OK, so the UPS guy just lost his job. He should have lost it years ago for that Euro-douche haircut and smart, business-casual wardrobe but now there's no excuse; his whiteboard drawing skills are no match for what's below.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Gas Works Photo Adventure Spectacular Thing
About 8 years ago now I bought a Nikon D70 DSLR. I'd been interested in photography for a while and had the disposable income so I took the plunge. Oddly enough, I had to take the plunge twice as the first one was stolen from my truck in Palm Springs, so that was a nice surprise. So much for buying another lens with that money. I digress...
I used it off/on for a while then it sort of sat in the closet in favor of the far more convenient and versatile point and shoot except for special occasions. I dunno, I think a lot of it was lack of motivation and good things to shoot that were close by. There are only so many photos you can grab of shitty HB surf and while there were some great sunsets that was about it; I just wasn't motivated to hop in the car and go somewhere and take some cool photos. Oh, I still loved to take photos but I just wasn't feeling it like I was when I first got the camera, which is sad.
Well, this past weekend the weather was stellar here so I decided to go out and shoot some real photographs at Gas Works Park in Seattle. This adventure reminded me of a few things:
Along those lines, I'm not too shabby with a camera. It comes naturally, I guess, that I have great composition skills when it comes to filling a frame and capturing an image; just sort of know what looks right and it's always gratifying to see great images you captured. I've weened myself off using the auto-focus and will eventually ditch the camera's metering assistance and go full manual but who knows if that's totally necessary; technology can be pretty handy. I've got friends that are semi-professional photogs and an aunt that is in the same boat and I think I'll be spending time with them to help get me up to speed on the technical side of photography so I can use more of the buttons and dials on the camera more effectively than I currently do.
Here are the photos from the 300 I took but whittled down to about 70 that were what I felt were the best works.
http://bit.ly/cfAASe
Facebook compresses everything so it's kind of hard to really get a feel for some of these photos there but you're welcome to check that album out, too. You know how to find it.
More photography outings to come in the future...
Enjoi.
I used it off/on for a while then it sort of sat in the closet in favor of the far more convenient and versatile point and shoot except for special occasions. I dunno, I think a lot of it was lack of motivation and good things to shoot that were close by. There are only so many photos you can grab of shitty HB surf and while there were some great sunsets that was about it; I just wasn't motivated to hop in the car and go somewhere and take some cool photos. Oh, I still loved to take photos but I just wasn't feeling it like I was when I first got the camera, which is sad.
Well, this past weekend the weather was stellar here so I decided to go out and shoot some real photographs at Gas Works Park in Seattle. This adventure reminded me of a few things:
- Seattle is such a cool city
- I really love photography
- I'm pretty good at taking photographs
 |
| From Gas Works |
Along those lines, I'm not too shabby with a camera. It comes naturally, I guess, that I have great composition skills when it comes to filling a frame and capturing an image; just sort of know what looks right and it's always gratifying to see great images you captured. I've weened myself off using the auto-focus and will eventually ditch the camera's metering assistance and go full manual but who knows if that's totally necessary; technology can be pretty handy. I've got friends that are semi-professional photogs and an aunt that is in the same boat and I think I'll be spending time with them to help get me up to speed on the technical side of photography so I can use more of the buttons and dials on the camera more effectively than I currently do.
 |
| From Gas Works |
Here are the photos from the 300 I took but whittled down to about 70 that were what I felt were the best works.
http://bit.ly/cfAASe
Facebook compresses everything so it's kind of hard to really get a feel for some of these photos there but you're welcome to check that album out, too. You know how to find it.
More photography outings to come in the future...
Enjoi.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
The Zero Sum Game that is LIFE
I love metaphors. Well, maybe this isn’t a metaphor, but I don’t know what to call it so we’re gonna call it a metaphor. Get over it.
This metaphor deals with one of the most crucial aspects of my professional career: the concept of the zero sum game. In effect, the zero sum game says that for every dollar gained an equal dollar is lost. So if I make $350 on a trade, some other guy will have lost $350. He may have been up $1,000 and got knocked down to a net of $650 or he may be -$350 but in some way, the guy at the other end of the trade lost the same as I made. So, we have a net of $0 ($350 made - $350 lost) and at the end when a contract expires the accounting has an equal debit (sellers) and credit (buyers) amount. It’s brilliant, actually.
Our metaphor comes in how this relates to my life, or any life really. You see, my life in the last few months has been crazy; I don’t need to rehash it because you all read this blog religiously *wink wink* and understand all the stuff that’s gone on, both good and bad. Actually, it's been crazy for years; maybe even my entire life, really. This got me thinking how your life really is a zero-sum game on an inner-personal level; nevermind the outside world, we’re just talking about you or at least those things that are directly related to your life.
Today I started remembering everything that's happened and maybe even feeling a little sad or nostalgic for my old life and all that I’ve lost over the last few years. Actually, It wasn’t feeling sad for what I lost, it was more thinking about all that I’ve gained in this new life (happiness, health, a job I love, eagerness to see the new world around me and share all this happiness with others...you read the blog, you know) and the person that is the new or reawakened and better Me. But, I stopped and glanced over my shoulder and saw the wreckage that was a previous life; what I don’t have any more. At that point, it dawned on me: that was the price paid for all that I have now. All the money I’ve lost in chasing my dreams and keeping me afloat, the time, the stress, the agony, sadness, loss of a relationship, my dog, leaving California and all those friends behind, the surfing, sun, In-n-Out Burger, 90mph on the freeways…all those things were lost or used as payment for all that I have now; a true zero sum game.
However, what’s not told about the zero sum game are the intangibles; those things than cannot be measured in dollars and cents, at least in actual trading. In every trade there’s an equal dollar amount that’s gained and lost but there are also lessons learned, experience gained, wisdom added to your bag of tricks. These things have no monetary value but they maybe have something more important than monetary value as they make you a better trader. In theory (if you’re doing it right) you’ll pull from these intangibles and not make the mistakes that found you on the losing end of a trade or you'll know when to trade or when to wait and you become a better, more successful trader.
When I remembered that, it changed everything; the nostalgia and feeling of loss was gone in an instant. It reminded me of all that I’ve gained but more importantly learned through the process of getting me to where I am with what I’ve got, and I’ll be the first to tell you, I’ve got a lot that isn’t measured in dollars and cents. The happiness and positivity I have, the clarity, the determination, confidence, bravado, focus…I gained all of that from the winning, but mostly the losing trades I’ve made in my life and it’s paying dividends monetarily and otherwise each and every day. It’s brilliant how it all works, really.
In effect, I traded with my life and I came out ahead. But there was a great cost that was paid to get to where I am now. What makes me better than I was-- than I’ve ever been--are those intangibles; the lessons learned, the wisdom gained and knowing what I want from my life is more important than the “stuff” I lost.
So while there is and may always be some feeling of loss for those things, it’s OK because all that I learned and gained from those trades that cannot be put on a balance sheet is worth far more to me moving forward than I could ever put a value on.
The zero sum game really is tricky in that respect: you never really find out what you truly gained until the next trade…
This metaphor deals with one of the most crucial aspects of my professional career: the concept of the zero sum game. In effect, the zero sum game says that for every dollar gained an equal dollar is lost. So if I make $350 on a trade, some other guy will have lost $350. He may have been up $1,000 and got knocked down to a net of $650 or he may be -$350 but in some way, the guy at the other end of the trade lost the same as I made. So, we have a net of $0 ($350 made - $350 lost) and at the end when a contract expires the accounting has an equal debit (sellers) and credit (buyers) amount. It’s brilliant, actually.
