BANDWIDTH CONSERVATION POST

I haven't had one of these kinds of posts in awhile, so I figured I'd give this thingy sent by DATU_B, a whirl...

BTW, a "bandwidth conservation post" is a posting that takes the place of me spamming everyone in my address book.

1. WHAT TIME DID YOU GET UP TODAY? 9:30 AM

2. IF YOU COULD EAT LUNCH WITH ONE FAMOUS PERSON, WHO WOULD IT BE?
Louis Armstrong

3. GOLD OR DIAMONDS? Gold

4. WHAT WAS THE LAST FILM YOU SAW AT THE CINEMA?
Kill Bill, Vol. 2

5. WHAT DID YOU HAVE FOR BREAKFAST?
Coffee, bacon and sunny-side-up eggs mashed into white rice.

6. WHO WOULD YOU HATE TO BE STUCK IN A ROOM WITH?
I'm already stuck in a room with them, usually 2x/week on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

7. CAN YOU TOUCH YOUR NOSE WITH YOUR TONGUE? No

8. WHAT/WHO INSPIRES YOU? Musicians with talent

9. WHAT'S YOUR MIDDLE NAME? [Censored]

10. BEACH, CITY, OR COUNTRY? City

11. FAVORITE ICE CREAM? "Death by Chocolate"

12. BUTTER, PLAIN OR SALTED POPCORN? Butter and salt, halfway down and on top.

13. FAVORITE COLOR? Brown

14. FAVORITE CAR? Subaru Outback Wagon

15. FAVORITE SANDWICH FILLING? Salami and Helman's Mayo

16. WHAT CHARACTERISTIC DO YOU DESPISE? People who don't stop bitching about a differing or dissenting opinion long enough to actually listen to what the differing or dissenting opinion is.

17. FAVORITE FLOWER? White roses

18. IF YOU HAD A BIG WIN IN THE LOTTERY, HOW LONG WOULD YOU WAIT TO TELL PEOPLE? As soon as I realize I can no longer explain away my slow accumluation of increasingly expensive goods as gifts from family and friends.

19. FIZZY OR STILL WATER AS A DRINK? Still

20. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR BATHROOM? Bland

21. HOW MANY KEYS ON YOUR KEY RING? 5

22. WHERE WOULD YOU RETIRE? Yellow Springs, OH

23. CAN YOU JUGGLE? No

24. FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK? Friday

25. RED OR WHITE WINE? Red -- Concha y Toro's Frontera cab/merlot blend

26. WHAT DID YOU DO FOR YOUR LAST BIRTHDAY? Spent birthday money

27. DO YOU CARRY A DONOR CARD? No

28. SAY SOMETHING NICE ABOUT THE PERSON THAT SENT THIS TO YOU.
He's a white man who wants to be Filipino... 'nuff said.

29. WHO DO YOU LEAST EXPECT TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
30. PERSON YOU EXPECT TO SEND THIS BACK FIRST?

No one, and no one, seeing as I didn't send this out to begin with...

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MY WEEKLY PERSONALITY ANALYSIS

Who'da thunk? Not me, that's for sure. But, the results speak for themselves...

i am a scenester!




How indie are you? test by ridethefader

You are so indie it hurts. You hang out with the coolest people in your city. It doesn't even bother you that none of them know your name. You know lots of bands personally, you know a couple of guys from We Hate The Mainstream Records, and you blag your way into getting almost everything for free. That fanzine you write gives you extra kudos. You probably don't even care that non-scenesters think you're a pretentious fuck.

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ONCE UPON A TIME IN ATHENS

Yesterday was a lazy day for me, and for others from what I gathered from talking to a couple of people. I didn't get in for my morning workout. Well, it wasn't necessarily because of laziness, I guess. But going in twice in a day for 1 1/2-2 hours each time isn't necessarily good for me right now. I tried going once a week in the morning -- didn't like it. Next week, it'll be twice but for 1 hour. In and out.

