What The Heck???

 You learn something new every day:) Apparently, gladiators ate a high-carb diet which was predominantly vegetarian and also consumed a sort of vitamin drink to assist with healing of injuries. This news made all the proponents of paleo and keto very nervous, while vegetarians and even militant vegans right away started claiming gladiators were part of the club (the 2nd link has a really cool video and great discussion in the comments section).

If you look at the original study called Stable Isotope and Trace Element Studies on Gladiators and Contemporary Romans from Ephesus (Turkey, 2nd and 3rd Ct. AD) - Implications for Differences in Diet (which by some reason I couldn't link to, so that you have to search for it on your own) right there on page 13 it says: In this study, the isotopic data suggest a mixed diet with a high share of vegetables.

  I think it's quite obvious that they weren't really vegans or vegetarians in the modern sense of the word, and their eating patterns are actually quite typical for an average Roman, though they consumed more barley than wheat. Like it or not, meat was a luxury back then, but fish sauce, for instance was put on absolutely anything. 

Mediterranean diet is more or less a continuation of the trend, and its Greek variety which encourages periodic fasting excluding all animal products except some seafood (the kind which doesn't bleed red like squid) is probably the closest to the ancient pattern.

Has anyone tried it? Feel free to share!

Thanksgiving 2020

Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers!

 

Image courtesy of this website.

Are You Ready For America's First Dictator?

 This is funny:

The Lie Of Neoliberalism

 After the WWII Western elites more or less started promoting the idea that all society problems came from "authoritarianism" which became associated with both extreme left and right. Supposedly we moved beyond it to a neoliberal society where everybody has equal rights, including minorities, and the government rules only by consensus.

Well, corona virus has finally put this fairy tale to rest and various governments demonstrated that they are perfectly capable and willing of wielding hard power when soft power fails. All this for a relatively mild virus with a mortality rate only slightly higher than that of a bad flu season. You can be sure that if smallpox made a comeback, they'd patrol the streets with machine guns and forcibly vaccinate everyone. 

The more things change, the more they stay the same. That's why libertarian ideology doesn't really make sense. The state always used coercion when necessary and it always will. That's not the real problem, the problem is in whose interests it's used, we the people or the financial elites.

12 More Days Of Freedom

 Before masks become mandatory, which kinda s*cks. Some people swear resistance. Do face masks really help? I don't think so, however, they make your shopping experience utterly unpleasant which prevents you from spending much time inside, which is, imo, the point. On the other hand, the big group of fear-paralised citizens (some of whom have locked themselves in since early March), will probably finally dare to go outside. 

And, of course, we still have the great vaccination debate. I have come to the conclusion, that for some, "science" and "vaccines" is a matter of faith and they become VERY upset when others disagree. What about you? Are you planning to get vaccinated against coronavirus? Feel free to share!

Autumn

 In no particular order, some of our vacation pics:

All Nice Things Come To An End

 We have been very busy lately, working in the house of my parents-in-law, hence the (relative) lack of posting. And now it's so far - the house is empty and bare, furniture, floors, ceilings...everything taken out. It's not home any more, just an average apartment. Today we said farewell to it and gave away our keys. Tomorrow the papers will be signed and it will go back to the housing company. My parents-in-law spent 58 happy years over there and now it's time to say good-bye. Honestly, it feels like a second funeral by some reason.

And here is something which I was thinking about. Houses should stay in the family. Of course, it was a rental, but even when it's someone's property, due to inheritance laws and taxes most houses nowadays get sold, and people will often change their houses during their lifetime, too, something my parents-in-law never did. We all have become quite nomadic, but is it a good thing? 

 If your adult child is single or widowed, it's not a bad idea to live all together. They can later play a caregiver's role and inherit the property. I actually heard of someone who was married with children and moved in with his widowed mother to help. After her death, they got the house. He doesn't have a mortgage to pay and his wife can stay home and be a mother. 

Modern way isn't always the best!

Woke Mobs On Internet

I've seen some pretty nasty attacks lately and I guess it'll only get worse. Imo, the correct answer to an accusation of any  -ism or similar nonsense, should be, "F*** you get lost!" As long as you aren't breaking the law, you should be fine. Also, anyone taking part in these witch hunts, especially those who consider themselves Christians, should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves, though I doubt they have any shame left. 

As for the rest, I hope my readers won't get blackpilled. Remember, what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger!

Congratulations, Mr. President?

Whoever he may be! I came home late this evening and it's still undecided? Weird stuff...What's going on?

France

 "Secularism has never killed anyone". 

Friendly reminder: