World champ boxer Kaliesha West goes off about equality in pro boxing
This is an articulate, impassioned speech by an accomplished boxer it's likely you don't recognize, and that's not her fault. The $40 million that Floyd Mayweather pulled for his last excellent fight set her off. She makes great points. It's a quick four minutes to expose yourself to a bastion of legitimate gender inequality.
Bill & me
Here's some mitt work with the great Bill Meartz. Third 3-minute round. I'm extremely fortunate that Bill gives me some of his time and attention.
at the feet of the master
Sitting at the feet of the USA Olympic weightlifting master, Tommy Kono. One of the most important things you must do to create your own success is assemble the right team to support your efforts. You are only as good as your learning. I am extremely fortunate and gratified to count some of the best of the best on mine.
Great wrap-up to 2013 season
Mental Meatheads interview
For some reason, and all to my honor, Dave Hall of the awesome Mental Meatheads project turned his skilled interview antenna to me. So if you'd like to hear me prattle on about training, weightlifting, boxing, books and see my boy Tiger in his relaxed state, check it out on his website Agoge Fitness.
Audio only - Listen here.
or watch on YouTube.
Thanks, Dave! It was a pleasure getting to know you.
Blogging Off
As the nature of activity on the Internet has changed, so has my usage. I have posted on this blog less and less, to the point that I have decided to officially suspend it indefinitely. Like a lot of other folks I know, most of my activity has gone into social media. I also plain old don't put as much stuff out on the Internet as I did when the world of independent cyberpublishing was new. I find myself putting most of my creative energies into living in "real life" instead of discussion boards and the Blogosphere. Ironically, as a widely published writer, over the last few years, I have increasingly turned to writing privately rather than publicly. Perhaps some of this will amount to public product; perhaps not. It's part of not only our cultural evolution in communication and technology, but also a balance against the saturated public spheres of informational and creative content, and finally, it's simply me evolving as a person as well. I like the idea that I have been working on a writing project for the past few years with no idea whether I will ever do anything publicly with it; it feels more genuine and pure that way. There are many shades of creative, artistic, and writing production. Let the many fine folks who are writing publicly at the moment keep the information highways paved and marked. I'll leave my public stuff up so it's accessible, and post now and then, but I'm going to follow the road which is calling to me now, all dirt and grass and peacefully less traveled. Thank you, all who have taken the time to read or view my stuff. I'm still around and will respond to comments.
POW at 2013 Oregon LWC State Championships
Here are the lifts from state this year for POW. I did two meets in two days, but not by design; somehow I'd gotten the date wrong for state, and thought it was another week out. So in between clean and jerks at the Freak Show in Aberdeen, WA, on Sat., June 1, someone brought up that state for Oregon was tomorrow. I'd already mailed in my entry form and I had a lifter debuting in it, so I had to go, anyway. Aberdeen was a three-hours drive and an all-day affair, and I used more of my energy to help out loading during the men's snatches. My lifts were just ok; I got my minimally acceptable 100KG total with 42/58. So I got home close to 10 p.m. hit the bricks and turned around and drove two hours south early Sunday morning. At the weigh-in, my hair wasn't even combed. It turned out to be one of my best meets ever. I hit 5 out of 6 lifts, getting all three of my snatches including a meet PR or 47.5 (yes, in Oregon we have .5s, although USAW doesn't count them in the records, so it's basically wasted effort). I tied my clean and jerk PR of 60 and powercleaned 62 for what was my first attempt at it ever. I missed the jerk but that's okay. Moreover, I can see and could feel progress in my form and technique. Sure, I have a ways to go, but I know who I am as a lifter, and this was a great marker for where I'm at. Liz Majdecki, whom I coach, debuted at state with an admirable performance. She looked good and was well-prepared; in fact, Tom Hirtz said to the crowd that it was hard to believe it was her first meet. We did dry runs the last month of weekends, complete with flags, and it paid off. Liz is a natural, talented athlete. Now that she's turned her talents to Olympic-style weightlifting, she's one to watch.
