24 hours of unremitting rants: Facebook cartoon profile pictures

OK, i just read the news about how cartoon characters as Facebook profile pics will raise awareness about child abuse.
Read more about the goal here

Excuse me, but, well, i don't think so.

There is someone i know, a user on Facebook whom i used to live with, and she will attest that there was a child who was being abused right under our noses and we had no idea.  No idea at all.  This little girl was beaten to death on Christmas eve in the town home we all shared for months until she and i broke up and moved on, prior to the final incident.

My input? Pay attention to your surroundings and maybe don't be scared to say something.  Offend your friends, neighbors, or in our case, roommates, if you think there is something evil happening.  And no i am not a Christian but i do believe in Evil.  Corporal James Clark and i had a discussion about this at range 407A.

I'm not so sure finding out what TV show you liked as a kid may result in anything more than some people feeling good about themselves.  Have you ever felt responsible for a child's death?  Have you ever watched a person's life disintegrate after they take their child off life support on Christmas morning?  I know a bunch about the former and my old girlfriend/roommate knows about both the former and the latter.  What i can tell you, what i am clearly asking you, is to evaluate any situation which alarms you and involves someones safety.

My dad claims that he was abused pretty hardcore as a kid, and i know that i was abused, in an indirect fashion.  My dad slapped the shit out of my mom at least twice that i can remember.  That is simply what i can recall.  The verbal 'abuse' my dad laid on my mom is what shaped me more than anything else.  Also, the man who was my godfather is an accused child molester who has been in hiding for almost 20 years.  I have no recollection of any abuse to me and he never had time alone with my only brother, but i do recall my mother, father, and grandmother sitting me down and asking me if there was anything i could recall in 'uncle' Bill's behavior that hurt me.  I can't recall anything and do not feel as though i have buried anything.

My buddy was raped by two men when he was at school overseas, as a child.  Another pal was raped by a man when he rode his bicycle to the shop to purchase what he hoped was a rookie card from a famous MLB outfielder.

Neither of these chaps pressed charges or made the information available to their parents, yet they found enough strength to tell me.

If there were a stipulation that Facebook founder Mark Z. was going to donate a $hitload of coin to child abuse awareness research, or something, if everyone on the site changed their pic to a cartoon character, i would be less indignant.  And i know you changed your picture because you believe it will help, but please think about what i have said and reevaluate the effectiveness of what you did.  I like the fact that it makes you feel good, and that you care enough to have read the news and made the switch.

But in truth, you likely have changed nothing but your belief in yourself.

And for the record, my favorite animated character was Raphael from the TMNT.

Eternally though, my favorite character who is a drawing is Batman.

Proliferation of Progress and the distraction of sex

I got all wrapped up in some serious messiness.  All i can think about today is sex and my approach to training at 1100AM was skewed.  I was up late last night watching football and my first client required me to leave my house at 0525.  I certainly ate enough last night to fuel today.  My goodness.  And i ate some chicken breast with a Moroccan seasoning that is making my sweat smell very. . . . distinct. 


But in accordance with the Holy Grail of Perpetual Progress, the Gym Movement product line, and the laws in place long before i was in the womb 32 years ago, i hit a Personal Record in my lifts.

If you do not believe in progress every day, let me give an example: The DVD

I thought to myself about halfway through my session, "You are tired, you won't PR in anything today, though movements are testing well".  It appeared as though i was going to dishonor The Movement, i was going to let my people down, i was going to cop out, as i have done so many times in my life.  Even my dog would have been disappointed in me. 

That is not how it works, and i did not leave the club when i felt tired.  Nor did i run bull-headed towards another drill and force myself, with loads of effort, to do more work.  Nope.  Not today.

Today when i got tired i just tested some flexibility stuff, trained some body weight drills, drank some water, and then went back to the iron.

