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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Monday, December 4. 2017A Christmas book: Mark Helprin's new oneMark Helprin is our favorite living novelist. Jay Nordlinger loves him too. The book is Paris in the Present Tense.
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Monday morning linksOn Advent: "We Are All Lying in the Mud, But Some of Us Are Looking at the Stars" A book: The Pioneers of Promotion How The Loss Of U.S. Psychiatric Hospitals Led To A Mental Health Crisis 1 in 5 Americans Can’t Name an Author, New Survey Finds Ain't government education great? Bioethicist: Sex with the Dead OK Maybe only with consent? Chocolate Milk Is Back How volcanoes in the Antarctic could possibly be linked to any human activity is hard to imagine Climate: Earthquake Hits Delaware: You Know What This Means, Right? Sexual Harassment: Eh, No Thanks, We Have Other Things To Do, Like Work. Here are 7 differences Republicans must resolve between their tax bills Politico: Hey, Wouldn’t Chelsea Clinton Make A Great U. S. Senator? I’m A Liberal, And I Agree With Sean Hannity That American Journalism Is Dead Republicans Prepare For War With FBI, DOJ: To File Contempt Action Over Anti-Trump Bias Trump's Right — the FBI Is in Tatters
" So Jeff Sessions is just now aware that the Robert Mueller Special Counsel is filled with liberal hacks? Where the hell has be been? We have been reporting on Mueller’s liberal dream team for months." Trump’s campaign: Big Macs, screaming fits and constant rivalries Sounds about right US WITHDRAWS FROM OBAMA NEGOTIATED UN AGREEMENT ON MASS MIGRATION also, US Tells The UN It Will Forge Its Own Path On Immigration Storm KingView of Storm King Mountain (which we climbed a few weeks ago - an easy ascent) from the first peak of Breakneck Ridge. These Hudson Highland mountains have wonderful names. George Washington went up into the Highlands and selected West Point as the site for a military academy (and for the location for a cross-river chain to protect the Hudson from the Brits).
Sunday, December 3. 2017Sunday free ad for Bob: My troubled mindWalkin' down the line. This 1962 ditty has been covered by many, including by Arlo Guthrie at Woodstock. I don't know why anybody covers it. It's a simple piece. Here's Bob with the Dead. Pickin' Jerry adds a lot of bounce to it, but I think Bob is drunk and gets the lyrics all screwed up. He's not perfect. Correct Lyrics here. Jerry had such a laid-back taste with guitar, and his "singing" too. I love Jerry's relaxed picking.
Advent. From today's Lectionary: We are the clay...Isaiah 64:1-9
64:1 O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence-- 64:2 as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil-- to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! 64:3 When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. 64:4 From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. 64:5 You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed. 64:6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 64:7 There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. 64:8 Yet, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. 64:9 Do not be exceedingly angry, O LORD, and do not remember iniquity forever. Now consider, we are all your people. Breakneck Trail: Not Wheelchair-AccessibleThe trail was a total blast - if you want to call it a trail because it's mostly bouldering and scrambling with some physical challenge and a tiny bit of risk too. A giant playground for outdoorsy people and Girl and Boy Scout Troops. Not much "hiking" on this thing - you have to pick your route up carefully or you might have to backtrack. Much more difficult than Tuckerman's. There is no going down the way you go up. I'll write up a report later. My photo is heading up to the second peak yesterday (the ridge has 4 peaks on it, but getting to the first one is the most gnarly and steep). Exhilarating and good training for White Mountain hikes:
Saturday, December 2. 2017Cool Christmas present idea: Girasole walking toursBeginner's calisthenics
