Maggie's FarmWe 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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Tuesday, March 26. 2024Is Probability real?I just find it to be an entertaining topic: Probability Is Not Frequentist, Nor Math, Nor Real, Nor Subjective
Tuesday morning linksMr. Lamboghini began by making tractors Hawaii, Which Couldn’t Survive Without Fossil Fuels, Holds Climate Doom Conference “I Was Wrong About Renewables,” Says Former Green Energy Executive. A twenty-year veteran of clean tech now says we need to use more, not less, energy, especially natural gas and nuclear Jonathan Haidt: Smartphones Rewired Childhood. Here’s How to Fix It. If gender is a social construction, why would we not believe that transgender identities are socially constructed. Banning the Blockers - Gender clinics from Stockholm to San Francisco have been running an uncontrolled experiment on children, while cloaked in the mantle of human rights. Europe Blunders on AI - The United States should avoid the regulatory mistakes of the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act. Central Planners Can't Fix Iraq—or Detroit. In Fragile Neighborhoods, author Seth Kaplan applies his Fixing Fragile States observations domestically. Calif. fast-food chains slash workers as $20-an-hour minimum wage looms VDH: Will DEI End America—or America end DEI? Academia Versus Civilization - The antisemitism of campus leftism may be incidental. The barbarism is the point. Border Patrol Chief: Terrorists May Be Among Migrants Sen. Hagerty: Tonight every single Senate Democrat voted against my amendment that would stop Biden Admin from using taxpayer dollars to charter flights for hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens from their countries directly to American towns to be resettled. In the Shifa Hospital: “IDF troops apprehended approximately 480 terrorists affiliated with the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations, and have located weapons and terrorist infrastructure in the hospital.” Monday, March 25. 2024Monday morning links
How Did Jelly Beans Become an Easter Candy? Bill Shatner turns 93 Gen Z Is Toxic for Companies, Employers Believe The Classical School Revolution. The Lady Lowriders Club. Plus. . .Is the SAT getting easier? A Big Week in Medical A.I. - Multiple new reports are indicators for where we are headed The Department of Justice Takes Aim at Apple’s iPhone Empire "The rule is projected to eliminate more than seven billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere over the next 30 years...." Which is nothing California Synagogue Leases Space to Mosque to ‘Ease Tensions,’ But a Lovefest Doesn't Exactly Break Out American Idiots Kill the American Century. After decades of foreign-policy bungling and strategic defeats, the U.S. has never seemed weaker — and dictators around the world know it High school students at a New York high school staged a massive walk-out protest this week in opposition to the district’s attempts to force them to share restrooms with the opposite gender, in the name of “transgender” acceptance. Planet Fitness Paying the Price for Trans Agenda ASU paid Ibram Kendi $35,000 for 60-minute speech He has a good agent Bernie Sanders’ four-day-work-week scheme is a prescription for poverty CNN Panelist Warns What Will Happen If Letitia James Seizes Trump's Assets, and It's Not Good for Dems “what’s going on in New York State with the weaponization of prosecutors’ offices both criminally and civilly is really troubling” “Real Time” host Bill Maher closed his show on Friday night scorching Democrats for “pandering” to minority groups for votes, telling them the time of relying on “identity politics” to win elections is over. James Carville Sounds Off on Dems in Wild NYT Column, Says Party’s Culture is Being Dominated By ‘Too Many Preachy Females’ Governor Abbott has no plans to stop sending them until the Texas border is secured. He is doing Joe Biden's job and Biden is fighting him every step of the way. Illegal Alien Lists All the Things New York City is Giving Him for FREE — and it’s Shocking Incentives matter Reporters arrested at border The Chaos in Haiti is Getting Worse Putin Vows Revenge For "Bloodbath" Moscow Attack, Points Finger At Help From Ukraine, As 11 'Terrorists' Captured Believe nothing Sunday, March 24. 2024Dante and BeatricePalm Sunday: "The stones would shout out"
Giotto, 1304 Luke 19: 28-40 28After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29When he had come near Bethpage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, 30saying, Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks you, Why are you untying it? just say this, The Lord needs it. 32So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. 33As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, Why are you untying the colt? 34They said, The Lord needs it. 35Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. 37As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, 38saying, Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven! 39Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, Teacher, order your disciples to stop. 40He answered, I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out. Saturday, March 23. 