Joy, Zone and Flow

That ability to focus can become the gateway to even greater physical or athletic achievement highlighted by effortless, graceful movement that is beautiful to watch or experience.  Kinesiology, also known as human kinetics, is the study of human movement, and it addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms.  The word comes from the Greek word kinesis (movement).  The graceful flow of the human body can become a source of elation and joy for athletes and performers. 

“You are in an ecstatic state to such a point that you feel as though you almost don’t exist,” says Hungarian psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi.  Athletes can experience these feelings when they perform at such a high level that they feel invincible, when they seem to float through the competition, their bodies able to do whatever they will them to do. It does not happen often, and when it does, it is unforgettable.  It tends to accompany a state of mind characterized by a trance-like intense, yet seemingly effortless and enjoyable, concentration of mental and physical effort.  It can be accompanied by a feeling of joy. Csíkszentmihályi calls it Flow.  Others have described the feeling as “being in the zone.”

from Threes, Chapter 10, “Threes in Sports and Games” 

Igneous, Metamorphic, Sedimentary Rocks

Geologists group rocks into three categories based on their origin: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic.

Igneous rocks solidify from a molten or partially molten state.  These rocks are characterized as either extrusive or intrusive.  Extrusive igneous rocks solidify from molten material that flows over the earth’s surface (lava).  Extrusive igneous rocks typically have a fine-grained texture (individual minerals are not visible unless magnified) because the lava cools rapidly when exposed to the atmosphere, preventing crystal growth.  Common extrusive rocks are basalt, andesite and rhyolite.  Intrusive rocks form from molten material (magma) that flows and solidifies underground.  These rocks usually have a coarse texture (individual minerals are visible without magnification) because the magma cools slowly underground, allowing crystal growth. Common rock types within the intrusive category are granite and diorite.

Erosion and deposition play a key part in the formation of sedimentary rocks.  Wind, water, ice, and chemicals break down existing rock into sediment that is then transported and deposited by wind, water, and glaciers.  As sediment accumulates with time (thousands of years) it becomes compacted and cemented (lithified), eventually forming rock.  Some common sedimentary rocks are shale, sandstone and limestone.


Metamorphic rocks are any rock type that has been altered by heat, pressure, and/or the chemical action of fluids and gases.  Metamorphic rocks are classified by their structure and their dominant minerals.  Metamorphic rock structure is either foliated (has a definite planar structure) or nonfoliated (massive, without structure).  Common foliated metamorphic rocks are slate, phyllite, schist, and gneiss.  Common nonfoliated metamorphic rocks are quartzite and marble.

Horse, Donkey, Mule

The horse, the donkey and the mule are related yet different species.  In fact a mule is a biological cross between a male donkey (ass) and a female horse.  The Zebra is related to the horse and the donkey.  There are three species of Zebra: plains, mountain and Gre´vy’s.  Zebras have never been domesticated successfully to any large scale because they are unpredictable in their behavior.

Three Documents for the New Government

Thomas Paine’s remonstrations against the oppressive monarchy led not only to the popular uprising and a formal Declaration of Independence but also to the first of three documents that shaped a new government, the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union.  Adopted in 1777 and ratified by delegates from each of 13 colonies, the Articles of Confederation organized a “Perpetual Union” among the 13 states that had declared independence from Great Britain.  The Articles were in effect from 1781 to 1789, when they were superseded by the new Constitution. 

The Articles of Confederation established a national legislature with authority to raise an army and navy, declare war and negotiate treaties, borrow and coin money, run a postal system, and handle relations with Native Americans.  Each state could send two delegates to Congress but had only one vote.  Delegates from seven of the 13 states represented a quorum necessary to conduct business.  Delegates were elected for one-year terms and could not serve for more than three years in any six-year period.  The single-body Congress under the Articles was the entire national government.  There were no executive or judicial branches.  Under the Articles, the president of the Continental Congress was simply the presiding officer of the legislature and had no executive functions.

Read a whole lot more in Threes, Chapter 7, “Threes in Government and Politics”