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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Friday, March 6. 2020Flu viruses, hurricanes, blizzards, oh my. Stock up on canned goods!
But humans are wired for excitement, threat responses, etc. Survival instincts. Most of us crave some degree of excitment, and will even pay money for it because life is so relatively easy. Some more than others, of course. Roller coasters, climbing Mt. Everest, etc. There's probably a Bell curve spectrum of various responses to real, perceived, or imagined threat. Some cower and hide, some rise up and resist, even irrationally, and everything in between. I like to think I am in the calm, rational, middle but I will kill you if you threaten me or my home. No regrets if that were to occur. I love blizzards. Tornadoes? No.
Friday morning linksViking skeleton’s DNA test proves she was a woman warrior Felony Arrest of 10-Year-Old for Playing With Toy Gun University of Texas orders faculty to undergo training on law that criminalizes sex jokes California’s ethnic studies proposal is incomplete and offensive Less than 2 percent of Harvard faculty are conservative, survey finds The Nigerian prince scam is still fooling people. Here’s why. A classic grift has evolved over time. Williams College suspended male student for not dating girl after kissing her: lawsuit I Went to a Socialism Conference Last Year. Consider Me Scared. 328 Chinese Nationals Caught Trying To Illegally Enter U.S. At Southern Border We’re Accumulating More Critical Information About The Coronavirus Every Day Schumer to Gorsuch and Kavanaugh: Nice Little Court Ya Got There, Hate to See Anything Happen to It … Warren Blames ‘Sexism’ For Her Failed Campaign… MSNBC’s Brian Williams reads a tweet: "Bloomberg spent $500 million on ads. U.S. Population, 327 million. He could have given each American $1 million" MSNBC’s Brian Williams, NY Times editor marvel at tweet that got Bloomberg math really wrong With Biden ascendant, it's useful to remember just how awful he is North Korea’s Ballistic Bluster May Mask Major Epidemic Thursday, March 5. 2020Thursday morning linksWhen Should You Let Your Kids Start Lifting? 10,000 steps: Not quite magical when it comes to weight Of course not. Still, better to move around a lot than to sit Female Guardian Writer: My Lack of Attraction to My Dress-Wearing Boyfriend Made Me Doubt My Liberation from the Patriarchy's Mind Control Court Considers Whether Men-Only Draft Is Constitutional The University of California-Santa Cruz has fired 54 graduate workers after they refused to turn in fall semester grades in an ongoing dispute over pay. Time to grow up, kids NY Times Knows What The Best Treatment For Coronavirus Is Sen. Mike Lee: It's time for Congress to bring accountability to intelligence community's surveillance poweR I thought they did that decades ago Former Obama-Era Cuban Prisoner Says Sanders Told Him, 'I Don't Know What's So Wrong' With Cuba NYM on politicians:
Schumer Threatens Supreme Court Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, “You Will Pay the Price! You Won’t Know What Hit You!” Biden: “If I Win,” Beto O’Rourke, Who Wants Mandatory Gun Confiscation, Will “Change The Face” Of Gun Control Trump's Super Tuesday results: Broad appeal beyond a united GOP Israel picks its 2020 Eurovision entry, sung in four languages (with the music vid) UN agency: Iran nearly triples stockpile of enriched uranium. The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog says Iran has nearly tripled its stockpile of enriched uranium since November in violation of its deal with world powers Duh. They are permitted to lie to kaffirs Wednesday, March 4. 2020Building a sturdy body: The mighty, mighty Deadlift, repostedBarbell squats and Deads are the ultimate full- body strength builders and strength-maintainers. Middle-aged+ people, male or female, ought to do some of each weekly for bone and muscle health. You can do deads with kettlelbells or trap bars, but there's nothing like the barbell. (There are lots of other good and useful lower body exercises, calisthenics etc., but just talking about sturdiness today.) My view is that it's not a good idea to do more than 25-30 total working reps of deadlifts in a day's routine. That would be maybe 5-6 working sets of 3-8 reps (not counting a warm-up set). I only do deads once weekly (and barbell squats once weekly). If you do not use a trainer, here are some thoughts about how to organize your deadlift routine: How Many Reps of Deadlifts Should I Do When I Workout And, just for fun because it's not about general fitness, you can check out where your one-rep max falls - enter male or female, age, and weight. I try one-rep maxes around 4X/year, for fun. Taking age into account, I am between intermediate and advanced, which seems good for me. I can not dead 300 lbs. I blame Isaac Newton for that because he is the guy who glued the weights to the floor.
