Saturday, April 29. 2017
I am reposting this Empson poem because Michael Wood has a new book out about Empson's critical writing, The Codebreaker - On the critical legacy of William Empson.
The Last Pain
 This last pain for the damned the Fathers found:
"They knew the bliss with which they were not crowned."
Such, but on earth, let me foretell,
Is all, of heaven or of hell.
Man, as the prying housemaid of the soul,
May know her happiness by eye to hole;
He's safe; the key is lost; he knows
Door will not open, nor hole close.
"What is conceivable can happen too,"
Said Wittgenstein, who had not dreamt of you;
But wisely; if we worked it long
We should forget where it was wrong.
Those thorns are crowns which, woven into knots,
Crackle under and soon boil fool's pots;
And no man's watching, wise and long,
Would ever stare them into song.
Thorns burn to a consistent ash, like man;
A splendid cleanser for the frying-pan:
And those who leap from pan to fire
Should this brave opposite admire.
All those large dreams by which men long live well
Are magic-lanterned on the smoke of hell;
This then is real, I have implied,
A painted, small, transparent slide.
These the inventive can hand-paint at leisure,
Or most emporia would stock our measure;
And feasting in their dappled shade
We should forget how they were made.
Feign then what's by a decent tact believed,
And act that state is only so conceived,
And build an edifice of form
For house where phantoms may keep warm.
Imagine, then, by miracle, with me,
(Ambiguous gifts, as what gods give must be)
What could not possibly be there,
And learn a style from a despair.
Maggie's Farmers are fans of William Empson, more for his books than for his poetry. For many of us, his 7 Types of Ambiguity (written at age 22) opened a door to a new world. A commenter here claimed that his The Structure of Complex Words is the best book ever written. Better check it out.
 I think Bob takes his painting seriously. If he did not, I do not think he would agree to exhibit it.He seems to be a skilled amateur whose name lends weight to his artistic efforts, same as it does with Churchill's (or George Bush's for that matter).
Seems like he paints more from photos or from his imagination that plein air, but how could he? Well, I guess he could at his place in Scotland.
Bob Dylan: a Hockney-like painter of America's strange essence
Painting is an excellent hobby, endlessly challenging and never dull. I'd love to get back into it, but there is always so much to do at the HQ.
Friday, April 28. 2017
“If people knew how hard I worked to gain my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all.”
Michelangelo
Wednesday, April 26. 2017
Right now is the peak of shorebird and songbird migration down south where I am camping and tramping on a remote island for a few days, so there will be a brief break from my morning buffet of links. If all goes according to plan, our breakfasts will be biscuits and gravy, and shrimp 'n grits. Fried oysters and grilled oysters for supper, maybe with fried chicken. In the South, I break my No Breakfast rule because I can't resist that stuff.
To us Yankees, the South is a magnificent, exotic wonderland.
I'll try not to tangle with a rattler. Those sobs are everywhere so you have to watch your step on or off the trails on Little Saint Simons but there are other more interesting snakes to look at too. The clouds of mosquitoes are just something up with to put.
Ornithologists Publish Most Comprehensive Avian Tree of Life
A comprehensive phylogeny of birds (Aves) using targeted next-generation DNA sequencing
 I am not referring to Battle Ropes, although I do like those as part of a calisthenics circuit. I am talking about heavy jump ropes.
Readers know I have become a fan of jump rope for calisthenics/cardio exercise. Unlike some of my fellow exercisers, I can not do a solid series of double-unders yet but I can do Running Man at length. During a set, I try to alternate Running Man with ordinary singles. I generally use an RX Smart Gear "Buff" 3.4 oz. rope, which is not a light speed rope.
I decided to try a 1 lb. rope last week for a few 45-second sets, aiming for 60 seconds. That is not weighted handles: it's the rope itself that weighs a pound. If you can jump rope at all, you can use this monster and it kicks your ass once you get it moving.
I did not expect it to take as much out of my entire body as it does. A man-killer. It was the first time in two years that I actually found myself sitting on a bench after a set of anything. That is shameful but, dammit, I just found myself sitting.
Give it a try sometime, for the fun of it. Like a set of burpees with jumps, you know that if you survive it you probably will not die of a heart attack, that day anyway.
"Seventy percent of success in life is showing up."
Woody Allen. Life has confirmed the truth of that observation to me countless times. As they say in the program, "Never mind how you feel. Suit up and show up."
We posted about the new Steiner interview book last week, and invited a fellow Steiner fan to write a review of it: “A Long Saturday,” George Steiner and Laure Adler. 2017 U of C. Press., Reviewed by Nathan Szajnberg, MD -
Over “A Long Saturday,” George Steiner faces down Death. He does so not alone, but with a beautiful, smart French journalist who Chunnels from Paris to England. He does so like a Tai Chi master, using Death’s strength and weight against this, his dark Angel. And, Death will not be proud.
Continue reading "The new George Steiner book"
 Why Teaching Proper Manners to Kids is More Important Today Than Ever
That airborne slide to home plate
Rebellion in Vermont
A famous 'ancestor' may be ousted from the human family
So many past species of hominids
An eight-year project at Teotihuacán, once the western hemisphere’s largest city, failed to locate its rulers’ tomb but findings offered tantalising clues to its origins
The UK: This Government Will Decide How Rare Your Burger Is
Cruel And Unusual — Delta Airlines Passengers Forced To Endure Kenny G Live Performance…
Reposted: No links found yet for diet and heart disease or cancer
Hard exercise and cognitive decline
Increasing number of Americans are willing to drive farther, pay more for ethanol-free fuel
Man Refuses To Accept He’s No Longer Black After DNA Test Results
What about the old "one drop" rule?
WARNING: THIS VIDEO WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO GOUGE YOUR EYES OUT
Guilt lasts a lifetime
As it should. Jesus washes, but I must still be on the wash cycle.
After great pain, where is God?
That's a teenage question
McArdle: Berkeley Once Stood for Free Speech. Now It Rolls Over.
TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD ACCUSES JUSTICE GORSUCH OF MURDER
NY Gov Cuomo tells the truth: "Today, college is what high school was..."
March for Science: Comments On The March For Poverty
Bernie Sanders Defends Ann Coulter, Slams ‘Intellectually Weak’ Student Activists
What if John Bogle is right about 4% stock returns?
Subway Sandwiches: Death by a Thousand Cold Cuts
I'll always pick Subway over McDonalds
Kling: Financial Policy if I were in charge
I sexually identify as an Attack Tyronecopter.
New York Times refuses To Use Term 'Female Genital Mutilation' Because It's 'Culturally Loaded"
And that decision is not culturally-loaded? As in loaded with dhimmitude?
Pelosi: Trump’s Border Wall Will Take Food from Babies and Cause Dirty Air and Water
Nuclear Power Subsidies Threaten Wind and Solar Power… Proof That Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction
Politicians are welfare queens
Why the Clintons Won’t Go Away
It's their money machine
The FBI and the Clinton Way
Looking back at Clinton's Samantha Bee problem
When will Obama have made enough money?
IMPEACH MAXINE WATERS
Scott Adams: President Trump’s First 100 Days
I still can hardly believe he was elected. People really disliked Hillary
How Trump Can Destroy Democrats and Keep Congress
German crowd hisses, boos at Ivanka when she defends her dad
Migrant crime in Germany rises by 50 per cent, new figures show
Monday, April 24. 2017
A buddy emailed me this from the NYT: The 9-Minute Strength Workout
My opinion: That is not a strength-building workout but it isn't a bad simple calisthenic workout for those who must exercise on their living room floor and have no access to fun calisthenic toys like kettlebells, heavy balls, pull-up bars, jump ropes, floor ladders, step-up boxes, etc.
Still, I'd say that that circuit repeated for 45 minutes would be an ok calisthenic workout. 9 minutes is nothing. Calis do not build strength but they certainly help maintain vigor. In other words, 45 minutes of that is a heck of a lot better than sitting on your ass.
We stand by our recommendations: Resistance + Calis + Cardio for overall fitness for life.
Sunday, April 23. 2017
John 20:19-31
20:19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."
20:20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
20:21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
20:22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
20:23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
20:24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
20:25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."
20:26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."
20:27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe."
20:28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"
20:29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."
Saturday, April 22. 2017
 Not Farewell Angelina, just plain Angelina. It begins
Well, it's always been my nature
To take chances
My right hand drawing back
While my left hand advances...
