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.
Do you agree with that? Many people today are going to things called colleges like junior colleges and trade school colleges to learn careers in things such as nursing, practical electric, cooking, hospitality, criminal justice, emergency medical service, and all sorts of other practical fields.
I get a kick out of winter bird-feeding. It gives me an idea of what things are around, and it makes a winter garden lively and interesting.
One rule: If you start, you have to keep doing it through the winter. Like people, they will develop a dependency on your generosity, and can starve without it because they have not had to develop or find other resources.
His writing and speech-making productivity is remarkable, but he still finds time to write scholarly books, exercise, and to run his farm. Pretty busy for a retired fellow. Admirable indeed.
The Palestinian statelet is in no way viable, and the Palestinian cause is less and less useful to the Islamic powers with each passing year. … and the Palestinian cause has in no small part devolved from instrument of civilizational conflict to instrument of ordinary grift, a phony jihad used to fortify the alliance between fanatics and financial interests that is the default model of government throughout much of the Muslim Middle East.
Walking, jogging, running, and elliptical don't do anything to build lower body strength. Those things are about cardio and endurance - which are also useful things to pursue with exercise.
Strength for full functionality is something different. It's not easy to build lower body (hips, glutes, legs) strength without heavy weight exercises like deadlifts and barbell squats, but there are some exercises that can help get in shape for skiing, mountain hiking, etc. - and are good cardio too. I generally do 3 sets of each of them once weekly in addition to my heavy weight regimen:
- Mountain Climbers - 50-100/set (left+right = 1). They toughen your core too, because it's a dynamic plank.
- Body weight squats. I combine them with 90 degree 10-second squat-sits every 10 squats. It burns.
- Squat and press, with lighter hand weights - a good full-body calisthenic. Or Step Up and Press.
- Lunges - forward, backwards, sideways. I do them with lightish hand weights, like 10 lbs.
- Kettlebell swings. Don't use your back - use your hips.
- Box jumps or jumping squats
- Stairmaster machine, at whatever speed you can handle. Your body adapts quickly to this demand. People say it's a fat-burner too but I doubt it unless you go for 45 minutes at a brisk pace. (the first 20 minutes of any cardio exercise burns zero fat)
A little money shows gratitude. Went through my list today for the people who help us out all year long.
- Mailman ($20) - Garbagemen ($50, but during the year I also leave them a 10 or 20 whenever there is a large or messy pile) - My golf club (members make a single donation and the staff divvies up all of the donations - $500 per member is expected) - The guy at my daily morning coffee shop ($20)
When we have more occasional helpers, I usually give them a $20 at the time. I'd give something to our UPS guy, but it's always a different driver. It seems like a short list this year. Who am I missing?
We saw it last night with friends. The acting is top-notch. Many of us know the story of CS Lewis' late-age romance with a younger brash NYC Jewish woman Joy Davidman, the story of her subsequent death from cancer, and, especially, the story of how Joy led Lewis from the safe, emotionally-cloistered cocoon life of a timid Oxford don, and unleashed his soul and spirit.
BTW, we are fans of the West Bank Cafe down there on the west end of the theater district. Comfortable, decent food.
I don't want to write another one of those routine "How to deal with holiday stress" posts.
However, I will say this about my profession. When I evaluate a new patient, part of my diagnostic job is to assess their level of functioning in all areas of life, and to make a guess about their potential levels of functioning. What things do we consider? Social functioning and friendships, home management and organization of personal finances, family relationships, ability to work and at what level, hobbies and avocational interests/activities, conscientiousness, stress tolerance, emotional continence, functional fragility, impulsivity, intelligence, and so forth.
These are personal characteristics which may or may not have anything to do with any DSM diagnosis.
Making a functional life is not easy. While every single day tests those capacities in some ways, I have no doubt that this time of year can require us all to stretch our life-management skills.
One of the problems we have with Progressives is that they never seem to specify any end point at which government intrusion into our lives, or the desire to "care for our problems," will be sufficient. If they would tell me that, I'd be more comfortable. Their ideological trajectory is Mussolini's "All within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state."
"Isn't food important? Why not 'universal food coverage'? If politicians had given us 'universal food access' 20 years ago, today Democrats would be wailing about the 'food crisis' in America, and you'd be on the phone with your food-care provider arguing about whether or not a Reuben sandwich with fries is covered under your plan."
The Western Elite
Geological Phenomenon: