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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Monday, March 2. 2020Medical advice to readers over age 40
Preventive medicine is expensive and, they say, not cost-effective but my life is not a statistic to me. I schedule it every 2 or 3 years. It's annoying and inconvenient, and leads to all sorts of annoying and inconvenient tests to make sure nothing (detectable) bad is going on anywhere. Do it in memory of my dear brother-in-law Uncle Bob, a very fit, skinny, strong athlete who dropped dead last year at age 59 on a treadmill. Avoided doctors for 30 years like an old-time Yankee. He would be alive today, still climbing the White Mountains, if anybody had known his cardiovascular situation. Never had any symptoms, and could run and climb like a monster. I remember our last run together on Cape Cod a couple of years ago. No way I could keep up. My own doc admitted to me that he himself had not had a thorough physical for 6 years. Whatever. He's a serious athlete and presumably knows his body. He found a lump on me (harmless lipoma) and asked me if I had noticed it. "Nope," I replied. "I am not in the habit of caressing my body." The only complaint I could come up with for him is my waking up between 1 and 2 in the morning with trouble getting back to sleep. Not to pee, just waking up with a head full of vivid memories and some sad or dark thoughts. Plus a little heartburn sometimes, especially with late suppers. He gave me some sleep meds which I have not used. Also, my darn traumatic right shoulder arthritis from sport accidents, which I do not plan to do anything about anytime soon (shoulder replacement? Not today, thank you, even though it makes handling a shotgun painful and awkward). I do whatever he tells me to do because he will fire any patient who will not. He has a waiting list for new patients, like an exclusive club. Besides the routine exam, he made me endure three separate sets of blood drawings, 2 full-body CAT scans (one with and one without contrast), Echo stress test, breathing test, Colonoscopy and Endoscopy, a Urologist consultation, and an Oncology consultation (cuz I had a sarcoma sliced out 15 years ago). That is called a thorough check-up but I put up with it all, somehow. I am healthy and strong enough (passed his strength test - deadlifts by age and weight), with below-average body fat by caliper measure. Below-average body fat feels good because "average" is pudgy. Other than well-controlled blood pressure and triglycerides, I am good for now. Readers know I have a serious daily exercise regimen for what it's worth. Could get killed by a falling crane tomorrow. What about y'all? Monday morning linksUS Flu Cases Climb to 15 Million With 54 Pediatric Deaths Recorded in 2019-20 Season Hidden news about the epidemic sweeping across America! Some students say colleges not doing enough to combat coronavirus-fueled racism. "In classes, people won't want to sit next to them. If they're coughing, everyone stares at them," a student said of his peers of Asian descent. Coronavirus Context: You’ll Be Fine, Probably One of my NYC daughters reports people walking around with masks. Sheesh. If you think Democrats and the media are politicizing coronavirus, you’re right I ain't askeered Deer dies of cancer with odd stomach contents, prompting warning from Colorado Parks & Wildlife NYC: Would anybody be putting billion dollar plus buildings in these locations if they thought there was anything to this sea level rise hype? UCLA BANS all single-use plastics Rush's medical update Republican Mega-donor Buys Stake In Twitter, Seeks To Oust Jack Dorsey – Report Is Bernie Sanders the American Version of Jeremy Corbyn? Tucker: Are we sure America won't elect a socialist? (youtube) Political Correctness In Britain? This Orwellian Madness Has Reached New Levels Of Absurdity U.S. Signs Peace Deal With Taliban After Nearly 2 Decades Of War In Afghanistan Quagmire Sunday, March 1. 2020From today's Lectionary: First Sunday in LentMatthew 4:1-11 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 4:2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 4:3 The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4:4 But he answered, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" 4:5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 4:6 saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'" 4:7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 4:8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 4:9 and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." 