I would recommend it as an excellent first-thing-in-the-morning daily light warm-up/workout for beginners. Since no HIIT or weights (only hand-weights) are involved, no recovery is needed so you can do either weights or HIIT cardio on the same day with no problem. Remember that calisthenics like these are for athleticism, light cardio, and general fitness maintenance. There is no strength gain or cardio gain involved, but that is not what it is for. I did feel great after doing it. If you are new to the fitness cult, I'd recommend this as a daily morning routine before advancing your program too much further. Yes, I would advise first thing in the morning, right after slugging down a quick cup of coffee and before opening your computer. Unlike an hour of heavy calisthenics, this will leave you pumped up for the day instead of ready for a nap. Saturday morning linksIndia’s Punishment for Plant-Eating Donkeys: Jail Time ‘Supermoon’ this weekend will be biggest full moon of the year Vineyard Killing Winters Blamed on Global Warming Robots Could Soon Replace 1/3 Of The American Workforce… “This whole safe city idea is a massive surveillance project,” Brown University to allow students to ‘self-identify’ as persons of color Elite colleges are making it easy for conservatives to dislike them Anglican Cleric: Let Us Pray — That Prince George Turns Out To Be Gay Study blames law enforcement for the injuries and death at the Charlottesville protests. Student: How Identity Politics Ruined My High School Court Says Two Women Cannot Conceive a Child, Same-Sex Divorcee Shouts 'Discrimination!' Better Measurement of State by State Prosperity What If You Can’t “Normalize” Trump Because He’s Already Normal? European bureaucrats attack multicultural sandwich Saturday morning verse: Ralph Waldo EmersonMy Garden (1866) If I could put my woods in song, In my plot no tulips blow, My garden is a forest-ledge, Here once the Deluge ploughed, The sowers made haste to depart, Waters that wash my garden-side Hither hasted, in old time, Jove, Keen ears can catch a syllable, Æolian harps in the pine Canst thou copy in verse one chime Wonderful verse of the gods, Ever the words of the gods resound, Wandering voices in the air, When the shadow fell on the lake, But the meanings cleave to the lake, These the fates of men forecast, Friday, December 1. 2017TomorrowTomorrow, Bulldog and I, with Mrs. BD and Mrs. Bulldog, will be doing something like the bears. Well, not exactly, but enough rock scrambling for us. If we survive, we'll bring back iPhone pics. Breakneck Ridge in the Hudson Highlands, rated by many sites as the best day hike in the US. I'm sure there is plenty of competition for that title, though. Breakneck is all up and down, but mostly up. Best thing about this hike is pizza and beer afterwards in the delightful, cozy, artsy riverfront village of Cold Spring, NY. Angelina's is my choice. Join us if you are in the neighborhood. We are easy to recognize, with our
Friday morning linksAlthough Jim Nabors had never served, he was promoted twice as Pyle by the Marine Corp How the American sandwich took over the UK Holocaust survivor: I'm giving $1 million to help wounded American veterans, to express my thanks Honors and Errors: The Burns-Novick Vietnam War Documentary What Really Happened At The School Where Every Graduate Got Into College Elitists, crybabies and junk degrees - A Trump supporter explains rising conservative anger at American universities. New Liberal Idea: Federal Government Would Create A Social Wealth Fund White House releases 'explosive' tally of green cards issued in 'chain migration' Speaker Ryan says Dems blew DACA negotiations by skipping Trump meeting Cop Accuser Implodes in Breitbart Interview, Admits to Making Unsupported Claims About Roy Moore Eliz. Drew: Politics will always be a place for sex Media Frustrated With Melania Trump’s Behavior Trump’s presidency is far better than his Twitter feed The administration is doing great things. China to roll back regulations for traditional medicine despite safety concerns - Scientists fear plans to abandon clinical trials of centuries-old remedies will put people at risk. REMEMBERING THE ETHNIC CLEANSING OF THE MIDDLE EAST'S JEWS The Islamic State's Virtual Caliphate - Jihad in the West Hezbollah emerges a winner from Mideast turmoil, alarming foes Thursday, November 30. 