Select Page

There is a right way to talk to your kids about money – The Washington Post

by | Apr 24, 2015 | Money Matters

Start by teaching them that there are benefits in waiting for things.

Being a parent presents us with daily challenges, including decisions about what things to expose our children to. One of the questions I am constantly asked by parents is what should they teach their children about money, and at what age.

Talking about money is no different from talking about how to keep healthy or how to keep safe when using the internet. If your child thinks money is something that “mom and dad get from a machine,” then they don’t know how hard their parents work to generate an income for the family and meet all of their expenses.

Source: There is a right way to talk to your kids about money – The Washington Post

My Comments:  Yep! I will start on this, this weekend.

How I Found My Magic In The Quiet Spaces. | Rebelle Society

by | Apr 24, 2015 | Mad Musings

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, but I chose neither one. Instead, I set sail in my little boat to watch a sunset from a different view that couldn’t be seen from shore. Then I climbed the tallest mountain peak to watch the amber sun through the clouds. Finally, I travelled to the darkest part of the valley to see the last glimmering rays of light through the misty fog. It was every perspective I experienced on my journey that left the leaves trodden black, and that has made all the difference.” ~ Shannon L Alder

Source: How I Found My Magic In The Quiet Spaces. | Rebelle Society

My Comments:  I just love the stuff at Rebelle Society.  I can identify with this piece.  Spending lots of time on deployment and away from home has given me those times to really appreciate my solitude.

Cornel West’s Rise and Fall

by | Apr 24, 2015 | Mad Musings

NOR HELL A FURY LIKE A WOMAN SCORNED” is the best-known line from William Congreve’s The Mourning Bride. But I’m concerned with the phrase preceding it, which captures wrath in more universal terms: “Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned.” Even an angry Almighty can’t compete with mortals whose love turns to hate.

Cornel West’s rage against President Barack Obama evokes that kind of venom. He has accused Obama of political minstrelsy, calling him a “Rockefeller Republican in blackface”; taunted him as a “brown-faced Clinton”; and derided him as a “neoliberal opportunist.” In 2011, West and I were both speakers at a black newspaper conference in Chicago. During a private conversation, West asked how I escaped being dubbed an “Obama hater” when I was just as critical of the president as he was. I shared my three-part formula for discussing Obama before black audiences: Start with love for the man and pride in his epic achievement; focus on the unprecedented acrimony he faces as the nation’s first black executive; and target his missteps and failures. No matter how vehemently I disagree with Obama, I respect him as a man wrestling with an incredibly difficult opportunity to shape history. West looked into my eyes, sighed, and said: “Well, I guess that’s the difference between me and you. I don’t respect the brother at all.”

Source: Cornel West’s Rise and Fall by Michael Eric Dyson | The New Republic

My Comments:  I love and respect both Dr West and  Dr Dyson.  We need them both now, as they represent the very best among us.

All This Fucking Time and I Still Feel Grief. | Rebelle Society

by | Apr 24, 2015 | Mad Musings

The hallmark of a human life is loss, it seems. And the body is a vessel for grief.

This is not an if, but when. When is loss gonna hit?

And then it is how. How do you carry it? All that grief. And don’t even askwhy. Why is not a question that grief ever answers.

I only know this because I have my own grief. I am not looking for more, but it keeps coming anyway. It makes me feel like I’m getting nowhere sometimes, and yet closer to something at the same time.

Maybe that’s because loss doesn’t just take. It gives, too. Like a trade.

Source: All This Fucking Time and I Still Feel Grief. | Rebelle Society

My Comments: The depth of this piece is illuminating, beautiful, human and real.  Been there!

Phase 2 – Mt. Everest Challenge: Day 17

Phase 2 – Mt. Everest Challenge: Day 17

by | Apr 18, 2015 | Fitness

Narrative: (Duration – 62:00 mins) →  My Nike Link
Pretty roughish workout today.  Coming down with a cold, feels a bit nauseous, but since I can’t miss a day off during the challenge I had to push through.  Specifics: Did all my calisthenics movements upfront, as usual.  Did most single rep of 40s, but broke up a few into 2x20s. I will probably break them out in the future, as to which ones were 20s and which were 40s but don’t feel up to it right now.  I then moved to the treadmill and started at 4.0 @ 8.0° incline and changed every 5 mins  by 1°  up to 13°.   I felt really crappy to the end, but I pushed through.  The music today was a split between RockMyRun for calisthenics and Workout Madness for the climb.  Might try that a gain, it seemed to be a quite motivating.  On Everest:  Based on my virtual climb, I am now in Yak and snow leopard territory (Yaks thrive at altitude and can climb as high as 20,000 feet, and plenty are still used on Everest as pack animals. Snow leopards will roam as high as 18,000 feet.  The air is getting even thinner up here.  That’s it for today… Good livin’…just keep on movin’.

PHASE 2: RUPE FULL BODY MOUNT EVEREST CHALLENGE – (R-FBMEC)
DAY 13✅ DAY 14✅ DAY 15✅ DAY16✅ DAY 17✅ DAY 18
JUMPING JACKS 35 35 OFF 40 40 40
SQUATS 35 35 OFF 40 40 40
STANDING OBLIQUES 35 35 OFF 40 40 40
SIDE BENDS 35 @ 30LBS 35 @ 30LBS OFF 40 @ 30LBS 40 @ 30LBS 40 @ 30LBS
KICKBACKS 35 35 OFF 40 40 40
PUSH UPS (modified) 35 35 OFF 40 40 40
SITUPS 35 35 OFF 40 40 40
DB SHRUGS 35 @ 30LBS 35 @ 30LBS OFF 40 @ 30LBS 40 @ 30LBS 40 @ 30LBS
DB PRESSES 35 @ 30LBS 35 @ 30LBS OFF 40 @ 30LBS 40 @ 30LBS 40 @ 30LBS
LEG/CALF RAISES 35 35 OFF 40 40 40
PLANKS 70sec* 70sec OFF 80sec 80sec 80sec
RUN/ELLIP (8-12°) 30min 30min OFF 30min 30min 30min
TOTAL CALS  782/2416 637/2191 0/0  750/2369  647/2201*  0/0

Cardio: (Duration – 30:00 min) @ Intensity Level: 6.0 ✅

Type: Treadmilll (Elliptical, Outside, Treadmill, etc…)
Distance: 2.00
Elevation: 1096 

Goal and Statistics
Total Elevation: 14,310 (13,214 + 1096) feet (Goal 29,029 / 14,719 remains)  ⇒ See where I am on the mountain
Total Distance: 26.87 (24.87 +2.00) miles (Goal 50 / 23.13 remains)
Total Calories: 9,631 (8,984+647) (Goal 23,000/ 13,369 remains)

PHASE 2: RUPE FULL BODY MOUNT EVEREST CHALLENGE – (R-FBMEC)
DAY 7✔ DAY 8✔ DAY 9✔ DAY 10✔ DAY 11✔ DAY 12✔
JUMPING JACKS 30 30  ⇒ 60 OFF 35 35
SQUATS 30 30 ⇒ 60 OFF 35 35
STANDING OBLIQUES 30 30 ⇒ 60 OFF 35 35
SIDE BENDS 30 @ 30LBS 30 @ 30LBS ⇒ 60 @ 30LBS OFF 35 @ 30LBS 35 @ 30LBS
KICKBACKS 30 30 ⇒ 60 OFF 35 35
PUSH UPS (modified) 30 30 ⇒ 60 OFF 35 35
SITUPS 30 30 ⇒ 60 OFF 35 35
DB SHRUGS 30 @ 30LBS 30 @ 30LBS ⇒ 60@ 30LBS OFF 35 @ 30LBS 35 @ 30LBS
DB PRESSES 30 @ 30LBS 30 @ 30LBS ⇒ 60 @ 30LBS OFF 35 @ 30LBS 35 @ 30LBS
LEG/CALF RAISES 30 30 ⇒ 60 OFF 35 35
PLANKS 60sec 60sec ⇒ 120sec OFF 70secs 70secs
RUN/ELLIP (8-12°) 30min 30min ⇒ 60min OFF 30min 30min
TOTAL CALS  901/2314 0/0 1477/2770  0/0 743/2382  750/2067
PHASE 2: RUPE FULL BODY MOUNT EVEREST CHALLENGE – (R-FBMEC)
DAY 1✔ DAY 2✔ DAY 3✔ DAY 4✔ DAY 5 DAY 6✔
JUMPING JACKS 25 25 25 25 OFF 30
SQUATS 25 25 25 25 OFF 30
STANDING OBLIQUES 25 25 25 25 OFF 30
SIDE BENDS 25 @ 20LBS 25 @ 20LBS 25 @ 20LBS 25 @ 20LBS OFF 30 @ 30LBS
KICKBACKS 25 25 25 25 OFF 30
PUSH UPS (modified) 25 25 25 25 OFF 30
SITUPS 25 25 25 25 OFF 30
DB SHRUGS 25 @ 20LBS 25 @ 20LBS 25 @ 20LBS 25 @ 20LBS OFF 30 @ 30LBS
DB PRESSES 25 @ 20LBS 25 @ 20LBS 25 @ 20LBS 25 @ 20LBS OFF 30 @ 30LBS
LEG/CALF RAISES 25 25 25 25 OFF 30
PLANKS 25sec 25sec 25sec 25sec OFF 1min
RUN/ELLIP (8-12°) 25min 25min 25min 25 OFF 30min
TOTAL CALS  556 511 482  677 0  718/2369