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.
John Donne (1571-1631) had an interesting life. Besides being an erotic poet and a metaphysical poet, he was Dean of St. Paul's and an admired preacher.
To His Mistress Going to Bed
Come, Madam, come, all rest my powers defy, Until I labour, I in labour lie. The foe oft-times having the foe in sight, Is tir’d with standing though he never fight. Off with that girdle, like heaven’s Zone glistering, But a far fairer world encompassing. Unpin that spangled breastplate which you wear, That th’eyes of busy fools may be stopped there.
Unlace yourself, for that harmonious chime, Tells me from you, that now it is bed time. Off with that happy busk, which I envy, That still can be, and still can stand so nigh. Your gown going off, such beauteous state reveals, As when from flowery meads th’hill’s shadow steals.
Off with that wiry Coronet and shew The hairy Diadem which on you doth grow: Now off with those shoes, and then safely tread In this love’s hallow’d temple, this soft bed.
In such white robes, heaven’s Angels used to be Received by men; Thou Angel bringst with thee A heaven like Mahomet’s Paradise; and though Ill spirits walk in white, we easily know, By this these Angels from an evil sprite, Those set our hairs, but these our flesh upright.
Licence my roving hands, and let them go, Before, behind, between, above, below. O my America! my new-found-land, My kingdom, safeliest when with one man mann’d, My Mine of precious stones, My Empirie, How blest am I in this discovering thee!
To enter in these bonds, is to be free; Then where my hand is set, my seal shall be. Full nakedness! All joys are due to thee, As souls unbodied, bodies uncloth’d must be, To taste whole joys. Gems which you women use Are like Atlanta’s balls, cast in men’s views, That when a fool’s eye lighteth on a Gem, His earthly soul may covet theirs, not them.
Like pictures, or like books’ gay coverings made For lay-men, are all women thus array’d; Themselves are mystic books, which only we (Whom their imputed grace will dignify) Must see reveal’d. Then since that I may know; As liberally, as to a Midwife, shew Thy self: cast all, yea, this white linen hence, There is no penance due to innocence.
To teach thee, I am naked first; why then What needst thou have more covering than a man.
I'll write more about news or information later this week. It's been a bit busy for me. Will explain more information and updates.
But some fun is starting and I'm more interested in who you're rooting for in March Madness. My team favorite (Syracuse) did not make it, some difficult losses meant no offer and they passed on even attending NIT. Probably better. NIT is not much of a gain for anyone lately. I disagree, but some people take that view. Long ago NIT was more important than NCAA tournament, but seems after 1960 or so, NCAA overwhelmed NIT.
At any rate, I'm of the view this year that Purdue has the best option to win. They fell short the last 2 years despite a better team. I've seen this before, and in the past teams that pull 2 year stunts of that nature but still reach a high level in the NCAA third, they'll push for a long chance and probably win. Virginia was probably the most recent option like this several years ago. It's my view Purdue can do this. Big 10 is, typically a lousy NCAA option. This may be their best chance and Big 10 is long overdue. The closest you could get is Maryland of 2002 - but Maryland is Big 10 now and was ACC back then, so that DOES NOT count. Which means 2000 with Michigan State is the last truly Big 10 victory. 5 others have made the final - Michigan (twice), Michigan State, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Ohio State - but all of these lost the victory. Big 10 has not shown value. It is my view Purdue is the one to pull that off. Big 10 is long overdue.
But that's just my view. Share yours if you're interested. Would love to hear options and beliefs regarding the outcome.
"Following a terminal cancer diagnosis, Sister Úna--a smoking, drinking, wisecracking Catholic nun dedicated to mentoring teens--chooses to live life to the fullest in the face of death. The self-proclaimed “leader of the misfits” takes on her last nine months by planning her funeral, tackling her bucket list, and teaching us that death isn’t the end."
31:31 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
31:32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt--a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD.
31:33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
31:34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, "Know the LORD," for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.
An Ohio friend and I completed a one day winter traverse of the presidential range in the White Mountains in New Hampshire.
