Bare Knuckles

I quit wearing gloves.

On one level, I quit wearing bicycle gloves, removed the speedometer/computer and tossed the heart rate monitor. I ride my heavy fat-tire bike... the carbon has been hanging from the ceiling for years. When I hike my usual solo 7-mile trails, I change to boots but wear whatever I have on (dress shirt and pants)... I do not carry water nor food but I do carry a phone. Bare knuckled.

On another level, I do not use an electric toothbrush either. At my shower you'll find a bar of soap and a razor... no shampoo nor bottles of any kind. At my sink is a toothbrush, Water Pic, baby oil and hairbrush. Pretty simple, eh?

There's only beer and popsicles in my fridge. I own no iron, no mixer, nor blender. I seldom use the heat or air conditioning at home, and I open my window at work. Do I live like a monk?

I do not use mosquito spray and I do not wave a stick in front of me to break the spiderwebs on-trail. Spider bites are an acceptable hazard.

Given a choice, I do it the hard way. I do not use work gloves at the farm. I use a hand saw, I use sandpaper in a block, I cut up small trees with a bow saw, and I usually drive a screw with a screwdriver. I have better control this way rather than with motorized tools, and it toughens my hands and joints. Bloody knuckles heal.

The world is fragile.

I do have to be careful, because I'm too strong. I have twisted doorknobs off, destroyed vacuum cleaners, and hurt with a handshake or hug.

Why?

Why do I do things the hard way? Not only do I like the accomplishment, but doing things the hard way is training. I will be able to do these things when I get old... while my buddies can't already. Use it or lose it!

Storms took the power down and a neighbor with a generator invited me to watch TV, but I thanked him and said that a candle and my iPhone will suffice. I do it because I like simplicity.

Although I'm a rocket scientist, I like no frills. The more complex something is, the higher the risk of failure and the lower the reliability. In my old cars, I've cut off many unneeded gadgets, and the cars are aging rather well. I like low risk.

Sooo... why live bare knuckled? Because it improves both my body and my character. A lot of people talk tough, but I live it.


-copyright 2014 by Willy

Happiness... What It is.

Much has been written about happiness. And everyone has a different definition of it. Mine includes outdoor activity, like hiking.

I plan several outdoor activities a year that keep me happy. Some are with others, and some are by myself. And it's all with variety and balance, from backpacking to just having lunch outside in a restaurant patio. No, I don't care if it's raining or sunny, hot or cold.

Happiness is having a fervor. And being able to scratch that itch.


-copyright 2014 by Willy

P.S., the ability to scratch an itch, not scratching every itch.

Happiness... On Relationships

My thinking on relationships... if you want to be with the one that makes you laugh, then you'd better find the levity to make yourself laugh first.

And/or just accept yourself and embrace the simple solitude. If so, then there's nobody to have to compromise with, nobody to distract me from Mother Nature, nobody to take away time with which to meditate... and nobody to ruin a beautiful sunset. That congruence, or lack of it, strikes me as funny.

My daughter pointed out to me that I have these cycles where for five or ten years I behave like a monk, then date somebody and get disgusted, returning to behaving like a monk for five or ten years.

I plan to add some damping to that cycle.

I plan to be happy.


-copyright 2014 by Willy

Blessed

There's a preacher out there that incessantly talks about what to do and how to behave in order to get God's blessings. He talks about blessings as though they were a unit of currency. It's amazing that somebody buys this hype. He's done very well, but he's just another silver-tongued devil. But I digress again.

Blessings are not complicated things.

I believe in happiness through kindness, service and sacrifice. And I believe in karma. Thus I believe that blessings come. And they come every which way.

I was climbing a steep and tall mountain a few weeks ago. I should have been up and back down by noon due to the possibility of lightning. I embraced the burn but was nevertheless climbing rather slowly. I started at sunup but there was just no way to meet the timetable. I saw the storms coming right at me and should have aborted but decided instead to continue. The storms went around the mountain and sleeted heavy below. I only got wet in the last ten minutes of my ten-hour hike.

Am I blessed?

I'm very good at science, math... and statistics. When a statistical improbability rears up, I take notice. And there's been quite a few of these. Not 100-year floods every year but 100-year blessings many times a year.

