Mathematical Playground

_spiffy_frodo_ @ 2010-10-01T17:54:00

2010-10-01T21:54:53Z

I just found myself back on LJ after having a memory moment while reading an old LJ comment while cleaning out my gmail...

It has been a long time.

I think I found my ideal occupation…

2009-06-07T23:36:15Z

A Canadian or Provincial Subsidiary?

Mexico travels. Parts I and II

2009-06-02T04:50:38Z

Sorry no cuts, Deal with it.

Ah nvm, here is the cut ;D Pictures to come soon!

Addendum: as a precursor to my next 2 parts, the social justice perspective of this note are extremely biased. My next two parts deal with the beauty of Mexico from a standpoint of my travels (3), and ... Meer lezenthe underlying social justice issues that don't stand out when you first look at the land and people (4). Part II will definitely need serious reworking, but the essence of it was meant to slowly step you through the culture as best as I could. Thankfully I'm happy to be associated with knowledable individuals here and back in Canada who know of these issues better than I. :)

Also important to note, is that permaculture is really a return to the ways indigenous husbanded their land, as they've been largely self-sufficient for millenia, whereas our scientific revolution has only brought about a false supremacy coupled with a destructive hand... but then again, the Mayan civilization had its problems too... ;D But more on that later :)

For those that have not received any emails since my departure, I apologize. Let this intial entry justify my lack of communication thus far. And for those

that I haven't spoken to in a while... not much has happened to justify an en-masse email ;D Sorry for x-posting between emails, LJ and facebook -.-

Part I: Ends and Beginnings

For those that I have not talked to in a while, I've graduated from Waterloo with a Bachelors in Mathematical Physics. An ordeal, to be sure, but one I

gladly pushed myself through. For those who knew my roommate Bryan, he now resides in Taiwan, living with a family in the countryside and teaching English

full-time. I have also recently been accepted close to my hometown Grimsby into Brock University, for a teacher's degree for senior-level mathematics and

sciences (physics). It is my hope and goal to improve my current impoverished ability to relate to individuals verbally. Of this I hope to match similar

growth (in writing), which I attribute solely to Imprint (the UW campus newspaper); of which brought my level of writing to unprecendented levels from my

years of editorial work alongside late nights studying works from my esteemed colleagues in the field, of whom write beautifully. :) I now reside in Chiapas,

Mexico, where I study permaculture, let my beard grow and live and work among the indigeneous and under the supervision and mentorship of a dutch greenhouse

grower, who also actively seeks environmental achievements, and is somewhat of a bird-nut. I currently reside at Tammo's place, which is on his greenhouse

property.

Internet is both scarce and inconvenient here — a result of isolated and mountaineous terrain amidst the vallies of Teopisca and Amantenango, just east of

San Cristobal de Las Casas — so I've drifted ever so slightly from the electronic world. Despite this lovely change in nature, my lack of communication has

largely been concerned with my tendency to push unprioritized aspects of my life ever one day further; for my nights are allocated to relaxation with books,

meditation under cool nights and clear skies or travelling with Tammo to San Cristobal, Tuxtla, Comitan or other interesting areas within the vicinity of the

highlands. Nowadays, I allow time to gaze outside and in a pensieve state, let time drift me by. (Now where is my hay strand and straw hat?)

Here, the black night sky compels me, as did dark-blue sky of my youth. With no light-pollution, it's clearer than any sky I've witnessed in Ontario or

Europe especially. It's serenity is beyond words... and peace of mind envelops me, now knowing that despite my ignorance due to geophysical limitations, I

could gaze endlessly into the nightsky blanketting Grimsby, where light pollution is abound, and still give mother nature no less credit to her work, as I

now see even more beautifully here. A corollary exists in that spiritually, as an individuals test of achieving an enlightened mind within an existence of

native surroundings, can indeed be achieved independently of geographical location. (Well... except big cities of course) ;D Venus too stands pronounced

amongst uncountable stars, of which the spanish term is estrellas (pronounces estrayas), which is a beautiful palabra (spanish: word) most befitting to the

stars.

However, I digress.

