Thursday, December 8. 2005
Refresh your education, on line, at home in your spare time, for free! And no exams. This is an early Christmas gift to our readers, from me. Lectures on Modern European Intellectual History by Steven Kreis. It's really a survey, but with plenty of good links to dig deeper. It doesn't read the original sources for you, but it's highly enjoyable and informative, and it will bring back everything you once heard, or should have heard, in college, especially if you went to the great University of Chicago, or Columbia. Trouble is, they do the original sources but don't have the patience to tie it all together. That's why we appreciate real teacher guys like Kreis. I am doing one lecture per day, but I will have to do it twice because of my ADD and the distraction of our short-skirted young receptionist who is the current cause of my Adult ADD. (Billable hours? Well, you know how hard we barristers work when we aren't drinking, reading the papers, surfing online, jousting on eBay, sighting in our muskets and bows, hunting, dining, emailing, ordering books and movies and toys on Amazon, or looking at gals.) From Abelard to the certifiably insane Nietzsche, Kreis does an excellent job of putting everything in historical context. I hope his fortunate but doubtless oatmeal-and- Budweiser-brained students appreciate what he does - his enthusiasm and his thoughtfulness. It is a true delight, for which I am grateful.
You know you want this The Roku Soundbridge. There's a Wi-Fi music system and a Network Music Player which, among other things, will send a wireless signal from the PC to your good speaker system. Too bad they don't combine the two products into one. I think I "need" the Network Music Player. Hey, Santa - are you online?
 Duck Hunting Safety
Drowning and hypothermia kill duck hunters each fall and winter. It figures, because going out on the winter waters in small open boats in bad weather, wearing heavy layers of clothing, probably isn't the smartest thing to do. But it's in the nature of guys to do stupid and reckless things sometimes. This company sells inflatable hypothermia camo outerwear made by Mustang. It could save your life. No, we do not get paid for this advt. All of our advertising has been free, thus far, in support of Commerce, Capitalism, and Good Stuff!
But is it "Art"? 
"A distinction between art and entertainment isn't worth making."
George Balanchine Reading a short piece in the CSM (my favorite newspaper right now besides the New York Sun) about how comic books are being featured, and presented as serious high art, at LA's Museum of Contemporary Art, triggered an ill-formed thought that has been percolating in the back of my mind. And it's not the usual ranting about "That's not real Art." It's that the notion of "serious art" or "high art" is the real problem. I'd like to replace the word "art" with the word "pictures." Then we can start to talk.
Wednesday, December 7. 2005
COLONEL DON CONROY'S EULOGY,
by his son Pat Conroy, 1998 The children of fighter pilots tell different stories than other kids do. None of our fathers can write a will or sell a life insurance policy or fill out a prescription or administer a flue shot or explain what a poet meant. We tell of fathers who land on aircraft carriers at pitch-black night with the wind howling out of the China Sea. Our fathers wiped out aircraft batteries in the Philippines and set Japanese soldiers on fire when they made the mistake of trying to overwhelm our troops on the ground.
Your Dads ran the barber shops and worked at the post office and delivered the packages on time and sold the cars, while our Dads were blowing up fuel depots near Seoul, were providing extraordinarily courageous close air support to the beleaguered Marines at the Chosin Reservoir, and who once turned the Naktong River red with blood of a retreating North Korean battalion. We tell of men who made widows of the wives of our nations' enemies and who made orphans out of all their children.
You don't like war or violence? Or napalm? Or rockets? Or cannons or death rained down from the sky? Then let's talk about your fathers, not ours. When we talk about the aviators who raised us and the Marines who loved us, we can look you in the eye and say "you would not like to have been American's enemies when our fathers passed overhead". We were raised by the men who made the United States of America the safest country on earth in the bloodiest century in all recorded history. Our fathers made sacred those strange, singing names of battlefields across the Pacific: Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, the Chosin Reservoir, Khe Sanh and a thousand more. We grew up attending the funerals of Marines slain in these battles. Your fathers made communities like Beaufort decent and prosperous and functional; our fathers made the world safe for democracy.
