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.
We flatter ourselves with the idea that we make our own decisions, arrive at our own rational conclusions, etc.
If psychology has taught us about the unconscious influences that tend to control our thoughts and choices, the current social "science" of influence and persuasion addresses the external forces that control our minds. It is darn interesting, but depressing.
As a prof of Marketing, Berger surely knows how to sell us but gives us tools to see through it all too.
There were all kinds of things I was afraid of at first, ranging from grizzly bears to 'mean' horses and gun-fighters; but by acting as if I was not afraid I gradually ceased to be afraid.
Theodore Roosevelt. He was right: Only action can overcome fears. That's why courage is a virtue, and fearfulness a weakness.
I know it's a "Hallmark Day," but, just like giving thanks to God on Sundays, if we were better people we'd show some gratitude every day. I do try.
My Mom is gone, and Mrs. BD (a Mom of 3) is in France with her Dad. Still, I am going to cook up some pan-fried ribeyes for a Mom.
Better yet, if no kids at home, take the relevant Mom or Moms out for a fancy dinner (champagne, lobsters, oysters, etc). It's not easy being a good Mom, harder than being a good Dad. Often boring, frustrating, worrisome, disappointing or even heart-breaking despite the rewards.
Higher Ed is not what it was designed to be. Everybody learns his job via apprenticeship, whether it is plumbing, law, finance, bank teller, medicine, or a fishing guide.
Muscle pump from resistance training is caused by the increased blood flow into the muscle to supply needed oxygen. That's why it subsides after a while. It's a sign that you are making a muscle work hard.
For strength-maintenance and strength-building you need to create micro- tears in your muscle fibers. This can sometimes result in muscle soreness for a day or two. It's a good sign of the inflammation needed for muscle repair.
The repair is what builds strength. That's why it's never a bad idea to have a 20-25 gm. protein shake as a meal (we like to make it with a banana) shortly after an hour of resistance exertion. It's also why it's smart to recover for 48 hours or so before pushing heavy weights again. (We advocate "active recovery" days in the form of calisthenics and cardio.)
There is an exception, though, to the 48-hour rule. That is when people separate their resistance days between legs and upper body. That works for some people but I do not like it.
This was our first urban hike with all-day cool (low 50s all day) rain. Very similar to northern Scotland. Undaunted, our team marched on despite some discomfort and got to see all sorts of cool things along with the always-interesting (or more interesting) street scenes.
Along with us we had famous website owners, family members, of course Dear Leader Bulldog and his adorable Mrs., and representatives from Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and NYC. Ages 22 to 70+. Such an enjoyable, interesting, amusing, adventurous, and high IQ group. Friends.
We covered 11.5 miles with all of our detours while trending north, with lots of uphill in Washington Heights.
The Maggie's Urban Hike tradition is to stop for pizza and beer around 1 pm. Victorio's on 145th St. had pretty good greasy pizza. Our team occupied every seat in that hole in the wall joint, deeply immersed in this amazing city.
Below, the elegant Victorio's Pizza Plus, in north Harlem near City College on 145th St. Very efficient pizza joint but no damn bathroom and no beer!
A daughter sent me this snap in a Berlin cafe. If you have been to Germany or Austria, you will see that everybody has a dog. Just like Italy. However, the German dogs are well-trained while the Italian dogs are untrained and feral.
While one of my daughters is in Berlin doing the cool things she does and reporting that she much prefers Berlin to LA, Mrs. BD emailed me her pic from her travels with her Dad today. You know where this is.
It's not Veterans Day. It's not the Marine Corps Birthday. It's just like any other day, taking a moment to give thanks for those who serve and protect, and say Hallelujah ("G-d be praised").
There is obviously a correlation between muscle mass and strength for the "strong men," but for ordinary men and for women, not so much. It's common for me to see young women in the gym, with no notable muscle mass, outlifting me in squats and even in deads.
What do we consider low reps? Low reps are when you can only do 3-8 reps. Higher reps are 10-20. I would never do high reps with powerlifts. Arms, yes. Calisthenics like pushups, for sure.
Little-known
Better than I could have done:
We flatter ourselves with the idea that we make our own decisions, arrive at our own rational conclusions, etc.
Why Do We Forget What We’re Doing
Pogo toon via 