Beyond my time as a permaculturist, ecological designer, friend and greenhouse worker to Tammo (the last of which "finances" my room and board), I frequent

the humble abode of Miles, which lies just across the street. He is one of many "interesting" individuals I've run into here in Mexico. This self-proclaimed

hermit (though nothing of the sort!) is a 61-year-old retired lawyer; now organic gardener with a long white beard to boot. Interesting chap... words cannot

describe the man, so a picture will suffice. (Photos to come a bit later though) Needless to say, one of his larger initiatives is to set up a school of

sustainability to help the poor. Having lived in a Zapatista community for 9 years, alongside running an organic farm for volunteers around the world to come

to, he knows first hand the troubles people face here. I wrote a letter of support you can find at: www.spiffyfrodo.ca/docs/ to aid in his attempt to secure

funding from a Switzerland-based organization dealing with this area of interest (re: establishing schools for the poor in developing countries). It goes in

more detail there. Please read. :) If you're interested in social justice issues and wish to read Miles' original proposal, let me know! But it only

scratches the surface.

Moving on, Mexico is a place of wonder, if you allow yourself to be immersed in it. But that goes for any exotic location you can eventually call home.

Inevitably, it encompasses a large mosiac of cultural traditions of which a portion I now recant on the memories I have from Chiapas. Chiapas, unlike most

envisionings of Mexico, is not your sunny beach with fresh air. It's subtropical heat and high azimuthal sun invites lethargy, which makes working difficult.

Beetles and other insects crawling up your legs are common outdoor working conditions, as is its endless mud in the rainy season. Nothing to fall in love

with, I assure you. :) Well maybe.

It is that I live in the Chiapan highlands, where night temperature reach frost-levels. Otherwise I wouldn't survive! It is amusing to see locals dressed

warmly as I stand among them in a t-shirt during the cold mornings. ;D Then I go further and tell them I'd prefer even colder weather! =D

They just shake their heads. ;)

Furthermore, the countryside aroma is saturated with low-grade gasoline fumigating the atmosphere alongside tens of thousands of hectares of maize crops

being burned to ash. The dry season itself offers no solice, as trees cannot alleviate the polluted air in its low-energy, self-conserved state. In the rainy

season however, the arid, dusty and polluted environment subsides to cleaner, humid air from the power of the revigorated trees. Yet not without tens of

thousands of hectares of natural forest burned from incompetence, as maize-crop fires naturally get out of hand, and Mexico has not the resources to battle

forest fires. -.- Common forest fires creep like blankets over the forest floor rather than being fueled by the trees themselves. Although both methods of

forest fires have devastating effects on the trees themselves.

Part II: A Cultural Mess

Chiapas is the poorest of all states, and most of the indigenous live in these parts. Where we live, in the highlands, there is hardly a non-indigenous town

around, with the exception of San Cristobal and Teopisca, of which Tammo and I frequent often. The telephone polls are built of concrete, lest the wood gets

stolen. The Gasoline company Pemex has a complete monopoly, as does the communications district. (Thankfully, recent news of Mexico's president just

announced a renewed vigour in revamping communications [re: fibre-optic teconlogy] throughout Mexico, opting to remove the monopoly of Carlos Slim and to

encourage a competitive market. This is a very good thing, as Senor Slim is largely a self-satisfying opportunist who seeks maximum profit and dominance over

the poor here.)

But that brings me to my next point: Mexico's idealized laid-back lifestyle. The patience and enjoyment exhibited in other Central American countries do not

manifest here. Things take their time getting done, and it's just another lifestyle adjustment for those used to the fast-paced post-modern lifestyles of the

US, Canada and Europe. (Not that I ever suffered from this) But is it a relaxed nature, or a lazy one? The line is none too clear, as most Mexicans (note,

non-natives) are unhealthy due to a poor diet, live slothful lifestyles of inactivity and are overweight, attributed to their love of food. [Albeit not the

same as, lets say, an Italians love of food, who eat well and nutritionally]. Tortillas, Mexico's primary source of sustenance (re: corn) is eaten in copious

amounts, while most dishes such as beans, vegetables and even bread is smothered in pig's fat. This makes veganism practically... impractical. Lest you cook

your own meals from scratch, which is what we mainly do here. Everyone lies here, and they're oddly proud of it. If you every want directions, be sure to

question 10 people and take the [mathematical] mode of the answers. Otherwise you may as walk blindfolded. The result is the same.

