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, June 16. 2019From today's LectionaryProverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 8:1 Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice? 8:2 On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; 8:3 beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries out: 8:4 "To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live. 8:22 The LORD created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago. 8:23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. 8:24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. 8:25 Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth-- 8:26 when he had not yet made earth and fields, or the world's first bits of soil. 8:27 When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, 8:28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, 8:29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, 8:30 then I was beside him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, 8:31 rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race. Paradise?Yesterday, from a friend and reader, and a father
Saturday, June 15. 2019Saturday morning linksLocal Anytime Fitness Blasted For This Fat-Shaming Promotional Email Snowflakes Triggered by Calorie Count Exam Question Countless workout fads have come along since the heyday of Jazzercise: Tae Bo, Pilates, Zumba, boxing, spinning, pole dancing. And yet Jazzercise persists Hiking Mt. Washington is the real deal Thousands do it, but be prepared for weather Name change: "Cimate Emergency" replaces Climate Change, which replaced Global Warming Still working on the branding COWARDICE AT HARVARD An Addiction Crisis Disguised as a Housing Crisis - Opioids are fueling homelessness on the West Coast. Williamson: But Why Is Guatemala Hungry? Codevilla: A Conservative Resistance? Do the current Democratic politics spell doom for charter schools? Cuomo’s rent regulation will destroy NYC’s housing market Damned irrational Communism Versus Freedom: The Strategy for Taking Over the Democratic Party Question For Bernie: What Happens To Those Who Don’t Want To Join Your Commune? Berrnie lived on a Vermont commune for a while. Got thrown out for being a slacker. Kamala Harris Would Help Dreamers Get Green Cards — Sometimes at the Expense of Legal Immigrants Aren't Democrats now accusing Team Obama of treason? Just Try Calling the FBI With Foreign Dirt Dug Up On Democrats Trump touts new health care move to expand choices for small businesses Trump administration expands pre-tax accounts for health insurance coverage So Far, Trade War 2019 Risks Red Ink, Not Blood Where Jews and Palis get along well Friday, June 14. 2019Friday morning linksDirector Of New HBO Teen Series Boasts: Parents Will Be ‘Totally F*****g Freaked Out’ - Features former Disney Channel star and lots of penises Study Finds Nearly 400 Medical Devices, Procedures And Practices That Are Ineffective Apple Smartphone Sales Crash In Europe As Huawei Outshines Competition MLB Announcer Blames Home Run Spike On Global Warming… Maybe he was being facetious California moves to let felons serve on juries Oberlin College hit with maximum PUNITIVE DAMAGES (capped at $22 million by law) in Gibson’s Bakery case DHS Frees 8.5K Illegal Aliens in Eight Days; 204.5K Released in Half a Year Trump successfully baits his foes with comments to Stephanopoulos on foreign information on opponents Why Aren’t Democrats Outraged Over Hillary Hiring A Foreign Agent To Dig Up Dirt? Rep. Mark Meadows: Russia Hoax whistle-blowers coming forward now The Suppressed Plight of Palestinian Christians FDA Approves Israeli Device that Lets Paralyzed People Walk Again! Iran responsible for 'blatant assault' on oil tankers in Gulf of Oman, Mike Pompeo says Why Japanese ships? Thursday, June 13. 2019InfrastructureRolling ThunderThursday morning linksBudweiser's Father's Day campaign celebrates stepdads with emotional film LGBTQ Bigotry: Tyranny Masquerading as Tolerance UK climate goals: Why sell it when they can just force the peasants to do this? Joy Behar: Global Warming Could Stop Biden from Curing Cancer How Long Can The Media Ignore The Fact That A Senior House Democrat Is Married To A Fraudster? Forever ‘American Jews Forgot To Tell Their Children’ - New documentary on Natan and Avital Sharansky revives the inspiring story of the heroes of the refusenik movement. Are the Central Park Five really all that innocent? DOJ antitrust chief warns Big Tech that low prices or free products won't protect them Twitter Suspends Project Veritas' Account for Revealing the Politically Biased Censorship at Pinterest Ocasio-Cortez Defends A $4,500 Pay Raise For Herself: ‘It’s Not Even Like A Raise’ African Migrants Flood The Texas Border, Crisis Is “Off The Charts” Trump Points Out the Obvious on Border Security Dem Rep. Marcia Fudge: “Trump Supporters Are Either Racist, Religious, Ignorant, Or Dumb”… Damn, she nailed me Rabobank: "All The Experts Who Were Mocking Trump Are Suddenly Quiet" WINNING! Foxconn Plans Increase In US Manufacturing Thanks To Trump Tariffs It Started With a Lie: Bruce Ohr’s Linchpin Role in Russiagate. John Durham Questioning CIA Officials About Intelligence Community Assessment… Mueller’s ‘Pit Bull’ Andrew Weissmann Meets His Match — General Flynn Hires Top Attorney and Weissmann Critic Sidney Powell Wednesday, June 12. 2019How are your calisthenics coming along?Readers know that we recommend scheduling two hours of calisthenics/week as part of a balanced fitness program (ie resistance, cardio, and calisthenics). Calisthenics are for athleticism, generally addressing a mix of cardio, balance, agility, speed, endurance, without much focus on strength. While playing basketball or doing martial arts count as calisthenics, most of us do calisthenics routines in the gym, preferably in fitness classes, or on our own. The classes are more intense, thus better, I feel. Because my class sched changed, here's what I did on my own this morning as an example: - 10-minute elliptical warm-up - 30-sec sprints, and 60-sec recoveries. Sweat. I have another rotation list with which I alternate the above list when needed, just keeping the pushups, jump rope, and pullups. (List #2 includes other things like lunges, farmer walks, step ups, box jumps, mountain climbers, inclined pulls, etc). These things are good and semi-fun complements to my other things. Do our readers incorporate calisthenics in their fitness routines and, if so, what do you do?
Wednesday morning linksLovers reunited 75 years on from WW2 A Visual Demonstration of How Fast the NYT Got Woke. Many trends develop over decades, but few have been as rapid as concerns over social justice. Superior: The Return of Race Science—A Review California Is The Future The Liberal Elite Wants For You Hayek: Social Justice Demands the Unequal Treatment of Individuals George Will Wants Open Borders? 'I'm For As Much Immigration As The Economy Can Take' Not The Onion: Biden Promises To Cure Cancer If Elected McCarthy: Steele’s Shoddy Dossier Daily Beast: Holding William Barr and Don McGahn in Contempt Must Be Just the Beginning Leaked documents reveal Russian effort to exert influence in Africa EX-TOP IAEA OFFICIAL WARNS OF CLANDESTINE IRANIAN NUKE SITES Tuesday, June 11. 2019Gerard's Mom diedShe always seemed like a part of our friend's website. Dead aged 104. She saw a lot of life and a lot of changes, didn't she? As best I could tell, a darn good attitude too. Tuesday morning linksIs Euthanasia Psychiatric Treatment? The Struggle With Death on Request in the Netherlands Watch: Kat Timpf Argues against Claim That Dodgeball Teaches Kids ‘Oppression’ Re Art: "If you left the Rabbit on a curb, no one would steal it" Facebook Has Banned The Word "Honk" For Violating Their Community Standards Young Adult fiction Cowed by the culture cops Internet Hilariously Responds to ‘BirthStrikers’ Who Are Avoiding Childbirth Due to Impending Ecological Doom "Natural selection at work" My Prediction of The Next New Thing: Rich Renting "Accommodation" Addresses to Boost Kids' Adversity Scores Own... rent... it's all a state of mind, isn't it? Kiwis 'Just Say No' To Gun Ban Oberlin College ignored the First Law of Holes responding to the jury verdict against it MAGAnomics – JOLTS Report: Record High Employment – Available Jobs Exceed Labor Pool by 1.6 Million Trump Levels CNN, New York Times While Issuing Warning To Mexico Trump's Mexican tariff rope-a-doped critics DOJ REVIEW OF TRUMP SURVEILLANCE IS ‘BROAD IN SCOPE AND MULTIFACETED’ MARK MEADOWS: FBI KNEW ‘WITHIN 60 DAYS’ THAT RUSSIA PROBE WAS ‘BUILT ON A FOUNDATION OF SAND’ House Democrats Start Fake Impeachment Hearings Monday, June 10. 2019Monday morning linksWhy Some Americans Won't Move, Even For A Higher Salary Millennial Dads Have Pathetic DIY Skills Compared To Baby Boomers The Business of Health Care Depends on Exploiting Doctors and Nurses. One resource seems infinite and free: the professionalism of caregivers. Philadelphia To Ban Balconies And Bay Windows; “Symbols Of Gentrification” California Democratic Party: First Amendment ‘Limited To Exclude Hate Speech’ At University of Illinois, 265 bias complaints enforced by literal ‘speech police’ G20 Countries Agree on Approach to Shut Down Big Tech's Tax Loopholes Ross McKitrick: This scientist proved climate change isn’t causing extreme weather — so politicians attacked. And so, many scientists who have the facts and know the truth remain silent PROOF that FACEBOOK Is Allowing Vile Leftist Pages To Dominate Platform While Silencing Conservatives Liberals have become so consumed with hatred that they are hurting themselves. This is not normal. Yes it is Mexico freezes bank accounts in widening migration clampdown Via ‘We Build the Wall’ — Armed Mexican Cartel Member Filmed Crossing US Border in Broad Daylight! Why Trump’s critics had a royal meltdown over his visit with the Queen England Forced To Crown Donald Trump As King After Strange Woman Lying In Pond Lobs A Sword At Him China adds Washington Post, Guardian to 'Great Firewall' blacklist SpyGate Shake-Up: Prime Minister of Italy Fires Top Officials from Italian Intel Agencies Sunday, June 9. 2019From today's Lectionary: PentecostActs 2:1-21 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2:2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 2:3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. 2:5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 2:6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 2:7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 2:8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 2:9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 2:10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 2:11 Cretans and Arabs--in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." 2:12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" 2:13 But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine." 2:14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 2:15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. 2:16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 2:17 'In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. 2:18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. 2:19 And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. 2:20 The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. 2:21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' Saturday, June 8. 2019Saturday morning linksWhat is Shavuot? The Middle Child of Jewish Festivals Don't worry Donald, I only ever had eyes for one woman!: War hero Lessons From the Great Antioxidant Lie Image today from THE WEEK IN PICTURES: BRITISH EMPIRE EDITION VERDICT: Jury awards Gibson’s Bakery $11 million against Oberlin College The misuse of data on extreme poverty in the United States On The Prevalence Of "Extreme Poverty" In The United States Acting ICE Director: 'Grab a Kid and That's a U.S. Passport Into This Country' Hundreds of Illegal Aliens From Ebola-Stricken Congo Dumped in the Streets of San Antonio TRUMP BREAKS MEXICO: New Deal Reached, Mexico To Take Action Against Illegal Immigration Into U.S. That shady Russian was a CIA asset Elizabeth Warren Claims Climate Change Is A 'Bigger Threat Than World War II' On Eve Of D-Day Anniversary PRESIDENT TRUMP AND RACE David Brooks is a worm Peggy Noonan and Snob Rule VDH: Is Germany Becoming Germany — Again? The China Challenge - Elizabeth Economy offers a penetrating look at Xi Jinping’s aggressively antidemocratic regime Christians face EXTINCTION in Iraq after ISIS forced 125,000 to flee their homes, Archbishop warns Friday, June 7. 2019The power of musicScott Adams calls music a sort of drug
Dr. JohnMac Rebennack, dead at 77. Had the delight of seeing him live many years ago, and also recently. Cranky SOB. Good obit here. "There must be a better world somewhere":
