This is Part II of a series of four essays for this blog. If you have not read Part I, please click here. I will be busy relocating my business and traveling overseas during the next few weeks. Please check back in early June for Part III of this series. ________________________________________________________ Home Studio As a… [Read more…]
April 23, 2012
This is the first of what will be an ongoing series of essays for this blog. I first wrote the essay below, Part I, over a year and a half ago. After sharing it with several friends, I was advised by them not to publish it to the web — that I would someday regret doing… [Read more…]
April 14, 2012
Nothing fitness related this week. Working on several new fitness related essays for later this month, and for May. In the meantime there is this from my personal journal, written last weekend. Daze Of The Week There are seven days in a week. Though each day can be similar to the day before, the… [Read more…]
March 31, 2012
My Three Theories I call it Rachel Theory, and I began developing it in the 8th grade. Simply put, Rachel Theory suggests that there’s no such thing as an ugly Rachel. I’m 50 years old and to this day I have yet to lay eyes on a Rachel who isn’t beautiful, or at least pretty. … [Read more…]
March 18, 2012
The Learning Of Art I struck up a conversation with an acquaintance while in town shopping for produce the other day. In ten minutes the conversation went from spinach to politics, to religion, finally segueing into art. I had not known he was an artist. I asked what media he worked in; oils, pastels, water… [Read more…]
February 29, 2012
When They’re Hot They’re Hot My head turns too easily when I see them these days. At this stage of middle age, I’m beyond the point of being able to control it. I fall, if only for a moment, with every single one I look at. The blonde ones, the ones with red on top,… [Read more…]
February 16, 2012
I Skipped A Month I train with weights 3-4 days per week. I commute by bicycle, 30 minutes each way, to and from work 6-7 days per week. Despite this, once per week I do a 3-5 mile run in town or on my treadmill – to keep my running legs in shape. On top… [Read more…]
February 1, 2012
I am flying through life, in a flight path sandwiched between two other aircraft flying in opposite directions. Each one, being piloted by two amazing flight instructors… The Landing I just had the last face to face conversation I will ever have with my father. He’ll be on hospice soon and though I’m not sure… [Read more…]
January 20, 2012
I Want My Spine, I Want My Orange Crush In my 8th grade year, 1977, I began the decades long process of suffering through four Super Bowl losses with my beloved Denver Broncos football team. As an adolescent watching the Broncos loose to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XII, I was devastated. That first… [Read more…]
March 16, 2010
Epic weather has kissed Southern California right on the mouth this week. How lucky we all are to have this! After a nice beach run on Sunday, my wonderful fiancé and I did a bit of jetty hopping in the sunshine. I first posted this last year, but definitely appropriate for the week. Surfing… [Read more…]
October 26, 2010
I just didn’t feel like writing this week – so I didn’t. It’s my blog and I enjoy that power. That said, please enjoy this one from the past. Maybe something new next week, we shall see… ________________________________________________________________________________ I have a simple cure for the problem of not having something we want; quit wanting it. … [Read more…]
July 7, 2010
Busy travel week last week, so nothing new until Friday, July 16th when I will post a column on short cuts and laziness. In the mean time, there is from last year. Seems to be resonating with me all over again. I hope you enjoy it, and thank you for dropping by. roy Our American… [Read more…]
December 20, 2011
I wrote this three years ago and it has been resonating in my head this week. In this holiday season, food is a huge topic of discussion — for all it’s enjoyment, all that accompanies its ritual, and all the collateral damage it does. Fitness bloggers and pundits in particular have very strong opinions here. I’m not… [Read more…]
November 23, 2010
Black Friday is almost upon us. Shopping season begins in earnest this Friday, and in this weakened economy, all our hard earned money will soon be flushed down the toilet of under-appreciation. Before you go spend money on fitness gifts for your loved ones this holiday season, please read this column from the past. I put… [Read more…]
September 21, 2010
My tease for this week’s column is actually a column from the past. I originally wrote this in January of 2010, and posted it in February of 2010. In order to apply better context to my upcoming column on the life of a bicycle commuter, please take time to read (or re-read) the column below. … [Read more…]
March 19, 2010
My amazing fiancé recently took on the project of painting motivational signs to adorn my fitness training studio. To make them personal and unique to my cause, she suggested we use motivational sayings from me; Royisms. We selected some choice thoughts from my own writings over the past few years. From the 45 that we extracted… [Read more…]
March 22, 2010
It’s after the fact now. The legislation will become the law. The bill is probably not as great as its authors and supporters will suggest. Nor is it likely to be as evil as its detractors insist. I haven’t read a single word of it, nor will I. I do suspect it is like most… [Read more…]
March 25, 2010
If my glass of wine with dinner is a knock of the gavel announcing the conclusion of my waning day, then my morning shower is a calling to order of all of my senses, so they can administer the justice of my impending day. My warm shower, in a darkened bathroom, is a daily rebirth… [Read more…]
March 27, 2010
Like clouds, notions are formed from the confluence of currents and particles; the perpetual current of human perception mixes and swirls with particles of human knowledge, and a notion is born. Notions can be insignificant, producing little or no mental precipitation. Or, a notion can work its way toward another notion, joining forces to grow… [Read more…]
March 30, 2010
(the R is for really) Jesus might have had an idea. His idea might have involved every person who would ever live after his death, and resurrection. The idea might come to him on his return to heaven. His thought process might have been something like this: “I have given so much – my entire… [Read more…]
April 2, 2010
The Setup Somewhere in Nebraska there is a meandering two lane road. The road winds between hills formed from wind-blown sand and held together by wild grasses through the ages. The road rarely sees traffic; the occasional farm truck, big-rig, or lost tourist. Its broken shoulders are adorned with heartland rust. Between two sections of… [Read more…]
April 7, 2010
Assuming the sun rises on a given day, we will be blessed with 1440 minutes to live, give, and to complete the tasks of our day. If but 30 of those minutes were given to exercise, you would still have 1410 minutes remaining to live, give, and to complete those tasks. Still, many say feel… [Read more…]
April 10, 2010
My brother, Mark, is now a black belt in Karate. More on that later… Brotherly Antithesis I met my brother when I was just a few days old; he is four years my senior. Our first dialog took place the day I came home from the hospital. It was a one way conversation, he calling… [Read more…]
April 13, 2010
In advance of this weekend’s post, some food for thought — so to say. More on Saturday. rc
April 16, 2010
Larger Purpose; Time’s Arrow Slowing Down Americans are less healthy, less fit, and less discriminating in the choices which comprise our physicality than ever. We had seen this coming for decades, and we let it in anyway – because letting it in required less work than keeping it out. And there’s this; the National Institute… [Read more…]
April 19, 2010
In preparation of this weekend’s column, I give you a message from Fitness Trainer, Hank Williams Sr. More this weekend. Oh, and if you want a hint, check out the tags at the bottom… “Your cheatin’ heart will make you weep You’ll cry and cry and try to sleep but sleep won’t come the whole… [Read more…]
April 22, 2010
“Your cheatin’ heart will make you weep You’ll cry and cry and try to sleep but sleep won’t come the whole night through Your cheatin’ heart will tell on you” In his classic song, Your Cheating Heart, fitness trainer Hank Williams Sr. clearly had his finger on the pulse of modern gym culture. He cried… [Read more…]
April 25, 2010
A lyrical prelude to this week’s column on; discipline. Tune in Friday for more… rc Am I Am I still tough enough? Feels like I’m wearing down (down down down down) Is my viciousness losing ground (ground ground ground ground) Am I taking too much? Did I cross the line? (line line) I need my role… [Read more…]
April 28, 2010
I’ve been chewing on something for quite a while now, and it’s not a protein bar. Or maybe it is… In a never ending plot to solicit more readers, to sell more subscriptions, and to sell more products boasted by these medium, fitness magazines and fitness websites work diabolically to hook people by bombarding readers… [Read more…]
April 30, 2010
Some thoughts, and some music in preparation for next week’s column on change… “Speak what you think in hard words and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said today.” Ralph Waldo Emerson Or, “A man who views the world the same at fifty as he… [Read more…]
May 1, 2010
Pound Control To Major Tom I enjoy being strong. I love that in the 15 times I have moved my residence in my adult life, with each new move involving increasingly greater quantities of crap, I have acted as my own moving crew. I can count on one hand, the number of instances when I… [Read more…]
May 6, 2010
Question: What do these four things have in common? 1) Obese geriatric smokers on motorized scooters 2) A pudgy prostitute named Ariel, with kind eyes, scabs on her arms, dressed like an Oompa Loompa, and seeking free advice 3) A u-turn made on an important decision in my life 4) A man who I love very… [Read more…]
May 7, 2010
The End, Almost Last week I drove from San Diego to visit my father who resides in Las Vegas, at an elderly care facility. That 4-hour drive through the desert is always unmatched contemplative time for me. No radio, no i-pod, just me and the 10,000 or so other Roys in my head, hurling rocks… [Read more…]
May 10, 2010
Some thoughts and music in advance of this wekends essay. Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food. - Hippocrates The greatest delight the fileds and woods minister is the suggestion of an occult relation between man and the vegetable. I am not alone and unacknowledged. They nod to me and I to them.… [Read more…]
May 13, 2010
Chef In A Hardhat To succeed in a fitness lifestyle is to live a life of consistent ritual. The most fulfilling ritual I enjoy from week to week is, not my runs, not my bike rides, not even my strength training sessions. The most meaningful ritual I observe with regard to my fitness is the building… [Read more…]
May 15, 2010
So for over a year I have been using this forum to share my thoughts on what I feel fitness might be, and just as importantly, what it might not be. I have shared my evolving values, based on my changing experiences in my so-called fitness life. This blog has not been a platform where I… [Read more…]
May 19, 2010
“I was dead for 14 billion years before I was born. So when I die again, I should be quite adept.” Richard Dawkins Missiles In A Large, Empty Space A battlefield exists, different than any you can imagine. It’s a place of infinite space, with everywhere to run, and nowhere to hide. It’s a theater… [Read more…]
May 25, 2010
This week’s tease: ”Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.” My post this weekend might dispel that ideal… Tune in this weekend for a post from the past — updated! rc
May 27, 2010
Weight A Minute, Somebody’s Lookin’ To Get Slapped The bathroom scale is like an abusive spouse; it will tell you something wonderful every so often to keep you attached. When you’re least expecting it though, it might slap you into next week – just for being there, regardless of your good intentions. Like a spouse… [Read more…]
May 30, 2010
Seventeen years ago next week, I experienced two words that would change my life forever; parachute malfunction. During my recovery from the accident I wrote a book entitled, Gravity Works. It was a summary of the events that lead up to my little mishap in the sky. I put it the book on ice because… [Read more…]
June 3, 2010
Several weeks ago, Karen at Fitness Journey asked me, and several others, to participate in a post she wrote about fitness through different stages of life. That post, lead to this one. Thank you Karen, for fueling the fire this week! ___________________________________________________________________________________ Seventeen years ago next week, I experienced two words that would change my… [Read more…]
June 13, 2010
“Work is one of the good things in life – it is what we are here for – it’s all we are here for. You will be working your entire life young man. If you’re not working it will be for one of two reasons; that you are homeless as the result of your choice not… [Read more…]
June 17, 2010
Somewhere Under The Rainbow The Rainbow Music Hall, Denver, Colorado; from the late 1970’s through the late 1980’s, The Rainbow Music Hall was Denver’s premier concert venue. There were 1,400 seats, not a bad one in the house, and the acoustics were rich. Concert promoter, Barry Fey, ensured that week after week, The Rainbow Music… [Read more…]
June 22, 2010
A tease before this weekend’s post. Hint: We all break down sometimes… More on Friday…
June 24, 2010
There’s no such thing as a single handful of Cheez-Its – or even enough Cheez-Its. I really like them — Cheez-Its; like opium, orgasm and a good nap rolled into one. My Cheez-Its come in a large red box with two defining burnt orange stripes across the front. They are lightly salted snack crackers, square… [Read more…]
June 27, 2010
A tease for this Weekend’s column on Bravery. More on Friday… I will be on vacation, yet again, this week. I will put up one (WIP) column this Friday and probably not post again until mid-July. I want to thank the three people who have (unwittingly) inspired me to get more from myself these… [Read more…]
July 2, 2010
Brave; possessing or exhibiting courage or courageous endurance. Instant Experience Brave is a word I have begun to use with clients, to motivate and to help them take that extra step; breaking new ground and living beyond perceived limits. I began using this word when I challenged a triathlete I have been working with… [Read more…]
July 15, 2010
Cryptic Forespeak You may be wondering what the word wainero means – me too. I have been trying to figure it out for nearly a week. I have passed wainero through countless filters and reconstructive mechanisms in my head. I have applied many patterns and possibilities to the term but I am unable to decipher… [Read more…]
July 20, 2010
This just in from planet earth… People sure do some weird shit!!! Meow….? More like, Me-Ouch!!! I’ll have more thoughts on body modification in my column this Friday, July 23. Please check back then. In the mean time, I would sincerely love to know what your thoughts on body modification are… rc Oh, and… [Read more…]
July 22, 2010
Looking Good Different I recently watched a television show chronicling the history of tattoos, body art, and extreme body modification. I was mesmerized, and a bit taken for all that people are willing to do to change the appearance of their body. I marveled at the price people are willing to pay, both in dollars… [Read more…]
July 26, 2010
This week there is less a tease for my Friday column – and more of a setup. As societies, we keep reinventing ourselves – to a point where we are bursting at the memes. Each time we reinvent ourselves in the name of human progress, some important things fall into the cracks and crevices which form… [Read more…]
July 28, 2010
Warning: This one is lengthy. If you are not willing to read every word, from beginning to end, go ahead and delete it now – please. Black, White, God, Darwin It seems, relative to the turmoil of recent decades, that racial prejudice in America might be on the decline, and that racial tolerance could be… [Read more…]
August 3, 2010
No tease for this week’s column, since I have not started writing it yet, and have not even selected a topic. In the mean time, there is this from my personal journal; a recent story of nature, of inspiration, and mostly it’s a story of me being a supreme douche — yet again. Please check… [Read more…]
August 5, 2010
Intention Of Readership If you are in the category of someone who has willfully and knowingly taken yourself to a state of morbid obesity, and are unable to participate in the physical activities of life, I am talking to you. If most forms of recreation with friends, family, or loved ones, suffer or do not… [Read more…]
