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, February 26. 2021Friday morning linksRevising the Canon: How Andy Warhol Became the Most Important American Modern Artist I thought he was a con-man, but I wish I had bought some. High-speed rail update:
First They Came For Milo. The business model switched from a free exchange of ideas to a protection racket so fast we never even noticed. NY Times Opinion: School Closures Have Been An Epic Disaster For Children (And Democrats Are To Blame) With COVID vaccine rolling and cases receding, open up all classrooms! California board member compares reopening schools to 'White supremacist ideology' and 'slavery' The Atlantic: You have been vaccinated. It doesn't matter What??? Travel Restrictions Have No End In Sight As European Leaders Worry About New Variants Student was not victim of racism for 'eating while black' at $80k Smith College and made up details that ruined the lives of four campus workers and led to controversial anti-bias training that employee resigned over Cornell Daily Sun Interviews Professor William Jacobson Re Critical Race Training Database "You Have Permanently Changed Them": Rand Paul Grills HHS Nominee Rachel Divine Over Parental Consent For Trans Minors New California Bill Would Fine Retailers With Separate "Girls" & "Boys" Sections Psaki On Biden Keeping Migrant Kids In ‘Containers’ Versus ‘Cages’: ‘We Only Have A Couple Of Choices’ Trump's tax returns and related records turned over to Manhattan district attorney Trust me, they will find mistakes The U.S. Air Force Just Admitted The F-35 Stealth Fighter Has Failed Thursday, February 25. 2021Thursday Bob: Good soundThursday morning linksFauci: For The Good Of Society, You Can’t Dine Indoors Or Go To Theaters — Even After Being Vaccinated Very "scientific" Babylon Bee Nails Disney to the Wall on Their Woke Warning Label for "The Muppet Show" Ben Franklin’s Name Scrubbed From Tacoma City Park Democrats Send Insane Letter to Cable Carriers and Big Tech, Demanding a Ban on Conservative Media Tucker Carlson Strikes Gold, Triggers CNN Into Proving His Point After Segment on Disinformation “Systemic Racism,” “Equity,” and the End of Civil Rights Tucker Carlson's plan to end systemic racism and income inequality in America WSJ: The Equality Act Makes Women Unequal. H.R. 5 erases ‘sex’ as a legal category, with dire consequences. Why public employee unions don't serve the public's best interests Democrats’ cynical ‘Jan. 6’ politics: Goodwin As illegal border crossings surge, Psaki and media redefine 'kids in cages' as 'migrant facility for children' Pro-Family News Outlet Censored By Twitter for Stating Biden Admin Official’s Biological Sex Judge Blocks Enforcement of Biden’s Moratorium on Most Deportations Wednesday, February 24. 2021A Rara AvisWednesday morning linksThe most mentally tough people apply the 1% ‘marginal gains’ rule, says performance expert—here’s how it works Virtual 'Celebration of Life' Being Planned for Rush Limbaugh NYT: Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Poet Who Nurtured the Beats, Dies at 101 Fauci Is Not Your God DR. FAUCI’S BAFFLING ADVICE Smith College disputes Jodi Shaw exposé: Our “equity and inclusion training” has not created “a racially hostile environment for white people” Biden Energy Dept Allegedly Blocked Texas From Increasing Power Generation Because It Would Violate Green Energy Policy… NY Times Notices That All These Companies Proclaiming They’re Doing Something On ‘Climate Change’ Mostly Aren’t Interior Secretary Nominee Deb Haaland: ‘It’s Time To Stop All New Fossil Fuel Infrastructure In America’… New York, a Dying City in a Dying State Big Tech "Deplatforming" Becomes Ever More Audacious Julie Kelly: Feds Keep Claiming It Was an "Armed Insurrection." And They Keep Failing to Produce the Actual "Arms" Carried During It. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick’s Mother: ‘He Wasn’t Hit on the Head’ by Trump Supporter Ex-Clinton adviser Naomi Wolf warns US becoming 'totalitarian state before our eyes' under Biden Biden’s ‘Kids In Cages’ Moment: Carrizo Springs Facility Re-Opens Juan Williams: The GOP is a party without ideas How Does the West Factor in Africa's Problems? Trudeau Dithers as Canadian Parliament Recognizes Uyghur Genocide Tuesday, February 23. 2021Fred Astaire on drums
