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. |
Our Recent Essays Behind the Front Page
Categories
QuicksearchLinks
Blog Administration |
Wednesday, August 8. 2018Wednesday morning linksThe real story behind the ‘Little House on the Prairie’ controversy UCLA students forced to pay for ‘Toxic Masculinity Committee’ THE LEFT’S WAR ON WHITENESS Should Christians Vote for Muslim Candidates? Why not? It depends The Latest “Trump The Tyrant” Article From The WaPo Is A Real Gem HOW THE MEDIA EMBRACED EN MASSE FAKE NEWS ABOUT TRUMP TOWER MEETING CNN’S OWN LEGAL ANALYST DASHES PANEL’S COLLUSION NARRATIVE Obviously. And unlike Clinton, there was no payment for Russian dirt The Big Tech censorship storm has landed Socialist ‘Future of the Democrat Party’ Just Had a VERY Bad Night Beyond family separation: Trump’s ongoing war on asylum, explained But if you get arrested, you can't be with your kids How a senior DOJ official helped Dem researchers on Trump-Russia case Why Doesn’t President Trump Get More Credit? German Spy Chief Warns, Islamist Children "Pose Real Threat" To Nation Asylum seeker who raped 17-year-old student in a cemetery replies ´Yes, I did that. Why not?´ as he is jailed for 16 years for attacking her and another woman five months apart We have to be more multiculturally understanding, right? China may have to resume U.S. soybean purchases in weeks Trump drives tough deals Tuesday, August 7. 2018Big bearGame cam pic of bear scavenging remnants of a lion kill not far from Gynnie's sister's cabin in the Sierras last week.
Mary Ellis delivered the adjacent Spitfire 75 years before this rideShe took this Spitfire ride on her 100th birthday. She died last month. By seeming chance, today was my Mom's b'day, and she could fly single-engine airplanes. She quit flying when she had us kids, same way I quit motorcycles when I had kids.
Guys who do real workWho do we have working on ye olde Maggie's HQ these weeks? it will take 6-8 weeks total, I think, depending on rain. 1 Project Manager - The Boss. Made the Plan, designed the solutions to problems, coordinates everything, pays everybody, checks their work. It is a high-end job. Everybody kowtows to him, because he will be the source of their next job if they please him. It's how the world works. Somebody has to keep the Trump economy booming. Why not us? Ya know, I love seeing how they do their jobs and how meticulous they are. Also, their apprenticeship system. The journeymen carpenters are obviously experts, but they keep learning new tricks from the Master. And trust me, this place has some tricky things to deal with. Tuesday morning links
Trump Insults Anybody Who Angers Him, Regardless of Color Elderly Men Escape Nursing Home To Attend World's Biggest Heavy Metal Festival Amish man starts "Uber" ride service with his horse and buggy Air Force silent after 2-kiloton meteor hits Earth near base I blame climate change EPA: Maybe adding ethanol to gasoline wasn’t smart after all! Kudos to Netflix For Dropping Farrakhan ‘Documentary’ Apple’s Stock Market Scam - The tech giant just became America's first trillion-dollar company, but it wasn't thanks to the iPhone. Free the carmakers from government regs We’ve Got To Stop Letting ‘Outrage Mobs’ Get People Fired CHINA Murdered or Imprisoned 20 CIA Operatives and Sources While Feinstein Had a Chinese Spy as Office Manager Mayor Blames Trump For Black Doll Hung In Playground. Reverend: Here's Who Actually Did It. California government official: “Unfortunately, common sense is just not common. We have to regulate every aspect of people’s lives.” Unfunded US state and local government pensions totals $5 trillion FAR LEFT MOBS RIOT In 3 Major US Cities — NOT ONE Mainstream Outlet Reports on the Widespread Leftist Violence The New Underground Railroad… To Canada
Monday, August 6. 2018Dust MitesI thought that dust mites were mythical beings. They are not. Apparently every home has them, and there is no known way to get rid of them.
Posted by Bird Dog
in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation
at
14:46
| Comments (6)
| Trackbacks (0)
Monday morning linksBees are not in Danger An extensive report from the Environmental Protection Agency found that including ethanol into the U.S. gas supply is wreaking havoc on the atmosphere and soil New York Bill Mandates Three Months Paid Bereavement Leave That is crazy on so many levels California fires and sprawl into fire zones NRA Sues New York Officials Over 'Blacklisting' Campaign Scott Adams discusses his visit with Trump A delightful report CBS News Tries To Blame Portland Violence On Trump Supporters This will not stand: Judge orders DACA fully reinstated Fact Check: Trump Says 3.5 Million People Have Been Lifted off Food Stamps The Fate of the Atlantic Alliance South Africa Moves Forward with Expropriation of White Land Without Compensation Sunday, August 5. 2018The Leatherman Tool, and how nerds make great lives
Really, a Leatherman is an extra-sturdy Swiss Army deal with pliers. Vanderleun found this, the story of the Leatherman.
Posted by Bird Dog
in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation
at
14:33
| Comment (1)
| Trackbacks (0)
Lemon Ice CreamSummertime. You need an ice cream machine. The one in the photo makes 2 quarts of ice cream, frozen yoghurt, or gelato. Here's your recipe for Lemon Ice Cream. Ice cream was invented in Italy. By the way, what's the difference between gelato and ice cream? My favorite gelato is hazelnut. My favorite ice cream has always been coffee, but I do like that caramel-sea salt flavor too. What's your favorite flavor of ice cream or gelato?
From today's LectionaryMy extensive botanical and scriptural research indicates that there is no reason to believe that the hyssop in this psalm has anything to do with the plants we call hyssop today. Psalm 51:1-12 51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 5:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 51:3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 51:4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. 51:5 Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. 51:6 You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 51:8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. 51:9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. 51:11 Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. 51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. Wellfleet OystersWouldn't you rather be in Wellfleet right now? I would. "Impeach Trump" bumper stickers don't bother me much, because I figger all the cars without rageful bumper stickers are probably people like me. Saturday, August 4. 2018Saturday morning linksAmericans Are Rapidly Warming Up to Porn, a New Gallup Poll Shows. Here's Why. San Francisco Bans Everything Except pooping on sidewalks Thugs in Portlandia On Liberal Numerology Why The Left Wants to Control Ohio Elections Sarah Jeong Was Just Talking The Way Most People On The Left Talk About White People Is there really that much hate? Sarah Jeong Is A Warning Sign Of Something Wrong With The Left Funny: Trump will surely read her tweets at his next rally Why does she hate the utterly limp and innocuous David Brooks? ‘Why Do The Press Hate The American People?’ Cory Booker Bashes America: Things Are “Savagely Wrong” The Clinton campaign sought dirt on Trump from Russian officials. Where’s the outrage? Trump’s foreign policy rooted in Nixon, Reagan principles Independent voters a major headache for the GOP as midterm elections loom The idea that Trump et al are ignorant about trade These guys still get it wrong. They are just doing hardball negotiating Trump Creates 830,000 Manufacturing Jobs in 19 Mos. — 804,000 More than Obama in Previous 19 Mos. Mike Pence scolds mainstream media outlets that did not cover ceremony honoring return of Korean War remains FBI CONTINUED TO GET INFO FROM STEELE AFTER TERMINATING FORMAL RELATIONSHIP Steele was on a mission to destroy Trump Denmark Bans the Niqab, and Media Reacts Exactly as Expected Friday, August 3. 2018Training your neuromuscular system
Since our physical fitness posts here are oriented towards building and maintaining general functional fitness and athleticism, we tend not to get into the weeds of strength-building. For general conditioning, we view strength (weights) as about a third of the program. 2 days/week, with heavy powerlifts etc. However, the strength component is crucial even if 2 hrs/week will not produce an Arnold physique. Speaking of physiques, we are genetically programmed for a body type (even if we cover that up with layers of fat). Certain body types were built for running, some for lifting up dead mastodons and elephants, etc. One aspect of that is our muscle cells. We are born with a life-long number of them, and a predetermined distribution of Type 1 And Type ll muscle cells which in part determine where our athletic potentials might be. Strength-building can build up the fibers inside those cells when subjected to serious demand. At the same time, a significant part of muscle bulk is blood supply. But getting to the point, the rapid improvement in strength during the first 6-10 months of lifting is attributable to neuromuscular development and efficiency. That's the first step in strength conditioning, and when progress is most gratifying. After that initial phase, progress slows and that is when the real slogging begins. A reader sent in this technical essay on neuromuscular training: Neuromuscular Efficiency (NME). A little basic Bio helps. Friday morning linksNot drinking alcohol in middle age increases dementia risk, says report Scientists reverse aging-associated skin wrinkles and hair loss in a mouse model Omega-3 fatty acids do your heart no good - waste of money Aborigines: Reclaiming Work as a Virtue WALSH: Diversity Is Not Our Strength Whenever I get around to running a most punchable face contest on Power Line, Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal will be one of the contestants. NYTIMES’ NEWEST HIRE SENT TONS OF ANTI-WHITE RACIST TWEETS Times has to keep up with radical chic IRONY: Social Media Mob Comes For Sarah Jeong, Who Cheered Social Media Mobbing Of Others This isn't culture war. It's worse. College hangs up on student asking about free speech policy Proposed Changes to CAFE Standards are Good News for Consumers "Start with a politics cleanse: For two weeks — maybe over your August vacation — resolve not to read, watch or listen to anything about politics." Africa: Poor Countries Need Economic Freedom, Not Handouts Socialist Venezuela Falling Apart As President Maduro Shockingly Blames Party Venezuelan Dictator Nicolás Maduro Now Admits Socialism Sucks 'Force field' technology could make US tanks unstoppable Thursday, August 2. 2018Rodney
Posted by Bird Dog
in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation
at
17:58
| Comment (1)
| Trackbacks (0)
Political ScienceWhy is it called "science"? To make it sound more serious? The distribution of power is serious enough. Swimming with “Leviathan” - Reconsidering Hobbes’s magnum opus with the release of a new edition. Generally, I find it much easier to read about Hobbes than to read Hobbes.Deep thinkers are difficult to read. Thursday morning linksThe Enlightened Superstitions of Steven Pinker Are All Cultures Equally Good? About Cardinal McKerrick Paramount Owes America an Apology for Jay-Z's Trayvon Series MIDDLE RAGES - WHY THE BATTLE FOR MEDIEVAL STUDIES MATTERS TO AMERICA Environmental scare stories Photographer of starving polar bear admits losing control of “climate change narrative” EPA: Key Air Pollutants Drop 73 Percent Since 1970 But there is still CO2 in the air! Social Justice Warriors Have Finally Come for the Comedy Classic ‘Animal House’ NY Dem Governor Attacks Media For Asking Tough Questions They're sposta be on his team SURVEY: Americans support 1A rights, but don’t know what they are Understanding Trade Deficits Report: Worker pay rising at fastest pace in 10 years Z-man: The fight over open borders today is actually a battle to expand the franchise by those seeking to push through a post-national agenda. Noncitizens across U.S. find it easy to register to vote, cast ballots. Russian national surprised to be on rolls in San Francisco Majority of Democrats: Illegal Aliens Should be Given the Right to Vote Media don´t want to understand Trump voters, all 63 million of them Politico Reporter: Between Them, You’d Get A Full Set Of Teeth From The Crowd At A Trump Rally Democrats wheel out the 'kids' as a campaign theme, again All Democrats have to do is act crazy, and Steyer will back them.
Wednesday, August 1. 2018Weights: Low reps or high reps?It's not either-or. Low-rep (1-5) high weight is for strength. High-rep (8-12) with lower weight is for muscle endurance, but we would never suggest more than 10 reps for any powerlift set. A typical powerlift sequence is a warm up set with very light weight, then 4-5 working sets advancing to your day's target. For example, lately I have been doing, say, with deadlift (most important exercise, I feel), warm-up set of 5 at about 100, 5 reps at 155, 5 reps at about 180, 1 rep at 200 and another rep around 225. Like I say, I am not a big strong guy. Everybody is different. My one-rep max is probably 245, but I don;t know for sure. My goal is 300. Many fitness people do a week of high rep every month or two. "Lower weight" is around 60-70% of your one rep max. "Higher weight" is around 80-90% of your one rep max. As always, there are exceptions, mainly for accessory exercises. For example, for curls or tricep cable push-downs, 10-20 is fine to keep those things "toned". My take on heavy weights: Pull-ups are heavy weight. Push-ups are just calisthenics. If you can do 20 pullups bravo to you and put some weights on you to be more efficient. I won't do barbell bench or barbell squats without trainer or partner. Without those, I'll do dumbbell bench and kettlebell lunges or squats instead. If no weight station is free, I'll do kettlebell deadlifts or trap bar instead of regular. It's all good as long as it is HARD and makes you want to cry or spout 4-letter words. Since I only do half of my powerlifts one day, and half of them another day (not ideal for strength but ok for fitness), I fill in my weights hours with accessory lifts to get a full workout. But to be more precise, I also do pullups twice/wk and one day of dumbell bench and another day barbell bench because I want to focus on those right now. There's only so much time to fit in weights, calis, and plain cardio. If a week had 8 days, I'd do another day of weights. It doesn't fatigue you like calis, but it kicks your ass and kicks your mind. Again!Just got an email from a second old friend (ie, elderly - 60s) who has produced a third kid under age 7. I wonder what it's like to be a dad in your 60s. It would not work for me. Maybe it keeps them young, but who has the patience for little kids? For that matter, what guy ever did? Wednesday morning linksToon via Theo Mario Vargas Llosa’s journey from Castro groupie to steel-eyed critic of both Leftism and populism gives the observations and commentary of his latest book the authority of a long life both lived and examined. To describe it as a joy of the first order would be to engage in understatement UW-Madison encourages students to report The Nation Apologies for Publishing an 'Ableist' Poem - "Caused harm to members of several communities" I doubt it. Nobody reads it Distributing the Green (Cards): Permanent Residency and the Income Tax after the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 Former Hippies Put in Horrible Position of Rooting for F.B.I.