August 12, 2010
I will be in Chicago for the next week assisting my daughter in the set-up of her first apartment. That sentence alone makes me feel entirely too old. That said, I will not post another new column until Friday, August 20th. Between now and then, I won’t be online much. In the mean time, there is… [Read more…]
August 9, 2010
If New York had heart, San Francisco had balls, and New Orleans had class maybe, just maybe, they could combine to carry Chicago’s jock strap. I am off this week — to help the girl who was once my little princess and is now my Titanic Scholar, settle into her new apartment as she attacks her… [Read more…]
August 16, 2010
A tease for my upcoming column on failure… I estimate that 90% of all people who establish a fitness goal will never achieve that goal. They will fail to achieve that goal for three (primary) reasons. Below is the opening paragraph for this Friday’ column on failure: “Naming a goal and doing little in its pursuit… [Read more…]
August 19, 2010
Failure Is An Option Naming a goal and doing little in its pursuit is just giving failure a softer name. Failure is an option. For most who pursue a fitness goal, failure will be the only option. I suggest that 90% of people who conceive a fitness related goal never achieve that goal – most… [Read more…]
August 21, 2010
Been; Gone Too Long My life has been shaped almost exclusively by physical culture and by music. Often these two paths intersect, but rarely do they weave together. Physical culture and music are both deeply rooted in passion. I will suggest that people who might have an interest in both, often choose one over the other… [Read more…]
August 25, 2010
A tease for my upcoming column on the new direction that I will be taking this blog during the next few weeks: People all over the country have been taking the new pledge of allegiance, have you taken it yet…? “I pledge allegiance to my cravings in the United States Of Obesity, and to the… [Read more…]
August 27, 2010
Something To Say For nearly a decade I have written newspaper articles, blog posts, and essays about the philosophy behind the fitness – about what I believe should be considered when it comes to one’s fitness persona. Rather than add to the overflowing cup of fitness crap; the ABCs of six-pack abs and chicken salads,… [Read more…]
August 31, 2010
A tease for my upcoming column on friends and heroes — the ones inside of us. I hope to have it done by Saturday, September 4th, so please check back. In the mean time, here is an excerpt: Ego, Mego, And Wego “For much of my early adult life the person I admired above all others… [Read more…]
September 2, 2010
Me, Myself, and Irony I don’t like myself much. I mean, I guess I do like the shape of my arms – some. I like the amount of weight I can lift – a bit. I like the way in which I can make my bike charge up a steep hill – at times. That I… [Read more…]
September 8, 2010
A tease for this week’s column on strength — strength earned in the gym that translates beyond the gym. Please check back Saturday, September 11 for the finished product. Here is an excerpt: “I much more think of my weight-room as a theater where I practice gravity management, than as a place to just lift… [Read more…]
September 10, 2010
An Approach To Strength Strength; I think about it from time to time. What it means to me, as well as what it might mean to others. I like to teach people to develop strength inside the gym that will apply to one’s life beyond the gym. It’s one thing to be strong in the weight-room,… [Read more…]
September 14, 2010
A tease for my upcoming column on preying for one’s food in the modern world. I hope to have it up by Sunday, September 19. Please check back. Here is an excerpt: “You are an animal – literally. You hunt and you prey daily, because that’s what it takes to stay alive in the animal… [Read more…]
September 17, 2010
Self-indulgent Caveat I have tried hard not preach from this platform, nor to be too suggestive. Rather, I have attempted to evoke thought(s) of exercise, mindful eating, and where they should, or should not, fit into the building of one’s day and one’s lifestyle. I might be a bit more suggestive today, as I have… [Read more…]
September 23, 2010
Bike To Basics It has been just under a year since I gave away my Jeep and embraced my bicycle as my primary form of transportation. Not for one moment have I regretted that decision nor the effects of the transition. I admit it has not always been easy, and the internal combustion engine still… [Read more…]
September 29, 2010
A tease for my upcoming column on… well, not gonna say. Please check back Sunday, October 3rd for the complete column. In the mean time, here is an excerpt: “I go back and forth quite a bit on whether any of this really matters – whether we really should be concerned with what we call… [Read more…]
October 1, 2010
Sitting On The Fence I go back and forth on whether any of this matters – whether we should be concerned with what we call wellness or fitness in the modern era. Still, my looks as well as my abilities are central in my life. Appearance and ability seem to be central in the lives of… [Read more…]
October 6, 2010
A different kind of tease for the week. .. I have been asked by Ashley at www.nourishing-the-soul.com to participate in an interblogg experiment, and write about the word Gratitude. This experiment is called Self-Discovery, Word by Word. I am headed to the Northwest for a few days of empty-head time and will not be posting a column… [Read more…]
October 13, 2010
On The Front Side Gratitude; to know it on any level is to first nod to the miracle of overcoming the greatest of odds… The odds of me ever being born were stacked astronomically against me. That 14-billion years ago some particles would somehow form from nothing, join with other particles colliding and making more… [Read more…]
October 19, 2010
Generally I don’t do the guest post thing because, when it comes to the philosophy behind the fitness, I think my opinion matters more than anyone else’s. That’s true by the way. That said, my tease for an upcoming column on male body image is this heart-felt and thought provoking post from a young man who… [Read more…]
November 2, 2010
One more from the past this week — very busy and writing has not been a priority. However, I intend to have a new column up on the subject of (my) body image, Friday, November 12th. Please check back then. Comments are open and welcome this week. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ I’m not exercise obsessed as many who… [Read more…]
November 10, 2010
People often ask me, “Roy, why are you so hard on yourself?” My response is usually, “Because somebody has to be….” I have two completely different columns written and ready to post on Friday. I will only put one of them up. I won’t decide until then which one I’m going to use. In either case,… [Read more…]
November 11, 2010
This is Part I of a 3-part column I will be posting over the next several weeks. Comments are open, and private emails are also welcome so long as they are mindful and constructive. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Is A Picture Worth A Thousand A Million Bad Choices…? I’m highly susceptible to images – it’s my disease. Well,… [Read more…]
November 17, 2010
This is Part II of a 3-part column I will be posting over the next several weeks. Comments are open, and private emails are also welcome so long as they are mindful and constructive. Please check back Friday, November 26th for the final installment of why I blame God for my poor body-image… ____________________________________________________________________________________ The Belly… [Read more…]
November 26, 2010
I closed Part II of this column by stating that I would argue that God is to blame for all my body issues – and all of yours. In truth, I had no intention of making that argument, but the NyQuil had me in its grasp and it seemed like a great hook for Part… [Read more…]
December 1, 2010
A tease for Part I of my 3-part series on just how important/unimportant the frame work of fitness is — or isn’t. Please check back this weekend for Part I of, Coloring Outside The Exercise Lines. Below is an excerpt… ____________________________________________________________________________________ “People often tell me that I’m, “smart for a personal trainer.” On the scale of… [Read more…]
December 3, 2010
This is Part I of a 3-part series I will be writing in the coming weeks on The Framework Of Fitness _____________________________________________________________________________________ A Gift From Dad People often tell me that I’m, “smart for a personal trainer.” On the scale of condescension, that’s just above saying, “you’re really cute for a fat chick.” Of course… [Read more…]
December 8, 2010
This is a mid-week tease for my upcoming column, The Framework Of Fitness Part II; The Cornerstone Question. Below is an excerpt: ________________________________________________________________________________ “Before one can ask the question, “how many sets and repetitions should I perform of a given strength exercise?” one should first ask the question, “what am I really trying to accomplish?”… [Read more…]
December 10, 2010
This is Part II of my 3-part series on The Framework Of Fitness. Please check back later this month for Part III __________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Cornerstone Question; Sustainability Before one seeks an answer to the question, “how many times per week should I be working out?” one should first ask the question, “how much time do… [Read more…]
December 17, 2010
Nothing new this week; very busy building toys and cleaning up my reindeer — you know, Santa stuff. I do have a timely repeat from this time last year just in time for the holiday weeks. _________________________________________________________________________________________ The Certainty Heat, fuel, and oxygen; my Coast Guard training taught me that these are the three necessary elements… [Read more…]
December 24, 2010
This is the final installment of my 3-part series; The Framework Of Fitness. I hope you have found value in it, and the messages have offered you some food for thought with your exercise program. I’ll be back after the 1st of the year all kinds of new things to say about why we should,… [Read more…]
January 11, 2011
One more re-run this week while I settle back into my post-holiday routine. Please check back Friday, January 21 for a fresh column on a fitness subject yet to be determined. _________________________________________________________________________________________ In any field of invention or application for early man, actions preceded structure. In the dawning age of man, this applied to everything.… [Read more…]
January 19, 2011
With this, I’m kicking off my ongoing series on Fitness As A Livelihood. In the coming weeks, I will be sharing various aspects of my life in fitness training. With no agenda in mind, I will attempt to relate thoughts, ideas, and experiences from my life in fitness. This series might include the ups, the… [Read more…]
January 21, 2011