2017Thursday morning linksPhotos: Above, Romanian bread lines under socialism, below, Romanians line up for new iPhone, Via Carpe NYT: Weight-training essential to prevent muscle loss over age 40-50 And bone loss. Duh Everyone has heard of Vesuvius but the caldera of Campi Flegrei is a far more dangerous volcano. Helen Gordon travels to Naples to understand the enormous threat it poses London’s Mayor Cracks Down on Fish and Chips This sort of thing is so stupid 12 Secrets of FedEx Delivery Drivers Washington DC School Graduates Unqualified Kids; All Are Accepted to College Ending Ivy-League anti-asian bigotry Fordham University Theology Professor Writes Book Blaming Christianity For “Racism In America”… How to Deal with Campus Protests Anti-Trump Media: White House Christmas Decor 'Spooky,' Like a Scene from 'The Shining' Trump Unveils New White House Christmas Card: ‘Happy Holidays’ Is Gone, Merry Christmas Is Back It is Christmastime - well, almost Advent Watchdogs Turn Up More Evidence Obama’s EPA Broke Federal Law " It is clear to me that progressives want to dispatch constitutional limited governance and replace it with a democratically unaccountable technocracy..." Well, they are our moral and intellectual superiors Obamacare’s Individual Mandate Is Repealing Itself - Premiums are so high that many are exempt. Linda Sarsour says 'fascist' White House poses biggest threat to Jews Trump veers past guardrails, feeling impervious to the uproar he causes Not only does he tweet dumb things, but he steps on his own messaging. He's hopeless German Jews Stop Wearing Kippot Amid Muslim Attacks Germany: Surge in Migrant Attacks on Police - "Migrants Have No Respect for Us" Wednesday, November 29. 2017Wednesday morning linksA Madness at the Heart of Modern Consumerism Is AI a Threat to Christianity? Are you there, God? It’s I, robot. There’s a Simple Reason Today’s Students ‘Know Nothing’ Killing Net Neutrality Will Be A Death Blow For Innovation Or Something US consumer confidence rises, hits highest level since 2000 Harassment allegations knock Dems off message Re Mark Levin: America's Greatest Conservative Thinker Goes Mainstream Media twist tax plan studies to claim it hammers middle class
Israel: Why the 1947 UN Partition Resolution Must Be Celebrated Ever wonder how they did it? How BDS activists managed to persuade academic associations with zero connection to the Middle East to pass boycott resolutions against Israel? Video Of Migrants Sold In Apparent Slave Auction In Libya Provokes Outrage Worldwide High-Level Contacts Between North Korea and Iran Hint at Deeper Military Cooperation Tuesday, November 28. 2017Christmas present idea, for serious hikersNot for walkers, but for those who really want to Move It With Vigor over hill and dale and and clamber over steep rocks: The Best Five Hiking Pants I have the Pranas and the Montanes. The thing is that, for cold weather, they are easy to layer underneath. Re the Montanes, Amazon doesn't have them but Montane USA does. Their sizing is not US sizing, so check the sizing for those great water-resistant hiking/climbing pants.
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Tuesday morning linksSomething Wonderful: The Escherian Stairwell This light-weight jacket has built-in heating panels The great US cities: Playgrounds for Elites - The increasingly left-wing politics of leading U.S. cities clashes with the aspirations of middle-class residents. HISTORY: A TROUBLED ACADEMIC FIELD LIKELY TO GET WORSE Seems to me that lots of people today just learn history from reading books Students are taught that power is the only thing. Haidt via Mark Perry:
Perhaps it is projection. It seems to me that most Americans, at least, seek power only over their own lives to seek their own form of satisfaction as best they are able to. Meanwhile, the power-seekers seek control over poor little us who only want to be left alone and to be given nothing. Why to lower corporate taxes for the common good Richard Cordray Delivers the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Punchline That agency was built for politics, not for the people Africans are being sold at Libyan slave markets. Thanks, Hillary Clinton. The only thing that ever worked out well for this genius woman was racking up $200 million without a real job. That takes brains. We Now Have Evidence Comey FBI Did Not Follow Normal Standards in Investigating Hillary Duh James O'Keefe goes to the dark side In Brutal Takedown, Paper Explains How Nancy Pelosi Has ‘Enabled Sexual Predators For Decades’ ISRAEL’S SECRET WAR AGAINST TERRORISM’S FINANCIERS - A new book explores Israel’s daring covert operations against terrorism’s enablers. Monday, November 27. 2017Monday morning linksPhoto of a SF bus from my California buddy The Strange and Gruesome Story of the Greenland Shark, the Longest-Living Vertebrate on Earth There Is Nothing Unnatural About GMOs Dogs face obesity epidemic 'because humans are killing them with kindness' As with some humans, hunger does not necessarily correlate with need for nutrition Why This Cardiologist Is Betting That His Lab-Grown Meat Startup Can Solve the Global Food Crisis - The future of your entrée is quietly growing in Memphis Meats' lab. Chinese Fake Trees Driving U.S. Christmas Tree Growers Out of Business Sears nostalgia won't turn it back to the Amazon of old It's 2017, here's why your cell service still stinks Freedom is messy New Zealand Man Expected To Excel In International Women’s Weightlifting There Is Just One Thing Preventing Elon Musk's Vision From Coming True: The Laws Of Physics SUNY Albany event calls Thanksgiving 'a day of mourning' Is Capitalism Killing The Planet? No. People are Why are the do-gooders full of hate? The #MeToo Moment Is At Risk Of Turning Into A “Sex Panic” The Left is hijacking “sexual harassment” to make war on men, women, flirting, and relationships WILL WE EVER BE RID OF HILLARY? CNN Fails To Report These 24 Democrat Sex Scandals
In June 2010 Bill Clinton Met with Putin – In July 2010 Ten Russian Agents Were Released by Obama Without Charges and Given a Russian Heroes Welcome BILL CLINTON Is Involved in TWO Major Uranium Scandals Involving the Clinton Foundation – Not Just One CFPB: Trump targets a monster Reverend Pavlovitz Petulantly Demands Apology From Trump Voters Unhinged Coverage Of Trump Is Hurting The Media Congress has handed Trump a historic presidential victory Washington Post Blamestorms Trump For Rising Hate Crimes In 2015 And 2016 Trudeau Welcomes ISIS Terrorists Back to Canada AFGHAN AND IRAQI MIGRANTS TERRORIZE FRANCE North Korea: The Call of Freedom: Giving thanks for the world's most powerful idea Tehran Is Winning the War for Control of the Middle East And there’s no indication that, despite Mohammed bin Salman’s bold moves, Saudi Arabia stands a chance of turning the tide. Sunday, November 26. 2017Has your get up and go got up and went?It is a memorable tune. I think this cute tune was written by the deplorable Pete Seeger, here done by Dulcimer Dave. Be brave. Even sturdy people have to summon up some courage sometimes to do what has to be done. Be bold and try a cardio/calisthenics class at your local Let's face it. Some people are high energy, some low. Low-energy, though, is remediable even if over age 50. It takes courage to go the first time. After that, you get to know all the nice people, get the idea of the routines, and it becomes a kind of terrible painful fun. There is no expectation that you can do everything that is demanded by the Boss. He says "Give me 30 slap push-ups." So you do fifteen with your dance partner. I have a great partner for the pairing exercises with a maybe-60 year-old gal with the most brilliant smile in the world. Beware, Mrs. BD. Well, you just do your best, sweat up a storm, learn some humility, and limp out of the place after 50 or 60 mins, all pumped up and ready for a quick nap before you begin your day. Most people are still lolling in bed so you get to feel morally and spiritually superior. As I have said, we have athletes in their 20s, and a bunch of men and women in their late 60s, and everything in between. Some are heavy, some are perfect. It's friendly with an upbeat feeling, but there is little time to talk because you can never catch your breath. Still I do my best with wise-ass commentary as you might expect from me. OK, so we were outside for 20 minutes at 29 degrees (F) for the warm-up in the parking lot. Shorts and t-shirts. We warmed up quick with sprints, jogs, jump rope, before we went indoors. Wonderful to work up a warm-up sweat in below-freezing weather. To make it more fun, we tossed little beach footballs around during it all. Anything beats sitting. Get-up-and-go has to be practiced and nurtured, like everything else. Just three of those cardio/calis sessions a week would do anybody a lot of good for energy, balance and agility, and general joie de vivre, even though it's not what our serious fitness recommendations are. It's not about strength as much as about preventing deterioration, decay, and laziness. Good for your sex life too. Let's not forget that detail.
QQQ"Always have a cobbler's job, because no one can be a genius all the time." Albert Einstein, via a post about Einstein's feet and related topics Le Petit ChefThe world's smallest chef turns your plate into a projected grill.
