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.
My bike has a flat tire so cannot deliver the subversive news. Yet. In the meantime, George Papadopoulos is an impressive young guy. It's all about spies.
The Partner Chase - An elite law firm’s inability to promote enough minority partners exposes the unrealistic expectations of diversity mandates - Heather Mac Donald
Dystopian fiction is fun, but dystopias rarely come about. Even the Dark Ages weren't so 'dark'. Dystopias, when they occur, do tend to be regional in nature, and often (though not always) occur for short periods of time. The future is almost always brighter than the past, which may be why dystopian fiction is popular, particularly among sci-fi fanatics. The fear of a frightening future most likely prevents it, or should prevent it. Always expecting things to be good and wonderful can create a society of Pollyannas. Of course, it also creates Cassandras.
The one thing that worries me, more than anything else, is a decline in standards. I don't mean a decline in standards of general behaviors. There is politeness in good society and there is excessive or unnecessary politeness. Miss Manners was never my friend.
I'm referring to standards of right and wrong. Too often, we choose people as role models of what is good and just. I used to do that, but have not for many years now. I trust no politicians, even those I like or prefer. Athletes, celebrities, businesspeople, all exist in a pantheon of model humans. None for me. I will admire individual traits, and focus on those. No whole person is perfect, and we can't really expect them to be. That inability to have a perfect role model (for what it's worth, I'm not including Jesus here, though certainly He is a great starting point) creates misunderstandings about what is good and bad in humanity.
When right and wrong become fungible, as it seems they slowly are, we need to worry. When 60% of Millenials surveyed don't distinguish between right and wrong, it's time to start discussing what we're teaching our kids.
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.
Jane Brody: 
Something strange has been going on with Maggie's for the past ten days or so. Mainly redirections or failure notices. 
Dystopian fiction is fun, but dystopias rarely come about. Even the Dark Ages 
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