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Bird du Jour: White-Throated SparrowAlong with our Juncoes, a perky winter sparrow around here in the Northeast US. As weather warms up (not yet) they have a very sweet call before they depart to breed in the coniferous parts of Canada. A similar bird, the White-Crowned Sparrow, is rarely seen here because they migrate from their breeding gounds on the tundra to winter further south. They do not seem to stop by for a rest. Tuesday morning linksNYT: On Horseback Among the Eagle Hunters and Herders of the Mongolian Altai Solar panels in Sahara could boost renewable energy but damage the global climate – here’s why "Butterfly Effect". Quillette: Remembering Karl Popper Hypotheses must be falsifiable New Studies Suggest One COVID Vaccine Shot May Be Enough for Some Patients Why We Can’t Make Vaccine Doses Any Faster Malevolent Elf and Undercover Bug-Chaser Anthony Fauci: We May Be Returning to "Normality" by... 2022, and Even Then, "Normality" Will Vary By User Experience Despite Successful Vaccine Rollout, Jen Psaki Threatens 'Months and Months' of 'Sacrifice' and 'Suffering' Hey Jen - enough optimism? White People, Europeans Obsessed With Time, WA State Official Says White people (only white people) believe that "On time means 5 minutes late." Today’s blacklisted American: Amazon blacklists book for criticizing transgender movement Democrats take first steps to censor conservative TV channels OANN, Newsmax and Fox News The "Muppet Show" disclaimer "This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures." Mainly Scandinavians. I am 10% Scandinavian and I resent their stereotyping. In fact, it diminishes my sense of personhood... 90% White Man Disproves White Supremacy by Insisting He's Black and Qualifies for Affirmative Action After Democrats Destroyed the Restaurant Business in New York with Insane COVID Policies, Democrat Senator Schumer Is Pushing for $25B in Relief from the Federal Government Who does that $ come from? ANDREW CUOMO’S LEGAL WOES Biden AG Pick Merrick Garland: Far-Left Rioters Attacking Federal Courthouse Not Domestic Terrorism Because It’s At Night When Court Is Closed Yes, these idiots are "threatening the USA":
Merrick Garland Won’t Promise to Protect Durham Investigation What Durham investigation? Joe Biden brings America back to bad Obama days: Goodwin Ex-DHS Chief: ‘Far-Left’ Biden Immigration Bill Signals To Traffickers ‘It’s Okay To Come,’ ‘Extreme Incentive’ For Future Illegal Immigration Duh. Can we focus on Legal Immigration? How the GOP can win back Congress
Our Eagles are backFrom a friend in CT yesterday. Although they prefer seafood, probably dining on seagulls and ducks right now. They are laying their eggs in CT now.
Monday, February 22. 2021Easing into two powerlifts
To ease into, or back into, barbell squats, try sets of box squats. To make them tougher, hold a heavy ball or dumbell instead of a barbell.
Monday morning linksIs blue a color? 1st clone of US endangered species, a ferret, announced Columbia professor: I do heroin regularly for ‘work-life balance’ The Boundless Arrogance of Bill Gates Pathetic NYC Mayor Shuts Down Skating Rinks To Punish Trump Organization We Have Another Fauci Reversal...This Time on the COVID Vaccine Entire California School Board Resigns After Mocking Parents For Wanting Schools Open Gone Crazy - A New York City public school principal calls on white parents to “subvert white authority.” Majority Of Americans Believe Increased Government Power Means Less Individual Freedom, New Poll Finds Why would Texas have prepared for record cold and snow if they listened to the media and other global warming fanatics the last forty years? YouTube Takes Down New Trump Interview It Only Gets Worse For New York In The Competition With Florida Rattled Andrew Cuomo Rants About Nursing Home Scandal ‘Lies,’ Won’t Take Responsibility Um, what is he paid to do? Joe Biden Ends Trump Program that Targeted Sex Offenders in the US Illegally Sunday, February 21. 2021HopkinsOur friend Gerard is as much of a fan of Hopkins as I am. At The Great Books, 30 minutes about Gerard Manley Hopins' work and life. None of this RC priest's work was published during his short life.
Back to church at Lent
2/3rds of my kids got to their churches today too. The traditional Lenten hymn. Brings tears.
Not from today's lectionaryVia AVI's "Hard Words" - Matthew 10: 10 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. 9 “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— 10 no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24 “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! 26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.[b] 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. 34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—36, a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ 37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. 40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” Saturday, February 20. 2021A brief education in Italian food for college credit, reposted Pic is a Northern Italian classic: Veal Tonnato When I grew up, "Italian food" meant various forms of wheat (no egg) pasta with red glop on top, and maybe meatballs or eggplant. That, plus pizza and Italian grinders. Also, Lasagna I guess, made from an American cookbook. They don't make grinders in Italy, and their pizzas aren't any good in my view. (I gave up on them. American wood-cooked pizzas can be pretty good, though. Crust has to be half-burnt.) This was because most of the Italian immigrants to America were from a poor southern Italy with Neapolitan food traditions. To tell the truth, I do not care too much for that stuff but I am willing to eat it if I am starving. I do like a good Pasta Fagiole but I can make the best one you have ever had, and I will have a Bolognese on Tagliatelle. Call me a food snob. Our best Italian meals have been in Umbria, which is where Romans take dining expeditions by the busload - so they can drink and gorge on wild pig, and get a ride home. No good Italian food tastes wonderful without wine. If you're on the wagon, it's not so wonderful unless it includes truffles or Balsamic. They do not use much wine in their cooking because you are supposed to be sipping it as you eat. Wine is expected to be an accompaniment, blending in your mouth. I had a fine Lasagna in Verona for lunch, in a sidewalk cafe near the Arena. No red sauce, heavy on the nutmeg which makes sense, given the history of being part of the Venetian Empire for a while. One Italian dish I really wanted to try in Italy was Vitello Tonnato - Veal with Tuna Sauce. Mrs. BD makes an excellent version, but somehow we missed it on our last trip. Also wanted to try their Chicken Liver with Balsamic, but missed that too. That's OK - food isn't everything - and we know some great Italian restaurants in NYC. Italian Food Regional Cooking: Southern Italy Italian Food Regional Cooking: Central Italy Italian Food Regional Cooking: NorthWest Italy Italian Food Regional Cooking: NorthEast Italy Italian Food Regional Cooking: Sicily and Sardinia Northern Italians eat very well, but are mostly skinny. It's the walking and the minimal pasta that does it. Low carbs.
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Saturday morning linksMartin Luther Rewired Your Brain. How mass literacy, spurred by Protestantism, reconfigured our neural pathways Americans' Lust To 'Cancel' One Another Should Spark Soul Searching Wrongthink at Smith College Baylor students want to remove statue of...Baylor? Facebook's Ban on News in Australia Is Waking People Up Forget About Ted Cruz, Governor Cuomo Killed People… Media Begins Noticing Cuomo’s Toxic Culture … When Aimed At Dems Johns Hopkins Prof Sees US Herd Immunity By April, Fauci Fearmongers 2022 For 'Return To Normality' The Pandemic Is Over. 2020 was the year of government overreach. Make 2021 the year of organized civil disobedience and friendly reunions CNN: Biden ‘Torn’ On Schools Because Of Powerful Democrat Special Interest Groups…Stating the obvious. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Proposes New Election Integrity Measures – Wants To Ban Mail-In Voting Biden’s Executive Order on Gender Discrimination Has Muddied Waters on Title IX. Challenges Could Clear That Up. UK Court Essentially Shuts Down Uber, Lyft Dogs and politics Our Dire Future Under Biden Saturday Verse: Dylan ThomasWritten as prose, A Child's Christmas in Wales might as well be verse. It begins thus:
The whole piece can be read here but, better yet, you can stream Thomas reading it here. (19 minutes) Friday, February 19. 2021CoolDropping a beach buggy on Mars yesterday. Where's the beach?
Only 82
I remember doing that, back before I concluded that road-running was a bad idea. It truly is more fun to run in weather. So he is 82 and out running, and I am much younger and doing HIIT on a stupid treadmill. The "Chef's Knife"Serious chefs travel with a packet of their personal knives, but the all-purpose knife is the Chef's Knife, aka Cook's Knife. My chef friend only uses Gunter Wilhelm knives, but chefs are cooking all day. I guess the high-carbon, high-maintenance ones are the best, but whatever. I like the ones with a curved blade so you can rock it when chopping garlic, parsley, etc. Maybe you only need two knives: a bread knife and a chef's knife. You can sometimes find used high-carbon chef's knives on eBay.
