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Things you need to know:
  • Some posts, or the links they contain, are NSFW. This is your only warning.
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Tuesday, September 30, 2003

Looks like I'll finally have time tonight to get to a kung fu class! Woohoo! But, I gotta get back up to Mr. or Mrs. R (my old masters) ASAP. Y'know, I think I'm going to practice a bit right now.

Monday, September 29, 2003

There's been so many things thats held us down.
But now it looks like things are finally comin' around.
I know we've got, a long long way to go,
and where we'll end up, I don't know.
But we won't let nothin' hold us back,
we're putting our selves together,
we're polishing up our act!
If you felt we've been held down before,
I know you'll refuse to be held down anymore!


Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now
- MacFadden and Whitehead
And, it's about freakin' time for me, too!

I've been slowly ticking things off of my "To Do" list today, but I'm not feeling like I truly accomplished anything. I know that simply isn't true. I've taken a few more steps today toward my desired goals, and there are more I'll need to take tomorrow.
ITEM ONE
It sort of ticked me off having a week's worth of blog posts and scrolling all the way down the page to see that long blank grey border running down the left side with nothing in it. So, I chopped the number of days' posts you see at one time to three.

Besides, it'll make that "archives" link a bit more useful. Not like y'all read previous posts, anyway ;). Heck, I wonder how many care about my current stuff heh.

ITEM TWO
Lots of stuff to do this week. I'm planning a move with another roommate, as well as the accomplishment of all my other goals by the end of this month. I'm a stressbag, wondering how it's all going to play out. I wonder if this is how E felt as she returned from Korea.

ITEM THREE
This weekend has been a minor bump in the relationship road. On top of not anticipating not seeing each other this week due to lack of time, E and I have both been busy and/or tired to spend more than a few moments on the phone at a time. Part of the problem is that I've always had a problem redirecting my energy. It's like inertia -- once I get on a roll, doing something or being focused on something, it's hard for me to switch tracks. Take my Sunday. It was a long-@$$ day, between church, working, and finding snippets of time to think about all the things I needed to accomplish this week and when. When I got back home, I wanted to chill (read: watch some TV while I sit and wonder what the heck else I needed to be doing), even though I promised E a call. So, we talk, but I wasn't in the mood nor did I have the energy. I felt like total crap, because I know that I've gotten this way in previous relationships. I tend to compartmentalize the different aspects of my life, and that's not really good, especially knowing that I need to "gear up and down" as I float back and forth between those aspects.

That sounds like a part of me that I have to work out some more.

ITEM FOUR
I'm addicted to Tech TV, especially the show Call For Help. I'm digging Robot Wars, too, not because I care about the "fighting robot" genre, but the fact that the MC is Craig Charles aka Lister on Red Dwarf.

ITEM FIVE
I was seriously jonesing for some salad for lunch today, so I went out and got some, but forgot to get dressing. I thought I'd have to mooch off of my housemate, but as I raided the fridge, I found an old (but still within the expiration date) bottle of caesar-with-bacon dressing I bought awhile back!

Saturday, September 27, 2003

Two days ago, I get this email.

Hello
We are putting together a reality based show for Vh1 about people who are obessed with different aspects of pop culture. I am interested in your biggest blaxploitation fantatics. Please call me so that I can explain the show in further detail.
Thanks

[Name omitted out of courtesy]
Associate Producer
Broadway Video
[212-XXX-XXXX]
This is probably in reference to my old webpage on my AOL site dedicated to the Shaft movies. If you look at this page, let me apologize in advance. I made it as a lark almost a decade ago, and it hasn't been updated since the John Singleton remake came out in 2000. Before then, it probably wasn't updated for 3 or 4 years. For pete's sake, it still uses HTML 2.0. Then again, most of my stuff does hehe.

I did a little web digging on my own and discovered a couple of references to people sending out similar emails or leaving messages on bulletin boards. I think it's all for a show I've heard about called VH1: Obsessed (or something like that) about fans totally obsessed about pop culture thingys, things like Shaft or Fraggle Rock, etc.