4:10 Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'" 4:11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him. Saturday, February 29. 2020Saturday morning linksAmericans Are Avoiding Corona Beer Amid Coronavirus Outbreak, Survey Finds New England Journal of Medicine: Coronavirus Could Be No Worse than Flu Five Reasons You Don't Need to Panic About the COVID-19 Coronavirus How 5G promises to revolutionize farming Next After Nixing Heathrow Expansion: Forbidding New Roads Net Neutrality: LA Times Wants To Regulate Internet Like Any Other Utility National Education Association Pushes Transgendered Education in Elementary Schools HONG KONG: Two Months After Initial Reports of Coronavirus Only 93 Cases and 2 Deaths in Population of 8 Million in Hong Kong ‘NEW LEVEL OF SICKNESS’: Donald Trump Jr. Blasts Democrats For Hoping Coronavirus Crisis Hurts President The Democratic Party's Patriotism Deficit 1 in 10 Voters are Immigrants The Time-Warp Socialist - Bernie Sanders’s vision has been refuted by reality—and history. The Times was well aware when it published these statements that they were not true. Feds Back Off Jailing Michael Flynn After Stunning New Evidence That Gov't 'Lied' and 'Framed' Him Could We Really Be Facing Russia 2.0? TRUMP AGGRESSIVELY COURTING BLACK VOTES Deroy Murdock: Trump is helping black Americans make history in 2020 Massive Fire Breaks Out After Immigrant Protest Near Central Paris Train Station Saturday Verse - Robert Frost. "The life of muscles rocking soft..."Two Tramps in Mud Time Out of the mud two strangers came Good blocks of oak it was I split, The sun was warm but the wind was chill. A bluebird comes tenderly up to alight The water for which we may have to look The time when most I loved my task Out of the wood two hulking tramps Nothing on either side was said. But yield who will to their separation, Friday, February 28. 2020Salmon recipe du JourFriday morning linksReal Headline from The Crazy Years: "Doctors suspended for removing transgender man's vagina without consent" New Jersey Public Schools To Teach LGBT Ideology In Every Subject Criminalizing Dissent at UMass Amherst. 21-year-old Louis Shenker just wanted his MAGA hat back Evil College accused of ‘cultural appropriation’ after ‘mostly white’ choir sings black spirituals Idaho students demand Starbucks offer 'free' vegan milk that 'doesn't support animal abuse' It's not milk, dummies. It's just white gunk. Related, Across the country, rural communities want to secede from their states. Here's why. Americans outside of urban centers feel as though they have no voice. They want to reclaim their agency. Cuomo And The Urbanites Are Squeezing Rural New York To Death. We've reached an era where upstate counties are too emaciated to retain any meaningful representation in Albany. Shipping and virus fears The virus that challenged the world
Despite a hostile press, Trump's coronavirus press conference hit the right notes Biden, Bloomberg 'both wrong' about Trump cutting CDC, NIH funding, AP fact check says Pols lie. That is news? Thursday, February 27. 2020Thursday morning linksNGOs urge EU to tackle meat consumption 'problem' The irony behind decline of an elite liberal private school The Real Reason for Racial Achievement Gaps TRUMP DOJ WEIGHS IN AGAINST HARVARD’S DISCRIMINATION Washington Post Columnist Demands Journalists Abandon Neutrality In Trump Coverage O’Keefe Strikes Again! ‘Socialist’ ABC Reporter Admits Bosses Spike News Important to Voters, ‘Don’t Give Trump Credit’ Bloomberg Plans Massive Media Onslaught to Destroy Bernie Sanders Bloomberg catches himself from saying he "bought" House races in 2018 Bernie Sanders Hates America Brooklyn College Athletes Draw Ire For Kneeling During Israel’s National Anthem Wednesday, February 26. 2020Nikon P950Our pal in Colorado sends these: "The landscape shot shows my view from where I am standing. Look closely at a tree in the middle of the scene. Now look at the image with my lens zoomed way out into the tele range. Not bad, eh?"
