Posted on November 5, 2013 by tosabarbell

While the movie, ‘V for Vendetta’ is an oversimplified, cliff notes type version of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, it speaks to many whose government is getting bigger by the day.

By. The. Day.

If this is pleasing to you, congratulations. You’re a pawn. Please wait for further instructions, the current administration will be with you shortly and let you know your next move and your next thought. Hope and change baby.

But for those of you who continue to question the lies;  who have NOT forgotten Benghazi; who has proudly served this country only to be kept out of YOUR monument in one of the biggest Gov’t bully stunts disguised as a shutdown in history; who understands that the “outrage” and anger by a failed administration that is played on the television for the sheep is gleefully their opportunity to play soap opera, today is your day.

You demand truth. You demand answers. You won’t let it go. Today is your day. You don’t need a whole bonfire, just light a candle.

Just remember.

The Fifth of November

    Remember, remember! 

    The fifth of November, 
    The Gunpowder treason and plot; 
    I know of no reason 
    Why the Gunpowder treason 
    Should ever be forgot! 
    Guy Fawkes and his companions 
    Did the scheme contrive, 
    To blow the King and Parliament 
    All up alive. 
    Threescore barrels, laid below, 
    To prove old England’s overthrow. 
    But, by God’s providence, him they catch, 
    With a dark lantern, lighting a match! 
    A stick and a stake 
    For King James’s sake! 
    If you won’t give me one, 
    I’ll take two, 
    The better for me, 
    And the worse for you. 
    A rope, a rope, to hang the Pope, 
    A penn’orth of cheese to choke him, 
    A pint of beer to wash it down, 
    And a jolly good fire to burn him. 
    Holloa, boys! holloa, boys! make the bells ring! 
    Holloa, boys! holloa boys! God save the King! 
    Hip, hip, hooor-r-r-ray!

Enjoy the day.

What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? 

Thomas Jefferson

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Monday Bacon: Eye Of The Tiger

Posted on November 4, 2013 by tosabarbell

This has always been one of my favorite Rocky scenes. It reinforces the need of an athlete to step it up when it’s time. It fits my competitive personality and also made poor Rock a little more human…after all, if the Rocky gets off track, it’s ok when I do. But when we’re looking a goal in the face, get your shit in gear.

THERE IS NO TOMORROW!

We cannot keep pushing off hard work for the next session, the next block, the next contest, etc. The time is now. Whether your next event is in the next two weeks, or the next two months, get your head straight now. Make a plan. Execute it.

It’s one of the hardest things to coach at times, the Eye of the Tiger. You know, that intangible element we each bring to the mat/platform/trig/whatever. That extra 10% we can count on kicking in to give us a boost on our attempts. Taking those competition nerves and learning how to channel them to bring out the best in each event instead of letting it shut us down.

We see it all over the strength sports world. Numbers hit in training that feels light and solid suddenly have become the impossible on game day. As others are warming up and feeling the weight, we hang back, unsure of how this is going to go. Thinking in our head that it should be fine, hopefully, ya, it should hopefully be fine.

No. No! No! No! That is not the way we approach competition. Step up, no hanging back, bring it. ALL of it. Eye of the Tiger. Not only do you “got this”, you got this and anything else game day brings your way.

Last Friday, I woke up to an e-mail that started like this…

Congratulations!!!

You have been selected to compete at the Arnold Classic Sports Festival 2014 Highland Games!!!

Lots of thoughts immediately ran through my head. Joy, thankfulness, relief, pride, nervousness, holy crap!, ya know, the usual. I knew I’d have to plan out my training and throwing to (hopefully) be able to hit big throws the first weekend in March. Uhhhh, but it’s snowing this winter in Wisconsin, how do I throw? Well jules, you’ll probably be throwing in cold and maybe snow at The Arnold, you’ll have plenty of practice. Yeah me. So we shall throw in the snow. (Very 300 eh?) Eye on the prize.

I’ve set up my training to come in a bit leaner, stronger, and with more throwing skills than I had this past season. I’ll do everything I can to remain healthy and injury free. Good food; good living; getting a sports massage from Jake down at The Brickyard at least once every 2 weeks; good sleep; stretching and training myself as hard as I possibly can. Eye of the Tiger. Whatever I can do now to find success down the line. Knowing I have plenty of time, but not wasting it. I’m focused, realistic. My eye is on this next week, the first of high volume training. But I know each week brings me closer to game day and I’m on it.

Eye of the Tiger…I haz it.

You’re gonna eat lightnin’ and you’re gonna crap thunder!

Mickey

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Friday Jams

Posted on November 1, 2013 by tosabarbell

When we went to FInland last March and were picked up at the local airport by Champions League co-founder and promoter, Ilkka, we jumped into his stylish zoom zoom and took off for the 20 minute trek to the mountainside resort, Ruka. It was a beautiful spring day with a light dusting of snow and even more snow coming off the cars in front of us. Between Ilkka’s lead foot; his texting and Facebooking; talking with Bigg about stuff and the loud radio, it was quite a ride. Macklemore’s Thrift Shop came on the radio, clearly a favorite of Ilkka’s because the already loud radio got turned up to a respectable shake the windows level. From that moment on, anytime I hear that song, I think of Ilkka and that drive.

