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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Sunday, August 9. 2020What's for dessert tonight? Strawberries with Balsamic
Simple recipe: Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar
From today's Lectionary: Come out of the boatMatthew 14:22-33 14:22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 14:23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 14:24 but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. 14:25 And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. 14:26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. 14:27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." 14:28 Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." 14:29 He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. 14:30 But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" 14:31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" 14:32 When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 14:33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." Saturday, August 8. 2020Saturday morning linksWhy Zimbabwe’s female rangers are better at stopping poaching - The Akashinga, or “brave ones,” survived abuse and exploitation. Now, armed and trained like special forces, they're protecting the country’s most iconic wildlife. Obesity not defined by weight, says new Canada guideline Don’t Cancel School. Prolonged closures are their own crisis. World's Top Epidemiologists - Masks Don't Work! MC: A Visit To The Local Bookstore American Cities Committing Urban Suicide THE DECLINE AND FALL OF SAN FRANCISCO David McIntosh’s Big Idea: Fund school choice options for parents amid coronavirus Chuck Schumer Changes Mind, Now Says Schools Must Reopen – It Must Be that Poll that Shows 80% of Voters Want Schools Open Portland Mayor Pleads With Vandals: Don’t You See That You’ve Become A Prop For Trump’s Campaign? New York AG seeks to dissolve NRA in new lawsuit BB: 10 Signs You Might Be A Secret Racist The Wedge Issue That’s Dividing Trumpworld - A group of social conservatives wants the president to embrace anti-transgender issues to reverse his sagging poll numbers. Some Trump advisers think it’s political suicide. Top Democrats contemplate civil war if Biden loses. Yet the media still only talks about Trump not accepting the result Trump Signs Order Seeking to Return Drug Production to U.S. Joe Biden: Latino Community Has Diverse Attitudes “Unlike the African-American Community” Democrats planted false stories in effort to derail Biden investigations, Grassley says What did the China hawks get right and wrong about China? A few power and technical problems hereThursday, August 6. 2020Woke Math in Seattleh/t, American Digest's In China they’re doing advanced calculus. Here our mentally deficient are arguing about 2+2. Well, my thought is that, since 50% of Americans shockingly have below-average IQs, numbers are not for everybody. Most people can at least learn trig, though, if not the abstractions of calc. I was always a math "learner" until the light went on. Thursday morning linksMy Life Pouring Concrete NYC newsman, author Pete Hamill dead at 85 US Cruise Operators Halt Voyages Until Oct. 31 After 2 Ships Hit By Outbreaks Amid Restart Bezos is now on the cusp of another record: a fortune exceeding $200 billion. Walter Williams: The Leftist Effort to Revise American History "The faculty letter gives the impression that many Princeton professors believe their institution is rife with anti-Black racism and that the university must risk abandoning long-standing core values..." MSNBC Producer Leaves Network, Writes Letter Explaining How Broadcast News is a Cancer Without a Cure 'We will probably take this to trial': Bar owner says last call will have catastrophic consequences Mayor Bill DeBlasio Launches Updated New York City Quarantine Rules and Checkpoints with Fines Up to $10,000 — Tucker Carlson Reponds Wall Street Journal editorial accuses teachers unions of using pandemic to commit 'political extortion' Another Riot Was Declared In Portland Last Night Rape Shouldn’t Be Reported to Police: Keith Ellison Americans Reject Joe Biden's Radical Suburbs-Crushing Housing Rule in a New Poll Democrats’ Worst Nightmare: Black Trump Supporters March in Los Angeles, Champion #BlackLivesMAGA Wednesday, August 5. 2020A strange tree: Weeping ElmSupposedly there are only a handful of these trees in the US. A genetic aberration, identified by Beebe. This photo from a reader in Denver, on the campus of St. Regis Univ. All regular Elms are vulnerable to Dutch Elm disease. There are new variants which are immune. Wednesday morning linksChampagne losing its fizz as global pandemic clobbers sales University at Buffalo to remove U.S. President Millard Fillmore’s name from campus Sheesh. It's about time Columbia hosts 'deconstructing whiteness' workshop for 'white-identified students' UNT Faculty Targeted For Saying Music Theory Isn't White Supremacist The Shame of the Teachers’ Unions Australia Imposes Curfews, Closes Internal Borders To Slow COVID-19 Pandemic. Here's How Trump Needs to Explain the United States' Coronavirus Response