I recalled a photograph that i saw on the internet today, of a personal trainer in such SICK shape that it was what sent me to the health club in the first place.  I recalled and thought to myself "Does every session begin with the goal of a PR?"  The answer is 'no'.  The session, or lesson, begins with a set of movements to test, and beyond that the Gym Movement Protocol takes over.  Data collection, analysis, reformulation, execution.  Find what tests well, change what you can, to see if it may test better, and then train the heck out of it.  The physique in the picture reminded me that more is at stake with my training than honoring a school of science i now study under.

My mood, my appetite, my pain levels, my self image, my happiness [directly related to how much control i believe i have over my choices], my sex drive, my schedule, my income, my choices, etc., etc.

These are all associated with how weight training proliferates and today i saw something previously unseen.  Or maybe i was viewing it from angles i had not visited prior.

It is not about hitting a PR every day.  That shit just happens :)

It is about following the protocol.  Observe the signals, record the data, make the adjustments.  Personal Records and Perpetual Progress markers will follow. 

So when i almost quit, i did not.  That may even be a PR.

1 arm dumbbell rows, from supported position, using different weights and speeds from left to right:

Volume PR 8,080lbs./11:00

Intensity 60-70%
Density 26.66%

Hang Cleans with an symmetrical stance, staggering the hip i had surgery on:

Volume PR 2,295lbs./8:30

Intensity PR old 1RM was 150, new 1RM is 175, trained today at 77-95%

Density 10.98%

Cable shoulder extensions, from a lunge position [I rest my belly on my front thigh], different loads on each side:

Volume PR 3,455lbs./11:35

Intensity N/A
Density 20.87%

And i wrapped up with Pantera on my iPod and dinner on my mind.  Tonight, more chicken breast [it's cheap!] with Moroccan sauce [it's unique and yummy], watch last night's episode of Fringe on DVR, and go to bed early.

Tomorrow, i am testing myself at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Who wants to join me?

Yo! Microphone check 1-2 what is this?

Big Willy in the health club with the roughneck business.

-Lift against gravity
-Had too many cavities
-Got more muscles than an Irish catholic family

No need to sweat a kettlebell to gain some type of fame
No shame in my game, but i'll never be the same

Pounds upon pounds upon pounds is what i hoist
You want to hate on Willy cause your girl is getting moist

I lift weights in bare feet so i can feel it in my calves
Messing 'round with Willy gets you sliced all up in half

I never partial rep 'cause i'm not a partial rep'er
I drink a lot of soda, call me Diet Dr. Pepper

Refuse to compete with some whack competition
Your game is lacking cred so double-check your game commission

I never ride the rails thinkin' it's all about Willy
Even though deep down in Philly City Hall can get chilly

I just do my best to like, go all out
Some might even say this massive white boy's buggin out!

Wednesday 1 December, check in at 2023 hours

Clean and Jerk
All single reps tested better and better and better until i found where my body wanted to train.
135lbs., 155, 165, 175, 185, 195 all singles reps, testing awesome.
So i went to my 1 Rep Maximum number [205], my 100% intensity, and one reps tested better than anything yet.

So then i tripled it.  Yes, i did three reps with my 1 rep maximum from October.

So then i put more weight on the bar.

My new 1Rep Max is 210 lbs.  Thank you very much Gym Movement.

Volume/total weight lifted 2,850 lbs./16:00

Personal Record [PR] Intensity, new 1RM.

So then i worked the cleans and hit another PR.  I took an asymmetrical stance, with my right foot [hip] staggered back a few degrees.
195 x 2, x3, x5 [PR], x5, x5
Volume = 3,900/10:45
Intensity = All reps at 92.8% [Personal record]
Density [percentage of the total time spent lifting the weight] = 27.02%

So then, i went Hollywood and did some weapons maintenance

Alternating block of 1 arm and 2 arm rope press downs [triceps contraction/elbow extension] and varied grip chin ups:
Press downs Volume 6,510 lbs. [Personal record], Intensity = Most reps at 71%
Chinning Volume [reps x body weight of 245lbs.] = 7,105lbs./29 reps. [PR in speed of reps for one set where i pulled 5 reps in 9 seconds]
Total block density for 14:15 is 21.32%

As you can see, i am clearly buggin' out.  Multiple PRs.  That is simply what we do.