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.
As a psychotherapist, I can tell you that it’s not unusual for the creator of the universe to come up in sessions around the High Holidays. This time of year, God puts a lot of pressure on Jews everywhere—even those who don’t believe in him. Few will ever come upon a burning bush, but whispers, hints, or even simple thoughts about God will often arise during the Days of Awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Letter To My Son (on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, 1831):
To my beloved son, Isaac, may his light shine;
May the Almighty strengthen your heart and move you on the great and fearful day of Rosh Hashanah which is appraching, that you may make it your purpose henceforth to renew yourself each day for good. Do not lose a day without a period of solitary meditation, during which you will contemplate your ultimate purpose. Snatch each day as much study of Torah, prayer and good deeds as you will be able to steal from this passing shade, this vanity of vanities, this evanescent cloud. Remember well that all our days are nothing. Every man can snatch in them some piece of eternity on some level.
In the Talmud is written: "In the place where repentant sinners stand perfect saints cannot stand." The estate of the repentant sinner is even higher than that of the perfect saint. The repentant sinner had to struggle more fiercely to subdue their evil inclination.
Bird Dog alerted me to this delightful video. Among all the seriousness, we still find ways to have fun. Fun often transmits messages just as well.
A note about understanding "Shana Tovah", the traditional Jewish New Year's greeting: Literally, it means a good new year. Many, however, offer it as a happy new year. But, happiness is not an accurate measure of goodness. Further, "shana" as a verb can mean change. What we work for is to change for the better.
It turns out that the future is not “a boot stamping on a human face – forever.” The future is a conference call on which a cheery 30-something says things like “progressively coordinate functional strategic theme areas” – forever.
He is a man of the sort that was behind the American revolution. Brexit was the only freedom cause he could find. A Maggie's hero. A shame that he, like Farage, will leave politics after seeing their mission accomplished.
However, that is as it should be. Career pols are pathetic. I recently reviewed Washington's farewell address. Served humbly, reluctantly, and went home to the farm.
"I trust the businessman only when he’s out to make money – because then he’s going to want to do things my way. When he’s out to do me good, he is going to do it his way."
At Drudge, more reasons to go Trump even if you disapprove of him. Why the anger with Trump? Get mad at the American voters instead, because Trump is gaining with them despite his abundant flaws:
Utopia has a class system. At the top are the thinkers, the philosopher kings who develop plans based on how things ought to be and then turn them over to lesser men to actually implement. They are the priestly class of an ideological movement whose deity is politics and whose priests are politicians.
Since The Very #Principled #NeverTrumpers Never Talk About the
Downside of Electing Their Preferred Candidate Hillary Clinton, I'll
Talk About It A Bit
Pic is your editor busting through a thick alder patch. If a woodcock jumps up, often a branch blocks your swing of the shotgun. That is annoying.
My favorite hunting is for the Ruffed Grouse, aka Partidge, aka "Paatrich," aka "chicken". Best done with dog - pointer or flusher - but it can be done alone too, if alert.
In the autumn, a Ruffed Grouse hunt generally involves Woodcock too. This is real hunting, because even in good habitat you might be lucky to raise a bird or two every few hours of rough hiking. Then the bird flies behind a tree and you miss it. These birds have every advantage.
This good guy shot a Sage Grouse. I've seen them out west, never shot one. I wouldn't shoot one. Once I almost shot a Spruce Grouse by mistake, in Maine. They are protected, and not really edible. I have shot my share of Sharp-Tailed Grouse up in Canadian prairie. That might be the most enjoyable hunting I have ever had. A firing line of a few guys stalking through low brush, scrub, and prairie grasses, for a few miles. Then a sudden burst of grouse occurs right when you have stopped to take a leak.
Regardless of the species, grouse are killed with legs, not shotguns. You walk. A grouse hunt is an excuse to take long gnarly off-trail walks with a dog and thus to earn a glass of warm whiskey by the fire afterwards. That's about as good as life gets.
Credit to Glenn Reynolds for coining the phrase for this year's peak campus and SJW insanity. Here's my favorite of the day: annual hike at Claremont Colleges canceled for not being inclusive. Apparently not everybody can hike up a mountain in revealing clothing. Or, probably, in any sort of clothing.