Oh, what the heck, I'll write her back. I'm sure as heck not going to blow a long-distance dime on it. Or, should I "Just say no!" and not contribute to the whole "Reality TV" blight?

Though I have to admit, there is something appealing about that whole "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" line of thinking.

Friday, September 26, 2003

This week, you get two for the price of one.

I've taken a version of this before, but I think this test was a little more comprehensive.

The Seventh Doctor
You are the Seventh Doctor: Brooding, enigmatic,
soulful, and occasionally silly. There are a
great many mysteries lurking behind your
ancient eyes, and even your closest companions
aren't allowed to know the full extent of your
schemes and concerns. You are often downright
manipulative, using friends and adversaries
alike as chess pieces in a private game against
the universe. Your wrath is slow to build, but
terrible when aroused, and you are slowly
settling old scores with threats across the
cosmos.


Which Incarnation of the Doctor Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

I also took its "companion test" if you'll excuse the pun.

Romana II (Lalla Ward)
Looks as though you've got your heart set on the
second Romana, as played by Lalla Ward! This
tempting Time Lady conceals her inhuman
cleverness behind a disarmingly enthusiastic
and girlish demeanor. She's an eclectic blonde
who loves to travel and enjoy herself, and if
you gaze too long into those summer-sky eyes,
she'll have you wrapped around her finger. Not
that you'll mind.


Which Lovely Doctor Who Companion Are You Ashamed To Admit Your Crush On?
brought to you by Quizilla

Hey, I always did have a crush on this one. Leela had nothing on her, even in her skin tight leather scivvies.
As if Johnny Cash wasn't bad enough. Robert Palmer, too?

Addicted to Love was one of the first 45 RPMs I ever bought. Sorry to all you young bucks who don't really know this artist, this song, or what a "45" is.

Current Music: Get It On (Bang a Gong) by Power Station

Thursday, September 25, 2003

I forgot to mention that last Monday, I did attend the taekwondo class still taught by one of my old masters. Due to a wierd set of circumstances, I did see both of my masters for the first time in almost a year. It was great! I've added them to my list of "People I Will Never Lose Touch With Ever Again."

The class was, as Wesley Willis puts it, "a yell-down war hell ride." I had almost forgotten how far they push. Not that my friend who currently runs the main branch of the club does badly -- not at all! But, my old teachers have not lost their touch.

I got a bunch of questions answered about my "memory lapses" and I did get to help teach a bit. The whole class was made up of home-schooled children of various ages, but some were of higher rank than me. Regardless, I was asked to help the 1st and 2nd gups develop their creative self-defense requirements.

Despite the (few) dubious examples I've seen of the products of home-schooling, I have to say that the kids I worked with that day were great! They were polite, grateful, and most importantly, completely willing to absorb everything I had to offer, even the kids that outranked me.

I don't know if I can make it to that class every week. It's one heck of a drive out in the middle nowhere outside of northern Columbus. But, I've been asked to come back whenever I can, and in exchange: kung fu instruction!!
ITEM ONE
Yes, I was there again. Yes, I had lots of fun. Yes, I'm down again.

ITEM TWO
Got a decent haircut today! Now, I don't feel like such a mop-head.

ITEM THREE
Same random financial difficulties as usual, though I'm not as abjectly impoverished. I've had enough to make the purchases I've had to make and a couple I didn't, such as...

ITEM FOUR
...Weekly planner pages for my Franklin Planner! Though they don't make weekly pages for the particular style I'm using, I decided 1) To dispense with picking a "style" altogether -- I can MacGyver bits and pieces of stuff, and after 4 years of using one, I pretty much know the ins and outs of it and 2) That to accomodate my particular brain style, going to a weekly system made the most sense -- It gives me a sense of "the bigger picture" as I work toward my goals. Just ticking off tasks and following my schedule "a day at a time" was do-able, but I finally figured out that I was losing touch with my week. Hm, maybe this was a "need" after all. Hopefully, this'll help because...

