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 a strange approach to the subject, written by a therapist of some sort. Why does anybody break any sorts of covenants, agreements, vows, commitments, laws, etc., even when they know how destructive to conscience and good cheer it can be?
Of course it's because we are implanted with strong, relentless desires of all sorts. Food, lust, love, violence, competition, revenge, excitement. Raw life forces. You can call them emotions or instincts or whatever you want to call them. Most human desires lack any moral, much less bourgeois-moral, components and often lack any practical components. We need only refer to our fantasies to see that.
A more interesting topic is to consider is why and when people do notbreak any sorts of covenants, agreements, vows, commitments, laws, social conventions, etc. despite pressing desires. It's more interesting because it's the special human part. The monkey parts are no mystery at all.
"Cardio" is sort-of a misnomer because all exertion raises heart rate. However, it is a shorthand that people use for forms of exercise which do not use heavy weights.
Let's keep it simple. To put an activity in the cardio category, you have to be continuously sweaty and short of breath (but not out of breath - that is anaerobic HIIT exercise) for about an hour. I ignore heart rate, but many people keep track of it. Thus walking, hiking, comfortable swimming, biking to the beach, are not exertion in any sense. They are just "living life" - the rewards of fitness. You know it's exertion (aka "exercise", as opposed to recreation) if you'd rather avoid it, if it sucks to be doing it, and if you want a nap after.
1. So-called "fat burning" cardio. Another misnomer because this doesn't burn fat worth a darn (nor does any form of one-hour exercise). This refers to around 60 minutes of aerobic exercise at a pace short of sprinting but withthe maximum pace you can maintain for an hour. This is endurance exercise which does not stress the heart very much but puts it to good use. Running, elliptical, stairmaster, speedy biking, treadmill, speedy swimming are all typical "fat-burner" exercises. I mix them up without breaks to avoid boredom.
2. HIIT cardio. This is true cardiac fitness training. Often, it refers to exercise with 10-60-second wind sprints (or even more for some people) of maximum anaerobiceffort relieved by slower but comparably-lengthed intervals. If you can do those intervals for 10 minutes without a full break before the next round, I am mighty impressed. I can't. I can only do about 3 reps of intervals without needing a minute break to lean on something while trying not to barf. HIIT cardio might help you survive your first heart attack because it increases heart vasculature. Regular bouts of HIIT will raise your level of performance on the "fat-burners" too. For HIIT, I use speed rope, combat bike, sometimes Stair machine or ski machine. Could just do running sprints outdoors.
3. Calisthenics. An hour of mixed calisthenics with no rest breaks is "general conditioning." It combines aerobic cardio, some bursts of anaerobic cardio, some explosive movements, and full-body muscle use (but not strength building). Typical cali routines include burpees, step-ups, pushups, running in place, planks, dips, ball slams, box jumps, mountain climbers, kettlebell swings, squats with light weights, lunges, roll-ups, heavy ropes, band walks, jumping jacks. Some activities like martial arts or playing sports contain calisthenic-like mixes. However, bear in mind that athletes use calisthenics to train to perform their best in the sports themselves. Sports are fun, not physical training.
Received this piece today on 10 tips to appear smarter. The key word is "appear" because it's not about actually being smarter. Just to get people to think you're smarter.
In other words, don't actually get to know someone, rely on superficial items to determine intelligence. It's what we do with politicians, so it must work because they are all so brilliant.
Most of it is common sense, anyway. Some is just plain silly. Don't have that extra drink of alcohol? OK, no problem. Wear nerd glasses? Thanks, I'll take a pass.
~Written by Bulldog T. Writer (the "T" stands for "The")
Realized I had two hurricane-related pals. This morning I emailed our good pals who recently moved to Florida (Miami), knowing they were not there now. Got an email back saying that the weather in Egypt was perfect and pleasantly hot, and that they had got their help to put up the hurricane shutters at their place in Miami, so they had no worries. I rarely get an email from Aswan.
Another buddy is on a two-week vacation in the Dominican Republic. Sampling cigars and drinking Pina Coladas in the sun seems to be the main activity. If you can call that activity. Says they are all excited about the big breeze and had no interest in leaving. Good attitude.
