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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Thursday, March 19. 2015"What we're all about is creating meat-based soy substitutes to help save plant life."
Posted by Bird Dog
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17:15
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Secondary Education for the Ruling Class That was our ironic term for my all-boys boarding school. Since then, times have changed and the ruling class ain't what it usta be (and never was), but I'll tell y'all about it here, if you are interested. (No, it's not Groton) The history of American education is fascinating to me. I'd like to write the book but it seems like too much work and my writing has no zip to it, no flair, wouldn't sell. I wish I could write like Michael Lewis. Private boarding schools (prep schools) are a relatively recent development (late 1800s) in the northeastern US and California, but had a long history in England. Prior to that, children of the prosperous in the US were mostly home-schooled (tutors) to prepare them for college. Public education in the US, since the mid-1800s, was based on the Prussian/German model, as are American universities. The older American private secondary schools, however, were modeled on English private ("called "public") schools. But, as always through human history, the brightest and most talented kids were/are self-educated in the end. My school was as much about the cultural experience as it was about the information and skills acquired - but those were high-level too. In fact, they tried to pack in everything you might need to begin adulthood in a time when college was considered adulthood. Four years of this would make much of college today redundant. Below the fold, I will tell you about it all and how it worked well even for kids like me without superior IQs. Continue reading "Secondary Education for the Ruling Class" Wednesday, March 18. 2015Pampered, spoiled American kids: Lorenzo Baker A famous Cape-Codder, Lorenzo Dow Baker (scroll down a little for the story): As the 8th & youngest child of a fisherman and his wife, Lorenzo grew up on a homestead on Bound Brook Island on the bay side of northern Wellfleet. When he was 6, his mother died and his dad married a widow with several children of her own. Needless to say, his was not an easy life. He was apprenticed to a fishing captain at age 10, became a cook on a fishing schooner at age 15 and was considered an outstanding fisherman at the age of 18. By age 20, he was captain of a fishing schooner and eventually owned his own fishing schooner, "Vineyard". He married his childhood sweetheart, Martha, when he was 21 and she was 17. They had 4 children, Lorenzo Jr., Joshua, Martha and Reuben. He was a devout Methodist and a devoted husband and family man. For nine years, he made his living as a sea captain and fisherman... Read the rest of the story.
Posted by Bird Dog
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Handy German words"The German language is sufficiently copious and productive to furnish native words for any idea that can be expressed at all." Selections from Schottenfreude: German Words for the Human Condition by Ben Schott: Witzbeharrsamkeit - unashamedly repeating a bon mot until it is heard by everyone present Abgrundsanziehung - toying with the non-suicidal idea of jumping from a height Frohsinnsfascismus - the awful mediocrity of organized fun Clashsyndrom - moments of etiquette perplexity when there is no polite way of behaving Fetanlaushangriff - tuning in and out of a number of conversations at a party
Posted by The Barrister
in Our Essays, The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation
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13:32
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Studies on Luck
Posted by Dr. Joy Bliss
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12:58
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Tuesday, March 17. 2015Government Education for the Masses
Who is "we," pardner? While attacking straw men, bringing race into a non-racial discussion, and demonizing "individualism", he seems to be arguing for a top-down, one-size-fits-all, centrally-organized system of primary and secondary education in the USA. He suggests that it be oriented ideologically, and claims it would be "for the common good." He is a Bismarckian with that Prussian control attitude towards the masses. Thus it's a little dissonant to read his views, coming as they are from the president of hippy-dippy, free-spirit, granola-ridden and hugely expensive, and private, Bard College. But maybe it's not odd.
I'd bet home schooling drives him nuts. As usual with Liberals, "I know how to deliver your pursuit of happiness and I would like to shove it up your butt." I hate hearing the elites and the experts pontificate about what "we" should do. I'd rather hear myself pontificate about freedom and free choices in life. Even the freedom to apply to the somewhat offbeat Bard College if you want to. Sláinte!
Posted by The News Junkie
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12:33
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Sunday, March 15. 2015When the Government Becomes Your Family
The discussions in the comments are quite good. Conservatives often idealize the independent, self-sufficient family, but there is a debate, and not all families can measure up to that. We're not in pioneer days. Government charity and freebies can be life-saving, but they can also be "enablers" for dysfunction and immature attitudes towards life.
