Escalation →

Published August 8, 2021  ·  All posts on Aug 8

It’s fine if you didn’t, but last week you may have noticed this weekly missive put on a few extra pounds. (I just love the word, “missive,” don’t you?) This week’s missive is similarly embiggened. And for the foreseeable future, you can expect about 42.9% more puzzlement. What, pray tell, has happened?

Here’s how much care I put into this . . .

I write, and schedule, the it’s-just-a-quote posts as I find new quotes. At this moment, there are a few—202 to be specific—lined up in the wings awaiting their day in the sun. I had been scheduling them every third day. But you nimble-mathing people will realize that means I was scheduling them nearly two years out. (Relax. WordPress makes it easy to do.)

Worse, because I feed the quotes to my Little Box of Quotes podcast-turned-Little_Shop_of_Horrors-monster, I must accumulate at least one new quote every day, (on average.) Not only are the quotes stuck, like an epic fat-berg, in the pipeline of my blog, that ‘berg is quickly growing. What to do?

Well, I really don’t want to turn my blog into a quote-a-day web site. That’s the only real way to fix the pile-up. Instead, I rescheduled them to be every-other-day. (Relax. WordPress doesn’t make it easy, but I’m cuckoo, and fast.) I already felt that I was cheating 33.3% by only writing two blog posts between every-third-day’s quote— But there was no way I could bear to only write a blog post every-other-day. (Don’t misread that as: I couldn’t bear to cheat that much. No, the posts come out of my head faster than that, and I couldn’t bear to ignore them.) Which brings me to…

I’m going back to writing a blog post for every day, and you’re getting 3 or 4 quotes each week. Thus the jump from a regimented 7 items per week to an embiggened 10 or 11 items per week.

So I got that goin’ for me, which is nice.

ɕ

Half twist →

Published August 7, 2021  ·  All posts on Aug 7  ·  , ,

Continual awareness of all time and space, of the size and life span of the things around us. A grape seed in infinite space. A half twist of a corkscrew against eternity.

~ Marcus Aurelius

slip:4a455.

Yes, relax →

Published August 7, 2021  ·  All posts on Aug 7  ·  

This is the training. Relax the narrative, loosen your view, and drop into the openness of the present moment. Breathe deeply, and relax your body. Relax the jaw, relax the muscles in your torso. Feel the openness in this moment.

~ Leo Babauta from, Training to Be Relaxed in Stressful Situations – Zen Habits Website

slip:4uzere2.

It took me a long time to understand that the only source of stress in my life is myself.

I’ve been in two car crashes where I’ve instantly gone from automobile operator to roller-coaster rider. I’ve been absolutely wiped out, in countless variations, in martial arts context. I’ve discovered mid-air that I’ve been launched off my mountain bike. I’ve been obliterated while skiing. I’ve had too many—I’m refusing to count—nearly serious automobile accidents where my driving skills, applied consciously with to-the-inch and to-the-split-second accuracy saved the day. I’ve had bones broken. I’ve been fallen upon, by a poor fellow who was saved from an 8-foot, head first, fall onto concrete… by the flex of my rib cage. I’ve been hit in the face with a max-power, line-drive, point-blank soccer ball penalty kick. I’ve been flattened by a skull-to-skull running-speed impact. Sucker-punched in the gut. T-boned into the sticker-bushes at high speed on a bicycle. Beaned by a 2×6 board. I once fell 12 feet from a tree with my head being the first thing to land… on a tree root. I’ve been clipped by a truck, and blown a bicycle tire at high speed, ending up happy to reach the ditch rather than the asphalt. I rear-ended a car at speed (on my bicycle.) I’ve been banged up, flipped over, slammed into, … but also yelled at, and put upon. I had someone angrily invoke the name of my dead father in an attempt to shame my actions. I’ve been laughed at, and picked last in gym class. I’ve run out of money and bummed rides to work. I’ve been chewed out by a boss. I’ve had my credit card declined while in public. I’ve been scammed by street hustlers, lied to by various people, and pre-judged in various dimensions.

…and I can now truthfuly say: The only source of stress in my life is myself.

ɕ

Spiritless men →

Published August 6, 2021  ·  All posts on Aug 6  ·  

Fires can’t be made with dead embers, nor can enthusiasm be stirred by spiritless men. Enthusiasm in our daily work lightens effort and turns even labor into pleasant tasks.

~ Baldwin

slip:4a732.

Quotations are difficult →

Published August 6, 2021  ·  All posts on Aug 6

Most of my blog posts are either a quotation which I leave to stand on its own, or a usually-longer-length pull-quote with a citation and my commentary. Things around here are very intentional. The freestanding quotations are meant to leave all the context and analysis to you, Dear Reader, without any of my thoughts coloring your thoughts. You may very well try to learn more about me based on my selections, but I’m trying to recreate—for your enjoyment—the experience of discovering the quotation. The pull-quotes both expose the seed of my reflections and try to lure you to something in the world I’d like to highlight.

Fires can’t be made with dead embers, nor can enthusiasm be stirred by spiritless men.

~ Baldwin

But there are the vanishing rare two-fer posts like today. There. Have a quote. And…

I discovered this quote in a book, (p17 of Get Together, 2019 Richardson et al if you must know.) I know this will surprise you, but I have a well-practiced process for “capturing” quotes. In this case, the vague attribution tickled a memory; “I’m pretty sure I have a quote from James Baldwin…” I checked, and I do. “I wonder if this quote is that Baldwin…”

What’s the simplest thing that could possibly work? Just type the quote, in quotes, into a search engine… and Quote Investigator has a page for it. (Going directly to Quote Investigator is step two, by the way, if the search fails. I search generally, first, because it often finds the phrase in the original source material right out of the gate.) It turns out that this quote has a second sentence!

Fires can’t be made with dead embers, nor can enthusiasm be stirred by spiritless men. Enthusiasm in our daily work lightens effort and turns even labor into pleasant tasks.

~ Baldwin

slip:4a732.

Oh, nice! I like that even more than the one I stumbled on. But who is this “Baldwin”… and then I read the Quote Investigator page. Their conclusion is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ . It’s been attributed four different ways for nearly 90 years. And now I’m wondering if my James Baldwin quote— which is #380 in my collection of 700+ so it’s pretty old, although I think I recall where I got it, from Gaping Void . . . but don’t go there! It’s a wonderland rabbit hole of decades of cartoons. I digress. And I’m having images of the book authors doing this same rabbit hole deep dive.

Fine, executive decision: I’ll stick with “Baldwin.” But that makes for this wonky entry in my slipbox index of people… Now I have “Baldwin, James” and “Baldwin.” But you know what? I’m never going to forget about this now, if I ever look at that index slip again.

So now you know: When you see me casually drop a freestanding quote here, it’s not in truth casually.

ɕ

Audience with Tyler Williams →

Published August 5, 2021  ·  All posts on Aug 5

What are the differences and challenges in engaging an audience across live performances, studio recordings, and podcasts?

Crafting a consistent identity for a podcast requires balancing creative freedom and audience expectations.

I started out thinking every episode of my podcast needed three actionable tips, something concrete so that even a stranger would walk away with value. But then I realized I was having so much fun just talking to my musician friends—those natural conversations became the real heart of the show.

~ Tyler Williams (8:07)

The conversation explores the differences between live performances, studio recordings, and podcasting, particularly how they affect the performer’s ability to connect with an audience. Live performances demand real-time adaptability, like responding to unexpected disruptions, while studio recordings offer intimacy and control. Podcasting, on the other hand, presents unique challenges due to the absence of a visible audience, requiring conscious effort to maintain energy and engagement.

Another key topic is podcast structure and identity. The discussion touches on title choices, episode intros, and whether podcasts should always deliver specific value, such as tips or insights. The importance of consistency and balancing creativity with audience expectations is emphasized, particularly as podcast creators experiment with formats, such as solo episodes versus guest interviews.

The conversation also highlights audience surprises, such as unexpected feedback on edited episodes, and the role of accessibility. Strategies for improving audience reach, including artwork and search relevance, are considered, alongside concerns over licensing agreements with platforms like Spotify.

(more…)

Journey with Steve Heatherington →

Published August 5, 2021  ·  All posts on Aug 5

What is the personal and professional journey of someone who engages deeply with podcasting and alpaca farming?

The challenge of helping alpaca owners led to building a community-driven podcast from scratch.

You’re onto a good thing when that happens—the resistance is an indicator and therefore you need to engage with that and find a way through it, round it, over it, whatever to get past it.

~ Steve Heatherington (8:59)

Craig and Steve engage in a conversation that spans podcasting, personal growth, and alpaca husbandry. They reflect on Steve’s podcasting journey, which begins with his intention to help his wife promote her book. Over time, this evolves into a deeper commitment to podcasting, leading to the creation of his show, Alpaca Tribe, and a role as a coach in podcasting workshops. Steve shares his experiences of learning the craft, overcoming challenges like imposter syndrome, and balancing different podcast formats such as solo episodes and interviews. The pair also discuss the significant time and effort required to develop a podcasting practice.

Steve’s passion for alpacas emerges as another key topic. He describes his life as an alpaca shepherd and shares how his podcast aims to help alpaca owners feel confident and fulfilled while caring for their animals. The discussion also delves into broader themes of creativity and growth, with Craig noting the similarities between podcasting and artistic endeavors like painting. They explore how both pursuits involve facing challenges and continuously improving. Steve emphasizes the importance of identifying a compelling problem to address, one that resonates deeply enough to sustain years of exploration and conversation.

(more…)

Thinking →

Published August 5, 2021  ·  All posts on Aug 5  ·  

If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.

~ George S. Patton

slip:4a378.

Tick tock →

Published August 5, 2021  ·  All posts on Aug 5  ·  

Because we can look back and see that the way time has been measured throughout history has changed, it’s reasonable to imagine when looking forward that it will continue to change – our current use of hours, minutes, weeks and months may be as obscure and forgotten as the nundina, the akhet, or the gesh several millennia from now. The day, the year, and the movements of the other planets in our solar system, on the other hand, aren’t at the whim of the powers that be or of passing cultural trends. The 10,000 Year Clock, therefore, keeps track of these robust and durable units of time. The Clock’s main dial keeps track of the Sun, Moon and stars while The Orrery models our solar system.

~ Austin Brown from, Long Now’s Orrery Prototype For The 10,000 Year Clock – Long Now

slip:4ulooe1.

Immediately before reading the above article, I read something about the eastern Sahara Desert. About a researcher who managed to extract a 50-foot core-sample from a lake bed spanning 11,000 years of seasons. What is now a desert was once a lush paradise.

The projects and updates from the Long Now Foundation always fill me with awe and wonder. They always make me try to imagine 10,000 years from now. And that makes me feel like a slightly better person for having spent some time trying to think bigger-than-myself. But that core sample? …it covered still more. 10,000 years is but a blink in geologic time.

ɕ

Selene Yeager: Menopause, health, and writing →

Published August 4, 2021  ·  All posts on Aug 4  ·  

Selene Yeager: Menopause, health, and writing

What challenges and insights arise from navigating menopause, maintaining health, and balancing creative pursuits?

Selene Yeager doesn’t shy away from topics other might avoid; in fact, she is leading the conversation around menopause. She shares her journey into creating a podcast about menopause, and her own experiences with menopause. Selene explains her thoughts on diet, nutrition, health tracking, and cycling. She discusses her relationship with writing, and what she’s currently reading.

Women drop out at the other end of the spectrum just as much, because they’re alone, their bodies are changing, and it’s worse; you feel like Carrie. It’s almost like Carrie. Remember that Stephen King book? No one is telling you these changes that are going to happen.

~ Selene Yeager (8:30)

Selene Yeager is a professional health and fitness writer, cycling and nutrition coach, personal trainer, athlete, and podcast host. She has written articles for many publications, including Bicycling Magazine, Runner’s World, and Men’s and Women’s Health, in addition to authoring, co-authoring, and contributing to over 2 dozen books. Beyond writing, Selene is the host of Hit Play Not Pause, a podcast focusing on menopause for athletes.

The conversation explores the complexities of menopause, emphasizing the intersection of physical changes, societal stigmas, and personal identity. Selene discusses her journey of embracing menopause as both a challenge and an opportunity, using her experiences to inspire and educate others. Topics such as hormonal fluctuations, their effects on mental and physical health, and the lack of open discourse surrounding menopause are examined.

In addition to menopause, the conversation highlights the speaker’s multi-faceted career as a writer, athlete, and podcaster. She shares insights into maintaining creative energy, managing time, and balancing professional and personal responsibilities. Discussions also touch on broader health themes like intermittent fasting, its specific impact on women, and the importance of listening to one’s body for optimal well-being.

(more…)