it's been fun...

 

My First Game in a LOOOONG Time

 

If I Was Given $20,000...

You hear people ask the question, if someone gave you a million dollars what would you do with it?  The idea is, as we all know, that what you would do with a million dollars is what you should be doing for a living.  This question is asked to find out what you should do with your life.  If you would travel if given a million dollars, then you should travel for a living, like..be a truck driver or flight attendent.  Or, you'll hear people ask, if you were given $1,000 what would you do with it?  The idea of this is to figure out the best way to maximize and manage what money you do get.  But, I have been thinking.. if I was given $20,000 what would I do with it.  I mean, who knows, maybe I can win 20 large at the casino.  But, if I got 20 large, I'll tell you what I wouldn't do.  I wouldn't buy a new car.  New cars tend to turn in to pieces of junk 5- 10 years later, and you end up being left with next to nothing.  

If I was given $20,000 I would spend about $2,200 - $3,000 on some flashy clothes and a little bit of gold jewelry.  I'm a bit of a dapper (sort of).  I would spend close to that much to pay off some debt that I owe.  Now, I have about $15,000.  With that, I could buy residency in Thailand.  But, I'm not sure that's what I would do with it... maybe, but probably not.  I would probably then put around $10,000 in my brokerage account and invest in some REITs to get a few hundred dollars in returns every so-often.  Half of what is left would be spent on some computer hardware and software and the other half (about $2,000 - $3,000) would sit in my bank account for emergency funds.  

If I had $20,000 ...I imagine that's what I would do with it.  

I got my Cultured Monk Media business cards yesterday that I ordered from VistaPrint.  Groovy!

- Lizzi 

 

My Amazon Kindle Chess Book

Yes, I uploaded my first ebook that is about chess. Here is the link to my Kindle book - "What You Need to Know Before Your First Chess Tournament".  Please read, rate and review!  All of my Kindle books are available for purchase for $1.75 regardless of the length in page numbers with the exception of my (short) memoir which you can buy for 99 cents.  

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and it looks like this saying can now apply to my official chess career.  I don't believe I will play in any more tournaments.  I streamed a video on Twitch.TV about why I'm giving up the game.  Essentially, it all comes down to focusing.  Unless you are an elite chess professional, there's just no money in the game.  Chess has been good to me, I'll still play and broadcast online games from time to time and I willl still keep up the posts here at this blog.

Don't forget to check out all of my web presence through the links at the footer of this blog - "Terlizzi:  Life & Games".  'till next time, friends!

- Lizzi

I Gave In To Consumerism

I got my check from work last Friday. I went out to the mall and Best Buy and bought a bunch of stuff that I don't need. *Sigh* How foolish! I gave in to the American way of consumerism. I learned that the temporary high of buying a ton of stuff I don't need quickly wears off and you are left with a vapid and dull aftertaste. I bought an iPhone 12 with unlimited data, HBO Max, and I also bought some shoes and more stuff for my computer. I didn't need any of it, of course. In my head, however, I had a justification for everything I was buying. What am I to do if I'm not going out buying things I don't need? Isn't that what living is? This is what we have been indoctrinated to believe at a very young age here in America! Well, there are plenty of things I could have done. I have a lot of books here in my apartment that I've always meant to get around to read. Instead, I thought of more books to buy on Amazon. Or, I could have spent that money to pay off part of the loan I took out from my bank a cuople weeks ago! Oh well, lesson learned. I've revised to do better. I won't buy with my next work check those new Ray Ban sunglasses I looked at on Amazon.com. I won't buy more clothing from VANS. I won't go back to the mall for a while.

Let's Get Real #LGR

Life is hard. We all know this. I am working around 20 - 25 hours a week now and thought there for a while that I may have bitten off more than I can chew. I'm delivering pizzas in Saint Louis, Missouri and it really sucks! But, we all have to start somewhere. Mid 30's and just now trying to build a resume. But, let's get real! Life is hard! You can't half-ass your endeavours. No, success takes a lot of work. This has been a recent rude awakening for me. I very recently published my first Amazon Kindle book that is about chess. I hired an amazing graphic designer from Africa (check out twenty4hrdesign on Fiverr.com) to design the cover for it. I'm starting to realize that if you're going to do something, it's either go all-out or don't bother at all.. otherwise, you are just wasting your time. It looks as though things are finally starting to work out for me. I've got more money coming in every month and finally working hard to build my brand - "Cultured Monk Media". I recently re-opened the personal homepage - https://calvinterlizzi.com I'm going to start selling "Cultured Monk Media" merchandise when I get a little bigger web prescence and following. I have a couple ideas for my brand's slogans. I still have a lot of thoughts about going into professional gambling... bought a bunch of books on the subject a couple months ago. Yah, sounds so cool! And, obviously can potentially pay a Hell of a lot better than chess. I am in a room from someone's house. I found a pretty good deal. One of my roommates has two dogs. I love animals - especially dogs! Wildlife has always been a fascination of mine.p Anyways, guess that's all. And, sorry it's been so long since I've posted! Life is hard, let's get real! - Lizzi

Bhoga

 Bhoga is Yoga.  The Bhogi enjoys to live while the Yogi lives to enjoy.  Ultimately both paths lead to the same end, but we must learn to combine the two.  If we have no goal, we will get nowhere.  If we do absolutely nothing to enjoy ourselves in the moment, we will also get nowhere.  To clear things up a bit, bhoga is more the lay life which in part involves more going out and having fun.  While the Yogi's goal is God-Realization before his life comes to an end or perhaps in one of his next incarnations as a human.  We must learn to combine the two paths.  If we strictly follow one or the other we may go insane.  The Buddha also taught the importance of "the middle way", which sort of applies here I suppose.  

