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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Saturday, January 6. 2018The 1640s in the CaribbeanMy Christmas present from Mrs. BD was a winter hiking and birding trip on Barbados. I'm not a big fan of the Caribbean, but what the heck. Lots of good hiking along the 24-mile old railroad bed, and famous birding. She gave me this 1640 book to go along with it: A True and Exact History of the Island of Barbados. The author, Robert Ligon, was a gentleman, highly educated and literate but a third son so given nothing but education. After losing what little he had on a bad real estate investment in London, he headed to the Caribbean to seek his fortune. He found no fortune, but his book remains the best first-hand report of the Caribbean of the time. An elegant writer too with interest in the geology, the soils, the fish, the trees and lumber, the birds, the architecture, the cuisine, the booze (French brandy for the planters, rum for everybody else including the slaves), etc. And in the people. The Brit planters (sugar cane, thanks to Columbus) were mostly drunken whoremongers but some were not. Ligon befriended many of the slaves. He even taught them music. Ligon was a talented lutist, and felt the slaves could benefit from learning how to make tunes instead of just their African drumming for their Sunday dance and rum parties. He also defended their wishes to become Christian. The slaves believed that Christianity seemed to impart wisdom. This was illegal at the time: you could not have a Christian as a slave. Continue reading "The 1640s in the Caribbean" A humble genius
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Saturday morning linksChance Blackbeard Discovery Reveals Pirate Reading Habits The Church of the Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie The other Queen mother: She spent two years in an asylum, then became a nun. A new documentary explores the unconventional life of the Queen’s mother-in-law, Princess Alice Blockchain technology behind bitcoin is worth it Canadians Shocked When Minimum Wage Hike Negatively Impacts Workers Al Gore: ‘Bitter cold’ is ‘exactly what we should expect from the climate crisis’ Met Museum changes 50 year-old policy: Non-New Yorkers must pay I'm going there today. NY in winter is almost as much fun as NY in summer. Is the hunt for bad men looking like the inquisition? Support for Anti-Israel BDS Movement 'Virtually Nonexistent' Among College Students Muslims to become second-largest religious group in US, says report - The Muslim population in the US is growing at a rate of around 100,000 per year A Libertarian Quandary on Pot, Federalism, and the Rule of Law Follow the UK Model for Entitlement Reform Makes some sense. Almost everybody can do something useful. As I said before, we have a Down's gal bagging at my grocery 8 hrs/day, every day. A cheerful presence who clearly loves feeling useful. What should we do with the people whose work is unwanted or unneeded? On the other hand, Filling America's 6 Million Job Vacancies ONE MILLION Americans (and counting) will receive tax reform bonuses Senior Hillary Adviser Tells Students He’s Nervous They Will Like The Tax Cuts And Vote Republican African-American unemployment hits lowest rate in history Co-head of the DNC. That tells you something. Persecutors or prosecutors? Cliven Bundy-FBI debacle: Another example of why the feds need to be leashed The author of the explosive new Trump book says he can't be sure if parts of it are true But the Gorilla Channel part is definitely true The Wolff Book Proves It: Our Journalists Stink Yes it does. Nevertheless, Trump sells! He might even help rescue the news business by being so colorful and outspoken. Trump boasts that he’s ‘like, really smart’ and a ‘very stable genius’ amid questions over his mental fitness RAILROADED: The Real Reasons Al Franken Is No Longer A Senator Senators make criminal referral of dossier author to DOJ FBI Knew The ‘Bleach Bit’ Computer Guy Lied In Clinton Email Testimony, Gave Him Immunity Just how political is the FBI? Now We Know: FBI Ignored Lawbreaking To Exonerate Hillary Clinton Israel Is Offering Illegal Immigrants $3,500 And A Plane Ticket To Leave Middle East's dull response to US's Jerusalem decision shouldn't come as a surprise Finland at 100—Frozen by Fear, Dragged to a Multicultural Grave Saturday Verse: Robert FrostThe Star-Splitter You know Orion always comes up sideways. Continue reading "Saturday Verse: Robert Frost" Friday, January 5. 2018Todd Webb's New York