My solution is to ban everything, starting with the fun stuff.
The ruling class having chosen raw power over law and persuasion, the American people reasonably concluded that raw power is the only way to counter it, and looked for candidates who would do that. Hence, even constitutional scholar Ted Cruz stopped talking about the constitutional implications of President Obama’s actions after polls told him that the public was more interested in what he would do to reverse them, niceties notwithstanding. Had Cruz become the main alternative to the Democratic Party’s dominion, the American people might have been presented with the option of reverting to the rule of law. But that did not happen. Both of the choices before us presuppose force, not law.
We have lost track of the volume of our readership, but we know it is substantial and could be monetized in some way if we wanted to do that. We do not, because we do not want another Job.
However, if you have not done so, please let your friends, neighbors, relatives, enemies, colleagues, etc. know about us. Our readership is our reward.
Our eclectic site can be of interest to all sorts of people. As far as the political component goes, we just try to put up stuff that the MSM avoids. Tom Paine sort-of-thing. No need to agree with our political or other points of view.
In this election, Clinton’s honesty problem is not a big issue because her lying does not change the voter’s sense of where she stands on the big three items. On the other hand, Trump’s authenticity is a great benefit because it makes him trustworthy. You may not agree with his position on an issue, but you know what you are getting with Trump. His authenticity not only helps him on a personal basis, it helps him overcome the uncertainty issue all newcomers face. It makes him seem less of a risk.
I think the Likeability Factor is overrated in American national politics. It matters more in more local politics where dedicated schmoozers are the usual fare. However, I would rather have a beer with Donald than with Hillary.
Part of it is that I think Donald is educable (and has a long way to go), but she is not. She is a snotty know-it-all, and mostly wrong.
Also, he strikes me as being warm and interested in people, while I imagine Hillary would have half of her attention on the door to see if anybody more important than my deplorable self might come in. Somebody with more money or with higher social status. I think she is that sort of deplorable person.
You all know that physical conditioning consists of strength-building, cardio-pulmonary conditioning, and calisthenics (+ weight adjustments if needed). This guy is focusing mostly on the strength component (and, like most guys, wants to have big muscles), but his advice here is pretty good and applies to women too.
Does he work out too obsessively? Probably, but he is a trainer and body-building is a hobby for this presumably eastern Massachusetts guy.
Pic is from Mrs. BD. She is doing a project there this week, in Mwaukee. Interesting to me that she would never take photos, ever. Felt they interfered with direct experience. Since her iPhone, she takes snaps all the time.
The meaning of the cross is both deeply disturbing and deeply hopeful. I am not sure how it could be construed as offensive, tho, since my religion holds that Christ died on that thing as a human sacrifice to redeem humanity from its sins.
He's not fit for office. This guy doesn't have the temperament, doesn't have the qualifications. He's an embarrassment. He's dangerous. "We can't let this guy get near the nuke button. This guy is so off the wall, he has no business being in this business," is basically her point. "This guy is so gauche, this guy is so uncouth, this guy is so yuck, he has no business being in our business! He has no business being president; he has no business running for president. He's unfit. He's ill-tempered."
Right? Well, I'm sure Hillary thought she had ample opportunity to make that point last night, but she didn't, did she?
I was much younger then. The youth today need a similar song. I hate the way this group of giant rock stars turn the refrain into an insipid, zipless line, but otherwise, good fun. McGuinn's guitar sets the tone. Bob his usual humble self.
Pic: Bragging pal sent photo of his tomato vine in California growing onto his roof. I bet he waters it illegally...
Dog 
Pic is your editor busting through a thick alder patch. If a woodcock jumps up, often a branch blocks your swing of the shotgun. That is annoying.
We have lost track of the volume of our readership, but we know it is substantial and could be monetized in some way if we wanted to do that. We do not, because we do not want another Job.
Former Navy SEAL commanders explain why they still wake up before dawn every day — 
I think the Likeability Factor is overrated in American national politics. It matters more in more local politics where dedicated schmoozers are the usual fare. However, I would rather have a beer with Donald than with Hillary. 
Pic is from Mrs. BD. She is doing a project there this week, in Mwaukee. Interesting to me that she would never take photos, ever. Felt they interfered with direct experience. Since her iPhone, she takes snaps all the time.