 that helped me to achieve a good performance, with the standard disclaimer that they may not work for others, or be good ideas at all.
I am a big believer in the power of negative thinking.
In both the fall and spring UTD invitationals of the 2011-12 year, I went into the tournament excited and thinking about getting a good result. Then I lost in rounds one and two, and felt awful. I wished that I didn't have to play for the rest tournament and was convinced that it was no longer possible for me to get any kind of decent result. Then in both tournaments, I proceeded to get a GM norm by doing well in the next 7 rounds (even though the performance rating for the norm is measured over all 9 rounds). Also in the UTD Spring Open this year, after an OK start, I lost twice in rounds 5 and 6. Then I won 3 times to finish tied for 3rd.
So looking at these tournaments, the obvious question is, why not skip the double-loss and just start out with the negative attitude at the beginning?
Therefore, I tried to vigilantly avoid thinking optimistic thoughts about my chess during the tournament. Often during a game I would catch myself thinking something like "Wow, I'm totally winning now..." but then I would correct myself by following up with "... but I'm going to totally ---- it up and get a lost position with my next move!" Even away from the board, I tried to keep in mind that I was going to lose the next day. I think that the practice of always telling myself that I am going to make a mistake is helpful to avoid making blunders. It is too easy, especially in a comfortable position, to become relaxed and allow the game to slip away. In the future I will definitely try continuing this attitude, with the possible exception of team tournaments, where it is probably not a good idea to tell my teammates we are going to lose.
It was a mistake to become confident of the draw, no longer telling myself I am going to lose. I should have continued to be vigilant, and maintained a perpetual check, or with a modicum of calculation, spotted an opportunity to exchange queens and eliminate his last pawn. Instead I moved aimlessly and handed my opponent a gift.
My other most important strategy was to eat large quantities of chocolate. My chocolate consumption included oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, dark chocolate malt balls, chocolate-covered almonds, chocolate torte, double chocolate truffles, and peanut butter chocolate truffles. I also brought Oats and Dark Chocolate granola bars, which I often eat in a hurry before a morning round, but I did not eat any during this one-round-per-day tournament.
Chocolate was not only intrinsically powerful due to its chocolatiness; it also helped me by avoiding the need to go out and eat dinner. Each evening I needed both to prepare for the next round and to work on my three take-home finals. By subsisting on chocolate rather than going to the trouble of getting a "real" meal, I freed up additional time for accomplishing my tasks.
I could say more about chocolate, but it is unnecessary since you can taste it for yourself. Good luck to readers in finding your own winning strategies!bolder actions in the future.
the federal costs of treating people with smoking-related diseases.
manufacturers, restaurateurs, and the beer, wine and alcohol industries.
smokers as a precedent for their agenda.
contribution to obesity, heart disease and cancer."
between liberty and tyranny.
don't also despise our Constitution and rule of law.
will have to bear the costs.
cigarette Nazis were demanding separate smoking sections on airplanes.
have also been greeted with, "That's absurd!"
Tyrants never take away liberties all at once. They do it bit by bit.
of any kind is lost all at once.""Back to the Future; A Houston home's midcentury design gets a modern update"
Architectural designers Kelie Mayfield and Erick Ragni didn’t have to look far for inspiration on their Banks Street Residence project. Their client’s previous home already conveyed the clean lines and modern sensibility they were looking for. So for their new house, the design just needed a contemporary update.Guangdong, China 11/4/2003
From left to right, starting on the top:
Tea (barely getting in the shot), Lily, Kiana, Ella, Zoe
Grace, Calla, TaraKate (not at the reunion), Savannah, Lauren, Faith
Columbus, Ohio 10/10/2009
From left to right, starting at the top:
Tea, Lily, Kiana, Ella, Zoe
Grace, Calla, Savannah, Lauren, Faith
4 comments:
Love it...how they've all blossomed into beautiful little girls! I'm sure your glad you made the effort to go to the reunion - these pictures are priceless!
Thats crazy! They have al grown up so much!
What a beautiful group of girls!! I just love travel groups. I'm hoping we can get together with ours this summer or next for our 5 year reunion!!
Can't wait to hear all about it!
Love the travel group pictures. SO precious!Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced Friday that he extended the COVID-19 peacetime emergency for another month, which gives him sweeping authority under the state’s emergency powers law.
The state Senate, which Republicans hold the majority of, voted Friday to block the move. The House of Representatives, which is controlled by Democrats, allowed the peacetime emergency to continue. Both chambers would have needed to vote down the emergency to end it.
Republicans contend Walz has used the emergency powers to govern unchecked, causing economic harm without achieving better results than states with looser restrictions, such as Wisconsin. The Senate vote was 39-29, with three Democrats breaking ranks to vote with Republicans, though one later said her vote was a mistake.
“We’ve got one of the highest death rates in the country and he’s saving so many lives?” said House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, referring to Walz. “Do you have your heads in the sand? … This isn’t politics, this isn’t about Republicans versus Democrats. This is about … doing what’s right.”
The state has a COVID-19 death rate of 22.3 per 100,000 residents, according to data updated Friday from the COVID Tracking Project. That’s higher than the median nationwide death rate, but lower than the national average of 28 fatalities per 100,000 residents. About 80 percent of the 1,274 Minnesotans who have died were residents of long-term care or assisted-living facilities.
Minnesota currently ranks 17th in terms of COVID-19 death rates among the states. Highly populous states, like New Jersey and Illinois, have the highest death rates in the country — at 140 and 50 deaths per 100,000 residents, respectively.
The House vote was 61-73 to end the peacetime emergency.
House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, said she believes Walz has properly exercised his emergency power.
“It has saved countless lives and has brought us the ICU capacity to be prepared for the surge that may be coming this summer or potentially this fall,” Hortman said, adding there are still a number of COVID-19 matters that Walz needs to move quickly on, but that can’t happen in the divided Legislature.
But Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, said the time has come “to restore the power to the people, it’s time to restore the ability to make laws to the Legislature and take them away from a runaway governor.”
While Rep. Alice Mann, DFL-Lakeville, said Minnesotans have been hurt, she said it’s been “by a global pandemic, not by the governor’s actions. … This emergency is not over.”
Walz said Friday that more than 50 community and public health organizations wrote to him, saying the peacetime emergency has allowed them to protect Minnesotans and asking him to extend it.
The governor’s office said the peacetime emergency protects Minnesotans against evictions and wage garnishment, provides expedited procurement power for personal protective equipment, allows Minnesota to reopen the economy strategically, and protects workers from unsafe conditions. If it ends, more than $50 million in federal funding each month would be jeopardized, according to Walz.
“Minnesotans’ health and safety is our top priority, and the actions we took over the last three months have saved lives,” Walz said in a statement Friday. “The peacetime emergency opens our toolbox, allowing us to take swift action as necessary to protect the health and well-being of our communities, businesses, and families.”
Christopher Magan contributed to this report, which includes information from the Associated Press.Happy New Moon and Partial Solar Eclipse in Taurus! This New Moon at approximately 10 degrees of Taurus became exact today, Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 4:27 PM New York time (20:27 GMT). The Eclipse, which is only visible in South America and Antarctica, reached its apex 15 minutes after that.
Welcome to the first Eclipse Season of 2022! Eclipse Seasons are powerful portals of change and transformation. During Eclipses, we receive codes downloaded to us that give us the templates for the next six months of our journey (and beyond).
This Eclipse is a North Node Eclipse, as the moon is in the same