kewl

I am in the process of building an outdoor pull up station and would like to hear some thoughts on pipes. I have read through some posts on the message board but could not find anything really helpful.
Pipe diameter 1", 1&1/4", 1&1/2"?
Raw steel, painted steel, galvanised, hot dip galvanised, stainless??

Keeping in mind that I, 6'2" and my wife 5'8" will be both using it. Suggestions welcomed.

Kati from CF Chula Vista - Congrats on your L1!

CF San Diego staff - it was great to meet or re-meet all of you. Awesome facility!

Andy Thompson and Jason Khalipa, it was good to see you guys again on Saturday afternoon. :)

I just completed the level 1 class held at Crossfit Fairfax. What an awesome experience. Not only did I learn a lot about the science and technique behind Crossfit, I also had so much fun. Thank you to Maggie and Jeff for hosting and thank you to the headquarters crew, Todd, Jon, Joe, Andrea, Mike, and Russ (I think I remebered everyone. If I forgot one, sorry!). This course just further demonstrated to me what Crossfit is really all about, an incredible community of intelligent, helpful, strong, and motivated people. Thanks again! And to everyone I met at the course this weekend it was great meeting you. :)

Amazing is the only way to describe the level 1 cert. at Crossfit San Diego. Laying a solid foundation for such a wide expanse of information is no easy task and the coaching staff handled it in stride. With 60 athletes I never once felt like I didn'nt have at least 2 pairs of eyes on me at all times. The skill set of my coaches was simply unbelievable and they were always available to answer questions or demo a move. I earned every inch of the cert. but their approval means more than any piece of paper. Thanks to them all.

wow rest~!!

I'm 40 and I remember what an optimistic time it was when the eastern bloc broke free of the iron curtain. It was really the most significant world event in my lifetime by a long shot. To live my entire life up to that point in a cold war society, to holy cr$%! Its OVER! It is truly sad that it is rarely mentioned and then only in passing.

Then I remember David Hasselhoff singing on the Berlin wall wrapped in flashing Christmas tree lights and wearing a piano key scarf. Then I think, maybe it's best just to keep those memories repressed.

For those who successfully erased the memory or who were not alive to witness it: I give you, through the magic of Youtube---David Hasselhoff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zXiClnK8oE

Kidding aside, it was a truly a great series of events in modern history and its a shame the feelings, the details, and the significance of that time are fading from the national consciousness.

"At a time that fairly cries out for historical perspective about the follies of central planning"

You have to be kidding me. China's centrally planned economy is growing at 8% and has been growing at 10% a year for the past 30 years.

The problem wasn't central planning. The problem was a libertarian approach to financial regulation and greed.

silly article.

I just completed the Fairfax VA. Level 1 cert. I am an avid crossfitter and I had to take a slice of humble pie for the weekend. Those trainers dialed me in to a T. Everyone of the trainers (Jon Jeff Maggie Todd) were absolutely amazing. I knew that I had an imature air squat coming in and all the trainers worked with me. Exspecially Jeff Tincher. He showed one move within 2 and a half hours at being at the cert to help me get a deeper squat, and I could have went home at that point having been happy with the cert. I come from a crossfit (heavy lifter backqround)and the whole weekend we didn't lift more than 95lbs. and I was once again humbled. If you are thinking about going for your level 1 certification don't think about it just do it, because you would be holding yourself back as an athalete and a coach.

My best to all the coaches that came to the Cert. at Crossfit Fairfax VA.
David Wagner

Welch is right...the end of the Cold War and what led to that ending should be studied, and lessons should be learned to the extent possible. But I don't think the lesson is that government "intervention" in the economy doesn't "work". What was the US federal budget in 1989? How much income tax were American's paying? Welch's piece makes the end of the Cold War a CNN talking point. Ho hum...

I Had the great opportunity to attend the Level 1 Cert at Black and Gold Crossfit at West Point, NY. Definately one of the best weekends I have had this year. I never knew what I was missing with my basic movements, and I never knew a PVC pipe could get so heavy. All of the trainers had an immense amount of knowledge and I wish the cert lasted longer just so I could gain more knowledge on all the topics covered. This is a truly unique community that is being expanded by those who love it. I can't wait to apply what I have learned.

Thanks Angela for the great rowing certification at Crossfit Calgary on Saturday.The last WOD was killer.

Great weekend at level 1 cert in San Diego. Just wish there was a little more clarification on the difference between a "clean" and a "squat clean" during the lecture. joke

Guess it doesn't really pay to win the Crossfit Games only to get hazed and used as a rabbit for all the wod demos. Poor Khalipa.

Fun time, great info and knowledgeable staff. Very entertaining as well. Thanks guys and gals.

I think it would be cool to see Fran times posted by political persuasion

JD,

Use a size that feels good in your hand. The bigger the pipe, the more it will work on your grip strength. Sand the pipe down, use a Rustoleum primer, and hit it with a semigloss. That's what I did, and it feels good.

As for the article, it is interesting. I'm currently watching a docudrama on how Hitler rose to power, and how the people blindly supported him. I see many similarities to president Obama. America had better open her eyes when it come time to vote in the mid-term elections. It is not a secret anymore that president Obama is a socialist.

Greg,

did you really just compare Obama to Hitler?

Could you please list the similarities you have seen?

thanks

thanks for posting that article Parker.

Having just read most of it, it seems to be poorly argued & contradictory example of a 'Crossfit slamming article' - the John Schaefer Greyskull one was far more covincingly written.

This guy didn't worry too much about building a compelling argument or a stream of logic. It seemd fairly irrational and he only displayed a superficial understanding of CF method & principles - it doesn't seem like he has actually trained Crossfit too much, more that he has had a couple of CF buddies brief him and off he went.

Also interesting that he went anonymous.

All in all, he came across like an 11th grader or a dorky undergrad ranting about yet one more thing about life he hates with not much justification.

Obama / Hitler similarities:

Advocate government rule of private business
Support Nationalized Health Care
Both big fans of Margaret Sanger

Before anyone accuses me of calling Obama a lunatic mass-murderer, evilest-person-ever, please remember I am answering the question posted by Nick in Sydney.

I don't believe Obama is evil. Just mistaken.

Jack in comment #7,

China's growing economically BECAUSE it has moved away from central planning.

Ahh yes, the Level 1 in Fairfax... great experience! Props and thanks to the hosts--Jeff and Maggy--and to the training staff led by Todd. You guys were professional, knowledgable, and willing to help us in all ways possible. Lectures were well delivered and instruction was sharp. You helped me to establish a firmer foundation for future personal fitness and coaching endeavors.
Thanks.

Ok,
I have been going in and out of Crossfit for about a year now, and can't seem to stick with it. I don't have anyone to workout with and have been running on empty in the motivation department. Especially since I'm deployed at the current time. Anyone have any ideas or have or are going through the same thing and maybe have some pointers for me? You guys are truly awesome and thank you!
Cheers.

regarding the article, when a 1/4 of the world's population still lives under communist rule, it's a little early to declare victory. Russia is certainly continuing to create problems for us as well. Let's not pat ourselves on the back too soon.

Adrian needs to change his name to Mr. Coolaid

Adrian should change his name to Mr. Coolaid!

the cold war continues to this day. in our schools, our media, and our oval office...

How come crossfit restday and crossfitendurance.com rest days dont match up? shouldn't they have the same rest day on the same day, that way your getting adequate rest instead of exercising every single day? I mean I have been making them both rest days and subbing what they had as a workout on my rest day, on the next day. is this what I should be doing?
Another question: If I can't do the entire workout, like say they want us to do 50 back extensions and its a timed workout should I do as many as I can, or stop and rest a couple of seconds so I can get in the entire 50?

And according to the ads next to article; Ukranian beauties are now free to be enjoyed aswell. Why not get one, you could always just send her back if she's not up to standards. That's gotta feel like an improvement for those cuties.

no time for a rest, introduced a newbie yesterdya to this great training, we did 20 bits of Angie and she managed it in 14 mins 29secs which was a great first attempt, way to go Ab's!
Jim

Seriously, terrible article. The reason the fall of communism isn't celebrated over here is that is was a hollow victory. Driving 140 million people even deeper into poverty, and letting their mafia take over the country = EPIC FAIL for international politics. Using that conflict as an excuse to hyper-inflate the military-industrial complex to inconceivable levels of power and bloat = EPIC FAIL for domestic politics. To use that as a backdrop to argue that the government has no business trying to fix a completely bass-ackward auto and finance industry that has been propped up through thick and thin by so-called fiscal conservatives is the same Glenn-Beck-style misinformation being thrust on the masses by the fear-mongers at Fox News.
You can name a magazine Reason. That doesn't imply you are forced to use it.

HawkeyeFit, going with the obvious question: what is your diet, and how much water do you drink?

