Reading - MAR > DEC 2020

Kept up with tracking, but not publishing out into the ether, what I've read this year. Last time was in February, apparently. Wild ride in 2020, many distractions. Not to mention moving back overseas and related complications. Regardless, something like a book a week, give or take. On average. Plus comics. And OCD surfing of the internets. Lot of fiction this year, apparently. Coping mechanism for the stresses of the 'real' world? Possibly. Reread a bunch of Crichton this summer. Reminded me of my dad, who I got the 'reading habit' from - and who got it from his mom - and who used to read all the Crichton, Clancy and Griffin he could get his hands on. A handful of biographies, some financial literacy, some positive psych. We'll see if in 2021 I can post up more often, maybe monthly. Onwards.

Gladiator by Philip Wylie

Anno Dracula by Kim Newman

Anno Dracula: The Bloody Red Baron by Kim Newman

Anno Dracula: Dracula Cha Cha Cha by Kim Newman

Helltown by Dennis O'Neil

Richard Dragon: Dragon's Fists by Jim Dennis (Dennis O'Neil and James R. Berry) 

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks

The Stranger by Harlan Corben

Anno Dracula: Johnny Alucard by Kim Newman

Peace Talks (Dresden Files Book 16) by Jim Butcher

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks  

Rising Sun by Michael Crichton

The Greatest Miracle in the World by Og Mandino

Travels by Michael Crichton

Congo by Michael Crichton

Timeline by Michael Crichton

A Newcomer's Guide to the Afterlife: On the Other Side Known Commonly as The Little Book by Daniel Quinn and Tom Whalen

Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman

The Mystery of the Iron Samson: The Life and Training of Strongman Alexander Zass by Yuri Shapshnikoff (Author), A. Drapkin (Author), Logan Christopher (Editor), Professor "Stone" Paul (Translator)

A Feast Unknown (Secrets of the Nine #1 - Wold Newton Parallel Universe) Book 1 of 3: Secrets of the Nine by Philip Jose Farmer 

The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson

Resurrected Destiny (The Last Witness Book 1) by Gerald Welch

Ballistic Kiss: A Sandman Slim Novel by Richard Kadrey

Playing with FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early): How Far Would You Go for Financial Freedom by Scott Riecken

The Holy by Daniel Quinn

Dirty Jokes and Beer: Stories of the Unrefined by Drew Carey 

Battle Ground: The Dresden Files 17 by Jim Butcher 

8 Mins: An Anthology of the Last Eight Minutes of Earth by Victor Dandridge 

After Dachau by Daniel Quinn

The Sentinel: A Jack Reacher Novel by Lee Child & Andrew Child 

Levon's Home by Chuck Dixon

Art in the Blood (A Sherlock Holmes Adventure, Book 1) by Bonnie MacBird 

Unquiet Spirits: Whisky, Ghosts, Murder (A Sherlock Holmes Adventure, Book 2) by Bonnie MacBird

Uncaged: My Life as a Champion MMA Fighter by Frank Shamrock 

Shamrock: The World's Most Dangerous Man by Jonathan Snowden 

The Devil’s Due (A Sherlock Holmes Adventure, Book 3) by Bonnie MacBird

The Size of Your Dreams: A Novel that Transforms Lives by Dave Mason and Chana Mason

The Cash Machine: A Tale of Passion, Persistence, and Financial Independence by Dave Mason and Chana Mason

The Mandibles: A Family, 2029-2047 by Lionel Shriver 

The Motion of the Body Through Space by Lionel Shriver

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The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 1 & 2 by Kousuke Oono

Savage Wolverine Vol. 1: Kill Island by Frank Cho

Second Coming: Volume One by Mark Russell, Richard Pace, Leonard Kirk, Andy Troy

Skybourne by Frank Cho, Marcio Menyz

Black Hammer Volume 4: Age of Doom Part Two by Jeff Lemire, Dean Ormston, Dave Stewart

Green Arrow: War of the Clans by Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino

Secret Volume by Jonathan Hickman, Ryan Bodenheim, Michael Garland 

Punisher: Soviet by Garth Ennis, Jacen Burrows, Paolo Rivera

Wonder Twins Vol. 1: Activate! by Mark Russell , Stephen Byrne 

Captain America: White by Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale 

Scott Pilgrim Vol. 1 (of 6): Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley & Nathan Fairbairn 

The Complete Jon Sable Freelance Volume 1 by Mike Grell

Absolute Planetary V1 by Warren Ellis & John Cassaday

Green Lantern: Legacy by Minh Le & Andie Tong

Doomsday Clock: The Complete Collection Paperback by Geoff Johns & Gary Frank 

Jacked by Eric Kripke & John Higgins 

Serenity: The Shepherd's Tale by Zack Whedon, Joss Whedon, Chris Samnee 

Batman: Three Jokers by Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok 

Reading - Summer 18 - "When done right, comics are a cognitive whetstone..."

"...providing two or three or more different but entangled streams of information in a single panel. Processing what you’re being shown, along with what’s being said, along with what you’re being told, in conjunction with the shifting multiple velocities of imaginary time, and the action of the space between panels that Scott McCloud defines as closure… Comics require a little more of your brain than other visual media. They should just hand them out to being to stave off Alzheimer’s." - Warren Ellis

Artemis by Andy Weir

Ali vs. Inoki: The Forgotten Fight That Inspired Mixed Martial Arts and Launched Sports Entertainment by Josh Gross

The Leangains Method: The Art of Getting Ripped. Researched, Practiced, Perfected by Martin Berkhan

Sayonara by James Michener

Malice by Keigo Higashino

Brief Cases: More Stories From the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher 

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

Way of the Warrior Kid: From Wimpy to Warrior the Navy SEAL Way: A Novel by Jocko Willink and Jon Boza 

Time Slave by John Norman

The Smear: How Shady Political Operatives and Fake News Control What You See, What You Think, and How You Vote by Sharyl Attkisson

Gor Series, Vol 1-9 by John Norman

Lazarus: Sourcebook Collection Volume by Greg Rucka, Eric Trautmann, Michael Lark & others

The Wild Storm Vol. 1 & 2 by Warren Ellis and John Davis-Hunt

The Wild Storm: Michael Cray Vol. 1 by Bryan Hill and N. Stephen Harris  

Training - "Our lives are easy – too easy physically."

6/30 - wmup/stretch, jumps, bench, chins, pushups, back raise, hanging leg raise, situps, speed bag, stretch

6/29 - kb wmup/swings/getups, stretch, chins

6/28 - wmup/stretch, jumps, deadlifts, situps, back raise, pushdowns, db rows, stretch

6/27 - kb wmup/swings/getups, stretch

6/26 - wmup/stretch, jumps, press, weighted chins, dips, close grip chins, tricep pushups, situps, hip thrust, stretch

6/25 - stretch

6/24 - stretch

6/23 - wmup/stretch, jumps, power clean, squats, lunges, facepulls, pushdowns, speed bag, stretch

Do you need to condition? – JimWendler.com: "The short answer is yes. The “why” isn’t as simple. It is my belief that everyone needs three things in their training program regardless of who they are: strength training, flexibility/mobility and some kind of conditioning. These three things are needed regardless of your level, goal or sport. Many people will need more than these three things but these things are the minimum. Of course, the goals you have will determine which area will receive a great emphasis. But everyone from a competitive athlete to the sedentary commuter programmer needs to lift something relatively heavy, loosen their bodies and get out of breath. For most of us that aren’t high level competitive athletes and are just men trying to get as strong as we can, conditioning offers the following benefits: Improved health (these have been widely documented) – especially for those that have a history of heart disease or high blood pressure. Improved recovery from heavy lifting sessions. Improved sense of well-being. Improved recovery between sets. Ability to do better work in the weight room – aka not out of breath all the time and be able to complete your training without driving yourself into the ground every single day...

