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.
A priest, a minister and a rabbi are playing golf. It is the looooongest front nine holes they’ve ever played. Maybe three hours long. They go into the pro shop to complain, and the pro says, “Oh, didn’t you know? The foursome ahead of you are all blind.” The priest says, “Forgive me Father, for I know not whereof I speak.” The minister says, “Forgive me Father, there but for the grace of God go I.” And the rabbi says, “What? They couldn’t play at night?”
The controverted speech in question was contained in a 2019 blog post, in which de Wahls wrote that “a woman is an adult human female (not an identity or feeling),” and that trans women are “biological males [who] choose to live as a woman, or believe they actually are women.” These are statements that almost every person knows to be true, but which have become unfashionable to say out loud in highly progressive subcultures. And so, when a handful of people raised a fuss about de Wahls’ work being sold in the RA gift shop, Academy officials not only purged de Wahl from their inventory earlier this month, but peacocked their reasons for doing so.
Big surprise that there is a significant portion of the population whose behavior is deterred by serious policing and rough justice. Whenever I think about the topic, I realize it's why I keep it straight with my taxes.
Avoiding criminal behavior has worked out well for me. Speeding is my main issue. Not reckless, just driving fast when I can.
The vikings had better luck going east and south rather than west. Oh yes, they had slaves too. White ones. "Slavs" often, which is the origin of the word.
Imageshows two things: the difference between half squat and full squat, and terrible form in the second image
Squats (and deadlifts) are the two most functional muscular exercises. The former is getting up, and the latter is picking up stuff.
Squats are known as "The King of Exercises" because so many muscle groups are stressed. They are also said to be beneficial for knee joints.
Squats come in many forms: the basic barbell back squat (a power lift), and calisthenics like body-weight squats, squat-and press, side squats, squat jumps, heavy ball wall throws, etc.
I have been thinking about how to deepen my barbell squats. With body-weight or hand weights, I can do full squats easily, but with heavier weight I do not go below 45 degrees. It's partly confidence and partly weakness.
To do full squats with barbell weights (instead of half-squats, 90 degrees) I think I need to reset my barbell squat program with the plain bar (45 lbs) or light weights and to try to work up quickly from there. I'm convinced that the full squat is the real deal.
As a general rule, if the bar is so heavy that you cannot squat below parallel with it and stand back up, it’s too heavy to have on your back.
What about you?
Below the fold, image depicting all of the muscles engaged in a full squat. She's using dumbells, but it is not as if gals cannot do barbell squats. They sure can, and using the bar makes it more reliable to keep a chest-up posture. On the other hand, dumbell squats get you low if you touch the dumbells to the ground...but on the third hand, barbell back squats let you squat with more weight than your grip is strong.
Somebody asked me this weekend how many firearms I owned.
"Not sure," I said. "Never counted them." I guess I have too many. I am pretty sure that I have never shot anybody intentionally, but I did shoot a pal with birdshot one time accidentally. It happens in the woods. He was fine, and just glad I did not hit his dog.
It comes as a (tiny) weekly injection, done at home.
It is mainly an appetite-suppressant, and a highly-effective one according to a couple of patients. It can have some GI side-effects, but is usually tolerated.
It is something to consider for those who have too much trouble with food. As we have often said, it's impossible to burn off dangerous deep fat with exercise.
Half or more of The Guardian is difficult to distinguish from the Babylon Bee. Seems to me that their specialty to beclown themselves much of the time.
The apple is an import from the Chinese mountains. The pie idea has been around since there was flour - probably the Sumerians put some fruit or meat inside some dough.
In my view, the nurseryman Johnny Appleseed, aka John Chapman -(photo) did us all a great favor. I am not a big fan of fruit, but most people are. Well, I like cooked fruit in desserts because fruit is nothing but sugar anyway.
The idiot who wrote the Guardian article clearly did not know that pumpkins came from Mexico, not from England. Pumpkins, and all squash, were appropriated from Central American farmers by North American natives - and by the Spanish too. Shame on them.
For me, I prefer a Tarte Tatin with a hard caramelized crust to an apple pie. With some ice cream (invented in Egypt). Is that un-American of me?
Your Fault: 
Image shows two things: the difference between half squat and full squat, and terrible form in the second image 
I have not seen or heard one of these big bugs yet. Maybe in July.
Everything these days sounds like satire. This is not: