Maggie's Farm

 At one time Americans cherished freedom. While some still do, it’s obvious a large portion of the population prefers comfort provided by others, don’t want to hear ideas and opinions they don’t agree with, and are happy to see the liberty of others restricted, and even eliminated, if those restrictions are holding back freedoms they don’t care about, such as the right to bear arms. They have also grown “apathetic about their freedom,” writes James Bovard, “because most of the media continually assure them that Big Government is nothing to fear.”

The Gravel Walks, read aloud

For St. Valentine's Day, consider how your lover (or lovers) feel, regardless of age. It's good to be appealing to a lover unless you are a billionaire.

A great exercise to add to your conditioning routines (any sled is fine). It's a total body exercise:

Who was Saint Valentine?

‘Solid State:’ New Book Provides In-Depth Look at the Making of the Beatles’ Swan Song, ‘Abbey Road’

 Voyager 2 comes back online, 11.5 billion miles from home

Boy vs girl sports:  Courage Calls to Courage Everywhere

U of Oklahoma: You can not say the n word in a class when discussing slurs 

 BART System Has Lost 10 Million Riders

 Harvard's China ties are even stronger than you thought

It's about the benjamins - or the yuans

Sacramento County Says It's Illegal to Work on Your Own Car in Your Own Garage

Or your tractor? F- them. Close your barn door. 

London Times Says Embracing Traditional Gender Roles Is A Form Of ISIS-Style Extremism

 Ted Cruz Exposes Radical Democrat Plan To Allow Abortion AFTER BIRTH

 Is The United States Economy "Working" For Everyone?

Detroit:  Rashida Tlaib Wants The Fed To Bail Out Her City

Hey, every blue city wants more free $ 

Dem Rep. Joe Kennedy: Trump Is A ‘Dictator’ And Republicans Are His ‘Accomplices’…Says a member of the degenerate Kennedy clan.

 Democrats Cannot Stop Trump 2.0

 Trump: The Hero Modern America Needs

All heroes have major flaws 

 I’ve Been a Democrat for 20 Years. Here’s What I Experienced at Trump’s Rally in New Hampshire.

People were nice and welcoming. What a surprise. She had fun.

 Chris Matthews: How Can We Beat Trump By Outsourcing Our Nomination To A Socialist Or A Republican?

"We"? 

 Dem Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Calls Trump’s Budget Racist

Her reasons do not reflect well on black Americans. Bad stereotyping on her part. 

A morning rant about Canada 

 UK Government Approves Net Censorship – British Free Speech Dies

Orwell went to their heads 

 For a Narrow U.S.-Israel Defense Pact

 Standard poodle Siba wins best in show at Westminster

Betelgeuse might explode soon - like 1000 years ago 

United States Led Entire World In Reducing CO2 Emissions In 2019

NYC:  Save our city: Stop making it so damn hard to build

Inside Hong Kong's cage homes (video) 

" Ensuring civil liberties on campus does not mean being permissive of acts of sexual violence. No matter what our politics may be, we should all agree that Title IX policies need to ensure that all students — both male and female — have the right to due process and a fair and impartial investigation..."

 “This Is the Biggest Political Scandal of Our Time.  Let’s Be Clear!” – Maria Bartiromo Goes Off on Attempted Coup Against Trump

 Fix the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, and Punish the Crooks Who Abused It

 While you were focused on New Hampshire, more Trump judicial nominees were confirmed

The Boy Party vs. the Girl Party

Not really, just sort-of 

 Rush Limbaugh imagines what's going on in the desperate, desolate minds of Democrats.

The Facts About Trump That Are Deadly For Democrats

 Warren Campaign Obituary: She tried to fake it, but America didn’t buy it

 Why Joe Biden’s campaign is collapsing

 ‘Lightweight’ Mike Bloomberg already proving he’s no match for Sanders or Trump

WSJ:  The Incompetence Party - The Democrats’ biggest problem isn’t Bernie Sanders. It’s that many voters doubt the party’s ability to govern anymore.

 Dem Post-Impeachment Strategy: Let’s Hit Trump On The Economy

 Affair Mila: A French 16-Year-Old Criticized Islam And Set Off A National Debate About Free Speech

 Swiss machines 'used to spy on governments for decades'

 China Rx: Exposing the Risks of America’s Dependence on China for Medicine

We posted about conditioning and related topics last week.  We talked about measuring progress. I'd say that if you can get through my Friday morning fitness class, and if your body weight is right for you, you are in decent condition. But when you begin, you plain suck and hate yourself because you are not in good condition.

Newbies have trouble at first, but the ones who stick with it religiously make good progress. 

That class is cardio and endurance, but those things are important. A 4-minute rower sprint is a bitch. I can not sprint for 4 minutes, have to pace myself.

