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.
The argument is fair enough, but the question is who gets to decide what is made public? The press? People are obviously interested in what "leaders" and celebs do in their spare time.
France's culture, the article says, writes off a lot of behavior that would be considered in the Anglo-American world to be borderline menacing and assaulting -- not rape, but the knocking on that door -- as some kind of boys-will-be-boys seduction.
Obama came to Boston in March to rub elbows with wealthy businessmen -- whose businesses have benefitted from his policies. For the pleasure of face time with the President, these businessmen contributed to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, anywhere from a few hundred dollars to more than $30,000.
Catfish Noodling (h/t, Wizbang). Gotta love these crazy guys, pulling these delicious Channel Catfish out of their holes in the mud. What a great country!
I picked the right week to go to the nursery. Planted and transplanted mostly at the direction of Mrs. BD last week, and we have had rain ever since. The daily steady cool rain simplifies my life.
At the risk of sounding like a Twitter post, I added some roses, moved a bunch of Hostas around, planted some perennial Salvia, threw out some excess plants, - and I did get my tomatoes in too. A few, anyway.
You show me a Christian who is antisemitic. I'll show you a Christian who is clueless about his faith.
This is fascinating. She is humorous, too - and just a teensy bit provocative. Yes, she burns the Koran too. What do I think about it?. As we say up here in Yankeeland, "She's a piece of work."
First, what exactly is race today in America in which intermarriage and immigration have increasingly made it — and its ugly twin racial purity — often irrelevant? We are no longer a country largely 85-90% “white” and 10-12% “black,” but something almost hard to categorize in racial terms. Do university admission officers adopt the 1/16, one-drop racial rule of the old Confederacy? Does being one fourth African-American qualify one for consideration; three-fourths Japanese; half Mexican-American? Does a simple surname add — and often by intent — authenticity and credulity? The son of Linda Hernandez and Jason Smith — a Bobby Smith — is not considered, without genealogical investigation, Hispanic, but the son of Linda Smith and Jason Hernandez — a Roberto Hernandez of equal 50/50 ancestry — is almost instantly? If so, is race a state of mind and personal choice more than circumstances of birth? What exactly is white and what a minority — a dark-skinned Armenian-American is the former, a light-skinned Colombian American is the latter? A dark Sicilian-American is white, Barack Obama is black?
A friend recommended a book, The Lords of Poverty (1998). A quote from an Amazon reviewer:
Hancock's writing style here may be a sustained rant, but it nevertheless provides a great deal of useful information and tears down many of the misconceptions most Americans or Europeans may have about the international aid industry. Particularly interesting is his criticism of the various UN agencies and, especially, the World Bank and the IMF - whose projects all too often do more harm than good (if they do any good at all). Perhaps the most disturbing aspect exposed in this book is still quite valid today: that taxpayers in the big donor countries like the U.S., Germany, Japan, the U.K. etc. are footing the bill for many disastrous projects worldwide that make the lives of impoverished populations even worse and often destroy in the environment in the process. "Lords of Poverty" may be dated, but it's still well worth the read.
The EU was a giant mistake, an attempt to create a bureaucratic empire like the European empires of old.There will be rebellion, destructive immigration, dissolution, etc.No wars. though.
Near-holy perfection for a dear pal who died a week or so ago. We expect our friends to stick around forever, but they do not. I have been losing too many, lately.
A sweet and gentle fellow, a true gentleman, who always would lend a hand despite his many life struggles and sorrows. Devoted to doing for others, and never doing enough for himself. A true humble child of God, and everybody who knew him could see that in him and loved him for it. He touched many people with his gentleness and relentless generosity of spirit. His warmth and humility came from God, I believe.
Too young. I'll smoke a good ceegar for ya, dear friend, and raise of glass of semi-decent Cabernet for ya as I know you would like me to do, and as we have done many times in the past.
He would appreciate this tune. If heaven has internet, Bob will hear this. I hope so.
"Today," the president continued in his speech, " there are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants here in the United States. Some crossed the border illegally. Others avoid immigration laws by overstaying their visas. Regardless of how they came, the overwhelming majority of these folks are just trying to earn a living and provide for their families."
Yo, Barack, my man, I'm just trying to make a living and provide for my family. So are millions of other Americans, those who were actually born here and others who immigrated here legally.
Since you seem so willing to cut illegal immigrants some slack when they break the law, how about cutting those of us who aren't illegal immigrants some slack when we break the law too?
Rail is great in the right place, for the right purpose. Such places are rare in the US but, in the Boston - DC corridor, rail is good. Still subsidized, but heavily used - and all those cars could not fit onto the NYC roads.
Photo: The Striped Bass on the steeple of the Cuttyhunk Church. I am due another visit to good old Cuttyhunk.I am due another visit to Monhegan Island, too.Such a big, wonderful earth, and so little time to see and do everything...which reminds me of a story. A year or two ago, my energetic and ambitious Wall St. daughter got into some jolly verbal jousting with her boss.He challenged her to sky-dive. She did, and has the vid to prove it.She is doing well at work, and having great fun with it.
My kids are also gonna see these guys next weeK - Toots and the Maytals - another favorite of some Maggie's readers. These guys were doing ska in the early 60s, before reggae was invented -
It's tough on these folks, but they know they live on a flood plain, and know it will happen once in a while despite the levees which attempt to tame the untameable and mighty Father of Waters.That Mississippi silt from flooding is the reason they have such great farmland.
My dear American friends, you cannot imagine how we envy your First Amendment. The day when America
follows the example of Europe and Canada and introduces so-called “hate
speech crimes” which is only used to punish people who are critical of
islam, that day America will have lost its freedom.
The world is charged with the grandeur of God. It will flame out, like shining from shook foil; It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod? Generations have trod, have trod, have trod; And all is seared with trade; Bleared, smeared with toil; And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.
And for all this, nature is never spent; There lives the dearest freshness deep down things; And though the last lights off the black West went Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs — Because the Holy Ghost over the bent World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.
Once upon a time, a Prince asked a beautiful Princess... "Will you marry me?"
The Princess said "NO!"
And the Prince lived happily ever after, and rode motorcycles, and went fishing and hunting, and played golf, and dated women half his age, and smoked cigars, and drank beer and Scotch, and had loads of money in the bank, and left the toilet seat up.
Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day.
Update on Prof 
In s
"Dr. Lastname" is, for me, the Dear Abby of the internet. Here's why you do not tell the truth, at work: 
All the kids in England 
Photo and link via
Insty:
God's Grandeur (1877)