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.
Although a true Maine lobster boat or Down East yacht still retains its classic lines, things have changed, even for the most traditional builders. “We’re building a 36 now and it has a 560-horsepower diesel,” says Don Ellis. “My father would be horrified. He’d say 200 horsepower would be plenty. But the new boat has air conditioning, a generator, a custom ice maker, a big refrigerator, the list goes on and on. Everything went from a simple package to a larger package, and now that package is getting pretty complex.”
We do not believe that fitness can extend life very much. Fitness is mainly for vitality.
Calisthenics are the best thing for maintaining fitness. If you hate weights too much (weights are for building muscle) or find all "cardio" boring, a daily hour or less of calisthenic workouts might be for you.
They entail enough cardio if you take few breaks between exercises to keep your heart rate up, and at least help maintain muscle strength.
If you take the classes at a gym (recommended) you will do circuits of around 10-12 exercises for 50 minutes depending on rests. Good stuff. If on your own in a gym, it is more feasible to do circuits as below. That's what I do on my calis days.
A sample of my routines below the fold - if you can do all of these circuits in 50 minutes, that's amazing. I can not:
Pic is JFK in a snowstorm last week. Managed to get out after an extensive de-icing of the airplane.Got lucky - the plane had managed to arrive the night before in a sleet storm.
I always forget something, so I have a travel checklist to run through.
Obviously one does not need everything for every trip - it depends on what your plans are - but I print it out, circle what I'll need for a given trip, then check them off when they're thrown in the bag. Perhaps it seems obsessive, but it is annoying to arrive somewhere and to find that you forgot to pack any socks. On my last trip, forgot to pack a t-shirt for snorkeling, had to buy one for $25. Mrs. BD does her packing her own way, and always brings too much stuff. That's what females do.
I travel too light, she travels too heavy.
My travel checklist below the fold. Obviously you just bring what you need for a given trip. Let me know what I have left out, and I will add items.
I like sailboats, I like powerboats, I like the sea, and I like boat people. I used to enjoy fishing too, but got bored with it. We're on the Northeast coast.
Mrs. BD likes overnights on the boat -even 2 or 3 of them while visiting various marinas or yacht clubs. As a restless soul, it gets confining for me after one night onboard. No gym, nowhere to go really.
One of her dreams has been to do the Great Loop, but I would go nuts not to mention that I have a fine day job. The Great Loop is like the Appalachian Trail for boaters - with no exertion.
Our current boat is a 36' single diesel cruising boat with a Maine lobster boat (Downeast) hull, which means it's most efficient at around 16 mph and stable in seas. Will do 20, but the noise becomes unbearable even with our sound insulation. Even with bow and stern thrusters, tricky for us to back into a tight slip but that takes plenty of practice especially with wind and currents which there always are. Moorings - no problem. I am not comfortable with anchoring overnight, but that's my issue. Moorings are great and so are straight docks.
Yeah, our boat has a galley with stove, microwave, fridge, and shower indoor and out, and, of primary importance, a coffee-maker. Distance boating requires coffee and beer, in my view. Plus a wife or girlfriend, whichever.
One limiting factor with cruising-style boats - trawlers and similar - is speed and thus radius of adventure. You can go further at 30 knots with a quicker boat than at 16 mph, or 12 mph for noise reduction.
We used to know navigation, but have become dependent on the nav screen. If that thing went out, back to the charts and sheesh - bad. Fair weather boaters.
Two interesting developments in recent cruising boat design (I mean regarding overnight boats, not speedboats or dayboats) are the application of outboard engines, and moving the galley to the pilothouse. The former gives you speed and space, and the latter more companionship. Autopilot is very nice too, but you still need someone at the helm. Driving for hours with hands on helm can become tedious. We tend to go from waypoint to waypoint, but sometimes right out by compass headings.
Have never used the TV but I never use TV anyway.
My piggybank didn't have enough pennies for this similar Back Cove 37, and Mrs. BD wisely wanted no maintenance for brightwork. 24 Volts would be good, and I'd like to upgrade that, and we do have solar power for battery.
6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."
6:52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
6:53 So Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
6:54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day,
6:55 for my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
6:56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them.
6:57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.
6:58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which the ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever."
His piece sounds like the late, great Roger Scruton, which is a compliment.
But I do not understand the differences between fine art, illustration, or decoration. In fact, with music, visual arts, or performing arts, I just dunno. Is it interesting?
Gossip as a Literary Genre, or Gossip as “L’Écriture feminine”? 
Braised short ribs are delicious, and generally have enough fat in them. Cheap too.