Just learned: in the last few months the #FBI received over 1400 calls and emails saying Brett #Ķavanaugh raped them. #HystericalLiars. Ritual defamation.
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, October 14. 2018Sunday free ad for Bob: Santa Fe
There is no youtube for it, but this guy covered the tune.
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Hiking gear
I am not talking about either hiking/walking on well-built trails where sneakers are fine or, the other extreme, technical climbing. The great in-between is what we enjoy taking on. Rugged hikes with steeps and some scrambling requiring fitness and hands and knees at times. Some people claim Tuckerman's to the top of Mt. Washington is a great example of that sort of thing. Most outdoor people in New England have taken it on at least once. Hiking is an all-weather sport. Our favorite hiking gear: Pants: Prana and Montane
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Hiking vs. Scrambling/bouldering
Pic is part of the Giant's Playground/Arching Rocks bouldering route at Mohonk In Yankeeland we are in prime hiking season. No bugs, no heat. I am finding rock scrambling to be more interesting than regular hiking or even hill hiking. Demands agility, judgement, full-body conditioning, and a bit of stress-tolerance. I have no interest in technical climbing, though, although it is fun to watch people do it in places like The Gunks. One item that might help me a bit with scrambling is some knee pads. I have bony knees which do not enjoy too much time on rocks. Scrambling means a fair bit of hands and knees, high step-ups, and steeply-angled boulders. In other words, fun with just a whiff of danger. A few cool scrambling trails in the Northeast that we are familiar with: Breakneck Ridge (Hudson Highlands) Giant Stairs Trail (Palisades Park, NY and NJ) Labyrinth and Giant's Playground at Mohonk Mountain, NY Flume Slide Trail (Franconia, NH) Alander Mountain (Ancram, NY) Tuckerman's Ravine (Mt. Washington, NH) Also, New Hampshire's White Mountains have some of the best mountain day hikes in the US. My sis has done 'em all. What do people do to be in shape for this type of "hiking"? Stair-climbers, 2 steps at a time - and sideways stair-climbers. Rule of thumb for rock hikers: almost never go down the way you came up. Down is rarely safe. Got any favorites? Let us know.
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Bird du Jour: Northern ShrikeYou may never have observed one of these predatory songbirds, but it's the time of year when they come down from their tundra breeding grounds for the winter. They look a bit like Mockingbirds, but their behavior, and a good look at their plumage and beak, makes the ID clear. They are typically seen hunting from a perch or wire over open areas. GardenAre Italian Gardens English Gardens, or vice-versa? The Brits had a multi-century love affair with Italy. We're in Italy, doing hikes on sections of the Via Francigena, but with my Costco International Mercedes wagon we never pass up famous gardens. Like this one:
From today's LectionaryJob 23:1-9, 16-17
23:1 Then Job answered: 23:2 "Today also my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy despite my groaning. :3 Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his dwelling! 23:4 I would lay my case before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. :5 I would learn what he would answer me, and understand what he would say to me. :6 Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No; but he would give heed to me. 23:7 There an upright person could reason with him, and I should be acquitted forever by my judge. 23:8 "If I go forward, he is not there; or backward, I cannot perceive him; 23:9 on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him; I turn to the right, but I cannot see him. 23:16 God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me; :17 If only I could vanish in darkness, and thick darkness would cover my face! Saturday, October 13. 2018Saturday Verse: Edna St. Vincent MillayAfternoon on a Hill I will be the gladdest thing I will look at cliffs and clouds And when lights begin to show Friday, October 12. 2018Sociopathy is just so interesting
Joe Pistone of the FBI infiltrated the New York mob. Calmest guy I have ever seen, takes everything in stride.
