A Message To Our Generation

What is the legacy that our generation is leaving for the next? Previous generations pioneered this country, settled the land, connected the coasts, fulfilled manifest destiny, built industry, constructed our infrastructure, reached the moon, and kept the world safe during two world wars.

What is our legacy?

$16T in national debt, $4T in state government debt (including pensions), massing local government debt, over $2T in personal debt, a current federal income tax rate that today 47% of Americans are declared too poor to be able to pay, nearly 1 in 2 Americans needs public assistance (including social security), inflation adjusted household income has been relatively flat for 15 years, cities devistated by exported manufacturing, an expensive underproducing education system, looming European depression, and a dysfunctional two party political system unable to produce leaders.

How big is the debt? To payoff the current government debt would equate to a $17,000 per year paycheck tax on every working American for ten years... plus interest.

Some declare a 2010 Levi Braddock PA commercial stands to represent a message from the younger generation to our own: You broke it, and now we must recreate it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YyvOGKu6ds

Is that the legacy of our generation? Have we left a broken mess for our next generation to fix?

My Fitness Pal

If you are serious about diet and excercise then you should maintain a log. And guess what? I have an App for that!

I have mentioned MyFitnessPal in the past but want to dive into it deeper. This app is available on smartphones and you can access your data on a PC via their web site too! There is a complete library of excercises and food available to select for your log. If you don't find something you need? You can add it. The food library includes all the details about every kind of food you can imagine. But my favorite part? All you need to do is aim your smart phone's camera at the food's UPC symbol and the product will look it up for you and add it to your food log.

Once all this data has been entered you can perform analysis to see what is going on. The app provides charts and graphs for tracking weight, calories, and will even compare excercise to food to tell you the net result for the day.

The greatest success with a diet plan often involves friends. My fitness pal supports that with social sharing tools where you can link your data with your friends and report progress through facebook. Free add-ons include a weight loss ticker for your blog and various BMR, BMI, and Heart Rate calulators.

If you are serious about your diet and/or workout, you need to log it. My Fitness Pal is a great tool for that.

The Effects of Muscle

As you grow old it become easy to put on weight and difficult to take it off. Why? I believe it is because of a reduction in muscle density and mass.




Our bodies reach their natural maximum physical potential somewhere around age 21. At age 21 it has taken 21 years to build up your muscle mass. After age 21 your muscle mass begins to deteriorate. If you don't use it you lose it and over the years the muscle mass slowly trickles away. It slips away slowly and you probably don't even notice it until that game of baseball on the weekend leaves you sore the next day, or that back ache from too much activity leaves you thinking "I am not as young as I used to be".



Teenagers are able to perform feats of athleticism with relative ease. Those in their 40s and 50s struggle because they lack the muscle endurance that they once had.



The amount of muscle directly impacts your metabolic rate (how quickly you naturally burn calories). Your body needs more calories throughout the day to care for muscles. If you do not have much muscle then you don't need many calories. Know someone who brags they eat a lot and it doesn't effect them? They probably have a high metabolism rate. And that is probably a result of strong dense muscles.



As muscle mass slips away through the years so does our daily calorie requirements. Most people do not account for this. They continue to eat what they always have or more. This results in a buildup of fat. And without muscle mass fueling metabolism or helping with workouts, losing the fat becomes increasingly difficult to get rid of.



When people want to lose weight they usually gravitate toward diet and exercise. For exercise they want to do cardio because that burns calories and has an immediate rewarding short-term effect. However cardio will burn muscle just as much as it will burn fat. After about 10 weeks of a cardio program, progress starts to crash. The body usually adapts to cardio programs and the loss of muscle reduces in the effects of the exercise.



Instead of solely focusing on cardio for workouts, you would be far better to include weight training and resistance training. Resistance training will help you to maintain your muscle mass and could slow the effects of aging on your muscles. Building up muscles will help with metabolism. In addition when you do cardio you are only burning calories while you are doing cardio. With weight training you burn calories during the exercise and you burn calories for hours afterwards as your body repairs the muscles from your workout.



Many people complain that they do not want to build up bulky muscles. Don't worry about that. Your first goal should be to get back some of the muscles that you have lost. And then second there is nothing wrong with looking lean. Some bulky muscles will look a lot better then some bulky fat.



If you can return your muscles to the condition they were in your early twenties then I believe you will have the metabolism and the stamina that you had in your 20s. You will be able to deal with weight gain and weight loss much easier.



Note: Author is not an expert. Always seek the advice of your doctor and experts before starting any physical fitness program

2012 Princess of the 80's

The 88-Blog is crowning Julianne Hough the 2012 Princess of the 80’s. What qualifies her for this incredible distinction? Three qualifications: First, she stared as Ariel in the recent remake of Footloose. Second, she stared as Sherrie Christian in the 80’s rock movie Rock of Ages. Most important, though, she was born in 1988!




According to the Internet Movie Database, Julianne was raise in Utah, the youngest of 5 children. Her mother enrolled Julianne in performing classes at an early age. She studied Latin Ballroom Dancing, studied dance in London, and attended the Italia Conti Academy. At age 15 she won the Junio World Latin Champion and International Latin Youth Champion at the Blackpool Dance Festival. She performed in dance competitions in the trio 2B1G (2 Boys, 1 Girl). What does all this dance training have to do with Julianne Hough’s fame? At age 18, the 5’4” Julianne was a dancer on ABC’s Show Me the Money, and at 20 joined the cast of Dancing with Stars where she won season 4 and season 5!



She can dance, which is good for the movie Footloose. But where does the acting come in? Her first acting role was at age 11with a small role in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Age 22 came Burlesque. Then she landed footloose in 2011.