ITEM FIVE
...The past few months have been building to what I feel is one heck of a wave on which I can hopefully ride toward achieving my various life dreams. I've never felt so "on the verge" before. I'm feeling that this is my last chance. For better or worse (though, I would definitely say better), I've co-opted E's line of thinking of "Hey, I'm [censored] years old, etc. etc." Well, I'm 30, and too damn far behind.
And I'm tired of turning my back on myself
Throwing truth away
Let the fire burn down the front door to myself
And give me a season of play


The Show Must Go On
by Bill Champlin
perf. by Chicago
This is the song I keep coming back to again and again. I guess I've just got to keep on living it out.

Monday, September 22, 2003

Just got off the phone with my old "master," though both he and his wife hate to be called that since there is only one Master. Anyway, class is in an hour and a half, and I expect to get beat down! This is a good thing.

Ed. Note: In case you haven't figured it out yet (or did I post this once?), entries under this title detail my forays back into the study of martial arts -- just wanted to make sure we were all clear on this.
I was advised the other day to actually track down and visit the original instructors of my martial arts school and see if I can 1) reconnect, since they've found out I've rejoined class and have been asking about me and 2) get some pointers in a class that's taught Mondays and Wednesdays up where they live.

My friend, we'll call him T. is great, but he's got his hands full with the main school what with training the lower-ranked color belts. I ask questions on things I can't remember, and he can barely remember. But I will say this -- watching how his kicks have improved in power and speed, now I know how he got to black belt! We haven't gotten a chance to spar yet, but I'm almost certain he can outfight me, surprise kung-fu style kicks from me, notwithstanding.

Class is at 1:30. I'll call in a few and see what's up.
Unfortuneately, not the good kind.

I got hit hard yesterday. Saturday night, E came up just to get away from school, be in the comforting arms of yours truly, and to be in the company of friends. As anticipated (maybe I turned it into a self-fulfilling prophecy?), come Sunday morning when she left, I felt completely down.

I'm better now, though, after 9 hours of sleep, but only marginally.

Sunday, September 21, 2003

I got a sneak peak (i.e. listen) at Johnny Cash's last album American IV: The Man Comes Around. He did the most bad-@$$ cover of Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode.

Listen to it, and find out, if you don't already know, why he was so kick @$$.

Saturday, September 20, 2003

I took the McDonalds test, and guess what I got?





You can take the
McDonalds Product Test
by Matio64
here!


Ya want fries with that?

Thursday, September 18, 2003

This morning, E found out that her driver's side door had a sizeable dent. There was a card left stuck in her door by the honorable soul who smacked her car. It was E's neighbor across the street who happens to be a high-level mucky-muck at OU.

Hey, wouldn't that be some stuff if that'd be my ticket into grad school? Unfortunately, lacking the stones or the skills of a grifter, I'm not sure exactly how to make that work.
Here I am again, broadcasting live and direct from the campus of lovely OU.

Joy of joys, I found out that despite information to the contrary, my cell phone is NOT roaming out of network while I'm in what some (not me) would call the "backwaters of Ohio." Even more odd are those features I can and can't access while away from greater metropolitan Columbus.

In downstate New York, I can neither directly access Verizon's *611 features, nor can I use dialing shortcuts to access voice mail. Here in Athens, I can't use *611, but I can access voicemail via dialing shortcuts. And, technically in Athens, I'm not supposed to make any call that isn't billed at $.99/minute. But hey, it's a small price to pay.

Wednesday, September 17, 2003

I didn't get a chance to express my righteous indignation at hearing this the other day on the radio.

They want to tax coffee??? Listen to this crap...
NPR's Morning Edition

PRI's Marketplace
It's enough to make one want to mobilize an army and give the government a "yell-down war hell ride."