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Friday morning links
Ohioans Are Going to Have a Hard Time Buying Their Favorite Vodka in 2018 Study: 27% of California Adolescents Identify as 'Nongender Conforming' What You Need to Do Because of Flaws in Computer Chips Sears is closing over 100 more stores People Freak Out After Oregon Strikes Law Banning Self-Service Gas Stations Return to Normal - As new city council speaker, traditional New York Democrat Corey Johnson may walk back from his predecessor’s leftist theatrics. To get over hippie-stoner image that holds down enrollment, UC-Santa Cruz lowers its standards ‘White Genocide’ prof takes role as ‘Visiting Scholar’ at NYU New England Was Warned ‘Pipeline Constraints’ Could Cause Problems This Winter. Now It’s Happening NY Times: It’s So Cold Because You Drove A Fossil Fueled Vehicle Drill, baby, drill: It’s terrible news for Russia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. Apocalypse Now: Even More US Businesses Awarding Bonuses, Raising Wages, Expanding Due to Tax Reform Dow Hits 25,000 For First Time Ever as Employment Zooms U.S. Manufacturing Just Posted Best Year Since 2004 Liberals Go Ballistic After DOJ Reopens Hillary Email Investigation ‘Actions of a Banana Republic’ Walls Close In Around DOJ and FBI “Small Group” Participants… COMEY MEMO BOMBSHELL: Evidence Hillary Committed A Felony, Deleted Mentions Of Evidence Justice Dept Launches New Clinton Foundation Probe Should liberal media trust Michael Wolff’s explosive, anti-Trump book? Trump vs. Bannon: Have you ever met a billionaire? Based on experience, here's what to make of the spat as well as some advice to all of us in the peanut gallery There Is No 4-D Chess, or Unified Theory of Trump TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CRACKS DOWN ON PAKISTAN Thursday, January 4. 2018A Sicilian Classic: Pasta con Sardi
Recipe here., but, better, a very good instructional video here. The guy claims tinned sardines work as well as fresh, but I dunno. I can buy fresh sardines (and fresh anchovies) here. Anyway, the video makes me hungry. Also, I eat sardine bones. Calcium! Farinelli and the KingA theater buff pal tells me that Farinelli and the King is the best Broadway production he has seen in decades. The castrato Farinelli was the Elvis of the 18th Century. This review says the play is about identity and the terrors of fame. Mark Rylance stars (in his wife's play). It's at the Belasco until March 7. Thursday morning links
Image via Am. Digest's Let’s Review 25: Baby It’s Cold Outside Edition A lovely winter nor'easter today. Dark skies. Got in my hour with trainer anyway this morning. A mainly bench press and deadlift day. Haven't lost electric power so it's a normal work day for me. Kids love our winter nor'easters - "Snow Day!" Dads go to work. Rap overtakes Rock as most popular pop music Are Canadian Pharmacies the Solution to America's High Prescription Drug Prices? I use them THE ZEALOUS FAITH OF SECULARISM - HOW THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION BECAME A DOGMA “OH MY GOD, THIS IS SO F---ED UP”: INSIDE SILICON VALLEY’S SECRETIVE, ORGIASTIC DARK SIDE Nerds trying to catch up with fun The Earth Could Become A Desert Without The Paris Climate Agreement Or Something The Nonexistent ‘Right’ to Disrupt Free Speech on Campus
Via AVI
Metrics and Their Unintended Consequences - The best intentions combine with imprecise data for perverse effects in health care and education. The problem with metrics is that the docs and hospitals that take on the toughest cases come out looking the worst Poll: Voters Show Massive Support for Trump Immigration Policies DACA illegals can’t speak English, study shows New York & Co. are paying the price for being Deep Blue Fusion GPS' 'Fake Investigation' — And Hillary Clinton's Real Russian Collusion Steyn objects to the Pope's messaging The Arab World Abandons Palestine The Arab world never gave a damn about Palestine, except as a pawn 5 Things to Know About the Iran Protests and How Badly the Liberal Media Botched the Story Former Afghanistan captive Joshua Boyle charged with sex assault, forcible confinement He was no hostage Germany Cracks Down on Social Media Thought Crime " The European Union is ignoring this trend and soldiering on with what Brussels calls “more Europe”, which often means more interventionism and central planning. And citizens are not happy with this." Wednesday, January 3. 201865 year-old heart patient goes for it
