The True Meaning of Toughness.

I recently celebrated a milestone birthday. As I was looking at all the "Happy Birthday" wishes on my Facebook page, I found one from my buddy Gino. I was rather impressed that Gino had remembered my birthday, because 4 days earlier he was on live television in Italy setting a Guinness' World Record. (I have an eclectic circle of friends)

You see, my friend Gino is what circus folk call a strongman. He does things normal human beings would not even imagine doing, mostly involving breaking hard objects over his skull. One time, I was present when Gino lay down on a bed of nails, covered himself with plywood, and had six of us sit on him. I was the smallest of the six. At that time, I weighed close to 400 pounds. You do the math.

Over the years, I have been blessed to witness some of Gino's most spectacular achievements, but nothing prepared me for watching his world record performance. Let me set the context for you. Gino is kneeling with 3 concrete slabs on his head. Maybe ten feet above him, an assistant drops a sixteen pound bowling ball onto his head, shattering the slabs. Two more assistants then replace the slabs and another ball is dropped. And another. And another. The record was to see how many he could break in three minutes. I was wondering who set the original record, or who even thought this craziness up.

As the first ball hit Gino's head, I was cheering. GO GINO, GO I yelled at the screen. Then, about halfway through, my thoughts changed. I had seen the mental preparation he put into these performances. I had seen the toll it took on his energy level. I knew the pain he would feel the next day. And all of a sudden, I was begging my friend to stop. I didn't want to see him put himself through this ordeal any longer. Yet on he went.

When the representative from Guinness presented Gino with his recognition, I think it was the most pride I had ever felt for someone not in my family. I had developed a true appreciation for the preparation, training, strength, and mental and physical toughness required to perform such a feat at such a level.

Earlier today, Gino e-mailed me the link to the clip. I told him I had seen it already. And I told him how his heart was as big as his head was hard.

Most people might find that an insult. Gino takes that as a very sincere compliment. I told you my friends were an eclectic bunch.

Please watch this video. And if you ever come across something you think is too tough to do, think about this feat. I promise you, nothing will seem too tough after this.
Lo show dei record - Rompere 45 blocchi di cemento - Video Mediaset

Take care my friends.
And Bless you Gino.

This time, it's real

From 1996 until July of last year, I was a member of a very special fraternity- the brotherhood of Independent Pro Wrestling talent. Because of my age when I discovered I could get into the business, I started out as a referee, and then became a wrestling manager. You know, the guy outside the ring who cheats so the bad guy can win the match.

Many people claim wrestling is fake. I have x-rays, scars, arthritis and recurring symptoms of post-concussion trauma that would argue otherwise. What you see on TV is scripted...what we did was as real as it gets. I could write a litany of stories, but Tolstoy would probably say to cut it down. But that is not what I am writing about today. Today, I am actually confirming my announced retirement.

In the world of wrestling, retirement is a misnomer. Pro wrestlers regularly retire multiple times, and most all for the same reason- love of the business. Unless you have stepped through those ropes, you have no idea of the addictive nature that ring holds. Last year, I worked a show just six weeks after suffering a heart attack and having two stents inserted in my heart. The picture above is me distracting The Real Deal Joel Davis so my wrestler could sneak attack him. I did not let my health interfere with my involvement in the match, and a stiff right hand from Joel knocked to the ring apron, and then to a very hot layer of asphalt. Captain Lou would have been proud.

Before the match, I had announced it would be my last. At the end of the day though, people were saying "see ya next show". It is just assumed that retirements are temporary. Saturday, I proved mine wasn't. I turned down an offer from one of my favorite promoters in the game. The reason I gave him, is that my body can no longer do the things around and in the ring I want it to.

There are guys who linger on in the business. They can't pull themselves away. One such man is a friend of mine. He still does the manager thing, but his health has deteriorated to the point where all he does is stand in one spot and yell. To me, that isn't worth it. And so, July 18, 2010, was my last ever appearance in a wrestling ring. Even I wasn't really sure until I said no on Saturday.

And you know what? I am at peace with my decision. And that feels good.

Take care my friends.

Beware of the re-post...

I promised I wouldn't talk about politics anymore, and I'm not. This is about propaganda being circulated on Facebook.

Some of my Facebook friends have been re-posting a status
that says President Obama wants to cut military pay. This
is totally untrue. A quick Google search reveals the facts
on the matter.

So where did this idea come from? President Obama formed a
bipartisan committee to make recommendations for dealing
with the nation's deficit. A military pay cut was one of
the suggestions. This quote explains:

"The November 2010 circulation of this item was prompted by
a draft report prepared by the National Commission on
Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (NCFRR), a bipartisan body
created by President Obama "to address our nation's fiscal
challenges.""


However, President Obama did not accept this particular
suggestion, and let the troops know personally:

"During his unannounced visit to Afghanistan, the president
said those serving in uniform will not be subject to the
pay freeze he ordered this week for the government's
civilian employees."


To go one step further, instead of a pay cut, the
President's proposed budget includes a RAISE for military
personnel:

"The president’s 2012 bud­get request includes a pro­posal
for a 1.6% mil­i­tary pay raise for 2012."

Lastly, Congress will be not be getting any raise soon. President Obama signed into law a pay freeze.

So please Facebook friends, before re-posting things like
this, check out the facts first. You might be surprised at
how much mis-information is being circulated on Facebook.

Take care my friends.

The Phoenix rises...

If you peek over to the sidebar on the left, you will see a new addition to the Petepedia blog. There now resides a schedule widget that shows my upcoming live performances. It's been over 15 years since my last live performance, so I am incredibly psyched to be getting the chance to play music in front of a live crowd again.

I have this opportunity because I got the news last week that my audition for a well-established regional band was successful. The Vegas Valentinos website on 4/4/2011 officially welcomed me as the newest member of the band. I couldn't be more thrilled.

I was out of the music scene for quite a while, until one night about a year ago when I heard a young lady named Kristen Merlin in a club. She was spectacular. Seeing the crowd reaction to her got me missing that part of the business. I wanted to play again.

I got some new equipment, and started checking around, and on April 17, in Uxbridge, Mass., I will be taking the stage again. The Vegas Valentinos are exactly the type of band I hoped to play for, so I couldn't be any happier.

I also released a single that is now available on many of the popular download sites, like iTunes, eMusic, and Napster, to name a couple. My song, I Wanna be Famous", can be heard for free at my fan page, and you become a fan of the page, you hear and download my next single, "Another Smoky Bar Room", before its release to the public!

I hope to see you all in Uxbridge at the VFW on the 17th. Come up and say hi. Mention this blog, and you'll get a smile from me.

Take care my friends.

The Kimberly Cates verdict

In October of 2009 I wrote a blog discussing the Kimberly Cates murder in New Hampshire. Today, the second of the two accused murderers was convicted and sentenced to Life in prison without the possibility of parole. Christopher Gribble is 21.

I know people who say it is terrible that a 21 year-old man will spend the rest of his life in prison for a mistake he made when he was 19. Personally, I'm just glad that a person like that is off the street. The bottom line for me is this...Kimberly Cates is dead because of him. Kimberly's husband is a single dad because of him. Jamie Cates, who was a sweet, innocent child of 11 years, has no mother because of him. She also has physical scars from where these two animals slashed and hacked at her with knives and machetes. Two full-grown males with weapons mutilating an unarmed 11 year-old little girl. With no conscience.

I'm sorry, but I find it real hard to be empathetic towards these two. The consequences they face are the direct result of their conscious decision to kill. Jamie Cates did not have any choice, and everytime she looks in a mirror, she'll be reminded of this horrible act. Every birthday that her mother isn't there, she'll be reminded of her loss. Every Mother's Day, while her friends are taking Mom out to dinner, she'll be placing flowers on a grave.

Spader and Gribble received a trial as they are guaranteed by the Constitution. And they received the sentences for their crimes.

Jamie Cates is also serving a life sentence, but without the benefit of a trial in a court of law.

I'm glad those two animals will never walk the streets again. But I wish the events that put them there never took place. Because then Jamie Cates would just be another happy-go-lucky 13 year-old girl, and I wouldn't be shedding a tear for her today.

Take care my friends.

Hakuna Matata

When my kids were little, we rented the movie "The Lion King" which had a song in it I really liked- "Hakuna Matata". The lyrics were rather simple:

"Hakuna Matata"

"Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase
Hakuna Matata! Ain't no passing craze

It means no worries for the rest of your days

It's our problem-free philosophy
Hakuna Matata!"

What a wonderful philosophy to have!
The sentiment has given birth to numerous sayings and cliches over the years:
"Don't sweat the small stuff"
"Don't worry about what you can't control"
"Let it be"
"Just keep groovin'"

and my favorite....
"Whatever".

I had forgotten this worry-free philosophy for a while. I began worrying about things I had no control over. The economy. World Peace. Weather. Politics. You may or may not have seen the blogs and my Facebook posts on a variety of these topics.

Well no more. You see, I got back in touch with that philosophy...Hakuna Matata. No worries. I refuse to spend hours thinking about things I cannot control.

I cannot control the economy, therefore, I will not worry about it.
I cannot control world peace, therefore, I will not worry about it.
I cannot control the weather, therefore, I will not worry about it.
I cannot control the politics, therefore, I will not worry about it.

I have witnessed firsthand what happens when someone lets things they have no control over dominate their lives. It's not pretty. And I refuse to let myself follow that path. From now on, I only concern myself with things I can control.

I can control the grades I get in college.
I can control my performance at work.
I can control my diet.
I can control my exercise habits.
I can control the way I choose to treat others.
I can control the amount of time I waste on Facebook.

Hakuna Matata. No worries. I think I can get used to this.

Take care my friends.

Changing view on Climate Change

If you have been a reader of this blog for a length of time, you know that I am what some would label as a climate change skeptic. It's not that I don't think the climate is changing, I just didn't accept the theory that it was man-made. I based my belief on scientific evidence that the greenhouse gas levels in our atmosphere have been at the same levels they are now, except that man did not exist when those levels did, so therefore, man's activity did not contribute to those levels then, and so we didn't have to assume that man's activity contributes to it now.

Unlike most self-proclaimed Liberals, I actually will listen to opposing arguments, and if the evidence warrants it, I will change my stance. In this case, some new scientific evidence has arisen that changes things for me. And because of this new evidence, I have to reassess my standing on the issue.

The evidence that showed the prior greenhouse gas levels came from studying bubbles trapped in ice core samples. It has now been discovered that Antarctic ice caps melt and refreeze from the bottom as well as the top. This throws the accuracy of the dating of the ice cores into question. What if those previous levels were after man's appearance on Earth? Do the new dates coincide with say, volcanic activity? And what about the possibility that maybe this time, it actually might be man's activity contributing?

Regardless of whether or not the greenhouse gasses are man-made or not is almost moot. The greater point is this: they exist, and the high levels are dangerous. Scientist keep studying climate change-shouldn't they focus on alternative energies instead? Or finding other methods of reducing the gasses? It's kind of like a shell game...but they are looking for the wrong answers. Stop trying to find the cause, and start working on the cure. Otherwise, Earth's prognosis won't be very good.

Take care my friends.