Our metaphor comes in how this relates to my life, or any life really. You see, my life in the last few months has been crazy; I don’t need to rehash it because you all read this blog religiously *wink wink* and understand all the stuff that’s gone on, both good and bad. Actually, it's been crazy for years; maybe even my entire life, really. This got me thinking how your life really is a zero-sum game on an inner-personal level; nevermind the outside world, we’re just talking about you or at least those things that are directly related to your life.
Today I started remembering everything that's happened and maybe even feeling a little sad or nostalgic for my old life and all that I’ve lost over the last few years. Actually, It wasn’t feeling sad for what I lost, it was more thinking about all that I’ve gained in this new life (happiness, health, a job I love, eagerness to see the new world around me and share all this happiness with others...you read the blog, you know) and the person that is the new or reawakened and better Me. But, I stopped and glanced over my shoulder and saw the wreckage that was a previous life; what I don’t have any more. At that point, it dawned on me: that was the price paid for all that I have now. All the money I’ve lost in chasing my dreams and keeping me afloat, the time, the stress, the agony, sadness, loss of a relationship, my dog, leaving California and all those friends behind, the surfing, sun, In-n-Out Burger, 90mph on the freeways…all those things were lost or used as payment for all that I have now; a true zero sum game.
However, what’s not told about the zero sum game are the intangibles; those things than cannot be measured in dollars and cents, at least in actual trading. In every trade there’s an equal dollar amount that’s gained and lost but there are also lessons learned, experience gained, wisdom added to your bag of tricks. These things have no monetary value but they maybe have something more important than monetary value as they make you a better trader. In theory (if you’re doing it right) you’ll pull from these intangibles and not make the mistakes that found you on the losing end of a trade or you'll know when to trade or when to wait and you become a better, more successful trader.
When I remembered that, it changed everything; the nostalgia and feeling of loss was gone in an instant. It reminded me of all that I’ve gained but more importantly learned through the process of getting me to where I am with what I’ve got, and I’ll be the first to tell you, I’ve got a lot that isn’t measured in dollars and cents. The happiness and positivity I have, the clarity, the determination, confidence, bravado, focus…I gained all of that from the winning, but mostly the losing trades I’ve made in my life and it’s paying dividends monetarily and otherwise each and every day. It’s brilliant how it all works, really.
In effect, I traded with my life and I came out ahead. But there was a great cost that was paid to get to where I am now. What makes me better than I was-- than I’ve ever been--are those intangibles; the lessons learned, the wisdom gained and knowing what I want from my life is more important than the “stuff” I lost.
So while there is and may always be some feeling of loss for those things, it’s OK because all that I learned and gained from those trades that cannot be put on a balance sheet is worth far more to me moving forward than I could ever put a value on.
The zero sum game really is tricky in that respect: you never really find out what you truly gained until the next trade…
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
It's been 1 Week
I hope you're all singing BNL right now...cuz I am...
So, I've been in Redmond a week now; 9 days, to be exact. It feels like it's been longer, to be honest and I don't know why.
It's been an action packed week meeting up with friends constantly, seeing family, reacquainting myself with the area, discovering new areas of Seattle; all that fun stuff. All in all it's been great. It really feels like home, or as much as a place can feel after a week. I guess by that it means that I don't feel like I'm on vacation; like this is just some trip and I'll be loading the stuff up and driving back to SoCal anytime soon.
I haven't made up my mind on way or another on where I'll be calling home on a permanent basis but this neck of the woods (the PNW) is certainly the front runner at this point. The more I think about it the more I wonder what's for me down in SoCal. I do certainly miss my friends dearly, even after 1 week and I miss the dog but being home again just feels right...even if that means having to make a tough decision to leave those things in SoCal behind.
So, that's it. Boring blog post, I know, but hang in there. As I further assimilate myself into this new world and get some exciting trading stuff all up and running I'll be able to write more.
Chow.
So, I've been in Redmond a week now; 9 days, to be exact. It feels like it's been longer, to be honest and I don't know why.
It's been an action packed week meeting up with friends constantly, seeing family, reacquainting myself with the area, discovering new areas of Seattle; all that fun stuff. All in all it's been great. It really feels like home, or as much as a place can feel after a week. I guess by that it means that I don't feel like I'm on vacation; like this is just some trip and I'll be loading the stuff up and driving back to SoCal anytime soon.
I haven't made up my mind on way or another on where I'll be calling home on a permanent basis but this neck of the woods (the PNW) is certainly the front runner at this point. The more I think about it the more I wonder what's for me down in SoCal. I do certainly miss my friends dearly, even after 1 week and I miss the dog but being home again just feels right...even if that means having to make a tough decision to leave those things in SoCal behind.
So, that's it. Boring blog post, I know, but hang in there. As I further assimilate myself into this new world and get some exciting trading stuff all up and running I'll be able to write more.
Chow.
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Running in the PNW is much harder than in HB
I went for my first run on Monday here in the new neighborhood. Wow: we're not in Kansas anymore, or HB as it were (both have the same lovely elevation changes). The elevation changes around this neighborhood are insane...like "why the hell am I running?" insane. They won't stop me, but they'll sure as hell slow me down. I ran about 3 miles the first day (gimme a break, I haven't run or worked out in over a week) and it took me probably twice as long as it should have if I were back in HB. I didn't even venture out of the neighborhood onto the major streets (Northup or 24th) and it's like I was running a Six Flags ride: great on the way down, hell on the way up.
Today I conquered "The Hill" aka 24th and ran to Mom's office so 4.7 miles plus a little extra thrown in for good measure and I was destroyed. I'd eventually like to make this the daily route as it's a nice length and the 3 no-joke hills thrown in there are total ass-kickers and will make the run a real workout.
In any event, I bought a Nike+ senor for THE shoes of all shoes to help keep me honest and help track what I do. My goals are to run 25 miles every 2 weeks to start and I'll eventually work on getting that same amount in over 1 week. It's a lofty goal for a new runner but I'm a lofty goal kind of guy. My crazy running spree of a few weeks ago will be difficult to keep up, at least around here; the hills are a major bitch. But, it's already getting easier to run the "normal" hills and eventually the major hills I can run faster than an 80 y/o runs on flat land.
More later, but here are a couple photos of some of the more interesting parts of the route...
Today I conquered "The Hill" aka 24th and ran to Mom's office so 4.7 miles plus a little extra thrown in for good measure and I was destroyed. I'd eventually like to make this the daily route as it's a nice length and the 3 no-joke hills thrown in there are total ass-kickers and will make the run a real workout.
In any event, I bought a Nike+ senor for THE shoes of all shoes to help keep me honest and help track what I do. My goals are to run 25 miles every 2 weeks to start and I'll eventually work on getting that same amount in over 1 week. It's a lofty goal for a new runner but I'm a lofty goal kind of guy. My crazy running spree of a few weeks ago will be difficult to keep up, at least around here; the hills are a major bitch. But, it's already getting easier to run the "normal" hills and eventually the major hills I can run faster than an 80 y/o runs on flat land.
More later, but here are a couple photos of some of the more interesting parts of the route...
Trail running is a nice change...
"The Hill" (24th street) is tons of fun...
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
I'm home
70.4 mph avg. speed is hardly accurate...damn LA traffic and city streets along the way messed that up
After 1,205 miles, driving 17 hours and 52 minutes over 2 days I'm home. How does it feel? Great.
Immediately, here are my observations in the first few days...
This has yet to be proven as "difficult" as one would expect for uprooting a life and moving away from a place and a life established over 9 years. Maybe that answers whether I think I made the "right" decision in leaving California. Maybe it hints at what my ultimate decision will be, as well.