Fast forward to Lithuania, Our driver was one of the young men who work at Z’s gym complex and had minimal English. VERY minimal! When we jumped into his car, Roar by Katy Perry was playing on the radio. Now, I’d heard this song of course on this side of the world and thought it was stupid. “Roarrrrrr,er,er,er,er,er’r’r!” SRSLY? This is the shite on our radio. But I guess this is the shite on everyone’s radio. When the radio announcers said the song was sung by Katy Perry, I said I hadn’t even known she sang that song. Then I said it was a stupid song. Which I immediately felt bad about because that’s one word of English our escort recognized and he turned the station. I felt bad. Fucking rude Americans. But now when I hear this song…I think of Lithuania…before I turn it off.

And talking about interesting young people in Lituania (that’s called a segue;) I had previously mentioned our hostess for the Strongman weekend, Vaida.

Vaida works for Z and is one the most delightful; smart; gorgeous; stylish; witty; slings the fun teasing she got from the big boys right back at ’em; high heel wearing young lady’s I’ve ever met. Her English was very good and she even helped me find some prizes for the kids back home.

Vaida was in charge of making sure all these Strongman were bussed, fed, accounted for, teased, and even went above and beyond the call of duty as she was sent to Svend’s room to get him going Sunday morning. He didn’t answer her knocks…he regretted that later;) Just LOOK at her! She is really one of the tiniest people I’ve ever been around, when you hug her, she disappears. The restaurant that fed us Saturday and Sunday was in a mall across the way from the Arena. It was a nice little walk, nothing too much for tired big guys. But those 5″ heels of hers! How in the hellz did she walk for two days straight in those heels going back and forth and even having to RUN back on Sunday to grab the locker room key that Z had back at the restaurant. When I asked her how she walked in those shoes she said she has to wear them or she becomes invisible (a fact that is actually untrue since we saw her Monday morning in jeans and no heeled boots and she still manages to turn every head in the room.)

She was a delight and kept everyone in check (a ginormous task with these guys;) and smiled the entire weekend. She also has prizes going her way from Wisconsin. I have no idea how old Vaida is, I’m guessing mid 20’s. She’d lived in Belgium for a year and came back home to be close to her family. This is something I love about Europeans, moving to another country so young is no big deal. Give it a try, it may work out, it may not. Learn to speak Dutchie, no problem. They’re awfully cool. Vaida was our hostess with the mostess and made the entire weekend fun and completely stress free (well, for me anyway, I wasn’t competing;) Heeeheeeee.

Enjoy the weekend.

Few enjoy noisy, overcrowded functions. But they are a gesture of goodwill on the part of host or hostess, and also on the part of guests who submit to them.

Fannie Hurst

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Favorite

Posted on October 31, 2013 by tosabarbell

It’s the day we’ve been waiting for all year, Halloween! My favorite. I already bitched last year about the bizarre trick or treat “scheduling” of Milwaukee and surrounding areas which gives the impression that the actual Halloween DAY is passed over with nary a BOO!

But this year we get to share it with Bigg’s sister and her family up the road. It seems the children of Brookfield are able to handle the task of trick or treating on a school night, unlike the fragile children of ‘Tosa. Rain is in the forecast, I don’t care. It’s Halloween and it’s the best day ever.

One of my favorite Halloween’s was when I was probably around six or seven. It was the night before, late the night before the big day. So late that as we walked INTO Zayer’s Shoppers City they were making the announcement that the store would close in “X” number of minutes. We had to be quick in our costume picks. My older brother chose something like the above. A very scary, hot, plastic mask and a type of overlay covered smock for the costume. I chose a princess with an awesome crowned mask and baby blue dress. And a wand. I think I had a wand. Why do princesses carry wands?

Because we were so late we split up the team to ensure that we got everything. Girls went flying towards the girl section, Dad and Jerry went flying towards the boys. We met up at the cash registers as lights were literally starting to be turned off when my Mom realized they had forgot the candy which was way in the back of the store.

I can still see the determined look of Pastor John (dad) as he yelled to my mom, ‘Stall!’ and sprint off for candy. The poor check out lady (no way in those days did they trust a till with teenagers) repeatedly was telling my mom to get going. To her credit, my mom kept digging through her ginormous mom purse saying she couldn’t find her wallet until dad ran up with about 10 bags of candy. We NEVER bought that much candy!! Score one for Dad!

I don’t remember the weather the next day; the obvious boatload of candy we received; I assume I was awesome in my princess mask but I don’t remember; all I remember is my dad pulling out an Usain Bolt like sprint to get the candy.

That’s fun. Happy Halloween, may it be memorable…in a good way.

Hobgoblins know the proper way to dance:
Arms akimbo, loopy legs askew,
Leaping into darkness with delight,
Lusting for the ecstasy of fright,
Open to the charm of horrors new….

Nicholas Gordon

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