We 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.
Friends send us this pic from this rainy week in Paris. I just wonder whether they got themselves a personal shopper at Hermes. That's what the gentry do, isn't it?
Try it again, Icarus - it will work this time. Obama today basically says "Never mind. Keep your old plan for one year until after the election next fall, then we go back to now."
Insurers have spent two years revising their plans to meet Obamacare legal requirements, erasing their old plans and creating new ones with new pricing and new, expanded coverages (in many cases) and new deductibles. Not to mention 20,000 pages of government regulations to try to understand. Thus we had, today, yet another phony false promise which, as I understand it, is not even consistent with the law even if it could be done.
You break it, you own it.
Our government moral and intellectual superiors have done it once again. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, but hubris exists as does Nemesis, even today. Good Lord, save us from others with good intentions towards us.
We at Maggie's HQ are lucky. Our very cheap $10,000 deductible family policy didn't change at all, so "we can keep it." "Allowed" to keep it? Well, thanks, geniuses. I bought that, my choice. Our IQ is over 100 (if you add Mrs. BD's IQ in there), so we aren't stupid. Am I allowed to keep my car too? Or is it "substandard"? It gets me to Dunkin' Donuts every morning at 4:45 so it's good enough for me.
Yes, it's a bit over the top but there are a lot of people out there who know their Bob lines better than they know Scripture. On the other hand, I know people who know their Billy Joel lines better than Scripture.
This is pretty good, I think, and from the soul. What are the images?
For years we’ve been told that Democrats were more “reality-based,” that “facts have a liberal bias,” in the words of Paul Krugman, and that if they could just have their way, they could fix all of our problems. No one represented this arrogant promise more than Barack Obama himself. But, with an irony so rich it would be made of Corinthian leather if it was a car seat, the only way he could get his signature legislation passed was to baldly and brazenly lie about it, over and over and over again. He created a rhetorical cloud castle where no one would lose his insurance, every family would save thousands of dollars, and millions of the uninsured would suddenly get coverage. Anyone who doubted this was called a fool or a liar, or even a racist. It was, in the parlance of liberalism, a “false choice” to assert that Obamacare couldn’t be a floor wax and a dessert topping.
And all of this — every bit of it — is their own fault.
What war on teachers? If a war is needed, it's a war on a sick culture, because a few more large-screen TVs won't do much for kids' education. There is nothing about relative poverty that interferes with self-improvement. In fact, it encourages and motivates it.
We're #120 on the list this time, even though I will insist that we are a Centrist/Libertarian, traditionalist, common-sensical, average-IQ/middlebrow and New England-flavored website, and not a politically Conservative website.
Quibbles aside, we'd like to rise above #120. Our readers can do that for us, by letting their friends, neighbors, relatives, enemies, colleagues, and websites know that we exist. I think we're an interesting and sometimes provocative site that almost anybody can enjoy and, sometimes, learn from. We do enjoy producing it for our readers, and for our own fun as a hobby.
With that said, onward to this morning's diverting link dump:
It could be a Maggie's theme song. I thought the lines that followed were "I love the girls and the girls love me." My Mom used to sing it as "I like the boys and the boys like me."
A thank-you to all American vets, living and dead, from the potato-peelers to the Generals, for their service.
Photo of one vet (discovered while cleaning out my parents' house this fall) is my recently-deceased Dad (died in July), with me as a young lad. 2nd Lieut. He was a US Army Vet of WW2 and of Korea, drafted out of Harvard College after 1 1/2 years and never went back but, after the wars, had a distinguished career as a Prof at Yale. Dad learned to hate war and military aggression with a passion after seeing so many fine youth ripped apart for no good reason (in his view). As far as I could tell, he built exactly the life he wanted.
Yes, you are right! Let's elect Hillary, because it's time! Time we elected someone who has -- a vagina! Can you think of a better reason to elect someone? Other than skin pigment, I mean.
My chef friend recommends trying Sweet Chili. I've only made hot chili in the past, and I like to make it with chunks of chuck, and no beans.
With a relative here recovering from orthopedic surgery, I'm trying Sweet Chili tonight. Something like this, with its interesting combination of ingredients: The Best Chili You Will Ever Taste. Chef also advises using Pink Beans - Rosadas - not kidney beans for Chili. Also says canned beans are at least as good as soaking dried beans. Says no good chef would bother soaking beans.
I'll serve it with some rice if wanted, but I think chips are the right thing. Or maybe I'll make some cornbread. Yeah, that's what I will do.
The fun thing about Chili for me is a choice of toppings: Scallions, chopped red onion, grated cheese, chopped pepper or chopped Halapenos, sour cream, etc.
I use a Slow-Cooker, aka crock pot, for these sorts of things so as not to be chained to the kitchen. Slow Cooker never burns things, and you can go do things for 6 hours. Mine has a timer, too.
The good Balsamic Vinegar comes from Modena (home of Ferrari, Maserati, and Lamborghini), where they have been making it for a thousand years. I have some days when I hunger for some Balsamic.