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Northern Flicker migration
A splendid North American bird in the woodpecker clan. Very fond of eating ants, too. Noticed an influx of them in the past two weeks and learned that they are in the semi-migratory category. Their northernmost breeders move south a bit. We must have lots of anthills in our grass. Thursday, October 11. 2018Daniel Webster on politicians"There are men, in all ages, who mean to exercise power usefully; but who mean to exercise it. They mean to govern well; but they mean to govern. They promise to be kind masters; but they mean to be masters." Bird du Jour: Blue Jay migrationThere are other jays in North America, but the bold and noisy Blue Jay of eastern North America is the most familiar. Like some other bird species, the Blue Jay is not so much common as it is conspicuous. A mystery about Blue Jays is their migration. When I lived on Riverside Drive in NYC a century or two ago I watched thousands of Jays flying south in early October, all day long, through Riverside Park. I was confused by that, because Blue Jays are wintertime residents in the Northeast. I suspect that Blue Jays, along with other species, move a bit south but within their breeding ranges (like Robins, Red-Tailed Hawks, and others). There is some evidence that yearling birds are more likely to travel. Thus, in wintertime, New England Jays might be Quebec or Ontario breeders, or might be local breeders. Can't tell the difference.
Thursday morning linksPop History: ‘Pile it High, Sell it Low’: The Saga of the Supermarket by Flashbak Woman removed from flight bound for Cleveland due to ’emotional support’ squirrel In Cleveland, everyone needs a support squirrel With campus tour, pro-choice group hopes to make abortion ‘positive’ CNN’s Bakari Sellers: Kanye West Is What Happens When Negroes Don’t Read — Candace Owens Offers $100,000 for Debate US paying more for illegal immigrant births than Trump’s wall That is brilliant, Australia: Export your coal UN Warns Climate Change Will Destroy Earth By 2005 After Scandalous Exposure, California Considers Freeze On DMV Voter Registrations. BERNIE SANDERS CALLS FOR SOCIALIST NEW WORLD ORDER - "It is time for us to stand up and say there is a better way to use our wealth" Socialism Destroys - Increased government control wrecks economies and ruins lives. Althouse: How can the NYT think this photograph is an illustration of "The Paranoid Style in G.O.P. Politics"? Powerline: CONFIRM ’EM ALL I Was A Never Trumper Until Democrats Went Gonzo On Kavanaugh. Now, Hand Me That Red Hat Cristian Marianciuc
Origami by Cristian Marianciuc. That is a Crane.
Wednesday, October 10. 2018Timing your exercise regimen
Our approach (with expert consultation) is to do your calisthenics classes or calisthenic routines on the day after a weights and powerlifting day. That sort-of counts as an "active recovery" day. If you do a tough calisthenic athletic cross-training hour the day before lifting, most people over 35 will not be at 100% for their weights day. So that's 4 days right there, assuming you do weight sequences twice weekly. On days before weights, there is no problem with cardio like HIIT or even "long, slow" as a recovery day. (I do "long slow" - elliptical, stairmaster, treadmill - on Sunday mornings before church if there is no big hike planned. Day of rest.) Important to move with intention every day to remain functional. Every three months it's not a bad idea to take a complete week off from a tough exercise regimen. A week off means away from the gym, and just doing recreational things like hiking, jogging, and swimming. That's a "recovery week." Just bear in mind that, after ten days without hard exercise, fitness measurably declines after age 40. Wednesday morning linksMEET YOUR NEW INTIMATE PARTNER — THE SEXBOT The UK is Bathing in a Soup of Anti-depressants Now Facebook Would Like To Put A Smart Camera In Your House Say, What Does The New Climahysteric Report Expect From You? Americans Strongly Dislike PC Culture - Youth isn’t a good proxy for support of political correctness, and race isn’t either. D.C. Workers Revolt Against Minimum Wage Hike, Win Repeal - Many of the very workers the law sought to rescue or protect didn’t want it in the first place and fought vociferously to have it repealed Anti-Kavanaugh protest postponed 'in recognition of Indigenous People's Day' Trump Caves On Year-Round Ethanol. King Corn Still Rules Terrible decision. If Trump doesn;t have the balls to get rid of that boondoggle, nobody does. The ethanol mandate has failed in its original purpose The rape allegation against Bill Clinton, explained Democrats Are Failing On Russia For The Same Reason They Failed On Kavanaugh - The similarities between the failed Democrat strategy against Kavanaugh and the way the Russia investigation is playing out are striking. Democrats’ latest excuse: Blame the Constitution Hillary is done with civility until Dems regain power Where’s the outrage over Hillary’s call for a ‘civil’ war? The Left Learns An Important Lesson From The Kavanaugh Fight: They Need To Be Even More Obnoxious The Casualty List From The Kavanaugh Battle JANE MAYER, RONAN FARROW RAN WITH KAVANAUGH HIT TO SHOW ‘PATTERN OF BEHAVIOR’ A New Chinese-Funded Railway In Kenya Sparks Debt-Trap Fears How an Extremist Government Treats Girls and Women AlbuquerqueFrom a friend in Albuquerque last weekend
Tuesday, October 9. 2018Tuesday morning linksDrones and AI Ward Off Shark Attacks as Predators Hunt Closer to Shore Trump’s Columbus Day tweet sparks Backlash The Simple Reason Why They Hate Columbus Day Wisconsin Student Outraged Because Terrorism Course Discusses Jihad SNL Apparatchik Orders Kanye West Back to the Plantation Weather: The Greatest Scientific Fraud Of All Time -- Part XIX Stopping ´Catastrophic´ Global Warming Is Impossible, UN Report Shows, So What´s The Point? In the Absolutely Most Predictable Scientific Finding Ever, Solar Roads Are Found to Suck Aussie PM Willing to Consider Nuclear, to Reduce Australia’s Green Electricity Prices Kling: Write as if Mrs. Clinton won "False memories of sexual abuse lead to terrible miscarriages of justice/To avoid the innocent being convicted, police, lawyers and judges must understand the fickle nature of human memory." Sheldon “Gasbag” Whitehouse video goes viral after “boofing” debacle NEW YORK TIMES OP-ED: DUE PROCESS IS NONSENSE, PRO-KAVANAUGH WOMEN ARE "GENDER TRAITORS" "Fu*k. You. All. To. Hell": Google Exec Threatens GOP Over Kavanaugh Confirmation NYT: Kavanaugh Makes SCOTUS History With Clerk Appointments Should Republicans Thank Michael Avenatti For Kavenaugh's Confirmation? Via Three Horrible Things We Learned About Liberals From the Kavanaugh Hearings Just learned: in the last few months the #FBI received over 1400 calls and emails saying Brett #Ķavanaugh raped them. #HystericalLiars. Ritual defamation. Monday, October 8. 2018Almost the final word on the DC soap opera
From VDH: One Ford Narrative Too Many
Books and a paint job
I did manage yesterday get rid of my quota of 1000 books, with the help of two energetic Philipino helpers. (I do not mind stereotyping: I love all Philipinos. Just the best brand of people in the world.) Some to the book exchange, lots to dumpster, but I saved many old friends to replenish my shelves when repainting and floor-refinishing of my work space/library is done. Because they mean the most to me. Difficult choices for sure.Why keep a book if nobody ever intends to read it again? Books are not decor - they are friends, worlds. A painful chore, purging a home of excess. Amongst it all, I found my journal of my first trip to Europe at age 10. I did not recognize the author - so detailed, so serious. Details about a pet store in Edinburgh. The Zermatt hike to the foot of Matterhorn, worrying about my baby brother on the cliffs. Whenever we traveled, Mom made us keep daily journals. Even then it was clear I loved traveling on ships. Unless the Navy tired you of blue water, nothing is more exciting and North Atlantic weather can be a real kick. Also found my copy of L'etranger in French from high school, with my penciled notes. Stuff like that. My first copy of Peterson's Bird Guide, with my notes from childhood, falling apart. I noticed my excited notes on my first Bobolink. I took a deep breath and tossed it. I am all about books, hate TV and movies, generally. My problem is that I forget too much of what I read. Born that way I guess. Mrs. BD reads less than I do, but remembers everything. Quiz her on opera plots or play plots sometime if you see her. You will get an earful.
