Ever since I was a little kid I’ve had a passion for airplanes. Not just like normal kids who like planes either, like I really, really liked airplanes. When I was about 8 I went for a ride in an experimental home-built airplane and the owner let me fly it from the back seat. When I was about 13 I had all the study books for the FAA private pilot license. The past couple summers I toured with the Lucas Oil Skydivers which got me behind the scenes at some of the best air shows in the country, basically a kids dream come true. (Below is my view of the Blue Angels rolling out for their show, from standing right next to their announcer. The best part of this that you normally don’t see is that each pilot has their own little routine they do as they pass the crowd. It’s weird seeing tiny little humans in skin suits flying these thirty-thousand pound rocket sleds.) Going back to Italy almost every summer meant I flew on tons of jumbo jets, including the venerable 747 when it still flying a lot more trans-Atlantic routes.

So when I heard that Delta was running a fare sale on some of the last flights of the 747 before retirement, I knew I had to go. The only “problem” was the flight was to Manila. In the Philippines. Not Utah or Arkansas.
Hmmm, how can I make this work? To Facebook!

I hesitated all of about 5 minutes to book the flight. I’ve traveled all over the world and never been to Asia. While this is barely going to count, as I’ll only be there for a few days due to the narrow window for the flight, it’s an opportunity I had to jump on instead of regretting it and wish I had.

So I’m coming to Manila and I’m bringing my extremely popular biofeedback seminar. My friend and co-owner of San Jose Barbell (and a host gym for the same seminar in the past) Aljay is a Filipino and jumped at the chance to come with, so we’ll be meeting up in Manila.

The fact that I can bring something I have to teach (and have taught around the world) is just a bonus. Really this story is about pursuing things that fill you with a child-like glee, and figuring out a way to make them happen.

So, see you in Manila or what?

P.S. Also it’s worth mentioning something a little closer to N. America, Jen and I will be in Toronto in October. We’d love to see you.

I don’t very often strike up conversations with random people. I’m more of a headphones-on-the-plane don’t talk to me type most of the time, but partially because I seem to have such bad luck with it. My wife, Jen, talks to everyone and has legitimate The Secret moments where a random number on a backpack leads her to a roommate of a long lost rugby friend, or whatever. My friend Melissa talks to strangers and has these amazing heartfelt conversations. I get this…

I had just given up trying to take a picture of the crazy sky before a summer storm in Philly the other night. They dynamic range and swirling of the dark clouds was incredible, but a photo just didn’t capture it. I turned around to walk the dogs back to a green area to pee, and I noticed a guy trying to do the same with his phone.

“Just doesn’t quite capture it, does it?”

“Nah, but I’m tryin.”

I let the dogs pace around a bit.

“Ya ever [garbled]?”

“What? Sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

“Ya ever seen clouds like that?”

“I mean, well, sort of but yeah they’re pretty crazy looking.”

“Ya know why they look like that?”

“Uh, nope.”

“Those are chemtrail clouds.”

“Ohhhhhhh.”

“Yeah. They’re mixed with chemtrails, like poison and chemicals and stuff. I don’t remember the exact chemicals but yeah that’s how they control people.”

“Welp, probably a good time to get home then! See ya.”

That’s what happens when I talk to random people. Other people get heartwarming connections, I get crackpot conspiracy theories about mind control.

I will say this though, chemtrail guy reminded me of the power of belief. Now I don’t know what he gets out of this conspiracy belief and I don’t care to speculate.

But, I have met people who have believed empirically nonsense things to great effect. Let’s say soemone who lost 30 pounds on the blood type diet, which is an absolutely horseshit theory whereby you eat according to your blood type. There’s no evidence what so ever to support any connection between blood type and immune response to food, but nonetheless no matter what blood type you have common allergens or immuno-reactive foods are placed in the “avoid” category, and generally really beneficial things go in the “eat” category: such as dark leafy greens, cultured dairy, oily fish, fruits and so on.

So people really believe that this works and because of the strength of their convictions they adhere to it really closely – so it DOES work!

At least until some “expert” comes along to tell them how they’re wrong and it can’t possibly work.

And don’t think it’s just for fad diets. Placebo accounts for the success of a massive portion of surgeries performed every day – turns out sham surgery works just as well.

I’ve always offered that maybe biofeedback training doesn’t “really work”, and we won’t know until someone seeks to properly study it in a controlled manner, but if it gets people faster results with fewer injuries because they “believe” it works then I’m ok with that too, especially that it’s essentially free and comes with no costs of risk, or time, or lost opportunity.

I’m not saying you should go out and find the most woo thing you possibly can and become a true believer.

But, maybe sometimes a strong belief in a less than perfect dogma is better than wishy-washy adherence to the ideal.

Last week I recorded a fun podcast episode with my friend, Pat Flynn, in which we talked about essential skills and how important I think hobbies and skills are. I’m not sure when that podcast will drop, but I will be sure to let you know. Speaking of podcasts, the Die Living episode I recorded with the SOFLETE crew is up as well so download that here or wherever you usually get your podcast fix.

Anyway so we’re talking about skill and I suppose first of all it’s worth telling you why I think skill building is so important. Humans are by nature builders and makers. Many other mammals and animals walk, communicate, love, hump, and play. None of them build and make things to the extent that we do. There are of course other complex skills that don’t involve making things, but I’m especially fond of the alchemy involved in actually manifesting something real. Anyway.

Imagine you want to build a skill, where do you start? Let’s say you want to learn to cook.

The first place I go when I want to learn something new is the Internet. You can literally type into google “How to ________” with virtually anything in the blank and find a step-by-step guide for how to do it. Google: “How to grill a steak”

Now here’s the key point. Following this guide isn’t going to make you an expert. You’re not going to be a chef when you’re finished following the guide. In fact, it might not even turn out well at all. BUT you will have learned enough along the way to refine your question in the future.

Maybe it goes well and you learn that you need to make a side to go with your steak. So you type in “What sides go with steak? How to make creamed spinach?” Or you learn that you don’t like steak at all and you go on to figure out how to bake chicken.

Pretty soon you have a repertoire of a main course and several sides.

If you say, David, this all seems so obvious why are you telling me to just google things?

Well, I have a question for you, my friend. Why is it that every time I do some magical thing like make a ring, or make limoncello, or roast a pig, or weld pieces of steel using only my bare hands (not really) – why is it that people say “David, how did you know how to do that?”

The Internet friend, the Internet.

As with so many major 🔑s, sometimes the answer is simple, not complex.

Now, when that glorious repository of information and ignorant but willfully proffered opinions fails me I have another technique. But I’ll save that for another day.