Happy Holidays to everyone and welcome to 2008! For Christmas, I asked for a big bucket of protein powder and some new lifting straps. Ask and ye shall receive! Anyway, all

I don’t want to sound like some sort of preacher or political activist, but it crossed my mind today just how lucky we are to be able to engage in a hobby as “trivial” as bodybuilding. Sure, weight lifting is fun - but not everyone in this world is blessed with the ability to do so. Think about, for example, the millions of people living in the Darfur province of Sudan. In Darfur, a genocide rages on every day - 450,000 people have lost their lives since 2003, and another 3 million are homeless. Thankfully, the United Nations approved a 26,000-member peacekeeping force today. Hopefully, everyone in Sudan will get the chance to hit the gym someday soon and experience the pleasures of bodybuilding.