"The Oligarchy"

"The Oligarchy"

Screen grab from the movie "The Death of Stalin"

The Democratic Socialists love to blather about "The Oligarchy" which implies that they believe that society is run by a handful of men who make all of the decisions in a smoke filled room, decisions which are then carried out by legions of stooges and fall-guys.

Their reasoning is that the complex and sometimes convoluted modern economies don't look like a series of simple, individual decisions. They also like blaming their failures on "evil villains" rather than acknowledging those failures are due to laziness, stupid decisions and random chance.

These are the same "smartest people in the room" who insist that oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium and pinches of of trace elements self-organized into creatures ranging from the influenza virus to Elon Musk and Blue Whales.

VO2MAX

Data for men

VO2MAX can be improved but it improves slowly. How slowly? Three ml/kg/minute of improvement in a year of steady PT is a typical number. If you are starting at 22, then a year of 3x or 4x a week work-outs is likely to increase your VO2MAX by 15%. The GREAT news is that it isn't going down as you age. 

If you completely tune your work-out routines specifically to improve VO2MAX, you might get five ml/kg/minute improvement but there is a very high risk of burn-out and then you will achieve zero improvement. Source.

Dog-chain

A neighbor gave me a gift of some dog-chain. I am pondering how to best use it.

My current thinking is to use it to suspend a feedlot panel from the ceiling of the overhang. I can then use the panel to hang tools and buckets. I saw the idea used in a tiny kitchen where it was used to store pots, pans and cooking utensils near the stove.

Some random pictures

Locust borer

Moth

 

Chestnut tree