Iron and the Feather: Personal Section

Program Switch: The Texas Method

2010-03-21T15:38:00.000-07:00

Nowhere in the world like Texas.

That's it folks. I'm done with the StrongLifts 5x5 beginner strength-training program. And already I've sold my soul away through until June. The highest bidder: the Texas Method intermediate strength-training program. I hear that the girls love a gentleman with southern sensibilities.

My modified Texas Method Excel spreadsheet can be viewed here (original here).

Let's see some HUSTLE!

2010-02-10T16:00:00.000-08:00

I'm not the smartest, strongest, or the most winning. But while others play Command and Conquer 2 or watch episodes of their favorite TV show, I will be aggressively training towards my goals. I will be hustlin'. Daily physical fitness, healthy diet and enough rest, studying Arabic and Turkish vocabulary, strengthening business connections, and crackin' the textbooks. Who's with me? Let's do this.

The World Belongs to Those Who Hustle, The Art of Manliness

My Boren Interview

2010-01-25T13:22:00.000-08:00

STORY TIME!

I was supposed to have my interview for the Boren scholarship (from the State Dept.) at 12pm Seattle time. I miscalculated this as 12am Istanbul time. They called me at 10pm Ist time; I freaked. I told them to call me back in 5 minutes, ran out the cafe into the whirling snow, and bolted to get back home.

My home is downhill and the streets are iced over. I literally slid on my ass 500 feet downhill at neck-breaking speeds. Some young people were outside around a bonfire and they saw me slide by. They cheered. The interviewers called again just as I got to my door. I said that I slipped and fell when they called first. Hopefully that will excuse the cuss. But I paid for the small sin immediately: I fell and slamming my face into the ground, heeding the call of gravity. Unsteadily, I told them I'd call back when I was inside.

I burst through the door, ran to my room, tore the couch out of the way to have a blank wall as a background, stripped my coat and shirt and pulled on a collared black shirt. I set up my camera, a light, logged on to Skype, and called them. I got into my mode instantly.

At their prompting I responded about my choice of the American University in Cairo for the Boren, about my ability to be personable, initiate conversation, and free-style submerged in a language. I explained that I would be an intelligence officer for the Marine Corps with my language abilities. Ms. Rizos explained that my letter of recommendation from Ric Logg, the awesome administrator, did a good job of clarifying my role in the USMC. As we continued, I felt like I was almost word-for-word parroting my essays. Ultimately, the interview went SO well! They literally said, "we're struggling for questions to ask you; you're essays were VERY well-written!" WIN. I was assessed based on these traits:

Rating Scale
Please respond to the statements below according to the following scale:
5-Strongly Agree 4-Agree 3-Neutral 2-Disagree 1-Strongly Disagree
Educational qualifications as a demonstration of potential for success in proposed study abroad
The applicant’s academic preparation is sufficient to allow him/her to benefit from the proposed study abroad experience. (Consider a proven or steadily improving academic record, curriculum choices appropriate to the course of study proposed for study abroad, and any special circumstances that warrant comment.)

The applicant has made use of opportunities for prior language training (either in the target language or another), and/or has demonstrated a serious commitment to learning the target language abroad. Consider evidence of interest in foreign language study and realistic expectations of proficiency levels that can be achieved during the study abroad period. (Note - Previous language instruction in the target language is NOT required for study under Boren. However, students proposing study of Spanish or French MUST be at an advanced level of proficiency in order to be eligible for a Boren Scholarship.)

Motivation, maturity and personal commitment to international education (as a means to fulfilling academic and career goals)
The applicant’s motivation for undertaking this program of study is strong, particularly with regard to integrating the study abroad component into his/her academic and career plans. Consider both the applicant’s short- and long-term goals for integration.

The applicant demonstrates sufficient maturity, flexibility, and common sense to cope with the challenges of living and studying in an unfamiliar environment. Consider that the student’s previous experiences and activities need not be related to international pursuits.

