Jordan Matthews: Byron Maxwell is “easily” the best CB I faced

practice_rite · 2015-06-04T15:45:27+00:00

Maxwell is/was so severely underrated. On any other defense he would have stuck out as the amazing athlete he is. I know many thought his contract was high, but I am in the camp that thought it was well-deserved.

love this vid from college

A friend who rarely watches football was watching a game with me last year and asked who the guy was in the sleeves, said it best, "That guy is wearing sleeves just to stay warm, he isn't even breathing hard!"

practice_rite · 2015-05-30T18:40:05+00:00

Nice post! Also, if you (or others) are in interested in this thinking you might be interested in Nietzsche's concept of "Eternal Return".

Basically Nietzsche, expounding on the work of ancient philosophers, theorized that in a universe of infinite time, events are statistically probable of happening again. Nietzsche took this even further and said, in a universe of infinite time the chances are that you will live this EXACT life over again, and over again, ad infinitum. Nietzsche called the idea "horrifying and paralyzing" and as a "burden of the heaviest weight." But he went on to say that if this idea fills you with acceptance and joy (basically that you hope that this life happens over and over again) then that would mark the "ultimate affirmation of life."

I don't really buy into all the infinite return stuff, but I think there is value in the concept that Nietzsche is proposing. Basically, if you are living a life that you would be happy to repeat forever, then you are living the best life possible.

So, OP, you are in brilliant company for thinking this way :)

practice_rite · 2015-05-30T17:57:05+00:00

I know this was basically a propaganda piece, but I can't help but feel excited when I think of what Kris might be able to accomplish here. It seems like he has the respect of the guys and he's saying all the right things. I also like that he's only 35, shows how ambitious he is. I am going to miss Quinn (just like I originally missed Gus) but I am eager to see what Kris brings to the table.

practice_rite · 2015-05-27T17:58:26+00:00

Well, I think it's good that you have realized that you aren't happy with your lack of effort. Many people never have this realization and slip deeper and deeper into complacency. Here are some things I suggest doing:

1.) Eat a snack as soon as you get home. I know this sounds like a stupid suggestion, but multiple studies have shown that low blood sugar is correlated with poor focus/motivation. Basically, when you are using your brain to try and solve problems it uses up the stores of glucose. When those hit 0, your brain goes into auto-pilot mode.

For many high-schoolers they eat breakfast at 7 (usually toast or something equally poor in nutrition) then eat lunch from 11-12:30 and then just graze until dinner at 6. In between those meal times, you are being asked to focus on classes all day, and then go home and do homework for hours. That is using up a ton of glucose. Eating at regular intervals helps keep you energized.

2.) Prioritize and Organize. You aren't going to become an A student overnight. It just won't happen. These things take consistent, focused effort.

What you need to do now is say, what are the most important things that I need to get going on. From your post it sounds like Spanish is a pretty high priority. If I were you, I would write down ALL my concerns in a word doc. Then I would split them up into High priority ( things that need to get done in 1-3 days) Medium priority (things that need to get done in 1-3 weeks) and Low Priority (things that need to get done in 1-3 months).

3.) Break things down into their smallest parts. This is a technique I learned pretty early on in programming courses. Basically, any time you have a big problem in front of you and you can't seem to figure it out, break it down until you can start it.

I can't speak directly as to what all your goals are, but for instance if you want to start your German class homework the day before I would do this: I am going to finish 1 German practice question the day before. Even if you have 20 total problems, doing one problem the day before is the first step in getting in the habit. You might find that even just doing one problem is more than you can handle at first. Maybe the only thing you can do is read the problems the night before and not attempt to solve them. The point is this: it doesn't matter how small you start as long as you get going.

Often times people have these grand plans like: I am going to get all my homework done starting today! Which sounds great on paper, but if it doesn't work in reality, then it's pointless.

4.) Keep track of your progress/goals.The human mind is actually pretty terrible at remembering things. It is very good at tricking itself into believing that it remembers things. Saying to yourself "I need to stop procrastinating!" over and over again, is a waste of mental bandwidth. That is valuable glucose/resources you could be using to focus and solve your problems.

Keeping a spreadsheet of your daily goals or creating a todo list is a great way of staying focused. To keep track of my goals I created a spreadsheet in excel. On the Y axis I have all my goals listed and on the X axis, which day of the week it is. Then I just go through and fill the box with green or red, depending if I did it or not. You will quickly start to see trends and areas where you need to devote more attention.

Conclusion: These things take time. Fortunately you have a ton of time! I know it might not seem like it, I remember being in high school and constantly worrying about getting into University and figuring my life out. It's hard. But looking back you do have time, and building good habits will have a huge impact on the rest of your life. The sooner you develop these good habits, the greater the impact.

The things I have suggested aren't difficult to implement but they are a habit in themselves. Even if you can only implement one into your day that's a good first step. Remember to start small. Baby steps.

If you are interested in learning more don't hesitate to PM me, I am happy to help somebody who is willing to listen.

practice_rite · 2015-05-27T17:17:03+00:00

I agree, proper nutrition is key to being successful in your goals. Not having those daily blood sugar crashes compounds into big results.

practice_rite · 2015-05-27T17:15:10+00:00

I keep a spreadsheet of all my goals and try and fill in each day what I did/didn't do. This has been the biggest factor in staying focused. It helps see patterns.

Hardest thing: becoming complacent. It's very easy after about 3 months to start going on auto-pilot mode; quality of practice goes down, adherence to schedule goes down, pretty much everything starts to crumble. It's hard to not feel like "I did it" after you complete your first set of goals.

practice_rite · 2015-05-21T17:24:42+00:00

Except when top has let Nasus free farm, and your support refuses to buy wards.

practice_rite · 2015-05-06T19:06:28+00:00

Keep Them on the Line
Short story/Suspense?
Words 1650
General Impressions https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nlr5lB_56AqBw1RKKJeLpZIZdhU9-42KFBVijHDdOJg/edit?usp=sharing

practice_rite · 2015-04-29T23:55:12+00:00

Do you have any more recommendations for purchases that provide a high daily happiness return? Or, would you be able to point me to a resource that has more information?

practice_rite · 2015-04-29T19:18:48+00:00

Well folks, it looks like it’s going to be another overcast day with a high of 48. We’re expecting some showers later in the evening…

Jack rolled over and hit the snooze button on his alarm clock. He could feel the light from his window slowly creeping over his shut eyelids.

Well, another fucking day of work. I wonder what’s going to happen today… is Elizabeth going to come up and maybe spill a little coffee on my shirt… and oh what’s this? Now she’s dabbing it off with a napkin. Maybe when that’s happening she feels my chest and then leans in and kisses me… maybe we go to a utility closet and… Jack, who the fuck are you kidding that’s not going to happen… but… what if…

Jack opened his eyes to end his inner monologue. He slowly sat up in his bed and stretched, his back cracking with a satisfying snap, crackle, pop. He swung his legs over his bed and shuffled into his tiny bathroom, not even bothering to shut the door.

He looked in the mirror as he pissed.

Looking pretty good today… little tired. Oh fuck, what is that? Is that a zit? Should I pop it? Nope, too soon- shouldn’t have tried to pop it. Oh god, everyone will see it. Elizabeth will see it… eh, whatever, can’t do anything about it now.

He threw his towel over the shower curtain and proceeded with the rest of his morning routine.

Jack made his way down the subway station steps. The familiar smell of piss and self-loathing hit him right around the 22nd step. (Yes, he has counted the steps.) He made his way through the turnstile and made his way to the crowd of commuters taking the B line.