I love the weather. The drive up provided fantastic weather and a stop in Portland was a perfect PNW summer day. Sunday, however, it was a typical PNW fall day (on August 29th...go figure) but I loved it. Light jacket, jeans, hat on an overcast and windy day...I'll take that any day. Today it's cold and raining and I couldn't care less; I'm loving it. It might get old and I might miss 80-degree days being the norm but right now I can't get enough.
It is so much f*cking cleaner up here it's sick. No trash on the sides of the road, no graffiti, no beat-to-hell roads, no '83 Datsun pickups piled 6' high with recyclables or junk, the sky is blue, the air clean...I could go on and on but you get the point.
People drive faster than I remember, which is a good thing. Everyone in SoCal drives like a bat out of hell and you just sort of go with the speedy flow of traffic and it always seems like people do that up here but at 60-65mph. Well, it would seem that a lot of CA transplants have spread the speeding gospel and the WA folk are eating it up and seeing that the grass really is greener the faster you drive. Win.
Tortillas are not found at every restaurant. Muy bueno.
My packing several pairs of sandals is laughable as is the thin selection of long-sleeved items I've amassed in SoCal.
I miss Brisbane.
I miss the ocean.
I feel like a kid again.
More thoughts later...
Thursday, August 26, 2010
I'm taking my talents to Seattle
So, tomorrow I'm leaving California. I'm putting all my stuff in storage and driving North with clothes and my computers (so I can work/trade) and a whole lotta eagerness to start a new chapter in my life both personally and professionally. Right now it's not a permanent move but I also know it's not a guarantee that I'll be moving back to SoCal. I'll spend the next few months unwinding and spending some quality time with my family who I've been away from for 15 years now and just figuring out where I want to hang my hat. I'm lucky in this regard as I can be anywhere in the world doing my job so I truly can follow my heart and be anywhere and everywhere I want or need to be.
Through my efforts in trading I've arrived on the stage and been handed the metaphorical diploma that states that I've become a trading samurai and it's time for me to unleash that knowledge and skill in the markets and really see what this thing can do, not just trade sporadically or when I feel like it as I do now. I liken the last 2 years of my life to becoming a fighter pilot who 2 years ago knew only the basic concepts of flight (you need lift, propulsion, and some other stuff, right?) and now has the knowledge and the skill to fly the most technologically advanced and effective aircraft ever created; a knowledge and skill that's only been bestowed upon less than 200 others. Really cool shit...
Personally? Well, this is maybe just as exciting a time as it is professionally; possibly more so. The last month or so has been spent focusing on ME and my desires, my wants, my needs and re-discovering the "real" me that's always been inside and I've shared a great deal of with the world...but always held back in some way. Maybe it was because I was afraid of what others might think, I sacrificed my needs/desires or aspects of my personality to make others happy or I was just too scared to really put myself out there. Well, those days are gone. I've been living my life recently, being myself and it feels great.
Maybe what's more exciting is what living my life and sending all this crazy energy and intentions out there has given me. Friends I'd lost track of have found me, I'm in great shape, I'm eating healthy, strangers laugh at my jokes, I get good parking spots, the lines are shorter at In-n-Out; the important stuff. Basically, I'm getting back what I'm putting out there and that's A LOT.
There's this energy that's flowing through me right now that's hard to explain. Most nights, I'm sleeping about 3-4 hours yet I wake up at 5:30 to start making the donuts and I'm wired; I can't spend the energy fast enough to wear me out. Not that it's really a bad thing, mind you. I've been working out a ton, doing more yoga, running, surfing and whatever activities I can find that are better uses of my time than sitting around doing nothing. As a result I'm in the best shape of my life. I never would have thought at 33 I'd be stronger and in better shape than I was when I was throwing trash for my Dad every summer through HS and college. I ran 10 miles the other day and my previous best was maybe 5-6 with breaks thrown in to save me from collapse; usually it's 1.5. I repeated the feat, but faster, 2 days later. My next goal is to try a 1/2 marathon; why not. Last week I logged over 30 miles which probably was my total for the last 2 months. I'm writing a lot, I'm connecting with people, I'm listening to music constantly--some new, some old--, I'm inspired, excited and just going with the flow; doing what feels right and what I want. I'm not forcing anything; I'm just being me and putting my trust out there that what happens, happens, be it good or bad. I'm accepting of my faults, my shortcomings and can laugh at myself and just be OK with being who I am, whoever that is. Shit, gang, it feels incredible and I'm really stoked to be me.
Basically, right now, this is a pretty incredible time to know me. If you don't know me I encourage you to do what you can to learn more; it's not boring, that's for sure. I think if I could take a version of myself and put it in a time capsule or something I'd take the version that's writing this blog entry. It's really gratifying and exciting to know that I'm hitting my stride in so many ways and that each day gets better and there's so much out there for me right now.
So you'll see a lot on here from me over the next few months I'm in Seattle as I attempt to document my life and my journey as best I can and share all this excitement that is my life; the life I want.
I'll see ya in Seattle...
Bryan, bmills, Killah B, Bry, B, Mills, Buzz or whatever else you may call me
Through my efforts in trading I've arrived on the stage and been handed the metaphorical diploma that states that I've become a trading samurai and it's time for me to unleash that knowledge and skill in the markets and really see what this thing can do, not just trade sporadically or when I feel like it as I do now. I liken the last 2 years of my life to becoming a fighter pilot who 2 years ago knew only the basic concepts of flight (you need lift, propulsion, and some other stuff, right?) and now has the knowledge and the skill to fly the most technologically advanced and effective aircraft ever created; a knowledge and skill that's only been bestowed upon less than 200 others. Really cool shit...
Personally? Well, this is maybe just as exciting a time as it is professionally; possibly more so. The last month or so has been spent focusing on ME and my desires, my wants, my needs and re-discovering the "real" me that's always been inside and I've shared a great deal of with the world...but always held back in some way. Maybe it was because I was afraid of what others might think, I sacrificed my needs/desires or aspects of my personality to make others happy or I was just too scared to really put myself out there. Well, those days are gone. I've been living my life recently, being myself and it feels great.
Maybe what's more exciting is what living my life and sending all this crazy energy and intentions out there has given me. Friends I'd lost track of have found me, I'm in great shape, I'm eating healthy, strangers laugh at my jokes, I get good parking spots, the lines are shorter at In-n-Out; the important stuff. Basically, I'm getting back what I'm putting out there and that's A LOT.
There's this energy that's flowing through me right now that's hard to explain. Most nights, I'm sleeping about 3-4 hours yet I wake up at 5:30 to start making the donuts and I'm wired; I can't spend the energy fast enough to wear me out. Not that it's really a bad thing, mind you. I've been working out a ton, doing more yoga, running, surfing and whatever activities I can find that are better uses of my time than sitting around doing nothing. As a result I'm in the best shape of my life. I never would have thought at 33 I'd be stronger and in better shape than I was when I was throwing trash for my Dad every summer through HS and college. I ran 10 miles the other day and my previous best was maybe 5-6 with breaks thrown in to save me from collapse; usually it's 1.5. I repeated the feat, but faster, 2 days later. My next goal is to try a 1/2 marathon; why not. Last week I logged over 30 miles which probably was my total for the last 2 months. I'm writing a lot, I'm connecting with people, I'm listening to music constantly--some new, some old--, I'm inspired, excited and just going with the flow; doing what feels right and what I want. I'm not forcing anything; I'm just being me and putting my trust out there that what happens, happens, be it good or bad. I'm accepting of my faults, my shortcomings and can laugh at myself and just be OK with being who I am, whoever that is. Shit, gang, it feels incredible and I'm really stoked to be me.
