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, December 6. 2017Wednesday morning linksPhoto: Lamborghini tractor for sale. Nice Christmas present idea? Elephant economics: To save elephants, we should promote commercial use and encourage ivory markets and trophy hunting Either that, or surround each elephant with an army Trump Gives Back Millions Of Acres of Public Lands To Utah: What This May Mean For The Future Of Government The Puritan War on Christmas At the time, Christmas had a history of drunken revelry and debauchery. See The Lord of Misrule The 1970s Global Cooling Scare (and how the warming scare could not have happened without it) Cruelty and Sexual Harassment Both Men and Women Can Be Sexual Predators Public university to rename building because its namesake was a political ‘opportunist’ Harvard Student Whose Father Escaped Communism Has a Message for Her Fellow Students Nancy Pelosi: Republican Tax Reform is the “End of the World” and “Armageddon” It's also returning taxes to Bush/Clinton levels 7 Reasons Trump Would Be Right To Recognize Jerusalem As Israel's Eternal Capital But will it piss off Palestinians? They're always pissed off anyway Islamist suicide plot to assassinate Prime Minister Theresa May foiled More appeasement might help a lot TNR: The Democrats’ Dangerous Obsession With Impeachment. The party needs to focus on winning elections, not removing Trump. ‘MORNING JOE’: TRUMP TEAM ‘GOING TO JAIL ... FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES’ OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE WAS COMING FROM INSIDE THE FBI - When lying to the FBI wasn’t a crime. Tuesday, December 5. 2017Breakneck RidgeWhen we drove up to Breakneck on NY Route 9D, Mrs. BD said "We aren't going up that, are we? No, we cant be." I said "I think so, and that's just the beginning. There are three further higher peaks." The photo does not capture the drama of this only 1300' foot rockpile that begins at sea level on the shores of the majestic Hudson River. The site was heavily quarried for granite in the 1800s, so not all of the cliffs etc are nature's but they might as well be. The boulder fields are nature's gradual erosion of the stumps of the ancient snow-capped Appalachian mountain range which was formed when Africa bumped into northeast America. The ancient Appalachians were the foothills of the Atlas Mountains of north Africa. Strange to consider. Millennial Job InterviewTuesday morning linksPhoto via Theo A beginner’s guide to celebrating Advent Tyler Cowen (the readiest person I know - about 2 books/week) offers his Best Non-fiction Books of 2017 Civilization (Bongo, Bongo, Bongo) - Steyn's Song of the Week Ethereum miners are renting Boeing 747s to ship graphics cards and AMD shares are soaring This is over my head Is Hollywood getting into pedophile movies? At Huffpo, Problems Of The Super Rich Eat the rich! Gimme some of their money! Health spending negatively correlated with health outcomes Duh. Cape Wind offshore power project is dead in the water The self-righteous violent of the Antifa mobs It's true that violence can be fun, and it's better if you have an emotional justification. Smash the glass of the ruling class - cuz you want to rule Delingpole: Donald Trump Trolls Londonistan Like a Boss… Acosta: ‘When Journalists Are Attacked, Journalists Have to Resist’ The Tax Reform Bill is Killing and Raping Americans The Quality Of Political Debate Reaches A New Low With The Tax Bill Simplifying the Tax Code Has Big Payoffs If it's about obstruction, perhaps the FBI ought to investigate itself Anti-Trump FBI Agent Changed Language Of Hillary Email Scandal From "Grossly Negligent" To "Extremely Careless" Would anybody in the FBI change my felony to "carelessness"? Clinton Aides Went Unpunished After Making False Statements To Anti-Trump FBI Supervisor Levin: Mueller Destroyed Mike Flynn's Life Like the Mob Would Do A case (not rare) in which an investigation creates a process crime FLYNN’S CASE PROVES IT’S TIME TO FIRE MUELLER - When an investigation generates crimes, it’s a crime. Steyn: As I always say, the process is the punishment. Dershowitz: Come On, You Can’t Charge Trump With Obstruction McCarthy: It Is Now an Obstruction Investigation If Michael Flynn's 'crime' is all Robert Mueller has, it is time to move on - Transitions include the president-elect talking to foreign officials. That's not treason; that's the job description. There Is No Such Thing as Poverty in Hong Kong Puerto Rico's governor hands out almost $100 million in bonuses while asking American taxpayers for $94 billion How can the US unload this 3rd world island? Does Spain want it back? Likely not. On the Ground in Salzgitter, Germany Monday, December 4. 2017Advent music"O Come, O Come Emmanuel carol was originally written in Latin text in the 12th Century. The author of the words and composer to the music of O Come, O Come Emmanuel is unknown. It is, however believed that the melody was of French origin and added to the text a hundred years later. The Latin was translated into English by John Mason Neale in 1851." Lyrics here.
A 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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