Insanity Wrap #20: Washington Post Goes Full Commie Hemingway: Media Silent As Christopher Steele ‘Hero’ ‘Spymaster’ Narrative Crumbles Evidence Mounts That Mail-In Voting Will Bring Only Fraud And Chaos Tuesday, August 4. 2020Tuesday morning linksThe world's tallest known tropical tree has been found—and climbed Atomic Spy: The Dark Lives of Klaus Fuchs Manhattan Contrarian Gaslighting Roundup Illinois lawmaker proposes ban on history classes because they ‘lead to a racist society’ A Joe Biden presidency would be a disaster for our schools The New Puritans - Today’s cultural scolds demand that artists pass ideological and behavioral purity tests. TIDES Foundation Is the Tip of the Anti-Police Spear NY Times union calls for racial quotas in hiring and staffing, euphemistically called “equity” The Policing Crisis in New York City Heroic Neighbors Defend Home of Seattle Police Chief From Rioters Seattle Police Chief Slams City Council After Activists Target Her Home: ‘You Must Forcefully Call For The End Of These Tactics’ Pelosi Claims People Will Forego $600/Week In Unemployment Benefits To Earn $300/Week Working “We Should Anticipate The … Vaccine To Be Similar To The Influenza Vaccine” All the COVID safety rules are little more than theater France Imposes New Rules Requiring Outdoor Masks CATO: No More State Aid " What does it take to satisfy this chick?" Suddenly Dems want to scrap presidential debates! Monday, August 3. 2020Monday morning links5,000 Burmese pythons removed from Florida Everglades Don’t Break Up Big Tech. The monopolistic power of today’s Internet companies is overstated. Tucker Drops a Truth Bomb About Dr. Fauci Being a 'Total Fraud' CDC Director Says 'It Is in the Public Health Interest' to Reopen Schools for K-12 Students Minneapolis Police, Defunded by City Council, Advise Residents to Obey Criminals Black Man Erupts At BLM For Blocking Road: ‘I Got To Go To Work. I Got Bills. I Got Kids. Get The F*** Out My Way.’ Seattle City Council Resolution Would Replace Police With ‘Civilian-Led Department’ What Coronavirus? THOUSANDS of Leftists March in Chicago Chanting, “No Justice, No Peace, Defund the Police” BURNING BIBLES IN PORTLAND It’s August: Rest, Fall will be Even Crazier Biden Opens the Door for School Choice. The candidate’s child-care tax credit could finance promising experiments in education President Trump takes on the ‘permanent war’ lobby over Germany Sunday, August 2. 2020Delightful interview with Jerry GarciaFrom 1994
Getting back to gym classes this week
I've been doing weights twice weekly in my genius trainer's garage since mid-March, and was running twice/week until it got too damn hot for me, and Mrs. BD and I switched to walks. Walks with a spouse are worth doing, but are not exercise. Since my big gym has re-opened, apparently the calisthenics classes have been small, say 7 people instead of 30. Fine with me, but harder to hide. Trying to get back to 2 days of heavy wts, 2 days of calis, and 2 days of HIIT cardio. That's the Maggie's program for general fitness and conditioning. Also, I need the stair machine. It's easy to tell, because when I do barbell squats I have stiff legs for 3 days. One day of soreness is fine, but not 3. What about our fitness readers? From today's Lectionary: Loaves and fishesMatthew 14:13-21 14:13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14:14 When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 14:15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves." 14:16 Jesus said to them, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." 14:17 They replied, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish." 14:18 And he said, "Bring them here to me." 14:19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 14:20 And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 14:21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. Saturday, August 1. 2020Fractal BroccoliA reader is growing this interesting broccoli in the garden this year: ROMANESCO ITALIA BROCCOLI I guess it's more of a cauliflower than a broccoli, but whatever. Probably more interesting to look at than to eat - unless dressed with lots of garlic and oil. My view is that even dog kibbles are good with enough oil and garlic. Letter from a reader, requesting commentsGood Morning. I am a small business owner, a New Yorker, an entrepreneur, a daughter, a sister, and an advocate of others who wish to pursue their dreams. I am passionate about freedom, education and innovation; I am open minded and eager to hear about other people's experiences. My personal views on political issues are deeply rooted in my own personal experiences. I have launched two businesses over the past seven years; however for the first five years I struggled. I am an educated and intelligent woman but found myself living hand to mouth -- even briefly taking food stamps to buy basic groceries. After year three, I was able to access capital at a reasonable cost and this allowed me to grow; after year six, I am finally seeing some success and I am able to support myself; after year seven I am thriving. My companies have created jobs for more than 250 US workers and have generated more than $10 million of economic activity. I enjoy my work and find fulfillment in creating a positive impact. I work hard day in and day out to pursue my dreams and encourage others to do the same. I help other entrepreneurs without asking for anything in return because this is the right thing to do. I am not perfect, I have made mistakes, and I am among the ranks of millions of small business owners doing the same thing. Here are some facts about small businesses. (Before we begin, note that the SBA generally defines small businesses as firms with less than 500 employees; however you can read more details about small business criteria here.)
