Blog | davidsmith208

Music work station

Yes — what you’re describing is actually a very common music production setup, and there are purpose-built stands for exactly this: holding a laptop + iPad above a keyboard safely. The key is choosing something with: Dual tiers (2 shelves) Raised lips or clamps (so devices don’t slide) Adjustable angle/height (so it sits above your keyboard) Solid base (or tripod) for stability 🎯 Best solutions for your exact setup 🥇 Best overall (what you want) 👉 Why this is ideal: Two se

davidsmith208

Mar 252 min read

God does not like those who sink

This is a subtle line, and it can sound harsher than Rumi actually intends. He’s not condemning people who struggle—he’s pointing to a direction of the heart. 🌊 What does “those who sink” mean? In the passage you showed, “sinking” is not about: failing feeling pain being weak It’s about orientation: 👉 Sinking = turning downward and staying there willingly toward ego (nafs) toward greed, inertia, indulgence toward forgetfulness of the divine So the contrast is: Upward Downwa

davidsmith208

Mar 242 min read

The Donkey

You’re reading this exactly in the spirit of Masnavi—it’s symbolic language, not literal narrative. Let’s organize the imagery clearly and then get to your deeper question about the wise enemy (intellect) vs the ignorant body (donkey). 🌙 Core Symbols in this Passage These come from the symbolic system used by Rumi: 🌙 Moon → Divine Light The moon reflects the sun → like the heart reflecting God’s light It appears in darkness → guidance during suffering So: Divine truth shini

davidsmith208

Mar 242 min read

The two signal net player

Yes—this is exactly how high-level doubles operates. What you’re asking for is essentially a pre-point coding system so you and your partner act as one unit instead of two players reacting separately. I’ll give you: A clean finger-signal system (simple but powerful) What each signal means A strategy plan behind each one (this is the real gold) 🎾 PART 1 — Standard Finger Signal System The server’s partner (at the net) signals behind their back. 👉 Serve Direction (first signa

davidsmith208

Mar 203 min read

Doubles tennis talk

This is a great direction—good doubles teams are basically running a mini language system on court. Short, fast, unambiguous. I’ll give you a standard “vocabulary” of doubles calls, what they mean, and when to use them. You don’t need all of them—just pick a core set and be consistent with your partner. 🎾 Core Doubles Communication System 🧭 1. Ball ownership (most important) “Mine” 👉 I’m taking this ball Prevents hesitation or collision Use early and loud “Yours” 👉 You ta

davidsmith208

Mar 203 min read

Talking to yourself is not crazy

What you’re doing—saying “move back” out loud—is actually exactly what high-level performance science recommends. It’s not weird at all; it’s a tool. Let’s break it down in a clean, practical way. 🧠 Why talking to yourself works (the real mechanism) Neuroscience (and sports psych) shows that self-talk helps in three key ways: 1. It speeds up decision-making When you say: “move back” “crosscourt” “step in” You are: turning a vague perception into a clear action command That r

davidsmith208

Mar 202 min read

Run around it

Great—this is exactly the kind of thinking that actually moves your level up. I’ll give you a tight 30-minute “AI-style” session first, then explain the “run-around forehand at point C” idea from Craig O’Shannessy in a clear, practical way. 🎾 30-Minute AI-Style Tennis Session (Built around first 3 shots = highest impact) ⏱️ 0:00–5:00 — Warm-up with intent (not random) Mini tennis → baseline Call your target out loud before hitting “cross” “line” “short” 👉 This builds decisi

davidsmith208

Mar 203 min read

AI based tennis practice

Yes—what you were doing is actually very aligned with how modern AI-driven tennis training is evolving. In fact, you stumbled onto something quite advanced without calling it that. Let’s connect your drill to what Craig O’Shannessy is talking about. 🎾 What O’Shannessy means by “AI changes strategy” O’Shannessy (who worked with Novak Djokovic) focuses on pattern-based tennis, powered by data: Instead of: “hit good shots” It becomes: “serve wide → opponent returns crosscourt 7

davidsmith208

Mar 202 min read

No self no problem

You’re reading No Self, No Problem by Chris Niebauer. It’s a blend of neuroscience and Eastern philosophy, and your read of the thesis is basically right—but it’s a bit more nuanced than “no ego = no problems.” 🧠 Core idea of the book (simple summary) Niebauer argues: The “self” (ego) is not a real, fixed entity—it’s a construction of the left hemisphere of the brain. The left brain creates a constant narrative voice (“me,” “my story,” “my problems”). This narrative is usefu

davidsmith208

Mar 202 min read

Spanish Squat

The exercise many tennis players and physical therapists use to strengthen the knee tendon itself is the: Spanish Squat It’s famous in rehab for strengthening the patellar tendon and quads while keeping knee stress controlled. This is often used for preventing or treating Patellar Tendinitis, which is common in jumping and court sports. How to do it Loop a thick resistance band or strap around a sturdy post. Step inside so the band sits behind your knees. Walk backward until

davidsmith208

Mar 162 min read

Knee protection

Great question. Knee health in racquet sports like tennis and pickleball is less about the knee joint itself and more about the muscles that control the knee. The key protectors are: glutes (hip stabilizers) hamstrings quadriceps (especially VMO) calves hip abductors If these are strong, the knee tracks properly and injuries like Patellar Tendinitis or Runner’s Knee become much less likely. Here are the most useful exercises (very similar to how you used face pulls to protect

davidsmith208

Mar 162 min read

Heart not blind

Your page actually shows two very important teachings from the Masnavi of Jalal ad-Din Rumi. One is about blind hearts, and the other about weeping clouds. Let’s take them one at a time and relate them to you. 1. The quote at the top: “The heart that is blind” The line at the top of your page echoes a famous verse from the Qur’an (22:46): “It is not the eyes that are blind, but the hearts in the breasts.” Rumi is explaining this idea. The commentary on your page says: Divine

davidsmith208

Mar 143 min read

Weeping clouds make the plants greener

The passage you circled comes from the Masnavi of Jalal ad-Din Rumi. The key line is: “Weeping clouds make the plants greener.” Rumi often uses rain = tears and plants = the soul. So the teaching is that sorrow, repentance, or emotional softness nourishes spiritual growth the way rain nourishes plants. Let’s look at your day in that light. 1. The funeral: the “weeping clouds” A funeral is exactly the kind of moment Rumi means. When people face death: the ego softens the heart

davidsmith208

Mar 142 min read

Diamond Shaped Gusseted crotch

1️⃣ Is the $150 Lululemon pant nylon? Yes — some versions are partly nylon, but not always pure nylon. The popular Lululemon Commission Pant Classic Warpstreme (often around $128–$150 new) uses blends such as: 58% cotton 29% nylon 13% elastane (spandex) Other versions use different fabrics (Warpstreme, Utilitech, etc.), so the exact blend changes by model year. Why people like them: 4-way stretch ergonomic gusseted crotch (ABC technology) for mobility dress-pant appearance bu

davidsmith208

Mar 142 min read

Performance Chino

Here are three specific pants that match what you want: dress-pant appearance stretch for pickleball / yoga cooler technical fabric available in 30 inseam (easy to hem to 29) I chose ones with better cooling fabrics than your 90% polyester pair. 1. Best Overall Performance Chino Lululemon Commission Performance Pant Why this is one of the most popular “stealth athletic” pants: nylon / elastane technical fabric 4-way stretch breathable and quick-dry flat front dress-pant look

davidsmith208

Mar 142 min read

Parmigiano Reggiano

Yes — Parmigiano Reggiano is actually quite high in protein, especially compared with most cheeses. That’s one reason athletes and cyclists in Italy often use it as a recovery food. Protein in Parmigiano Reggiano Typical nutrition (per ~1 oz / 28 g): Protein: ~10 g Fat: ~7 g Calories: ~110 Calcium: ~330 mg That means about 36 g of protein per 100 g, which is more protein-dense than many meats by weight. Because it’s aged, much of the protein is partially broken down, making i

davidsmith208

Mar 132 min read

Whinfield is epic

Your reaction is shared by quite a few readers. Edward Henry Whinfield is often remembered mainly as a translator, but many people feel his version reads like an English epic poem in its own right. Why Whinfield’s version feels so powerful Whinfield tried to reproduce the spirit of the Persian mathnawi verse form from the Masnavi. In Persian, Rumi writes in rhyming couplets that carry the story forward quickly, and Whinfield recreated that momentum in English. So his translat

davidsmith208

Mar 132 min read

The Lion and the Hare at the Pickleball Court

The Lion and the Hare at the Pickleball Court Upon a bright and breezy morn Where paddles popped and shoes were worn, A lion strode with mighty glare To rule the court and claim his share. He smashed each ball with roaring might, A thunderclap of yellow flight. “Stand back!” he cried. “I end points fast— No rally here shall ever last!” The players sighed. “What can we do? His drives come hard, his temper too.” Then from the fence there hopped with care A quiet soul—a thinking

davidsmith208

Mar 132 min read

Pickleball strategy and Rumi

1️⃣ The Victorian translator you’re thinking of The famous rhyming English version of the Masnavi was largely produced by Reynold A. Nicholson (1868–1945). Nicholson was an English scholar at Cambridge who: translated large portions of Rumi’s Masnavi into English verse also produced a major critical Persian edition used somewhat Victorian-style poetic diction His translation often uses rhyming couplets or rhythmic lines to echo the Persian poetic form. Later translators inclu

davidsmith208

Mar 132 min read

The Lion and the Hare

The story you’re reading in Masnavi (often translated “The Lion and the Hare”) is one of the most famous teaching stories of Jalāl al-Dīn Rumi. It appears in Book I and continues for many verses because Rumi keeps pausing the story to give spiritual commentary. Below is a concise summary of the section you mentioned (roughly the parts around lines ~390–495) including the themes you listed. 1. The situation: the lion and the animals A powerful lion terrorizes all the animals o

davidsmith208

Mar 132 min read