Basically, right now, this is a pretty incredible time to know me. If you don't know me I encourage you to do what you can to learn more; it's not boring, that's for sure. I think if I could take a version of myself and put it in a time capsule or something I'd take the version that's writing this blog entry. It's really gratifying and exciting to know that I'm hitting my stride in so many ways and that each day gets better and there's so much out there for me right now.
So you'll see a lot on here from me over the next few months I'm in Seattle as I attempt to document my life and my journey as best I can and share all this excitement that is my life; the life I want.
I'll see ya in Seattle...
Bryan, bmills, Killah B, Bry, B, Mills, Buzz or whatever else you may call me
Friday, August 20, 2010
Foodspotting gets the 2.0 moniker and is better than ever
A while back I told you about Foodspotting. Do you remember that post? OK, well here's your bullet points:
- You take photos of a specific food/dish at a restaurant
- You upload those photos to the Foodspotting site along with a little description of the food, if you're feeling randy
- People can then look for foods around them or at specific restaurants and see photos of the yummy food you just snapped a photo of
I loved the site and the concept before, now I'm shopping for the ring. It's such a great idea and the way it integrates with iPhone (Android, soon) Twitter and Facebook are extremely well executed. It's insanely fun to look at some of the dishes around the world and search for dishes that have been spotted near you; I've searched out dishes and restaurants from photos on the site and am glad I did; the photos really did them justice. I've bookmarked foods from all over the place to try when I'm anywhere near them and the guides provided by foodspotters, famous chefs and so forth for various cities really give you a chance to find not only the restaurants you should visit but see photos of the dishes that these people recommend. Sofa King cool.
So if you have iPhone you have no excuse to not use this app (it's free) and even if you don't there's no reason you shouldn't become a foodspotter and snap photos of your food and share them with the rest of the world, especially if you're visiting a place that's not yet known to the Foodspotting community.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Run, Bryan, run!
Yesterday I leashed up the dog and decided that we'd go for a walk and parlay that into a run. The sun was out, I wanted some exercise, I just bought some really comfy running shoes and it just seemed like the perfect combination to take my 1st outdoor run in a long time.
So, we headed out and we walked the 1st mile so Brisbane could mark all the trees and bushes he'd marked 8 hours earlier on our morning walk and do his big business (always 2 if you're going more than like 1/2 a mile) and after he dropped the last of his cargo we started running...and running...and running. Before I realized it we had run from home down 17th Street, beyond Huntington Street along the boardwalk down by the beach; a giant 5 mile rhombus missing the 4th side, though I'm a horrible guesser of any distance, weight, height or anything, really, so I had no idea if we were 5 miles along, 2 or 10. The dog was exhausted yet I really didn't feel that bad. I wasn't setting landspeed records but I was still probably running an 8:30-9-minute pace, passing most others running but still getting passed every now and then. I would have gone further but I knew that the dog was not gonna be a happy camper so we turned around and ran back.
It felt incredible. We got back to the house and I still felt I could go further though the dog didn't make it 10' into the house before he passed out on the cool stone floor with his tongue completely out of his control as he tried to bite my hand or lick it (could go either way).
I've no clue if I can do that again, if it's the beginning of daily 10 mile runs or more or what the heck was going on. I do know this was crazy for several reasons:
1. I'm not a runner. I try and most times I don't make it that far, which is to say that I can go about a mile or mile and a half before I feel like collapsing.
2. The previous furthest distance I'd ever run was just about 6 miles, though it was broken into a few legs of running with rest in there to prevent my face from meeting the ground as I collapsed in agony
3. In the previous 48 hours I'd slept 7 hours. Don't ask; I have no idea why I can't sleep after doing tons of exercise and eating healthy for weeks on end...at least I'm looking good.
WTF??
Dood...I'm done...leave me alone...
So, we headed out and we walked the 1st mile so Brisbane could mark all the trees and bushes he'd marked 8 hours earlier on our morning walk and do his big business (always 2 if you're going more than like 1/2 a mile) and after he dropped the last of his cargo we started running...and running...and running. Before I realized it we had run from home down 17th Street, beyond Huntington Street along the boardwalk down by the beach; a giant 5 mile rhombus missing the 4th side, though I'm a horrible guesser of any distance, weight, height or anything, really, so I had no idea if we were 5 miles along, 2 or 10. The dog was exhausted yet I really didn't feel that bad. I wasn't setting landspeed records but I was still probably running an 8:30-9-minute pace, passing most others running but still getting passed every now and then. I would have gone further but I knew that the dog was not gonna be a happy camper so we turned around and ran back.
It felt incredible. We got back to the house and I still felt I could go further though the dog didn't make it 10' into the house before he passed out on the cool stone floor with his tongue completely out of his control as he tried to bite my hand or lick it (could go either way).
I've no clue if I can do that again, if it's the beginning of daily 10 mile runs or more or what the heck was going on. I do know this was crazy for several reasons:
1. I'm not a runner. I try and most times I don't make it that far, which is to say that I can go about a mile or mile and a half before I feel like collapsing.
2. The previous furthest distance I'd ever run was just about 6 miles, though it was broken into a few legs of running with rest in there to prevent my face from meeting the ground as I collapsed in agony
3. In the previous 48 hours I'd slept 7 hours. Don't ask; I have no idea why I can't sleep after doing tons of exercise and eating healthy for weeks on end...at least I'm looking good.
WTF??
Dood...I'm done...leave me alone...
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
YouTube Tuesday: Pure Stoke
This is pure stoke and it must have taken them a ton of time to put together, but I think we can all agree it was well worth the effort...
Sunday, August 15, 2010
I'm back...sort of
WOW. April 19th? That's the last time I've posted anything here? That's not good. Not going to make any excuses, but if I were, here's what I'd say.
It's been a crazy last 3+ months here...like Britney Spears shaving her head crazy. Big changes happening right now in our Hero's life but all GOOD stuff. First off, I'm single. Yeah, what are ya gonna do. I was pretty bummed out at first but now that I've had time to think about it I'm not only OK with it I think it was/is the best thing for me and I've got a level of clarity, freedom and focus now that I've lacked maybe my entire life. I can't really explain it but I know what I want now, I know what makes me happy, what inspires me, what matters in my life; shit that I'd neglected or just not expressed fully in 33 years. It's not all from this breakup but through that event I've spent a lot of time evaluating everything in my life and identifying things that I've sacrificed for a LONG time, things I've lost touch with about myself and I just had one of those "a-ha" moments where I could go back and look at failed relationships, failed business ventures, friendships, missed opportunities and so forth and truly identify who I am, who I'm not and what I want. So needless to say, I'm pretty happy right now; maybe the happiest I've ever been. It sucks that it took the loss of a relationship and a couple years of real adversity in so many aspects of my life to get there but maybe that was the ONLY way I was ever going to get there, ya know?
Second, I sort of have a business partner I'm working with. He's more of a sponsor and I'll be trading on his behalf but we nonetheless view the relationship as a business venture which is awesome. My mentor Bill finally completed his opus Sentinel and is releasing the software any day now which is where my partner comes in. He'd like to use the software for his own trading account but would like to leverage my knowledge and skills and ability to actually perform the trades on his behalf. So, it's gonna work out famously as we're both bringing a very important piece of the puzzle to the table and without each other it's unlikely that we'd individually be able to achieve the success that's possible from the two of us working together. I'm really excited about working with him and using this new software that is quite possibly the most effective trading software/system that's ever been developed and it's only being marketed to myself and less than 200 other traders who are students of my mentor and his methodology. It feels very empowering to be a part of such a small, focused group of traders that are doing things that nobody ever thought were possible and proving the skeptics wrong each and every day.