Before COVID, it was challenging enough. Most small businesses fail; here are some stats. The primary reasons small businesses fail are cash flow and management / business planning challenges, the latter of which I believe is due to a lack of education. The SBA has amazing resources for small business owners, but small business owners often are not aware of these resources. Back to politics. On a personal level, I find many individuals in politics distasteful -- on both sides. I also find many role models in our leadership on both sides. But, personalities are their business and not my business. If I could not find a way to work with people I did not like, I would be out of business. All I ask is that everyone do a personal inventory of your motives for hate speech or rallying in an unsafe way - whichever side you are on. If you are doing this to fit in, for approval, to make yourself feel better or simply because you are bored, check yourself. Don't be afraid to speak about your experiences -- or to pursue your dreams. Please, be safe, be grateful, and support a local business today. Sincerely, A young entrepreneur
Notes: (1) Source: SBA https://advocacy.sba.gov/2019/01/30/small-businesses-generate-44-percent-of-u-s-economic-activity/ Saturday morning linksWhy Is Bob Ross Still So Popular? Twenty-five years after his death, the painter who gave us “happy little trees” is more ubiquitous than ever. TA would assasinate Jesus Jesus and the maginalized Systemic Hypocrisy Think Cancel Culture Doesn’t Exist? My Own ‘Lived Experience’ Says Otherwise The Left Eats Their Own, Portland Edition: Wall of Moms Collapses, Accused of Anti-Blackness " I am a racist. So is Katherine Kersten. She can't admit it. The first step is acknowledging the problem." Blue State blues: New York In Financial Fantasyland The Washington Post Can't and Won't Stop Lying Ami Horowitz Goes To Portland; Rioters Promote Violence, Say It’s Time To “End The American Experiment” Biden ‘Racial Equity Plan’ Would Enrich Wealthy Lawyers at Employers’ Expense Dianne Feinstein: China Is 'Growing Into a Respectable Nation' Saturday Verse: Louise GluckMatins You want to know how I spend my time? Friday, July 31. 2020Friday morning linksUN Officials Cite Study That Finds Lockdowns, School Closures Killing More Kids Than COVID Teachers Unions Want Wealth Taxes, Charter School Bans, and Medicare for All Before Schools Can Reopen Masks are the new condoms — and Americans need to get on board now! Fifty-four scientists have lost their jobs as a result of NIH probe into foreign ties Failed to disclose China ties Multiple Outlets, Journalists, Push False Stat that GDP Fell 32.9% in Q2; It Fell 9.5% I admit I believed it
Good Riddance To Drudge He served a purpose With silencing of speech, is America entering Orwellian territory? Dems Fear A Campaign-Altering Surprise From Durham CNN Claims Congress Can Pass Law To Stop Economy From Contracting Cool! Cuomo: Federal government needs to fill New York's budget gap States, seeking more coronavirus relief funds, have hardly spent the $139 billion approved in March: report. The National Governors Association said states need $500 billion to replace revenue lost during the recession From whom? Is New York Reaching Herd Immunity? What does China want? Thursday, July 30. 2020Thursday morning linksHedonism Leads to Happiness Ocean Grove, New Jersey travel notes Salt Water New England: Nice photos Charity Navigator is launching a new rating system to help better evaluate nonprofits Trader Joe's to keep popular international food labels, denies packaging is racist Social media mocks NYT report stating that teachers are ‘wary’ of both in-person and online courses UN Officials Cite Study That Finds Lockdowns, School Closures Killing More Kids Than COVID A Few Tips In Case You Find Yourself In A Mandatory "Anti-Racism" Struggle Session Day Care Fine, School Not Fine BoJo To Britons: You Fat People Are Making The Pandemic Recession Worse Firing White People Will Improve Diversity True After Ending Police Contract, Minneapolis Schools Quietly Post Job Listings For Security Guards Democrats Make Mockery of Barr ‘Hearing’ CNN Attacks Barr For Caring About Black On Black Crime… Portland Police Raise Millions By Letting Citizens Throw Tear Gas At Antifa For $5 A Pop How to Hold Beijing Accountable for the Coronavirus - Why did China cover up the epidemic? Was the Pentagon’s Blacklist of Chinese Companies Justified? Reshaped After the Pandemic: Turkish Aggression in the Eastern Mediterranean Wednesday, July 29. 2020Wednesday morning linksThailand: Police say monkeys have taken over city and fight to control them is now ‘hopeless’ I Was Invited to Testify on Energy Policy. Then Democrats Didn’t Let Me Speak Illinois can not run itself 1619 Project Creator Admits “It Is Not A History” But a Fight “to Control the National Narrative” The 1619 Project: When ‘History’ Isn’t History Arson Isn’t Violence, Argues NY Times 1619 Author Should they be trying to injure federal officers every night with rocks, cans, lasers and fireworks? That’s the question BLM activists are wrestling with according to the NY Times. Dispatch From Portland: The Morning Crew - A tarot card-reading liberal arts major, a Sudanese immigrant, and a former restaurant worker explain why they are out protesting in Rose City. Trump reroutes pharmaceutical manufacturing from China to New York Kodak plant AG Barr destroys Jerry Nadler in another House Democrat testimony disaster Tuesday, July 28. 