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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Wednesday, December 26. 2018Wednesday morning links
More Babies Are Conceived Over the Holiday Season Than Other Times of Year It was Christmas Eve 1967, and we had just returned from a four-day operation that took us into the rugged hills of Vietnam's Khe Sanh Plateau. 50 Years After 'Earthrise,' a Christmas Eve Message from Its Photographer Ruling that blocked grizzly bear hunts appealed by US End of Snow (Again): “under a high emissions scenario, skiing could be very limited … by the end of this century” Morals are not products of reason Can Intelligence Buy You Happiness? These endless Happiness Studies bother me. What is happiness anyway? A warm gun? Seems to me that not feeling depressed or overly-anxious is worth feeling grateful for. The Virtue Signalers Won’t Change the World - Third-wave antiracism makes sense, and fits into the longer struggle, but it’s a dead end. Revising trauma downward Fewer NYC High School Students Identify As Heterosexual Than Ever Before Hetero isn't cool Why Doesn’t the FBI Videotape Interviews? College: CHECKING THE RACIAL BOX Ticking Time Bombs in the Church On The Continuing, Pervasive Hatred of Short-Sellers Sorry, Lefties And Never-Trumpers, But Mattis Quitting Isn't A Crisis Trump Derangement Goes International Trump Signs Sweeping Bipartisan Prison Reform Ahead of Partisan Shutdown Trump seeks peace not war He could end up ending or getting the US out of several wars in four years - Yemen, Korea, Syria, Afghanistan, wars against Israel. Not bad. They’re Not Sending Their Best: Democrat Leaders Pelosi and Schumer Post Same Exact Trump-Hating Tweet on Christmas Eve TRUMP BESTS THE GENIUSES IN SYRIA - All those foreign policy wizards who got us into this mess are now screaming. No wonder. In the Middle East, Christians are under grave threat - let us show them they are not forgotten The Vanishing - The plight of Christians in an age of intolerance Iraqi Christians Celebrate Hopeful Christmas After Defeat Of ISIS Tuesday, December 25. 2018The StarMonday, December 24. 2018Dylan does The Night Before ChristmasMonday morning linksThe devil's Christmas presents Another one: Toddler-Tamers Moonbat Christmas Carols A gal who is in over her head at work Life Is Worth Living, Even if It Is Painful and Short - My son’s addiction caused great suffering and ended with a fatal overdose. I’ve never regretted his birth. Researchers reported in 2016 that men who ejaculated more frequently were less likely to have prostate cancer—but the researchers didn’t know why. They now believe they have an explanation. Markets: When Everyone Sells, Who Buys? David Hogg is heading to Harvard despite an SAT score of 1270. If Facebook got your private info, it's your fault for being a "dumb f***" said Zuckerberg PewDiePie’s Battle for the Soul of the Internet Is Lebron James more than an athlete? NR Won’t Be Cowed by a Litigious Michael Mann LYING HACKS: MSNBC Gets Caught Using 2011 Border Patrol Video to TRASH DONALD TRUMP "You couldn’t create a creepier Yuletide scene if you tried" — says The Guardian about Trump and Melania's Christmas portrait. The press and plausible lies John Huber Missing In Action as DOJ/FBI Corruption Goes Unpunished Don’t expect Trump to stop being Trump in 2019 Chief Justice Roberts is the new Swing Vote, or worse NO DEAL: Trump Holds Strong on Border Wall Funding – Senate Will Reconvene After Christmas Migrants versus culture Levin: Here’s just how little influence ‘we the people’ have had on immigration policy How arrest of Chinese ‘princess’ exposes regime’s world domination plot About 2,600 Troops Prepare to Spend Christmas at Mexico Border IDF CHIEF: SYRIA WITHDRAWAL SIGNIFICANT, BUT SHOULD NOT BE EXAGGERATED The politics of Brexit is descending into chaos. Sullivan: Trump says No to the neocons Sunday, December 23. 2018Stormy winds did blow...Dickens invented the white ChristmasTurns out that there was a chilly decade when Dickens was a kid. Climates change. It's all good but warmer is nicer mostly.
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Brilliant political interview
A lot of it is about the problems with elitism. The guy gets it. I'd vote for him for anything, but I think he loves his life as it is. Like Scott Adams, he is not a political dogma guy. Like Adams, a superb and humble gentleman. Tucker is right: Trump is most most leftist Repub elected in many decades. In fact, he was always a Dem. Christmas Oratorio
Interestingly, it was what was termed a "parody," that is, a recycling of his previous music which had been written for secular purposes. If interested, here's Bach, The Master Recycler Here are 7 minutes of it, with the Atlanta Boy's Choir and period instruments:
Saturday, December 22. 2018Wexford CarolA love letter"Do not mourn me dead..." Sullivan Ballou Letter and Ashokan Farewell
Saturday morning links
Photo is our Christmas card from Uberhof Duer in Bulla, Italy. Dolomites' Val Gardena. Nice place to stay, classic hiking of course and great high skiing. Yes, the food up there is mainly German/Austrian. There is no single Italy. New discoveries about the genetic history of corn (maize) Prince Harry WILL join friends at Boxing Day pheasant shoot after rumours animal rights supporter wife Meghan had ´banned him´ from going Glad to hear it Hey guys! Does your dick hang down into the toilet water? Psychological research shows that the harder we strive to be happy, the less likely we are to achieve that goal Organic farming is 'much worse' for the climate than conventional food production, researchers say How I Quit Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and Amazon GE Powered the American Century—Then It Burned Out A book from Austin Bay: Cocktails from Hell: Five Complex Wars #MeToo In A Star Is Born The end of Lean In: How Sheryl Sandberg’s message of empowerment fully unraveled Church Of England’s Transgender Baptisms Blaze Trail For 3 More Blasphemous Rites
Jerry Brown Thinks Democrats Want Too Much Spending And Regulation. Wait… What? Yesterday DHS Secretary Nielsen announced an administrative reform of the enraging asylum scam that is aided and abetted by the Democrats "EXPERT" ACCUSING TRUMP OF RUSSIAN SUPPORT CAUGHT FAKING RUSSIAN SUPPORT FOR GOP Heed Emanuel - Illinois is facing a fiscal nightmare, Chicago’s outgoing mayor warns. ‘The Walls Are Closing In’: Cable Journalists Chant Dems' New Mantra Five Times a Day Let me suggest that Trump’s behavior is perfectly understandable if viewed in the context of his business background. If Trump does it, it becomes wrong Soros Spent $1.35 Million Funding Organization That is Flooding President Donald Trump With Lawsuits Russians Funding U.S. Anti-Fracking Groups? Is UK Heading for a ‘No-Deal’ Brexit? Bringing Troops Home From Syria and Afghanistan Also Brings Fits of Bipartisan Rage Friday, December 21. 2018Last minute shopping ideaMaggie's Farm is a Stilton cheese place. It's our favorite artery-smoother, although there are hundreds of other cheeses we love too. We also believe that great cheeses should be served after the main course - either instead of dessert or before dessert. (I agree with that article that you can and should eat the rind of cheeses - unless coated with wax or stuff.) Somebody you know needs a Stilton Spoon. Give them a wheel of cheese to go with it - or what good is the spoon? I see Williams Sonoma has them. They have the proper spoon, and the cheese too. Who needs bread or crackers? You could eat it right off the spoon like ice cream. (Correction - they don't seem to have them anymore.) Friday morning linksDNA tests: The Christmas present that could tear your family apart Who's yo daddy? As Chick-fil-A surges, McDonald’s and Wendy’s are under threat What Makes Chickens Happy? Nobody Is Quite Sure Who cares? Decades of data suggest parenthood makes people unhappy Happiness is a momentary thing Loony Lefty Churches Sing Rewritten Christmas Songs About ‘Climate Change’ Break Up Google For the Sake of National Security Greenpeace Business Report When Will It Be OK To Laugh At The Climate Campaigners? Who Gets to Look Out to the Edge of the Universe? For years, more men than women were allowed to use the world's most powerful telescope—until the system changed. Feminism"s dependency trap:
Gallup: Top Problems Are Government, Immigration U.S. Cites Sovereignty as One of 5 Countries to Vote Against UN Migration Compact Good. Still waiting for China and japan to accept immigration. Even CNBC’s Jim Cramer Agrees! – Fed Chair Powell “Trump’s Worst Nightmare” — Who the Hell Raises Rates w/Dow Down 12% in 3 Mos.? Wrong. Strong economy needs rate hikes. Dow doesn't matter WikiLeaks, Julian Assange’s Official Account and Legal Team All LOCKED OUT of Twitter Influencing Foreigners Is What Intelligence Agencies Do Is that news to the New York Times? The Art Of The Deal: Mexico Agrees To House Asylum Applicants Mattis Always Understood Trump’s Severe Defects - And his resignation means he knows that the president will never change. Trump has great strengths and great flaws Why Trump Is Right to Withdraw Troops. Withdrawal from Syria will be Trump’s first practical application of a true “America First” foreign policy. It has been long overdue. President Xi Jinping opened the 40th Anniversary of China’s reform by warning of “unimaginable” perils that only his leadership of the Communist Party can control. China goes full out against labor unions Thursday, December 20. 2018Gotta Serve SomebodyThey Shall Not Grow Old