No no, I'm just kidding, Mr. or Ms. CIA/FBI/ATF/Homeland Security Cyber-Monitor. Quit spying on me. My parents were from the Catholic part of the Philippines, not the Muslim part.
ITEM ONE
On my way down to Athens, I heard an old song on the radio that I haven't on the airwaves in years, Couple Days Off by Huey Lewis & the News. I remember going to the concert they had in support of this album. This was the song right before the encore. I remember that every time Huey sang the first three lines of one of the choruses, for instance...
'Cos I am only human. I am no machine
I need a little lovin' darlin, you know what I mean
Don't misunderstand me, I'm not gettin' soft
All I want is a...
...his entire road crew filtered out from back stage and took their places just in time to all shout in unison...
COUPLE DAYS OFF!
Now that's freakin' showmanship, IMO! Just like when Huey would take his harmonica and pitch it back to one of his roadies who'd catch it with a ball mitt. Showmanship, man! No costume changes, no overcomplicated dance numbers with lip-synched music. Just the time, effort and imagination to just entertain a crowd. Talk about a lost art.

ITEM TWO
I'm here blogging again from the campus of OU. It amazes me how they do this. Here I am, Mr. John Doe, a friend of a student, sitting here in the library with my laptop plugged into their network and simply messing around. I could be anybody. I could be formulating and launching the next big internet virus from here (no, don't worry Mr. or Ms. CIA/FBI/ATF/Homeland Security Cyber-Monitor -- I'm not even of middle eastern decent. Why are you spying on me to begin with?), for all anyone knows. But here I sit, totally unchallenged. Amazing.

ITEM THREE
Yes, it's sooo good to be near E. again.

ITEM FOUR
Just for kicks, the "this way to the egress" link above now points to a temporary, experimental homepage. I'm currently debating whether or not to keep my AOHell account/site or not. Hell, geocities offers webspace for just the right price -- absosmurfly nothing!

Tuesday, September 16, 2003

That's what I'm feeling right now. My life isn't bad, currently -- at least as many good things as bad are happening right now. But I'm feeling somewhat anxious and depressed right now. To be sure, I've got things to be anxious and depressed over, but nothing to make me feel like this. I just need a bit of regeneration, I think. To refuel my emotional tanks. I'm really glad I'm going to be with E for the next couple of days.

On the downside, I won't be getting my martial arts fix this week until at least Saturday.
I've decided to step up looking for ways to re-enter graduate school to finish my degree. One thing I'm trying to do is to root out all that money that everyone says is set aside for minorities of various types. I'm at the local library right now.

I've never really been of one opinion or the other as far as the whole affirmative action debate, except to say to all those who are able to take advantage of it, "Hey... way to beat The Man!" I've always had a healthy respect for anyone who can beat the system. Here's hoping I can now count myself among them.

Monday, September 15, 2003

I've played a king and a down and out fool
Some like it hot, and some like it cool
Do what they want, but don't be their tool
Savor the throne, but don't mind the stool


Take It As It Comes
(Winwood/Jennings)
perf. by Steve Winwood
I figured I haven't flirted with copyright violations for awhile.

Saturday, September 13, 2003

This question has been bugging me ever since I heard of Wesley Willis: How does a man who whupped Batman's @$$ and whipped Superman's @$$ get taken down by Birdman?

Well, I with the aid of WinMX, I answered that question. Compare...

Batman beat the hell out of me and knocked me to the floor
I got back up and knocked him to the floor
He was being such a jackoff

-from I Whupped Batman's Ass

Superman beat the hell out of me
He knocked me to the floor
I got back up and knocked him to the floor
Superman was being such a roughneck

-from I Whipped Superman's Ass
But here, note the awesome power of Birdman...
Birdman caught me on his property
He saw me trespassing his real estate
He reached into his pocket for a pistol
He came after me and pistol-whipped my behind

-from Birdman Kicked My Ass
Birdman was packin'!!
Regarding memories of John Ritter, a commentor on my post wrote:
the best episode of Three's Company was where Jack had to go to a wedding on some private island, but he was deathly afraid to fly. So his buddy Larry (or was it Janet, I can't remember now it's been so long) gave him a tranquilizer. So he gets to the party and starts drinking, and the combo of liquor and drugs produces this outstanding "performance" of drunken pratfalls, Carmen Miranda imitations and other hilarity. I'd love to see that epi again...