Those that escape obesity are the indigenous, who labour in the fields of maize day in and day out, who walk 10km for water and wood everyday, and live an

active yet hard-working and impoverished life. You'll notice that the indigenous living here are never unhappy, despite heavy bags of wood overshadowing

their small statures. Consequently, the women here have adapted to the harsh environment surrounding them, gaining bone mass and muscle density to adequately

work through a day's work. Or so the theory goes. Many of the men contribute little to familial obligations, and spend their family revenue on alcohol and

extra-marital excitement. A machoistic tendency every practicing male consciously understands, as they punish themselves before the gods, taking on the

critical roles of women during times of drought during the rainy season. Sadly the weather here is relatively stable.

One would naturally assume a healthier lifestyle encompasses these Mayan descendants to those of their cohabitual Spanish descendants, but this is not so.

Many indigenous are crippled with diseases on account of their poverty. Despite Mexico's developed status, those that reside in Chiapas live off less than a

US dollar a day, and some feed families upwards to 10 children on 50 pesos a week. Smoke fills their lungs from inadequate ventilation as they cook all day

in their one-room abode - for lack of anything else to do with their time. All the while E-coli runs rampant from early childhood on, progressively

destroying their health from early adolescence on. Even their stature is severely stunted from their malnutrition; stemming mainly from their lack of

nutritional knowledge that we all take for granted. They are largely stuck in their way of life. This is neither a deep nor spiritually satisfying return to

their traditions and community cultures. This is a never-ending cycle of dismay with no sufficient intelligence to spiral above their conflicts and barriers.

In fact, the actual culture itself is slipping away with every new generation, as is their intimate knowledge and ties with nature.

It all boils down to education. For us to become proactive in their educational endeavours will be a key turning point in allowing the same opportunities

given to us to be distributed amongst the younger generation. Without guidance and a path to proper education, they are without the capacity to earn a living

beyond a farmer's field, often in an unsustainable, hazardous and destructive environment. An avoidable future given proper care to the needs of children in

their early stages of educational development and individual growth. Poverty now limits every opportunity these youth have, as the mandatory 6 years of

federal education do little to harness their potential, and beyond these years require monetary sufficiency that cannot be derived from impoverished

communities lacking proper education. A viscuous cycle.

It's important to note that these are wide-spread generalizations, and affect some communities more than others, but are wide-spread realities nonetheless.

Mexico is really a culture of contraditions. They grow the finest coffee, some even organic (although the reason isn't ethical, but economical, as they can't

afford pesticides), but they settle for gimmick brands such as Nestle, if they drink coffee at all! The Spanish-Mexicans spend all their time at work, with

little productivity and the indigenous sell vast amounts of Coca-Cola products, of which everyone here drinks in abundance, as it replaces water for the

majority of them (more readily available, and cheaper too!). They have abandoned the old ways of sustainable agriculture for those strategies given to them

by the Europeans... OF THE FIFTIES! Those with knowledge of their grandfathers tell me they still worked the land in a sustainable manner, interplanting

vegetables in their milpa crops to conserve moister and eliminate irrigation, and other sustainable farming techniques. Alas, those that now work the land

have no sense of judgement (lower IQ, due to a lack of proper education), and now act as mere sheep that that have developed co-dependencies of what they

were told since growing up (by their fathers, not grandfathers, unfortunately). New ideas either frighten them, or their machoistic culture impedes change.

This last point makes it difficult for educated localized immigrants to impart their knowledge and assist in an agricultural revolution. (Which is precisely

what Tammo and I plan to do!)

An overly simple yet applicable example is as follows: Corn used to be grouped and grown in a form called Milpa, (most know this as the Three Sister's Guild

of corn, beans and squash. An entity prevalent among all Native American cultures). But now Milpa and maize are interchangeable. They grow corn

monoculturally in clumps of three stalks, 80cm apart (this is what they were taught, and swear by it, rather than attempt variations or different crops

entirely). An immediate remedy is to spread out Milpa evenly in 20cm (a modern European system, which, truth be told, is grown here and there in the

highlands not far from where we live). This produces higher yields, renews soil fertility (with traditional Milpa) and discourages nutrient competition. Now,

the soil becomes depleted of nitrogen without the cover crops of beans (as corn requires a lot of nitrogen to grow), and they're forced into an endless cycle

of fertilizers.

During the Green Revolution (which wasn't "green" at all!) the price of 2 tonnes of fertilizer was procured from the sale of 1 tonne from the crop. This

provided economical stability [but alas, not soil sustainability]. Presently, the cost has risen so high as to only procure 1 ton of fertilizer from more

than twice that in crops. "-.- The government only worsens matters, as it unknowingly assists in impeding the Chiapan farmers on their quest to become

'agricultural leaders' within Mexico. Now corn is being grown in inadequate locations (remember, I live in the highlands, where it's mainly mountain bedrock

and only CENTIMETRES of soil) which offer only a few hopeful years of fertile growth before being abandoned. This phenomenon is visible everywhere, as large

patches on mountains seem empty and out-of-place amongst their neighbouring natural habitats of trees.

