Mandling Business: Book Review - The Art of Racing in the Rain

This is what a book regarding man's best friend should be. Beautifully written with smart approaches to life, death, marriage, parenthood, compassion, and companionship - Garth Stein fires on all 8-cylinders in the Art of Racing in the Rain. Take a walk to the pits and let one easy lap become a passion for the track as Stein builds an admiration for Denny as a dog owner, father, and husband while also letting the reader fall readily in love with Enzo. This book is what fighting for what's right, making track mistakes and corrections, and being one helluva a dog owner is truly about. The Art of Racing in the Rain begs us to consider the true depth of a dog's mind while letting us take the wheel to enjoy the ride. this passenger-seat ride, through Enzo's eyes, is nothing less than inspiring and humbling - 10 hot laps out of 10.

Mutts and Marriage: And then we went to Helen, GA

My wife and I recently took some time off and headed for the mountains.. literally. As it turns out, there aren't many mountains to hike in Florida and even though we've tried "hiking" through places like Washington Oaks Gardens on the Palm Coast, it simply isn't the same as hiking in the mountains.

I try to meet several simple criteria when looking for places to hike and these include: 1. Finding a place which is dog-friendly and 2. Finding a place which has hikes ending at waterfalls or water in general. I've done quite a  few hikes which didn't end at water but they feel like they're missing something unless they're summited. Initially we planned on hitting the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee but, as with most National Parks, dogs aren't allowed on the majority of trails. So we decided on an area which is dog friendly, has nice hikes, and is located just south of the Smoky Mountains - Helen, GA. We couldn't have chosen a better time or place.

Helen is within 30 to 40 minutes of endless hiking opportunities and State Parks, is a beautiful town itself, and feels remote. Accidental fortune came upon us as we took the trip in early December (when we both could take time off from work). This time of year provided loads of benefits - little-to-no bugs, perfect weather (50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit each day), no snakes, and very few other hikers/travelers. Some nights and mornings ran down in the 40s but still were entirely enjoyable. The cool weather was perfect for our two dogs Bosco and Posie as well; Florida weather seems to suck the life out of them but they had no problem keeping up and often staying ahead of us on every hike we took.

At the end of the day, we hiked to 5 separate waterfalls - Anna Ruby Falls, Dukes Creek Falls, Horse Trough Falls, Panther Creek Falls, and Tallulah Falls - and also hiked through and around a good portion of Unicoi State Park and the on-site lake. The trip was perfect and we couldn't have asked for a better location or weather. For the person who enjoy hiking and having their pups along, I would very highly recommend a winter stay in Helen (which includes as many of the hiking opportunities as possible while in the area). Finally, I recommend picking up a guide book, which reviews some of the local mountains, before venturing out (I purchased the North Georgia Mountains Pocket Companion: 99 great things to see and do by Brian Boyd and it was extremely helpful).

(click the pics for the full monty..)

Mandling Business: Brokeback Mountain

My last rant was pretty angry so let's grab a bucket full o' badass and a mop to clean this place up.

Today was deadlift day in the gym. I still don't have a dedicated workout plan so I just go in there planning on doing one major push/pull exercise followed by some erroneous stuff which effectively amounts to nothing. I pulled 165 the last time I was doing deadlifts so I figured I'd bump it up 20 lbs because I was already bored (#gobigbro). Felt gud during my warm-up with 135 so I jumped straight into that 185. First two reps felt great and then I think I compressed my spine on the third. Turns out my beard had other plans so I pulled two more reps out and followed those with two more sets of 5 (#badideabro). My lower back was making a scene and complaining a whole bunch about the pain by the time I finished all 3 sets so I talked myself into doing some straight-leg deadlifts to muscle that nerd up before it wanted to hurt anymore. #bestideaever

So now I'm walking around like the hunchback of Notre Dame and am only comfortable lying down. No big deal though - I once read that compressed spines only exist in the mind so I'll be over this news tomorrow at the latest.

I actually did read a separate article which said that neck bridges while doing bench press are good for putting some mass on the pencil connecting my skull to my spine so I've been doing them everyday before my regular workout. People have walked into the gym a few times while I was doing this and it doesn't make for good gym banter. I usually awkwardly fumble through an explanation of why I'm doing it, knock out a couple more to make myself not look nervous, and then casually walk my way straight out of the gym. So I guess maybe that article should have been (or might have been) called "trying-but-probably-not-making your neck bigger with neck bridges while looking like an asshole on the bench press".

Mandling Business: Deep Squats, a Punch-Me Face, and Team Judy!

Several sites, 70sbig.com, theswolepatrol.tumblr.com, and mopeilitywod.com, have all given me a good laugh (check them out!) and work out motivation with an emphasis on dead lifts and deep squats. So my most recent plan is/was to lift heavy as hell and bulk my legs up, with zero focus on getting ripped, so I could join the Manly Short Shorts Revolution (.. 70sbig.com). So this was going great for the two days it lasted until I realized that lifting heavy (caveat that with relatively* heavy - not many people would call 115 on squats and 165 on dead lift heavy.. but I've taken two years off from lifting and am starting from scratch.. and am also a total puss.. no big deal) isn't so easy on a ship. Regardless, part of beefing up with dead lifts and deep squats involves eating 70sbig which is extremely tough when the brunt of my physical activity during the day comes from a 45 minute workout. 4 eggs for breakfast, a big lunch, and a big dinner tend to make me feel like a tugboat throughout the day. So I'm still going to lift as heavy as reasonably possible while not killing myself in a floating gym and will be eating less so I can try to get ripped (I'm not going to be 70sbig in two months anyways so why not, right?). Moral of the story - deep squats and deadlifts.

Moving on. I recently made a decision which upset another person whom I work with. He walked away in the middle of our discussion, didn't talk to me for a couple days, and now only does so begrudgingly. Nonetheless, he pulled me aside and said that we need to get along as we'll be working together for the next two months and it's going to be painful otherwise. Good point, ass, now get over the fact that I made a decision which you didn't agree with so we can move on. During this conversation I tell him that I've had similar things occur in different circumstances and the best approach is to move past it and handle it professionally. After hearing this, he asserts that the problem surely must lie in my management style because he gets along with everyone and then, again, walks off before I can say anything. Later in the evening he comes into my office while I'm talking to another coworker. Of course, I'm by no means excited to see him after he has walked away from two discussions, including one where I was told that my management approach sucks. So he welcomes himself in, resumes talking about how he gets along with everybody, tells me that he's the most laid back person ever, puts his hand out for a fist bump, and proclaims "Team Judy.. !" Please kindly allow yourself to the door and, by all means, get the fuck out of my office. So I try to pool some blood from my head which is about to explode in rage, use it to persuade my arm/hand to give him a fist bump (an action which entirely betrays my newfound hate for him and makes false notions of 'thanks for shitting on me, let's be friends because you're so laid back!'), and put my mind to figuring out why I have so many issues with people in my job. Sure I hate most people and would prefer to live a rather secluded life with interaction mainly limited to my wife, family, close friends, and dogs but I still carry myself professionally and socially at work. Next best cause of these sour interactions: my Punch-Me Face. I seem to run into incidents on a regular basis where people take it upon themselves to treat me like shit and expect me to be happy about it. Why? A Punch-Me Face possibly? A Punch-Me Face definitely. On the bright side, a lot of the assholes I work with share shitty personality attributes which I can see in myself when I argue with my wife. Note to self: stop being such a douche when arguing with your wife.

Then I have a second incident. Another upset person calls and tells me that I need to correct the way somebody else formats their reports as the formatting errors continue to occur. Ok. But the problem is that I don't give a fuck how the reports are formatted - that's not my job and the asshole calling me is the one who has had years of training on this subject and also gets paid to do it. Not to mention, I've been on this job for 2 weeks whereas the person I'm supposed to be correcting has been with the program for over 7 years. So I tell him that it's not my product but I'll come up to look at it anyways. When I address the issue with him, I make it clear that I don't know how the hell to format these reports and I only check them for content. So he proceeds to tell me that I'm in charge of it and, therefore, it is my responsibility in whole. Accordingly, I tell him to give me the fucking guidance so I can see what on earth he's talking about and take care of the formatting in the future. Whoops.. blew your cover. There is no guidance. After looking around for several hours with no success, he calls me and goes on to reveal the fact that he, himself, has been doing this for over five years (as have other people in his position) and the formatting is just how they've grown to do it - the guidance supposedly exists, but he doesn't have it. Welp, asshole, pretty fucking hard for me to dream this guidance up to start correcting how other people write their reports. Nonetheless, he continues to tell me not to take it personally and that his intent wasn't to upset me. Not upset that something needs to be corrected - just call the fucking person who has been doing it wrong for 7 years instead of me. Oh, and find the fucking guidance before you tell me to format reports with thin air. So why did this fall on me in the first place? Perhaps my Punch-Me face? Of course my Punch-Me face.

As side notes - in case you're wondering what "Team Judy" means, it pertains to the program I work with and is the equivalent of saying "Team Paintball" if you played on a paintball team. It was used correctly in context but horribly situationally. Also, in writing this entry, I realized how ridiculously hard it is to be humorous or angry without swearing. Is that wrong? Not sure but if you are the sole monthly visitor to this blog, who has accidentally stumbled upon it while perusing the web, then brace yourself for the next entry which you will unfortunately and inadvertently run into in 4 years because it will more than likely be laced with expletives and kickass humor. Maybe.

Marriage: Perspective

This song is a healthy reminder about overcoming struggles in love. I find its conflict-ending strength easily comparable to that of a significant other showing up naked with cheap beer to solve an argument. Except, if this song came on with the arrival of my beer-laden and lightly clothed wife, I'd probably just take the beer with me to have a good cry in the shower as I listened to it. The entirety of the song takes me to a level of clairvoyance; one where I think we should all be able to go in the midst of arguing and fighting.

When I look into your eyes
It's like watching the night sky
Or a beautiful sunrise
There's so much they hold
And just like them old stars
I see that you've come so far
To be right where you are
How old is your soul?

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up
And when you're needing your space
To do some navigating
I'll be here patiently waiting
To see what you find

'Cause even the stars they burn
Some even fall to the earth
We've got a lot to learn
God knows we're worth it
No, I won't give up

I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily
I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make
Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use
The tools and gifts we got yeah, we got a lot at stake
And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend
For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn
We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in
I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not
And who I am

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up
Still looking up.

I won't give up on us (no I'm not giving up)
God knows I'm tough enough (I am tough, I am loved)
We've got a lot to learn (we're alive, we are loved)
God knows we're worth it (and we're worth it)

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up

Mandling Business: The Man in the Mirror - a Rant on Consumption, Change, and Conservation

In light of the current state of the economy, American citizens are continuously referred to as "consumers" on television and in the news. This label dehumanizes and devalues the citizen as a whole. It makes us gears in a machine and takes away from our value as human beings. The fact that we are so commonly labeled as "consumers" tells me that our country is becoming completely blinded by money/currency. I generally understand supply and demand, capitalism, free markets, etcetera, etcetera but at some point in time we need to step back and realize what this country is coming to. Families are going hungry, illegal immigrants and overseas workers are being exploited, the economy is crashing, and the value of the dollar is decreasing. But I only bring this up because it is relevant to my rant on overconsumption and because the current state of affairs has put an emphasis on living within our means, consuming less, and, subsequently, protecting the environment.

Americans, as a whole, overconsume. We buy bigger houses than we need, new cars when our old vehicles still run, new clothes to fit in with the latest trends, and the cycle never ends. The emphasis on American citizens as consumers makes me step back and reconsider my role in the scheme of things. In doing so, I see that I am a very well-oiled and maintained gear in the machine: My house is much bigger than I really need. I drive a new car and own a motorcycle. I want to purchase new tools even though mine are sufficient. I routinely eat out. The list goes on and on. Is this really a bad thing, it boosts the economy, right? But does so at the expense of our environment and the expense of my value as a person. I need to become more self-sustaining, independent, and functional. Obviously I am ultimately responsible for my actions but, in accepting responsibility for my overconsumption, I have to consider what has driven me to become such an avid consumer. I find that most of my purchases are driven by internet websites which I visit/browse and also television which I watch.

The internet carries an interesting load with regard to what I purchase. I say this because I spend a lot of time on websites like Amazon, Craiglist, and Etsy. I don't really go to these sites to buy things but moreso just to browse and pass time. Nonetheless, I will always find something which I want to purchase - always. The "general" section on Craigslist is the devil. I don't think I've ever made it through the first 100 listings without finding something which I could really, really put to use right now. These simple browsing sessions end up planting seeds in my mind which grow into true desires to have random items, vehicles, sporting equipment, tools, and deer heads (true story). And television has a similar effect. I don't watch television in an effort to find new things to buy, they're simply presented and spark my interest which, again, turns into a desire to own. My primary example is HGTV (which I unabashedly think is partially responsible for the housing crisis). HGTV constantly televises shows where everyday citizens, just like you and me, are buying immaculate houses. Of course, the buyer's budget is always a factor. But the budget isn't considered to give a ballpark idea of what they can afford, it's ALWAYS used to show the maximum that the buyer can afford. Inevitably, the buyers are shown a range of houses at the top of their budget and are essentially coaxed by their realtor into buying the priciest and "most accomodating" house. Not quite the right message to send to citizens that are going hungry but it is the oil which keeps the machine running.

So where does change come into play for me? It's easy to point a finger at "America" and television networks but at the end of the day, change has to start locally and personally. So I've taken several steps towards consuming less and being more frugal: I've deleted Craigslist, Etsy, and Amazon.com from my internet "favorites" and near-never visit these sites anymore (it's baffling how much less random shit I "need" lately). I don't really watch television unless it's a show that I specifically want to watch. Sure, I'm falling behind on the news but I can very confidently say that I'm not missing much (or did Britney Spears cut her hair again??). But more needs to be done and I have arrived at the next step in my journey toward consuming less and recycling more:

For the rest of 2012, I will buy clothing and shoes exclusively at thrift stores, if at all. Several caveats must be noted. I may literally need to buy specific clothing for work and there's no way around it. It's also fair to note that I bought a new pair of shoes at the end of 2011 and am by no means in dire need of shoes so I have a bit of an advantage in this category. Nonetheless, if I happen to need/want new shoes, they will be purchased from a thrift store as well. Finally, I will continue to purchase socks and boxers at retail stores but this seldom occurs as well and I should be good to go for 2012.

America needs to start consuming less, recycling more, and being more environmentally responsible. I want to be part of this change.

Mandling Business: Book Review - This is Where I Leave You

Jonathan Tropper, in this novel, lines up a variety of topics like mailboxes and drives by smashing every single one open with a bat. He crudely, comically, and disastrously smashes through issues regarding family, marriage, life, relationships, and death through the eyes of Judd Foxman who greets each of them soon after walking in on his wife and his boss in the throes of love at his own house. The faults of each character spoke to me and I'm not sure if that's a good thing.. as a matter of fact I know it's not. Nonetheless, I enjoyed being able to relate to the characters as they cannonballed through their problems. Tropper is able to touch on fragile topics with a good bit of humor and sensibility and this read was entirely enjoyable. 9 dysfunctional families out of 10!