Continue reading "A Pearl Harbor Day Offering: The Great Santini - Eulogy for a Fighter Pilot"
Tuesday, December 6. 2005
And more Botticelli Mystic Crucifixion, below, (c. 1500), is among Botticelli's latest paintings. The picture is, sadly, in very poor condition, but can be seen at the Fogg Museum in Cambridge. Worth a trip. Note c.1500 Florence in the background, with the walls of the city - it has not changed much. I'd enlarge the picture if I could. What a contrast with the popular and charming Primavera and Venus and Mars. With this amazing, pseudo-Medieval and almost Expressionistic picture, we will leave Botticelli for a while so as not to test the patience of our readers. 
Monday, December 5. 2005
Merry Christmas, Tiny Tim Anyone who is offended by the word "Christmas" is worse than a Scrooge. But I do not believe than anyone truly is offended: It's a pose. You'd need to be deeply paranoid to take offense at the mention of anyone's religious beliefs or Holy Days. Nay, not paranoid - paranoid and hostile. We, and the entire anglophone world, live in Christian-based cultures, and we are extremely fortunate to do so - or could I say blessed to do so. Whether we are true believers or secular Christians, or even non-Christians, the celebration means a lot to the human spirit in this culture. It deserves respect and, in my opinion, gratitude. And it is meant to be fun, too. So join in the celebration, people, and learn a little bit about Jesus, too. It won't hurt you: it's a message about love - a stern yet joyful message about love and grace and mercy. That is why stuff like this ticks me off. It's worse than Russia during the Soviet era, or France. And it looks like we will have a White Advent in New England, tonight. Wonderful. Snow and Christmastime go together up here. If you cannot relate to Christmas, or feel hostile towards it, or just don't get it, watch this and this. You'll understand how the miracle of birth and the parallel miracle of rebirth affect people. For another kind of approach to the subject, try this at RTP: "Keep pissing Santa off, neo-yuppie scum."
New Math This piece has been circulating for a while:
Last week I purchased a salad at McDonalds for $3.58. The counter girl took my $4.00 and I pulled 8 cents from my pocket and gave it to her. She stood there, holding the nickel and 3 pennies. While looking at the
screen on her register, I sensed her discomfort and tried to tell her to just give me two quarters, but she hailed the manager for help. While he tried to explain the transaction to her, she stood there and cried.
Why do I tell you this? Because of the evolution in teaching math since the 1950s:
Teaching Math In 1950 A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?
Teaching Math In 1960 A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?
Teaching Math In 1970 A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80. Did he make a profit? Teaching Math In 1980
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20 Your assignment: Underline the number 20.
Teaching Math In 1990
A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of
$20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers.) Teaching Math In 2005
Un ranchero vende una carretera de madera para $100. El cuesto de la produccion era $80. Cuantos tortillas se puede comprar?
Saturday, December 3. 2005
 Lurkers vs. The Blog People
"Lurkers" was an "old" style term for those who visit blogs without leaving a comment or a trace. Nowadays, many popular blogs require registration (which never seems to work right for me - or I would spread my Bird Dog wisdom around more widely), and other obstacles to commenters, in an effort to prevent spammers, vandals, and the like. Others simply eliminated their comments capability, as we used to do. (We read all comments, eventually, but only respond when we have something to say.) This comes to mind because Rick Moran, one of the finest bloggers in the world, tends to leave a comment when he stops by. We do appreciate that, being suckers for love and validation, like all dogs. Just got back from taking the pup for a walk in the woods (sans gun today - tomorrow gunning), and the pup naturally leaves a drop of pee with his special scent on rocks and tree trunks -wherever appropriate. Please feel welcome to similarly mark your scent on Maggie's Farm. But in words, please. Do not pee on us - life does enough of that. That is why we require no registration - and we never will, unless we run into a problem with destructive people. We aren't big enough (yet) to attract the bad guys, but we have had plenty of spammer problems.
More Botticelli In his later years, Botticelli fell on hard times because, under the personal influence of the evangelist Savonarola, he quit painting secular works. His latest work refers back to Fra Angelico and medieval styles of painting, but with the added ingredients of prophetic and mystical references. Need I mention that I think these late paintings of his are mind-blowing? From about 1500, the one below is Mystic Nativity. Will show you the best one soon. It's difficult to believe that Sandro Botticelli died poor and forgotten, after having been Florence's most popular painter, in his prime. 
Friday, December 2. 2005
Standing Up for Christmas If you want to stand up for Christmas, the next time someone says "Happy Holidays," respond with "Oh? What holiday is it?"
And yet another book Another good Christmas book: The Man Who Changed Everything: The Life of James Clerk Maxwell, by Basil Mahon. It's on my list.
Leave it to the Italians Italian researchers have discovered a nerve growth factor, (NGF), which correlates with falling in love. Is it news to any of us who have been young and in love that requited passion fades within a year? (Or that unrequited or unconsumated desire can last a long time?) This NCG normalizes within a year of a love relationship. But is it cause or effect? Regardless, it is definitely "chemistry." And real life definitely, inevitably, but sadly, runs counter to this chemical bliss.
Thursday, December 1. 2005
Three Classics For Christmas books for the youth, I highly recommend the two ancestors of self-help books, which together contain the ABCs of life, and one recent deserving addition. Corny, yes. Hip? No. Wise, yes. Still true? Absolutely. Indispensible when facing the big world. In an era when we no longer live with grandpas and grandmas and aunts and uncles, we need books like these to fill us in on how the world works. Who else will teach us this stuff? 1. The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale 2. How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie 3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey
Wednesday, November 30. 2005
Dear Editor in Chief, For a supposedly Christian-oriented blog, are you aware that you have two naked people on your front page right now, plus a frankly erotic, dare I say "post-coital" painting? This is not appropriate for a wholesome Christian family blog like Maggie's Farm, in my opinion, and I would respectfully request that you avoid such sorts of overly-stimulating and exciting postings in the future. Sincerely, Deeply Offended and Disappointed, in South Carolina Dear Deeply, As you have very perceptively noted, we have made a strategic editorial decision to become a sex-focused blog instead of the obscure, eclectic, thinking person's blog we have been in the past. We believe it will increase our readership if we limit ourselves to the subjects of guns, sex, violence, and rock 'n roll in the future. So, my dear Offended, just bear in mind that Markets Rule, Sex Sells, and humorlessness kills. Sincerely, Bird Dog, Editor Dog in Chief and Chief Financial Officer, Maggie's Farm, LLC
We are on a Botticelli (1445-1510) kick at the moment. If any college in New England needs someone to teach Europe: 1400-1565, we will do it with pleasure. Email us a generous contract, with benefits.
Venus and Mars (1483). 
Time Lines Without a mental time line, or, preferably, a visual time line, I have a tough time getting a good grip on history. While one can learn the most from making one yourself (I've always wanted to make one on the upstairs hallway with magic markers), there are good ones you can buy. Hyperhistory has an online World History timeline, and you can push Hard Copy to buy one. Good Christmas present for history buffs.
Tuesday, November 29. 2005
Another book I forget which blog recommended Istanbul: The Memory and the City, by Pamuk, but it looks excellent and goes on my Christmas list.