Fitness Job; It looks good from afar… I’m often approached by people about what is required to get involved in fitness as a career. Generally the questions center around what education is necessary and what marketing tendencies might be required to maintain a successful business. The primary question though, is about how much fun and… [Read more…]
January 26, 2011
Here is a mid-week tease for my upcoming column, Part II of my ongoing series on life as a fitness trainer. This week’s column, Conversations Over Crunches, should be up by Saturday, January 29th. Please check back then. In the mean time, below is an excerpt: ___________________________________________________________________________________ As an exercise in creative dialogue, I have a… [Read more…]
January 28, 2011
Exercising The Voice As an exercise in creative dialogue, I have a question I sometimes put to friends or acquaintances as a means of generating intelligent discourse. I most often use this question at the dinner table, or as an icebreaker at social gatherings. However, this question generates the best results in dialogue, as something to… [Read more…]
February 9, 2011
Here is a mid-week tease for my upcoming column, Part III of my ongoing series on life as a Fitness Trainer. This week’s column; Walking The Walk — At A Lesser Pace. Please check back this Saturday, February 12 for the complete column, In the mean time, below is an excerpt. _________________________________________________________________________________________ “Show me a… [Read more…]
February 11, 2011
Please enjoy Part III of my ongoing series on Life As Fitness Trainer. Check back next week for my thoughts on what to look for, and what NOT to look for in a fitness trainer. ______________________________________________________________________________________ “Show me a man who has the same values at 50 that he had at 25, and I’ll show you… [Read more…]
February 26, 2011
A tease for my upcoming column on beauty. Below is an excerpt: ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Gap-Toothed Man Alfred Williams was a standout defensive end at The University Of Colorado. He would eventually play professionally for The Denver Broncos. During one particular season Williams played at his usual high level, but well into the season he had failed… [Read more…]
February 27, 2011
On Beauty Nothing means more to me than beauty. Nothing, nothing, is without beauty; skin, circumstance, sound, disease, time, ritual, opportunity, adaptation, emotion, structure, and on and on. Beauty within, beauty around, beauty because of, and beauty despite – beauty is the reason I stick around. There is beauty is waiting to be discovered in… [Read more…]
March 8, 2011
A mid-week tease for my upcoming column on working out alone; fear and the intimidation of the gym. Please check back this weekend for the completed column. In the mean time, here is an excerpt: __________________________________________________________________________________________ Hide In Your Shell For the past 8 years, alone with my thoughts and with little view to the… [Read more…]
March 11, 2011
Frick; There Really Is An Out-There Out There I recently relocated my little fitness studio (again) to a larger, more open, and brighter space than the warehouse location it previously occupied. My little gym would look less like a dungeon. My upscale clients, I reckon, deserve something a little more, upscale…? After my friend Glenn… [Read more…]
March 17, 2011
A tease for my upcoming column on the chaos within. Please check back back next week for the completed column. In a related story, please take time to read Burning Embers, by my friend Robert Sommers. Below is an excerpt from next week’s column: ____________________________________________________________________________ “I long to be in a simpler state. Taking inventory of… [Read more…]
March 19, 2011
A View To A Time I long to be in a simpler state… Taking inventory of the events of the day – of these days, is better disclosing to me all the chaos within; the chaos within me, within the world, within an idea, or and within an atom. We are doomed, yet we may only… [Read more…]
March 29, 2011
A tease for my upcoming column on my life at the intersection of Divorce, Frontier, and Normal. I warn you in advance, I have once again been experimenting with intelligence. No worries, no worries, my intelligence, not yours. Please check back next week for my column, Leaping With An Anchor. In the mean time, here… [Read more…]
March 31, 2011
On Being A Frontiersman I have often dreamed of being brave – of leaving the comfort of what I trust and what I know, to explore new frontiers. I have never been so brave though, as to actually leap into a new frontier. People like me may dream of such, but in this era, we… [Read more…]
April 7, 2011
A tease for my upcoming column on Exercise And Timelessness. Please check back next week for the completed column. And a reminder; next week’s column will be my last post until after May 20th. Between April 20th and May 20th, I will be exploring a month without digital information and digital entertainment. During that month I… [Read more…]
April 9, 2011
Conversation Part I A conversation ensued recently between a friend and me, prior to us getting underway for a short but fast 20-mile bike ride. My friend, in her late 50’s, told me of how years ago, the sound her golf club made as it lowered to, and struck her golf ball, took her to… [Read more…]
April 18, 2011
Thirty Days In The Hole I have had one goal above all others; to live an aesthetic life, as a continuing work of performance art, in constant movement, and in deliberate contrast to normal. Beginning April 20th, partly inspired by my friend Robert Sommers, partly inspired by an increasing desire to just check out for… [Read more…]