Not embeddable, but the song is here with lyrics.
 If I could only have one herb, it would be Thyme. Not Tarragon, not Rosemary. Certainly not Parsley which is pretty but has too little flavor. Thyme has the richest, earthiest, deepest flavor (technically, fragrance) of them all.
It's a Mediterranean plant (Thymus vulgaris) but the Romans spread it around and it can now be found growing wild in the US. At the Farm, it grows wild in dry, nutrition-deprived meadows and makes a soft and fragrant footing as long as you avoid the bees. Wild Thyme and garden Thyme are the same things. Around here, there is Creeping Thyme (good for between flagstones) and regular Thyme. It's evergreen, and has no problem with rough winters. All Thyme wants is bad soil.
There is no need to harvest Thyme except when you need some. Even in winter, it stays fresh and fragrant under the snow. I usually use whole twigs in a recipe, not leaves. You can pull the twigs out later.
This year I am growing more herbs amongst the perennial flowers as they do in Spain. I have figgered out how to help Sage survive feet of snow.
"I believe in political equality. But there are two opposite reasons for being a democrat. You may think all men so good that they deserve a share in the government of the commonwealth, and so wise that the commonwealth needs their advice. That is, in my opinion, the false, romantic doctrine of democracy. On the other hand, you may believe fallen men to be so wicked that not one of them can be trusted with any irresponsible power over his fellows. That I believe to be the true ground of democracy. I do not believe that God created an egalitarian world."
C.S.Lewis. via AVI's Egalitarianism
 The Secret Life of Bipolar Disorder
Women burdened by birth control responsibility
What’s So Wrong with Melania Trump Dressing Like a Lady?
In public, women try to dress like ladies and men like gents. It's a civic duty. Even Caitlin Jenner dresses like a lady.
A very cool couple
What happens if you smoke marijuana every day?
Idiots try to rob a gun store
Love it
Harvard tells students gender identity can change ‘day to day’: Report
Or hour by hour? Sometimes I feel like a nut...
Another teacher who Left the Left
SCOTUS Case Could Allow Use of Vouchers at Religious Schools
Ann Coulter: Liberal Protesters are “Beta Males” – Engaging in “Rodney King” Riots Over My Speech
Alpha Gal throws down gauntlet
Berkeley Mayor Is Member of Antifa Facebook Group that Organized Riots
The Montana Republican running in the special election doesn't believe in retirement because Noah was still working when he was 600
Sheesh
PLEASE, GOD, STOP CHELSEA CLINTON FROM WHATEVER SHE IS DOING
She wants to be a "thing," like Paris Hilton, famous for being famous.
No gratitude for not being aborted: Chelsea Clinton: I Left the Church When I Was 6 Because It Opposed Abortion
"White House officials said Mr. Trump took a personal interest in her case.... 'He just said, "Let’s bring her home."'"
"We’re told by many wise and well-meaning people that it is a huge and even fatal mistake for liberals (and for constitutional conservatives) to respond negatively to every Trump initiative, every Trump policy, and every Trump idea."
Friday, April 21. 2017
A summary below of the hour of calisthenic circuits we did this morning (it's different every Friday) while we had the classical music station on pretty loud. The workout contained intense cardio bursts, explosive movements, agility work, and overall athleticism while igniting pretty much every muscle at some point. The endurance part comes in because for an hour your heart never has a chance to drop to a walking rate and you never stop moving hard except for the 1-minute breathing opportunities. Trainer uses a stopwatch to limit that.
A quick reminder that calis, like sports, are not really for strength-building, and strength is just one component of fitness. As fun as it sounds, after an hour you are ready for a nap. Such are the crazy burdens of having a white collar job in the First World.
A 3 min elliptical warm-up, then 4 band walks also as warm-up, then...
Continue reading "Vigorous Exercise: Calis Day"
Thursday, April 20. 2017
From The Ultimate Guide to Sets and Reps for Strength Training, I think these are pretty good common-sense guidelines for the powerlifts, based on your goals. For powerlifts, however, I would not ever go over 10 reps per set. Instead, up the weight or the sets. Too many muscle twinges can happen with higher rep powerlifts, I believe. Higher reps for small or isolated muscles are fine, eg tricep push-downs, calf lifts, curls.
