parents were overweight more than likely you too will be overweight. I choose to weigh 200 lbs. I weigh every morning and if I'm overweight I choose to fast or eat lightly. But I eat the processed foods and the junk foods that they claim is responsible for being overweight and I am not overweight.
#2.1.1.2 JustMe on 2024-05-08 15:11 (Reply)
The infamous German beer gut, but not necessarily the people-of-walmart tubes of lard for legs and arms.
#2.1.2 Freddo on 2024-05-08 13:28 (Reply)
Migrants are not closing down Broadway.

The Times Square theater district was full of derelicts and strip joints through most of the 60s 70s and 80s. Patrons held their noses against.the stench, skirted the unsavories... because there were shows worth seeing.

Even back then there were hoity-toity bien-pensant bohemian-wannabee stockbrokers who scorned Mayor Giuliani's cleanup programs... Destroyed the "local color" and brought in mega-musicals like Lion King and Les Miz for the tourists. Sniff.

The paucity of postmodern offerings is what's killing Broadway.
The paucity if the product is what's closing down Broadway.
#3 BenDavid on 2024-05-08 09:16 (Reply)
QUOTE:
Replace "Donald Trump" saying this instead of Kathy Hochul. Do you think it's racist now?

The fundamental difference is that Hochul apologized, while Trump would double-down.
#4 Zachriel on 2024-05-08 09:19 (Reply)
So who's the racist here, Hochul or QuibbleDickZ?
#4.1 Zachinoff on 2024-05-08 10:42 (Reply)
Chicken Little, that is not the fundamental difference and everyone knows it.
#4.2 jack walter on 2024-05-08 15:52 (Reply)
jack walter: that is not the fundamental difference

The question was to replace Hochel with Trump. Hochel apologized. Trump never has and never would. The ability to recognize one's error and apologize is something Trump never learned.
#4.3 Zachriel on 2024-05-08 16:02 (Reply)
Not all "fundamental differences" are created equal. This is really a multivariate issue with a few different unflattering explanations for Hochul's comment: 1. Her comment could not be racist. I'm loath to call statements racist that don't clearly come from a generalized dislike of a racial group "racist" comments. But it is such an absurd racial stereotype that I can scarcely believe that anyone but the most hate filled, slow witted racist would believe it true. But you tell me, since progs are "experts" on this subject, is it a racist statement? 2. She really is slow witted, and like Joe Biden lies and constantly makes nonsensical statements. I have never seen evidence of her doing such things with any frequency so I'm inclined to dismiss this option. 3. Hochul is highly representative of the type of mostly white, "high status" LW person that drives much of LW politics and dominates the leadership of the Dem. party. Such people have an ideology that is undergirded by many negative assumptions about black and brown people that are undeniably horribly racist. But because they wish to use those racial and ethnic groups as political pawns/votes, the have to very actively self-monitor and self-censor. But occasionally, when they are tired, or stressed, or distracted, or just forget who is listening, that racism leaks out. As it did with her.

As for her proforma apology, there isn't any virtue in it. It's purpose was purely to give the LW racialist attack dogs who would be yapping for weeks if DJT had made the comment an excuse to stay quite. Thus proving that they're hypocrites. As are you, if you don't specifically her, and her alone for her racism.

As for the verbal diarrhea that comes out of DJT, I don't think he has ever made a comment about blacks that can reasonably be called racist. I'm certain the left would have let everyone know if there was any evidence that he had. There are some things he has said about certain segments of the Hispanic population that were objectionable, but none that demonstrate an unambiguous generalized hostility towards Hispanics. But to respond more explicitly to the "distinction" you've labored to make here. I would rather a racist make no apology at all than make a proform, self serving one like Hochul.
#4.4 James4HJ on 2024-05-09 17:41 (Reply)
James4HJ: is it a racist statement?

Certainly a Black family with kids in school might consider it racist. It was hurtful, justifying an apology. However, Hochul's intent was to draw attention to the lack of resources for black kids. That's why the Black community gives her slack.

James4HJ: She really is slow witted, and like Joe Biden lies and constantly makes nonsensical statements.

It's not nonsensical, but an exaggeration. However, her intent was to draw attention to the lack of resources for black kids. That's why the Black community gives her slack.

James4HJ: As for her proforma apology, there isn't any virtue in it.

An apology is the bare minimum. And yes, apologies are important, even if they are proforma. Returning to the point, Trump wouldn't have apologized at all.

James4HJ: As for the verbal diarrhea that comes out of DJT, I don't think he has ever made a comment about blacks that can reasonably be called racist.