And Iko Iko Friday morning linksTranscript of Trump's excellent D-Day speech Liberal Media Call Trump Normandy Best Speech Ever Unable To Give It A Rest For One Day, Media Spreads A Fake News Story About Trump And The D-Day Ceremony Is there a limit to human endurance? Science says yes Lost Lewis Chessman worth over $1 million found in drawer National Park Begins Subtle Removal Of “Gone By 2020” Signs After Glaciers Just Keep Not Being Gone 'Do no harm' to medicine with gender identity and abortion politics Professor Is Accused of Creating a ‘Hostile Learning Environment’ for Assigning Too Many Male Authors DC Dyke March Condemned for Banning Jewish, Israeli Symbols, Including Star of David Dem Rep: The Right Has Conflated A Heartbeat With A Soul Or With Personhood… Modern D-Day Warriors Storm Washington To Demand Free Stuff From Government Something Big Just Happened On Mexico’s Southern Border The Border Is In Crisis Says ….. Vox? Mexico Freezes Accounts Of “Human Traffickers” Tied To Migrant Caravans - And now you see the reasons for the threat of tariffs. Democrats Worry The Forthcoming IG Report Could Undercut Their Trump Investigations Key figure that Mueller report linked to Russia was a State Department intel source THE PERFECT STORM CONFRONTING XI JINPING Angela Merkel's extended swan song Thursday, June 6. 2019Hummingbird Moths, and D-DayIt is said that the D-Day armada witnessed a swarm of Hummingbird Moths (aka Hummingbird Hawk Moths) over the English Channel. Sign of good luck. I recently planted a few Cleomes in the garden, partly to attract those moths. I have only seen them at twilight, but it's said they are around in daytime too. CarentanNo morning links todayWednesday, June 5. 2019QQQFalsehood flies, and the Truth comes limping after it; so that when Men come to be undeceiv’d, it is too late; the Jest is over, and the Tale has had its Effect. Jonathan Swift (1710) (h/t, AVI) I still prefer Mark Twain's version: "A lie can go halfway around the world before the truth gets its pants on." Our current fitness program for the middle-aged (ie, 40-100 years old)We're talking about general fitness and energy for life during the years of sarcopenia, arthritis, and other various age and accident-related things. Younger people can take on tougher programs but few of them do. - 3 hrs of resistance exercises/wk: weights +/- machines. It's for muscle and bone. - 2 hrs/wk of "cardio." Includes HIIT. Gotta challenge that heart muscle or it will give out on you. Even so, it might anyway unless some cancer kills ya. - 2 hrs/wk of exercise class or your own calisthenics. Classes push you harder. These are for agility, athleticism, cardio, balance, endurance, etc. To make your body do what's it's meant to do. That's a good program, because it permits space to miss a random day without losing a step. A 5-hour hill hike can be a sub for any day. What about sports, yard work, gardening, etc? Unless you are playing a few sets of tennis in the US Open, these sorts of things are why you work to stay fit. Doing ordinary life things are the rewards of fitness, but provide no fitness.
Wednesday morning linksPfizer had clues its blockbuster drug could prevent Alzheimer’s. Why didn’t it tell the world? “Flying-V” airplane design promises fuel savings, but there’s a catch Last survivor of Sobibor death camp uprising dies, aged 97. Semyon Rosenfeld took part in famous revolt, in which Jewish prisoners turned on their Nazi guards; later moved to Israel Seventeen Year Old Netherlands Girl Legally Euthanized, Says Being Molested as a Child Made Her Life ‘Insufferable’ Euthanasia seems like a strange treatment for emotional pain. School Shooter Drills Terrorize Our Kids Pointlessly Paul Manafort to be Transferred to Notorious and Dangerous Rikers Island Jail – May Face Solitary Confinement Huh? Joe Biden Links Trump to Murders Of Black Transgender Women Trump Builds Immigration System That Doesn't Sap U.S. Wealth Donald Trump has done Britain a favour with his NHS grab The Left against Zion - On the intellectual left and Israel. The denunciation machine by J. Christian Adams - On the Southern Poverty Law Center. The Brexit Factions - Prime Minister Theresa May’s resignation further complicates Britain’s divorce with the EU. The Unfinished Business of the Cold War - A new global ideological struggle.
They finally started plowing our drivewayA note from Gwynnie, from yesterday in the Sierras.
Tuesday, June 4. 2019Tuesday Bob: Close to a masterpiece1994's "Dignity." I like the pounding rock version, but all I can find now is this rehearsal version for the MTV Unplugged recording. I went down where the vultures feed Some great songs have an inevitability to them, as if they were not constructed but just discovered. The unforgettable lyrics here.
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