The hike is 18 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 10k feet. It begins with a steep four mile approach under trees, ascending above tree-line 4000 feet to the summit of Mt. Madison, traversing and summiting each of president-named peaks, including Mt. Washington in the middle. The weather was clear and sunny, high of 19 degrees F., with 20 - 30 mile an hour winds. But the weather is subject to change, with the days leading up to our weather window seeing 50-70 mph sustained winds with gusts in the 75 -79 range, temperatures in the single digits below zero.
We started around 3 a.m. in Randolph NH and finished a little after 630 p.m. in Crawford Notch. The track was mostly loose snow, exposed ice, exposed rock, with occasional knee to waist deep snow). We had GPS devices and a satellite communication platform for tracking our progress and sending emergency communications, as white out conditions are common. We had snowshoes, but never took off our crampons. (In the days before, we broke the trail four miles on both ends with snowshoes.) There was some fall exposure in the snowfields up Jefferson and on the cone of Washington next to the Great Gulf ravine.
The Wild Outsiders article below describes the climb, logistics, and gear. The photos comprehend most of the above tree-line part of the hike from Jefferson looking at Washington over the Great Gulf ravine from the north (photo # 1), Washington itself (photo #2), then Eisenhower from the south (photo #3). If you zoom in on the photos, you can just make out the approx. 50 ft. high towers on Washington, which gives you an idea of the scale of the traverse.
I mentioned a friend who died of a similar version of mine from 2021. We did learn her diagnosis in April 2020 and lasted 17 months. She was great, hilarious and deeply involved in many ways. The downside may have been related to her husband. It is not good to learn. He was a great guy. But it seems he started out on board and deeply involved, eventually met with some hard times and by the end had removed himself from many of the details. Based on my experience, I believe I can see how it may develop over time. He stepped out entirely of the process. The victim, our friend's, mom and sister tossed themselves in for support and assistance and guidance. She held up extremely well with their assistance. Her mind was intact all through, but she could not have surgery at all (I can to some small degree).
The upside was lots of digging and travel to find conversations. The downside, similar to mine is that nothing is happening. Nothing available. She even gave up the chemo and radiation for two reasons, it set her off badly and she did not feel better. Thankfully, MY version of this has, early on, been a bit better. There are downsides for me which I need to work on from time to time. For me, this past week in particular, heavy emotional shifting occurs on certain days for short times. Mrs. Bulldog and I have had some heavy fighting - but Mrs. Bulldog is a master and takes on, managing the hyper issues - she is a saint. After moments where the chemo makes me emotionally aggressive, I do manage to resolve. It takes time and effort. The real problem is not often, but the problems happen on both sides. Often she is the hero, but sometimes it resolves around a decision to listen then engage separate from conversation - completely misunderstanding my position well, and it leads to problems from time to time. It can be unfair of me and it may be too much at times. It is, no doubt, a requirement for me to remember to resolve and address more effectively. In fairness, remember I can't always control things as fairly or evenly as I can in a momentary discussion about our medical and/or conversational paths forward. Sometimes I'm not wrong to get upset over poor decisions - sometimes people just assume things "as is" where it may require help or time. Other times it's my fault and I have to walk it all back well. I'm deeply sorry when that happens.
Listening to the friend and her stories was distressing. I'm sure she had similar situations. Which may have led to her husband's eventual stepping aside. It's not easy, but I'm lucky to have someone who isn't stepping aside. So I am learning from our friend's situation. She, unfortunately, began to see the mental loss around 16 months in. She suffered a stroke in the final month and held for 4 days afterward. I have deep hopes I can hold longer and find more opportunities. Reality is speaking openly, though, and that is important to stay on top of effectively. I am blessed from my family in many ways. And many friends.
I feel awful for our friend who passed and everything which occurred along the way. I know I make errors at times to my family while taking the medication and how it hits my emotions after some time passes. But I do shift back. I try to avoid it as much as I can. I can't imagine what our friend went through and I bless her and her husband (who passed several years later) for missing opportunities. I want to avoid that as well as I can, and I will try to as much as I can.
