Center Stage ATLANTA - All You Need is Now! 4/4

Quotes 2

• "He who is in love with himself has at least this advantage–he won't have man rivals." Scientist Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

• "The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." Bertrand Russell

• "Strive not to be a success but rather to be of value." Albert Einstein

• "Fanaticism consists in redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim." George Santayana

• "Love is only a dirty trick played on us to achieve the continuation of the species." W. Somerset Maugham

Good Italian Amaros

• S. Maria al Monte Amaro Naturale ($27). Its aroma is evocative of incense used at Sunday mass.

• Amaro Nonino ($37). Impeccable balance of sweetness, bitterness, fruit and spice.

• Ditta Bortolo Nardini ($45). Pours like maple syrup and delivers a beautifully nuanced bouquet.

 

Books to Read 1

• The Social Animal by David Brooks

• The Longevity Project By Friedman and Martin

• Never Say Die by Susan Jacobi

• How We Age by Marc Agronin

• Lastingness by Nicholas Delbanco

Random News

• Light-emitting TVs, smartphones, computers, and video-game players can suppress the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin and rev us up, making it difficult to nod off.

• Raising kids causes marital stress and other varieties of unhappiness.However, parents over 50 are happier than their childless counterparts, as when kids grow up they become a source of emotional and financial support.

• Researchers at Northwestern University have unlocked the genetic code that allows them to transform stem and skin cells into basal forebrain cholinergic neurons. Transplanting these cells into the brains of Alzheimer's patients could restore their mental function.

 

Quotes 1

• "Every wrong attempt discarded is a step forward." Thomas Edison

• "That men do ot learn from the lesson of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach." Aldous Huxley

• "Every calamity is to be overcome by endurance." Virgil

 

You Know

Abandoned

Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death

"Becker's philosophy ... is a braid wowen form four strands.

 

1. The world is terrifying. Mother Nature is a brutal bitch, red in tooth and claw, who destroys what she creates. We live in a world in which the routine activity for organism

 

2. The basic motivation for human behavior is our biological need to control our basic anxiety, to deny the terror of death. That is the terror: to have emerged from nothing, to have a name, consciousness of self, deep inner feelings-and with all this yet to die.

 

3. Since the terror of death is so overwhelming, we conspire to keep it unconscious. But the price we pay is high. We repress our bodies to purchase a soul; we sacrifice pleasure to buy immortality. Society provides a second line of defense against our natural impotence by creating a hero system that allows us to believe a hero system that allows us to believe we transcend death by participating in something of lasting worth.

 

4. Our desire for the best is the cause of the worst. We want to clean up the world , make it perfect. Our heroic projects that aimed at destroying evil have the paradoxical effect of bringing more evil into the world-my gods against your gods, my immortality project against your immortality project."

 

(from the preface of Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death)

Veggies Men Need

Men need three one-cup servings of vegetables every day to stay healthy, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Here are five veggies to keep you fit.

Romain Lettuce. Dark-colored vegetables like romaine and spinach have a plethora of vitamins and minerals that improve electrolyte balance and speed recovery. Antioxidants in these foods block damaging effects of free radicals formed when tiny blood cells are crushed during workouts, and their electrolytes reduce cardiovascular stress.

Chard. Best for preventing heart disease. Guys who eat eight servings of veggies a day enjoy a 30 percent lower chance of having a heart attack than those who barely touch he stuff.

Broccoli Sprouts. They contain high doses of sulforaphane, a compound that increases production of antioxidant enzymes in airways.

Squash. Best for keeping your eyesight. Yellow squash contains three pigments that promote good vision. Lutein and sanguine scavenge the free radicals (unstable molecules born from pollution and stress, which can damage cells) that cause eye diseases such as cataracts, and beta-carotene (which converts to vitamin A, stored in the eye) is key for night vision.

Tomatoes. Best for staving off prostate cancer. They contain lycopene, which helps neutralize free radicals. The prostate happens to concentrate lycopene, and researchers think that helps protect against cancer.

Apprendre la mort

La mort et la pensée. La mort est radicalment impensable: un peut penser à la mort, sur la mort, mais non la mort elle-même. (Comme l'observait Kant, nul n'en peut faire l'expérience, et la pensée que "je ne suis pas" ne peut absolument exister.)

