CURRENT EVENTS

BOOK OF THE WEEK

It is starting to look like the only thing George Orwell was wrong about was timing.

If you haven’t read this classic, perhaps you should while you still can.

1984

By George Orwell

The book 1984 was George Orwell’s chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, his dystopian vision of a government that will do anything to control the narrative is timelier than ever…

“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”

Winston Smith toes the Party line, rewriting history to satisfy the demands of the Ministry of Truth. With each lie he writes, Winston grows to hate the Party that seeks power for its own sake and persecutes those who dare to commit thought crimes. But as he starts to think for himself, Winston can’t escape the fact that Big Brother is always watching…

A startling and haunting novel, 1984 creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the novel’s hold on the imaginations of whole generations, or the power of its admonitions—a power that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passage of time. (Source: Amazon)

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

No surprises in this film, but still an entertaining Christmas film.

 The Knight Before Christmas (2019)

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

1999

By Prince

ART OF THE WEEK

Ghost Sculpture in Castle of Vezio, Italy

The quirky plaster ‘ghosts’ on the castle grounds are made from white chalk.

They are re-made each summer by tourists who agree to be put in a particular position, then covered with gauze and white chalk staying like that for 20 mins until the chalk is dry.

The sculptures remain until destroyed by snow.

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON  OF THE WEEK

Nora

This is a rather long video; however, I think the message in this video of my friend and teammate Nora and our Trainer Art,  is so inspiring that I wanted to make it available to all of you. You don’t have to be old and frail, you can be old and strong, if you will do the work.

It is a new year and perhaps it it time for a new you.

Taken at the 2021 AWPC Worlds

Art and Me

  JOKE OF THE WEEK

PHYSICAL TRAITS

CHARACTER TRAITS

You may not agree with Joe Manchin; but, it is hard not to admire him for standing up to what he believes regardless of the enormous pressure being put on him.

SOCIAL TRAITS

Consider this, if you want to get the new year off to a good start

LEARNING TRAITS

MISCELLANEOUS

The Start of a New Year is a Good Time for Some

Self-Reflection

 

CURRENT EVENTS

Merry Christmas

BOOK OF THE WEEK

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

This is my favorite version of

 It’s a Wonderful Life

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

Merry Merry Christmas

By Ken’ Mo’

ART OF THE WEEK

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON  OF THE WEEK

Who Else This Week?

Santa Claus

  JOKE OF THE WEEK

PHYSICAL TRAITS

Santa Without His Costume Padding

Santa Knows The Importance of Staying In Shape

CHARACTER TRAITS

Mr. Scrooge, proof that people can change

SOCIAL TRAITS

LEARNING TRAITS

MISCELLANEOUS

Santa When He Isn’t Working

 

CURRENT EVENTS

Raise The Bar

Push / Pull Powerlifting Contest

Dec. 11, 2021

Rochester Performance Gym (RPG)

Located in Rochester, Michigan

I lifted in the 75 to 79 year old & Under 181.7 lbs. class

Here is a video of my final deadlift of the day.

352.5 Lbs.

BOOK OF THE WEEK

Below is a book I have read and reviewed often in the last 20+ years and I believe you will find many valuable lessons among its pages.

Do Less, Achieve More

By Chin-Ning Chu

For anyone tired of chasing ever–elusive desires, of doing more only to find that more needs doing, and of making more money only to need more money, Chin–Ning Chu shows you that life was meant to be easy, if you know the secrets. (Source of Description:  Amazon)

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

A nice little romantic Christmas story.

A Castle for Christmas

A Castle for Christmas is a 2021 American Christmas romantic comedy film. The film was released on November 26, 2021.

The story follows bestselling American author Sophie Brown, who travels to Scotland to escape the scandal of her last book. She visits the ancestral village of her grandfather, who worked as a groundskeeper at the estate of a nearby castle. While there, she ends up falling in love with the castle, Dun Dunbar, but must also face off with the ill-tempered duke who owns it.

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

Pitch Perfect 2

Winter Wonderland / Here Come Santa Claus

By Snoop Dogg & Anna Kendrick

ART OF THE WEEK

This is a different kind of art, but still art.

I hope you find the photo of the MGM lion being filmed as interesting as I do.

Photo Source: Alamy

Filming the MGM Studio Emblem in 1928

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (more commonly known by its initialized version MGM) is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of feature films and television programs.

It is one of the world’s oldest and most iconic film studios, partly to do with the ‘lion’s roar’ emblem presented before each and every film it’s involved with.

This image is a behind-the-scenes look at the recording of that aforementioned roar! While most movie studios have their own intros, few are as memorable as the classic roaring lion that is so associated with MGM studios.

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON  OF THE WEEK

Michael Nesmith of the Monkees

Robert Michael Nesmith (December 30, 1942 – December 10, 2021) was an American musician, songwriter, actor, producer, and novelist. He was best known as a member of the pop rock band the Monkees and co-star of the TV series The Monkees (1966–1968). His songwriting credits include “Different Drum”, which became a hit for Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys.

  JOKE OF THE WEEK

PHYSICAL TRAITS

There are usually a number of people retiring from a lifetime of work around this time of the year. I hope they realize they are not actually retiring from work and that their new job is maintaining or trying to regain their health. That job calls for a serious exercise program, proper diet to manage your weight and rest. Well, most people are pretty good with the rest, it is the other two that is their challenge.

Ignore this advice and there will likely come a day when you will regret it.

CHARACTER TRAITS

I think being your authentic self is one of the hardest things one can strive for with society pressuring you to confirm, but you should still make the effort.

SOCIAL TRAITS

When The Pandemic Is Over

When this is over, you can ask yourself if you were in favor of people losing their livelihood because they had different views about their own health than you had for their health?

Did you avoid friends are family members because of your fear?

When it comes to abortion, did you believe people have a right to control over their own bodies, but when it comes to vaccines, people didn’t have a right of control over their own bodies?

When it comes to abortion, did you believe people do not have a right of control over their own bodies, but do have that right when it comes to vaccines?

Did you do any critical thinking whatsoever, or did you simply believe whatever the media told you regardless if it did or did not make sense?

Were you a good representative of the land of the free and the home of the brave?

LEARNING TRAITS

If you want to avoid being scammed, remember if it is too good to be true, it probably isn’t true.

MISCELLANEOUS

 

CURRENT EVENTS

BOOK OF THE WEEK

I have another powerlifting contest coming up Saturday, December 11. In October, I failed my third bench press and my third deadlift. This time, I will make both lifts.

As a little insurance that I make those third lifts, I thought it would be wise to study Ernie’s book again.

The Ten Commandments of Powerlifting

By Ernie Frantz

Ernie autographed his book for me

If you want to know how good this book is for powerlifting, it is one of the few powerlifting books that has been translated into Russian.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

I thought this was a very nice film.

Love Hard

Love Hard is a 2021 American romantic comedy film, about a young woman who travels to her online crush’s hometown for Christmas, but discovers she’s been catfished (Catfishing is a deceptive activity where a person creates a fictional persona or fake identity on a social networking service).

Love Hard was filmed in Vancouver from October to November 2020. The film was released by Netflix on November 5, 2021. 

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

Especially when it is 95 year-old Tony Bennett

singing with Lady Gaga

I’ve Got You Under My Skin

by Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga

ART OF THE WEEK

My Kind of Christmas Decorations

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON  OF THE WEEK (Again)

As I watch America over recent years, I find it difficult to retain my faith in the future of America. However, my faith is restored when real Americans like Enes Kanter stands up for America.

I think being an American is a state of mind and not an accident of the location of one’s birth. There are many people born within the boundaries of USA that don’t appear to believe in the American Dream and there are many people all over the world who do believe in the American Dream.

Enes Kanter Freedom

  JOKE OF THE WEEK

I’ve used this before, but it still strikes me as very funny.

Perhaps, because there is some truth in it.

PHYSICAL TRAITS

I’ll Be In Another Powerlifting Contest This Saturday

It is a local Push/Pull Contest

A push/pull contest is the combination of your best bench press and best deadlift.

I’ll be in the 75 to 79 years old category, so I will be surprised if I have any competition. Usually, it has to be a national or world competition, since there aren’t that many over 75 powerlifters. My goal for this Saturday is to do better than I did last October.

CHARACTER TRAITS

SOCIAL TRAITS

The odds of you fixing a broken person is a long shot.

 

LEARNING TRAITS

MISCELLANEOUS

Proof There Is A God

There has always been people who claim there is no proof that there is a good. Finally, these people are presented with undeniable evidence of God.