Divorce According to Marquardt, the author of the excellent Between Two Worlds, two-thirds of divorces in America are "optional" or elective, ie not a consequence of abuse, violence, addictions, adultery, or similar lethally destructive misbehavior. Orson Card has written a wise, thoughtful, and mature review of Marquardt's book, and I agree with every word in it. In my experience, many "unhappy" people are unwilling to see that much unhappiness comes from within, not from without, and refuse to see that they have the power to make things work, or not work. Or to see that much human misery comes from people's unwillingness, or inability, to grow up. And both Card, and Marquardt, are emphatic about the point that a family is not a casual institution entered into for "personal fulfillment" or selfish gratifications: it is meant to be a rock and foundation for growing people - both the married people and any kids. Being married is difficult, sacrificial, possibly sacred, and oftentimes happy and peaceful, especially when we take it for granted and do not even realize that we have a good thing going. Marriage is not "natural." Honeymoons never last; passion fades when faced with daily reality; everyone has terrible, nasty flaws; the grass is rarely greener except for a brief time. It's too bad that the adolescent fantasies of true love that lasts forever is not automatic, but must be built and re-built over time. Some quotes from Card's review: "....Between Two Worlds is not just an important book, it is a highly readable one. And, to put it plainly, I believe that anyone who has children and is contemplating a divorce should regard it as a solemn duty to read this book first, and take its findings into consideration." and: "Given that our whole society seems to believe the myth of romantic love -- that hormonal yearnings should trump rational commitments -- it's hardly a surprise that many perfectly good marriages break up over matters that should have been left behind in adolescence. Bad enough the heartbreak such misbehavior causes among the formerly married. But when children are involved, the selfishness and callousness of the behavior of some supposed adults should earn the disapproval of all civilized people. But we are all so nice, so nonjudgmental, that we have to assure everyone that we aren't condemning anybody, that "it's your life." " Read the whole thing.
Sunday, November 27. 2005
Guy Stuff I will refer our readers to three sites today which cater to outdoorsmen and hunters/shooters. Santa knows very well that guys like gear. First is Filson. Some of their stuff is more rugged than anyone ever needs - except for lumberjacks - but so are SUVs. Their famous heavy-duty waxed cotton "tin pants" trousers not only stand up by themselves, but they will hold you up too. Their unfashionable stuff is good for one or two lifetimes. The second is Griffin & Howe. Like Kevin's, they cater to the gentleman sportsman. They have very nice stuff, and will make you (or your wife or girlfriend) a very nice custom shotgun - and they are very good to our conservation charity.
More book recommendations, and blog linking I figure that Christmas is partly about getting, and giving, enough books to keep everyone out of trouble for a while. NRO has some book ideas (thanks, Charmaine), including Charmaine's recommendation of a Walker Percy, one of my favorites. But I think Love in the Ruins was his best - or maybe The Last Gentleman. And, speaking of Charmaine, she has a very pointed cartoon which raises the question of why so many bloggers, like us, offer so many brief links to other bloggers and to news sources, instead of limiting ourselves to original writing. We do it to share interesting things we find, and to be part of the conversation. Maybe it's a waste of energy and time: I don't know. As our contributor Opie famously said: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, link." We provide a mixed bag, reflecting our many interests, and, as I like to say, we all just follow our doggy noses and see where they lead us.
Thursday, November 24. 2005
Stumbling around your wine cellar this morning? Here are some ideas.
William Bradford and George Washington offer thanks. Am. Thinker
Wednesday, November 23. 2005
Remember Chrenkoff? Is there life after blog? He was an excellent and productive blogger. I just found a piece of his I had saved for some reason. It's about Happiness. We hope Chrenkoff has found happiness in his new career.
The 787 The "Dreamliner", the replacement for the Boeing 777, looks like a darn nice bus, and I look forward to flying on it. Several human features: higher humidity, so you don't arrive dehydrated; better pressurization (most commercial airplanes are pressurized to an equivalent of 7000' in altitude; this will be closer to 4000); more seat room in cabin class; bigger windows; an 8500 mile range and, I have heard, no recycled air (if the engineers can solve the problem of the half knot per hour speed loss which this seems to entail). I just hope the bathrooms are better - and cleaner. Alas, no swimming pool or Jacuzzi, and no place to enjoy a cigar - even in First Class. You still have to stroll out on the wing for that. 
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