by Rupe | Oct 12, 2008 | Mad Musings
By Reva Bhalla (STRATFOR)
On the day after 9/11, U.S. President George W. Bush declared a global “war on terror.†Al Qaeda had first 
reared its head years before in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the 1998 U.S. Embassy attacks in East Africa and the 2000 USS Cole bombing, but it was not until the World Trade Center towers came crashing down that the global international security community became almost completely consumed with battling global jihadism. Professors of political Islam came out of the woodwork, Osama bin Laden became a household name, university students started pouring into Arabic language courses and, for the first time, terrorism became a national security priority. This era became known as the “post-9/11 world.â€
(more…)
by Rupe | Oct 12, 2008 | Inspiration, Military-Political
By George Friedman (STRATFOR)
* The Russian Resurgence
German Chancellor Angela Merkel went to St. Petersburg last week for meetings with Russian President 
Dmitri Medvedev. The central question on the table was Germany’s position on NATO expansion, particularly with regard to Ukraine and Georgia. Merkel made it clear at a joint press conference that Germany would oppose NATO membership for both of these countries, and that it would even oppose placing the countries on the path to membership. Since NATO operates on the basis of consensus, any member nation can effectively block any candidate from NATO membership.
(more…)
by Rupe | Jul 31, 2008 | Money Matters
Put aside the romantic notion that love conquers all — and pull out your calculators. Successful 
partnerships require a plan, a CFO (usually) and regular progress reports
By Liz Pulliam Weston
Marriage makes people richer.
Not all marriages, of course, and “richer” is relative. But overall, people who get married and stay married build significantly more wealth than single folks:
- The median net worth of married-couple households in the latest Census Bureau wealth study, conducted in 2002, was $101,975. For single men, median wealth was $23,700. For single women, $20,217.
- A 15-year study of 9,000 people found that during that time, people who married and stayed married built up nearly twice the net worth of people who stayed single. Even when all other factors are held constant — stuff like income and education — just the fact that they were married contributed to a 4% annual rise in these couples’ wealth…keep reading
by Rupe | Jul 22, 2008 | Mad Musings
– Baby boomer: born in ’44-’62
– GenX: born in ’62-’82
– Milennials: born after ’82
by Rupe | May 31, 2008 | Workout Log
It sounds like you’re referring to a “calories in vs. calories out” type of equation. First you need to understand that one pound of fat is made up of roughly 3,500 extra calories. So in order to lose one pound of fat, you need to create a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories.
Basically, you can create a deficit of calories in three different ways:
1. Eat fewer calories than you burn each day. Keep in mind that your body burns calories all day long as part of your basal metabolic rate (BMR), because it takes energy (calories) for your body to perform basic physiological functions that are necessary for life—breathing, digesting, circulating, thinking and more. On top of that, physical activity (bathing, walking, typing and exercising) uses even more calories each day.
It’s not important for you to know what your BMR is. Your SparkDiet has already estimated your BMR based on variables like age, gender and weight, so you don’t have to do any calculations. The calorie goal recommended in your SparkDiet plan will help you create a caloric deficit and lose weight.
Example: If you eat 500 fewer calories each day for a week, you’ll lose about one pound of fat (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories). Again, keep in mind that your SparkDiet has already done these calculations for you, so simply follow the calorie recommendations on your plan (don’t eat less than is already recommended).
(more…)
by Rupe | May 20, 2008 | Mad Musings
Senate Armed Services Committee – completes work on FY 09 NDAA
FY 09 SASC – National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)highlights
Senate Armed Service Committee completed its Mark-Up of FY 09 National Defense Authorization Act; a brief summary follows; A detail summary of the bill is available here also for  past bills click here
Markup Highlights
• Authorizes a 3.9 percent across-the-board pay raise, 0.5 percent above the budget request;
• Authorizes $26.1 billion for the Defense Health Program, which includes the $1.2 billion necessary to cover the rejection of the Administration proposal to raise TRICARE fees;
• Authorizes $125 billion for military personnel, including costs of pay, allowances, bonuses, death benefits, and permanent change of station moves;
• Requires the Secretary of Defense to develop a comprehensive policy to prevent suicides by military personnel;
• Requires the Secretary of Defense to review DOD and military service policies on deferment of deployment of female service members following birth of a child; and
• Requires the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs to continue the operations of the Senior Oversight Committee to oversee implementation of Wounded Warrior initiatives. Click here to read more…
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by Rupe | May 18, 2008 | Money Matters
By RON LIEBER; Published: May 17, 2008
The stark truth about managing our money these days is that we are mostly on our own
Few employers want us aroundfor 40 years, so our income is likely to have ups and downs and disappear altogether for brief periods between jobs. Saving for retirement is now mostly our responsibility, too. Health insurance, for those of us who have it and manage to keep it, requires increasingly large amounts of money out of our pockets. The list goes on and on.
