Starting with the obvious answer 42, anyone figured out the question yet?
Life is a bizarre concept and so many people have their own idea of what living is.
Science has various answers but there are organisms we see conforming to some and not others. Theologians have their own varied and often wonderful ideas. I being none of the above and being part of the computer rather than the programmer haven't a clue.
Most of us wonder what the point is at least once in our life and there are more opinions on what makes a fulfilling life than potential lottery numbers worldwide. If you’ve never wondered, I am surprised you have the mental faculties required to be reading this.
Why should we care? Well there is this strange theory that we are alive and its our nature to question things in order to progress. There are days I feel like death or wish I was, usually after a really good workout when every movement hurts, or when there is a lot of DIY to do, but as far as I know I am still alive and not looking likely to die anytime soon, so I care.
Are we insignificant? Absolutely without a shadow of a doubt yes and of course no. In a million years’ time the impact of our life is unlikely to be felt, this time scale seems huge for us but on a universal or even geological timeline it's nothing. Our lives do have an impact positive or negative on those around us now, that could be as minor as being the source of that awful smell in the lift or as major as providing clean water for several impoverished villages.
The big bang, or possibly the latest big bang. Anyone who tells you scientific thinking is having concrete answers, please explain why science was described as the study of discovering questions. The very joy of science is we know less by knowing more. Back when we knew our planet was the centre of the universe astrophysics was simple and wildly inaccurate, now it's complex and less inaccurate but we can say with some certainty that the sun will burn out long before we are sucked into a black hole and neither of these are likely to happen before we get home for dinner.
I live to some extent to provide a good life for my family. This wasn't always the case but I usually found things to give my life meaning and enjoyed it. I believe life is what you make of it and much as I love the big questions, it's the smaller world that makes mine feel good.
There are people who get life handed to them on a plate, and they are often the most ungracious around, but many appreciate their easy ride and work hard to improve the lives of others. Ironically whatever start you have it seems to be how hard you work on it that makes you happy, I think we need to know how hard life can be to be happy with how lucky we are.
There is a lot to be said for sitting back and looking at something you have done which may be of no importance to anyone else but gives your life meaning. For me it's often moving lumps of metal which have to be put away, for my son building lego creations that get blown up in games, and for my wife painting something she may decide to simply scrape away and paint over. Our leisure can be totally pointless and that is often the whole point. If you care what others think about your yard of ale record, or juggling flaming batons it's not fun anymore. When asked why I lift weights or run and cycle to work instead of driving or using the bus the answer is often because I can, and I love it, along with other activities known to produce endorphins. For others that would be cruel and unusual punishment for me torture would be sitting in a pub with a bunch of drunks watching football or some random talentless show, I never declared I wasn't weird.
Life is ridiculous and incredible, if you can’t laugh about it you’ve missed it. As always comments welcome.
31 January 2013
Genetic Diversity
I have quite a diverse mix in my history and even though my parents were born only a few miles from each other to the eyes of many the border between them should represent a country border not simply county.
There is a great deal national or local pride in many people which is often a positive thing. However there are limits to when this remains healthy, especially when the UK inbreeding capital isn't an isolated village in the back of beyond but a sub-urban area mere miles away from one of its largest cities. I suppose it means less seats needed for family gatherings.
Why is it important and what is wrong with keeping it in the family? Anyone with a pedigree pet will tell you the answer to this immediately, and if that's not enough take a really good look at the world monarchies.
Pets are inbred to the point that insuring them costs more because their health has been damaged in the name of perceived perfection. Similar to the effect of surgery on Katie Price, but the result is not as ugly on pets. Another similarity is the IQ or lack thereof. I think the sheer stupidity of most pedigree animals would be enough to double the risk of injury and therefore insurance, but the system of no sense no feeling prevails and they are usually either unharmed or too stupid to notice the damage.
In medical circles there is the term normal for Norfolk, NFN, which is sometimes used for patients with of an issue stemming from possible inbreeding, that they can’t suggest officially. If this was a joke it would be in poor taste, unfortunately in most cases doctors are more likely to be told off for upsetting someone who is the product of inbreeding, not the patients fault, than giving inadequate care because they aren't allowed to treat it as such unless conclusively proven.
The concept of areas known for inbreeding has given rise to a raft of insulting humour about some of it is enjoyed as much by those there as elsewhere, not sure if this is a good or bad sign.
'Heh, heh, Mum, Sis that was funny.'
'Table for 2 sir.'
'Need this many seats.' showing hands
'Sorry sir groups of 12 and above have to book in advance. And sheep aren't allowed in.'
Is genetic diversity ever a bad thing. Based on the Stan Lee comics it will pave the way for mutants to rage battles in defence of us mere mortals, and others impurity of blood, blue blood brigade. If reality is anything like some fear and cloning or genetic engineering becomes common we could either stall or divert diversity and therefore evolution itself. Messing with genes is something that will happen in the future, and has potential to prevent disease and improve our race. It also comes with immense risk not least of which the potential for generating humans who may not be able to breed naturally with all but a select few others. If diversity was to be taken out of nature’s hands it could be the making of us as a species or mean breaking us into various sub species. Class divides cause by financial affluence could in time become a new type of human if they could afford alterations the rest of us couldn't, giving new meaning to the term mixed marriage.
I find this sort of stuff interesting and sometimes amusing to think of because the science fiction writers have considered many things and scientists have sought to match a few of them. We deny change at our peril, but could the sheer act of diversifying ourselves scientifically lead to compulsory inbreeding by creating new species?
This has some serious topic in it, but it is intended to be at least a bit of a laugh too. If you have something to say that is serious, profound, funny, confused or just downright appalled please let me know.
There is a great deal national or local pride in many people which is often a positive thing. However there are limits to when this remains healthy, especially when the UK inbreeding capital isn't an isolated village in the back of beyond but a sub-urban area mere miles away from one of its largest cities. I suppose it means less seats needed for family gatherings.
Why is it important and what is wrong with keeping it in the family? Anyone with a pedigree pet will tell you the answer to this immediately, and if that's not enough take a really good look at the world monarchies.
Pets are inbred to the point that insuring them costs more because their health has been damaged in the name of perceived perfection. Similar to the effect of surgery on Katie Price, but the result is not as ugly on pets. Another similarity is the IQ or lack thereof. I think the sheer stupidity of most pedigree animals would be enough to double the risk of injury and therefore insurance, but the system of no sense no feeling prevails and they are usually either unharmed or too stupid to notice the damage.
In medical circles there is the term normal for Norfolk, NFN, which is sometimes used for patients with of an issue stemming from possible inbreeding, that they can’t suggest officially. If this was a joke it would be in poor taste, unfortunately in most cases doctors are more likely to be told off for upsetting someone who is the product of inbreeding, not the patients fault, than giving inadequate care because they aren't allowed to treat it as such unless conclusively proven.
The concept of areas known for inbreeding has given rise to a raft of insulting humour about some of it is enjoyed as much by those there as elsewhere, not sure if this is a good or bad sign.
'Heh, heh, Mum, Sis that was funny.'
'Table for 2 sir.'
'Need this many seats.' showing hands
'Sorry sir groups of 12 and above have to book in advance. And sheep aren't allowed in.'
Is genetic diversity ever a bad thing. Based on the Stan Lee comics it will pave the way for mutants to rage battles in defence of us mere mortals, and others impurity of blood, blue blood brigade. If reality is anything like some fear and cloning or genetic engineering becomes common we could either stall or divert diversity and therefore evolution itself. Messing with genes is something that will happen in the future, and has potential to prevent disease and improve our race. It also comes with immense risk not least of which the potential for generating humans who may not be able to breed naturally with all but a select few others. If diversity was to be taken out of nature’s hands it could be the making of us as a species or mean breaking us into various sub species. Class divides cause by financial affluence could in time become a new type of human if they could afford alterations the rest of us couldn't, giving new meaning to the term mixed marriage.
I find this sort of stuff interesting and sometimes amusing to think of because the science fiction writers have considered many things and scientists have sought to match a few of them. We deny change at our peril, but could the sheer act of diversifying ourselves scientifically lead to compulsory inbreeding by creating new species?
This has some serious topic in it, but it is intended to be at least a bit of a laugh too. If you have something to say that is serious, profound, funny, confused or just downright appalled please let me know.
Scottish potted history (inaccurate and strange)
UK Celts are a proud crew, having totally missed the point of the Greeks assigning the term to anyone they deemed savage and barbaric in ancient times, first to be tarred this way were a group of French. However the average Scot is unlikely to care about the opinions of a group whose toughest race were predominantly homosexual.
The major reason that this pride confused me was that the Celts were at the furthest flung reaches of the UK because they ran away from England when it was invaded. The Scots in particular confuse me here, with good reason.
Most of the earliest invaders were small bands coming over from nearby, like the Angles from where England gets its name. The first time a serious organised, trained and disciplined army came over to this country as a serious threat, i.e. the Romans it would have been reasonable to expect this crew who had run away before would do so again. However they decided this would be a good time to stand up and fight, it appears they hadn't as much been running away as waiting for a challenge. Their lust for a fight hasn't waned since.
Some of the things the stereotypical Scot is known for have interesting history too. The kilt and bagpipes were stolen from the Irish, evidently by a group of men who felt that sexual equality should work both ways and that men should be allowed to wear skirts too, they obviously had nice legs. The bagpipes I can only assume were a form of torture effective at repelling the English they loath so much.
The general system of fighting and thieving that was likely stolen from the English, has served to keep Scotland as a separate country and now by cunning use of politics an independent one subsidised by English money, that they are stupid enough to give away. These Scots are many things, dumb is not one of them.
Any reading this finding it offensive, please get a life. I don't dislike Scotland or its people any more than other areas or nationalities, in fact I have enjoyed visiting there more than many places. I like history and find some of it funny when viewed from point of bias I know to be at least mildly inaccurate and sometimes totally ridiculous. There will be others posted here, I will of course accept corrections and insults about these posts, especially if they are amusing.
The major reason that this pride confused me was that the Celts were at the furthest flung reaches of the UK because they ran away from England when it was invaded. The Scots in particular confuse me here, with good reason.
Most of the earliest invaders were small bands coming over from nearby, like the Angles from where England gets its name. The first time a serious organised, trained and disciplined army came over to this country as a serious threat, i.e. the Romans it would have been reasonable to expect this crew who had run away before would do so again. However they decided this would be a good time to stand up and fight, it appears they hadn't as much been running away as waiting for a challenge. Their lust for a fight hasn't waned since.
Some of the things the stereotypical Scot is known for have interesting history too. The kilt and bagpipes were stolen from the Irish, evidently by a group of men who felt that sexual equality should work both ways and that men should be allowed to wear skirts too, they obviously had nice legs. The bagpipes I can only assume were a form of torture effective at repelling the English they loath so much.
The general system of fighting and thieving that was likely stolen from the English, has served to keep Scotland as a separate country and now by cunning use of politics an independent one subsidised by English money, that they are stupid enough to give away. These Scots are many things, dumb is not one of them.
Any reading this finding it offensive, please get a life. I don't dislike Scotland or its people any more than other areas or nationalities, in fact I have enjoyed visiting there more than many places. I like history and find some of it funny when viewed from point of bias I know to be at least mildly inaccurate and sometimes totally ridiculous. There will be others posted here, I will of course accept corrections and insults about these posts, especially if they are amusing.
30 January 2013
Granular Detail
If you ever decide to home educate, be sure not to make the mistake I made for today's science lesson.
Science is predominantly a dad topic so I set out what we are covering and teach it to my wife, which mostly involves reminding with a few new bits.
The topic being covered was genetics specifically base pairs and DNA structure. During planning I had said there is no point having the full names for the A, T, C, G or DNA, that will simply add confusion and he will worry that we expect him to remember it all. This was a mistake.
He wanted to know the full names and my wife went on line to find them, which resulted in a batch of other details confusing what should have been a simple set of information, and my son losing interest as it put what we were saying in doubt.
If I had put that detail in place but stated they were not essential this would have been avoided.
There are subjects where he wouldn't have asked, I should have remembered science was never going to be one of them. No matter how much you think you have planned for, it will never be right every time.
In fairness we are a few years ahead on this topic so it shouldn't have been an issue. Genetics, even at a basic level wouldn't normally be part of education before high school. In fact we looked at a mock GCSE paper and the areas he is covering would have answered almost half of the topic there. The difference interest makes.
English is still fun as he hates writing, and sees no real point to understanding the exact name of different types of words etc. Trying to convince him to persevere is an uphill struggle that we keep rolling back down, but it still has to be done.
Science is predominantly a dad topic so I set out what we are covering and teach it to my wife, which mostly involves reminding with a few new bits.
The topic being covered was genetics specifically base pairs and DNA structure. During planning I had said there is no point having the full names for the A, T, C, G or DNA, that will simply add confusion and he will worry that we expect him to remember it all. This was a mistake.
He wanted to know the full names and my wife went on line to find them, which resulted in a batch of other details confusing what should have been a simple set of information, and my son losing interest as it put what we were saying in doubt.
If I had put that detail in place but stated they were not essential this would have been avoided.
There are subjects where he wouldn't have asked, I should have remembered science was never going to be one of them. No matter how much you think you have planned for, it will never be right every time.
In fairness we are a few years ahead on this topic so it shouldn't have been an issue. Genetics, even at a basic level wouldn't normally be part of education before high school. In fact we looked at a mock GCSE paper and the areas he is covering would have answered almost half of the topic there. The difference interest makes.
English is still fun as he hates writing, and sees no real point to understanding the exact name of different types of words etc. Trying to convince him to persevere is an uphill struggle that we keep rolling back down, but it still has to be done.
Happily Married
Why is this a reason to hate me? If you don't know you are another fortunate person totally happy in their relationship, congratulations and do feel free to tell everyone how wonderful it is and annoy them all the more.
We live in a world of economic free fall, internet dating where married is an option not only selectable by those putting themselves on the site but by those looking for already married partners. Divorce or separation is so much a part of life there are greetings cards and celebrations organised to commemorate them.
There are also many in relationships or marriages they hate who spend most of their time moaning about their partners or trying to spend time away from them.
I remember being happily single and hurt by separation, I never hated others who were luckier. Since being married I have noticed there are many who do. I always got out, or kicked out, of relationships that weren't working so didn't have the envy of others that unhappy relationships breed.
The secret to happy marriage or long term relationship is simple and complex in equal measure, and if you follow what I have done you will likely fail miserably.
How did I get here?
First, I wasn't looking for love. Lust had no future but its present was good enough for me. When I met my then future wife there was no expectation or grand plan.
I was a grade A bar steward and nearly lost her early on by doing so. Don’t do this, it’s stupid. Fortunately she was strong enough to tell me to either behave or leave. I behaved.
We both helped and supported each other. No-one enters a relationship perfect and it is ludicrous to expect this. What you want to be is more important than what you are. If you want the same it can work, if not you will have a long miserable time or separate. Both of us had the same basic aims in life and were willing to work for it.
Patience was another key part, especially on my wife's part. Despite me being a few years her senior I was substantially less mature and needed a few serious kicks in the rear.
Assessing feelings. This shouldn't need prompting, if it does tell the person that you are giving it thought. Don't just go quiet and come back with the answer another time, regardless of the answer the other person will assume the worst. Being out of touch with your feelings is a weakness not strength, it means you can't handle them, no that you have them under control. I know this because when asked a few years in I didn't really know what my feelings were and was too weak to admit it.
Since then I have been very open about my love for my wife and how strongly I feel that she is more than I deserve. I tell her often and evidently have the air of someone who is happily married, as a total stranger used me to prove how easy it was to spot someone who was married, then checked.
I openly acknowledge I have the best person there is for me. She may not be what everyone wants and I sure am not but together we are perfect, that is all that matters.
There have been rough times which have and will strain our relationship. But we know the good times are worth working through everything else for.
So what are usual methods of generating disaster? Below are a few, none of them are absolute but if you are guilty of most the reason you hate people like me is your own stupidity.
Looking for Mr or Mrs Right every time. Never going to happen, as much as anything else because what you have in your mind is unlikely to be your ideal match and interpretation is everything. Friendly and outgoing is one person’s drunk clubber and another's charity worker.
Expecting everything to be perfect. If someone is full of all the right words and buys you lavish gifts. It could be wonderful, alternatively it could be an act and a path to bankruptcy. Look at what you want and how satisfying the whole relationship and direction is. There is nothing wrong with a romantic fling, if you accept it as such, but after a hard day at work you may not want to hoover up the path of rose petals leading to your bedroom, and prefer someone you can have a good moan to.
Inflexibility. If you see the person you are with is willing to work toward the relationship, you have to be willing to do the same, which will mean give and take both ways. Remember you aren't perfect either.
First ship sailing. The first person who says they love you is not automatically the one for you. If you find they aren't learn from the experience and accept this defeat. It is generally better to risk time alone than be eternally unhappy with the wrong person.
Don't go cold. Break ups hurt if serious feeling were invested. The reason they hurt is because of the good times you had in the relationship, keep this factored into the equation. If you find this is not the case and that you are not enjoying relationships where you have invested all of your feelings, see top of this list.
Love is a combination of luck and work, more the latter than the former. The rewards are worth the work and being open to the experience will bring the luck.
It’s easy for me to sit in judgement, I had the luck, put in the work and have a great relationship, which we still work at. I have also seen so many cases where people have evidently been really stupid about their approach or claim how wonderful they are for having been in a marriage for x years, when it's so clear neither have any love for the other and the relationship is pure habit.
We live in a world of economic free fall, internet dating where married is an option not only selectable by those putting themselves on the site but by those looking for already married partners. Divorce or separation is so much a part of life there are greetings cards and celebrations organised to commemorate them.
There are also many in relationships or marriages they hate who spend most of their time moaning about their partners or trying to spend time away from them.
I remember being happily single and hurt by separation, I never hated others who were luckier. Since being married I have noticed there are many who do. I always got out, or kicked out, of relationships that weren't working so didn't have the envy of others that unhappy relationships breed.
The secret to happy marriage or long term relationship is simple and complex in equal measure, and if you follow what I have done you will likely fail miserably.
How did I get here?
First, I wasn't looking for love. Lust had no future but its present was good enough for me. When I met my then future wife there was no expectation or grand plan.
I was a grade A bar steward and nearly lost her early on by doing so. Don’t do this, it’s stupid. Fortunately she was strong enough to tell me to either behave or leave. I behaved.
We both helped and supported each other. No-one enters a relationship perfect and it is ludicrous to expect this. What you want to be is more important than what you are. If you want the same it can work, if not you will have a long miserable time or separate. Both of us had the same basic aims in life and were willing to work for it.
Patience was another key part, especially on my wife's part. Despite me being a few years her senior I was substantially less mature and needed a few serious kicks in the rear.
Assessing feelings. This shouldn't need prompting, if it does tell the person that you are giving it thought. Don't just go quiet and come back with the answer another time, regardless of the answer the other person will assume the worst. Being out of touch with your feelings is a weakness not strength, it means you can't handle them, no that you have them under control. I know this because when asked a few years in I didn't really know what my feelings were and was too weak to admit it.
Since then I have been very open about my love for my wife and how strongly I feel that she is more than I deserve. I tell her often and evidently have the air of someone who is happily married, as a total stranger used me to prove how easy it was to spot someone who was married, then checked.
I openly acknowledge I have the best person there is for me. She may not be what everyone wants and I sure am not but together we are perfect, that is all that matters.
There have been rough times which have and will strain our relationship. But we know the good times are worth working through everything else for.
So what are usual methods of generating disaster? Below are a few, none of them are absolute but if you are guilty of most the reason you hate people like me is your own stupidity.
Looking for Mr or Mrs Right every time. Never going to happen, as much as anything else because what you have in your mind is unlikely to be your ideal match and interpretation is everything. Friendly and outgoing is one person’s drunk clubber and another's charity worker.
Expecting everything to be perfect. If someone is full of all the right words and buys you lavish gifts. It could be wonderful, alternatively it could be an act and a path to bankruptcy. Look at what you want and how satisfying the whole relationship and direction is. There is nothing wrong with a romantic fling, if you accept it as such, but after a hard day at work you may not want to hoover up the path of rose petals leading to your bedroom, and prefer someone you can have a good moan to.
Inflexibility. If you see the person you are with is willing to work toward the relationship, you have to be willing to do the same, which will mean give and take both ways. Remember you aren't perfect either.
First ship sailing. The first person who says they love you is not automatically the one for you. If you find they aren't learn from the experience and accept this defeat. It is generally better to risk time alone than be eternally unhappy with the wrong person.
Don't go cold. Break ups hurt if serious feeling were invested. The reason they hurt is because of the good times you had in the relationship, keep this factored into the equation. If you find this is not the case and that you are not enjoying relationships where you have invested all of your feelings, see top of this list.
Love is a combination of luck and work, more the latter than the former. The rewards are worth the work and being open to the experience will bring the luck.
It’s easy for me to sit in judgement, I had the luck, put in the work and have a great relationship, which we still work at. I have also seen so many cases where people have evidently been really stupid about their approach or claim how wonderful they are for having been in a marriage for x years, when it's so clear neither have any love for the other and the relationship is pure habit.
Commuter cyclist introduction
This is the area that will mark me as one of the most loathed group of people on the planet, commuter cyclists.
Let’s start of by levelling the field a bit. Yes I hate a number of other commuter cyclists too, but I tend to hate brainless cage dwellers equally as much.
The cries I hear about us jumping red lights and not paying road tax are tired and more than a little pointless now. In the UK cars can be on the road paying no road tax and totally legal. If you watch a set of lights there will be cars diving through after they have just changed red when they can, and there is no camera to catch them out.
There are no totally innocent or guilty group on the road and most of the things I hate seeing are as prevalent in all groups.
Negligible observations. There is one thing jumping a light when it is safe and all directions have been checked, it is quite another when someone drives or rides through without even bothering to check. The same goes for not bothering to look before turning, especially when you haven’t signalled, or being polite to your passengers by looking at them while talking rather than the road ahead.
Bullying. Similar to above in some results but different in approach. This is when riders or drivers see there is someone following the rules and forces their way through endangering all around them. Most common is the 4x4, white van man, taxi or toy racer, but there is no group that doesn’t contain bullies. If you went the wrong way or took the wrong lane to cut past traffic and force your way in, congratulations you are a bully and a major cause of road deaths every year.
Them and us. I have been guilty of this and told people that they should trade their cage for something more in keeping with their driving ability, like a bus pass. In reality I have however given cyclists as much grief as car drivers proportionately, when they are out at night in trendy black gear and no lights, I ride past and tell them how stupid they are. There are unfortunately a lot of groups on the road who feel that demonstrating their superiority means being inconsiderate to all others.
There are a few cases when I have known bullying or them and us to have backfired beautifully.
Some years ago a couple of gym buddies of mine had organised shared travel home. Driver was a bit over average size, and the other was over 20 stones (280 pounds, 130kg approx). One journey, the bigger guy was shattered and laid down in the back seat, there was a nice case of bullying with them being carved up on a roundabout. Driver sounded the horn and carver stopped to give the driver what for, as he steamed back to have a go driver got out and the sleeping beauty in the back awoke thinking he must be home. Driver noticed face of carver pale as he watched someone unfolding out of the back rubbing his eyes. He didn’t stick around to find out his opinion.
One biker I knew remembered very clearly someone bullying his way toward a motorway junction from the outside lane, deciding that a biker in the way should simply move aside. His opinion changed when the biker who had just had to avoid potential death pushed a button and was able to produce a pretty light and sound show, only available on undercover police bikes.
One thing to remember when commuting is that we all have the same aim, to get home quickly and safely. Regardless of what vehicle the person is using there is a strong chance of is a family or loved one at home wanting to see them again. Before you do something dangerously stupid try thinking how your family would feel if you were that person and didn’t make it home because of an idiot. If you are too much of a muppet to care consider that in the UK death by dangerous driving carries a maximum 12 years imprisonment and this maximum is used frequently. If you think you have too much to lose with a minimum 6 year absence, like your job, home and virtually everything else, drive or ride with intelligence and integrity.
None of us are innocent and I am far from it. I will be the person you see riding up the middle of two lines of stationary, or close to traffic, ducking through the lights when there is nothing coming the other way and generally doing what I can to avoid stopping without putting others at risk. I also get it wrong on occasions, my observations are among the best because I know I will be coming off worst, and I have years of experience at spotting stupidity ahead. That said I do miss things on rare occasions and can be more aggressive on the road than I should be. I use the principal if in doubt shout so have upset people when unsure if they have seen me, when pointed out I apologise, but I am usually gone before a response can be made so will have wound people up who were actually safe. I ride assuming everyone else is largely useless and am usually wrong because most people are at least competent, however riding this pessimistically has kept me alive and I will not be changing it.
You are of course welcome to post details of your absolute hatred for me and all my kind here. I may even surprise you by agreeing, it has happened before.
One final thing to remember. Virtually all of us consider ourselves to be better than average drivers. By sheer use of statistics this means over half of us are wrong.
The picture is for those in doubt. And yes I really am that ugly.
Let’s start of by levelling the field a bit. Yes I hate a number of other commuter cyclists too, but I tend to hate brainless cage dwellers equally as much.
The cries I hear about us jumping red lights and not paying road tax are tired and more than a little pointless now. In the UK cars can be on the road paying no road tax and totally legal. If you watch a set of lights there will be cars diving through after they have just changed red when they can, and there is no camera to catch them out.
There are no totally innocent or guilty group on the road and most of the things I hate seeing are as prevalent in all groups.
Negligible observations. There is one thing jumping a light when it is safe and all directions have been checked, it is quite another when someone drives or rides through without even bothering to check. The same goes for not bothering to look before turning, especially when you haven’t signalled, or being polite to your passengers by looking at them while talking rather than the road ahead.
Bullying. Similar to above in some results but different in approach. This is when riders or drivers see there is someone following the rules and forces their way through endangering all around them. Most common is the 4x4, white van man, taxi or toy racer, but there is no group that doesn’t contain bullies. If you went the wrong way or took the wrong lane to cut past traffic and force your way in, congratulations you are a bully and a major cause of road deaths every year.
Them and us. I have been guilty of this and told people that they should trade their cage for something more in keeping with their driving ability, like a bus pass. In reality I have however given cyclists as much grief as car drivers proportionately, when they are out at night in trendy black gear and no lights, I ride past and tell them how stupid they are. There are unfortunately a lot of groups on the road who feel that demonstrating their superiority means being inconsiderate to all others.
There are a few cases when I have known bullying or them and us to have backfired beautifully.
Some years ago a couple of gym buddies of mine had organised shared travel home. Driver was a bit over average size, and the other was over 20 stones (280 pounds, 130kg approx). One journey, the bigger guy was shattered and laid down in the back seat, there was a nice case of bullying with them being carved up on a roundabout. Driver sounded the horn and carver stopped to give the driver what for, as he steamed back to have a go driver got out and the sleeping beauty in the back awoke thinking he must be home. Driver noticed face of carver pale as he watched someone unfolding out of the back rubbing his eyes. He didn’t stick around to find out his opinion.
One biker I knew remembered very clearly someone bullying his way toward a motorway junction from the outside lane, deciding that a biker in the way should simply move aside. His opinion changed when the biker who had just had to avoid potential death pushed a button and was able to produce a pretty light and sound show, only available on undercover police bikes.
One thing to remember when commuting is that we all have the same aim, to get home quickly and safely. Regardless of what vehicle the person is using there is a strong chance of is a family or loved one at home wanting to see them again. Before you do something dangerously stupid try thinking how your family would feel if you were that person and didn’t make it home because of an idiot. If you are too much of a muppet to care consider that in the UK death by dangerous driving carries a maximum 12 years imprisonment and this maximum is used frequently. If you think you have too much to lose with a minimum 6 year absence, like your job, home and virtually everything else, drive or ride with intelligence and integrity.
None of us are innocent and I am far from it. I will be the person you see riding up the middle of two lines of stationary, or close to traffic, ducking through the lights when there is nothing coming the other way and generally doing what I can to avoid stopping without putting others at risk. I also get it wrong on occasions, my observations are among the best because I know I will be coming off worst, and I have years of experience at spotting stupidity ahead. That said I do miss things on rare occasions and can be more aggressive on the road than I should be. I use the principal if in doubt shout so have upset people when unsure if they have seen me, when pointed out I apologise, but I am usually gone before a response can be made so will have wound people up who were actually safe. I ride assuming everyone else is largely useless and am usually wrong because most people are at least competent, however riding this pessimistically has kept me alive and I will not be changing it.
One final thing to remember. Virtually all of us consider ourselves to be better than average drivers. By sheer use of statistics this means over half of us are wrong.
The picture is for those in doubt. And yes I really am that ugly.
Epilepsy is a pain in the rear
For something that has its true effect in the brain epilepsy really is a pain in the butt.
Without medication I used to feel a bit tired and more stroppy than normal for a day or so, then have a short seizure, few minutes or even seconds, feel the same for a few more days and then recover. That was when I didn't realise that brain damage I had received from some moron driving on the mobile phone had given me epilepsy.
Now I have the daily impact of medication making me tired and occasionally uncoordinated, and I really hate that. In exchange when I would normally have had a very minor seizure seconds, I feel tired for about a week, and know that this is why. One that would have been a few minutes suddenly becomes a week or so of tired fatigue and sometimes a seizure, other times gradual relief.
As someone who is very active this is a real issue. This time I have lost most of a week’s training and been too uncoordinated to risk cycling to work.
I am hoping to be back to normalish by tonight when I ride home, and definitely by tomorrow when I want to do deadlifts again, a session I had to cut short last week.
The choice I have been faced with and taken here has been decided by having family I love. The medication affects me every day of my life and I hate it, the seizures are infrequent and with one exception haven't been life threatening. So if I didn't have family there as a reason to stay alive I wouldn't take the rubbish I have been prescribed choosing to take my chances with seizures instead. However I have people relying on me and want to see my son grow up, so there is no real choice, I take the meds to avoid the potential of another that could kill me.
Symptomatic epilepsy is unpredictable and I have only had seizures at night, meaning I sleep through most of them. This also means the seizure which started investigations would have killed me as many night-time seizures do, I would have choked on my pillow. Not going to happen now have special pillow which allows me to breath face down, and is as comfortable as a foam brick, I’ve gotten used to it.
There are many things to hate about being epileptic, medication is at the top of my list, anticipation is next. I have to live thinking in terms of what would happen if I had a fit or seizure, this means I will never ride a motorbike again, I have changed the type of cycle I ride, my training is more tame and I generally take less chances, just in case. I am more fortunate than some because I have always felt signs in the build-up, but I cannot absolutely guarantee this warning so live as if there will be none.
I have also made changes to my life to compensate for the problem and the side effects of my medication. These have included trying to keep calm when tired, and dulled by neuro-inhibitors which make you feel less patient, training to be more stable and coordinated to counter the short times when the medication makes my surrounding feel less solid than they are, or literally absent and many others.
Those who give up because of epilepsy get some of my understanding but no sympathy, it is something you can fight back against most of the time, and it is rarely the most serious cases who give up. I have known a few who moan about how horrible it is and that they get seizures every time they forget their meds, sorry if you forget your meds, you are an idiot, my phone is a museum piece but it has alarm functions and these remind me to take them, not difficult in a world were so many of us have phones with us 24/7. Others who drink knowing this makes the medication useless, or who think a minute long seizure is incredibly major. Yes seizures are horrible and to some extent scary, but when it’s over get on with life as much as you can. Life is what you make it and none of us can afford to let one thing destroy it for us, the few I have met with really serious and frequent epilepsy have lived all the more knowing how short theirs could be.
This area will be a rant zone of things I wish wouldn’t happen. There are worse out there, so it’s not woe is me, just my own reflections.
Without medication I used to feel a bit tired and more stroppy than normal for a day or so, then have a short seizure, few minutes or even seconds, feel the same for a few more days and then recover. That was when I didn't realise that brain damage I had received from some moron driving on the mobile phone had given me epilepsy.
Now I have the daily impact of medication making me tired and occasionally uncoordinated, and I really hate that. In exchange when I would normally have had a very minor seizure seconds, I feel tired for about a week, and know that this is why. One that would have been a few minutes suddenly becomes a week or so of tired fatigue and sometimes a seizure, other times gradual relief.
As someone who is very active this is a real issue. This time I have lost most of a week’s training and been too uncoordinated to risk cycling to work.
I am hoping to be back to normalish by tonight when I ride home, and definitely by tomorrow when I want to do deadlifts again, a session I had to cut short last week.
The choice I have been faced with and taken here has been decided by having family I love. The medication affects me every day of my life and I hate it, the seizures are infrequent and with one exception haven't been life threatening. So if I didn't have family there as a reason to stay alive I wouldn't take the rubbish I have been prescribed choosing to take my chances with seizures instead. However I have people relying on me and want to see my son grow up, so there is no real choice, I take the meds to avoid the potential of another that could kill me.
Symptomatic epilepsy is unpredictable and I have only had seizures at night, meaning I sleep through most of them. This also means the seizure which started investigations would have killed me as many night-time seizures do, I would have choked on my pillow. Not going to happen now have special pillow which allows me to breath face down, and is as comfortable as a foam brick, I’ve gotten used to it.
There are many things to hate about being epileptic, medication is at the top of my list, anticipation is next. I have to live thinking in terms of what would happen if I had a fit or seizure, this means I will never ride a motorbike again, I have changed the type of cycle I ride, my training is more tame and I generally take less chances, just in case. I am more fortunate than some because I have always felt signs in the build-up, but I cannot absolutely guarantee this warning so live as if there will be none.
I have also made changes to my life to compensate for the problem and the side effects of my medication. These have included trying to keep calm when tired, and dulled by neuro-inhibitors which make you feel less patient, training to be more stable and coordinated to counter the short times when the medication makes my surrounding feel less solid than they are, or literally absent and many others.
Those who give up because of epilepsy get some of my understanding but no sympathy, it is something you can fight back against most of the time, and it is rarely the most serious cases who give up. I have known a few who moan about how horrible it is and that they get seizures every time they forget their meds, sorry if you forget your meds, you are an idiot, my phone is a museum piece but it has alarm functions and these remind me to take them, not difficult in a world were so many of us have phones with us 24/7. Others who drink knowing this makes the medication useless, or who think a minute long seizure is incredibly major. Yes seizures are horrible and to some extent scary, but when it’s over get on with life as much as you can. Life is what you make it and none of us can afford to let one thing destroy it for us, the few I have met with really serious and frequent epilepsy have lived all the more knowing how short theirs could be.
This area will be a rant zone of things I wish wouldn’t happen. There are worse out there, so it’s not woe is me, just my own reflections.
24 January 2013
24 Jan 2013 Deadlift
Deadlift session 455
Deadlift 150kg
Single arm deadlift using cable and kettle bell for handle 82kg
Not a good week, another session ending early, this time sheer fatigue.
Going to call that a week and hope the reason isn't an upcoming seizure as is too often the case.
Deadlift 150kg
Single arm deadlift using cable and kettle bell for handle 82kg
Not a good week, another session ending early, this time sheer fatigue.
Going to call that a week and hope the reason isn't an upcoming seizure as is too often the case.
23 January 2013
Rough With The Smooth (Home Ed)
There are many benefits to 1 to 1 education, the main being the ability to absolutely tailor the lessons to the student and be flexible on good and bad days.
For those of you thinking that this makes life easier, think again. There are definite challenges to teaching groups, but one child can still throw the odd spanner in the works, and not always as you would expect.
Never underestimate children. Many think children are somehow dim-witted and only learn what they are taught. They will assume that when a documentary pitched for adults is on TV a pre high school child would be bored or confused by this and not pay attention. I know my son is brilliant and am used to having basic curriculum covering 10% of the lessons at most and build up the rest myself, however I was still guilty of the above.
His current science topic is life cycles. We had the details needing to be covered in the curriculum, gave him the books for that term, done in 1 lesson with a bit of time to spare, including questions and a few fun bits. I decided it could be interesting to see how he coped with a bit of very high level genetics, something schools wouldn't be covering with him for a few years yet, especially as part of it was looking at how butterflies have 2 sets for their seperate life stages. Lesson was planned, estimated time 1 hour 20 minutes, and my wife started the lesson. 20 minutes later I get an email, the entire lesson is done, he knows about DNA and was able to describe the double helix shape and that it contains the instructions on how to build a body. Easily figured out how butterflies would cope with having 2 different body forms, and only surprised by the fact there was DNA in every cell not just one of few in control. He learned a few things but most was him figuring things out not having to be taught.
Be careful how you encourage. I should know this better than most. One thing that rings in my ears from not doing well early PE lessons 'Don't worry, you can't be good at everything.' Intended to make me accept academic prowess should compensate for not compliment physical ability. Reality is it made me think I would never be fit, and I have hated and fought against this most of my adult life.
My son is a perfectionist, liking everything to be right first time, and of course wants to be the best. I told him that he can be good at anything he sets his mind to but no-one can be the best at everything. It would be better to compete with himself than compare to the best at everything and feel disheartened. Supportive and encouraging was the aim, and he seemed relatively happy with the idea especially when I said it was how I am. He is his own person no question, but he is still my son, and unforgiving of himself. A few weeks later he was unhappy at himself again and when I asked why 'I have been able to do this for weeks now, I should be better by now.' not easy to criticise when you see your own behaviour.
Unfortunately you aren't permitted to throttle incompetent teachers.
There were some really great teachers at my son's old school. One I had my doubts about and was proven wrong, being honest I told her and regard her as the best thing that school has ever had.
To my mind the worst teachers puts blame on their students, especially when parents or professionals have told them what needs to be done and they are too lazy to do so. Finding out that your child was literally too scared of them to talk to you about it when under their care makes the blood boil.
As a home tutor you will have to deal with the wreckage they leave behind which can be a child who is ahead of the game and still been told they are not good enough and failing. If a teacher is saying their class is failing, it's fairly obvious that there is only one common denominator, and it's them.
There is an expression, those who can do, those who can't teach. This is very unfair in a number of cases and I do remember some great teachers from my youth who worked hard and I learnt a lot from. They were all aware that knowing the content of the books doesn't make you a teacher, being able to put the knowledge across clearly in a way that would be retained does. Unfortunately there are a number who go to this profession when life after university isn't as easy as they expected it to be and they want a way to get rid of student debt. I am not implying they are the majority and even some of these strive to do the job well. Unfortunately there is a core group who never get over life not being handed to them on a big enough silver platter and these few are generally the worst teachers you could imagine.
For those of you thinking that this makes life easier, think again. There are definite challenges to teaching groups, but one child can still throw the odd spanner in the works, and not always as you would expect.
Never underestimate children. Many think children are somehow dim-witted and only learn what they are taught. They will assume that when a documentary pitched for adults is on TV a pre high school child would be bored or confused by this and not pay attention. I know my son is brilliant and am used to having basic curriculum covering 10% of the lessons at most and build up the rest myself, however I was still guilty of the above.
His current science topic is life cycles. We had the details needing to be covered in the curriculum, gave him the books for that term, done in 1 lesson with a bit of time to spare, including questions and a few fun bits. I decided it could be interesting to see how he coped with a bit of very high level genetics, something schools wouldn't be covering with him for a few years yet, especially as part of it was looking at how butterflies have 2 sets for their seperate life stages. Lesson was planned, estimated time 1 hour 20 minutes, and my wife started the lesson. 20 minutes later I get an email, the entire lesson is done, he knows about DNA and was able to describe the double helix shape and that it contains the instructions on how to build a body. Easily figured out how butterflies would cope with having 2 different body forms, and only surprised by the fact there was DNA in every cell not just one of few in control. He learned a few things but most was him figuring things out not having to be taught.
Be careful how you encourage. I should know this better than most. One thing that rings in my ears from not doing well early PE lessons 'Don't worry, you can't be good at everything.' Intended to make me accept academic prowess should compensate for not compliment physical ability. Reality is it made me think I would never be fit, and I have hated and fought against this most of my adult life.
My son is a perfectionist, liking everything to be right first time, and of course wants to be the best. I told him that he can be good at anything he sets his mind to but no-one can be the best at everything. It would be better to compete with himself than compare to the best at everything and feel disheartened. Supportive and encouraging was the aim, and he seemed relatively happy with the idea especially when I said it was how I am. He is his own person no question, but he is still my son, and unforgiving of himself. A few weeks later he was unhappy at himself again and when I asked why 'I have been able to do this for weeks now, I should be better by now.' not easy to criticise when you see your own behaviour.
Unfortunately you aren't permitted to throttle incompetent teachers.
There were some really great teachers at my son's old school. One I had my doubts about and was proven wrong, being honest I told her and regard her as the best thing that school has ever had.
To my mind the worst teachers puts blame on their students, especially when parents or professionals have told them what needs to be done and they are too lazy to do so. Finding out that your child was literally too scared of them to talk to you about it when under their care makes the blood boil.
As a home tutor you will have to deal with the wreckage they leave behind which can be a child who is ahead of the game and still been told they are not good enough and failing. If a teacher is saying their class is failing, it's fairly obvious that there is only one common denominator, and it's them.
There is an expression, those who can do, those who can't teach. This is very unfair in a number of cases and I do remember some great teachers from my youth who worked hard and I learnt a lot from. They were all aware that knowing the content of the books doesn't make you a teacher, being able to put the knowledge across clearly in a way that would be retained does. Unfortunately there are a number who go to this profession when life after university isn't as easy as they expected it to be and they want a way to get rid of student debt. I am not implying they are the majority and even some of these strive to do the job well. Unfortunately there is a core group who never get over life not being handed to them on a big enough silver platter and these few are generally the worst teachers you could imagine.
Background to why (Home Ed)
I am a big fan of education and believe it is the way forward for anyone. As such we enrolled our son in an independent school in the hope of enhancing his school experience and future potential. This may not seem like a big deal to some until you consider his school fees were more than our mortgage when he was there, this was not something we took lightly.
Independent schools are a luxury which felt the squeeze of the economic downturn. Meaning fees went up while quality of service dropped immensely. When they found my son's brilliance came at a cost, that meant them having to do more work for their money, we became unwelcome. The schools in our area aim for average and fall well short, I went to some like those, so know if you have a working brain in one of them you either let it wither and die, or get into a lot of trouble. Mine didn't die, and I don't want my son going the same way.