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Monday morning linksGood book on Columbus: Morison's classic Admiral of the Ocean Sea Roy Orbison hologram concert in L.A. invites awe and debate Columbia's Diversity Boondoggle Melania’s Hat Evokes Colonialism Comparison Or Something She looks great in that hat. She looks great in anything. Or in nothing. The $500 Million Central Bank Heist—and How It Was Foiled Steyn on the Gosnell movie MAOIST AMERICA: Astronaut Scott Kelly Grovels to Leftist Mob After Torrent of Backlash for Praising Winston Churchill Why encourage them? Ignore them, or punch back with wit. Never cave. It's not manly. Trump the Indestructible The left escalates its vilification of Susan Collins Susan Collins swings back at Planned Parenthood over Supreme Court double-standard If Christine Ford's lawyer needs a lawyer, the fat lady's singing Feinstein v. Kavanaugh: Anatomy of a character assassination "... Along the same lines was the tweet from a writer for Steven Colbert’s show: “Whatever happens, I’m just glad we ruined Brett Kavanaugh’s life." Evil
Sunday, October 7. 2018Jewish PenicillinChicken Soup is a force for good in the world. Without being Jewish (my Mom used Campbell's), I try to make it the Jewish grandma way but with minor adjustments. Here's what I do about 3 times a year: Take a half-eaten chicken carcass (so there's plenty of meat left on it), cover it with water in a big pot, and simmer. Meanwhile, cut up a bag of carrots, a few onions, a few parsnips, small bag of celery, some chopped garlic, and toss them in whenever. Throw in some thyme and bay leaf, a few whole cloves (of clove, not garlic), some chopped parsley, a bunch of peppercorns, and salt. Simmer for a couple of hours.. Do not skim off the fat. Then strain it all through a coarse strainer and put the soup into another pot. Salvage all the carrot, some onion, celery, parsnips - and all the meat you can find in the strainings - into the soup. Salt and pepper to preference, and a little more chopped pasley. Now for the noodles, because Jewish chicken soup needs some noodles. Some people prefer just a few, some people like lots of noodles. Regardless, the only correct noodles for chicken soup are luchen (Jewish), aka kluski (in Polish). Very firm egg noodles which stay firm and expand minimally. Throw in a handful or two when you warm up the soup for serving. How do you make chicken soup?
Mrs. BD insistsShe is a recovering liberal but no right-wing nutjob and she offers Maggie's links very occasionally (many people send in links for my morning offerings), but she wants our readers to read this. She has always seen Mitch as a shrewd gamer despite his RINO slurs. He picks his fights, like any good parent. Winners and Losers of the Kavanaugh Confirmation This is how nice moderate/lefty Moms of America are turned to the conservatives. From today's Lectionary: Curse God, and die.
Job 1:1, 2:1-10 1:1 There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. 2:1 One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD. 2:2 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." 2:3 The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason." 2:4 Then Satan answered the LORD, "Skin for skin! All that people have they will give to save their lives. 2:5 But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face." 2:6 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life." 2:7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 2:8 Job took a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and sat among the ashes. 2:9 Then his wife said to him, "Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God, and die." 2:10 But he said to her, "You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Saturday, October 6. 2018Fine art restoration
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Saturday morning linksThe first people who populated the Americas Book Review: Militant Normals by Kurt Schlichter - How Regular Americans are Rebelling Against the Elite to Reclaim Our Democracy The West's New Antisemitism Crisis: Why Right Now? Here’s how much Americans trust 38 major news organizations The Problem With #BelieveSurvivors - It’s important to listen to those who come forward—and also to those accused. Scott Adams on Sen. Collins' brilliant speech . "Best speech I've ever seen." Kavanaugh: The Surprise Ending Campus Chaos Has Come to Congress Kavanaugh is the kind of nonpartisan judge we need now Planned Parenthood Threatens Senators Who Vote to Confirm Kavanaugh: ‘We’re Coming for You’ New US nuclear bombs and futuristic stealth aircraft to provide mind-boggling military might
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