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.
It's getting closer to the time to begin Christmas shopping. Whether you like Bezos or not, Amazon Prime is your friend. A daughter says Macy's is her friend now, too (the big store in Manhattan).
I am not convinced that the SAT is a measure of merit. It's really just an IQ test. Achievements tests are better merit measures but lots of schools do not have AP courses. Grades are not very reliable measures these days. If I ran a school, I'd use an IQ test, a Curiosity test, a Talent test, and an Energy test. No straight-A drones please.
Regular readers know I am no fan of pasta but if you stick with the Italian traditions (I am married to a half-Italian), the Vigilia on Christmas Eve is a fast day - meaning tons of seafood. And in southern Italy, a mean without a primi is no meal at all.
I've never refused a well-made Linguine alla Vongole. Delicious. Those European and Mediterranean clams are small, sweet, and just right. Around here in Yankeeland, you just have to find the smallest Littlenecks you can find and if overcooked, they get too chewy.
It's how to do pasta too - cook with the sauce in the pan. Never on top. Usually needs some of the pasta water too.
I wish I were smart enough to write for them, pay or no pay. After four of five sentences, I'm done. Except for at work, of course, where I am Bartleby the Scrivener until I will prefer not to be.
Devilishly wonderful theater experience which, as you may know, is about how Satan works. Amusing but definitely gets to you. Include lunch or supper at the West Bank Cafe (not expensive and right across the street, with fine small plates), and that's a darn good present.
Unless you're giving cars or diamonds, people want fun and surprising experiences, not junk. Mind and spirit stuff. Or hiking gear, if you're a mountaineer. Or a good hiking trip.
Matt 6:19:
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
As it happens, I consider rare stinky cheeses a spiritual item, so my kids can find these for me. They like Grace's Market in NYC for rare cheeses but the Grand Central Market can be interesting too. Best cheese? I found out that a daughter brought me some special pecorinos from Tuscany in her suitcase so I eagerly await them. Also brought a Vin Nobile for her grandfather. "All good things come from Italy."
These are one-rep maxes. My one-rep max is around 300 lbs, no prob with 3 reps at 275. Not impressive because I know a gal who does that. OK, she's 35 but whatever. With the age-adjustment on that site, though, it's "Advanced." What? Me? No way am I advanced. I have much further to go...
My one-rep max is hard and slowwwww. As it should be. People rarely go for their one-rep maxes except for amusement and ego. Well, also as one index of progress. Every 3 months maybe. 5X5 is a good powerlift program for twice/week but I only do each powerlift once/week. Not enough time to be a serious gym rat lifter.
Body architecture is not factored in, but of course heavier people are presumed to have more strength and power.
“The most experienced psychologist or observer of human nature knows infinitely less of the human heart than the simplest Christian who lives beneath the Cross of Jesus. The greatest psychological insight, ability, and experience cannot grasp this one thing: what sin is. Worldly wisdom knows what distress and weakness and failure are, but it does not know the godlessness of man. And so it also does not know that man is destroyed only by his sin and can be healed only by forgiveness. Only the Christian knows this. In the presence of a psychiatrist I can only be a sick man; in the presence of a Christian brother I can dare to be a sinner. The psychiatrist must first search my heart and yet he never plumbs its ultimate depth. The Christian brother knows when I come to him: here is a sinner like myself, a godless man who wants to confess and yearns for God’s forgiveness. The psychiatrist views me as if there were no God. The brother views me as I am before the judging and merciful God in the Cross of Jesus Christ.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community
The 30,000 alarmists gathered in Katowice, Poland expected to slam-dunk their report proclaiming a planet-threatening climate crisis, finalize rules for implementing the Paris accords, redistribute infinite billions of dollars from industrialized nations to “climate victim” countries, and solidify their control over people’s energy, jobs, living standards and liberties. It didn’t work out quite that way.
The common target of all these populist pushbacks is an administrative and cultural elite that shares a set of transnational and globalist values and harbors mostly contempt for the majority of their own Neanderthal citizens who are deemed hopelessly unwoken to environmental, racial, gender, and cultural inevitabilities.
In a word, the Ivy League, Oxbridge, and the Sorbonne masters of the universe assume that the world is on a predetermined trajectory. We are to follow an arc of history bending toward state-managed social justice if you will—to end up as a sort of global Menlo Park, Malibu, Upper West Side, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Schwabing, or Kensington. No wonder, it is their ethical duty of transnationals to goad the fated, but sometimes stalled, process along...
This is a Maggie's group post. Assorted suggestions.
Doc Mercury used to post Christmas gadgets for us, but he's been AWOL for quite a while. However, nobody needs gadgets. Everybody needs less stuff and less clutter but if young, you can give the wife some gold or diamonds if she doesn't have enough yet. After all, she has had to put up with your many annoyances, shortcomings, sins, and worse.
If you have of-age daughters or even daughter-in-laws, Christmas is a good time to begin to unload unneeded family jewelry and heirlooms. Nobody is getting any younger.
Olde-tyme Yankees that we are, we believe in 1-2 presents per person after age 12. A book and a special item. Best Christmas presents I ever received? A 20 ga. single shot shotgun at age 12, and Aida at the Baths of Caracalla in adulthood.
- Got an exerciser in the family? Get them a medium-weight jump rope. (need to know their height). For the experienced, a speed rope or a 1 lb rope. The 1 lb. rope will kick anybody's butt after a minute or two.
- Anybody's husband or dad would love a wheel of Stilton. Pair it with a vintage port (and maybe a fancy cigar or two), and happy male. Williams-Sonoma no longer sells Stilton scoops, but you can google that item. Unfortunately, mostly via the UK.
- Give a wife or daughter a day at a day spa - hair do-over, facial, nails, massage - women love that stuff.
- Tickets: People love tickets. Ballet, theater, sports, opera, whatever. My brother always gave our parents 12 movie tix (their local theater had a movie/month package) to make sure they got out to a date night at the movies every month.
- We believe trips are great presents, whether a long weekend with theater, dinners, etc in NYC or a week in Spain. Guys or gals, give the spouse the trip that you want, and a voucher for unlimited vigorous sex as compensation for travel hassle.
3:7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
3:8 Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
3:9 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
3:10 And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?"
3:11 In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise."
3:12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?"
3:13 He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you."
3:14 Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages."
3:15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,
3:16 John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
3:17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
3:18 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.
Who Were the 1st Americans? 
Why the Boston Tea Party 
