Tuesday, December 19. 2006
You guessed it, didn't you?
From a review of a new book by Gregory Curtis on cave art, in WaPo: For centuries, cave art was ignored or dismissed as a clever prank. But in 1879, a Spanish scholar named Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola had a eureka moment when he was poking around in a cave called Altamira in Spain. He was overwhelmed by paintings of life-size bison on the cave's ceiling; this was, writes Curtis, "the first time we know of that an artist from the distant Stone Age touched the soul of a modern person." When Sautuola tried to publicize his findings, which linked the art to discoveries of prehistoric tools and carvings found on horns and other hard surfaces, archaeologists turned on him, mocking his conclusions with a savage fury. The great debate was on, and the theories and counter theories haven't stopped since. Curtis deftly leads us on a tour of contending interpretations, although some of the terms can be rather arcane.
Monday, December 18. 2006
 I feel badly about the climbers, and their families...but...if you want to climb Mt. Hood in December, get rescue insurance and have a rescue plan in place in case it is needed.
Either that, or sign something comparable to a DNR note: "We accept the risk, and we're on our own." Along with generous life insurance which covers it, to take care of your kids' educations. Mt. Hood has no guardrails, and no McDonalds. It is a dead-serious deal, and everyone knows that. The danger is the appeal. Why should the citizens of Oregon subsidize macho stunts like these with their hard-earned taxes? Isn't the whole point of climbing to risk life and limb? To encounter mortal danger when life is otherwise so soft, safe and protected? To find a trail without guardrails? To find a place where you cannot be rescued, and cannot find a McDonalds or a mall, and must face nature's harsh face? I have had just two friends who "climb." One saw his mother fall to her death on the Matterhorn (photo). The other saw his best friend fall to his death in a snow-covered crevasse in Alaska, and roped down to pull up the mangled body. Neither of them "climb" anymore: unpleasant memories. Death, when voluntarily courting mortal danger, is not a tragedy. It might be heroic, as in war, or an accepted risk, but not tragic: in our cozy, modern American life, you have to go well out of your way, and spend serious money, to find serious risk - unless you do something stupid and emotional like stepping on thin ice, or trying to outsmart the stock market. There is no tragic flaw involved. On Everest, you are on your own, and it is strewn with freeze-dried bodies as memento mori. I admire folks who take on such adventures. I do not care for heights, however. If you want a safe, comfy vacation, go to Tinsley World instead of Mt. Hood, or take a walk around the neighborhood with the pup and the camera. If you die on a mountain, we will remember you as someone with cojones, but not as tragic. People die on mountains all the time, but it only makes the news during slow news weeks. Hope the last two are OK, and that they can find another hobby.
Sunday, December 17. 2006
 Don't forget a couple of our favorite web shopping sites: Sierra Trading Post, and, of course, Cabela's.
Also, for the gentry, Kevin's.
Saturday, December 16. 2006
White Christmas. Wow - best I have every heard. and a Happy Chanukah to our Jewish readers.
Thursday, December 14. 2006
Wednesday, December 13. 2006
Most of the time, you want to be out a bit in front of your guides to get the shot, but, in this case, you just might want to lag a bit behind. Warning: T and/or A Rated photo, below, on continuation page:
Continue reading "Hunting Guides"
Tuesday, December 12. 2006
 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6
This is not really "giving in secret," as Christ demanded, but they all deserve a plug for their good work. Here are the worthy groups to whom I am giving this year:My church
My prep school
The Salvation Army
The Ruffed Grouse Society
The Nature Conservancy
World Vision
FOCUS
Ducks Unlimited
Doctors Without Borders and I am adding the Prison Fellowship to the list this year - what a great organization. Please consider them in your giving this year - it means a lot more than a new cashmere sweater.
Monday, December 11. 2006
What blogger who knows a bit about science, and what science-oriented person, has not wept over this question: Why oh Why Can't we have Better Science Editing?
The invisible knapsack, etc. Dust my Broom
Sunday, December 10. 2006
 Tree is up. An 8-footer.
With a fresh cut, and well-watered. Smells wonderful. But my task is done. It hardly needs improvement, in my opinion, but people will hang lights and old sentimental decorations all over it. I have never gotten the sense or practicality of bringing a dead tree indoors...except that it's like a miraculous transformation of home and life.
Saturday, December 9. 2006
Here. (h/t, Villainous) The guy owns the White House.
Readers know that I am partial to remote-controlled flying machines, but I just saw one of these and this is cool: 
It's a Walther NightHawk .177 pellet pistol. Add to my Santa list.
Friday, December 8. 2006
Consider this to be a free advt for People's Cube: 
Thursday, December 7. 2006
P&T make the case that true love is "bullshit." But it's big business. "Men are from Hoboken; Women are from Jersey City."
Wednesday, December 6. 2006
Asbestos. A classic: Harry Kananian met with the firm Early Ludwick in February 2000. According to an Early email, he wasn't clear how he'd been exposed. He had, however, served in the Army in World War II and remembered several months on troop ships known to contain asbestos. On one such two-week trip he'd done welding. He also recalled working in a factory that was "dusty," as well as a "white powdery substance" when he was remodeling his house. Early Ludwick then filed its multiple claims--to the 48 Insulations trust, the Eagle Picher trust, the UNR trust, the Celotex trust and others. Brayton Purcell was also retained by the plaintiff and filed claims to Johns Manville and Bethlehem Steel. The discrepancies were never questioned until Brayton sued Lorillard Tobacco, and Brayton probably never thought the prior claims would be an issue. But Lorillard suspected Kananian had already collected on the basis of his work history--and it argued the jury had a right to know. To Brayton's dismay, Judge Hanna agreed earlier this year.
