Maggie's Farm

Fake papers are contaminating the world’s scientific literature. They're fueling a corrupt industry and slowing legitimate lifesaving medical research.

Trump Slashing The Cancerous “The Science” Bloat: Cut Cut Cut!

World Becomes Brighter as Trump Reverses Biden’s Incandescent Light Bulb Ban - And user-friendly toilets, dishwashers, and showers are coming back soon, too!

Bravo. Morning in America.

Grocery Chains Ration Eggs After Mass Chicken Slaughter For Bird Flu

“TRUMP VOWED TO BRING DOWN EGG PRICES, EGGS NOW AT RECORD HIGH.”

A Kindergarten Teacher in California Breaks Her Silence on DEI

A High Schooler Graduated with a 3.4 GPA. He Can’t Read His Diploma. Plus. . .

FLASHBACK: In 2009 Chuck Schumer Defended ‘Porky’ Government Spending, Saying ‘The American People Really Don’t Care’

The USAID Scandal Continues to Unfold: It Gave Internews, A Climate Cult Enabler, $472 Million

Vatican wades into U.S. politics prescribing USAID policy positions for President Trump

VDH: How To Commit Democratic Party Suicide

 Trump’s Envoy Lets Loose on the Panama Canal and ‘Imminent’ Change in Cuba. Maurico Claver-Carone on the administration’s hemisphere-wide shakeup.

Trump Speaks to Putin, Zelensky to Start Negotiations to End War - Trump assigned VP JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to lead the negotiating delegation.

Microsoft Drops USAID-Funded NewsGuard After Ted Cruz Starts Digging

How USAID Funded Hamas - Government dollars flowed to the infamous terror group, watchdogs found.

Reynolds: Elon Unbound - Some first, second, and third-order effects of the election.

Washington Monthly: Trump and Musk want to destroy government careers

Kill the Federal Department of Education. We could decentralize education, improve outcomes, and help reduce the size of the federal Leviathan.

Why Does the Dept of Ed Need to Spend Almost $1B on “Research” ? Education is not a science, it's a practice.

Trump’s ‘Revolution Of Common Sense’ Brings Out The Worst In Democrats

The Trump Revolution: DC Will Never Be the Same. The magnitude of the president’s disruptive reform is hard to fathom

Longtime Outdoor Life contributor Michael Hanback shares tips for avoiding snakebites.

I've encountered several in my life. One was a baby. Outdoor people can use that advice.

On The Probability Of Large Rocks From Space!

Fort Bragg Is Back

Students struggle to recover from COVID learning loss

 The Prophet of Trump’s Second Term - Today’s political
vocabulary—ruling class, Deep State, uniparty—comes from Angelo
Codevilla’s pen. His students are now enacting his vision in Washington

 Salman Rushdie: ‘I Was Dying.’ Plus. . . DOGE comes for the National Endowment for Democracy. What DEI isn’t. J.D. Vance’s overseas debut. And more. By Oliver Wiseman

Trump Fires Democrat FEC Chair, Weintraub Refuses To Step Down

DOGE announces cancelation of almost $900 million in Department of Education contracts

AVI on government:

You asked us to trust you all these years. We were uncomfortable but went along, tried to limit the cost, worried that you might be right and not wanting to be seen as Simon Legree. We didn't trust you, but we respected playing by the rules. You insulted us and called us evil, and that seems to be the main tactic now as well.

*Whenever I see argument from sad anecdote, I smell a rat.  (One of many examples over the years.) If they had facts and real numbers, they would rely on those instead.

Musk: Whaaa? I have detractors?

5 of the Worst USAID Scandals in History - The agency's low points, from working with child sex abusers to enabling drug trafficking

A CNN Host's Frustration Was Visible When His Anti-Elon Musk Talking Points Got Wrecked

DOGE Investigating Feds Whose Net Worths Have Exploded After Samantha Power Bombshell

President Trump Releases Statement on FEMA, Which is “Under Review and
Investigation” After Spending $59 Million to House Illegals in Luxury
Hotels

French Far-Left Leader Mélenchon Openly Calls For Great Replacement In Shock Speech

It's my money. Funding webs? How much of government is a racket? USAID gave money to George Soros?

From Caveman to Chinaman - How man went from bumbling around in savannahs to building the Great Wall, and why China fell behind Europe

How to Dress Like a Gentleman—And Why

Calculus is the heart of applied mathematics, but US students aren’t prepared for it

How one state is getting education RIGHT — by going back to basics

The UK Wants a Look at Your Apple Cloud Data

 Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Acquires Podcast Network of Former Fox News Stars Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly

PBS Disappears DEI Department in Wake of Free Press Investigation

Democrats Threaten 'Checkmate' Over DOGE Govt. Shutdowns With... Government Shutdown

Joe Klein:  The Sound of Heads Exploding - Has There Already Been a Coup?

