Eulogy for My Big Brother

Me, Tev, and our youngest brother, ~high school

I get emotional when I talk about deeply meaningful things. And that means this speech might be ten minutes of me standing here weeping in mournful silence. So I brought my new wife up here with me, and she’s going to read whenever I can’t. Losing Tev has been so hard for me, and I’m grateful to have had her companionship and support as I’ve suffered through this loss. 

Now let me tell you about my big brother Tevya. He was born on July 4, 1981. Ever since, that holiday has been extra special for me and our family because it’s a time to celebrate the things Tev loves, including fireworks and cheesecake. 

He was the oldest of eight children and was the best of big brothers. In so many aspects of life, he led the way for me and our siblings, blazing a trail through many of the difficult unknowns that life had in store. As a kid, he led the way through scouts, for example.

Obituary for James Tevya Washburn (4 Jul 1981 - 12 May 2020)

James Tevya Washburn passed away on May 12, 2020, dying unexpectedly of a pulmonary embolism that led to cardiac arrest at age 38. He is dearly missed by his wife, Jill, and their four children: Colter (10), Ellie (8), Lorelai (4), and Ezra (1).

Tevya was born on July 4, 1981. He earned a degree in history from BYU-Idaho, where he met his lovely wife, Jill Miller, and they were married for time and all eternity on December 29, 2007, in the Boise Temple. Professionally, he built a successful online business. In 2019, he became a “digital nomad,” taking his family on an unforgettable adventure across MesoAmerica for nearly a year. His most important calling in life was to be a husband and father.

The public viewing will be held on May 21, 6:00 - 8:00pm, at the Zeyer Funeral Chapel. The funeral will be held on May 22, 1:00pm, at the Melba Cemetery.

Tevya’s friends created a campaign for loved ones to show their support for his wife and family: https://www.gofundme.com/f/to-honor-tevya-washburn.

A Story Holy and Haunting (Nonfiction)

Last night was my first dream within a dream. At least the first on record. I’ve been wanting to have one for a few years now. (Inception was released July 2010.)

* * *

I witnessed the most fantastic and wonderful story.

The sort of tale that transforms the onlooker—any onlooker.

This story, I knew, if written down, would have the power to change a reader into the sort of hero he was reading about. This story—this treasure—played out before my eyes. The story of stories. With mighty heroes and merciless villainy, with landscapes broad as the clouds of heaven and deep as the chasms of hell.

A story holy and haunting, savage and sacred.

But my guide, with burning wings, told me I could not take the story with me in my return to wakefulness. And when he said it, I was stricken not with grief, but with panic, gripping to the story, this treasure, as tightly as I could.

I suddenly woke.

And found the book was no longer in my hands.

But I had a memory of the book, particularly its cover, a worn leather with frayed edges, and a specific symbol imprinted into the center. This image of the book, still gripped by my mind, was the story’s container, like a chest full of gold, the thing which, if turned open, would reveal the wonder and magic that I had left behind.

I grabbed a pen and scribbled as quickly as I could, as the image of the cover decayed from mind, me desperately trying to recreate the magic before it vanished. And as I did, a thought struck me, one I knew to be true: If I could create an accurate likeness of the book, one I could heft in my hands, then I could open that mockery and find at least the echoes of the wonder I had seen in my dream. I would have the power to open it and read. So I drew more furiously, penning the details as they floated away.

I could only conjecture about the forgotten story’s magnificence. I no longer recalled the glory of the thing I now wanted—the thing I longed for. But I wanted it badly, that lost knowledge, whatever it was—wanted it more than anything.

And that, my friend, was when I woke up again.

And I could no longer remember even the symbol etched into that mystical leather cover.

* * *

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The Willpower Instinct (my unpolished book summary)

Ironically, I listened to THE WILLPOWER INSTINCT while procrastinating writing (and working on SONG OF LOCKE cover designs, which is crucial but not urgent). As I was a little distracted, I didn’t get a ton out of it or take proper notes. But here goes.

It reinforces Ramit’s ideas about putting your credit card in a block of ice or moving your alarm clock across the room. I always thought I was too smart for playing tricks on myself, but I’m as human as anyone else, it seems.

It talked about how we think our future selves will be able to do all kind of heavy lifting or whatever that our present selves can’t. In other words, we overestimate our power in the future. Best to get it done now, because you’ll probably feel the same tomorrow.

It also said that simple meditation can help you regain your willpower. It’s a good thing to get into the habit of on a daily basis. Doesn’t have to be anything spectacular. But spend a couple minutes breathing before you dive into your choice. (He said most find it easiest to simply slow your exhaling.) Often that will be enough to get you back in the right state of mind.

Your blood sugar has a huge impact on your will. If you’re low on blood sugar, all kinds of bad things can happen.

Your willpower is an exhaustible resource, so don’t spend it unwisely.

The tactic of delaying a choice for ten minutes can be helpful too. Tell yourself you can have it, but only after 10 minutes. A now cookie is much harder to resist than an in-ten-minutes cookie.

He said to pay attention (be mindful!) of what makes you happy and what doesn’t. I was playing a silly game on my phone, and noticed the little DOPAMINE! kicks that I’d get every time I finished a silly level, even though it wasn’t very rewarding a second later. Being mindful of dopamine, though, seems like a great idea.

He also said envisioning your future self can help you form a better, more concrete connection so that your present self doesn’t get too lazy at his expense.

Well, it seems I was paying better attention than I though.

It’s a good book, one I think my future self should read a second time.

Good luck, future me.

How to Learn Spanish with Video Games like Tomb Raider

Lara Croft es una Española.

You thought the Tomb Raider was British, didn’t you?

Well, she’s not. She’s from Spain.

At least she is in the one I’m playing.


WHY PLAY TOMB RAIDER IN SPANISH?

5 Things You Didn’t Know About ECKSDOT (+giveaway)

This is cross-posted from HappyIndulgence. Read the original article and enter the drawing to WIN A FREE COPY OF ECKSDOT here.

I wear slacks to most of my public appearances.

But I’m writing this in my Kung-Fu pants.

This Is How Insane I Am:

(This is also a tip for teachers.)

I use a timer to grade so that I don’t spend too long on any one paper. I also use Google Docs (my students submit their papers digitally), so I do it all in good ol’ Chrome.

For a while, I’ve been using Online-Stopwatch.com. (Eww. I hate to even give you the URL, but it’s important for you to see the sledge I’m talking about.)

A few days ago, I came across this one: E.ggTimer.com. Beauty, eh?

My friend came over, and I was like, “I have to show you something awesome.” I think she was a little disappointed that it was just a timer. No, a web timer! A beautifully minimal web timer! You don’t understand. It’s nothing more than what I need—and that’s the beauty: No more, no less. That’s good design.

I couldn’t stop talking about it. I even pulled up the two so she could compare them side by side. It’s ridiculous, I know. But it’s beautifully simple too. And all I have to do is hit CTRL+R to reset it when I’m grading the next one. Oh, and what’s more—this is brilliant design—the top of the tab shows the countdown, so I can watch my time without having to switch to that tab.

You web designers out there, do this.

Want more? Check out how Google should re-design their suite.

You don’t even know what travesty MEANS!

I’ve got to get this out of my system.

People have this strange tendency to use the word travesty around me. (If you didn’t know, Travis is my middle name—this may be why.)

So he gets this grin on his face, thinking he’s so clever, and says, “Blogging on a Friday instead of going on a date WOULD BE A TRAVESTY!”

No. No it wouldn’t. Travesty doesn’t mean tragedy!

trav·es·ty /ˈtravistē/
noun: A false, absurd, or distorted version of something.
synonyms: parody, mockery, spoof

It comes from the latin tra- (to change) and vestire (clothing). So it means to dress up. It’s a fake something that looks like the real thing. A mockery.

Remember it!

Ya dork.

What Should I Eat for Dinner?

My diet has been getting increasingly crazier over the past two years. As omnivores, our dilemma of what to eat seems to be getting more and more complex. I’ve recently come up with this model, which is a helpful summary:

In short, there may be some debate over what the healthiest foods are. But there’s strong consensus on which foods are unhealthy. That should probably be the first place we attack. (Unfortunately, those are the foods that everyone seems to eat the most of.)

I guess we omnivores are in need of a major paradigm shift. Maybe a revolution. 

Russian burritos (called “Sauron” or “Saruman” ), wrapped in cabbage, made by Stu

Happy food is usually the best.

Trying to eliminate a skin condition, I was forced to learn to cook vegetables. 

Turns out even cabbage can be good if you season it right. 

Not applesauce. Bacon grease. Yep. Bacon grease.

MNMLST

Yes. That’s me. An extreme minimalist. You should see the thickness of my wallet. And my keychain. And my Gmail inbox.

I’m pretty proud of my desktop too. The emptiness of it. And look at my Apps Dock. Love it.

I’m telling you, it’s a breath of fresh air.

Less is more.

Let’s hear your comments about your own minimalist techniques (or how it would never work for you).

Can Vibram Five-Finger Shoes Get Wet?