Yes, dusty material. Show me one person over 35 who hasn't been been in a place that contained asbestos, and guess what? You can get mesothelioma without asbestos exposure. Read the whole sorry tale by Strassel at Opinion Journal. I wonder what their next scam will be. These people make honest lawyers look bad, but they laugh all the way to the bank. But can they look at themselves in the mirror?
All we want at Maggie's Farm are more links, more blogrolls, and more readers. For readers, we have a fine cadre of congnoscenti, who are hip to our deal and down wid us. You all have a capacity for irony - which means a decent IQ. But, for Christmas, we want a mass market, like Michelle and Glenn. No - we want to be bigger than them: we want to be Glenn and Michelle and Kos and Powerline combined, and invited to the White House for chats! But, sadly, we just aren't good enough for that dream. Delusions of grandeur! We don't even want money...well, we do want money, but we expect none from Maggy. She is cheap: we work for free. Galley slaves! Rescue us! Please, Santa! We will be a one year-old blog (or two, really, depending on whether you count it from when we signed up with Truth Laid Bear) in February. Blogroll us, and link us, for Christmas! We are sorta, kinda unique. Email us to your million intelligent, skeptical, inquiring friends, who might be deprived of their Daily Maggie's - to their detriment. Gift-wrapping included! And the price is right! What a fine gift!
Monday, December 4. 2006
Merrily T-rated, on Continuation page below. (Thanks for the Christmas cheer, Black Dog.) The two four two ladies on the left appear medically enhanced, but I am no expert. (Out of consideration to our readers, many of whom seem to read Maggie's at work or school, we will no longer post T-rated material on the front page, however much fun we think it is to do so. Apparently it has lead to some uncomfortable moments. Sorry - just click below to see Santa's friends.)
Continue reading "Santa's Merry Elves"
Sunday, December 3. 2006
Yet another sport I would rather play than watch. This was today, in Danbury, CT - the New England Division. The game is a wonderful combination of muscle, physical endurance, tactics, skill, anticipation, brains, and attitude. And of course, as a mano a mano game, it's all up to you. No team-mates to blame, and No Excuses. This must have been one heck of a dramatic game when real swords were used. Ouch! 
Friday, December 1. 2006
With Youtube, at Powerline. He could do that sort of stuff, but I think of him as an R&B man.
Still gives me chills: A Touch of Grey. How right is this song?
 A brand new store has just opened in New York City that sells Husbands.
When women go to choose a husband, they have to follow the instructions at the entrance:
"You may visit this store ONLY ONCE! There are 6 floors and the values of the products increase as you ascend the flights.
"You may choose any Item from a particular floor, or may choose to go up to the next floor, but you CANNOT go back down except to exit the building!" So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband.
On the 1st floor the sign on the door reads: Floor 1 - These men have jobs.
The 2nd floor sign reads: Floor 2 - These men Have Jobs and Love Kids.
The 3rd floor sign reads: Floor 3 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids and are extremely good looking.
"Wow," she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going.
She goes to the 4th floor and the sign reads: Floor 4 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Good Looking and Help with Housework. "Oh, mercy me!" she exclaims, "I can hardly stand it!"
Still, she goes to the 5th floor and sign reads: Floor 5 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Gorgeous, help with Housework and Have A Strong Romantic Streak.
She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the 6th floor and the sign reads:
Floor 6 - You are visitor 31,456,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store.
------------------------------------------- To avoid gender bias charges, the store's owner opens a New Wives store just across the street.
The 1st first floor has wives that love sex.
The 2nd floor has wives that love sex and have money.
The 3rd through 6th floors have never been visited.
Thursday, November 30. 2006
I know you all have been waiting eagerly. We have promised this exam for many months, but today is a good day for it. All beasts have been featured on Maggie's Farm. Multiple choice! Answers on continuation page, for you slackers. Here it is: 1. The animal below is a: Holstein, Texas Longhorn, Auroch, Swiss Angus 2. The beast below is a: Shetland Shorthorn, Bison, Yak, Musk Ox 
3. The animal below is a: Jersey, Guernsey, Brown Swiss, Shorthorn 
4. The animals below are: Black Angus, Holstein, Jersey, Auroch 
5. The beast below is a: Holstein, Hereford, Shetland Pony, Gateway Logo 
6. The critter below is a: Big MF, Brown Swiss, Shorthorn, Polled Hereford 
7. The creature below is a: Holstein, Mottled Swiss, Guernsey, Holstein 8. The nasty creature below is a: Cow, Cat, Goat, Bird 
9. The giant beast below is a: Longhorn, Shorthorn, Spanish, Hereford Bull 
10. The milker below is a: Dark and Stormy, Brown Swiss, Shetland Shorthorn, Limousin 
11. The happy animals below are: Black Angus, Brown Swiss, Polled Herefords, Brown Swiss 
12. This gentle and friendly animal is a: Water Buffalo, European Bison, Cape Buffalo, Yak 
13. A hard one: This breed of beef cattle is: Hereford, Shorthorn. Limousin, Charolais 
14. An Ox is a(n): older bull, older steer, breed of cattle, word for a big cow 15. There are how many surviving species of wild bovines? 3, 7, 12, 17 16. "Polled" means: they grow large horns, they don't grow horns, they are born without testicles, their horns are cut off. 17. This is a: Polled Hostein, Apache Ghost Cow, Limousin, Charolais 
18. Wuzzat? 
Continue reading "The Long-awaited Bovine Final Exam"
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