The applicant demonstrates a clear, well-developed link between the study abroad experience and his/her future career goals in areas related to U.S. national security interests. (It is understood that such links from freshmen and sophomores will be less sharply focused, but still should be articulated.)

Quality and appropriateness of the proposed program and its relevance to the goals of Boren
The applicant’s proposal includes a feasible plan for applying new knowledge (including language) after returning to his/her home institution. (Consider the student’s discussion of plans to integrate further language and cultural studies - formal and informal - into his/her academic or professional program.)

The applicant is sufficiently knowledgeable about the study abroad program he/she intends to pursue. (Consider formal classroom study, non-classroom learning and support structures available to the student, i.e., in-country program director or sponsor, housing arrangements and other facilities.)

The applicant’s proposed study abroad meets Boren guidelines for preferred countries, languages, fields of study, length of study and commitment to federal service. (Consider the quality of the application with respect to these guidelines. Applicants proposing study abroad that does not address Boren preferences should still be rated by campus committees. Compelling proposals from such applicants will be considered.)
Add Items 1 through 8 and divide the total by 8 to calculate the overall applicant rating.

Overall Applicant Rating _______

Now, I'm making small edits to my application and I will resubmit it this evening. From here, Level I of the application process, where I am assessed by the University of Washington Boren review panel there are two more levels of competition:

Level II: Regional panels of volunteer faculty from U.S. institutions review and evaluate Boren applications, meeting at IIE regional offices to identify and rank meritorious primary and alternate candidates.
Level III: Applications of top-ranked candidates are considered by the IIE-organized National Nominating Panel. This panel meets to consider the results of the regional deliberations in light of program objectives and to designate a slate of Boren Scholarship finalists to the National Security Education Program Office.

God willing I will make it to Level III and win the Boren scholarship to study at the American University in Cairo for the 2010-2011 school year! Wish me luck!

The Worst Nightmare

2010-01-10T05:24:00.000-08:00

I woke up crying uncontrollably.

Now, I don't have nightmares. The last time I had nightmares was at fourteen. The nightmares were recurring and every night they would get worse.

The first was me walking through a pitch black, dark alley on my elementary school compound. Every night, I would inch closer and closer to a light around the corner and every night the sense of overwhelming dread would worsen. But that dream ended when, at the height of my panic, I rounded the corner to find a hikers lamp and relief.

The second nightmare, I was under the bed in my old house at Montlake and there was an intruder IN THE HOUSE. The details would vary with every retelling; sometimes I had a blanket with me under the bed, sometimes it was draped over the side of the bed. I knew my family was safe, but I was trapped in the house with this man. Every time, the intruder would walk into my room, I would see his dark boots, I would KNOW that he knew I was under the bed, and then he would leave. I would scramble to escape the house and get down to the street. The dream would end, though every evening I got a little further down the road. This recurring nightmare ended when I escaped down the road and entered into an espionage adventure.

And since then, around the end of middle school, I have never had a nightmare. I consider myself to be mentally hardened. I'm emotionally tough, and disciplined. I admit my feelings to myself and work through them in earnest. Yet, after last night, there is clearly something that I am grappling with.

The dream started wondrously. We were filming a video for Senor Jose (a high school teacher of mine). We did some of the filming underwater. It was in the Northwest and I swam with the camera through a water-world blooming with rare pre-historic breeds and literally pulsing with life. After the filming, scientists invited us into their compound. They had a big empty tank that we would climb to the top of, they would release the floodgates, and we would watch twenty feet of water surge in below us. They explained it would be like a primordial ooze. The bloom of life was amazing to behold. Then the scene shifted -

I was talking with the love of my life. Just looking at her brought a swell of love, wonder, passion, and adoration as I had felt when I first knew that I loved her. Her hair was somewhere between brown and blond, her eyes were brown, she was only a little shorter than me, and she had a headache. It was clear we'd been married awhile. I was in my forties, and she wasn't much younger. Well, once again she decided that she would leverage her smiles and wit against me. She didn't want to go to the hospital, but I really thought it would be a good idea. The constant headaches were really worrying me. She looked at me, and never felt such overwhelming affection towards someone. Her eyes went dull and she staggered. I quickly grabbed her and I insisted we'd go to the hospital. This was the first visit of many.

Fast forward (like it did in my dream) to a men's lavatory where I was washing my hands. We were there for a small surgery - I don't know what. I turned around and the doctor was there. A small pit opened in my chest, and when he told me, I lost myself. He looked on impassively. Banging on lockers, screaming, the pit had widened to an abyss and I fell in. The light had gone out in my soul and life and the pain of it ripping from me was unbearable. I woke wracked with sobs and unable to stop shaking.

To cry like that is usually so cleansing. Relaxing. Even resolving. But I just feel empty this morning. I need to eat and workout. Real-life calls and, for the first time in 7 years, it's a welcome respite.

Back to Strength Training

2010-01-08T06:50:00.000-08:00

I didn't sleep last night. Let that preface this entry. Today I left for Hisar Cafe around 11:30am and ate a small Turkish breakfast spread with an egg, cheese, honey, bread, tomatoes, olives, chai, etc. It got me fueled; the food and the caffeine helped me shake off drowsiness. Then I left for the Hisar campus of Bogazici for -

Today's workout:

Squats 5x5, Bench press 5x5, Inverted rows 3xF(ailure), Push-ups 3xF, Reverse Crunches 3x16 (forgot Bench press, substituted Deadhang Pull-ups 3xF)

Today's posting (kg, including 20kg Olympic bar):

Squats (90, 80, 80, 80, 80), Inverted rows (15, 15, 15), Push-ups (30, 25, 20), Pull-ups (22, 20, 15)

Overall, it was a killer workout. My lower body has suffered after two months without a weighted bar, but my upper body is outstanding (especially in light of the fact that I did well over 100 dead-hang pull-ups yesterday). I planned to swim after the workout, but I was hungry and I haven't slept much - better keep it light! For lunch dinner, I ate a lot of chicken and pilav at the great place near Hisar campus. Here's a picture:

Yum! (don't judge me by the Pepsi)

I'm also re-centering my nutrition: no more junk food (chocolate is excluded), and a lot MORE food. I bought milk, peppers, bread, broccoli, tomatoes, and cherry juice to help sustain me for the next two days in addition to going out to buy other whole foods throughout the day.

My goal is to re-establish strength training consistency. I certainly have the discipline for it. Unfortunately, the gym I was using in November closed for what I thought would be only two weeks. And then another two weeks, and another. My fault for not getting back into gear earlier. My success was gaining 10kg from September 29th through December 17th! Here's for at least 20 more kg of muscle by June! Ultimately, I want to have 20 kilograms more muscle and a lot more strength. I want to achieve a perfect score on the United States Marine Corps physical fitness test (PFT): 5k in 18 minutes, 100 crunches in 2 minutes, and 20 dead-hang pullups.

Side note: In the future I will use dumbbell press if I can't find a spotter.

Sunday's workout:

Squat 5x5, Overhead press 5x5, Deadlift 1x5, Pull-ups 3xF, Prone Bridges 3x30sec

Question of the day: What do you want for your body? To be stronger? Faster? Thicker? Thinner? Sound off in the comments!

Signing off,
dbh

IST 09-10: Sick as a Dog, Fat as Missy

2009-10-16T04:32:00.000-07:00

Istanbul is slowly slipping into a Seattle-eqse fall season of deary and of rain and of deary rain. I'm currently enjoying the passing of flem from my nasal passage, into my lungs, into my oral cavity, and into the sink. Isn't this sort of thing accompanied by fresh memories of boozing and brawling?

Uggg, my head...

In better news, I'm slowly gearing up to follow the GOMAD (gallon of milk a day) weight-/muscle-gaining program at StrongLifts (http://stronglifts.com/gomad-milk-squats-gallon-gain-weight/). I'm weight-lifting, following Crossfit Football, and practicing Krav Maga so often that it's adding immediately as muscle. Accompanied with normal food intake I'm eat roughly 5000kcal/day. My goal: muscle gain and massive strength gains for OCS. The training log is coming along nicely. I'm a fat, happy panda.

Wait, don't I have class?

IST 09-10: Final Address (no, really)

2009-10-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

Hey, ya'll, I'm not even kidding this time (confirmed):

Daetan Huck
Rumelihisarı Mah. Sevgi Sok.
Gülağa Apt. No:11
Rümelihisarüstü 34470
Sarıyer / İstanbul, TR

(if you send via FedEx, they don't have Sarıyer in their system; use only İstanbul)

Istanbul 09-10: Bekarım! Şehir çok büyük...

2009-09-18T17:15:00.000-07:00

Bekarlık sultanlıktır.
Bachelorhood is sultanhood!

Istanbul 09-10: Beşiktaş versus Man-U

2009-09-18T03:28:00.001-07:00

Adrienne, Ali, Emily, Rachel, Tom, and I went to the first Champions game: Beşiktaş versus Manchester United. The Man-U fans were caged off in a small section of the stadium. It would be more appropriate to say that the Turkish fans were caged OUT. My favorite part of the game:

The crowd cheered for Beşiktaş and whistled shrilly at Man-U. Beşiktaş served the kickoff and the game began. The cheering of the Beşiktaş fans thudded rhythmically. It thundered through the stadium. The benches vibrated, lending their support. The air hummed. Suddenly, "SHHHHHHH--!"

The entire stadium went quiet.

You could've heard a pin drop, but the frantic tempo of the weakened Man-U hearts was too loud.

In the Istanbul morning news, the anchor briefly illuminated the twenty or thirty dead bodies found in the gutters outside the stadium.

Traveler's advice: When in Rome...

Istanbul 09-10: The Adventure to Learn Krav Maga (Part 2/2)

2009-09-15T08:27:00.000-07:00

I built up an image of martial arts as civilized, highly skilled events. I watched a lot of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee as a child and the fights were so clean and so rhythmic. Punch, counter, kick, back flip, drink tea, resume. Throughout karate and taekwondo, my assumptions of what a real fight was like remained along the lines of Jackie's goofy adventures and Lee's overdeveloped lats. My martial arts were clean and civilized.

And then I met Krav Maga. The piles of darkness must be trash cans, and the hesitant slithers of movement across the ground are rats. A streetlamp flickers feebly at the far end of the alleyway. The frame of a thick, study, 5'10" Israelite male is dimly illuminated. He fills the far alleyway mouth. He is tense, and residual energy crackles across his muscles. The ground groans around his feet. He has flat, dark eyes, a sharp nose, and gaunt cheeks. Did he have a mustashe? I don't remember. The regretful sounds at his feet resolve into fightless, broken corpses. Water droplets applaud from the roofs into puddles where shop backs blend into the filthy street. You'd fear the man if he wasn't your uncle.

Across the table, Bülent Bey explained to Tom and I that Krav Maga is very dangerous martial art to practice. It is aggressive, simplistic, powerful, and overwhelms opponents with a "you-or-me" mentality. My own opinion is that art is to Krav Maga as the rhythmic friction of dried wood pulp, smooth ink, and sharp metal nib is to the recoil of a M68A1 105mm rifled tank gun. Krav Maga not a martial art - it has limited sport application; it is developed for self-defense and combat.

Tom and I had passed through tall black-painted iron gates into a narrow, cobble-stoned alleyway. Two children cooked something on a gas camping stove and beyond them, nestled in the white-washed walls of the right build was a small doorway. We crouched a little to enter and went down a steep flight of stairs to a basement. This was the Krav Maga gym. "It's an honor for you to be here," Bülent Bey explained, "We're very careful not to train anyone who we think is criminal or untrustworthy." We were given a brief tour of the faculty: the office with a desk (over which Bülent Bey would brief us about the dangers of Krav Maga) and black belt certificates adorning the walls, a training room with black mats, sparring equipment, and two kicking and punching bags, changing rooms with four showers, and a bathroom. Small, like a Crossfit garage gym, and that we'd entered a shrine of esoteric knowledge was clear.

Bülent Bey invited us to a lesson and we got changed. We were each paired with a more skilled student and set to work on developing the most basic skill set: punches, hammer fists, open-palm strikes, elbow strikes, roundhouse kicks, and back kicks. We hit foam paddles that strapped to our hands from different angles. Engaging from behind, starting on the floor, or straight ahead. We combined moves into devastatingly simple and powerful combos. I wouldn't want that fury rained upon my head.

I was spent by the time the hour finished. I was sweaty and panting. I think I kept a good face for Bülent and my partner exclaimed, "Good! You hit hard!" Afterward, the floor opened for sparring. Tim and I had a go and exchanged casual blows for about five minutes. We stopped to watch our partners and another student fight. It was two-on-one. My partner versus the other two. It was amazing to watch him. He broke restrains and simulated breaking bones smoothly and quickly. I hope that after nine months of training I'll be that comfortable in a 2-on-1 situation.

Istanbul 09-10: The Adventure to Learn Krav Maga (Part 1/2)

2009-09-14T23:46:00.000-07:00

Tom, a new friend and fellow exchange student, and I ventured from Rümelihisarı down to Bereketzade in search of a Krav Maga school that I've been in contact with for the past few months. We took the 43R bus to the Kabataş metro and took the metro over the Galata bridge. We trekked back, enjoying a short, intense stint underground and walked across the Galata bridge. Then we proceeded to get lost. We crawled through the backstreets in the area where, as Tom put it, "no one can hear you scream," and finally, magically emerged under the Galata Tower, right near to where the school was supposed to be. After a few phone calls we found the school.

The Krav Maga School is in a back alley behind an unmarked intimidating black iron door through a door down into a basement. They've got a small training area - resplendent with kicking bags and punching bags and other training equipment - showers, an office, and a bathroom. The works. There we met Bülent Bey, the instructor at the school and a thick Turk who carries himself modestly. Tom and I were given a tour of the school, told the prices and the training practices and the schedule. Bülent Bey stressed the dangers of Krav Maga practice more than anything else. He explained that Krav Maga holds no bars in the field or in the practice area.

Tom and I were thoroughly intimidated.

After our tour, we had about an hour until our first class, so we went out in pursuit of some çay or kahve. We found a little cafe that only sold çay and kahve - no sweets (to my disappointment) - but a woman there read fortunes in the grinds of Turkish coffee. I had my fortune read. Why not? Tom and I were curious if we'd die at Krav Maga tonight and I've had really enlightening fortune-telling experiences in the past. Alas, it wasn't to be so this evening. I learned nothing. It cost me 10 YTL.

But really? I'm going to Canada? I'm in Turkey for 9 months and Turkish coffee fortune-telling can (apparently) only read 40 days into the future. I'm not going to Canada.

Tom finished his herbal tea, and I washed the bitter aftertaste of the fortune-telling down with a swig of water and we traveled back to the school. Little did we know, we were in for a BIG SURPRISE.

Istanbul 09-10: The Screech of Tires on the Tarmac

2009-09-13T02:34:00.000-07:00

In short, Atatürk Airport was a simple endeavor, and I had a 90-day visa and was out the door in an instant. The problem came from the pre-reserved taxi. The driver didn't know the address I was going to, although I booked about a month before the trip and included the correct address and link to a map on Google. It wasn't too bad, though, I had fun talking with the driver in Turkish. Stretching my Turkish language for the first time in real speech was definitely humbling. I finally got to the flat I was staying at about two hours later at 2am.

I met Sinan, one of my flatmates and the only one in Istanbul right now, down the steep Selvi Sokak. He's a good guy. He helped me with my luggage, got me a key for the place, showed me where to find food (it's Ramadan so it wasn't as easy as normal), and bought me dinner one evening. Çok teşekkürler, Sinan!

By the time my head hit the pillow, I'd already been awake for 44 hours, traveled for twenty, and slept 4 hours on the flight from Heathrow, so I slept until 2pm and called it even. It was Friday when I got up. First things first, I headed to Boğaziçi Üniversitesi to explore and find an internet connection. After a mildly adventurous 3 hours, I learned that, no I couldn't connect to the campus Internet until I had an ID, that the International Exchange office closed at 5pm (surprise!), and, that "sıfır" (Turkish for zero) means EXPENSIVE. Actually, it means "new," like the Turkish, "gibi," and that new, "sıfır," cellular devices are VERY expensive. For example, a Blackberry 9000 which is $300USD stateside is $800 in Turkey.

Traveler's advice: if you want a nice cellphone in Turkey, buy it "sıfır" in the States and bring it with you (SIM card devices only; none of that CDMA crap). Or hell, if your need isn't immediate, have it shipped to you from the States.

I met some other exchange students who let me use their email at the SuperDorms (tm) and that night I took a long walk through the local Istanbul, bought some groceries, and spoke with a really cool bikeshop owner who invited me to a mountain biking adventure today. (But I missed it because I didn't know what TIME today. Damn.)

Yesterday, I woke up at 8am, did some stretching and excising and headed out to buy a cellphone. Ultimately, I paid an arm and a leg for a decent phone but I also have an inexpensive plan that has a hefty data allowance. The equivalent plan in the US would be about 30% more expensive. Maybe I came out even after all!

The Biggest Adventure Yet!

2009-09-09T12:40:00.001-07:00

My home for the next nine months!
Photo from: Some Pictures from Istanbul, TR (Gizem Karaali)

I've got a plane to catch at 6pm. I GTG! You can contact (phone or write) me at:

Skype:
daetanbhuck

Phone number:
+1-206-453-0013 (forwards to Skype; +1-206-853-6593 does as well, I think)

Address:
Rumelihisarı Mah. Sevgi Sok.
Gülağa Apt. No:11
Rümelihisarüstü 34470
Sarıyer / İstanbul, TR

Email:
daetanbhuck@gmail.com

See ya'll in a blink!

Daetan Bayar Huck

Istanbul Here I Come!

2009-08-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

Woah.
Image from: Resort Istanbul

I just reserved a private taxi to my shared flat in Istanbul (yes, I'm a wimp and I don't want to deal with complications on my first day in a city that primarily speaks Turkish!)! It's getting more and more real!

Back to drilling vocabulary! Damlaya damlaya göl olur!

Daetan Bayar Huck

The Olympic Peninsula Motorcycle Adventure! Who's in?

2009-08-13T14:13:00.001-07:00

The adventure of the summer! Who's in?
(Green markers are intended destinations, red markers are time-consuming detours, and blue markers are time-saving shortcuts)
Image modified from: Google Maps

Starting at 6am on Friday, August 28th I am embarking on an three-day adventure through the Olympic Peninsula and around Mount Rainier. The adventure begins in Seattle, WA at Beth's Cafe for breakfast and from there down to Olympia, then up and around the outside of the Olympic Peninsula. The route goes through Port Orchard, Forks, Kalaloch, Aberdeen, Moclips, and Ocean Shores. When I come through Montesano, I'll head east and south around Mount Rainer via Morton and Packwood. From there, finally home to Seattle and great cheesesteaks and beer at Schultzy's! It's about 700 miles and 16 hours of riding. It'll be a blast!

I originally planned this as a solitary motorcycle adventure, but I'm extending an invitation to other riders out there. I'd love the company! I have one companion who may blaze the trail with me, and if that doesn't work out, I'm happy to adventure alone. Yet, this is my last chance to explore the Northwest before I leave for a 9-month trip to Turkey, so I'd love the chance to catch up with some friends and enjoy the out-o'-doors together!

You in?

(note: I have a plan for a meet-up if a group wants to leave on Saturday morning and intersect with us around Tenino, which is Point F on the map!)

The preferred proposed route, Google Maps
Full-resolution proposal of routes, modified from Google Maps

Motorcycle Adventure Kick Off! @ Beth's Cafe Google Event:

UPDATE (08/13/09): Storm Ridge Mountain Road Ride! Check it out!

Daetan Bayar Huck

Also, I'm debating; do you think an inexpensive pair of saddlebags is worth it for the trip?

The Getting Things Done Workflow for Students

2009-08-11T16:23:00.001-07:00

Success has a simple equation!
Image from: juLio's Blog

It's back to school for many of us, and over at Lifehacker, the productivity and get-it-done blog, they know it's hard to conquer the massive pile of work you're faced with at college. In response, they've adapted David Allen's Getting Things Done productivity opus to the college life. Read on for more on how to do a lot more with a lot less:

The Inbox
It all starts with the inbox. It's probably the most important part of GTD—capturing all of your assignments. Way too many students think of an agenda or a planner as synonymous with a to-do list. It doesn't make any sense to write a new assignment down on a planner under a date—that's deadline-oriented thinking that just begs for procrastination.Instead, as soon as you get a new assignment, write it down on a list that you'll review later. A simple notepad is all you need. Put all of your new assignments on that same notepad; don't divide it up by class.

Don't depend on your brain to remember assignments, either. Write everything down. That kid who writes things on the back of his hand—he's not so far off.
The Workflow
Hopefully, you're going to visit this list of assignments once a day. Since students usually have tight deadlines, nightly will be best. Every time you review your assignments list, you're going to go through a workflow, illustrated below.

First, turn everything into an action – the first possible action you could take for that assignment. So, the action won't be "study history," it'll be "review history notes" – since that's the actual thing you'll be doing. If it's a project with multiple actions, for now, just think of the first thing you need to do to get it rolling and make a note somewhere that you've got a new project on your plate (see "projects" below).

Read more...

Also, I recommend the holistic memory hack by productivity blogger, Scott H Young. He shows you a way on getting good marks on your final exams without studying. Sounds pie in the sky, right? He proves it is not.

He states there is a learning style called holistic learning, which is an opposite approach to learning by memorizing and practicing by repetition and force (compartmentalized learning):

Holistic learning takes an opposite approach. Learning holistically is not done by trying to remember information by using repetition and force. Holistic learners instead organize their minds like spider webs. Every piece of information is a single point. That point is then consciously related to tons of other points on the web. There are no boxes with this form of learning. Science becomes literature which becomes economics. Subject distinctions may help when going to class, but a holistic learner never sees things in a box.

When it comes time for exams (or any practical application for your knowledge) compartmentalized learners have to hope that they pounded the information hard enough into their head so it might come up during the exam. Holistic learners do the opposite. Holistic learners only need to start at one point on their web, but they can use that web to feel around and find all the associated information they need.

Read more...

He also provides 5 suggestions to maximize your holistic learning: Ask Questions; Visualize and Diagram; Use Metaphors; Feel It; and When in Doubt, Link or Peg It.

Traditionally, I've used blunt repetition to memorize facts, but the Getting Things Done Workflow and "holistic learning" style are becoming my avant-guard for memorizing and organizing the influx of knowledge. What about you? Perhaps both methods sound like a lot, but they are much more manageable in the long run compared to cramming at the end of the quarter! And less stressful...Do you have a system that works better for you?

Getting Things Done Explained for Students, Lifehacker

How to Ace Your Finals Without Studying, Stepcase Lifehack

Daetan Bayar Huck

Blog Comment Moderation Disabled

2009-08-05T11:46:00.001-07:00

Your request to comment was declined by our friendly, helpful, moderator kittehs.
Image from: icanhascheezburger.com

Due to the declining worth of our stock (and, by extension, our opinions) our moderator kittehs have been let go from Iron and the Feather (both sections). You may now comment freely. It should be noted, however, that the banhammer will nevertheless rise and fall with tenacity.

We tried to fire it to no..."ANVAIL"!

Daetan Bayar Huck

Let's Start a Crysis in Germany!

2009-08-05T09:58:00.002-07:00

The peaceful countryside is in flames.
Image from: WIRED News

German law-makers and police officers are lobbying for a ban on violent video games and Crytek, the studio that made Crysis and Far Cry, says it will be forced to relocate to another country. Sixteen Interior Ministers, specifically, are attempting to push the ban through to the Bundestag (Germany's equivalent of Parliament) before the September 16th election. Presumably, these ministers are out to make a name for themselves.

A ban on violent video games is ridiculous (at least from perspective of an American). Germany is obviously a dictatorship that is oppressing free enterprise AND the people's right to free speech. I think we should declare war.

(I'm joking.)

Game|Life: German Videogame Ban May Force Crytek Abroad, WIRED News

Daetan Bayar Huck

Drugs

2009-06-21T23:04:00.001-07:00

Pretty colors...
Image from: Softchalk.com

Surgery is fun.
I think that drugs are fun, too.
Thinking is hard, though.

Medicine, Simple English Wikipedia

Daetan Bayar Huck

Hopped up on Oxycodon: Grey's Anatomy

2009-06-21T01:54:00.000-07:00

"You get that we hate you, right?"
Image from: Boston.com

Everyday we learn a lesson. Today I learned that I like Grey's Anatomy. I learned that I like the ABC primetime medical drama which centers on the personal and professional lives of five surgical interns and their supervisors. Yes, I admit it.

I ridiculed a friend of mine for liking Grey's Anatomy for months, so I feel a little foolish watching the show day-in and day-out while I'm hopped up on Oxycodon. Wait, maybe it's just the Oxycodon! Ok, well, just one more episode before I go to bed!

Oh, shut up. You like it, too!

090502 Workout Log

2009-05-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

This workout was killer. An old Taekwondo friend and teammate, Jared, posted an insane thirteen minute time. I was feeling a little less moto. In truth, I busted my ass, but my time was an unimpressive 20'40".

Warm-up:
800m run
15 push-ups
20 sit-ups

Sunday WOD - 6 rounds:
35-30-25-20-15-10
KB Swings (24/16kg.)*
Goblet Squats
Box Jumps

*The first weight is the men's prescribed weight and the second weight is the women's prescribed weight. I use the men's prescribed weight.

Strength workout - 5 rounds:
5 weighted pull-ups (25lbs.)
5 weighted chin-ups (25lbs.)
10 weighted push-ups (25lbs.)

Daetan Bayar Huck

Welcome to the Iron and the Feather Personal Section!

2009-05-03T14:38:00.000-07:00

Hello INF readers, welcome to the Personal Section. This section of the blog is the foil to the Professional Section and covers a lot of my background. Here, you'll find posts about my history growing up, general information about my family, reflections on past events, posts about my hobbies and interests, and my workout log.

I originally envisioned Iron and the Feather covering only the professional aspects of my life. I chose to expand the concept to include this personal section because I wanted an outlet to express my passion for my other hobbies, such as motorcycling, video gaming, reading historical texts, and working out.

This marks a shift in how I view INF. Before, I saw it as purely an outlet for my interests in international law and defense, etc. for potential employers to look at in order to better understand the person I am and what I want to accomplish. Now, INF is for both potential employers and myself: on one hand I want to record my thoughts and memories so that I can reflect on them in the future and gauge any changes or growth, and, on the other hand, I want to share who I am with the internet-enabled world.

So welcome to the Personal Section and enjoy my collection of memories, hopes, and dreams!

Daetan Bayar Huck