The last few sessions of Club have been light on new technique which is good because now I remember more that I can write down on a weekly basis. Again, the first hour's focus was on BJJ. I free-rolled a few rounds and managed to get some interesting reflections down on paper afterward, especially on some of my opponents. I've gotten to the point where I can more or less hold a position. I just don't yet know how to execute submissions fast enough not to get reversed on. Of course, if I'm just smothered, as happened a few times, I'm just screwed. I was in plenty of positions where I wasn't submitted, per se, but there was no escape that I could think of.

I butter-knife sparred again and wasn't bled this time! Somehow, between myself, BILLY JACK and especially ONE-ARMED BANDIT, we've all gotten braver about going in for traps while we cut. It got me a little more success vs. OAB than I was used to.

Since I'm almost certain BILLY JACK will almost never disappoint me, I'm going to start documenting THE BILLY JACK QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

I consider this practice for my future wife.
[Uttered as I was adjusting his glove while he was sparring one of the female members of club]

Don't worry, he didn't get away with it. Not only did I poke fun at what was surely the Oedipal complex-based cause of his remark, the young lady he was sparring sure gave him hell.

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FILM SNOBBERY

Last night, I got to see a film by one of E's favorite directors, Wong Kar Wai, called Chungking Express. It was released in the US awhile ago by Quentin Tarantino as part of a series of videos of basically his favorite flicks. He claims Chungking Express was the inspiration for the multiple-storytelling style of Pulp Fiction.

It was a very very fine movie. Part of what added to my enjoyment was the fact that I recognized one of the actors, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, best known to me as Alan from John Woo's Hard Boiled. I made the comment (that E didn't appreciate) "I recognized Tony Leung! How 'bout that... I suppose we don't all look the same, huh?"

A few hours ago, we attended one of the final presentations of the local annual film festival entitled "Protest" featuring the films Voices From the Movement by Roger Hill and A Night of Ferocious Joy by David Zeigler. Both of these films showed different facets of the anti-war movement. Their descriptions were interesting enough to make me want to see them, and I wasn't disappointed. I'm not as qualified as E is to determine their cinematic quality (although, I heard a fair amount of "tsks" from her), but I can say I enjoyed the Ferocious Joy a bit more. It made a few more mistakes, but I think it was because it took a few more risks. Not like I really know what I'm talking about, or anything...

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LOOK OUT, TUSCANINI

E had video copies of her film made with the intention of submitting them to a few small international film festivals. Trouble was there was some issue with the power lines on the same street as the post office today, so she couldn't send them off like she planned. Unfortunately, this means missing the deadline for one of the festivals.

It turns out her film expertise will be useful in her plans for her Fullbright position if she in fact gets it. She describes it better than I do, but isn't that damn cool? She learns an art and is using it productively.

I remember that I had an art where I got to do that for awhile, as a musician. Now, I'm continuing my study of martial arts, and while people can and do influence others by teaching, where's the potential for large-scale impact? It's there I suppose, but not in necessarily the same way it exists for music and film.

Well, it's not like I'm going to stop martial arts anyway. I had a good run a couple of years ago brushing up on the playing skills to the neglect of my martial arts training. In yin-and-yang fashion, I suppose there's nothing wrong with letting it go the other way for a season.

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BACK IN THE WOODSHED

I got in another morning kung fu review and got a lot done working by myself. I got through...

The last movement of the first series of short forms that I had learned before I moved from my old club. It took some work, but I managed to perform the movement with my right and left sides.

The gold sash long form.

A few minutes of bagwork, mostly boxing but I got to add a few more bruises to my shins. I'm really close to having my hip actually precede my kick hitting the target a la muay Thai.That being said, though, I decided that if I'm going to spend my solo time doing that, then I need to spend time redeveloping my high kicks. My loss of flexibility is irritating the hell out of me.

In addition, I'm thinking about working some of the more interesting striking techniques from my kung fu forms out on the heavy bag to supplement my boxing. Just a thought. I'm debating the pros and cons of the freedom of changing the agenda that I walk in with and the discipline of sticking to my list and using all the time I have to work out specific techniques. I irritate myself further when I practice a long form, correct certain things, perform it a few more times, and on the last time, let things go like the salutation. Maybe some things just get lost when you're training by yourself and not in a class.

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EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

I heard an interesting tidbit on today's Weekend Edition Sunday on NPR -- a discussion on America's use of power in the world. Is referring to the US as "imperialist" just some leftover from the Cold War? Or are we in essence doing the same thing that the Brits did a century or two ago?

Books on U.S. World Strategy: Terror and Empire.

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OK, WELL...

E did add commenting on her blog. Don't abuse it, or I'll come find you :).

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LOW-CARB NAZIS

Will the curtailing of our freedoms never end?

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MY WEEKLY PERSONALITY ANALYSIS

You are a Mod. Yeah baby.


What kind of Sixties Person are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

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LORD I WAS BORN A RAMBLIN' MAN

Well, before I go on with my Friday, let's ramble a bit...

Once Upon a Time in Brazil Athens
More BJJ work. I don't know if I'm not warming up properly or enough, but the aches and pains that come with this stuff seem to last longer than anything I suffered under TKD, kung fu or even muay Thai.

The upside is that I'm picking out those techniques that work for me. No one thus far has been able to lock a paintbrush on me unless I choose not to work the one defense that I learned. Elbow-to-knee escapes seem to be more effective to get me out of someone's mount -- I just need to learn to then turn that into my advantage.

Lost in Translation
Saw that movie with E last night. I thought it was a fine film... and yet, I was unsure about what exactly makes it fine. With this movie, I seemed more aware about my preconceptions going into it for some reason. Has good film become like "British syndrome" where unusual shots filmed with unusual lighting and camera angles is automatically deemed "good film" by me?

All I know is that it made E pine for the life she had overseas which isn't bad in and of itself. What makes it bad is how it saddens her to compare it to the life she leads in plain old boring sleepy hick/college-town Athens.

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ANNOUNCING...

E's new weblog!

She was smart and didn't add a Tag-board or commenting features for you idiots people to abuse.

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OVER THE HUMP-DAY

Both E's and my Wednesday sucked for separate reasons. So, we decided to ease our worries the old fashioned way -- a night of drinking.

We started out at a local watering hole that we hadn't been in for a couple of months. Turns out they've renovated the place, adding lots more room which I'm sure will help out their Latin Dance Nights. This place is famous for their $2 marguaritas which E helped herself to right away. I opted for a $2 beer (they've got daily specials, so I wasn't drinking Schlitz or anything like that) but had a marguarita later. I don't know what they put in them, but the stuff seemed much stronger than we remembered. Our tolerance may have lessened over the past few months, but I've had my share of beer over the previous week.

In my case, I may have been hit harder due to having had very little to eat during the day. So, I eased my hunger at a newly opened hot dog establishment. We got to sit inside at the counter -- apparently, the dining room is closed after a certain time and they serve out of a door-window thingy. Anyway, E and I were engaged in conversation with the lone employee.

This person is a friend of a classmate of E's, a classmate she's been trying to set up with a mutual friend of ours -- let's call him FLAMETHROWER for his skill in doing just that with volatile chemicals and a torch. Anyway, the more we talked to this hot dog employee, the more convinced I became that her/E's friend would be a good match for the FLAMETHROWER.

So, what began as a crappy day finished out with drinking, hot dogs, a new acquaintence, a tentative plan involving three people trying to hook up FLAMETHROWER, as well as a first trip to the local "over 30" bar (Incidentally, I was carded at the over-30 bar and was amused by the apology I received from the bartender.), and well... other things that are probably best left out of this forum.

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BECAUSE I JUST CAN'T PASS UP FREE STUFF...

If for some reason you're just dying to send me email, rather than a comment or tag-board post thereby opening yourself to public ridicule, you can do so here.

However, I reserve the post whatever you send me and hold you up to public ridicule :).

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ONCE UPON A TIME IN ATHENS

Unfortunately, old age set in again and I had to sit out the last part of the first hour of Club. I aggrevated whatever I did to my left arm during the BJJ seminar last week. Funny that it didn't bother me again until last night.

Luckily, I got the use of that arm back during the second hour when we had a free hour. Since DATU_B was out of town, I got charged with keeping an eye on whoever wanted to do Filipino weapons stuff. Of course, that meant dealing with BILLY JACK and SPEAKMAN simultaneously. It really wasn't all that bad last night. I tried to help SPEAKMAN out with his sinawali. It's sort of funny to watch how his kenpo training really messes that up and his sparring. He can't yet get out of using both hands simultaneously. BILLY JACK is actually better with the sinawali, but he's all arms. No body/hip rotation whatsoever. I won't even go into the silly (though not entirely stupid) question he asked.

Some of us dabbled in knife sparring, too. Note to self: maybe try to find other alternatives to butterknives when sparring with anyone other than DATU_B. I got a good slash (non-bloody) in on one partner and a nice (slightly) bloody stab from the ONE ARMED BANDIT. I didn't even know it was bleeding until about 10 minutes later. People joked, "Oh, well I just thought you were standing around bleeding to look tough."

I mentioned my joy at being able to enter the training room earlier that morning to work out some kung fu and my plans to do it again Thursday. Somehow, word got around (in the 2 hours of Club) and now I've got 3 people showing up (read: crashing). Eh, it'll be good having people to work out my stuff with.

I gotta pull a Shelly "The Machine" Levine and go to lunch.

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BURYING THE HATCHET

Tomahawks aren't just for Native American costumes anymore.

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THE BEAUTY OF THE INTERNET

Walking through campus on my way to the coffee shop, I run across www.ohiouncensored.com written in blue chalk on one of the buildings.

I check out the site just now and I'm not sure what to make of it. Just seems like some people with some spare time on their hands spewing random stuff about University life.

They had a feature about last Friday's local tough-man competition. I didn't attend, but knew two of the fighters on the card. The reviews were less-than-stellar. I'm talking about the reviews themselves. I've read better synopses when I used to troll through pro-wrestling fansites.

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BILL IS FINALLY DEAD

Yeah, Quentin lied in the initial movie promos last year that said "In 2003, Uma Thurman will Kill Bill." But it's ok. I saw it with E on opening night. There were far less freaks dressed like Reservoir Dogs than I expected. You could, however, tell who each of the film school students and/or Golden Harvest/Shaw Brothers/Kurosawa geeks were by the applause at odd places. I, of course, being the schooled and cultured person that I am, applauded right along with them 9 times out of 10. Well, maybe 7 times out of 10... 5, maybe? E, the MFA that she is, busted a gut a few times herself (of course).

It was a fine, fine movie. Different from Kill Bill, Vol. 1, but fine nonetheless. David Carradine pulled off his first acting role (real acting, that is) rather well, I thought. I wished he would've busted out a few more Kwai Chang Caine moves than he did, but what I saw him do fit the movie better.

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OU: THE NEW SHAOLIN TEMPLE (NOT)

I used my "assistant FMA coach" credentials to get me into get me into the workout space this morning and began a concerted effort to relearn my kung fu. The hardest part was accepting that it wasn't going to all come back at once. Funny how much discipline it takes NOT to do too much.

Today's Progress:

Performed entire basic stance routine

Worked first seven of a series of short forms

Worked first six of a second series of short forms

Performed the white sash long form
Needless to say it was all sloppy as hell. Damn, it's all I can do to land in a horse stance with my feet parallel anymore. To say nothing about how much flexibility I lost. I thought I was going to sneak in some Taekwondo stuff, but I didn't even attempt it.

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EDITS EDITS EDITS

I resized that Gulf Wars Episode II: Clone of the Attack poster so it wouldn't make the layout all skewed. You're welcome.

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SEQUELS, PART DEUX

Maybe I won't get to see Bubba Ho-Tep, but I'll get to see Trekkies 2 when it comes out soon on (straight-to-) video!!

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ONCE UPON A TIME IN ATHENS

Last weekend, I attended a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu seminar conducted by a former MMAC member who's a blue belt under one of the Gracies... Rickson? I forget -- too darn many of 'em. Anyway, I learned a lot and took copius and somewhat illegible notes. I managed to pick out a few basic techniques that actually worked on the second day of the seminar when we did some limited free-rolling. At last, the holes in my game are slowly being plugged up. Now, if I could only use the tools I have and actually make something of them.

It may actually be more feasible, as I can now enter the workout space at will, thanks to everyone who got me my "coach's pass." Ah, more FMA with DATU_B, or the ONE-ARMED BANDIT who's approached me twice about swapping techniques. Hell, just to work out more kung fu -- my bo staff forms are now totally extinct :(.

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BWAH-HAHAHAHA

Please understand, I'm not laughing at someone's passing... just the irony of it.

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WHO SAID SEQUELS SUCKED?

This one's been a hit so far (not)...

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BECAUSE READING IS FUNDAMENTAL

Guts
by Chuck Palahniuk

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I FOUGHT THE LAW...

Well, the law did win, but we all came out ahead. I spent the afternoon rendering unto Caesar what was Caesar's and because of the meager pittance I made for 2003, I fared pretty well at the end of it. And because of the miracle of e-filing, the money should be in my grubby little hands in 5 to 7 days.

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MY WEEKLY PERSONALITY ANALYSIS

In case I don't get to it tomorrow...


Which Annoying B-list Celebrity Are You?
Brought to you by Rum and Monkey

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WANNABE GONNABE GENE SISKEL

Latest video viewings:

The Matrix: Revolutions - I've seen far, far worse than this. I wish I could've seen more Yuen Wo-Ping action, though. It's worst crime is being a litany of "If I wanted to see _______, I'd have gone and _______."

For example:

John Woo standoffs; watched The Killer
Dragonball Z fights; watched Dragonball GT
more in-your-face "symbolism"; rented Heathers
real Dharma; went through E's Buddhism books

Romeo Must Die - Saw this for the 3rd or 4th time. A movie that once again proves that between Jet and Jackie, Chinese/Taiwanese police/BCI/secret agent/special forces combat training is the best in the whole universe! Plus I'm down with any movie that makes simultaneously makes fevers of the "Asian" and "jungle" variety cool.

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"DIV" TAG MONTY

Moved the tagboard higher up again. Why? Because I could.

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DECISIONS DECISIONS

How to spend a Saturday afternoon: Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu seminar or a screening of Bruce Campbell's latest movie Bubba Ho-Tep?

And yes, I'd see that one over Kill Bill, Vol. 2 and The Punisher.

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THE BLOGGER WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD

THE TWO ENTRIES underneath this one are posted to be read in order, so you don't have to worry about the whole blogging reverse-chronology thingy.

It's been nigh on two weeks... a positive record for lack-of-blogging. Well, my 5+ year old laptop has just about had it. Whatever's wrong with it is probably mechanical in nature and therefore too expensive for me to fix. Luckily, there are computers with internet access I can mooch off of -- it'll just be with less frequency.

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ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA

Yes, China. E has obtained a five-week position teaching EFL in China. It'll be from early July through mid-August where she'll be back just in time for our yearly camping trip. Well, we've really only known each other for a year and we went last year, but plan to go this year -- hence, "yearly."

It's going to be five weeks of shite, for me anyway.

E may be up for another trip somewhere in the world during the 2005-06 academic year. She's been nominated for a Fullbright Scholarship! Nothing's in the bag yet, but she's already decided that leaving the country for an extended period of time is not an option for her. Well, we'll see where all that goes.

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ONCE UPON A TIME IN ATHENS

ITEM ONE
BILLY JACK seems to be slowly calming down over the past couple of weeks from his antics. Although, he asked me one of the stupidest questions last time as I was practicing some kung fu stances in front of the mirrors.