Le scandale de la mort. La mort étant donc proprement impensable, inconnaissable et incroyable, elle apparaît comme le scandale absolu.

L'angoisse de la mort. Incompréhensible, irreprésentable, la mort est par là même source d'angoisse. Pour lutter contre celle-ci l'homme adopte les attitude les plus diverses:

1) Fuir la mort en tentant de l'oublier dans les occupations et les plaisirs de la vie. C'est que Pascal nommait le "divertissement".

2) Se réfugier dans l'espérence d'une vie eternelle. C'est l'attitude religieuse.

3) Vaincre la peur qu'elle inspire. 
- pour Épicure, c'est par ignorance que nous craignons la mort. Celle-ci, en effet, est un pur néant.
- pour les stoïciens, la mort est un processus nécessaire qu'il faut accepter et attendre avec sérénité. Montaigne: "philosopher c'est apprendre à mourir".

4) Refuser toute consolation et accepter sa dimension tragique.
- Selon Heidegger, l'homme est un être-pour-la-mort et l'angoisse qu'elle entraîne est la donnée essentielle de l'existance humaine. La refuser c'est dons refuser de vivre une vie authentiquement humaine.
- selon Camus, la grandeur de l'homme vient de ce qu'il s'élève sans cesse contre la mort en sachant qu'il sera vaincu par elle.

Stuff I have learned today

Why the instinct to clutch a wounded part of the body helps relieve discomfort. "When you get input form many different signals. the brain increases the coherence of its body map, which reduces acute pain." More sensory input reduces pain.

What you say about others reveals a lot about you. A study revealed that college students who are more inclined to view their peers positively-as being trustworthy, nice and emotionally stable- reported greater life satisfaction, less depression, and better grades and test scores. On the other hand, those with negative opinions of others were more apt to be disagreeable, antisocial and narcissistic.

The careless generation. Nearly 75 percent of college students today rate themselves as less empathic than the average college student did 30 years ago. Probably because of the increases in social isolation and, surprise, because people read less fiction. The number of stories preschoolers read predicts their ability to understand the emotion of others; adults who read less are also less empathic.

Source: Scientific American Mind 2/11

Radiohead - Exit Music (for a film) live Pinkpop 2001 (high quality)

The Smashing Pumpkins - Shame

Radiohead - Lotus Flower

Sex at Dawn

Soooooooo Good

JES - Awaken

Strategic Snacking

...to keep hunger at bay

• 5 strawberries + 1 cup low-fat yogurt
• Raw baby carrots + 1 oz hummus
• 1 oz dates + 1 oz almonds
• 1 apple + 1 tbsp peanuts butter + 1 cup 1% milk
• 2 oz trail mix + 1 cup low-fat chocolate milk
• Celery Sticks + cream cheese
• Whole-wheat tortilla + 2 slices turkey breast + 1 slice swiss cheese
• 1 pear + 1 stick of low-fat string cheese
• 1 cup berries + 1 oz hard cheese

Foods To Make Muscles Pop

Again from MH's 2010 Nutrition Guide

• Almonds (and other nuts): builds muscle, fights cravings, burns flab. Toss a handful on salads.
• Beans (and other legumes): builds muscle, burns fat. Handful on salads. Rinse first.
• Spinach (and other green vegetables): exploding with vital nutrients. Salad or in sandwich.
• Dairy: strengthens bones, fires up weight loss.
• Oatmeal: increases energy, boosts stamina, reduces cholesterol, maintains blood-sugar levels.
• Eggs: build muscle, burn fat.
• Turkey: builds muscle, strengthens immune system.
• Peanut Butter: builds muscle, burns fat.
• Olive Oil: lowers cholesterol, boosts immune system
• Whole Grains: fight cancer, promote weight loss, fight heart disease, lower blood pressure.
• Whey: builds muscle, burns fat
• Raspberries: fight cancer, help promote weight loss, fight heart disease.

The Ultimate Salad

The Ultimate Salad... saw this on Men's Health 2010 Nutrition Guide. Picture is unrelated... other than being a salad.

• Broccoli (three spears) • Spinach (one cup)• Red Kidney Beans (1/4 cup)• Yellow Bell Peppers (four strips)• Swiss Cheese (four cubes)• Carrots (1/4 cup)• Extra-virgin Olive Oil and Vinegar (one tablespoon)• Almonds (tablespoon)• Cherry Tomatoes (4) • Sunflower Seeds (one tablespoon)• Chunk Light Tuna (3-ounce serving)• Red-Leaf Lettuce (four leaves)

Nutritional Info: Calories: 618 • Protein: 41 grams • Carbohydrates: 35 grams (14 grams fiber) • Fat: 37 grams (6 grams saturated) • Sodium: 178 milligrams

 

Progress Pics

It's been a while since last update. So I thought I would make up with several new (well, 2-week-old) ones.

Christian Charity

Markus Schulz feat. Khaz - Last Man Standing // Track 7 // Do You Dream...

Today's Pic

Musclemag March10

SUPERFEATURE
VERIFIED: FOUR EXERCISES THAT ARE BETTER THAN THE BENCH PRESS pg. 124
Impossible you say? Skip this article at your own risk, but if you want to build a bigger and stronger chest, here are four moves you’d be crazy to overlook.
By Jimmy Peña, MS, CSCS

BRAZILIAN BEEF pg. 138
Intent on moving up from the 202-pound class, IFBB pro Eduardo Corrêa da Silva trains chest with an eye to pack on more muscle.
By Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT

TRAINING
THIRD-DEGREE BURN pg. 100
Robert Burneika left Lithuania 11 years ago to live in the U.S. as a bodybuilder. Last October he won the NPC Nationals superheavyweight and overall titles, carrying the weight of his life-changing decision on his massive shoulders.
By Eric Velazquez

GET ABS BY SUMMER pg. 154
Combine these five ab exercises with a clean diet to bring out your six-pack in 60 days.
By Robert Kennedy

GOT MOE BACK pg. 160
Whether it’s in the business world or at the gym on back day, ambitious IFBB pro Moe El Moussawi thrives on meeting — and exceeding — expectations.
By Eric Velazquez

13 WAYS TO GET MORE T pg. 114
If you want to boost your natural testosterone levels, it helps to know all the best strategies — both in and out of the gym.
By Steven Stiefel

NUTRITION
CARBS: THE ANABOLIC NUTRIENT pg. 148
Carbohydrates can help you pack on muscle — or bodyfat — depending on when, what and how much you eat. Here’s what carbophobes and carboholics need to know about this important macronutrient for optimal physique gains.
By Dwayne N. Jackson, PhD

1-2-3 POWER BREAKFAST GUIDE pg. 170
Give new meaning to “breakfast of champions” with these four high-protein, high-energy recipes, ready in just three simple steps.
By Carlo Filippone, IFBB pro

FEATURES
LEGENDS OF THE IRON GAME pg. 182
An excerpt from Bill Pearl’s three-volume set Legends of the Iron Game. Chapter XXIV: George Eiferman.
By Bill Pearl

ON HER WAY UP! pg. 200
One look at Aleisha Hart tells you she’s an accomplished rock climber with all the trimmings. Chances are those hard ’n’ fast mountaineers among you would never rappel from this ravishing beauty.
Photos by Gregory James

HARDCORE
BIGGER THAN SMALL ARMS pg. 214
The UK’s newest pro Alvin Small shares his fast-tracked journey to the IFBB ranks and the biceps and triceps workout that helped him strong-arm his way to the top.
By Giles Thomas

CLUSTER BOMB YOUR LEG DAY pg. 230
Take a standing eight count in the
middle of your heaviest leg-training
sets — doubling the reps you can do
with a heavy weight — to build strength and spur significant new growth.
By Jeb Roberts, MA

CLASSIC ARNOLD pg. 244
The Arnold Sports Festival gets set to flex its muscles as it continues to get bigger and better every year.
By Peter McGough

Of Human Insanity

http://www.singlemuslim.com/marriage_articals/boyfriend_girlfriend.php

What Would Jesus NOT Do?

Daddy's Little Girl

POWER SHOWER.flv

Today's pic

I must have forgotten how to take photos. My arms were always in the way. Here's a decent one.

