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.
Why It’s Delusional To Think Higher Education Is Free From Indoctrination. If academia shapes up to be the ideological opponent of more than half the population, conservatives will treat it as an enemy.
The Mormon Church Amassed $100 Billion. It Was the Best-Kept Secret in the Investment World.A look inside the vast but little-known fund of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: ‘We’ve tried to be somewhat anonymous.’
From TNR of course. Do they prefer Brutalist? I want no federal buildings of any style, but that's me. Put them in vacant shopping centers and spread them around the country. As it is, DC feels like an Imperial City.
" I think that people feel that for a variety of reasons—cultural, social, political—that Trump is not deserving of the respect that most presidents receive, and therefore any means necessary to get rid of him are justified. And for some, it’s the idea that he’s had neither political or military prior experience. For others, it’s his outlandish appearance, his Queens accent, as I said, his Rodney Dangerfield presence. And for others—I think this is really underestimated—he is systematically undoing the progressive agenda of Barack Obama, which remember, was supposed to be not just an eight-year regnum, but 16 years with Hillary Clinton. That would’ve reformed the court. It would have shut down fossil fuel exploration, pipelines, more regulations—well, pretty much what Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are talking about right now. That was going to happen. And so for a lot of people, they think, “Wow, if Donald Trump is elected in 2020”—and he will be, according to the fears of Representatives Al Green or [Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortez or Nancy Pelosi; remember, they keep saying this impeachment is about the 2020 [election]—“we’ve got to ensure the integrity.” That’s what Nadler said today.
But if Trump is elected, that would mean eventually in five more years, [we’d have a] 7–2 Supreme Court, 75 percent of the federal judiciary [would be] conservative and traditional and constructionist. … We are the world’s largest oil and gas producer and exporter, but we probably would be even bigger. And when you look at a lot of issues, such as abortion, or identity politics, or the securing of the border, or the nature of the economy or foreign policy, they think America as we know it will be—to use a phrase from Barack Obama—“fundamentally transformed.” So that’s the subtext of it. Stop this man right now before he destroys the whole progressive project—and with it, the reputation of the media. Because the media saw this happening and they said, “You know what?”—as Jim Rutenberg in the New York Times or Christiane Amanpour have said—“… you really don’t need to be disinterested.”
Trump is beyond the pale, so it’s OK to editorialize in your news coverage. And so the Shorenstein Center has reported that 90 percent of all news coverage [of Trump] is negative. So they’ve thrown their hat in the ring and said, we’re going to be part of the Democratic progressive agenda to destroy this president. But if they fail, then their reputation goes down with the progressive project. And that’s happening now. CNN is at all-time low ratings, at least the last four years. And the network news is losing audiences, and most of the major newspapers are, as well. So there’s a lot of high stakes here. And if Donald Trump survives and were to be reelected, I don’t know what would happen on the left. It would make the 2016 reaction look tame in comparison."
The USA is an exceptional country because of its freedoms and its constitution which protects them. However, Britain is our mother. Britain's exceptionalism, in its rebellions against state and government power, and its honoring of freedom was the inspiration to take the idea of individual freedom further.
Facing Up To the Revolution - Our ultimate objective, unlike that of our enemies, is “peace among ourselves and with all nations.” But what kind of peace we may get depends on the extent to which we may compel our enemies to leave us in peace. And for that, we must do unto them more and before they do unto us.
OK, but does the US have any serious enemies these days? Not really. There's a lot of peace out there.
Probably not. There will be another 4 1/2 years to try to kneecap the guy who has done so much good for this country. Few, if any, presidents have accomplished so much good so quickly. Even lefty Scott Adams says so.
Here's the real issue: If a Dem president accomplished so much good for the country, would the media hate be there? Say, Clinton. Nope.
My prediction: Trump wins in a landslide election in November. The smart Dems already know that it is hopeless because things are very good with orange man.
"Whether women singing and dancing in barely-there costumes or otherwise celebrating their bodies is empowering, or an assault on our ability to move through the world as men’s equals..." - "... is one of those forever fights....
Maybe. Most things he does work. He's a "My Way" sort of guy, though, which makes the DC machine uncomfortable. They prefer people with government backgrounds, not business backgrounds.
Mrs. BD and I caught the Balanchine/Stravinsky show at the NYCB on Saturday. As the premier ballet company in the world (not that I could tell the difference but Mrs. BD is a dance expert), it's definitely worthwhile to see what Balanchine did with Stravinsky. Once does it for me, but whatever...I don't get most of Stravinsky, regardless of how long I close my eyes and concentrate. All I end up doing is admiring the athleticism of the 1st violinist.
There was one piece that I got a good kick out of (Dances Concertantes), but for me the best part of the outing was brunch at Jean George's Nougatine on Columbus Circle. The downscale version of that Jean Georges. Haha, in the Trump International Hotel but nothing to do with the President. We both had the caramelized foie gras appetizer with a pineapple sauce. Food for the gods. She had the parmesan chicken with a lemon sauce, and I had the best, juiciest boneless piece of short rib I've ever had in my life, with a mystery sauce which I forgot to ask about. I had a Bloody, but shoulda had a Pinot.
A fancy brunch and ballet was my Christmas present to Mrs. BD. She wants nothing material. Makes her very happy that I will sit through 2 1/2 hours of ballet just to please her. She sees plenty of modern dance and ballet with her dance pals, but it's special for her when I go.
For me, fun is meeting people. We had great chats with people at adjacent tables at the restaurant (including couple who come for Restaurant Week every year, with a daily theater outing), and a late-80s lady at the ballet who chatted mostly with Mrs. BD during each intermission about the NYCB style. I said jokingly to the couple from South Carolina who love Restaurant Week "Isn't NYC such a cold and unfriendly place?" He said they feel it's the friendliest place in the world because they get into fun chats with smart people everywhere here, like with us. Yep. That's us! Semi-smart and kinda friendly.
I love New York. To visit, anyway. It's one of our magnets on this planet. Just wandering around is a blast.
Stage 4 lung cancer is a bad deal. He's been a breath of fresh air, and highly entertaining, for decades although I have not had time to hear him very often in recent years.
He is 69 years old. I hope he can keep going as long as possible. I feel certain that he will. A great American voice, always with humor, grace, and good cheer but I will not do an obituary yet.
Jerry Nadler was overheard on the metro bragging on the phone about how he should be the one leading the impeachment against Trump … the day after Trump took office
Standard poodle Siba 
Photo from walking around the West Side of Manhattan this weekend 
Photo is a reader's Winter Crocus this week. Sadly, not in the snow right now
It's Brexit Day. 
Colorado bill allowing