Carly Simon has an unusual way of preparing to go onstage: She asks people to spank her because only physical pain can overcome her stage fright.I'm sure that Bill wanted in on a little of that action himself!
30 August 2006
Make Time for the Pain
Pop legend Carly Simon makes time for the pain
23 August 2006
Don't call us. We'll call you. Maybe. Or not.
Madonna's nuclear powers
Madonna has been lobbying the Government about a 'mystical' Kabbalah fluid which she believes can be used to clean up radioactive waste.
20 August 2006
Oops!
Orthodox Mormons Have All the Fun
--46th between 5th & 6th
via Overheard in New York, Aug 20, 2006
Guy on cell: Hello?...What do you mean you have bad news?...You're pregnant? How could you be pregnant?...I thought you were on the Pill? How did this happen?!...I just got engaged to your sister on the 4th of July...This is really bad news...How long have you known?...A week?! Why did you wait a week to tell me?...Your sister is going to go through the roof...No, she doesn't come back until Monday...So, I'll see you tonight?...I told you, I just got engaged to your sister. You can't be pregnant...Okay, have a good afternoon.
He makes another call.
Guy on cell: Hey...You know Claire*?...Yeah, Lauren's* sister...Yeah, the hot one...Well, she's pregnant...Me!
--46th between 5th & 6th
via Overheard in New York, Aug 20, 2006
19 August 2006
Amber Alert
Brand new freshman girl on cell phone in Walmart:
I'm lost! I'm in the aisle with $9.99 accessories... .
18 August 2006
A Visit From Sensei
T Shihan's visit last weekend was definitely a brain-full of new information about Aikido, & our schools place in it.
In Friday's class he spent a lot of time talking about te-waza & ashi-waza, & their importance to controlling uke's center for technique.
He talked in great detail about the importance of our Aikido; the uniqueness of it. I'm sure that some of that comes from our direct connection to the Omoto Kyo from T. Sensei & his father as Shinto priests.
He wasn't pleased with a good bit of people's technique — not using center, etc. He stressed the use of proper hip movement, & moving uke with te-waza.
But most of all, I was reminded, after we were on our way home, of the differences in opinion that my instructor & I have in how we see our connection to the organization.
Sensei has a good bit of well-founded cynicism from past experiences with our organization, including how this latest trip was put together on such short notice, leaving most of our students out of the testing loop since we're on break at the university & so many people are out of town.
I see that, too, but feel a real connection with T. Shihan when I can see him teach, feel his technique, & hear him talk about the art. He's almost seventy now, & was just slamming some people down when demonstrating some techniques -- he noted that he always likes to use young, strong uke's because they can take it .
Sensei's technique is solid, & strong, but he doesn't have a strong desire to follow T. Shihan's instruction to teach so closely to his technical expertise.
In respect to staying close to our traditions, I would rather be a dojo that is trying to promote, in that we are teaching a specific way of doing Aikido, & thinking about the world around us.
I think we need closer contact with our home U.S. dojo, which would require more commitment all the way around to train with them, for us to go there more frequently, & for them to come to us more frequently.
I think we would do better, in many ways, if we were to move our dojo off campus, & set up in town. Again, that would require a good bit of commitment from a number of people, & Sensei isn't ready to make that jump yet; though I'm hopeful that he might be in a couple of years when he retires from his position.
I guess I'm connected to the particular spirit of our style in a more traditional way than others.
As strongly as I feel about it, I don't want to be the kind of person who splits a dojo, though I know that happens occasionally & can't always be helped.
Last year, I ended up cancelling my weekend class after attendance dropped to just a few people each week. I'm trying to decide now whether or not to bring it back this fall, & encourage everyone to come as often as possible. I would try to make it a mix of kihon waza & more advanced technique, leaving time for people to have the free practice that T. Shihan likes to see in every class.
Sensei & I briefly discussed the possibility of doing that during the week, but I don't really see that happening, unless we can actually get back to a twelve minute warm-up every class, & not fall into his twenty minute warm-up that morphs into pseudo-technique, then we're out of time without looking at any kihon waza in detail.
The more I think about a community dojo, rather than a university club, the more I like the idea.
As we are now, we have the majority of our students for just two or three years; anyone who stays longer than that has graduated & stayed in the area, or is a faculty member. Right now there are three aikido students who aren't university students.
In the long run, it means that we will continue to have a relatively small number of yudansha in the dojo, & that teaching responsibilities will continue to fall on just Sensei & myself most of the time.
Were we to move into the community, we could have more long-term students, & eventually build a larger base for teaching the classes.
We were at the NC dojo this weekend with our three yudansha - an all time high for us - and nine of the thirteen from their dojo were present on the mat.
Seeing that makes me feel that we can do more if we change what we're about in some ways.
In Friday's class he spent a lot of time talking about te-waza & ashi-waza, & their importance to controlling uke's center for technique.
He talked in great detail about the importance of our Aikido; the uniqueness of it. I'm sure that some of that comes from our direct connection to the Omoto Kyo from T. Sensei & his father as Shinto priests.
He wasn't pleased with a good bit of people's technique — not using center, etc. He stressed the use of proper hip movement, & moving uke with te-waza.
But most of all, I was reminded, after we were on our way home, of the differences in opinion that my instructor & I have in how we see our connection to the organization.
Sensei has a good bit of well-founded cynicism from past experiences with our organization, including how this latest trip was put together on such short notice, leaving most of our students out of the testing loop since we're on break at the university & so many people are out of town.
I see that, too, but feel a real connection with T. Shihan when I can see him teach, feel his technique, & hear him talk about the art. He's almost seventy now, & was just slamming some people down when demonstrating some techniques -- he noted that he always likes to use young, strong uke's because they can take it .
Sensei's technique is solid, & strong, but he doesn't have a strong desire to follow T. Shihan's instruction to teach so closely to his technical expertise.
In respect to staying close to our traditions, I would rather be a dojo that is trying to promote, in that we are teaching a specific way of doing Aikido, & thinking about the world around us.
I think we need closer contact with our home U.S. dojo, which would require more commitment all the way around to train with them, for us to go there more frequently, & for them to come to us more frequently.
I think we would do better, in many ways, if we were to move our dojo off campus, & set up in town. Again, that would require a good bit of commitment from a number of people, & Sensei isn't ready to make that jump yet; though I'm hopeful that he might be in a couple of years when he retires from his position.
I guess I'm connected to the particular spirit of our style in a more traditional way than others.
As strongly as I feel about it, I don't want to be the kind of person who splits a dojo, though I know that happens occasionally & can't always be helped.
Last year, I ended up cancelling my weekend class after attendance dropped to just a few people each week. I'm trying to decide now whether or not to bring it back this fall, & encourage everyone to come as often as possible. I would try to make it a mix of kihon waza & more advanced technique, leaving time for people to have the free practice that T. Shihan likes to see in every class.
Sensei & I briefly discussed the possibility of doing that during the week, but I don't really see that happening, unless we can actually get back to a twelve minute warm-up every class, & not fall into his twenty minute warm-up that morphs into pseudo-technique, then we're out of time without looking at any kihon waza in detail.
The more I think about a community dojo, rather than a university club, the more I like the idea.
As we are now, we have the majority of our students for just two or three years; anyone who stays longer than that has graduated & stayed in the area, or is a faculty member. Right now there are three aikido students who aren't university students.
In the long run, it means that we will continue to have a relatively small number of yudansha in the dojo, & that teaching responsibilities will continue to fall on just Sensei & myself most of the time.
Were we to move into the community, we could have more long-term students, & eventually build a larger base for teaching the classes.
We were at the NC dojo this weekend with our three yudansha - an all time high for us - and nine of the thirteen from their dojo were present on the mat.
Seeing that makes me feel that we can do more if we change what we're about in some ways.
17 August 2006
The breast job that saved a life
Now all the guys are gonna want to touch 'em!
Breast implants save Israeli from rocket
Breast implants save Israeli from rocket
16 August 2006
Way to go George!
Trying to do for America what he did as Governor of Virginia!
Allen on Damage Control After Remarks to Webb Aide
Allen on Damage Control After Remarks to Webb Aide
RICHMOND, Aug. 15 -- Sen. George Allen on Tuesday sought to contain the political damage from remarks he made to a Fairfax County man that dredged up charges of racial insensitivity -- allegations that have dogged him for years as governor, senator and now presidential hopeful.
Despite a quick apology Monday, criticism poured in about Allen's use of the word "Macaca" to address a volunteer for the campaign of his Democratic opponent, James Webb, and also about another Allen comment, "Welcome to America." Democrats, left-wing bloggers and civil rights groups called him "insensitive" and "racist," while some conservatives called him "foolish" and "mean."
09 August 2006
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