Although I don't exactly remember that episode either, I don't believe Janet would have that kinda dope. If anyone would've had date-rape drugs handy, it would've been Larry.

I don't know if I had a favorite episode of Three's Company, but my two favorite things to see were:

1) Mr. Roper doing his little "Tinkerbell" thing to indicate Jack's (fake) homosexuality.

2) Mr. Furley (sp?) sporting his phat pimp gear. He was the white Superfly, I tell ya!
My body is attempting to force itself back into my bed as it screams at me "Tae kwon DON'T!" But, I'm still working out. I remember when I trained 4 times a week -- talk about total adrenalin junkie. Well, some endorphines will be good for me right now, I think. Better and cheaper than other forms of self-medication, that's for sure.
The first piece of net.decadence I ever engaged in -- no, not pr0n, not 23.5 hour/day marathon chatting, not even carving Blue Ribbon Free Speech campaign .gifs on every page of a website -- was the old (.txt version!) of the Purity Test!

Here is the result of your ACL 400 Point Purity Test.
You answered "yes" to 186 of 400 questions, making you 53.5% sexually pure (46.5% sexually corrupt); that is, you are 53.5% pure in the sex domain.
Your Weirdness Factor (AKA Uniqueness Factor) is 31%, based on a comparison of your test results with 81267 other submissions for this test.

The average purity for this test is 65.1%.
The first submission for this test was received June 17, 1994.

Passing the 50th percentile by the skin of my teeth -- story of my life.
Here's a new feature I just invented as I sort of lamented that I took part in the sin of forwarding email. No, it wasn't a virus warning, a chain letter, a "read along and scroll to the bottom like the puppet you are" note, or a heart-wrenching piece of urban myth. It was a bunch of funny bits that I've collected over the years across several email accounts that I thought Ms. E would find funny.

"I don't want to sin again," I said to myself. "Yet, how would I disseminate these fine staples of wit and wisdom rivaled only by the scriptures of various religions?"

Then, it hit me. So, without any further ado, the first in a long line of "Bandwidth Conservation Posts."

What Sort of Asian Are You?

YOU KNOW YOU ARE JAPANESE IF...
1. You're obsessed with your hair, your car, and your clothes
2. You want to marry a Korean American or Chinese American woman
(males); or you want to marry a white guy (females).
3. You're afraid of black people.
4. You know you are superior to all other Asians.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE KOREAN IF...
1. You smoke and drink too much.
2. You've got a bottle of Kimchi in your fridge.
3. You're afraid of black people.
4. You know you are superior to all other Asians.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE CHINESE IF...
1. You think you're the smartest people in the world.
2. You have a pager and cellular phone with you at all times.
3. Today's steamed rice is tomorrow's fried rice.
4. You're afraid of black people.
5. You know you are superior to all other Asians.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE VIETNAMESE IF...
1. You eat at restaurants that have "Pho" on their signboards.
2. You have some relative who is Chinese.
3. You're afraid of black people.
4. You know you are superior to all other Asians.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE FILIPINO IF...
1. You want to be a dancer, a singer, or an actor, even though you
have a job as a nurse, a security guard, or an accountant.
2. Some member of your family is a politician or a movie star.
3. You're not afraid of black people; in fact, you wish you were
black.
4. You don't care if you are superior to all other Asians or not,
because being Filipino is cool enough just by itself.

Ed note: #4 -- Daaaaaamn right

YOU KNOW YOU ARE THAI IF...
1. People offer to pay you for sex.
2. No matter what you eat, it's not greasy or spicy enough.
3. You're not afraid of black people, cause in some cases you're
scarier than they are.
4. You know in your heart you'll never be superior to all other
Asians, but you've learned to live with it.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE MALAYSIAN IF ...
1. You don't believe anything the newspapers tell you, but would
never say so in public.
2. The whole world (and George Soros) is out to destroy you and your
country.
3. You would never admit to being afraid of black people, because it
might disrupt racial harmony.
4. You don't think you are superior to other Asians, but your food,
culture, english, humor, etc is.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE SINGAPOREAN IF ...
1. You eat, sleep, smile and have sex according to Government
policy.
2. You don't think Lee Kuan Yew is a facist dictator.
3. Government policy is that you shouldn't be afraid of black
people so you aren't.
4. You know you are superior to all other Asians, cause the
Government says so.

