Day: January 10, 2021

I don’t see a way out of where our country is now…

I am thinking about the riot and attempt at insurrection at our Capitol. And yes, I’d love to believe it was all a bunch of uneducated yahoos.

Yes…service academy graduates, CEO’s of real companies, state legislators, medical doctors, a son of a judge, wealthy real estate brokers…even…POLICE OFFICERS (latter were not known to have raided the Capitol but ..evidently they thought that the election was stolen.

I am not saying some, even many, are what you’d expect but…OMG…and many were comfortable enough to make videos of their experience.

They honestly think that their behavior was mainstream behavior!!!!!

They way out: well, “more education” is probably not the answer; many are as educated as reasonably possible.

And forget what some in academia are saying: some are saying “this is why we need the humanities” but, well, color me skeptical. In private conversations with some academics, I’ve been told that their GOAL is to create “social justice allies”…I’ve always thought the goal was to teach the material (which, to be sure, covers social aspects which, of course, includes nuanced discussion of racial matters.

But I doubt that finger wagging from the podium will get us anywhere; in fact, it might well turn more students off.

And forget about “let them die off”; remember, many of these people were scaling a wall (not sure why they just didn’t walk up the steps but…) And the exit polls show that the 30-44 went for Biden 52-46 but 65 and up was Trump 52-47… this is a large enough difference if you are talking about winning an election, but..it isn’t as if the Trump supporters are a tiny minority in the younger age group.

People…I have…nothing.

9 January 2021: almost right

Today is Saturday, and I got my second shingles shot this Wednesday. I felt almost 100 percent today.

So, while I slept in too long (and had nightmares about having a large pot gut) I got in a deadlift workout and then a 2 mile walk at about 15:55 minutes per mile; I managed to find good streets. So this week, it was a 5, 3 (slow), 2 (lol) and whatever I get tomorrow.

The deadlift: I kept it moderate..so it appeared.

10 x 134, 10 x 184, 1 x 224, 1 x 254 (neutral, low handles)

High handle: 5 x 279, 5 x 279 (effort)

Low handle: 5 x 255 (effort..used the 5.5 lb plates to make up for the “missing lb. ” as the trap bar weighs 44 lbs.

For what it is worth, these sets corresponded to what my max currently is; go figure.

And..this is what they looked like. Note: I am noisier than I had realized; I find myself, as a viewer, telling myself to shut up! Yes, this is my own basement so it isn’t as if I was trying to be noisy to impress anyone; in fact, I am embarrassed that I am this weak. I’d feel better were I say, 100 lb. stronger in these lifts with this amount of effort.

10 x 184

5 x 279 high handle

5 x 255 low handle