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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Wednesday, April 19. 2017Wednesday morning linksI Learned The Hard Way That You Can't Take A Vacation From Grief A Cosmic Burst Repeats, Deepening a Mystery - After a surprise discovery, astrophysicists are racing to understand superenergetic flashes of radio waves that sometimes beep out from distant galaxies. Your teen's brain on pot Battling Turkish intimidation, Armenian genocide epic set for big screen Universities Seek to Defend Endowments From Republican Tax Plan "The students ... characterize truth as a “myth” and a white supremacist concept." They blame the Enlightenment WHERE FREE SPEECH GOES TO LIVE: The University of Chicago has issued another warning to snowflakes.
Supreme Court rejects appeal for Latin American refugees seeking U.S. asylum Asylum is not for economic migrants but they all provide a sob story The Sad Cancer Of Third Party Pay Medical Care Man With Two Homes And A Lake House Whines About People Being Too Rich… Here’s One Reason Why the Dems Still Love Hillary Elizabeth Warren's new book, "This Fight is Our Fight", says that ordinary folk can do better economically if we only had more government control and less individual freedom. Williamson: Surprise: The New York Democrat is a New York Democrat. Photo scandal not what Marines are made of If a shooting war comes, the US Air Force is not ready ‘Germany Is a Nation of Immigrants’: Employers’ Unions Demand Open Borders British Olympian: North Korea has really got a “handle on obesity” French Election: Le Pen Vows to Quit the EU, End Mass-Migration She is a left-wing nutjob, regardless of her nationalism Allies knew of Holocaust in 1942, 2 years before previously assumed, UN documents prove Bashar al-Assad still has 'hundreds of tonnes' of chemicals stockpiled, former Syrian weapons research chief claims Tuesday, April 18. 2017Exercise doesn't make you strongerIt's the recovery from the controlled damage and stress which produces the improvement. All forms of personal growth require high stress to produce improvement, whether physical, mental, or emotional. The purpose of intense physical exertion itself is to break you down, to damage muscles, to stress tendons, ligaments, bones, and neuromuscular connections to the point that they are forced to adapt. That is why only very difficult and unpleasant physical demands get results. Building strength and power is meant to wreck your body and to blow your mind, but in a careful, controlled way. We have all had the experience of feeling like a deadlift barbell is glued to the floor. Then somebody else, or your own head, says "You can do this, just get it off the floor" and suddenly "giving it your all" shifts and the meaning of "your all" expands into new territory. With exercise, we should gain muscle weight. Unless we're fat, we should put on solid weight. After an hour or so of power lifting, we recommend 48 hrs. with just an hour of Active Recovery before another day's power lifting. Passive Recovery is just decent sleep and adequate protein intake (over 80 gms/day). Active Recovery gets the blood moving, includes activities which require minimal recovery time, like calisthenics, cardio intervals, speed walking, etc. - just no heavy weights. It all works together that way, at least for the middle-aged, in 5 or so hours of structured exercise - which is less time than most people waste watching TV and movies:
Continue reading "Exercise doesn't make you stronger " Tuesday (tax day in the USA) morning linksThe Income Tax Basically Implies that Government Owns You The reason government spending is a disaster Dynamic Christianity vs. the Benedict Option Too clean for our children's good Why Do We Eat Coconut Macaroons on Passover? The "True" Human Diet - From the standpoint of paleoecology, the so-called Paleo diet is a myth A Twisted Tale of Rent Control in the Maximum City Why Wind Power Does Not Greatly Reduce Fossil Fuel Use " I've felt for some time that the left has gone off the deep end on the immigration issue." Animal expert worries that birds won’t be able to fly over the border wall This is what happens when the US government gets serious about our borders Arrests of Illegal Immigrants Jumped 32% in Trump's First Months These are the people who terrify campus administrators CUNY UNION CALLS FOR FACULTY TO TEACH CONTROVERSIAL ANTI-TRUMP ‘RESISTANCE’ Variety Editor Asks, “How cool does Chelsea Clinton look on our Power of Women, NY, cover?” Former FEC Chairwoman Calls for ‘Regulations’ of Political Speech on the Internet A Few Places Where Justice Gorsuch Can Make A Difference Why Were Foreign Intelligence Agencies Spying on Trump? It's Official: Trump's Swamp-Draining Begins POST-BREXIT BRITAIN WILL DROP RENEWABLE ENERGY COMMITMENTS America Can’t Do Much About North Korea Venezuela illegally issued 10,000 passports to Syrians, Iranians, report says Weapons: The Case For Caseless Trump juggles the foreign policy balls Obama dropped Monday, April 17. 2017Bad boys drive Fiats
Maybe in Europe, not in the US.
