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.
From that Thompson piece: "I'd wager dollars to donuts they cannot identify one single aspect of their lives which has changed for the worse since January 22, 2017."
The great thing about the "lower body" powerlifts is that they are complex movements which train your entire body, not just legs.
I am talking about squats (barbell squats especially) and deadlifts. Here's 8 Reasons to Do Squat Exercises. Did I forget to mention that squats are hard? With weights, they are f-ing miserable. Body-weight squats are good fitness calis, but the weights are a bitch.
Lunges and step-ups are more purely leg focused, and in the calisthenic category even when done with dumbells. And the stair machines are great stressors, but mostly cardio and endurance.
I have found that doing five tough sets of barbell squats and 5 of deads (different days), plus, on different days, a set of goblet squats, of dumbell lunges, and a set of dumbell high step-ups, have improved my energy and ease of movement remarkably. Serious lifters would do those things twice weekly, but that's not me.
I can't credit at all to those, though, because I do other sorts of workouts each week too. Still, when you see progress with the weights you know it's all working.
Predictably, Donald Trump was attacked both by the establishment and the media as “crude,” “unpresidential,” and “gratuitous” for a recent series of blunt and graphic statements on a variety of current policies. Oddly, the implied charge this time around was not that Trump makes up stuff, but that he said things that were factual but should not be spoken.
"Bob Dylan in 2018 demands that you be in the moment. If you go with him, you will experience 120 minutes as intense and rewarding as any Dylan-trip you ever went on as a teenager — when you first discovered the magic of his eternal poetry and his American exceptionalism..."
All the early Roman kings In their sharkskin suits Bow ties and buttons High top boots Drivin' the spikes in Blazin' the rails Nailed in their coffins In top hats and tails
Fly away, little bird Fly away, flap your wings Fly by night Like the early Roman kings
18:33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"
18:34 Jesus answered, "Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?"
18:35 Pilate replied, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?"
18:36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here."
18:37 Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."
Shoehorned into the festivity of the season is the lame-duck session in congress, and one of the main events it portends is the end of Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. The Sphinx-like Mueller has maintained supernatural silence about his tendings and intentions. But if he’d uncovered anything substantial in the way of “collusion” between Mr. Trump and Russia, the public would know by now, since it would represent a signal threat to national security. So it’s hard not to conclude that he has nothing except a few Mickey Mouse “process” convictions for lying to the FBI. On the other hand, it’s quite impossible to imagine him ignoring the well-documented evidence trail of Hillary Clinton colluding with Russians to influence the 2016 contest against Mr. Trump — and to defame him after he won. There’s also the Hieronymus Bosch panorama of criminal mischief around the racketeering scheme known as the Clinton Foundation to consider. Do these venal characters get a pass on all that?
Bob in Waterbury (CT) last night. Beautiful new arrangements, the most mellow I've ever heard him live in 2 decades. Thoughtful on the piano.... just sharing these heartbreaking stories with us. Set list below.
Things Have Changed It Ain't Me Babe Highway 61 Simple Twist of Fate Cry Awhile When I Paint My Masterpiece Honest With Me Tryin' To Get To Heaven Scarlet Town Pay in Blood Make You Feel My Love Like a Rolling Stone Early Roman Kings Don't Think Twice, It's Alright Love Sick Thunder on the Mountain Soon After Midnight Gotta Serve Somebody All Along the Watchtower Blowin in the Wind
Bob does not shortchange you with songs in his almost nightly performances, even at age 77 or whatever. Here's part of a 4 year-old performance of his haunted Scarlet Town. "The seven wonders of the world are here" - genius - those wonders are everywhere:
In Yankeeland, it's Apple Pie. Certainly after Thanksgiving, when there are always a few leftover pies, Squash, and Apple. Mrs. BD makes one heck of a good pie crust.
Apple Pie gives you the morning energy to go out in the cold to milk the chickens, feed the cows, and to get to the gym as I did this morning.
To foreigners, a Yankee is an American. To Americans, a Yankee is a Northerner. To Northerners, a Yankee is an Easterner. To Easterners, a Yankee is a New Englander. To New Englanders, a Yankee is a Vermonter. And in Vermont, a Yankee is somebody who eats pie for breakfast.
- Attributed to E.B. White, but he might have quoted it from elsewhere.
Best thing about it? No darn presents. Nobody needs presents, unless they are edible. Mrs. BD is threatening to get me an iphone XS for Christmas. Do I need that gadget? My life is pretty good right now as it is.
After handling your uncooked turkey, wash your hands well. There is no need to get all OCD and paranoid about it, but turkey seems more prone to carrying salmonella than chicken nowadays. Easily cured, but unpleasant to experience.
As I understand it, the first Thanksgiving harvest feast in the Plymouth colony in 1621 featured codfish, wild pigeon, grouse, clams, corn or cornmeal pudding, duck, squash or pumpkin, and some venison provided by some Indians. If there was a turkey, it wasn't reported. There might have been one.
Why no Oysters Rockefeller? Who knows? Those Puritan ancestors of mine were half-crazy, you know.
At the Maggie's HQ, we obviously had to take over the parlor for Thanksgiving. Cozy, ain't it? I'll have all the fireplaces going. Instead of my usual prayer, I will read Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Day Proclamation this year.
Everybody brings a side or two or three, an hors d'oevre, or a dessert. I do the turkeys and stuffings, and Mrs. BD makes a few winter squash pies and the squash soup (for this crowd, served standing in mugs, not at the table). We have ages 3 to 91 this year.
This year, the youth will do all the dishes and put them away. They had darn well better...
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We're working on it.
Study Finds Dogs Twitching In Sleep 
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How much of your personality
In Yankeeland, it's Apple Pie. Certainly after Thanksgiving, when there are always a few leftover pies, Squash, and Apple. Mrs. BD makes one heck of a good pie crust.
Image stolen from 
Photo: The new way of microwaving a turkey