My Wushu Blog

If you want to refresh your memory of why Rose Peak is my Moby-Dick, you can (re-)read last years post. In short, I didn’t make it to the top. I’ll hold you in suspense no longer, I made it to the top, and back down, without any physical issues like cramping. The hike was in fact, very pleasent, and it rained on us but it was nice. Last year’s experience was a really good learning experience, and it made me a lot more aware of the warning signs of fatigue.

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A man awakes to find himself lying by the side of a desolate country road. As he regains his bearings, he discovers that he has no memory of who he is or how he came to be there. As he stumbles about unsure of himself, a genie appears beside him and says “What is your third wish, master?” Confused, the man asks “Who are you and why can’t I remember anything?

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todo Radio Lab had an episode on Buke and Gass dubbed ‘The Loudest Miniature Fuzz’. I was so intrigued by that episode, and the music, that I did some googling. What I found was their tour schedule, so I asked Michele if she would be up for seeing a little indie duo (on a Monday night no less). I think this was the first time I went to a small venue to see a band.

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I just got an email from one of my Wushu West buddies, Shahaub, and I wanted to plug his short film. Check it out, in HD, on the YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs2mJ3WnqQs The blurb is this: A Mockumentary about a traditional Iranian man who makes a living for his family in a very non-traditional profession. This short is a commentary on the stereotypes, homophobia and taboo nature of artistic expression in both the West and Middle Eastern cultures.

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We went camping with Michele’s family this weekend: View Larger Map We forgot our nice camera, so all the photos were taken with either Droid, or Michele’s Droid. Mostly mine, because I had a full charge that pretty much lasted all 4 days (I charged it in the car for 30 minutes one day). Pretty nice for a smart phone, especially since I was using to take photos , movies play music off of it, I’m in love with the latest Buckethead album I recently purchased.

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I was at my parents this weekend, and my Step Dad found it hilarious to look through a large box of old photos. We had a few good laughs and he gave me a few of the to keep for myself. todo My Aussie Buddy wearing the underwear he chewed up todo The humiliation continues… todo Me and Buddy hanging out on the front lawn. I think our manes look alike.

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I’ve had a good run with my Zune MP3 player, excellent in fact, and I would highly recommend that player to anyone who was looking for an iTunes alternative. Truthfully, I’d recommend one no matter what, but it is impossible to beat the ubiquitous nature of iTunes and the iPod, like it or not. I’ve had mine for over 2 years, and I only one had a problem where it locked up.

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todo Possibly the best action sci-fi I’ve ever seen. It is not as confusing as say Primer, not as mind-numbingly STUPID as Avatar but filled with great action. I’ve seen a few headlines about the movies plot; how it might be ’too smart’ for the average movie go-er. I think that is insulting to the average person, and I hope that movies like this will retrain the “industry” to continue to make “smart” movies instead of anticipating that the average person is a drooling slack-jawed yokel who is missing a tooth.

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Friday was the first class where I really sparred. It was the first class where I was punched and kicked, repeatedly, in the head. It was about what I expected. It didn’t hurt, and I had a fun time doing it, though there are some lasting effects. I did feel a little out of it for a while, and that was a combination of many things. First off, I got hit pretty hard a few times, and Juan (one of the coaches) gladly landed a well placed kick to my head.

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I did sort of thrown down the gauntlet with one of my previous posts. Dad, I no longer doubt that you truly are my biggest fan :) Livermore is probably a tie between myself and Jenny, but mostly me because I might check out a post from work… daily…

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