At the same time, all sorts of individuals and institutions have smelled opportunity and lined up to peddle their wares, resulting in an explosion of credit cards, bank products and advisers of various stripes. Some of this is helpful because competition has led to lower costs. But in other instances — say, newfangled adjustable-rate mortgages — the result has been painful.
Complicating all of this is the housing downturn, which has affected the largest asset in many portfolios. Rising fuel and food prices along with tougher loan standards do not help.
Given the stakes, it is hard to avoid the persistent low-grade fear that we have made wrong choices or cannot find the right ones, even though they are out there somewhere.
“There’s no guarantee that the choices will be available, attractive or appropriate for everyone,†said Jacob
S. Hacker, a political science professor at Yale University and author of “The Great Risk Shift,†which looked at how corporations and governments have pushed financial responsibility onto individuals. Read on…
by Rupe | May 10, 2008 | Inspiration, Mentoring
I believe that everyone should have rules or principles that guide them – baseline that they come back to time and time again to keep them anchored. Below are mine:
1. DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IN LIFE AND SET GOALS
2. BACK GOALS WITH DETERMINATION; BE PERSISTENCE – BOUNCE BACK
3. LOVE YOUR WORK…WORK YOUR LOVE…COMMIT YOURSELF.
4. COMMIT YOURSELF TO A LIFE OF LEARNING – READ OFTEN AND WIDELY
5. USE YOUR TIME WISELY…DON’T WASTE A MINUTE
6. SAY TO YOURSELF I AM A GENIUS; REGARD YOURSELF AS THE GREATEST
7. FOLLOW THOSE WHO ARE GOOD…ASSOCIATE ONLY WITH SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE.
8. TREAT EVERYONE WITH RESPECT; BUT WITHDRAW IT IF IT IS UNDESERVED
9. GUARD YOUR INTEGRITY AS A SACRED THING…BE TRUE TO YOURSELF
10. LIVE YOUR LIFE AS THOUGH YOU WOULD LIKE EVERYBODY TO FOLLOW YOU.
11. USE YOUR CREATIVITY…WORK HARD AND YOU WILL SUCCEED!
by Rupe | May 3, 2008 | Mad Musings, Workout Log
by Stew Smith
To lose weight, there are a few factors that you must consider for any weight loss program to be effective. If you remember the following formulas, you should be able to lose weight in a healthy manner and better yet, KEEP IT OFF!
Formula #1: Calories OUT > Calories IN = Weight Loss
This formula is as basic as weight loss gets. If you exercise more calories than you eat at the end of the day, you will lose weight. Creating a calorie deficiency at the end of a day does not mean you have to
starve yourself. In fact, decreasing your calories too much can have an opposite effect on the body and cause what I refer to as CAMELMODE.
The human body is built for survival and when we receive too few calories and not enough water, we can actually shut down our metabolismto a point where you will not burn fat and store water. So, you will not lose weight, but you could gain weight by the increased water retention.
This is where Formula #2 comes into play: Water + Oxygen = Fat burning
Basically, the body needs water and increased oxygen to burn fat as an energy source. The water intake should be anywhere from 1/2 gallon for women and up to 1 gallon a day for men. See the “Water Plus Oxygen Equals Weight Loss” article if you are concerned about drinking “too much water.”
As you add more water to your system, your body will be able to use the retained water for excretion, prompting almost immediate weight loss that is healthy. This is not the same as sitting in a sauna and
sweating which actually DEHYDRATES you. Adding water will REHYDRATE you and enable the body to burn more fat (as long as you increase your oxygen intake by doing some form of exercise). Walking, swimming, biking, jogging, calisthenics, and even yard work can help with working your cardiovascular system.
Here are some sample calorie expenditures for a variety of activities for people who weigh 130 – 190 lbs. If you weigh more that 190 lbs you will actually burn slightly more calories than a lighter person. Continue reading….
by Rupe | May 3, 2008 | Military-Political
China has urged its citizens to be calm amid further anti-Western
protests in the country, focused on French supermarket chain Carrefour.
The official Communist Party newspaper, the People’s Daily, said patriotism should be expressed rationally. The protesters have been angered by disruption of the Olympic torch relay in Paris and London.
They also accuse the West of supporting Tibetan separatists, and the Western media of bias.
The official Xinhua news agency said more than 1,000 people carrying banners had gathered in front of a Carrefour store 
in the city of Xian, and there were also protests in Harbin and Jinan.
Xinhua added that police were monitoring the demonstrations in the three cities, which remained peaceful.
The protests came after Saturday saw hundreds of people demonstrating in cities including Beijing, Wuhan, Hefei, Kunming, and Qingdao – often outside Carrefour stores.
Protesters denounced French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s refusal to
confirm whether he would attend the opening ceremony of the Games.
Carrefour has restated its support for Beijing’s hosting of the Olympics this August, and denies the accusations by some protesters that it backs the campaign for Tibetan independence.
The front-page Sunday editorial in the People’s Daily called on Chinese people to cherish patriotism “while expressing it in a rationalway”.
It said: “As citizens, we have the responsibility to express our patriotic enthusiasm calmly and rationally and express patriotic aspiration in an orderly and legal manner.
“The more complicated the international situation is, the more calmness, wisdom and unity need to be shown by the Chinese people.”
The BBC’s Daniel Griffiths in Beijing says this is a clear sign that the Chinese government does not want to see any escalation in the protests….read entire article…
by Rupe | Apr 13, 2008 | Workout Log
Who’s Counting on You to Be at Your Best?
— By Mike Kramer, Staff Write
On March 28, (give or take) I’m going to become a dad for the first time. This thought is inconceivable to me, yet seems perfectly natural.
Friends and family promise me that I’m in for the biggest and best adventure of my life. In the next breath, they also warn me that I’m in for thousands of the craziest, most maddening days I’ll ever hope to see.
And I’m cool with that. Because there’s a thought that calms me down and pushes me forward every day – he (for sake of discussion) only wants one thing right now. And I know that I can give it to him.
Sure, he’ll need a house and a room and a place to sleep. He’ll need Halloween costumes, birthday candles and hidden Easter eggs. When he’s 16, he’ll need me to get out of the car so he can pick up his Homecoming date alone. When he’s 30, he’ll probably need me to babysit his kids.
But for now, he really only needs one thing from me – to be at the top of my game. He needs a Dad who’s fit enough, healthy enough and happy enough to do what needs done and have fun doing it. He needs a Dad with enough energy reserves to light up Sioux City, Iowa. He needs a Dad who’ll be playing on the floor more than lying on the couch. He needs a quick, clear thinker, a heavy lifter, and an all-around fixer of things mechanical and personal.
by Rupe | Apr 13, 2008 | Mad Musings
“Fall seven times, get up eight.” – Japanese Proverb
“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” – John Quincy Adams
“The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.” – Chinese Proverb
“Never give in. Never. Never. Never. Never.” – Winston Churchill
“Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.” – Samuel Johnson
These quotes all say the same thing. No matter how many obstacles you run into, what matters is that you’re able to overcome each of them, one at a time.
“Two steps forward, one step back” is usually a negative term to describe someone who is having trouble making progress. But switched around, “1 Step Back, 2 Steps Forward” means that instead of grousing or feeling guilty about a misstep, you can still come out ahead if you put your head down and push forward.
Steps back can take many forms: a family vacation, breaks in your routine, personal tragedies, injuries, or that lost weekend in front of the tube. A big mistake people make when trying to get healthier is that when they fall off a bit or something happens, they think they “have to start over”. Wrong! When missteps do happen, a better strategy is to simply take two steps forward. You’re still ahead of where you were before, far beyond the starting line.
(continued…)
by Rupe | Apr 12, 2008 | Workout Log
I did my spring PFA yesterday at Langley.
Well, I am not sure how to put it but…I was okay with the results; a little bit disappointed, as I could have done a bit better. At any rate, no need crying over spoiled milk though. I did well and that’s all that there is to that.
Also, for the first time I did the Elliptical. I have done the treadmill in the past; and even though at the time I was in pretty good shape, it was a beast to get to the end…it was quite the ordeal. This time around with the Elliptical, it was the opposite. I suppose owning an elliptical does have some merits to it. I did quite well…next time it will be outstanding…I promise. Here are my scores:
- Push ups: 82 (Not as good as I wanted to; thought I would be able to pump out some more – score 90)
- Curl ups : 72 (This was pathetic, in fact, if am being honest, I probably did 50% properly – score 68)
- Elliptical: 240 calories, the equivalent of 10:33 – score – 100
- Final grade – Excellent High.
Having missed the last 2 cycles, I can’t say I am totally disappointed, but I will definitely push for the outstanding next time. My goal for this summer:
- Push ups: 105
- Curl ups: 105
- Elliptical/Bike: 300 calories in 12 minutes
- Final Grade in Fall – Outstanding High
I have also started a couple of challenge groups to help in the motivation department. See you next post!
by Rupe | Apr 10, 2008 | Workout Log
Reach Other Goals by Starting With Your Self
— By Rebecca Pratt, Staff Writer
You’re a parent, school volunteer, Little League coach, and trusted assistant to your boss. You’ve been up since 6 a.m., made breakfast, packed lunches, cleaned the house, chauffeured the neighborhood kids, helped with homework, read bedtime stories, and finished extra work from the office. It’s 11:30. You’re exhausted. And, in about six-and-a-half hours you’ll begin the whole 24-hour cycle…again.
If you find yourself saying ‘Stop the merry-go-round, I want to get off!’ you’re not alone. Most of us—especially women, but men too (hey, there are reasons that men die younger than women)—have at some time found ourselves at the bottom of the heap when it comes to taking care of our needs.
The problem with that is that if we don’t take care of ourselves, sooner or later we won’t be of much use to anyone else—or to ourselves. Just as the airline attendant tells you to put on your own oxygen mask in an emergency before helping a child with theirs, you must take care of your own basic needs before you can attend to the needs of others. What’s more, being busy is not necessarily the same as being productive with meaningful activity. (Do the workaholics you know really accomplish that much more in proportion to the time they invest?)
If “putting yourself first†(a common admonition) sounds too selfish or too hard, try something simpler: put yourself on an equal footing with those you love and tend to. Do you insist that they get enough sleep? Start making that a priority for yourself too. Do you give them time for fun and socializing with friends? Then you do the same! Remember Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: human beings must meet their basic needs before they can move on to higher-level goals.
Since most of us already know that we should take care of ourselves—but often have trouble figuring out how to do it, here are some guidelines for getting there:
- Preserve your physical health with adequate sleep, exercise, and nutrition.
- Value your emotional health as much as the physical, with a support system of friends and a willingness to laugh—especially at yourself.
- Schedule fun activities on a regular basis—it’s just as important to plan pleasure as it is to plan work.
- Identify “busy behaviors†(or people) that drain your time and energy but aren’t really important, then dump ‘em, or at least minimize their hold on you.
- Kill two birds with one stone, combining family time with exercise, for example, which benefits everyone involved.
- Try to look at the problems in your life with new eyes to find solutions. If you’re a new mom, for instance, see if you can trade childcare with another new mom to get some time for yourself.
- Learn to say “No!†Your “yes†is valuable and should not be automatic. Instead, reserve it for the things that are most important to you.
- Don’t try to change every problem area in your life all at once. Start with one or two items, then expand as you get things under control.
Your life should be like a checking account, balancing out on a regular basis so that you always have assets to draw upon. By making even small deposits—taking care of yourself with a 10-minute walk or a nutritious meal—you’ll be amazed at the interest you’ll reap.
by Rupe | Apr 6, 2008 | Mad Musings
By Alice Turner
A new study has found that on average, after marriage the wife dedicates seven hours per week more to housework, while husbands do on average one hour less of housework.
“It’s a well-known pattern. There’s still a significant reallocation of labor that occurs at marriage — men tend to work more outside the home, while women take on more of the household labor,” said in a statement Frank Stafford, of the university’s Institute for Social Research (ISR), who directed the study. “And the situation gets worse for women when they have children,” he added in the statement.
I can hardly see the situation “worse” for women. It’s quite clear that men and women have different preferences and men tend to work more outside the home while women have a tendency of doing more housework. This is hardly a matter of culture but rather a psychological difference which goes far back to the beginnings of mankind and will not go away anytime soon. Also, the study found that both genders did more around the house after exchanging vows.
It was quite interesting to find out that while married men worked more inside their home, by an average of one hour, before they got married, unmarried women worked less than any other category of women. Married women with at least three children do around 28 hours a week, nearly threefold compared with their husbands’ 10 hours.
The study, which was federally-funded, is based on time-diaries and questionnaires from a nationally representative sample of men and women over a 10-year period between 1996 and 2005.
by Rupe | Apr 6, 2008 | Mad Musings
How to Keep Going When You Feel Like Stopping
— By Julie Isphording, Olympic Marathoner
Just about everyone has heard of the “Wall,” as in “hitting the wall.” And lots of us – in running and in life – have run straight into it. Head on.
