Listen to the experts then listen to your body
Change of topic today - no CNN, Trump, Biden. This is personal - hopefully for many of you also. I suffer from sore shoulders that keep me awake at night. I have also overindulged in analysis of the problem - analysis paralysis - worse than the injury.
Many people who are north of the equator in years suffer from this - many from activity and many from lack of same - others from age. With the net, social media, Google etc. there is a ton of information out there - just look. Amateurs immediately say "Rotator Cuff" - not always the case. The people I have researched acknowledge that this is a very general term and the pain I feel could be one of many things, all part of the shoulder.
I printed out PDF's from Chiropractors, medical groups and associations and other places. I now have more exercises and therapy to try than there are hours in the day. There is a set of 18 I did religiously for about two weeks which took a good 1 1/2 hours to complete - made things worse. I even went to my GP who has worked with pro sports teams.
Here is one thing I am passing on today. I heard from several people who were where I am now but have recovered - I am overdoing things. The first reaction if you normally work out at a gym is that using no weight or working up to 3-5 pounds seems ridiculous when you might normally lift 25-35 lbs. with your arms. It is not.
Many of the legitimate websites say the same thing - for a long time light weights only , if you use any at all. We tend to forget that over-lifting probably hurt us in the first place. So here is an unprofessional list of 10 conclusions:
1. At all times if it hurts - STOP. Use less weight or no weight. If it still hurts ignore this exercise until you start to feel stronger and there is no pain...
2. From the many exercises you will collect choose only a dozen or so that did feel good. Maybe they relaxed things or let you know there are muscles you have NOT been including before.
3. No more than 30-40 minutes per session.
4. Include any stretches first.
5. Vary them up a bit each session.
6. Do not lift any heavy weights even if you think your shoulder is not involved. For almost anything above the waist or involving lifting with the hands, your shoulders are involved.
7. Many gym rats develop the large shoulder muscles for appearance but are not even aware of the others or how to strengthen them. This ADDS to the problem and might be what hurt you. It is like driving a car with one tire way over-inflated. It will lead to trouble.
8. It will take weeks to get better, if you ever do.
9. Go to a professional to see if you are trying to fix the wrong problem. It could just be arthritis for example.
10. Posture is important. Many years ago I focused on walking tall - shoulders back and not slouching. Since I have retired and am at a PC many hours daily, I am not as focused on this.
Lastly none of this will work without the willpower to do them regularly.
Here are a few of the sites I visited:
#thebrewsterblock
Why not Sue Trump and Co.? Lots of others are.
After the CPAC puppet show how about a class action lawsuit against Trump and his party for The Big Lie? Millions of Americans and the reputation of the country have been damaged by this fabrication.
Lots of others have filed against The Donald - what is one more? Since he has not been able to prove a stolen victory why not turn the tide against him? It should be easier to prove his lies than for his puppets to prove the opposite - he and his lawyers have failed time after time.
It could be worth hundreds of millions. Even Mitch McConnell said he is liable for legal action now that he is a private citizen. Maybe THAT'S why he wants to run again - four more years of protection.
#thebrewsterblock
Where will the new Atlantis happen?
This is not an academic question. The only difference between the mythical (?) underground city and today's reality is that today the water is coming up to meet the city and not the other way around. If the polar caps and glaciers keep melting the way they are this meeting has to happen. Bury your head in the sand about this and soon it will also be under water.
Perhaps a climate expert - not an armchair denier - could answer something here. Let us assume that mankind and its nations finally get their acts together and convert to all renewable energy with very minor carbon and other types of emissions. By the time that happens most of the glaciers and a lot of the polar ice will have melted. So if - and that is a BIG if - average temperatures start to fall again will the polar caps increase in size or just slow down their disappearance? If they grow will the coasts start to emerge again?
One thing seems certain to me - when the glaciers have gone they will not return just because average temperature falls. That is like using all the ice cubes in your freezer and hoping that tomorrow you will have more cubes in the trays without filling them (assuming no ice cube maker). Glaciers took millions of years and one or more ice ages to form.
I am going to buy Bill Gates new book on the subject. Say what you will about him he has the IQ to understand this and suggest solutions.
This is my biggest concern:
We already know that obscenely rich and powerful people can be very greedy. Add a total lack of sympathy for others and an American gun mentality and you have a very bad climate indeed. What happened on January 6, 2021 is nothing. Imagine all of the most expensive houses on coasts - everywhere - being totally useless under several feet of water even if you can still see part of them. Millions of former inhabitants will be looking for the best places to live elsewhere. How will they get that existing real estate? The same way nations have in the past - war. They will attack people, and TAKE the land and houses they want. If they succeed WE will probably be looking for a place to live.
I won't be around to see this - nor will Bill Gates. It is sad but millions of others in our generation don't seem to care. As long as they live their rich greedy lives contributing to the problem it will be left to others - their kids and grandchildren.
#thebrewsterblock
Some Current GOP Leaders don't have an ounce of Morality in their Body
What kind of person can stand and make fun of over 500,000 Americans who have died in the last year? You saw one at the CPAC puppet show yesterday. It was bad humour and not remotely funny.
The answer? The same guy who left town when his Texas constituents were facing a climate disaster. The same guy who decided to go to a warmer climate. The same guy who blamed it on his kids. The same guy who then lied about intending to return the same day - after he was caught. The same guy who kept silent when Trump told the country that Covid would magically disappear - The same Trump (there are more of them don't forget) who made mask wearing some kind of cowardly thing to do - hence the disgusting reference to mask wearing yesterday. Once a puppet, always a puppet.
In the link below you will see a video of such a guy.
Cruz unloads with epic takedown of 'pathological liar,' 'narcissist' Donald Trump - CNN Politics
He rants about a horrible person called Donald Trump. In it he calls The Donald a pathological liar - he says that practically every word that comes out of Trump's mouth is a lie. He also says Trump is a narcissist and "utterly amoral." He calls him a bully - says he understands people who are angry at being lied to by politicians! Really? Attendees at this conference all have PhD's in prevarication.
Such people are now part of the The Big Lie - as they scramble to kiss The Donald's butt!
The Disney Corporation should sue for some form of intellectual property violation because the current CPAC is another Fantasyland.#thebrewsterblock
History is Repeating Itself
In the primaries before 2016, everyone including many of Trump's so-called backers now in power was appalled by his statements and behavior. Senators like Graham, Rubio, and Cruise were very explicit in their condemnation. Now they suck up to him every chance they get. Everyone knows the man thought he could run Washington like a corporation making himself a King or Emperor.
Since America fought a famous war to prevent that in the new world you have to wonder why those same people and many others are still letting Trump conspire to accomplish such a goal. He already hinted at both staying in office longer than two terms and changing laws so he could do it. If he ever gets back into power with a majority, he will - just like the Chinese leader.
Countries around the world with a little more salt and pepper in their temples than upstart America have all been through this. Evil men (seldom women) appeal to peoples' worst instincts to get into power and then stay there.
This is happening in The United States. The main reasons are similar to those in other nations. This is not a poor American revolutionary army ousting a tyrant. This is a man with rich and powerful allies who want to preserve the status quo - white privilege and domination.
Trump was guilty - even McConnell of all people admitted that. America had a taste of internal violence and regime change and it will get worse.
American citizens, don't let the lion out of the cage. In this case perhaps it is a snake. America has often attempted to bring about regime change in some of those countries mentioned earlier - often by force. When the time comes - and it will the way things are going - who will come to America's aid when she needs it? Nobody.
Americans - be careful what you wish for!
#thebrewsterblock.
