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.
Physicians are trained to be skeptical. I am, sometimes to a fault.
There is a basket of vague medical complaints which include things sometimes diagnosed as Epstein-Barr, Long Covid, Chronic Lyme Disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and so forth.
I don't know what to think about these things. They used to be known as Neurasthenia.
I think that is part of why so many people get satisfaction, if not pleasure, from spending 5 or 6 hours per week maintaining or building physical fitness.
Fitness goals are simple and measurable. Furthermore, the relative mindlessness of it is a relief from the stresses that other life goals give us. For me, workout sessions lift me out of my mind into a pure animal zone of bodily effort. It is my form of meditation (if meditation implies emptying one's mind). Playing sports does something like that, as does sex. Regardless of age, don't underestimate the importance of sex.
I do not mean to say that sports are mindless, but once you get used to a sport, much of it is reflex. That is training: Down the line or cross-court.
Recreation: Hiking, sports, swimming, and general functioning/vitality are rewards for fitness.
The lady who did the stand-up we linked yesterday got me thinking about male grooming.
Once men reach middle age, grooming becomes more necessary. Aberrant hair growth is not neat. It's unpleasantly distracting. My barber takes care of those things routinely. He was kidding this morning about the guys who like to keep their giant wings of grey eyebrows. I suggested that it might look distinguished, like a member of The House of Lords. It's not for me.
He didn't know what The House of Lords was, but that's OK. He grew up in Sicily, and, sadly, hates both Sicily and Italy. Likes the USA.
As I have noted in the past, abortion is surely a complex political topic. The Dobbs decision returns it to the states of the US and I feel ok with that. It's a big country with many views of morality, ethics, religion, etc.
The reason I reference the US Constitution's Amendments lX and X is because, in some ways, I agree with Justice Blackmun that there is a "penumbra of privacy." Freedom of the individual is not limited to the Constitution, quite the opposite in fact. The purpose of the Constitution was to give governments only limited and necessary power. On the other hand, is abortion a kind of murder? I do not know, but it's hard for me to view it as medical care. It is medical, yes. Can it be an individual conscience issue?
I never learned all of this. It seems like it was a minor, unnecessary war, but it changed the relationship between the US and Britain. In the end, it was all about money and banking.
I do not know how anyone can claim to be a "good citizen of the USA" without knowing what the organizational structure is all about, from the local to the federal.
Deadlifts (and maybe squats) are the best complex exertion one can do. We've claimed that ad nauseum. Which muscles do you want to stress with deadlifts? Core, glutes and hamstrings, legs, posterior chain, neck and trapezius. Got to go heavy.
Our readers know that the Honeybee is a non-native bee in North America. It was imported from Europe for agricultural purposes, mainly honey production. However, because they live in large hives, they have become industrial-scale assets for agriculture.
None of our native bees produce honey. There are 4000 native bee species in North America.