Gee whiz. Trump entered politics with the birther trope. There are numerous examples of Trump using other racist and ethnic tropes.
#4.4.1 Zachriel on 2024-05-10 07:12 (Reply)
QUOTE:
Stuart's Substack: Third, cancel culture is alive and well in Germany. The End Wokeness Twitter account has the story:German politician of the AFD party, Marie-Thérèse Kaiser was just convicted & fined $6,000+ Her crime? Posting statistics showing that Afghan immigrants are disproportionately committing sexuaI assauIt in Germany.

The claim is incorrect. Posting statistics is legal in Germany. Saying Afghans are more likely to be gang-rapists is also legal. Smearing everyone in a specific group as gang-rapists is not.

QUOTE:
Cities that hardly reported any crime stats to the FBI include NYC, Baltimore, Washington DC, Miami and a ton of entire huge cities.

That's an improvement from previous years. Crime is still counted, just not always reported to the FBI:
    City: homicides 2022, 2023
    New York: 438, 386 ↓
    Baltimore: 333, 262 ↓
    Washington: 203, 274 ↑
    Miami: 49, 31 ↓
    -----------
    TOTAL: 1023, 953 ↓
QUOTE:
yesterday our mentally challenged vice president

That's just silly.
#5 Zachriel on 2024-05-08 09:50 (Reply)
Did someone say 'silly?'

“The significance of the passage of time, right? The significance of the passage of time. So when you think about it, there is great significance to the passage of time.”

“I think the first part of this issue that should be articulated is AI is kind of a fancy thing, first of all, it’s two letters, it means artificial intelligence but ultimately ... it’s about machine learning”
#5.1 eeyore on 2024-05-08 12:04 (Reply)
"Shrimp and Grits" Mamala.
#5.1.1 Zachinoff on 2024-05-08 13:21 (Reply)
"when these people say that that man over there in a dress is “really” a woman, do they truly mean it?"

Of course they don't. Well maybe the crazy ones do but no normal person over the age of puberty believes this crap. What is really going on was a divide and conquer where an identity group promises to vote in a block for you if you give them what they want. This is what America has devolved to divide and give identity groups free stuff or power in trade for their vote. So all the Democrats are stuck with it. They have to go before congress and on national TV and actually say that they don't have a stinking clue what a woman is. Because if they don't go along with the scam the identity group won't vote for them.
It would be normal and understandable to think; yeah but what about all the other normal people not in that identity group that vote for Democrats, all the union members, all the teachers, etc.? Well exactly right! All of those people are in or closely related to or identify with one of the many special interest groups getting free stuff. They may hate the trans and child molesting going on but they will grin and bear it because they don't want their own ox gored.
The Republicans are stupid/naive. Because they live an honest hard working life and just want to be left alone they think that they can just do that and be fine. They can't! The Democrats/communist want what you have and want to strip you of your last dollar and right and seduce your children. The only answer is for good Americans to run for political office and to begin to vote as a block. Forget your union bosses and vote for making America great again. Because if you don't the Democrats/communist will vote to make America a shithole.
#6 OneGuy on 2024-05-08 10:18 (Reply)
If New York is turning its hotels over to migrant shelters, that just means tourism in New York is suffering badly.
#7 RebeccaH on 2024-05-08 12:23 (Reply)
Ozempic: Magic Pill or Devil’s Bargain?

"Why are we putting millions of people on a powerful new drug when we don’t know the risks?"

Really? The author actually wrote that sentence? Really? Where have then been the past 4 years?

They did it to BILLIONS including innocent children.

Mind blowing numbness to the world around them.

Mindblowing.
#8 LibDis on 2024-05-08 14:12 (Reply)
A reasonably close friend of the family informed us recently during a discussion about vaccine side effects that since we were old the only reason we were alive is due to the covid vaccines. I wish he was going through the side effects I have since the second shot. I never should have listened to my doctor. Won't get vaccines again.
#8.1 JC on 2024-05-08 15:22 (Reply)
In the last 24 hours Belarus has placed tactical nuclear bombs on aircraft delivery platforms. This could be a bluff or a one up provocative response to provocation by the West. Or it could be that Russia intends to use a tactical nuke in Ukraine or somewhere close to Ukraine. The problem is that this isn't the first provocative response by Russia to provocative responses by the West. If we and they keep doing this sooner or later a nuke will be used. We, The U.S. and Western Europe, need to take steps to calm this down not ramp it up. I do not have faith in our leaders military or political. I'm not sure they understand this game that they are playing. I don't like this game of Russian Roulette our leaders are playing with us.
#9 Anon on 2024-05-08 17:25 (Reply)

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