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.
Just a reminder that the Urban Hike will be Saturday, 9/25. Anyone traveling into NYC or living in the region is welcome. Well, ANYONE is welcome...regardless of where you are, but being in the NYC area certainly helps. I'd do a Zoom of the whole thing, but even that seems a bit much.
Here is the current map. It doesn't have descriptors for all locations, many are just addresses (sorry), I have the descriptors on my spreadsheet to share info as we walk. For some reason, the link opens to the entire US - so just zoom in on Manhattan and you'll see the hike route.
We'll start at the High Line at 10 am (this may be subject to change). Sorry for the early start, but we have a key partner joining us who has to leave early, and I'd like to try to help him get to the main sites before he has to leave. So High Line at 10 am, at the entrance on high line's southern entry on Gansevoort Street.
The theme this year is Greenwich Village. We'll be starting and ending outside of the Village, and seeing some sights outside of its domain (Chinatown, Five Points, etc.), but the hike is a reasonable distance. It's almost 7 miles and without stops it's 2 and a half hours. So let's assume 4 hours, with stops and a bite to eat. We'll find a pizza place, as we always do.
Some of the key highlights: Dylan's house, White Horse Tavern and Ear Inn (been trying to shoehorn these in for years), Cooper Union, McSorley's (some stops are repeats, like Magnolia Bakery), etc. Should be fun.
It's rain or shine, and for anyone worried about rain, I'll just say that Mrs. Bulldog and I agreed that the last hike, in northern Manhattan 2 years ago, was one of the best and it rained the entire time. I'm not sure everyone shares our view, but I sure enjoyed it.
Post-hike, you're on your own, but we have had a habit of finding some place to grab a beer and a chat about what we've done and seen. So feel free to plan ahead. We're just under 2 weeks out and the hike is ON. FWIW, if anyone cares, NYC has a 'no vaccine, no entry' policy in all restaurants. I am not vaccinated (I had covid and am in no rush), and I go into the city regularly. You can eat outside, they make arrangements for that. I've had NO issues with this at all (to be honest, most places I've been in seem awfully pisssed about it, and now that I'm working again, I've been in several times so I know what I'm talking about).
8:27 Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?"
8:28 And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets."
8:29 He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah."
8:30 And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.
8:31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
8:32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
8:33 But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."
8:34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
8:35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.
8:36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?
8:37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life?
8:38 Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
As weather gets cooler, I think today will be the last day of the year we have Rose for sunset boat drinks. I do not know how to put accents on letters, but I mean the wine.
We've done a fair bit of day touring and have learned all we can about our engine and other systems. Still practicing docking but, as I always say, boats are not designed to be near land. Next year we will take on longer overnight trips although I will never do nighttime or fog.
The chorus of crickets chirping on these late summer evenings is one of the finest things in life, and last night they were loud. That evening bug-song has followed me through most of my life, and fills me with joy.
Field Crickets are found across the US. In New England, we have the Black Field Cricket (photo) who is at his prime in early October until the first hard frost. They are mainly nocturnal insects and eat almost anything.
Taxonomically, crickets (along with grasshoppers, locusts, katydids) are in Order Orthoptera of Class Insecta.
The males rub their forewings together producing the chirp or trill, of which the frequency is temperature-related. The function of the trill is, of course, to attract females desirous of fertilization - or to fight. Only males chirp.
Around here, we still have the Katydids singing at night along with the rapidly-growing Field Crickets. Open the windows. Or open the doors: two Field Crickets are occupying the Maggie's HQ right now, and I need to leave them some crumbs from my Subway sandwich to keep them happy.
She could be canceled for that article, don't you think?
It is a form of terrorism, and none of it is "for the better." You can scare people into not saying what they think, but you can't scare them out of free-thinking unless you start with the little kids. Oh, wait...
Why is it the wrong question? Because it makes it sound as if terrorism were some sort of pathology rather than a form of war for those without large armies and weapons.
Achievement gaps in kids have many causes which anybody can list. IQ is on the list, but not at the top although 50% of people have below average which could knock them out of the calculus game.
Personality traits, parental support, cultural ideals, cognitive issues, etc etc all play roles in how people do academically. And, of course, males do not do as well except at the top end.
As calls for equality of outcome gain steam and schools make plans to reduce educational gaps that have been exacerbated by 18 months of virtual learning, we’d do well to remember the predictable costs of pretending we can make everything fair. Mass education will never be a perfect fit for everyone. Schools have to identify the competencies and attitudes that are most valuable and optimize in a way that brings the most possible students to high, yet reachable standards. When high school students fall too far behind and decide they aren’t interested in catching up, they should be able to pursue a vocational track that pushes them to develop other meaningful skills. These students will be far more likely to apply themselves if we give them relevant options like work apprenticeships, trade programs, and so on.
Trades are not for low IQ. They are good for people who do not like regular school.
After having spoken with many people, over decades, about their lives and sometimes their wildest sexual fantasies, I still find the gender identity issue sort of strange. I suppose I have heard it all, but have never seen a patient who was worried about their gender expression. I have seen plenty of gay men who were afraid to come out of the closet though. That was usually prompted by wives who wondered about their husbands' lack of sex drive.
Wild fantasies are normal, at least in people lacking in the usual sorts of repression of taboos. Perhaps the political climate is making way for the overcoming of sex and gender taboos.
Plenty of readers might not approve of Woody Allen, but that quote certainly applies to my life trajectory. You meet people, some of them think you are neither stupid nor an ahole, and good things tend to happen.
A Few Words about 9-11, by 
The chorus of 
Husband’s