We 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.
She took this Spitfire ride on her 100th birthday. She died last month. By seeming chance, today was my Mom's b'day, and she could fly single-engine airplanes. She quit flying when she had us kids, same way I quit motorcycles when I had kids.
Who do we have working on ye olde Maggie's HQ these weeks? it will take 6-8 weeks total, I think, depending on rain.
1 Project Manager - The Boss. Made the Plan, designed the solutions to problems, coordinates everything, pays everybody, checks their work. It is a high-end job. Everybody kowtows to him, because he will be the source of their next job if they please him. It's how the world works. 1 Contractor who is here each morning til noon. 1 Roofer boss, 2 assistant roofers, and a few roofer helpers. Good guys, work their asses off. 1 Master Carpenter and 2 journeyman carpenters. Lots of bad wood, windows, etc to replace. Lots of Azec and new cedar. Good guys, but only work 6 hrs if temp above 90. ...and soon, 1 Master Painter with assistants and helpers. They will powerwash, sand, prime and double prime/paint where needed, paint everything with the most expensive paint that exists. Flat on the clapboard, marine semigloss on trim etc. I asked them to add lead to it. I believe in lead paint. Guaranteed 15 years but I want a 30-year paint job or I'll be eating dog kibbles when I am 80.
Somebody has to keep the Trump economy booming. Why not us?
Ya know, I love seeing how they do their jobs and how meticulous they are. Also, their apprenticeship system. The journeymen carpenters are obviously experts, but they keep learning new tricks from the Master. And trust me, this place has some tricky things to deal with.
Well-meaning white progressives... treat black Americans more like the family pet than the family friend, condescending to praise us when we align with their views, and ferally attacking when we don’t. The conversation about race in America has been framed by progressive media and co-opted by the Democratic party to supplement the coalition that supported Obama during his presidency—presumably in the hope that blacks would gratefully support Hillary in her run for office. But Democrats have come to take the black voting bloc for granted—even though 44 percent of black voters consider themselves moderate and another 27 percent consider themselves conservative, black Americans still overwhelmingly vote Democrat (90 percent).
The idea behind giving professors lifetime tenure is that this will enable them to speak out freely. But it would be hard to name any other occupation with a more cowardly record than academics, who have been giving in to politically correct campus bullies ever since the 1960s.
This is not Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. This is something heartbreakingly better: Tom Petty playing with Jeff Lynne, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr
Most people have one of these "survival tools" in their backpack, hunting jacket, or glove compartment. Do not accidentally put one in your carry-on, though. Those Homeland guys, over the years, have taken from me my precious Spyder knife, a large jar of peanut butter, and a dangerous jar of Amish mustard. Also, a small Ducks Unlimited pocket knife.
Really, a Leatherman is an extra-sturdy Swiss Army deal with pliers.
My extensive botanical and scriptural research indicates that there is no reason to believe that the hyssop in this psalm has anything to do with the plants we call hyssop today.
Psalm 51:1-12
51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
5:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
51:3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
51:4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.
51:5 Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.
51:6 You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
51:8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
51:9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.
51:11 Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.
51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.
Wouldn't you rather be in Wellfleet right now? I would. "Impeach Trump" bumper stickers don't bother me much, because I figger all the cars without rageful bumper stickers are probably people like me.
Yes. It's been a trend since the early 20th century. I think it's been fashionable for a long time to be condescending elites. This black immigrant professor sees the BS in it all.
Since our physical fitness posts here are oriented towards building and maintaining general functional fitness and athleticism, we tend not to get into the weeds of strength-building.
For general conditioning, we view strength (weights) as about a third of the program. 2 days/week, with heavy powerlifts etc. However, the strength component is crucial even if 2 hrs/week will not produce an Arnold physique.
Speaking of physiques, we are genetically programmed for a body type (even if we cover that up with layers of fat). Certain body types were built for running, some for lifting up dead mastodons and elephants, etc. One aspect of that is our muscle cells. We are born with a life-long number of them, and a predetermined distribution of Type 1 And Type ll muscle cells which in part determine where our athletic potentials might be. Strength-building can build up the fibers inside those cells when subjected to serious demand. At the same time, a significant part of muscle bulk is blood supply.
But getting to the point, the rapid improvement in strength during the first 6-10 months of lifting is attributable to neuromuscular development and efficiency. That's the first step in strength conditioning, and when progress is most gratifying.
After that initial phase, progress slows and that is when the real slogging begins.
A reader sent in this technical essay on neuromuscular training: Neuromuscular Efficiency (NME). A little basic Bio helps.
Arthur Laffer wrote the Republican tax policy on a cloth napkin in D.C. restaurant on September 13, 1974. It read, "If you tax a product less results/ If you subsidize a product more results./ We've been taxing work, output and income and subsidizing non-work, leisure and unemployment./ The consequences are obvious!" with an image of the Laffer Curve in the middle."
I thought that dust mites were mythical beings. They are not.
Bees 
Summertime. You need an ice cream machine. Th
My extensive botanical and scriptural research indicates that there is no reason to believe that the hyssop in this psalm has anything to do with the plants we call hyssop today.
Not drinking alcohol in middle age
Why is it called "science"? To make it sound more serious? The distribution of power is serious enough.