Another kudos for the level 1 cert in Fairfax this weekend. This was my second level 1 and while the instructors change, the quality does not. I found my first level 1 experience to be more about me as a crossfitter and this one I was able to focus on the coaching aspect much more. What makes the experience so effective is the complete mastery of the subject matter by all of the trainers. That, combined with the individual trainers comfort level in delivering the material in their own way, make the experience so powerful. Thanks to all the trainers and participants for a great weekend!

Missed the WoD yesterday, as i got too into my rings!

So today was:

squat 3-3-3-3-3-3
60kg
80kg
90kg
92.5kg (f)

stopped there to save strength for the metcon.

Did some more ring stuff, scaled MUs, scaled iron cross, dips pullups..

Then

abridged michael -
3RFT
row 400m
20 situps
20 back extensions

10.07

not great, but it was my first time rowing!

Still in love with CF. I feel great!

I had an amazing time at the level 1 cert at CF Fairfax. From the second I stepped into the doors on the first day, it was like I was part of the family. The trainers were extremely knowledgeable yet humble, motivational, and gave everyone their undivided attention. Thank you to all of the trainers and especially Jeff and Maggie for the use of their box.

#2 JD

Use the diameter that you guys are comfortable with. Since this will be outdoors and will likely be exposed to the elements go with a galvanized metal. If the grips are too slippery wrap it with cloth tape, use chalk or both. Good luck!

This is a good topic for me. I look forward to four days of dialogue. For those of you who want to denigrate the importance of ending slavery in Eastern Europe, would you also diminish the importance of ending slavery in the United States?

To be clear, if you have no rights, can't own anything, and must do what you are told, you are a slave. That should be self evident, but there are a lot of clever idiots out there.

Props to Maggie and Jeff from Crossfit Fairfax and to Todd and the rest of the crew (Russ, Andrea, Joe, Mike, and Jon) for a fantastic level 1 cert. It was my first L1 and I learned so much. Not only how much more I can improve, but how I can use cues to help others improve. Great job, guys, and to everyone who attended.

Just got back from the CrossFit level 1 in Fairfax and have to give a big thanks to everyone who took the time to work with us! It was such a humbling and motivating experience. I look forward to taking what I learned to improve my own workouts, as well as the direction I provide our current and future clients. Thanks again!

Just returned home from an excellent level 1 cert at CF Fairfax. The amazing,intelligent and articulate training crew explained complex topics and gave detailed explanations tirelessly while never losing their sense of humor or enthusiasm. After three years of doing CF at home I thought I had a pretty solid grasp on my game but was surprised by how many critical details I had missed and what a difference I could feel when those details were corrected by the staff. Thank you Maggie and Jeff and the CF certification staff for all of your hard work.

dk #28: Excellent response.
Gret #14, Wink #17: You guys have got to be kidding me. Either that or on serious drugs.

Say, as long as we're making comparisons, how about this one: George W. Bush and Hitler:
-Unprovoked military invasions (Iraq/Poland)
-Aggressive quashing of dissent
-Anti science, and using bad science to promote evil agendas
-Institutionalized bigotry (Hitler against the Jews, Bush against the French)
-Short man syndrome
-Hated reading books--oh wait, that's just Bush. Hitler actually read and wrote things.

-I am behind
"Michael"
25.17

The Czar is dead, long live the Czar!

Listen up everyone, if you are critical of Welch's piffle you advocate slavery for Eurasia and long for a return to blah blah blah.

WHO IS THE MOST OFTEN PHOTOGRAPHED CROSSFIT TRAINER THROUGH THE YEARS...OTHER THEN COACH GLASSMAN?

I just completed my Level I at CFSD. Big thanks to all the HQ staff that made it a very enjoyable and informative weekend. Thanks goes out to CFSD also, for providing their box for us to use in order to broaden our horizons. Keep up the good work everyone.

Steve Cole (@ 6:14), very funny, though both you and the guy making the Hitler analogies must know the internet rule that the first person to reference Hitler and/or Nazis automatically loses any argument, no matter what. ;-)

I came into the military during the end of the Cold War and I'm sometimes surprised by my own perspective vis a vis newer troops and their view on that conflict. My training/education was centered around things like the Fulda Gap, NATO exercises in Norway, Soviet anti-air doctrine, Russian weapons nomenclature, etc. When the Wall came down, I remember being profoundly moved.

Communism was better? Did you see those people coming from behind that Wall? We won and didn't even really comprehend how - which, by the way, we now know was the quintessential triumph of one economic ideology (capitalism/mostly free market) over a failed one (socialism/communism/statism). It is widely acknowledged that CIA and other analysts completely missed the boat on the collapse because we had no idea just how bad the economy was behind the Iron Curtain. The control of information was so complete, dissent so utterly crushed, that we simply couldn't know that their economy (despite the military parades, the shows of solidarity) was on the verge of collapse.

dk (@341 am) you evidently missed the entire event and the subsequent introspection on both sides. The reason the wall came down was exactly BECAUSE of the "arms race" and all of those proxy wars (that cost money, ya know?) that were fought. the difference is that in a free market society, wealth is created. People invest, take risks, invent things, because of the incentives for doing so, and society as a whole benefits. Under "party rule", nothing like that can happen. And it didn't.

I'm not a big wikipedia fan unless it's well-sourced, but this isn't a bad primer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_Soviet_Union

The article on the collapse of the Soviet economy and predictions on its failure and why many academics got it wrong because of their left-leaning personal politics, while non-academics (like Reagan and others) got it right is also interesting.

dk - I don't like the whole "mil-industrial complex" and the power it wields in government, but the free-market version sure beats the one the Sovs had. And, oh by the way, Ayn Rand was right. Read "We The Living".

Very happy for rest day, did the deadlifts for max rep and "Michael" on the same day. Lower back is burning with love!
Thankyou

Thanks to Todd, Joe, Jon, Mike, Andrea, Jeff, Maggie and Russ for an awesome Level 1 Cert at CrossFit Fairfax! The biggest benefit I received was a beautiful model on how to communicate about CrossFit. As a trainer, I now have a solid methodology and some great tweaks for training both new and experienced athletes on both the foundation skills and more complex movements. I'm also far better equipped to answer the question, when it's asked, of "what is CrossFit?" I also learned a thing or two about motivation and the drive to improve, which was driven home this morning when I read this article. (http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE59D0BR20091014?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=11604&sp=true) Great job to everyone at the cert, and anybody who wants to drop by CrossFit Montgomery County need only to check out the website, www.crossfitmc.com.

Darn it! Mods, help! Post in filter and I didn't use any bad words at all!!

dk(@341) - you missed the entire reason why the Wall came down and the Soviet Empire collapsed. It was exactly because of the arms race and buildup. We had an economy that could support it, they didn't.

The fall of the Soviet Empire is incontrovertible proof of the problems with statism and central planning and its inferiority compared to the free market. The only reason we didn't see it coming was because of how brutally repressed the Soviet peoples were; how complete was the control of information.

Ayn Rand was right on - read "We the Living".

Just completed the Level 1 at Fairfax. Wanted to congratulate CrossFit HQ on putting on a spectacular cert. I learned so much more about all of the essential movements and theory behind CrossFit than I thought I already knew. The certification staff was honest, humorous, experienced, intelligent and most of all, professional.

Being surrounded by a group of dedicated fitness enthusiasts (or is it cult members?!) makes me even more proud to be part of the CrossFit community as both an affiliate owner and fellow athlete. If anyone is in/near/around Charlottesville, VA you are more than welcome to stop by CrossFit Charlottesville

www.crossfitcharlottesville.com

CONGRATS TO ALL MY FELLOW LEVEL 1s!
-Francesco

It is worth noting that an ubiquitous aspect of totalitarian regimes is a concerted, carefully planned propaganda regime. It is considered as much a part of government as providing streets and running water. Actually, more important, since control is primary, and actually helping people is secondary. In totalitarian logic, it is only important to be perceived as beneficial; the reality is between secondary and completely irrelevant.

One aspect of propaganda--one means by which to see its influence--is when you start seeing the same basic themes repeated over and over, without an apparent reference to critical or even reflective thought.

Given the foregoing, let me address a few of Steve's points, since to all outward appearance he appears not to be joking.

Poland/Iraq. Poland was merely the straw that broke the camel's back. Hitler developed a plan to take over Europe, then the world, in the early 1920's. His conquests began with the Rhineland, then Austria, then the Sudetanland, then the whole of Czechoslavakia.

Saddam Hussein signed a ceasefire he never honored. He persistently broke his word as far as inspections. He had an incontrovertible past history of interest in developing nuclear weapons. We had both legal justification, and national defense justification for going in.

Two completely different cases, as even a fifth grader would know. If this isn't clear to you, there's a game show hosted by Jeff Foxworthy you need to be on. It's the only show I know where the low score is what gets you on.

Aggressive quashing of dissent? Give me one example. I know of none. I know of no analogue to the media blitz conducted by the Obamaites to demonize a particular network. Nor did Bush hire as his "Media Czar" someone who has spoken openly and often about the need to normalize and control free speech, in the specific pursuit of specific political policies.