Finally, a change of scenery. As I type this I'm giving Huntington Beach it's 2-week notice that I'm Audi 5000 as I head back to Seattle for a couple months. Right now, I don't think it's a permanent move but I'm also going to spend the next couple months up there taking stock of everything and figuring out what's important to me and if moving back to SoCal is the right thing for me or not. I'm really excited about this move. I'll be spending time with my sister, Mom and the rest of my family up there who I've not lived near for 15 years now. I'll also be reconnecting with high school friends and experiencing, as an adult, one of my favorite cities which is really exciting. I'm sure I'll miss being here in SoCal but I've been really jaded as of late and it's good I'm leaving now before I start to hate it which is never a good thing.
So there ya go. I'm gonna try and post humor, writing, links, music, food, everything I love about life and the Internets on a more regular basis and try to make your day more enjoyable if only for a couple minutes :)
Until next time...hopefully sooner than 3 months...
It's been a crazy last 3+ months here...like Britney Spears shaving her head crazy. Big changes happening right now in our Hero's life but all GOOD stuff. First off, I'm single. Yeah, what are ya gonna do. I was pretty bummed out at first but now that I've had time to think about it I'm not only OK with it I think it was/is the best thing for me and I've got a level of clarity, freedom and focus now that I've lacked maybe my entire life. I can't really explain it but I know what I want now, I know what makes me happy, what inspires me, what matters in my life; shit that I'd neglected or just not expressed fully in 33 years. It's not all from this breakup but through that event I've spent a lot of time evaluating everything in my life and identifying things that I've sacrificed for a LONG time, things I've lost touch with about myself and I just had one of those "a-ha" moments where I could go back and look at failed relationships, failed business ventures, friendships, missed opportunities and so forth and truly identify who I am, who I'm not and what I want. So needless to say, I'm pretty happy right now; maybe the happiest I've ever been. It sucks that it took the loss of a relationship and a couple years of real adversity in so many aspects of my life to get there but maybe that was the ONLY way I was ever going to get there, ya know?
Second, I sort of have a business partner I'm working with. He's more of a sponsor and I'll be trading on his behalf but we nonetheless view the relationship as a business venture which is awesome. My mentor Bill finally completed his opus Sentinel and is releasing the software any day now which is where my partner comes in. He'd like to use the software for his own trading account but would like to leverage my knowledge and skills and ability to actually perform the trades on his behalf. So, it's gonna work out famously as we're both bringing a very important piece of the puzzle to the table and without each other it's unlikely that we'd individually be able to achieve the success that's possible from the two of us working together. I'm really excited about working with him and using this new software that is quite possibly the most effective trading software/system that's ever been developed and it's only being marketed to myself and less than 200 other traders who are students of my mentor and his methodology. It feels very empowering to be a part of such a small, focused group of traders that are doing things that nobody ever thought were possible and proving the skeptics wrong each and every day.
Finally, a change of scenery. As I type this I'm giving Huntington Beach it's 2-week notice that I'm Audi 5000 as I head back to Seattle for a couple months. Right now, I don't think it's a permanent move but I'm also going to spend the next couple months up there taking stock of everything and figuring out what's important to me and if moving back to SoCal is the right thing for me or not. I'm really excited about this move. I'll be spending time with my sister, Mom and the rest of my family up there who I've not lived near for 15 years now. I'll also be reconnecting with high school friends and experiencing, as an adult, one of my favorite cities which is really exciting. I'm sure I'll miss being here in SoCal but I've been really jaded as of late and it's good I'm leaving now before I start to hate it which is never a good thing.
So there ya go. I'm gonna try and post humor, writing, links, music, food, everything I love about life and the Internets on a more regular basis and try to make your day more enjoyable if only for a couple minutes :)
Until next time...hopefully sooner than 3 months...
Monday, April 19, 2010
The Quote Fish
4 years ago I had a surfboard made by Manuel Caro under his Mandala label. I never have a "normal" custom board made but instead opt for very crazy artwork or designs and such. It suits my personality as the last thing I really want is a plain white board that looks like 95% of the boards you see in the water; that's not Bryan Mills. Hell, the only white colored board I have has bright red glass-on fins on it, so take that conformity!
This board I called the "Quote Fish" as it was adorned on the bottom with excepts of some very inspirational and meaningful quotes in my life.
I rode this board yesterday and had one of the best sessions I've had in a year. The conditions @ Middles (Trestles) and eventually Church's due to the drift were outstanding with little to no wind and perfectly peeling shoulder high+ waves on offer. I went with a good friend Shane and we were both stoked we got out of the house and gave it a shot as we were overly surprised with how good it was and how much fun we had. It was probably the best I'd surfed in a year and was a fitting end to a very exciting and rewarding week.
As I rode the board yesterday I was reminded of why I chose those quotes. There was just something special about the session and the waves and the way I was surfing; I was in a "zone" and I remembered that these inspirational quotes were under my feet the entire time for the first time in a long time.
It was more than just a surf session, it was a wake up call; a reminder that these quotes actually mean something to me. They are inspirational, yes, but more accurately they are a description of my life and a certain "fire" inside that I'd all but lost over the last couple years...but recently re-discovered. I am regaining the spirit and confidence I once had that that propelled me into these new experiences and challenges in life head on and when the dust settled, there I was: better in every way imaginable.
That one surf session with this board yesterday has really re-ignited the flame inside of me that was the inspiration for this quote on the board: "If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."
That's me...I'm back. That's exactly where I am right now and I am STOKED...
Here are the quotes that are under my feet when I'm surfing this board and a description of my life, always...
“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."
-- Henry David Thoreau
"Nay, be a Columbus to whole new continents and worlds within you, opening new channels, not of trade, but of thought"
-- Henry David Thoreau
"To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity; But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible."
-- T. E. Lawrence
This board I called the "Quote Fish" as it was adorned on the bottom with excepts of some very inspirational and meaningful quotes in my life.
I rode this board yesterday and had one of the best sessions I've had in a year. The conditions @ Middles (Trestles) and eventually Church's due to the drift were outstanding with little to no wind and perfectly peeling shoulder high+ waves on offer. I went with a good friend Shane and we were both stoked we got out of the house and gave it a shot as we were overly surprised with how good it was and how much fun we had. It was probably the best I'd surfed in a year and was a fitting end to a very exciting and rewarding week.
As I rode the board yesterday I was reminded of why I chose those quotes. There was just something special about the session and the waves and the way I was surfing; I was in a "zone" and I remembered that these inspirational quotes were under my feet the entire time for the first time in a long time.
It was more than just a surf session, it was a wake up call; a reminder that these quotes actually mean something to me. They are inspirational, yes, but more accurately they are a description of my life and a certain "fire" inside that I'd all but lost over the last couple years...but recently re-discovered. I am regaining the spirit and confidence I once had that that propelled me into these new experiences and challenges in life head on and when the dust settled, there I was: better in every way imaginable.
That one surf session with this board yesterday has really re-ignited the flame inside of me that was the inspiration for this quote on the board: "If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."
That's me...I'm back. That's exactly where I am right now and I am STOKED...
Here are the quotes that are under my feet when I'm surfing this board and a description of my life, always...
“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."
-- Henry David Thoreau
"Nay, be a Columbus to whole new continents and worlds within you, opening new channels, not of trade, but of thought"
-- Henry David Thoreau
"To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity; But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible."
-- T. E. Lawrence
Friday, April 16, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
What a Rolex means to me
I used to be gainfully employed in the mortgage industry, running my own shop. Now, not so much. I ran the company with a partner who moved up to Seattle a year after we started it so for all intents and purposes I ran the company all by myself for 8 years. When I started that company late in 2001 I had nothing. Furthermore, I abandoned everything I had to start it as I was in Kansas City and my partner was in Los Angeles. I thought nothing of it at the time because I had nothing to tie me down other than a lot of friends and love for Kansas and KC, both of which I miss(ed) dearly.