My son is Asperger's meaning he struggles in social situations but as with many similar is academically brilliant absorbing knowledge at a rate rarely seen. In school breaks and lunches are like having his worst topic 3 times a day, and he would be recovering from one, worrying about another, or in the biggest nightmare of his daily life, unstructured play. We have decided to home school, not a cheap option as it meant losing one income and still spending on equipment and resources for his education. But he's worth it
I have experience in adult education so am good at lesson planning, and have a very lateral mind meaning I am able to take the curriculum we use as starting point and add to it in ways that mean he will enjoy it and learn far more than most would need to in school. However I am not good enough at dealing with my son to be his teacher, fortunately my wife is. This presents an additional challenge when we are teaching areas my wife remembers little of, as she has to learn it before teaching it. However the music, art and creative work that many home schooling struggle with are her forte and he is learning these well, all in all his education is well rounded.
This means a lot of our time and energy goes into planning ever more advanced lessons for our son, who always wants to be learning more and gets bored with revision incredibly fast. In fairness when revising things he has forgotten it is accepted but he has yet to learn good grace when he has fully retained it first time.
There are a number of home educators who seem to have gone this route to skip parts they don't approve of, like or agree in. Some for social or religious reasons others I can only assume out of desire to increase ignorance. We are not in this group and teach everything, whether or not we like or agree in it, even when we know it will upset our son. The world is not pleasant and simple throughout and the reward for ignorance is limitation and isolation, not something any parent should want for their child. Others will disagree, as is their right, but I want my son to make his own decisions and am glad to say he is growing up different to my wife and I in many ways meaning he is becoming himself. I don't like all of his personality traits, but I don't like all of mine, so that's good.
We invited our local education authority to assess us annually. They visited once and were blown away, we haven't seen them since. They are not remotely helpful regarding resources etc. so it wasn't upsetting, just annoying that they haven't done as agreed. Many seem to want to fight the authorities, not sure why as all they need to see is that you are providing an education for your children and if you choose to home school that is the least people should expect of you.
This has been going on for almost 2 years now and we have made a few errors, but he is ahead of the standard required at his age, in some cases by a long way. Socially he is behind as expected but we work with this as much as possible and most meeting him don't see the issues unless we go over time. Basically he is learning how to behave and keeping himself in line for the times he has planned, but going beyond that will sometimes mean he is worn out from the effort and this can get difficult. My wife deals with him daily so is as used to this as possible, but anyone who has seen children with AS will know it's heart-breaking to watch when they can no longer cope.
There will be some things on here showing how well he is doing. It will not have report cards, just a few moments of pride and innocent amusement. If you want to know more about what we do etc. please ask. If it involves personal information I will often refuse, but guidance, support or good humour we'll be there.
Independent schools are a luxury which felt the squeeze of the economic downturn. Meaning fees went up while quality of service dropped immensely. When they found my son's brilliance came at a cost, that meant them having to do more work for their money, we became unwelcome. The schools in our area aim for average and fall well short, I went to some like those, so know if you have a working brain in one of them you either let it wither and die, or get into a lot of trouble. Mine didn't die, and I don't want my son going the same way.
My son is Asperger's meaning he struggles in social situations but as with many similar is academically brilliant absorbing knowledge at a rate rarely seen. In school breaks and lunches are like having his worst topic 3 times a day, and he would be recovering from one, worrying about another, or in the biggest nightmare of his daily life, unstructured play. We have decided to home school, not a cheap option as it meant losing one income and still spending on equipment and resources for his education. But he's worth it
I have experience in adult education so am good at lesson planning, and have a very lateral mind meaning I am able to take the curriculum we use as starting point and add to it in ways that mean he will enjoy it and learn far more than most would need to in school. However I am not good enough at dealing with my son to be his teacher, fortunately my wife is. This presents an additional challenge when we are teaching areas my wife remembers little of, as she has to learn it before teaching it. However the music, art and creative work that many home schooling struggle with are her forte and he is learning these well, all in all his education is well rounded.
This means a lot of our time and energy goes into planning ever more advanced lessons for our son, who always wants to be learning more and gets bored with revision incredibly fast. In fairness when revising things he has forgotten it is accepted but he has yet to learn good grace when he has fully retained it first time.
There are a number of home educators who seem to have gone this route to skip parts they don't approve of, like or agree in. Some for social or religious reasons others I can only assume out of desire to increase ignorance. We are not in this group and teach everything, whether or not we like or agree in it, even when we know it will upset our son. The world is not pleasant and simple throughout and the reward for ignorance is limitation and isolation, not something any parent should want for their child. Others will disagree, as is their right, but I want my son to make his own decisions and am glad to say he is growing up different to my wife and I in many ways meaning he is becoming himself. I don't like all of his personality traits, but I don't like all of mine, so that's good.
We invited our local education authority to assess us annually. They visited once and were blown away, we haven't seen them since. They are not remotely helpful regarding resources etc. so it wasn't upsetting, just annoying that they haven't done as agreed. Many seem to want to fight the authorities, not sure why as all they need to see is that you are providing an education for your children and if you choose to home school that is the least people should expect of you.
This has been going on for almost 2 years now and we have made a few errors, but he is ahead of the standard required at his age, in some cases by a long way. Socially he is behind as expected but we work with this as much as possible and most meeting him don't see the issues unless we go over time. Basically he is learning how to behave and keeping himself in line for the times he has planned, but going beyond that will sometimes mean he is worn out from the effort and this can get difficult. My wife deals with him daily so is as used to this as possible, but anyone who has seen children with AS will know it's heart-breaking to watch when they can no longer cope.
There will be some things on here showing how well he is doing. It will not have report cards, just a few moments of pride and innocent amusement. If you want to know more about what we do etc. please ask. If it involves personal information I will often refuse, but guidance, support or good humour we'll be there.
22 Jan 2013 Bench
Bench press session 555 ended up 355
Bench press with pause Rack up 4 holder up+3 75kg
Kettle clean and press 20kg, attempted 24kg on alternates but had to drop to 20
Incline press with pause 45 degree rack up 8 start at bottom of press 60kg
Started session late and there is no safe way to do suspension work when I have taken evening meds so had to stop there. I do hate epilepsy.
Bench press with pause Rack up 4 holder up+3 75kg
Kettle clean and press 20kg, attempted 24kg on alternates but had to drop to 20
Incline press with pause 45 degree rack up 8 start at bottom of press 60kg
Started session late and there is no safe way to do suspension work when I have taken evening meds so had to stop there. I do hate epilepsy.
22 January 2013
Running in the snow
Those living in the UK will have noticed an abundance of fluffy white stuff that has come to settle and generally cause disruption. For those of us used to running and cycling we get a choice.
Do we ride on the road with a bunch of people who have cleared virtually no snow from their windows, and will be driving even more erratically and less attentively than ever, or do we run? When it comes to avoiding wheel spin and morons in cages, there is no substitute for running.
Armed with some snowtrax to give me grip on the ice and an insane desire to prove no weather stops me I have been able to get in and back from work without issue. The limiting factor being how much I am still aching from the squat workout on Sunday.
It can be very amusing to watch the different approaches of drivers in bad weather. One in an old sports car with hideous aftermarket spoiler trying desperately to drive fast and succeeding only in spinning his wheels and traveling barely faster than me, 8mph average in good weather, don't know that day, on a flat section of road. Same patch another driver being more cautious and I overtook them, of the two far less ridiculous and once got to clear road they were gone.
Do we ride on the road with a bunch of people who have cleared virtually no snow from their windows, and will be driving even more erratically and less attentively than ever, or do we run? When it comes to avoiding wheel spin and morons in cages, there is no substitute for running.
Armed with some snowtrax to give me grip on the ice and an insane desire to prove no weather stops me I have been able to get in and back from work without issue. The limiting factor being how much I am still aching from the squat workout on Sunday.
It can be very amusing to watch the different approaches of drivers in bad weather. One in an old sports car with hideous aftermarket spoiler trying desperately to drive fast and succeeding only in spinning his wheels and traveling barely faster than me, 8mph average in good weather, don't know that day, on a flat section of road. Same patch another driver being more cautious and I overtook them, of the two far less ridiculous and once got to clear road they were gone.
20 Jan 2013 Squat
Squat session 455
Squats parrelel with knee wraps rack down 4 catchers down 6 140kg
Front Squats 100kg
Step forward lunges holding weights 25kg a side
Deep goblet squat jumps 32kg May change to with bar as that is heaviest kettle.
Squats parrelel with knee wraps rack down 4 catchers down 6 140kg
Front Squats 100kg
Step forward lunges holding weights 25kg a side
Deep goblet squat jumps 32kg May change to with bar as that is heaviest kettle.
