J.T. Kalnay's Blog, page 20
November 9, 2012
Paws For PTS
Veteran’s Day (US), Rememberance Day (Canada) is on Sunday November 11. One way to thank and help a Veteran is to let him or her play with your dog. One profound way to help a Veteran dealing with Post Traumatic Stress is to support programs that provide Service Dogs to Servicemen and Servicewomen. Here’s an interesting story that will introduce you to the concept. I’ve seen first hand the effect these amazing animals can have on our returned heroes. Please consider supporting this effort.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/09/us/cnnheroes-ptsd-service-dogs/index.html?hpt=hp_bn1
November 7, 2012
Obama, Romney, Boehner, Gingrich
Here are four statements made in the past eight hours that I thought were extremely interesting. First Governor Romney graciously extended the olive branch, and then President Obama equally graciously accepted it. It sounds like if it was up to those two that something might get done. But then Speaker Boehner, while trying to look like he was about to try to get along, reached out for the olive branch, sprayed gasoline on it and then lit it on fire. This morning, Newt Gingrich, while warming his hands on the fire Boehner lit, gave an insight into how Republicans view what happened. I wonder what all this means…
Governor Romney: “At a time like this, we can’t risk partisan bickering and political posturing. Our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the people’s work.”
President Obama: “Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual…. We remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are and forever will be the United States.”
Speaker Boehner: ““If there is a mandate, it is a mandate for both parties to find common ground and take steps together to help our economy grow and create jobs, which is
critical to solving our debt.” (sounds like he sees the olive branch, but then he lights it on fire…) “The American people want solutions, and tonight they responded by renewing our
House Republican majority.”
Former Speaker Gingrich: (on CNN around 7:40 am, this is not an exact quote) I was wrong. We were wrong. Me and Karl Rove and the other Republican strategists were wrong. The things we thought were important are not what the people who voted for the president thought were important. They were important to the people who re-elected a Republican house, but not to the people who re-elected the president. … This isn’t a parliamentary system. The President’s majority extends as far as the front door of the White House… The House comes first, and they received a mandate.
November 5, 2012
NaNoWriMo, 3k, But in the 1st person
After an hour I realized I was writing in the first person from the point of view of one of the supporting actresses, instead of in the third person from the narrator’s PoV. But it was really flowing so there was no stopping it. So now there’s 3k more words than there were yesterday, but there’s going to be some real editing to do. However, that’s a job for after the story is done. That’s one of my rules. Finish the first draft and then edit. When I stop to edit, the story never gets done. How often does this PoV shift happen to you?
November 4, 2012
Topsail Accord Generates Binary Response
People seem to hate it or love it. Those that hate it focus on how “selfish” Shannon seems to be, and also focus on how Joe seems to have no self-esteem. However, their reviews never seem to touch on how Shannon got to be the way she is, or how Joe got to be the way he is, or how, over their 20 years they make and then break all the rules in the Topsail Accord. Those that love it seem to dig deeper into the psyches of the two main characters. Here are two recent reviews, the 1 star comes first, and then the 5 star follows. It was interesting that the one star reviewer left three one star reviews on the same day (apparently she is a fast reader…)
1.0 out of 5 stars Don’t bother, November 4, 2012
By
CJCACC ‘s mom “carlarh” (The Woodlands, TX USA) – See all my reviews
I have never read something so selfish!
Ithought I was in for a romance novel and instead wasted precious hours of my life getting to know the most selfish female character and the lowest self-esteemed male one.
5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ, October 15, 2012
By
dandeeyella – See all my reviews
I really liked this book – the end was sorta expected and not expected. Good weekend read when you are in a cozy chair.
November 3, 2012
NaNoWriMo, 12k
Here’s the first chapter. Am open to suggestion…
Chapter One
Monday February 7, 1994
7:34 Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Train from Syosset to Penn Station
“Yo Johnny! Over here.”
