Don't Hurry Back Piers!
What kind of highly paid panellist on a talk show walks off his own set in a huff just because the going gets tough? I guess we just found out.
Remember when he landed a spot on CNN after Larry King retired? His last question of each guest was to ask how many times the person had truly been in love. I wonder about him? Maybe it was Meghan!
At the time I thought he was pompous, arrogant, and had an over-inflated opinion of himself. He once interviewed Chelsey Handler and acted like a young teenager on a first date. She put him down ROYALLY and called him a terrible interviewer to his face! I loved it! He seems to fancy himself as a flatterer and flirt extraordinaire! NOT!! I also remember once when he had Ted Turner on - I think Ted was still the big kahuna of CNN, and he obsequiously asked Ted how he - Piers - was doing!
I do think it took guts to take on the gun issue on American television but I believe it is one of the things that got him fired - poor judgement. His recent actions also show poor judgement and poor sportsmanship.
Meghan just was not interested Piers. Who could blame her? Maybe The Donald will find a spot for you and you can sound off all you want - with Trump's approval.
This sticky wicket is of your own making old chap! Oh well. Keep your pecker up!
#thebrewsterblock
Harry / Meghan Interview Changed my First Impression
How many watched the big interview last night? I must say I was hooked from the outset and I am not usually big on celebrity chatter. Kudos to Oprah for landing the big one and for the way she handled it.
I have to admit that I had pre-judged the entire thing and was negative on Meghan. This had nothing to do with race or any of that but just a negative feeling about the manner in which many Americans - Nancy Reagan for example - tend to behave towards the Brits and Royalty in particular. I was also influenced by the entire King Edward / Mrs. Simpson scandal decades ago.
I was totally wrong and found Meghan to be an utterly charming and poised young woman. Harry was also on his best behaviour. One had to admire the way he quickly shut down any probing into who discussed skin color with him and also what was said. I would go so far as to say that if either one of them was acting someone has to define a new Oscar category and they should each receive one. I did not see a moment of insincerity in the entire two hours.
It was very notable that both went out of their way to exonerate The Queen - their grandmother. She was apparently warm and welcoming to Meghan - hard to imagine but great to hear. It was very interesting to hear them distinguish between The Family, and The Firm. Both have treated them badly.
I was left with only two closely related questions. Since both protection and title were extended to other great grandchildren, why were both denied to this particular grandchild?
THAT one deserves an answer.
Here is wishing them and their present and future family a prosperous, happy, and safe life.
#thebrewsterblock
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
