Jordan and I have begun taking Aikido lessons. It's pretty cool. Our instructor Senpai Shant Palanjian is way cool. He can be no-nonsense when he needs to be, but he doesn't lose his sense of humor. He is patient with us both and will repeat instruction as many times as necessary till we get it. We all like him very much. I think Jordan is his star pupil :)
Aikido as Shant says is not a competition, but rather a partnership. The students learn together and help each other learn. We all learn both sides of each technique, attacker and defender. Besides being necessary for safety, it helps us to know how the motions are intended to flow correctly. Aikido is a true martial art (my opinion). That is, it's more than just self defense. It's a beautiful art form. Sometimes I feel like we are literally dancing the way we spar and evade one another.
I have a video of the demonstration we took part in a few weeks ago. If I can get it put into digital form I will post it here. It's worth a look-see.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Little Green Men
So...I was thinking about the "Drill here, drill now" thing. I was wondering why the tree-huggers are so against it. I agree that dislocating animals and wildlife out of their natural habitat is not a nice thing to do.
But...the Green People are forgetting that there are just as many flora and fauna being effected by drilling in Saudi Arabia as there would be in the tundra wasteland of Alaska or the badlands of Montana or North Dakota, or even in the Rocky Mountains.
Why are they not shouting THAT from the rooftops? Does "Earth First" stop at some national border somewhere? Are we not ALL living on the same Earth? Is "Global Warming" happening only in America?
I have an idea...let's take the matter into our own hands (American hands) and solve American problems with American solutions on American soil. Imagine the effect of have 100% energy and oil independence.
Watch as all of those princes and Sheiks over there sell their Cadilacs so they can buy a gallon of gas. Kinda makes you smile, doesn't it?
But...the Green People are forgetting that there are just as many flora and fauna being effected by drilling in Saudi Arabia as there would be in the tundra wasteland of Alaska or the badlands of Montana or North Dakota, or even in the Rocky Mountains.
Why are they not shouting THAT from the rooftops? Does "Earth First" stop at some national border somewhere? Are we not ALL living on the same Earth? Is "Global Warming" happening only in America?
I have an idea...let's take the matter into our own hands (American hands) and solve American problems with American solutions on American soil. Imagine the effect of have 100% energy and oil independence.
Watch as all of those princes and Sheiks over there sell their Cadilacs so they can buy a gallon of gas. Kinda makes you smile, doesn't it?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