Our lives are easy – too easy physically. On the converse, our brains and emotions are constantly being challenged. The mental stress in our world is at an all-time high. What better way to relieve this stress than to break down our bodies and tap into a mindset that no longer gets challenged? ...I’m not asking everyone to run a marathon a day or push the Prowler every morning – what I’m asking people to do is to have the foresight to realize that conditioning is an essential part of training. Leaving something out, one of the three pillars, always leaves a gap. And the sooner you realize your gap, the better of your life will be. On all levels."

The Real Reason Everyone's Fat | T Nation: "Accusing other people for causing your circumstances only postpones the good stuff you could be enjoying. So personal responsibility is nonnegotiable. It's the first step. Then expect temptation and plan how you're going to beat it. Temptation is inescapable and everyone faces it. If you're still blaming your spouse for sabotaging you with tempting food, don't count on changing. We're all tempted by about the same shit; your challenges aren't special. And even if you're injured or ill, there's still a way to choose the best options within your given set of circumstances.  Can't get support at home? Find it elsewhere, then be a role model for your family. It'll be a struggle, but it's supposed to be. Everyone experiences that. If you're not struggling, then you're probably not making progress. The struggle is what keeps you from getting weaker, fatter, less mobile, and more incompetent as the owner of your body. The blame-game won't make you any fitter or healthier. It's not working for the rest of the world, so don't expect it to work for you. The question is, are you going to fight your challenges or let them own you? The choice is yours. It always has been. It always will be...

You know that people who are out of shape could be making the best choices within their circumstances, no matter how unfortunate those circumstances are. And you know that "body acceptance" is a sham because their lives would be much easier if their frail frames and feeble joints weren't hauling around extra weight. You know they'd feel better about themselves, have more energy, move more freely, take fewer meds, sleep better, get out more, have fewer doctors' appointments, deal with less pain, have better sex, and (ironically) enjoy their food a lot more than they do now. There's a way to be both compassionate and honest. But by playing the sycophant you're encouraging people to be the victims rather than the masters of their circumstances. And I hope that people who are out of shape make the choices that prove you wrong. Because you see, if they can CHOOSE to get in better shape today, then they could've CHOSEN better behaviors in the first place that would have kept them from getting where they are now. There is a choice. Your patronizing pity is more insulting than the brutal honesty of someone who says, "You're fat and here's what you can do about it.""

Most people haven't been bitten by the fitness bug. They're not into lifting, nor do they go to the store thinking about macronutrients, ingredients, or overall nutritional value. That's fine. They're into what they're into. And they're often extremely smart people, which means that if they want to get stronger and leaner, they'll find ways. They can hire trainers, read books, do a bit of research, cook for themselves instead of eating out, imbibe a little less, sleep a little more, and plug into groups of people with similar challenges. Same with you. If you're overweight, don't let anyone tell you that you don't have a choice, or that you got this way and it was totally out of your control. Why? Because if you think like that, then you probably won't ever feel competent enough to take control, at least not long-term. If you don't care about strengthening your body or improving your health, that's your business. You will prioritize what's important to you. Just don't say the fitness industry failed you, or that diet books, food manufacturers, or your family is to blame for the repercussions you're facing now. It's your body and YOUR business, remember?

Everybody who's in shape fights for it in some way. It's not given to us. We all have personal disadvantages and challenges to overcome. So unless you're among the very few genetically gifted and environmentally blessed, you can't get lean without a struggle. You can't build muscle without a struggle. And you certainly won't maintain either without struggling in some way. On top of that, your struggles will change yearly, monthly, sometimes even daily. So once you overcome your initial challenges, you'll be faced with more. And they happen everywhere: under the barbell, at school, in the doctor's office, in the kitchen or the car, anywhere! Getting in shape isn't a thing that happens exclusively at the gym. It's what you do constantly with every choice you make."

"If you want to be believe you can always be fooled."

It’s Aliveness – Still | Matt Thornton': "Always remember that fighting, and by extension, fighting methods/training epistemologies, are empirically testable things. Any competent blue belt who wasn’t a cooperating stooge, but instead acting as the one thing every functional system needs as a correcting mechanism – a resisting opponent – would prove, repeatedly, that what you’re witnessing in the video above was little more than delusion made physical. And repeated experiments of many different sorts could verify these conclusions. 