There are those, such as Miles and others who set up organic and permaculture teachings, tackling these plethora of interwoven problems, and have marginal

successes. But without adequate education, the majority of people have difficulties helping themselves. Even those who have managed to educate themselves are

self-defeating. But despite all of this negativity, the indigenous and locals are, beyond doubt, charming and friendly individuals, I cannot deny this. All

indigeneous speak their native tongue as well as Spanish. They know no English, but show great appreciation to those that attempt Spanish. I myself am

learning a bit of the native tongue of Lucila, but only a few words here and there. An interesting tidbit is that her native tongue has no words for any

numbers beyond 20! :O When I hear her speak, I'm reminded of Canada's indigeneous languages. They are not alike, but phonetical similarities do emerge

between them.

Needless to say, the culture here is... difficult, and that's putting it mildly. Poverty has left the people and their land ruined due to their own

negligence. Feminism is a virtue to take advantage of as the women here, who are the building blocks of communities, have next to no rights. And my first

days here I had to watch the beautiful 5-acre mountain (around the height of 5-7 'tallish' trees) become a grit deposit mine for no less than alcohol money.

Our neighbour strips his mountain for the same reason. It's sad that beautiful landscape fall prey to men that rape their own land. And Mexico has beautiful

land, extremely beautiful. Or should I say had, as it's become clear that their abilities to husband the earth is limited. Compared to Finland, who has 20%

of the wood Mexico has, still manages to out-produce Mexico by 2-3x more export with greater sustainability and vitality in its forests. But that's Northern

Europeans for you. ;)

It's been frustrating that this beautiful mountain, a monument of nature that withstood the test of time for millenia, is now over 30% gone. Thankfully the

land surrounding it has been mostly sold off, mostly to Tammo (7.2 acres) which will become the permaculture spot I'll attend to. (Pictures to come!).

Happy birthday!

2009-01-24T17:23:02Z

Well, as some of you may know (and I hinted with tags in previous entries) ;) it was my birthday on the 15th. More importantly however, given the date, is the fact that it's my mother's birthday today!

yay!

And to celebrate, I give you the last summer without dreads ;) And my mom with really short hair! (It's quite long now)

xoxo

Ah Lloyd Alexander

2009-01-15T22:12:13Z

Bit of nostalagia as my friend sent me an email for my bday and wrote about Samus (the cat that grew fond of me at the Veghouse). After an extended period of time, she still licked my nose when I held her close :)

Reminded me of the bard Fflewdurr Flamm in the chronicles of Prydain. Don't know why.

This is me in a few years…

2009-01-15T01:40:22Z

Let's take a step back from the spirituality that absorbs this man, and look at his killer beard.

:)

I must admit, I am greatly enticed by growing a beard. All great thinkers have beards. Well all the anarchist or social justice-driven philosophers at least ;D [Yes I know this isn't factual] But my dutch genetics are IN THE WAY But hopefully in a few years, when I near the end of my twenties, it'll thicken up a bit…

Nevertheless, I make my case here [of how all great philosophers have beards]:

Tolstoy_Prokudin-Gorsky
Friedrich Engels
Blackbeard I, Blackbeard II
Charles Darwin (despite being clean-shaven most of his life (in fact practically all but one year)
Dmitri Mendeleev

And the list go on and on… (Castro, Lincoln, Dostoevsky, Mithrandir)

But I can't grow one! Mind you, I can see myself growing this type of beard in 10 years. And more importantly, see myself in his shoes. Although living as a Nomad near Tibet would suit me just fine as well :)

Link: Jagannath Temple: Discriminately Rule by Government

Background knowledge
Arrived at this video after researching nomads, and came to the wikipedia article: Orissa [Orissa] which caught my eye at these two points:

Orissa has culinary tradition spanning centuries if not millennia. The kitchen of the famous Jagannath temple in Puri is reputed to be the largest in the world, with a thousand chefs, working around 752 wood-burning clay hearths called chulas, to feed over 10,000 people each day.

Puri to be one of the four holiest places (dhams) for hinduism. Orissa has therefore a syncretic mixture of the three dharmic religions as attested by the fact that the Jagannath Temple in Puri is considered to be holy by Hindus, buddhists and jains.

Lame, I know!

2009-01-08T03:10:00Z

But my friend wanted to see my results… so I might as well post it, as it gave me LJ code to work with. It's pretty lame as it just picks the first highest score it sees, and in no way attempts to conglomeratize multiple strengths. From a personal viewpoint, I'd switch Purpose and Imagination.

Enjoy. … or not ;)

Your result for The Chakra Test...

The Passionate One

You have scored 100% Passion - Your dominant Chakra is the "Root or Red Chakra"

The "Root or Red Chakra" is where your sense of being and physicality originates from. It is located at the base of your spine. And this is the chakra which is most developed in you at this time.

If it is open, you feel grounded, stable and secure. You feel present in the here and now and connected to your physical body. You feel you have sufficient territory.

Depending on your percentage score, there is always more room for development. When this chakra is under-active and out of balance with your other chakras, you may become fearful or nervous. If it becomes over-active, you may find yourself being over materialistic and greedy and obsessed with being secure and resisting change.

What is most important is to find balance amongst all 7 chakras. Have a look at what percentages you scored on the others and work to increase their power and balance with each other.

Root Chakra: 100% Passion, Sacral(Spleen) Chakra: 100% Desire, Solar Plexus (Navel) Chakra: 65% Purpose, Heart Chakra: 100% Balance, Throat Chakra: 50% Expression, Third Eye Chakra: 100% Imagination and Crown Chakra: 100% Spirituality!

Take The Chakra Test at HelloQuizzy

Freedom, like you wouldn't believe

2008-12-24T05:54:32Z

Now that I've confirmed a passing grade in Cosmology (a fear that's kept me restless for a week), I feel an incredible sense (no, overwhelming sense) of freedom in my life. I already live a free life: free from social adjustments, free from embellishments and material goods. Free from every sense of what the world drives us to become. Its had its consequences, of course, including a lack of social outreach (then again I am an introvert) and becoming prone to ostracising (mainly pre-hs). But post third-year, I was never free to live my life. I am now done school and I never have that sense of urgency to study; to push aside life to accommodate endless assignments. Although math and physics is 'everything' that I find to be beautiful in this world (with music to act as it's complementary counterpart, or closure, in terms of mathspeak) it's only interesting to the point of studying, and not delving into the world of research. The drive was lost through an endless stream of pathetic (yet brilliant) professors. My decreasing motivation was heavily surpassed and succeeded by environmental activism. And with my calm, collective yet revolutionary mind, projected UW into the main circuit of environmental initiatives and UWSP into a progressive, dynamic and evolving ecosystem of sustainable volunteers and volunteering achievements.

Digressing, I can now do what I want without restrain. I can meditate with perfect harmony and peace. I can start projects (see previous entry) -- which I'm even more grateful for now, as my ability to guide the environmental movement in projects and activism was stripped away due to a decision-delegating student power who, despite being an extremely nice guy and a friend, is also a complete dumb-ass. An idealogical spirit with an inability to accomplish his aspirations is never a good thing. (Amusingly, I can (and mainly have already) achieved his aspirations, but he stripped my continuity, and thus the continuity of an entire student service, something he pledged to fix. HAH! Talk about irony) ;) His name will go down into a dark chapter of UWSP's history. Lest I work with him to fix it. Which I will, to some degree.

Digressing again...

Emerging from my own personal aspirations, comes the ability to post more on LJ. Albeit my sombre post about Imprint earlier, it empowered and trained me as a writer. I have a terrific eye for editing, and my writing has attained a new level of comprehension. Although I still have a few weaknesses (mainly speed and vocabulary) my written work, given enough time, is well above average (Slightly overshadowed by peers like Margaret, and those like her (Carla, Christine, Adam, etc.) whose writing abilities captivated me as a young and inexperienced writer, and still do today).

The speed issue was the primary deterrent to any attempts of creating a consistency in updating LJ, as I would have to write a post over a number of days. Which was not feasible given the harshness of physics and math (can I hear a 'hear hear' from any of you?) ;D

That said, I'm taking a notepad with me everywhere. And I will transform this LJ into an enlightening environment filled with posts of spirituality and philosophy. My greatest intrinsic strengths.

But that's after I cross off a lot more of those line-items in my last post. :)

On a related note: I have the house to myself for 2 weeks in the beginning of January. Soooooooo, if anyone wants to come over... ... ... feel free to ;) And expect a home-cooked meal ;) After all, visiting friends is something I placed as a line-item prior to my departure...

Where?

Next post ;)

Post UG checklist

2008-12-19T23:09:45Z

An ever-updating checklist I need to accomplish within the next month:

1. ~~Figure out food ideas for my vegan dinner and games night on Sunday~~
  - Cooked Tomato Lentil w/ spinach Soup (dash of curry), sauerkraut w/ mixed in mashed potatoes, nasi goreng (w/ tempeh), marinated tofu w/ friend vegetables all w/ peanut sauce (As a side-dish to the nasi goreng), fresh mixed salad with homegrown beets, apple crumble pie (made by Erin!)
2. ~~cleanse facebook~~
  - upped privacy, removed 50+ "friends" (below 200), removed applications, updated profile, overall stripped it down
3. write uwsp service manual
4. fix uwsp website
5. fix Global website
6. finish catalogue
7. learn spanish
8. research permaculture
9. READ BOOKS other than math and physics
10. cleanse gmail
11. install ubuntu on my sister's laptop
12. fix dreads
13. make [lots of] bracelets
14. Visit friends (James/Niki, Aly, Aly, Meghann, Christine, Trish, Whitey, Aimee/Jasper, Dave/Kelly)
15. Set up linux server
16. ~~Get new glasses~~
  - Changed my black "thick(er)" frame look for nice big brown ones :)

I'm in Grimsby, and on my third glass of wine…

2008-10-26T23:45:27Z

And all I can think of is, where the heck is Aly? So I can have midnight conversations with her! ;)

Recent Bracelets!

2008-09-16T16:22:58Z

Probably my best bracelet done to date! And it only took me the majority of the summer. ;D (With lots of breaks—longest being a month long one) Although I do try to better my previous bracelet with every new opportunity. I am glad to say two things about this one:

i) it was a design I had envisioned many years ago already. Its two keys traits are the moonlight and reversibility. So I was glad to see to its completion

ii) it has taught me a LOT about bracelet making. Never have I had the opportunity to make so many mistakes in this discipline. And a master of a discipline is one that has made all the mistakes in it, alluding to a quote from a famous physicist:

An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes, which can be made, in a very narrow field.
— Bohr, Niels Henrik David (1885-1962)

So I can safely say I'm a master craftsmen in bracelet-making. :D

For those with keen eyes, I had to drill a new set of holes in each of the beads to make the axis of symmetry horinzontal. And yes, one of the A's is backwards, but a simple spin 180° will correct that.

Points of interest

It's reversible

the beads sit on a horizontal axis. Although this is a technique I've been using for many years, it also reads horizontally, rather than vertically. Otherwise it wouldn't be reversible.

It shows the progression of the moon phases (with the exception of gibbous) So every +/-15 days it needs to be turned. Great way to follow moon patterns and gives a great reason to stare into the sky

Lots of mistakes made, lots of experience gained.

Suffocating!

2008-09-02T03:23:44Z

The house is filled with smoke, which is sadly a regular occurrence. At this junction, I either head downstairs with Fluffy or take a more proactive approach and head outside to relax, watch the stars and allow my mind to wander…

Yet, I can't even go outside since the Ukranian land-owner (which our entire street has a love-hate relationship with) has begun one of his illegal fires again! So outside is even worse =\

-.-

*sigh*

=/

In other news, I'm packing to head back to Waterloo.

Phelps versus Blom

2008-08-20T03:29:27Z

Although I'm already at a loss for furthering his notorious wins with more media outtakes, not that my LJ is a prime media outlet… ;) but I couldn't help compare his "natural phenomenon" of a body so many people brag about.

NOT that my body is anything to brag about, however, the number of quirks we share are quite interesting — when it comes to swimming at least.

Let's look at Phelps, coming from http://www.sentientdevelopments.com/2008/08/michael-phelps-natural-transhuman.html

Phelps:
Blom:

Most people have a wingspan that matches their height. Not Phelps. He may be 6'4" tall, but his arms extend outward to a total of 6'7".

I stand 189.5 cm tall (over 6'2") and my arm spans 195cm (just under 6'5")

The average shoe size for a person the size of Phelps is 12; he wears a size 14 which gives him a 10% advantage over the competition.

The average for my height is 11, whereas I wear a size 13 (or 47). Not only that, but my arch collapses, and I have ridiculously wide feet. My feet are duck feet. Literally. So Blom > Phelps in this category ;)

He also has a larger than average hand size which allows him to move more water.

Hah, for those that have seen my hands… not many hands are bigger based on my height. (I span 12 piano keys and can play 11, with difficulty of course. 10 with no difficulty whatsoever)

Phelps is double-jointed in the chest area; this enables him to extend his arms higher above his head and pull down at an angle that increases his efficiency through the water by as much as 20%; this also allows him to have quicker starts and turns.

I'm double jointed in the knees… some fingers, not much else. Phelps > Blom

He has proportionately short legs relative to his long, powerful trunk; this large upper body is the engine that powers his long arms. Moreover, his unique physique reduces drag through the water and allows for maximum propulsion.

Sadly this is where he excels. I'm the opposite, bearing longer legs and a shorter torso. Phelps > Blom here too

Phelps has a greater-than-average lung capacity allowing him to execute his underwater dolphin kicks longer than the competition.

I used to be able to hold my breath under water while swimming for a long time. I'd have to check to see if I still can though. That was many years ago

He has a genetic advantage that cause his muscles to produce 50% less lactic acid than other athletes. This means he can work at higher work loads for longer periods.

Sure… genetic… ;)

With a low body fat of 4%, he is better able to convert his effort into speed.

My body fat is ridiculously low. That's all I'll say

;)

Organic gardening

2008-08-11T01:42:10Z

There is little that refreshes one's spirit into a sense of archaic accomplishment, than making your own zuchinni soup. All of the ingredients are derived from my own backyard! :D

Well that's a lie. I used some dutch broth cubes, and some curry paste as well, since I needed to use that up. But still, as I swig down my second bowl, it not only refreshing, but self-sustaining.

Now to get this year-round gardening down pat…

Home!

2008-08-09T18:01:49Z

So I have the house to myself for the next few days. Who wants to come over and play some final fantasy ^^"??

Bruce Trail is next door too.

Sunsets versus Sunrises

2008-08-08T22:44:55Z

I was driving from Waterloo to beat my parent's departure time as they head out to Costa Rica for some well-deserved vacation time. Taking the side country roads that wound up and down, window open with the cold fog hitting up against my outstretched arm, reminded me of the beauty of a quiet, solitary (and not to forget, cold) post-midnight country drive.

I had a mix cd mainly of Korpiklaani on, but turned it off for obvious reasons.

Now read the first a paragraph again, anything odd?

Yes, I enjoyed the drive. In a car. I'm an environmentalist. It seems I too enjoy the rare occasions that I can get with a blissful after midnight hours night ride. I was going between 70 and 80 on a country road— attempting to conserve gas, if that's any consolation.

The same effect can happen with a strong windstorm, but those are few and far between unfortunately. I'm also not really in the country to enjoy the trees and forests during my residence in Waterloo either, which is a shame since it's a windstorm everyday there.

I have always wondered, and held the conception that, in a period of a day, you can only really enjoy either or of the beauties that a sunset offers and the blanket that covers the sky thereafter; or the warmth and life that springs from the first rays seen over the horizon.

Naturally you can break your circadian cycle and view both in the span of a day… but can you appreciate, in all its forms, both? No.

-------

There are two things a friend must do. First, to look out for the other, the second to trust the other. Sometimes it may appear you've failed at the first, yet, as it turns out, somewhat counter-intuitively, you've actually placed trust in the other, and have therefore not brought your friend to harm.

_spiffy_frodo_ @ 2008-07-25T01:02:00

2008-07-25T05:03:16Z

I'm in the mood for some nice hot milk… I don't know why. I usually never give into cravings, but this craving seems like a necessity. So I'll bite this time.

Regardless I can't microwave it since my mom hears a pin drop, so I have to quietly boil it.

Wish me luck ;)

More physicists quotes:

2008-06-26T01:39:26Z

Bryan (from Taiwan): rob?

… times goes by.

Rob: yessum

B: bah
B: way too late
B: the end of the world has already begun
B: all because you were out gardening

R: sorry :(
R: let's hope it takes its time coming across the Atlantic

B: i don't know
B: has anyone calculated the speed of a woman's wrath?

R: closest thing to the speed of light in natural existence
R: ;)

B: well then you'd better say your goodbyes while you can

----------

Fantastisch

2008-06-14T02:54:50Z

Today was an amazing day

1) I watched the Netherlands - France game with a glass of wine along with my uncle who is over from the Netherlands. It took the entire game to finish the wine off against Italy, but I had already finished this wine glass at halftime =\

2) The storm outside was gorgeous. The soft touch of rain and the cool wind on your skin is divine. (Yes I was wearing a t-shirt) While the monstrous storm outside raged on for over an hour. I was able to sit outside while my uncle filmed it with his digital camera. We both moved to the front with the storm and watched it diminish off past the mountains.

I was allowed some solitude when my uncle left. The rain was just hitting up to my ankles and soaked through my pants. I didn't really notice. The night was just that romantic.

I'll enjoy the remainder of this day ^_^

I think I'll make some seitan tomorrow. :)

sigh

2008-06-08T03:31:45Z

=/ =( :)

European clothing

2008-05-31T22:54:39Z

Not 10 minutes after my mother and I showed Marja en Ton (my aunt and uncle from my mother's side who just arrived to from de Nederlands) the garden, are my sister and mom digging in the piles of european clothing my (other) aunt sent over.

I think my sister already started a pile for herself without even my mother looking over it ;)

And here I am with my 2 t-shirts I alternate each day.

OH ex'es

2008-05-28T05:55:36Z

God I love drunken conversations with ex's. Especially if they're Aly. ;D

Loose change and Megaman X2

2008-05-28T02:38:49Z

Apart from weekly cleanings (dusting and vacuuming the house), we spend a few good days turning the house upside-down to eliminate the accumulating dirt. With the large influx of dutch relatives to Canada, it is generally done shortly before the first of the arrivals. So I was busy today in my room, cleaning up all the notes and (relatively little) junk I've gathered and brought back from Waterloo in the past few years.

I've accumulated a LOT of change over the last 2.5 years due to my hemp wallet. Although great for bills, cards and even medium-sized receipts, it's horrendous for change. The way it stores change, makes it extremely difficult and down-right impractical when you're trying to get change for the teller.

After sifting through the pennies (I added 8 more to my penny collection!) which now has a run from 2007 - 1968 and some more beyond that, I calculated $30.80 in change alone! (20 of which were change higher than quarters though).

Hah! Time to treat myself to Megaman X2 I thought. No sooner had I went online to ebay, did I notice I jokingly bid on a Megaman X2 already for $15.00 a week ago! Clearly forgot, as I do this often, and it generally shoots up to 30 not too much later. Or at the very least, within the last 30 minutes. At which point in time, an "outbid" email would have been sent. But since nothing of the sort was sent, I forgot all about it! And when I saw the item, it had only 20 minutes left!

There wasn't even much of a duel. A guy put a maximum bid of $16.00 to it at 4 minutes, bringing it up to $15.50. And at 9 seconds I did a generous maximum bid to bring it up only 50 cents!

A Megaman X2 for 16.50 dollars… Never thought I'd see the day. I had been searching for it periodically for 1.5 years now. And it generally always fell around the 30 dollar mark.

Now to get my hands on Megaman X3… :D

OH dear lord funny...

2008-05-23T18:00:20Z

I seriously could not stop myself from laughing out loud. And I usually stifle my laughter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn2srGP0XN0&feature=related

Physicists quote… because we don't have time for fun ;D

2008-05-21T16:59:28Z

Rob and Jasper are sitting in the SLC, surrounded by these (sorry for this non-implied discriminatory term) 'artsie' girls. All of whom are Jasper's friends from his VOC days.

The girls are speaking amongst themselves. I'm my quiet listening self, and Jasper (who was tired since him and I just pulled some serious hours on two astrophysics/math assignments—I was also exhausted)

Girl 1: What can we do this weekend?
Rob: "?" (half perks up)
Girl 2: Yah I dunno. What did we do last weekend?
Rob: "??"
Girl 1: I know! We can go to Phil's! Yah!
Girl 3: But I have no money at the moment.
Jasper: "blank stare from fatigue, but is clearly interested in the conversation"
Girl 4: I wouldn't mind going to Phil's.
Girl 3: Look, if we go to Phil's — I would literally have to lick the ground since I wouldn't be able to buy beer.
Girl 1: Yah, well I still think we should head to Phil's. I haven't been in such a long time!

Rob: …
Rob: (to Jasper) Are they … making … plans??
Jasper: *laughs* Yes Rob. They don't have physics assignments to do. Hah! You're so funny.
Rob continued to look in bewilderment.

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;)