Kill all the white people!

I guess it's good that it took over a week for me to notice this story, where an activist and professor named Kamau Kambon suggested the solution to the issues faced by blacks today would be best solved by 'exterminating' the white people.

Then again, that someone who would say something like this was involved in a conference on the subject is a little troubling. To be fair, he was rebuffed by others at the conference, and while he was a professor at NCSU, he is not any longer.

So it's good to see it not taken seriously, although a little coverage would be nice... goodness knows if the story were reversed, we'd still be seeing Matt and Katie talking about it.

Training Update Update

Meh. Had a rediculous amount of stuff to do this weekend to get ready to finish up selections for the new house, and today I didn't get enough done to get out to the gym and back before things get nuts (Holloweeen in Fells Point is crazy, couple that with the Ravens on Monday Night Football...)

So Wednedsday will be the first day back.

I did do some mobility work and stretching today... I guess that counts.

They are all the same

Really. Libby, the indicted chief of staff to our current veep, was the attorney for Marc Rich (the guy Bill Clinton pardoned at the end of his terms). That explains the lack of any investigation by the current administration, doesn't it.

The web of connections continues - Rich is mentioned in the Oil for Food scandal, Judith Miller and Libby appear to be connected by more than just information; she stayed in jail for months to protect his identity, he writes her little notes in what looks like code.

To sum it up:

So Libby's case provides a lesson in how Washington works. To use his image, when people are so connected in sneaky ways, if one "tree" starts to turn, an entire cluster might fall.

Those in power are ideologically different in name only. Like different clubs, not different policies or behavior.

Training: Update

Quick training update:

Starting back tomorrow with a quick 3 week prep phase (get back in the habit, increase work capacity, mobility, etc.). The phase will be straight DE work, ME work will probably be triples, maybe fives, 60 mins cardio week 1, 75 mins week 2, and 90 week 3. The usual stretching, and I'll do a mobility test to see if I need to work on anything there. Cleaning up the diet, too, with an increase in protein, a decrease in carbs, more fruits and veggies, that sort of thing.

After that, it's a GFH phase that will go for 6-12 cycles, with a goal of going up to 240ish with a reduction in bf%.

Cel-e-brate good times, come on!

Baltimore city officials celebrate the improvement of the graduation rate - up 15%!

Wow. Must be up in the 90%'s now, right. No?

80's? No?

70's? No.

59%.

Celebrating. Taking credit for vast success. It's a success that more than 40% of Baltimore students drop out of school or otherwise fail to graduate.

Interesting, the only online news story I could find mentioning this is here. Absolutely nothing in the Baltimore Sun.

Should be fun watching the Mayor run for Governor.

Anti-Tobacco Nazis

Seriously.

Now you really can make the comparison. Of course, the underlying theme is similar, too... remove the freedom from the people, and put it in the hands of the Government. Remember, the Nazis were Nationalist Socialists... much like the Republican party of today, without the killing (yet).

If you aren't doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about

The Constitution, simply a inconvenient nusiance.

WaPo has an article on FBI violations of most of the Bill of Rights, endorsed by the Patriot Act. Frankly, I think they could bring slavery back as long as it gets a good old American name (the Red White and Blue Old Glory inexpensive laboror act, perhaps).

"We're seeing what might be the tip of the iceberg at the FBI and across the intelligence community," Sobel said. "It indicates that the existing mechanisms do not appear adequate to prevent abuses or to ensure the public that abuses that are identified are treated seriously and remedied."

Actually, we do have existing mechanisms (the aforementioned nusiance).

FBI officials disagreed, saying that none of the cases have involved major violations and most amount to administrative errors. The officials also said that any information obtained from improper searches or eavesdropping is quarantined and eventually destroyed.

"Every investigator wants to make sure that their investigation is handled appropriately, because they're not going to be allowed to keep information that they didn't have the proper authority to obtain," said one senior FBI official, who declined to be identified by name because of the ongoing litigation. "But that is a relatively uncommon occurrence. The vast majority of the potential [violations] reported have to do with administrative timelines and time frames for renewing orders."

It's a little scary to rely on a court system that thinks growing pot in your house is covered by the Commerce Clause and that private property that has more tax value as something else can be taken by the state. More than a little scary.

What we need is a legislature and a President that will stand up to this abuse. What we have is a legislature and a President who revel in it.

Worth it?

2000 US troops. And counting.

Read the names here. If you support this boondoggle, read them twice. Think about every kid without a parent, every spouse who has lost the person they loved most.

And think about what it's all for.

Then try to explain it.

The President can't do it without telling a lie. Can you?

A long way for some good eggs

The best Eggs Benedict on the planet.

And some of the nicest people. Rodney made us feel like old friends. A great place in a wonderful city.