Friday, September 12, 2003

This week's analysis is done as a memoriam to rock star Wesley Willis, whose passing I neglected to mention last month. I wonder what his -- the man who wrote the song I Whupped Batman's Ass -- results would've been?

joker
the joker


WHICH ONE OF BATMAN'S VILLAINS ARE YOU?
brought to you by Quizilla

Y'know, if you search through his album listings, you'll see that he also whupped Robin's @$$, but that Birdman kicked his @$$. What a perfect metaphor for life. Some days, you can take out Batman and Robin. Some days, even Birdman can get the better of you. Deep...
R.I.P....

The original Man in Black
I was never the biggest country music fan, but c'mon. This dude was everywhere.

Jack Tripper
Was he a "loser" because he didn't score with any of his roommates -- or was that the loveable part of his character?
Last night was my first real sparring match since I made my martial arts comeback. It was during an individual make-up rank test for a white belt. He was an older guy, I would say in his 30s. Nice guy, but aggressive. He's built exactly like the kind of guy I'm secretly afraid of -- the kind where the pain has to be in direct proportion to the damage I do to stop him.

Personally, I can't stand the thought of dislocating someone's knee with a low roundhouse kick. But I can. The first time I saw the "proper" way to break someone's neck, I felt nauseous. I remember telling one of my instructors, "I don't think I could ever do that." I was told, "If someone did something heinous enough, you'd be surprised."

In any case, I actually landed a controlled, quick, high roundhouse kick to the guy's head! Donnie Yen, look out!

I got in some impromptu kung fu, too. I'm almost up to remembering my green sash stuff. Black sash, here I come. I don't tell too many people at my club this, but personally, I can take my sweet time getting my black belt in TKD. I can hardly wait to get my kung fu back up to par so that I can get that black sash!! Now, both should take me about a year, but still -- here's hoping I'm never forced to choose, because if I do, I'd rather be Wong Fei Hung than Chuck Norris.

Ed. note: This is my first entry using the "Change Time & Date" feature, formerly available only to paying members. I feel like I'm toying with the Laws of Time muahahaha!

Thursday, September 11, 2003

With a wave of my magic wand (read: the movement of two HTML tags), all posts, regardless of whether there's a separate title field, now look normal. Today's posts are now virtually indistinguishable from anything previous.

How's that for Blogger-geekery?
Well, since I decided to meddle with my template so that I can simply fill in a title field for each post rather than generating my own by adding the appropriate HTML, all posts prior to today's have an extra bit of space between them.

Due to laziness, I will retro-edit only today's posts. Everything prior to today will look funky. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Ed. note: Ooh, look at that time stamp. Did it really take me a mere 11 minutes to figure out how to solve it all?
Looks like Blogger gave all us non-paying squatters some of the stuff that only the paying squatters used to get. I'm trying to figure out how it all works, so forgive me if some of the next few posts look kinda funny.
Yes, I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I first heard.

Yes, I was as shocked and angered as most others.

I was then, and am now, personally disturbed at the subsequent changes in our national consciousness.

No, I did not personally lose anyone at Ground Zero or PA, nor do I (to my knowledge) know anyone who has.

So, how has this affected me the most? I would have to say watching and observing the changes in the national consciousness. The ones that made dissent unpatriotic. The ones that made us so willing to accept any story we're given in the name of preventing terrorism.

