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.
Our friendly little neighborhood gym has been running a challenge test (a general fitness race) through the month of December.
Here's how it works: A 60-second sprint on the row erg, an exactly 3-minute rest, then a 60-second sprint on the ski erg. Then your trainer adds up your total meters and posts it on the board. Only trainers can record the test.
They post your name, age, and total meters on the white board. There is a column for men and one for the women. Talk about exposure - but it is highly motivational. If you repeat the test (which everybody does to try to improve their score), your highest score goes on the board.
The reason this is a good general fitness test is because it is cardio fitness combined with maximum power (power= strength x speed) demands from the entire body. I felt like puking for 10 minutes afterwards which I feel is evidence of genuine effort.
I managed to just break the 500 meter mark this week, but there are guys with over 600. The women are mostly in the 300s. A 74 year-old guy had a 545 so I feel I definitely have to beat that codger. I have a week to get there.
In fitness, you mostly compete with yourself but it's fun to see how you measure up once in a while. Reality hurts, but truth is good for the soul.
A commenter: "Kill your TV and take a walk through the woods with your kids, spouse, friends and or loved ones."
We all know that TV and movies are aimed at an IQ of 100. That's the market. Even Tucker aims low. A good life can be had by shooting the TV and getting out in the world, meeting new people, doing interesting challenging things - and going to Christmas parties.
Most people reading this were trained to think hard work built character so a desire to work was a sign of good character. That’s a perfectly sensible belief in a world of scarcity. In a post-scarcity society, one where automation is increasing taking over human labor, maybe those sentiments about work are counter-productive. Maybe the way forward is self-actualizing leisure.
Russia is a crappy country with an economy the size of Italy's. Still, Putin seems to know how to put his paws on all sorts of things. Clever little scheming SOB. Can't blame him for putting his country first, though. That's his job.
They fired two of their biggest, smartest stars. Why has there been so much sexual abuse at NPR and Public TV?
To our listeners:
This fall, we watched as the national conversation turned to harassment in the workplace. We knew this movement was powerful and important. What we didn’t expect was for it to land on our doorstep at New York Public Radio, as several members of our community came forward with allegations of inappropriate conduct by members of our own staff.
We strive to bring you the best programming, from the best teams in the region, and we value your trust above all else. When people in our community feel unwelcome or disrespected, it means we have not lived up to our values, and we cannot do the sacred job you’ve trusted us to do.
Today, we terminated the employment of Leonard Lopate and Jonathan Schwartz, following two separate investigations into patterns of inappropriate behavior. These investigations, overseen by outside counsel, determined that Mr. Lopate and Mr. Schwartz had violated our standards for providing an inclusive and respectful work environment. You can find our full statement to the press here...
Handy tip from my chef friend for the holidays: The rule is Four Days in the Fridge.
You include the day you made it in the 4 days. After that, it's garbage. I have learned this over the years from unfortunate experience - especially with Thanksgiving leftovers.
Mark Steyn was funny the other day, explaining how the Customs agents confiscated three Buches de Noel he tried to bring from Quebec to his home in New Hampshire. He observed that if he had brought three Somalis or Syrians without documents instead of three Buches, it would have been no problem.
Order yours now from your local bakery and it will be ready when you need it. They will make them whatever length you need. It's not Christmas without one.
If you really want to ruin Christmas season, try making one yourself. This job is for professionals.
From where I sit, it seems to be because of a lack of critical thinking combined with the simple fact that imagining mysterious forces and mysterious people is much more fun than ordinary humdrum life and ordinary people.
Wasn't there an old song about "your mother and me, we're just ordinary folks..."?
You Won't Be Able to Pay Taxes on a Postcard, and That's Exactly How H&R Block Likes It - The Republican tax bill means most Americans will keep more of the money they earn. But the process will still be frustrating and terrible.
Again, a Christmas book only for those who wish to continue or to update their secondary or college educations: Campbell's Biology.
It is the current basic text, and it guarantees a thorough grounding in the basics. If you shop around on line, you can find it for much less than the list price.
A magnificent book, clear and easy to read if you recall some basic biochem. If you took college bio ten years ago, you know almost nothing.
For him, his accumulated stuff is like a joke on his inheritors. He does understand that no amount of possessions can fill an emotional or spiritual hole.
My experience is that most people stop accumulating stuff and possessions around age 50, and begin getting rid of it all slowly thereafter. How many ties, jackets, socks, sweaters, shirts, cooking pans, decorations, lamps, chairs, tables, china sets, serving platters, do I need?
We would have an abundant life without buying a single material thing (other than food) for the next ten years. I will admit that dress clothing becomes outdated and can look ridiculous or like thrift shop goods, so that does need to be replaced. As the kids grow in independence, I will encourage them to take anything here that they want, but they won't want it. They will have their own ways and their own tastes, and all of our stuff will end up in a large dumpster someday. I can live with that.
The sad answer is "Not really." Only moving the heavy weights can improve strength efficiently, but some calisthenics can at least maintain strength, prevent muscle decay, and maybe build a little strength too if not just muscle endurance.
That post mentioned some of those key lower body exercises.
Below the fold, good video tips on often-neglected Side Lunges and correct technique for Body-Weight Squats (We believe in "Ass To Grass").
As I said to Tucker Carlson the other night, the demographic transformation of the western world is "the biggest story of our time", and it will indeed determine all the others.
Maybe Donald Trump is just not your type of guy, and certainly not the guy you would want to be President; but keep in mind who was the alternative. Before these things fade into the memory hole, bring back to mind a few of the wildly incompetent policies of the previous administration...
Wherever men and women spend time together, emotional things can happen. Actually, whenever any people spend time together, emotional things happen: attraction, enjoyment, revulsion, admiration, irritation, enchantment, envy, disdain, boredom, indifference, and everything else.
It's a given that the propensity for love/romance/sexual interest, to varying degrees, is a common, normal, and healthy subtext of human interaction. No number of social rules or boundary-construction can get rid of that, so it is common enough for people to fall so heavily that they arrive at "Damn the rules, the heck with everybody. I want this more than anything else". I see it all the time because things often do not work out well.
The way I see it. Conservatives like me did not elect Donald Trump. The Liberals did by driving ordinary working class Americans round the bend with their left-wing insanity, their incredible arrogance, and their contempt for America and Americans. Trump is the ordinary American-in-the-street’s rejoinder. And they obviously deserve it.
As an anti-Trumper, he advises not listening to Trump at all but to just see what his admin is doing
The final night of Hanukkah and Christmas is bursting out all over. Lots of things to cover so let us commence. Leading off we have President Trump who delivered a national security speech for the ages. Calling his strategy "principled realism," it is exactly that. In short, for the world to be a better and freer place, America must be an economic and military powerhouse. He also urged tighter, saner immigration policy and renewed his pledge to build the border wall. With the Dow Jones poised to hurtle through the 25,000 point barrier, business and consumer confidence is at an all-time high; certainly at a level we have not felt in nearly 20 years. The President knows and understands that American decline is not inevitable. Despite the lost decade of the Obama years, where we had political and cultural elites who not only thought that the best we could do was manage the decline but who actively took a sledgehammer to our institutions to hasten the decline, this president's first year in office has been a rhetorical and actual declaration of "not one inch further."
" The generation now coming of age has been taught three Great Untruths: their feelings are always right; they should avoid pain and discomfort; and they should look for faults in others and not themselves. These three Great Untruths are part of a larger philosophy that sees young people as fragile creatures who must be protected and supervised by adults. But despite the good intentions of the adults who impart them, the Great Untruths are harming kids by teaching them the opposite of ancient wisdom and the opposite of modern psychological findings on grit, growth, and antifragility. The result is rising rates of depression and anxiety, along with endless stories of college campuses torn apart by moralistic divisions and mutual recriminations."
With help from friends and readers. Let's face it: people will avoid hard things unless they work up some self-discipline.
Please feel free to add more loser excuses in the Comments
It's too early
It's too late
I have too much to do
I'm right in the middle of something
I'm having trouble getting going today
I just ate
I'm too hungry
I think I have a cold coming on
I feel too tired today
I have errands to do
I'll start in the New Year (Right! Meaning in 2019)
I need to lose some weight first (Right! Meaning never)
I have a morning appointment (right - probably "early" - like 8 o'clock, by which time most people have exercised, showered, dressed, checked their emails, and are at work or on the way to it)
I might just go for a nice walk instead
I'll get to it later (of course you will)
I had a hard day yesterday
My stomach doesn't feel right
I hate the gym (It's a playground for adults seeking health and vigor. What's to dislike about that?)
It's (snowing, raining, too windy)
It's too cold out
It's too hot out
I deserve some rest time (Really? Convince me that you deserve anything)
I feel a twinge in my (foot, leg, knee, hip, back, shoulder, etc)
I didn't sleep well last night
I'm too distracted/upset about (whatever)
I know I ought to...
I'm just a lazy low-energy SOB by nature, and that's not my fault.
Finding excuses for everything in life is just my nature - and my nature is not my fault.
Yale Secular Humanists 
Mark Steyn was funny the other day, explaining how the Customs agents confiscated three Buches de Noel he tried to bring from Quebec to his home in New Hampshire. He observed that if he had brought three Somalis or Syrians without documents instead of three Buches, it would have been no problem.
IAN MCKELLEN RECALLS ACTRESSES 
Again, a Christmas book only for those who wish to continue or to update their secondary or college educations: 
Portland’s Disgraceful Anarchy - 
Why ‘The Last Jedi’