Flash forward to 2003. The mortgage company had been moderately successful, which is to say it was successful enough that it let me live the modest life I enjoyed though I was by no means "flourishing" and making a wild excess of money; far from it. That winter the business had dried up and I had gone months without a paycheck, which was nothing new as I was used to the feast/famine aspect of the mortgage indsutry. The difference was, this time the famine had lasted longer than I had expected and the prospects were few and far between. I was literally down to my last dime and had enough money in my account to pay off another month of expenses then I was looking to work at Best Buy to hopefully keep a roof over my head as the creditors one by one started asking for their money back and presumably I'd fail miserably at the money game.
I then started processing a loan that I picked up out of nowhere and closed it and got enough money to pay my expenses for like 2 more months. Then 3 loans came through over the course of 3 months, a couple more here and there and before I knew it I had the most successful year that I would ever have in the 9 years that I've done loans. I wrote the largest check I have ever written (still is the largest) to pay off almost all of the debt that I had racked up in just keeping myself afloat and felt this burden lifted from my shoulders as I was turning a new leaf. I went on a cruise with my family over Thanksgiving in 2004. While in St Thomas I abandoned logic/reason and bought myself a Rolex Submariner watch. It was a reward for such a great year, but more importantly it was a reminder of the effort and struggle that I went through to be in a position to buy it. I still look at that watch and think of what it means to me and what it symbolizes: hard work, success, failure, persistence.
Flash forward to today. I find myself in a very similar place as I was in 2003, struggling to get this trading endeavor off the ground and gain the confidence and experience to trade successfully and be consistently profitable after my mortgage business went tits up. The differences is, this time I love what I do and I want to be doing it not just for the monetary gains but for all the other things it gives me that cannot be measured with dollars and cents. This is a scary business. If you perform poorly at your job you might get yelled at, miss a sale or maybe not even have any consequences. Me, if I perform badly at my job I lose my money. There's no salary, no 401(k), no benefits plan, nothing to lean on. I wouldn't want it any other way but to everyone on the outside they see what I do as complete and utter lunacy, and I can't blame them.
I've always been a risk taker and my ability to just go out and "do it" has been severely tested while trading and I need to be reminded of that cavalier attitude that I've had my entire adult life. I left Redmond in 1995 and started a new life @ KU. I left Kansas in 2001 to start a new company and new life in LA. I abandoned mortgages to start trading my own account a year ago. I have a history of being able to take those chances and those leaps and I just have to keep reminding myself that although what I'm doing is extremely difficult and very unrewarding from a monetary standpoint in the beginning, in the end it all works out so long as I keep doing what I do best: persist. I don't know many people that could do what I've done and taken the chances that I have over the last 15 years or so and that's a very sobering but exhilarating feeling for me and the spark that I need to keep that flame lit deep inside, especially when you operate in a business that I do where regular failure is necessary for ultimate success.
My days of searching and discovery of who I am and what I want to do are over. This is the person I want to be and the professional life I want to live and I don't want to keep re-inventing myself and rising like a phoenix from the ashes, I just want to keep pushing myself to be the best, doing what I love. So after a good pep talk with a dear friend today, I'll be keeping that watch on the desk in front of me at all times as a reminder that I've not only been here before but by working hard, experiencing successes and failures--and most of all persisting--I have no fear and no doubt that I will succeed at what I do...
Flash forward to 2003. The mortgage company had been moderately successful, which is to say it was successful enough that it let me live the modest life I enjoyed though I was by no means "flourishing" and making a wild excess of money; far from it. That winter the business had dried up and I had gone months without a paycheck, which was nothing new as I was used to the feast/famine aspect of the mortgage indsutry. The difference was, this time the famine had lasted longer than I had expected and the prospects were few and far between. I was literally down to my last dime and had enough money in my account to pay off another month of expenses then I was looking to work at Best Buy to hopefully keep a roof over my head as the creditors one by one started asking for their money back and presumably I'd fail miserably at the money game.
I then started processing a loan that I picked up out of nowhere and closed it and got enough money to pay my expenses for like 2 more months. Then 3 loans came through over the course of 3 months, a couple more here and there and before I knew it I had the most successful year that I would ever have in the 9 years that I've done loans. I wrote the largest check I have ever written (still is the largest) to pay off almost all of the debt that I had racked up in just keeping myself afloat and felt this burden lifted from my shoulders as I was turning a new leaf. I went on a cruise with my family over Thanksgiving in 2004. While in St Thomas I abandoned logic/reason and bought myself a Rolex Submariner watch. It was a reward for such a great year, but more importantly it was a reminder of the effort and struggle that I went through to be in a position to buy it. I still look at that watch and think of what it means to me and what it symbolizes: hard work, success, failure, persistence.
Flash forward to today. I find myself in a very similar place as I was in 2003, struggling to get this trading endeavor off the ground and gain the confidence and experience to trade successfully and be consistently profitable after my mortgage business went tits up. The differences is, this time I love what I do and I want to be doing it not just for the monetary gains but for all the other things it gives me that cannot be measured with dollars and cents. This is a scary business. If you perform poorly at your job you might get yelled at, miss a sale or maybe not even have any consequences. Me, if I perform badly at my job I lose my money. There's no salary, no 401(k), no benefits plan, nothing to lean on. I wouldn't want it any other way but to everyone on the outside they see what I do as complete and utter lunacy, and I can't blame them.
I've always been a risk taker and my ability to just go out and "do it" has been severely tested while trading and I need to be reminded of that cavalier attitude that I've had my entire adult life. I left Redmond in 1995 and started a new life @ KU. I left Kansas in 2001 to start a new company and new life in LA. I abandoned mortgages to start trading my own account a year ago. I have a history of being able to take those chances and those leaps and I just have to keep reminding myself that although what I'm doing is extremely difficult and very unrewarding from a monetary standpoint in the beginning, in the end it all works out so long as I keep doing what I do best: persist. I don't know many people that could do what I've done and taken the chances that I have over the last 15 years or so and that's a very sobering but exhilarating feeling for me and the spark that I need to keep that flame lit deep inside, especially when you operate in a business that I do where regular failure is necessary for ultimate success.
My days of searching and discovery of who I am and what I want to do are over. This is the person I want to be and the professional life I want to live and I don't want to keep re-inventing myself and rising like a phoenix from the ashes, I just want to keep pushing myself to be the best, doing what I love. So after a good pep talk with a dear friend today, I'll be keeping that watch on the desk in front of me at all times as a reminder that I've not only been here before but by working hard, experiencing successes and failures--and most of all persisting--I have no fear and no doubt that I will succeed at what I do...
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
YouTube Tuesday: Last Train to Awesometown
My obsession with Parry Gripp continues, as should your obsession with Parry's quirky and incredibly catchy tunes.
Today, I give you a song that should be a part of your morning routine to get you amped for the day. Whether you're tackling traffic and hatin' co-workers or getting ready for the big game you'll surely be inspired by 5 different kinds of nachos..whaaa????
Just watch...
Today, I give you a song that should be a part of your morning routine to get you amped for the day. Whether you're tackling traffic and hatin' co-workers or getting ready for the big game you'll surely be inspired by 5 different kinds of nachos..whaaa????
Just watch...
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Foodspotting
I've been remiss in posting about this and figured it was time to do so...
I joined the beta version of this site a few months back and they've really been upping their game and making improvements and enhancements to both the website and iPhone application and I think everyone should sign up. Here's how it works...
You go to a restaurant or some public place serving food, take a photo of the specific dish you got, upload the photo to the site, write a little review (if you'd like) and then others can search for that specific dish (let's say, spicy tuna roll) or set a location (say, Huntington Beach, CA) and search for a food type (like sushi) or restaurant (like Tuna Town) or just search for all foods near them. Then when you find what you're looking for you can see an actual photo of the food and hopefully get an honest review of it and the restaurant. Users can also "NOM" a food, indicating it's one of their favorite foods and that they recommend it to other users and you can NOM other foods you've had though did not post an actual spotting of that food. You start with 10 NOM's and earn the ability to NOM more foods as you post more foods; it's pretty fun.
iPhone users have the added convenience of being able to upload photos and reviews directly from their phone, NOM foods and basically do everything the website allows but with the added convenience of being mobile; it's really slick. Restaurant information is available as well as tying into Google Maps in order to help you contact and find the place a food was spotted as well as see push pins on a map of all places near you that where food has been spotted.
It's super fun to see some of the foods that are posted from all over the world and get inspired to try something new or try a restaurant you'd heard of but never knew anyone that had tried it. If this picks up in popularity (if volume of food spottings and reviews is any indicator, it already has) then it has the ability to be an incredibly useful guide as you could go to a restaurant and see photos of dozens of dishes they have to offer and read unbiased reviews, all before the waiter even drops off a menu.
So, add something to the community and make discovering great food a super fun and simple process!
Sign up for free to become a Foodspotter...
www.foodspotting.com
iPhone application (opens a link in iTunes)
YouTube Tuesday: THE FINAL COUNTDOWN.....
Besides Journey's "Separate Ways" is there a song, video and band that you'd put in the music time capsule as the entry for 80's hair band more fitting than The Final Countdown by Europe? I didn't think so. Here's what The Final Countdown has got in this awesomely, awesome video:
- BIG hair
- BIG outfits
- Androgynous lead singer
- The "goofy" band member, in this case the drummer with his oh-so-silly running shorts and bandanna
- Synthesizers
- Makeup
- High school A/V Club quality video effects
- Empowering lyrics and chord progressions
- Pyrotechnics
- 50+ piece drum kit
- Extremely confusing "story" to the video
- Gratuitous live concert footage
- Aerial band shots on the roof, taken from a helicopter
- Groupies
- EPIC guitar solo, with accompanying "lead guitar face"
- Band members holding gold albums for the press
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Holy sh*t I went to the greatest basketball school EVER
I'm done mourning KU's untimely loss. I'm moving on and after some choice comments from the ever classy MU fans and other people who just love to hate on KU at every misstep, I needed something to pick me up; remind me of how good great KU really is. So, I started digging around...
Here are some facts taken from the Wikipedia entry for KU Men's Basketball. If there was ever any doubt that KU is THE blue-blooded, undisputed alpha dog of NCAA Men's college basketball, just read this and if you're still not convinced then you're an idiot. In no particular order of importance with some pretty unbelievable facts highlighted for your convenience...
There you have it. Super stoked to be a Jayhawk it never ceases to amaze me at the excellence and tradition of Kansas Basketball.
Here are some facts taken from the Wikipedia entry for KU Men's Basketball. If there was ever any doubt that KU is THE blue-blooded, undisputed alpha dog of NCAA Men's college basketball, just read this and if you're still not convinced then you're an idiot. In no particular order of importance with some pretty unbelievable facts highlighted for your convenience...
- Kansas leads Division I in all-time in conference titles with 53 in 103 years of conference play
- In the last two decades (ending with the 2009-2010 season), no team won more games than the Jayhawks, who won 571 games
- KU has the longest current streak of consecutive NCAA tournament appearances with 21
- Since the NCAA began seeding the tournament in 1979, KU has never been lower than an 8 seed (their average seed is a 3) and since that time KU has only missed the tournament 5 times
- Second-longest current streak of winning seasons, at 27
- First among Division I schools in winning seasons, conference championships and first-team All Americans
- Second in wins with 2003
- First in NCAA history with 91 winning seasons.
- KU has had the fewest head coaches (eight) of any program that has been around 100 or more years (the other "blue bloods" with 100+ year history: KY has had 22, UCLA 12 and UNC 18)
- They have reached the Final Four under more head coaches (six) than any other program in the nation
- Every head coach at Kansas since the inception of the NCAA Tournament has led the program to the Final Four
- Kansas has had four head coaches inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame, more than any other program in the nation.
- Current longest home court wining streak @ 59
- 30 McDonald's All Americans
- 14 Academic All Americans
- 6 National Player of the Year honors
- 13 Final Four appearances
- 5 National Championships
There you have it. Super stoked to be a Jayhawk it never ceases to amaze me at the excellence and tradition of Kansas Basketball.
Love for KU, as forged by playing in Basketball Band
There are 4 things that I truly love in this world:
Katie
My Family
Brisbane
The University of Kansas, most notably KU Basketball
I don't expect anybody to ever understand the last one on that list. There's a bond that was forged back in 1995 that continues as strong--if not stronger--to this day.
You see, every year I was @ KU I was in the Men's Basketball Band. I played at every home basketball game and traveled with the band to the Big 12 Tournament and NCAA Tournaments each year. I was spoiled. I came to expect that we would go to The Dance and with the exception of maybe 1 year KU was one of the 3-4 teams that the experts had picked to make a run to the Final Four. We never made the Final Four. In fact, in all but 1 year, KU was bounced in the round of 8 or earlier. So, you might say that the entire basketball experience was a disappointment but it was anything but. I'm a big "enjoy the journey, not the destination" sort of guy and the journey was filled with some pretty incredible moments that solidified my love for the University and the tradition of KU Basketball.
After a stinging loss to Rhode Island, their band had just finished playing some song and were celebrating wildly and we began to play our Alma Mater. About 3/4 through the song Rhode Island's band began playing some song (you're supposed to alternate playing songs); a shitty arrangement of an even shittier 70's or 80's uptempo tune, like Celebrate by Kool and the Gang. When we had finished and began packing our stuff I stormed to the other side of the court and got in the director's face and said "you're a f*cking no class asshole and you, your band and your University can go to hell..." He barked back at me and didn't think it was such a big deal to interrupt us during our alma mater and said I was out of line and their interruption showed no disrespect, which pretty much proved my point. After a generous middle finger and a few more pleasantries exchanged with him and other Rhode Island band folk I went back to mourn the loss and disappointment.
After that same loss I was standing with the rest of the band in the tunnel underneath the stands and Roy Williams exited the press room, tears flowing (as had become a common fixture of Roy Williams in the NCAA Tournament) and he walked towards us and shook our hands and as he shook my hand he looked me straight in the eyes with extreme sorrow and said "I'm sorry I let you down..." Jesus. Here's this guy who I looked up to as one of the greatest college coaches ever and he's sorry he let me down? Ugh...that was heavy.
Several years later when Roy bailed on KU to leave for UNC days after our loss in the national championship game to Syracuse, I wrote him a letter and told him that this time I was sorry he let me down. That's the kind of love and passion I have for Kansas Basketball...
In some way--large or small--I felt like a part of the tradition of the excellence that is KU Basketball and the University. I played a role in making the basketball experience a memorable one for each and every one of those players, coaches and fans. Allen Fieldhouse is a sort of place of worship for me. There were some incredible memories in that building, some tears of joy and sorrow and a lot of love shared by the rest of the people that were a part of that tradition both on and off the court, especially the countless friendships forged through playing in bball band.
When KU won the National Championship in 2008 I cried my brains out. Why? Because I was a part of that tradition. I helped make KU what it was in 2008 (however minuscule my impact may have been) and all my love and devotion to KU that had gone unfulfilled with a National Championship while I was there had finally come to fruition. I'd love to win that thing every year but even just winning it that 1 time was unbelievably special.