...areas of claimed proficiency can be tested, and those tests can be repeated, safely, humanely, and without anyone getting seriously hurt (beyond perhaps, their pride). So if we settle on the fact that we are looking at the Martial Arts equivalent of Scientology, then it must just be about the money, right? 

...people who buy into this sort of Martial Arts superstition, like people who spend tens of thousands on Scientology, must be a bit dim. But that proposition, that superstition requires stupidity, is little more than faulty logic. I don’t think Mitt Romney is stupid. In fact, I think he’s an extremely intelligent man. However, as a Mormon (and we have every reason to believe he’s sincere in his faith), Mitt Romney also believes in a creator God who lives on a planet (or near a star) named Kolob. Uri Geller was very obviously, a shitty con man and magician. Yet he had physicists, research institutes, and heads of state believing he had “psychic powers”. That is, until he was exposed by the people qualified to expose him, other magicians (the Amazing Randi), on the Johnny Carson show...

Is it so hard to think that someone could have years of experience with functional Martial Arts, and still be taken in by some well-spoken huckster who uses the Martial Arts equivalent of carnival tricks? One of the reasons I continue to talk about Aliveness is because you don’t have to be dumb to fall for Martial Arts delusion; you just have to have one or more of the two following afflictions – a lack of understanding as to what Aliveness actually is, and or, a desire to believe. The first I can help fix. The second I cannot. Some people really want a magic bullet...

There are some profound lessons there. Lessons all of us need to remember. If you want to be believe you can always be fooled. If you want a magic bullet there will always be someone who will sell you one. And if you’re arrogant enough to believe that your failure of imagination is an insight into necessity – then you too may end up falling for the absurd. Hubris and nescience frequently come as a team...

Life is short. Time is precious. And truth always matters. So why do I care? I care because at their worst, fantasy based Martial Arts like Systema are dangerous. And at their best fantasy based Martial Arts like Systema are impoverishing. Dangerous because they pretend to teach people how to deal with things like guns, knives, and violent attackers. And impoverishing because they waste peoples time giving them make believe answers where proven solutions exist. Who are they most dangerous and most impoverishing for? Those who need help the most – the weak. I’m not worried that the Jocko Willinks of the world will be taken in by Martin Wheeler’s Systema secrets. But that chubby guy who keeps falling over himself as he haplessly pretends to get a grip on Wheeler, he will be. And that’s why the message is Aliveness – still."

Catching up, but never caught up, on the JRE.

Next up, Bill Burr, Gary Vaynerchuk, Alex Jones & Christopher Ryan.

Training - "Everything that has happened to you is just a story."

11/30 - deadlifts, ab circuit, 5T, #22pushups for #22KILL - Day 11

11/29 - 5T #22pushups for #22KILL - Day 10
11/28 - press, chins, dips, fat bar curl, 5T, #22pushups for #22KILL - Day 9
11/27 - 5T, #22pushups for #22KILL - Day 8
11/26 - 5T, #22pushups for #22KILL - Day 7
11/25 - power clean, squats, 5T, #22pushups for #22KILL - Day 6
11/24 - stretch, #22pushups for #22KILL - Day 5
11/23 - #22pushups for #22KILL - Day 4
11/22 - #22pushups for #22KILL - Day 3
11/21 - bench, chins, pushups, #22pushups for #22KILL - Day 2
11/20 - #22pushups for #22KILL - Day 1
11/18 - deadlifts, ab wheel, backxt
11/16 - press, chins, dips, pike press, speedbag
11/11 - squats, bench, chins, pushups, leg raise, stretch
11/9 - deadlifts, press, chins, dips, situps, backxt
11/8 - stretch
11/7 - stretch
11/4 - squats
11/3 - stretch
11/2 - bench, chins, pushups
11/1 - deadlifts, situps, backxt
10/28 - press, chins, dips

700 lb Deadlift @ 60 years old...195 lbs bw and Drug Free! | Powerlifting Watch: "Tee Skinny Man Meyers - 60 year old Deadlifts 700 lbs @ 195 lbs Drug Free! The skinny man has been around a long time and he is still one of the nation's best pullers! Here he is pulling a number 1 ranked masters deadlift! It couldn't get much easier!"

allyouneedisyogaandtea: It’s amazing what a diet...:

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Before After Female Muscle Bodybuilders and Weight Loss:

Before After Female Muscle Bodybuilders and Weight Loss:

Skinny To Strong: Karina Baymiller's Complete Fitness Journey:

It's Not the Years, It's the Miles: Training After 50 | Breaking Muscle: "Live Long, Die Fast. 

