Tom Faranda's Folly

Today: Feast day of St. Ambrose, an interesting guy!

Here's his bio and below it is a story from The Pillar -

Saint Ambrose, also known as Aurelius Ambrosius, is one of the four original doctors of the Church. He was the Bishop of Milan and became one of the most important theological figure of the 4th century.

And here's the story

Ambrose did not want to be a bishop. He hid at first, at the home of a friend, but the friend was soon convinced that Ambrose should follow the people’s call. Of course, Ambrose had to be baptized first, but shortly after he was chosen for his job, he was baptized, ordained a priest, and consecrated bishop.

His biography is striking, but perhaps most powerful is his holy death in 397. Here’s how Benedict XVI recounted it in 2007:

Ambrose “died in Milan in the night between 3 and 4 April 397. It was dawn on Holy Saturday. The day before, at about five o'clock in the afternoon, he had settled down to pray, lying on his bed with his arms wide open in the form of a cross. Thus, he took part in the solemn Easter Triduum, in the death and Resurrection of the Lord. ‘We saw his lips moving,’ said Paulinus, the faithful deacon who wrote his Life at St Augustine's suggestion, ‘but we could not hear his voice.’

The situation suddenly became dramatic.

Honoratus, Bishop of Vercelli, who was assisting Ambrose and was sleeping on the upper floor, was awakened by a voice saying again and again, ‘Get up quickly! Ambrose is dying...’

‘Honoratus hurried downstairs,’ Paulinus continues, ‘and offered the Saint the Body of the Lord. As soon as he had received and swallowed it, Ambrose gave up his spirit, taking the good Viaticum with him. His soul, thus refreshed by the virtue of that food, now enjoys the company of Angels.’

On that Holy Friday 397, the wide open arms of the dying Ambrose expressed his mystical participation in the death and Resurrection of the Lord. This was his last catechesis: in the silence of the words, he continued to speak with the witness of his life.”

 

Peter Boghossian explains the term "Birthing Person" - not parody or satire.

If you haven't heard of this guy - info below the video and transcript.

 

Birthing Person. A "birthing person" is a person who gives birth. Basically, a birthing person is a mother. The reason for the change from "mother" to "birthing person" is largely because of issues relating to trans people. A trans man is a person who was born with a vagina, but who self-identifies as a man. Trans men can give birth, yet trans men do not consider themselves mothers. Trans men do not view themselves as mothers because the word "mothers" is associated with women, and trans men do not consider themselves to be women. Trans men consider themselves to be men. Thus the term birthing person makes trans men feel welcomed and included. The woke also prefer the term “birthing person” because the word mother excludes gender non-conforming and non-binary individuals.

Boghossian is a very left wing academic who among other positions holds that religion is a delusion. Here are the first two paragraphs from his wikipedia bio -

Peter Gregory Boghossian (/bəˈɡoʊziən/; born July 25, 1966)^[1] is an American philosopher and pedagogist. Born in Boston,^[2] he was an assistant professor of philosophy at Portland State University for ten years, and his areas of academic focus include atheism, critical thinking, pedagogy, scientific skepticism, and the Socratic method.^[3] He is the author of A Manual for Creating Atheists and (with James Lindsay) How to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical Guide.

Boghossian was involved in the grievance studies affair (also called "Sokal Squared" in media coverage) with collaborators James A. Lindsay and Helen Pluckrose, in which they published several hoax papers in low-impact academic journals which put forth intentionally preposterous ideas as a way of demonstrating the ease of having ideologically leftist papers published in relation to gender studies and other fields. After an investigation, Portland State University restricted Boghossian's future work on the basis of what they considered his research misconduct, including failure to adhere to institutional review board (IRB) processes. In September 2021, Boghossian resigned his position from Portland State University, citing harassment and a lack of intellectual freedom.^[4]

^{Here is Boghossian's resignation letter from the university.}

^{Because he's been cancelled by the woke mob, despite being very left wing, he now publishes on substack and  is appearing on programs and getting interviews on FOX News.}  

 

Body transformation: 12 NFL players losing load of weight after retiring

This is an amazing 2014 article with before and after pictures for all of them.  I've excerpted one of them. Another in the article, Matt Birk (Harvard grad and 14 year NFL career), went on to be a model.

One common theme among many of these players is the position they played. Most of the players on the following pages were offensive lineman, suggesting those players do more to push their body weight to an extreme, developing dangerous habits like consuming massive numbers of calories to maintain their playing sizes.

Before - Alan Fineca, 320 lb lineman.

After - Alan Fineca,  marathon runner

"Is Walking Enough Exercise If It Doesn’t Make Your Heart Race?"

Good short article.

And the short answer is yes it helps.

According to Michael Weinrauch, MD, a New Jersey-based cardiologist, the bottom line is that even the smallest neighborhood loop can have an immense impact on your health and well-being. "The take home point here is that even 15 minutes a day of walking, without stopping, provides benefit with regards to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality," he says. Morbidity refers to illness or disease, while mortality refers to death. Research has associated 15 minutes of activity with a 22 percent lower risk of death (mortality), and walking with a 43 percent reduced risk in stroke and reduction the risk factors of heart attack (morbidity), regardless of how fast your heart is beating. "Keep in mind, most of the research that has been done on the benefits of walking have been done without monitoring heart rates during physical activity. Remember, the Fitbit and smart watch apps are still actually a relatively new phenomenon," adds Dr. Weinrauch. Long story, short: The morbidity and mortality benefits of walking seem to occur regardless of your heart's beats per minute (BPMs). 

However and on the other hand -

With that being said, you can increase your cardiovascular fitness by increasing your heart rate and going longer distances—and that may offer even more benefits when it come to morbidity and mortality. "Cardiovascular fitness or aerobic fitness can be defined as a measurement of the body's ability to deliver oxygen to its muscles," explains Dr. Weinrauch. "VO2 Max, which is the maximum rate that oxygen can be consumed during exercise that increases in intensity, is the gold standard for measurement of fitness." However, it's really up to you how "fit" you want to be. If you're someone who wants to build up your VO2 max so you can run a marathon, fantastic. And if you're someone who's content with a brisk walk to your favorite coffee store, that's also great.

"The bottom line is, if you are walking to improve your health, do not worry about how high to raise your heart rate. If you are interested improving your cardiovascular fitness in addition to improving your health, then more vigorous exercise training will likely be necessary," ...

 

CNN: Chris Cuomo now officially fired

Suggestion for one of my avid readers -

"Maybe the brothers should do a reality show (you know, like The Real Housewives.) It pays!"

This is on the CNN website and is written by Brian Stelter (who no doubt would like Cuomo's job)!

CNN said Saturday that anchor Chris Cuomo has been "terminated" by the network, "effective immediately." The announcement came after an outside law firm was retained to review information about exactly how Cuomo aided his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, when the then-governor was accused of sexual harassment.

 

The producers and other staffers who work on "Cuomo Prime Time" will remain in place. Michael Smerconish, Cuomo's regular substitute, will host the 9 p.m. Eastern hour next week.

 

CNN said in a statement: "Chris Cuomo was suspended earlier this week pending further evaluation of new information that came to light about his involvement with his brother's defense. We retained a respected law firm to conduct the review, and have terminated him, effective immediately."

 

"While in the process of that review, additional information has come to light," CNN's statement added. "Despite the termination, we will investigate as appropriate."

 

A CNN spokesperson declined to share any further detail about the "additional information."

 

In a statement of his own Saturday, Chris Cuomo said, "This is not how I want my time at CNN to end but I have already told you why and how I helped my brother. So let me now say as disappointing as this is, I could not be more proud of the team at Cuomo Prime Time and the work we did as CNN's #1 show in the most competitive time slot. I owe them all and will miss that group of special people who did really important work."

 

*********************

The cozy and improper nature of the relationship was conveyed through text messages obtained by James' office. The texts between the anchor and several aides and allies of the governor revealed that Chris Cuomo sought to use his connections in the press to help prepare Andrew Cuomo's team as accusers started to make their stories public.

