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.
I've seen this term used to describe Kavanaugh and his friends. It is used in a pejorative manner, designed to wrinkle noses and cause people to roll eyes. A Frat Boy isn't welcome. He considers himself exclusive. He is boorish, usually a heavy drinker and engages in wild behaviors, often degrading women and/or abusing them. He is a troublemaker, not much of an academic, usually superficial and probably narcissistic.
I'm a Frat Boy. Proud member of Delta Tau Delta at Syracuse. Gamma Omicron chapter, and my younger son is also a member. My older son was in Kappa Sigma at Miami University (OH). My grandfather was in a fraternity at Penn, the name of which eludes me. When he heard I'd joined a fraternity (first of his children or grandchildren to join Greek life) he was ecstatic. I never got a chance to share stories with him, he died my junior year. My niece joined Delta Delta Delta and my sister was in Alpha Phi. So I think it's fair to say many in my family are 'Frat Boys' of some kind.
While I understand the negative connotations of the term, I reject them all. After all, I was a shy introverted kid trying to find his place at a large university. I had no money, so I'd go to fraternities during Rush to drink for free. One of them kept inviting me back. I liked all of the guys and had a class with two of them. I turned down their offer. They said think about it. A week later I said yes. The fraternity helped me develop lifelong friendships with people who I won't see for years at a time, and we'll pick up where we left off when we do get together.
Sure, we partied, we had fun, we were wild in many respects. But we didn't degrade women or abuse them. Heavy drinking? Some took place, I did my share. We did have at least 3 people wind up with addiction problems over my 4 years, but that's out of 160 people who passed through the house. Basically 1.5%, but that is well below the estimate of 9.4% in the US as a whole. These 3 are all recovered now (although that's a lifetime thing). I'd say that while we did quite a bit of drinking and smoking, we were pretty a pretty solid group of young men. When our friends announced their addiction, we didn't turn our backs. We were there for them, not as crutches, but as supportive friends. I'd say our fraternity reduced the addiction likelihood because it's an accepting and supportive culture.
"Bad seed." I recently saw the term "unmotivated malignancy" somewhere, and it made me naturally think of cancer. Cancers are unmotivated malignancies.
As a Christian and as a Psychiatrist, I accept that there is a dose of evil in every human being. The 7 Deadly Sins are not a joke and there is a universal need for mercy. However, I have paid attention to people long enough to learn that there are certain people who are strongly destructively-motivated because they were "born that way." In casual conversation, "toxic" people who can be well-disguised. You could term it a "talent" like a musical talent which demands expression. Scorpions have a talent.
I am not talking about sociopaths necessarily, or other diagnoses like "Borderline." Just people who were made with a heavy dose of venom in the soul. It requires no medical diagnosis because it's on a normal spectrum, a normal distribution. Perhaps a spiritual diagnosis. Some people also seem blessed with gifts of unbounded grace, gratitude, love, warmth, and forgiveness in their souls, and thank God for that end of the spectrum.
Interesting to me is not how powerfully malevolent people make others suffer but how skilled such people can be at rationalizing their malevolence and destructiveness. "My mother was...." "My Dad was an...." "I got a raw deal..." "People didn't like me". "I was too good/enviable/bad/rebellious..." "I was abused or bullied by...." And so on. As CS Lewis dramatically illustrated, the devil is subtle and more clever and manipulative than most of us can imagine. It is up to all of us to stand up and defeat those things in ourselves, and to steer clear of them in others.
Contra lots of today's psychology, I have come to believe that some people are born with unusual doses of destructiveness and malevolence, of scheming and manipulativeness, and who take gratification in it. Not criminal murdering sociopaths. It is "unmotivated," if you accept that many or most rationalizations are baloney and simple efforts to maintain some "self-esteem." In other words, often the "cause" comes after the pattern of behavior.
Without wanting to get too evangelical on our readers, the devil comes disguised as a friend, a victim, or in the dress of an angel. I am a skeptic about exorcism but I do believe that salvation through Christ can save, reshape, souls. This is not a common view amongst my profession. I am not a "psycho-utopian" (Trademark, Maggie's Farm) in the sense that we would all be wonderful saints if only for this-or-that misfortune, mishap, etc. That is a crazy fantasy.
Evil thoughts are normal for humans. Just thoughts are the limit because we can't help our thoughts. We are all fallen, but to varying degrees. Just my opinion.
It's a done deal, finally, I believe. This sort of thing is one of the reasons why people who disapproved of Trump on a personal level felt the need to vote for him. This is fun:
Why Americans Are Retiring Later. I don't think it's just about money. People find purpose and challenge in work, and the relational part is important too.
I know people in their 80s who work. If you ask them about it, they say things like "What good would I be?" or "What would I do all day? Play golf?"