Posted by The Barrister
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13:12
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Wednesday, March 11. 2015Fury 325, the world’s fastest and tallest roller coasterBarf City
Posted by Bird Dog
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15:35
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Monday, March 9. 2015Good advice: Always seek to learn from those who disagree with youDon't argue, just give them a listen. Ray Dalio explains how he does it, and what "open-minded" means to him. It's about humility, it's not just about money, and it certainly works for him.
Posted by The News Junkie
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15:51
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Why Do Universities Hate Christianity So Much?I thought we knew the answer (in leftist politics), but it's getting muddled because "identity groups" can be so darn confusing. Now the Jews are hated on campi too because they are said to oppress Arabs, which makes Arab religion ok because they are termed a victim identity group even though religion of any sort is a negative for the left. Almost every illegal hispanic immigrant is Roman Catholic, so does that make RC ok? Why Do Universities Hate Christianity So Much? Slightly related: The Church of England Beclowns Itself - Still at war with the specter of Margaret Thatcher. Sunday, March 8. 2015Obituary: The Passing of the Physician Healer
"It is with the deepest regret that we announce the passing of the physician healer. While there was no exact date provided, it was believed that his death occurred sometime during 2013. This was preceded by a long illness that began in the 1970s and appears to finally have taken him in the last year."
Posted by Bird Dog
in Medical, The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation
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14:01
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Compared to their cohorts around the world, American millennials come in last or near-last by just about every metric.American Millennials: Too Proud to Compete:
Posted by The Barrister
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13:33
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Dalrymple on Dylan ThomasA quote from The Rimbaud of Cwmdonkin Drive - Dylan Thomas, the last true bohemian
Posted by Bird Dog
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A war between science and religion?That never made any sense to me. It's a myth. "The picture of science and religion at each other’s throats persists in mainstream media and scholarly journals, but each chapter in Galileo Goes to Jail shows how much we have to gain by seeing beyond the myths." Who's to blame? The Two Guys to Blame for the Myth of Constant Warfare between Religion and Science
Posted by Bird Dog
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06:17
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Thursday, March 5. 2015“The exact meaning of the term emotion, it is difficult to state in any form of words”
"Emotion" is sort-of an artificial construct, is it not? It - whatever it is - can rarely be separated from cognition, perception, ideas, and all other mental processes and biological instincts. We easily can identify, in ourselves, lustful desire ("urge to merge"), rage, despair, joy, fear and anxiety - but these extremes are rare and still more expressible by poets and musicians than by scientists. Tuesday, March 3. 2015Family vs Government
When people lose family bonds and family help, they pathetically turn to government, and government is always happy to make you dependent on them. It is a sick and sickening cycle of money and power, and weakens human spirit and integrity. Where's my money? I am fortunate that my clan is tight, and from immigrant cultures (Poland + Italy), too proud and grateful to to America to look to government for anything. We were taught that freedom is our precious gift, and nothing more can or should be asked for. It's an American thing which relatively-recent immigrant (1920s) families appreciate best. Today? I am not sure. We have a decadent gimme culture, it seems. Monday, March 2. 2015Scientists Are Wrong All the Time, and That’s FantasticFrom the article:
Indeed. How long did many gullible people avoided eating eggs and beef when it's been clear for over a decade that the idea was nonsense? People didn't get the message that the cholesterol fuss was just myth.
Posted by The Barrister
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13:29
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Sunday, March 1. 2015Your savings, for a snowy night in Yankeeland
That's why we use only Vanguard Funds and ETFs, just as Buffet does with his funds for his family (he gives away most of his wealth to charity and is extremely stingy with his kids). Very cheap funds and ETFs. Only rarely do we purchase individual equities or bonds, and we do not have the wealth for venture funds or hedge funds. Vanguard can help you with rational planning. They are not trying to get rich from you, and I almost consider them to be a public service.
Posted by Bird Dog
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18:01
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Saturday, February 28. 2015A free ad for Camp Chewonki and the Chewonki FoundationA good organization: Maine's Chewonki They might be a bit too Greenie, but mainly outdoor-oriented. All sorts of (affordable) programs for kids and adults. They even have useful wilderness medicine programs.
Posted by The Barrister
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13:09
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Friday, February 27. 2015Debt, deleveraging, and bubbles with Ray Dalio
He advises people with lower net worth (eg under 10-50 million) to stay away from the equity casino where the master poker players will beat you, but ordinary people like me are naturally a bit greedy and ignore wisdom. As a commenter says, "The man knows exactly what he doesn't know and builds his portfolio around that. Genius." As I listen, I see the huge role that central banks and governments play in the international games of money. There are no free markets today. His funds require a minimal investment of many millions. Enjoy this, despite an annoying Maria. And who is she to call him "Ray"? I'd like to ask him about the necessity of central banks and their role in creating the economic swings.
Posted by Bird Dog
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12:14
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Wednesday, February 25. 2015Everything is a disease now
What drives the disease craze? Big Pharma, and insurance. Normal variants are labeled as diseases and disorders. Think ADD, ED, infertility, fear of dying, and on and on. I term them, smirkingly, "life-style disorders." Here's an emerging new disorder: A Pill That Boosts a Woman’s Sex Drive Is Almost Here. But Do We Need It? What shall we term the medical disorder which this pill fixes?
How Skiing Went From the Alps to the Masses Thanks to ski lifts, snow cannons, and plenty of dynamite, what used to It's not too cheap, the hassle factor is huge, but it is great cold weather fun and excellent exercise. Like many, I grew up skiing at a small local place with rope tows and poma lifts, and one two-seater chair lift, and slowly advanced to more challenging places as funds permitted. I love it. For me, winter means skiing, spring means fishing, summer means boating, fall means hunting. It's that simple. Tuesday, February 24. 2015Healthy food, finally - and it isn't "health food"The Red Meat, Eggs, Fat and Salt Diet We have said here at Maggie's, for years, that a "healthy diet" cannot be defined without evidence, and there has never been any evidence. "Healthy" has just been bias, old-wives tales, and happy-sounding ignorance like "eat your peas and kale and fruit". All nonsense. It's a big deal that even the slow-witted government finally comes around to what we have all known. America, go easy on the carbs, eat veggies only if you like them, use butter and olive oil, enjoy a fine steak when you can afford it, and do not become food-obsessed. Sorry, Whole Foods, food quacks, and food faddists. You have been wrong all along. Docs finally now feel free to share the real facts, which they have known for years. I've never known a doc who would refuse a rare ribeye steak or filet mignon. Never known a vegetarian doc either, or a scientist who ate organic food. In fact, the biological scientists I know like to go to fancy French and fancy Italian restaurants as often as possible.
Posted by Dr. Joy Bliss
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15:00
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Saturday, February 21. 2015Scott Walker Doesn’t Need a Degree — and Neither Do YouAll of us in positions to employ people know that a college degree, in many or most cases, is meaningless credentialism much of the time, these days. For life-enrichment or for the hard sciences, college can great, especially if money is no object and if the kid is a natural scholar. The latter is, at most, 5-6%. In choosing friends, we might prefer people who know a lot about a lot of things, but for employees one applies different metrics. We train all of our own people, including our paralegals. We use a marine corps boot camp system. Many wash out, but are better for it. Some even thank us for letting them discover what level of effort and learning is expected from work in the for-profit world. Many times, college is a negative from a business standpoint. We exist to make money honestly and nothing more. When we hire, all we ask ourselves is "Can this person make, or save, us money?" And in case they do not, can we let them go without a lawsuit? I would never say that we avoid women, older folks, or minorities, for that reason because there are laws, but we have had enough expensive troubles with that in the past. We just want the highest performance and we want you available 24 hrs/day if needed, no excuses. Do an extraordinary job, exceed expectations, go the extra mile, make yourself attractive, and spread good cheer? We will reward you handsomely with money, benefits, love and appreciation. When we hire new lawyers (rarely in recent years, unless they come with deep portfolios of corporate clients), of course they have degrees. We ignore their degrees, bearing in mind that legal work required degrees only recently (historically). We see people with recent law degrees working in Starbucks and living with their parents. All real law is learned in apprenticeship, preferably under a genius mentor. All real learning is, ultimately, self-education. Scott Walker Doesn’t Need a Degree — and Neither Do You
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