 

On the day his brother resigned, back in August, Chris Cuomo told viewers that "this situation is unlike anything I could have imagined."

 

He pointed out that he never reported on the sexual harassment scandal or tried to interfere in CNN's coverage. And he acknowledged that he "tried to be there for my brother" when the scandal erupted.

 

"I'm not an adviser. I'm a brother. I wasn't in control of anything. I was there to listen and offer my take," he said.

 

CNN management showed support for Cuomo, and "Cuomo Prime Time," often the network's highest-rated show, stayed on the air throughout the controversy.

 

But as "Reliable Sources" reported at the time, some CNN staffers were angry at Cuomo and his violations of journalistic norms.

 

BB Report: German Health Minister: 'We Must TakeThe Unvaccinated And Concentrate Them Into Special Camps'

This idea sound vaguely familiar?! It is tasteless...

BERLIN—German Health Minister Jens Spahn has announced his aggressive plan to fight COVID, which will include gathering all the unvaccinated people and putting them in special secured areas where they won't bother anyone.

Unvaccinated Germans will also be required to wear highly-visible markings on their clothing, so everyone will know to stay away from them, or turn them in if they attempt to buy food in a public market.

"Zis iz for ze good of ze German people," continued Spahn. "Ve vill not tolerate zis disgusting unvaccinated in our presence anymore. Heil Science!"

Spahn then gave a very special pro-science salute.

Australia praised the move by the German Health Minister, saying it worked great for the Aborigines.

YIKES! Be careful how you cook Shepherd's Pie

One of my (our) favorite dishes! That's British cooking for you...

It's not a joke though - this is sad. From the Guardian (UK).

Chef sentenced after one killed and 31 left ill by undercooked shepherd’s pie

A church harvest supper at a village pub ended in tragedy when one of the congregation was killed and 31 others suffered food poisoning after eating a shepherd’s pie filled with mince that had been incorrectly prepared by a rushing chef.

Elizabeth Neuman, 92, repeatedly vomited after eating the pie and died while other parishioners became “unpleasantly ill” and three of those attending only escaped because they were vegetarians, Reading crown court heard.

The cook, John Croucher, who at the time was head chef at the Crewe Arms in the Northamptonshire village of Hinton-in-the-Hedges, was given a four-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, after admitting a charge of contravening food regulations.

Defending himself in court, Croucher, 40, said: “I hate to say it, I really hate to say it, but I think I was rushed. I was rushing.” He said he had worked in kitchens for 20 years and was now “a better chef” because of the “horrible, horrible circumstance”.

He added: “Remorse is an understatement. This is something I will never forget. Because of it, I am a better chef and it is just a shame the cost of it had to be what it was.”

********************

The court was told that members of the Holy Trinity church congregation did not want retribution against the pub, its landlord, Neil Billingham, or Croucher, who no longer works there.

But the judge raised concerns about the pub’s record, saying: “The Crewe Arms is an important pub to the local community. I have read many references from members of the community. They have all said that this was a one-off mistake but looking at the evidence this was not a one-off mistake.

“The pub should have been taking steps to be improving. Inspections in 2015 gave it three stars and in 2017 gave it only a one star.”

Alec Baldwin didn't pull the trigger - he just "let go of the hammer."

What a horrible mess and tragedy. From the Guardian (UK). And a link to the ABC video below in which he explains in some detail what happened. I'm surprised Baldwin said anything, considering the likelihood of criminal charges and civil lawsuits.

The actor said he did not pull the trigger on the gun that killed Hutchins, 42, and injured director Joel Souza, 48. The gun he was holding, which Baldwin believed to be safe, went off during rehearsals for the western, in an incident that shocked Hollywood and prompted a reckoning over production safety and the use of weapons on set.

“There’s only one question to be resolved, and that’s where did the live round come from?” Baldwin said in an ABC interview with George Stephanopoulos that aired Thursday night. The interview was first time the actor has spoken in-depth on camera about the 21 October shooting.