Anti-science? You mean refusing to use Federal money to finance private research in a field he and many others found and find morally objectionable? Experimenting with dead babies?

You compare this to murdering Jews and sealing them in large mason jars like pickled pigs? Grow up, son.

Institutionalized bigotry? You mean, like automatically blaming the white guy when there's a conflict? You mean like attending a church for 20 years which blames whitey for everything from black poverty to AIDS? You're joking, right?

Bush wasn't short. That's actually amusing. You apparently just didn't feel the list was long enough.

Hated reading: Hitler did not like to read either. He wrote his book in prison. He was very unlearned.

On that note, I would be very curious to see some of Obama's writing during his college years. Regrettably, ALL OF IT is sealed from analysis. If it were good, he would have nothing to apologize for. Apparently, he DOES have something to apologize for, since his handlers have very carefully sunk virtually his entire past into a memory hole.

Your turn. Carry on, by all means. You serve as a good example.

It is worth noting that an ubiquitous aspect of totalitarian regimes is a concerted, carefully planned propaganda regime. It is considered as much a part of government as providing streets and running water. Actually, more important, since control is primary, and actually helping people is secondary. In totalitarian logic, it is only important to be perceived as beneficial; the reality is between secondary and completely irrelevant.

One aspect of propaganda--one means by which to see its influence--is when you start seeing the same basic themes repeated over and over, without an apparent reference to critical or even reflective thought.

Given the foregoing, let me address a few of Steve's points, since to all outward appearance he appears not to be joking.

Poland/Iraq. Poland was merely the straw that broke the camel's back. Hitler developed a plan to take over Europe, then the world, in the early 1920's. His conquests began with the Rhineland, then Austria, then the Sudetanland, then the whole of Czechoslavakia.

Saddam Hussein signed a ceasefire he never honored. He persistently broke his word as far as inspections. He had an incontrovertible past history of interest in developing nuclear weapons. We had both legal justification, and national defense justification for going in.

Two completely different cases, as even a fifth grader would know. If this isn't clear to you, there's a game show hosted by Jeff Foxworthy you need to be on. It's the only show I know where the low score is what gets you on.

If you're a libertarian, you should get a subscription to Reason magazine. If you're not a libertarian yet, wait a few years- we'll be here when you come around.

Economies thrive when the market is most free from intervening regulation. China is a perfect example when they introduced market-oriented reforms 30 years ago. They are sitting on an absolute dynamo right now. Imagine if they're economy was at least as free as ours.

I responded to the other points as well, but the damn filter won't let it through for unknown reasons. If it pops out, it will be between this post and my other.

Bush wasn't short. That's actually amusing. You apparently just didn't feel the list was long enough.

Hated reading: Hitler did not like to read either. He wrote his book in prison. He was very unlearned.

On that note, I would be very curious to see some of Obama's writing during his college years. Regrettably, ALL OF IT is sealed from analysis. If it were good, he would have nothing to apologize for. Apparently, he DOES have something to apologize for, since his handlers have very carefully sunk virtually his entire past into a memory hole.

Your turn. Carry on, by all means. You serve as a good example.

Got behind a bit, so I did this WOD from the other day:
95lb Thruster 21x
30lb Kettlebell swing 42x
95lb Thruster 15x
30lb Kettlebell swing 30x
95lb Thruster 9x
30lb Kettlebell swing 18x

Time: 8:57

31/m/6'1"/260#

Quick question: Did the deadlift one rep max wod yesterday and pulled 377#. My previous PR was 330# from the CFT the other week (Oct, 13). 47# gain in 12 days??? Do people normally see a huge difference in their one rep max versus CFT deadlift? Purely psychological?

This time through started at 299 (which had been my one rep max before the most recent CFT) and everything went up easily through 377#. Anyway around it I am psyched, I know it is not as much as a lot of the people on here but for a guy missing parts of several vertebrae I am happy.

**Level I - Fairfax**

What an amazing weekend! Thanks to all the participants that completed the Level I cert this weekend. You guys and gals were incredible, lots of enthusiams, energy, determination and intensity! Awesome job!

Thanks to my fellow trainers Todd, Jon, Andrea, Joe, Russ, Mike and Jeff. You guys are the BEST!

Finished the Level 1 cert at CFSD and loved every minute of it. The CFHQ staff and all the trainers were fantastic and extremely knowledgeable. Their constant abuse of each other keep everyone laughing and learning throughout the weekend. I couldn't have asked for more. Keep up the great work guys!

A Texas oil man orders an invasion on a country with 115 billion unextracted barrels of crude oil lying under its soil...obviously, the term "Manifest Destiny" has more than one definition.

However, I can think of very few, if any, reasons worth dying for more than oil.

Petrol is blood.

Pulled a quad muscle after last Wednesday's walking lunge WOD. Funny thing is that it crept up on me (feel good after the workout, next day thigh is tighter than a drum and hurts like heck). Lesson learned (or better yet, reinforced) - adapt WOD to my capabilities and not vice versa.

I use crossfit as a means to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I am not interested in being able to do a muscle up. I like the challenge of timed WODs because I do want to improve. However, being a long time runner/cyclist, I am now carrying an extra 10 lbs due to increase in muscle mass.

I am 47, married over 20 years, and a cold war warrior (threw this one due to the topic de jeur). I enjoy crossfit because it is not boring like running and cycling can be on occasion. I workout on my own, use a combination home gym, YMCA and work gym to get the WODs done. I have not done a cert because I really don't want to spend the money.

I keep up with the comments section because it is often interesting, especially rest days. Who would think that athletes can be so intellectual? Anyway, I enjoy this electronic community because generally it is a like minded group interested in inhancing their health. So thanks!

Barry Cooper:
It was parody, my son. When you are ready to snatch the pebble from my hand, you will understand.
Until then, let this serve as a clarification:
False comparisons, like "Obama is Hitler", or "legalized abortion is the Holocost" are baseless, misleading, and really unintersting. The only thing worthwhile about them is they tell us a lot about the person presenting them, and the people who believe them. And that is something we need to know so we wont' waste any more time listening to such people.
You cannot be serious about questioning the statement that Bush was anti-science. I mean, come on! He was the most anti-science president in the history of the US. To give a few examples--just a very small number out of the large number of examples that could be cited:
-When vetting scientists to serve as advisors on scientific issues to the White House, the callers questioned scientists about whether they supported the then-President, and whether they supported anti-abortion legistlation, and often asked no questions about their studies at all. Scientists who had views not endoresed by the White House were not invited to serve as advisors. This was widely reported by many scientists.
-Funding for the FDA went down, way down during the Bush administration, to the point that FDA staff become woefully uninformed about current developments in the fields of food pollution and drug safety.
-Bush openly supported groups who opposed the teaching of evolution in public schools.
-The White House in the years after 9/11 led a campaign to classify scientific documents, in order to shield them from public access, such that by 2004 nearly 16 million scientific documents were classified. This is outrageous. Communication of scientific results to peers is an essential element of science.
This list could easily be expanded. The last point would serve, by the way, as a nice segue into a deconstruction of your bizzare implication that Obama has some sort of team that works to cover up some kind of secret past. Where do you get your news, The Weekly World News?. No US administration has ever done as much as the Bush administration did to cover up their actions, pursue secret agendas, and classify documents. And of course, one of their agendas was carrying out illegal wire-tapping of citizens!
Some of your other opinions could be shown, just as easily, to be crud.
By the way, the President wrote a nice book recounting his life from birth to being a Senator. Far from shielding facts of his early life or his college years, it is remarkably candid. If you stopped your sweaty-palmed worship of Limbaugh, Fox "News" and Ann Coulter long enough to read it, you might discover your error.
Sorry about all this. It has nothing to do with the day's discussion topic-my bad!

dk @3:41am

If equality of outcome is your highest ideal then yes the fall of Communism in '89 was a tragic event.
Liberty can be a terrible burden. People are free to fail. And we all know people should not be allowed to fail. Only rivers of milk and honey should be allowed.
But even the poorest in America are substantially better off than people of modest means under the old Communist regimes.

I think it was Dennis Miller who said of Vietnam , The only people who have converted from communism to capitalism faster than the Vietnamese are the Dead Heads at the end of a concert rushing to the parking lot to sell Tie-dyed t-shirts in the parking lot.

Free Markets work every where they are tried.

I've been to many certs over the years by other organizations but none like CrossFit! The practical application and hands on experience was truly amazing. I learned so much and plan on implementing it immediately. Thanks esp. to all the instructors for a great experience. Fantastic Box CrossFit San Diego! I'm pumped!!!

My first post ever and I just completed the level 1 class held at Crossfit Fairfax. It was a totally amazing experience. I have been doing crossfit for some time now and I learned more than I thought was possible. In fact, I want to go to another Level 1 just to pick up more information that I might have missed while I was there. The workouts were a ton of fun and because they were team WODs it proved the great community that Crossfit is. A group of ~55 people, who have never met, become great friends and kick a** together to get a seriously intense WOD accomplished. Tons of fun. Thank you to Maggie and Jeff for hosting and thank you to the headquarters crew, Todd, Jon, Joe, Andrea, Mike, and Russ. The weekend was awesome. I strongly encourage any and all to attend a level 1 certification.

there was a link to an article a few months back that compared the chemical make up and effects of sugar adn crack. Does anyone have that or remember wround what time of the year that was?