I believe, but not in TV preachers.


-copyright 2014 by Willy.

P.S., lightning kills many hikers above treeline.

Afraid of Shadows

It does bug me that life has become a TV daytime soap opera. The same never-ending drama, day in and day out, year in and year out. Somebody cattle-prodding us to jump through hoops, increasing anxiety to the point where sleep is difficult. The uncertainty is making us be afraid of shadows.

The last time government closed, about twenty years ago, I cashed in frequent flyer miles and went on the best vacation of my life. This time I do not have the confidence to go off. This one is different. This time it is much worse.

God, help us all.


- copyright 2013 by Willy.

Power Vs. Energy

Our houses are connected to the utility company. We used to call it the power company, which was aptly named. They had the power and we drew their power and paid for it in units of time. If we plugged in a coffee pot that drew drew a killowatt and it took a half an hour to perk the coffee, we used a half-kilowat-hour, a term of energy for which we paid at the end of the month. Power times time used equals energy.


The same is true in engineering. A super-capacitor can quickly discharge large amounts of power for discharging a laser but a lithium battery slowly powers cell phones for hours if not days.

In the same way, athletes have developed power-ful muscles and have power to use when running, bicycling and swimming. If they last a couple of hours, they have generated energy from their power (have done work). But athletes specifically train for either short bursts of high power (powerlifting, for which they look huge but can hardly walk) or long low-power endurance races (for which they look like skinny runts). Seldom do you see a muscular athlete doing cardio (they'd get small), or a racer lifting (too much mass to carry).

Which way is healthiest: Both. An athlete lacking power means brittle bones, and an athlete lacking endurance means heart attacks. In this age of specialization, we should worry about the quality of life rather than trophies and T-shirts.

- © 2013 by Willy

From The Noise

There is an awful lot of junk, stuff or noise out there. When watching TV, we are bombarded by ads; when driving we get the signs and billboards; when dealing with people, we deal with fakes and lies; and when reading an article or book, we read biases and opinion... when all we want to do is find content.

In dieting, we have junk food where we really should be taking in protein and high-grade carbs. In exercise, we have throw-away miles where we should be getting effective use of our time. Where's the beef?



In engineering, we call this finding the signal amidst the noise, and it's a rather difficult task. Noise makes up most of our world, by far. So much, that sometimes we can't find the signal... we have too many choices.

The real solution is an iterative one. You have to know what the signal looks like before you can recognize it, and thus many "looks" are postulated, and extraction attempted, before success can happen. We need to know what the signal looks like. We need to know the form of the answer before we can get the answer. We need to know what we need before we need it. Yes, it seems like double-talk, but it's true.

Not only that, but it is human to see something false out of the noise if we lack control. People want to react to the situation we're out of control in. This explains why TV is so effective. People feel out of control and TV talking heads helps them make sense of it, even if it's a false understanding and thus... brainwashing.

In the health and fitness area, it's about what motivation works for diet and exercise. I have found that silly goals are much better than logical goals... because silly goals are emotional and logical goals are not. We respond to emotional goals much better than common-sense goals. My current goal to trim down fat is to enter a bodybuilding contest (for which I have to show my abs). Amidst numerous logical reasons (noise) like heart attacks, blood pressure and diabetes, the possibility of embarrassment in a bodybuilding contest (signal) is working well for me.

Change your thoughts and you change your world.

- © 2013 by Willy

Correlations

A good engineer analyzes and correlates... that's what we do. And when we do, funny things come up.

When engineers discuss correlation, we ask how alike are two things or variables. In a plot of two variables like age and wisdom, we expect positive correlation. For other variables, like beauty and niceness, we expect no or negative correlation (as example, look at movie actors and actresses and their behavior).

Somewhat unfortunately (1) every thing or variable is related to every other thing or variable... not just one or two, and (2) emotions and biases mess up our analysis.

It is truly wonderful to find kind and nice people. I know a few of them... just ran into one of them. They are exceptional. They make the world right for me. What is even better is that they are also athletes... for whatever reason, athletes seem to be correlated to beauty and niceness. Or maybe it's me... I do not tolerate fools, I do not really like fat people, and I think sweat is the best makeup.

- text © 2013 by Willy

What's Missing?

Cardio afternoons at the gym begin on the elliptic, with load and ramp at medium. The mp3 plays on and breathing and pace match the audio, which increases in tempo. I warm up, struggling and fighting the machine until something magic happens... it all comes together... I relax, my shoulders drop, everything synchronizes and the struggle is no more. I then increase the load and ramp to up the heartbeat and maintain the effort. I smile. As long as I relax and maintain that magic meditative state, the effort is easy. I keep this up for a couple of hours.

The same is true in life. After the preparation but in the various struggles, there comes a time to meditate and expect that magic moment... the inspiration. I understand what the other wants and I accept it. Everything synchronizes and I smile. Life is good.

Try it... find that magic moment for yourself... find what's missing.



- text © 2013 by Willy

Old Friends

Old friend Amanda and I were having coffee yesterday, discussing various old age topics.

"I don't want to be a nuisance to anybody." I said.

"Well, it's too late for that!" she said.

"Haaa jaaa heee jeeeee!" we both roared, and kept on going like this for an hour or two.



Time flies, and regular coffee meetings with various old friends has become commonplace and very much something to look forward to. I'm sure we discuss the same topics, maybe even use the same jokes, and we always have fun. They are like a ray of sunshine.

And as healthy as regular cardio.


- © 2013 by Willy

Evil Happens

Why does evil happen? God, in perfect love, allows us the chance to do the right thing, or the wrong thing. Just giving us the opportunity does not mean God creates evil. But God allows the possibility of evil. And some choose to follow the wrong path. Such is life. Evil happens. I choose The Father, who guides me with a soft hand an an easy touch. Those evil people can go to hell.

The evil also make the wrong choice on health and fitness... living a rough life which eventuality results in bad quality and quantity, and thus getting to hell faster.

- text © 2013 by Willy

We Built This City On...

Step class was peaking when that song played. "We built this city on rock and roll," went the harmony, on and on. Of course, it could have been rocket motors, breakfast cereal or sunshine. What is interesting is the possessive tense: We... with the cooperation of many.

I built this body, or is it that we build this body? Even as fiercely independent and proactive as I am, I have had lots of help from trainers, instructors, gyms, bicycles, shoes, God, McDonald's and Taco Bell... you name it. I spend far more time at gym, saddle and trail than waking time at home. I feel pretty needy sometimes. Whenever I need help with that last heavy press in the last set, I think of what my ex-wife did to me... and that takes the barbell home. So, even my ex helps me... if you call it that.  ;-)

- © 2013 by Willy

Are Engineers Autistic?

Well, yeah! Of course. All the good ones.

I have many times stated that I have the recipe to make an engineer, even mass produce them like pies. Just like an apple pie is made with apples on a crust, engineers are a cup each of Autism or Asperger, social awkwardness or extreme shyness, obsessive compulsiveness, attention deficit, hyperactivity, obsession, solitude, logic, causality, math, physics, and science... all mixed well and wrapped tight. Engineers are about machines and code. To an engineer, a strange object is to be understood, has many functions and possibilities, and brings fun.

Engineers always have paper and pen to write down their concepts for contemplation and tasks for execution. Properly channeled, hyperactivity is good. Engineers think in fast-changing concepts and fast moving 3D pictures, not slow words. When they do think of words, the words come in fast strings with numbers attached in correlated sequence and patterns. They crave information, and they observe... noticing not only detail but also the integrated large picture of how things fit and work. Engineers own many machines of varying types and a toolbox of code. Properly channeled, obsession is good. An engineer will obsess about diet and exercise when he sees the need for health and fitness. Engineers make like machines, and they don't miss a workout.

Engineers see solvable technical challenges but impossible people problems.

Engineers do not know how to relate to people other than themselves. They would rather be alone. Their heroes are Spock, Einstein and Asimov, not Hollywood nor NFL. They can't read others' feelings because feelings make no sense and get in the way. Music is for cardio pacing or mood therapy. Young engineers wonder what the heck others did in High School, and how could anybody ever get bored (the answer is that some flks wasted High School just talking). It is difficult for an engineer to start a gym class in step or yoga, or any non-engineering class. Engineers tolerate but don't like to go to movie theaters or anywhere people congregate but instead like the broad-spectrum of machines and their museums. A manager controlling an engineer makes the engineer bust a mental gut. To an engineer, a strange person is suspect, has few functions, negative possibilities, and brings nothing but trouble.

