America in distress

Who doesn't like freedom these days? I say everybody likes it, except for the American government. I used to despise the ACLU, but now I truly believe it exists for the benefit of America. Faster than i'd ever expected, the face of America is changing. In the name of national security and patriotism, freedoms are being lost all the time. Martial law is slowly taking over as well. All facets of the government which we look up to for support and assistance is now turning their backs on us. The worst thing about all this is that we as individuals are powerless.

It is important that people stand together. After all it is for the people that this government exists in the first place. When will that last straw break the camels back? When will the American people say enough is enough? We can learn a great deal from the recent French lower classmen and minority immigrants who caused a riotous uproar. We need that same energy, the energy that can lead to a revolt. And when that day comes I will happily do whatever I can to do my part. Maybe I won't lead a revolt, but then again, maybe I will...but in either case I will know that I am contributing for the betterment of the country. It is for country, for liberty, for freedom. And no government nor dictator president nor any servant of the law can stop us.

An upside down American flag is generally a sign of distress. More Americans are raising their U.S. flags upside on their own private lands to reflect this sad state of affairs and being threatened by authorities for it. Rage Against the Machine is a popular rap-metal band, explicitly critical of U.S. power and capitalist rule. Former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachav voices concerns that the U.S. is creating an unstable and dangerous world. Recent headline reports reveal $20-30 billion dollars of military arms will be finding its way to Saudi Arabia, where it will again arm the enemies that righfully hate us. Rage Against the Machine is something I started to listen to again after having it in my collection for many years. I've resurrected their songs into my cerebral canals so that I may listen to their beautiful words, once again.

grossly simplified blog entry

Books are all about story.
People are all about life.

High five margaritas!

What a crazy title, eh? MD Anderson is huge. Feels like I'm walking in a science fiction movie - a cross between Minority Report and IRobot. I misread a sign that read "To Mays Clinic" as "The Mayo Clinic". Lol I'm such a idgiot lol. I walk to and from work every day. It takes 15 minutes walking through the surreal streets of this neighborhood region full of city highrise buildings plated with gold. And I'm loving it. Nothing like a walk in the morning and in the evening. But I don't walk faster than man was designed to, because I refuse to walk briskly. It is surreal because there are pedestrians in scrub uniforms making six digit figures walking around with street hobo homelesses making single digit figures. Homeless, but seemingly well-fed nonetheless. But a single division at MDA rakes in three million greenbacks in a single day. Ain't that stunning? Now i don't feel bad at all that almost all consulants choose to drive their own rental car and reside in the best luxury hotel at the company's expense. Bring on that jumbo lobster tail and bring on that valet parking! No, I don't live like that for I was raised better than that. Hoo yeah! Now I write massive run-on sentences because I drank the most potent margarita in this part of the free world. Hoo yeah!

281

When my brother graduated as a fireman the entire division demonstrated some skills.

Here, my brother and fellow teammates recover a propane tank that's out of control.

Men.

I would not be overly surprised if unitiated visitors thought the kendo club is full of fags.
I mean, after all, we do yell "Men!" all day long.
The men is the head piece, the armor deisgned as the head protector. This is called the men.
I think this is accurate, so don't take my word for this.

This is my men.

Yay. A Cruise Ship for Republicans.

Look closely at these photos and you will see many elderly caucasians. Look closely because they are rich and powerful. They run the U.S.
http://www.nrcruise.com/Pages/photo_gallery.htm

Fortunately they are old. Unfortunately they have children that probably think like them. They think like racists because they are racists. They like to think of themselves as classy, refined, and well-traveled. But they really have no appreciation of any other culture other than their narrow-minded and corrupted culture.

Look closely, because many of the world's (yes, not only America, but the world) problems exists because of this cruise ship full of conservative republicans. Get them together in a room and they talk about torturing muslims. They talk of muslims taking over Europe. And they do this with hellova lot of distaste and disdain.

Simple and complicated

How many things in this world can you genuinely say is simple yet equally so complicated?
How about this painting, Starry Night?

Try to appreciate the colors, the textures, the shapes, the spaces. Is this not one of the most contradicting thing you have ever seen in your life?