But can he run (not jog) a mile? Readers know we favor a balance of HIIT Cardio (total 1/2 hr/wk), Endurance "cardio" (1 hr/wk), serious weights (2 sessions/wk), and calisthenics (2 sessions/wk) for full functional fitness. I doubt that Rippetoe would argue with that, but he is mostly a weights guy. I don't know about our readers, but I find a one-hour calisthenics class to be more challenging - and more satisfying at the end - than anything else I do. They get you jumping and moving like a 16 year-old. The endorphins make you feel like you can take on the world, but you can hardly walk or talk. That tells you that you have done something hard. Age is no barrier to any fitness pursuit. The body is made to adapt to demands. The discipline to make those stress and dietary demands is the hardest part, but it builds character. No pain, no gain. Best not to wait until you are scared into it by a nasty problem. How does it feel?QQQThere are sins I have entirely given up. Not, however, because I am so holy, but because I got sick of committing them; and tired of the associated self-loathing. David Warren's post titled Protomartyr Wednesday morning linksPhoto: Sanctuary State Signs Pop Up on California Highways for the New Year Life of a High-End Mover The guy gets no respect 2018 Will Be the Year Feminists Target Little Boys Nobody's Ready for the Killer Robot - A Q&A with General Robert Latiff on the ethics of warfare in the autonomous future. Alarmists Trumpet ‘Global Warming’ amid Record Cold Temperatures The Total Futility Of The Climate Campaign New York City to install 1,500 barriers to prevent vehicle ramming attacks I hate what loony Moslems have done to American life Fed employees GET “MINIMUM WAGE” OF $100K - The bureaucracy that rules over us keeps getting richer and richer. 'Mapping the Swamp' report finds 30,000 feds earn more than any governor American and Southwest are Bonusing All Employees $1000 Because of Tax Reform The Russian Collusion Narrative Was, As FBI Agent Peter Strzok Explained: “An Insurance Policy”… Congressional investigators find irregularities in FBI's handling of Clinton email case Duh 2017 has Only Been the Apocalypse for Democrats The Left’s 2017 Trump Predictions: An Array of Calamities That Never Happened Re Trump: “The Word They All Used Was: ‘This Guy Is Insane’” US to Withhold Funding from Palestinians Until They Agree to Join Peace Negotiations Why does the US give them our money in the first place? AfD politician 'censored' under new German hate speech law for anti-Muslim tweet Is there a German totalitarian gene? Moslem ASSAULTS ON POLICE OFFICERS HORRIFY FRANCE “Yet those who threatened to KILL Fawstin are not banned.” Steyn reviews the Muslim problem in Europe DEFYING THE HIJAB IS THE SYMBOL OF IRAN'S FREEDOM MOVEMENT The uprising in Iran: ‘This is what revolution looks like’ Diplomacy or Driving a Hard Bargain? Lessons from the Negotiation that Led to the Iran Nuclear Deal Iranians Shatter a New York Times Myth - The people haven't closed ranks behind the regime. Tuesday, January 2. 2018Tuesday morning linksTrader Joe's just released shelf-stable French fries to satisfy all your snacking needs In Pursuit of Liquid Gold - There is big money in drug testing. That means urine, and bills that can top a quarter-million dollars for a few months of tests for a single patient. Autonomous vehicles are about to collide with the American way. Why Tax Hospitals? It’s a Medicaid Shell Game - Providers pay the state. The state pays providers, then collects matching funds from Uncle Sam. D ata: Trump Admin Reduces Refugee Admissions by 70 Percent in First Year Baltimore Pastor On The City’s Homicide Rate: We Need Police To Come Back New York City’s Crime Rate Is Way Down, So Let’s All Fight About Why It Happened! After Saving Many From NYC Fire, Soldier Died Trying To Rescue One More Z-man's 2018 predictions What Trump DIDN'T do in 2017: President's