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.
Good book, lots of pictures. What a crazy time. No good, decent guys in the story.
Some interesting things I have learned from it thus far:
- "Assasin" was the Europeanized word for Hashimi - the fundmentalist Shi'ites fueled by hashish. Hated the Sunnis. - The Moslem Jerusalem had been full of Christians and Jews too. Tolerant. Until the Crusaders killed them all including the Christians who lived there. - In the 1000s, any pilgrim could take a boat to Jerusalem on pilgrimage. No problem. No reason to march overland and fight every fortified city. - The Middle East had constant warfare before and after. Turks, Emirs, Moslems, etc.
Compared to their Mid-western and Central American relations, the Northeastern American Indians led primitive and scattered lives until agricultural society was imported from Central America around 1300-1400.
The Transgender Follies—More Madness from the Left - The transgender craze, like the word itself, is new, dangerous to the persons involved, and hasn’t a shred of evidence to support it.
May is bird migration season up here in New England. That Sound ID called Merlin has changed my life. It is 90+ percent accurate, and even labels a Mockingbird's song imitations as Mockingbird.
Sure, I can ID most local warblers and vireos if I get a good look, but usually you don't feel like straining your neck for hours. One trick an older guy I know used to use is to lie on the ground under a big old oak tree with mini-binoculars (the kind we use for opera).
Below the fold, some of what Merlin heard with me early this morning near the shore (most confirmed with eyes too, or just seen). Gotta get out early for some of this:
Why is a cold beer so delicious after a day of skiing? Possibly because the only water you've had since your morning coffee was a single hot cocoa. Even a Bud Lite tastes good at such moments.
Regardless of weather, it's easy to get low on water without realizing it. Competitive swimmers know this well. A rule of thumb is that if you do not need to pee on some regular basis, your hydration might be low. Yes, it's easier for guys.
Hiking for more than a couple of hours requires liquids. It surely can perk you up when you mistake wilting for fatigue. The best plan is to stay ahead of it.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland Testifies It’s Better to Get Rid of Jobs in USA, Live in Poverty and Save the Planet – Even if Rest of The World Doesn’t Do It
A reader sent the below re the novel. I never put it together - "Dantes" should be a giveaway:
The novel is much more than an adventure, though, but a story of redemption. Alexandre Dumas structures the tale on the lines of Dante's Divina Commedia. The life of Dantès takes a wrong turn, and he ends up in the Inferno of Chateau d'If, with Abbé Faria playing the part of Virgil. Dantès then enters the Purgatorio of revenge and retribution. Finally cleansed of his hate, Dantès finds the enlightenment of Paradiso.
“Until the day when God shall deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is summed up in these two words, -Wait and hope.” — Alexandre Dumas (père)
Just as a precaution, and because my fitness trainer wants me to, I get one every year or two. They have always been normal and I have never had any heart symptoms.
This year my cardiologist recommended a Nuclear Stress Test. Apparently the regular test is only 60% effective at finding arterial problems, but the nuclear test over 90%.
Yes, angiography is 100%, but generally needs to be justified by symptoms.
I haven't had blisters from either urban hiking, wilderness hikes, or hunting, for many years. I used to get them mostly from urban hikes, and they ruin the enjoyment. I use liner socks and the right shoes or boots for the purpose.
For the mountain hikes around Sedona, I could have used my Meindls, but did not anticipate the rockiness.
Humans arrived in the Americas 26,000 years ago from CHINA -
May is bird migration season up here in New England. That 
Why is a cold beer so delicious after a day of skiing? Possibly because the only water you've had since your morning coffee was a single hot cocoa. Even a Bud Lite tastes good at such moments.