It's All On You!!!

For a while now I have been pondering this whole election thing. I mean as a young Black male I will be the first to say that these are indeed proud times however we have to have some follow through to make this a reality. One of the things that I found most compelling about Sen. Obama's speech in Colorado was that he spoke in detail about personal accountability. That of course is one of the things that I harp about the most when it comes to OUR people. We are very quick to blame ANYONE………..The Man, The System or The Government. Well I will not be the first one to say it but I will re-iterate that if the Right person does not win the election then it’s on you!

I mean did you vote? If not then for the next 4 years of your life you can’t say a damn thing. You can’t compliant about the situation in your State, The Country or even the world for that matter because you gave up your right when you didn’t cast your vote. One of the things that we have to do first and foremost is to take responsibility for our actions and our situations. Don’t blame the Government for letting violent video games get into your home……………..you bought it!!!

Don’t blame the oil companies for jacking the price of gas up when you continued to by XL SUV's at an alarming rate. They tested the market and realized that as Americans we are too stubborn and vain to let go of status. The higher gas prices got the more we bought gas guzzlers that take $100 that we really cant afford to fill up. However they only care about their bottom line. They are just like any other company and the bottom line is PROFIT! You have to understand that you ARE a part of the process. You affect your surroundings either negative or positive.

So with all that being said what does it actually mean? Well it means that you DO make a difference. Every single decision you make from what you spend your money on to what kind of movies you go see at the box office empowers someone. You dictate where that power base lies. Now it’s time for the BIG ONE. You and you alone can impact what the next 4 years of your life is like. I mean we can all sit and talk about things that really don’t matter like Obama’s Ayers relationship or Joe the un-licensed Plummer. But I would rather talk about a few things that I find to be an issue. Please stop now if you are sensitive to REAL TALK because it’s going to get way too REAL in a few words.

For quite some time now Senator McCain has made numerous references to the inexperience of Sen. Obama. So what does McCain do? He chooses a running mate that has even less experience than his adversary. Brilliant strategy no? Now here is the ugly truth that no one wants to say………………There is a VERY real possibility that she could be the President of the United States in the next 4 years if Sen. McCain wins. John Sidney McCain is 72 years old born in 1936. Now this is where is gets REAL. In 1992 the average median age of death in American men was 73.2 years old for men and 79.7 years old for women. That means that the average age total was 76.4 years old. So if we go by the averages and then factor in the stress of being President of the United States during the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression there is a VERY REAL chance that Sen. John Sidney McCain could die in office and leave us with a very inexperienced President on Sarah Palin. So with that ask yourself does he really have America’s best interest in mind or is he being selfish and trying to establish himself in history as the 44th President of the United States? I mean surely if experience was an issue then he would have went with a more experienced candidate right? Instead he wanted to grab all of most of the disgruntled Hillary Clinton female supporters no matter what the cost to the country. Now don’t get me wrong………….I don’t want to see Sen. McCain die. That’s not my style. I am just stating facts. Also while I am on the subject let me state for the record that I am not a mind reader nor do I have a time machine but I can say with the utmost confidence that back when John McCain was a pilot and was the “Maverick” that he probably would have taken policy with voting for a 72 year old to run the nation. Just chew on that for a while. You don’t have to like the taste just chew, lol.

Now it seems that up until this week there was a serious rift in the culture of Black Republican voters. At odds with whether or not to support the first serious Black candidate or vote with the Republican party and have 4 more years of the same. With Ret. GEN Colin Powell (who is notoriously Republican) giving Sen. Obama his endorsement it became evident that this goes so much deeper than party lines. It’s time for a change and also on a deeper level this is something that we need as a people but more important this is what we need as a country. I have been all over the world and truth being told we are looked down upon for our racial tension. This would actually prove to the world that we have moved forward in our thinking and our actions.

As a people we would now be able to tell ALL of our children that they can be ANYTHING to include the President of the United States of America. How beautiful would that be? But like I stated earlier………………..at this junction November 4th will tell the tale. Whatever happens don’t be the ONE that didn’t vote, the ONE that didn’t believe, and the ONE that didn’t feel that he/she had a voice. Because right now………..IT’S ALL ON YOU!!!


P.S. I was talking to a good friend of mine earlier (Hey Kemah) and she made a statement that I think is the underlying problem with Black voters. Now understand that she was not being negative. She said that we ONLY count for 25% of all the votes out there and if each and every single Black person voted it would ONLY add up to 25%. She was not being negative in any way but was bringing up a very valid point. ALL of our votes count if we have a chance of making a difference. With only being 25% effective alone we don't have the luxury of NOT voting. Black people listen to me. This is NOT a test. We do NOT need to score 100% to win so stop feeling that you are defeated when you hear that we make up 25% of the vote. That is more than significant. We ONLY need 26% of that remaining 75% for the win. So in truth if we do our part we are already half way there. So when you hear that 25% think positive. I feel deep in my heart that more than 26% of the remaining 75% agrees with us.

November 4, 2008 IT’S ALL ON YOU!!!

Bodybuilding IRAQ style by SGT Caleb Pike

I will be the first person to tell you that being a Soldier in todays Army is no easy task. There are stresses that most civilians cannot and would not understand. I have the honor and privdledge of being a Soldier in the United States Army and the actions of my peers never cease to amaze me. SGT Caleb Pike of the 3/2SCR Wolfpack put out an APB on a forum that I frequent from time to time. He was basically asking for any support that he could get and as a Soldier myself I NEVER hesitate to get involved with anything that will bring a deployed Soldier’s morale up a bit.

SGT Pike did a fantastic job of putting together an even and drawing in sponsors from all areas of the fitness and supplement industry. I will list these companies at the bottom of this blog post so that you can visit their websites as well. These companies showed love and support for deployed Soldiers without asking for ANYTHING in return. That alone deserves praise.

Please see the article below to go with the accompanying pictures. I will say no more as SGT Caleb Pike will cover all the hardships that these Soldiers had to endure while deployed and still trying to maintain their health and fitness.

Yours in Fitness & Health,

Aaron "K Nine" Washington

FOB Normandy "Strength of the Pack" Strong Man and Bodybuilding Competition

by SGT Caleb Pike

Did you ever try and compete in a Strongman competition, when it was 120 Degrees? How about compete in a Bodybuilding contest, outdoors during a sand storm? Oh yeah and while you are doing this there are people out there just waiting to Blow you up too. The Men and Women of the 3rd Squadron of the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment needed something to take their minds off being far from home and family and these two contest did just that if only for a little while.

The Strongman was a total of five events starting at 0800, 8 A.M. for the non Military types. First event was a Max Bench/Squat/Deadlift. It was already 115 in the shade and the bar was burning hands. That didn’t stop the competitors in the under 200 Lbs. class from putting up some impressive numbers. SGT Peter Jocham hit a 315 that was matched by fellow lifters SGT Jacob Mundt and SSG Victor Brazfield. Later SSG Brazfield narrowly missed a 425 squat when his shorts suffered a blowout while in the low position! In the over 200 class SFC Carlos Valarezo had a 385 bench, 475 Squat and 495 Deadlift, just enough to pull ahead of SGT Joseph Hernandez who had a 522 Deadlift. SGT Ronnie Conley and SPC Daniel Bourguignon both hit an even 500 in the Deadlift. The next event was Military Press, 225 for Max reps. In the under 200 SPC Jeremiah Marcoe did 10 reps but was topped by SGT Jocham at 17 reps. SFC Valarezo did 20 in the larger man class. Next event was the Stryker tire flip, distance was 50 meters. The under 200 winner had a time of 54 seconds. Over 200 flip was won by SGT Hernandez with a time of 46 seconds. Next event was the Stryker Tow Bar carry for distance, sometimes known as the Farmers carry. It had gotten so hot by now the equipment had to be doused with water between each competitor due to the handle being too hot to touch even while wearing gloves. SFC Valarezo and SGT Hernandez continued to keep it interesting with SGT Hernandez carrying just 2 feet farther. SPC Marcoe was making a run at a win in the under 200. Last event was the Jeep Pull for a distance of 35 meters. SGT Mundt in the under 200 kept it interesting with the fastest pull of 17 seconds beating the best smaller man time by one second but the class was ultimately won by SGT Peter Jocham. Second place went to SGT Mundt, SPC Marcoe just slipped in to 3rd and SSG Brazfield took the 4th position in the field. In the over 200 SGT Ronnie Conley blew everyone away with a time of 15 seconds but it was not enough to take the class win. SGT Hernandez had the best effort this day winning the class followed by SFC Valarezo, SGT Conley and SPC Bourguignon. The overall Strongman was won by the over 200 class winner with only a 2 point spread between the class winners.

