by Rupe | Jul 7, 2011 | Frugal-Me, Inspiration
This July 2nd my wife and I happily celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary. In our seven years together as a married couple we have experienced loss (mother, aunts, grandparents, friend), gain (our two children, nieces, and nephews) and believe it or not, financial prosperity.
This last one may not seem like a big deal on the surface, but I believe our mindset about money is what has allowed us to survive the good, the bad, and the ugly during our years of marital bliss. Continue reading…
My Comments
This is a pretty lock-on couple and is a strong candidate for frugal marriage of the year. I really like reading about this kinda stuff; they are serious inspiration to me and my family.
by Rupe | Jul 7, 2011 | Fitness, Inspiration
From Sparkpeople – SARAB1989
Tonight I went to a cycling class at 24HourFitness, not knowing it was an advanced class. About 15 minutes into it, my entire shirt was wet from sweat!
I’ve participated in cycling classes before, and even though they were hard, they were absolutely nothing compared to this one. The room was dark, people were scattered all over the floor on their bikes, and the music was pumping in the background.Â
40 minutes into the class, we were pedaling as fast as we can, up for 3 seconds and down for 3 seconds. I felt every single muscle in my legs burn as if they were about to tear. The instructor kept saying “You can do this! Do it for yourself!” I repeated to myself over and over as I continued to give it my all. Continue Reading…
My Comments:
I really like inspirational pieces like this. I like to see people pushing through what they perceive to be limitations and reach new heights. Sara is truly a champion…awesome stuff.
by Rupe | Jul 6, 2011 | Fitness
After quite a bit of time away from the gym over the July 4th weekend. I felt pretty good, although it was not optimum.  Really all-around good workout. I didn’t feel as tired at the end as I have recently.
Workout: Day 42 (W6/Upper Body II) – 78mins/1min rest
Pull down 1×10,10,10 (130,140,150)
Deadlifts – 3×12 @ 160
One arm DB rows (70,70,70)
Barbell Bentover Rows – 10@110
Smith Machine Shrugs – 3×15 @ 110lbs
Smits Machine Reverse Shrugs – 2×15 @ 110lbs
Seated Shrugs – 3×15@90,110,110
Preacher Curl – 1×12 @ 40lbs (2x20s)
Barbell Curl – 10 @ (Long Bar with 10s)
 Short Barbell Curl 1×12,10,10 @ 10lbs
DB Curl 1×12,12 – 25,25,25lbs
Cardio: 15mins
Distance: 1.33
Pushups: 0
Calories: 1015
Tracker
Total Distance: 114.35 miles (Goal 250/135.65 remain) *
Total Calories: 28,580 (Goal 50,000/21,420 remain) *
Total Pushups: 1,755 (Goal 10,000 / 8,245)
Good livin’…keep movin’!
-R-
by Rupe | Jul 6, 2011 | Not So Recent Reads
Title: SuperFreakanomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
Publisher Summary:
Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance
The New York Times best-selling Freakonomics was a worldwide sensation, selling more than four million copies in 35 languages and changing the way we look at the world. Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner return with Superfreakonomics, and fans and newcomers alike will find that the freakquel is even bolder, funnier, and more surprising than the first.
SuperFreakonomics challenges the way we think all over again, exploring the hidden side of everything with such questions as: How is a street prostitute like a department-store Santa? What do hurricanes, heart attacks, and highway deaths have in common? Can eating kangaroo save the planet?
Levitt and Dubner mix smart thinking and great storytelling like no one else. By examining how people respond to incentives, they show the world for what it really is: good, bad, ugly, and, in the final analysis, super freaky.
Freakonomics has been imitated many times over – but only now, with SuperFreakonomics, has it met its match.
My Comments:
I read the first iteration Freakanomics back in 2005 and was really amazed by the varied relationships uncovered, this takes that discovery writing to another level and is well worth the time to read.
Grab it Now at Amazon
by Rupe | Jul 6, 2011 | Not So Recent Reads
Title: The Assault on Reason by Al Gore
Publisher’s Summary:
Here is a visionary analysis of how the politics of fear, secrecy, cronyism, and blind faith have combined with the degradation of the public sphere to create an environment dangerously hostile to reason.
At the time George W. Bush ordered American forces to invade Iraq, 70 percent of Americans believed Saddam Hussein was linked to 9/11. Voters in Ohio, when asked by pollsters to list what stuck in their minds about the recent campaign, most frequently named two Bush television ads that played to fears of terrorism.
We live in an age when the 30-second television spot is the most powerful force shaping the electorate’s thinking, and America is in the hands of an administration less interested than any previous administration in sharing the truth with the citizenry. Related to this and of even greater concern is this administration’s disinterest in the process by which the truth is ascertained, the tenets of fact-based reasoning – first among them an embrace of open inquiry in which unexpected and inconvenient facts can lead to unexpected conclusions.
How did we get here? How much damage has been done to the functioning of our democracy and its role as steward of our security? Never has there been a worse time for us to lose the capacity to face the reality of our long-term challenges, from national security to the economy, from issues of health and social welfare to the environment. As The Assault on Reason explains, we have precious little time to waste.
Drawing on a life’s work in politics, as well as on the work of experts across a broad range of disciplines, Al Gore has written a farsighted and powerful manifesto for clear thinking.
My comments:
I quite liked the read and found very few faults. Â It read pretty much like a textbook and I think I would not mind attending lectures on this subject. Â I recommend.Â
Grab it from Amazon
This July 2nd my wife and I happily celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary. In our seven years together as a married couple we have experienced loss (mother, aunts, grandparents, friend), gain (our two children, nieces, and nephews) and believe it or not, financial prosperity.