Random Notes 20150607

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Random Notes 20150607

A Real Man Finds the Way

It amazes me that many men do not understand that the core quality of a Man is he who finds a way.  This means, we are responsible for winning, no matter what.  You cannot argue your way away from responsibility and say it is not your problem.  You must creatively pursue ends toward the goal with absolutely no excuses.  We are paid to win.  When we lose, we gain nothing; thereafter, we must regroup to fight the next obstacle with greater magnanimity and creativity, and pure force of will.  There is no option for inaction - absolutely none.  Inaction is losing, and that is intolerable to Men.  We must find a way to Win or Die.  

Southern Heat on a 30-40 mile Bike Ride

Living up North for 8 years in Indianapolis, I needed a way to acclimate to the Houston heat for the summer.  I grew up in the swamplands of South Louisiana about 2 hours from New Orleans, so I have some genetic history with this type of climate, but still - It has been about 15 years since I have had to live in the heat and humidity of the Gulf Coast climate.  

So, what is a dude like me to do to solve this problem?  If you read this blog, you know I am the most analytical guy on the planet, so I devised a plan that is fail safe.  Well, fail safe if I do not die of heat stroke!  I take the hottest point of the day, and I ride my bike for at least 30 miles within the space of two days.  Today, I will actually make 40 miles in the heat, counting yesterday.  Does this work?  Well, I was at a family event a few weeks back outside with boiling crawfish.  A few people there who never left the Gulf Coast climate in their lives were complaining about the heat, and I was feeling just fine, and had not even noticed the heat.  So, that is one solid data point.

When I was riding yesterday, I think the temperature was between 91*F (32.8*C) and 93*F (33.9*C).  

Houston People and IQ

The population is skewed toward a lower IQ over here.  When shopping for commodities, Wal-Mart is just an unpleasant place to be.  We all have been to the websites making fun of Wal-Mart people, and over here, the humor is reality.  You will see obese people riding battery powered buggies all the time, and you will see obese people wearing very short shorts.  I prefer to shop at higher value places like Costco and Sam’s Club where the people serving you tend to have higher IQ’s and do not just stare at you with a blank face when you speak to them in complete sentences with correct English grammar and pronunciation, and speak clearly with authority.  

I find that even among technical people over here, who tend to be on the higher end of the local IQ spectrum, they are not accustomed to higher level abstract and creative thinking as I was accustomed to when I lived in Indianapolis or in California.  I have to push them.  I have to give them responsibility, and not just hand them the answers without creative effort.  It is as if they are still in school, expecting to only deliver the “right answer” to the professor, when in fact, a man is responsible for creating new worlds with absolutely no excuses.  If there is an obstacle we must overcome, there are no excuses, we must overcome them.  This requires creatively coming up with one alternative after another until the best idea pops out and you move forward with the best idea of many.  Standing still and waiting is never an option when working with high achievers, unless you are meditating and focusing upon the solution.

Cold Showers

I have been reading Tim Ferriss and specifically his book, “The Four Hour Body.”  I decided to try out a cold shower.  Now, I am 41 years old and live in Houston, so this will be a shock to my system.  So, I showered as normal with warm water and slowly turned down the temperature.  As it got colder, it got to a point of shock where I would normally shout something like “Yaaaa!”  Trust me, your senses are wide awake after this moment.  You feel alive.  You feel energetic.  The Eustress brings out all sorts of consciousness in the moment you would not have otherwise.  Perhaps it can be a form of meditation “on steroids.”  I will continue to experiment with this in the next few weeks and see where this goes. 

///

Freddy Martini  

Random Notes 20150322

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Travel Notes

Travel is the fastest way to learn.  No other experience teaches faster.  Spending $300 on a flight can usually gain you $3000 in experience - perhaps $30,000 if you are an astute observer.

The other side of travel that is not glamorous is that travel is a process of waiting.  You sit in the car and wait to get to the airport.  You wait in line for your boarding pass.  You wait in line at security.  You wait in the terminal for the plane to be ready.  You wait in line to board the plane.  You sit on the plane and wait until the flight ends.  You wait to exit the plane.  You wait for baggage.  You wait for the rental car or the taxi.  You arrive at your hotel.  Then, you no longer wait, and can now enjoy the fruit of the destination!

Houston

I have spent three weeks thus far in Houston.  I do not need a jacket.  I wear short sleeves everywhere.  Wearing a sport jacket often meets with curious stares - not so much impolite, but inquisitive.  

There are stores and malls of all sizes and types.  You can find any type of food to eat.  You can find any sort of specialty shops.  The roads are always humming with traffic.  Large trucks are everywhere with heavy equipment, machinery and product.  

The atmosphere is that of the Gulf Coast.  There is always moisture in the air.  You can smell the water in the air.  The lower clouds are always thick, and you hardly see the upper atmospheric clouds such as Cirrus clouds.  The sky is bright blue - as opposed to the dark deep blue of the Midwest - Missouri latitudes and higher.

The people generally do not give much care to their appearances, as one would expect in a large city.  Perhaps hard labor wears on the body and the soul of many.

However, the people are excessively polite.  I have heard only one guy say the word “motherF**Ker” in a business office.  I have had guys say, “sorry” because they were near me and perhaps I looked at them like I needed to proceed forward.  Perhaps my stare is intimidating…  

I have seen a few cycling pelotons riding through a boulevard.  I have seen some runners, too, although I expected to see a lot more for a city this size.

///

Freddy Martini