Representative quote: "My marriage ended the way these things do: with paramedics and cheesecake."

Me from A to Z

Lately I've been beyond lazy and haven't had any book reviews to post so I figured this would be a simple/entertaining way for me to get back to the blog:

Age: 29 going on 12
Bed size: queen but need a king so the pups fit! maybe some day when mattresses cost less than cars
Chore you dislike: picking up dog poo in the yard and on walks
Dogs: are the most amazing creatures on earth. we've got two - bosco and posie
Essential start to your day: brushing my teeth/putting in a dip. hopefully, soon, exercise will be my day starter
Favorite color: don't have one
Gold or silver: silver on the shoes, gold on the grill
Height: 6'0" since 1999. whenever i visit my hometown, people ask me if i've grown.. i get no respect
Instruments you play(ed): trumpet, once upon a time. tried to get into guitar.. failed
Job title: mission commander / adult babysitter
Kids: suck
Live: and love like there's no tomorrow (maybe how i would like* to live)
Mom's name: teresita. best mom a kid could ask for
Nicknames: hintes! pure nostalgia
Overnight camping favorite: taking dixon and the 4runner to canyon ferry for a night
Pet peeves: terms like "lol," "smh," and any other term i would expect a 12 year-old to text with
Quote: closed minds should come with closed mouths
Righty or lefty: little bit of both unless this is referring to political stance, in which case it would be neither
Siblings: two older sisters that were dirtbags when we were young but turned out to be alright
Time you wake up: 5 to 20 minutes after i should wake up, never fails
Underwear: something tells me it's far more entertaining when girls answer this question
Vegetables you don't like: carrots. those sons of bitches.
What makes you run late: everything. i'm never on time
X-rays: for dogs are a rip-off. and you don't get to keep them. highway robbery.
Yummy food you make: i prefer not to use words like yummy. i also suck at cooking
Zoo animal favorites: what am i, 3? i like the discount brand

Mandling Business: Book Review - Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Dark Places is nothing short of superb. Gillian Flynn takes the reader on a truly macabre ride in this dark thriller. Her incredibly creative sentences are the only shining light to be found amidst the morbid and dark tones in this book. I absolutely recommend following Libby Day's wit-infused mope through life which one day brings her to question whether or not her brother, whom she testified against as a child, is truly guilty of brutally murdering her mother and two sisters when he was 15. 10 miserable days in bed out of 10.

Mutts: The "Purpose" and Benefit of a Rescue

Dixon (my rescued/fixed Boxer)

I have yet to run my mouth on anything related to dogs yet so I figured I would take a shot at it today. I can start by explaining that although I am an unabashed advocate of adopting dogs I am well aware this does not always happen and am by no means opposed to it. For instance, my wife and I did not adopt Posie, our Boston Terrier. We were looking for the specific characteristics which normally manifest in Bostons: playful, curious, affectionate, smart, and active. Of course the physical attributes were a major factor as well. Anybody else who has attempted to adopt a particular breed like the Boston Terrier at rescue shelters would undoubtedly understand the difficulty in succesfully completing such a task. For these reasons, my wife and I were unable to adopt a Boston and eventually purchased one. Posie purportedly comes from "AKC registered" lines, but does that carry any weight? Sort of.

The only two benefits to Posie's lineage, for us, were the higher likelihood of her physically appearing and mentally behaving true to the Boston Terrier standard. We never saw her parents' AKC registration and never asked for it. Her parents looked like Bostons and seemed to adhere to the Boston standard mentally, so we went for it. Never receiving/asking for papers also kept the price of Posie down which was welcomed by us. Posie was spayed as soon as she was old enough and any possibility of more Posies coming around, intentional or not, was eliminated. Adopting would have otherwise been ideal for several reasons.



A few years ago I came upon an article detailing the inner-workings of the Great Falls Animal Shelter where we used to live; a shelter in a town of around 60,000 people. The monthly average for euthanasia was around 80 dogs and over 100 cats. This statistic alone made me a no-questions-asked advocate of spaying/neutering pets and also a definite opponent to the layperson failing to spay/neuter their animals or choosing not to do so to make possible the subsequent breeding of their animal for a profit. I could delve into the subject at no end but that's better saved for another rant, I would rather address that which I really came here to speak to - rescues.


Every purebred animal has what can be considered a "purpose". Terriers were originally bred for vermin control (ever wonder why the neighbor's Yorkie has so much energy? Because he's supposed to! It's in the animal's blood), retrievers were bred to assist with hunting and tend to  have "soft mouths" to assist in careful delivery of birds to hunters, dogs like the Beagle were bred as scent hounds for tracking and their physical and mental characteristics are revelations to its true purpose; so what's a rescue's purpose?


Posie (our spayed Boston) and
Bosco (our rescued/fixed Catahoula mix)

Rescues, almost always, come as a conglomerate of breeds and purposes. Any rescue can tend towards any particular breed but generally do not stay completely true to any breed's characteristics. That's a bad thing, right? Not at all! It's my personal philosophy that mixed breed rescues are the perfect companion dog as they have no defined purpose and are more inclined to simply enjoy being with their owner. This comes in contrast to dogs which prefer and are bred to herd, hunt, track, smell, and retrieve among other things. Purebreds are meant to come with a desire and inherent ability to fulfill a task. Rescues often don't have this inherent purpose or desire to fulfill a particular task and, in my mind, are better suited to the life of a companion dog. This being said, it's still possible to come across purebred animals in shelters. Hunters can find the perfect retriever or pointer, farmers can find the ideal sheep dog, and a variety of other purebreds and purposes can be encountered as well. It's simply the (hidden?) benefit of adopting which is important and which I wholeheartedly advocate. Many innocent animals can be saved from being euthanized and be given the life which they are at risk of losing at no fault of their own. 

At the end of the day I will (ab)use this forum to push my own agenda with regard to pets:

1. Neutering/spaying pets is absolutely paramount as well as responsible.
2. Adopting is always a good idea and comes with the potential benefit of an animal better at and more suited to being one's companion.

Mandling Business: Book Review - On a Dollar a Day

This week I got back to my roots and read some non-fiction. Although fiction is enjoyable, I prefer nonfiction and this book hit the spot! On a Dollar a Day is the chronicle of one couple's attempt to feel and understand the struggle of poverty with regard to food which afflicts millions every day. This book was absolutely well-written and detailed a month of eating on one dollar a day (per person) while concurrently addressing related topics like community gardens, agencies assisting the impoverished, and the different impacts of eating "the American way". Entirely enlightening, this book forces the reader to, if nothing else, consider their lifestyle and how their culinary choices affect others while tactfully presenting ways to make more socially conscious choices. This book was not completely in-your-face and stayed away from approaching less-than-socially-conscious eating habits in a condescending manner. Of note is the fact that the authors are vegans but, again, this choice of theirs was not preached in the book which was a most welcomed relief. Of course I have to complain a little bit - the inarguably appropriate use of the term "healthful" wore on me after reading it what seemed like one hundred times over the course of this book, but I guess that's life. 9 bean and rice burritos out of 10!   

Mandling Business: Book Review - Pirate Latitudes

I read Michael Crichton's "Jurassic Park" about two months ago and was a fan of its style, readability, and the wealth of information presented throughout. The butterflies which "Jurassic Park" gave me made purchasing Crichton's "Pirate Latitudes" at Goodwill for $1 a no-brainer. As it turns out, I've never wasted $1 in worse form than in purchasing this book. Crichton was beyond blatantly grasping for straws in this "thriller" and his pitiful attempt at entertainment takes the reader from battles for treasure to devastating sea storms to cannibalistic encounters to giant sea octopus attacks to giant flourescent jellyfish attacks.

