Maggie's FarmWe 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. |
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Wednesday, May 19. 2021Seems stupid, but it's politicsIdentify that vee-hicleLa bella figura. Antonio and Gennaro often drove this model around Italy. Fun car. Make, model, and year? Ans: Some readers had it right - An Alfa Romeo Giulieta Spider which were built from '55 to '64 with almost no changes. My current ride is an ALFA Stelvio. Maserati engine. Fun car. Never had a problem with it. Always wanted an Italian car. They are making them much better now.
Do cardio and calisthenics interfere with weight-training and strength-building?
My gyms have no dedicated body-builders but I notice that strength-oriented people will do an occasional treatmill run or 10 minutes on the Jacob's Ladder. They also tend to be the only people, besides me, who jump rope regularly. (Jumping is great HIIT cardio, and almost fun if you mix up your jumps. Takes a little skill and practice, but that's a cool challenge.) I also notice that some gym regulars do almost entirely weights, some only take daily calisthenics classes at 6 am (30 people in my classes), and some only do "cardio" on the treadmills, ellipticals, or Stairmaster. To each his or her own. Because the Maggie's Fitness for Life program is designed for endurance, energy, athleticism, and to stall or reverse the effects of sloth and age (and to look good, too) more than to build intimidating muscle mass, I think general fitness is worth any possible compromise in growth of muscle. Also, strength and muscle mass are not necessarily equivalents. I know a gal who does deadlift reps at 300 lbs, and does not look "muscular". That said, no reason not to keep trying to improve one's deads, squats, and benches. Sturdiness. Addendum: I have little doubt that training for distance running is a problem for weight training. I was just thinking about gym work. Distance work training (for marathons, +) takes a serious toll. What do our readers think? Wednesday morning linksWhen the Government Makes Wildfires Worse - Federal policies are subsidizing people's choices to build homes in harm's way. Has the Audubon Society gone lefty? Eating Itself: Woke University Condemns Darwin for White Supremacy WSJ: Trump Allies Promote Portfolios Targeting ‘Unwoke Investors’ Dr. Fauci Admits His Wearing Masks Indoors Despite Being Vaccinated Was All For Show How CDC Went From ‘Impending Doom’ To Telling All Vaccinated People To Take Their Masks Off This Article Is “Partly False”. Supposedly engaged in a struggle against misinformation, Facebook and its fact-checking partner spread their own. MINNEAPOLIS RESIDENTS AGREED NOT TO CALL THE COPS, THEN THE RAPES BEGAN Kamala Harris behind the curve on all those illegal migration 'root causes' Kotkin: The Rise of Corporate-State Tyranny BLM ‘Stands In Solidarity’ With Hamas… Report: Israel shared intelligence on Hamas assets based in destroyed Gaza tower with U.S. House Democrats block consideration of bill sanctioning Hamas financial supporters India Reports 50 Doctors Dead In A Single Day As COVID Mortality Peaks Tuesday, May 18. 2021Diana Ross with "Muscles"Tuesday morning linksWhich Napoleon? Those commemorating the bicentennial of the French emperor’s death must choose among his many legacies. Wanted to conquer the western world. Why? Chelsea Wald is an award-winning science writer who has reported on toilets since 2013. If You Suspected That Most Epidemiologists Were Complete Clowns, This Will Seal The Deal Not clowns. It's not their job to balance risks with benefits Insisting on masks despite the science is just partisan posturing gone mad For the sake of children, keep wearing your mask That's CNN They’re Vaccinated and Keeping Their Masks On, Maybe Forever Megyn Kelly to Maddow re masks: “Thoughts and prayers for her during this difficult time.” Ha. Two Months After Biden Blasted "Neanderthal Thinking", Texas Reports Zero COVID Deaths Subsidized Unemployment and the Work Ethic DHS, DOJ Designate Americans as Primary Threat Collusion: How Fusion GPS and the Steele dossier fooled the world with the media's help The Media Hates You And Is Shocked That You Hate It Back This Article Is “Partly False”. Supposedly engaged in a struggle against misinformation, Facebook and its fact-checking partner spread their own. In the UK: Debate and Disinformation: The Ugly Quarrel Over the UK Government’s Race Report Men Give Birth. America Was Founded in 1619. And Israel Is the Aggressor. Monday, May 17. 2021Shad Season, re-re-postedIt's Shad Season now in the Northeast. Just had my first shad roe dinner of the season with pals last night. They made it with a caper and mushroom sauce with chopped bacon on top, on a bed of spinach, with roasted potatoes. It should be fully pink in the middle but crusty on the outside. Many of us in Yankeeland welcome this brief season - mainly April-May, when the Shad migrate from the ocean up the rivers to lay and fertilize the eggs, with the females filled with their delicious egg sacs we call Shad roe. If you drive over the Hudson River, the Connecticut, or Housatonic bridges, you will see the shad fishermen's nets spread out right now. The roe, cooked with bacon, is as good as food gets. Do not overcook it - it is Shad caviar. But the meat of the Atlantic Shad (a large type of herring, I believe) is underestimated. It requires an expert boner which makes it expensive, but it's as tasty a fish as exists. The Shad is full of crazy bones. It's a brief season for Shad, and there are Shad Festivals all over the Northeast. Photo above is Shad roe. My Mom loved it, and so do I.