Dancing. Acting. In Rock of Ages she displayed an ability to sing too. Actually, Julianne Hough is a country singer. Her debut album was released in 2008 and debuted #1 on the Billboard Country Album chart, and #3 on the Billboard 200. “That song in my head” hit 18 on the country chart followed by “My Hallelujah song” that hit 44. Julianne Hough is a bona fide country singing star!



Singing? Dancing? Acting? All comes together in the 2012 movie Rock of Ages as that country music voice blasts out 80’s rock anthems. My recommendation is that she continues to remake 80's movies - perhaps some role in the upcoming remake of Dirty Dancing?

Patty Jackson: I'm good enough, and smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like me!

Patty Jackson: I'm good enough, and smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like me!


The 88-Blog is doing a series on fitness for those who want to get in better shape

for the reunion. Who better to ask about fitness then a physed teacher? The Class of 88’s own Patty Jackson.

Patty is a physical education teacher and coach who loves playing sports, hanging with friends at the Lake Ontario bay, and talking with friends on facebook. While it is amazing that she’s had the same partner for 15 years and has 3 cats, perhaps the most amazing is that she says she can tie a cherry stem with her tongue. Wow.

Patty has decided to practice what she teaches. “While I cannot claim to be the healthiest person, I do believe that eating healthy, without depriving myself is a must,” Patty explains. “I had gained a few pounds and thought it was about time I got rid of my “spare tire”! I lost 20 pounds, which I have kept off for about 18 months. I even went down 3 pant sizes!” Patty said. “Since I am a PE teacher I am very active throughout the day. But my exercise regimen tends to go in spurts. You do need to stay in really good shape to keep up with the demands,” she explains. What is Patty’s diet and fitness secret? “You can’t just diet, and you can’t just work out, both have to happen.”

We all fall into times when we just don’t want to work out. “When I fall into my “lazy” mode,” Patty explains,” I don’t do much and it shows.” Starting a workout requires one important step: starting. “Once I start working out and get a couple days in, I want to do more and more.”

Finding time to work out can be difficult. Finding a work out that you enjoy doing can make it a little easier. “My favorite workout routine is the INSANITY program. I like it because it is all about kick-butt cardio, with no weights involved. I also enjoy P90X Ab Ripper X! I can’t get out of bed for 2 days after I do that one.” One of the keys to a workout program is moderation and building stamina – don’t try to do too much at one time, but continue to push yourself to do more every time. “Right now I am training for a 5K. I have been making myself to 3.2 miles every other day,” Patty explains. “I can’t run it all yet, but I am hoping to soon!”

To be healthy you have to eat healthy. “I love Ramen Noodles, but they are 11 point of Weight Watchers”, Patty says. Does that mean Ramen Noodles are off the menu? “I don’t deprive myself of things I really want.” There will be ups and downs and times we fall off the diet wagon. “I eat what I want, but try to eat smaller portions. And if I go overboard, it’s back to the INSANITY workout!”

Studies have shown that those who socialize their fitness efforts have the greatest success. One of the many ways to socialize is to join friends in a workout program after work.”If I do a workout with co-workers after work, it makes me push myself so much harder.” Another way to socialize your efforts is to use Weight Watchers. “If you are serious about losing a few pounds, I truly recommend Weight Watchers Online! Weight Watchers taught me to eat fruits and veggies when I am hungry along with just a couple Lays dill pickle chips (my favorite),” Patty explains. “I also really enjoy Special K crisps, and you can have 30 for only 2 points, so you can still have that crunch!”

A common question everyone wants to know: what is on your MP3 player? “I can listen to anything while working out even if it’s slow – I love music! My ipod has over 1000 songs, with anything from Eminem, to Olivia Newton John, Rob Zombie, Wilson Philips, Snoop Dog, Black Eyed Peas… you name it, I have it!”

Patty Jackson practices what she teaches: eat healthy and work out.

Rock of Ages Movie

If the movie Grease was about the 80’s instead of the 50’s, you would have Rock of Ages. Following similar attempts to meld Top 40 hits into a Broadway play (such as Mama Mia and Movin’ Out) Rock of Ages is a Broadway hit. Now it is rocking a movie theater near you! The story is about a small town girl named Sherrie and a city boy Drew who meet on the Sunset Strip while pursing their Hollywood dreams. The musical features great 80’s hits from Def Lepard, Bon Jovi, Guns N’Roses, and more.




The movie is centered around a live performance bar named The Bourbon, owned by Alec Baldwin’s character. The movie’s stars includes Tom Cruise as a drunken rocker whose career is waning while he searches for the perfect love song. Mexico City native Diego Boneta plays a bar hand with rock and role dreams. His love interest, played by Julianne Hough, learns the rough realities of surviving on the Sunset Strip. Other note worthies include Russell Brand, whose character is a scruffy stage hand; Catherine Zeta-Jones, whose character is the Mayor’s wife attempting to close The Bourbon. Paul Giamatti’s character is a sleazy manager. Mary J. Blige’s character runs a gentleman’s club. And Malin Akerman’s character is a reporter for the Roling Stones. There is even a cameo by 80’s singer Debbie Gibson.



Just as Grease exaggerated the characteristics of the 50’s, Rock of Ages exaggerates the rock scene of the 80’s – poking fun at fashion, trends, and thoughts at the time. The story is an afterthought whose purpose is weave the large library of 80’s hits together. Nevertheless, it is the music that makes the movie. Some of my favorite scenes were when several different 80’s songs were mixed together into one.



If you are a fan of 80’s music then this movie is a must see! For a more detailed review of the movie (including spoilers) check out the June 2012 80’s show at the 88 Podcast available on itunes and at: http://88podcast.gilbertinternettv.com/