Engineers are mostly born from that recipe at birth, but may flounder until they figure it out. Borderline nerds and geeks have to be revealed to become engineers. What throws them over the edge is typically social in nature... the bullying; boys and girls making fun of them, tricking them and taking advantage; girls breaking their heart; and their families not understanding them nor supporting their views. Engineers ferl the people they love let them down... just the way everybody else feels. 

However, I stand corrected. It may be that the Autism portion of the engineer recipe is a cup and a half. It was pointed out to me that Cambridge's Autism Research Centre had created the Autism-Spectrum Quotient, or AQ, as a measure of the extent of autistic traits in adults... their 50 questions read exactly like what makes a good engineer. How funny is that! The test is at http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

And that's my opinion, my observation, and my life.


- © 2013 by Willy

Kindness

Life can be tough and is often broken.

Kindness is welcomed in all parts of life... especially in health and fitness, where by far the most important component is mental. A stress filled life is not a healthy life and kindness is the best there is against stress. There are some stresses in life that are unavoidable... usually people. But this can be mitigated... usually by other people's kindness plus some steadfast thinking (like a resolution to outlast the stressor). That kind word, received or given, makes a huge difference in tolerating stress, sleeping better and being healthier. It's an attitude: Do it with kindness... it's not what you do but how you do it. I thank all those who have been kind to me... maybe somebody in yoga who said a word here and there... and hope I return kindness back.

- © 2013 by Willy

A Smile to My Face

Q: "What makes life worth it?" A:"Anything that brings a smile to my face!"

If I ever make it to old age, it will be because of the smiles. Sure, there's motherhood and apple pie, family and friends, truly nice/beautiful people, the splendor of nature, the physics of detail, and so on. All of that matters... but number one is just good laughing-out-loud kind of fun smiles. My favorites are (1) Slapstick, as in the Pink Panther and Home Alone movie series, and (2) Silliness, like in absurdity... which is everywhere. I've got to laugh at political theater, among others (What? Do politicians really think we buy their drama?). Given a choice on what to watch on TV, I choose comedy... but with news a close second. The way I laugh at the news, somebody will surely take me away sometime. News has the silliest content ever. I choose to laugh until my belly hurts.

One item in the news today made me smile in a different way. Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, is getting absolutely swamped with mail. Floor to ceiling, semi truck loads... of handmade snowflakes, sympathy cards, favorite football cards and piggybank money. "It's awesome," said the PTA president. "From children, just like us," said a local child at the recent tragedy. "That much love multiplied this many times," said the narrator. It made me smile all over.

My new year's resolution is to smile more... every which way.

- © 2013 by Willy

Secret Fitness Techniques

Wow, this year went by so fast that it was a blur!

I was looking over my notes and trying to determine how I did with my resolutions this year. On the positive side: I lost weight/fat and improved muscle tone, and vastly improved my hiking endurance. On the negative side: I did not bicycle enough, I had knee and shoulder injuries, and I did not consume enough protein.

My resolution for this next year is to continue hikes and lifting as is, but increase protein and bicycling, and be more careful about injuries.

I wanted my self-discipline and self-motivation to be stellar this year but it was a year full of stress. Stress may be the reasons for the injuries and for a very long "cold," or maybe it was over-training. So, let's try it again next year, and every year, and let's use the same secret techniques that have produced a good work career for me. To remind myself, what to do...

Set goals. What worked well last year was a target waist size and related weight loss, a defined "easy" hike mileage, and increased reps... when my weightlifting buddy wasn't looking. Begin with the end in mind. At work, it's been the number of technical reports published.

Be proactive. What worked well before was to madly cross-train, using all off-work time (no hanging around the house watching TV!). Just do it, the Nike ads say. At work, my interest takes over. Nobody has to tell me what to do, since I'm doing it. Do keep in mind that I have a desk job.

Do not overdo it. Think no over-training injuries. Allow both the mind and the body to win. Think win-win. At work, it has been distributing success credit to others.