Now on to the Bodybuilding portion of the event. Earlier in the day there had been a large sand storm that was still whipping around a show time approached. In Iraq travel is restricted during storms so a few competitors missed the show. Soldiers kept asking if the show was going to be postponed. Every Bodybuilder knows….”The Show must go on”. There were two men in the short class SPC Alex Green and SGT Tyrone Palmer. Both men had trained hard for this contest, enduring 120 degree 12 days patrolling the towns and villages in area. SPC Green showed good symmetry and separation, posing with confidence earning him 2nd place. He had done his homework. SGT Palmer won the short class with a natural shape many people work years for to show at contest time. He had etched Abs, good Lats and a pleasing front double bicep. He can go far competing in the future. The tall class had 3 competitors, CPL Bryce Whetzel, SPC Chris Davis and SGT Joshua Wilke. SGT Wilke had gained 30 pounds in the gym during this deployment before cutting for this contest. If there had been a “Best Poser” award given, his routine done to a song from the movie Gladiator would have won it. Good overall development earned him 3rd place. The SPC Davis enjoyed his time on stage and it showed in his presentation, good abs and front double Bicep moved him in to in to 2nd place. CPL Whetzel took top honors in the tall class with good sized quads, stage presence like he had competed before and a nicely balanced physique. Of note there was a challenge issued to the audience to “Come up on stage” if you think you have what it takes. A Pose down ensued between SPC Lueth and SGT Boussard with Boussard taking the “I could do that” class. In the Pose down for the overall SGT Palmer just had too much for CPL Whetzel and earned the win. That wraps up the first and last “Strength of the Pack” Strongman and Bodybuilding contest of Iraq.

Thank you to all the sponsors, Musclemag International, Physical Innovations, BioHazard supplements, APT Prostraps and AXIS Labs. We could not have done it without your support.

Physical Innovations

Axis Labs

MuscleMag International

BioHazard Supplements

APT Pro Straps

Once again I would like to give a shout out to EACH and EVERY Service Member in Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines. I would also like to give a shout out to all the Department of Defense Civilians who are currently away from home keeping all of us safe here.

What’s Your Contribution?

I have always been told that if you don't stand for something you will fall for anything. What do you stand for? So I have found myself asking what my contribution to the world is. I mean if you aren't trying to help the world move forward then what good are you? It's all good that you are successful and making good cash but is that it? Life is about so much more than you as the individual……………….whether you know it or not it really is. Your individual success is of no circumstance to the rest of the world. Your level of success should directly reflect and affect those around you. So in short if you successful yet you continue to let others around you struggle WITHOUT providing them with information then you are useless.

Now this does not mean that you are useless if you are indeed providing information and they are just not applying that info to get out of their situation. Don't let ANYONE take advantage of you………EVER! That is a totally different situation. What I am talking about are the self made individuals that want to keep everything to themselves. All the information that they have all the struggles that they went through and all the hardships that they had to endure. SO WHAT!!! Everyone has their thing and personally I don't want to watch someone make the same mistakes that I have made in life. Hell it was painful enough the first time I did it so why would I stand idly by while someone else went through the EXACT same thing?

True successful individuals NEVER hesitate to GIVE. Never hesitate to TEACH. Never hesitate to INFORM. Never hesitate to MOTIVATE. That's what makes a truly successful person. Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffett…………….these are truly successful individuals that just happen to be the world's leading philanthropist. They understand that with large amounts of success come the responsibility of leadership. Now I am not saying that you have to have mega dollars or make in excess of six figures in order to consider yourself a success. All you have to do is use applied knowledge and provide guidance to those that might not be as fortunate. It's as simple as watching your co-workers make mistakes and showing them what they are doing wrong. Your skill set could be anything from gardener to Pro-football player. It doesn't matter. Just put forth the effort to make a contribution.

When you die and leave this Earth your success won't be measured by what you had while you were here, it will be measured by what legacy you leave once you are gone.

To Boot or Not To Boot

Now this is as serious as it gets folks! I am one of those guys that really pay attention to how I present myself. (See earlier Blog: Bitch………I Stay Fly to get a greater understanding) Now with that being said I have run into the ultimate dilemma. There are a pair of boots made by Mark Nason that have somehow seemed to etch themselves into my brain. The problem is the price. These will be BY FAR the most expensive pair of boots/shoes that I have ever owned. Now anyone that knows me also knows that I am one of those guys that see something and if I want it I get it. Lately with the downfall of the economy I have began to feel guilty at times for splurging on things that I WANT and don’t really need.

After further self analysis I had to ask myself WHY do I actually NEED these boots. No one cares how much they cost. No one will probably even pay attention to them but DAMN they are quite fly. Sometimes you see something that is just YOU. That is the very expression of you in every single way without having to say a word. That’s what these boots represent. That’s why they caught my eye the way they did and now they have become my obsession. So the overall question is SHOULD I or SHOULDN’T I.

What will be the end result if I don’t get them? Will they haunt me? Will they show up in my dreams? Who knows? Bottom line is that I don’t know if I actually want to find out!

Hamster Fighting Machine

Ok so some times I have a VERY crazy sense of humor. I had to post this though. Please Click on the Image to see it in full size.