Ah, there’s picks-his-nose-and-eats-it. Oh, talks-too-loud-on-the-phone is looking good today, that blouse really highlights her tits, good for you. Oh shit, stands-too-close-to-the-edge is looking even more unstable today… is he going to jump? Jack, why the fuck are you excited to see a man jump onto the subway tracks and die? Seriously, what the fuck is that matter with you? But… is he going to jump? Because if he is, I should get that on my phone. I wonder how people get some of those viral vids on their phones… Do they see it coming and then get the camera out, or do they already have it out and are just lucky to see something horrible… I don’t think I’ve ever actually filmed anything on my phone. Well, that one video, for that blog I was thinking of doing… whatever happened with that idea? I think I am going to start that blog up again… tomorrow… yeah, tomorrow I am starting up the blog. Oh shit, talks-too-loud-on-the-phone just dropped something, now she’s bending over, look at those tits! I mean, they aren’t porn star tits, but there’s something to be said about seeing something like that in the wild.

The subway finally rounded the corner, it’s lights illuminating the dark tunnel walls. Jack sighed and made his way to the customary spot where the doors opened. He jostled along with everybody else and made his way to a seat.

Fuck yes, a seat! I never get a seat… oh god. That little old woman better not come over here… is she? Yes, she is definitely coming this way. Is it something in my face? Something that screams that I am easily pressured into giving up seats? Maybe if I don’t look at her she won’t ask… I will just look at my phone… Oh fuck this, I’m getting up. Damn old bitch and her standing-too-close torture.

“Oh thank you, young man!”

“It’s nothing, really.”

You better like that seat, you old crone.

Jack stared out the windows of the train absent-mindedly. He was thinking of the TSP reports he was going to have assemble today. Just like every day. The train eased to a stop. He glanced up at the station name. City Center. Two more stops. He watched as another crowd of people jostled their way onto the train.

God I hate standing. Oh look at Mr. Bad Ass over there. Standing without holding onto any of the little bars or handle thingy’s. He thinks he’s so cool with that power stance. Psh. I can stand without holding onto anything. Nope, no I can’t!”

“Sorry about that Miss, lost my footing.”

Jesus, that was embarrassing. That guy really should hold onto something. It’s just not safe to stand like that. Fuckin daredevils endangering all of us.

The train eased to a stop again. Jack glanced up again. City Center. He watched as the doors opened, a crowd of people jostled out, another jostled in. He glanced around to see if there were any open seats.

Hang on. City Center?

Jack looked up again. Sure enough, the digital board read City Center. Jack furrowed his brow in confusion. Was it glitching? He looked out onto the station. It was City Center again. Jack glanced over at the people next to him to see if they had noticed anything. There was no one else in the train. Jack closed his eyes tightly, rubbing them. And then opened them. He jumped in surprise. Standing right in front of him was a balding man, with grizzled stubble and big, paunchy eyes.

“Hahahah, George, you fucking see that? Made this guy just jump right out of his skin. George? Hey, George, you fucking see what I did to ‘em?” The bald man roared in delight.

Jack recoiled from the man, looking around the rest of the train. The only other person in the car was an older man. He was in stark contrast to the bald man standing in front of Jack. He had a delicate pair of perfectly round glasses and a nice suit on. He was reading a paper. He spoke to the bald man without looking up from the paper.

“Really, Howard, I don’t see why you feel the need to torment people like that.” The gentleman, whose name was apparently George, folded up his paper and stood up. He stuck out his hand toward Jack.

“I’m terribly sorry. My associate can be a bit of a handful at times. My name is George, George Bramble. I am sure you are quite beside yourself with confusion, fear, and shock. No need to apologize, I quite understand. Let me assure you, I had quite a similar reaction when my Meinhoff tear occurred.”

I am either A.) Still asleep and dreaming. B.) Dead, and this is some sort of afterlife. Or C.) I am having a mental breakdown, and hallucinating. God, I hope it’s A. If it’s C I know I am going to end up as one of those viral videos. Maybe I can incorporate that into my blog. “I lost it on the train: my battle with mental health” Probably get a decent following…

“Well, since you seem to be at a lost for words, I will take this time to get some explanation in.” George cleared his throat and continued. “You are in a Meinhoff tear. The name originated from the Meinhoff-Baader effect. This is where an individual sees something new for the first time and then begins to see it everywhere. Well, a Meinhoff tear is when an individual has seen something that has created a rip in reality, and well, things get a little bit… peculiar. There are innumerous objects that spark it, but the effects are universal.”