Time goes on, as do we. Since age eleven, I have accepted the fact that I am going to die. Robb Wolf once told me: “Live long, die fast.” I can’t disagree.   I have my wills, living wills, and DNRs already written, signed, and co-signed. Death will come knocking one day, but I hope I have left early to compete, laugh, and dance at a Highland Games.   I expect Death to share a toast or two before we do a Challenge Sprint into the next life...

John Powell, former world record holder in the discus, once gave me some advice for older athletes at breakfast in Orlando, Florida. He noted older athletes need to rediscover two things: “muscle” and passion. He envisioned that we should train in two phases:   Phase One: Hypertrophy and rediscovering the joy of movement Phase Two: Reigniting passion   For phase two, “Passion” comes from the root, “to suffer.” Whenever we speak about passion, we tend to jump right into the bedroom, but we also have to learn to suffer for what we love. It could be as simple as sore body parts after training or cutting checks for trips to championships...  If the over-fifty athlete can only do one thing, I would recommend three days a week of push, pull, and squat. You will look good, which tends to lead to feeling good, which seems to help you keep moving good (well)...

I have always found solace in the phrase: “It’s not the years, it’s the miles.” Research from Germany in the 1950s taught us that strength, if trained, remains long into the early fifties. But, after that, things happen. Joseph Campbell described aging like the pieces of an old car suddenly falling off: first, the side mirror; now, the bumper.   Aging is inevitable. Every calendar year, your age will increase by a factor of one, and you can look that up if you don’t believe me. But, aging doesn’t have to be given the victory. With a little thinking and some reasonable training, you can keep the side mirror and bumper on for a long time."

Your Fitness Truths Are Just a Story | Breaking Muscle: "People have sold their dogma and pushed their respective agendas at us since we were small children. Your parents are the grand architects of how you think. In fact, if you think back on your entire set of values, ideas, and way of looking at the world, you can probably trace it back to one of your parents. That means most of your thoughts don’t belong to you. You are simply recounting something your parents taught you. Original thoughts rarely happen.   When you come to this realization, it can be quite upsetting at first. Over time, it becomes incredibly liberating. My reasoning? We don’t have many geniuses, gurus, or true movers and shakers amongst us. Most everyone, myself included, just regurgitate the things someone else taught us. But knowing this gives us the freedom to reject established norms. Conventional thinking, in a lot of cases, is not compelling or inspirational in any way. And the good news is, you don’t have to be a slave to it anymore...

Everything that has happened to you, from your childhood to the moment you started reading this article, is just a story. It’s nothing. It has absolutely no substance whatsoever. In order for you to even spend the energy on recounting any of it, you have to formulate your understanding of what it was, and then create a narrative around it to give it life again. Most of us are so dedicated to the story that we not only re-write what happens in our minds, but then follow through by talking about it, brooding over it, and in many cases, allowing ourselves to become prisoners to it."

Training.

10/26 - squats, leg raises, sauna
10/25 - stretch
10/24 - bench, chins, pushups
10/21 - deadlift, situps, backxt
10/19 - press, chins, dips, pike press, speed bag, stretch, sauna
10/18 - shadowbox, stretch
10/17 - squats, leg raise
10/10 - bench, chins, pushups
10/7 - deadlifts, situps, backxt

Missed training updates for a bit.  Sick/food poisoning for the better part of the week and then just caught up with other distracting whatnots.  Onwards.

Power Athlete - Timeline:

 Aiming For Godlike:

Aiming For Godlike:

Before After Female Muscle Bodybuilders and Weight Loss: