so totally sick and rad.com

why is it so hard for people to submit a compelling cover letter and resume that is appropriate for the position they’re applying for?

It’s almost like they don’t really want a job.

So I’ve been hitting the wall with lower back rehab a bit lately, which has driven me back to the meathead training center. I found a couple cool articles on training grip strength, shoulder strength (think iron cross), and one-arm pull strength. All of these will probably do nothing for my climbing or my back recovery, but hopefully they’ll keep me sane a little longer. The goal is to one day do this (just watch 25 secs):

For Jonny A, Pete, and Marit.

this is my friend amy. she’s rocks harder than you.

This skateboarding dog catches more air than you, frontboards better than you, and has more style than you….accept it.

Terje gets it….this clip is pretty much the best video definition I’ve ever seen of sototallysickandrad. Terje flat out kills it. If I did that I’d probably be high for a couple weeks.

Rarely do I reap enjoyment through another’s actions in the sense of vicarious pleasure, but today is different. Today, Cerre is experiencing her first Sunday without the anticipation of going to a underwhelming job in the morning.

Tomorrow she will get up and focus on herself.

No, she didn’t win the lottery. No, I didn’t get a raise (big surprise there huh?). Instead, she focused on making a positive change in her life.

Three months ago, Cerre made a resolution not to say negative things about people around her. She embraced Thumper’s Rule. Soon after that she decided to really quit the job that was making both of our lives lame. Now, while I face the prospect of getting up tomorrow and dealing once again with the same old BS, she will get up and begin planning her new career. I have never been happier or more excited for someone else in my life. I am truly living her excitement. I am experiencing vicarious pleasure. That I have to go to the grind tomorrow doesn’t really matter, because knowing she is free from it is enough.

I’m working to get myself to the same place. I recall a younger time, a more idealistic time, when I believed all that matter was staying true to one’s self, one’s passions and love. I’m less idealistic now, much more jaded and cynical, but I return to an understanding of this basic truth. Do what you love, be passionate about it, give yourself to it completely and it will provide for you.

Why?

People love passion.

It’s simple but true. If you love something, there are hundreds of others out there who love it too, and there’s a better than 90% chance that those people are not doing the thing they love. I don’t understand why, but it seems to be a human condition. We are programmed to believe that we must achieve all of these non-self-important things to be successful, often all at the expense of what we love. It doesn’t make sense, but in my experience, it is a human paradigm. Maybe it’s all about the dip. To be successful we must first go through the dip…and that is too terrifying for most people to do, so 90%, no, 99% back away from that slog and enter the veal fattening pens of corporatopia.

I’m so stoked for you Cerre. I’ll see you on the other side soon.

sometimes when I’m at the gym doing my PT…pumping iron…I wonder: “If our number system was higher than a base ten system, would people be stronger? If we used a base 11 system would everyone do a little bit more?”

“It’s not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You’re on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you’re on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where? ”

“I don’t know. ”

“Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do? ”

“Put it up to eleven. ”

“Eleven. Exactly. One louder. ”

“Why don’t you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder? ”

[pause]

“These go to eleven. “