2024Son's UpdateI do have some updates, but I have been busy. Short update(s). First, my personal close family arrived yesterday. Sister and her family (husband and children) from Vienna, Austria in arrivement. My father and his wife also arrived. My mother and my sister (who cares for her at age 88) arrived. My brother and his wife also arrived. All of this time spending and tiring, but essential with some more opportunities but with a less likelihood for complete original involvement of this kind likely again soon. I also have a new teach announced for in 3 weeks as a potential which was unknown, sudden, and possible starting after April's first week. I have been doing calls and set ups for that as well as preparation for an early MRI and completing chemo and radiology, while taking an in-laws family trip this weekend shortly. There other stories I will expand on a future day (Monday or Tuesday) but the key point are two fold. One is a larger natural public completion I will present to High School children after I speak with two of my pastors and possibly a local Rabbi of a friend. Another is using that as a larger presentation for more options possibly in video and/or public revolutions after it is seen on Maggie's Farm. The second fold is this attached story - a great shortage resolution of the value of Reservoir Dogs by Quentin Tarantino. While I have found many very good Tarantino films, Reservoir Dogs has been, since its release, as one of the greatest of its kinds. I have loved it only slightly less than Pulpy Fiction. Tarantino had several good films, but these were his two best overall in my view. My son did a wonderful set up and arranging a discussion about Reservoir Dogs and made it very much worth reading - I recommend it today and will follow up later with more. Enjoy this, I was overwhelmed by his knowledge as quite excellent. One side note. If you have not seen The Conversation, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ASAP as the 50th anniversary this year. With Cazale in it, the film was largely ignored in the US in 1974 for poor reasoning by criticals. It is, by far, a great film overlooked back then. It was Cazale's poorest US film, its only wealth winning a Cannes 1974 Palme d'Or. It also won or was nominated for various Academy Awards, BAFTA and Golden Globes, in addition to MANY others. It starred surprisingly great actors. Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Teri Garr, Cindy Williams, Harrison Ford, and Robert Duvall put together an AMAZING story with top level management and story making. Phenomenal and widely overlooked until only now. My other son, upon my call after watching it, surprised me shockingly by admitting the very day before he'd seen a local Manhattan Film offer for The Conversation's 50th Anniversary and he took it in and was overwhelmed by its great production for 1974. I laughed and agreed deeply with him. I highly recommend this if you have time, too. WW2 US Fighter Pilot Remembers his warSaturday morning linksMarilyn Robinson: A podcast on Reading Genesis Why Do Men Dominate Chess? Why Did West Point Remove ‘Duty, Honor, Country’ From Its Mission Statement? 'There's Been No Increase': Scientists Debunk Climate Change Claims About Hurricanes University launches semester-long ‘climate emergency’ campaign to protect ‘Mother Earth’ Ayan Hirsi Ali: The West has a deviancy problem. Our moral confusion is proving suicidal Massachusetts Allocates $800 Million For Illegal Alien Shelters Why not build them houses? Stuart's Saturday Miscellany CIA Accused Of Directly Meddling In Hunter Biden IRS, DOJ Investigations Well, assume Burisma was a CIA op IDF Eliminates 90 Terrorists, Apprehends Hundreds in Raid on Gaza Shifa Hospital Complex Saturday Verse: John Donne on "full nakedness"John Donne (1571-1631) had an interesting life. Besides being an erotic poet and a metaphysical poet, he was Dean of St. Paul's and an admired preacher. To His Mistress Going to Bed Come, Madam, come, all rest my powers defy, Unlace yourself, for that harmonious chime, Off with that wiry Coronet and shew In such white robes, heaven’s Angels used to be Licence my roving hands, and let them go, To enter in these bonds, is to be free; Like pictures, or like books’ gay coverings made To teach thee, I am naked first; why then Friday, March 22. 2024Friday morning linksIs wearing a necktie civilized, or fuddy-duddy? Is Craft Beer Cringe Right Now? When Did Dogs Become Our Best Friends? The West is being torn apart by the battle of the infinite sexes Larry Summers was ousted as Harvard president. He has a lot to say about what’s wrong with the university now. Naive Realism and the Unconstrained Vision - explaining why people profess a belief that social problems have simple solutions Republican apathy is as bad for the country as is aggressive progressivism. Starting To Notice That The Energy Transition Is Not Happening Even lefties now admit closing the Indian Point nuclear plant actually HARMED the planet Stanford Professor Behind California's New Equity-Focused Math Curriculum Accused of Bogus Citations Behind the fight against TikTok - Opposition to the bill has brought together a broad and unusual coalition "Invasion": Riot Erupts After Migrant Swarm Breaches US Southern Border, National Guard Left Helpless Biden’s Border Blowup Thursday, March 21. 2024The "college experience"
Anyway, interesting: The Coddling of the American Undergraduate - The infantilizing social control of the university.
Quick SportsI'll write more about news or information later this week. It's been a bit busy for me. Will explain more information and updates. But some fun is starting and I'm more interested in who you're rooting for in March Madness. My team favorite (Syracuse) did not make it, some difficult losses meant no offer and they passed on even attending NIT. Probably better. NIT is not much of a gain for anyone lately. I disagree, but some people take that view. Long ago NIT was more important than NCAA tournament, but seems after 1960 or so, NCAA overwhelmed NIT.
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Thursday morning linksIt's J.S. Bach's birthday Springtime music at Powerline Outrage erupts over Kyle Rittenhouse campus tour The Greatest Scientific Fraud Of All Time -- Part XXXII (Sea Level Rise Edition) The EPA Is About to Outlaw Your Car The concept of metamodernism isn’t particularly well-known, but once you learn about it, you will recognize it everywhere West Point Gives in to Creeping Liberalism The Cost of DEI Democrats in denial on crimes of illegal immigrants. Here's the reality the rest of America can't ignore Illinois Moves To Cut Thousands Of Non-Citizens From Taxpayer-Subsidized Health Care DeSantis May Send Haitian Migrants Arriving in Florida to Martha’s Vineyard UN climate adviser says white people are taking up ‘too much space’ The Islamist Transformation of Ohio Keep American Troops The Hell Out Of Haiti Wednesday, March 20. 2024Wednesday BobFrom 2 weeks ago. Yes, still touring
Why we still need Dr FreudBiology alone can't unpack the unconscious I think that's true. It's dangerous to mess with the unconscious though.
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Who on the US Supreme Court feels free speech is bad for government?Wednesday morning links"Goodbye" comes from "God be with you." Don Lemon chats with Elon Musk How the Welfare State Fails the Poor Woke Sociologist Hears About It After Hysterical Rant Over Thin Blue Line Stickers Stuart's Wednesday Potpourri Free Speech on Trial. SpaceX’s Man-Made Miracle. Plus. Tough NYC Stance On Illegal Migrants Just A Smokescreen Tuesday, March 19. 2024A movie about Sister Una"Following a terminal cancer diagnosis, Sister Úna--a smoking, drinking, wisecracking Catholic nun dedicated to mentoring teens--chooses to live life to the fullest in the face of death. The self-proclaimed “leader of the misfits” takes on her last nine months by planning her funeral, tackling her bucket list, and teaching us that death isn’t the end." Link to the movie here
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Tuesday morning linksThere are no snakes in Ireland. How grade inflation effects Harvard kids Washington Supreme Court Rules Bar Exam Negatively Impacts Minorities, Will No Longer Require It For Lawyers The mental health crisis does not explain wokeness Woke Mind Virus Causes 'Anxiety & Depression', New Study Reveals Let’s Stop Calling It Gender-Affirming Care The Transqueers Take The Mask Off. Judith Butler and Andrea Long Chu explain their gender revolution. It's wild! Google’s Woke AI Wasn’t a Mistake. We Know. We Were There. "Reduce Poverty Migration To Zero" – German Politicians Propose Crackdown On Migrants Sending Billions To Their Home Countries Trump Cannot Get $464 Million Bond in New York Civil Case German Lawmaker In Blistering Ukraine Speech To Parliament: "Have You All Lost Your Minds?" Monday, March 18. 