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.
It's one of my favorite fishes. I happen to have plenty of favorite fishes though. Halibut has been overfished in the North Atlantic, like Cod and most other things. Atlantic vs Pacific Halibut.
This old photo of a handliner is from our favorite seafood cookbook, Howard Mitcham's The Provincetown Seafood Cookbook. As is typical of P'town, lots of Portuguese recipes.
"It's a true classic, one of the most influential of my life." --Anthony Bourdain, from the new introduction
The revolution is over unless the guillotine is next. Academic freedom no longer exists. Free speech no longer exists. The media is a propaganda ministry. Without free speech there can be no answer to denunciation. White people are guilty. Period.
25:19 These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham was the father of Isaac,
25:20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramean
25:21 Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD granted his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived.
25:22 The children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is to be this way, why do I live?" So she went to inquire of the LORD.
25:23 And the LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger."
25:24 When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb.
25:25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy mantle; so they named him Esau.
25:26 Afterward his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.
25:27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents,
25:28 Isaac loved Esau, because he was fond of game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.
25:29 Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished.
25:30 Esau said to Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!" (Therefore he was called Edom.)
25:31 Jacob said, "First sell me your birthright."
25:32 Esau said, "I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?"
25:33 Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.
25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
At first, I found it galling in the extreme that Trump's magnificent Mount Rushmore speech was smeared as "divisive" by the Democrat-Media Complex as well as quite a few flunkies and traitors among the cuck-servative set. But, as the saying goes, you take the most flak when you're right over the target. How could defending the greatest nation and society (warts and all) that has and will ever exist in history, be divisive unless one believes the exact opposite? As I stated yesterday, no other president or Republican leader in my lifetime, with maybe the exception of Reagan, ever defended the nation so forcefully and eloquently when it was under direct assault from internal enemies as Trump did.
Around here, this was the weekend when many birds left their nests and scattered around begging their parents for food.
There is a fledgeling Catbird out my window right now in the rose bushes, asking Mom and Dad for a bug or two. We have fully-spotted Robins, still with their wide mouths, on the lawn. A bunch of tiny House Wrens in the shrubbery. A fledgeling Cardinal in a Holly tree. Four baby Barn Swallows, sitting in a line on a dead branch. Noisy baby Grackles on the lawn and fledgeling Crows cawing for food in the treetops.
And, down the lane, two fledgeling Ospreys exercising their wings on a high nest, preparing for their first adventures.
11:16 "But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another,
11:17 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.'
11:18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon';
11:19 the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."
11:25 At that time Jesus said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants;
11:26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
11:27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
11:28 "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
It's a good day to think about all of the wonderful things about the USA. One day without grousing and bitching would be pleasant.
Here's something to try: Have a chat with a recent legal immigrant. I did yesterday, and with another one early this morning for a blood-drawing. Immigrants are grateful for freedom and opportunity, while many of us multi-generational Americans just take it all for granted, or even demand more. Shame on me, if I do that.
President Trump has an excellent record to run on. His tax cuts, trade deals and deregulation generated the strongest economy, probably, in American history. Overseas, we are at peace while still strongly advancing American interests.
The USMCA, the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico that replaced NAFTA, goes into effect today