Maggie's FarmWe are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for. |
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Sunday, June 25. 2017From today's Lectionary: "Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it."Matthew 10:24-39
Saturday, June 24. 2017Float Plane Takeoff from Concrete RunwayGarden Cancers
Such things should only be planted where they can be mowed around because they spread underground, or just spread, to the point of overwhelming everything in their vicinity: Wisteria I had a few more on my list, but I can't remember right now. Saturday morning linksCheck out the new format of American Digest - With cool video of LA night landing - and The Mental Illness of Social Justice Warriors Why We Love The Color Green: It's The Color Of New Life KIDS TODAY: THEY DON'T WORK SUMMER JOBS THE WAY THEY USED TO (h.t Insty) Want to Feel Like a Man? Then Start Acting Like One Not easy I love my factory job, but I don't want my kid to do it Good, Thick, Strong Arctic Ice Is Totally In-line With ‘Climate Change’ Or Something IEA Official Says Green Goals Doomed Without Nuclear Why people prefer unequal societies It's called freedom Canadian elite special forces sniper makes record-breaking kill shot in Iraq An un-equal sniper Robert Franks makes the case that you're rich because of luck, so they should tax the heck out of you for equality I thought "equality" was about clearing the way for people to move up economically. As if money were everybody's life goal... “Man who jumped from ambulance says it’s New York City’s fault” He'll get a settlement The Rise and Fall of Uber's Travis Kalanick We love Uber. Uber is evil Drivers do it voluntarily, we use them voluntarily. What's bad about that? CALIFORNIA PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC BANS TRAVEL TO 8 STATES THAT HAVE FREEDOM What happened to the traditional role of skepticism in climate science? McDonald’s Hits All-Time High As Wall Street Cheers Replacement Of Cashiers With Kiosks Church of Sweden's First Lesbian Bishop Wants to Remove Crosses, Add Muslim Prayer Spaces To Church Sounds like the UCC So, You Want a Swiss Health-Care System? OBAMACARE: WHAT WOULD REAGAN DO? Republican Health Care Plans Don’t ‘Steal’ From the Poor Meet the Jones Act: A 97-year-old regulatory relic that’s costing you money Government rules have no expiration dates Shouts and Protests on Campus Are Signs of a More Pernicious Problem Supreme Court Deals Blow to Property Rights - Chief Justice Roberts: “Today’s decision knocks the definition of ‘private property’ loose from its foundation.” President Trump is now in a death struggle with Robert Mueller and James Comey. Steyn: Fifteen Lawyers in Search of a Crime Mueller legal team approaching size of entire US Attorney’s Office for Rhode Island Diversity is strength: Paris police attempt to patrol Muslim neighborhood The FBI’s Briefing On The GOP Baseball Shooting Couldn’t Have Been More Bizarre - The FBI tried to claim that the shooting at the baseball field was spontaneous and had no target, despite all evidence to the contrary. RNC chief: Time for Democrats to admit ObamaCare fails Americans Senate to Probe Loretta Lynch Efforts to Shape FBI Investigation of Hillary Clinton Trump Aides Respond to His Latest Conspiracy Tweets: ‘FML.’ As in, ‘f*ck my life.’ Friday, June 23. 2017Peterson UniversityFriday morning linksGood conservation news: Trump administration removes protections for Yellowstone grizzly bears The Sikhs who saved Parmesan Taiko drummers in NYC this week (video) Kodo, the preeminent taiko drumming ensemble from Japan, is currently playing at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Why Wonder Woman Gal Gadot Actually Gained Weight for Her Role Amazon's lessons for Whole Foods' John Mackey:
Four Reasons Why College Degrees Are Becoming Useless - College dropouts are doing just fine, bucking the stereotype. Feminists scared to critique Muslim misogyny Hasbro CEO: ‘We Eliminated Gender’ for Our Toys iPhone Manufacturer Foxconn Plans to Invest $10 Billion on U.S. Plant Ann Arbor Teacher Making $77k Complains His Salary Is 'Embarrassing' Why The Liberal Elite Will Never Check Its Privilege Students launch libertarian club at small Oregon college and get harassed, investigated, condemned FREE SPEECH? NOT IN MINNEAPOLIS! Los Angeles Times Provides Comical Yet Disturbing Pretexts for Censoring Speech Baltimore Businesses Sue The City Over Damage Done In Freddie Gray Riots Just like in the 1850s and 1860s, the Democratic Party Embraces Political Violence in Response to the Election of a Republican President FBI: DC shooting was not about politics Senate Republicans Offer a Bill to Preserve & Expand ObamaCare Senate Healthcare Bill Seems Less Repeal And More Tinker Most Americans (On All Sides) Now Agree Bias Infects The Media Congressional Black Caucus expected to decline Trump meeting Planned Parenthood spent $734,000 in failed Georgia race Good riddance to the Russia myth — and blame Team Obama for promoting it Mika: “Hard not to think” Trump might be in on a Russia “scheme” Thursday, June 22. 2017Jug Band MusicThursday morning linksImage is a c. 1850 ad, via Betsy . The guy didn't need to mention that he was a pretty good writer too. I Was Bullied As A Kid. It Almost Ruined My Adult Life. Nobody told him to man-up When A Pet Owner Is Rich, It's No Dog's Life Government Can't Mandate Family Life Government one-size-fits-all never works Married Teacher Traumatized Male Teen With Sex Romps How will that lucky SOB ever recover? Why ‘Better Call Saul’ Is the Best – and Most Morally Sound—Show on Television A Harvard study examining income, work, and marital stability suggests that male 'bread-winning' remains a central component of marital contracts Trinity College: Professor Calls Whites 'Inhuman A**holes,' Tells Blacks to 'Let Them F*cking Die' Must be fun to have him as a teacher. I'd bet he doesn't teach Chemistry. It's Now A "Human Right" To Not Be Offended Still ok to mock Newfies tho. But let's all try to offend those Canadian government morons. Basically, utopians hate people The Important Work Of International Agencies: Keeping The Poor Poor Great News. The United Nations Will Try To Outlaw Cultural Appropriation Saying ‘Gender Plays No Part in Whom We Hire’ Is a ‘Microaggression Students Hold Free Speech Events, Get Denounced as 'White Supremacists' "Indigenous Dentistry" in Canadian universities University Pres: All students do is just read stuff The new Dark Age of European medical care Politics and medical care do not mix Related: The age cut-off of the Dutch guideline for prostate cancer is 65. Yes, you heard right – 65! Overpopulation Scaremongering Never Gets Old - Neo-Malthusianism in the Sunday New York Times I have no doubt that the earth would be better with fewer humans. I just don't feel like being removed at the present time. Let's Stop Treating the Young As If They're Political Sages Who does? Funniest Fallout From Georgia Special Election: Democrats Live With Their Parents How minimum wage hurts the poor (and the youth) Ossoff's campaign spent $22.5 million, compared to Handel's $3.2 million, according to reports CNN Cuts Away from Karen Handel’s Victory Speech Conway Thanks Those Who ‘Snarkily’ Called Georgia Race a ‘Referendum’ on Trump Gowdy: Maybe DNC Did Not Cooperate With DHS Because There Was Something Else On That Server Dems refused help with their hacking issue while it was happening Mueller’s Empire: Legions of Lawyers, Bottomless Budget, Limitless Jurisdiction Beria: Show me the man and I'll find you the crime Study Supports President Trump: 5.7 Million Noncitizens May Have Cast Illegal Votes NYT’s Patrick S. Tomlinson, ‘There Is Not A Single Good Person Who Voted For Trump’ We all know people who feel that way Real Scandals The Trump-Obsessed Media Are Ignoring Trashing Trump and the 'I'm a Genius' Press 0-4 and an About-Face: Democrats Suddenly Believe Ossoff No Longer Matters Father Henri Boulad Calls a Spade a Spade on Islam TERROR IN MICHIGAN: Muslims SHOUTED ALLAHU AKBAR while stabbing cop in the neck at Flint airport Motive remains a mystery In Europe, the press edits out the Allah Akbar parts More countryside hikingParklike landscapes, even if unnatural in most areas, produce a pleasant feeling for most people. We can only speculate about why. Last week's hike went through open farmlands, hayfields, deep woods, and streamside wetlands. I do like the variety. Each microhabitat has its own specialized critters while the generalists range widely.
Wednesday, June 21. 2017Fighting the epidemic of Apoptosis: Why Gyms Don't Teach the Only Exercises You NeedMiddle-aged and older people suffer from the heartbreak of Apoptosis. In this case, age-related demise of muscle cells. Only strength-building can help us stay ahead of the curve of physical decay as long as possible. So we're talking only about strength-building exercises here: Squats, Presses (ie bench and overhead), and Deadlifts: Why Gyms Don't Teach the Only Exercises You Need Rippetoe makes the essential point, but most people would add pull-ups/chin-ups, dumbbell rows, and maybe dips to complete the list. That's enough to keep anybody busy for 2-3 hrs/week, since none of these heavy things should pushed to the limit more than once/week by the ordinary person over 40. What about "curls for the girls"? Non-essential. Optional, for vanity (ie to impress the girls). What's on your list of essentials for strength-building and/or strength-maintenance?
Wednesday morning links2 fatal maulings in 2 days by Alaska black bears Black bears can be aggressive, but usually not. Lots of Black Bears in the Northeastern woods nowadays. Patagonia Clothing Does Not Want Conservative Business=> CEO Pledges Resistance to President Trump There goes half their customer base Tesla car battery production releases as much CO2 as 8 years of gasoline driving Stephen Hawking: The solution to climate change is to get the hell off planet Earth The New ‘Consensus’ On Global Warming – a shocking admission by “Team Climate” Sanders to Supporter: Act in ‘Unprecedented’ Ways, Fight Back in Every Way That You Can Antifa Website Encourages ‘All Manner of Physical Violence’ Against Trump Supporters and Capitalists Prof Who Made Belligerent Appearance On Tucker Carlson Tonight Suspended Indefinitely Sen. Feinstein Is Ready To Accept The ‘Heckler’s Veto’ Of Free Speech On College Campuses But would she accept mine? UPenn Students Study 'Denial and Unconscious Bias' in Summer Course For $4000 they will explain to you why you are going to hell The idea that the Court "should have more carefully balanced the interests of free speech with the strong public policy against prejudice and discrimination." WashPost Buries Illegal Status on Salvadoran Killer of Teenage Muslim Girl in Virginia Critics rip University of California for favoring illegal immigrants over out-of-state Americans Washington Post: Hey, Maybe Single Payer Isn’t Such A Great Idea Blue State Blues: Illinois Comptroller: "The State Can No Longer Function, We Have Reached A New Phase Of Crisis" Minimum Wage Madness Begins to Kill Off California’s Restaurant Industry Scott Johnson: Don't subpoena me, Bro David Brooks: Let's not get carried away with scandal mongering Even when I agree with him, his sanctimony puts me off Greg Gutfeld Finds Perfect Medication For Delusional 2-Time Election Loser Hillary Clinton: Lingerex Pundit hates Trump intensely, but has no argument with policies Roger Simon: Hollywood YUUUGE Loser in Georgia Sixth Tuesday, June 20. 2017Birds are dinosaurs
More info on that 99 million year-old baby dino.
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Tuesday morning linksPhoto stolen from Ace WaPo: When it comes to saying grace, Americans are still united Tears — and questions — on the ramming of USS Fitzgerald Men have trouble resisting the temptation of hot females. Women want more attention. Charles Murray: Violent Middlebury Protesters Should Be Suspended or Expelled A no-brainer As Vaping Exploded Among Teenagers, Smoking Fell by Half - Defying its own data, the CDC continues to obscure the enormous harm-reducing potential of e-cigarettes. McArdle: Beware of Blaming Government for London Tower Fire Airbrushing Stalin and Mao’s Horrific Crimes Everyone Can Fight ‘Climate Change’ After Paris Exit Or Something Just recycle. It will change the weather Brits on vacation: Spanish Party Town Publishes 64 Rules to Stop Hedonism of Drunk Tourists In Baltimore, nobody wants to fix the problems Nobody knows how, other than eliminating welfare - which will never happen. Perhaps, in a welfare state, people just have to accept a permanent dysfunctional and dependent underclass. In Major Free Speech Victory, SCOTUS Rules for 'The Slants' and Strikes Down Federal Trademark Restriction - "Speech may not be banned on the ground that it expresses ideas that offend." The Sexual Ambiguity of James Comey Republican health reform: First, do no harm Donald Trump Is Spending His First Weekend at Camp David Not his kind of place, but it's my kind of place. Link has a video tour MSNBC's Joy Reid: Yeah He Just Got Shot, But Lets Not Forget Steve Scalise Is a Racist Of course. All Republicans are racists Uncle Joe Biden Launches PAC to Focus on Fooling Middle Class That Democrats Care …*Wink-Wink* McInnes: They want us dead
CNN Tries To Conduct Online Trump-Hater Poll, But Turns Out To Be Landslide Of Support For President VDH: Trump might be our Claudius VDH again: Trump’s Way Out of the Progressive Labyrinth
Wins for President Trump underreported by American Press The real answer to the democracy-killing ‘administrative state’:
From Goldman:
Cuba Says It Will Not Send Fugitives Back To the U.S. Trump Revives Failed U.S. Theory That Cubans Will Be Best Helped by Harming Americans (and Cubans) Cuba is about Florida politics, nothing more. Same way Iowa is about Ethanol fuel. ELLIOTT ABRAMS: LEAKS AGAINST TRUMP ARE HURTING ISRAEL Monday, June 19. 2017Monday morning links11 Foods That People Think Are Way Healthier Than They Really Are Fruit juices top the list WSJ: The Teenage Spiritual Crisis An Unsettling Climate - Global-warming proponents betray science by shutting down debate. Portland’s “Green Energy” Bailout Continues Too much ice: No matter what happens, it is “climate change driven.” What do economists know about school vouchers? St. Louis Cardinals Resist LGBTQ Outcry Over ‘Christian Day’ The Michelle Carter Verdict Was A Total Miscarriage Of Justice Law-Abiding Armed Citizens Capture Skinhead Fugitives Accused of Murder As They Attempt to Steal a Truck; Hold Them Until Authorities Arrive The Cult of the Non-Politician Why electing inexperienced politicians like Trump is backfiring To increase the number of Democratic voters in his state, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe gave the right to vote to 206,000 convicted felons. Could Illinois be the first state to file for bankruptcy? For New York City’s Municipal Workers, a Supplementary Welfare State Steve Scalise Can’t Defend Himself But MSNBC Is Back To Attacking Him Anyway Gingrich on Russia Probe: ‘Somebody, Somewhere is Going to be Convicted of Something’ Liberals have no problem defending al-Qaeda -- but draw the line at Ivanka Trump. Carr: Trump-bashing turning virulent TWO CHEERS FOR TRUMP’S NEW CUBA POLICY Germany: Police Powerless Against Middle Eastern Crime Gangs On Trump Letting Mattis Set Troop Levels, Washington Post Savages Barack Obama Woodsy HikeLots of Red Oak and majestic Tulip Trees
Sunday, June 18. 2017For Dad's Day: Bring it with you when you comeI first heard this old jug band tune from Jim Kweskin, but can't find his version -
The superb David Bromberg This is a cool version - Michael l Roach
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Bird of the Week: The Bluebird of Happiness
The Eastern Bluebird is always a sight for sore eyes, and apparently their numbers are recovering from a decline. Their recovery is in part because of human assistance with Bluebird houses. In New England, you can put up Bluebird houses in early summer because they often have two broods per season. You won't see Bluebirds in suburbia because they are partial to good-sized fields, large lawns (ie over 4 acres), orchards, and forest edges. They like open country. At the farm, we have about 15 Bluebird houses up on snake-proof poles. Half the houses are usually taken over by Tree Swallows, some are filled with sticks by House Wrens, and our cheerful Bluebirds use the rest of them. In meadows, the nest poles are good markers for large rocks - for mowing. In New England, Bluebirds are semi-migratory, and can sometimes be seen in winter flocks foraging widely for fruits and berries. The CLO entry of the Eastern Bluebird here. From today's LectionaryPsalm 100