“A live round isn’t supposed to be anywhere near the set,” Baldwin said. “I don’t have anything to hide.”

In a clip from the interview released Wednesday, Stephanopoulos asked Baldwin, who was also a producer on the film, to confirm that the script didn’t call for the trigger to be pulled. “Well, the trigger wasn’t pulled. I didn’t pull the trigger,” Baldwin says.

“So you never pulled the trigger?” Stephanopoulos asks. “No, no, no, no. I would never point a gun at anyone and pull a trigger at them. Never,” Baldwin responded.

The actor said he “let go of the hammer” on the weapon and the gun went off. “I never pulled the trigger,” he said.

Here's the ABC interview - Alec Baldwin describes the moment when the gun went off

 

 

"A Buddhism Critic Goes on a Silent Buddhist Retreat"

An interesting article, whether or not you are a Buddhist. Takes about ten minutes to read.

Something weird happens to a skeptical science writer during a week of meditation, chanting, and sky gazing.

I’ve been hard on Buddhism over the years (see for example my critique of the bestseller Why Buddhism Is True). But I like to think I’m open-minded. So, in 2018, I put my skepticism to the test by going on a weeklong silent Buddhist retreat, which my pro-Buddhism friends Lisa and Bob argued was my moral obligation.

The retreat rocked me. I’m still trying to make sense of it, but I’m going to take a stab at describing it, if only for my own sake. As I told Julie, a teacher who advised me not to write during the retreat, I’m not sure what happens to me until I write about it.

 

"Justices Show Supreme Skepticism of Roe"

From National Review online -

Veterans of Supreme Court cases past know that it is risky to read the tea leaves from questions at argument, but it is hard to see how the argument could have gone much better for the pro-life cause.

The lawyers for the abortion clinic and for the Biden administration insisted on an all-or-nothing outcome, giving the Court no alternative path to uphold the Mississippi law without overruling Roe. Every effort by Chief Justice John Roberts to find some potential compromise standard was rebuffed. That is a risky strategy when the likeliest way to disappoint pro-lifers is the Court’s incrementalists preferring to bend rather than break Roe, but it reflects the calcified, uncompromising extremism of the pro-choice movement.

Nobody seriously defended Roe as a correct reading of the Constitution. Its defenders instead circled the wagons around the institutional importance of adhering to past precedents. Justice Breyer, sounding very much like a man who expected to end up on the losing side of the case, thundered about the Court’s institutional need to avoid revisiting past decisions even if seriously erroneous. Justice Sonia Sotomayor suggested, implausibly, that a decision overturning a longstanding precedent could lead to the Court throwing out Marbury v. Madison and discarding the Second Amendment — even though she herself has already voted to overturn D.C. v. Heller. These same arguments could have been made for keeping the pro-segregation Plessy v. Ferguson decision 58 years later in Brown v. Board of Education.

Some young women outside the Supreme Court, claiming to be taking abortion pills...

Lots of passion outside the Supreme Court

Yup. Some youngish pro-life women.

British F-35 fails to fly as it heads off the end of the carrier

UPDATE: More on this if you go here - The Crash

Yikes! But pilot survived (Note parachute). That's a 133 MILLION dollar airplane.

Fed Reserve's Powell on inflation: " A good time to retire the word transitory"

Powell explains the Federal Reserve's understanding of "transitory" differs from what the rest of us understand it to mean.

 

‘Virgin and Child’ drawing bought for $30 at estate sale could be worth millions

YIKES!

Artnet News reports that the drawing has been authenticated as an original work by German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer.

Four years ago, a Massachusetts man was perusing an estate sale when a drawing of the Madonna and Child drew his attention. There was no indication that the piece was remarkable, besides its artistry, and on that alone he bought it. Now the drawing is making headlines as it may garner millions at auction. 

Pope Francis Receives the Prelate of Opus Dei in Audience

What is Opus Dei? Hint: The term means Work of God. It was founded in Spain in 1928. Thanks to Chris for sending me this.

