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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Saturday, August 14. 2010"Hallowed ground, but..."I am not one for the notion of "hallowed ground" in general, but I understand that people can and do make sacred whatever they want to, for whatever reasons. I tend to find the idea of making places where people die "sacred" to be a pagan, superstitious notion. Anyway, of course I agree with the Pres that Moslems have the right to freely worship and gather. It's legal. But that's not the point. We recently quoted somebody's shrewd comment that "'It's legal' isn't a defense; it's a confession." The point is that Americans and especially New Yorkers are reacting to the stunningly in-your-face insensitivity of the siting of this mosque and "cultural center." It's the insensitivity verging on hostility that pisses people off. It's probably legal to site a strip joint next to a Baptist church too, but who would do it? As I am wont to say, civilization is more about the soft rules than the hard rules. The mosque violates an obvious soft rule of civil behavior. Codes, not laws.The usual consequences of significant soft-rule violations are shunning, rejection, avoidance, or expressions of discontent or even contempt. "Virtual stocks," you might say. Our condescending elites only worry about the soft rules when it fits their narrative du jour (eg BJs in the Oval Office are ok). Their knee-jerk reactions generally run against the sentiments and instincts of ordinary Americans (among which I am one). I find the Imam's choice to be insulting and contemptible. We Americans have welcomed him to his new adopted country, and are reasonable to expect respect, appreciation, and gratitude instead of self-serving legalisms. It is reasonable to expect people who wish to be accepted as Americans to learn how to behave. I would, were I to move to another culture. I think it's a good time for another White House beer summit with the Imam, Pamela Geller, and Bo. Maybe Sissy Willis too. This issue can surely be settled by the O over some cold Coronas with lime. Image on top: the c. 600 Hagia Sophia, minus the minarets which were added by the Ottomans when they converted this remarkable and splendid ancient Christian basilica to a mosque.
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Obama's decline
Nile Gardiner nails it: The stunning decline of Barack Obama: 10 key reasons why the Obama presidency is in meltdown
Saturday morning links Well, I promised you some good old-fashioned Maggie's Farm-style California bashing, so let's get right to it. Californians' income falls for first time since WWII Ah, the ol' schadenfreude feels pretty good, doesn't it? After we're through here we'll go pull the wings off flies. Blogger calls popular California resort lake "terrible" Famed California actor claims "Wherever I go, terrible things happen" California women now have triple the nation's fat rate In unrelated news, New York state, in an effort to maintain its plush welfare lifestyle, has decided to sell off its universities and roads. The dead-wood Las Vegas Review-Journal, in a desperate bid to save itself, has hired a professional hit man to track down bloggers linking to online Review-Journal articles and sue them for copyright infringement. No, that's not one great big typo. In applied business news, here's how one enterprising fellow traded up on Craiglist from an old cellphone to a Porche. Do you remember one of the great victories of the Obama Administration, the FAA limiting the time a plane can stand idle on the tarmac? Well, so much for victories. Interesting article here on the primal ancestor of the eagle:
The good professor, however, is extremely puzzled how these fine and noble birds could have died out.
Yep, it's certainly a mystery. People arrive on an island to find these great big fat, barely-able-to-fly, ready-for-roasting turkey-sized birds... and they all disappear? And say, by the way, what did this bad boy feed on, anyway?
But as the professor clearly states about the Haast's extinction...
