Chess skills are most helpful when you are playing chess. However, when you climb & jump on rocks, your entire brain & body are put to work.
The board & pieces are all the material, but the METAGAME dynamic is certainly a factor in competition. The Royal Game by Stefan Zweig is about losing the battle to a weaker player who uses a novel psychology.
That’s me at the board, on the right, maybe 20 years ago.
health • impact • joy • love
vocation • wealth • wisdom
WORDS are things, and a small drop of ink, falling like dew upon a thought, produces that which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.
–LORD BYRON
Brother Francis produced the blueprint. “The highwayman was kind enough to leave this in my keeping, Holy Father. He – he mistook it for a copy of the illumination which I was bringing as a gift.”
“You did not correct his mistake?”
Brother Francis blushed. “I’m ashamed to admit, Holy Father –”
“This, then, is the original relic you found in the crypt?”
“Yes –”
The Pope’s smile became wry. “So, then – the bandit thought your work was the treasure itself? Ah – even a robber can have a keen eye for art, yes? Monsignor Aguerra told us of the beauty of your commemoration. What a pity that it was stolen.”
“It was nothing, Holy Father. I only regret that I wasted fifteen years.”
“Wasted? How ‘wasted’? If the robber had not been misled by the beauty of your commemoration, he might have taken this, might he not?”
Canticle For Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. (1959)
Today we are blessed with, and can appreciate, millions of colors. Before the cones of our retina could distinguish between #EFFing blue and pink #FEE, who could say those colors existed at all?
We are organs of a larger organism. It knows us, although we do not know it. I’m a vessel of whatever that larger organism is, its instrument, rather than the source of the scenes. So a lot of what I do is try to get out of the way. That’s the way I work on my writing.
Life’s Work by David Milch (2022)
They both worked entire lives in the steel mills. Andy was one of the very last relics of the Rust Belt. All the electricity, some at 13,800 volts, passed through his control room. This drawing above is his diagram of the main switches.
archaic : think
obsolete : believe
All you need in order to do yoga is a mat and bare feet, and knowledge of the 5 basic poses: Horse, Cat, Cow, Tadpole, and Cobra. All the rest follow naturally from there.
You’ll learn that good pain, as opposed to bad pain, is the body’s signal that circulation is improving and muscle cells are being recognized.
Tansitional movements from one pose to the next:
-2y + 14 = -x
-2y + x = -14
-2y = -14 – x
-2y = -x – 14
-7 – x/2 = -y
-7 + y = x/2
-7 = -y + x/2
-7 = x/2 – y
-14 – x = -2y
-14 + 2y = x
-14 = -2y + x
-14 = x – 2y
-x – 14 = -2y
-x + 2y = 14
-x = -2y + 14
-x = 14 – 2y
-x/2 – 7 = -y
-x/2 + y = 7
-x/2 = -y + 7
-x/2 = 7 – y
-y + 7 = -x/2
-y + x/2 = -7
-y = -7 -x/2
-y = -x/2 – 7
2y – 14 = x
2y – x = 14
2y = 14 + x
2y = x + 14
7 – y = -x/2
7 + x/2 = y
7 = -x/2 + y
7 = y – x/2
14 – 2y = -x
14 + x = 2y
14 = -x + 2y
14 = 2y – x
x – 2y = -14
x + 14 = 2y
x = -14 + 2y
x = 2y – 14
x/2 – y = -7
x/2 + 7 = y
x/2 = -7 + y
x/2 = y – 7
y – 7 = x/2
y – x/2 = 7
y = 7 + x/2
y = x/2 + 7
same equation sorted alphabetically (ANSI)
Q: We’ve zoomed in September & October – how has that helped you?
A: Helped understand geometry.
Q: I’m glad to help. Who else have you asked for help?
A: Math teacher. Honors students.
Q: Tell me about your teacher. Is he/she good at explaining things?
A: They’re about to go on maternity leave.
Q: What does your teacher look like?
A: Pregnant.
Q: Tell me about your math class. Is it sometimes interesting, or always boring?
A: 30 people, 30 minutes, 5 days per week. Many days just study hall.
Q: How are your friends doing in math? Who is the smartest?
A: Lori
Q: When was your last test? How did you do?
A: October. Fine. 70 out of 100. C-
Q: When is your next test? How will you prepare for it?
A: Friday. Do review today.
