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 went to Tucson, Arizona for Memorial Day weekend. It's about a 7-hour drive east of the San Diego area. I hadn't been there in 12-years, as part of a thousand mile circle through Yuma (Mostly Muffins are terrific then and still)-Tucson-Tombstone-Coronado Monument-Huachuka-Sedona-Flagstaff-Grand Canyon-various Pueblo ruins- Oatman. There are sights and activities worth the trip at all those spots. But that was with very young sons, so much was also missed, especially hiking.
This time we enjoyed the lively refurbished old buildings converted to bars and restaurants downtown and the scenic drive up 8000-feet on 23-miles of twisty-turny road to the top of Mt Lemmon with vistas all around Tucson.
Admittedly, you have to appreciate desert scenery, and the best way to enjoy it is walking step by step examining the frequently changing vegetation as soils and elevations change slightly. There are great walks and hikes in the Saguro National Park (actually two of them, east and west of Tucson). These photos don't show the diversity of vegetation and tiny flowers on short cacti, grasses, and bushes, or the flowers at the top of tall Ocotillo. They do show the largest cacti in America, the Saguro. The seedling is the size of your thumbnail, and most get eaten by birds or trampled or die in too intense sun and heat. The best condition for survival is in the shade of a mesquite bush or palo verde.
They'll grow in an elongated barrel shape, and flowers start to appear at the top after 6-years and later at the end of arms that grow after about 75-years. The flowers are the state flower of Arizona. Each bud flowers for just one day, and there are many buds. Flowering season is May-June. (You can see the buds and flowers at the top of the Saguros in the first photo above, and then at the end of an arm in the photo below.)
Severe freezing, winds, lightening, and disease result in Saguro damage and death. They seldom live more that 200-years. The tallest reach 4-stories in height.
Definitely worth the flight just for the nice seafood supper at the Chatham Squire. I love that joint. Great chowder. I have a friend who retired to Chatham village mainly for the chowder. For the nice people too, the Congo church, the old-time architecture, the mild ocean weather, beaches, birding, and closeness to Boston.
Some discussion of his new avionics. Funny part: jumping the fence to get back. These guys are resourceful and have lots of fun. For Matt, his plane is just a sports car.
A Waste of 1,000 Research Papers - Decades of early research on the genetics of depression were built on nonexistent foundations. How did that happen?
“What bothers me isn’t just that people said [the gene] mattered and it didn’t,” wrote the pseudonymous blogger Scott Alexander in a widely shared post. “It’s that we built whole imaginary edifices on top of this idea of [it] mattering.” Researchers studied how SLC6A4 affects emotion centers in the brain, how its influence varies in different countries and demographics, and how it interacts with other genes. It’s as if they’d been “describing the life cycle of unicorns, what unicorns eat, all the different subspecies of unicorn, which cuts of unicorn meat are tastiest, and a blow-by-blow account of a wrestling match between unicorns and Bigfoot,” Alexander wrote.
You have probably never seen one, but this cat-sized member of the weasel tribe is not rare in New England woodlands. While famous for living on porcupines and squirrels, Fishers will eat anything they can catch (but they do not eat fish).
"Due to its alert, secretive nature and solitary habits, most people have never seen this interesting predator. It disappeared from the state by the 19th Century due to agricultural land clearing. Fishers have since made an amazing comeback, and now live in populated areas that offer mature forest habitat and the squirrels it preys on."
Some varieties of Serviceberry, more commonly known as Shadbush up here because it blooms during the Shad run, grow in most parts of the US and southern Canada. Some grow as shrubs, some as small trees. If you spend any time tramping outdoors, you will see them.
Some varieties are used as landscape plantings (I have used them) but most grow wild, especially in brushy edges.
The berries look somewhat like blueberries, and range from red to purple to black.
Depending on the variety, the berries can be sour or sweet. All are edible raw, and you can make jam with them too.
Serviceberry is not to be confused with the Huckleberry, also a common wild plant. Huckleberry is a common meadow edge plant.
Democrats who thought control of the House gave them control of the agenda now will face stiff competition. Their expressions of outrage will seem tired next to the sensational revelations about the actions of Jim Comey, John Brennan and others.
Based on what we already know, it is highly likely those revelations will prove the White House, FBI and CIA engineered the greatest scandal in American political history by unjustified spying on Trump and by trying to tip the election to Hillary Clinton.
Predictably, Dems are furious at Trump’s decision, with many on the left launching personal attacks on Barr. He’s not getting Brett Kavan-augh-level smears yet, but give them time.
14:23 Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.
14:24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.