2020Home workouts: BandsI've taken fitness classes which only use bands for resistance. In a way, band workouts are calisthenics with extra resistance. For general fitness, bands are all the equipment you really need to buy unless you are in a serious muscle-building program. Believe me, the guy in the video did not grow that muscle bulk with bands alone. Example:
Tuesday morning linksSchool Vouchers As Pandemic Response Supreme Court Backs School Choice – For Now California Cancels School. Declaring that there will be no in-person instruction this fall, Governor Gavin Newsom puts teachers’ union interests over those of children and families. How to bring New York City’s refugees back home Uncanceled: After Threatened Lawsuit, Charity Boss Who Criticized BLM is Reinstated, Cancel Mob Resigns Kimball: It Doesn’t End Well. The hooligans smashing up courthouses and police stations as they pursue indiscriminate carnage are fired by the same unholy “train of disorderly appetites” that Edmund Burke anatomized 230 years ago. Downtown Portland Businesses Seeing Business Collapse Due To “Protests” Seattle’s progressive prescription for rapid urban decay The lunacy of the ‘largely peaceful protest’ - The media says one thing while also saying the opposite Nadler Calls Antifa Violence A 'Myth' In Stunning Example Of DC Disconnect Soros Pours Record $50 Million Into 2020 Election Rwandan asylum seeker admits to setting fire to French cathedral Israel Was Ground Zero for the New Woke Religion. How coverage of the Jewish state became a signifier of the ideological activism that now permeates Western cultur Monday, July 27. 2020Monday morning linksIt's up to Grandpas to teach kids to fish The Sly Psychology Behind Magicians' Card Tricks - Is this your card? A recent study found that participants will select the suit or number they were primed to choose.
Freedom to Deface - Mayor de Blasio cancels a graffiti-eradication program, accommodating vandals who make the city uglier. Canada Approves "Glory Holes" For Safe Sex During Pandemic Sheesh Does Mathematics = Western Imperialism? Why Are We Even Contemplating Canceling Aristotle? These are the innocuous words progressives want to ban you from using The Left Has Turned Into A Crazed Maoist Cult. It's Time For The Sane To Exit. DC goes back to work - and online porn up 1600 % Las Vegas Casinos Are Making Another Round Of Brutal Furloughs And Layoffs When to re-open schools? How about never? Approval of Trump's handling of coronavirus hits new low Walmart, Home Depot Won’t Enforce Face Mask Rules Following Violent Confrontations More riots and lawlessness in cities across nation - Saturday’s unrest included damage to federal buildings and local police precincts -- and even a fatal shooting Police Tell Business Owners in Seattle 'You're on Your Own' Democrats’ Strategy – Slander the Police, Defund the Police, Close Prisons and Set Criminals Free – What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Radio host mocked Trump by claiming Seattle is peaceful, then rioters torched his apartment building American protests: Demonstrations, violent riots expected to continue throughout the country Protesters Gather Outside DHS Secretary Chad Wolf’s House… "Portland is leading. They’re showing what it looks like to stay in the streets despite police oppression, despite the federal forces being sent in. This kind of energy is actually what’s needed." Armed Militia Group Joins BLM Protest In Louisville, Three Members Shot “It’s Dangerous and She Should Immediately Apologize for That” – DHS Secretary Chad Wolf Blasts Nancy Pelosi After She Compares Federal Agents to Nazis 'Trump Might Not Accept The Results Of The 2020 Election,' Says Movement That Still Hasn't Accepted Results Of 2016 Election More willful blindness by the media on spying by Obama administration Sunday, July 26. 2020The Victim, the Persecutor, and the RescuerA friend told me about the Karpman Drama Triangle. It's a model for (dysfunctional) family dynamics. One aspect of the model is that the Victim is not necessarily a literal victim, but one who assumes the victim role.
Still not clear what they are protesting
I beieve that there is a calculated strategy: To expose the violence inherent in the system. Going after Federal buildings is just begging for that. The feds are obligated to protect Federal property and people. There is nothing these protesters want more than to receive some real bullets. Seattle police: We can no longer protect citizens or property
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