Are they even looking for WMDs in Iraq anymore? Where's the link? Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care? Of course not, so long as we can feel a little bit safer with all these logic-defying measures.
The time I spent writing that last entry was just a little too much, but enough to make me miss the first few minutes of an episode of the anime Trigun entitled "Paradise." I still have yet to see that episode in its entirety, from start to finish -- dammit.
Good points about today: Got some gas in the car, $6 in my pocket, a girl who loves me, and the usual (roof over head, food, etc.) things to be grateful for.

Bad points about today: The depression I'm in having to make literally the choice between which side of the Ninth Circle of Inferno I want to sleep on with respect to my money situation. I hate it when I get this way -- one snag and I want to crawl into my Cancer-ridden (the sign, that is) shell. And all when I have plans and goals to continue to carry out.

There have been more than a few people in my life who've been very supportive of me when I get this way, E being the latest (and the best!). But an ex of mine once pointed out the definite down side to always having to "have your mourning period" whenever something hits hard enough.

To be sure, there are moments when I wish I could mute my emotions enough to keep going in the face of trials. I've found out the hard way that while I'm not the only one in the world who reacts that way, the world doesn't stop while people such as us stop to get ourselves "collected."

All this leaves me wondering just what it'll take for me to "grow up." And how to "grow up." Where's the line between not being numb to your feelings and not being paralyzed by them?

Wednesday, September 10, 2003

Fiddled a bit here and there. I've decided that if those of you I know with blogs allow me, I'll gladly become your link-whore! Comment here, or tag me.
Isn't it funny how three letters and a dot make the difference between whether or not the enetation .gif loads or not?

I also changed the Audience Participation Question -- not like none of y'all ever answer it or anything. Eh, that's ok.
More like "Enter the Wannabe." I had to teach/tutor kung fu class again earlier tonight. I helped my friend relearn a little bit more of his white sash stuff. I've also decided that each week I attend, I'm simply going to focus on one sash's requirements at a time. I made it through 99% of my gold sash stuff. I've got 7 days to review my green sash stuff. At least now I've got two things I didn't have for a long time -- a sparring partner and space. Possibly next week, I'll have some instruction as well.

This was the best part of my day since I had to come back here after leaving E in Athens. I still can't complain too much. But, I do miss her.

Monday, September 08, 2003

ITEM ONE
Today, I blog from the campus of OU, mooching off their many convenient internet access ports. Since I have a day and a half off of work, I decided to spend some time with E as she begins the new phase of her life as a grad student for the second time. She's really digging her new apartment. It's a nice little space, near campus. It's pretty much set up the way I'd set it up.

Perhaps I've never mentioned (on here) one of the coolest things about this new relationship. It's having found someone who really does have the same outlook on life and how to live it. The ways we've chosen or desired to pattern our lifestyles is eerily similar. We have values and chosen vocations with an eye toward making the world a better place using our individual styles of being. We share similar temperments (good and bad, unfortunately). But, we also enjoy, more or less, similar "little things."

We both enjoy good cups of coffee in good coffee shops. We can listen to NPR during the day and vege out to Logan's Run at night. No Glengarry Glen Ross reference goes unrecognized. We both get excited about martial arts. I can make a Star Trek joke/reference, and it's met with the appropriate response in direct proportion to it's humor, rather than an indirect proportion of retching and eye-rolling. We both get excited about the energy and vibes surrounding college towns.

Such things are important to me. I've spent a good 4 or 5 years of having that importance driven out of me by well-meaning family, friends, a church, and a significant other in the hopes that I'd "grow up." But now, I have in my hands a literal dream come true. This time, I'll be growing up the way I always wanted to. Now, in the eyes of some (particularly those I'm close to in the church I attend -- who will always be my friends), maybe that means I do share the "deficient" values of a bourgeois bohemian. Maybe I do fancy myself to be a member of the community of the creative class.

The implications that has for my spirituality will have to be explored on here another time.

Damn, I've gotten rather deep on this weblog o' mine, huh? Anyway...

ITEM TWO
Somewhere, out of nowhere, people have been popping up out of the woodwork requesting trumpet lessons. One has been interested for awhile. Another showed up last week, and a third I heard about just today. Holy Extra Cash, Batman. But, how much to charge? I want to charge what's fair, considering that I've never taught trumpet lessons. Plus, all my training is generally from playing -- I wouldn't know what constitutes "proper trumpet pedagogy." Well, we'll see how it all works out.

ITEM THREE
Another recent sign of maturity is an increased ability to face, head-on, all of my financial difficulties. I'm learning not to shun bank statements and letters that say things I don't necessarily want to hear. I know that I'm doing the best I can and some months, especially with the way big National City type financial institutions can really screw you over if you allow them to by not being careful...

ITEM FOUR
...and yet the fact remains that I'm $26 in the f**king hole!

Friday, September 05, 2003

scorpion
You are Scorpion!!

You hate going places, so you make them come to
you! Ah, the benefits of being a demon spectre.
GET OVER HERE!


Which Mortal Kombat Character Are You?
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What I wouldn't give to say "Get over here!" to my remote, cold drink, etc. as I sit on the couch.

Thursday, September 04, 2003

I'll be your "Italian Grinder."
  -E.C.
The best pre-lunchtime conversation I've ever had.
Last Tuesday, I attended my first kung fu class in about 10 months. Now, since I quit, I would try to practice some kung fu on my own -- just like the movies! But it just wasn't the same as attending a class.

So, I show up to find that none of the black sashes showed up, which I'm told is very unusual, but not surprising. Only the chief tae kwon do instructor was there. And though he's a black belt in that, he's only a white sash in kung fu. So, guess who's responsibility it was to hold class? Luckily, he's still a white sash, and I remembered a good 75-80% of those sash requirements. I was able to help him with some of his basics and actually took it on myself (Hmm -- maybe not necessarily a good idea. But I know there's a 90+% chance no one in the school would mind) to teach him the system's fighting form.

It sort of made me smile and remember the irony of being an advanced kung fu student. There was this tacet expectation in the school, I believe, that I would be teaching right now had I not stopped. In fact, I'm told I would've been the fastest rising black belt rather than my friend. It's ok, though -- I'm still the only person to date who double-promoted three times in a row. Anyway, the irony -- if someone would've told me 10 or 20 years ago that I'd be a "kung fu master" (read: instructor), I'd've laughed.

Tuesday, September 02, 2003

ITEM ONE
Yes, I know I'm getting on TWO weekends behind blogging on my little Adventure. I'll get to it soon. Now, I told you part of the aftermath of that trip. Let me tell you another.

ITEM TWO
For the past few days, I have been in such pain. That's because before we left the Adventure (remember the gas story?), a few of us were messing around. I tried my hand at some (fake) knife fighting and discovered just how effective filipino knife-fighting techniques can be, even if I was almost totally unpracticed in them. E and I saw a couple of people practicing tai chi push hands, and right then I finally declared, "That's it! I'm going back to tae kwon do."

Now, truthfully, my intention was to put it off for about two or three weeks until after E leaves for grad school (see ITEM THREE), but as fate would have it, an email awaited me when I returned.

This person and I tested for 2nd Gup right before I left. But whereas I stopped, he continued and has since gotten his black belt and control of the school! It turns out the chief instructors wanted to keep their school open, but needed this season in their lives to accomplish other things, so they turned it over to my friend. Anyway, it turns out that my name came up in conversation a couple of weeks ago. Now, believe me, it's not my intention to toot my own horn, but in their words, I was viewed as having decent skills and decent ability to teach them to others. So, they track down my old AOHell website and get ahold of me.

Needless to say I took this as a sign from above and jumped my 30-year-old @$$ right back into class last Thursday, and again on Saturday. It took me a bit to relearn what I forgot. And, boy did I hurt. I'm still feeling the after-effects. I've lost tons of flexibility, too, but I think it's just going to have to be regained the same way I gained it in the first place -- one, painful inch at a time.

ITEM THREE
E moves to Athens at the end of the week. At least it's Athens, OH and not Athens, Greece. That does not, however, make the prospect easier.