Training update

I'm in the midst of a planned 2 week break. Next phase starts on Tuesday the 25th. I haven't worked out all the details of that phase, but I have some ideas.

The main goal will be hypertrophy - I think I'm going to go ahead and gain 10 pounds or so. While I'm training to do that, I will be doing an experiment to see how well I can keep that 10 pounds lean, so I reduce my bodyfat percentage too.

The training plan will be to do 3 weeks of an ME lift, 5 reps, 3 reps, and 1 rep, working to break PRs. Assistance stuff will be geared toward hypertrophy, but will remain efficient, so expect to continue to see more compound stuff vs. seeing curls. DE stuff will stay to keep speed up, but I might play around with how I do that with benching (DE squatting will never go away).

I'll continue the treadmill/cardio work, and continue a focus on stretching and maintaining mobility.

I'm also going to clean up the diet - more from a health standpoint than anything else, but I think it will help with staying lean, too. Basically, I'm going to eat 250g of protein a day, 5 servings of veggies and fruit a day (using V8 if I have to), and liminting refined stuff. I'm also going to cut back on the booze a little.

I might still have some pizza and a beer every now and again. I'm not a bodybuilder or anything.

Staged? Not us.

Oh come on! Of course it was staged. Of course the soldiers were prepped, and I'd certainly expect they had scripted answers.

Frankly, I'd be worried more if the administration had him talk to troops without staging... that would be pretty stupid.

Discipline

OK, so Brian Billick is known for being a fairly lenient coach when it comes to the preseason - his reasoning is that he wants fresh players at the end of the year.

1-3 starts make the end of the year matter less.

Yesterday was a disgrace. This team didn't show up for the first two games (both of which they could have won if they were ready to play). I was thrilled to see a bye week early in the season (which normally sucks), because they could take that week to get ready to play. A win against the hapless Jets gave us a little hope.

Then a 35-17 loss. 21 penalties. 4 turnovers. 2 ejections. Against the Lions. The Lions .

This week, there would be no off day. Everyone who had a holding penalty would practice with their hands tied behind their backs. The two players ejected for running into officials would be tortured, and then benched next week. Every player on the field during the 1st quarter play that shoudl ahve been an incomplete pass that was ruled a fumble would spend an extra hour each day listening to what a whistle sounds like, and reciting "We will play until we hear a *tweet*."

What's Billick doing? There will be no internal action against any of the players. Players that look like they are in it more for the money than for the game. Players that put on a show, but don't show up to play.

I thought they were going to the Superbowl (my other Superbowl pick is the Falcons). Now I'm not sure they'll be any better than 6-10. And if that happens, the Ravens need to look at the coach.

Training: Max Effort Bench

This cyucle is going to be a little long, again. I've got a planned break coming up, though.

Phase 1, Cycle 5, Day 2

Bench press
45x20
95x10
135x3
185x3
225x3
245x3
275x3
295x1
315xmiss (just)
285x1

Hammer Y row
4x10 @ 2pps

Hammer BNP
2x12 @ 1pps

pressdowns
50x20
2x12 @ 70

25 mins treadmill. 203 cals, 1.31 miles or something.

Workout time: 4:40p - 6:00p

I'm starting to get excited about the next phase, which will start th elast week of October. GFH.

Another example of the collusion of the Democrats and Republicans

Again keeping 3rd party candidates out of debates.

Why? Because they know what happens if they don't. Can you imagine a debate where there are candidates actually discussing and debating substantive issues, instead of bickering over how much of your money they'll spend on what?

Within a couple of election cycles, you'd see a pretty drastic change at the local and state levels.

Thing is, it's their ballgame. It isn't illegal as long as taxpayer money isn't funding the debates... oh, wait a minute...

We're on a mission from God

While this story is nothing to take seriously, it's still funny.

In advance excerpts from the television series "Elusive Peace: Israel and the Arabs" to be broadcast this month, Shaath says: "President Bush said to all of us: 'I'm driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, 'George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan'.

"And I did, and then God would tell me, 'George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq'. And I did.

"And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, 'Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East'. And by God I'm gonna do it'," Shaath quotes him as saying.

You'd think God could do all that on His own.

I know the FSM could. If His Noodlyness wanted to, anyway.

(One must also wonder what God was telling President Clinton.)

Continued (continuous?) Sacrifice

Your Presdent says "We will never back down.." when discussing the 'War on Terror'.

The lies continue:

Bush sought to put the Iraq war in a global context, calling it a central front in the war on terrorism, and accusing al Qaeda militants and their supporters of seeking to overthrow moderate Arab governments and to attack U.S. targets.

