by Rupe | Jun 7, 2011 | Military-Political
Defending Defense: Ten Questions on the Future of US Defense Spending Priorities for Secretary of Defense Nominee Leon Panetta Background
The Obama administration has requested that Congress provide $553 billion for the Defense Department’s base budget in FY 2012 — $13 billion less than what the administration had projected requesting a year earlier.
President Obama’s deficit reduction plan calls for $400 billion in cuts to national security spending over the next 12 years. This is in addition to the approximately $400 billion already cut by the administration during the previous two years.
The baseline defense budget is now 3.5% of America’s GDP, a figure well below the post-World War II average of 7.5%. If the Obama administration succeeds in its plans to cut defense further, that percentage will drop to 3% or lower — the lowest total in the entire post-World War II era.  Click to keep reading…
My comments: Lots of really important issues brought up. Â We definitely need to cut back on spending. Â I think defense could give up a little bit as well.
by Rupe | Jun 7, 2011 | Mad Musings
What Does It Mean When A Politician Takes ‘Full Responsibility’? by Linda Homes of NPR 
This question came up a few weeks ago when Arnold Schwarzenegger said he would “take responsibility for the hurt [he] had caused” by fathering a child with a member of his household staff and keeping it a secret from his wife for more than 10 years. It returned yesterday when Rep. Anthony Weiner announced in a teary, cringe-inducing press conference that yes, he tweeted a lewd photo of himself to a woman last week in a misbegotten attempt to send it to her privately, and then lied repeatedly while trying to keep people from finding out. Oh, and by the way — she wasn’t the only one.
“I came here to accept the full responsibility for what I’ve done,” he said. The phrase is almost always one of the basic elements of the confessional press conference, and even more so the sex-confessional press conference. But what does it mean? Â continue reading…
My Comments:
Blah..blah…blah…who cares.
by Rupe | Jun 7, 2011 | Fitness
Another good cardio day. This time around I felt pretty good about my abs workout.  Also, unlike the last time I did cardio, I had an ok pre and post workout chow downs. Still need to build a better meal plan and work at consistency. Also…awesome abs workout today…!
Workout: Day 29 (T7/Cardio) – 87mins
Elliptical: 60mins
Distance: 7.80
Abs:Â 325Â (Crunches – 100;Â Leg Lifts/Bicycles – 75;Â Obliques – 100; Reverse – 50)
Pushups: 0
Calories: 1030
Tracker
Total Distance: 79.00 miles (Goal 250/171.00 remain) *
Total Calories: 16,857 (Goal 50,000/33,143 remain) *
Total Pushups: 1345(Goal 10,000 / 8,645)
Good livin’…keep movin’!
-R-
by Rupe | Jun 6, 2011 | Fitness
Diet was ok. Â Changed up workout slightly, felt a bit weak, but overall good workout.
Workout: Day 28 (M6/Upper Body II) – 95mins/1min rest
Pull down 1×12,10,10 (130,140,140)
Deadlifts 1×12,10,10 (110 – 45s+10s)
One arm DB rows (65,65,65)
Smits Machine Shrugs – 3×15 @ 90lbs
Preacher Curl – 1×12 @ 30lbs (2x15s)
Barbell Curl 1×12,10,10
Short Barbell Curl 1×12,10,10 @ 10lbs
DB Curl 1×12,10,10  – 30lbs
Cardio: 30mins
Distance: 4.66
Pushups: 50 (at least 50 per day)
Calories: 1126
Tracker
Total Distance: 70.20 miles (Goal 250/184.46 remain) *
Total Calories: 15,827 (Goal 50,000/34,173 remain) *
Total Pushups: 1345(Goal 10,000 / 8,645)
Good livin’…keep movin’!
-R-
by Rupe | Jun 3, 2011 | philosophy-religion
BAD FAITH -Â Religion kept couple from getting baby’s tumor treated, prosecutors say
The parents of an 18-month-old girl are on trial for criminal neglect after allowing tumor near her left eye to grow to the size of a golf ball without seeking medical attention because they believed God would heal their child, according to Oregon authorities.
Timothy and Rebecca Wyland, members of a faith-healing, Oregon City sect called Followers of Christ, are accused of criminal mistreatment of their daughter Alayna, whose eyesight is permanently damaged by a hemangioma, a benign tumor that pushed her eyeball out of its socket and created a massive, discolored facial growth.
“Sometimes God heals, and sometimes God lets children die,†Timothy Wyland, 45, told detectives, prosecutor Christine Landers said in her opening statement this week.  Click here to read entire post at The Daily…
My Comments:
Not sure if you can blame this on religion, this is just plain-ass dumb; then again, wasn’t the world supposed to end a few weeks ago on 21 May…my bad.
Defending Defense: Ten Questions on the Future of US Defense Spending Priorities for Secretary of Defense Nominee Leon Panetta Background 