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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Thursday, July 19. 2018Thursday morning links“In Two Worlds” by Ido Kedar — living with non-verbal autism I don't know what to make of that Global warming hiatus for ~2 more decades? ‘Climate Change’ Will Kill Your Internet In 15 Years Or Something K-12: An Insidious Inside Job Citizenship No Longer Required to Vote in School Board Elections in San Francisco Obama: “Men Have Been Getting on My Nerves Lately”… Democrats' 'Sudden' Hard-Left Turn Has Been Years In The Making Keith Ellison Claims Having National Borders Is An 'Injustice' Comey: Anyone Voting Republican This Fall Is Un-American The ADL Chooses Anti-Trump over Anti-Semitism Intel Chair: FBI, DOJ Obstructing Trump Probe in Hope of Dem Takeover in Congress Also, “After seven or eight months of stonewalling, we realized they [the FBI and DOJ] had no intelligence in the opening of that [counterintelligence] investigation.” For Those Insistent That We Must Fight a Hypothetical Future War on Behalf of Montenegro, Because American Honor Demands It: You Know, It's Not Too Late to Declare War on Russia for the Ukraine The question Americans should be asking, Carlson says, is whether NATO is still “serving America’s interests or is it imperilling them.” Once Again, President Trump Is Magnificently Right—This Time About Russia Trump’s fawning performance in Helsinki has only lent credence to the worst theories about him THE LEFT’S TRUMP-PUTIN MELTDOWN - Just another nail in the coffin of the Leftist establishment’s credibility. "The reaction by most of the media, by the Democrats, by the anti-Trump people is like mob violence. I've never seen anything like it in my life." The outrage machine 24/7 MSNBC Exposes Russia-Linked Twitter Account… Not Knowing It’s a Parody Account It’s Undeniable: Trump Is Blessed With Really Stupid Enemies
Iranian militias test Israel with advance on Golan Heights Trump is winning the trade war because China has more to lose Wednesday, July 18. 2018Dublin, NHMrs. BD spent a couple of days in Dublin. Quaint tiny picturesque village in southern NH within view of Mt. Monadnock. As her pic shows, it's the home of Yankee Magazine (and of The Olde Farmer's Almanac).
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What's for supper? They deliver!
and a cold Pacifico
Dave Rubin deals with an angry oppressed student at UNHSheesh. How do you talk with somebody like that? It's always been interesting to me how it is possible to use a victim pose to bully or attack others. Problem is, victim posture supports self-esteem and seems to morally justify obnoxiousness - but gets your own life nowhere. Well, being hostile is fun in some ways. Apparently UNH is a hotbed of oppression, racism and misogyny, so that's a shame. Poor gal is blind to her incredible privilege. Her superiority tone bugs the heck out of me. I will say a prayer for any man she marries.
Wednesday morning linksElite colleges: Poor students increase, middle-income students decrease How Identity Politics Is Harming the Sciences Batwoman: Lesbian comic hero to get TV series So what? Why "Climate Change" Seems To Have Faded From The News Support for abortion rights depends on how you ask the question San Francisco Begins Registering Illegal Aliens To Vote Talk about foreign meddling in elections Seattle's Unloosed Monsters Will Kill The Progressive Dream Brokest-Ass City in the Brokest-Ass State Wants to Go Brokier Politics is Marketing Public school enrollment is plummeting in North Carolina because of school choice Ocasio-Cortez Embarrasses Herself on Firing Line Ultimately, I believe there are two fundamental stories that unveil the entirety of what’s transpired in Washington Mueller All but Ignores the Other Russian Hack Target: the GOP If the Trump/Putin Press Conference Shocked You, You're Not Paying Attention Mooch To Trump: Time To Hit Reverse, Pal Simon: Putin Summit May Prove to Be Trump's Finest Hour Reflections on ten years teaching in China Cultural differences are real Tuesday, July 17. 2018How big is the universe?How Large Is The Entire, Unobservable Universe? Beyond human imagination, but not beyond math. h/t Am Digest
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Tuesday morning links
Toon via SDA If you think that our current cultural warfare is nasty, just take a look at the Protestant Reformation as practiced in England in the 16th century. The US is the leader in CO2 emissions reduction Who cares? A Union Scam Could Be About to End. Home health workers get ‘organized’ without their knowledge or consent. Janus makes that harder. Yale Law School alumni rally to Brett Kavanaugh's defense The Astroturfing Of Kavanaugh Opposition Has Hit Epic Levels SOROS-LINKED GROUP WILL SPEND MILLIONS TO STOP KAVANAUGH How can a Nazi collaborator have so much influence? University Of Minnesota Further Beclowns Itself With Proposed Transgender Sensitivity Rules Dershowitz on backlash after defending Trump: ‘I’m enjoying this’ America has a nobility problem, and it means our leaders don't pay for their failures Trump’s failure at Putin summit will come back to haunt him I am not clear on what failed or what succeeded. Fox Host Trish Regan: The Word For That Press Conference Is “Unpatriotic” Flashback Obama in 2016: Russian Hacking was Not Some Elaborate, Complicated Espionage Scheme Thank the Lord Donald Trump Is Not an 'Intellectual' Dutch moslems want the Dutch to leave Holland NATO Now Serves the Interests of the Transatlantic Ruling Class Monday, July 16. 2018Met a guy this weekend...Who was one of the guys who happened to pull Bush 41 off his life raft onto the lifeguard sub USS Finback. That was 1944. Bush's words on being rescued: "I gotta get back out there." My father-in-law said of the guy, "He's beginning to show his age." And so is Bush 41. There are many remarkable life stories out there that inspire awe in us regular folk with low-risk and low-drama lives.
Monday morning linksCan we really ever know if animals are happy? Tail wags, rat giggles, and horse snorts. Our homes don’t need formal spaces - The entertaining rooms meant to make us social actually foster isolation Most people live informally these days. It's like pulling teeth to get guests out of the kitchen to the parlor How scientists finally solved the mystery of the Irish Famine WHO recognises 'compulsive sexual behaviour' as mental disorder Sheesh. Is everything a mental disorder? PEDOPHILES BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE A PART OF THE LGBT COMMUNITY Definitely! “Emergency” at Yale: Qualified Judge Named to Court! In a letter quivering with victimology, students and alumni denounce Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination. A LANDMARK LEGAL SHIFT OPENS PANDORA’S BOX FOR DIY GUNS Even a former drug dealer can’t handle teaching in Philly’s schools KEITH ELLISON SUPPORTS COP KILLERS
New Yorker Column Summarizes the Left: Everything is Broken Because They’re Losing More Democrats Believe in UFOs Than America Peter Strzok’s arrogance is the product of a corrupt FBI Who do these people think they are? Democrat's 'Purple Heart' remark at Strzok hearing spurs veterans to plan protest march The Forgotten II: The Strange Case of the Missing Russians Fight Against $15: Democrats Push To Repeal Minimum Wage Hike In Nation's Capital Is Brett Kavanaugh too poor for the Supreme Court? ‘Hungary is the worst’: Refugees become punching bag under PM Viktor Orban NATO’s problem is that Europeans won’t fight Trump in Europe — American and unbowed Trump Is ‘A Phenomenon That Foreign Countries Haven’t Seen As Scott Adams says, he shakes the box TRUMP’S BLUNT TALK IS JUST WHAT NATO NEEDS - And what our president's quarrel with the military alliance really reveals. America's Sometime European Allies U.S. intelligence agencies are closely monitoring Russian military activities in Libya for signs that Moscow may soon build a military base in the divided North African state. Demonstrations in Vietnam should be a wake-up call for China Sunday, July 15. 2018New England: Mowing, Scything, Brushwacking
Men, and some women, love these activities. I do not mean lawn-mowing, I mean meadow maintenance without grazing animals on the land. Yeah, ideally you want cattle. Have you even found a pile of snake eggs beneath a cow pie? I did, once. In New England, we have become so accustomed to the pastoral sight of meadows and fields that we forget that they are not natural. These were created out of the wilderness with tremendous effort for grazing and farming. Neglect them for 5 years, and they will be beyond repair because nature wants them to become woodland again. At the farm, we have had meadows suitable for haying or grazing, areas that require annual brushwacking (because more brush than grasses in those areas), and steeps that need scything or something similar. These sorts of land maintenance are deeply satisfying and, with machines, deeply relaxing with a cold beer or three. No lifting, work gets done. Somebody observed that open field maintenance is like running one's hand over the curves of one's beloved. Haying for real hay is tricky. Timing is everything. Around here, July for commercial haying. You need the hay to go to seed, and then you need to let it dry after cut before the baler. No rain. Stored wet hay can spontaneously combust in storage, or, at least, turn moldy. You know that already. With the dairy business moving out of New England, and horses fewer and fewer, we had no market for hay. We switched to conservation mode which is a non-economic mode. The non-economic conservation mode for open-space maintenance is based on the idea that meadow critters (meadow-nesting birds, rodents, snakes, etc) are pretty much done by late July. However, many wildflowers are at their best in July and August and the bugs and butterflies rely on them. We recommend mowing/brushwacking non-commercial, ungrazed meadows once per year in early September or late August. Let the mowings lie. They will mostly disintegrate by April. If you like walking paths, keep them mowed like lawns, about 8' wide paths so you can stroll around your grounds with a coffee or whisky and ceegar without getting soaked with dew or infested with ticks while bird-watching. We had a wet meadow in a flood plain along our trout stream (with trout pool for swimming) where the grasses and sedges grew so thick that once/year was not manageable. We had to brushwack that 5 acres patch twice/year or the machine could not handle the density of the lush growth. I was sadly aware, though, that the wetland meadow critters (Wood Turtles, Leopard Frogs, snakes, toads, etc) did not appreciate that at all and I felt bad about damaging that habitat and sometimes killing them. I wonder if it might have been left well-enough alone, but it's just what we always did.
How and when to deadhead flowersAnd if you are out there in your gardens, now is a good time, and the last chance, to shear back the late summer and fall-blooming perennials that you don't want to grow too tall and scraggly, eg Asters, Daisies, and Seaside Daisies. It's been a cold Spring in New England. Tomato plants aren't growing vigorously. New England is marginal for tomato compared to New Jersey or South Carolina, but home-growns are so tasty that we persist anyway. We really only get a crop in July-Sept while in south Jersey they can be harvesting garden tomatoes June-October. Unless you have a greenhouse. Some days, like today, I wish I had one. But naw, not really. Who wants the hassle? Excellent summary of modern ecological thinking
I learned that my thinking was not up to date. For one thing, I had thought that nature "seeks" some sort of harmonious balance. Nope. Reinventing Staten Island - The ecological philosophy of turning a garbage dump into a park. From today's Lectionary: SalomeMark 6:14-29
6:14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some were saying, "John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him." 6:15 But others said, "It is Elijah." And others said, "It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old." 6:16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised." 6:17 For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because Herod had married her. 6:18 For John had been telling Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." 6:19 And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, 6:20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. 6:21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. 6:22 When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it." 6:23 And he solemnly swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom." 6:24 She went out and said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" She replied, "The head of John the baptizer." 6:25 Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." 6:26 The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. 6:27 Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, 6:28 brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. 6:29 When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.
Saturday, July 14. 2018Fitness goals
As I have confessed, I am a small-boned (now 5'11", once 6', 165 lb) late-middle aged guy who imagines he is still 25, without the genes for a mighty physique, with the genes for a dad bod - ie sloppy gut tendency effectively-resisted, but blessed with the genes or temperament for perseverance. I'll share my fitness goals for the next 5-6 months: - Dead around 275-300 one rep For some, those might be modest goals, but not for me. What are your 6 month fitness goals?
Saturday morning linksAfter 5,300 years, the last meal of an ancient Iceman has been revealed — and it was a high-fat, meaty feast Overcoming Loneliness -Three steps to easing pain and reconnecting with the world Every time I see an electric vehicle on the road, I wonder how much of it I paid for. Recycling: Another environmental scam goes bust Just How Radical Is American Federation of Teachers? School district costs Planned Parenthood NYC’s explicit campaign — ‘Protect Our Freedom to F***’ — touted as ‘fearless’ Harvey Weinstein: ‘I offered acting jobs in exchange for sex, but so does everyone – they still do’ Cuomo’s Buffalo Billion was beyond corrupt Kavanaugh Nomination Falters After Washington Post Publishes Shocking Editorial Claiming He Forgot Daughter’s Piano Recita Hillary Clinton Says Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh Will Bring Back Slavery Republicans walked right into Peter Strzok's trap -- Here's what they missed Bizarre, Creepy Video Of Peter Strzok Smirking Goes Viral
Saturday Verse: Robert Frost (1874-1963)It's meadow mowing season in New England. Haying season too. Mowing There was never a sound beside the wood but one, Friday, July 13. 2018Friday morning linksNearly Half of Americans Battling to Lose Weight: CDC Data Internal battles are the worst kind 15+ Photos That Prove Japan Is Not Like Any Other Country Like Sweden used to be, a monoculture where everybody's on the same page “Find Your Passion” Is Awful Advice It's good advice for hobbies The New Story of Humanity's Origins in Africa - Several new discoveries suggest that our species didn’t arise from a single point in space. Instead, the entire continent was our cradle. So what about Mitochondrial Eve? Why did Jesus allow the demons to enter the herd of pigs? Evil: Whalers in Iceland have killed what appears to be a blue whale, one of the largest creatures left on the planet. Universities pledge to maintain affirmative action policies They do not want to be 90% Asian US "Asleep At The Wheel" – As Nuclear Industry Faces Collapse U.S. CO2 Levels Drop Again — So Why Aren't Green Groups Rejoicing? Because that's not what it's about Justice And DHS Claim Nearly Half Of Children 5 Or Younger Separated At The Border Came With Adults Who Were Criminals Or Not Even Their Parents Are The Russia-Gate Fanatics Crazy, Or Just Cynical? Peter Strzok, A Cocky Liar to the End The United Nations and Antisemitism - 2008-2017 Report Card “In Order that They Didn’t Die Alone”: Remembering Claude Lanzmann, director of Shoah Delingpole: Trump’s Brexit Rebellion Catches Fire in the UK Trump's diplomatic belligerence The Consequences of Public Housing in Denmark NATO Is Sick, And Trump Is The Best Doctor It’s Likely To BULL: 1, CHINA SHOP: 0 BOOM! Finnish Journalist Finds Out Hard Way She Was Dealing with US President Who Doesn’t Give a Sh*t Thursday, July 12. 2018Voluntary hardshipLeave your ego at the door. Two good guys discuss weight lifting, whisky, and the confidence that comes from physical fitness. (h/t, reader)
Thursday morning linksDying Organs Restored to Life in Novel Experiments - An unusual transplant may revive tissues thought to be hopelessly damaged, including the heart and brain. Homer Odyssey: Oldest extract discovered on clay tablet The Best Bathing Suits for Different Body Types Want to hunt alligators in Florida? More permits go on sale Tuesday How do you know when you have too many gators? Thai kids were ‘sedated’ before dangerous journey to safety Yes, the World Cup Can Give You a Heart Attack University of California, Santa Barbara Promotes Child Sex Pedophilia? The 10 Essential Traits of Alpha Males Climate change threatens trans people Harvard, Not Trump, Could Kill Affirmative Action The Road to Serfdom': 7 Things You Might Not Know about Hayek's Classic Book. To date, 'The Road to Serfdom' has sold more than 2 million copies. TRUMP'S PARDONING OF TWO OREGON RANCHERS IS A VICTORY FOR THE BUNDYS—AND AN OMINOUS LOSS FOR PUBLIC-LANDS ADVOCATES. There is nothing more #MAGA than cowboys running the West. We must respect all cultures Who did Lisa Page cheat on? Beta male? Fixing the U.S. Asylum System Mexico hands out pamphlets about how to game the US system Nunes Targets the Real Collusion: The Media and DOJ DID US INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES COLLUDE WITH CLINTON TO INFLUENCE THE 2016 ELECTION? Take a Bow, Conservative Legal Beagles Brett Kavanaugh And The Administrative State That is important A 'balanced' Supreme Court isn't the point Why Democrats are right to worry about potential Kavanaugh appointment The Washington Post continued the crusade against the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit judge, asserting on Wednesday that Kavanaugh is “elite” for stopping at a local bar for a “Budweiser and a burger after coaching his daughters’ basketball games.” The Left Is Outraged Over A WaPost Piece Humanizing Judge Kavanaugh Chait: Is Trump a Russian agent? The NATO countries are, indeed, among America's closest allies, but some of them appear more interested in oil, natural gas, and trade with Iran than in the Fulda Gap NATO SECRETARY GENERAL PRAISES TRUMP FOR LEADERSHIP — SAYS HE AGREES WITH TRUMP ON SPENDING ONALD TRUMP TOLD ANGELA MERKEL, ‘YOU OWE ME $1 TRILLION’ IN THEIR FIRST MEETING: REPORT Incoming Mexico president is getting the Jared treatment Wednesday, July 11. 2018Southern AlbaniaHeavy LiftingThere is a darn good reason why people avoid heavy lifting, whether they are cardio fitness nuts or just people looking for work. Heavy lifting is stressful, unpleasant - other than facing the challenge. Many people avoid stress, some to the point of avoiding life itself. The thing is, painful stress, whether emotional, physical, or intellectual, is what builds strength and effectiveness for life. If you lift enough, at some point that 60 lb. bag of cement mix will feel light as a feather. Same goes for all other stressors. Wednesday morning linksClan MacGregor: Fearless, Lawless And Persecuted Clan Of The Highlands The complex physics behind bending it like a World Cup player - Fluid dynamics experts weigh in on how Ronaldo and Pavard score seemingly impossible goals. Consumers flooded with dubious claims about marijuana’s health benefits The sexual power women have over men US CO2 emissions hit 67-year low Older Immigrants “Crowding Out” U.S. Teens For Summer Jobs Ex-Apple Employee Stole Secrets for Chinese Firm, U.S. Says VDH: The Strange Career of White Privilege
Trump Says Pfizer Is Rolling Back Drug Price Hikes Mexico's new president sounds a lot like Trump on border security Anatomy of a Fake News Story, Kavanaugh Edition Top Six Unhinged Reactions to Kavanaugh Nomination NATO is a mess — and that’s nothing new Tuesday, July 10. 2018Government CheeseA Mountain Of Surplus Cheese, Brought To You By The Federal Government They can't give it away because that would undermine the price supports. Insanity. Where are all the hungry mice? Tuesday morning linksSeriously, Juice Is Not Healthy Anti-vaxxers go for horses Students criticize hiring of theoretical physicist because he defends monogamy Mormon students? Commenter at Althouse: "I don't have a bucket list. I have a f-it list." University of Wyoming profs protest ‘Cowboys’ slogan Those Poor, Helpless Indian Savages Humans are savages. We should know that by now Diversity's War on Tests The Coming Implosion After Diversity’s Victory Democrats Love Socialism Because They Want To Take Your Stuff And Enslave You Castro and his ilk showed us that under socialism, the powerful grow rich — and everyone else grows poor. The Truth About Illinois Pensions In One Stunning Chart Tied to the mast: Connecticut imposes a ‘debt brake’ CITIES AND STATES SPEND A TON TO WOO BIG COMPANIES. IS IT MONEY WELL SPENT? Is government money ever well spent? Boston Considering Giving Non-Citizens, Including DACA Recipients VOTING RIGHTS The Leftist Worldview in a Nutshell: A World of Deserving Dreamers Vs. Despicable Deplorables Americans are dreamers too People Returning To Labor Force In Droves — A Key Step For The Economy A world so crazy, The Onion must lay off satirists Weekly Standard> Trump will never be Reagan
FBI: “HURRY THE F UP PRESSURE” TO STOP TRUMP Trump: Massive US Spending on NATO 'Not Acceptable' "We Are Headed For The Status Of A Colony": Boris Johnson's Full Resignation Letter British Doc Fired for Not Acknowledging Gender Identity In Germany, the 'Immigration' Worm Has Turned Monday, July 9. 2018Biking and hiking in ItalyBackroads is a bit pricey, but they are excellent. The Dolomites—A Peak Experience in Italy & Austria. We've hiked quite a bit up there, but the bike trip sounds very cool if you're in shape for hill biking. I like these: Self-guided hiking trips in Italy. Cheap. The Francigena Way appeals to me.
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