Of course, it wouldn't be if we had not invaded. And why is it OK for the US to overthrow a government to further their Empire and spread their ideology, but not someone else? (As if AlQaeda would have overthrown the Iraqi government, anyway. We did that for them)

The militants believe that controlling one country will rally the Muslim masses, enabling them to overthrow all moderate governments in the region and establish a radical Islamic empire that expands from Spain to Indonesia," Bush said.

So, naturally, the smart thing for us to do is to overthrow a secular state that had no ties to terrorism, and continue to send money to a number of Islamic states who do (like Saudi Arabia). Given the obvious deception, who could possibly buy this tripe?

Citing recent attacks in London, Sharm el-Sheikh and Bali, Bush said while the bombings appeared random, they serve a clear ideology, "a set of beliefs that are evil but not insane," and gave a new name for the ideology: Islamo-facism.

An ideology Saddam Hussien rejected.

Since such weapons were never found, and al Qaeda followers have spilled into Iraq to fight against the Americans, Bush now calls Iraq a central focus of the war on terrorism he launched after the September 11 attacks.

His remarks were aimed at an increasingly restive American public, which is weary of daily television images of bombings from Iraq and holding funerals for the more than 1,900 Americans killed in Iraq.

"Wars are not won without sacrifice, and this war will require more sacrifice, more time, and more resolve. The terrorists are as brutal an enemy as we have ever faced," he said.

And we'd not be facing them had we not invaded Iraq.

"State sponsors like Syria and Iran have a long history of collaboration with terrorists and they deserve no patience from the victims of terror. The United States makes no distinction between those who commit acts of terror and those who support and harbor them because they're equally as guilty of murder," he said.

Unless, of course, you are Saudi Arabia.

Democrats then counter with their own convenient amnesia:

Democrats did not hear what they wanted from Bush. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said Bush failed to outline a strategy for achieving military, political and economic success in Iraq.

"Instead, the president continued to falsely assert there is a link between the war in Iraq and the tragedy of September 11th, a link that did not and does not exist," he said.

Something we all knew before you and your friends in Congress took a big ol' steaming dump on the Constitution and told him he had the power to invade, anyway. You can not avoid your responsibility in this mess.

Neither can the 50,000 or so dead Iraqis, or the 2000 dead US soldiers. Deaths that are squarely on your blood stained hands.

And y'all want to bitch about steriods in baseball.

When other people say it better...

Just link to them.

Why do you trust President Bush?

I don't.

Bad Moves

Came across this interesting link from philosopher Julian Baggini on poor arguing methods (that oft work anyway.)

Via linkfilter.

Training: Max Effort Squat/Dead

Felt awful today - stomach cramps, general upset - I think from something I ate. Anyway, I went.

Phase 1, Cycle 5, Day 1

Reverse Band Deadlift (green bands, hole 3 from top)
135x5
225x3
275x3
315x3
365x3
405x1
455xmiss
455xmiss

leg press
2ppsx6
4ppsx6

Some abs, then out.

Workout time: 5:45p - 6:15p

Training: DE Bench

Virtually no one in the gym today. It bothers me to see an overweight couple using the leg adductor to target their problem areas, when the real problem area is the dinner table.

I hope they can find their way to the right information.

Anyway...

Phase 1, Cycle 5, Day 4

Bench press
2x20 @ 45
95x8
2x3 @ 135
8x3 @ 185
All 8 sets fast.

JM press
4x6 @ 145

Neutral grip pullups
6x5, 1x3(f)

Seated DB clean
2x15 @ 20

DB pullovers things (db in each hand)
2x15 @ 10

Treadmill: 23 mins, 1.2 mi, 190 cal

Workout time: 1:20p - 2:35p

End of another cycle, lets see how I'm doing.

Improve Conditioning
Not only did I actually hit the treadmill goal this week, but each session got easier. I'm also getting through the main session quite well. 1:20 goal next cycle.

Improve Mobility
Tested my mobility a little this cycle, and it's to a point where it really isn't an issue. I need to do a little work, but nothing major. This comes out of the tracking. Flexibility, however, is still an issue.

Build base strength by focusing on the basics
Well, I had to stretch this cycle out due to a number of reasons. Things are coming along here well. The 3 lifts over 90% on the ME stuff, still working up at leaste every other cycle on DE stuff, and assistance/supplemental work is moving in the right direction. I'm also getting that 'lifter' look back. That leads into something else - I've been reading Supertraining, and one of the first things in the book is that strength gains associated with hypertrophy are longer lasting than those due to better CNS recruitment. Certainly I need to move both, but spending some time focused on hypertrophy might be a good idea. The issue with that is weight class - I'm pushing 230, and getting bigger will pretty much require I move to the 242 class... and that means new gear.

I'm going to continue Phase 1 until mid October, when Phase 2 will start with a clearer focus on hypertrophy, as well as a better diet focus. Next cycle, however, diet will clean up - I need to get leaner as I get bigger, if I can.