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.
My son just showed this to me at a news site. A gamer in Russia caught the so-called "rebels" that have broken away eastern Ukraine, actually the Russians and their stooges, trying to accuse the U.S. of supplying Stinger missiles to the Ukranian government. What they actually showed was a replica of a Stinger missile taken from the game Battlefield 3. Remember, all evidence shows that the Russian stooges shot down a civilian airliner, killing all aboard. Their excuses didn't hold water, and this poor propaganda doesn't pop either.
Go to this link for the whole story in English, and click on the Youtube uploaded by the Russian gamer today.
Despite all of her visits to every part of Italy, Mrs. BD concedes that the best Italian food she has had is at Scarpetta, one of the spots she goes to with friends when she goes to see theater and dance. She has some real foodie pals.
Scarpetta. Give it a try. As a matter of fact, she is taking a BD daughter to dinner there tonight after the new Annie Baker play. (They are Annie Baker fans after loving Flick a while ago.) She says their pastas are amazing but our advice is to always skip pasta in good Italian restaurants. Why dine on starch, when there are so many other better flavors in antipasti and secondi?
I'll make exceptions for Pappardelle al Funghi with wild mushrooms, or Fois Gras Ravioli with Black Truffle.
Looking back, thus far, for Italian, we have also recommended Barbetta,Giovanni,Macelleria, - and Bar Eolo for genuine Sicilian. Only Barbetta is a jacket and tie joint, but for Giovanni a jacket is appropriate.
“Only the disciplined mind can see reality, Winston. You believe that reality is something objective, external, existing in its own right. You also believe that the nature of reality is self-evident. When you delude yourself into thinking that you see something, you assume that everyone else sees the same thing as you. But I tell you, Winston, that reality is not external. Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else. Not in the individual mind, which can make mistakes, and in any case soon perishes: only in the mind of the Party, which is collective and immortal. Whatever the Party holds to be the truth, is truth. It is impossible to see reality except by looking through the eyes of the Party.”
“The case against science is straightforward: much of the scientific literature, perhaps half, may simply be untrue. Afflicted by studies with small sample sizes, tiny effects, invalid exploratory analyses, and flagrant conflicts of interest, together with an obsession for pursuing fashionable trends of dubious importance, science has taken a turn towards darkness.”
Answer here. This was a Democrat policy accomplishment, combined with a large dose of noblesse oblige. Mission accomplished.Thanks, greedy Dems, for killing our golden goose. You have fundamentally transformed our traditional Yankee state with its old traditional values of thrift and sturdy self-reliance.
And special thanks to Gov. Weicker, who rapidly exited the state after instituting his new taxes. His noblesse oblige is on us, not him.
The experience of food satiety is mediated by a variety of physiologic signals, psychological states, and cultural factors, and some of that signaling may have some genetic tendencies. However, it is my experience that the main causes of overconsumption are three simple things: the ready availability of tasty carb things (unresisted temptation), feeding+sitting as recreation, and ignoring satiety. By the latter, I mean not paying attention to when enough is enough. In our world, there is always more, and gluttony, eating until "full," makes no sense at all on a routine basis.
In other words, ignoring your body's "enough" signals instead of one's maximum stretched stomach capacity. Some people will consume whatever is put in front of them regardless of hunger, while some will only consume until they sense that they have had enough. The former two are the buffet-killers while the latter do not consume their cost of the buffet. Living in a world of food abundance has a downside but nobody would choose the alternative.
I have found that overweight people can be easily trained to identify satiety if they want to. We know a few things about this:
3. Food impairs mental alertness and physical capacity for a while so it's best not to eat for a couple of hours before exertion. Hydration is necessary, though. If at your ideal weight or underweight, a little carbs an hour before difficult exertion is a good idea. After heavy resistance work, a little protein, or a regular meal if at target weight, is an ok idea.
Reader brought up the topic. I've seen patches of what we called Huckleberries growing on field edges in New England. Never tried to eat one and never heard of people picking them. Next time I see some, I'll try them before the grouse get them.
There are several plants around the country which people term Huckleberries.
At some point, Huckleberry became a term of affection.
Reposted by popular request. If the reader is strong, fit for most physical challenges in life, and in good shape, then this is all irrelevant and should be ignored.
- Weight loss is mostly a separate subject from physical fitness training. Adipose tissue (fat, the revolting yellow lard that burdens your body and heart especially, and drives surgeons nuts by makes their scalpels greasy and slippery) is very easy to accumulate and difficult to burn off. It's like the opposite of money.
- Your energy storage consists mainly of carbs stored as sugar (glycogen - the petty cash drawer of energy) and carbs converted into sugar and then into fat if the sugar isn't burned right away (the long-term investment which is more difficult to access and burn). It's been calculated that the average Western citizen has enough stored energy to walk 600-1000 miles. A gift of evolution.
- To burn fat as fuel, you have to restrict sugar (ie, carbs). The resulting condition is known as ketosis, and can make your breath smell funny. It is thought that your body can speed up its ability to mobilize fat as an energy source, when carb-limited.
- There is a myth about good carbs and bad carbs. This really only applies to diabetics. All dietary carbs are converted to sugar, even potatoes. That's why all the talk about dietary sugar itself is nonsense. We've all seen people have a Splenda in their coffee with their whole wheat bagel. Are you kidding me? A little sugar is 10 calories and the bagel is 300 calories. Many people do not understand that all carbs become sugar during digestion. Yes, even brown rice and whole wheat bread. If you need the microscopic amount of protein in them you are in real trouble.
-To attain a target weight, you have to restrict but not totally eliminate carbs from the diet. One or two slices of bread and one apple is plenty of daily carbs for a weight loss program, along with the relatively small amount of carbs in vegetables.
- As I have posted in the past, exercise, especially intense exertion, has numerous health and life benefits but is an ineffective way to try lose fat without the primary dietary component. The reason is that the body burns carbs preferentially. It's easier for it to do. The body is set up to protect its long-term investment in case of starvation conditions and it is happy to store as much as you will offer it. It's a sponge.
- In middle age, metabolism slows for both men and women. Menopause, especially. Caloric needs drop substantially regardless of activity level. Accumulating fat becomes easier, and getting rid of it becomes more difficult. Best just not to accumulate it.
- It is true that, the minute your feeling of hunger goes away, you have probably had enough to eat. Also true that, in the prosperous Western world, feeding has become a recreation, an event, or a self-soothing therapy or a cure for boredom, and a clockwork routine, and both hunger and satiety signals are thrown to the winds. For example, many sedentary people will eat a lunch simply "because it's lunchtime."
- It is also true that intense daily exercise reduces appetite in most people. It has to be intense, though.
- The less you eat, the more your stomach shrinks and thus the quicker you are satisfied. If you pay attention to it, that is.
Now to fitness, not weight loss
- As for physical conditioning (but not for weight loss), it is true that anything beyond full-day sedentary is good. Maintaining mobility and ordinary functionality is a good thing. Use it or lose it. The more activity demands you put on yourself during the day, of any sort, the better off you will be.
- To maintain good conditioning in middle age and later age requires either day-long physical labor or a more compact, more intense, daily or every other day effort and commitment for those whose lives are basically sedentary. That is most of us in our luxurious, decadent era. (Walking around counts as sedentary as does weekend sports or yard work.) Otherwise, there will be more physical deterioration than we want.
- I agree with all who say that serious weight training is the best way to do that. I agree that intense weight training and high-intensity aerobics are the most efficient ways to improve or maintain physical conditioning at any age.
- a physically-stressful weight training program requires some protein for muscle repair and construction. It doesn't require very much, but it requires some small amounts during the day. A whole steak or fish filet is not necessary, but an egg or one slice of meat 3 or 4 times daily is plenty sufficient protein for a demanding program. Adult humans do not need much protein - except for pleasure.
- It is true that light, high-rep workouts and non-intense aerobics (meaning if you can breathe relatively comfortably) have minimal benefits, but they do make people feel good, reduce anxiety, and help with sleep. That counts for something. Better than nothing.
- Being fit will likely not extend your life, but could make it more pleasant, energetic, and functional. It will make you more attractive too.
- It has become clear to me that fitness and fatness is a class- and culture-related topic. In the US, poor people tend to be fatter and less active. I don't know why that is. For what's it is worth, Pres. Obama does a tough workout for an hour each morning with a trainer before he does anything else. So did Bush. Good examples for those of us who sit on our behinds most of the day to earn a living.
- Gluttony is a sin, deadly spiritually and literally like lust. Prosperous Romans ate until over-full, puked in the vomitorium, then went at it again. For fun. Their slaves were healthier than the patricians. Adult people do not need much food to be healthy and strong. On the other hand, fitness is a secular, esthetic, and practical virtue. I have never been able to think of my body as a temple but it sure comes in handy.
- Why are Americans overweight? Cheap food, habit, hedonism, TV, internet, prosperity, machines, minimal hard work to be done. It's no mystery.
The US Constitution, as written, was not so much designed to enumerate citizen rights as it is designed to restrict federal governmental powers. Local choice and individual freedom were the main thing, and were therefore minimally listed. Libertarians are confronted with the question of the extent of individual freedom, given that the document was written in the context of (assumed) cultural and religious traditions and beliefs.
Caramoor in Westchester County, NY, is a year-round treat but most fun for their outdoor summer concerts. Like Tanglewood, really, but without the Great Lawn. For classical music, they get the worldwide best and it's an elegant venue. Their Beethoven Violin Concerto yesterday was dynamite. Always loved that piece, but who doesn't?
For a cool long-weekend spot for outdoor activities (and it is cooler in those mountains, but not far north of NYC) - Mohonk Mountain House. This venerable place was a favorite getaway of my Grandpa. Some of my kidlings were there this weekend, sent me this pic from a stroll (or horse) around their multi-thousand-acre property:
When I left for Italy in May, I was aware of a growing pain in my left heel. Plantar Fasciitis is not something I'm unfamiliar with, I've had an occasional bout in the past. I powered through 2 weeks of walking and sight-seeing. The toughest part is always just getting going in the morning. Sometimes, after a brief sit-down, it can be painful when you stand up. After 2 months, though, the pain has continued with me. In the past, I'd just keep doing what I'm doing and eventually it went away. Youth has its benefits. At my age, it takes considerably longer to deal with this sort of thing. I've started stretching my calves and inserted arch supports in all my shoes.
I've learned that people have all sorts of ways to deal with this. My aunt suggested rolling my arch on a tomato soup can for 5 minutes every night before bed (haven't tried that yet). She claims her problems are gone, though she continues this ritual every night just to be sure.
Anyone here suffer from this non-debilitating, but downright bothersome ailment? Any ideas on how to treat it?
I have kayaked in ponds, lakes, marshes, on the Hudson River (upstream is a bitch), in the Caribbean, and out in big salt water over the years. Except on quiet ponds, it's a good workout to go a few miles, especially in wavy gravy and wind. I have never done white water but yesterday we had to deal with lots of wake from cigarette boats, ferries, etc. Fun.
Kayaks have almost entirely replaced canoes for water recreation. Even Old Town Canoe makes kayaks. It's a good thing for older folks with bad knees or lower back issues because it's all upper body - torso, shoulders, arms.
I realized yesterday when Mrs. BD and I did a couple of miles in a good sea chop that I never even watched an instructional video. Thus, a kayak post. I realize that I have been trying to strong-arm the craft instead of using my entire body to move it. Also, I was not making "the box."
My Mom loved to kayak the upper Connecticut River, the Housatonic, and the Cape Cod lakes and marshes in her 80s. A pip, as I have said before. Like me, she did not know the word "relax." The old-time Yankees never sat down except for a cocktail, and the old gal weighed the same at 80 as at 25. Energetic and a small appetite, like her kids.
I am still on my routine with my trainer 3 mornings per week. Am I getting stronger? There is no doubt. More tired? Certainly. Fat loss is just a bonus. Posture? Better. As I have said, during my hour with him he works me to a pulp. Am I growing older? Afraid so, but I want to be able to kick ass all the way down. Is Mrs. BD interested in my new fitness? Ask her.
My current "days off" from him now entail some of the following: a set of various types of crunches, 50-100 calf lifts, 20 pushups, 2 sets of dumbell presses, 2 sets of dumbbell rows, a set of light deadlifts, and as many squats+weights combined with lighter military presses as I can do, to the breaking point. All interspersed with max intensity 4-10 minute elliptical, rowing, and bike "rest breaks" so the whole damn thing is cardio-plus - no return to resting pulse. Maybe pound some medicine balls. Max 30-second breaks between most except heavy lifts. This is just enough to keep my body "awake" for my next ordeal with my master. That's it.
I try to pack that light workout into less than an hour, early in the morning, but some I have to do at home when I have a break. I will not do heavy barbell benches without a spotter because I am not that strong or experienced - but I can bench double from where I began. My goal is to bench my weight 10 times but I may never get there. My favorite weight exercise? Dead lifts. We call it "bending over and picking things up." I call lunges with heavy hands (kettle balls) "the Costo walk."
And you wonder why I am tired all day. Does it feel good? Yes it does. Do I enjoy lunges with heavy hands? Nope. Does he make me do them? Yup. Low carbs? Yup.
By the end of the summer, I think I'll be ready to drop down to twice/week with my boss and to follow his instructions on my own. It's a friendly small gym, cheap, zero glitz, no Lululemon etc. - and you are allowed to grunt. Roughly half men and half women, ages 25-85 and ranging from great shape to terrible shape. I am sort-of in the middle. It's about fitness and conditioning, not body-building. No anorectics there either.
On Sundays, I just do church and yard and housework or maybe something Mrs. wants to do. Kayak, sail, or go to NYC. It is all an interesting adventure. As a sedentary worker, I am at war with Father Time. Why not? I think we'll kayak and swim today, not for exercise but just for fun.
Helicopter Parenting
How 
Reader brought up the topic. I've seen patches of what we called Huckleberries growing on field edges in New England. Never tried to eat one and never heard of people picking them. Next time I see some, I'll try them before the grouse get them.
Pangolin 
Dog Days pic via Ace 
I have kayaked in ponds, lakes, marshes, on the Hudson River (upstream is a bitch), in the Caribbean, and out in big salt water over the years. Except on quiet ponds, it's a good workout to go a few miles, especially in wavy gravy and wind. I have never done white water but yesterday we had to deal with lots of wake from cigarette boats, ferries, etc. Fun.
This sounds like a fine summer party dish from the grill, despite all the annoying greens in it.