Monday morning linksImage stolen from Ace The American Medical Association (AMA), the largest national organization representing physicians and medical students in the United States, says it will set aside its long-held concept of meritocracy in favor of “racial justice” and “health equity.” COVID Deaths Plummet As Excess Mortality Falls To Pre-Pandemic Levels Teacher caught on video berating vaccinated student for not wearing a mask Spanish politician temporarily suspended by Twitter after saying 'a man cannot get pregnant' New Charles Murray book: Facing Reality: Two Truths about Race in America Race, Gender, and Climate Change: The Left's Holy Trinity Sean Parnell launches a critical Senate campaign in Pennsylvania. Joe Biden is proving even more of a ‘master of disaster’ than Jimmy Carter Border Patrol agents contemplating early retirement in droves from Biden's "US Welcome Patrol" Biden revokes Trump order to punish statue vandals What Really Is Behind the Latest Burst of Hamas Terror in Israel? Like all wars, the real causes are many and lie below the surface. A former AP correspondent explains how and why reporters get Israel so wrong, and why it matters China and Russia are aggressively raising their stakes against Taiwan and Ukraine. Why?
Sunday, May 16. 2021La Bella FiguraLooking good is an Italian thing. It doesn't have much to do with food, but these guys visit Liguria looking for food. Yes, mashed potatoes in nothern Italy. Towards the end, how to make make and serve basil pesto.
From today's Lectionary1 John 5:9-13 5:9 If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son. 5:10 Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. 5:11 And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 5:12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. Our Wisteria, yesterdaySaturday, May 15. 2021Saturday morning linksTurns out even if you move all day at work, it’s still not enough to keep you healthy You Do Know That The Cicadas Forshadow A World Of Insect Swarms From Climate Crisis, Right? EPA Updates Its "Climate Change Indicators" Penn State bans more words Christian Colleges Seek to Defend Title IX Religious Exemption Insanity Wrap #207: Literally Everything Is Going to Hell... Who Wants a Drink? Army Dog Tags Will Now List Soldier's Pronouns Andrew Cuomo defies CDC guidance, orders New Yorkers to keep masks on MASK MANDATES CRUMBLING Maddow: I guess I'm going to need to be less judgy now with people who aren't wearing masks 50% Of CDC Employees Refusing To Get COVID Vaccine… Manchin: I'll kill the Democrats' voting-reform bill 450 bombs in 35 minutes: This is how the IDF tricked Hamas Saturday Verse: YeatsFriday, May 14. 2021Friday morning linksThere’s Only One Way To Beat The Speed Of Light China and Overfishing Austrian man leaves fortune to French village that saved his family from Nazis Ten million reasons to vaccinate the world Epidemiologists Still Urge Dubious Levels of Caution, Even for the Vaccinated. Most would still refuse a hug, according to a New York Times survey. BREAKING: CDC to issue new guidelines telling vaccinated to "mask off" But The NYT seems to be stimulating fear When Will Biden Apologize For His ‘Neanderthal’ Smear? 4 More Ontarians Were Just Charged For Riding In A Car Together During Stay-At-Home Order San Francisco Teachers’ Unions Are the Ultimate Grifters Nomination of Catherine Lhamon a return to ‘old, failed policies’ CNBC Host Laughs at Pete Buttigieg Trying to Sell 'Infrastructure' Biden administration to fill in gaps in border levees left open after Trump wall construction halted Asked About Israel, Biden Refuses To Name Or Condemn Hamas For Their Terrorist Attacks… WHY WON’T ISRAELIS LET THEMSELVES BE KILLED? Thursday, May 13. 2021Bob Dylan's artworkBob turns 80 this month. Still on the road, doing shows (not sure about this past year, but he will be back). He has a show of his paintings coming up. Maybe they are not great, but they are accomplished.
