pig-monkey.com - general

Resistance Regime

2025-10-23T00:00:00-07:00

For the past four months or so I’ve been doing push, pull, and leg days with my Harambe System. This differs from the push and pull days of the standard Harambe and X3 programs (both of which are mostly the same) that I had been doing previously.

Push: Bench press, overhead press, tricep extension (standing, seated, or lying depending on my mood)
Pull: Deadlift, bent-over row, bicep curl (Ferro and drag)
Leg: static lunge, front squat, back squat, calf raises

I cycle through the days over the course of the week.

Monday: Push
Tuesday: Pull
Wednesday: Leg
Thursday: Push
Friday: Pull
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Rest

For a time I did a second leg day on Saturday, but I found this negatively impacted my riding. I ride a bike seven days a week, and usually I’ll end up doing a longer ride on Saturday or Sunday. I don’t consider riding a bike to be exercise – its just how I get around – so I count both Saturday and Sunday as “rest” days, even though really every day is leg day. But when I did a focused leg day with the bands over the weekend, my legs would never get a chance to recover.

I don’t intentionally vary the resistance from day to day. Mostly I’ve been doing two sets to fatigue. I generally aim for 12-15 full reps, and 3-6 at diminishing range. If I can do more than 20 reps in a set, I take it to mean I need more resistance. The exception is for calf raises, where I prefer to go lighter and do around 30 reps in a set. If I am pressed for time I’ll go back to the standard one set to fatigue. Sometimes, just to mix things up, I’ll do three sets of 10-10-max (as in Harambe’s PPL program). In that case, I aim for my max on that last set to be 10 to 12 reps. If I can do more than that it means I should be stacking more bands.

Two months ago I bought the discontinued Travel Plate when Harambe was blowing it out on sale. I now stack this on top of the Cyberplate when doing bench press and deadlift. This effectively shortens the length of the bands. When bench pressing, it allows me to have resistance as soon as the bar leaves my chest (actually there’s a little resistance even with the bar just lying on my chest). When deadlifting, it means I’m pulling resistance as soon as the bar leaves the foam block. It makes both movements more difficult. I had to step down to a lighter band configuration for both. I don’t find it useful for any of the other movements, but I like it for those two. (And it should be mentioned that in both cases, the bands do not contact the upper plate at all, so the fact that I’m using an actual UHMW plate is irrelevant – one could accomplish the same thing with a piece of plywood or a cutting board.)

Huysmans on Social Media

2025-09-16T00:00:00-07:00

… he discovered the free-thinkers, those bourgeois doctrinaires who clamoured for absolute liberty in order to stifle the opinions of other people, to be nothing but a set of greedy, shameless hypocrites whose intelligence he rated lower than the village cobbler’s.

J. K. Huysmans, Against Nature (À rebours), translated by Robert Baldick

Link Log 2025-09-15

2025-09-15T00:00:00-07:00

Everything is Fine, Exit Through the Casino

Why I prefer human-readable file formats

XPath Scraping with FreshRSS

my anarchist notebook

Four Theories of Meta

no shorts

Typing Nightmare

2025-08-14T00:00:00-07:00

I was reading someone blogging about blogging, wherein the author critiqued using a static site generator for a blog by exclaiming “you can’t even post without a computer!” This statement implicitly proposes the possibility of publishing a blog post with something other than a computer. I assume the unmentioned alternative here is a telephone. For me this is nightmare fuel.

You know how sometimes you’ll have a dream where you need to run, and then suddenly the air is molasses and you can only move in slow motion? I’ve had dreams like that, but instead of needing to run I need to type a message, and instead of the air becoming molasses I find I only have a phone. Nightmare.

I don’t understand how people internet without a keyboard. My thumbs don’t work like that.

For To Hesitate Is To Risk Losing the Day

2025-08-07T00:00:00-07:00

Kern’s laptop bleats, and in the moment of waking he is up, though his body aches, as it always aches, for to hesitate is to risk losing the day. Dizzy with sleep, he is stretching his shoulders when, at the laptop’s signal, the espresso machine – spoil of an unlocked condo – winks on, huffs loudly and begins to steam.

The low room is dark but for the faint glows from the light well and from his laptop’s screen, just enough to illuminate the espresso frothing into his one chipped cup. The room is cold, this early, except near the space heater, salvage from the landfills, wired to a fuel cell with a shiny spot where the serial number once was, the severed stubs of steel bolts gleaming rawly.

He sips coffee, tells himself it makes him feel more awake. The phone he took from the mark is on the floor by the laptop. He dreamed he heard a voice from it, perhaps a woman’s, but it’s not possible – there’s no signal this deep under the surface. Later, when the sun is down, he’ll run it over to Lares, get paid.

Before he’s ready, his laptop chimes, and it’s time to work the heavy bag. The bag hangs from the ceiling on a rusted chain, swaddled in silver duct tape, mottled with dark stains, a mass of shadow. He circles it, poised on the balls of his feet, hands by his temples, his weariness subsumed in the familiarity of the stance. The laptop chimes again and he shuffles his left foot to the side and pivots on its ball as he turns his hip and throws his right leg at the bag, his technique unfolding effortlessly. A moment of sweet stasis, awareness of the bag’s mass, the room’s emptiness, his own exhaustion, and then when the kick lands the bag spasms, and there’s a sharp pain in his shin, but less than there was a year ago, and the books say that in another year the pain will be gone. He’s just recovered his stance when once again the laptop chimes and once again he kicks.

…

Yet another chime. He remembers Kayla singing to him. Is she still up, he wonders, and does she have a new lover, and does she ever think of him? He wrenches his thoughts back, chastising himself for wasting even a moment, and for having failed already, so early in the day. He kicks the bag hard enough to crush a rib cage – his shin feels shattered, but the bag caroms into the wall.

Five hundred and ninety-six kicks later, his vision greying, his breath ragged, the laptop chimes twice. He staggers away from the bag, but neither sits nor puts his hands on his knees. He doesn’t feel like vomiting, this time, which is progress. When he can breathe through his nose again he scrapes himself dry with a towel already stiff with dried sweat.

Eyes closed, he runs through the move in his mind, correcting the subtleties of balance, the nuances of technique. Soon the laptop will chime again, and again he will attack the bag with a narrow technical ferocity, coming another step closer to total purity of spirit and keeping out the void that’s all around him.

Zachary Mason, Void Star

Link Log 2025-07-31

2025-07-31T00:00:00-07:00

Bikerouter, BRouter, and BRouter-Web - What’s What?

Telegram is indistinguishable from an FSB honeypot

How to Surf the Web in 2025, and Why You Should

Patrick Leigh Fermor (South Bank Show, 1989)

Objects should shut the fuck up

Vavrek (1973 - 2024)

GifCities

Link Log 2025-07-20

2025-07-20T00:00:00-07:00

What’s in my bike bag after cycling six years the world?

My 10 Years World Tour Bicycle Setup!

how to place your desk in Feng Shui?

Lateralus (Summer Woods, 2025)

Dublin (Nine Inch Nails, 2025)

How to Brush Teeth

2025-07-17T00:00:00-07:00

As a result of reevaluating my dental ablutions I have adopted the modified Bass brushing technique. With this technique one grips the toothbrush similar to a pen, places the brush head such that it is half on the tooth and half on the gum, and tilts the brush to about a 45 degree angle. Then it’s your standard circular movement with very little pressure. Other variants use short horizontal strokes instead of circles, or add a sweep away from the gumline when finishing a section. I’m told that some version of this is the most effective technique. It requires fine motor control, which probably explains why none of us were taught it as small children. But, better late that never.

One of the nice side effects of this technique is that doing it right takes about two minutes. Previously, when just mindlessly brushing without attempting to apply a specific technique, I would divide the mouth into quadrants and try to spend about 30 seconds in each so that I’d reach that 2 minute target that everybody says should be the goal. But that does not necessarily result in an even distribution of the work. Trying to target a specific time is dumb. Timers, whether standalone or integrated into the toothbrush, are dumb. No magic results from simply having the brush in your mouth for 2 minutes. Instead, adopt the correct technique, apply it properly, and let the time take care of itself.

Useful demonstrations, which helped me as I was trying to figure out the motion and its variants (while the “Bass technique” is a specific thing, the “modified” in “modified Bass technique” seems to mean different things to different people), are here and here and here.

The guide published by Curaprox is a helpful summary of how to brush one’s teeth. I first used their toothbrush last year and could not figure out why the handle was shaped the way it is. Then this year I learned how to properly brush my teeth. Turns out their design is actually pretty good. But I haven’t come across anything that makes me think one particular model of toothbrush is any better than the other. It just needs to have soft bristles and fit in your mouth. Since moving to this technique, I have found myself preferring a smaller head than I did previously. The Curaprox CS 5460 and Nimbus Compact both check those boxes for me, but I’m sure there’s about a billion other models out there that do as well.

The Future Without Future

2025-07-16T00:00:00-07:00

I listen to 65daysofstatic and their generative noise program Wreckage Systems. My favorite advertisement for Wreckage Systems is on the Debris album (a blind stumbling through the cratered landscape of the musical-industrial complex):

The future without future. The ceaseless turmoil of now. A world of fog and foreboding. Wreckage Systems are the lamp by your side. The stranger who walks beside you. The hand in the dark. Wreckage Systems is the scaffolding that we erect to stop the crushing wave of the heavy sky falling down and around us, dissolving into the ocean that is already lapping around our ankles. Join us and help the dedicated team over at 65LABS expand their noise as together we strive towards utopia.

No future.

Titanium Tongue Tool

2025-07-15T00:00:00-07:00

One of my recent projects has been to reevaluate my dental ablutions. As it turns out, mankind’s knowledge has progressed since I was first taught to brush my teeth as a toddler, and some of my practices wanted updating.

I bought my first tongue scraper back in 2018. It was one of those U-shaped copper ones from India. I used it occasionally, but did not incorporate it into my daily ritual until I began this reevaluation at the end of last year. I have decided that I do like using tongue scrapers, and want to do so daily, but I always found the two-handed nature of this style vaguely annoying. I had previously come across the one-handed models that are more spooned shaped, and had even seen that Tongue Sweeper makes a titanium version. As an addict for anything titanium, I immediately wanted this for no other reason than it was titanium. But at $42 I could not justify the cost.

Then last month I happened to see the Tongue Sweeper Titanium Pro on eBay for only $27. Obviously I bought it.

Given the price discrepancy, I assumed this was going to be a knock-off, or a unit from a box that fell off a truck somewhere. But it shipped direct from Tongue Sweeper Actual, is serialized, and included a certificate of authenticity in the box.

So now I clean my tongue with titanium every morning, and I feel like a million bucks doing it.

That old copper U-shaped one weighs 30 grams. I have never travelled with it, and would never travel with it. The new titanium one? 7 grams (including the colored silicone ring). I bought this after returning from my recent 3-week bicycle tour this Spring, so I haven’t actually travelled with it yet. But at 7 grams, I probably will.

Up-Armoring My Face

2025-07-14T00:00:00-07:00

In January 2024 I decided that I was going to start to wear sunscreen on my face every day. Ambient radiation is no good. Helios wants to kill you. These are truly the last days. Et cetera.

What holds one back from wearing sunscreen every day is that American sunscreens are shit. They do the job, but they feel heavy, leave a white cast, and are generally not the sort of thing you can throw on and forget about. As such, connoisseurs of anti-radiation face-armor opt for products from Asia. I have spent the past 19 months purchasing a number of different bottles, tossing something on my face every day, and spelunking the depths of /r/AsianBeauty and the related corners of the blog-o-sphere for data on previous engagements.

First, Asian sunscreens generally come in one of three types: Essence, Milk, or Gel. Milk is so-called because it comes out similar to milk: white and runny. Essence is squeezed out of the tube with a viscosity and consistency reminiscent of the typical American product. (If we were sticking with the diary analogy, I’d call this one Greek yogurt). Gel is somewhere in between the two (low-fat yogurt?). Milk tends to be the most durable. Essence is more moisturizing. I like both Milk and Essence, and have no time for Gel.

The Internet will tell you that the best (or “HG” in Youth-speak – eventually I learned that this is an abbreviation for “holy grail”) sunscreen is Shiseido Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen Milk from Nippon. This is the one I bought first. I did not like it initially, but I tried it again after a few months and decided that The Internet was correct. The problem I first had was that I was not applying enough. A lifetime of shitty American sunscreens had trained me to apply as little sunscreen as possible. After a few months of playing around with products that are actually good, I figured out the proper amount (the two finger thing is a good guide, but the runniness of Milk-variants require a little more), and, lo, when applied properly and in the correct amount, Shiseido Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen Milk does work great. It is one of the few that stands up well to sweat and Extreme Activity™. Unfortunately, it is expensive. So I save this for when I know I’m going to be out all day, sack deep in ball sweat.

For every other day of the year, I have settled on Rohto Mentholatum Skin Aqua Super Moisture UV Essence. I can toss this one on in the morning, forget about it a few minutes later, and – as long as I don’t get wet – it works all day. (All of these things say you’re supposed to reapply every couple hours, but I rarely think to do that.) This one is cheaper than the Anessa, so I can apply it everyday without feeling like I’m breaking the bank.

One of these two products goes on my face every morning, as well as my neck and ears. It covers the whole face. If I’m outside in the sun, I probably have a hat covering my forehead and sunglasses covering my eyes, but I still up-armor the whole face. It doesn’t matter what the weather is, or what my plans for the days are. Developing the habit is the key to preparedness. On sunny days, the same product goes on my arms. I don’t believe in body-part-specific sunscreen, though my extensive research has shown that some Beauty Bloggers disagree with me.

I order this stuff from both YesStyle and Stylevana, and have had good experiences with both. I gather that Jeff Bezos will sell you some of these products, but I don’t trust his store for anything I’m going to put on or in my body.

My notes on all the products I’ve tried are as follows.

Shiseido Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen Milk

Gold bottle.
Minor scent, but fairly unoffensive.
No sting.
Great sweat resistance, if applied properly.
Forget its on a couple minutes after application.
Great daily wear, but expensive.
Great for high exertion.

Rohto Mentholatum Skin Aqua Super Moisture UV Essence

Blue bottle.
No scent.
No sting.
Great daily wear.
Forget its on a couple minutes after application.
Does not hold up to sweat. Not appropriate for high exertion.

Rohto Mentholatum Skin Aqua Super Moisture UV Milk

No scent.
No sting.
Great daily wear.
Forget its on a couple minutes after application.
Minor resistance to sweat. Not appropriate for high exertion.
Small bottle and milk-type requires higher volume for coverage, so more expensive than Essence-type equivalent.

Rohto Mentholatum Skin Aqua Super Moisture UV Gel

Blue bottle.
No scent.
Minor sting.
Does not hold up to sweat. Not appropriate for high exertion.
Slight sheen.
Slightly inferior to Essence variant.

Rohto Mentholatum Skin Aqua Super Moisture Barrier UV Essence

Gold bottle.
No scent.
No sting.
Great daily wear.
Goes on a little thicker than the non-Barrier blue bottle one.
A little more “dewy”, but not shiny.
Requires more scrubbing to remove.
Minor resistance to sweat. Not appropriate for high exertion.

Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence

Blue bottle.
No scent.
Stings around eyes.
Would be good for daily wear, but for sting.
This + wind = tears
Minor resistance to sweat. Not appropriate for high exertion.

SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water Fit Sun Serum

No scent.
No sting.
Goes on super light, immediately disappears.
Vanishes at the first hint of sweat or moisture.
Would be great for daily wear, but for complete lack of water resistance.

Purito SEOUL Daily Soft Touch Sunscreen

No scent.
Goes on a little thicker than others.
Dewy. A bit of a shine.
Not great for daily wear due to shine.
Very slight tackiness when I touch my face throughout the day.

I needed a break from all the death and violence in The Iliad.

2025-07-09T00:00:00-07:00

So I read Fight Club.

Further Fingering

2025-07-08T00:00:00-07:00

Since jumping on the variable resistance train a few years ago, the number of bodyweight exercises I do has steadily diminished. One thing I do still practice – pretty much daily – are pull-ups.

I’ve never owned one of those pull-up bar contraptions you install in a doorway. But I live in San Francisco, where we more-or-less stopped building housing after the reign of King George V. This means I have crown moulding along my walls and above my doorways. I just hop up there, hang from my fingers, and do pull-ups from that. Another application of finger strength.

The first time I tried this, the sharp edge of the moulding was rather painful on my fingers. A bit of padding was wanted. I remembered I had some old pot handle covers that I never use. I put those between my finger tips and the wood, and it worked great. It gives a little padding, and increases the surface area I’m gripping on just a skosh. These have since lived near my bathroom door. My morning routine after getting out of bed is: piss, pull-ups, ablutions.

I can’t remember the last time I did a pull-up from a bar, so I’m not sure how the difficulty of my practice compares. But pulling myself up using a small ledge is a better analogue for any sort of real world activity.

Fingering

2025-07-07T00:00:00-07:00

I may have given the impression that the Harambe System is the only muscle building equipment I use, but there are two exceptions to that. I’ve been using a Gripmaster Pro for the past 10 years, and a Captains of Crush Gripper for a bit longer.

Back in 2015, shortly after I first met Ed Calderon, he was using my body to demonstrate for Mark Denny a selection of the BDSM techniques he had learned from Japanese prostitutes.¹ In the moments of clarity between pain, I was impressed by the strength of his individual fingers. Later, when we were decent, I asked him about it and he pointed me to the Gripmaster Pro. I bought one.

I keep the Gripmaster at my desk at work, and the Captains of Crush Gripper at my desk at home, and use both the way The Youth use their so-called “fidget spinners”, rather than as part of any sort of purposeful program.

Notes

↵ You can't open the book of my life and jump in the middle.

Link Log 2025-07-06

2025-07-06T00:00:00-07:00

myNoise

Ghost Dog and selective philosphy

The Visual World of ‘Samurai Jack’

Aphex Twin: a case study in nostalgia

How to Dress and Undress your Home

The Blade Runner FAQ: Language Matters

The discreet charm of the infrastructureless

Recruitment

2025-07-05T00:00:00-07:00

Back in May I received an email, improperly routed to my spam folder, which contained my (long-expected) invitation to join the Illuminati. I’ve yet to receive further details, but I figure I’m basically in at this point. It isn’t like they’re going to send me a secret decoder ring in the mail.

Date: Mon, 19 May 2025 14:25:37 +0300

From: The illuminati alexandr@medicine-it.ru

To: Recipients alexandr@medicine-it.ru

Subject: illuminati recruitment.

Greetings, from the illuminati world elite empire, Are you a business Man/woman, politician, musician, student, employee. Do you strive to expand your knowledge to achieve personal growth, Do you want to be rich?, need protection, be powerful and famous. If YES!. Then you can achieve your dreams by being a member of the great illuminati empire, Once you are a member all your dreams and heart desire can be fully accomplish. With this brief summary, If you are interested to become a member of the great illuminati then get back to us for more information about joining the illuminati. kindly reply us back on our direct recruitment email only at: infoilluminati@religious.com Please note, Kindly make sure all your response are send directly to the email stated above.

This is my second favorite recruitment offer. The first being when, in the year of our lord two thousand and eighteen (or was it ‘17), I received a phone call from a (purported) CIA recruiter (allegedly) encouraging me to apply for a role in the (recently renamed) Directorate of Operations.

It is periodic acknowledgement like this that leads me to believe I am making the right life choices.