To all my Readers of the male genus:
Tell me you wouldn’t want one of these set up in your spare room or basement:
Author: Kim du Toit
Thursday Landscape
Breakfast Room, Grand Hotel Ste Michel, Paris (2004)
Talk about atmosphere…
The hotel has my full endorsement, by the way — it’s literally across the street from the Sorbonne, so there are any number of inexpensive (for Paris) bistros and restaurants scattered around the neighborhood.
The interior decor above ground is Art Deco, kinda like Claridges in London.
Several of my buddies have stayed there after my recommendation; everyone had good things to say about it.
More Reasons
Following yesterday’s post about China (and Xi), I see that I’m not the only one who considers them the enemy, for a different reason:
Even if Chinese technological theft is less frequent in Europe than in the United States —there is far less technology to steal from Europe than from the US — it is nevertheless all too present.
The practice follows what the current director of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, long ago called the business model of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP): “Rob, Replicate, Replace.” They steal the technology and know-how for a product, copy it, then flood it back into the marketplace at a far lower price, thereby putting the product’s original manufacturers out of business. When the CCP believes its hold on the market share has been consolidated into something resembling a monopoly, the prices go back up.
And there it is: implacably hostile, amoral, brutal and intent on spreading Marxism (and their control) over the entire world.
As New Wife would put it: Not our kind, dear. Even their “Three Rs” aren’t the same as ours.
Snowball
Americans saw a 2% drop in overall drinking and 8% in heavy drinking in just the 2022 to 2024 window. Total drinking dropped most dramatically among Gen Z, with rates falling nearly 6% from 2022 to 2024, compared with about 2% for Millennials. Heavy drinking fell by roughly a fifth in both generations.
Doesn’t surprise me. The Snowflake Generation(s) are more likely to be disturbed and/or frightened by all the Nanny Government Bullshit© about the dangers of, well, just about everything. Small wonder, then, that they’re going to go all Carrie Nation about the Demon Booze.
However:
Older Americans, however, went in the opposite direction, with those in the 50 to 64 age group seeing an increase of 4% in overall drinking, and 36% spike in heavy drinking from 2018 to 2024.
Only 4%? Sheesh, we need to work harder (hence the title of this post).
Never mind all that “Cheers!” bullshit. Get stuck in.
A Question Of Majority
Here’s some news that had me reaching for a celebratory gin:
The DOJ announced it has concluded that the federal ban on handgun sales to 18- through 20-year-olds is unconstitutional and cannot be enforced.
I’ve talked about the age issue before. If kids are assumed to be majors at age 18 and entitled to vote (I’m still somewhat unsure of the wisdom of the 26th Amendment, by the way), get married without parental consent, sign contracts and all that, then gun ownership should definitely be included in those freedoms (along with the responsibilities, a discussion for another time).
What I like most about this latest announcement from the DoJ is that they haven’t waited for lawsuits to pitchfork them into doing the right thing, but rather have done their own homework before prosecuting such cases — as any decent government department should.
The Office of Legal Counsel determined that 18 to 20-year-olds are among “the people” protected by the Second Amendment. “Eighteen-year-olds may vote, serve on juries, be drafted, and face adult criminal penalties, including capital punishment,” said Assistant Attorney General T. Elliot Gaiser for the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel. “The Constitution protects the people’s right to keep and bear arms. The Department of Justice may not constitutionally seek to impose criminal penalties on dealers who sell handguns to law-abiding adults who, in nearly every other relevant respect, are members of the political community.”
Of course, the Nanny States all have age restrictions on gun ownership by “juveniles”, but up until now they’ve been able to take cover behind the federal ban. But that just means that Our Heroes at the Second Amendment Foundation — y’all are SAF members, right? — can proceed with litigation against those states, using the DoJ’s findings as supporting material.
All in all, good news.
BP News
No, not the giant oil company. This:
Blood pressure medication is very often taken in the morning because it is a way to remember, but this may miss the maximum risk-window of having a stroke or heart attack, says Professor Foster.
“Very significantly, there is a circadian driven rise in blood pressure as we approach morning, caused by the release of cortisol and adrenaline –- this increases heart rate, combined with an increase in clotting factors.
“These normally clump together to form blood clots following injury, but they also work against us by producing clots that block blood vessels,” he adds. “The combined effects of a sharp rise in blood pressure between 6am and noon, and peak blood ‘stickiness’ in the morning, corresponds to the greatest chance of having a stroke or heart attack.”
In fact, there’s a 50 per cent greater chance of a stroke between 6am and noon than the rest of the day.
“Some studies have shown that when blood pressure medication is taken before bedtime, rather than in the morning, it’s more effective at regulating blood pressure and reducing stroke and heart attack risk. This is because such drugs have a long ‘half-life’, remaining at high concentrations for many hours in the body before they are broken down. So, counterintuitively, taking an antihypertensive before bed can reduce your risk of a stroke in the morning.”
An analysis of eight clinical trials, published in the journal Scientific Reports this year, found that the morning blood pressure surge was significantly reduced in patients taking medication before bedtime.
I should point out that some other Smart People disagree with these findings, but that’s the nature of the beast, innit?
I started taking all my meds at bedtime about three years ago, on the advice of my own doctor. I don’t know if this helps — how could I? — but his explanation at the time seemed very plausible. (I don’t remember it, but it had something to do with night-time metabolism and the absorption of medications.) He also suggested that I take my multivitamin tablet — I take an Old Fart kind, like Centrum — in the morning, for reasons I also forget (sorry).
Anyway, there it is. Make your own decisions according to your instincts and experience, as always.