Wordle 1385

 

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Things Were Different in 1594

 In case you were like, wow! Lesbianism was celebrated much earlier in history than I thought.

The painting portrays Gabrielle d'Estrées, mistress of King Henry IV of France, sitting in a bath, holding a ring. Her sister Julienne-Hyppolite-Joséphine sits beside her and pinches d'Estrées' right nipple.

Did sisters or women who were close, do a celebratory nipple pinch at news of pregnancy, or was the artist just being artsy?  We will never know and I find that uncertainty more charming than a definite answer.

Wordle 1382

 

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Wordle 1380

 

Breaking The Law! Breaking The Law!

 Well, not technically.  Which can be simplified to just plain, no.

National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 (codified at 54 U.S.C. § 300101 et seq.)—there is a specific exemption for the White House, the Supreme Court building, and the U.S. Capitol (including their grounds and related buildings). This exemption applies to the Act's Section 106 review process (54 U.S.C. § 306108), which requires federal agencies to assess and mitigate potential adverse effects of construction, alteration, or demolition on historic properties before proceeding. These three structures are explicitly carved out to allow the executive, judicial, and legislative branches greater autonomy in managing their facilities.

Legal Basis: 54 U.S.C. § 307104 states: "Nothing in this division applies to the White House and its grounds, the Supreme Court building and its grounds, or the United States Capitol and its related buildings and grounds." This makes the NHPA's preservation requirements inapplicable to these sites, bypassing mandatory consultations with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, State Historic Preservation Officers, and public input.

Scope: The exemption covers construction, renovations, demolitions, and maintenance that could impact historic features. For example, recent White House East Wing demolition for a ballroom addition (October 2025) proceeded without Section 106 review, though voluntary submissions to bodies like the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) were made for transparency.

Rationale: Enacted amid post-WWII development concerns, the NHPA aimed to protect cultural landmarks, but these exemptions recognize the unique symbolic and operational needs of the three branches of government. Presidents and agencies often follow preservation best practices voluntarily (e.g., via the Secretary of the Interior's Standards) to maintain public trust.

Wordle 1379

 

Wordle 1378

 

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Wordle 1375

 

Wordle 1374

 

An Unusual Run of Runs

The primary unusual thing, is the distance:  I don't normally run 8 miles much anymore, but ran the first one because we were about to embark on a trip, mostly to Germany south of Frankfurt and a bit of Alsace and I didn't think I'd have time to run on our trip.  As it turns-out, I really could have easily done a couple:  In Heidelberg, one could follow the Neckar River between the old bridge and the next one downstream and have no intersections to cross.  Then, in Baden Baden, there is a pathway alone the Oos River, which wasn't far from our hotel.

 

But I did none of those runs and came home deeply in mile-debt:  I have a goal of 60 miles per month, so I kept running this 8-mile loop.  Which brings up the next unusual thing: Each of the runs has been faster than the one before it.

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Birthday Lifting

My lifting and running schedule looks like this:  Run, Clean and Jerk, Run, Squats, Run, Clean and Jerk, Run, Deadlift...Essentially, it is an alternation between lifting and running, with the lifting alternating between Clean and Jerk and either Squats or Deadlifts.  It seems complicated but isn't--also, it helps that I keep records of every workout, so if I forget, it's easy to get back on track.

Clean and Jerk can be the most satisfying of the weight-liftings but it can also be the most frustrating.  This is because it is very dependent on timing and coordination, while the others are fairly purely based on strength.

I was looking forward to this one because I missed a few (all) scheduled workouts last week because my wife and I were vacationing in the Rhine River Valley, the Black Forest and Alsace.  The first scheduled lift was deadlifting and I was still just as strong as before the trip, but one doesn't want to overinterpret--It could just be I was well-rested. A small problem with today:  I cut the tip of my middle finger on my left hand and the first--easiest and lightest lift--opened up the cut with no small amount of blood.  I didn't want to give up just yet, so I found a bandage and figured I would give one more try. The tiny dot bandage provided protection.  I felt-off though and did only 8 lifts instead of the usual 16.  I got to 150 lbs. though, which has only recently become common again.

I will take the W and hope my finger is fine for the next C & J session.