How are Trump and DOGE doing? Assessments by Yuval Levin, Lee Bressler, Eliot Kaufmann, John McWhorter, Sohrab Ahmari, and Noah Smith

Obama Judges (Illegally) Blocks Trump's Freeze on Federal Spending, Also
Forbid Trump from Exercising Authority Over Bureaucrats

Pastor in Tennessee Issues a Sick Call for Violence Against Elon Musk, Calls It “The Christian Thing to Do”

Trump’s Chess Game Is Improving

Democrats decry Trump’s cancellation of ‘green’ subsidies because he’s ending a ‘low-cost’ industry

Trump Claws Back $4 Billion That Was Headed to Ludicrous UN Climate Fund

Trump: Free the Hostages or ‘All Hell Will Break Out.’ Plus... Cancel
culture ends with ‘Big Balls.’ The Case for Britney Spears-ing Kanye.
Musk makes a bid to buy OpenAI. The phony frenzy over Politico. And much
more.

A Paradigm Shift for the Middle East - How Trump Can Build on Israel’s Success and Keep Iran Off Balance

Whither Gaza?

The Vibe Shift Comes to the Super Bowl. Plus. . .

Do Super Bowl Ads Really Pay Off? Evaluating Their ROI

The Media Is Lying to You About Their Government Funding

It’s easy to conclude the era of DEI is over — but it’s not

Elizabeth Warren Destroyed By X Community Notes Over Pharma Corruption

Dem Sen. Chris Coons Explains Why Funding Iraqi Sesame Street Is Vital for U.S. Nat'l Security

The Downfall of Ibram X. Kendi - After the 2020 death of George Floyd, the former Boston University professor became America’s race guru.

Straw Poll: Trump Vows to Make Plastic Great Again

Trump’s ‘Revolution Of Common Sense’ Brings Out The Worst In Democrats

Hurricane DOGE Sweeps into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The only surprising thing about Peter Hitchens’ demolition of Net Zero,
to which the U.K. still pretends to be committed, is that it was
permitted on the BBC

Cesspool USAID - Why holding unelected bureaucrats accountable is anathema to the Democrat elites.

The Geopolitical Fallout From the USAID Scandal Has Only Just Begun

USAID Sent Over $18 Billion to Islamic Terror States

“WE ARE AT WAR!”: Democrats Ramp Up Rage Rhetoric as Tensions Mount Across the Country
Democratic leaders

The Musk-eteers Reveal You’ve Been Living in a Simulated Reality

If You Love DOGE, the Best (and the Panicky Worst for the Left) is Still to Come

Trump, Elon Musk’s partnership is proving to be a union of geniuses determined to get huge things done for US

Dems suffering from Musk Derangement Syndrome

“Insubordination”: FBI Official Accused of Defying White House Reform Efforts

Trump wants to deregulate. Progressives should help him.

Washington might be reeling, but many voters approve of Trump’s fast start

VDH:  How To Commit Democratic Party Suicide. The Democrats' radical
overreach, election losses, and Musk-fueled government exposés have left
them flailing, doubling down on failure instead of recalibrating for a
political comeback.

Young DOGE Engineers Are Nothing to Fret About. It’s not unusual for people in their twenties to run parts of Washington.

White House Declares War on Academic Medical Centers

How much does The Guardian hate Trumpism?

CBS Host Margaret Brennan Looks Totally Miserable as She Reports on Trump’s High Approval Rating (VIDEO)

"Is the federal judge taking the position that in the name of enforcing
the Take Care Clause, it is the role of the judiciary to oversee
whatever the President does with the executive power that the
Constitution vests in him?"

Obama Judge Temporarily Blocks Musk’s DOGE Access to Important Treasury
Dept. Payment System – Orders IMMEDIATE Destruction of ALL Data Obtained
Since Trump’s Inauguration – Musk Responds to Ruling with Fire

Democrat Rep. Sterilizes Herself To Protest Trump

Without USAID, the EU will have to pay for its own propaganda

Luke 5:1-11 - Jesus calls the disciples to fish for people

5:1Once while Jesus was standing beside the Lake of Gennesaret and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God,

5:2he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets.

5:3He
got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to
put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the
crowds from the boat.

5:4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch."

5:5Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets."

5:6When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to burst.

5:7So
they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them.
And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.

5:8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus's knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!"

5:9For he and all who were with him were astounded at the catch of fish that they had taken,

5:10and
so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who are partners with
Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will
be catching people."

5:11When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

As I mentioned earlier, trips down (up) the Nile have been popular since the 1850s. They used to go to the first cataract, but the Aswan High Dam now prevents that. Thus you do not get to see hippos or crocodiles.

Most trips go from Luxor upstream south to Aswan, with stops at places of interest. There might be as many as 50 riverboats on these routes. Naturally, we took the most expensive one which was quite comfortable with attentive, cheerful service. The windows open, which I like.

They have a/c, but no need for that in January. They have no heat.

In this pic from the Sun Deck, the Nile flood plain is very narrow before the desert begins. In other areas it can be a couple of miles:

How to make Chimichangas

The Sad Saga of Bud Light

The Men Who Lost Their Babies

 Virtucrats on Parade Beware angels in politics by Joseph Epstein

USAID Has Its Office Lease Terminated and You Won't Believe the New Tenant

Democrats More Panicked About DOGE Accessing Feds’ Computers Than Chinese Hackers

WHO LET THE DOGES OUT?

Trump’s Federal Buyout Deadline Arrives As Over 40,000 Workers Accept Offer

Saturday Miscellany

JUST IN: Secretary of State @MarcoRubio has just informed USAID workers that he only needs 294 of them. There are 14,000 people who work at the agency.

Time to short DC-area real estate? Are those employees unionized? Are government jobs permanent?

Meat loaf and mashed taters, and maybe some steamed summer squash on the side. Meat loaf needs gravy or its juices, on top.

At the Maggie's HQ, we make meat loaf the Italian way: Italian Meat Loaf Recipe. Italian-style meat loaf usually has a dash of nutmeg and/or allspice in the recipe, but that particular one does not. I do not think they make this in Italy. Maybe it's a modified meat-ball recipe, but they don't eat meatballs in Italy either. (Nor do Swedes cook Swedish Meatballs.)

Best thing about meat loaf? Meat loaf sandwiches the next day or two. White bread only, plenty of mayo.

The Spanish Jewish scholar and theologian Moses Maimonides wrote the metaphysical book in the 12th century.

The least I can do to do justice to the guy is to read carefully that Wiki entry.

He comes to mind because we visited his synagogue in Cairo a couple of weeks ago, often referred to as the Maimonides Synagogue.

There are not enough Jews in Cairo to maintain an active synagogue. Photos of the interior are not permitted. I don't know why. It is a simple place.

How Scientific American sacrificed science for progressive politics

JK Rowling tweets on gender idelogy

A Massachusetts School District Rolled Back Advanced Classes. Teachers Are Starting To Revolt.

 Trump Buyout Offer for Federal Workers PAUSED by Federal Judge Just Hours Before the Deadline

Donald Trump, the Libertarian President?

Stephen Miller: Trump saved democracy

Was that Politico article accurate?

Bret Baier: We've never seen anything like this (video clip)

CBS Released the Unedited Kamala Harris Interview. It's Beyond Brutal.

What Is USAID?

TGIF: Mar-a-Gaza

Betsy DeVos: Shut Down the Department of Education

Trump Administration Moves Forward With Plan To Reduce Education Department’s Role

The End of ‘Palestine’ - Donald Trump reminds the world that ideas have sell-by dates

Trump's Gaza Gambit and the Art of the Ultimate Deal

Seems like more than just a CIA cover/slush fund.

Electrum is a naturally or man-made alloy of gold and silver.

In ancient times it was used as coinage.  Egyptians coated the tips of pyramids and obelisks with its shiny metal.

There is a pyramid on the back of the US dollar bill, with a shiny top. What is that image about?

Ancient duck-like creature discovered in Antarctica may be the oldest modern bird ever discovered

A "city-killer" asteroid has a slim chance to crash into Earth. Here's what to know.

Radicals Have Burned California Before

FCC Releases RAW ’60 Minutes’ Train Wreck Interview with Kamala Harris – CBS Responds

At Least 40,000 Fed Workers Accept 'DOGE Buyout' As Deadline Looms Tonight

USAID Shut Down?!

USAID supported the Politico blog

" According to the Columbia Journalism Review, USAID supported 6,200
journalists, 707 news outlets and 279 media sector civil society
organizations in 30 different countries. No wonder the news all sounds the same."

CBS Faces Internal Backlash As Paramount Considers Settlement In Trump Lawsuit

Trump's Plan for Gaza

Uri Berliner: What Congress Should Ask NPR’s Chief

Has Brendan Carr Finally Figured Out How To Stop NPR?

Michael Goodwin: Dems wallow in denial and do the dumbest things – proving they haven’t learned a thing from Trump’s win

The Dynamic Duo Have the Dems on the Run

TRUMP freezes CATHOLIC CHARITIES funding over immigration

Illegals Throwing Anti-ICE Temper Tantrums, Blocking Freeways, Making Friends

"Rank Insubordination": Rubio Says USAID Full Of Rogue Employees

Trump says he will continue funding Ukraine's war effort — but he wants something rare in return

Trump’s Wild Plan for Gaza