On this day

February 6th

It makes no sense

February 6

Whenever anyone tells me that some platform is great, I always nod and think to myself … for now. For now.

~ Bob Sassone, from Bluesky is not going to save you

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I don’t understand why no one else is saying this: Until I see anyone else running separate federation instances, it’s still just another monolithic platform. This again? If the AT Protocol (what Bluesky is built upon) is really great, how do I run my own instance to join the federation?

If you see only one instance, then it’s a platform. When you see multiple instances talking to each other, then it’s a protocol.

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Burnout

February 6, 2023

Looking back, I think I went through a really intense period of burnout last year (in many aspects of my life, not just training). As a result, I found that the second I encountered meaningful challenge in my training – whether that be psychologically or physically – my body would just shut down, and kill the session dead. The best way I find to describe it is that my ‘spare emotional bandwidth’ is severely reduced, and things I would normally take in stride or even relish the challenge of instead boil me over into stress and anxiety much quicker. Consequently I’ve had to curtail the intensity of my training to the point that my criteria for success for a day will sometimes be as as little as “did a single push up” or “went for a walk”.

~ James Adams from, Parkour, Perpetual Challenge, and Burnout

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Last year I had a conversation with Adams for the Movers Mindset podcast. I had found this article (in July 2022) as I was doing my prep-work for the conversation and have only just gotten around to reading it. I really appreciate (both “hey, thanks for writing that” and “yes, I too have burnout”) him sharing the reality of burnout from pushing oneself.

Most of my days’ activity is no more than, “went for a walk.” Unrelated, last week I strained a muscle in my lower back—one of the lateral ones that’s connected to your pelvis and is involved when you twist and bend-forward. I was sitting, improperly with my lower back “collapsed”, turned my torso to my left and *twang* To be honest, it’s simply where the stress and burnout “came out”. It’s taken me a week of careful recovery work and today I’m back to: I can bend over, very nervously, with no pain but wondering at which instant it will hurt. Injury and recovery; I’ve done that countless times. But the real problem started in my head.

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Also useful

February 6, 2022

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing. A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days. It is a scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labor with both hands at sections of time.

~ Annie Dillard

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Annie Dillard is right. Also useful for defending against chaos: Principles. Morals. Visualization. To be clear: My first word, “also,” is critical. I’m completely onboard with a schedule. But for me, since I’ve got schedule (and process and optimization and organization) dialed in, I’ve moved inward to more difficult topics of consideration. I find I’m asking myself—continuing Dillard’s metaphor—did I put the scaffolding in the right place?

And even more chin-scratchingly interesting: Am I done with this labor? And should I take the scaffolding down, so that I can set it up somewhere else?

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Reflection: Day 37

February 6, 2021

IS THERE AN ELEMENT OF STRUGGLE IN MY HISTORY? — This reminds me to be kind for everyone I meet is working through their own struggle. Through the experience of my own struggle I can better understand and empathize with others on similar journeys. Furthermore, being reminded of my past struggles suggests perspective on my day-to-day general lack of struggle.

And write several thoughts down today…

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Arrived in the middle? Visit the first post, Where to begin?
(The entire series is available to download as a PDF ebook.)

Please stop laughing at me

February 6, 2020

It’s pretty safe to say, that when you finally come up with your million-dollar idea, nobody is going to understand it at first. They many not laugh in your face outright, but they’ll probably scratch their heads, at least.

~ Hugh MacLeod

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…except it probably should be “…with [my] two-dollar idea…”, but anyway.

It’s been crystal clear to me for years, that my Movers Mindset project is not understood. In the beginning that was frustrating; I felt like it was so obviously awesome, that it was insulting that people didn’t understand what I was trying to do. After a few years of learning, I’ve let go of—or at least, I often manage to let go of… but sometimes still have to remind myself— After a few years of learning, I’ve let go of trying to shout louder.

These days, I try to step back often and look at everything in my life and assess whether or not it brings me joy or is inherently necessary to enable things that bring me joy. It’s a happy day when I find something that takes up my time and which I dislike and which I don’t need to be doing. I’ve no compunctions chucking stuff over the transom.

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Niko Pal | Holistics Biomechanics

February 6, 2019

On Castbox.fm — Niko Pal | Holistics Biomechanics

What is the interplay between the body’s systems and stress responses in shaping movement and awareness?

The integration of the nervous system, fascia, and circulatory systems redefines movement and stress management.

Holistic biomechanics is sort of the study of how the body works as a whole, how the mind and body are connected, as opposed to two separate entities.

~ Niko Pal (0:43)

The conversation explores the concept of holistic biomechanics, focusing on the interconnectedness of the nervous, circulatory, and fascial systems. These systems are discussed in terms of their roles in stress response, movement, and awareness. Nico explains how the body’s response to stress can be categorized into active and conservation stages, emphasizing the effects of prolonged stress on physical and mental health. He also introduces a reclassification of stress responses into adaptive and reflexive modes, offering a fresh perspective on how we perceive and manage stress.

Nico shares his personal experience presenting these ideas for the first time, highlighting the challenges of discussing complex topics in front of a large audience. He also discusses practical applications of mindfulness, such as developing sensory awareness of the body’s position in space. These techniques are presented as tools for enhancing movement efficiency and managing stress by fostering a deeper connection between mind and body.

Takeaways

Holistic systems — The nervous, circulatory, and fascial systems work together to support movement and stress management.

Stress response stages — Stress is experienced in active stages like fight or flight and conservation stages like collapse.

Adaptive versus reflexive — Stress responses can be viewed as adaptive (resting) or reflexive (survival-driven).

Fascial system’s role — Fascia connects the body structurally and influences how nerves communicate.

Sensory awareness — Developing body awareness improves both physical structure and stress response management.

Mindfulness in biomechanics — Practical techniques focus on integrating environmental awareness with bodily sensations.

Resources

Forge Parkour, Portland, Oregon — A parkour training center where Nico is the head coach.

Art of Retreat — A leadership and education conference for parkour and movement disciplines.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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Mandy Lam: Community, travel, and self reflection

February 6, 2019

Mandy Lam: Community, travel, and self reflection

What motivates individuals to embark on journeys that are deeply personal, yet intricately tied to the people and communities they encounter along the way?

Mandy Lam dives right into discussion about her travels, the characters she’s met and communities she has visited. She and Craig discuss the ethos and spirit of Évry Move, where they sat down to talk, as well as their experiences with the Yamakasi. Mandy also shares her thoughts on what makes a good community, the importance of solo training and self reflection, and finally gets around to discussing her major concussion.

It’s always the people. Even from the beginning, before my trip, it was always about the people.

~ Mandy Lam (7:34)

This conversation is a free-flowing discussion that centers on the intersections of travel, community, and personal growth. The dialogue reveals how connections with people—rather than places—become the driving force behind journeys. It highlights the serendipity of meeting individuals who profoundly shape one’s experiences and offers reflections on how cultural practices and storytelling enrich these encounters.

The discussion also examines broader themes such as how physical practices like Parkour serve as a medium for forming relationships and navigating personal narratives. It touches upon the challenges and rewards of creating and participating in events that foster community, drawing from specific examples like the North American Women’s Jam and training gatherings in Europe.

Takeaways

The essence of travel — Experiences are shaped more by the people encountered than the destinations themselves.

Curiosity as a driver — Following personal curiosity leads to deeper connections and richer experiences.

The power of communities — Communities often transcend geographical and cultural boundaries, fostering inclusivity and shared purpose.

Storytelling and connection — Sharing stories serves as a bridge between individuals and cultures.

Importance of shared practices — Activities like Parkour create unique opportunities for collaboration and mutual growth.

Flexibility in journeys — Approaching travel without rigid plans opens space for unexpected, meaningful interactions.

Emotional resonance in events — Events focused on community foster deep emotional connections among participants.

Resources

Évry Move event — Annual gathering in Évry, France, focusing on community and physical training.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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Taking an “anti-” stance is not a solution

February 6, 2019

Even from a seemingly unempowered starting point — a budget apartment in some forgettable corner of a society that has been designed to make you sick and impotent — these traits will do more for you than any “Anti” stance you can think of. Hating the system is a favorite American pastime. It feels good, is difficult to stop once you start, and gets you precisely nowhere, not unlike eating Doritos. This is not us against them, it’s us for us.

~ David Cain from, How to Make Trillions of Dollars

I don’t know about you. But it is definitely “me against me.” Not in the sense, “I need to conquer myself,” but in the sense, “I need to stop defeating myself.” What’s that old adage? …be kind for everyone you encounter is fighting a great battle? I need to learn that lesson, and I need to remember that the person I most often encounter is me.

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GMO and Roundup®

February 6, 2018

When you apply Roundup® to it — as we find with some other Roundup-ready crops — then that disease becomes very intense because the Roundup® will nullify the genetic resistence. So in corn for instance, in 2012 we lost one Billion bushel of corn to a disease that was considered a very wimpy disease of no significant economic consequence througout the corn belt, and that’s Goss’s Wilt.

~ Dr. Don Huber from, «https://blog.bulletproof.com/don-huber-318/»

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Dr. Huber is — this is my personal take on the matter — the original whistle-blower on Roundup®. I do not like Dave Asprey’s interview style, but I gladly sat through Dave to hear Dr. Huber. If you’re not yet ready to commit to listening, here’s a few things to make you either listen, or rage-quit industrialized food entirely:

Roundup® is a brand name for a (relatively) simple molecule first used to remove scale from the inside of boilers. Generally, the chemical is called Glyphosate. Originally discovered in 1950, in 1964 it was first used as a “chelator” — that is a chemical that will grab and bind minerals such as magnesium, copper, zinc — to remove scale.

Wait. So why does it kill plants? Why is it used as a weed killer? Turns out that trace minerals are like keys to many biologic processes. A zinc atom unlocks this process, a magnesium atom unlocks that process, etc.. If you expose a plant to a chelator, each molecule of the chelator locks on to a mineral atom, and the plant dies for lack of minerals. (Glyphosate is special in that it locks on to MANY minerals. Most other known chelators only grab a specific mineral.) So Glyphosate kills all plants. (Actually, if you think about it, it would kill anything which relies on the minerals that the chelator locks on to. Care to guess if animals rely on minerals too?)

So at first look, chelators are NOT very useful on crops because they kill the crops along with the weeds. This is where the GMO versions of our food crops come into the picture: They are modified (bred, selected, etc.) to resist the chelator. So you can now spray the chelator on the entire field and only the crop survives.

I don’t know about you, but I find that all pretty depressing. But wait! It’s actually so much worse…

Bonus round 1: Does the modified food crop have any other differences? What if the GMO crop was entirely wiped out — as in erased from the planet — by some disease it was formally resistant to? (hint: pull quote above)

Bonus round 2: Does the chelator remain in the food crop? Does it end up in our food products? Is it present in sufficient quantity in the food products to have a meaningful affect?

Bonus round 3: What would happen to proteins in one’s body if the Glyphosate molecule (the chelator meant to pull minerals from the scale inside boilers) happened to be chemically similar enough to one of our normal amino acids (glycine)?

Bonus round 4: What’s the half-life (how many years must elapse before 1/2 of the stuff remains) of Glyphosate? How long after it’s sprayed on a field will it continue being picked up by anything that grows there?

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Setbacks are inevitable

February 6, 2016

(Part 19 of 36 in series, 10,000 Reps Project)

Last weekend I trained exceptionally hard all weekend. Monday and Tuesday were tired, sore and broken-down recovery days (as exepected.) But by Wednesday, it was clear I was also sick. booo.

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So all week I did nothing other than some stretching/yoga-esque recovery work. (In addition to moving and reassembling the scaf on my patio.) All week I was sore, achy, and just felt like there was “no gas in the tank”.

By friday, it was pretty warm(-ish) and I was getting cabin crazy with the new scaf setup still unused. So I tried to go out and do one of the full workouts. It was a planned workout, just now about a week behind schedule. It called for 70s of everything. Well, my right forearm didn’t feel up to it, and I was just really low on energy. (I’m pretty confident the forearm pain is in the muscle, very close to the tendon, but not the actual tendon nor the attachment point.) So instead I made it into a really low intensity workout of just 40 reps… Just enough to put some numbers up on the board. I also mixed in some light work, like moving firewood (in small arm loads) and cleaning up the patio just to move around and get my heart rate up.

I’m feeling better today, so I’ll see what plays out. Some friends are coming over this afternoon to play on the scaf.

In my worksheet, I’ve just been “pushing” the workout numbers forward rather than spend time juggling all the rows in the future. Once I have some idea how long it’ll take to get back up to speed, then I’ll rework the schedule. So I’m not actually going to try to do all those every-day workouts that seem to be scheduled for next week. (All the columns are identical now, so I just snapped the pushups.)

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Good and bad

February 6, 2016

A mature person is one who does not think only in absolutes, who is able to be objective even when deeply stirred emotionally, who has learned that there is both good and bad in all people and all things, and who walks humbly and deals charitably with the circumstances of life, knowing that in this world no one is all-knowing and therefore all of us need both charity and love.

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

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Religious freedom turning into passive-aggression

February 6, 2015

To make this work, conservative Christians need to divert attention from the people they are mistreating by portraying themselves as the victims. And that requires cultivating a hyper-sensitivity to any form of involvement in activities they disapprove of. So rather than sympathize with the lesbian couple who gets the bakery door slammed in their faces, the public should instead sympathize with the poor wedding-cake baker whose moral purity is besmirched when the labor of his hands is used in a celebration of immorality and perversion.

~ Doug Muder from, “Religious Freedom” means Christian Passive-Aggressive Domination

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