Saturday, June 17. 2017PeoniesOur friend Francis posted a photo of his wife's charming country garden (they also have a charming city garden). Along that garden path she has a wall of peonies and a row of nepeta. I wonder what they have for summer bloom. I guess his photo gives me a little peony envy. We could use some peonies, but I don't know where I would put them. Here is Planting Peonies
For Dads (and Moms too) Do it outdoors
Warm-ups were stretches and jogs around the parking lot. For the real thing, sprints around the parking lot, lunge and presses around the lot, kettlebell swings, pushups on the grass, jumping jacks, hopscotch (really - it's an adult agility drill), Farmers Walks, jumping squats (ass literally to the grass), planks on the grass, burpees of course - calisthenics are much more fun outdoors. Just ask anybody who went through boot camp... No rest breaks so you keep the heart rate continuously as high as possible. Darn thing pounds through your shirt in a scary but reassuring way. Mrs. BD seems to appreciate the effects of the addition of tough calis on my attitude, energy, and physique. She wants a vigorous strong man with high energy regardless of age. She claims only old men sit around and read during daylight. Weights are essential for strength, but an hour of uninterrupted calis are great for body and soul. Good for strength maintenance and vitality, not to mention the cardio aspect. One hour is good enough. I am a believer in the three-legged stool of fitness but if I had to choose one, I'd choose hard calis 4 or 5 days/week. If you have a sport you love, have a Coke and do it after a workout. You will have power, but a serene, controlled power.
Saturday morning linksRecommended by a friend: The Durrells in Corfu Education Failure Is the New Success Professor reported for question critical of biological men competing against women in sports Schools: “More Youthful, More Urban, and More Inclusive of Women” - with Evelyn Waugh “Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.” Parenting advice from Homer Simpson - more Simpson quotes here Teenager Who Urged Friend to Kill Himself Is Guilty of Manslaughter Amazon To Acquire Whole Foods Report: $12.7 Trillion Needed To Meet Paris Climate Accord’s Goal… Why Are So Many Young Voters Falling for Old Socialists? Envy and greed? How Marx Got on the Wrong Side of History DHS rescinds Obama-era DAPA policy that would have protected illegal immigrant parents Gallup Poll: 25 Percent See Government as their Biggest Problem "This is a case of Trump doing something that policy-wise is what the NYT wants. But Trump did it, so why is it bad? Trump broke a promise!" Yay! It's over. The Russian conspiracy nonsense is finally debunked. Whew! ERRORS IN TRUMP TWEET SYMBOLIZE MORE COSTLY MISTAKES How many boneheaded impulsive things can the guy do? In A Panicky Tweet, President Trump Lies About Rod Rosenstein I would quit if I were his lawyer “This Jackass Is Really Ticking Me Off”: Is Coulter The Only Major Right-Wing Media Figure Criticizing Trump? Trump Was in a Fever to Defend the Legitimacy of His Election That's right. Emotional, not clever. Jihadist Arrests in EU Doubled Last Year, Rising for Third Year in a Row Europeans Are Paying to Subsidize Jihadists Brilliant explanation of the Trump election from Tucker: Saturday Verse: What is so rare as a steak in June?Reposted from 2009. 2009 ?!? Sheesh. This site is getting long in the tooth. Photo: If you have areas you want mowed instead of just hayed once a year, the trick is to get the kids on the mini-John Deere. They love it. It's easy to teach them how to jump off if the thing starts to tip over on a steep, angled, rocky New England hill - just tip it over when they are on it, and they will figger it out. Child abuse, no doubt. This birch hill looks good as a distant vista from ye olde farmhouse kitchen window when the top of the hill is mowed occasionally. We prefer to keep most of the fields only mowed once-yearly in late August or September for the wildlife and wildflowers, because I know in my heart that God loves meadows - but not lawns. Yes, that is in the Berkshires and yes, we have big tractors too. Ford and Farmall. I'd never take that old dainty-front-footed Farmall on a steep, angled Yankee pasture hill, tho. The old Ford has a nice, comfortable wide stance. I think it was in Pogo where somebody said "What is so rare as a steak in June?" Two verses from Part 1 of James Russell Lowell's (1819-1891) religious epic The Vision of Sir Launfal: Earth gets its price for what Earth gives us; And what is so rare as a day in June? Campbell Apartment has re-opened
The only problem is that more people know about it now. It was our secret hangout, like a speakeasy.
Friday, June 16. 2017Friday morning linksWonderful Herreshoff via Salt Water New England In praise of pachyderms - Conserve elephants. My Relationship With My Husband Is the Bedrock of Our Family, Not My Relationship with My Kids My Trip to a Marijuana Dispensary, the Happiest Place in Boulder Imagine no possessions... Except copyrights... Cook County businesses warn customers about upcoming sugar beverage tax Why not include fruit drinks? They are pure sugar too THE MAD OPULENCE OF DUBAI, FROM WATER VILLAS TO FAKE FORESTS Besieged by the tolerance bullies: If we’re ever to roll back this insanity we’re going to have to show some solidarity with the victims of homofascism and transfascism 'The cold biological truth is that sex changes are impossible,' says Camille Paglia Duh. But fantasy is powerful stuff. Humans are all about fantasy. First transgender woman runs for office in Virginia Experts warned government against cladding material used on Grenfell They did it to save the planet The Disappearing Valedictorian: Another Victim of the Participation Trophy Generation? It can be true that some people take gut courses to win that race A Second Evergreen Professor Speaks Out American Prospect wonders whether people are responsible for their debts Fred On Everything is fed up with ghetto culture Is he allowed to say that? Prometheus Bound: How Regulations Stifle a U.S. Manufacturing Renaissance ESPN Host Says NFL Injects Politics ‘By Playing The National Anthem’ Fernandez on political antiquities:
One of the many perils of too much government: the belief government is necessary for happiness Exactly THE NEW YORK TIMES’ KNACK FOR MISIDENTIFYING COLLUDERS WITH RUSSIA - A sordid story of hypocrisy and double standards. Clinton Crew Dripping In Russian Entanglements While Deep State Rolls Snake Eyes On Trump Hinderaker: The “far right”? I guess they mean people like me. The stunning truth is that the American political and media establishment allowed a phony story – that they knew was phony — to dominate our political discourse for months.... For Democrats, it's come down to 'Just Get Someone' MUELLER PURSUES OBSTRUCTION CASE AGAINST TRUMP - The collusion claim didn’t work, so the special prosecutor shifts gears. Special counsel is investigating Jared Kushner’s business dealings Can The President Be Criminally Prosecuted For Exercising His Constitutional Duties? Further Thoughts Presidential Historian: Deep State Operatives Are Attempting Coup d’état of US President EU Reaches Bailout Agreement with Greece . . . Again What is so rare as a day in June?Weekly 3-4 hour hikes are good for mind, body, and soul. Also good for a marriage. Also good for breaking in new leather hiking boots. Meindl Perfekt Light Hikers - not all that light in weight unfortunately but tough enough for all purposes other than crampons. Made in Italy - not Germany. Lots of Bluebirds on this pastoral and not very challenging countryside hike last weekend - hills but no steeps and well-groomed trails. Many meadows. I love large meadows, despite their being unnatural in New England.
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