Recent Fitness Results

Now getting back to the real reason this blog was created - a way of tracking my fitness goals.  We went in for our 3rd measurements since starting our personal training program on August 10, 2009.  Our latest results:

Myself:

• Another 8 pounds lost
• Another 3 pounds of muscle gained
• Lost an additional 2% of body fat.
• Overall (16 weeks):
• lbs lost: 20
• Inches lost: 3
• % of Body fat: 3 

This makes since May 2, 2009 a total of 40 pounds lost. I still kick myself for not doing this sooner. Its been a struggle since I have been back in NJ since we have great food back home.  But so far its working, being smart on ordering when eating out, and eating correctly when at home.  Reading nutrition labels when shopping.  All of this was a learned process, not something that came naturally.  And while results are slow and steady, at least its in a healthy manner.

A post from December 16 2009

Stimulus Bill Pork spending: - House approves 447 billion spending measure.

• $54 Million dollars for a CA Wine Train
• $2.2 Million dollars for Failing golf course in San Francisco, CA
• $1.5 Million dollars for Fossil research in Argentina (Not even spent in the US)
• $750k for puppet shows and clown theaters
• $400k for malt liquor and marijuana journals
• $200k for college hook up study
• $500k for facebook study
• $220k for rats and bird study and ant division of labor

When is enough, enough.  Does the American people even know about this? Check out even more below:

• "Obama spokesman said while there maybe be a few unwise programs out there but its small in comparison to 50k new programs approved"
• New omnibus spending bill is over 2400k
• Republicans slide in more pork barrel spending
• 7 million jobs lost since resession started in 2007 - 4 million since Obama took office
• Before Obama one employee making 170k in Department of transportaion. Today 1,671 employees
• Average government employee 71k.  Average private sector: 40k
• 1,700 employees got raises in the FAA, but they want to restrict private CEOs.

Congress just passed bill that would give power to congress to break up companies that threaten and are a danger to the economy.

Enivormental Protection Agency:

• EPA rules CO2 must be regulated and considered dangerous.
• EPA clean water restoration ACT: Control all waters in the United States would be in violation of interstate commerce laws.

Thanksgiving...

This was the first Thanksgiving that I did not spend with my immediate family in New Jersey.  First we watched the Holiday Parade from the bottom of our Loft complex as they lined up at the beginning right outside our place.  Of course people were bundled up for the 45+ degree day, me being fresh from NJ/NYC - wore basketball shorts and a T-shirt.  I got some strange looks.  The parade was disappointing, I must say.  I am used to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in NYC.  This was only a 45 minute parade.  Sure it ended with Santa Clause, but where was the big balloons, the broadway show numbers, the celeberties?  I guess that may come in time, but being this was the 50th annual edition, I dont think it will change much.

Where did I spend Thanksgiving? Well a few months ago I got in contact with my cousin Cathy.  She is a cousin from my mother's Puerto Rican side that I had not met prior to Turkey Day.  Her Father Carlos is my mother's nephew (just so you get an idea on the relation).  They live out in the "Hill Country" of Texas - New Braunfels.

The drive wasn't bad, about 2.5 hours from our loft apartment downtown.  The food was good, a mix of Puerto Rican food with traditional American Thanksgiving food.  I am not sure my wife understood the white rice with turkey, but I had to explain white rice to the Spanish is what pasta is to Italians, its a staple and can be added to almost everything.  It was great to catch up with family I had not seen in some 15 plus years.  I hope we can stay in touch more often.

On the back, we passed the Katy Mills Outlet mall around 2AM Friday.  I have never seen the mall as packed as I did on this day.  It was crazy...just tells me people are willing to shop at any given hour for a good sale.

News from the Holiday Weekend...

Reality TV Show couple breaks into the White House:

• The wife – Michaele Salahi is scheduled to appear in Bravo TV’s Real Housewives of DC.
• While not invited, the couple went through the same security checks as the rest of the guests, so the politicians were not in immediate danger.
• Comments: Begs the question, who let them in? There is a similar story in a favorite movie of mine – National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets. If this couple can get to the president, you can bet the terrorists are watching and taking notes. The guest list does not include any anti-Obama people. If MSNBC, CBS, etc was there…where was the representatives from Fox News?

Charges in St. Louis SEIU Incident:

• Finally charges in the SEIU incident where SEIU members attacked an African-American republican.
• Comments:Why did mainstream media run the story the day after thanksgiving? Did anyone watch? If must have been between the half time shows.  Another straw in the Chicago style of politics of the current administration.

Dubai financially melts down over the weekend.

 

Health Care Bill:

• Michael Cannon at the Cato Institute, states the actual cost of the New Health Care is 6 trillion dollars not 1 trillion as stated by the current session of congress.
• The fact that the Abortion clause is in Health Care Bill (Overton window), to me states congress wants us focus on just the abortion part of the bill, when we should be debating the bill in the first place.
• The state of Kansas is stating Abortion is a necessary mental health issue – for the long term mental health of the mother.  Perhaps its my catholic upbringing and current Chirstian views
• Death Panels – remember when conservatives were crazy for thinking and stating they exist…how about the story that ran on 60 minutes

Global Climate Scandal:

• Bill Clinton – “Global Warming will make some places colder” What was that Mr. President?
• Climate changes happen over a millennia.
• The UN is standing firm and state that a few people cannot influence the climate data alone.
• All the raw data has been destroyed during the “process” regarding climate-gate. Why cant anyone see the government is playing games. NASA climatologists used November data for October to state coldest October on record.
• Democrat Senator Daniel Akaka (Hawaii) admits there is nothing in the US Constitution that gives congress the authority to make individuals purchase health care.
• Comments: What happens when Climate-gate is fully exposed? Both republicans and democrats will be in real trouble for spending the country into debt for a fraud. The scientific community will be discredited. What’s left of the main stream journalism will be discredited. Who is left to believe in?

Cop Killer in Washington State:

• Maurice Clemmons shot dead on November 30, 2009 after killing four police officers and starting a 2 day man-hunt.
• Former Governor Mike Huckabee (Arkansas) released a statement regarding suspect killing 4 police officers in Washington State.
• States fault is with the Justice System.
• Comments:  I can respect Mike Huckabee's views on being a compassionate Christian (being a Christian myself).  However, I feel it is one thing to forgive a person of their sins but its another to forgive a man's debt to society.  Especially a man with a violent past and a 95 year jail sentence with was given by a jury of his peers.  These four police officers died a needless death.  May they rest in peace.

Navy Seals being Brought up on Charges:

• SO-2 Matthew McCabe is facing three charges:
• Dereliction of performance of duty for willfully failing to safeguard a detainee
• Making a false official statement
• Assault
• SO-2 Jonathan Keefe is facing two charges:
• Dereliction of performance of duty
• Making a false official statement
• SO-1 Julio Huertas is facing three charges:
• Dereliction of performance of duty
• Making a false official statement
• Impediment of an investigation
• These Navy Seals being court-martialed (at their request) because during an arrest of a high profile terrorist in Afghanistan because the terrorist complained of brutality (a fat lip – that’s it).
  
• Original recommended procedure was Admiral Mass (without the chain of command).
• Comments: This could be a fall out from the marines killing the Somalian pirates. How about we let the Pentagon run the war NOT the White House or Congress. My father (Korean War Veteran PFC Army) would be rolling over in his grave if he knew what congress was doing.  To me this is further evidence that the current administration is hell bent on putting George Bush and his administration on trial.

Glenn Beck:

• London times stated that Glenn Beck’s past is so bad, it is almost unbelievable. 
• Speaking of Beck, turns out that advertising protest that ColorofChange.org was pushing isn't quite having the effect it had hoped. 

Herman Van Rumpuy:

• Recently elected new European Union President
• States: “2009 also the first year of the first year of global governance”. Watch for yourself!
• Comments: Of course people who have been saying this was going to happen were viewed as crazy, but every day there is more and more evidence.  How much more do we need before the media and people start to believe?

 Seven Stories that Barrack Obama does not want told: (Politico)

• Everyone thinks he is playing with monopoly money
• President is emotionless
• Playing hardcore Chicago politics
• Plays to the crowd and a pushover
• Feels the USA is nothing special, just another country in the UN roll call
• President Pelosi
• Celebutante

American more Tolerant?

You have all heard the news that America needs to be more tolerant of Muslims and we need to be more like our European counterpart, like France. Turns our in a recent survey, America is actually more tolerant then the “Enlightened Europeans”.  Here is the proof as provided by the Pew Global Attitudes Project.

• Negative Views of Jews
• 46% of Spain
• 25% of Germany
• 33% of France - 33%
• USA – 11%
• Negative views of Muslims
• Spain – 52%
• Germany 50%
• Poland 46%
• France 38%
• Russia 32%
• England 23%
• USA – 23% (and we are the ones who were attacked)
• Did I mention that now in Switzerland that they have banned all Muslim buildings?
• Interesting isn’t it? Where is the mainstream media on this one. That’s right, we are still the bad guys and must be destroyed.

New York Times:

 

Will not release emails that were stolen regarding Climate-gate yet, when Newt Gingrich’s cell phone conversation was tapped illegally, the NY Times published his personal phone calls. Interesting.

 

Senator Kent Conrad (D – North Dakota)

• States that Americans who disagree with Eric Holder should leave the country.

ACORN:

• Eric Holder (The Justice Department) states the Obama administration can lawfully pay the community group, ACORN for services provided under contract. Interesting that President Obama signed into law a spending bill that included a provision that no taxpayer money (including money authorized by previous legislation) could be provided to said group or its affiliates.

Decision on Afghanistan:

• President Obama is going to announce his decision on Afganistan at West Point.
• 117 US troops died since the request for reinforcements was placed on the President's desk for review.

Jon Corzine

• Incumbent democrat who lost in the election for Governor of New Jersey.
• Spent a total of 131 million dollars on his three campaigns.

Move-On.org:

• Not too happy with the President's decision on the war in Afghanistan