Reg the Fronkey Farmer

Have a great week folks!

Ukraine was not “part of Russia” in the sense of always being a subordinate region—it had distinct periods of autonomy and foreign rule. Russia gradually annexed much of Ukraine in the 17th and 18th centuries, fully integrating it into the Russian Empire by the late 18th century. While it was a republic of the USSR, it had its own identity, c…[Read more]

Some more info on the Presidio Trust.

I really thought that the Veterans would be spared from the cuts (as the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins claimed). But it seems like they won’t be. I am friendly with a few who are working or living in Ireland and they are not happy!

“Unfortunately, there are two million terrorists in Gaza. Two million. Liri was in their homes, and the children—yes, even the children—are part of this. It’s not just those carrying rifles and wearing green headbands. The so-called uninvolved civilians are not uninvolved at all. And, unfortunately, we’re going to have to fight them all.”

BTW  – quotidian is one of my fav words. (but I don’t use it everyday!!).

Free speech in the United States is robustly protected by the First Amendment and it remains one of the strongest safeguards for expression in the country. In Europe (and I guess in the US too) there is an ongoing discussion about how various societal, technological, and cultural factors are influencing the practical exercise of the right to free…[Read more]

More on Al Jazeera journalism here.

It is funny how our interests broaden as we age….

I find the broader my range of interests, the less complicated life becomes. When I am on a long walk or hike, at some point I remember that I am not just observing nature, but that I am part of it. It is not external to me. Of course, you already know what I mean 🙂

I like Florida too. Like some birds, I have spent some winter migration time there too :-). Mostly in Panama City Beach.

Donegal in the very NW of the country has a surreal natural beauty to it. No. 7 is on my list this year. A friend of mine went there for a holiday about 15 years ago and is still there!! He was thinking about moving back to NC…[Read more]

I spend very little “off time” at home. I tend to disappear to the West of Ireland for a few days, maybe 6 times a year with a few 1 day visits in between. Mostly hiking or beach walking in some of these locations. (Often do the Diamond Hill trip, at about 16:10).

I do some “digital nomad” work too and will go to one of the Canary Islands fora…[Read more]

Rest assured Strega, nothing has every happened to anyone who spent time in a cabin in the woods!! MAGA and Musk have everything under control.

Vice President JD Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference on February 14, 2025, has been scrutinized for several inaccuracies and misleading claims. Below is a fact-check of key assertions made during his address:

1. Claim: UK laws criminalize private prayer near abortion clinics.

Fact: Vance referenced the case of Adam Smith-Connor,…[Read more]

Have a great week folks!

The G.O.P. lawmakers seeking reprieves from Mr. Trump’s cuts are quick to embrace his message that federal spending is out of control, while arguing that their state’s or district’s slice of government funding is critical.

Part of an NYT opinion piece.

Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.

H. L. Mencken.

The real power in America is held by a fast-emerging new Oligarchy of pimps and preachers who see no need for Democracy or fairness or even trees, except maybe the ones in their own yards, and they don’t mind admitting…[Read more]

The U.S. Constitution, at around 7,000 words, is remarkably short compared to modern constitutions (e.g., India’s is over 146,000 words). Yet, despite its brevity, it has endured for over two centuries. The key question is: Is it still robust enough for the complexities of the 21st century?

Why it’s still Functional:
Amendment Process – The Const…[Read more]