Barack Obama versus John McCain

Lets get down to it, a real comparison between Barack Obama and John McCain. A physical comparison!

Last election year (2004) I called the election by comparing Bush and Kerry, and Bush won out because he was an avid exerciser, lifting weights, running, and cycling. Both lost out to Putin, who because of his Judo and Sambo skills could kick both their butts, and so will remain in charge of Russia forever.

John McCain starts out strong. He served for over 20 years in the US Navy as a combat pilot, being wounded several times and surviving as a prisoner of war. He's got a temper that probably lets him clobber anyone in his path. Unfortunately for this candidate he's 72 years old and therein lies his weakness. So I'll give him the edge in combat experience and willingness to follow through on a proper beatdown, but take him to task on his ability to take punishment and last the distance.

Barack Obama has seen no violence outside that of being a politician from the Chicago area. He does seem fit and trim, and supposedly stays that way through a combination of diet and playing basketball. His lack of combat skills and experience hurt him. So I'll give him the physical edge especially with his youth, but take him to task for his ability to really hurt his opponent.

Again Vladimir Putin of Russia wins on his Judo and Sambo skills, and the plain fact that Vladimir is a cool name. Maybe he should get into American politics?

Hu Jintao of China? Well, he excelled in dancing during high school. He stays trim somehow, but its unclear what his methods might be. He is a completely unknown contender, but his slightly awkward posture suggests no relevant physical skills.

Coming up on my week off!

Training this week has been interesting. I know about 80% of the material

What sucks of course is a last minute work problem that is about 50-75% my own fault which might force me to work over this weekend.

Anyway, the fatigue issue is cured. More body minerals like sodium, calcium, and potassium have been helping. So has this week where I've not been working out so much, about 25% of normal. My body feels rather recovered now.

I cook for a gathering tomorrow night at a friend's house. I'm thinking fried rice with grilled chinese sausage. We'll see.

Monday I lead my first bike ride! I'm going from my gym to the Smithsonian metro. Its going to be a small group, but future rides will be bigger since they'll be scheduled for the weekend.

Working on the fatigue issue

So on tuesday I talked to a doctor who trains with us at the gym. When we talked the whole thing about electrolytes, and I said I thought I was getting enough, he suggested I really up my intake of potassium, calcium, and even sodium. As he put it, 'putting salt on your food might be bad for most people, but with your volume of physical effort 5 - 6 days a week, it might be what you need to do.'

Now I haven't put any salt on my food yet. But I am drinking more electrolyte water. Eating more bananas and looking to buy some more suppliments. I think I feel better but it might be too early to tell.

The other thing he mentioned is that with my kidney issue I might just be anemic. He said that if upping the body salts doesn't work to try upping my iron intake.

He also said I might want to go to the doctor.

Exhausted for no reason

I don't know why, but since Monday evening I've felt very tired. I'm not sure why. I think I'm getting enough sleep, eat well, and exercise tons. Yet my energy low has dropped precipitously. Very odd.

July should be fun

I love summer. Nothing like cycling next to a river across DC for miles to and from work to make you happy. Each day is different. Just last week during a rain shower I saw a rainbow there that was unlike anything I've ever seen.

So July should be fun.

I love Independence Day. Fireworks, grilling, and flags. Whats not to love?

From the 14th to the 18th I've be in NASA funded training learning stuff I want to learn in order to help support NASA more. How fun is that?

From the 21st to the 25th I'll be on vacation. Nothing serious planned, just being at home with my son while the wife is away. We'll cycle, eat junk food, hit the museums, and goof off like only two guys can do. Might see my mom as well, if not my dad.

Good times.

Quick Firefox 3 review

Firefox 3 rocks. Its super fast and as of several days of running it, very stable. All sites show up just fine. I heard there may be a problem on Hotmail, but who uses that garbage anyway when you have gmail?

So please, family and friends who use IE, convert away. No time has been better.

Get FireFox here!

My students take the big test

I teach quite a few teenagers and kids martial arts. Most of it is Tae Kwon Do but I mix in Muay Thai and Kali from time to time. Anyway, seven of my teens are testing this Friday (6/20/2008) for either their apprentice black belt or full black belt. This, for what its worth, is a big deal. Why?

Our school is really rough. It takes 4 - 7 years to get ready to test for black belt here, often leaning to about 6 years. We have high expectations for our students, and at black belt level testing, the students fail about 50% of the time. Compare that to the belt factory schools where you get your black belt in 2 years regardless of your knowledge or skill, but rather based on the fact that you are willing to shell out $750 for a black belt.

Anyway, I'll be there. If you are interested in coming to watch the effort of years of work let me know. Just so you know, this is not a demonstration, and it is not a tournament. This is a grueling test, where for at least the first hour we'll have exhausted the students to see how they perform under duress. So the technique may not look pretty, even if the students can be really impressive when they are fresh.