Having writers block when you need it the least...

[TonyLJ86]

Not even able to muster up a witty title for this. Never mind.

 

Hey there!

 

My name is Tony, I'm 28 and I live the beautiful country of Wales, and I'm more of a 'pop nerd' than a proper nerd I think. I enjoy sci-fi, games and what-not but not to any great extent. My geek-out love is engineering and science. I get obsessive about technological progression and I'm hoping to 'level up' my career to project engineering. I also, eventually, want to buy a house and make it awesome by installing solar PV panels, a log burner, a small wind/hydro turbine if I get a place that suits it, rainwater harvesting, growing my own food and other really really interesting things. I guess I'm an engineering hippy in a way.

 

Finding NF

 

I found NF absolutely ages ago, and followed it for a while but lost interest. But I'm back, I've registered and here I am. I'm taking the plunge for numerous reasons:

 

.01 I weigh in at 120kg/264lbs, and I am very unhappy at how this makes me feel and look. I feel shame when I see pictures of myself.

.02 Up until about 3/4 years ago I used to lift. I could squat 170kg/374lbs, bench 100kg/220lbs and deadlift 200kg/440lbs at a bodyweight of 100kg/220lbs. I cannot do any of this any more. I can't even do a pushup.

.03 I can't run for more than a minute, and when I do try and run I get swelling in my feet that causes nerve inflammation, making it painful to walk. 

.04 I have realised that although I have achieved some goals in my life (getting a good career and supporting myself and my partner), I am bored of my life and how comfortable it is.

.05 I struggle to push myself to do anything about the above. I know better, I know I should do something, I know how to do it, but I just can't seem to get myself to actually do it.

 

Goals

 

Fitness

• Drop bodyweight to 80kg/175lbs or so with <= 12% bodyfat
• Equal or exceed my previous lifts, and create new high scores (I've never done a pull up, and never really overhead pressed more than 50kg/110lbs)
• Be able to run 10k
• Complete a Spartan or Tough Guy style obstacle race

Food

• Eat healthy, home prepared food that nourishes mind and body, rather than eat s**t that's easy
• Take these meals to work, rather than buying sandwiches, crisps and junk that costs a fortune
• Learn how to make great, healthy food for entertaining 

Life

• Pay off all of my debts, get an emergency fund together (6 months of bills) and save for a house
• Spend less time on technology - I can't seem to put my Nexus down, my eyes are always glued to it
• Watch less 'static TV' - unless it's GoT or something I really enjoy, it's 'static' (i.e. The Simpsons or anything else that takes 30 minutes away from me at a time)
• Progress my career - rather than maintain in my chosen career, I want to create and become a project engineer
• Join the Territorial Army (Reserves in the US?) - join the Royal Engineers Corps or Royal Signals Corps
• Progress within St. John Ambulance - go from basic first aider up to Emergency Transport Attendant. This is a voluntary thing I do, and it's awesome!
• Have kids with the partner and live happy and fulfilling lives!

The caveat

 

Like I said, I know what I want and I think I know how to do it, but the caveat is how I always, without a shadow of a doubt, lapse back into my life of comfort - come home from work and veg out in front of the TV with an entire pizza to myself. I don't know why I do this, I don't know why I always relapse, because I actually enjoy challenges and pushing myself. This is where I need most help, because I don't know how to overcome it. This is where I hope that you, my fellow nerds and geeks, can help.

 

If you've read this far, well done!

 

[JesseNeon]

'Welcome', said one new member to another, in third person no less.

 

Engineering is a passion of mine as well - Mind you, I have no formal education, but I am something of an armchair enthusiast. We should chat privately some time about that. 

 

In regards to your life goals, I'd say step one would be to cancel your cable. Let's be honest, you've got Netflix anyway, why not limit your TV intake and just treat Netflix like a reserve for down time? 

 

I wish you the best of luck in your other goals, though - and I'll volunteer to be a thorn in your side that keeps annoying you to not relapse, so long as you do the same for me!

 

-JesseNeon

[TonyLJ86]

Welcome, JesseNeon!

Never let the lack of a formal education hold you back from a passion. Qualifications merely think that someone else deems you competent to do something, it's more fun to learn as you go along sometimes!

The idea of cancelling cable (or satellite in my case, Sky TV is the norm around here) is a good one, but I may get my entertainment via other means than Netflix. It's the Mrs. that I have to convince though.

Thanks for volunteering to be a thorn, but unfortunately it's too easy for me to tune you out rather than listen. But I'll do my best, and I'll do my best to be a thorn for you lol.

[metakiiro]

Hippie engineer? Seems cool to me. 

 

I've researched permaculture, off grid living and tiny houses for my novel this past November. A lot of the ideas therein are really intriguing to me. 

 

I'm also interested in futurology and I lurk over at r/futurology on reddit quite often. There's a lot of crossover between the sustainable/earth-friendly tech movement and sci fi, imho. There's a quote: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from Nature. Basically, either advanced alien civilizations don’t exist, or we can’t see them because they are indistinguishable from natural systems. I vote for the latter."

 

I agree with that thought and I think that the future of technology will be increased integration and efficiency via working in harmony with the planet and one another. I don't think that I,Robot style AI or space colonies or any of those things will ever be feasible technology for all but the extremely wealthy.

 

If you are addicted to your Nexus, use it to help you. There are plenty of good apps out there to help track diet and exercise, send you reminders, help you manage different aspects of your lifestyle. I have iOS devices, so I can't help much there. 

 

I aim to automate as much of my daily routine as possible. If you know you are wont to slack off after work, then work out in the mornings. If nightly cooking is a hassle, just cook a big pot of soup or stew and make enough of something simple like hamburgers or meatballs for 3-5 meals that week. You can pair them with a bag of frozen veg or a simple salad as a meal in the evenings. You can also pack them ahead of time for lunch and not have to worry about that. 

 

Anyway, yeah, I just wanted to stop by and say hi to a fellow sci-hippie. See ya around.

[TonyLJ86]

Hi there, metakiiro!

What kind of novel are you writing? If it involves perma and off-grid I'd like to volunteer myself as a proof reader

I love this kind of stuff, and I'm a massive fan of dystopian fiction. There's something that really resonates with having to survive on yourself and others when all of our systems and structures collapse. I like to daydream about situations like that and mentally design and construct my life in that scenario. Being independent, self sufficient and wholly responsible for actually surviving and thriving is exciting.

I haven't checked out /r/futurology yet, I'll have to have a look. I agree with your sentiment in how working with the planet is dependant on the progression (and survival) of our species. The planet is a very complex system made up of simple ones, and is self healing to a point, but you can only add so much salt before the broth is ruined. The challenge we face is to move forward in a way that doesn't rattle the cage too much, but dies so soon enough.

I'll have a look around for some apps, I already use myfitnesspal which is pretty cool.

Automation and habit setting may be my first real goal.

Time to work, no rest for the wicked! Nice to meet you mate

[metakiiro]

My novel is not a strict dystopian piece. I suppose the modern reader would go "   " upon reading it because it is set in a world that is eerily familiar, yet lacking a lot of what we consider as technological progress. Or does it? Perhaps the technology is there, but not readily apparent? Or maybe they've just learned to live life for what it is, without all of the extras? It's a long way from the proofing/beat stage. It's actually part of a series (I think, we'll see ) of three that chronicles the lives of a group of people throughout a certain span of time post-collapse. I'm still doing research and plotting, tinkering with the rough draft of book 1 at this point. 

 

The idea of my novel and my initial interest in nature-driven technology actually started when I read a manga called Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou. The review actually does the story justice. The world of my first two books is a lot like that as described in YKK; the third is set in a future primitive society, similar to the Organians of ST:OS. Only without the weird mind-reading aspects and with a highly integrated nature-tech environment...

 

Well, I'm getting wrapped up in geekery as you can see.

 

Automation makes habit setting easier. I'd say those are good beginning goals. Just need to settle on a few keys points of focus.

[our.lady.of.ashes]

Doesn't look like you had too much writer's block. Just stopping by to say hi and welcome. Hope you'll find yourself a good home here and some speed toward your goals.