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, July 27. 201210 Things the Left Gets Right10 Things the Left Gets Right. He begins:
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The Maggie's Farm Smut Guide One of the problems with having multiple bloggers on a site such as this is that everyone has a different idea of what's "not quite too sexy" for what is, ostensibly, a refined, cultured site that tries to present a wide range of topics in at least a semi-dignified manner. Nobody here is a 'prude'. We all admire the human body in its God-given form. But, by the same token, using gratuitous sensationalism merely for sensationalism's sake doesn't seem to jibe well with a penetrating look at the national economy or the growth of the psyche in a young child's brain. So, a line must be drawn, rules must be written. The problem, of course, is one of getting bogged down in the minutiæ. The rule clearly states "no frontal nudity" — so does that mean 95% frontal nudity is okay? It clearly states "no bare nipples" — so does that mean covering them with the thinnest gauze in the known universe gets a pass? Wet gauze, no less? That's the point I was at in my thought process when suddenly, in an incredible one-in-ten-billion happenstance, two of my brain synapses lined up correctly and I had a revelation: The rules don't have to be written! Because Maggie, herself, has already shown us the way. Below, fellow and fellowess bloggers, you will find a wide variety of examples of posts which have already been approved by the governing board and are, indeed, on the site this very day. Merely right-click on one of them and open 'Properties' or 'View Image Info' and you'll see the direct link to Maggie's. So if the picture in your post looks just like one of these, you're good to go. For the rest of you, as a quick example of what we're up against with the governing board, here's what appears at first glance to be a revoltingly rude picture that's obviously pushed the bounds of decorum way too far: Despite the sordid events that took place that day, the above shamelessly revealing photograph was deemed 'okay' by the governing board because of its obvious authenticity. Hence the confusion among us bloggers. We figure if that kind of raunchy material is okay, then it's pretty much "anything goes" around this joint, and that's when we get into trouble. So show us what's permissible to post, dear Maggie. Let history be our guiding light. The procedure is very straightforward and easy. Simply use the officially-sanctioned picture below as your guide for each area and emulate it as closely as possible. Use the Windows Magnification Tool if necessary. When you feel your picture is "in sync" with the online guide picture, you'll be ready to post with no fear of repercussion. RULE #1: NO BARE NIPPLES Exceptions: A: Unless covered by the thinnest gauze in the known universe: B: They're painted: C: On a wall mural: D: Covered in sludge: E: Or it's Christmas: Exceptions: A: Except... B: when viewed... C: from the... D: side: E: Or covered with a bathing suit: Exceptions: A: Unless covered in sludge: B: Covered by the darkest shadows of the netherworld: C: Or it's too far away to see anything, dammit! Exceptions: A: Unless it's "art": B: Or at least somebody's idea of it.
Exceptions: A: Unless it's painted: B: Is a video that starts off with "NSFW": C: Or is back behind the barn: SPECIAL RULES This is the traditional 'gray area' that's a little hard to define, but let me give you some examples and you'll catch on. 1. This picture would have been soundly rejected if the two photoshopped faces had been reversed: Seeing Hillary with deep cleavage would have been deemed far too risky for our readership's delicate sensibilities, and some of the younger ones might have snapped. We all have our breaking point. 2. If a male had posted this: He would have, correctly, been soundly condemned for perpetrating the frustrating, almost-impossible-to-achieve ideal that the 'perfect woman' has the hips of an 18-year-old boy. But since a female posted it, it's perfectly okay. 3. If a female had posted this:
She would have, correctly, been soundly condemned for perpetrating the frustrating, almost-impossible-to-achieve ideal that the 'perfect woman' has the hips of an 18-year-old boy. But since a male posted it, he's just considered a big dumb ape who doesn't know any better. That's why this 'gray area' stuff is confusing. As a guide to what type of pictures your readers might enjoy, we've extensively surveyed the Maggie's Farm readership and these are the categories they most prefer: A. Pictures they can have on the screen when you-know-who suddenly walks into the room: "What are you doing, dear?" "Oh, uh, picking out new bedsheets for your birthday, sweetheart!" B. More stacked, knock-kneed girls in heels and short skirts holding lollipops: C. Bigger cans: D. Fewer beads: E. More tractor mechanics: F. More water sports: G. More genetic mutants: H. More real farm porn! Nice axles, baby! Show 'em! Friday morning linksEaster Island has stone heads, but little else. What happened? Good stuff Various amusing items at Althouse Americans Flee Public Schools Affirmative Action In Bank Lending Policy Promises Economic Disaster Didn't we just try that experiment? How did it work out? Jobs Program Spent $76,000 Per Person To Help Youth Find Minimum Wage Jobs States Are Rebelling Against The High Costs Of ObamaCare No justice in Corzine case - Cronyism is preventing prosecution Obama and Warren cribbed “build it” narrative from progressive Berkeley Professor Wanted: Better American missile defense So these are Romney's down days? Elizabeth Warren criticized by liberal supporter for almost all-white campaign HQ photo Thought there might be ten little Indians Via Powerline:
Over the transom:
Thursday, July 26. 2012The amusing Chick-Fil-A meme: A meme which tastes like chickenI am getting a kick out of this dumb Chick-Fil-A story. I suppose it's a good story for late July, for the entertainment value. As I understand it (never seen one in NY or New England), it's an Atlanta-based, family-owned and very popular chain of fast-food chicken joints. Chicken sandwiches! I don't know whether the outlets are franchised or company-owned. The founder is a traditional Christian who happens to hold a traditional view of marriage. Most Americans do, but that doesn't matter. President Dan Cathy had the temerity to say:
I suspect good ol' Col. Sanders felt the same way. So do I. Politicians who desire to show their cultural leadership (who asked them to do that?) are now all about banning Chick-Fil-A from their burgs. You have to laugh. People want to eat these sandwiches. I mean, like, you know, they aren't banning Catholic churches, are they? Or Baptist churches? Or Muslim mini-marts? Or mosques? Or businesses whose CEOs are Catholics? I suspect the folks at Chick-Fil-A HQ are just enjoying the free publicity, and wondering about this crazy world. They don't need the money. I think the family is still amazed by their popularity and the growth of their recently-tiny, simple business. Plain old fried redneck chicken on a hamburger bun. Driscoll on the topic The Boston Globe weighs in (against the Boston Govt for once) When will the word get out that the owner of Subway is a married, never divorced and never-gay Roman Catholic? Funny thing about this dumb brouhaha is that it makes me hungry for a Chick-Fil-A. I've never thought about it before. They must be pretty darn tasty to deserve all of this attention. Probably tastes like chicken. (Almost forgot to mention that the family didn't build that family food business. The government did it. Let's nationalize Chick-Fil-A, and Subway too.)
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Thursday morning linksThe Hopper houses, then and now Are you subversive? "Constitutionalists"? Well, our Declaration of Independence certainly was subversive. Marital Advice from Divorcees? Adrian Wooldridge explores the unstoppable legacies of Isaiah Berlin and Hugh Trevor-Roper Breeding aurochs ...where are the girlfriends who threw themselves into the path of bullets to save their boyfriends? Doc says ‘physicians have reached a tipping point’ Majority of American Employers Consider ObamaCare 'Step in the Wrong Direction' A senior public servant thinks scientists should be passionate, engaged activists Obama as WASP Why Raising the Minimum Wage by 38% to $10 per Hour Would Be “Economic Malpractice” 8 Ways Blacks Perpetuate Racism and the Only Way to Thwart It Obama Hasn't Received His Daily Economic Briefing Since April 2011 Why the FDA Is Trying to Give Food Stamps to People Who Don't Want Them Dems must be drooling at the thought of these planned new taxes in France
Wednesday, July 25. 2012Weds. morning linksMy babysitter, the sex bomb Lots of good stuff at Insty, including this: Human Beings Were Meant to Eat Meat: It's In Our Genes Confessions of a Forger - How Ken Perenyi made millions duping the art world — and greedy dealers
Has Mayor Bloomberg lost it? An Academic Auto-da-Fé - A sociologist whose data find fault with same-sex relationships is savaged by the progressive orthodoxy Non-PC science is increasing attacked these days Never disabled: The "blind kid" never stopped working. France considers criminalizing public appreciation of pretty women Francois Hollande's 'Change Now' becomes 'Be Patient' How stop-and-frisk saved New York Q&O: Why America is still exceptional (and why I want it to stay that way) Study: 1 in 10 American employers to drop health care coverage That was their plan The Fizzy Math Behind Bloomberg's Soda Ban Because government is so good at running things Mitt Romney's crucial week: What he must do The Obama Campaign’s Attack-Ad Edge, Revealed Presidential busts: The worst of all: Barack Obama (2009-?) BREAKING! Mitt Romney's Views Are "American-centric" And Wait For It.....He's A MORMON! Tuesday, July 24. 2012David Stockman speaksThis is amazing: David Stockman: "The Capital Markets Are Simply A Branch Casino Of The Central Bank." How does it feeeeeel, to be on your own... to be living in a virtual world? "You can't live beyond your means because it's pleasant."