For getting outdoors in the highlands and the islands, we recommend Wilderness Scotland.Scottish history is not very interesting (Norwegian invaders, battles with Romans, clan squabbles, battles with Brits) until the Scottish Enlightenment; the land itself isn't very interesting (lots of barren hills and high hills with sheep) unless you love golf, and their food is unappetizing - but it's worth going once. I've been there twice.
The grouse and Red Deer hunting can be good. Now, the Scots themselves are quite amusing, cranky people and worth meeting and talking to. This only occurs in pubs or while smoking in front of pubs. If America runs on Dunkin, Scotland runs on whisky and tobacco.
The Highlands are rugged, but not too wild really because the Clearance Laws entailed cutting down all the trees (Scotch Pine, of which there are probably more in the US than in Scotland now). One good result of the clearances was the emigration of Scots to the US and to Oz.
Bob Dylan recently bought a castle and estate in the Highlands. Interesting song, Highlands. Goes between real life in Boston and dreams of the Highlands. Lyrics here. In our family, we often say "You look like you want a hard-boiled egg."
As Washington Post sports columnist Sally Jenkins wrote in what may be the finest piece of writing to emerge from Hurricane Harvey, (re the Cajun Navy) “They’re used to maneuvering through the cypress of Caddo Lake or the hydrilla and coontail of the Atchafalaya, where the water might be four feet or it might rise to eighteen, and the stinking bog is called ‘coffee grinds’ because of the way boots sink in it. Spending hours in monsoon rains doesn’t bother them, because they know ducks don’t just show up on a plate, and they’ve learned what most of us haven’t, that dry comfort is not the only thing worth seeking.”'
So rather than malign these men, or tut-tut that they are too libertarian, why not thank them for risking their lives to help others (a service for which none of them were paid). I doubt the judgmental journalists scolding the Cajun Navy would have been willing to do the same.
The urge to denigrate is an attempt to establish your own superiority by imposing humiliation on someone else—as well as a naked admission that you have no other way to demonstrate your personal merit.
I am happy that the rich get money. Bill Gates, Derek Jeter, Roger Federer, Yo-Yo Ma, Bob Dylan, have enriched my life. I happily gave them all some of my money.
Last week, I posted on one reason for the paradox of why overweight people tend to feel more hunger, and to eat more avidly, than others even though they have no nutritional needs.
How can that be adaptive? Not all of physiology is adaptive to everything.
It's an interesting effect which may have some adaptive value, or maybe not. It does explain why many normal-weight fitness-seekers need to force themselves to eat some protein when they have no appetite and no interest in food. It could be part of why hard cardio exercisers lose weight. Exercise doesn't provide fat loss, but the cardio reduces appetite. I am not talking about anorectics, just regular people who want to be in fighting shape and kind to their joints.
"... it would be easier to take if our elite showed a similar concern for hurting American citizens and there are many of those. Like the one in four of working age who don’t have jobs right now, or the 14 million on disability, the one in six on antidepressants, the more than 50,000 who died of drug ODs just in the last year. That’s almost as many as were killed during the entire decade of the Vietnam war. You hear about those people occasionally here in Washington. You hear about those poor DACA kids a lot more and that tells you everything.”
A reader was dismayed that I put our love for little Wellfleet, MA out to the entire world on these internets. Reader wants it kept secret.
Well, this news might help keep some people away. Sharks in Wellfleet Harbor. I guess they want the oysters. I have reassured everybody in recent years that the Great Whites hang out in the ocean, not Cape Cod Bay, and certainly not a harbor. Wrong. I promise that if one of those SOBs bumps my kayak, I will smack it so hard with my paddle that its mother will feel the vibration.
Whatever you do, stay away from our terrible, dull, dangerous Wellfleet. Especially from the beaches and restaurants and art galleries. You are neither wanted nor welcome. The people all love Hillary, our oysters taste bad, there is too much fresh seafood, not a single chain fast food for 40 miles - and the water is too cold for the timid.
Newsflash: 
seems obvious,
"Cardio" is sort-of a misnomer because all exertion raises heart rate. However, it is a shorthand that people use for forms of exercise which do not use heavy weights.
Pic: Dressed for Opening Day. Somebody will need to volunteer to check her for ticks
