When I deliver food to hungry people, people say I’m nice. When I avoid polluting, they call me extreme. Yet both actions come from the same place in my heart and mind, which I can best characterize with the phrase “love your neighbor as yourself.” Whether you’re Christian or not, that advice has stood the test of time for a reason. Acts of love for neighbors are rewarding. I just[…] Keep reading →

I started doing burpees on this day in 2011. I haven’t missed a day since. I’ve done them daily over 22 percent of my life. By my spreadsheet, I’ve done just over 241,000 so should reach a quarter million in 2025. The point isn’t the numbers, though, nor the fitness, though I like my pulse being nearly off the charts low for men my age. The simplest way to put[…] Keep reading →

Ten days before Christmas people are already throwing away their Christmas pagan trees. Regular readers know I post pictures of how much people throw away trees they paid for being cut down. They’re following a pagan tradition grafted onto one branch of Christianity. They probably try to believe some self-serving lies that the trees are grown or harvested sustainably, but we know they know. This year I told myself I[…] Keep reading →

When I mopped, I used to think I should start with the middle of the floor. That’s where I spend the most time and the saw the most. I’ve included mopping in My sidchas, standard operating procedures, and preferences on one day of my six-day exercise cycle, meaning I haven’t skipped or missed mopping every sixth day for years. Performing a task with a measure of quality teaches a lot[…] Keep reading →

I’m updating My sidchas, standard operating procedures, and preferences in two ways. Cardio days First, in my 6-Day Exercise/Mindfulness Cycle, I’m changing day 6, which was “Cardio, at least 300 calories rowing or meaningful effort plogging, biking, walking, or climbing stairs.” I did cardiovascular exercises for two reasons: Since around May, I’ve been experimenting fasting on day 6. That is, instead of burning more calories, taking in fewer. Doing cardio[…] Keep reading →

A friend who visited broke a couple things of mine. They were fixable, but when he damaged one things by treating it cavalierly I said, “treat everything like it’s valuable.” He was taken aback since I had told him I had found this thing—a laundry drying rack. Some neighbor was throwing it out. It worked so I kept and used it. On last Fridays of the month, if I walk[…] Keep reading →

I’ve meant to write this post for years. It may be the longest past due. Why? Because it relates to many parts of my life and involves decisions that will affect me the rest of my life. I’ll stick with the basics to put the main thoughts on paper, so to speak. When I started doing burpees daily, it was ten a day for thirty days with a friend in[…] Keep reading →

A vignette from Michael Lombardi, podcast guest and football great General Manager about his mentor Bill Walsh, appears in his book Gridiron Genius, sticks with me. In particular, the part at the end of this passage about the picture frame. To me, one way mastery differs from just doing enough is that when we master an art or craft, we love the details. Before mastery, they may seem drudge work.[…] Keep reading →

The community fridge where I volunteer by bringing food (and doof, sadly) stores would otherwise through away for anyone to take recently coordinated a deal with the Union Square farmers market to pick up what vendors don’t sell. Half a dozen of us picked up and delivered our first load. Several of us made two trips. It was the most volume and I’d say highest quality of any load I[…] Keep reading →