17 Jan 2013 Deadlift
Deadlift session 455
Deadlift 147.5kg
Single arm deadlift using cable and kettle bell for handle 82kg
Stiff leg deadlift on bosu 100kg
Upright row kettlebell 32kg Will change to using bar or cable
Deadlift 147.5kg
Single arm deadlift using cable and kettle bell for handle 82kg
Stiff leg deadlift on bosu 100kg
Upright row kettlebell 32kg Will change to using bar or cable
15 Jan 2013 Bench
Bench press session 555
Bench press with pause Rack up 4 holder up+3 72.5kg
Kettle clean and press 20kg
Incline press with pause 45 degree rack up 8 start at bottom of press 52.5kg
Dips on suspension trainer with pin and very little assistance, straps hand length before loops
Drop through press ups on suspension trainer without pin suspension trainer straps hand length above floor
Bench press with pause Rack up 4 holder up+3 72.5kg
Kettle clean and press 20kg
Incline press with pause 45 degree rack up 8 start at bottom of press 52.5kg
Dips on suspension trainer with pin and very little assistance, straps hand length before loops
Drop through press ups on suspension trainer without pin suspension trainer straps hand length above floor
13 Jan 2013 Squat
Squat session 455
Squats parrelel with knee wraps rack down 4 catchers down 6 140kg
Front Squats 100kg
Step forward lunges holding weights 20kg a side
Deep goblet squat jumps 24kg Balance not up to pistols at this point.
Squats parrelel with knee wraps rack down 4 catchers down 6 140kg
Front Squats 100kg
Step forward lunges holding weights 20kg a side
Deep goblet squat jumps 24kg Balance not up to pistols at this point.
11 Jan 2013 Deadlift
Deadlift session 455 not realistic to do 5 exercises on this time scale. Deadlifts require more recovery time. I really want to retire.
Deadlift 145kg
Single arm deadlift using cable and handweight for handle70kg
Stiff leg deadlift on bosu 100kg
Upright row kettlebell 32kg maybe next time, too shattered today.
Deadlift 145kg
Single arm deadlift using cable and handweight for handle70kg
Stiff leg deadlift on bosu 100kg
Upright row kettlebell 32kg maybe next time, too shattered today.
09 Jan 2013 Bench
Bench press session 555 2 week break from training, holiday was ace, and not fully familiar with my exercises, low risk methinks
Bench press with pause Rack up 4 holder up+3 70kg
Alternate kettle clean and press 20kg
Incline press with pause 45 degree rack up 8 start at bottom of press 50kg
Dips on suspension trainer with pin and assistance, thias thing is a lot harder than I expected
Drop through press ups on suspension trainer without pin suspension trainer straps hand length before loops
Bench press with pause Rack up 4 holder up+3 70kg
Alternate kettle clean and press 20kg
Incline press with pause 45 degree rack up 8 start at bottom of press 50kg
Dips on suspension trainer with pin and assistance, thias thing is a lot harder than I expected
Drop through press ups on suspension trainer without pin suspension trainer straps hand length before loops
January 2013 Concept
The first few of these are historic as I am copying and pasting them from a forum I was using.
The below was what I planned to do in my gym at home. This is to accompany my commuting which consists of at least one day a week running in and back and the others usually cycling. The commute is roughly 5 miles. I keep thinking I will start timing it properly and never do.
OK I have decided to go for 555s after the Christmas break. A few reasons, one not done them in years, another being that going to 1RM after two weeks of relatively little training which will be me over Christmas and new year, would be more than a little silly.
Proper 555s and why I won't be doing them quite right. 5 exercises, 5 sets, 5 reps per set, though 4 is acceptable on a very few. Raw power work, great conditioning for powerlifters and other pure strength athletes. Sets are short rests are long, sessions are epic. Last time I did them was pre wife and son and the average time per session was well over two hours not including warm up and cool down. the idea is that you should return to the bar fresh every set so the last set on last exercise should be with your body feeling far more fresh than the session would with short rests, a real physical challenge from start to finish. If I did this now I would get serious and deserved grief from my wife and son, so I won't.
Real terms I have around an hour per session, so on the latter 2 exercises I will be tired out and have to accept below par performance in the name of getting the session done. 60 minutes / 5 = 12 minutes per exercise, possible 2 minutes each for set up, leaves 2 minutes per set with rest, under half what serious trainers doing this take. The sessions will be harder mentally this way than standard because of motivating myself to get up and go again when I know I should be resting.
The sessions
Deadlift session
Deadlift
Single arm deadlift using cable and short bar
Stiff leg deadlift on bosu
Upright row Wide grip chins with weight
Bench press session
Bench press
Alternate kettle clean and jerk
Incline press 45 degree
Weighted dips on suspension trainer with pin
Drop through press ups on suspension trainer without pin possibly weighted
Squat session
Squats
Front Squats
Step forward lunges holding weights
Pistol goblet squats, will try these while on holiday
Squat jumps
The below was what I planned to do in my gym at home. This is to accompany my commuting which consists of at least one day a week running in and back and the others usually cycling. The commute is roughly 5 miles. I keep thinking I will start timing it properly and never do.
OK I have decided to go for 555s after the Christmas break. A few reasons, one not done them in years, another being that going to 1RM after two weeks of relatively little training which will be me over Christmas and new year, would be more than a little silly.
Proper 555s and why I won't be doing them quite right. 5 exercises, 5 sets, 5 reps per set, though 4 is acceptable on a very few. Raw power work, great conditioning for powerlifters and other pure strength athletes. Sets are short rests are long, sessions are epic. Last time I did them was pre wife and son and the average time per session was well over two hours not including warm up and cool down. the idea is that you should return to the bar fresh every set so the last set on last exercise should be with your body feeling far more fresh than the session would with short rests, a real physical challenge from start to finish. If I did this now I would get serious and deserved grief from my wife and son, so I won't.
Real terms I have around an hour per session, so on the latter 2 exercises I will be tired out and have to accept below par performance in the name of getting the session done. 60 minutes / 5 = 12 minutes per exercise, possible 2 minutes each for set up, leaves 2 minutes per set with rest, under half what serious trainers doing this take. The sessions will be harder mentally this way than standard because of motivating myself to get up and go again when I know I should be resting.
The sessions
Deadlift session
Deadlift
Single arm deadlift using cable and short bar
Stiff leg deadlift on bosu
Upright row Wide grip chins with weight
Bench press session
Bench press
Alternate kettle clean and jerk
Incline press 45 degree
Weighted dips on suspension trainer with pin
Drop through press ups on suspension trainer without pin possibly weighted
Squat session
Squats
Front Squats
Step forward lunges holding weights
Pistol goblet squats, will try these while on holiday
Squat jumps
Random stupidity from my past
Sometimes our purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others and that is nothing to be ashamed of. Some of the greatest moments in my life have come from doing something stupid or just purely for the hell of it.
Those thinking age brings wisdom, I can tell you now it doesn't. It brings experience and knowledge if you are open to both. However knowing that something is stupid and has been a bad idea in the past doesn't mean you won't do it again and it often shouldn't.
There is an expression, don't test the water with both feet, but sometimes we see no choice. I remember being in a particularly hot mountain valley beside a beautifully clear stream with a sheer drop into it. Many around me were wet from swimming leading me to assume the stream would be a good way to cool off. Seeing no way to get in steadily, I plunged in and with effort got straight back out, having felt slithers of ice brushing past me. The onlookers I thought must be insanely tough found this highly amusing and informed me this was water straight of the mountain and nearby glacier, so great for drinking but not advised for swimming in. There was a pool dug out of the rock half a mile away, filled by a stream that meandered its way down and was comfortably warm in summer, which everyone else had been using.
I like my training and have done as many stupid things in the name of trying to get fitter than most of the rest of my life combined. My belief in my own ability is ludicrously high and my desire to be better means I will push beyond the point of sanity most weeks. Meaning I fail frequently and sometimes ridiculously.
As with anyone training I always want one more rep, or disc. Most of the time this obsession yields steady results, there are of course exceptions. Plyometric exercise is all about elastic strength and one activity I decided to do was jump over a step stack then rebound jump as far as I could, making the initial jump pure prep. Last set last rep, too tired to realise I didn’t have the strength left. First jump, no half measure brushing the stack, hit it with both feet sending it tumbling and giving me an uncomfortable space to land on.
Of course this minor mishap could have gone totally un-noticed, but as I stood up there were at least 30 people looking at me either concerned, concealing laughter or not bothering to conceal. A quick bow and tidy up reassured all that I was as OK as I get and not worried about being a momentary laughing stock.
There are activities that go well together and others which don't. When you are used to being able to stop on a bicycle with feet clipped in and simply balance while waiting at lights riding home from ballet can be amusing. Ballet is an activity where your toes are most often facing to the side, so totally different to normal stance or pedalling position. Riding home, I stopped, in my mind I was perfectly placed to simply sit and balance as always, in my body however I wasn't and without as much as a wobble, simply fell over in a heap.
If you think this is the limit of my stupidity, you don't know me at all. This is to show that I believe in being able to laugh at myself as well as others, and am aware of how often I have made that possible.
There will be more of this type of thing in due course.
Those thinking age brings wisdom, I can tell you now it doesn't. It brings experience and knowledge if you are open to both. However knowing that something is stupid and has been a bad idea in the past doesn't mean you won't do it again and it often shouldn't.
There is an expression, don't test the water with both feet, but sometimes we see no choice. I remember being in a particularly hot mountain valley beside a beautifully clear stream with a sheer drop into it. Many around me were wet from swimming leading me to assume the stream would be a good way to cool off. Seeing no way to get in steadily, I plunged in and with effort got straight back out, having felt slithers of ice brushing past me. The onlookers I thought must be insanely tough found this highly amusing and informed me this was water straight of the mountain and nearby glacier, so great for drinking but not advised for swimming in. There was a pool dug out of the rock half a mile away, filled by a stream that meandered its way down and was comfortably warm in summer, which everyone else had been using.
I like my training and have done as many stupid things in the name of trying to get fitter than most of the rest of my life combined. My belief in my own ability is ludicrously high and my desire to be better means I will push beyond the point of sanity most weeks. Meaning I fail frequently and sometimes ridiculously.
As with anyone training I always want one more rep, or disc. Most of the time this obsession yields steady results, there are of course exceptions. Plyometric exercise is all about elastic strength and one activity I decided to do was jump over a step stack then rebound jump as far as I could, making the initial jump pure prep. Last set last rep, too tired to realise I didn’t have the strength left. First jump, no half measure brushing the stack, hit it with both feet sending it tumbling and giving me an uncomfortable space to land on.
Of course this minor mishap could have gone totally un-noticed, but as I stood up there were at least 30 people looking at me either concerned, concealing laughter or not bothering to conceal. A quick bow and tidy up reassured all that I was as OK as I get and not worried about being a momentary laughing stock.
There are activities that go well together and others which don't. When you are used to being able to stop on a bicycle with feet clipped in and simply balance while waiting at lights riding home from ballet can be amusing. Ballet is an activity where your toes are most often facing to the side, so totally different to normal stance or pedalling position. Riding home, I stopped, in my mind I was perfectly placed to simply sit and balance as always, in my body however I wasn't and without as much as a wobble, simply fell over in a heap.
If you think this is the limit of my stupidity, you don't know me at all. This is to show that I believe in being able to laugh at myself as well as others, and am aware of how often I have made that possible.
There will be more of this type of thing in due course.
About the Blogger (the serious stuff)
OK this is post number 1 and the first time I have ever tried a blog. Nothing strange about that unless you consider that for over a year of my working life I was administering several of them and have read hundreds for work and personal learning.
I always stuck to the idea of work in the virtual and live in reality, but the edges have become blurred and I have decided to have some of my life on line.
I am what some might call an ugly duckling. I grew up very unpopular, scrawny with the NHS issue glasses guaranteed to make you a good runner or subject to repeated beatings. I dropped out of the local scene for some time, came back more confident, wearing contacts and joined a gym. Result was popularity I wasn't used to and abused horrendously, so when I say popularity is over-rated, I am not always kidding.
I have far more now than I deserve. My wife took on someone in need of serious help and work and accepted the challenge. Now I am back to being predominantly unpopular, and far happier, my wife and son are amazing and I have limited time for others anyway.
If you are with an ugly duckling, they will cause you a lot of pain. However there is a strong chance of a decent person residing within. If you don't want the work and grief back away.
If you doubt my credentials of being a boring old man consider the following. I have been involved in 'functional' fitness for several years, so I am less pretty than people on easier training. My idea of relaxing TV is astrophysics, geology, history, evolution, medicine, genetics, various sciences and other similarly exciting stuff. I love learning and this means I am very happy to be proven wrong repeatedly then re-adjusting everything I thought I knew.
Life is about priorities and regardless of how long some periods can feel, it isn't indefinite. As such my priorities in life are in the order below.
Wife and son. Though I would say they see this less than I would like to show it.
Work, unfortunately, due to the need to provide for wife and son.
Training, and this takes many forms from running or cycling to commute to weights and a range of really stupid stuff. This is often accompanied by listening to heavy metal and is my main selfish pleasure.
Writing. I enjoy writing and have a couple of unfinished novels, not saying they are any good but I have enjoyed writing them.
Relaxing. The rarest of my pastimes and one I need more practice at.
DIY. Hate it with an all-consuming passion but it has to be done and I am often the only one to do it.
I like history but my own is something I am not largely proud of so there will be huge gaps on my blog regarding my past. There is a chance that my son could end up reading these pages and much as he knows I wasn't always the person I am now, he doesn't need detail.
I am by contrast proud of what I have become, with a lot of help and hard work. I am hard on myself and those around me making me hard to live with but also someone who has achieved beyond expectations on many occasions.
I am not a person who makes many allowances, seeing weaknesses as something to overcome or turn to a strength, a characteristic I have instilled into my son and enhanced in my wife they have becoming as hard on themselves as I am on any of us. The good side to this is we all do well at things people told us we wouldn't or can't. The negative is we upset each other on many occasions, we're working on reducing this.
I will always be a work in progress, wanting to be smarter, fitter, better in many ways. My mantra is a Henry Ford quote 'If you think you can, or if you think you can't, you're probably right.' The cost of this has been a number of injuries when younger and a great deal of intolerance for those who give up at the first hurdle. We all get told there are things we can't do, some are correct, like unaided flight, most aren't if you are willing to work hard enough.
I always stuck to the idea of work in the virtual and live in reality, but the edges have become blurred and I have decided to have some of my life on line.
I am what some might call an ugly duckling. I grew up very unpopular, scrawny with the NHS issue glasses guaranteed to make you a good runner or subject to repeated beatings. I dropped out of the local scene for some time, came back more confident, wearing contacts and joined a gym. Result was popularity I wasn't used to and abused horrendously, so when I say popularity is over-rated, I am not always kidding.
I have far more now than I deserve. My wife took on someone in need of serious help and work and accepted the challenge. Now I am back to being predominantly unpopular, and far happier, my wife and son are amazing and I have limited time for others anyway.
If you are with an ugly duckling, they will cause you a lot of pain. However there is a strong chance of a decent person residing within. If you don't want the work and grief back away.
If you doubt my credentials of being a boring old man consider the following. I have been involved in 'functional' fitness for several years, so I am less pretty than people on easier training. My idea of relaxing TV is astrophysics, geology, history, evolution, medicine, genetics, various sciences and other similarly exciting stuff. I love learning and this means I am very happy to be proven wrong repeatedly then re-adjusting everything I thought I knew.
Life is about priorities and regardless of how long some periods can feel, it isn't indefinite. As such my priorities in life are in the order below.
Wife and son. Though I would say they see this less than I would like to show it.
Work, unfortunately, due to the need to provide for wife and son.
Training, and this takes many forms from running or cycling to commute to weights and a range of really stupid stuff. This is often accompanied by listening to heavy metal and is my main selfish pleasure.
Writing. I enjoy writing and have a couple of unfinished novels, not saying they are any good but I have enjoyed writing them.
Relaxing. The rarest of my pastimes and one I need more practice at.
DIY. Hate it with an all-consuming passion but it has to be done and I am often the only one to do it.
I like history but my own is something I am not largely proud of so there will be huge gaps on my blog regarding my past. There is a chance that my son could end up reading these pages and much as he knows I wasn't always the person I am now, he doesn't need detail.
I am by contrast proud of what I have become, with a lot of help and hard work. I am hard on myself and those around me making me hard to live with but also someone who has achieved beyond expectations on many occasions.
I am not a person who makes many allowances, seeing weaknesses as something to overcome or turn to a strength, a characteristic I have instilled into my son and enhanced in my wife they have becoming as hard on themselves as I am on any of us. The good side to this is we all do well at things people told us we wouldn't or can't. The negative is we upset each other on many occasions, we're working on reducing this.
I will always be a work in progress, wanting to be smarter, fitter, better in many ways. My mantra is a Henry Ford quote 'If you think you can, or if you think you can't, you're probably right.' The cost of this has been a number of injuries when younger and a great deal of intolerance for those who give up at the first hurdle. We all get told there are things we can't do, some are correct, like unaided flight, most aren't if you are willing to work hard enough.
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