hysteria-prone critics must be sorely disappointed CONGRESS HAS A BLACK CAUCUS RACISM PROBLEM - The vicious cycle of racism and thievery in the CBC must be broken. Fractured West - In Oregon and elsewhere, rural residents increasingly balk at Democrats’ progressive governance. Not So Fast With That Trillion For Infrastructure Was A Drunken Conversation Really All The Probable Cause The FBI Needed To Investigate A Presidential Campaign? Transparent DOJ and FBI Desperation: New York Times Attempts “Trump Operation” Justification… As the Dossier Scandal Looms, the New York Times Struggles to Save Its Collusion Tale How the Trump era is changing the federal bureaucracy Trump Really Is Draining The Swamp Althouse: "And the NYT runs the story on New Year's Eve Sunday." Bret Stephens: Why I’m Still A NeverTrumper The Trump Effect: Business, Anticipating Less Regulation, Loosens Purse Strings White House Press Secretary Triggers Haters With Shotgun Photo Tax Reform’s Warning Shot for Universities - The GOP puts liberal academia on notice. One of President Macron’s Climate Defectors Speaks Out The Islamization of Britain in 2017 - "I think we are heading towards disaster." Deadly Protests Continue In Iran Iran cuts off internet access in several cities as mass protests continue Jihadist Group Blows Up Oil Pipeline In Iran, In Midst Of Protests Pence Promises U.S. Support for Iranian Protestors Iranian Protests Resonating In Russia, Caucasus And Central Asia – OpEd Migrant slavery in Libya: Nigerians tell of being used as slaves German Jewish Leader Warns That Jews May Require Police Protection As Anti-Semitism Escalates Monday, January 1. 2018Our feathered predatorsOur local Sharp- Shinned Hawks have been daily visitors at our bird feeder. They are picking off innocent sparrows daily. It's a circus out there. Sparrows smash against our windows trying to escape. That's why Mrs. BD terms it a Sharpie-feeder. That's fine me with me because I am a carnivore too, and I like meat rare. And each morning around 3 AM I hear our neighborhood hoot-owl - a Great Horned - establishing a nesting territory. They have already mated, will lay their eggs in January in the snow and frigid weather in an old crow's nest. That's how they roll, and it works. The Żabiński’s were recognised by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations.The film The Zookeeper’s Wife tells the real-life story of Antonina and Jan Żabiński, a Polish couple who were the directors of the Warsaw Zoo, one of the largest in 1930s Europe. The Żabińskis risked their lives during World War II to save over 300 Jews and underground resistance fighters by providing them with shelter in the zoo’s bombed-out animal enclosures, and in the basement of their villa home. The Zookeeper's Wife: Interview with Teresa Żabiński below. Proof to me that ordinary people can make life better for others if they decide to. Not through politics - that never works because the game of politics is just about power. Mercy and care is through personal action and it doesn't need to be heroic.
2018Sunday, December 31. 2017Old Movie Stars Dance to Uptown FunkDancing, like so many things, is about making terribly difficult things look easy
100 things that became racist in 2017Venison shoulderShoulder is a good hunk of meat. I think of it as stew meat. Here's a recipe: SLOW COOKED DEER SHOULDER
From today's Lectionary: Praise the LordPsalm 148
148:1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights! 148:2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host! 148:3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars! 148:4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! 148:5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created. 148:6 He established them forever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed. 148:7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, 148:8 fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command! 148:9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! 148:10 Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds! 148:11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! 148:12 Young men and women alike, old and young together! 148:13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven. 148:14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the LORD!
