Maggie's Farm

Mickey Mouse murdered in Gaza

Supply and demand. Cocaine prices, around the world.

Podhoretz on the End of Dubya. NY Post. "Something got broken on Election Night 2004." Indeed. Bush's real error was not to ask me for advice. Getting out of touch with regular people is a Washington disease. Arrogance is another.

Juries in criminal trials get it wrong one out of eight times. Science Daily

Andy gets something right. Kill "Big Pharma," and you kill the world's source of medical innovation.

Bloomberg's plans. Does anybody care? The NY Sun does, a little. Ego-tripping is a NYC tradition.

How business should manage talent: Make sure you have none working for you. Stumbling. 

Equal v. Splenda. There was a chemical trial, and a settlement. American Scientist. I ask "Who would eat that crap?"

Michael Moore likes Cuban medical care. Do you?

Do you really know how to tie your shoelaces? I realized that I did not. (h/t, Dr. Bob)

Why hate WalMart? The more good they do, the more the Left hates them. Why? Government is supposed to do it. Businesses are supposted to be greedy heartless pigs, and The State is in the role of Great Benefactor. That's the narrative.

A knowledgeable take on the school integration case. Powerline. Many subtleties here. Jon Swift approaches it from the Brown v. Board of Education angle. Very interesting to consider how the intent of Brown has been distorted.

Paul Krugman asks a very tough question. Worstall answers in simple terms.

Conservative global warming sellout? Malloy of Junk Science. Speaking of global warming, it causes Moslems to rape blonds. Who knew? Also, a nice take-down of Al Gore's "science" at American Thinker. Fortunately, most Americans remain skeptics about the hysteria.

Photo: another one from Beaver Creek last week.

"War is not the answer." Pacifism and pacifists - I agree with every word Neoneo wrote.

More details on the school integration decision, at SCOTUSblog

Demographics of illegal immigration: With declining birth rates in Mexico, will it solve itself? Maybe, but not fast enough. (h/t, Flares)

Are there any Mexican police who are not corrupt? TigerHawk

Pelosi reminds the Left that she is on their side. A reader tells us (I have not confirmed) that the multi-multi millionaire is a member of The Democratic Socialists of America, whose mission statement says, in part:

We are socialists because we reject an international economic order sustained by private profit, alienated labor, race and gender discrimination, environmental destruction, and brutality and violence in defense of the status quo.

We are socialists because we share a vision of a humane international social order based both on democratic planning and market mechanisms to achieve equitable distribution of resources, meaningful work, a healthy environment, sustainable growth, gender and racial equality, and non-oppressive relationships.

Dean Barnett on the Immigration Bill. A quote from his piece:

I’ve admired this president for a long time, but I’ve reached a point where I’ve had it up to here (my hand is at my forehead) with this administration’s chronic obtuseness and arrogance. The top priority right now for the administration should be the war. And yet the president spent what little political capital he had trying to shove this atrocious immigration bill down the country’s throat. This whole gambit was the logical equivalent of Abraham Lincoln in February of 1864 seeking out the non-war related issue that would most effectively divide his base and then relentlessly championing that issue. That would have been dumb, right? And yet that’s exactly what President Bush did.

President Bush is going to need a united base come September if he wants to stay the course in Iraq. Given that consideration, calling 90% of that base bigots probably wasn’t a very good idea. Fickle, weak-kneed and misguided Republican senators like Dick Lugar are already preemptively declaring defeat.

Will the Republican base forgive the administration for its actions surrounding this bill? My guess is no. We’re moving on to finding another leader for the party, and in 7 months or so we’ll have one. In the meantime, thanks to this idiotic gambit, there’s a power vacuum right now in the White House.

Major Supremes decision: Reject school race plans on equal protection grounds. This may help reduce the obsession with race. Nowadays, you can hardly tell what race anyone is anyway - even if you cared. I don't give a damn what race anyone is.

Claim: All of Russia belongs to Canada? Wizbang. And, speaking of the Russians, I thought they liked vodka. Apparently their drink of choice is anti-freeze. Do not try that at home.

Sarbox has made US capital markets less competitive in the world. There is no doubt, from what I hear. Prof. B. agrees. Sarbox was using a sledgehammer on a flea.

The Anbar Offensive. Bill Roggio

Biologists look towards a paradigm shift in evolutionary theory. I have been willing to accept that random variation and selection/adaptation can account for minor variation, but not for the the big, dramatic, sudden shifts. All theories eventually die.

Honey, I have a headache.

Churches try to move Left, together. Front Page. The Left hates religion mixed with politics - unless it's their politics. Christ had no politics. He was way beyond and above that. And, in my opinion, caring for people has nothing to do with politics either.

The truth about the Pew Global Poll. Riehl. I usually say that what the world thinks about the US doesn't matter, but it does, if we want to be a model. On the other hand, everybody always hates and envies the top dog.

Credit markets: Junk mortgages and junk loans have replaced junk bonds as high risk, high reward debt. The junk mortgages have already taken a fall, but my inside info says watch that credit market.

As quoted in a piece at Betsy,

Political expression in America is being liberated as has never before been done in human history. Why does that bother Feinstein, Boxer, Clinton, Kucinich and other Fairness Doctrine advocates?

I wish those closet Orwellians would come after the blogs, because we would know how to fight back.

Photo: From Theo's Collection of Fine Art Photography

35,000 year-old sculptures found in Germany. Example of mammoth, in ivory, on right. (h/t, Done with Mirrors.)

Tennessee fights back. They have the right attitude. (h/t, No Looking Back)

"Go spray flowers on the Americans." Kids in suicide vests. Gateway

How did they vote on the first cloture item? Right Wing News has the scorecard. Mexico wins that round.

Repubs protect secrecy of union votes from Dem assault. Wizbang

That's my Massachusetts. My granola-infested Berkshires have created their own currency. The Dylanologist suggests they just use wampum. (h/t, Mankiw)

Make yourself a PC for $72. Attack Machine

A flyboy joke. Alpha

Indigent defence counsel. Do disparities violate the Civil Rights Act? Volokh

Getting ready to punish your reps in DC? Here's the immigration polls. Dino

Senate just passed the largest farm subsidy bill in US history. But they termed it an "energy bill." Coyote.

Pay more for math and science teachers? Why not? They seem to be much more difficult to find.

Final proof: Matter does bend space-time, as Einstein claimed. Synthstuff

If you can't understand English, you have no business voting. Cramer

I am confused by all of these Iraqi refugees to the US. I thought we were saving their country for them, so why do they want to leave? And to move to Michigan, of all places? It's a fine state, but not too strong in the jobs department these days.

John McCain: Once a poll-leader, now going down the tubes. It is possible to respect the guy without agreeing with him on some of his strong views. Ankle-Biting

Boston Globe hypocrisy re campaign spending and the Court's decision. A quote from the piece from Squaring the Boston Globe:

Then why are many liberals appalled by this change? Only liberals with strong illiberal and authoritarian tendencies are in distress over this…epitomized by the Boston Globe Editorial Board.

Iran at war with Britain? The Sun reports, via Drudge.

Lever rifles? Kim likes them. I have never used one.

Murdoch makes surprise bid for Hatemonger's Quarterly blog! Haha.

Truly we are governed by the mentally ill. Tangled Web

Nobody likes the immigration bill. And Rightly So

Signaling Theory and educational level. Stumbling. Calling it signalling theory glorifies what every grandma knows - past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior.

Many Alzheimer's patients claim they don't have the disease. ONN video. (h/t, Humbug)

Gaza is a forward position for Iran. Guardian

CT creates more gun criminals with a stroke of a pen. Alphecca

The Supremes support free speech (NY Sun), and Hinderaker agrees.  A telling comment re the dissenting opinion - telling in that it says nothing about the Constitutional speech guarantee, from the NY Sun piece:

The single dissenting opinion — penned by Justice Souter and joined by Justices Stevens, Ginsburg, and Breyer — argued that the majority's opinion flew in the face of Congress's will and would breed "pervasive public cynicism" about the American political system.

But I don't understand the Bong Hits for Jesus case. This adolescent bozo was off-campus, being provocative. Free speech must include the freedom to be a jackass. I agree with Moderate Voice.

Paying taxes doesn't count, morally, as charity. Indeed it does not. No Pasaran

Gas price gouging laws - possibly good boob bait, but terrible economics. NY Sun

Photo: a '95 Deere 8650.

Chinese cars: not up to snuff...yet.