 

I’ve spent a lot of time this summer barefoot. Trying to heal a nerve in my foot by staying out of shoes. Or traditional shoes, at least. It’s also part of the paleolithic movement. ‘Cause I’m an ape-man, baby : )

Last week I went to British Columbia to visit my cousins. We went on two really awesome hikes. Both were several hours long, and included lots of varying terrain. And I wore my Vibram Five-Fingers.

Can you get Vibrams wet? 

Yes, but it’s best if you don’t. I have the Bikilas. They’re very thin, and if you step on anything remotely wet, it will get through. And if you’re hiking for a long time, your feet will be soggy and uncomfortable.

Do Vibrams damage your feet and legs?

Well, I don’t know much about physiology, so I’m not sure I could diagnose it well (it’s definitely possible I’m doing damage I’m completely unaware of; see this BYU Study on making the barefoot transition carefully). It’s important to transition from normal shoes to these—running only short distances until you build your atrophied muscles back up. I didn’t do this, and I was sore for 8 days the first time I ran in them. And sometimes I don’t run for a few weeks and when I go back I’m sore again for a day or so. But aside from muscle soreness, I’ve been fine. It’s saved me from a couple of ankle rolls (without the depth of a shoe’s sole beneath your feet, an ankle roll has no torque, so it saves you from lateral injuries). Also, my knees stopped getting sore while running too (this is because I’m once again using my body’s natural shock absorption system).

What terrain can you use Vibrams in?

Below I show all the terrain I crossed while I was in British Columbia last week. The large, sharp rocks were the worst. You have to go slowly. The snow is pretty cool, because you can quickly feel the change in temperature—the soles are so thin.

  

One cool thing about Vibrams is that they’re thin, so you can feel textures and temperatures well.

 

 

This photo on the right is next to a bear track.

It’s hard to tell in the photo, but the print showed clear claw marks.

This moss here was about 10 inches thick, and soft like a pillow—again, so cool to feel the texture.

Should I buy the Vibram Five-Finger shoes? 

Here’s my summary-review: First, they’re a little pricey. I paid $100 for mine (the Bikilas). Second, they’re not great for lounging in—because you don’t wear socks, they tend to get sweaty and smelly. UPDATE: I bought toe socks, which work just fine even in these form-fitting shoes. Third, they’re very thin—not much more protection than going barefoot. 

But I love them. They’re so light. And you feel free. In fact, I feel like I can run faster in them (even if it’s just psychological). 

Also, traditional sports shoes (since the 1970s), have serious “arch support” and sole cushioning. The counter-theory is that these are like a crutch for the foot—and they actually weaken it. (After I ran barefoot for the first time, my leg and foot muscles were sore for a week—muscles I hadn’t been using before.) 

The theory goes on to say that the foot is a natural shock absorber. And using it like it was designed—or evolved—will actually help your knees and back. I’ve experienced this too. 

That’s my review. The choice is up to you.

(Just FYI, I got in to this after reading a book called Born to Run.)

If you want more crazy ideas, here’s a sneak-peak at my caveman diet.






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Voldie-Voldie-Voldemorte

To avoid having to actually dress up (to go see Harry Potter 7b), I drew the dark-mark death-eater tattoo on my arm. But don't get me wrong, I'm not on the side of Voldie-voldie-voldemorte.

Also, interestingly, I've only read books 1, 6, and 7. Out of those three, Half-Blood Prince was by far my favorite. And I read the last two in Spanish, which some say doesn't count. Pero decirlo e' fome.

I think Rowling is leagues beyond me in her characterization. (And I include BACKSTORY as part of that.) But I think I could outdo her in plot. A little cocky, yes. We'll see if I can back it.

Communication Errors

Tev says he wants to create a fillable Acrobat form and asks me where to start. I respond with question after question: Who's it for? What information? How many fields? Will online work better? What about fax? I'm frustrated after a while. I wish he'd explained from the start. I don't blame him though; everybody seems to be this way.

This morning the [client name] IT Director sent me a directive email with several paragraphs, bullet lists, and mud. Figuring out what he wanted me to do was like decrypting the DaVinci code. It may be clear in your head, but that doesn't mean it's clear outside of it.

I resolve to be a clearer communicator.

Media Spin

Recently there was a major phishing attack that got 20,000 something email users/suckers to share their passwords. These were then published on a developer forum for everyone to see.

It was a big story in online news, but the writers used the words "were compromised" and "were leaked" and made it sound as if it were a flaw in the software. When you email a phisher your password, it's not a leak; it's an idiot. But "20,000 Idiots" would only fit as an Onion headline.

I read several stories and they all made it sound like this, as if Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, and others were the ones to blame. It kind of makes me mad. I hate the news.