May 22, 2011
This is Part I of my 3-part series on life without electronic information, electronic entertainment, and electronic media. I will be posting Parts II and III in the coming weeks. Please check back in 2 weeks for Part II; The Joy Of Word Processing, Blogging, and Books on i-Tunes. ________________________________________________________________________________ The Vice Boomerang You might… [Read more…]
May 26, 2011
Rituals; The Building Blocks Of My Days I am nothing without my rituals; the ritual of movement, the ritual of prayer, and the ritual of cooking among them. To live a day in my shoes, is to extend one ritual right into another, connecting them end-to-end to form a completed day. The most meaningful ritual… [Read more…]
June 1, 2011
A mid-week tease for my upcoming column on modern word processing, the US Coast Guard, and the suicide of a shipmate – how they influenced my direction. Please check back next week for the completed column. In the meantime, here is an excerpt: A Twist Of Fate I was deckhand on the Coast guard Cutter Acushnet in… [Read more…]
June 3, 2011
A Simple Twist Of Fate I was deckhand on the Coast Guard Cutter Acushnet in the mid-1980’s. I didn’t want to be a deckhand. I applied to be the Yeoman Striker in the ships’ administrative office; an apprentice Yeoman. To my surprise, and to the shame of the Coast Guard, my request to strike for… [Read more…]
June 15, 2011
A tease for my upcoming my column on watching a war from a place of peace. Please check back this weekend for my completed column. In the mean time, here is an excerpt: _____________________________________________________________ The Convoy My fitness studio faces onto East Mission Road, in Fallbrook, California. At one end of Fallbrook, lies the back gate of… [Read more…]
June 17, 2011
The Convoy My fitness studio faces onto East Mission Road, in Fallbrook, California. At one end of Fallbrook, lies the back gate of Camp Pendleton; a Marine Base where Marines train to, among other things, blow things up and to kill. I’m actually ok with that – the training of how to properly blow up… [Read more…]
June 25, 2011
Below is tease for my upcoming column on the utility of exercise in the modern world. Please check back next Friday for the completed column. In the mean time, here is an excerpt: __________________________________________________________________________ A Boy In Flux I ask myself, far too often, what is the real purpose of exercise…? I can argue all… [Read more…]
June 30, 2011
A Boy In Flux I ask myself often, what is the real purpose of exercise? I can argue all day, and have for many years, about the utility of exercise in the modern world. In recent years though, I have gotten quite good at arguing against exercise. I suggest that, the car with the most… [Read more…]
July 6, 2011
I suppose this is kind of a “supplemental” post, with no particular purpose but to put a smile on my own face. Mission accomplished. __________________________________________________________________ “It is medicine to me, the best part of my day and the foundation of all the good within.” me I arrive early as sunlight breaches the dark, the overnight… [Read more…]
July 11, 2011
I will be on vacation in Colorado and the wilds of Northern Nebraska until the end of the month, so this is my last column until mid-August. ___________________________________________________________________ “Humans are just a stage in the emergence of amazing complexity in the universe.” Martin Rees Destiny, And The Big Picture I’ve become obsessed with contemplating the… [Read more…]
July 26, 2011
I recently blogged about my one-month disconnect from information media, and information technology. While I was on this self-imposed excommunication from communications, I read a book recommended to me by my daughter. The Search For God At Harvard, by Ari Goldman, helped reconnect me with my Jewish heritage, and offered me some food for thought about… [Read more…]
July 31, 2011
Below is a tease for Part I of my upcoming, 3-part series on building my own personal religion. Please check by Friday, August 5th for the completed Part I. In the mean time, here is an excerpt: ______________________________________________________ A Douche Bag Looks At 50 I don’t like myself too much these days. I dislike many… [Read more…]
August 3, 2011
This is Part 1 of my 3-part series on building my own religion. Please check back in 2 weeks for Part II. Thank you. _______________________________________________________________ A Douche Bag Looks At 50 I don’t like myself too much these days. I dislike many of my behaviors, a lot of my choices, a great deal of my… [Read more…]
August 17, 2011
Here’s part II of my 3-part series on building my own religion. Please check back in 2 weeks for Part III; Why We Applaud Self-Taught Guitar Players, But Not Self-Taught Religion You may read this and think I’m talking out of my ass this week, and for good reason; my ass has always had persuasive… [Read more…]
August 30, 2011
This is Part III of what was going to be a 3-part series on Building My Own Religion. There’s probably going to be a Part IV, and maybe a Part V. Tune in 2 weeks and find out… ______________________________________________________________________ “Religion, like it or not, has endured since early hunter-gatherer societies, and is an obvious trait… [Read more…]
September 12, 2011
For me, the term religion has become a synonym for fulfillment – the fulfillment of the potential within me. My Religion Of One, will only be as real as the fulfillment of my intentions. What it comes down to, is simply waking up each day and staying committed to the act of merging what I… [Read more…]
