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.
For anybody who had fun with Chaucer during high school or college, this essay, CHAUCER’S DIVINE SERIOUSNESS, will be a delight.
Chaucer, the Londoner who is credited with the invention of modern literary English, was well-educated and became rich importing wine from France. Writing was his hobby. He invented English iambic pentameter - all credit to him for that gift. He had read Bocaccio too, which probably gave him ideas.
I fondly remember reading Chaucer out loud in class, using the dialect our teacher thought was most likely accurate. Great fun. It still rings in my ears.
Lots of footnotes were necessary. Word meanings change.
Core work - planks, sit-ups, back lifts, "bicycles," leg lifts, mountain climbers, etc are for strengthening core, not for aesthetics. A strong core is darn important for everything in life
"... it’s so bizarre to watch the majority of NEA delegates eagerly dive into politically-fraught abortion and race debates, while voting down a clear commitment to prioritize student learning. So please, NEA: Can you explain?
Like all retail in the northern hemisphere, mid-July through Labor Day is slow season at Maggies. Luckily for us, we have devoted readers - friends - of our eclectic, boutique website. Do us a favor - let people know about us. Dunkin Donuts will pay us more for their (actually, multiples of zero) ads. We are all about money - those multiples of $0.
Yes, I think we will have less-frequent posting over the next several weeks when most of us intend to spend our lives outdoors in God's grandeur whether boating, hiking, fishing, gardening, exercising, sunburns and beaching, body -surfing with the sharks, playing sports, sweaty sex in the meadow, whatever. Or, in Roger de Hauteville's case, rebuilding his family outhouse. How many new seats? I'd go for an upscale 4-seater with varnished oak seats. Needs new tile walls too, Roger, and some fresh copies of the Sears catalog. (For the youth, that means tp.)
Good inspiration for all. He cut his food volume drastically and lost 60 lbs after his quad bypass 3 years ago. Eats tiny meals and feels much better for it. A once- "hearty eater", he learned to say "No" to unneeded food even if he liked it. Two slices of steak and some steamed spinach with garlic is now good for him for supper. One soft-boiled egg for breakfast with a glass of V-8. It only took him 90+ years to learn how to eat in proportion to his needs.
He is recently back from a 10-day tour of Normandy with Mrs. BD, now spending a week, with a WW2 paratrooper vet-pal from the old folk's home, staying with our cousins on Nantucket. (Which my daughters term "Nan-f-it.")
Knowing the old Irishman well, I predict a whisky, clam, and oyster diet, and lots of hiking around. He will regale anybody in reach with stories from the old days. A Blarney Stone gift, endlessly amusing with stories and jokes. Everybody who meets him loves him. What a blessing for him to make friends wherever he goes because everybody wants to hang out with him. I suspect they will go fishing for Stripers for supper this week, offshore. Can no longer kayak due to bum shoulder.
In a couple of weeks, he will join us for 2 weeks in Wellfleet, also in seach of perfect oysters and fun waitresses to flirt with. He looks great, dresses well (new updated wardrobe due to weight loss - no old man clothes). Yes, he drives very well too - strong and steady with his brand-new Outback. Lots of guys in their 90s do not buy new cars, or even green bananas. Or are even alive.
Age is a state of mind, or so they say. If you are not dead yet. Arthitis is the challenge, but that's the price paid for an active life. He has always been very strong and athletic (100 pushups with my wife on his back) and a history student at night. Plus a tennis fan, Giants fan. I used to run 10 miles with him. Good times.
Another fun thing about the guy is that he is always up for a NYC adventure. Worked there for 30 years, but it is still a dopamine fix for him. Theater, music, a walk, a restaurant - whatever. If a long walk, best if he carries a cane. I swear he would do Mt. Washington if I challenged him.
To top it all off, he and Mrs. BD are planning a cruise around the Magellan Straits, BA to Chile. How cool is that? Amazing bird-watching. Carpe diem.
May he live long and prosper - even though he can no longer help me split logs as we used to do. I need help with that. I guess that's why we have a son.
If you believe that the other side holds reasonable views, then you cannot dismiss them as nuts. But that creates cognitive dissonance, because it raises the possibility that you are wrong. It’s much easier to go about life dismissing people with different points of view as hopeless extremists, so you don’t have to engage with them.
Readers know I consider the Mighty Mighty Deadlift as the core of creating/maintaining a sturdy body - followed by the other powerlifts of course.
Deads are a total body exertion. I only do them once weekly (I do barbell squats on Mon, Deads on Thurs, high-rep leg press on Sat - and still have skinny runner's legs).
To mix it up and to keep things interesting, about every 6 weeks I switch Squat and Dead from higher reps (ie 8 reps for 6 sets) to 5 sets of descending reps, increasing wt by 10 lbs for each set (6,5, 4, 3, 2 reps/set). The final two get me within sight of my one-rep max. Gets heavy, and grip gets iffy.
Someday, I will get my one-rep max into the 2 rep range.
Keeps things interesting, and keeps your body off balance by changing routine.
2-3 minute rest between sets for heavy lifts, please. What is "heavy"? It's all relative to the individual. You know what you can't move, and back down from there.
Free-floating, petty gripes are a result of Miserabilism as a world view, the idea that viewing Western Civ as a hellish, gruesome burden destined to collapse of its sins and conceits is the only possible worldview for a Serious Person. Hence the more fault you find, the deeper you are. It comes from being grounded in nothing but the shallow soil of the present, with no sense of history except for a series of pre-approved narratives intended to culminate in an argument against the recent past, which was bad because it prevented the wonderful possible Tomorrow from happening Today. It’s a recipe for life-long alienation.
For anybody who had fun with Chaucer during high school or college, this essay, 
Djokovic celebrated his Wimbledon win by eating a handful of grass. 
Like all retail in the northern hemisphere, mid-July through Labor Day is slow season at Maggies. Luckily for us, we have devoted readers - friends - of our eclectic, boutique website. Do us a favor - let people know about us. Dunkin Donuts will pay us more for their (actually, multiples of zero) ads. We are all about money - those multiples of $0.
Readers know I consider the Mighty Mighty Deadlift as the core of creating/maintaining a sturdy body - followed by the other powerlifts of course.