Exercisers need to know their max, approximately, for their powerlifts. For example, if I can deadlift 300 lbs for one or two reps, my 80% intensity is 240 lbs. What I do with powerlifts (not saying it's the best thing to do) is a warm-up set of 10 at 50%, then 4 working sets which gradually work up to about 80%. Just for fun, about once a month I will see if I can increase my max for 1 or 2 reps but I don't count that as a working set.
 Image via American Digest
The Transgender Madness Has Got to Stop
Boys Punching Girls: Feminism's Big Win
Berkeley: TODAY’S UNIVERSITY EPIC FAIL
Since the downfall of the Gestapo, nobody has treasured the verb “interrogate” as much as postmodern academics.:
She intervenes in popular visual media like reality television to interrogate how time moves and for whom to catalog desire and identification as taxonomy and type. Her preferred gender pronouns are she/her.
California Governor Brown acknowledges other states aren’t buying his climate hype…
Fox News moves Tucker Carlson up to O’Reilly time slot
Tucker is fine, but not a big personality like O'Reilly. By the way, O'Reilly was not a conservative. I don't know Carlson's politics.
Here’s why Rush survived pressure on advertisers while O’Reilly didn’t
Simon: The Republican Congress Must Get Its Act Together NOW
Confirmed: John Brennan Colluded With Foreign Spies to Defeat Trump
A new book reveals that Hillary Clinton’s campaign was way more dysfunctional than we realized.
Krauthammer’s Take: Devastated Democratic Party Has Lost an ‘Ideological Center’
Are parties about ideology? I don't think so
Venezuelan president to arm nearly half a million “militia” members
Wednesday, April 19. 2017
People who move to the NYC area for good work love it, not just because of the vitality, or sight-seeing, or theater, or jazz clubs, or museums, or parks, or great food and pubs, or the smart ambitious people, but mainly because there are always very cool and unique things to do.
Two random fun examples this weekend:
The Fifth Annual NYC Hot Sauce Expo (this weekend). It's a big party.
Walking (stumbling?) Tour of NYC's oldest bars. April 23
I Learned The Hard Way That You Can't Take A Vacation From Grief
A Cosmic Burst Repeats, Deepening a Mystery - After a surprise discovery, astrophysicists are racing to understand superenergetic flashes of radio waves that sometimes beep out from distant galaxies.
Your teen's brain on pot
Battling Turkish intimidation, Armenian genocide epic set for big screen
Universities Seek to Defend Endowments From Republican Tax Plan
"The students ... characterize truth as a “myth” and a white supremacist concept."
They blame the Enlightenment
WHERE FREE SPEECH GOES TO LIVE: The University of Chicago has issued another warning to snowflakes.
Z-man:
Going on campus to harass Charles Murray is not changing minds and it is not intended to change minds. It’s just something to do in order to show off to friends. Its bored children coloring on the walls, even though they know mom with be pissed. Since mom is not going to give them up for adoption over it, the act is just pointless, risk-free theater.
Supreme Court rejects appeal for Latin American refugees seeking U.S. asylum
Asylum is not for economic migrants but they all provide a sob story
The Sad Cancer Of Third Party Pay Medical Care
Man With Two Homes And A Lake House Whines About People Being Too Rich…
Here’s One Reason Why the Dems Still Love Hillary
Elizabeth Warren's new book, "This Fight is Our Fight", says that ordinary folk can do better economically if we only had more government control and less individual freedom.
Williamson: Surprise: The New York Democrat is a New York Democrat.
THE FATE TRUMP SPARED US
Photo scandal not what Marines are made of
If a shooting war comes, the US Air Force is not ready
‘Germany Is a Nation of Immigrants’: Employers’ Unions Demand Open Borders
British Olympian: North Korea has really got a “handle on obesity”
French Election: Le Pen Vows to Quit the EU, End Mass-Migration
She is a left-wing nutjob, regardless of her nationalism
Allies knew of Holocaust in 1942, 2 years before previously assumed, UN documents prove
Bashar al-Assad still has 'hundreds of tonnes' of chemicals stockpiled, former Syrian weapons research chief claims
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