Things I thought I should put on the internet
Bill Crist and I agree, we both think President Obama could be handed a Carteresque defeat in 2012.
Problem is, there’s no Ronald Reagan in the Republican party, so while Obama may get an electoral whipping, he might be replaced by someone equally distasteful to those of us who want to be free.
Bench Press
45×5
95×5
135×3
190×5
220×5
250×7
Incline db press
3×10 @ 60
CSR
3×15 @ 80
Hammer curls
2×10 @ 30
Overdid things this weekend, with a tough training session Friday then volunteering at the Canton Wine and Jazz festival Saturday (pretty much on my feet from about 2 to about 7:30, the second half of that in the rain. I really didn’t want to go today but forced myself to man up. Everything felt heavy but I got there and got it done.
No cardio, as my feet still hurt and I want to be fresh to squat tomorrow.
The German invasion of the Ukraine in WWII
Via TheAgitator.
Deadlift
135×5
185×5
225×3
280×5
320×5
365×7 (PR)
Step Up
2×15
Pullthru
3×8 @ 120
Pull Down Abs
2×8 @ 80
Hammer Strength Shrugs (standing)
3×15 @ 180
20 minutes elliptical @ 145-150 bpm
From Bastiat
Everybody wishes to live at the expense of the state, but they forget that the state lives at the expense of everybody.
Fitting huh?
Reminder via Cafe Hayek
Press
45×5
65×5
95×3
120×5
135×5
155×8 (PR)
Pullups (neutral grip)
5,5,4,4,4,3
(25 in 6 sets, not my best work.)
Face Pull
3×15 @ 70
Pressdown
3×8 @ 70
10 minutes treadmill @ 145bpm, 10 minutes bike @ 145bpm.
Pretty happy to bust out a PR, not happy with the pullups but it’s been a couple of weeks, so they’ll come back.
A lesson from football that applies to everything from the Angry Coach.
If there is a better player on your team at your position, he’s the one who’s going to play, not you. I had to explain this to one of my ex-players last night. This kid is a senior and three year starter at a 1-AA school whose starting spot has been taken away from him by a freshman. Jim Wendler wrote about this years ago, and I’m going to back up what he says. If you’re not playing, especially on the college level, it’s not about “politics” or the coach “shitting on your life,” it’s because the guy playing is better than you.
The coach, or your boss, or the hiring manager, gets paid to win. They are responsible for putting the best team on the field, and while they might make mistakes, it’s not about politics or who they like. It’s about who can win. If you lose a job opportunity to someone else, it’s because they were better than you. Man up, find your weaknesses (call the hiring manager and find out why the other person was better, find out what you can do to improve), and fix them. Deal with it, move on.
This happened to me not too long ago. I posted for a position (a lateral move) that would have given me the experience to move to a position I thought I wanted. I didn’t get it and lost out to someone I was convinced wasn’t better than I am. We work fairly closely on things, and you know what? He’s better than I would have been, by miles; and I add more value having stayed where I am (I’m one of the best at what I do). Turns out, I’m not so sure I want the job I thought I did, and I’m not so sure I’d be all that good at it. They made the right call.
Handle the situation with class, and do what you need to do to help the team win.
Ravens = 2-0. I did not predict this, but I’m pretty happy about it.
The offense looks pretty darn good. The running attack looks unstoppable (although the Chargers run defense wasn’t at full song). While 130 yards rushing isn’t spectacular, 4.1 yards per carry is pretty nice. The worries about receivers have been replaced (more on that in a minute) and as I happen to have predicted in the preseason, these guys are going to do just fine. You don’t need a bigtime playmaker to win games, you need a solid diverse core of good football players. The Ravens have that. And they have a pretty good QB. What I really like is that it seems they can score at will (3 touchdowns in 4 trips into the red zone? The Ravens?), and never let the game get out of their control. Also, there were spots where execution was brilliant (the Washington touchdown was an awesome play).
I’m going to buck the Baltimore sports radio trend and not go nuts about the secondary. Yes there’s a bit of weakness. Yes, I’d like to see a little more from those guys. But defense is truly a team effort, and a 60 yard pass play can start with the nose tackle making a mistake. The Chargers have a heck of an offense, and every one of their receivers is 6-5 and jacked, going up against our 5-10 180 pounders. I think they held their own OK, and while there were too many big plays, all but one had the damage contained. They made the tackle after the pass was caught, so there weren’t big yards after the catch. All in all, they played pretty well against a really tough matchup.
I’m not sure if the issue is the playcalling or the play but I would like to see a little improvement, and some work on eliminating the little mistakes on both sides of the ball.
The Ray Lewis play at the end of the game is what fans live for. Seriously. A jump up off the couch and spill the popcorn play. My dog is still hiding under the bed.
Oh, and have the Ravens ever been #1 in the ESPN Power Rankings?
Other game notes:
The Jets defense looks better than I expected, and the Patriots look terrible. They are lucky to be 1-1. The Jets offense will be their downfall if there is one.
How does a team win with 15 minutes time of possession? Payton Manning, that’s how. Wow.
Next week, Ravens face the Browns in Baltimore. They will be 14 point favorites (or more) but these are sometimes the games the Ravens have a let down. Harbaugh has done a good job eliminating that, this game may actually be a test. My prediction: Ravens 24, Browns 13. But I’m probably wrong.
Back to it!
Squat
45×5
95×5
135×5
185×3
235×5
270×5
310×5
Leg Press
1×10 @ 180
5×10 @ 360
Hammer Strength Leg Curl
3×8 @ 85
Fin.
Just a hot, nasty day in the gym; heart was racing, couldn’t catch my breath, didn’t feel good, so got done what had to get done, and called it a day. My conditioning falls of really quickly, but it usually come back pretty quickly, too.
How is this Constitutional?
Americans who slap $1 pricetags on their used possessions at garage sales or bazaar events risk being slapped with fines of up to $15 million, thanks to a new government campaign.
The “Resale Round-up,” launched by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, enforces new limits on lead in children’s products and makes it illegal to sell any items that don’t meet those limits or have been recalled for any other reason.
The strict standards were set in the 2008 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act after a series of high-profile recalls of Chinese-made toys.
The standards were originally interpreted to apply only to new products, but now the CPSC says they apply to used items as well.
“Those who resell recalled children’s products are not only breaking the law, they are putting children’s lives at risk,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. “Resale stores should make safety their business and check for recalled products and hazards to children.”
In order to comply, stores, flea markets, charities and individuals selling used goods — in person or online — are expected to consult the commission’s 24-page Handbook for Resale Stores and Product Resellers (pdf) and its Web site for a breakdown of what they can’t sell.
Violators caught selling anything on the enormous list face fines of up to $100,000 per infraction and up to $15 million for a related series of infractions.
Have they just quit pretending any of this is covered by the Commerce Clause, and just do whatever they want? How is a garage sale interstate commerce, and where did the Congress or CPSC get the power to do this?
And where are all the bodies of children dead from the lead poisoning?
Windy Recycling Day 