A wall is the point in a race (or in life) where you’re used up. You’re officially done. You feel as if you are draining away into a little puddle on the ground. Your legs don
‘t respond to the word “go.” You vow never to do this again.
Although I hope you never have a wall get between you and a goal, here are some tricks I’ve learned from running that can help you get over your own wall when it’s in the way:
Keep going regardless
Promise yourself that, no matter what, you will press on, even if you are walking, crawling, or puttering. In the Boston Marathon in 1993, I was running so slowly to the finish that I felt like I was actually going backwards. Stay on your feet. Eyes straight ahead. Move.
Don’t think
Just go. Do not dwell on how overwhelmingly awful you feel. Focus on the cheering crowds, your friends and family waiting at the finish, the cool water, the trees… anything.
Try bribery
Tell yourself, “Self, when I get done with this, I’m going to buy you a new car, a new house, whatever you want.”
Word-watch
Watch the negative words and thoughts. Think instead about all the successes you have had. How about all those hills you conquered? All those long workouts you endured? You are a great person. Relish those thoughts.
Negotiate with yourself
Give yourself permission to simply go to the next water stop, or to the next milestone, or even just the end of the day. Keep repeating that strategy until you see the finish line. Just one more mile before you say one more mile!
If it was easy, everyone could do it. You are the one who will make it. And don’t forget the finish line pose!
by Rupe | Apr 6, 2008 | Inspiration, Workout Log
— By Mike Kramer, Staff Writer
In tennis, losing one point isn’t the end of the world. It happens to the best of them. In fact, if you can consistently win a few more points that you lose, you may end up in the hall of fame. With healthy eating and exercising, as long as you’re consistently out-stepping your steps back, you’re ahead of the game. If you expect perfection (and many of us do), you’re setting yourself up for disappointment and guilt.
Guilt can be debilitating to your healthy habits. When you mess up (or even when things are messed up for you), it’s natural to feel guilty. At that point, you have a choice: to let that guilt plummet you into a cycle that could spit you out worse off than before, or to accept the step back and say “where do I go from here?”
Of course, consistent success is still something to strive for. You don’t want to roller-coaster up and down. That’s an “old” habit, remember? And the 1Step/2Step strategy doesn’t lessen the need to do your best. You should still work hard to keep those steps back from happening. But it helps to be prepared with a plan and a positive attitude for when they do happen.
Many times, this means a rededication, a refocusing, and a recommitment. You might want to look at your program and see why it’s allowing those landmines to stick around. Use it as a learning process. Ask how you can keep that misstep from happening again.
Take a walk in the woods to clear your head and regroup.
Have a personal “bounce back” motto that will re-energize you. Put it everywhere.
Take a break if you think you’re trying too hard.
Return to the basics. Are you making it too complicated and tough on yourself?
Plan ahead for irregularities in your schedule, call ahead to healthy restaurants, pack healthy snacks.
Stay aware of what you’re doing. One meal mess up can turn into a one day mess up, a one week mess up if you’re not careful.
Remind yourself of your success so far when you need a boost.
Unlike people who run 10 miles today because they should have run two yesterday, “2 Steps Forward” doesn’t necessarily mean doing a lot more to make up for a blunder. Just make a commitment to do things as right as possible as much as you can.
by Rupe | Apr 6, 2008 | Workout Log
You Can Prevent this Problem — By Liz Noelcke, SparkPeople, Staff Writer
Muscle cramps can be a very painful side effect of exercise. You work out to benefit your body and overall health, and are punished with a sharp pain in your muscles. It’s easy to get frustrated and even apprehensive when a “charley horse” occurs, but they are usually harmless and there are several tricks to help alleviate the pain.
Cramps occur when a muscle contracts and doesn’t relax. They are involuntary and you can often see or feel your muscle twitching. Even after the muscle does relax, it will remain fatigued and possibly sore. Cramps can last anywhere from a few seconds to 25 minutes or more. While some people experience cramps during exercise, they can also happen while sitting or even sleeping. They most commonly occur in the leg, especially in the calf, hamstring and quadricep.
Why me?
There are many reasons why cramps may occur. Inadequate stretching and overexertion might lead to a build up of lactic acid in your muscles. Muscle fatigue and dehydration may also contribute. Cramps are also more likely to happen in hot weather since you tend to lose more fluids.