Symphony of Science -- DNA and Life

Symphony of Science - A Wave of Reason

Jingle Bells

The irony is that it will start getting better right in time before work.

Carol of the Bells

Oh man. Snow is so Christmas 2010. Let's move on, please.

 

The Office

From Ep 10, Season 6

• "Do I like snorkeling? No. But I would like to if I wanted to". (Michael)

• "Finish your cake, Eileen. I want you to enjoy that ... cake, because I have something terrible I need to tell you, so I want you to enjoy that cake, before I tell you this terrible, terrible thing". (Michael, before dumping Pam's mum-on her birthday)

If this is real...

... I am going to bathe in it

http://www.athleticxtreme.com/arsenal/hardfx/

Will do my research. NOW.

Dennis

Richard Dawkins - "What if you're wrong?" South Park

Breakfast

• 3 whole eggs, 3 egg whites, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, goat cheese

• oatmeal with soy energy blend, fresh blueberries, cinnamon, dark-chocolate-covered açai, pistachios.

Highlighs from 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God

• Despite all claims to the contrary, belief in gods does not create or maintain superior societies. The pattern seen in our world is clear: the more belief and the more intense the belief, the more violence, more oppression, and more economic failure. Less belief and less intense belief mean more peace, more tolerance, and more economic success. One can look at modern immigration trends as well. The major flow of people is away from more-religious societies toward less-religious societies. Why is this? If more belief is better and if gods protect societies that worship the most, then shouldn't people be moving in the other direction?

 

• The way to bring people together who are separated by belief in a god is to get them to take that belief a little less seriously. The people of the Middle East need doubt. They need skepticism. So long as warring sides are 100 percent certain that their belief is true, they are unlikely to ever yield.

 

• Why do the analytical skills and skepticism that most people utilize when buying a house, car, or laptop vanish when religion comes up?

 

• Never make the mistake of thinking that we can simply poll the brightest people to determine if gods exist or not. Reality is not a popularity contest. Reality is what it is, regardless of who knows it.

Yum

 

Having the stuff above plus cinnamon, peanut butter, almonds and a drop of coffee. Good stuff, and about 300 more calories for my muscles!

Current Routine

This is what I have been doing since Dec 10, about 4 times/week.

Today's Pics

I think I need to increase my calorie intake. I am not headed in the right direction right now.

Ha. Lost 3 lbs. Not fun.

New Jack3d

Trying the Blogpress IPad app. Took my first dose of Jack3d white blue raspberry flavor (did not know such a berry existed). I have to say. It does taste a little bit better than the lemon flavor I have been using and which felt like I was swallowing lemon dish detergent.

I want to start a new workout routine soon. What i have been doing since the second week of december is a whole body routine which has brought me back to a lean physique, but I really want to crank up the mass now. Unfortunately the pain in my left shoulder and small head of the bicep prevent me from using as much as as I would like (and used to) when doing bench presses and any variation of it. Perhaps I should insist on on volume, rather than strength, when it comes to chest training.

Listening to 50 Eye Trance Tunes and enjoying every second of it. Most of them are remixes classics. Nothing better than a familiar tune in new clothes. So sexy. 6AM by Kyau & Albert (Club Remix) playing now. So beautiful.

The Meditator

One of yesterday's many manic purchases was "8 Minute Meditation".

I started the meditation prescription (8 minutes for 8 weeks, mornings or evenings) and man, was it hard to keep my eyes closed for ten minutes. I had to open them three times, and I did not go through the whole thing. 8 minutes! Crazy how long they can be.

8 weeks from yesterday will be March 6.

59 more days to go.

 

Tiësto's Club Life: Episode 196

Jay at Columbus' airport (Arnold 2010)

... I saw Jay Cutler on the airport right after the Arnold. He was there with Ronnie Rockel, but Ronnie was in a hurry. Jay had a HUGE lunchbox.

From Arnold 2009: Wolff and Dugdale

I had taken a lot more (including one with Ronnie Coleman), but, two laptops later, this is all I can find.

Still A Classic

Drowning Mania

Too manic to do anything. A hot bath always helps. Even a lukewarm one, as the one I just had.

3 by DC

Yey... the three DC books I could not find on kindle have arrived today. Merry times.

Today's Pics