Statists vs. People PowerThat's what these fall elections boil down to, this year. A stark choice in attitudes towards the relationship between the individual and the state. A Parental State vs. a Servant State. The country votes roughly 50-50 on that, which, to my mind, is pathetic in a bold nation like this. Too many people looking for a caretaker instead of embracing opportunity. Lots of people are embedding this Scott Brown ad. The strange, shrill anger in Harvard prof Warren's voice is disturbing. She needs to be reminded who pays for the roads - and for her salary. The angry condescension towards the free commerce which makes this nation alive always bugs me, especially from those who have never engaged in it:
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This for people who think they don't like Rush LimbaughGive him a chance. He can be pretty smart sometimes, if not all the time. Certainly nails the psychology: Media Desperately Trying To Tie Batman Shooting To Conservatives:
h/t Hot Air, who has the transcript
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Big C update II So what kind of jokes do I get from my dear friends? That is, I think it was a joke. Some jokes sound so real it's hard to tell. In case you missed the announcement a few weeks ago, I need an operation to get rid of a tumor in my lower intestine. Thankfully, they caught it at an early stage, so I've got some time to dig up the cash for the operation. Horrific details are here. I'm having it done down in ol' Mehico, because it's a quarter of the price as up here. Funny old world, huh? The Canadians come down here for medical treatment and we go down to Mexico. With a little over a month to go, I'm edging nearer to my goal. After some wonderful donations from family (the advantage of having 13 cousins), the gang at my mom's rest home (thank you, Alice!), some terrific support from the Maggie's Valued Readers™ (and you know who you are) and selling off $5K in stocks, I'm about $6K short. I talked my neighbors into springing for a newspaper ad and we had a collective yard sale here last weekend where I sold pretty much everything that wasn't nailed down and garnered another $550. The one thing I refuse to put on the chopping block in the Guild 12-string guitar I bought in 1968. It's sitting here three feet from me. I'll go before it does. The link to the Save-Our-Doc campaign is here. As I noted in the last update, if there's anything online I can do for you in exchange, like promote a web or blog site or set one up for you, just tell me in the comments to email you. Every little bit helps.
Do I have cool friends, or what? We made the top 100Dr. Merc pointed out to me that Maggie's Farm made the list of the top 100 Centrist-to-Conservative websites. But we didn't build that ourselves. Other people did that - our readers did that, but I know they read us for our recipes. Are we a Conservative website? I think of us as more Small Government-Libertarian in our political ethos. "That government is best which governs least - that government is best which governs not at all." (That's a Thoreau quote, variously also attributed to Tom Paine and Tom Jefferson.) We're freedom-from-government-power-and-control people. Like this: Tuesday morning links200 Screaming SEIU Goons Storm Dunkin Donuts to Protest Mitt Romney Apparently Bain bought Dunkin. Good move on Bain's part “Sh*t You Don’t Say at a Job Interview” Something Fascinating: The History of the (Secret) City of London Lobstermen finding more odd colors in the catch A theory is A North Dakota criminal case highlights growing fears over police use of drones. "What is the fair market value of an object that cannot be sold?" Crop cronyism’s destructive results The Case Against “Made in the U.S.A.” - Fear not China or any other foreign producer.
Earnings Show Recession May Be 'Fast Approaching' US Economy Going from Bad to Worse: Roubini Endangered Welfare Reform - Is the Obama administration targeting the most successful poverty-reduction program in decades? Monday, July 23. 2012"What keeps this failed president above water?"David Gelernter via Powerline. Bingo. Is John trying to snag Gelernter as a contributor to his site? Who would not? We have been Gelernter fans since his first book. A quote:
He has a winning smile, too. And
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New Ways to Raise Taxes, Without Raising TaxesThe main method Obama and many politicians seek to stimulate the economy is through deficit spending. What is lost on those who engage this method is that for deficit spending to actually work, it has to be funneled into truly useful production, projects which will yield massive value. Without getting into the problems inherent in all deficit spending, some might make a case that government related spending may yield benefits. It's a stretch to say that the TVA or the Hoover Dam was best provisioned by the government. Fact is, private industry would have managed these projects much more efficiently. But these are examples of the sort of project which could make the government look better than it does right now by spending massive amounts of money with little to show for it. I'm not saying I support these projects, just that better options exist than Obama's current path. He made a moderately good show by using some funds to try and build a train tunnel under the Hudson which would have saved me 15 minutes on my commute each day. That tunnel, however, was going to be built with limited oversight, meaning costs would've spiraled and New Jersey would have overspent on it, thus losing all the value it would provide. More importantly, these types of projects are difficult to begin today. Why? Regulation. It would be virtually impossible to build the Tappan Zee Bridge today, and even the current upgrade of the facility has faced massive problems which have increased the cost dramatically. A study of the region around the Hoover Dam, with today's regulatory environment, would end up killing this sort of project altogether due to environmental concerns. My perspective is simply that the Left has hung themselves on their own petard. They want the government to spark job growth, but they want to regulate all sorts of things, not realizing they hamper job growth. The Competitive Enterprise Institute has issued its annual report on the regulatory environment, outlining the economic costs of current Federal regulations. Today, these economic costs are greater than all corporate profits. In other words, one of the fastest and best ways for Obama to earn tax income to drive down the deficit would not to be raising taxes - but by reducing regulation. Of course, this would mean admitting his previous approach was incorrect and flawed.
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Monday morning linksCompact Fluorescent Bulbs Will KILL YOU! 5 Ways Parents Can Transform Their Wild Boys into Mature Men - Leading our sons into the essence of manhood. Amazing Illusion of the Day Surnames in Britain: Norman v. Saxon after 946 years Adam Smith On Conceit, Central Planning, And Disorderly Society The New York Times is receiving pushback from its constituents for having the audacity to explain that changes in marriage patterns are playing a huge role in the growth of income inequality You can't stop a madman - Sad truth is that we can’t make sense of the senseless, and not every problem has a solution Why Hasn’t Brian Ross of ABC News Been Fired? An Aurora Massacre Takes Place Every 10 Days in Chicago, Gun-Control Capital of the United States The Obama campaign knew that what they were saying was false but proceeded to try to plant the “felon” idea, anyway. Among Military Veterans: Romney 59% Obama 35% Sunday, July 22. 2012Sunday morning linksHow TV's 'Dallas' Won the Cold War Ben Stein: Wall Street Misconduct? With Extreme Prejudice - How ABC News "investigates" a horrific crime. Sen. Tom Coburn: How Both Parties Bankrupted America It's plunder politics nowadays, even in the USA. Eventually, maybe grown-ups will get elected and rip up the politicians' credit cards. The 5 economic stats that will decide the election … are all pointing down for Obama Feds Crack Down on Obama’s ‘Enemies’ The quiet overturn of No Child Left Behind On rare occasions I agree with the teachers' unions, to whom this was an election year favor. I don't think the feds have any proper role in education. I don't even think the states have a proper role in education. Important things like education and medical care need to be kept far away from politicians.
Related, from Harsanyi: Are Obama's Ideas Un-American? - If not un-American, the ideas that propel Obama's re-election campaign are certainly unprecedented. "Does your cauliflower have a large carbon footprint?"
Saturday, July 21. 2012A neither boring nor depressing Iraq update
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Saturday fun Pic: From the 'Framing The Shot' collection in my art gallery For starters, I've recently rearranged my video section and have collected my better 'video articles'; that is, articles centered around a video, into a new section called, appropriately enough, Video Articles. As for my double-hip Special Vids section, I've recently added an interesting documentary on crossword puzzles. Before that were two documentaries on the Fukushima tsunami/meltdown, and the brilliant — if half a century old — flick, '12 Angry Men'. I also opened up a Fave Vids section where I've collected the web vids that have really touched me over the years, usually because of the music. If you remember Gwynnie's 'seat belt' commercial from about a year ago, that's in there. And, of course, there's the infamous Bag O' Clips, also known as "the last refuge of societal misfits everywhere", where movie lovers can slip away for hours. If you think my movie clips on Maggie's are sharp, the WMV clips in that area are the next step up, because I'm not reducing the quality by rendering them to FLV so the Mac bunch can see them. And, just in case you're a music lover and have been away for the past month or so, allow me toss out the link to my Introducing Jackie Evancho post one last time. What a fun post that was. And I should mention the usual gang: Home Repair — In case you're feeling fix-it-y The Google Earth Project — My tribute to this marvelous computer program Windows — Windows tips, tricks, tidbits and tweaks Doc's Secrets — I still like the 'Guinness' one best Ratville — Okay, so why are rats such great survivors? Rainy Day — Original articles & humor Have a fun weekend, y'all. Saturday morning linksDUMBEST MAYOR IN AMERICA CALLS FOR GUN CONTROL The Right Honourable Mr. Burke - Impassioned orator, eloquent statesman, esteemed writer—but who was Edmund Burke the man? The Kids Are Not Really Alright - It’s worse to be raised by a single mother, even if you’re not poor. The Cave Paintings at Chauvet, Or, What Makes Men Men Over the past 35 years, the number of fires in the United States has fallen by more than 40% while the number of career firefighters has increased by more than 40% Battle over genetically engineered food heading to voters in CA As if journalists weren’t already confounded enough by the misdirection of spin machines and talking points, they now risk being duped by publicity campaigns using blatant hoaxes. Ireland Bulldozes Ghost Estates in Life After Real Estate Bubble The New York Times’ Obsession With Mormonism The Top 20% Paid 94.1% of Income Taxes in 2009 Explaining Obama's Ressentiment - Unearned success is the central theme of his life story. Sovereignty of Violence: A Visit to Syria’s Civil War Here Come the Closet Black Conservatives
Friday, July 20. 2012Friday morning linksIt's time Democrats came of the closet and raised the flag of social democracy. I think they already did Prostate Cancer Surgery Fails to Cut Death Rate in Study To restate the obvious yet again... tolerance is not the same as respect SF Considers Strict Outdoor Smoking Ban – Except For Pot The Obama Record: Deep Poverty at Record High, Homeless Families on the Rise & 6.4 Million More Living Below Poverty Line Media silent
Obama faces Capitol Hill revolt after gutting welfare reform work requirements Thursday, July 19. 2012Thursday morning linksWhere the Buffalo No Longer Roamed James O’Keefe Unveils Green Jobs/Union Corruption Oops!… Obama’s Top Bundler Jonathan Lavine Was In Charge of Bain During GST Steel Layoffs Why Romney’s “you didn’t build that” attack is the most substantive argument of 2012 Man Crush Gone Wild: Chris Matthews Declares that Barack Obama is ‘Perfect’ Don’t Let the Left Claim the Moral High Ground on Poverty The Growing Pressures Likely To Blow The Eurozone Apart Obama has been painting a cartoon version of opponents for years.. And lo and behold he’s revealed himself to be the very caricature of the anti-business, government-is-all liberal Republicans have claimed him to be. The Communist Mentor: Frank Marshall Davis USDA partnering with Mexico to boost food stamp participation Bill Whittle explains why Progressive policies exist regardless of whether they achieve their purported purposes. In case you haven't seen this excellent summary elsewhere: Wednesday, July 18. 2012Weds. morning linksHigher ed faculty fearful of online ed How I Lost 50 Pounds in 6 Months without Exercising Pron for Mommies: In defence of Fifty Shades of Grey Justin Bieber Blasted Me With His Gondola-Based Sonic Ray Machine Barrett: The Conservative Movement Has Been a Failure Government Employees, Unions, And Bankruptcy The Left Can’t Bring Itself to Celebrate America Don’t Release Your Returns, Mr. Romney. Burn Them. Star of Pro-Obama Super PAC Ad Unleashed: 'Obama Is a Jerk, a Pantywaist, a Lightweight, a Blowhard' Obama Discusses Vision For Second Term: A Lot Of Spending Stop waiting for the economic recovery: This is it Why no hiring? Taxes and health care, that’s why The real reason the Olympic Committee refuses to commemorate the Israeli athletes murdered in Munich The mainstreaming of anti-semitism: Salon partners with Mondoweiss Memoirs of a Revolutionary by Victor Serge - review - Red or dead.
Tuesday, July 17. 2012"If you’ve got a hit song — you didn’t sing that. Somebody else made that happen."That's from a commenter at Althouse. Laura at Ace points out that most ventures fail, but the Warren-Obama theme has nothing to say about that. For example, photo below stolen from Gateway. It's the real Obama HQ for Maine:
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Tuesday morning linksMan With World's Largest Penis Frisked By TSA At California Airport Are Millennials the Screwed Generation? Eggheads, fat cats and status anxiety. Online Purchases Soon To Be Taxed Nationwide A dozen more universities have signed partnerships with Coursera, a company that provides hosting services for massively open online courses (MOOCs), the company announced today Including UVa and Princeton Faking or exaggerating. Everybody has something wrong with them What’s the difference between California voters and the passengers on the Titanic? The passengers on the Titanic didn’t vote to hit the iceberg Bastiat to the NAACP: 'Don't Pull the Temple Down On Your Head' Most Illegal Immigrant Families Collect Welfare – Obama Wants to Up That Number Krauthammer Rips Obama’s Business Speech: “Spoken By A Man Who Never Created Or Ran So Much As A Candy Store” ‘America The Racist’: The Left’s Familiar Refrain Ace: Romney's doing fine Geithner yawned at epic fraud Everybody suspected that LIBOR was a little fishy Nobody Else Made It Happen, Mr. President I’m beginning to suspect Mitt Romney is an actual real live man of integrity.
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