Monday morning linksWhy do you attend church? Gallup found some unexpected answers Preaching (ie Teaching) seems over-emphasized. I think people go to be part of a community which is body of Christ. Jesus clubs. When teaching becomes performance, I turn off. Why American men may have less luck finding a job than women "How realistic are New York apartments on TV shows?" Why Americans have stopped moving Also, if you are an owner it is very expensive to move California: AND YET THEY LEARNED NO LESSONS FROM THIS... SOLAR POWER: AN ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER OUT OF “THEIR” “MINDS” AT BROWN WELLESLEY NEWS: FREE SPEECH ONLY APPLIES TO LEFT-WING SPEECH If You Paid $63,916 Per Year To Attend Wellesley And You Write Like This, You Got Ripped Off College Kids Are Intolerant Jerks University’s LGBT Students ‘Fear’ Arrival Of Chick-fil-A Liars. They say they don't feel "safe." Bullshit. " My committee colleagues argued that "we do not teach grammar" in our writing classes." Correct grammar is for the elites. It is difficult to learn. I am still learning grammar. Gay Porn Kingpin: Protect America From Muslim ‘Barbarians’ No institution or agency has done more to help the poor than Walmart. Is government ever big enough? Andrew Sullivan Says Good-bye to Hillary Why Do Democrats Feel Sorry for Hillary Clinton? Borders: There is a sheriff in town DONALD TRUMP ASKS A GOOD QUESTION Trump’s first 100 days have been better than you think France 2017 The problem of moral grandiosity, perhaps seen in purest culture in Sweden. Marine Le Pen: Pope Francis Exceeds His Role as Religious Leader -Tells States to Disregard Their Own Citizens Sunday, April 16. 2017Easter EagleA world record eagle flight
Vernal Pools at Eastertime
Generally the spring pools are fed by snow melt, early Spring rain, or slow seeps from springs which do not produce enough water to keep the area wet in high summer. Springs are interesting things. Critters that breed in vernal pools clearly need to lay eggs which produce rapidly-maturing young who can leave the pools before they dry up. For example, Bullfrog tadpoles take a long time, up to a year, to grow and mature via that crazy amphibian metamorphosis so large frogs require permanent bodies of water. Around here, typical Vernal Pool breeders are Spring Peepers, Common Toad, Wood Frog, Cricket Frog, various salamanders. Spring Peeper eggs - tadpoles - tiny frogs are ready to leave the water in 8 weeks. Toads can do it in 12 weeks. Here's a nice brief post about New Jersey's vernal pools. Last day for feeding the birdsEarly Spring is here and, anyway, I am at the end of my bird seed. Seen today at the HQ: An Easter Bunny laying colorful eggs, Mourning Dove, Cardinal, Common Grackle, Red Bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Common Flicker, Tufted Titmouse, Chickadee, House Finch, Song Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, WT Sparrow, a few remaining SC Juncos, Blue Jay, Goldfinch, RW Blackbird and overhead a RT Hawk. You guys are all on your own after today. Saturday, April 15. 2017Why the clergy needs weak peopleFrom Because Beset with Weakness by Michael J. Buckley, SJ:
Saturday Bob: "I said: make my faith greater but I was a little high strung"I can't embed this one of Bob's Jesus songs, but it is here with some of the lyrics. From You Changed My Life: Now the nature of man You changed my life QQQLet the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave. Martin Luther Easiest Easter Dinner Leg of lamb with root vegetables Saturday morning links
Photo from An Untouched Frank Lloyd Wright Home from 1960 Is on the Market The Profound Connection Between Easter and Passover Why more men will soon find themselves doing ‘women’s work’ Is Facebook a Monopoly? Just Ask Snapchat All businesses try to dominate their "spaces". Somebody ought to make up a board game about that. What is Betteridge's Law of Headlines? McDonalds Should Not Bring Back Szechuan Sauce Because It’s ‘Low-Key Racist’. From a commenter there:
According to environmentalists, if members of the EPA can’t hide their data and refuse to show their calculations they’ll be “crippled” Saving Vladmir Putin's Face Microsoft Transparency Report Shows Massive Increase in 2016 Obama Era FISA Orders… Spying on citizens is not American Basically, Trump won’t Make America Great Again. Instead he’ll mostly maintain Obama’s policies. Why Trump Will Win Bigly in 2020 Hezbollah forces retreat from Israel’s border following US demand Chavista Marxists Attack Venezuelan Archbishop After His Calls for Freedom – Start Brawl Inside Church Sounds like Middlebury College Death toll mounts among Venezuelan protesters North Korean Army Officials Arrested After Calling Kim Jong-un ‘Mentally ill’ And A ‘Kindergartener’ Friday, April 14. 2017Why make it so difficult to render unto Caesar?Friday morning linksThird Wheel Joins Couple in Pool Having Romantic Swim The ‘Toxic Masculinity’ Trend Blames Boys For Being Born Male How Denmark is eradicating Down Syndrome Will autism be next? It's Time For EPA To Reconsider And Rescind The Endangerment Finding What “permanent drought”? New all-time rainfall record set for California An economic critique of prison Male student kills himself after University of Texas officials destroy his reputation for no reason Harvard Crybully Societies Team Up on Hate Hoax Tear Down State Barriers to Health Insurance Remove state barriers and permit all sorts of policies. That would be a real market. NY Times Is Rather Apoplectic Over The Attorney General Enforcing The Law Will Russiagate Become Obamagate? HOW MANY COUNTRIES CONSPIRED AGAINST TRUMP? Why Republicans Can’t Fix the Big Problems Trump is wildly unpredictable, at least he seems unpredictable. That’s a big part of how he plays the game. The Brilliant Incoherence of Trump’s Foreign Policy Sultan: Sarah Lucy Halimi was thrown out of the window of the third floor Paris apartment while she begged her Muslim killer to spare her life. Swedish Journalist’s Response to Stockholm Attack: Ban Cars Refugee Rapists Who Live-Streamed their Rape on Facebook Will Not Be Deported From Sweden Germany: Islamist suspects arrested over bomb attack targeting soccer team Thursday, April 13. 2017Thursday Bob: The Foot of Pride, and Holy Week
We are nearing the end of Lent, and I am reminded that I have reflected in the past about the idea that a function of life is to teach us enough humility to bring us to God - while our self-love fights to hold onto our precious fantasies of specialness, extraordinary integrity, appealingness, brilliance, and self-sufficiency despite the world's giving us abundant evidence to the contrary. Everybody's foot of pride comes down sometime, and often more than once. It can be brutal, but I guess we need it. Still, we must push forward as best we can and if we can do it with Christ as companion, so much the better. This is a mystifying, rambling song which might sort-of be about a funeral, sins of pride and grandiosity, and man's Fall. Like a voice crying in the wilderness thing. Thus the contradictions of this half- crazy genius. It begins: Like the lion tears the flesh off of a man Here's Bob's only recorded version (Bootleg). Can not embed it. He was never satisfied with any production of the song. That above with the lyrics which err: I believe it is "sordid" love affair with Errol Flynn, not "sword" , but who knows? Full lyrics here. The guy can pack more words into a line than anybody - or make fewer words fill a line completely. For what it's worth, Lou Reed took a stab at the song:
Thursday morning links
Today is Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday) UMD student calls hippie-inspired fashion 'deeply offensive' Guess what, Idiot du Jour: Hippie was fashion. Fashion + drugs. Why won't my shoes stay tied? Scientists are trying to figure it out. All knots inevitably fail The pros behind the hit records: The Wrecking Crew Paul Ekman: Three mottos I live by Evolving war technologies Food: Loonie Labels In La La Land By the way, Joss Whedon has announced that Trump will exterminate all gay men in America if you don't join #TheResistance. Alternate headlines Notre Dame Students Feel ‘Unsafe’ about Mike Pence Speaking Manipulative little lying punks CNN’s Acosta Rules It’s Un-American to Slam CNN, News Media; Doesn’t Regret Screaming at Trump Syria Strike Fails To Follow Progressive Playbook, Leading To Unhinged Op-Eds Bummer: Immigration Crackdown Leads To Illegals With Minor Crimes And No Criminal History Being Arrested Trump Was Right! Obama Got FISA Warrant to Spy on Trump Team Trump is plowing and salting the fields of a bureaucratic oligarchy Winning behind the scenes Trump Team Moves Closer to Gutting Some Federal Agencies.
Wednesday, April 12. 2017The challenges of fame
"This was just about the time of that Woodstock festival, which was the sum total of all this bullshit. And it seemed to have something to do with me, this Woodstock Nation, and everything it represented. So we couldn't breathe. I couldn't get any space for myself and my family, and there was no help, nowhere. I got very resentful about the whole thing, and we got outta there. So we moved to New York..." I can't embed it, but it's here.
Trap Bar LiftingYou can use Trap (Hex) bars for squats or deadlifts. I have used them a few times but the change disrupts my accustomed form. The idea (which makes sense) is that the centering of weight, the more natural grip, and the kindness to a sore lower back permit you to pile more weight on the bar, thus stressing your body more. Have you tried it?
Wednesday morning linksWhy not go to the church which is closest to your house? Makes sense to me, but it's not what we do Peanut-Free School Zones Don't Work Peanut allergies are caused by avoiding peanuts. I love peanuts, and especially Thai peanut sauce. 13,000-Year-Old Fillings Prove Ancient Dentistry Was Brutal The Third Sex in India Towns which have outlived their purpose: Cairo, Ill Toyota shows robotic leg brace to help paralyzed people walk On the Front Lines of India’s Rhino Wars What's Causing the Retail Meltdown of 2017? Is Tesla worth more than GM? More Reminders That Global Warming Is Good Boys Don’t Need Books That ‘Put Them in Touch with Their Feelings Arizona Scored a Big Win With School Choice. Here’s How It Will Help Children. Female Student Shaves Head to Fight 'Gender Norms' How today’s liberal kids are going to ruin college How Colleges Try to Get Rid of Inconvenient Professors LA Times Editorial Board: Dear Colleges, Stop Squeezing Free Speech The US rolls out the Unwelcome Mat Sessions Announces Illegal Aliens Who Illegally Re-Enter The U.S. Will Be Charged With a Felony "What If?" Ron Paul Asks The Two Most Important Words
Who will pay California's bills? The Authoritarian Impulse: Getting What We Really Don’t Want Hillary Criticizes Obama's Syria Policy, Says "We Should've Done More" Turns out Obama was the real Russian stooge Migrants are being sold at open slave markets in Libya Piers Morgan: Why Isn't Christian Genocide 'Dominating' Mainstream Media? Sweden: The Silence of the Feminists Trump Refuses To Sign G7 Statement Endorsing Paris Climate Agreement France: Migrants Torch New Migrant Camp 34 Days After Torching Last Migrant Camp China Threatens To Bomb North Korea's Nuclear Facilities If It Crosses Beijing's "Bottom Line" North Korean Ships Head Home After China Orders Coal Returned Cuba after Fidel Castro: Full of life, but it is life on the brink of death Tuesday, April 11. 2017Against vegetable gardens, mostlySpring is on the horizon up here. Snow piles are melting. Thoughts about the gardens appear. I have always had a vegetable garden, as did my parents, as did my Grandpas. It's a guy thing mostly, symbolic providers only since WW2. I had a couple of reasons for adding this hassle to my life: family tradition, tomatoes, and to teach and show my kids where food comes from. It is rewarding for kids to go out and pick a couple of cucumbers or peppers or summer squash, or a basket of beans to bring to the kitchen. Except for tomatoes, in my view home gardening makes no sense unless you value your time at zero, which makes it pure hobby. Home-grown stuff, for the month or two it is available up here, may be marginally better, but truly marginally and often worse. And there are the bugs that eat everything. If I were rational, I would stick with my fruit trees, tomatoes, figs, herbs, and rhubarb and forget the rest. Almost forgot my Mouse melons - they are cool. I gave up on raspberries because the birds ate them all. I gave up on the native blueberries too because they never thrived. I have a pal who has a huge fenced and irrigated vegetable garden. Definitely one of his hobbies. He leaves bags of chard, peppers, and eggplants on my front porch. Much appreciated but I do not know where he finds the time. With kids, definitely good to show them how to grow things, though. Kids love to dig and love to pick stuff. That's why I always grow some pumpkins. With the inspiration of Mrs. BD (and my Mom), I have become more interested in flowering borders in recent years. Very rewarding and challenging without being edible, the bugs are no problem, and the hummingbirds and butterflies are good fun. Do you enjoy weeding? I don't, but I enjoy the (fleeting) results. I use Preen on the flower beds, and it sort-of works for a while. I would rather take a long hike with Mrs. BD, or go to the city, or go fishing, or to the gym, than spend half a weekend day growing something I can pick up at the market for 99 cents. Go ahead and argue with me - Photo is a Rhubarb patch. I love rhubarb. You can even munch the stalks raw, and it never fails to come up strong. You often find a cute snake curled up in there, which makes it fun. It's a crop you can count on and do not have to do anything for other than throw a little manure or fertilizer on it in April. Do not bite into the Garter Snake because it will piss him off.
QQQThe old adage about giving a man a fish versus teaching him how to fish has been updated by a reader: Give a man a fish and he will ask for tartar sauce and French fries! Moreover, some politician who wants his vote will declare all these things to be among his 'basic rights.' Thomas Sowell (h/t Ace) Reminder: Sunday May 7 for the 3rd Annual Maggie's Urban HikeDetails to be posted soon. You can contact us via the comments section below. We'll probably begin near Lincoln Center and head south. Save the date if you are interested in joining us, rain or shine. Details to be announced soon but it will be a west side story. It will be in Manhattan again, maybe Brooklyn next time. Or maybe Columbia to the Cloisters next time. We had good folks from all over the country joining us last year, around 30 of us. It was jolly to meet people, but it is a hike and not a cocktail party. We figure 8-9 miles perhaps because of all of the meandering to catch the essential sights, like Clement Moore's church and the Flower District. There will be bathroom breaks (for all genders) and a snack and beer break somewhere fun and cheap. As usual, Bulldog will lead us and I will try to shepherd.
Tuesday morning linksWhy Are So Many People Popping Vitamin D? Dalrymple wonders how many Springs he has left, with A E Housman "Time may be considered precise or fluid depending on the culture." That explains a few members of my family, I guess. Always late. Do We Need More Roads and Bridges? Michael Mann Adjusts the Climate “Turning Point” Out to 2020 I spent a week exploring how we'll have to live in post-water America Idiot du Jour. Of course if you live in a desert, it's different. Expecting water in a desert is plain retarded. Banned on YouTube: Cartoon Video Spoofing Vehicle Jihadists The decline of history at schools is furthering the SJW madness How Government Makes the Poor Poorer America's taxes are the most progressive in the world Trump is so much like Hitler How Mitch McConnell elected Donald Trump president Belgian psychologist who helped failed asylum seekers being deported is named as Stockholm terror attack victim China and the Binary Choice
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