Congratulations to Jessica Stevenson of Crossfit Socal on passing her level 1 cert! Great job Jess!

I posted a link, comment number 15 i believe, but it was deleted. Why? I won't repost the link, but I would like a reponse as to why the board is edited. At my cert they said anyone can post anything they want on here.

Well Monroe county crossfit decided rest wasnt an option for me so I did their WOD:

"Pain"
100 jumping squats 45# bar
100 push ups
100 wall balls
100 KB swings
100 cal row

FML as rxd over an hr SUCK

Thanks to Pat and Crew that supported Black and Gold CF LV1 certification this past weekend. What an awesome experience! Having Pat lead the way with his background was a perfect "fit" for the audiance. As we prepare oursevles for Combat everyday, Pat was able to dial in real world experience and how CF makes up better warriors hands down.
I cannot say enough about how beneficial the cert was for my development as a coach and athelete. Thanks again for an awesome weekend.

#64 Parker

I've got a fair idea why it was removed.

I really enjoyed reading the article (blog) you linked. It was wide of the mark in many of its 'facts', but pretty funny and absolutely geared to illicit a venomous response from Crossfitters. CultFit -funny. If read with an open mind it was actually pretty harmless.

Of more damage and perhaps the real reason for the removal of the link was the comment on the article by John Schaefer. Interesting.

Barry Cooper is my alter ego when I want to explain myself well.

I don't buy the line that Obama's goal is to stage a government takeover of the economy. Rather, I think he is responding to an economic crisis using the standard economic prescription for dealing with such rare, potentially catastrophic events. But time will tell.

The two articles that have been posted from Reason over the last couple of rest days seem unimpressive. I don't see how either one would persuade anyone who doesn't already agree with the views expressed.

#2...You have gotten good advice so far from the other posts. I had to build a stand for Pullups, that would hold a bar for squat and for bench press. Very affordable and very cheap to build. I have pics if you want them. I unfortunately I didn't bother looking at posts or anything before building my bar so I didn't consider bar size. I got a 3/4" bar and it really isn't the best for maxing out a set of pull ups. Go bigger like the other posts were saying. The bigger your hands the bigger the grip maybe. If the flange that holds the pipe wasn't bigger than a 4X4, I would upgrade to an 1" or 1 1/4", but until I jury rig something, I have to live with what I got. Good luck and let me know if you want pics.

Michael yesterday...24:38 with Good Mornings as sub due to my not having yet built MASs' ingenious B/E contraption.

quick question totally not about the post and may have been discussed before, but what are peoples problem with cross fit, it took me a long way from where i was and as a wrestler i thought i was in great shape, sure i cant run as fast as i use to because we ran every day, but im better at everything. so why do a lot of people who do circuit training absolutely hate cross fit?

Steve,

First of all, what, in your understanding, is the proper role of the leader of the Federal Executive branch in fostering scientific research? I thought that was the job of the private sector, in tandem with universities. The mere implication that Bush SHOULD have done more to support science betrays your fundamental Statist bias.

Secondly, what is the source of your little tidbits, such as people were questioned about their views on abortion, but not on their research? Were these for political positions, or scientific positions? To the extent I'm aware, the Federal Executive Branch does no scientific research. Or are there labs in the White House of which I'm unaware?

And are you incapable of grasping that teaching that the orthodox Darwinian explanation is open to principled, empirical scientific questioning, differs from opposing the teaching of evolution? Surely you can't be that thick.

Third, as far as classified documents, is it your understanding that papers on the developement of nuclear weapons, bioterror agents, and chemical warfare agents should remain in the public sector when our enemies are aggressively pursuing them? Do you need to know how to build a fertilizer bomb? Why?

Fourth, show me where the State of Hawaii has been authorized to release a long form Birth Certificate, which it has already affirmed publicly it has in its possession. Tell me what classes Obama took at Columbia. Show me where he was renaturalized as a US citizen, or where he lost his Indonesian citizenship. Explain to me how, in a book titled "Dreams from my father", it was never mentioned that the father in question was a Communist.

And as far as that goes, a New York Times Bestselling biographer, author of over a dozen best-selling books, claims that Billy Ayers helped co-author (ghost-write) "Dreams from my Father". It's credible, since in the year preceding his submission to the publisher, he had written very close to nothing, and had his first publishing contract terminated.

Here's one of a number of links: http://pajamasmedia.com/ronradosh/2009/09/23/an-old-claim-arises-once-more-did-barack-obama-write-dreams-of-my-father/

Feel free to call me a nut. We have four days, and the water is deep.

As far as illegal wire-tapping, are you perhaps referring to the wiretapping authorized by the same Patriot Act about which President Obama has not said a word since taking office, presumably because he is using it?

I am not in error. My opinions have been washed through a hundred debates, and they have held fast. I should say, though, that that isn't saying much, since 90% of the opposition I meet is simple ad hominem. That's all the same, even if the words change.

Please, if you insist on switching to that mode, be creative.

1 in the hopper. Should come out about #72.

Very interesting article. And, I've really enjoyed reading the comments here because I find it fascinating how people who have devoted their lives to a centrally planned, government owned and run enterprise (i.e. the military) are such die hard free market capitalists :)

It's already been pointed out, but our system has a few flaws in it too. 55 cents out of every dollar of discretionary government spending goes to the military. And, any major military project will be build in every congressional district in the country. It almost makes you want a little top down planning.

Cubans in the Congo, USSR invades Prague, and many other proxy wars. USA at the Fulda Gap, USA at the DMZ in Korea etc, and the fall of the wall. USA in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Horn of Africa. Different countries different political ideologies no war should be forgotten

#75

please read the constitution to understand why free market lovers also love the military - it's not that fascinating - just part of loving the freedom and liberty that a strong national defense allows

Thank the LORD for rest day!!!

I was just having a conversation today about problems in the military. It is NOT an efficient organization. The Arabic he was taught was Egyptian Arabic, not Iraqi Arabic. If it were the private sector, that would have been remedied instantaneously.

It seems to me anyone who views the military as an efficient burocracy must not read the papers much.

At the same time, I can't see how we could privatize it, so we just have to live with the inefficiencies. The alternative is a mercenary army.

I'm curious, too, as to why you would view the 55% number as anything other than rank deception and propaganda? The actual number is 21%, at least according to 2007 numbers from Wikipedia. You are apparently including in "mandatory" spending things like Social Security and Medicare, both of which many of us would like redirected to the States or cancelled outright over some period of time.

I'm happy to have that debate. BTDT: my position will hold.

In reference to military spending, that number should be higher because the government should not have many other budget items, period. What else are you wanting the government to take your money and spend it on exactly?

I think a lot of people are missing the point of the article (or at least what I feel is the point), which is a significant historical event for not only America but the world occured no more than 20 years ago and the majority have already forgot.

Can't wait for some muscle ups. Ordered my EFX rings. Should have them by Thursday!

"I'm happy to have that debate. BTDT: my position will hold."

"My opinions have been washed through a hundred debates, and they have held fast."

"Feel free to call me a nut. We have four days, and the water is deep."

Barry, have you recently been fired from the postal service (sorry, UPS)?

Level 1 CF Fairfax
Thanks to all of the trainers for all they did to make this a great weekend of learning and sharing. Each member of the training team brought something special to the event, and all were open to personal questions and took time to answer them all.
I now feel better prepared to teach the movements to the numerous High School athletes I work with.
Next up...CF Kids!
A special thanks to Todd for answering my numerous questions during the breaks, and to Jon for reminding me over and over again about my lack of hip opening.....
Anyone who is considering a Level 1 should sign up today. Dont hesitate, you will be saving and improving your quality of life from here on out.

People want to forget Communism, period. They want to pretend it was an hallucination brought on by Joseph McCarthy and Ronald Reagan, which was never a threat, never wanted to take over the world, and which never necessitated us lifting even our little finger to defeat.

This paradigm is propagated by Communists, for the obvious reason that the only way you can defeat a stronger enemy is to cause their internal collapse through confusion and complacency.

Fifth Columns are not unique to Fascism: we have them here, today.

If too many people realize that, the jig is up. The whole operation depends, now, on speed, and deception. It isn't going well, currently. The flares in the night are showing too many people things they don't want to see, but can't deny.

Don't call it a come back, he's been here for years, Barry's gonna knock you out!

CrossFIT Fairfax Level one cert Oct. 24/25.
You guys are amazing. From the HQ staff to the staff at CrossFIT Fairfax, you have absolute professionalism down to a key. It might look like a level one certification on paper, but what you really do is change lives. All of the trainers are so passionate about the sport of CrossFIT. This by far has been the best training class I have ever attended. Thank you so much for an incredible weekend and a start to a journey which will never end. Your ethos is excellence!

First and foremost wow.. What a great group of people today. Wonderful in all aspects, from instruction to application. I was a bit taken back by the level of diversity of skill levels. From people on break toying with the "Iron cross" to someone’s first time ever doing Crossfit. Today’s WOD was enjoyable and very challenging.

WOD:
5 man teamwork out
250 thrusters (95 lbs) and 250 pull ups
Rules:
Bar cannot touch floor, if said foul happened add 50 thrusters.

One of the most interesting parts was during lunch Coaches (Crossfit training team members) did a WOD

Elizabeth:

Clean 135( full squat cleans)
Ring dips

21-15-9

The reason I mention it is I have attended a lot of "training seminars" both professionally and privately and I can count on my hand the number of times I have seen the Lead trainers actually put the speech to the physical. Today was the best example I have seen to date. It has been a very informative with out being boring session. I urge anyone thinking about it, to register and go. What a blast.

Prole,

No. I just employ psychological warfare in addition to logic applied to facts. It reduces the random detritus that adds nothing but meaningless pixels.

I understand it well, having been on the receiving end for some time. The Left sounds a single note repeatedly, and calls it a symphony. I call it a club.

If you want to dispute any particulars, start with either facts, or my application of logic. If you see sweeping, unsupported statements, call me on them, and ask me to amplify and expand them by incorporating context.

I am more than happy to do that.

DLs 5x5 315-365-315-365-385, and, for good measure, 405(1). Warmup was row 2x300 hard, 200 easy, second one was at 1:33/500 avg, and snatch practice at 65 lbs. Cash out: bench press 3x5, 135-185-185.

you can't really trust anything that comes out of a politician's mouth, right or left. the 'conservative' politicians that purport to be free marketers support a defense bureaucracy whose budget dwarfs the gdp of most countries. how is that letting the market dictate outcomes? on the other hand, 'liberal' politicians depend on the financial support of big lobby to get re-elected because liberal activist groups are poor as hell compared to their conservative counter parts

also, people love to blame the failure of the USSR on central planning, but try to tell me that heavy subsidization of the defense industry during the late 80s didn't contribute to our military success, and i'll call you an idiot. i will concede however that more often than not, the defense bureaucracy does a bad job at picking winners and losers. f-22 anyone? WHY??

it's just simply not as easy as any of you are making out to be. these right/left conservative/liberal divisions are fictitious and contrived. good ideas aren't part of an ideology, and don't have an ideological foil.

ps: to celebrate the fall of communism, while we are mired in a war fighting its blowback (in the form of a newly mobilized mujahideen that we once supported) is idiotic at best and criminal at worst. it's also probably not one of the good ideas i was talking about.

Does anyone know what happened to CFFB site... keep getting a message saying "database offline, terminating script" :[

Huge thanks to Pat, Heather, Dennis, Jenn, and Bobbi for coming out to CrossFit Black & Gold this weekend for the Level 1 cert. With a majority of the audience going to combat in the coming years, it was important to understand intensity and functional movements for our occupation and reminding people that the enemy doesn't play to your strengths. Thanks to CFHQ for their continued and unrelenting support to the military!

32/m/185/5'7
Did deadlifts from Saturday:
235-285-305-335(PR)-335-370(f)-370(f)

and then did Michael (no time):
my new favorite workout

Rest in Peace, brother...

I may be late on this but does anybody know what happened to the Crossfit Endurance site? I am not sure if they are updating it or if it's gone for good. Any news would be appreciated!

SAN DIEGO L1 CERT -- Tip of the hat to all instructors for a great weekend filled with learning, perspiration and connecting with other OCD crossfit types. I have lots yet to learn and many workouts in front of me to achieve my goals, but your work has pushed my thresholds. Thanks. This was driven home sharply as I watched my teammate, Annie MT, crank out 85 uninterrupted, picture perfect pushups with Andy and Kalipa acting as technique police. I am breathless! Well, back to the box!

I have not yet seen a response regarding the "CultFit" link that I posted being removed. I am very curious why it was erased and ignored. This seems very fishy, and lends credibility to an author i originally thought of as only humorous. I really feel like it makes some very valid points that CrossFit as a community and business need to address if it wants to continue to grow. Anyone else? Also, is it true that Mark Rippetoe will no longer be doing barbell certs in association with CrossFit??
BARRY COOPER-- you seem very active here today perhaps you know the answers to my many questions?

Des I will change my name to mr. coolaid

Help please..

I am about 2 months out of shoulder surgery and was wondering if anyone has a good program to use to get back into crossfit shape, I have not been able to do much of anything since Sept 3rd. Thanks!

Completed L1 Cert at CFSD yesterday- just got back to Philly and am SORE! Thanks to all of you guys- your honesty and down to earth approach solidified my love for this program.

Trish- thanks for help on oly lifting!

Great time!

Parker: we had a long discussion about this a while back. There have been a few of these, and I forget which this one is, but I haven't seen ANY that had a shred of validity, or were anything other than blatant example of uninformed partiality, malice, and stupidity.

Bottom line: when you're top dog, people gun for you. That's just how it is. We have market share, and other people want it. Some halfwits think the way to do it is to denigrate us.

TJ: if you want to label the efforts of fanatical Muslims to generate through terror the downfall of Western civilization "blowback", why not lay the blame in the proper place: the craven and unforgiveable abandonment of the both the Shah and principle under Jimmy Carter?

The Shah tried to prevent the revolution, but we cut his funding, citing human rights violations that were a fraction of those commited under the present Iranian regime.

The Iranians commited an act of war, invading the sovereign United States soil of the Embassy. We did nothing.

Iranian-sponsored Hezbollah bombed us, and took us captive. We did something very close to nothing.

Islamic radicals were watching. When the bombed us in Kenya, the first time at the Twin Towers, in the USS Cole, and when we ran at the first sign of trouble from Somalia, they determined we were sufficiently decadent that we lacked the will to use our power in our own defense.

That was Bin Laden's explicit and stated assumption.

This is not rocket science. The Taliban did not lead to Al Queda. Contempt for us as a power did.

It was the Iranians who led the way.

Level 1 Cert in Fairfax
I had a great time at the cert and learned a lot!! Thanks to all!! The trainers were great and the other people attending were too.
A couple of critique items: I think there should be some sort of accountability to learning the material, such as a test or even taking attendance. There was (at least) one person who left Saturday at lunch and never came, yet there was a certificate for that person at the end. Also, could you actually have Coach Glassman sign the certificates?

Communism does not equal Stalinism, and socialism is not the boogey monster. The U.S. is the least socialist of all the advanced democracies, and the rate at which the U.S. economy was growing before the collapse was in fact the lowest of the developed countries. China is expanding not because it is moving away from central planning, but because they actively and artificially keep the value of their dollar down while restricting labor and environmental standards. And for those who complain the government is playing too large a role in the current economy, I wonder which economic theory you adhere to exactly? Even absolute neo-liberalist economists agree the government must intervene during market collapse. This idea was referred to by Adam Smith, and even by Rose and Milton Friedman, authors of "Free to Choose," an incredibly libertarian book that goes so far as to call for a disintegration of labor laws. For those who argue that any state intervention in the market is anti-democratic, there is legitimacy to your argument, though I disagree, because in order to have political equality we must have equality in economic possibilities, which we unarguably do not have. Furthermore, the inordinate amount of power that businesses have over politics greatly reduces individual political power and hurts the democratic process. This is clearly shown by the fact that 60% of Americans would prefer Medicaid for all, but that was never even an option up for political debate. The greatest power is power that disallows potentially harmful legislation from even becoming a political issue / choice. I would suggest reading Rawls, Dahl, Lindbloom, or Henwood. This way the arguments can at least be educated. I've been cross-fitting for over a year now and don't post, but being an International Political Economist I had to throw my two cents in.

Thanks to Pat, Heather, Dennis, Jenn, and Bobbi for coming to Black and Gold Crossfit this weekend. The program was very well run. This was one of the best weekends I have had so far this year. It was great how Pat applied what he was teaching to how it will help us as leaders in the military. I feel much more confident in my ability not only to develop myself physically now, but also to create a good PT plan when I get to my unit and ensure that myself and others are doing the workouts correctly.

#98 Did you have rotator cuff surgery?

If so, I think you may benefit from specific rotator cuff rehab.
Crossfit really doesn't have anything that specifically works those small muscles. Most people's external rotators are especially weak - the infraspinatus and teres minor. I'm using 5 lb plates to work mine. It's ridiculous. But if you keep with it, you can stabilize your shoulder, and then your ability to do crossfit exercises safely will improve. You can find rotator cuff exercises on many websites. If you know what your injury was, you can focus on the culprit. If you don't know, work hardest at what feels the weakest to you.

Been trying out the Scaled Iron Cross stuff from CFJ, but I was just wondering:

Is there any way of stopping/minimising the amount that the material the rings hang on burns your arm?! I've got serious friction burns on my triceps from practicing it...

Anybody else found this?

made up "Michael" Today. 22:55 followed by the 7 deadlifts I missed the other day, all 7 DL @ 425

Question about DLs: My PR is 475. I have been performing the 1x7 around 425 to improve grip strength and form at the heavier weight. After Michael today followed by DL I pretty muched ripped them all off of the floor. How long do I wait until I try and obtain another PR? Has anyone else dealt with this?
thanks
Gabe

Patrick 98 and 106, talk to "Herm" - he posts here regularly under that name, just had surgery on each shoulder, and had several posts about his rehab process. He seems like a really nice guy, too.

CFSD Level 1

Thanks to all the trainers and their patience with all of our questions. I learned so much and I wish I had done this last year! It's awesome to do Fran with 20 other people and have someone yelling at you telling you your reps don't count lol. I don't know how those guys at the games keep their concentration. Again thank you to all the trainers!! Great job CFSD!!!

Chris,

I just emailed him a heads up on those two. Good call.

The CrossFit Level 1 Cert in Fairfax, VA, was absolutely incredible! I have a kineseology background, and was extremely impressed to see the methodologies and philosiphies of CrossFit delivered with a scientific basis-very professional; very sound presentation. I have been "working out" for 17 years now and took a lot home from the certification. Thanks again guys for the enlightenment. Accolades to Jeff and Maggy for being such great hosts.

Just completed my lvl 1 at CrossFit Fairfax, what a phenomenal experience. Absolutely excellent instruction from the coaches and a great environment to learn and workout. Learned a ton, met some great people, and I highly recommend to anyone who is considering getting certified to do it, its worth every cent. Big, big shout out thanks to Todd, Jeff, Maggie, Jon, Joe, Andrea, Russell, and Mike for everything.

I recently attended the Fairfax cert. I want to thank the staff involved in putting on the event and the instructors for their empassioned lessons. I now have a much deeper understanding of virtuosity and intensity. My ego has prevented me from cashing in on intensity. I stare at the bar during workouts far to many times during workouts. All because I want to complete the WOD as prescribed. I'm simply cheating myself out of valuable training response. Not anymore because I will scale and increase intensity and enjoy the bleed from the anerobic into the phosphagen and aerobic.

Thanks
Robert "Chip" Groenendaal R.N.
A Proud Member of Crossfit EOS and the broader Crossfit Community!!

P.S. I never knew PVC was so damn heavy.

Barry,

Mmmmm, what does a club sound like?

level 1 @ fairfax

the group of trainers put on a phenomenal weekend. these guys are inspiring athletes, but believe it or not, even better trainers (and trainers' trainers).

i have recently read many negative comments on the level 1 cert. these people have either never attended or just don't know the price of modern education. the cert weekend is a valuable resource for any athlete or trainer and well worth the time and money.

CFSD Level I Cert

Thank you to all the coaches this past weekend! It was an amazing 2 days of learning and having fun. You are all inspirational (and HOT)! ;) Keep up the great work!

Prole,

It really depends on the club. I mean that kids these days are all going to those dang raves so it's just BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.

But if you go to a nice Jazz club it's not bad.

Of course you get the BOOM, BOOM, BOOM at a gentleman's club but it's just as much a visual boom as auditory Boom.

Thanks Caitlin! Congrats on your L1!! Hope you enjoyed your time in San Diego.

L1 Cert Fairfax

Thanks To the Trainers,Todd,Joe,Jon,Russ, Mike, Andrea,Maggie and Jeff. I had a really great time and learned a lot.If I knew what I know now I would have done this cert a long time ago.Thanks also to Jeff and Maggie for hosting this Cert @Crossfit Fairfax you guys were great!

dave #102

I have a friend who owns a fireworks business in China. Previously the fireworks factories he did business with were state run and simply existed to give people jobs. That changed and now they are owned by Chinese nationals who have a profit potential. Of course the Chinese gov't charges a fee for owning the business and can take it over at any time. However, the profit potential has increased competition and increased the artificially low cost fireworks previously had. Is it your contention that this move away from central planning is not a reason for growth in the Chinese economy?

Feedback on the San Diego Level 1 Cert this past weekend
Improvements & additions:
Name tags for instructors.

Identify people that are new to CrossFit. Maybe put a star on their name tag or put a little red X on them. They made a mistake coming to a level 1 cert without doing at least one WOD. I think the coaches would be happy to treat them gently but they have no way of identifying them in small groups.

We need to have a warm-up for 15 minute rotations. My first position was muscle-ups. I didn't even want to hang on the rings because it seems too easy to get hurt doing a muscle up cold.

Scaling was not encouraged for Fran. The 10 minute cut off kind of forced a level of scaling but a short 5 minute speech about not being "pig-headed" would have set a good example.

Things I found useful:
A lot of the information can be found on the main site. (Zone, squat fundamentals etc). I was most interested when the Coaches said things like "in my gym we use 10 minutes of Cindy as the baseline workout" or "I personally think that a multi-vitamin & fish oil are the only supplements you need" or "let me tell you how I gave someone Rabdo". These are the little gems of information that are not normally found on the main site. These gems are the difference between talking to someone who knows the movements and talking to someone with knows the movements & has years of coaching experience.

Providing meals (at an additional cost) was a great idea. They were good and reasonably priced. Providing snacks would have only added to this great idea. Also, it is another way for the local gym to make a bit of money.

I found the CrossFit Football 1 hour lecture full of interesting tid-bits of information.

Thanks to all the coaches!

M/47/66"/135

TRAVEL DAY, and drive back home to Upstate NY from SC and a visit with mom. Also dropped by Ultimate CF in Charlotte, NC, for fun time as Test Subject for the L II's. Boz, good to see you. You're as white as ever...

Dave,

That sounds a lot more like a recitation than an analysis. Let's look at a few items. First, you say "Communism does not equal Stalinism". Can we agree it equals one party rule, denial of basic human rights (such as assembly, free speech, and free press), economic disaster when practiced in its pure form, and political autocracy?

Can we agree that China, for all intents and purposes, is a Fascist State which does not allow free speech or assembly, which maintains concentration camps for dissidents, which maintains an ubiquitous secret police which answers directly to the Party, and which allows free enterprise for the simple reason that tens of millions starved under orthodox Socialism?

Can we also agree that the vitiation of labor and environmental laws is directly contrary to the humanitarian impulses upon which "socialism" is supposedly based, but fully congruent with the worst abuses of our own Robber Baron era?

You state that our growth was the lowest of all developed nations. Please justify this number, and place it in historical context. We are THE dominant economy in the world, which means 1% growth here is equal to 10% most other places. Justify that assertion.

As far as economic theories, the theory I adhere to is regulated free markets. This means the ONLY, the ONLY role of the government is to enforce contact law, prevent and punish fraud, and perhaps--in exceptional cases--step in to limit monopolies.

It is not to make home ownership easier. It is not to provide a social safety net (at least on a national level; I am willing to accept this on a State level). Certainly, it is not to try and trim the tops off the highs, and cushion the lows.

EVERY DOLLAR the government spends is tax money. You can delay the day of reckoning, but the only way to avoid it is bankruptcy.

Thus, as Henry Hazlitt demonstrated 60 years ago, the idea of spending your way out of a recession is not only stupid, but it is counterproductive. Had Hoovers (which were Keynesian and virtually identical to those which Roosevelt adopted) policies been followed in 1920, we would have had a Great Depression in the 20's.

Yet you have never heard of the Great Depression of 1921. Why? A conservative--genuine conservative--was in office. Here's a link: http://amconmag.com/article/2009/may/04/00024/

This was the position of Milton Friedman. He understood this. If you want to claim he favored intervention, prove it. I don't think you can.

You then claim "in order to have political equality we must have equality in economic possibilities".

Look, there are two options: equality of access to success, and equality of actual success. The first elevates nations and people, and leads to general prosperity, and greater opportunity for everyone. The latter leads to despondency, disempowerment, universal poverty, AND to the eradication of basic human rights to free speech and assembly. You get all the worst of life, with nothing to counter-balance it.

Of course, that's just reality; it isn't theory. One can always dream grand dreams.

The same logic applies to those who want to demonize "business". Do you have a job? Who employs you? If they go out of business tomorrow, is that a positive outcome? Who pays your salary then? Hint, hint: the average monthly income in Cuba is $20. They go hungry, pure and simple.

You claim 60% of Americans prefer Medicaid for all. Document this. I will add, that even if that is true, the idea is still demonstrably stupid, and counterproductive.

Nothing is free. Politicians appeal to the greed and naivete of people by implying that the Government, per se, has money it has not taken FROM THEM through taxation. This shell game, admittedly, is supported by the fact that we borrow much of our money, so the taxes needed to actually support these programs are delayed.

The long term affect, though, will be profound and unavoidable economic problems no different from those of individuals who get themselves deeply in debt. You have either a prolonged period of belt tightening, or bankruptcy.

One in the hopper. Should come out about #123.

I think a follow on might be warranted on the apparent oxymoron of "regulated free markets".

As an individual, there is a difference between declaring I should be able to do whatever I want, within reason, and declaring I am beyond law and can do anything and everything I want. The latter formulation, sooner or later, will lead to me denying someone else a basic right.

In the business world, truly free markets are those in which we have cause to TRUST that others will honor contracts, and will not try to cheat us. The best basis of that trust is generalized virtue--the proverbial handshake agreement--but what is generally needed to supplement that is the possibility of punishment for malfeasance.

Such punishments actually increase freedom and economic health, for the simple reason that they foster trust in the system as a whole.

For that reason, I have argued often that white collar criminals be punished severely. There should be NO tolerance for the abuses we see out there. They make things worse for everyone.

Capitalism is one of the best economic means of fostering desirable virtues every devised. Against it I would oppose Statist monopolies like those of the old monarchies of Europe and Asia, as well as the Statist monopolies of modern Communist nations.

dk must think that the Berlin wall wasn't actually being used to keep people in (read: prisoner) who actually wanted to leave.

Funny, but I don't recall massive emigration TO the Eastern bloc. Of course people are stupid and don't realize that standing in line for toilet paper is actually waaay better than that freedom crap.

There have been very few really good movies about how evil Communism was and is. I for one would like to see an honest horror movie about the famine Mao engineered in 1960-61, complete with cannibalism; we have horror movies now based on Jeffrey Dahmer and others, why not horror movies based on the results of the actions of evil totalitarians? One village would slaughter several children, then swap them with a neighboring village, so they didn't eat any kids they knew. This is "social justice", of course, which we should all admire. Damn that Deng Xiopeng.

I would like to see open examination, dramatically, of course, of Mao's brainwashing camps, where many people wound up spending the rest of very sad lives. Sort of like "One flew over the Cuckoo's nest", but for millions of people, and in which there is never any hope of rescue or escape. The forced starvation, forced confessions, beatings, slave labor.

It would be very entertaining, just perfect for the Christmas holidays. We could get Alan Alda to explain why it was necessary.

We could follow cinematically a North Vietnamese Death Squad, rounding up and shooting class criminals after the fall of the South leftists in this nation helped engineeer. Good fun. We could watch the heads exploding from different angles, get edgy shots of the tormented executioners smoking cigarettes, and somehow surviving their difficult lives, to triumph in the end as proletarian warriors, doing the bidding of the People.

Or what about the Donner Pass like exploits of the kulaks Lenin put on trains to Siberia, before providing a shred of food or lodging, in the middle of winter? It would be like Survivor, or 12 little Indians. Who is going to die and get eaten next? That would make for Oscar worthy drama.

So much potential. So many stories. Why, oh why, is Hollywood ignoring all the great art-house films to be made out there? It's just so puzzling.

Is it perhaps because they are corrupt, craven, narcissistic fools? Or is that simply too generous?

Barry,

You twice cite episodes of cannibalism; where did you hear these accounts? I hadn't heard of these during the Great Leap Forward and in the gulag system before, and am genuinely curious.

The Black Book of Communism. Mao's forerunner used to eat his opponents, in a group feast celebrated by revolutionaries. Mao had him (and many others) killed, if memory serves.

It was quite common in the Soviet Union during the 1931-32 famine (think those years are about right, but may be slightly off) as well. The government apparently posted signs stated "It is barbaric to eat your children".

Obviously, the simple crime of jailing innocent people for life by the tens of millions is, numerically, the worst example of Communist injustices, but like the soap the Nazis rendered from Jewish fat, there is a shock factor which stays with you, and which helps the thicker heads wrap themselves around the idea that there truly are evil people in this world, and evil nations; and that to use that word is not symptomatic of stupidity, but insight.

I actually got back on to make a following comment. People were puzzled by how quickly the Russian mob took over once the Soviet Union fell. This should not have surprised anyone, because for all intents and purposes Communism IS gangsterism.

Look at Obama, Alinsky, and how politics is done in Chicago. Alinsky bragged about being friends with actual mobsters. This makes sense, since his business, boiled down, was extortion: political extortion.

So when you see our manufacturing czar talking about power coming "from the point of a gun", he is referring to this process of generating power, making threats, and forcing concessions which are good for you, and not good for those you just shook down. This logic is natural to those of the leftist mindset.

To be sure, these gangsters often see fit to find and use soft-headed people who can be misled by simple rhetoric. They tell them they are trying to help people, that it's about justice, and mercy, and compassion--or "hope" and "change", to be direct--and they believe them.

These are simple smokescreens. They are paths from point A to point B for serious people to get what they want, while concealing their intentions.

Why would any gangster EVER tell the truth, when they are getting what they want? And to be clear, when the government gets control of sectors of the economy, they get control of how money directed to that sector gets spent. This is a patronage system, and the government is the Godfather. You kiss their ring, keep your nose clean, and you get your reward. No good Godfather fails to take care of those who are loyal.

On the flip side, he aggressively seeks to destroy anyone who exposes the system, or tries to cut into his share.

We just gave the Godfather $800 Billion. I'm watching some highways get rebuilt right now that had no problems whatsoever, at a cost of who knows what. I hope you Democrats are happy.

We'll get change. Hope, though, will be reserved for the ring-kissers, known in other nations as Party members, and their clients, the "victims", who provide a useful beard for their deception.

I will suggest one movie I liked: "The Lives of Others". It's a German film, about East Germany prior to the fall of the wall.

Well, I may not get any more takers.

I will say one more thing. Imagine yourself in a nation larger than the United States, run by an army of people identical to the worst boss you have ever had. Picture his or her face.

Now imagine all the stupidity, corruption, and overall meanness that deploying that person across a continent could create.

And you can't say anything.

You can't point out where simple changes could help every one. You can't point out where they are stealing from you and everyone else. You can't even complain to your friends since, chances are, you are already under surveillance, and they have flipped your friends.

They used to pull people out of the beds in the middle of the night, take them to dungeons, pour cold water on them, show them instruments of torture, and tell them that if they heard anything, they damn well better share it with the KGB. You lose the loyalty of your friends quickly like that.

In East Germany, one longtime dissident was horrified, when the curtain fell, to learn that the person who always informed on her was her husband. They got divorced.

If you're too happy, you get watched. If you're too sad, you get watched. If you work hard, they wonder about you; if you miss work, they wonder about you, then jail you if it persists.

Hundreds of millions of people endured this for 70 plus years. You get married, you have kids, you get old, you die, and still the system remains. Nobody says anything, and anybody who does disappears. You can't talk about that, either.

To say you are hungry is an act of dissidence. To sell anything for anything to anybody is a crime. You can't even raise onions and sell them to your neighbors.

Then one day it ends, and nobody cares.

On the contrary, we have people who think all that was a good idea, and who are nostalgic for it.

Einstein once said "only two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe".

Why can't those of you out there who still parrot leftist ideals learn that the possibility of corruption leads, more often than not, to corruption, and that unchecked power ALWAYS leads to abuse?

did modified eva:

5 rounds of:
400meter run
30 2 pood kb swings
30 pullups

26:30

Do you think this is the proper forum for politics? Just trying to read posts about CrossFit, and I hate to weed through personal opinions. Let's keep it professional. Thanks.

Barry,

"Why can't those of you out there who still parrot leftist ideals learn that the possibility of corruption leads, more often than not, to corruption, and that unchecked power ALWAYS leads to abuse?"

Who has posted a comment suggesting they favour unchecked power? Who has posted a comment suggesting they think it is possible to avoid any and all corruption in an economy where the government plays a major role (do you know the US government has accounted for over 30% of US GDP since 1970 - that free-market cold warrior or that 1/3 socialized cold-warior?)?

I don't think anyone here has even said they'd like to live in China or prefer China to the US. I think some people may have made comments which suggest that the blanket statement that "government intervention in the economy does not work" (the lesson Welch would have us take from the collapse of European communism) is false, demonstrably false based on the history of the United States in the 20thC and the history of China in the last decades.

Now, you may say that government intervention in the economy does not work as well as laissez faire capitalism for producing wealth, you may be and likely are right. That isn't the same as saying that government intervention in the economy is never a wise choice.

Some people (dave comes to mind) have pointed out that economic production is not the only element of a successful society, and that to the extent that government intervention in the economy allows for a greater number of citizens to have meaningful particpation in society the society will benefit - more or less.

Take a pill and be empirical.

This armchair game of Marx v. Friedman isn't very productive. That's why Welch's piece was so inadequate.

When you read Alinsky's 10, do you see anything that might apply to the way you conduct yourself on this forum?

Des #132

Listening to right wing nut jobs spout on and on about how bad America has become because democrats are socialists/pinkos, Obama is Hitler and any and all government is bad - is just part of the crossfit deal on most rest days. Sort of the ugly side of the program if you are not a Libertarian/Corporatist/Religious Right goose stepper.

I say just do the workouts, they work very well. The right wing brainwashing talk, not so much.

The problem, Prole, is that we have not had a genuine Conservative in the White House since Calvin Coolidge. Clearly, economies can grow under one Party rule. It happened under Hitler and Mussollini, and is happening now in China, and potentially in the future Cuba. For Communists, it can only happen with the de facto rejection of their ideals, most notably concern for workers, and demonization of profits. They can grow only at the cost of massive and irrefutable hypocrisy.

And the simple sad fact of human history is that where power is concentrated, it is at some point abused. We can say, for example, that Social Security was a good thing for many people. At the same time, we must realize that it gave power to the Federal Goverment which it is rapidly using to bankrupt our nation. They don't keep the money in an escrow account: they spend it, then borrow to meet "payroll". We are responsible for this money.

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Thus, EVERY interference, however well intentioned, facilitates corruption down the road. I watch the abuse of Affirmative Action all the time. Businesses hire a token minority, assign them a a part of the business responsible for government contracting, and bid as minority owned businesses. It is BS, and simply one example of thousands.

And in point of fact, we have MANY members of the Obama administration who OPENLY admire Chairman Mao. Why would you admire a man and not want to emulate his policies?

There is increasingly credible evidence not only that Billy Ayers and our President were good friends, but that Ayers wrote "Dreams from my father"--based on notes provided by Obama after his numerous failed attempts to write it himself.

Ayers and his associates, on taking power, literally planned to murder 10% of America, just like Mao did. Maybe he's mellowed with age, but the picture of him standing on the American flag published in the New York Times on September 11th, 2001, demonstrates pretty clearly his on-going contempt for our institutions and history.

And our President was friends with him. This is not paranoia. This is a statement of fact as accurate as the closed and sealed records of the most powerful man in the world will permit.

Marx is alive and well. To deny it is to see what you want to see, not what is in front of us. Van Jones proved that clearly.

It's worth pointing out, too, that Keynes looked on Hitler's economic policies very favorably. He also liked what Hoover did, calling it quite "satisfactory".

Here is a link in which someone claims Ayers actually admitted writing the book: http://backyardconservative.blogspot.com/2009/10/bill-ayers-no-dream.html

This won't get linked on Fox--at least I doubt it--or Drudge Report, for the simple reason that it is just the word of one woman, who freely admits she is a political conservative.

Consider the situation from Ayers perspective. He is a sociopath. Sociopaths, in addition to lacking any conscience whatever, love thrills. They like taking chances. They are also grandiose and self absorbed.

Ayers is very intelligent. He knows that he can say, openly, he wrote the book, and knows that unless she's recording him, she won't be able to prove it. He can offer an earthshaking revelation--that our President is an unintelligent liar who was a close friend of someone who wants to subvert our democracy--and get away with it.

That book made a lot of money. It must gall Ayers both that he didn't get any money, AND that he got no credit for it. Hell, now that he's President, Obama might (and certainly should) be ignoring him completely. He thought they were in it together, and now people like George Soros--and his proxies--are monopolizing his time.

Psychologically, then, this makes sense. I find it credible, but also understand why no one is running with it.

Asked now, of course, Ayers would deny it. But to this you also need to add the evidence--apparently from Michelle Obama herself--in the new biography of the first couple, that after Barack's failure over more than a year to create anything usable, she suggested Bill help. It was her idea.

Our President, very simply, isn't very smart. He is to great oration what a talented lip-syncher is to musical performance. They can make it look and sound good, but it isn't real. You turn the teleprompter off, and he's a generic and not particularly articulate leftist.

Barry,

Rule 11: "Rule 11: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, polarize it."

Prole,

You're a bright guy, but you obviously have some blind spots. Let me help you out.

Above, there are some 15-20 paragraphs of arguments which assert facts, and try to derive logical conclusions from them.

To take one example, Exhibit A for the intelligence of our President is the book "Dreams from my [Communist] Father". If he did not write that book--if, as appears to be the case, he was UNABLE to write that book--then, logically, we can infer he is less intelligent than we have supposed.

This is nothing other than an effort at learning more about reality. This is not Alinskyan at all. I am quite justified in being profoundly worried about the extent of the deception perpetrated on the American people, and what it implies about the propaganda apparatus in place.

You, on the other hand, are attempting your own technique. What are you doing? Accusing me of using underhanded tactics. Who uses underhanded tactics? Underhanded people. I am, by implication, therefore underhanded, and can be safely ignored.

You can create this image without addressing any content at all.

Where dialogue begins, propaganda ends. You are not, here, attempting dialogue. You are not responding to actual content, but rather attacking me personally.

Is that clear enough?

If you want to respond substantively, tell me why my worries are unfounded. If you want to argue that our democracy has never been overthrown in the past, this is true. There is a first time for everything.

I get your points Barry - individual freedom and liberty good - socialism, communism, lack of individual freedom - bad

I agree

I love the way the left (not all but many) argue against facts they can't dispute - forget the facts attack the source

"So I guess on rest days we get an article with a Fox News or Wallstreet Journal slant"

Reminds me of a certain administration now in office - if it wasn't so sad it would be laughable

Given the foregoing points, I think it might be worth mentioning here a new group called the "Oath Keepers". They are current and former military, LEO, and firefighters, who want to publicly affirm and clarify their own understandings as to the extent of their commitments. They swore to defend the Constitution, not any person or persons, or any ideology or agenda.

Here's a link: http://oathkeepers.org/oath/

Quite obviously, the Left will pull out all the cannons here. They are already getting labeled racists, white supremacists, paranoiacs, and whatever else fits the fancy of the libelist.

To be clear, if even a fraction of what I've suggested above is true, there is an enemies list, and anyone who openly joins this group will get added.

It is what it is. I'm just putting it out there. To the extent I can determine, these are just normal men and women who want the powers that be to understand clearly that our fighting forces and public servants are principled Americans, who believe in the spirit and letter of the laws that have got us this far.

Surely if that is objectionable, then the need for the group is yet more obvious.

If Obama did not write the book you might infer he is dishonest. I don't think you can infer he is less intelligent than is generally supposed. I haven't read the book and don't know anything about it. I know that he sounded very measured and intelligent in his debates with McCain.

Today I haven't been arguing with you because you sound (more than usual) like Dostoevsy's underground man. Usually you're the underground man who's made out of the basement and into the backyard for a bbq and some beers - a little loud, but, well that's the neighbourhood. Recently, though, the pitch is too high - it hurts my ears. Why don't you pick one good piece of media - something right-wing, well-researched, thoughtful, angry even, but perceptive, expensive, buy one a week, or one every two weeks and read it, think about it, turn off FOX and the talk radio and the up-to-the-minute-dumber-than-the-minute-before media and calm down. Obama has at least three more years left (unless the revolution really does occur!!!) and you're going to bust a gasket if you keep this up.

No, I can keep this up indefinitely. All that's changed is the Left has moved into the White House. The fundamentals haven't really altered since the mid-60's, and one could even argue the mid-1930's.

Frankly, I think this was needed, since it has opened a lot of eyes. What was latent before, and only obvious to a few of us, is becoming increasingly clear generally.

And I find your intentional use of irony, referencing the Underground Man, interesting. Who was the underground man? Someone who rejected status quo notions of moral decency, freedom, human potential, and progress.

Transmogrified, after sustained stress, he emerges as the Grand Inquisitor, for whom moral progress consists purely in the provision of bread for masses who are otherwise to be enslaved.

I am not him. I am his polar opposite. He became a Leftists, like most properly indoctrinated modern academics, for whom material progress is as far as the get.

And in point of fact, their heroes never even provided their slaves with bread. So the whole thing is a complete farce: tales written by fools, for fools.

Here's what I had in mind: http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/65628/philip-d-zelikow/the-suicide-of-the-east?page=show

You might like this nugget:
"What Gorbachev did," Kotkin writes, "was to lay bare how socialism in the bloc had been crushed by competition with capitalism and by loans that could be repaid only by ever-new loans, Ponzi-scheme style."

Give this article a read or two. Leave Welch to pick up the popcorn on the bleachers' floor.

Dixon (comment #75), I used to be one of those guys you commented about in your post. Jingoistic indoctrination is a difficult thing to overcome, and I admit, our infatuation with the free market is baffling for the non-afflicted.

Welch is spot on that the Main-stream Media (MSM, and surprisingly the blogosphere) have cast aside the implosion of the Soviet Bloc as insignificant.

It would appear that little attention is given to the Soviet Collapse because those in power never really wanted this to be. They would have gladly had the enemy they know versus the enemy they don't (and can't) control. The endless proxy wars provided the necessary incentive for the military-industrial complex to escalate their arms-peddling on a grand scale (all underwritten by taxpayers and the declining value of the dollar, of course). Your comment about the ridiculous budgetary allotments for the military attests to this.

The free-market infatuation comes from the propaganda the state inculcates into its drones. It's part and parcel of the ill-defined “Freedom” that we're all supposed to kill and die for.

Oh BTW, END THE FED!

Ernest 39/M/61"/165