Friday morning linksTexas: Time To Get Rid Of This Ridiculous Wind Power Texas Power Crisis Puts Keystone XL Cancelation in Perspective “If They Can Harass and Silence a Professional Journalist, They Can Silence Anybody” – Twitter Bans Top Conservative Investigative Journalist Paul Sperry Without Warning Australia took a stand against Facebook — and got silenced Biden Got Vaccine Dose in Dec, Now Claims There Was No Vaccine When He Took Office The Evidence Is Clear: We Can Open Schools Safely Now City Of Chicago Reviewing ‘Potentially Offensive’ Statues Including Those Of Lincoln And Washington The Greatest National Security Threat by Any Analysis is China. China Emits About 30% of Global GHGs, Twice US Emissions Thursday, February 18. 2021Thursday morning linksThe Curious Warnings of Kipling’s ‘Copybook Headings’ The Intellectuals' Assault on Intelligence Slate Star Codex and the Gray Lady’s Decay. The New York Times hit piece on a heterodox blogger is a bad stumble — the latest of many Why did The NYT even bother with this guy? Hotcold Take: All The Winter Storm Power Outages Are Linked To ‘Climate Change’ Did Frozen Wind Turbines Impact the Texas Freeze? Here's the Data The False and Exaggerated Claims Still Being Spread About the Capitol Riot - Insisting on factual accuracy does not make one an apologist for the protesters. False reporting is never justified, especially to inflate threat and fear levels. Everything They Don't Like Is Now A Public Health Emergency Harris: We’re Following The Science On School Reopenings Except When Teachers Unions Reject It, Or Something I’m an epidemiologist and a father. Here’s why I’m losing patience with our teachers’ unions. Lori Lightfoot talks truth on teacher-union entitlement How Rush Limbaugh rescued me from liberalism, By Dex Bahr Eating Biden’s Lunch, From the man who said China is not our competition. Joe Biden Excuses the Uyghur Genocide as ‘Just a Chinese Cultural Norm,’ Spreading CCP Propaganda Wednesday, February 17. 2021What's up with art museums?
According to the article below, Manet was the first artist to aspire to have his work placed in a museum. In my view, there are a few of his I'd enjoy as our living room decor but we are out of wall space anyway... POINT OF NO RETURN - Alex Kitnick on the discontent with museums I am ambivalent about art and cultural museums. You get to walk around in a strange reverent hush and look at pictures that you could never afford to hang in your living room. What is the greatest art museum in the world? By all accounts, NYC's Metropolitan Museum. Lots of other wonderful ones (I've been to most of 'em) around the western world to visit, but the Met's scope and abundance is overarching. As you know, my limit is one hour just to see a show or a few things I want to look at. Otherwise I get "museum brain". I had some excellent art history classes in high school and college, not to mention books and the good things from Great Courses. Still, a semi-illiterate with Fine Art. I like to look at all of it, cool pictures. Addendum: Re the Met, I wish they would show a mock-up of the Greek guys - the ones with their penises broken off - with the original Greek paint on them. These were not made as "art". More like Tussaud's or Disney. Wish I knew whether Michelangelo knew that the Greek stuff had been realistically painted.
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Wednesday morning linksMan Asks That You Respect His Preferred Adjectives We Didn’t Start the Fire. How much blame do the baby boomers deserve? “We are in our 50s and have no real retirement savings. What do we do now?” I suggest continuing to work Maryland Teachers’ Unions Still Not Accepting The Offer They Asked For Some Fairfax Students Go Back to School 2 Days a Week, Wear Masks, Sit 6 Feet Apart While Their Teachers Stay Home. Is this really what reopening looks like? CDC Admits It Based School Guidelines on Teacher Input and Stakeholders. Stakeholders, in other words, lobbying groups. Lobbying groups over parents and students. Good things about modern farming methods The Compound Fractures of Identity Politics - Characterizing people by skin color or sexual practice violates core principles of a free society and worsens human divisions. The Grand Illusion (of fair elections) New Comey Email Raises Additional Questions About His Use and Defense of The Steele Dossier. There is a new and intriguing document related to the Russian investigation out this week. Conspiracies everywhere Venezuela Turns to Privatization After Being Bankrupted by Socialism Baby steps Tuesday, February 16. 2021Tuesday morning linksBill Gates Goes Full Captain Planet, Wants To Change 'Every Aspect Of Economy' While We Dine On Fake Meat Snow Takes Down Green Energy Wind Turbines and Solar Panels In US and the World Get Ready for COVID-19 Variants Panic Porn Perma Mandates How The Legacy Media Convinced Americans That Andrew Cuomo Was A Hero Why Did the Pandemic Drive People to Purchase Tons of Toilet Paper? Glenn Loury: Unspeakable Truths about Racial Inequality in America NYC Public High School Calls for White Abolitionists Asylum Seekers Stage Hunger Strike over Quality of Free Hotel Food They Can't Quit Him: Democrats Have a New Plan for How to 'Get' Trump
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