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.
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.
Aging is characterized by changes in body composition. CT studies demonstrate that as we age, subcutaneous fat (below the skin, SF) decreases and visceral fat (in abdominal cavity, VF) increases. VF is the enemy. Because it causes systemic inflammation, it is an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease, stroke and death. If that’s not enough, VF also provides the Buddha-belly mid-life midriff.
The other most common age-related change in body composition is muscle loss. Because muscle has a high metabolic rate, its loss is associated with a reduction in energy expenditure. This decrease in caloric burn lends itself to weight (fat) gain.
16:21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
16:22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you."
16:23 But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."
16:24 Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
16:25 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
16:26 For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?
16:27 "For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.
16:28 Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."
For me, it's the US Open. A day session is pure delight. Better than a Broadway show. One of the thousand best things about NYC. Wander around, watch some doubles, some singles, some gal games, some guy games, eat some sausage sandwiches and pizza. The night sessions are too late for me, except on TV.
Worth a trip from anywhere, if you ask me. Flushing (in Queens, NYC) is easy to get to. The Open is a multi-day festival. In the day sessions, it's great to sit on the bleachers, up close, in the side courts for a while.
As much as I love playing tennis, I think it's the only sport I would rather watch than play. I love touch football, baseball, used to play hockey, squash, and lacrosse too. Sheesh, preppy sports I guess. Parents protective, didn't want me to play football even though I was a good sprinter.
Right now, Meyer is giving Nadal a headache. Wonderful stuff. Nadal will win, though.
Sure, it's fun listening to a half-century old Dylan tune. Sure, it's a kick to hear about how a bunch of snowflakes were scared by a banana peel. Sure, it's interesting reading about how a 1926 tractor was rebuilt.
But let's talk about an important issue, shall we?
Booze.
For those of you who like your booze mixed with a soda, allow me to introduce a truly wonderful product to you called Everclear. Because here's the fun part: It doesn't have any taste.
Almost be definition, alone, all liquors (yes, even vodka) have a taste. The question then becomes, how does it affect the taste of your favorite soda? Usually in the negative would be my guess.
In my case, I'm a confirmed gingeraleaholic. I've been buying Canada Dry Ginger Ale since it was located in the wine aisle of the grocery store, right next to the Tom Collins mix, simply because it was originally designated a mixer, not a soda pop. It wasn't until years later when the Dr. Pepper people bought Canada Dry and turned it into an everyday soda that it came into its own.
Since I don't like drinking straight booze, I started experimenting, mixing different liquors with my Ginger Ale. I tried a number of different whiskies, scotch, bourbon, brandy, vodka, a number of rums, and they all failed the taste test. Basically, nothing goes with Ginger Ale.
Then I raised my plaintive plight while sitting around the community table at one of the marinas I stayed at while living on my boat in the Florida Keys, and someone suggested Everclear.
Et voila!
Oh, and the reason it doesn't have any taste? It's pure grain alcohol. On top of that, it's 190 proof, so just a splash in your soda of choice does the trick, so one could argue that it's one of the most economical liquors out there.
As a small side note, in case your local liquor store doesn't carry it, there's a similar product called Golden Grain, made by the same company.
Thank goodness we finally got around to discussing an important issue!
Study: 
Pic: Dressed for Opening Day. Somebody will need to volunteer to check her for ticks
Sure, it's fun listening to a half-century old Dylan tune. Sure, it's a kick to hear about how a bunch of snowflakes were scared by a banana peel. Sure, it's interesting reading about how a 1926 tractor was rebuilt.