In praise of the whip: how flagellation makes people happy. New Statesman

Hitchens takes on the Rushdie matter. Youtube at Thompson. The "terrible silence" of the Western media: Ace

"To whom at The Times do I complain about their Public Editor?" Tigerhawk

Border problems - between Vermont and Quebec! Wizbang

The Islamic Rage Boy photo update, at Nose on your face. (h/t Crittenden)

Blue Smoke: a good barbecue site

EU drops wording "free competition." Tangled Web. Replaced with "social markets." Um, OK. Good luck.

Illegal immigration's empty boxes. Moonbattery

What is "for the duration" with an enemy who sees war in terms of centuries? Neoneo

So many people running for Pres. We remain undecided: It's either George Papoon or Pogo.

CIA will reveal the family jewels. Bad idea. No sane country would do that.

"Could it be that Americans are just so aspirationally oriented that nothing is ever good enough?" Don Luskin

Polar ice-melt is a natural cycle. Scotsman (h/t, Synthstuff). Also, tropical frogs are the canaries in the coal mine? Call me a skeptic, but not the CSM. Also, the heat will kill Parisians. The more hysterical this stuff gets, the less people give it credence.

Quote from Tyler Cowen, via Coyote:

The power of wealth creation to produce net value is extraordinary. Most of America's poor are already among the best-off of all humans in world history.  We should be putting our resources, including our advocacy and our intellectual resources, into wealth creation as much as we can.

From 2003, KC Johnson's My Brooklyn College Tenure Battle. (h/t, No Left Turns) Prof. Johnson is the proprietor of Durham in Wonderland

How many al Quaida escaped from Baquba before the offensive? Maybe lots. Something to learn from. Those guys knew the offensive was coming. (h/t, Jules)

The Incredible Shrinking New York Times. Am. Thinker. Too bad they don't want my advice.

Image: Opie wanted some Rafael Nadal eye candy for the ladies. Half-decent bi's, for a tennis player. Wimbledon begins on Monday.

Khatami indicted in Iran for holding hands. Gateway. He listened to too much early Beatles when he was just a little imam.

Like outboard engines? Look at this. I don't know what it is, but I bet it is loud.

The story of the press donating 9:1 to Dems: I agree with Captain Ed. Let 'em do it. It's a free country. Pursue balance by starting your own newspaper, as did The New York Sun.

Be glad you didn't read Krugman. Atlas.

Betsy has been reading many of the same books I have been reading. She likes Jean Edward Smith's new bio of Marshall. OK, will do.

Scientific proof that Cheney did 9-11. Attack Machine video.

The Salon Blog Report has been reading and linking us lately. Much appreciated.

Taunting the Thought Police: A few non-PC but typical man-on-the-street comments via Tim Blair, who is awaiting the arrival of the Thought Police as we speak.

Photo: Theo stopped by to take a photo of one our our Maggie's Farm milkmaids wearing traditional Vermont barn clothing. When the gals head down to the cow barn at 4 AM in the summertime, they like to dress comfortably but elegantly. They need the gloves so they don't get calluses, and the heels keep them above the cowpies. The straps are, of course, a delicate female version of red suspenders.

How easy is it to cross the border from Mexico without hassles? Polipundit. Very.

Bill Gates needs a basic econ course. RCP

Candidates: Who gives you the creeps? Somebody did a poll.

Shuttle update. They had an interesting trip, but it's time to come home.

EU running scared of the people. Brussels Journal/ Tell me what the difference is between what Napoleon wanted and what the EU wants. More: Editorial on the subject of the EU Constitution at NY Sun. I remain confused about why the Europeans would want anything more than an economic treaty. What for? To solve what problem?

French regs putting French grape growers on the ropes.

Newt's immigration video. To the point.

What if the middle east doesn't want peace? What if many of them like to fight, and find peace a bore? What if many of them don't care whether they live or die?

A bad time to be a Christian in Gaza. But Gaza's wishes all came true, didn't they?

This kid has balls. RTLC. And so does this kid.

Aussies building a big new navy. At the same time that the Brits are shrinking theirs to nothing.

The immigration bill is back, key vote Friday.

Not your father's NH. NH bans bar and restaurant smoking. Trans fats next, and then guns?

Charles Kesler in the Claremont Review, via No Left Turns. A quote:

"The writ to use force against him [Saddam] and his regime was cogent and persuasive. But the decision to turn that deterrent, punitive, and preventive action into the occasion for elaborate democratic reconstruction was, alas, ill-conceived. Iraq was not that important to us. It could seem that important...only by imagining that an utterly transformed Iraq would be an outpost of liberal democracy in the Middle East...and that Iraq in turn would utterly transform the whole Middle East into a land of milk and honey, not to mention democracy and peace."

A reader quoted at Insty about Congress' terrible poll numbers:

I think there is a greater disconnect between the Political Class and the Public than ever before -- and, to quote a phrase -- deservedly so. The most liberal senator has more in common with the most conservative senator than either has in common with you or me, and we know it.

Image: A Cezanne still life

The Left dislikes Bloomberg's pay-for-grades idea. Why? From Moonbattery:

Incredibly, moonbats are attacking the program from the left. Screeches Margy Waller, a domestic policy advisor in the Clinton Administration:

It just reinforces the impression that if everybody would just work hard enough and change their personal behavior we could solve poverty in this country, and that's not reflected in the facts.

You see, the idea that people could rise out of poverty through their own effort is dangerous crazy talk.

Sheesh. Talk about dangerous crazy talk. Is she saying that everyone wants to come to America for the government freebies and not for opportunity? That is sick. If you have kids after you get married, and stay married, and finish high school, and quit drugs, and maybe move to where jobs are, it is almost impossible to be poor in America. Otherwise, you must want to be poor.

And, speaking of the Mayor, his party switch is really meaningless. He was a Dem, switched to Repub to run for Mayor. Now he's indep. I like and admire the guy, but his politics are for the birds. He is very smart but unwise.

I agree with Glenn:

I'd like to see a third-party candidate, but I'd like one who stands for more freedom, not less, and the nannyish Lee Kuan Yew-wannabe Bloomberg clearly doesn't fit that description.

James Hansen ups the ante yet again. But we're still not scared, Jim. Lubos Motl takes a look at Hansen's paper. And now China passes the US in CO2 production.

Ethanol: A farm subsidy program pretending to be an energy policy.  Exactly.  The idea of using food for fuel should be crazy on the face of it.

Gas prices:

   From Bernard at TCS:

Like most of the American public, I have stood at the pump at my local filling station and cursed the cost of gasoline. Yet, after filling my tank I inevitably drive to Starbucks to stand in line with other women seeking a reprieve from morning mommy detail, handing over $4.24 without batting an eye as I order my beloved venti, soy chai latte.

   And re taxing "big oil," guess who will be paying those taxes. Sneaky, because it won't show up as a tax at the pump - just in the pricing. So you won't get mad at Congress - you'll get mad at Mobil.

   Environmental Economics asks how high gas prices need to be before people reduce consumption.

The Scottish Enlightenment and the idea of America. View from 1776.

This is pretty funny: Hillary picking her theme song, Sopranos-style. video.

Al Gore made 100 million since he lost the election. Lucky or smart? Or handed deals because of who he is?

I don't know about you, but I prefer my gravy smooth and the sausage on the side.

Outdoor people often tend to misunderestimate black bears and only fear Grizzlies. Bad bear story. Tragic indeed. Up here in the Massachusetts Berkshires, we have tons of Black Bears. I saw one two weeks ago running across the road.

Brand new pair of rollerskates. Update on Melanie and Donovan. Assistant Village Idiot

The Pres of Vietnam comes to call. Not a free country, but definitely capitalistically-inclined. Gateway

Free Scooter Libby! Hitchens. The entire story stinks, in my opinion. Not to defend perjury, which needs to be a crime but which is frequently not pursued as a crime. I must confess that I had to look up "nugatory." Cool word because it sounds so nugaty.

More Hitchins: Fine summary of the story of Jefferson and the Barbary Pirates. America's first encounter with pesky Moslems helped create our idea of the United States.

Recycling is bad for global warming. But since I don't care about global warming, should I begin recycling?

Church shopping in the 1980s. Right Wing Nation

Go to jail in Sweden if you say something unpleasant - if accurate - about Kosovar Albanians. Gates of Vienna. Aren't they drug dealers?

Getting serious about Key Lime Pie. We are always serious about Key Lime Pie. In fact, in season, you can buy fresh Key Limes up here - in the fancy stores.

The quantum computer will make our machines look like the horse and buggy. Science Daily. More details here.

A cheap MRI. "I am not going to pay a lot for this MRI." Weekly Standard

Putin is a martial artist. Never Yet melted. Not surprised.

Is The Guardian obstuse about Hamas? Hatemonger. I cannot be that charitable: They are propagandizers for Hamas.

Beware of government as the last action hero. Mark Steyn

Was Scooter Libby a surrogate defendant? A scapegoat for Armitage?

Is Universal Health Care just a Trojan Horse for greater control? Coyote

The US: The cause of all problems on the earth. Driscoll

The joke that the UN has become, plus a very funny comment - really a series of comments -from Donald Trump about UN incompetence.

From a piece at Dinocrat:

...recent history has shown, as it did in the day of Churchill (The River War), the real destruction that can be unleashed, as in Gaza, by the young, bloodthirsty, and religiously hopped-up, who come to love the frenzy of wanton destruction. If such men enjoy their days of slashing throats, shooting the random bypasser, and raping and pillaging and then retire back to families and villages that welcome and house and feed them, what, ultimately, is the alternative to razing those villages?

Photo: a sexy 1958 Ford Model N

Israel will attack Gaza. via Drudge. I suspect they may show America how to do it right, but probably without an obsessional concern with collateral damage.

Repub Senators in danger. Surber. The worst part is that they deserve to be. They aren't called "the stupid party" for nothing. Most smart Repubs go into the world, not into politics, so you end up with bozos like Trent Lott, and with folks who cannot communicate, like George Bush.

60% of Baghdad not under control. It's crunch time. But Flopping Aces says stay the course. Clearly, there are problems trying to fight a compassionate war: it's an oxymoron. Speaking of which, read Habu's comments on the post prior to this one. A quote from Leon De Winter:

During the past four years, 170,000 Americans have died in traffic accidents. For young people, traveling in a car is the leading cause of death. Over the same period, 3,500 Americans were killed in Iraq in a war against radical Islam. These statistics haven't been properly contrasted.

Voters are such an annoyance, Part 334. EU pursues superstate powers by bypassing national referenda. It's a perfect set-up for future civil war within the EU, because some people are trying to build an Empire without force of arms. Consider it - Napoleon and Austria and Germany and Russia tried to do the same thing.

Speaking of Ramblin' Jack Elliot. Elliot Agnopoz, born as the son of a doctor in Brooklyn. Even "authentic" show biz is fake. I do like Ramblin' Jack, though, even though "ramblin'" referred to his tendency to ramble when he speaks rather than riding the rails. Who doesn't like him?

Almost forgot to link that Schwartzenegger story about learning English. What a joke. Learn English - it's a fine language. I wish Bush could speak it.

Photo: A bit of Father's Day totty for the dads out there, from the Theo Spark Collection of Fine Art Photography. God bless all Dads, including my own Dad.

As you know, Nifong resigned in disgrace. Every detail of the trial at Durham in Wonderland. Thus far, no apologies from the Duke faculty who so desperately wanted the rape story to be true.

"Canadian nice" just never lets up. Canadians honor terror supporters. Dust My Broom

The lovely Clinton couple "peeked" into their blind trust. Wizbang. What would be the news if Dick Cheney did that?

"Body movements and non-verbal responses such as moans are not consent." They aren't? Since when? Coyote.

A WMD flashback, from The Guardian, at Norm

Smart Dem women prefer Obama to Clinton. Oxblog

The EU as an Orwellian Superstate. Tangled Web

What is a criminal and what is a terrorist/combatant? TigerHawk

Teaching Truths: Attack Machine on a Dr. Sanity piece on edumacation.

Remembering the Bonefish. Reasoned Audacity

Maggie Thatcher, Reagan, fear, and cats: Sisu

The unwelcome return of the immigration bill: Don't get me started. Kesler explains some of the things that are wrong with Trent Lott.

Art photo: A friend of Theo

John Edwards the Witch Doctor. An ambulance-chaser thinks he is going to solve Health Care! Solve what? Surber.

Hahaha. The Cornish Liberation Army. h/t, Blair

Roger Simon interviews The Great Steyn, on video. Pajamas

California wants all dogs castrated. That doesn't sound very nice, but Classical Values opines that what they really want is all males neutered.

Speaking of castration, Synthstuff has a perfect pair of balls.

Why Gaza now? Powerline

Flipping out about the flipping Senators. View from the Right.

"When they say "cycle of violence", it means Pallie attacking Jew. When they say "senseless violence", it means Pallie attacking Pallie." SDA

2000 Waterbury CT students may need to repeat grade. Don't they have Truant Officers any more?

Stumbling on Happiness: A book I want to read. h/t, Dino, who has a quote.

"We got it whether we liked it or not." A Brit on immigration. Small Dead Gophers.

The Haditha story. Bruce Kesler has been following it closely. I suspect that all will be exonerated, but their lives will be in ruins and their hearts broken.

The deportation abyss. Why is it so difficult to throw someone out? Michelle

Gaza. It's now a brand-new mini-state in the Middle East, controlled by Iran. Some wag on a blog (I forget who) noted that the Palis now have their two-state solution: Gaza, and the West Bank. At Ace, But we're not Jews.

Antioch College surrenders to reality.

Jag, Volvo and Land Rover are for sale.

'08 Elections. I hate discussing this - it's way too early. However, I think McCain is a goner. I think the old-time smoke-filled back rooms might have picked Romney. I think Giuliani could win a national election, but could have trouble with some primaries. I like Fred Thompson.

I do not care for cats, but that is one cool Savannah Cat in the photo. Story at Synthstuff. If that animal wandered around the neighborhood, somebody would lock up the kids and call Animal Control.

Evil, evil nativist requests that people speak English. Protein Wisdom. Personally, I demand that you speak English, unless I feel like practicing my French or German.

A call to arms in Britain. About time. Confederate Yank,

He talk like a white boy. LaShawn

CAIR is a Potemkin Village. Powerline. 26 donors, and they put their spokesmen on TV? CAIR is now a proven scam.

From "global warming" to "climate change." Shrinkwrapped thinks that change in wording heralds the end of that silliness.

Menopause chic. Neo-neocon.

Big Babies. The press wants special treatment. Dr. Sanity. They live in a dream world, like academics.

It's not the economy, stupid. Viking. Find another issue.

The grim truth about Darfur. Sometimes you have to let the fire burn, and wring your hands, and wish there were something to do, says Jeff Harrell.

D-Day. Another badly mismanaged battle plan. Aren't they all, in retrospect? Every armchair general is a genius in retrospect. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if Lincoln had left the popular McClellan in charge.

For your convenience (but mainly for our convenience), we have added the following sites to our Blogroll of Honor: Memeorandum, Prof. Deneen's What I Saw in America, and Dumb Still Looks Free

A great Connecticut couple.

20 years ago today, Reagan almost did not say "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."

Will amateurs threaten the porn industry? Crittenden. I have always found it amusing that hookers refer to non-working girls as "amateurs" in the same way that cops and soldiers refer to others as "civilians."

How Tyranny arrived in Zimbabwe. Kirchick in Weekly Standard.

More evidence for the theory that delinquency has biological roots.

"You can't base your immigration policy on a bad old poem on an ugly French statue." Small Dead Baby Seal. With Steyn. 

Richard Rorty and Pragmatism. Deneen, Chronicle of Higher Ed

Evil, greedy Big Pharma. Attack Machine

Slo-mo Kristallnacht in Canada? Driscoll

Sweden, Today. It is getting depressingly Brave New World-ish. Teaching little kids how to be transvestites, however, seems illogical to me.

Captain Ed says the Fred campaign did not come out of nowhere. The elites hate to give credit for brains to folks with Southern accents...except for Bill Clinton. 

The NYT somehow manages to make the Eastern European enthusiasm for America look like less that what it is. Tried hard, too.

How McKinsey blew it for AT&T. How did all of those smart guys imagine that people wouldn't want cell phones? Samizdata

Cafe Hayek on Landsberg's fine piece in the WSJ. It's about human progress, and how it happens.

Bank of America giving credit cards to illegals. (h/t, a piece at View from the Right)

Schwartzenegger's spending spree. I guess he'd rather join 'em than lead 'em.

Why Africa is difficult to help. Gee, it's the same reason everyone is difficult to help.