Key is playing nice, smiling, sharing, mentoring, being courageous, keeping integrity, and demonstrating patience... with myself and others at the gym, trail, road, and work/lab. However, I do admit that I avoid some people to...

Be happy, and stay happy. "Do what you can with what you got," is my mantra... and...

Remember to rest. Nothing beats eliminating drama and reducing stress, and thus getting good sleep. The body has to heal itself after the carnage. Add regular massage, too.

Shhh... those are my secrets. Don't tell anybody.


- © 2012 by Willy

P.S., a happy new year to you.

Good Versus Evil

There's always a struggle. It ranges from that within us to worldwide. And it's usually a choice: It's good versus evil.

If there's a top, there's got to be a bottom. If there's a god, there has to be a devil. If there's good, there has to be evil.

This week, again, evil slaughtered innocence. It broke my heart. How could a teenager kill elementary school babies? I am thankful for my kids and grandkids... and want to keep them all.

And again, some are talking about more gun laws. As if criminals and crazies cared about laws. As if we blamed cars for drunk driving. It's not the car and it's not the gun... it's the crazy and evil people. It's a widespread but allowed mental health problem that started when Cain clubbed Able. I have myself experienced these people mess up others through intimidation and abuse... several times.

Is there a solution? Is there nut control? When I was a kid, armed robbery and shooting threats to local merchants were taken care of by the neighborhood. Customers would beat the crap out of robbers, in the act, and toss them outside to the street, bruised and battered. No 911 needed. Ditto for not accepting bullying and intimidation at school... they got theirs, eventually. Is that the solution?

To me, personally, it's about every decisions I make, from being helpful to others, to what I eat and what workout I do. My solution is to avoid crazy and evil, embrace good, and train hard to be tough and thus able to defend myself and others. Tomorrow, I will do what I do every day... what I CAN do... conquer my own self. And pack heat.


- © 2012 by Willy

P.S. God, please, deliver us from evil.

Nut Timing

Bang, crash, thud... went the days and nights around home, and around the trails.

It is neat to hike amongst the rain of nuts.

A week ago, on Saturday evening, I swept my deck free of acorns, walnuts and such. The next morning, I counted over 60 new nuts deposited overnight. That was the peak of a week-long happening: Every year, in one week, all the nut-bearing trees drop their nuts, all together. All. And then the squirrels go into overtime, looking like a Disney movie.

Today was quiet and beautiful. The nut-dropping week is over. Fantastic! Bravo!


- © 2012 by Willy

It's The Attitude

The classic punch line is "There's got to be a pony in here somewhere..." after you're handed a pile of manure.

That's the attitude!

Whether it is at work or home, a good attitude and positive outlook is key in living a happy life.

I just got back last week to normal cardio after three months of downtime due to hurting a knee in yoga... another stinkin' injury. Three months of boring swimming and vastly reduced caloric intake made me look forward to recovery. Out of that I developed stronger shoulder girdle muscles, and I am now enjoying the Fall leaves on my hikes... more so than ever.

I had a bad relationship years ago that almost took me over the edge... she stunk and she gave me shit. I realized that I was lucky to be rid of such a hindrance. The albatross around my neck gone, I have become much more active and happy.

Same is true at work. For the last year I have been the subject of an investigation after false accusations for which I just got cleared of charges. However, I am being relieved of that responsibility anyway, which stinks like manure. "Don't throw me in that briar patch, Mr. Bear," I told the director. I was much too busy and stressed, and will enjoy the reduced workload.

I've looked and found three ponies out of three piles of manure handed to me. I feel blessed.

- © 2012 by Willy

Dealing With a Threat

"No." I told the young panhandler at the Safeway grocery store door.

"You a rude son-of-a-b$#&$!" he said, lurching forward.

"Say that to someone your age." I said while putting my groceries in my backpack at the bike rack.

Then another twentysomething joined the first as the first continued the insults: "Bring one, you son-of-a-..."

Now, this 62-year-old can take one young punk, but not two. So instead I went inside the store and told the Service Desk. By the time I came back outside, the two punks were gone.

I thought to myself: This assault is in a nice neighborhood, mid-morning, at a nice store called SAFEway... how ironic. There just isn't relief, even on vacation.

Then I bicycled away. Bicycling away from a threat works!

-copyright 2012 by Willy