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. |
Our Recent Essays Behind the Front Page
Categories
QuicksearchLinks
Blog Administration |
Thursday, March 2. 2023Russiagate?Real Jewish foodOne of my kids went to the B&H last night. Unlike many sort-of Jewish delis in NYC (which are termed "Kosher style", serving dairy and meat - especially pastrami)), B and H is a kosher dairy joint. A famous East Village hole-in-the-wall place. Decades ago, when I was dating the future Mrs. BD, we frequented that place. We aren't Jewish. The food was cheap and good. The challah is tasty. Digging back in my memory, I suggested that my kid try the Matzoh Ball Soup. She liked it. Thursday morning linksOne of the most famous episodes of The Twilight Zone concerned a malevolent child with supernatural powers who terrorized the adults around him into indulging his every whim... Global Warming, The Moral Equivalent Of War University of Austin: College of the future? It’s Now or Never for School Choice Everywhere Dartmouth outdoor club speakers: White supremacy, domination ‘obstruct access to nature’ Female Faculty More Likely to Support Speech Restrictions, Campus Investigations, Deplatforming. “Young faculty members and female faculty members are the least likely to tolerate heterodox speech: One in five faculty members under the age of 35 report some level of acceptance of students using violence to stop a controversial campus speaker” Naomi Wolf: The return of the ancient gods Ukraine has vegetables. Why not the UK? Lori Lightfoot Blames Election Loss on Racism and Sexism Nice try. She did get elected, didn't she? Did You Ever Wonder How and Why the Left Is Able to Push Their Narratives Almost Unhindered? China getting more involved with Europe What's up with South Africa? Wednesday, March 1. 2023Do evergreen trees and shrubs grow in winter?Breakfasts for kidsMy siblings and I were fed boxed cereal about every two mornings, scrambled eggs every two or three mornings, and same with oatmeal. Pancakes or waffles on Sunday before church. I fed my little kids pickled herring with sour cream and onions most weekday mornings, cut in small chunks. It comes in jars. Or hard-boiled eggs. I figured protein was good for kids' breakfasts, and I liked it too. I later learned that pickled herring was considered "Jewish food" in New York. Schmaltz. I thought it was Scandinavian, but it's all sorts of things. Ukrainians love it. Who doesn't like pickled herring? It has a pow effect. I am told that Jewish people like plain pickled herring on a bagel, with a schmear. Sounds good to me, but I would add a slice of onion. But I don't bother with breakfast anyway, other than coffee. Breakfast is for growing kids. Do you ever wonder what breakfasts NBA players were raised on? Wheaties? Or steak? I should have had some of whatever they had.
Wednesday morning linksDangerous reptilians Talking baseball Elon Musk: Media, Education System Are “Racist Against Whites And Asians”… More than half of college professors bite their tongues over cancel culture fears Protesters set fire to Matt Walsh flyers ahead of Stanford speech, Eventbrite cancels ticket sales Syracuse University implements 5-year DEI plan. 'We will demonstrate our commitment to being an inclusive campus that supports... underrepresented minorities, international students and faculty, the disabled, the LGBTQ+ community.' The New Yorker: The End of the English Major Dishonor Code: What Happens When Cheating Becomes the Norm? Students say they are getting ‘screwed over’ for sticking to the rules. Professors say students are acting like ‘tyrants.’ Then came ChatGPT . US Energy Department assesses Covid-19 likely resulted from lab leak, furthering US intel divide over virus origin 10 myths told by COVID experts — and now debunked Spectator: Inside the legal fight for a race-neutral America While Biden Attacks US Coal Producers and Families of Coal Miners, China Is Building New Coal Plants at Break-Neck Speed ‘Scientists’ announce record cold due to a warming earth Oregon Considers Bill That Would Give Homeless People $1,000 a Month – No Strings Attached Tuesday, February 28. 2023Dishwasher-safe
As we noted, the newer generations don't even like or want that stuff. Like old or antique brown furniture, it has no value today and likely never will. Well, maybe sentimental value which does matter. Mrs. BD and I switched to rotating our "good" china sets for everyday. Thai takeout looks better on it. But what about silverware? Same thing, except silver has some value melted down. Why not use your wedding silver, or inherited silver, daily? It's heavy and attractive, and makes meals more meaningful. Not dishwasher-safe, but if you use it all the time it doesn't have time to tarnish. We have noticed that Europeans use their "best stuff" all the time. Are we just lazy here? Do we not appreciate everyday elegance? La bella vita? La dolce vita?
Posted by Bird Dog
in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation
at
16:42
| Comments (13)
| Trackbacks (0)
Winter birding in southern New JerseyThe migrating male Redwings arrived today. I was looking for a Rusty Blackbird, but didn't see one. I did not attend this late-January birding trip, but it seems to have been good fun. Never hurts to have experts along. They went to three or 4 spots, including Cape May. Separate lists for each location. I don't really keep lists anymore, unless I have a specific reason to.
Tuesday morning linksWSJ: All the Knowledge in the World’ Review: The Encyclopedia Eternal. From Denis Diderot to Wikipedia, surveying our attempt to collect the sum of human wisdom in a single place. Muhammad Becomes Most Popular Baby Name in Galway The UK: Neil Oliver, “What the Hell – We’re Rationing Tomatoes”… The Washington Post suggests that newsrooms must shun ‘objectivity’ to build trust Good grief CNN Dilutes National Margarita Day Joy with Climate Crisis Drama Gender dysphoria in young people is rising—and so is professional disagreement Unmasking Prejudice? Professor Denounces Maskless People As "Racist, Ableist, And Classist" Hmmm. Never see masks these days Turley: The COVID Lab Leak Is A Scandal Of Media And Government Censorship Are Asians the New Jews? Despite similar backgrounds, the fates of Asian and Jewish Americans are now diverging They cancelled Roseanne Barr for a lot less. The Sad Spectacle of ‘Drag Queen Story Hour’ - No, the female impersonators reading stories to children aren’t ‘groomers.’ They’re just needy gay men desperate for validation from straight society. Nothing the US does about CO2 will offset China's coal buildup Monday, February 27. 2023Do You Love Me?Got game?I mean game meat in your freezer. A Cassoulet is nice, if not exciting. But how about an English Game Pie? Brits have always been big on meat pies, and the Game Pie is one made in the same pastry as a Pork Pie. Why not? Photo is a fancy Pork Pie hat. Monday morning linksThe 10 tell-tale signs of 'toxic positivity' and why people who insist on forever looking on the bright side can be the WORST office colleagues Former Reuters Editor Says He Was Misled on Climate Change US Teens Feel Down, But the Adults Aren’t All Right Either. America's mental health crisis can’t simply be blamed on social media and Covid-19. Yet another government agency acknowledges COVID was from lab Social-Justice Shrinks: How Identity Politics Infected Therapy Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels to be revised to erase material deemed offensive What Happened to Liberalism? Minnesota looks to ban all gas hookups Any of These Supreme Courts Cases Could Crush the Internet. The Court’s decisions in Gonzalez and subsequent cases could lead to impossible, incompatible consequences. Sunday, February 26. 2023How Scott Adams got in troubleNot really in trouble, but saying whatever he thinks can upset people and, as he says, mostly white-skinned people. I disagree with him often, but he is a smart guy and a good talker. I have found some of his abstract ideas valuable, especially "framing." So Musk calls the media racist.
Normal Life During Biblical TimesSaturday, February 25. 2023How Scott Adams got himself cancelledDilbert creator Scott Adams is the latest to be canceled Do most "people of color" really hate caucasians? I don't see that, but what do I know?
BookWhile Time Remains: A North Korean Defector's Search for Freedom in America by Yeonmi Park She has seen it all. She has been a slave.
Words women use
Saturday morning linksWhale deaths and windfarms The question is whether the sonar ships used to build the windmills are blinding sea mammals' sonar Exercise and depression WSJ: Why We Should Keep Reading Freud - Today’s psychologists find him embarrassing, but the founder of psychoanalysis had powerful insights into the way our minds work. 'Health at Every Size' Group Razes the 'Racism and Healthism' of Physicians Fighting Obesity Pediatric cancer fundraiser not diverse enough, Penn State students say Spectator: Are the adults back in charge at the New York Times? Newsroom leadership chastised staff for aligning with activist groups Microaggressions can "kill you," criminalize speech against "oppressed groups" Major Association Of US Doctors Makes Official Statement On Transgender Procedures For Minors DeSantis worse than murderer NTSB Chair Shuts Down Pete Buttigieg's Pathetic Blaming of Donald Trump for Train Derailment Sarah Huckabee Sanders Pushing Through Education Reform for Arkansas – Including School Choice Angela Davis Descended from Slave Owners. "No. I can't believe this. No, my ancestors did not come here on the Mayflower," Friday, February 24. 2023Imagine this tune if Roy had not just diedWould it have been better? (The rocking chair.) The Wilbury gang made up their (mostly goofy) tunes and lyrics on the fly. Talent to burn. I'd say Jeff Lynn was the glue.
When you're around Rome
One cool thing about Rome is that you can hop on a quick train south to Ostia Antica which is the most intact ancient Roman city. Far more preserved than Pompeii, which is all rubble except for a few ancient street food vendors and the porn pictures in the ancient whorehouses. One thing Pompeii and Ostia have in common is that they were both seaports. Ostia (now Ostia Antica - Ostia is nearby, a beach town) was the Port of Rome in olden times, now silted up as is Pompeii. Ostia Antica is huge - can't see it all in one day but a few hours with a nice lunch and beer in their cafeteria is enough to get the gist of it. Except for our technology, their lives were not too different from ours. Heck, they even had apartment buildings. We live in a Roman civilization. Western medieval times were a crazy step "backwards" in civilization. A degeneracy, you could say, or a throwback. That's why those medieval times capture the imagination. I guess Hadrian's Wall, and Regensberg, were Rome's high water marks before the barbarians took over again. Ancient Rome is familiar, kinda boring to me. Medieval Europe is weird.
Friday morning linksSome high profile writers at the NY Times are pushing back against the mob College censors art exhibit with content warning, curtains following Muslim students’ complaint What the Hell Is Going on With That Trump Grand Jury Foreman? Morning Joe Declares Free Speech to Be 'Out of Date' Rolling Stone: Cancel Culture Is Good For Democracy Or Something Heidegger’s Downfall - Richard Wolin’s reappraisal of Martin Heidegger offers both original contributions and a synthesis of critical scholarship. The result is a timely work of enduring importance. Who is "indiginous"? America is running out of oppressed classes in need of saviors, so apparently, we must expend every more effort to find people to save. Victor Davis Hanson: The Ukraine War's Prelude To What? Thursday, February 23. 2023The story of the MIT Blackjack TeamAmusing.
Posted by Bird Dog
in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation
at
17:28
| Comments (0)
| Trackbacks (0)
Big acciptor: Goshawk with cameraThursday morning linksThere is no evidence for a Universe before the Big Bang.Nobel Laureate Roger Penrose, famed for his work on black holes, claims we've seen evidence from a prior Universe. Only, we haven't. ROALD DAHL CAN NEVER BE MADE NICE. Rewriting his novels is about corporate safetyism, not social justice. Rank Innumeracy On The Cost Of Electricity From Renewables Yale sacred music center launches climate change art initiative Drucker on Education, 1969 Charters succeed at teaching — that’s why their enemies hate them Names, pronouns & the law Unease Over Biden's Proxy Quagmire in Ukraine Is Growing Racism in reporting: when they don't tell you the race... World’s Superpowers Threw Their Cards on the Table This Week and Every One of Them Came Up in Favor of WWIII Wednesday, February 22. 2023Do we live in God's (or some god's) simulation?It must be Ash Wednesday. None of us have a doctorate in metaphysics nowadays (I think), but is life just a dream? I like to imagine that my life has my own steering wheel, but I am not sure about that. I do know that all lives have or need some sort of anchorage, centering, lodestar - whatever. Do we live in a God's simulation? Is that Judeo-Christian view? Best if I shut up before writing more. Not qualified.
« previous page
(Page 59 of 794, totaling 19826 entries)
» next page
|