It's called "balsamic" because it was thought to be a good balsam, or balm, for pain and disease. Our North American Balsam Fir was thought to be good for diseases too, hence its name. The Romans viewed vinegar as a balm and a medicine - hence the Roman soldier kindly offering Jesus vinegar on the cross.
They make it from boiled-down Trebbiano grape juice. Balsamic Vinegar is not a wine vinegar.
The aging process seems to be key. As the volume shrinks over time and the vinegar becomes more syrupy, it is moved into smaller and smaller wood casks made of different woods until ready. Juniper is the final cask. 15 and 25 year-old Italian Balsamic Vinegars are readily available, and there are 100 year-old ones. The 15 year-old one in the photo is $70/bottle. Unlike a bottle of wine of that price, however, you only have to use a few drops at a time.
Northern Italians would never touch our supermarket stuff, nor would any really good American restaurant. However, the available quality is getting better and better. Costco has pretty good balsamic for salad use.
The old story Marcella Hazan relates is about the old Northern Italian guy who ran down to the cellar when the Americans began bombing. Then he remembered, and ran up to the room where his precious small casks of very old Balsamic were stored and rushed them down to the cellar. Then he realized that he had forgotten one more thing: His wife.
Ever tried a good Balsamic on strawberries? It's a classic Italian dessert. It's equally good on fresh fig halves with a touch of honey or sugar. Just make sure you use the good stuff.
Australia
snubs global climate talks, as Greg Hunt stays home to repeal carbon
tax
- See more at:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/policy/australia-snubs-global-climate-talks-as-greg-hunt-stays-home-to-repeal-carbon-tax/story-e6frg6xf-1226754823154#sthash.sPLMCFKF.dpuf
Australia
snubs global climate talks, as Greg Hunt stays home to repeal carbon
tax
- See more at:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/policy/australia-snubs-global-climate-talks-as-greg-hunt-stays-home-to-repeal-carbon-tax/story-e6frg6xf-1226754823154#sthash.sPLMCFKF.dpuf
You know how this is: if I look at the crystal moon, at the red branch of the slow autumn at my window, if I touch near the fire the impalpable ash or the wrinkled body of the log, everything carries me to you, as if everything that exists, aromas, light, metals, were little boats that sail toward those isles of yours that wait for me.
Well, now, if little by little you stop loving me I shall stop loving you little by little.
If suddenly you forget me do not look for me, for I shall already have forgotten you.
If you think it long and mad, the wind of banners that passes through my life, and you decide to leave me at the shore of the heart where I have roots, remember that on that day, at that hour, I shall lift my arms and my roots will set off to seek another land.
But if each day, each hour, you feel that you are destined for me with implacable sweetness, if each day a flower climbs up to your lips to seek me, ah my love, ah my own, in me all that fire is repeated, in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten, my love feeds on your love, beloved, and as long as you live it will be in your arms without leaving mine
" If you want to provide public services to a lot of poor people, you need a lot of rich people to pay taxes. And if you provide such services, immigrants will pour in, and the most diligent and cleverest of them will fight for the available spots in the best schools. We’re seeing the fruits of New York’s success every day. There’s nothing wrong with New York that a million Asian immigrants wouldn’t fix really fast."
Hunting Woodcock, which we usually do in conjunction with hunting Ruffed Grouse, is an interesting and challenging sport. They tend to fly in a spiral, and many of us have a moment of remorse when we take one of these lovely little tasty birds from the dog.
The dog is needed not so much to flush them or point them as to find them when shot. Their camo is perfect.
Always make a sauce for them by sauteeing all of their innards and guts in butter and shallots, and shmooshing them up with a fork with a little brandy and pepper. There's no mess in there, because they conveniently flush out their GI track when they flush.
Readers know that the best Woodcock recipe is Woodcock Ravioli in a splash of gibier sauce and shaved black truffle on top.
Kennedy’s murder was a national tragedy, to be sure, but an
honest assessment of his record shows that our lawless and reckless
35th president was anything but a national treasure.
AKA "Boom-de re". Probably an 1890s whorehouse song, later a music hall tune. (Various lyrics at that link.) Here's Mary Martin around 1943 (a decade after giving birth to Larry Hagman):
It's rare to see anyone under 30 with a camera anymore. The usefulness and use of cell phone cameras is growing to the point that there are now cell phone photo contests. I still like my point and shoot and my Canon SX50, but never have one with me when I need it. Also, I rarely carry my cell phone: nobody has my number.
A reader sends in this pic from a "TMobile $99 Nokia 521 no contract smartphone w 4 " screen."
Amazon's Greatest Weapon: 
Try it again, Icarus - it will work this time. Obama today basically says "Never mind. Keep your old plan for one year until after the election next fall, then we go back to now."
4 World Trade Center opens 
We're 
A thank-you to all American vets, living and dead, from the potato-peelers to the Generals, for their service.
The good Balsamic Vinegar comes from 
A reader sent that pic of his pup Dexter retrieving a Woodcock. Many dogs will not pick up a Woodcock - something about their odor.