14:25 "I have said these things to you while I am still with you.
14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.
14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
14:28 You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.
14:29 And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.
The White Shark (aka Great White Shark, thanks to Hollywood) is a worldwide critter of primarily temperate coastal areas. They live on fish, and marine mammals when they can find them.
They do not mind cold water or warm water, but just follow the food. Below migration patterns of White Shark in the eastern US.
Most other sharks of the Northeastern US follow similar north-south migration patterns. While never common inland, Long Island Sound hosts Blue Sharks and Hammerhead Sharks in summer months.
Why are we seeing more White Sharks in the Northeaster summers these days? Because of conservation. The US Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 has resulted in dramatic increases in the numbers of Harbor Seals and Grey Seals. These blubbery critters, which can resemble humans in wetsuits, are favorite foods.
Other conservation efforts, such as limiting the trawler harvests of Menhaden ("Bunker"), have resulted in an abundance of food for sharks, seals, Ospreys, Eagles, porpoises, and dolphin. All of those critters historically lived in the southern New England seacoast.
Ribeye, whether as a roast or cut into steaks, is the tastiest and most succulent cut of any ungulate. I prefer the steaks over the roasts, because I love the contrast between the surface, caramelized char and the almost raw center. Pan broiled, of course. Salivating as I write that... To me, regular prime roast is just an excuse to eat fresh horseradish.
Since we're on the topic, what's a New York Strip Steak? Not my favorite, but ok in a pinch. In my opinion, the only cut suitable for a grill.
Some of our readers, like me, have butchered countless deer (not perfectly, but well-enough) and know all the cuts of hoofed critters first-hand.
One more: Italians (Northern Italians) love their steaks. It's the luxury Secondi in Italy. When I cook a steak, I sometimes throw a couple of sliced onions in the juice, sometimes some garlic too but it's not needed. Good steak needs only salt and pepper, maybe some olive oil, and butter. Italians like to flavor steak with lauro (laurel leaf) or rosemary. I do not care for that Lauro (Italian Bay) flavor.
“If you want to model the APA, you could do worse than a giant firehose that takes in pharmaceutical company money at one end, and shoots lectures about social justice out the other.”
A terrible meeting. I never attend.
My experience is that people like to mock or disparage Psychiatry. That is, until they or a family member need one.
Income inequality is a crazy subject for too many reasons. Sure, single motherhood plays a role but, importantly, government help is not counted as income. And to further mess things up, incomes change. Entry level jobs pay little, but people can advance. And what about people who make low-paying choices, like those people whose dream is to be a Maine Guide? Or a poor Adjunct Professor? And aspiring artists and actors?
... the bad faith of his antagonists exceeds even Mr. Trump’s defects and vices. The plot they concocted to get rid of him failed. And, yes, it was a plot, even a coup. And they fucked it up magnificently, leaving a paper trail as wide as Interstate-95. Now all that paper is about to fall over the District of Columbia like radioactive ash, turning many current and former denizens of rogue agencies into the walking dead as they embark on the dismal journey between the grand juries and the federal prisons.
"Conditioning" is about speed, agility, HIIT cardio, endurance, explosiveness, and muscle use. Energy, stamina, and get-up-and-go. It is not about strength or strength-training, which is why lots of calisthenics are involved. In a tough conditioning hour, you can never catch your breath so it is intense cardio. Good stuff for life.
I am in the sorry 10% who routinely flunk our Sat. AM calisthenics ("Athletic Conditioning") class. By flunking, I mean being unable to complete the trainer's expectations on at least half of the exercises in the time allowed. I hate failure, so I give it my all and come up short. We are calling ourselves the "Masters Class" and we are all age 45 or more. However, several 50+ and 60+ do make the passing grade. Bravo for them because this sort of thing is great to prevent physical deterioration.
If it were high school or college, we would ask for extra time due to disability but, instead, we do our best and accept the fail. Reality is a bitch. Do better next week, or just give up and rightly despise yourself forever for being a loser.
"A British climber who died on the slopes of Mount Everest 
A history of 
You have probably never seen one, but this cat-sized member of the weasel tribe is not rare in New England woodlands. While famous for living on porcupines and squirrels, Fishers will eat anything they can catch (but they do not eat fish). 
Some varieties of 
Ribeye, whether as a roast or cut into steaks, is the tastiest and most succulent cut of any ungulate. I prefer the steaks over the roasts, because I love the contrast between the surface, caramelized char and the almost raw center. Pan broiled, of course. Salivating as I write that... To me, regular prime roast is just an excuse to eat fresh horseradish.
Four climbers die on Everest