Saturday, December 30. 2017Your mighty, mighty Deadlift for mens and wimmensDeads are about picking up heavy stuff, and putting it back on the floor. A basic functional effort and good training for how to pick things up without back strain. They are demanding of every lever in your body. For men and women especially after age 40: Why deads belong in any fitness program: Deadlifts are important, and you should be doing them. Here’s why. Good technique is essential. Do them wrong (eg lifting with your back istead of your legs) and you can hurt yourself. Do them right - it's not complicated - and your whole body gets stronger including your back. Deadlifts prevent aging! Mrs. BD does them weekly, and swears Besides general fitness, just doing 5 sets (including a warm-up set) of heavy deads once-weekly has been great for my posture. Generally finishing with my 6-8-rep max. I only aim for a max one-rep effort every couple of months, just for fun (?). Since I am not a big strong guy, I can probably only get to around 300 with a trap bar at this point, and that is good enough for government work. With a plain bar, my grip tends to fail first. (I do need to work on my grip strength.) Mens sana in corpore sano. (The former is a tougher challenge than the latter.) (An important deadlift tip - and for barbell squats too - that is rarely mentioned: Make sure your bowels are well-emptied first. The intra-abdominal pressure gets high with heavy weights, and you do not want an accident. Farts are expected, but...) On photography
As somebody who just likes to take snapshots, I feel no desire for something like that but it seems that many people do. A classic: Sontag's On Photography.: “Not many photographs are worth a thousand of [Susan Sontag's] words.” ―Robert Hughes, Time
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Saturday linksCan We All Agree That New Year’s Eve Is The Worst? Yes Sue Grafton, Writer of Popular 'Alphabet' Mysteries, Dies Public Ignorance and GMO Foods - Fear of GMO foods is an example of the broader problem of political and scientific ignorance. I will only consume GMO foods in 2018 Poor people get fat because of the food choices they prefer Who knew? Only in America are the poor fat and the prosperous fit TRIALS - A Desperate Fight to Save Kids & Change Science "Boys don't wear princess dresses." Try saying that in public. Is "men of good will" a scriptural phrase? Uncle Sam as Santa Claus: Wasteful spending under the tree Anti-Israel bias reigns at Columbia Is it safe to hire a woman? Rich or poor? Most American incomes vary from year to year “A powerful person has been accused of misconduct every 20 hrs" How the ‘feminist’ left let women down in 2017 Why Are Accused Sexual Harassers Overwhelmingly on the Left? Bad, terrible, no good news for Democrat identity politics destiny The press vs. Trump, and news too good to fact-check The Top Ten Underreported Stories of 2017 If it makes the admin look good, it doesn't get reported How Trump hatred has become the ravings of a crazy uncle BREAKING: Senator Lindsey Graham Just Confirmed The Steele Dossier Was Used For 2016 FISA Warrant… Wow. Drain the swamp! Jan. 2017 was notable because it marked the beginning of the worst year of political journalism in modern history. CNN appears to have closed its file on the case of the big white truck, but not before demonstrating its nose for news, its news judgment, and its investigative ineptitude. Price protests turn political in Iran as rallies spread Friday, December 29. 2017Why Steady-State Cardio Is the New Feel-Good Workout
At the same time, moving at all is probably a better idea than not moving. It burns no fat (not that you need that) and builds no strength, but certainly helps maintain some minimal degree of endurance and mobility. I tried to introduce one hour of this sort of thing into my weekly regimen a few months ago as a "recovery day" (with a mix of treadmill, stairmaster, and elliptical) but I just can't stay with it. My body seems to insist on bursting into one-minute sprints in the course of it every several minutes, thus converting it to HIIT. Maybe it's because I am in half-decent shape, but my body just wants to pound it every few minutes instead of slogging along. I guess that's a good effect of my fitness training - energy.
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