“Hey. How ya doin’?” John asked. He worked through the crowded train car towards his friend. He loosened his dark blue winter coat and plopped down into the seat facing his friend.
“So did you tell her?” Mordecai asked.
“No,” John answered. He tried to hold the gaze of his older friend but had to look away. John reached into his bag for the book he was reading, The Trade.
“Why didn’t you tell her? I thought you said you were going to tell her? Jesus, you know you’ve got to tell her?” Mordecai said.
“I wanted to,” John said. “But I couldn’t.”
“Couldn’t or wouldn’t?”
“Couldn’t,” John said. “It wasn’t right.”
“Wasn’t right? When is it going to be right? You’ve only got four weeks left until March 7th. Then what?”
“Maybe something will change,” John said.
“In four weeks?”
“Yeah. Maybe,” John said.
“How long have you known her?”
“Two and a half years,” John said.
“And how long have you known about March 7th?”
“Almost a year.”
“And in almost a year it never came up?”
“No.”
“Never once?”
“Hey! Back off!” John said. “I don’t need this on a Monday morning.”
A few sleepy commuter heads turned towards John and his friend Mordecai. The commuters had seen these two train friends sitting together for several years. The slightly older and paunchy Mordecai always sat with his back to the front of the train. The barely thirty, more attractive John always sat with his face to the front of the train.
“I mean, lighten up, okay?” John said more quietly. He looked around the train car and nodded at a few of the familiar faces. John waited a second then continued. “Think about the last year and a half would you? With everything’s that happened would you want to talk about the future? Could you talk about it? And with this shit on the 7th coming up? You know I’m still scared when I get on this train. I’m still scared sitting in the Tower at work. I expect some new asshole lawyer or judge or cop to show up to hassle me nearly every day. I’m dealing with a lot of shit here. So lighten up okay?”
“Okay. I’m sorry. I just know how you are John. You’ll let this thing with Diane go on and on until the last second, until it’s a full blown crisis. And then you’ll get drunk or something and then March 7th is gonna be here and then what?”
“Okay, okay. I hear you. You’re right. I know you’re right. I just need some more time to think about it,” John said.
“Four weeks buddy. March 7th.”
“You know it was in March when we broke up for the first time,” John said.
“You and who?”
“Me and Diane.”
“Oh.”
“Three times. We broke up and made up three times. The last one was the hardest, but we’ve been together steady for a year now.”
“You just can’t keep away from her can you?”
“No I guess I can’t,” John said. “I guess I can’t.”
“Why? What is it about her?”
“I’m not sure. She’s kind, and there aren’t too many kind people anymore. She’s pretty and sexy and all that, but that it isn’t what makes her,” John said.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know. It’s just something about her. I like being around her. She’s strong, but she’s okay with it, you know?”
“Yeah.”
“And we can talk. Or not talk. I don’t mind just sitting there being quiet. I don’t feel like we have to talk about anything. Like last year, after the bomb, remember? We never really talked about it. But she was there for me. It’s weird. Maybe I should have talked about it with her.”
“Yeah maybe.”
The two friends fell silent. The train rolled towards New York. John took up his book. His friend Mort took up his newspaper. The train slowed and made its way into the tunnel under the East River.
“You going to be on the 5:06?”
“Yeah,” John answered.
Mordecai started to say something and stopped. He looked back at his paper. John thought about asking him what he was going to say but then he didn’t.
“Penn Station. PENN STATION! Next and last stop, Penn Station. This train is going down to the yards. Please be sure that you have all your personal belongings. Penn Station.”
John put his novel in his bag and stood up to shuffle towards the doors. He left his winter jacket open over his charcoal gray suit. His friend Mort followed him. His rumpled brown suit matched his middle-aged shuffle. Soon they were pressed together by the crowd of commuters waiting for the train to stop and for the doors to pop open.
“Are you going to see her tonight?”
“I think so,” John said.
“You going to tell her?”
“I don’t know. Maybe if it’s right,” John said.
The doors opened and the commuters hit the platform. John and Mordecai said good-bye as they headed for different subways.
“See ya.”
“Yeah, see ya tonight,” John said.
October 29, 2012
October 28, 2012
CrossFit, Why Do You Compete?
To exercise fight or flight…
A coach recently asked this question. It got me thinking…
I compete to exercise a different system. I compete to exercise my fight or flight reflex, to practice performing under pressure. Lifting heavy works my muscles, but there’s no pressure. Metcons work my heart and lungs, but there’s no pressure. Competing works my brain, under pressure, when my muscles and heart and lungs are screaming to stop. We are comfortable in our boxes, even when we’re uncomfortable from hard effort. We are uncomfortable competing, because people are watching, because scores are being taken, because we are being measured. We are uncomfortable being judged. “I don’t want to get embarassed,” “I might come last,” “someone might laugh at me,” are things we hear before competing. We hear them in our heads, we say them when we’re nervous. They can force us to the sidelines, where we may remain forever. We are competing all the time. Life is a competition. Survival of the fittest isn’t just a theory, it’s evolution and life and society in practice. We are competing for jobs, for mates, for parking spots, for everything. We are competing to get into a good school, we are competing to get a raise, we are competing to get a smile or a hug. If we allow ourselves to be forced to the sidelines, life and all those who are competing may pass us by. If we stay on the sidelines we are trading comfort for the chance to avoid being judged, to avoid being tested. But, before we know it, our comfort has been replaced by painful chains. It gets harder and harder to get off the bench (couch). So I compete to force myself off the sidelines, to force myself into the arena, to stand in front of friends, competitors, judges, and coaches and to give my best. It’s surprising how often our best is more than good enough. I compete because the hard work isn’t always in the box. Sometimes the hard work is unexpectedly thrust upon us. Sometimes it’s a race to the ER, with the test being critical. Sometimes it’s a competition to face down the bully at school, with the result being judged. Sometimes the challenge is thrust upon us and I want to have exercised my ability to stare the challenge in the eye and know I can perform, even when the pressure is on. That’s why I compete. And that’s why I encourage you to compete. Not for the ribbons or medals or placings. But to practice performing when the pressure is on, when people are watching. I wonder what tomorrow’s WOD will be….
October 26, 2012
CrossFit, Part Deux
The comp is over, vacation is over, and the benchmarks have been set. After six months of hard work, it’s time to start over. It’s time to learn how to do everything over, and learn how to do it right. Part one was all about learning basic movements, becoming immersed in the culture, making some friends, figuring out how to work with the trainers, and getting strong enough and fit enough. It was a good part, and it was a good six months. But now it’s time for part deux. There’s a difference between a back squat and a good back squat. There’s a difference between a thruster and a good thruster. There’s a difference between a pullup and ten unbroken kipping pullups. There’s a difference between a burpee and twenty unbroken good burpees. There’s a difference between getting a few dubs and working working working on technique and focus and jumping to get ten or twenty or fifty dubs unbroken. There’s a difference between working on a pistol and getting a pistol. There’s a difference between walking 400m (because you’re tired and your hip hurts and you’ve just done goblet squats) and jogging or running 400m. There’s a difference between working on a muscle up and getting a muscle up. Recess is over, first grade is done, and it they were good, but they’re done. It’s time to dig into second grade. Hang on son, it’s going to hurt a little. I wonder what tomorrow’s WOD will be…
October 24, 2012
5.Fun Guide to Joshua Tree, Volume Two, Hall of Horrors
Here is the second volume of the 5.Fun Guide to Joshua Tree rock climbing guides. It covers the West Outer Wall of the Hall of Horrors. It is free on smashwords.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/248048
October 15, 2012
Chuck Yeager Breaks Sound Barrier, AGAIN! (65 years later)
That is so cool. I don’t know if I’m more impressed that he did it at age 89, or at age 24….