BILLY JACK: Hey, did you see The One?
ME: Yeah... I love that flick.
BILLY JACK: So... does that happen a lot with you Asian guys?
ME: Umm... what, being forced to fight yourself from a mirror-universe?
BILLY JACK: Huh huh huh... yeah.
ME: Oh, hell yeah... all the time [this line delivered as if it rhymed with "You clueless hilljack motherf**ker."]

Now, after a bit of redirection we managed to have a nice little discussion about the movie. I've planted a seed in his tiny brain though, which I hope will result in BILLY JACK attending the Club's upcoming pencak silat seminar declaring in a loud voice "I'm no one's bitch... YOU are all mine!" so we could all bear witness to the true meaning of "snap, crackle, pop."

ITEM TWO
SPEAKMAN doesn't seem as excited to hump my leg anymore. Maybe it's because I've deliberately sought out other partners before he can get to me...? Consequently, I haven't managed to step on his toes lately, but I understand last session he got quite the slap on the earhole during a drill.

ITEM THREE
I've reached that point in my training that I haven't reached in quite awhile -- groups of sessions where I'm getting beat like a red-headed step child between BJJ and live self-defense drills.

Now, to be fair to myself some people are just bigger and/or better fighters than me. "That's the way of the world," as Earth, Wind & Fire sang. I couldn't take them down without some ugly techniques and certainly not without any injury to myself in the process.

But there were moments that I panicked... well, no. Panic is the wrong word because it implies a sense of "spazzing out" as it were. I never spazzed, but I couldn't seem to make proper use of the tools I (at least thought I) had. Have I become the type of Filipino martial artist people make fun of -- the kind that can't fight unless they've got a stick or knife in their hand?

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DEAR ME

This entry is basically a quick note to myself so I know where to find it later. Feel free to ignore it:

Dear Me,

Check out The Misfit Library.

-Me

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MY WEEKLY PERSONALITY ANALYSIS

Very very overdue, but here it is... the Which Philippine Presidentable Are You? quiz.

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MY NEW FAVORITE WEBSITE

Margaret Cho's Blog

Thought, it'd better if there weren't all these ghost guest writers.

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CAVEMAN STATUS

My blogging has been/will be limited for awhile, at least until I solve the problem of why my freakin' laptop refuses to function outside of my home.

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LOST AND FOUND

One videotape of an Adult Swim marathon of Sealab 2021, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, The Brak Show, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force from New Year's Eve 2003.

E had never seen these before today. She's feeling under the weather this week and holed herself up today from classes to rest, and these were her entertainment. She's become an ATHF fan with Frylock being her favorite character.

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A MISTAKE RECTIFIED

Farscape returns... at least, for a bit.

Now if only they'd do the same for good vs. evil.

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MY WEEKLY PERSONALITY ANALYSIS

In honor of my first-ever viewing of the greatest movie EVER...


I am Chuck Palahniuk.
Take the "Which Chuck character am I? Quiz"

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A BIT OF THE OLD ULTRA-VIOLENCE

No MMAC last night, but that didn't mean I didn't get a taste of violence. I've decided that Fight Club is one of the greatest movies EVER! It was a bit eerie the way E got into it. I believe this is the 3rd or 4th time Ms. Pacifist has seen it.

Speaking of which, she'll be able to attend Tai Chi class for the first time in a few months. Her knee's getting better and better, thanks to the PT. I'd love to go and watch, but I get an odd vibe from the instructor who knows I study kung fu and who would seem to prefer me being part of the class. But, my brain can only handle so many martial arts at a time.

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BECAUSE READING IS FUNDAMENTAL

New book on the left, there... actually, one I'm re-reading right now.

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ACTING POLITICIANS

If I only had a time machine, I'd go back in time and stop Reagan from ever running to remove the precedent of actors-turned-politicians. Sonny, Clint & Arnold are one thing... but freakin' Billy Jack?? This can't be allowed to happen.

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"IT'S THE FIRST O' THE MONTH..."

Yeah, it's April Fools Day. I don't care. Next case.

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