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From today's LectionaryEphesians 1:15-23 1:15 I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason 1:16 I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 1:17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 1:18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 1:19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 1:20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 1:21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. 1:22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 1:23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. Saturday, November 25. 2017Breaking tradition with a new stuffing, etc.We always do two turkeys, one on the grill over a wood and charcoal fire, and one stuffed and in the oven. We make sure there is an overabundance of TG food so those who want to have a next-day mini Thanksgiving at home can have one. Since stuffing is what a TG meal is really all about, I made three varieties this year. I cheated and did it the easy way with those Pepperidge Farm unseasoned croutons. Immoral I know but, dammit, it's supposed to be fun, not work. So I made three pans of stuffings - one giblet with the livers, one sausage, and one fruit. The fruity one was most popular, I think. I used half of it to stuff the oven bird. I soaked a bag of quartered dried apricots and a box of currants in white wine for a few hours (had no Bourbon which is recommended, and some raisins would have been good too), chopped up about 2 cups of walnuts. Sauteed a big onion and some celery (some apple chunks would have been good also). Had a lot of chopped fresh parsley, and threw it all into the aluminum pan with the croutons with 2 cups of fresh cranberries. Then lots of ground pepper, and a tsp each of ground clove, cinnamon, and ginger. Added three eggs. Toss and mix with hands, then add enough warm turkey or chicken broth (with half or a whole stick of melted butter) to make it a little soggy, and toss again. You might like it. I think I'll do this again for Christmas instead of our usual standing pork rib roast. Photo is my grilled turkey. Most of the black is the bacon I covered it with. I filled the cavity with all the beer, chicken broth, and honey it could hold, and put the rest in the pan. Had to add more beer as it cooked. Lots of liquid keeps it from drying out. Does bacon go with turkey? Duh. The sauce in that pan was dynamite. I don't know why I bother with a dull oven-baked turkey. Saturday morning linksHow Does Costco Sell 18-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch for $38? For some reason, my Costco doesn't sell booze. I'd be glad to taste this, though. Costco has good stuff. The future of Proctor & Gamble The Luxury Hotel from Leftist Hell It's a Safe Place hotel Gov. Jerry Brown: California should be able to reduce public employees’ pension benefits Wow. Even Gov Moonbeam recognizes the scam ...now that he is retiring soon The Nation Hates Thanksgiving More Than Ever This Year Oh, for crying out loud Harvard Women’s Center to roll out ‘Gender 101’ training courses This year's classic Black Friday photo It's always the big screen TVs. Why? Humanity will be extinct by 2026. If you're a greenie, isn't that a good thing? I mean, good for Gaia? One-Third of Young Americans Say Complimenting a Woman's Looks is Sexual Harassment Vox: Democrats Were Wrong About Bill Clinton And Shouldn’t Make The Same Mistake With Al Franken After Weinstein, a Cultural Revolution The "sexual revolution" of the 60s and 70s was supposed to bring the sexual libertinism of the rich and powerful down to the masses. The Sultans Of America And Their Harems Why Are So Many Female Teachers Sleeping With Students? A glance at the data suggests sex crimes involving female teachers are on the rise (big time). Glenn Thrush Is Not Harvey Weinstein Are romantic advances a form of harassment? Al Gore’s dark past is an inconvenient truth Matthew Dowd: Sexual Misconduct Not So Bad When Indulged In by Those Who Work for the “Common Good” DEMOCRAT NEWS NETWORK: CNN Fails To Report These 24 Democrat Sex Scandals. All of the Democrat sex scandals that CNN has failed to report on have made news in 2017, with 19 of the 24 making news within the last month. Scott Adams: President Trump’s 2017 Report Card (first draft) Hey Dems, Hillary’s waiting for you to ask her advice about 2020 In Germany, Reality Is Triumphing Over Political Posturing On Climate A free ad for Wilbur YachtsWilbur Yachts in Southwest Harbor, Maine, makes nice boats. No Black Friday deals but the family might love one for Christmas. Here's their Wilbur 31':
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Friday, November 24. 2017Friday morning linksHow plants secretly talk to eachother The Asteroid That Killed Dinosaurs Triggered a Worse Global Disaster Than Ever Imagined More Than Half Of Fat Men Don’t Think They Are Overweight Turkey pardoned by Trump had multiple contacts with Russian officials Newsweek Advises How to Have a “Woke” Thanksgiving Asian quotas: Harvard Being Investigated By DOJ Over Admissions Policies Goad: Let the Colleges Die Teen Vogue columnist ‘not at all concerned’ about innocent men and false harassment allegations LaVar Ball Is Showing Off Brilliant Communications Skills in His Feud With Donald Trump. WaPo Reporter Working Directly With Democrats Rather Than Covertly Apple’s vice president of inclusion and diversity, Denise Young Smith, who once whitesplained how hiring 12 white, blond, blue-eyed men could actually be seen as promoting diversity, has been replaced. By a blond, blue-eyed white woman. Judge Roy Moore Weighs Legal Action Against Accusers As Allegations Fall Apart Unsealed Fusion GPS Bank Records Reveal $523K Payment From Russian Money Launderer Starving Public Services to Pay More to Government Workers Mrs. Clinton Convicts Herself In Stunning Display of Rage At What Happened in 2016 Trump has let down more than 50,000 Haitians in America What???
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