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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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Monday, January 5. 2009Monday morning links
A reader sent in this hunting photo from Saturday. That is clearly an old, raggedy CT apple orchard, so I can assume he was hunting grouse. Nice spot. Dinosaurs grew feathers before they became birds. Bailout Bonds. Get 'em while they're fresh. Our blog friend Prof Deneen at Georgetown is going on indefinite blog sabbatical. And I don't blame him. If I could clone my inner dog self to handle this job, I'd do the same thing.
The Lib love affair with Castro Why Clinton as Sec of State? Paglia How the UN funds Pali Jihad The Obama team needs to continue following Tiger's advice Re the seven things nobody tells you about marriage Carville: Watch for a Dem streak of scandals All that talk about "peak oil" has disappeared Steyn (via Driscoll)
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Sunday, January 4. 2009A few Sunday morning links
Alternative buildings and cities, from the 60s. EU denounces carbon offset The cost of hollow virtuousness: Taxpayers pay for UK's mountain of recycling. Isn't it called "garbage" for a reason? Does Israel really want a victory? Related, via SC&A at Shrinkwrapped from March: Has Israel lost the will to live? Rangel update (h/t, Insty). Yes, Rangel is an expert in ways and means. What I've learned from my students is that students today are completely full of sh*t. More Burris Fun 'n Games. Politics is one disgusting game. Two camps on climate in the new admin: Crazy, and crazier. Related, from Junk Science:
Just one more totalitarian bureaucrat who thinks she is smarter than me. She is not. She just likes power more than I do.
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From IsraelFrom our occasional guest poster Nathan in Israel:
My coffee guy (long hair past his shoulders, very cool, very left) spent the night watching the news. "Eyn ma la'asot" - "Nothing else one could do." He says it is like walkiing into zefl (tar); have to fight meter by meter with mines and weapons not only in the ground but in houses. My electrician , Avi, came back from Miluim a few days before the war started (father of four). He has more to say (will write when I have time) . Temenite background; very quiet, diligent. He describes how Isr airforce gives warning 10 minutes before hitting a target; then the Hamas tells women and children to stand on top of the roof to wave at the planes and deter the bombing. He goes on to speak about a Palestinian laborer worked for him for years; good worker. But, when he would telephone his wife, he would get violent and warn her that she would get what is coming to her when he got home. Avi asked him why he didn't speak more respectfully to her -- she makes a life for you, cooks, raises your kids. Guy says, "But, she's a woman." The Press Does Not Have Unlimited License During War
From guest poster Bruce Kesler:
The primary and overriding obligation of a government and its military during war is to accomplish its objectives. Support among its own public and that of influential outside powers is surely important, particularly the longer the armed engagement.
The press’ role can be either constructive toward this, or not. The government may, or may not, be correct in its management of the war and of the press, but it is the government at war that has the requirement to decide, not the press.
It is argued, often correctly, that the press in a war sometimes sees more clearly than the government or offers useful additional insights. Still, it remains that it is the government and its people that suffers from failing to meet war’s objectives, not the press. Failure at war is a far more grievous harm than can be recompensed by a corrections column or apologetic retrospective re-analysis in the newspaper.
Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, in
Israel recognizes this imbalance and in the current
This lengthy article, http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/86631with much more detail than here offers a useful summary of the measures that
The ending observation made by the Israeli Defense Force spokesman gets to the heart of the matter: “An army has to fight, not to spend its time in front of television cameras.” Israel is not allowing journalists in Israel to enter Gaza at will, to flash emotional scenes – often stage managed by Hamas – to incite the natural distaste the world’s civilians have toward the hell that is war. For that matter,
The Israeli Supreme Court, in the manner of a civilized state, has ruled that some safe pooled entry will be allowed.
It is not the responsibility of
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Saturday, January 3. 2009The car of the futurefrom Iowahawk: What I'm readingAmong other things, Kindleberger's classic Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises. From a review at Amazon:
A few Sat. morning linksHow about a net worth test for Charlie Rangel? The medical and spiritual dangers of WiFi Good point, via Driscoll. Be sure to read the Jamie Lee Curtis link. Reasons global warming may not exist at all New Year's resolutions you can keep Peoples' Paradise update: Cuba celebrates 50 years of oppression, fear, and misery. Powerline A book: Larry Elder's Stupid Black Men
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Friday, January 2. 2009Friday morning links
Good news. Earth has cooled since Bush took office. Good going, George. But I think you overdid it. School endowments are saving for what? It's greed, I tell ya. This guy Our cuz Mr. Free Market not only pokes a friendly stick in Maggie's eye, but, more importantly, into the eye of the Nannies. Make my day, Nanny. How did California become so suicidal? We always knew they were nutty and flakey, but not suicidal. Unpleasant truths about Germany. No, not about the Nazis. Quagmire update: Most under-reported item of yesterday: Green Zone handed off to Iraqis. I know she's good, but how does Small Dead Lemmings do this? Jealous? Who, me? Pondering parenthood in that agonizing, Liberal way. Sheesh. What a putz. The C of E today: Crazy people. Certifiable. Student of the Great Depression Amity Schlaes on What Obama should do. He won't. George Will: Health care costs keep growing All this rug stuff on Maggie's. Now I've been bidding on old rugs on eBay. Most of the eBay rug items are coarse new crap, but some looks very nice. Life does need beauty in it. But does one need to own it? Photo: Borrowed from Moonbattery. At first I thought it was satire, but now I wonder. That shirt has got to come off.
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Thursday, January 1. 2009Better and Lesser PeaceFrom guest poster Bruce Kesler: There are better states of “peace” and lesser ones. A better peace is one that leads to or allows increases in mutual safety and respect; a lesser peace increases the security risks and leads to or allows more or larger conflict and suffering.
If that critical distinction is not understood, dictating decisions, then by default a lesser peace will result as actions are taken that undermine the focus and measures necessary for a better peace.
The primary element needed for a better peace is recognition by all sides that it is preferable to the alternatives. This may require one side to lead the other to this thinking, and that thinking to be reinforced.
Sometimes, either sooner or later, or more usually as a last resort, this will require the side desiring a better peace to take forceful action, including armed ones.
That has always been the regretful but necessary course by
Successfully and decisively fending off repeated attacks by neighboring Arab states, soundly defeating them, Jordan and
Within,
The West, particularly the
It is harsh but necessary that all supplies to
Israel, it is said by all observers, cannot realistically afford to nor hope to eradicate Hamas. But, it – with the West’s support – can at least hope to so bloody and weaken Hamas as to possibly – not probably, but better prospects than any other alternative – create conditions for a better peace through so weakening Hamas’ stranglehold on Gaza as to allow the opening for Gazans with Arab states’ active involvement to develop a better peace of security and respect under the realistic deterrence of facing a sharp sword of retaliation.
Along with a complete cutoff of external supplies, it may be necessary for
Stopping now, especially when the point is not sufficiently driven home, and appearing to kowtow to misled pacifist demands from the West, will only accomplish a disrespect for
Although, according to the latest Rasmussen poll, only 31% of Democrats back
That would be real hope and change all would welcome.
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Palis bring back crucifixionA few Thurs. morning linksA review of a new bio of Arthur Miller. A quote:
CT newspapers want government $. We knew this would come up. Related, via Insty: How can newspapers cover somebody they love? Related: Village Voice lays off Nat Hentoff. Nat Hentoff? They are done. Ireland's enviro minister: Climate change is a con Thomas Frank on the un-wisdom of markets. WSJ. Methinks he does not understand the history of bubbles in economics. Chantrill at Am Thinker: A Conservative Narrative
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Wednesday, December 31. 2008Good grief!Fort Lauderdale, yesterday:
Moslem men don't like T&A, says Reverend
Aussie MP/Reverend wants topless beaches banned out of sensitivity to Moslem men. Sheesh. Australia has lots of other beaches to go to, if they want to swim or surf. Or they can do as I do, which is to keep my eyes discreetly down when visiting topless beaches...admiring my pedicure. How about banning burkhas for the happiness of the non-Moslem men? Funny thing is, I know a couple of Moslem men. They might be the exceptions, but they seem to appreciate females quite a bit. Photo: From a naked surfing contest in Australia. Photo is one of several from a commenter to Free Republic's Obama's silence on Gaza angers Arabs. It is A.N.S.W.E.R. people, it appears. Useful idiots, for whom Israel is always in the wrong. But what the US has to do with this is beyond me. My view is that Hamas deliberately provokes Israel into responding, for their own political purposes. Their pathetic political purposes, it seems to me, are to maintain a privileged victim status, to deflect attention from their failures to create a decent society by scapegoating Israel, to collect $ from other countries - and to stay in power. No wonder the Arab countries dislike and distrust the Palis to the extent that they refuse to take them as refugees.
Weds. morning links
Why the 1918 Influenza was so bad. Obama will ration your medical care. Or try to, anyway. He'll deflect criticism by using Daschle as point man. Daschle will take the bullets, same as Hillary did. Related: The NHS death that shocked Britain Residential architecture: Never do this China reduces taxes to deal with slowdown. China has become more realistic, and less ideological, than the American Dem party. The WaPo and the amateur rockets. Would they object if the Palis lobbed some of them into their building? Yesterday we focused on the astonishing failures of New Jersey. Today, the flight from New York State Some folks are enjoying this recession Europe to the US: "Here, wear this millstone around your neck." Where are the real men? Armed and Dangerous (h/t, Vanderleun) One quote:
Photo: Not only do I not particularly enjoy champagne or any other white wine, I do not enjoy New Year's Eve either. Never did. Always seemed like a time for phony, forced jollity (like that dumb dropping ball thing) and, as much as I enjoy a cocktail, I dread hangovers which have the power to steal a whole day of my precious time.
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Tuesday, December 30. 2008CNN's rather small worldBruce Kesler sends this post: The headline from CNN is that the “World rallies around Palestinians amid Gaza offensive.”What does CNN cite for this? Groups, mostly of young Arabs, numbering several hundred to several thousand having street demonstrations in the following countries: England, Germany, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Iran, the Sadrist neighborhood in Baghdad, Iraq, and even in Israel.Ironically, and tellingly, none interviewed saw any reason to protest Hamas terror rockets and mortar barrages into Israel. This is what CNN calls the world! Or, is this CNN’s market that it caters to?Also, see Death to All JuiceAlso, see the view from J StreetAlso, see the Juicebox Mafia on Gaza
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