For all those reasons and hundreds more to list, I take anything KU very personally. Their loss in the 2nd round this past weekend was extremely difficult to handle. They were so good. They were hands down the best team @ KU in the past 15 years I've been a Jayhawk and head and shoulders better than any other team in the NCAA. Are they any worse of a team now? No way. The NCAA Tournament proves that the "best" team rarely wins. I'm extremely disappointed with their effort and that's what hurts. Had they played like they did in all but maybe 2 or 3 games this year there's not a team in the NCAA that can touch them. Sadly, they were out-hustled and outplayed by a team with nothing to lose and an incredible amount of luck on their side, which scrappy teams like UNI need to win games and I applaud them for their efforts; they deserved to win. It wasn't KU's day, plain and simple, and it came at the most inopportune time.
So, for all the KU haters out there... Ya know what: you're right that KU totally screwed the pooch; have your fun. But realize in the process that you're proving you're no different than Rhode Island's band: classless. Oh don't get me wrong, I loathe MU but I save that for when we meet. I'll talk all the shit I can when KU/MU meet or we play some other rival but any other time I'll keep my mouth shut, save for the funny harmless little joke here and there...but no hate. Hell, every year during the NCAA's I root for ALL Big 12 teams and their success until we meet (including MU); then I'm ready to kick your ass. We're all on the same team (Big 12) and what's the point in rooting for some other team's demise if you're not playing them?
I guess maybe I hold KU to a higher standard; one that's respectful of rivals, that doesn't engage in pointless mockery and hate for the purpose of being...well, hateful. KU always has and always will be the good guy and the good guy knows when his opponent is defeated and let's them stew in their misery, alone. I root FOR KU not against MU or some other team; that's a big distinction of school pride that I think is lost on many people out there and that's too bad. There's a finite amount of energy out there, so why waste it on all the negativity?
In the end, I'm proud to be a Jayhawk; to be part of a tradition of excellence that's enviable enough that rivals and jealous folks feel it necessary to point out at every misstep that you failed, whilst ignoring their own traditions of mediocrity, jealousy and hate. It was a really fun season to watch with an extremely disappointing ending but that's how it goes sometimes. I'm excited for next year and every year of KU Basketball, no matter the expectations or outcome, because KU Basketball is more than just X's and O's...it's all about LOVE.
ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK
Katie
My Family
Brisbane
The University of Kansas, most notably KU Basketball
I don't expect anybody to ever understand the last one on that list. There's a bond that was forged back in 1995 that continues as strong--if not stronger--to this day.
You see, every year I was @ KU I was in the Men's Basketball Band. I played at every home basketball game and traveled with the band to the Big 12 Tournament and NCAA Tournaments each year. I was spoiled. I came to expect that we would go to The Dance and with the exception of maybe 1 year KU was one of the 3-4 teams that the experts had picked to make a run to the Final Four. We never made the Final Four. In fact, in all but 1 year, KU was bounced in the round of 8 or earlier. So, you might say that the entire basketball experience was a disappointment but it was anything but. I'm a big "enjoy the journey, not the destination" sort of guy and the journey was filled with some pretty incredible moments that solidified my love for the University and the tradition of KU Basketball.
After a stinging loss to Rhode Island, their band had just finished playing some song and were celebrating wildly and we began to play our Alma Mater. About 3/4 through the song Rhode Island's band began playing some song (you're supposed to alternate playing songs); a shitty arrangement of an even shittier 70's or 80's uptempo tune, like Celebrate by Kool and the Gang. When we had finished and began packing our stuff I stormed to the other side of the court and got in the director's face and said "you're a f*cking no class asshole and you, your band and your University can go to hell..." He barked back at me and didn't think it was such a big deal to interrupt us during our alma mater and said I was out of line and their interruption showed no disrespect, which pretty much proved my point. After a generous middle finger and a few more pleasantries exchanged with him and other Rhode Island band folk I went back to mourn the loss and disappointment.
After that same loss I was standing with the rest of the band in the tunnel underneath the stands and Roy Williams exited the press room, tears flowing (as had become a common fixture of Roy Williams in the NCAA Tournament) and he walked towards us and shook our hands and as he shook my hand he looked me straight in the eyes with extreme sorrow and said "I'm sorry I let you down..." Jesus. Here's this guy who I looked up to as one of the greatest college coaches ever and he's sorry he let me down? Ugh...that was heavy.
Several years later when Roy bailed on KU to leave for UNC days after our loss in the national championship game to Syracuse, I wrote him a letter and told him that this time I was sorry he let me down. That's the kind of love and passion I have for Kansas Basketball...
In some way--large or small--I felt like a part of the tradition of the excellence that is KU Basketball and the University. I played a role in making the basketball experience a memorable one for each and every one of those players, coaches and fans. Allen Fieldhouse is a sort of place of worship for me. There were some incredible memories in that building, some tears of joy and sorrow and a lot of love shared by the rest of the people that were a part of that tradition both on and off the court, especially the countless friendships forged through playing in bball band.
When KU won the National Championship in 2008 I cried my brains out. Why? Because I was a part of that tradition. I helped make KU what it was in 2008 (however minuscule my impact may have been) and all my love and devotion to KU that had gone unfulfilled with a National Championship while I was there had finally come to fruition. I'd love to win that thing every year but even just winning it that 1 time was unbelievably special.
For all those reasons and hundreds more to list, I take anything KU very personally. Their loss in the 2nd round this past weekend was extremely difficult to handle. They were so good. They were hands down the best team @ KU in the past 15 years I've been a Jayhawk and head and shoulders better than any other team in the NCAA. Are they any worse of a team now? No way. The NCAA Tournament proves that the "best" team rarely wins. I'm extremely disappointed with their effort and that's what hurts. Had they played like they did in all but maybe 2 or 3 games this year there's not a team in the NCAA that can touch them. Sadly, they were out-hustled and outplayed by a team with nothing to lose and an incredible amount of luck on their side, which scrappy teams like UNI need to win games and I applaud them for their efforts; they deserved to win. It wasn't KU's day, plain and simple, and it came at the most inopportune time.
So, for all the KU haters out there... Ya know what: you're right that KU totally screwed the pooch; have your fun. But realize in the process that you're proving you're no different than Rhode Island's band: classless. Oh don't get me wrong, I loathe MU but I save that for when we meet. I'll talk all the shit I can when KU/MU meet or we play some other rival but any other time I'll keep my mouth shut, save for the funny harmless little joke here and there...but no hate. Hell, every year during the NCAA's I root for ALL Big 12 teams and their success until we meet (including MU); then I'm ready to kick your ass. We're all on the same team (Big 12) and what's the point in rooting for some other team's demise if you're not playing them?
I guess maybe I hold KU to a higher standard; one that's respectful of rivals, that doesn't engage in pointless mockery and hate for the purpose of being...well, hateful. KU always has and always will be the good guy and the good guy knows when his opponent is defeated and let's them stew in their misery, alone. I root FOR KU not against MU or some other team; that's a big distinction of school pride that I think is lost on many people out there and that's too bad. There's a finite amount of energy out there, so why waste it on all the negativity?
In the end, I'm proud to be a Jayhawk; to be part of a tradition of excellence that's enviable enough that rivals and jealous folks feel it necessary to point out at every misstep that you failed, whilst ignoring their own traditions of mediocrity, jealousy and hate. It was a really fun season to watch with an extremely disappointing ending but that's how it goes sometimes. I'm excited for next year and every year of KU Basketball, no matter the expectations or outcome, because KU Basketball is more than just X's and O's...it's all about LOVE.
ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK
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