Wednesday morning linksPhoto: Winter Croci in New England So it turns out tofu and all these other vegan foods are ruining the planet The Perverse Panic over Plastic - The campaign against disposable bags and other products is harming the planet and the public Why coronavirus will only be a bump in the road for the world economy Keeping Africa on the brink of starvation Justice Department: 45% of Blacks at Harvard Admitted Through Illegal Race Preferences NYT Editorial Board Member Blames TRUMP For NYC Water Main Breaking. President Trump Has Created an Economic Boom for Blacks In America Bernie Sanders: Fidel Castro Wasn’t So Bad… Democrats Have Already Conceded To Bernie VDH: Never Sanders? In 2020 if Sanders is the Democratic nominee, the NeverSanders movement will be far larger, far wealthier, far more influential—even as it is likely far quieter—than were the vociferous but anemic NeverTrumpers of 2016. WHY DID SANDERS CLING TO FAILING COMMUNIST REGIMES DECADES LONGER THAN OTHER LEFTISTS? Joe Biden Claims A Whopping 150 Million People Have Been Killed By Guns Since 2007 Biden in South Carolina: ‘I’m a Democratic Candidate for the United States Senate’ - “Look me over. If you like what you see, help out. If not, vote for the other Biden. Give me a look though, okay?” The Next Coup Against Trump Has Begun. As the intelligence agencies for all intents renew Operation Crossfire, it’ll take more than Richard Grenell to ward them off. Iran’s leadership rigs an election — and still loses How Israel saved many American lives in Vietnam About Palestinian textbooks Tuesday, February 25. 2020Tuesday HaydnTuesday morning linksAmerica Continues To Lead In Cutting Greenhouse Gas Emissions How Coronavirus Affects the Economy Diversity is a bore Colleges Give Up on Western Civilization If You Can't Articulate A Limiting Principle On Government Expansion, You Get Bernie Sanders CNN continues obsession about Trump’s eating habits, this time over food options in India More Than 100K Pack Massive Stadium to Welcome POTUS for 'Namaste Trump' Rally in India India Plays “Macho Man” by Village People Ahead of President Trump’s Rally at Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad in front of 125,000 That is funny FBI Official: Russia Wants to See Us 'Tear Ourselves Apart'
"I've Never Seen This Level of Doom:" Democrats In Outright "Panic Mode" The evidence doesn't back Democrats' panic that Bernie can't win 7 Reasons the Left's Hatred of Trump Is So Deep Canada: Laboratory for Democratic Socialism PMW report slams Palestinian Authority for using child soldiers. Does UNICEF confront the issue? The Fortunate Arabs in the Middle East Americans aren't as eager to retreat from the Middle East as politicians seem to think Really? Monday, February 24. 2020"If I had been a member of this club I’d still be married to both my ex-wives"Monday morning linksFossils discovered in the Sahara reveal catfish and tilapia swam in rivers 12,000 years ago but died off from over fishing and climate changes World-famous mine is a hidden geological marvel aglow with surreal display of fluorescence AI discovers antibiotic that kills even highly resistant bacteria How to thoroughly disinfect your airplane seat It's called OCD Coronavirus panic update School district scraps traditional ‘A-F’ grading system for kinder, gentler model Connecticut Students Arrested For Saying Things UConn students' arrest over racial slur prompts review of state's ridicule ban A Major Study That Fueled National Vape Panic Has Been Retracted Why Can't California Get People To Take Free Money? California Bill Would Require Occupational Licenses for Porn Actors, Strippers, Cam Girls Bay Area dissatisfaction: Rich, poor, young and old unhappy here. Poll: More residents now want to leave than stay Baltimore Democrats Don’t Want Larry Hogan To Rein In Gun Violence How far Left are journalists? “Hey Hey, Ho Ho, Austerity Has Got To Go” — Oberlin College students protest union staff layoffs How the 'Interpreter' Scam Brought 75,000 Iraqis and Afghans to America National security official discredits NYT report on Russia helping Trump in 2020 Let’s try listening to Bernie Sanders’ voters — they have legitimate gripes Really? Life is hard? Bernie Sanders: Illegal Immigrants Are “Entitled” To The Same Government Benefits As Citizens Bloomberg needs to go medieval on Bernie if he wants any chance of beating Trump Twitter is suspending 70 pro-Bloomberg accounts, citing ‘platform manipulation’ Just ordinary astroturf Bloomberg’s China Apologetics Should Disqualify Him About Trump hatred It is visceral Europe's New Academic Fascism Lessons From Palestinian Rule Over Bethlehem Sunday, February 23. 2020Winter stews: Beef BourguignonIt's been a few years since I made this thing, so we made some yesterday for practice before I begin to serve it to friends for supper. Planning a bunch of suppers before Spring. Tried my version out on my father-in-law. He likes food. If you asks him what restaurant he wants to go to tonight, he says one with food. But especially one with oysters, which is for tonight. I use Julia Child's recipe, but I modify it a bit. My modifications: 3x as much garlic, lots of thyme sprigs from the garden, 1/2 cup of Port or some sugar, and a small handful of dried porcinis. Also, to keep it simple, I just throw in a bag of frozen pearl onions for the last 30 minutes of cooking. I do brown the fresh mushrooms and throw them in the pot for the last 30 minutes. I don't use the oven at all, just 3 hrs simmering on the stove. Traditional ways to serve this is in a shallow bowl with french bread, or on a plate with (white) rice or roasted potatoes. (Tip for those who like rich, earthy sauces: You can buy dried porcinis online, much cheaper than at the store. I buy them by the pound, but it doesn't take many to provide the flavor. You use the water you soak them in, too.)
From today's Lectionary: We're all sinnersMatthew 5:21-37 Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell. “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. “Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.” Saturday, February 22. 2020Microwave roasted garlicDelicious when smeared on toast or crusty bread. Just scoop it out of the bulb and smear it on toast. It works best with those giant elephant garlics: Microwave roasted garlic.
Saturday morning linksPhoto via Week in Pictures A movie recommendation: Pain and Glory Shipwreck from doomed 1840s Royal Navy Arctic expedition reveals its secrets Why The Cruise Ship Quarantine Turned Into Such A Disaster Oh Xusana! Racist property redistribution hits Vermont CA Governor: No Really, Let’s Allow Doctors To Write Prescriptions For Houses California Politicians Double Down on Encouraging People To Live in Wildfire-Prone Areas. The Renew California legislation introduced yesterday would force insurance companies to renew insurance policies in wildfire zones. As insane as flood insurance in flood zones The Problem with Expanding Guest-Worker Programs K.T. McFarland: FBI Tried to Set 'Perjury Trap' for Me It's what they do 'Woke' Media Fail to Notice Historic Cabinet Appointment by Trump. Of Course They Did. Are They Going To Impeach Trump Again? Bernie's Wrong: We Are Better Off Today Than We Were 45 Years Ago Bernie's 3 houses are not really a big deal "Now the nation faces the prospect of eight months of septuagenarian New Yorkers yelling at each other." Elizabeth Warren Says AOC’s Radical Green New Deal ‘Doesn’t Go Far Enough’… Bernie Sanders Is George McGovern. The similarities between 2020 and 1972 are too astonishing to ignore. But there’s one big difference. Another difference is that, when McGovern reached Sanders' age, he realized how much he had not understood about how the world works Bloomberg: The Democrat Man behind the Curtain Hillary Clinton: 'Putin's Puppet' Trump 'Can't Win Without' Russia Brennan Pushes Latest Deep State Leak to NY Times – Accuses Trump of “Abetting a Russian Covert Operation” to Win 2020 Election Bernie informed that Russia trying to help his campaign Democrats Already Blaming 2020 Defeat on Russia It's Russia Russia Russia 2.0. My gosh, how powerful those Russkies are. Canada’s Epic Rail Crisis Offers the World a Cautionary Tale on Indigenous Mantras The Surprising Success of the U.S.-Indian Partnership. Trump and Modi Have Deepened Defense Cooperation Against the Odds Friday, February 21. 2020An oldieFriday morning linksOhio State students crowdsource to fund events with dominatrix, orgasm coach Ohio State among universities targeted over bias against men Survey Of UK Art World Finds ‘A Quagmire Of Wokeness’ Rife With ‘Coercion, Bullying, Intimidation And Intolerance’ Trump’s Budget Looks To Slash Funding To Hotcoldwetdry Centers At the Debate, Only Losers Bloomberg Agonistes. What appeared to be a ritual demolishing of the billionaire candidate may humanize him to voters. The 2020 Dems' Responses to Bloomberg's Defense of Capitalism Should Terrify All of Us Michael Bloomberg Is Paying People $2500 A Month To Say Nice Things About Him On Social Media MIKE BLOOMBERG IS HIRING SO MANY OPERATIVES, LOCAL AND STATE CAMPAIGNS ARE STARVING FOR HELP “Mike Would Have Dinner Parties And Piss All Over Obama” Here We Go… Fake News Media Says Putin Is Looking to Help Trump Win in 2020 Europe Has a Problem The Vector Of The European Political Agenda Is Changing: Russia Is Becoming A Necessary Partner Iran, Hezbollah stir chaos in Syria's southwest Thursday, February 20. 2020America FirstUm, isn't that the job he was hired for? Looks like a winner to me. The Dems know this already. The wise Dems are thinking about 2024.