When I began reading this book I wondered why the font seemed enlarged and why it seemed that there were only about 30 words per page; when I finished reading this completely weak and shallow storyline, I knew why.

My overall conclusion is that Crichton wanted to educate himself on seamanship and for some terrible reason decided to concurrently write a book on a related topic to display what he had learned and the result was Pirate Latitudes. To sum it up in two sentences: The first time I encountered the term "bum hole" in this read I noted that it would have been funny in 3rd grade. The 5th time I encountered the term "bum hole" I realized that this read was best reserved for 3rd graders and I unfortunately came upon it about 20 years too late.  

Mandling Business: Book Review - The Da Vinci Code

Dan Brown hits another thrilling and suspenseful home run with this read. Similar to Angels and Demons, the possibilities which are teased while being coupled with incredible historic/symbolic information are brilliant. Unfortunately other subject matter consequently (due to highly related themes) rolls over from Angels and Demons as well. For example: the very expected revelations effused via the use of iambic pentameter in text read by Robert Langdon and the oh-so-romantic closing tryst between our hero and his beautiful partner in truth. On the contrary, a very welcome repetition was the enigmatic and truly esoteric storyline which kept me guessing all the way to the end. Finally, I will close this review with my most petty yet most significant gripe - Brown's use of 5 syllables in a very prominent character's name. You try reading Aringarosa, yes, A-rin-ga-ro-sa, over and again though 489 pages of text. At least the pain of pronouncing Neveu time and again was lightened by its mere 2 syllables. At the end of the puzzle, I exercise restraint in fighting the urge to employ the Fibonacci sequence in my rating and give this read 9 inverted pyramids out of 10.

Mandling Business: 70s Big or Crossfit Trim? - Not a Book Review For Once

So I've had a ton of free time on my hands and have been able to pretty much scour the depths of the internet looking for workout motivation. This has led me to several options/ideas (keep in mind that a VERY small gym is currently my only resource): going for 70s Big or Crossfit Trim.

The first option of getting 70s Big is the more difficult of the two to achieve as powerlifting is near impossible within the confines of my current gym. Although major core lifts would be difficult to perform, I am still able to simply lift heavier when I do workout, which is a step in the direction of getting 70s Big.

The 2nd option of getting Crossfit Trim is the more viable option of the two. I currently do have a row machine and an elliptical at my disposal but not much space or equipment for any of the other off-the-wall stuff involved in Crossfit (tractor-tire flipping, giant-rope work, plyometric exercises on platforms, etc.). This being said, Crossfit focuses simply on practical lifts/exercises to include pushing and pulling type lifts. I would be able to do a faux-Crossfit workout which would really just be missing the eccentricity normally involved in such workouts.

Lastly, my genetics are a considerable factor. I have never been anywhere near 70s Big in my life. My body errs on the side of skinny and more readily prefers weight loss versus weight gain.

All things considered, although I prefer going for 70s Big, my final choice may be a mix of the two options. It may be possible for me to head in the direction of 70s Big for a month or so and simply do aerobic work thereafter to trim the fat gained (if any is actually gained). I will continue posting on my workouts to include occasional weigh-ins and the direction I am headed in. Wish me luck!

Mandling Business: Book Review - Anthem by Ayn Rand

Alas, our memory has failed us again. As we read Anthem, it became more and more clear to us that we had read this story once before. Nonetheless, it was still enjoyable. Anthem is one of Ayn Rand's writings which refutes collectivism and also introduces the value she places in "ego". This is a good read but not especially noteworthy for us personally as we do not live in a period of collectivism or socialism; well, perhaps to a degree but by no means comparable to that of "Anthem". This story may appeal more to the political activist at heart than it did to us but we tend or at least try to be indifferent on most subjects. All-in-all, we give this short story 6 egos out of 10.