The Atlantic: They Shall Not Grow Old Is a Stunning World War I Documentary - The director Peter Jackson discusses the process of restoring 100-year-old footage for his new film and capturing the humanity of soldiers with unprecedented clarity. A short trailer for the movie:
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Thursday morning links
It's getting closer to the time to begin Christmas shopping. Whether you like Bezos or not, Amazon Prime is your friend. A daughter says Macy's is her friend now, too (the big store in Manhattan). A book: Scouting and Scoring: How We Know What We Know about Baseball Not out til March though. Looks cool. ‘Equal Pay Day’ this year was April 10 — the next ‘Equal Occupational Fatality Day’ will be on May 3, 2029 I do not like seeing pilots so high on the list. Those are not commercial pilots, though. GA pilots. This year in museums - On movements within, and reactions against, art museums in 2018. The secret of Apple's success in selling premium tech as an affordable luxury Democrats Promise “Dawn Of New Era” On ‘Climate Change’ Or Something Appeals court rules colleges must censor and block online services if they offend someone Everything offends somebody, but grievance-collectors are the worst 5 most outrageous professor statements of 2018 University offers students contradictory instructions on sexual consent: “One should never assume by the way a person…acts, that they [want] to have sex with you.” What? It's pretty obvious when men want sex (most of the time). Radicals, left or right, are high in dogma, more resistant to evidence Lefties more so than conservatives Get Ready for the Coming War Against Merit I am not convinced that the SAT is a measure of merit. It's really just an IQ test. Achievements tests are better merit measures but lots of schools do not have AP courses. Grades are not very reliable measures these days. If I ran a school, I'd use an IQ test, a Curiosity test, a Talent test, and an Energy test. No straight-A drones please. CNN's "Journalist Of The Year" Committed Journalistic Fraud "On A Grand Scale" At Der Spiegel US Government Announces $10.6 Billion in Aid to Mexico and Central America — But ZERO DOLLARS for Border Wall Mexico is not a poor nation. Lots of oil This payment is a deal to make them stop the caravans, probably. Trump Wanted Out of Syria. It’s Finally Happening. The announcement is in stark contrast to recent remarks by senior U.S. officials on the presence of troops. I'm with Trump on this. Not my problem, not essential to US security. Trump’s Syrian Retreat: A Disaster in the Making Maybe their disaster, but not mine. Disasters are normal all over the world, due to human nature. Looking for China’s spies Of course they have tons of them. No surprise. Russia Russia Russia. They elected Trump? Some feckless Russians spent $4000 in Facebooks ads about masturbation. How much did Hillary spend on her Russian info? Related:
Wednesday, December 19. 2018Another Christmas present ideaGive your kid, or spouse, or family, an Outward Bound adventure. I know it is safely-packaged adventure, but it's a lot better than no adventure. Freestyle Canoeing
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Another Vigilia supper item
I've never refused a well-made Linguine alla Vongole. Delicious. Those European and Mediterranean clams are small, sweet, and just right. Around here in Yankeeland, you just have to find the smallest Littlenecks you can find and if overcooked, they get too chewy. It's how to do pasta too - cook with the sauce in the pan. Never on top. Usually needs some of the pasta water too.
Christmas present idea in New YorkFor those around the NY area during the holiday weeks: The Screwtape Letters is back. Devilishly wonderful theater experience which, as you may know, is about how Satan works. Amusing but definitely gets to you. Include lunch or supper at the West Bank Cafe (not expensive and right across the street, with fine small plates), and that's a darn good present. Unless you're giving cars or diamonds, people want fun and surprising experiences, not junk. Mind and spirit stuff. Or hiking gear, if you're a mountaineer. Or a good hiking trip. Matt 6:19: 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: As it happens, I consider rare stinky cheeses a spiritual item, so my kids can find these for me. They like Grace's Market in NYC for rare cheeses but the Grand Central Market can be interesting too. Best cheese? I found out that a daughter brought me some special pecorinos from Tuscany in her suitcase so I eagerly await them. Also brought a Vin Nobile for her grandfather. "All good things come from Italy." Wednesday Fitness: Picking things up from the floor . How do you measure up ?