One of my favorite classes in college was Art Appreciation, not because it was easy, but because it was... complicated. This in conjunction with my fascination with the heavens (i.e. crystal clear stars against a perfect pitch black sky) is what gets my head whirling about. Imagine laying down with your head rested on your arms behind your head as you stare up at the clear starry night. Can you see all the constellations? Notice the twinkling of distant stars? Look! Did you see that shooting star!? Notice the neighboring arm of the Milky Way Galaxy? Can you feel how significant yet so insignificant we are in this universe? This is beyond what dreams are made of. This is what the human mind is made of.

Becoming the FBI or CIA I once dreamed of.

I would've never made it as an FBI or CIA officer. Now I know that I would've never made the cut, and I'll tell you why.

Today I shot and killed a squirrel because it was eating off of my mother's date tree. I shot it 5 times; the first piercing it's right ear which disabled its ability to climb the fence and escape its inevitable death. So it stood there behind any kind of cover it could find, while bleeding. I prayed about this before I took my shot, because it just felt wrong to shoot a creature because it's hungry. Honestly, if it were my choice, I would've let all the squirrels in the entire Milky Way Galaxy gorge on all the dates it could choke down.

It took 4 more shots to neutralize the defenseless and disgusting creature. You don't realize how disgusting squirrels are until you've seen it up close and personal. Of course it bleeding to death didn't help it in the cuteness factor. You see, I had to take as many shots needed to kill it. Moments before it finally entered its last sleep, it squirmed about, as if it were in pain or extreme discomfort. Killing it was the least I could do for it.

Apples and Oranges

I think this is a pretty accurate depiction of how mega CEO's from mega corporations behave. Corporations are in it for pure profit, plain and simple. And we consumers are just as selfish and just as greedy, sometimes. But in a perfect world, in my world, there'd be no computing machinery.

Less Kendo, More Reading.

I'm finding less time being spent in Kendo attendance, but this is mostly due to the fact that Kendo is starting to become painful, painful on my feet, toes, my back, and arms, wrists, and soon to be my head. I do like the fact that I sweat like there's no tomorrow though.

I am going back to one of my favorite (is this the right spelling?) literature masters, John Steinbeck. I picked up my first Steinbeck, East of Eden, at a vacant rundown rooftop apartment in Seoul. The apartment was formerly used by a foreigner/expatriot, most likely American or Canadian. It was clear as pure crystal that this person has good taste in his/her selection of literature. So this book, literally as thick as one of those unecessarily ginormous dictionaries, caught my eye - East of Eden, I will never forget reading that great piece of fiction loosely based on the great author himself.

Now I have in my possession two more Steinbeck's. Cannery Row is one of them.

Detailed descriptions of holding a sword.

There is a proper way to hold a sword as there is a wrong way to hold a sword.
I've made this mistake once in front of class which was brought out by an unexpected participation during those moments when the teacher/instructor picks you out. At that point you either demonstrate that you know it or you don't. It's like one of those moments when a coach gathers his team around in a circle and select one random person so that he, the coach, can demonstrate the proper way to grip a bat or dribble a ball or whatever. The poor soul selected to demonstrate will effectively do one of two things: demonstrate the right way, or, demonstrate the wrong way - of which the coach will point out. It's quite the effective teaching tool.

Remember, Kendo is in a serious atmosphere where everybody stares you in the eye, face-to-face, with the look of killer in their eyes. But i will never forget the day when the instructor quickly motioned that I should pause and wait and check myself, and I knew that something about me was wrong. My feet looked okay, so was my grip and my posture and everything that I could quickly think of. I was golden.

But something was really wrong. Something was very wrong. That day, in front of every member of my class, I demonstrated something which I now consider simply as unorthodox.
I had made a slight mistake in my gripping of the sword. Instead of holding it the "traditional" way, I accidentally held it so that the blade was facing upward so that if I were to happen to swing to large, I could potentially cut my own face. Of course there was no noticeable difference in the grip. To better describe this, I drew a detailed illustration.

The right way: Blade is facing down.

The wrong way: Blade is facing up.

Shortly after this discovery followed by my quick readjustment, I had an uncontrollable smile for about an hour. Amazingly, everybody else managed to display a slight smirk. And that's when I knew that I was among real, true Kendo enthusiasts. Serious were their middle names.