In other words, if the Haast eats the moa into extinction, that's good and natural, but if we eat the Haast into extinction, that's bad and unnatural. According to the good professor and his ivory tower ilk, we're a threat wherever we turn; the war of the humans against the natural world. Well, speaking of threats, I suppose it's time to turn to the top political news stories of the day. Political News Vegetable garden to be planted on White House grounds Friday, August 13. 2010A few Friday afternoon droppingsIt takes all kinds. Man lives as TV dog. Good for him. A world without eccentrics would be a dull as Singapore. How advertising genius Albert Lasker transformed America San Francisco proposal would limit toys in kids' meals. Will these cranks ban the toy in Crackerjacks too? Which is worse: Bloomberg or San Francisco? Photos of opera houses. h/t, Thompson Understanding your husband's sexual needs More evidence that 'Recovery Summer' is a cruel hoax Model corruption - The truth about the GM 'rescue' The Dem strategy for November is in place. It's dishonest, but it's everyday politics. Via NYM:
Your daily dose of good wholesome sarcasm: Why Can’t You Selfish Ingrates Feel the First Couple’s Pain? Says it all: Buchanan's Putting Government First. Quote:
Related: Why people aren't hiring-
Friday morning linksLucy’s Kin Carved Up a Meaty Meal, Scientists Say. h/t, Dr X. I think they were cannibals. They look like cannibals. Energy crisis and peak wood Obama: Slaves on the Government Plantation. All persons of skin tone must return to their barracks immediately. Weather liars. Flat, outright lies, and fully-deliberate. I heard last night that an estimated 1 in 8 babies born in America last year were born to illegals. How Pres. Hoover damaged the economy: raised spending and raised taxes Home Ownership: American Dream or American Headache? It's natural for people to want to own stuff. Not always sensible, though. Related: Feds rethink policies that encourage home ownership. I want to see federal policy to encourage boat ownership. Boatie Mac, or something. No money down. Stimulus Pushers -The latest bailout for public unions and spendthrift states. The irresponsible and the unions get the dough. Q&O: Is the US bankrupt? Well, we are just pwned by China. Harry Reid is sane? Harry Reid ad: Sharron Angle 'dangerous,' 'crazy'. She seems just like an ordinary citizen to me. Public favors Tea Party over top Dems Juan Williams: White Votes Are Irrelevant The threat of the 'fake fishermen': How BP may be paying out millions in oil spill compensation to fraudsters. Hey, I go fishing every chance I get. Some thoughts about how liberals are made American Conservatives have "new ideas"? No, they don't. They have 1776 ideas. Liberals have 1912 ideas. Sports feminists want space on the sports pages. h/t, Insty. Are they talking about newspapers? They should quit bitching and just create some good women's sports websites, and make some money. Or not. Fla. AG McCollum Pushes New Immigration Law Tougher Than Arizona's. We are looking at the unfolding of a rebellion. Thursday, August 12. 2010Political quote du jour
A few morning linksToon above via Powerline. See new surge of layoffs. Never a bad idea: a summer visit to the USS Constitution, still commissioned in the US Navy. Old Ironsides (that was southern Live Oak) never lost a fight. Bill Gates: watch for the disappearance of the physical university. Right now, you can eddicate yourself pretty good with The Teaching Company. We love their courses, but no term papers (bad) and no exams (good). Legal Ins, to the Left:
The savvy Leftists always keep their eye on the long game. Majority of voters consider Democratic agenda “extreme” Dalrymple on conservation and aesthetics More violent rage from the Left: N.H. Dem Airs Palin Death Wish on Facebook. Where's the tolerance and sensitivity to differences? Prof B: Coerced "caring" is not compassion McArdle: The End of Retirement as We Know It. People used to expect to work until they keeled over. What's wrong with that? Wednesday, August 11. 2010How the media created ObamaLaura Ingraham speaking to Howard Fineman, via Driscoll's The MSM Sure Grades on a Curve:
and note this bit:
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A few Weds. morning linksExcellent brief reminder of the history of limited government A fresh look at the Shakers. Today, I think we'd term them a cult. As a furniture cult, they had good taste. She quits job, emails office with her erase board messages. Fantastic. I have heard of a MILF but not of a HOPA. Now that I know the term, I have to say I have seen lots of HOPAs. (Note: this is a dubious story, but good even if fictional.) THAT WAS NO TEACHER… Unhinged Leftist Who Confronted Palin Is a Singer in a Drag Queen Band. Seriously. . (Note: this is also probably a half-true story) Enraged over McNuggets. Speaking of McDonalds, Moonbats Continue Jihad Against Happy Meals The Increasingly Self-Pitying Obama White House The elites don't get it: 'We Socialists' vs. 'We the People':
Let's start building some freaking small nuke plants. As I have mentioned, we have a small home-made reactor in the farm basement. Runs great except when mice get into the rods. When it runs a bit hot, we just spray it with a hose. Tuesday, August 10. 2010Another summertime Maggie's Farm Scientific Poll: Are you buying stuff?
I read that America's saving rate is rising, and that people are paying off their personal debt - and that retail business is terrible.
Are you buying stuff and spending money, or restraining yourself these days? Let us know, in the comments. Tuesday morning linksGood travel advice image h/t Theo The world's great structures built with Legos Rules for blues musicians (h/t, Synth) Virtual democracy comes to the EU...as an alternative to real citizen participation in their "important work." How many failed empires has history seen in Europe? Ths thing is just the latest, and I doubt that it will last my lifetime. It is too far from the people, and too condescending towards the people. Help wanted, but no takers Gutfield: A gay bar next to mosque for reconciliation and peace purposes. It's all about tolerance of differences! My take on the mosque? It's obnoxious and incredibly insensitive, to the point of hostile provocation. Where's the sensitivity and respect? There is much more to civil behavior than determining what is legal. "Legal" is about the hard rules. "Civil" is about the soft rules. Except for criminals, most of life is about the soft rules. Neo: Ezra Klein: cub journalist The end of responsibilityFrom homeowners to government, the buck stops nowhere More on the myths of preventive care. Villainous
Reactionary Tendencies on the Left Monday, August 9. 2010More CaliforniaCaddell speaks outHere's Dem pollster Pat Caddell on the mood of the electorate. Holy mackerel, this is powerful:
Monday morning linksCritters that eat crude oil Related, Pat Caddell: Country's Mood Is "Pre-Revolutionary" A simple, brief explanation of the Broken Window Fallacy Real Moderate Muslims Speak Out Against GZ Mosque: OF COURSE It’s a Deliberate Provocation … Duh. Cato: Congress Ignores Middle-Class Service Sector Another "jobs bill"? It's just union payback Prof B: Bork's Revenge Normal politics, making up your own facts: Iran's Ahmadinejad: 9/11 Death Toll Exaggerated Pethokoukis: Can mortgage relief become a free-lunch stimulus? Glenn Harlan Reynolds: Further thoughts on the higher education bubble Am Thinker: Heartless, Universal Legal Plunder Carbon-haters go to Plan B Surber: Unionized Obamacare Sunday, August 8. 2010Racism TestDo you like him any better now? No? Then you're not a racist.
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The new Diversity EconomyDriscoll: The ‘Diversity Economy’ and its DC Discontents. One quote:
I agree that our ruling classes are living in the 1930s. Doc's Political Update
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Saturday, August 7. 2010Saturday morning linksFrom Belmont, civilian casualties in the Pacific (h/t Tiger):
Comparing the O with Lyndon Johnson. Daily Beast Why they are calling her Michelle Antoinette
Via Reb
At Wizbang:
What Do Judge Walker and Justice Kennedy Have in Common? A Fine Argument for Gay Marriage, but a Flawed Legal Opinion Economy Stalls as Obama's Economic 'Dream Team' Hits the Skids Intolerance of diversity: Attacks on black Conservatives Governments seem to have forgotten that picking industrial winners nearly always fails Dean: Individual Mandate Will Be Gone by 2014 Why the same-sex marriage ruling will stand.
Friday, August 6. 2010Dentists and the recessionThe big cheerful news of today is 131,000 jobs lost, and slowing economic expansion. Says the WSJ:
I visited my dentist this afternoon, and he admitted to me that business was terrible. People are putting everything off. I wasn't surprised by that, but he told me something interesting: the dentists are offering Botox, lip plumping, and wrinkle injections now (Juvaderm, collagen, etc). He said they take a several-day course on weekends, take an exam, get a certificate, then have their receptionist ask "Would you like to consider some of our new services?" "You can get a brand new smile." He told me they do it for half of what the dermatologists charge around here for the same thing (the latter of which is around $1000 for a basic Botox routine). Yes, "It still feels like a recession." The only thing about this lengthy recession ( an ongoing recession for which, at this point, I blame federal government policies and plans) which brings a smile is the significant deflation in the price of good hand-made cigars.
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Friday morning linksClimategate review: Jaworski from December: Climate Gate – Global Warming The Myth: CO2 The Greatest Scientific Scandal of Our Time. Scathing. How Chavez does it: Welcome to Censorship in the 21st Century Morris: THE COMING CATASTROPHE: STATE GOVERNMENTS Is this hyperbole? Google-Verizon Deal: The End of The Internet as We Know It Q&O: Jobless claims “unexpectedly” rise It's back: The Return of the $1,000 Down Mortgage 70% of the births at Dallas' Parkland Hospital are to illegals. Parkland makes a profit on that, via Medicaid. We are paying those bills. h/t NRO
Prof Bainbridge's post on Conservative style attracted much commentary. From Tom Smith's post:
More on that from Insty. And from AVI Thursday, August 5. 2010DittoWithout my normal, being long-winded, I say ditto to this on "gay marriage." (HT: HotAir) Related at Legal Ins: Deconstructing marriage NYC millionairesNYC has more millionaires than the entire population of Boston. But Rep Jerry Nadler has an idea: Democrats: Say, Let’s Exempt Rich People in Blue States From Tax Hike! Thursday morning linksYou can get almost anything at Costco Hard Drinkers, Meet Soft Science Michelle: Mad Maxine’s minority fat-cat bankers Insty: Is higher ed a waste of money? Driscoll: Paranoia, Short-Term Thinking, and the Ongoing Media Death Spiral Sowell: Democrats Bite Democrats: Part II WSJ: Liberal Piety and the Memory of 9/11 What was that movie where they handicapped everybody? Universities That Use Kindles vs. the ADA Missouri's Prop C will be ignored. McCaskill: Message received (that the voters don't get it). Says Brewton:
Fighting the union for school innovaton Am Thinker: The Revolt of the States. It's about time. GOP aims for House seats in New England Former Shirley Sherrod employee accuses her of exploiting black farm laborers Shariah Comes to the Supreme Court: Elena Kagan’s Decisions Rasmussen: 55% Favor FCC Regulation of TV and Radio
Wednesday, August 4. 2010Why is desiring Constitutional government anti-black and anti-brown people?Why is this? Why is desiring Constitutional government anti-black and anti-brown people? (toon is h/t Lucianne) My view is that the assumption that people with more skin pigmentation cannot make a decent life in America without government hand-outs and special favors is insulting, condescending, racist - and simply untrue. Am I a racist for saying this? America has tons more white folks on the various government doles than folks of color. I'd like to see them all get their act together, regardless of pigmentation. America is the least color-conscious nation on the planet. Nobody here cares about that, anymore (except for the race-mongers who still try to make careers out of it).
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Birthright CitizenshipSeveral Republican US Senators are now supporting hearings into whether there should be a Constitutional amendment restricting birthright citizenship, anyone born on US soil is a US citizen. There’s some electoral opportunism there as well as recognition that most Americans want more restrictions on illegal immigration. About a fourth to a third of illegal immigrants in the US are parents of children born here. In some localities, the majority of births are to illegal immigrants, many of them coming into the US specifically for that purpose. Although by laws these parents are denied most governmental benefits, they are permitted to stay to care for their children, and many do work illegally. The children may petition for legal entry of other family members. There is no legal doubt that the US has the complete right to govern entry and citizenship. There is doubt as to whether the post-Civil War 14th Amendment, aimed at the citizenship of former slaves, intended to allow the birthright citizenship that we see today. Advocates of restriction cite the statement of a co-sponsor of the 14th. However, the language of the 14th has been interpreted in various ways by scholars and politicians over the next years and century-and-a-half. There are some peripheral court cases but the US Supreme Court has not specifically weighed in. At this point, it seems that only a well-drafted Constitutional amendment would be able to restrict birthright citizenship. Surely there would be majority consensus to do so, requiring at least one parent to already be a citizen. However, there are implications that must be considered. Should such children already here be allowed to retain citizenship? I’d guess yes. Should their parents be allowed to stay? I’d guess yes, with a path to citizenship. Should the children of legal entrants who have not yet become citizens be automatically granted citizenship? I’d guess not, at least until the parents have qualified and the children too. Some may consider that rewarding past behavior, and it is, but in a grand bargain and out of compassion, I’d guess there’d be the overwhelming support required for a Constitutional amendment. I’d suggest the language can be as simple as “Only a child born of at least one US citizen will be a US citizen. All others are subject to US laws of entry, residence and citizenship.” Yes, there will be resistance from those who want virtually open borders and those who benefit from hiring illegals, and from politicians whose constituency is such, but they are a minority and have little or no legal basis. There are valid emotional appeals to our past and to compassionate values but they, if not a purposeful distraction, are a recipe for enlarging the problems. Our past did not have the current practical burdens upon citizens or entrants. As strong border controls are essential to reducing illegal entry, so are removing incentives to illegal entry or staying. Uneducated illegal entrants are the main problem in net costs to our economy and government budgets. The US has need of some, and some are or will become or their offspring become net contributors. But, not as many as once or now or in the future. A Constitutional amendment to restrict birthright citizenship directly deals with a substantial part of the problem in a reasonable, cost-effective and widely-supported way. UPDATE: According to the respected PEW Research Center's Hispanic Center, there are over 4-million children in the US of illegal immigrants, and they make up 8% of the US birthrate.
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