Miscellaneous Pile, 02/16/12

Why not?

1) It's a tragedy Whitney Houston has passed away. I saw a few Facebook statuses belittle her because of her past troubles or that she was a celebrity. She was an amazing philanthropist and cared very much for the welfare of others.

2) The heel on weightlifting shoes do wonders for squats. Although I don't know if anyone is keen to buy shoes solely for squats, but guys who have a pair of old dress shoes can use them as a substitute. There's also the trick of sliding a 2.5 or 5 lb. plate under each heel.

3) Coaches Michael Hartman and Nick Horton have started an Olympic weightlifting podcast called Weightlifting Academy. Be sure to follow it. Both are very knowledgeable on the sport.

4) I've reduced my caffeine this week to one cup of black tea. As an alternative a drink I've been making is hot water with diced ginger. The flavor gives a soothing spice which is especially nice in winter.

5) Another recent change I've done is to stand more instead of sit, namely when using my computer. Initially I felt my legs becoming tired but after roughly 2 months of it now I don't like to sit for long periods.

6) I recently finished the following books,

• Krishna: The Beautiful Legend of God
  - It's introduction is information heavy but the translated text is very reader friendly with footnotes supplementing other details.
  

• Championship Weightlifting
  - This was a great book and he covers a variety of topics such as coaching, injuries, and lifters from the 1950s. One feat Kono highlights was squatting 360 lbs. for 20 reps at a bodyweight of 154 lbs. That's more than double his own bodyweight.
  

• It's Your Biz
  - I got this book for free. It explains many of the components and points to consider before starting your own business.

Right now I'm reading Art of War. The translation is very succinct. I still have to read it carefully to understand the language better but it's not superfluous like other translations.

7) I picked this word up from Art of War,

viscount - (vie-count) - n. - A son or younger brother or a count.

8) On the lighter side of Facebook, Boris posted this unique video...

Mr. Ando: Peng peng or human?

That about wraps it up for this week. Until next time!