Make it stop
When cramps do strike, instead of grimacing in pain, try a few tricks to help the muscle relax. Start by gently stretching the area. Don’t reach too far; just lightly push the muscle until you feel a stretch. Learn specific stretches to use. Another way to reduce the pain is to delicately massage the cramped muscle, without rubbing too hard. You might also try to ice the affected area for 15 minutes at a time. This will increase the circulation to the muscle.
An ounce of prevention
For prevention, include stretching in every workout. You’ll not only gain a wider range of flexibility, but you’ll also help keep muscles healthy. Take control over your breathing, especially while you are stretching. Deep breaths will deliver much needed oxygen to your muscles. Also make sure to warm up before heavy exercise so that your muscles are not shocked. Gradually ease into the exercise. Increase your training intensity slowly over time. Too much too soon will only result in injury.
Avoid eating a big meal too close to your work out. You’ll be taking blood flow away from your muscles and towards your digestion system. And as always, drink water. It will keep your joints moving fluidly and help remove toxins that might build up in your muscles.
Although not usually worrisome, if you get cramps on a regular basis, be sure to consult your doctor.
by Rupe | Apr 5, 2008 | Mad Musings
How to Keep Going When You Feel Like Stopping
— By Julie Isphording, Olympic Marathoner
Just about everyone has heard of the “Wall,” as in “hitting the wall.” And lots of us – in running and in life – have run straight into it. Head on.
A wall is the point in a race (or in life) where you’re used up. You’re officially done. You feel as if you are draining away into a little puddle on the ground. Your legs don
‘t respond to the word “go.” You vow never to do this again.
Although I hope you never have a wall get between you and a goal, here are some tricks I’ve learned from running that can help you get over your own wall when it’s in the way:
Keep going regardless
Promise yourself that, no matter what, you will press on, even if you are walking, crawling, or puttering. In the Boston Marathon in 1993, I was running so slowly to the finish that I felt like I was actually going backwards. Stay on your feet. Eyes straight ahead. Move.
Don’t think
Just go. Do not dwell on how overwhelmingly awful you feel. Focus on the cheering crowds, your friends and family waiting at the finish, the cool water, the trees… anything.
Try bribery
Tell yourself, “Self, when I get done with this, I’m going to buy you a new car, a new house, whatever you want.”
Word-watch
Watch the negative words and thoughts. Think instead about all the successes you have had. How about all those hills you conquered? All those long workouts you endured? You are a great person. Relish those thoughts.
Negotiate with yourself
Give yourself permission to simply go to the next water stop, or to the next milestone, or even just the end of the day. Keep repeating that strategy until you see the finish line. Just one more mile before you say one more mile!
If it was easy, everyone could do it. You are the one who will make it. And don’t forget the finish line pose!
by Rupe | Mar 30, 2008 | Mad Musings
by Rupe | Jul 20, 2007 | Military-Political
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by Rupe | Jun 17, 2007 | Mad Musings
I promise to finish my JPME Schedule by August 30 or earlier.
Made O4 in September 05 – Sept 08 early look and Sept 09 IZ.
Now: July07-July08 = 12
July08-July09 = 24
by Rupe | Apr 8, 2007 | Mad Musings
Need to do research:
- Anteon
- Booze Allen Hamilton
- General Dynamics
- iBaset
- Inforeliance
- L3 Co GSI
- Lockheed Martin
- Mitre
- Man Tech
- Northrop Grumman
- SAIC
- Sybase
- Titan
by Rupe | Aug 6, 2006 | what the...?
During a recent daily read of the WST, I was drawn to topic – “Bush Signs Voting Right Act Extension”; the subhead read – Voting Rights signed into law for another 25 year.
Not being familiar with the Act, I was initially incensed by the fact that in this time and day, we still were messing around with legal aspects of voting for blacks. A quick read alayed my upsettedness some when I realized that the law was aimed at a number of Southern states that were still in the clutches of “Jim Crowism”.
Basically, what happens is periodically voting patterns are analyzed to see if blacks are being discriminated against in the voting arena. Owing to the state of affairs that still exist, I feel comfortable that such measure are still in effect because they are sorely still need.
by Rupe | Jul 6, 2006 | Mad Musings
This week I received an email titled, “LOVE-HANDLES!! Help me lose them.” I have been working on a routine that incorporates exercises that will help you work your love handles (the oblique region of the torso). Personally, I like to work my “obliques” on days I work my legs, so I created the Legs and Love Handles workout seen below. As with any abdominal exercise, you need to concentrate on three areas to help firm your mid-section. These are: 1) Healthy Diet, 2) Cardio-vascular and resistance training, and 3) Targeted Abdominal exercises.
The number one item if you will notice is food intake. As with any fitness and health goal – nutrition and exercise are always the main ingredients to success. Neither can be missing or you will not have the energy to exercise or you will be part of the yo-yo diet crowd, buying a new diet book every year. Here is how I would break it down to get rid of those “love handles”:
#1 Healthy Diet
The most important factor in acquiring washboard abs is eating a healthy diet. Here is a list of recommended healthy ways to help you lose a few inches:
Drink at least three liters of water per day (100 oz)
Eat five servings of vegetables and fruits per day
Eliminate fried foods and cheese
Eliminate processed sugar (for example: sodas, cookies, candy)
Eliminate fatty red meat – only lean red meats (1-2 times weekly)
Diets like the Atkins and other high protein diets may help at first, but to get rid of that last 10-15 pounds, it is recommended to lower calories to a range of 1500-2000 calories a day BUT you must make exercise a habit – both with abdominal exercises and cardio work.
#2) Cardio-vascular exercise
Losing love handles and increasing the metabolism so you can lose weight more effectively are all tied into a consistent cardiovascular / resistance training program. You should do 30-45 minutes of activities like walking, running, biking, or swimming daily 4-5 times per week, but also mix in 2-3 times a week of basic calisthenics like pushups, pull-ups, bench dips, squats and lunges. It takes a few weeks before you start to see the physical benefits or your diet and exercise program. You will see almost immediate results in your energy level, overall mental alertness when exercising daily. The sample routine below will help you better organize exercise into your week:
Monday & Thursday
Upperbody Program
Warmup 5:00 / stretch
Repeat 5-10 times
Pushups – 10-20
Regular Crunches – 20
Bench dips – 10-20
Reverse Crunches – 20
Pullups – max reps
Hanging Knee up
Stretch abs/lowerback
Cardio option 20-30:00
Run, bike, walk, swim etc
Tuesday & Friday
Legs and Love Handles
Repeat 4-5 times
Walk, bike or jog 5:00
Stretch legs
Squats – 20
Lunges 10 / leg
Left crunches – 25
Right crunches – 25
Hip rollers – 10/side
Stretch abs / lowerback
Cooldown walk or bike
5:00 / stretch
Wednesday
LONG Cardio Day
45-60 minutes of walking, running or combination of the two
Or biking, swimming, elliptical gliding machines
Below are some abdominal exercises taken from every eBook sold on the Military.com Fitness ebook Store. For pictures of other exercises, see the Washboard abs article. Sample abdominal exercises are the following:
Hanging knee-ups – Bring your knees as high as you can as shown.
Advanced Crunch – (Legs up) – Lie on your back with your feet straight in the air. Keep your legs straight up in the air for the advanced crunches. Cross your hands over your chest and bring your elbows to your knees by flexing your stomach. (Do not do if you have previous lower back injury – place feet on the floor.)
Reverse Crunch – In the same position as the regular crunch, lift your knees and butt toward your elbows. Leave your head and upper body flat on the ground. Only move your legs and butt. (Do not do if you have previous lower back injury)
Right Elbow to Left Knee – Cross your left leg over your right leg. Flex your stomach and twist to bring your right elbow to your left knee.
Left Elbow to Right Knee – Same as above just switch sides. Cross your right leg over your leg. Flex your stomach and twist to bring your left elbow to your right knee.
Hip Rollers – This exercise will help you build your abs, back and hips to help with long ocean swims and balance out the hip flexors exercises. Twist to both sides keeping your shoulders on the floor and stay in the bent knee position when rotating left and right.
*note – Anytime you work your abs, you should also exercise your lower back to build balance in your torso.
Lower Back Exercise – Swimmers – Lie on your stomach and lift your feet and knees off the floor by flutter kicking repeatedly as if you were swimming freestyle.
Keep the emails coming! You can contact me at stew@stewsmith.com. Check out the Military.com Fitness Store for answers to your weight loss and fitness goals.
by Rupe | Apr 26, 2006 | Funny Schnick!
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* When a co-worker comes in a little too happy singing “good morning” toeveryone and you think, “Somebody needs to slap the s#@! out of her”…Youneed to pray at work.* When someone comes in and announces, “office meeting in 5 minutes,” andyou think, “what the f*&% do they want now?”….. You need to pray at work.* When your computer is mysteriously turned off and you want to say, “whichone of you sons of b*&^%$# turned off my computer?”….. You need to pray at work.