Whereto Schooling Post-Pandemic?Thursday morning linksIdaho is going to kill 90% of the state’s wolves. That’s a tragedy – and bad policy California's Zero Carbon Plans: Can Anybody Here Do Basic Arithmetic? The New York Times just won’t quit its dishonest COVID fearmongering CDC Exaggerated Risk of Outdoors Coronavirus Transmission VDH: Biden Mocks Ancient Wisdom. When an arrogant present dismisses the wisdom of the past, then an all too predictable future becomes terrifying. Betsy DeVos: ‘Let’s be Really Clear. The 1619 Project is Not History’ If black lives matter, due process must matter The Strange Death of the British Labour Party Palestinian Miscalculations Have Led to a New War Palestinian Islamic Jihad Officials: Iran Is Giving Us The Rockets We Use To Attack Israel Progressivism’s Moral Atrocity in the Middle East Wednesday, May 12. 2021IT upgradesRenovating the entire Maggie's HQ tech system. Takes time and money, but should be good. Thorough IT update. The expert is a wizard but even wizards have limits. We should be back to speed tomorrow, God willing and with the tech god's expertise. In the meantime, this is good: Five Incredible Ways Birds Change Their Bodies for Spring and Fall Migration
Wednesday morning linksA psychologist says parents of ‘exceptionally resilient and successful’ kids always do these 7 things: ‘Yes, some are a little intense’ Cancel Culture Comes For Darwin Doctor says there’s no legitimate medical reason to mask children Science with the union label - Despite the reopening happy talk, more than half of all California’s k-12 students remain in distance learning. SCENES FROM THE COLLEGE MELTDOWN Book: Cry Bullies: Protecting yourself against social muggers and victimhood aggression Can we please ditch the term "systemic racism"? Orthodox Jews Are Overwhelmingly Republican and Growing in Number Tuesday, May 11. 2021Tuesday morning linksMan Caught Three Whole Diseases From a Single Tick Bite We may finally know where young turtles spend their ‘lost years’. A spot in the Atlantic Ocean seems to house baby Green Turtles Nearly Half of Female Soldiers Still Failing New Army Fitness Test ‘Dude, Where’s My Workforce?’ New Jobs Report Shows the Government Gets the Unemployment It's Paying For. High unemployment benefits are getting the blame for disappointing job growth in the midst of a worker shortage Scientific Publishing Is a Joke. An XKCD comic—and its many remixes—perfectly captures the absurdity of academic research. New Scientific Scandal Shaking The Climate Alarm Industry NPR at 50 Years: Still a Liberal Sandbox How the New York Times has published lies to serve a biased narrative The father who fought Brearley School racism has a message for everyone NBC Will Not Air 2022 Golden Globes. NBC has dumped the annual awards show from its schedule next year following widespread criticism of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. STARBUCKS THREATENS TO ABANDON FACEBOOK Disney Goes Full Moonbat ‘The drop CNN is experiencing is profound’: CNN’s ratings drop from January is stunning "... for the left, it is only “democracy” when Democrats win. And of course pointing this out is racist." Monday, May 10. 2021Monday Verse: When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d
I link Walt Whitmans' remarkable poem. Really, his best in my view. The bird he refers to is the Catbird. Yesterday morning before church I heard a Rose-Breasted Grosbeak calling, and looked around, Nope. It was a Catbird. Mimic thrush. Fooled me.
Monday morning links
Photo: Are you growing any fractal broccoli? Gentlemen wear Panama Hats in summertime Yes, we can start easing restrictions like indoor mask mandates soon, says Fauci This Infographic, Backed By Over 70 Citations, Completely Obliterates The Masking Children Narrative Keep Social-Justice Indoctrination Out of the Therapist’s Office “On a motorcycle, talking on a radio, dodging bullets, and taking a guy out." Darn good handgun shooting Controlling the Narrative Week in Higher Education Wave of Violent Crimes Against Asian Americans Does Not Fit Media, Democrat Narrative The Post says Eric Adams should be NYC’s next mayor Harvard Wrongly Attributed Police Killings to Racism Michelle Obama Fears Daughters, Who Have Secret Service Protection, Will Be Shot by Cops "She can paint a compelling portrait of what the inside of the Democratic Party activist bubble looked like, but shows no awareness that there is anything outside of the bubble..." Sunday, May 9. 2021"Yachtsmen pleasuring in the 'lilies of the sea' will not think favourably of my craft,"Said Joshua Slocum about the Spray. Spray was an abandoned and partly rotten Chesapeake oysterman, abandoned on the beach in Fairhaven, MA. Apparently she was an unusually well-balanced boat. You could lash her tiller and she would stay on course all night. He rarely needed to man the helm, which made solo sailing possible. Autopilot. It is theorized that she (and he) were sunk by a collision with a steamer. Off topic, but if you happen to be driving on I-95 in southern Massachusetts, Gene's (just off the Fairhaven exit) has excellent fried oysters.
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From today's LectionaryJohn 15:9-17 15:9 As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 15:10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 15:11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. 15:12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 15:13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. 15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15:15 I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. 15:16 You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. 15:17 I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. Saturday, May 8. 2021Sicilian food: Don't forget the cannolisOn our two trips to Sicily we saw very little pasta, except al vongole. Which was delicious, of course. We never hung around Palermo but only because of our scheduling. We missed the cathedral bcause it was closed to visitors on Sundays. Are Sicilian women beautiful? Like the food, a mix of Arab, Spanish, French, and Greek. Some Italian too. Brits love Sicily. Last time, we landed in Palermo and drove around the entire coast, and up into the mountains too. Ended leaving from our lemon farm B&B to the airport in Catania at 3 AM, arrived with the sun rising over Etna. Just an amazing place.
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