Thursday morning linksYou Thought Quantum Mechanics Was Weird: Check out Entangled Time - Adding a new layer to the already complex world of metaphysics Bighorn Sheep Captures Aid Research Female confidence gurus: inside the feminist fad taking New York by storm New Marvel superhero film to feature ‘beautiful,’ ‘moving’ homosexual kiss Boys Will Be Girls ... and Feminists Will Be Furious Why the Restoration Hardware Catalog Won’t Die - The surprising persistence of the mail-order business Why Do New Disease Outbreaks Always Seem to Start in China? Bee: Jussie Smollett Offered Job At CNN After Fabricating News Story Out Of Thin Air Liberals Angry: Jeff Bezos DONATED ONLY $10 BILLION To Fight Climate Change People fleeing blue states K.T. McFarland Says Mueller Interrogators Put Her Through ‘Hell’ and Left Her ‘Traumatized’ Why Trump commuted Blago's sentence Pennsylvania’s Democratic Civil War - The divide between labor leaders and environmental activists widens in a state dependent on fossil-fuel industries WaPo Claims Elites Should Run Elections; Quietly Edits Article After Public Outrage Ensues Bret Baier on Dem Vegas Debate: "The Biggest Winner Tonight? Donald Trump" Hinden-Bloomberg: NYC mayor goes down in flames at Vegas debate - A disaster of epic proportions Elizabeth Warren Says If She Becomes President She Will Decriminalize Border Crossings: ‘Glad To Do It’ What's pushing Bernie Sanders to the Democrats' top? Bloomberg in debate: Billions of dollars, zero vision Mike Bloomberg: The Incredible Shrinking Candidate Winners and Losers of the Las Vegas Democratic Debate Biden: We Should Be Paying Other Countries To Not Cut Down Trees… If Duterte Wants Us Out, Let's Go European Defense Funding Takes $1.5 Billion Hit in Pentagon Budget Request Witch Hazel in bloom nowThis is probably one of the reddish versions, like Diane's. As seen on NYC's High Line last week. Sorta cool pic, with a church behind and the Empire State Bldg. in the distance.
Wednesday, February 19. 2020The Kominsky MethodMrs. BD thinks it's hilarious. A comedy series on Netflix about not being young. Michael Douglas and actor-genius Alan Arkin. Some of it is about the craft of acting.
Wednesday morning linksHow a quantum technique highlights math’s mysterious link to physics - Verifying proofs to very hard math problems is possible with infinite quantum entanglement Yeah, it's complicated Amazon: How Bezos built his data machine, Hacker News ‘1776’: Prominent black conservatives counter NYT’s flawed ‘1619 Project’ with message of unity Boy Scouts of America files for bankruptcy amid rampant sex abuse allegations The Rot Inside American Jewish Organizations Alleged Serial Robber on NYC’s Bail Reform Law: “It’s a great thing. It’s a beautiful thing” New York Squeegee Men Are Back Durham Expands Probe Into Special Counsel’s Activities – Interviews Several FBI Investigators Who Worked on Mueller’s Team Urban Dictionary to add 347,823 new non-binary pronouns in 2020 in order to alleviate confusion. Bloomberg on trannies Why Trump is a heroic figure Spend any time with people who supported presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2016 and you quickly find out that the reasons they voted for Trump had very little to do with him. True, that Trudeau Calls For Patience As Canadian Railways Have Been Shut Down For 12 Days By Protesters
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