Wednesday morning linksRemembering Freeman Dyson Do We Expect Too Much From Our Romantic Partners? A new book explores how marriage has changed in recent years, and why that’s made staying married harder. A big NH Lake Trout Yellowstone Begins Bison Captures as it Seeks to Cull Herd Art Renewal Center - Leading the Revival of Realism What about combat shotguns? Everybody Panic: Half The World’s Beaches May Possibly Perchance Disappear Video of San Francisco's no-arrest policy After He Found California's Indefinite Detention of Sex Offenders Wasn't Working, the State Shut Him Down and Destroyed His Research How Do You Measure The "Success" Of Affordable Housing? The 1619 Project’s outrageous, lying slander of Abe Lincoln China’s cases of Covid-19 are finally declining. A WHO expert explains why. As Trump wins praise for effective coronavirus response, blue cities do opposite, threatening its spread it through homelessness Kamala Harris To Endorse Biden In California Today Waiting to be Biden's VP choice Tuesday, March 3. 2020An 80 year-old BonsaiMrs. BD emailed me this cool pic from the Phila. Flower Show today:
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Tuesday morning linksWhy is there any matter in the universe at all? New Sussex study sheds light The end of the Chevy Impala Dogfight over endangered species looms over efforts to delist gray wolf Will canceling unused credit cards hurt my credit score? What the NYT’s 1619 Project aims to teach your kids The Power of Liberal Peer Condemnation on Conservatives Will Sen. Chris Murphy infect the entire US Senate with COVID-19? Iraqi TV: Coronavirus Is An American, Jewish Plot To Reduce World Population The Coronavirus Is Dramatic Enough As Is, Thank You How News Coverage Changed For The Worse Gregg Jarrett: Hillary Clinton will feign amnesia if forced to testify about her secret email server What An Ally! Turkey’s Erdogan Sets Refugee Flood On NATO Monday, March 2. 2020Medical advice to readers over age 40
Preventive medicine is expensive and, they say, not cost-effective but my life is not a statistic to me. I schedule it every 2 or 3 years. It's annoying and inconvenient, and leads to all sorts of annoying and inconvenient tests to make sure nothing (detectable) bad is going on anywhere. Do it in memory of my dear brother-in-law Uncle Bob, a very fit, skinny, strong athlete who dropped dead last year at age 59 on a treadmill. Avoided doctors for 30 years like an old-time Yankee. He would be alive today, still climbing the White Mountains, if anybody had known his cardiovascular situation. Never had any symptoms, and could run and climb like a monster. I remember our last run together on Cape Cod a couple of years ago. No way I could keep up. My own doc admitted to me that he himself had not had a thorough physical for 6 years. Whatever. He's a serious athlete and presumably knows his body. He found a lump on me (harmless lipoma) and asked me if I had noticed it. "Nope," I replied. "I am not in the habit of caressing my body." The only complaint I could come up with for him is my waking up between 1 and 2 in the morning with trouble getting back to sleep. Not to pee, just waking up with a head full of vivid memories and some sad or dark thoughts. Plus a little heartburn sometimes, especially with late suppers. He gave me some sleep meds which I have not used. Also, my darn traumatic right shoulder arthritis from sport accidents, which I do not plan to do anything about anytime soon (shoulder replacement? Not today, thank you, even though it makes handling a shotgun painful and awkward). I do whatever he tells me to do because he will fire any patient who will not. He has a waiting list for new patients, like an exclusive club. Besides the routine exam, he made me endure three separate sets of blood drawings, 2 full-body CAT scans (one with and one without contrast), Echo stress test, breathing test, Colonoscopy and Endoscopy, a Urologist consultation, and an Oncology consultation (cuz I had a sarcoma sliced out 15 years ago). That is called a thorough check-up but I put up with it all, somehow. I am healthy and strong enough (passed his strength test - deadlifts by age and weight), with below-average body fat by caliper measure. Below-average body fat feels good because "average" is pudgy. Other than well-controlled blood pressure and triglycerides, I am good for now. Readers know I have a serious daily exercise regimen for what it's worth. Could get killed by a falling crane tomorrow. What about y'all? Monday morning linksUS Flu Cases Climb to 15 Million With 54 Pediatric Deaths Recorded in 2019-20 Season Hidden news about the epidemic sweeping across America! Some students say colleges not doing enough to combat coronavirus-fueled racism. "In classes, people won't want to sit next to them. If they're coughing, everyone stares at them," a student said of his peers of Asian descent. Coronavirus Context: You’ll Be Fine, Probably One of my NYC daughters reports people walking around with masks. Sheesh. If you think Democrats and the media are politicizing coronavirus, you’re right I ain't askeered Deer dies of cancer with odd stomach contents, prompting warning from Colorado Parks & Wildlife NYC: Would anybody be putting billion dollar plus buildings in these locations if they thought there was anything to this sea level rise hype? UCLA BANS all single-use plastics Rush's medical update Republican Mega-donor Buys Stake In Twitter, Seeks To Oust Jack Dorsey – Report Is Bernie Sanders the American Version of Jeremy Corbyn? Tucker: Are we sure America won't elect a socialist? (youtube) Political Correctness In Britain? This Orwellian Madness Has Reached New Levels Of Absurdity U.S. Signs Peace Deal With Taliban After Nearly 2 Decades Of War In Afghanistan Quagmire Sunday, March 1. 2020From today's Lectionary: First Sunday in LentMatthew 4:1-11 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 4:2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 4:3 The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4:4 But he answered, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" 4:5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 4:6 saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'" 4:7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 4:8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 4:9 and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." 4:10 Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'" 4:11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him. Saturday, February 29. 2020Saturday morning linksAmericans Are Avoiding Corona Beer Amid Coronavirus Outbreak, Survey Finds New England Journal of Medicine: Coronavirus Could Be No Worse than Flu Five Reasons You Don't Need to Panic About the COVID-19 Coronavirus How 5G promises to revolutionize farming Next After Nixing Heathrow Expansion: Forbidding New Roads Net Neutrality: LA Times Wants To Regulate Internet Like Any Other Utility National Education Association Pushes Transgendered Education in Elementary Schools HONG KONG: Two Months After Initial Reports of Coronavirus Only 93 Cases and 2 Deaths in Population of 8 Million in Hong Kong ‘NEW LEVEL OF SICKNESS’: Donald Trump Jr. Blasts Democrats For Hoping Coronavirus Crisis Hurts President The Democratic Party's Patriotism Deficit 1 in 10 Voters are Immigrants The Time-Warp Socialist - Bernie Sanders’s vision has been refuted by reality—and history. The Times was well aware when it published these statements that they were not true. Feds Back Off Jailing Michael Flynn After Stunning New Evidence That Gov't 'Lied' and 'Framed' Him Could We Really Be Facing Russia 2.0? TRUMP AGGRESSIVELY COURTING BLACK VOTES Deroy Murdock: Trump is helping black Americans make history in 2020 Massive Fire Breaks Out After Immigrant Protest Near Central Paris Train Station Saturday Verse - Robert Frost. "The life of muscles rocking soft..."Two Tramps in Mud Time Out of the mud two strangers came Good blocks of oak it was I split, The sun was warm but the wind was chill. A bluebird comes tenderly up to alight The water for which we may have to look The time when most I loved my task Out of the wood two hulking tramps Nothing on either side was said. But yield who will to their separation, Friday, February 28. 2020Salmon recipe du JourFriday morning linksReal Headline from The Crazy Years: "Doctors suspended for removing transgender man's vagina without consent" New Jersey Public Schools To Teach LGBT Ideology In Every Subject Criminalizing Dissent at UMass Amherst. 21-year-old Louis Shenker just wanted his MAGA hat back Evil College accused of ‘cultural appropriation’ after ‘mostly white’ choir sings black spirituals Idaho students demand Starbucks offer 'free' vegan milk that 'doesn't support animal abuse' It's not milk, dummies. It's just white gunk. Related, Across the country, rural communities want to secede from their states. Here's why. Americans outside of urban centers feel as though they have no voice. They want to reclaim their agency. Cuomo And The Urbanites Are Squeezing Rural New York To Death. We've reached an era where upstate counties are too emaciated to retain any meaningful representation in Albany. Shipping and virus fears The virus that challenged the world
Despite a hostile press, Trump's coronavirus press conference hit the right notes Biden, Bloomberg 'both wrong' about Trump cutting CDC, NIH funding, AP fact check says Pols lie. That is news? Thursday, February 27. 2020Thursday morning linksNGOs urge EU to tackle meat consumption 'problem' The irony behind decline of an elite liberal private school The Real Reason for Racial Achievement Gaps TRUMP DOJ WEIGHS IN AGAINST HARVARD’S DISCRIMINATION Washington Post Columnist Demands Journalists Abandon Neutrality In Trump Coverage O’Keefe Strikes Again! ‘Socialist’ ABC Reporter Admits Bosses Spike News Important to Voters, ‘Don’t Give Trump Credit’ Bloomberg Plans Massive Media Onslaught to Destroy Bernie Sanders Bloomberg catches himself from saying he "bought" House races in 2018 Bernie Sanders Hates America Brooklyn College Athletes Draw Ire For Kneeling During Israel’s National Anthem Wednesday, February 26. 2020Nikon P950Our pal in Colorado sends these: "The landscape shot shows my view from where I am standing. Look closely at a tree in the middle of the scene. Now look at the image with my lens zoomed way out into the tele range. Not bad, eh?"
Wednesday morning linksPhoto: Winter Croci in New England So it turns out tofu and all these other vegan foods are ruining the planet The Perverse Panic over Plastic - The campaign against disposable bags and other products is harming the planet and the public Why coronavirus will only be a bump in the road for the world economy Keeping Africa on the brink of starvation Justice Department: 45% of Blacks at Harvard Admitted Through Illegal Race Preferences NYT Editorial Board Member Blames TRUMP For NYC Water Main Breaking. President Trump Has Created an Economic Boom for Blacks In America Bernie Sanders: Fidel Castro Wasn’t So Bad… Democrats Have Already Conceded To Bernie VDH: Never Sanders? In 2020 if Sanders is the Democratic nominee, the NeverSanders movement will be far larger, far wealthier, far more influential—even as it is likely far quieter—than were the vociferous but anemic NeverTrumpers of 2016. WHY DID SANDERS CLING TO FAILING COMMUNIST REGIMES DECADES LONGER THAN OTHER LEFTISTS? Joe Biden Claims A Whopping 150 Million People Have Been Killed By Guns Since 2007 Biden in South Carolina: ‘I’m a Democratic Candidate for the United States Senate’ - “Look me over. If you like what you see, help out. If not, vote for the other Biden. Give me a look though, okay?” The Next Coup Against Trump Has Begun. As the intelligence agencies for all intents renew Operation Crossfire, it’ll take more than Richard Grenell to ward them off. Iran’s leadership rigs an election — and still loses How Israel saved many American lives in Vietnam About Palestinian textbooks Tuesday, February 25. 2020Tuesday HaydnTuesday morning linksAmerica Continues To Lead In Cutting Greenhouse Gas Emissions How Coronavirus Affects the Economy Diversity is a bore Colleges Give Up on Western Civilization If You Can't Articulate A Limiting Principle On Government Expansion, You Get Bernie Sanders CNN continues obsession about Trump’s eating habits, this time over food options in India More Than 100K Pack Massive Stadium to Welcome POTUS for 'Namaste Trump' Rally in India India Plays “Macho Man” by Village People Ahead of President Trump’s Rally at Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad in front of 125,000 That is funny FBI Official: Russia Wants to See Us 'Tear Ourselves Apart'
"I've Never Seen This Level of Doom:" Democrats In Outright "Panic Mode" The evidence doesn't back Democrats' panic that Bernie can't win 7 Reasons the Left's Hatred of Trump Is So Deep Canada: Laboratory for Democratic Socialism PMW report slams Palestinian Authority for using child soldiers. Does UNICEF confront the issue? The Fortunate Arabs in the Middle East Americans aren't as eager to retreat from the Middle East as politicians seem to think Really? Monday, February 24. 2020"If I had been a member of this club I’d still be married to both my ex-wives"Monday morning linksFossils discovered in the Sahara reveal catfish and tilapia swam in rivers 12,000 years ago but died off from over fishing and climate changes World-famous mine is a hidden geological marvel aglow with surreal display of fluorescence AI discovers antibiotic that kills even highly resistant bacteria How to thoroughly disinfect your airplane seat It's called OCD Coronavirus panic update School district scraps traditional ‘A-F’ grading system for kinder, gentler model Connecticut Students Arrested For Saying Things UConn students' arrest over racial slur prompts review of state's ridicule ban A Major Study That Fueled National Vape Panic Has Been Retracted Why Can't California Get People To Take Free Money? California Bill Would Require Occupational Licenses for Porn Actors, Strippers, Cam Girls Bay Area dissatisfaction: Rich, poor, young and old unhappy here. Poll: More residents now want to leave than stay Baltimore Democrats Don’t Want Larry Hogan To Rein In Gun Violence How far Left are journalists? “Hey Hey, Ho Ho, Austerity Has Got To Go” — Oberlin College students protest union staff layoffs How the 'Interpreter' Scam Brought 75,000 Iraqis and Afghans to America National security official discredits NYT report on Russia helping Trump in 2020 Let’s try listening to Bernie Sanders’ voters — they have legitimate gripes Really? Life is hard? Bernie Sanders: Illegal Immigrants Are “Entitled” To The Same Government Benefits As Citizens Bloomberg needs to go medieval on Bernie if he wants any chance of beating Trump Twitter is suspending 70 pro-Bloomberg accounts, citing ‘platform manipulation’ Just ordinary astroturf Bloomberg’s China Apologetics Should Disqualify Him About Trump hatred It is visceral Europe's New Academic Fascism Lessons From Palestinian Rule Over Bethlehem Sunday, February 23. 2020Winter stews: Beef BourguignonIt's been a few years since I made this thing, so we made some yesterday for practice before I begin to serve it to friends for supper. Planning a bunch of suppers before Spring. Tried my version out on my father-in-law. He likes food. If you asks him what restaurant he wants to go to tonight, he says one with food. But especially one with oysters, which is for tonight. I use Julia Child's recipe, but I modify it a bit. My modifications: 3x as much garlic, lots of thyme sprigs from the garden, 1/2 cup of Port or some sugar, and a small handful of dried porcinis. Also, to keep it simple, I just throw in a bag of frozen pearl onions for the last 30 minutes of cooking. I do brown the fresh mushrooms and throw them in the pot for the last 30 minutes. I don't use the oven at all, just 3 hrs simmering on the stove. Traditional ways to serve this is in a shallow bowl with french bread, or on a plate with (white) rice or roasted potatoes. (Tip for those who like rich, earthy sauces: You can buy dried porcinis online, much cheaper than at the store. I buy them by the pound, but it doesn't take many to provide the flavor. You use the water you soak them in, too.)
From today's Lectionary: We're all sinnersMatthew 5:21-37 Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell. “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. “Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.” Saturday, February 22. 2020Microwave roasted garlicDelicious when smeared on toast or crusty bread. Just scoop it out of the bulb and smear it on toast. It works best with those giant elephant garlics: Microwave roasted garlic.
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