1. It was a great week, overall. Main issue was the 3/12/2024 62nd birthday. My family took time off to spend the day. 62 from 1962 is a fine repetition. I hope I can get to 63 - so far, it seems likely, but we do not know much more yet.
2. There was a small shift in chemo in the second week. Several times severe depression was a setting. It is short, and I've fought it naturally. But for the first time I fell into depressive moments requiring a push back against the chemo impact on my otherwise greatly positive POV. I also developed Carpal Tunnel as a related effect on my tennis wrist. Since I have sciatica the doctor grew my steroid offer and after 3 days it has impacted an improvement on depression and pain from muscles. It also grows less sleep. Which to be honest is fine. I still sleep anyway. At times, hours here and there.
3. I spent an entire day in NYC on the day after my birthday. I met my company president and VPs. I got many notes wishing me well from coworkers and all wishing me happy birthday on my birthday and wishing me well. My company is the best place I've ever worked. So much so, the president offered to hear at least 5 of 7 stories I have which I've done over the years. I will not go into details, but after telling them, he was stunned - never having heard deep criminal situations at companies. One was a lie against me - which later led to a release and heavy payment which indicated they dropped the lawsuit. I did depositions in at least 2 specific items where I rejected the company legal support as I stated "I only speak truth, so legal support will back off corporate stories as they see truth filling reality" - each one led to several job losses as lawyres saw that truth is actually rather easy. Drove some of them frighteningly. I closed my own lawsuit once, but I cannot discuss the details. All worth mentioning is the depth of illegal email and other activities and laws taken against me which led to my removal...and could have been more money if I'd pushed it. I chose to move away as my job I had taken was better and far more interesting than spending time in courts to win a few million dollars. That's a few stories, but opend the door to some massive mainstream illegal activity in many cases.
"A well-built physique is a status symbol. It reflects you worked hard for it, no money can buy it. You cannot inherit it. You cannot steal it. You cannot borrow it. You cannot hold on to it without constant work. It shows dedication. It shows discipline. It shows self-respect. It shows dignity. It shows patience, work ethic, passion.
My son, soon to be 28, got a massive opportunity. His company (Digital Trends) currently uses him to manage and grow their advertisers. He has done a lot of work doing this - to the point, at one stage, where he survived many layoffs and is still growing several partners. The informations can be good and useful, depends heavily on your needs or requirements, but Samsung is his largest and they focus on how new versions of TVs are used. Samsung isn't just TV viewing, but gaming, looking at laptops, mobile devices, and several other uses which my son far exceeds me regarding. It's one of those items, years ago, I was an expert on. Formerly a "tech guy" I've since moved far past that. I'm not an expert as I once was - but my son is far beyond an expert.
One thing he and my older son (soon to be 30) know well are films. From me originally, and they have moved beyond everything I taught them where I was at one time a great leader at. After all it was part of my major as a TV/Film producer many years ago and I wrote MANY papers about films. Many I taught them to watch and enjoy - and they have moved far beyond. Very well and excessively. I am always in awe of their knowledge - even though (unlike me) they never did a thing with production of any nature.
Except my younger son is changing regarding that very soon. His first step as he moves toward this is his first article about films. It's a specialty and I suspect many Maggie's Farm fans will not enjoy many of these in the attached article - but I have watched two and enjoyed them. But it is a rarity and very oddly specialized requiring deep knowledge and understanding.
Please check it out. Here is his article. This is his first. He will improve dramatically, but he is very good.
It is a disgrace to grow old through sheer carelessness before seeing what manner of man you may become by developing your bodily strength and beauty to their highest limit. But you cannot see that, if you are careless; for it will not come of its own accord.
Marilyn Robinson: A podcast
John Donne (1571-1631) 
Is wearing a necktie
It's J.S. Bach's birthday 
Do not try to explain why St. Patrick's Day is associated with booze. 
Why decluttering your home can save your mental health,