Opus Dei is a strong advocate of traditional Catholic values, focusing particularly on spreading the Catholic teaching that every individual is called to become a saint and an apostle of Jesus Christ and that ordinary life is a path to sanctity

To some it's a controversial organization - but not to me. I know a number of members - all wonderful people. FULL DISCLOSURE: Farandaville not members, but we are admirers.

During the audience, which lasted about thirty minutes, the Prelate and the Auxiliary Vicar informed the Holy Father about the apostolic work of the Prelature’s faithful in various countries. Special stress was given to the process of simplifying organizational structures in order to better spur forward and coordinate the apostolic undertakings. The Pope was delighted to hear this and remarked: “It is important that everyone is out on the street, doing apostolate.”

The Pope expressed his desire that the faithful of Opus Dei be faithful to the founding spirit, while at the same time adapting to the challenges that today’s culture presents to Christian life. He also encouraged them to spread a love for the truth throughout the world, in order to confront the superficiality and lack of justice that reigns in social relations.

 

 

Short (4 minutes) fascinating video about Croton Point and the wine vaults

Croton Point was a vineyard and winery in the 19th century. Pretty good video which is below a few pictures we took on December 29, 2018, shortly before the entrances were blocked off.

Here's the video -

 

Farandaville: My nose - "You should see the other guy."

Actually a book case disaster - we were moving the large beige bookcase pictured below (with Tim's help - we'd taken off the books) when the bookcase went over and the shelves came crashing down. I took a direct shot in the beak from a shelf - lucky it's just a cut. Tim actually prevented the whole bookcase from landing on me - which would have been awkward. You can see the remnants of the jerry-rigged bookcase that had stood for 30 years against the white wall (it was always an accident waiting to happen anyway) behind the beige bookcase and which also fell. Hundreds of books to clean up and reorganize, and an opportunity to give some of them away - about 35 in two boxes set to go.

 

 

A meditation from the late Cardinal O'Connor on Advent

Sent to me by my friend Theresa and it was originally posted by Kathryn Lopez.

 

 

Derrick Wilburn on Critical Race Theory - another black white supremacist

This guy is no doubt another black white supremacist. They seem to be all over the place.

"The Colorado Springs District 49 school board asked for community comments regarding "Critical Race Theory" being forced into or banned from classrooms. They asked for comments - they got them!"

 

NY Assembly report on Cuomo: "Damning Report Detailing Sex Harassment, COVID Coverup"

The report is worse, much worse than the first report by the NY Attorney General

Findings from the New York State Assembly’s impeachment investigation of Andrew Cuomo released Monday revealed a string of abuses of power by the former governor, including sexual harassment, the use of staff to write his book, and a cover-up of COVID-19 nursing home deaths.

The Assembly Judiciary Committee found that the now-disgraced former governor likely violated state ethics laws as he “utilized the time of multiple state employees, as well as his own, to further his personal gain during a global pandemic” in writing and promoting his memoir, American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic. 

The finding contrasts Cuomo’s claims that work on his book was undertaken on a volunteer basis. The investigation found that the work was completed during regular work hours “as part of the regular course of work in the executive chamber.” A senior state official complained to a coworker that time spent on the book had taken away from that official’s ability to focus on the COVID-19 pandemic, the report found.

The report adds that Cuomo was “not fully transparent regarding the number of nursing home residents who died as a result of COVID-19.”

The law firm that conducted the inquiry on the Assembly’s behalf did not interview Cuomo, though he has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. The report noted that the investigation had considered Cuomo’s rebuttals and concluded that “nothing in his voluminous submissions can overcome the overwhelming evidence of his misconduct.”

The Assembly report follows an investigation by New York state attorney general Letitia James earlier this year that found that the governor sexually harassed almost a dozen women in violation of federal and state law. James’ office also found that COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes had been significantly undercounted; officials ultimately raised the count by more than 40 percent.

Op-Ed: "If The People Rittenhouse Shot Were White, I Bet He Would Have Been Convicted"

Good follow up from the BB. This could have been on The View.

Once again, our country is facing racial injustice after Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted by claiming “self-defense.” I can’t help but think he would have been convicted if his victims were white.