2024Monday morning linksHow Pregnancy Changes the Brain - A study of more than 100 birthing parents showed that pregnancy and birth cause changes in brain circuits that may be involved in empathy and bonding with the child Marriage Fundamentalism: Professor Criticizes Marriage as an Institution Built on “White Heteropatriarchal Supremacy” Is gender real? After a Century, the Federal Tea Board Is Finally Dead. Imported tea was required for decades to pass a literal taste test before it could be sold in the United States. On Thursday, James Crumbley, the father of mass school shooter Ethan Crumbley, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. NYCity Firefighters Who Booed James Could Face “Education” Bill Maher slams rise in Americans self-diagnosing with mental illnesses and says: 'PTSD is for people who fought in Iraq, not people who want to bring their dog on a plane' The Freedom to Offend - In 2006, Christopher Hitchens gave a brave, ‘blasphemous’ speech on Islam that resonates with even greater power today. Has Google News’ Bias Moved Further Left?: 2022 and 2023 Compared Caucus Members Go After State Department’s Forgivable ‘Loan’ Program For Refugees Texas can Secure the Southern Border with a Military-Grade Solution DeSantis: Law Enforcement Seized Boat of Haitians Who had Guns, Drugs, Night Vision Gear The Nation doesn't like Fetterman anymore The Biden Administration announced that it is approving $500 million in financing for oil development in the Middle East. More Weak Arguments for ‘Free’ Trade - American manufacturing is not doing just fine, actually. The bloodbath hoax Leftist Corporate Media Unleashes Trump "Bloodbath Hoax" Can Things Get Any Worse In Haiti? Sunday, March 17. 2024Beer?Do not try to explain why St. Patrick's Day is associated with booze. I do not like Guiness, and I do not enjoy Irish whiskey - except in Irish Coffee. Mrs. BD is half Irish. Her Dad, Irish to the bone, died a week or so ago, so I will raise a whiskey toast to his memory. Otherwise, my plan is to have a Modelo or two with our St. Paddy's party. Modelo is Irish isn't it? From today's LectionaryJeremiah 31:31-34 31:31 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 31:32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt--a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. 31:33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 31:34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, "Know the LORD," for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. Saturday, March 16. 2024Winter in the PresidentialsFrom a reader: An Ohio friend and I completed a one day winter traverse of the presidential range in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. The hike is 18 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 10k feet. It begins with a steep four mile approach under trees, ascending above tree-line 4000 feet to the summit of Mt. Madison, traversing and summiting each of president-named peaks, including Mt. Washington in the middle. The weather was clear and sunny, high of 19 degrees F., with 20 - 30 mile an hour winds. But the weather is subject to change, with the days leading up to our weather window seeing 50-70 mph sustained winds with gusts in the 75 -79 range, temperatures in the single digits below zero. We started around 3 a.m. in Randolph NH and finished a little after 630 p.m. in Crawford Notch. The track was mostly loose snow, exposed ice, exposed rock, with occasional knee to waist deep snow). We had GPS devices and a satellite communication platform for tracking our progress and sending emergency communications, as white out conditions are common. We had snowshoes, but never took off our crampons. (In the days before, we broke the trail four miles on both ends with snowshoes.) There was some fall exposure in the snowfields up Jefferson and on the cone of Washington next to the Great Gulf ravine. The Wild Outsiders article below describes the climb, logistics, and gear. The photos comprehend most of the above tree-line part of the hike from Jefferson looking at Washington over the Great Gulf ravine from the north (photo # 1), Washington itself (photo #2), then Eisenhower from the south (photo #3). If you zoom in on the photos, you can just make out the approx. 50 ft. high towers on Washington, which gives you an idea of the scale of the traverse.
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Learned a Dual Side Personal Medical StoryI mentioned a friend who died of a similar version of mine from 2021. We did learn her diagnosis in April 2020 and lasted 17 months. She was great, hilarious and deeply involved in many ways. The downside may have been related to her husband. It is not good to learn. He was a great guy. But it seems he started out on board and deeply involved, eventually met with some hard times and by the end had removed himself from many of the details. Based on my experience, I believe I can see how it may develop over time. He stepped out entirely of the process. The victim, our friend's, mom and sister tossed themselves in for support and assistance and guidance. She held up extremely well with their assistance. Her mind was intact all through, but she could not have surgery at all (I can to some small degree). The upside was lots of digging and travel to find conversations. The downside, similar to mine is that nothing is happening. Nothing available. She even gave up the chemo and radiation for two reasons, it set her off badly and she did not feel better. Thankfully, MY version of this has, early on, been a bit better. There are downsides for me which I need to work on from time to time. For me, this past week in particular, heavy emotional shifting occurs on certain days for short times. Mrs. Bulldog and I have had some heavy fighting - but Mrs. Bulldog is a master and takes on, managing the hyper issues - she is a saint. After moments where the chemo makes me emotionally aggressive, I do manage to resolve. It takes time and effort. The real problem is not often, but the problems happen on both sides. Often she is the hero, but sometimes it resolves around a decision to listen then engage separate from conversation - completely misunderstanding my position well, and it leads to problems from time to time. It can be unfair of me and it may be too much at times. It is, no doubt, a requirement for me to remember to resolve and address more effectively. In fairness, remember I can't always control things as fairly or evenly as I can in a momentary discussion about our medical and/or conversational paths forward. Sometimes I'm not wrong to get upset over poor decisions - sometimes people just assume things "as is" where it may require help or time. Other times it's my fault and I have to walk it all back well. I'm deeply sorry when that happens. Listening to the friend and her stories was distressing. I'm sure she had similar situations. Which may have led to her husband's eventual stepping aside. It's not easy, but I'm lucky to have someone who isn't stepping aside. So I am learning from our friend's situation. She, unfortunately, began to see the mental loss around 16 months in. She suffered a stroke in the final month and held for 4 days afterward. I have deep hopes I can hold longer and find more opportunities. Reality is speaking openly, though, and that is important to stay on top of effectively. I am blessed from my family in many ways. And many friends. I feel awful for our friend who passed and everything which occurred along the way. I know I make errors at times to my family while taking the medication and how it hits my emotions after some time passes. But I do shift back. I try to avoid it as much as I can. I can't imagine what our friend went through and I bless her and her husband (who passed several years later) for missing opportunities. I want to avoid that as well as I can, and I will try to as much as I can. Recent UpdateJust a few notes from the past week. 1. It was a great week, overall. Main issue was the 3/12/2024 62nd birthday. My family took time off to spend the day. 62 from 1962 is a fine repetition. I hope I can get to 63 - so far, it seems likely, but we do not know much more yet. 2. There was a small shift in chemo in the second week. Several times severe depression was a setting. It is short, and I've fought it naturally. But for the first time I fell into depressive moments requiring a push back against the chemo impact on my otherwise greatly positive POV. I also developed Carpal Tunnel as a related effect on my tennis wrist. Since I have sciatica the doctor grew my steroid offer and after 3 days it has impacted an improvement on depression and pain from muscles. It also grows less sleep. Which to be honest is fine. I still sleep anyway. At times, hours here and there. 3. I spent an entire day in NYC on the day after my birthday. I met my company president and VPs. I got many notes wishing me well from coworkers and all wishing me happy birthday on my birthday and wishing me well. My company is the best place I've ever worked. So much so, the president offered to hear at least 5 of 7 stories I have which I've done over the years. I will not go into details, but after telling them, he was stunned - never having heard deep criminal situations at companies. One was a lie against me - which later led to a release and heavy payment which indicated they dropped the lawsuit. I did depositions in at least 2 specific items where I rejected the company legal support as I stated "I only speak truth, so legal support will back off corporate stories as they see truth filling reality" - each one led to several job losses as lawyres saw that truth is actually rather easy. Drove some of them frighteningly. I closed my own lawsuit once, but I cannot discuss the details. All worth mentioning is the depth of illegal email and other activities and laws taken against me which led to my removal...and could have been more money if I'd pushed it. I chose to move away as my job I had taken was better and far more interesting than spending time in courts to win a few million dollars. That's a few stories, but opend the door to some massive mainstream illegal activity in many cases. Continue reading "Recent Update"
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