I'm almost finished reading Thich Nhat Hanh's "The Heart of The Buddha's Teaching".  This may be the greatest and most important book I've ever read regarding Buddhism.  Yes, Thich Nhat Hanh is the closest human being you will find that is comparable to Lord Buddha.  

I got into meditation right around my 20th b-day.  I went through an inner-transformation that lasted nearly 4 months, but ultimately ended up in a disaster.  I believe I combined bhoga with yoga by spending 5 years traveling North America (2014 - 2019).  I  needed to devote a significant amount of time enjoying myself living life.  Which I did because travel is my favorite activity.  Someday I will see Europe and Asia!

We must follow the middle way.

There will be another day!

- Lizzi

A Recent Victory on FICS

 [Event "rated standard match"]
[Site "Free Internet Chess Server"]
[Date "2021.05.16"]
[Round "?"]
[White "balovzky"]
[Black "cterlizzi"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1630"]
[BlackElo "1767E"]
[ECO "A45"]
[TimeControl "900+5"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 (The London System) g6 3. Nc3 (Now white can play e4.  I wasn't sure how to handle this) Bg7 4. e4 d5 5. e5 Ne4 6. Nxe4 dxe4 7. Bc4 e6 8. f3 exf3 9. Nxf3 O-O (always castle ASAP!) 10. O-O b5 11. Bb3 Bb7 (I was expecting Bxb5) 12. Ng5 h6 13. Nh3 a5 14. a4 bxa4 15. Rxa4 Qh4 16. d5 exd5 17. Bxd5 c6 18. Bb3 Na6 19. e6 Nc5 20. exf7+ Kh7 21. Rc4 (Bd6 looks winning for White) Nxb3 22. cxb3 Rad8 23. Qe2 Ba6 24. Bc7 Bxc4 25. bxc4 Rd7 26. Bxa5 Rdxf7 27. Rxf7 Rxf7 28. b4  (White's fatal mistake) Qd4+ 29. Kh1 Qa1+ and after Ng1, Bd4 wins for Black{balovzky resigns} 0-1

The Need for Continuous Improvement

Things were going well for me.  I spent 6 years traveling North America (2014 - 2020).  Now my mind is collapsing, so it feels.  I was never happy.  But there was finally some peace.  Unfortunately, I became complacent.  There was more I should have been doing.  There was more I should have been striving for.  I shouldn't have given up the pizza job and left Tucson AZ back in 2018.  I should have been focusing on my physical health as well - join a gym, stop smoking, add in some supplements (I recently started a Super Greens and a protein supplement).  And, I have cut back on the smoking (tobacco).  But, I'm not in very good shape (mentally).  I can't stop thinking about "the narrow gates that lead to life".  I already mentioned in a previous post how much my OCD tortures me.  I start a new drug for it soon.  

We should always be working on improving ourselves in every which way possible.  The search never ends until we've merged with God... maybe even then it still isn't over!  I started reading a Wayne Dyer book - "Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life".  I'm about seventy pages into it... maybe it's changing my thoughts a little.  Actually, any input into our minds is going to alter our thoughts.  This is where the importance of picking our friends and those who we associate with comes in.

I finished the book of Sirach in the Old Testament today.  What did I learn?  Blessed and wise is the man who fears God!  I also started a book which I would recommend to any Christian - "Philothea, or an Introduction to the Devout Life" by Saint Francis de Sales.  I always try to read as much as I can.  There's not much chess left in my life.  Although, I may fly out to the National Open in Las Vegas in June (or July, don't know the exact date) if my mental health improves.  I'm in no condition to be traveling or going anywhere right now.  All is not well, but I've been worse.  

There will be another day!

-Lizzi

   

Update 4-20-2021

 I'm opening up my homepage again - culturedmonk.com  Yeah, I just said I wasn't going to do anymore websites or Youtube videos in my last post, but I've got a lot to say and share with the World - I always have!  That being said, it will still be semi-anonymous.  I'm not opening up a domain in my full name again.