We all know the story of Kyle Rittenhouse. He was filled with white supremacy, so he picked up a machine gun, crossed state lines, and then opened fire on peaceful protestors, killing three black men. And those people were there because they were protesting how a black man, Jacob Blake, was murdered by cops while shopping at a candy store, so it’s more racial injustice on top of racial injustice.

I didn’t watch any of the trial, but we know how it went down. ...

I’ve been so enraged by this whole ordeal that I’ve been careful to stay away from the specifics as I’m sure they would only trigger me. Some people suggest I got things wrong and try to correct me, but I plug my ears and scream, “LALALALALA!” at the top of my lungs when people do that because it’s a common tactic of white supremacy to downplay racial injustice with “facts” and “video evidence.”

We need to be angry. That’s how we make change. And if details get in the way of that, it’s our duty to ignore them.

 

 

My Thanksgiving walk - Croton Point

My app says 4.47 miles and it took me 90 minutes. Some regular Croton Point walkers will recognize some of the spots. It was a hazy day so nothing brilliant - except the cat lover stuff at the end.

Tide was WAY in.

Cat lover stuff. At the dump area for the RV's; plenty of feral cats live there but only one yesterday.

A blow up from the prior picture.

 

 

 

 

Today not just Thanksgiving; also "British Evacuation Day" from NY City in 1783!

HA! Take that you Brits!! Brigid you will just have to deal with this...

Below is  a great history article, well worth reading - note that Fraunces Tavern mentioned below still exists - on Pearl St.

"Evacuation Day" and Washington's Triumphal Entry in New York City, November 25, 1783 .

A once-annual holiday local to New York City, Evacuation Day was formerly equal in importance to the Fourth of July. Referring to the evacuation of British troops from New York City following the Revolutionary War, the celebration of the troops’ departure was observed yearly throughout the early 20th century. While interest wavered over the years, in its prime, Evacuation Day was one of the most important holidays in the city.

Marking the end of their occupation in America, the last of the British soldiers who served during the American Revolution left Manhattan on November 25, 1783. Following their departure, the city was secured by American troops under the command of General Knox, who promptly called for all residents to welcome New York’s Governor Clinton and General Washington into lower Manhattan.

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Meanwhile, U.S. troops sought to remove the British flag from Castle Clinton (known as the Fort on the Battery). However, thanks to British soldiers' departing gifts of sabotage (greasing the flag pole and cutting its halyards), this proved to be quite a difficult task.

After failed attempts to scale the pole, a young sailor ultimately used wooden cleats to successfully climb and raise the American flag in place of Britain’s. This triumphant symbol sparked the first Evacuation Day celebrations, which went on to last several days.

Beginning with a public dinner hosted by Governor Clinton at Fraunces Tavern, over 120 guests celebrated with 13 formal toasts in honor of Washington and his officers.  Festivities continued until Washington departed the city over a week later on December 4th.

***************

Though once an immensely popular, city-wide celebration, interest for the holiday waned through the mid-1800s, as few witnesses of the original Evacuation Day remained.

Past efforts of Revolutionary War veterans were not carried on by following generations, and the public’s attention shifted to celebrating Thanksgiving during the end of November, as it gained prominence as a national holiday.

 

Uh oh! Unfriended for Thanksgiving!

From one of my business friends -  Diane. YIKES!

 

 

St Agnes Li Thi Thanh - Vietnamese martyr commemorated with others today

Agnes is the only laywoman among the 117 Vietnamese martyrs commemorated today.

 

Good question - de Blasio asked directly "Why run for governor when your poll numbers are terrible"

The sad part is, he probably has a reasonable chance to win the Democrat primary since it's going to be a large field. And then considering the preponderance of "my party right or wrong, but right or wrong my party" Democrats in NY State, he'd be almost a certainly to beat the Republican.

 

Rodney Dangerfield - some lost footage! - and pretty funny

Rappin' Rodney - he talks faster than I do.

"I tell you I'm ugly. I stuck my head out the window and got arrested for mooning."