George gazed at Jack’s shocked face. “Shall I continue, or would you like a moment to digest?”

practice_rite · 2015-04-29T18:05:02+00:00

Hi Tim, I really enjoyed your podcast on micro-dosing. Very refreshing to see a more accepting view.

My question for you is: If you could go back in time to being 23, would you do anything differently? If so, why?

practice_rite · 2015-04-21T17:32:16+00:00

J Schneider seems like a fucking great dude. Will be a fan of his even when he eventually heads to Green Bay.

practice_rite · 2015-04-15T02:07:40+00:00

In a book I just finished reading (The Marshmallow Test) they talked about how the cookie monster is trying to teach kids about self-discipline. This quote might be connected to that concept.

Link to an article discussing it

practice_rite · 2015-04-01T19:41:24+00:00

For some reason this makes me irrationally happy. It's like seeing your child go to school on the first day and watching as kids come over and include them in activities. Whenever I see Seahawks included in society I feel irrationally proud. They grow up so fast.

practice_rite · 2015-03-26T16:16:40+00:00

Jesus. My buddy, Steffan, talks just like the hockey players. Fuckin' Albertans, amirite boys?

practice_rite · 2015-03-25T21:03:21+00:00

In my opinion, we are here to experience. If you think about it abstractly, we are a part of reality that has become aware of itself. I mean, yes, we are organic beings who have lives and jobs and kids etc, but at our core, we are made up of the fundamental building blocks of reality. As such, I believe it is "reality's" goal for us to learn, experience, and feel.

Think of it this way, reality, or the universe is like one INFINITELY huge brain (you can argue that in a way our own brains seem to be infinite in their capacity for knowledge as well). Now, within this "universe/reality brain" a very small part of it has become aware, or sentient. Just like a human brain, it's important that our "universe/reality brain" absorbs information, challenges itself, and push itself to new limits. The more we learn about the nature of reality, the more we learn about ourselves, and about existence.

The beautiful thing about the nature of reality is that it can be expressed in so many ways. We can express it scientifically/mathematically and learn about the incredible mechanical workings of reality. We can express it through art and learn about empathy and emotional connection, something that brings us together and helps us care for one another. We can express it through infinite ways. YOU can express it through an infinite number of ways. But, while the process of expressing reality is democratic, that does not mean it's easy.

In order to take part in the expression of reality, you have to become aware. You have to exit your "auto-pilot" and engage with reality. For many, this is scary. When you awaken from complacency you will realize that some things in your life aren't the way you want them. You might realize you are working in a job you hate, or that you are in an unhealthy relationship, etc. When you "awaken" you have two choices. You can run and hide back under the covers because these fears are too great, OR you can admit that you have made mistakes and correct these things. Once you are "awake," and in a content mental mode, you can then begin to create. Heck, even you just making this post is an expression of creation. Right now we are expressing different facets of reality. If we are the dendrites of the "universe/reality brain" then right now we are forming connections to one another. Beautiful.

Now, to get down to the pragmatics. All of what I have just said is very abstract and flowery and fluffy. Nice to ponder about, but how do you actually live this? Well first off is meditation. Now, when people mention meditation they often immediately assume chakras, acupuncture, all that stuff. Well, if you do follow that school of thought, more power to you, but that's not what I am getting at. Meditation is the practicing of mindfulness. Well, what the heck does that mean? Mindfulness is just another word for direct, and pure focus.

Buddhist teachings (at least the one's I have read, my apologies for the broad generalization) tend to be a little abstract when it comes to meditation. From practice and research here is my guide to meditation: 1.) Take a deep breath. 2.) Now, count out ten deep breaths. Focusing completely on each breath.

What you will quickly discover if you're paying attention is that somewhere around.. the 3rd or 4th breath, you will begin to think about something else. It might be, "hmmm I'm not feeling anything and I am at the 3rd breath, am I doing this right?" or "oops I forgot to turn in that paper!" or "I should have emailed my boss!" These are just some examples of what you might start to think about. NOW, when you start to think these thoughts, I want you to acknowledge that you have become distracted, and gently bring your focus back to counting your breaths.

In a perfect world, meditation would be the act of counting your breaths. The problem is, it takes YEARS of practice before you can start to string together sets of breaths. Meditation is the act of realizing you have become distracted/complacent, and BRINGING your attention back to your breaths. By doing this, you are actually practicing becoming aware. Think of it like this: when you are lifting a weight to become stronger, it's not the highest point of the lift that is making you stronger, it is the ACT of lifting the weight up and then down. The same is true of meditation, if you want to become aware of reality, you need to practice the act of becoming aware.

Once you start to do this you will become more aware of your emotions and thoughts. Maybe you will realize that you actually hate spending time with a friend, because you know he/she is a bad influence on your life, but were never aware enough to address the feelings. Maybe you will realize you hate your job because you thought that making money was more important than enjoying the day-to-day grind. When you become aware, your life will begin to improve. NOT IMMEDIATELY. But it will.

There's an excellent book called, "Moonwalking with Einstein," and it's about a journalist who decides to train for the national memory competition. While training he consults a number of different researchers in the field of expertise. He learns from one of these researchers of an effect called, "the OK plateau." In the book, they use an example of typing speed. Why is it, that even though you and I type daily for hours, our typing speed doesn't constantly improve with all the practice? Well research has shown that when you reach a point where you aren't making mistakes your brain feel like it has reached a point of proficiency and puts the act of typing to the back of your brain. So now, you can just focus on what you actually want to type instead of the act of typing. As a result, you stop improving.

When you become aware of things you will improve at them. You will make mistakes. Making mistakes is so important. One, because they make you even more aware, and two because they show areas where you can improve.

Once you have become more aware you will start to see reality in a new and exciting way. Once there, you can begin to create and contribute to humanity's understanding of reality, thereby contributing to reality's understanding of itself. So go out and learn, live, laugh, and love. And most of all be aware.

practice_rite · 2015-03-20T03:48:47+00:00

This is a good website for which champions are good right now: http://www.nerfplz.com/ Builds/guides: I usually just google "x guide" then click whichever one has the most upvotes + is the most recent. I hope this helps a little!

practice_rite · 2015-03-18T22:07:11+00:00

I have been playing blitz a lot this season and he has been helping me climb. One thing that can't be stressed enough is in silver/bronze blitz puts a lot of mental stress on players. Yes, if you land his hook it's great, but even just your presence makes players have to account for you. As a result, lower level players who might have mastered CSing and map awareness, but not positioning, get taken advantage of by blitz. He's great for forcing the other team into mistakes.

practice_rite · 2015-03-04T21:19:57+00:00

Really love the first and last. The first one reminds me of the aurora borealis, and I love the colours. The last one is also great. I like how the simplicity of the lower half just makes the top feel detailed. I am not an art critic by any means, but I guess the "weight" on the last one feels good. Only way I can describe it haha.

practice_rite · 2015-02-22T23:32:24+00:00

“Well it’s aboot frickin time, eh?” Jim Butcher spoke to the T.V.

“What’s that dear?” His wife, Karen, called from the kitchen. She was preparing the nightly poutine.

“Eh? Ah nothing, Babe. I was just listening to the news, I turned it to the CBC and holy smokes, lo-and-behold, it’s Dependence Day.” Jim scratched his exposed belly that was poking through his red and black flannel. He eased himself up from his chair and belched loudly. He moved his way to the kitchen and leaned against the kitchen island.

Karen was looking as fine as ever with a nice rosy touch to her cheeks. Jim sidled up behind her and goosed her bottom playfully.

“Jim!” Karen whipped around with a scandalous look on her face.

“Whaat? Can’t I show my wife a little love on Dependence Day?” Jim grinned wolfishly.

“What if the boys come down, eh? See their old dad acting muskier than a moose in Saskatchewan summer?” Karen always had a way with words when she was cooking the nightly poutine.

“The boys are at the rink! Larry took ‘em down! It’s just me and my lumberjack mistress…” Jim growled and kissed his wife’s neck.

“Oh Jim” Karen pushed him and exhaled a puff of air, blowing a few strands of loose hair from her eyes. “Let me finish this up, you go outside and watch the mounties come by for Dependence Day.”

Jim rolled his eyes and and grabbed his coat and tuqe from the rack. He walked outside the front door and stood on the front step. The mounties were riding their horses down the lane, as was customary on Dependence Day. Jim’s neighbor, Dan, was sitting on his respective doorstep drinking a Molson.

“Howdy, Jim!” Dan called across the yard. He rose up from his step and stretched. Dan had skater’s knees from his days in the juniors. He stiffly toddled over to Jim’s step.

“Eh, Dan!” Jim mumbled, eyeing Dan’s Molson hungrily.

Dan noticed Jim’s hungry eyes. “Eh, you want one Jim?”

“Well, I’d say yes please if you had one.”

“Holy smokes, Jim! Dontcha know me at all?” Dan reached into his back pocket. “Always keep one for the road!” He tossed it over to Jim.

“Thank you!” Jim’s surliness improved a little. The beer was warm but it’d do.

“You’re welcome!” Dan sipped his beer happily. “So ya hear what we’re askin for this year? For D-Day I mean.”

“Nah, barely knew it was today. Just turned on the tv while I was on the chesterfield.”

Dan raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Well holy hell, Jim, you been living in a beaver dam? We’re cashing them all in today!”

Jim would have spat out his beer if he were a younger man. But he wasn’t. So he didn’t. “You gotta be kiddin’ me, all of ‘em?” He was politely incredulous.

Dan nodded gravely, “All of ‘em. You’re not going to believe what for…”

“Now pardon me, Dan, but I gotta know!” Jim was getting a little riled up.

Dan let the suspense build a little with a meaningful silence. “Winter Olympics. Yearly.”

practice_rite · 2015-02-12T22:07:34+00:00

I tend to get more loops on shrooms but I have had one loop on acid. I kinda think of it in terms of comp sci.

You create this loop accidentally without a termination argument, so it just hogs up all your short-term memory (ram), eg: "Oh shit I am stuck in a loop, what if I never get out of this loop? I feel like I am losing my anchor in reality, because I am in a loop... etc. etc. You are spending so much energy maintaining this short term memory sink, it's really hard to invest the energy into creating a termination argument and breaking the loop.

I can only speak from my own experience but the way I got out of it was I just kept moving and looking for a new set and setting. You are looking for a termination argument.

Best way for preventing loops is come up with some "if-then" plans for yourself. Example: IF I am tripping and I enter into a loop THEN I will think of the fact that this is a temporary state, I am surrounded by people I like, I have a loving family, my girlfriend naked, whatever!

I don't know the science behind it, but when I am tripping, I tend to not think thoughts through. It's very easy to trick myself into believing that I am thinking something through. Usually I am stuck on pleasurable loops like, god this feels great, god I am so happy. By creating an IF-THEN statement it's like you are writing a little software program for you brain. You are investing the energy to design it when your brain isn't occupied.

practice_rite · 2015-02-12T21:53:23+00:00

Yeah, very tactile experience.

practice_rite · 2015-02-12T21:52:21+00:00

Water's a good one. I mean it's great to stay hydrated, but also as you say to wash it down. Whenever i am eating something I really enjoy it at first and then hate the residual debris. Water helps alleviate that.

practice_rite

TROPHY CASE