Deadlift standards for men or women, and by age. These are one-rep maxes. My one-rep max is around 300 lbs, no prob with 3 reps at 275. Not impressive because I know a gal who does that. OK, she's 35 but whatever. With the age-adjustment on that site, though, it's "Advanced." What? Me? No way am I advanced. I have much further to go... My one-rep max is hard and slowwwww. As it should be. People rarely go for their one-rep maxes except for amusement and ego. Well, also as one index of progress. Every 3 months maybe. 5X5 is a good powerlift program for twice/week but I only do each powerlift once/week. Not enough time to be a serious gym rat lifter. Body architecture is not factored in, but of course heavier people are presumed to have more strength and power.
QQQ: The simplest Christian“The most experienced psychologist or observer of human nature knows infinitely less of the human heart than the simplest Christian who lives beneath the Cross of Jesus. The greatest psychological insight, ability, and experience cannot grasp this one thing: what sin is. Worldly wisdom knows what distress and weakness and failure are, but it does not know the godlessness of man. And so it also does not know that man is destroyed only by his sin and can be healed only by forgiveness. Only the Christian knows this. In the presence of a psychiatrist I can only be a sick man; in the presence of a Christian brother I can dare to be a sinner. The psychiatrist must first search my heart and yet he never plumbs its ultimate depth. The Christian brother knows when I come to him: here is a sinner like myself, a godless man who wants to confess and yearns for God’s forgiveness. The psychiatrist views me as if there were no God. The brother views me as I am before the judging and merciful God in the Cross of Jesus Christ.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community Wednesday morning linksWho Were the 1st Americans? 11,000-Year-Old DNA Reveals Clues This 87-Year-Old Woman Donated Her Body So Doctors Could Slice It into 27,000 Pieces The Pitfalls of Too Much Security I disagree with our friend. This is simply what happens when young males and females spend a lot of time together. Biology happens. Harvard Zealots Abuse Title IX to Nail the Accused HOW TOTALITARIAN REGIMES WILL TAKE OVER SOCIAL MEDIA AND DESTROY THE WEST Is Michael Savage the latest victim of TDS and the left's 'pacification effort'? Big corporations hate conservatives Liberal Media Loves Immigrants, Except for Melania Trump Correction: Media loves illegal immigrants Advertisers flee Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s show as controversy grows over immigration remarks Officials baffled by large migrant groups at remote crossing Two-Tiered Justice: Mike Flynn and Tony Podesta Did Same Work for Turkey, Both Filed Retroactively. Flynn’s Life Is in Tatters As Podesta Walks Free KLAVAN: James Comey, Sanctimonious Crapweasel Former FBI chief lashes out at Trump, Republicans Christians 'Standing in the Way' of China's Xi Jinping's Totalitarian Rule Brexit: How Europe does second referendums Make the peasants vote until they vote right Venezuela update A lesson in how to destroy a wonderful country Tuesday, December 18. 2018Hassling package-stealersTuesday morning linksWhy the Boston Tea Party Was Such a Great Event Sexy: Sensual Goddess Fresco Discovered in Ancient Pompeii Bedroom The Biggest Junk Science of 2018 Is abortion "medical care"? Google isn’t the company that we should have handed the Web over to. Analysis: Microsoft adopting Chromium puts the Web in a perilous place. Poorer Than Other Generations - Millennials are less wealthy and are lower-income than previous cohorts. Here's why. Metropolitan Police Testing Facial-Recognition Technology In Central London Very creepy. So 1984 was a How-To manual. Don Boudreaux hates limits to immigration Life as a Trump-Supporting Female in Manhattan Wow: Christopher Steele Says He Was Hired To Help ‘Challenge The Validity Of The Outcome’ Of 2016 election It worked. A mess ever since Reporter who broke news of Steele dossier used to surveil ex-Trump aide calls its claims largely 'false' New Legal Filings Reveal Hillary Camp Funneled Cash to Chris Steele to Help Her Challenge 2016 Election Results Justice Department careerists, led by special counsel Robert Mueller and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, have now served notice that they are targeting the presidency of Donald J. Trump. NYPost: If he’s ever brought low, it’s less likely to be from the pressures of his responsibilities than his cussed inability or unwillingness to make a minimal effort to conform to his role. Minorities held in China sew clothes that can end up in US China’s Bizarre Program to Keep Activists in Check - As part of “stability maintenance,” people the state considers troublemakers may be sent to jail—or sent on vacation. It's a different culture Will China Rule The World? China’s worldwide influence campaign requires a coordinated response from all segments of American society—not just politicians and policy-makers.
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