I started going to group therapy here at the home I'm staying.  They drive us to the Outpatient Services in a bus.  I do this on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Today I learned the importance of getting enough protein if you are a highly stressed individual.  Interesting!  I just started taking protein supplements a week ago.  I bought a few other supplements off of Amazon as well.  I get a lot of stuff delivered here.  Thank you Uncle Sam for that stimulus check!  jeje!  I've bought a lot of supplements because of how skinny I have got.  I'm well over six feet tall, and I weigh 135... I'm wasting away.  I had a psychiatrist tell me I'm feeling like shit because I'm not eating.  Also been buying a lot of books off Amazon.  I'll review some of them here on my blog.  I'm looking forward to reading UG Krishnamurti's "Thought is Your Enemy".  This guy is a genius.  I read 3 other books of his early last year.  He tells us that there is nothing mystical about the natural state - it's a biological transformation rather than a spiritual transformation.  

I started reading the Bible every day.  Going to keep at it!  I had a spiritual friend and author tell me that reading the words of Christ has healing power in itself, reading the Bible can heal you apart from just learning the teachings.  Yes, I want to be Holy.  Holiness is happiness. 

Matthew 6:33  "But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness and all else will be added unto you"

That's all for today.

-Lizzi   

2021 Mark Oestreich Memorial (Round 3)

 [Event "19th Annual Mark Oestreich Memorial"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2021.03.13"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Buser, Landon"]
[Black "TERLIZZI"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C55"]
[PlyCount "113"]

1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. Bc4 Bb4 5. Ne2 Nxe4 6. O-O d5 7. Bb3 Bg4 8.
d3 Bxf3 9. dxe4 Bxe2 10. Qxe2 Nd4 11. Qe3 Nxb3 12. Qxb3 Bc5 13. exd5 O-O 14.
Be3 Bxe3 15. fxe3 b6 16. e4 Qd6 17. Kh1 Qg6 18. Qf3 a5 19. b3 b5 20. c4 bxc4
21. bxc4 Rab8 22. a3 Rb2 23. Rf2 Rxf2 24. Qxf2 Qxe4 25. Rc1 Qd4 26. Qxd4 exd4
27. Rd1 Re8 28. h3 Re4 29. Rd3 Kf8 30. Kg1 Ke7 31. Kf2 Kd6 32. Rd1 Kc5 33. Rc1
d3 34. Kf3 Rxc4 35. Rd1 Rd4 36. Ke3 Kxd5 37. Kd2 c5 38. Rb1 Ra4 39. Kxd3 Rxa3+
40. Kc2 Ra2+ 41. Kc1 Rxg2 42. Rb7 f6 43. h4 Rh2 44. Rxg7 Rxh4 45. Ra7 a4 46.
Kd2 h5 47. Rf7 a3 48. Rxf6 Ra4 49. Rf5+ Kc6 50. Rxh5 a2 51. Rh1 a1=Q 52. Rxa1
Rxa1 53. Kc2 Kb5 54. Kb2 Rg1 55. Kc3 Rg3+ 56. Kb2 Kb4 57. Kc2 0-1

I finished the tournament 2 wins, 1 loss.  I played fairly well and am satisfied with my results.  I was also having really bad anxiety especially in the afternoon during round 2.  

- Lizzi

2021 Mark Oestreich Memorial (Round 2)

 [Event "19th Annual Mark Oestreich Memorial"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2021.03.13"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Terlizzi"]
[Black "Cedeno, Louis"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B40"]
[PlyCount "60"]

1. e4 c5 2. b4 cxb4 3. d4 Nf6 4. Bd3 e6 5. Nf3 Be7 6. O-O b6 7. c4 bxc3 8. Nxc3
Ba6 9. e5 Nd5 10. Nxd5 exd5 11. Bxa6 Nxa6 12. Qa4 Nc7 13. Bf4 Ne6 14. Be3 O-O
15. Nd2 d6 16. f4 dxe5 17. dxe5 d4 18. Bf2 Nxf4 19. Nf3 Bc5 20. Rad1 Ne2+ 21.
Kh1 Nc3 22. Qb3 Nxd1 23. Rxd1 Qe7 24. Bh4 Qe6 25. Qb1 h6 26. Qe4 Qxa2 27. Qg4
Qe6 28. Qg3 Kh7 29. Re1 a5 30. Bg5 a4 0-1

2021 Mark Oestreich Memorial (Round 1)

 [Event "19th Annual Mark Oestreich Memorial"]
[Site "Salem Illinois"]
[Date "2021.03.13"]
[Round "?"]
[White "P. Sarwinski"]
[Black "TERLIZZI"]
[Result "0-1"]
[PlyCount "62"]

1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. f4 g6 5. Nf3 Nb6 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. Be2 O-O 8. O-O
dxe5 9. fxe5 Nc6 10. Be3 Nd5 11. Nxd5 Qxd5 12. c4 Qe4 13. Qd2 f6 14. e6 Rd8 15.
d5 Ne5 16. Qd4 Nxf3+ 17. Bxf3 Qxd4 18. Bxd4 Bxe6 19. Rfe1 Bf7 20. Rxe7 Rac8 21.
Bxa7 b6 22. c5 Bf8 23. Re3 Bxc5 24. Kf2 Bxe3+ 25. Kxe3 Ra8 26. Bxb6 cxb6 27. b3
Bxd5 28. Bxd5+ Rxd5 29. a4 Re8+ 30. Kf3 Rd3+ 31. Kg4 Re4# 0-1