* When you and a co-worker are discussing something, and a third personcomes in and says, “well at my last office…,” and you want to throw astapler at him…… You need to pray at work.
* When you hear a co-worker call your name and the first thing that crossesyour mind is, “what the h*&^ does she want now?” and you try to hideunderneath your desk……… You need to pray at work.
* When you are asked to stay late and help do someone else’s work and thefirst thing that pops in your head is, “both of y’all can kiss mya@@!!”…. You need to pray at work.
* When you take some vacation time and come back to find a mountain ofpaperwork sitting on your desk because no one else would do it and youthink, “sorry a## M#$^%F%&#s”…….. You need to pray at work.
* If you have ever thought about poisoning, choking, punching, slapping orflattening someone’s tires that you work with…… You need to pray atwork.
* If you avoid saying more than hello or how are you doing to someonebecause you know it’s going to lead to their life story …….You need topray at work.
* If you know all the words that have been bleeped out….You need to prayat work!LET US ALL BOW OUR HEADS
by Rupe | Feb 25, 2006 | philosophy-religion
I would rather be truthful than be right. Right is relative and is underpinned by perception. Truth is not, it is not constrained by perception. It is pricipular in nature and without bounds.
Truth stands alone. The right way to do something implies there is also a wrong way as well; on the other hand, what is true
about a situation does not imply diametrically that there is a false position.
Right (untainted) requires the support of that which is true – the opposite is predicated on context. Because while you may feel truthfully about killing a man…that is not necessarily the right thing to do. Truth is axiomatic…it is a principle that stands alone. I believe it is what one, from a religious bent, would refer to as God.
Right speaks from the heart…truth speaks from that which could best be described as the soul.
Will develop this a bit further….
by Rupe | Feb 24, 2006 | Funny Schnick!
You don’t have to own a cat to appreciate this…..
The couple was dressed and ready to go out for the evening.
They turned on a night light, turned on the answering machine,
covered their pet parakeet’s cage and put the cat in the backyard.
They phoned the local cab company and requested a taxi.
The taxi arrived and the couple opened the front door to leave their house.Â
The cat they had put out into the yard scooted back into the house.
They didn’t want the cat shut in the house because she always tries to eat the bird.Â
The wife went out to the taxi while the husband went inside to get the cat.
The cat ran upstairs, with the man in hot pursuit.Â
Waiting in the cab, the wife didn’t want the driver to know the house would be empty for the night.
She explained to the taxi driver that her husband would be out soon.
“He’s just going upstairs to say good-bye to my mother.” A few minutes later, the husband got into the cab. “Sorry I took so long,” he said, as they drive away.
“Stupid bitch was hiding under the bed. I had to poke her with a coat hanger to get her to come out!
She tried to take off so I grabbed her by the neck. Then I had to wrap her in a blanket to keep her from scratching me.
But it worked. I hauled her fat ass downstairs and threw her out into the back yard!”
The cabdriver hit a parked car………..
by Rupe | Feb 10, 2006 | Mad Musings
by Rupe | Feb 7, 2006 | Mad Musings
Just wanted to drop a few lines in my blog before setting in for the night. Actually, it’s morning now, but I had a pretty interesting day.
The big news is that I am being mob’d. Will hopefully be going to Tampa for the duration of the period in about 30 days or so…finger’s cross. Sort of looking forward to it.
I say sort of because I visited Tampa the other day and I really did not get a warm and fuzzy; then again it was just a quick run through. The wife seems to like it tho. So the clock starts ticking here. Hopefully I can move them down by the start of the summer when Marcus gets out of school.
I am just so proud of Marcus, he has no idea. He is very smart and is doing great in school. Â He was assessed as being gifted and damn it I will spare no expense to get him the absolute best.
Cheyenne is coming us so wonderful as well. She too is extremely bright. She is not yet 3, but she already knows her alphabet and quite a few of the letter sounds.
This now takes me to my beautiful wife. I really give her big credit on how well she has reared our kids. They are coming along so very well. I literally look forward to each day with her.
So I guess all in all I am a very happy man right now…probably the happiest that I have ever been in my entire life.
So Tampa here I come – hopefully I can look back a year from now and say very great things. I strongly believe that I have some really powerful times ahead of me. My family has a lot of great times ahead. I am really looking forward to it.