So although it's difficult to put a number on fitness class performance, you can get a sense over time about how you are doing/surviving a class.  Or you can compare yourself with others, which is a bad idea but difficult not to.

At my gym, the classes are free. Usually it's 50/50 guys and gals in early morning. They kick your ass, start the day right. Give it a try for a few months, and see what happens. I do one or two weekly, and count it as my calisthenics. Difficult to call it "fun," but there is some comaraderie.

An hour after finishing, you feel great. 

Growing 2000 year-old Date Palms 

Charles Murray is coming back to Middlebury. Professors are not pleased.

Why It’s Delusional To Think Higher Education Is Free From Indoctrination. If academia shapes up to be the ideological opponent of more than half the population, conservatives will treat it as an enemy.

 Rep. Omar: America Causes Floods Around the World

Climate Science does about-face, dials back 'worst-case scenario'

The Fight Over the 1619 Project. Slavery was America’s original sin. The 1619 Project’s attempt to recast it as America’s foundation rests on bad history and misrepresented facts.

 Convictions and Doubts: The Case of Cardinal Pell

 The 'ultimate feminist' defending Harvey Weinstein

 The SPLC's Fall From Grace: How a Civil Rights Group Became a Threat to Free Speech

Senate Republicans confirm Trump's 51st federal appeals court judge. McConnell: "My motto for the year is 'leave no vacancy behind.'"

 After Three Years of Hate, the Dems Have Lost It

 This Democratic Field Is So Flawed That Even Biden Still Has A Chance

Democrats 2020 race is starting to look like a suicide pact

 Liberal Media in Awe Over Trump’s Massive NH Rally, ‘Far Bigger Crowd Tonight For Trump Compared to Dem Rally on Saturday Night’ 

Trollin' trollin' trollin' 

 MICHAEL BLOOMBERG: WE NEED TO DISARM MINORITIES *UPDATE: AUDIO ADDED

 Newly-released Audio of Bloomberg May Doom His Candidacy

In this case, much of what he said was true -  but also Wrongspeak 

What Bernie would do, were he king 

 Tucker Carlson: Democrats Fear Bernie Sanders More Than Trump

I have always found Rauschenberg's stuff interesting to look at. Long ago, when I dabbled in the journalism field while in college, I interviewed the guy. A friendly Texan, happy to talk. I wish I had had better questions for him.

I liked this piece of his at the Whitney last weekend. My photo lacks the detail and subtlety. It's a complex design, decorative.

Via Insty of course:  Yes, The G-Spot Is Real! Here's How To Find It And Have The Most Powerful Kind Of Orgasms

Well, she can simply show him if she wants to. She knows what works.

 The importance of family structure — was the nuclear family a mistake?

The Mormon Church Amassed $100 Billion. It Was the Best-Kept Secret in the Investment World. A look inside the vast but little-known fund of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: ‘We’ve tried to be somewhat anonymous.’

Wow 

Duncing About Architecture - The ignorance and racism behind the right-wing push for “classical” federal buildings.

From TNR of course. Do they prefer Brutalist? I want no federal buildings of any style, but that's me. Put them in vacant shopping centers and spread them around the country. As it is, DC feels like an Imperial City.

How Rush Limbaugh Made Millennials Like Me Conservative

Helped me too, and I am no millennial. Opened my mind.

VDH: The Once and Future Scandal - Soon the worm may turn. The real scandal is back on the horizon, and at last, we may learn that no one is above the law—most certainly not a group of smug and mediocre apparatchiks who assumed they had the moral right to destroy a presidential candidate and later an elected president.

 Hey Nancy, Actions Have Consequences!

 Bigger than Vindman: Trump scrubs 70 Obama holdovers from NSC

Related,  Time for Trump to Get His Godfather On

 Failed Coup of a Failing Establishment

 The Week When Trump Was Reelected

 Democrats Just Look Ridiculous Pretending The Economy Is Falling Apart

 CBS News’ Jamal Simmons Warns Dems: Trump Has “A Whole List Of” Accomplishments Helping Blacks…

 Biden Talks About Using Hellfire Missiles Against American Gun Owners

 Go Away Lady: Liz Warren Stops By New Hampshire Diner and Nobody Wants to Talk with Her 

Not a pleasant person, really. Klobuchar is better, more real. 

 Bernie Sanders Confused By New Hampshire State Motto 'Live Free Or Die' — 'Both Of Those Options Sound Horrible'

 Democrats in disarray in New Hampshire as Sanders surges and Trump provokes

 President Donald Trump successfully trolled Democrats once again Monday — hosting a packed rally the night before their New Hampshire primary election and successfully directing attention and energy away from Democratic campaigners desperate to interest voters.

Best troller ever 

 Buttigieg: Decriminalize Heroin and Meth

There is an argument for that 

 Iranian Regime Cracks Down on ‘Indecently Dressed’ Mannequins in Shops

Sheesh