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.
"Despite a new imperative to be scrupulous about affirmative consent, young men are still subject to incessant messages that sexual conquest... remains the measure of a 'real' man..."
Three meals/day is long obsolete except for manual laborers. If you want to be healthy, a protein shake after morning workout, an apple and a coffee for lunch. Meat for supper, preferably cow meat.
In August, the New York Times Magazine unveiled its 1619 Project, which dates the founding of the United States not to 1776, with the Declaration of Independence, but to 1619, with the arrival of the first African slave. Five prominent historians (Victoria Bynum, James McPherson, James Oakes, Sean Wilentz, and Gordon Wood) challenged the Project’s thesis, first in interviews with a socialist website, then in a letter to the Times urging factual corrections. The paper responded dismissively, and the broader reaction among historians suggests that the profession isn’t up to the challenge of defending factual accuracy—at least, not if doing so threatens what many scholars see as the ideological greater good.
We have an implicit [but wrong] assumption that intelligence and rationality go together—or else why would we be so surprised when smart people do foolish things?
Thanks to the Department of Justice Inspector General's report, we now know for certain what has been, for those paying attention, fairly obvious. The Steele dossier played a central role in the genesis of the Russia hoax and was used to justify extensive spying on former naval officer and Annapolis graduate Carter Page.
The top two leaders of the FBI were closely involved in this fiasco. Other powerful people knew what was happening and lied to cover it up. That all was confirmed by the IG report. The report was a disaster for the credibility of top leaders in Barack Obama's FBI, and it's also a big problem for the American news media...
The $100 billion reason not to return gifts this holiday season - 90% of products returned during the holidays won’t be resold—and some will end up in a landfill.
I'm sitting watching "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" during the holidays, enjoying myself and the general happy tone of the season, and I check my email. I get a notice from a college roommate that he has pancreatic cancer. He's happy, has had one round of chemo, and is in good spirits. Christmas was great, family is good, and he just thought my inquiry into his health deserved an answer. Admittedly, he's got the absolute best outlook on life of anyone I know or am associated with, and that goes a long way in situations like this.
I'm a fairly young person, or I like to believe I am. I've never had to deal with the mortality of any of my friends. Yet. Hopefully not for a while longer. I wish him the best, but his news got me thinking about how we deal with mortality.
I can't say much that hasn't been said by others already. I have no special insights or points of view. Generally, I enjoy dark humor and make jokes about this kind of thing. It's easy to do when it's not too close to home (though I certainly hope if things get tough with me, people don't hold back...I'll need a laugh and it's easy to laugh at myself).
News like this opens the door to taking stock, and that's something I'll be doing as I enter 2020. I'm not prepared (who is, after all?) to really think about the worst outcomes for a dear friend. So I'll remain positive that he's going to be fine. It takes quite a bit to bring me to tears, and I squeezed a few out as Mrs. Bulldog and I talked about this.
2019 isn't ending on an up note, so that only means 2020 is going to be great. All of you be well, and I hope your year ends well and gets better into 2020.
When all of the evidence is collected together, it is as if Amnesty has declared war on Israel - Researcher David Collier sets out the findings from his new 200-page report on the NGO
Boxing Day is the traditional day to be generous to all those who help us during the year. We give $ to the garbage man, the mailman, the cleaning gals, and of course to my 4:45 AM regular Dunkin guy who works the night shift at my 24-hr Dunkin. These folks appreciate being shown our appreciation.
The docs just get fruit baskets. They are health nuts, believe in eating fruits and nuts. I do not, much, although I will go for a pear or an apple pie.
I hope our readers had a blessed Christmas or a happy Hannukah. The BD clan did have a classic Yankeeland one. Life in America: Perfect candlelight service about Grace and Truth, an early Christmas morning family workout at the gym, scrambled eggs with salmon (and pannetone of course - very Yankee), then the girls entertained us with Christmas carol duets with one's new guitar and the other's new keyboard for her apartment in NYC. Gosh, I love family music no matter how imperfect. One of my daughters sings like an angel, the other like a Screech Owl. Son can't sing a lick and neither can I.
Then a "hike" to the countryside, and, finally home, the kids made us filet with roasted sweet potatoes and sauteed brussel sprouts while my father-in-law dozed by the fire with a glass of rare 25 year-old single malt whiskey which tastes like candy. They cleaned up everything too. Always do.
Daughter was still practicing a Mendelssohn piece when I retired for the evening, banging away by a merry fire with an assortment of 4-letter words. This morning was a heavy weights day, so I had to be rested and ready. She's a Mendelssohn gal, I'm a Schubert guy but Mendelssohn second. I want my guitar daughter to work on country blues, but kids do what they will do. They have their own minds and directions...for better or worse.
Scott Alexander: 
My question of the day: Why are Iranian troops, militias, and terrorists in Iraq?
RIP: 
Photo from a friend in Yucca Valley this week 
The $100 billion reason not to return gifts this holiday season - 
Don Imus, 
Impossible burgers 