In the NAFTA Deal, Trump Got What Democrats Couldn’t - Critics are panning the president’s new trade deal with Canada and Mexico as a minor update. They’re wrong—it’s a significant accomplishment.
A few newspapers, mostly tabloids like Britain’s Sun, have had the temerity to stand up to the EU’s power grab. Worse, many millions of Europeans agree with them. What is the solution? “Smart regulation.”
I have a habit of posting longer pieces, but this will be relatively short.
A friend called today, asking if I could help her daughter find an internship. Of course, I love helping young people, so I said fine and asked what her major was. "Corporate Psychology" was the answer.
I know several contributors are in the field of psychology or psychiatry, so maybe they can help me understand what this is, and if it's real.
I am aware that it would be in the Human Relations department. Given my recent post on "A Culture of Thank You", I have a feeling I know what kind of stuff is involved. I'm not sure I like the concept. Any time a business meeting starts with phrases like "it's ok to be vulnerable" or "everyone needs to be aware this is a safe space" I become immediately wary of the goals of the meeting. Not being involved will likely work against you. So will being involved but asking the wrong questions. I think that's what Corporate Psychology is about. Manipulating people to devise a particular result. But maybe I'm wrong.
The Maggie's Balanced Fitness Program for adults of all ages and for all gender identifications.
Weekly Program:
- 2 sessions calis classes (or 1 class and 1 hr of do-it-yourself calis). Most gyms have classes in varying levels of challenge.
- 2 one hr sessions powerlifts and related heavy wts and cables (including 10 mins warm-up time)
- 2 twenty to 25- min sessions of HIIT (running sprints, jump rope, ski erg, rower sprints) combined with 2 half hrs of accessory weights (eg curls, dips, pullups, pushups, farmer walks, heavy ball games, Roman Chair, etc etc)
- 1 hr mixed medium intensity "cardio" - rower, stair machine, bike, treadmill, swim, elliptical - as an "active recovery" day. Or a longish (2 1/2 hr+) hill hike/rock climb.
I think the logic in this is clear: it is "balanced" because it covers bone and muscle strength/maintenance, general endurance, athleticism, and improved cardiac function. My three years of this program has revised my body, my ability, and my energy to an extent that keeps surprising me. Surprises Mrs. BD too. No bulging muscles though. That has to do with your genetics.
A program with this regularity requires decent sleep habits and rational nutrition. Can you lose fat with this program? Minimally.
What about Crossfit instead? Fine. Try it. I have friends who swear by it. No, it's not a cult. It's congenial and upbeat while they kick your ass.
One caveat: About every 3 weeks I experience my (trademarked) "Double Gravity" when I get up at my usual farmer's 4 am. It means I can get up to pee, but an overwhelming force flops me back onto bed for an hour. I take that as a signal that my body wants a day off from intense exertion so I will usually just do the mixed cardio a little later that day.
I am sick and tired of this disgusting circus. Crazy thing about it is, as Scott Adams pointed out, Trump can't lose no matter what happens. A few final links on the topic:
She lied about a fear of flying, lied about renovations to her house being driven by the memory of the attack starting 2012, quite likely lied about knowing she could testify in CA (otherwise her attorneys should be disbarred), does not know how she go to or back from the party and all four witnesses that she named deny her story completely.
She is not a licensed psychologist and thus cannot call herself a "psychology" doctor - Stanford and the local JuCo had to revamp her work webpages.
She denied having knowledge of polygraph tests while having apparently coached people on how to pass them!
But we need to believe her because she is a woman and women never lie. Well we have apparently discovered the world's very first female liar. Amazing. Someone is going to have to write this up as an amazing psychological phenomenon!
Oh, and her daddy works for the CIA at a black ops bank.....
She is free to release her therapist's notes to anybody she wants. I can tell you that, as far as psychotherapy goes, I keep few and minimal notes for a multitude of reasons, mostly illegible, and none at all on electronic medical records. Very often, no notes at all. I just follow the process and the progress. Typical therapy note of mine:
"Career issues. Mood ok. Needs a hobby. Same meds. Good session."
One question I have pondered over the last few weeks is, why are the Democrats so determined to block Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court? Realistically, he is the most moderate nominee they are likely to see from the Trump administration. If his nomination fails, the president will most likely appoint Amy Barrett, who is secure against #MeToo allegations and is both more conservative and younger than Kavanaugh. So what is the point?
To some extent, the Democrats’ bizarre smear campaign against Kavanaugh is explicable on short-term political grounds. The Democrats’ crazed base demands that they #Resist, so resist they will, whether it does any good or not. But I think there is something deeper and more sinister at work...
"Bad seed." I recently saw the term "unmotivated malignancy" somewhere, and it made me naturally think of cancer. Cancers are unmotivated malignancies.
4 Billion Birds 
Photo came in over the transom 
The Maggie's Balanced Fitness Program for adults of all ages and for all gender identifications.
University of Pennsylvania