Connecticut is poised to reject Democrats’ economic mistakes Study: "Medicare for all" plan touted by Bernie Sanders would cost $32.6 trillion German Police: 126,000 Immigrants Set for Deportation Have ‘Disappeared’ Les Gorges de l'ArdècheI need to find out more about this artist, Julian Merrow-Smith. Update: I did. He's a picture/day guy in Provence. I love that painting. Image via Dalrymple's An Evening in France
Tuesday, July 31. 2018The usefulness of dumpsters and roofers, and getting rid of unneeded brown furniture
It's our summer for roofing, painting, and repairs. Maintenance on the HQ. Mostly outside, some inside too. Maintenance sucks, because it entails no improvement and is just a holding war against entropy. We are fortunate to have a remarkable team of workers thanks to our genius project manager. Perfectionists. Replaced with all new flashing because the old was second rate, especially for the crickets. New copper gutters, but we do not have many gutters. Let the rain fall off the roof. No problem. All bad wood replaced with Azek "wood". Good thing about their max-size dumpster? Old brown furniture, broken lawn stuff, old clothing and crap that is just no longer needed or wanted. In it goes. Empty closets to bare essentials. And do you know what old brown mahogany furniture is worth? Zero. You have to pay people to get rid of it. I am tempted to toss our 1800s lovely dining room table and chairs in there because nobody in the world wants this old brown stuff - and never will. Wish you had a giant dumpster in your driveway? A great chance to unload all the crap that your kids will have to toss in a dumpster when you croak. Do them a favor.
Posted by Bird Dog
in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation
at
16:22
| Comments (14)
| Trackbacks (0)
Tuesday morning linksA 'Mini Ice Age' Is Coming in The Next 15 Years 'Trigger warnings' may undermine 'emotional resilience,' Harvard study finds Nonsense. These are crybullies, not snowflakes. Fake snowflakes. GENDER FLUIDITY HAS ITS ADVANTAGES Whatever Happened To The ‘Unmaskings’ Probe? So What’s Paul Manafort On Trial For Again? Andy McCarthy: My Collusion Confusion Despite Media Hysterics Trump’s Approval Remains Unchanged – And He Is Still 3 Points Ahead of Obama at Same Point In His Presidency CNN’s Brooke Baldwin: “President Fulfilling A Major Economic Promise, The U.S. Economy Is Booming” - Economy doing so good even CNN can’t lie about it. THE DEMOCRAT FUTURE ISN’T SOCIALIST, IT’S CRAZY. They don’t want socialism, they want Trump dead. Seven 'Great' Marxist Leaders Young Socialists Need to Know 300,000 Illegal Immigrants in Islamic Colony Saint-Denis Echoes of Venezuela: Ortega relies on street gangs to crush Nicaraguan government rebellion Monday, July 30. 2018Monday morning linksWhy Are Men So Terrible, And What Can We Do About It? A simple guide to CRISPR, one of the biggest science stories of the decade - It could revolutionize everything from medicine to agriculture. Better read up now. Nat. Geographic Admits They Were Wrong About Famous Climate Change Polar Bear Pic WaPo: Connecticut is drowning in debt. Should the rest of us have to pay? Mike Rowe Talks To Ben Shapiro About The Gap Between So-Called ‘Elites’ And Everyone Else Martin Armstrong: Is CNN Creating A Civil War? You Have Just Entered The Twilight Zone; CNN — Creating Narratives Nightly Tucker Carlson Reports the FBI Collaborates With Southern Poverty Law Center Trump Anxiety Disorder: Therapists Say Patients Are Experiencing More Trump-Related Anxiety Mueller probably hasn’t exhausted the possibilities of building obstruction of justice charges against Trump based on his regular activities. Trump’s use of Twitter barely scratches the surface of the potential wrongdoing that falls within the scope of Mueller’s probe... President Trump Is Correct--Study Shows 90% Of Administration Media Coverage Is Negative I see CNN and MSNBC in the gym all the time. It truly is Destroy Trump's Reputation 24/7 The Rules For Beating Donald Trump Janice Atkinson, MEP: The EU Is Killing Itself from the Inside. As All Dictatorships Do Amsterdam 'lawless jungle' at night, ombudsman warns Number of Islamists in Germany Reaches Record High, says Intel Report Sunday, July 29. 2018Fun New England idea for September: The Big E
Info and tix here.
Posted by Bird Dog
in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation
at
11:14
| Comments (5)
| Trackbacks (0)
« previous page
(Page 185 of 793, totaling 19810 entries)
» next page
|