September 20, 2011
A mid-week tease for my upcoming essay on… well, you’ll have to check back this Friday and find out. In the meantime, here is an except: _____________________________________________________ Jian Be Nimble Jian is one of three children my brother and his wife have adopted from China. Jian is 9 years old and looks vaguely Asian. With… [Read more…]
September 22, 2011
Cheese and Whine Life is tough, situations are hard, relationships frustrate, work sucks, and we’re not getting nearly as deep into life’s rich bounty as we feel we deserve. Oh, and I didn’t forget that strangers usually don’t treat us well, the government is ruining our lives, and we’re all aging and aching more with… [Read more…]
October 12, 2011
A tease for my upcoming essay on my love/hate relationship with the ideal of bodybuilding. Please check back this weekend for the completed essay. In the mean time, here is an excerpt: __________________________________________________________________________ Of The Term, Bodybuilder Just hearing or speaking the term, bodybuilder, causes me to cringe. I hate that word. It’s a word… [Read more…]
October 14, 2011
For The Love Of Guns, And The Loathing Of Shackles My relationship with bodybuilding is over 35 years old. It was the mid-1970s, I was in my teens and big time competitive bodybuilding was in its prime. Men like Frank Zane, Roby Robinson, Franco Columbu, Dave Draper, and Mike Katz captured my attention like fishing… [Read more…]
October 22, 2011
This is an essay which has the potential to offend anyone reading it, including my family. In writing this, I had never intended to offend anyone. However, in reading it on completion, I realized it clearly will. But it is written, and can’t be unwritten. I want to apologize, in advance, to anyone who might… [Read more…]
November 2, 2011
A tease for my upcoming essay on… well, that’s why it’s called a tease. Please check back Sunday the 13th for the full essay. In the mean time, here is an excerpt: ____________________________________________________________ Some Things Are Perfect We continually doubt the existence of perfection. We preach against striving for it, believing in it, and most are… [Read more…]
November 9, 2011
Some Things Are Perfect We continually doubt the existence of perfection. We preach against striving for it, believing in it, and most are quick to point out that nothing is perfect. And most suggest a perfect world would be a bad thing – that if we lived in a perfect world, what would our contrast… [Read more…]
November 15, 2011
A tease for my upcoming essay on complexity in fitness. Please check back this Sunday for the completed essay. In the mean time, here is an excerpt: _________________________________________________________________________ 4Keeps Part I: My Inner Greed When I earn something that I want and that I appreciate, it becomes my desire to keep it as long as… [Read more…]
November 17, 2011
4Keeps Part I: My Inner Greed When I earn or receive something that I truly appreciate, it becomes my desire to keep it as long as possible. My favorite shirts, best albums, and even special moments are things I will attempt to hold onto as long as I can. Though we’re no longer married, I… [Read more…]
November 28, 2011
Below is a tease for my upcoming essay, Tribes: The Influence Of Others. Please check back this Saturday for the completed essay. In the mean time, here is an excerpt: ____________________________________________________________________________ From The Fingerprints Of Others If I could for a moment, recount every person who has touched my life, I would feel as rich… [Read more…]
November 30, 2011
From The Fingerprints Of Others If I could for a moment, recount every person who has touched my life, I would feel as rich as any man. Nothing has mattered more to me than the eyes I have seen, the words I have heard or read, and the names and personalities which have etched themselves… [Read more…]
December 7, 2011
How deep will you reach into your pockets this gift giving season? Not as deep as last year I will suggest. Will your list of holiday recipients be shortened in this difficult economy? Likely. And those for whom you do buy for, is it safe to suggest you will choose your gifts more wisely than… [Read more…]
December 13, 2011
The Fountain Of Truth My first book report was in the 3rd grade; it was to be on an explorer in the New World. A learning disabled reader, I sought a book with more pictures and captions than printed text. Only one book in the school library met this criteria; a book on Juan Ponce… [Read more…]
December 26, 2011
I Was Wrong I crossed a line with her I had no business crossing. It was painful – an emotional disembowelment for each. I didn’t realize how severe my blunder was until she began crying, left the room and got in her car to drive away. Following her, not wanting her to leave, I dropped… [Read more…]
January 5, 2012
First Hopes I doubt there are many new parents who hope their children will grow up to be out shape and unintelligent. So to avoid obesity and stupidity, we immediately place our children into structure. From their earliest days we expose our children to school and to sports – keep ‘em off the streets kinda… [Read more…]
January 10, 2012
Not A Good Year I’m not lying, this has been the worst year of my entire life; dark, drunk, and trying. And when I say, “trying”, I don’t mean the year has taken its toll. I mean I have truly tried. I have given my all to a relationship which I knew early on could… [Read more…]
May 5, 2012
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