Maggie's Farm

Some people are going stark raving mad over politics. Examples:

Stark raving mad: Powerline. Holy Mackeral, what a putz.

Andrew Sullivan goes over the edge. Not the first time.

Obama on Barack the bomb thrower. Why remind us of your buddy Ayers?

Noted commentator Matt Damon. Who is this guy?

Roger Ebert, unhinged. Good grief.

Dem leaders attack Palin for not having abortions. Maybe they wish they had been aborted.

Obama updates the Sermon on the Mount. Hey, why not? It's obsolete, like the Constitution and all that old-fashioned stuff.

Biden: "I wasn't the best choice." Honest, for once.

A faux-feminist's primal scream. They do hate happy women.

Gerry Vanderleun's notes from 9-11, as he watched it unfold from Brooklyn Heights. Monet:

Vanderleun's American Digest is one of our favorite and most-admired websites. Thus sibling rivalry drives us to try to make him insane, permanently if possible. He apparently is neither a fan of the outer Cape nor of the t-shirt, kite, and beach towel stores along Route 6 - which is his loss. This t-shirt image might do the job, for good (sorry, it's soiled from farm chores and kinda stinky):

How do societies do it, and how come some don't? The Culture of Prosperity

Over the transom:

Planning for the fall football season in the South is radically different from up North. For those who are planning a football trip south, here are some helpful hints.

Women's Accessories:

NORTH: Chap Stick in back pocket and a $20 bill in the front pocket.

SOUTH: Louis Vuitton duffel with two lipsticks, waterproof mascara, and

a fifth of bourbon. Money not necessary - that's what dates are for.

Stadium Size:

NORTH: College football stadiums hold 20,000 people.

SOUTH: High school football stadiums hold 20,000 people.

Fathers:

NORTH: Expect their daughters to understand Sylvia Plath.

SOUTH: Expect their daughters to understand pass interference.

Campus Decor:

NORTH: Statues of founding fathers.

SOUTH: Statues of Heisman trophy winners.

How is that for a deer stand? Whole photo essay here.

If you push the stick forward, the houses get bigger, if you pull the stick back they get smaller.

Flying is not dangerous; crashing is dangerous.

If something hasn't broken on your helicopter, it's about to.

I want to die like my grandfather did, peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming in terror like his passengers.

Flying at night is the same as flying in the day, except you can't see.

I had a fighter pilot’s breakfast - two aspirin, a cup of coffee and a puke.

The three best things in life are a good landing, a good orgasm, and a good shit. A night carrier landing is one of the few opportunities to experience all three at the same time.

Lots more here.

Went to see a preview of the new production of The Tempest at the Classic Stage Company on E. 13th st. in NYC yesterday, with the great Mandy Patinkin. We like the 41 year-old CSC so much that we have become supporters, and it's always good to see Mandy. However much presence he has, he had a little trouble bringing the sorcerer Prospero to life, in my humble opinion. Ariel is perfect.

 Here's the firehouse down the street. My crappy camera cannot pick up that the image painted on the door is a flaming WTC with an eagle, or that the banner above welcomes a member of the station home from his tour in Afghanistan. Way past time for a new mini-camera.

Had some of this last weekend.

Tastiest wine I've had in quite a while, and excellent for the price - but I am not good with wine jargon. Oregon's Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot, 2007.

Too young to drink? That's a matter of taste. I am old enough to drink and that's what counts.

Will Wilkinson directed us to a piece of poli-sci research titled Rich State, Poor State, Red State, Blue state. What's the matter with Connecticut?

They are asking why wealthier states tend to vote Dem, and vice versa. In wealthy states (CT is the wealthiest in the US), income has no correlation with voting patterns. An interesting piece of work.

Fun with metaphysics. It's always easy to forget that "no absolutes" is an absolute itself. Dr. Bob.

This church was built around 1860 after the previous one burned down. It sits on top of a hill overlooking the harbor, and rings ship's bells instead of landlubber time. As you can maybe see, the pews are all curved so as to face the front.

The stained glass, relatively unusual for a Congo church, depict nautical scenes from the Bible. One of them depicts the Mayflower.

Where did that famous list of sins come from?

Wiki has the info about them. After all these years, it's still a good list. Pride, of course, is the mother of all sin because it puts self and worldly interests above God.

A reader sent this in as a suggestion in response to my search for a new grill-smoker:

We'll Go No More A'roving

So, we'll go no more a roving
    So late into the night,
Though the heart be still as loving,
    And the moon be still as bright.

For the sword outwears its sheath,
    And the soul wears out the breast,
And the heart must pause to breathe,
    And love itself have rest.

Though the night was made for loving,
    And the day returns too soon,
Yet we'll go no more a roving
    By the light of the moon.

If I’d had a crystal ball a few years ago, I might have asked a few more questions when Sarah decided to join the PTA. It wouldn’t have mattered, though; when my wife starts talking about reform, corruption and making government work for the people, it’s just best to get out of the way.

Todd Palin, Sept. 4, 2008

I’ve been an imperfect servant of my country for many years. But I have been her servant first, last and always. And I’ve never lived a day, in good times or bad, that I didn’t thank God for the privilege.

John McCain, Sept 4, 2008

I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else's. I loved it not just for the many comforts of life here. I loved it for its decency; for its faith in the wisdom, justice and goodness of its people. I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for. I was never the same again. I wasn't my own man anymore. I was my country's.

John McCain, Sept 4, 2008

VDH: Target Palin

Roger Kimball: The Kael Syndrome

Andrew McCarthy on Palin

Are all bird-watchers filthy perverts?

Photo: Skinny-dipping male Wood Duck as observed through a sneaky telephoto lens.

It's on sale here.

If readers have any better ideas (where the shipping wouldn't be $1000), let me know.

Did I tell the story here about how the squirrels chewed through the propane hose on my old grill during the winter, and the unfortunate result when I opened the valve and tried to light the grill? Needless to say, that is an ex-grill.

From 1964, Sylvie Vartan, Petula Clark, and Francoise Hardy do a medley of hits. How ya like that 60s production style? Best: Francoise at 2:20 on the tape singing a bit of Je n'Attends Plus Personne. Pop gets no better than that: