FitSugar

Presidential Fitness Challenge

FitSugar — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 02:30:00 PST

When was the last time you took the Presidential Fitness Challenge? I like home fitness tests, this one the only test approved by the leader of the western world. Regardless of how you feel about the man holding the office, take the Presidential Fitness Challenge and see how you stack up against school age children! It is President's Day after all.

Here are the details of the challenge.

Curl ups: Lie on back with knees bent and feet about 12 inches from booty. Have partner hold your feet (or put them under your couch). Arms are crossed with hands placed on opposite shoulders and elbows held close to chest. Curl up touching elbows to thighs and then lower the back to the floor so that shoulder blades touch the floor. That's one rep. Count how many reps you can do in 60 seconds.
Measures: Abdominal strength and endurance
Shuttle Run: Mark two parallel lines 30 feet apart and place two blocks of wood or similar object behind one of the lines. Start behind opposite line. Run to the blocks, pick one up, run back to the starting line, place block behind the line, runs back and picks up the second block and runs back across. Don't forget to time yourself.
Measures: Speed, quickness and agility

There are three more elements to the challenge so
read more
Endurance Run/Walk: Run or walk a mile as quickly as possible.
Measures: Heart/lung endurance
Pull-ups
Pull-Up: Hang from a horizontal bar at a height the student can hang from with arms fully extended and feet free from floor, using either an overhand grasp (palms facing away from body) or underhand grip (palms facing toward body). Raise body until chin clears the bar and then lower body to full-hang starting position. See how many you can do.
Measures: Upper body strength and endurance
"V" sit: Mark a straight line two feet long on the floor, this is your baseline. Draw a measuring line perpendicular to the midpoint of the baseline extending two feet on each side and marked off in half-inches. The point where the baseline and measuring line intersect is the "0" point. Sit on floor with measuring line between legs and soles of feet placed immediately behind baseline, heels 8-12" apart. Clasp thumbs so that hands are together, palms down and places them on measuring line. Reach forward as far as possible (have someone hold your feet if you can), keeping fingers on baseline and feet flexed. Hole for three seconds and that is your distance.
Measures: Flexibility of the lower back and hamstrings

To be presented with the Presidential Fitness Award you need to be in or above the 85th percentile. For a 17 year old girl they are as follows:

Curl ups: 44 in 60 seconds
Shuttle run: 10 seconds
One mile run: 8:15
Pull ups: 1
"V" sit: +8

So how did you do?

It's Complicated: The Relationship Statuses of France's Presidential Candidates

Annie Scudder — Thu, 03 May 2012 04:00:38 PDT

This weekend, France will vote for its next president. After a first round, it's down to incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy and his socialist challenger Francois Hollande. Since Sarkozy was elected in 2007, a lot has changed. One of the most intriguing evolutions has been the love connections among the politicians.

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is technically the second first lady France has known under Sarkozy. When he was elected, he was married to his second wife ‪Cécilia Sarkozy (now Attias)‬. In 1983, then mayor Sarkozy conducted Cécilia's first wedding and reportedly fell in love with her that day. She left her husband in 1988 to live with Sarkozy, who didn't divorce his first wife until 1996, the same year he married Cécilia. They remained married during his first campaign. But only a few months after his May 2007 election, they announced their divorce and Cécilia confessed that she had run away with another man. Could you imagine Michelle Obama doing this months into Barack Obama's first term? Soon after the split, France would get another first lady in the form of Italian-born singer/supermodel Carla Bruni. Sarkozy met Carla Bruni a month after his split at a dinner party, and after a quick romance they married in Feb. 2008. They went on to have a daughter last year.

So what about Francois Hollande, the man who could beat Sarkozy and become France's next president? His love life actually has a Sarkozy connection. His partner from 1973 to 2007, Ségolène Royal was the person to go head-to-head against Sarkozy in the last presidential election. Ségolène and Francois were partners for more than 30 years and have four children together. Both are major figures in the country's Socialist Party, but a month after her 2007 loss to Sarkozy, they announced their separation. Soon, France learned the details of Francois Hollande's relationship with journalist Valérie Trierweiler, whom he's still with today. Without any hurt feelings, Ségolène has backed her ex-partner, who is now trying to accomplish something she couldn't: beating Nicolas Sarkozy.

See some photos of all the parties involved now.

A Picture For Every Year of Hillary Clinton's National Service

Annie Scudder — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:05:53 PST

"I think after 20 years, and it will be 20 years, of being on the high wire of American politics and all of the challenges that come with that, it would be probably a good idea to just find out how tired I am," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told State Department employees yesterday. Hillary has been on the national stage for two decades, as a presidential candidate's wife, first lady, senator from New York, presidential candidate herself, and now as secretary of state.

Although she didn't attain her goal of becoming the first woman elected president in the US, Hillary Clinton has blazed trails for women. Hillary was active in policy making during her time as first lady, and now as secretary of state she champions the rights of women around the world. When she does eventually step down, which she says she'll do once President Obama nominates a replacement, many Americans will likely miss her presence, as nearly two-thirds of Americans have a favorable opinion of Hillary today. Until she does retreat back into private life, let's look back at a picture for each year of Hillary Clinton's national service.

The Ides of March: Victory, but Not a Landslide

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:46:37 PDT

George Clooney takes the director's chair for political drama The Ides of March, which he also stars in as Pennsylvania governor and presidential hopeful Mike Morris. The real star of the film is Ryan Gosling, though, as a crackerjack strategist working on Morris's campaign during the Democratic primary. With that kind of star power behind and in front of the camera, I was expecting an immaculately crafted thriller, but The Ides of March doesn't live up to its potential.

The premise is as promising as Morris's Obama-esque campaign posters: Stephen (Gosling) is a key part of Morris's bid for a presidential nomination, not just for his savvy but for his optimism and belief in the candidate. When Stephen discovers a sticky situation the governor is involved in, he has to decide his next move. At the same time, he's being courted by a rival campaign, which also challenges his loyalty to Morris.

As Stephen transforms from an idealistic employee into a jaded cog in the machine, his trajectory is engaging, but could be more riveting. Though the plot keeps you intrigued long enough to find out what happens to the characters, there's not enough background or development to make you care about any of them. To find out what else I thought about The Ides of March, just keep reading.