Month: May 2010

Nothing yet…

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

In an effort to figure out what’s eating the ducks, I put a game camera in my neighbor’s backyard (with their permission, of course).

Did my first pull of the camera contents this morning. Saw a few neighborhood cats, a racoon, there’s a possum that likes hanging out back there, and of course deer. In fact, just a couple of hours ago a doe had hopped their back fence and had breakfast in their backyard. 🙂

But nothing more than that. Obviously no duck-eater yet.

However, these shots made it clear that the smaller critters (not the deer) are in fact crawling under the fence just where we suspected. Can’t close that up until we get to the bottom of this, but once we figure it out that area will need to be sealed off.

Nice morals

/ hsoi

Paying bills this morning.

I notice a couple strange charges to a credit card. I investigate and certainly they are fraudulent.

One of them was interesting. It was to an Internet parental control and filtering software company.

So you want to protect your child from porn, and you do so with a stolen credit card number.

Interesting set of morals you’ve got there.

Running into Aikido?

/ hsoi / 6 Comments

One of the motivating factors in starting my practice of martial arts so many years ago was wanting something physical that got me out of the chair I sit in all day. But I didn’t just want something physical, I wanted something mental as well. Running held no allure for me because it didn’t have any mental stimulation, but martial arts had a lot of mental as well as physical.

Since I stopped regular martial arts class attendance a few months ago, I’ve been working out at home. Oddly, there was a voice in my head telling me to do something different: “Go running”.

Running

I’ve never enjoyed running. I don’t like how it pounds on my body. I don’t like how “mindless” of an activity it is. But that voice kept saying “go run”. I don’t know why. I don’t know where it came from. I ignored it thinking it was just a passing thing, but it kept calling to me. So a couple of weeks ago the voice came back and I just went with it and went out for a run.

That was painful. 🙂

I ran for a little bit, then had to walk, then a little more run, then a lot more walk. I’m in good shape, but these past some years my training has been a different sort of training. Sure I could go 3 3-minute rounds of sparring just fine, but that’s a different sort of training and muscular endurance than just running for a good 20-30 minutes. I also think part of it was due to 1. my body just wasn’t used to that activity, 2. nervousness about my ankles and my knees, which have issues, and I didn’t want to have my first time out be too strenuous. I need to work my way up to it.

After I came back from that first run I used Google Earth to measure the distance, and it’s about 1.5 miles. I figure that’s a good way to get started.

Since then I’ve gone out every 2-3 days and run the same route, trying to run a little more and walk a little less. Trying to improve my form so I’m not pounding my ankles and knees to death, but staying relaxed yet remembering to keep picking my legs up so I don’t eventually trip on my feet when I get to tired.

This morning I ran the entire route, no walking and only one stop at the mailbox on the way in. Did it in about 15 minutes. Not too bad, I suppose. I also had much better form and relaxation today. My brain wasn’t going “what the hell are you doing????” but was actually just calming down and being free with the run.

And that’s perhaps why my body is wanting to run right now: because it is mindless. My younger sister runs a lot (does half-marathons, 10K’s, and such) and she says she likes running because it’s mindless and she can just unwind from her day. I’ve been under lots of stress the past some months, my mind’s been very busy, and perhaps the old noodle just wants a break. I really don’t know why I’m running, but I’m running. Will I still with it? I don’t know. I’m just taking it day by day, because maybe something else will come along.

And that something else may be another martial art.

Aikido

No, I haven’t started any new formal martial arts practice, but it’s been on my mind. So what to practice?

I have thought about taking up Kuk Sool again. Part of me would like to get my 2nd degree black belt because I stopped half-way through testing and gosh it’d be nice to finish it. But…. the drama of WKSA is nothing I’m interested in. I wouldn’t be opposed to joining Master Lee’s new Mu Sool Won group (Master Lee, 9th degree, so close with the Suh family and WKSA for so many years, awesome man, and they treat him like they did and he understandably left… still teaching Kuk Sool but doing it on his own, good for him!), but I really don’t know if I want to go back into that world.

Why not go back to the kali/silat/muay thai study? I really liked that stuff, but I realized that the structure of my old school was part of the problem: there wasn’t much structure. Now, I did like how the class schedule was structured, e.g. you knew if you went Wednesday at 6:30 PM it was going to be weapons class, but what you did in that class was totally unknown until you got there and the grander scheme seemed rather free-form. For instance, I had no idea what I needed to know for the next rank. Contrast this to my Kuk Sool study where the schedule had basic structure (e.g. 11 AM, adult class), but the curriculum was very structured. I realize that between the two, I like the more formalized curriculum, or at least having some idea of what I should know and thus what I really need to focus on in my study and practice.

So as I look around at what’s available to me, Aikido has a draw. First, the roots of Aikido and Kuk Sool (Hapkido) are similar, when you talk the joint lock, throw, projection, circular sorts of stuff. Aikido takes it further tho, because that’s mostly what Aikido is about. One reason I didn’t add BJJ to my previous study was because I wanted to narrow things down a bit and focus. Kuk Sool studied “everything” and that was a little too broad. With Aikido, it’s just one thing, if you will, and that sort of focus will be welcome. I want to explore more about body mechanics, locks, throws, circular movement; Aikido has that at its core. Plus there’s a formal curriculum. Yes it may vary from school to school, but there’s something to it. Plus there’s something to be said about having so many flavors of Aikido out there to see how others have interpreted it yet remain true to the core. Those others study and practice together, there isn’t a closed controlling notion.

One turnoff about Aikido is the philosophy. Now granted, that is what makes Aikido Aikido and distinct from other arts. But come on… I carry a gun. I acknowledge that sometimes deadly force is necessary and the only answer. But that’s also part of why I wish to study Aikido: to delve deeper into that contrast. I certainly wish to avoid use of deadly force, and if I can have greater resources at my disposal to do so, all the better.

I do not know if I actually will start to study this, but I’ve been pulling the Aikido books off my bookshelf and re-reading them. I’ve been looking up Aikido stuff online. I’ve been talking with an old friend that studied Aikido for a time. Yes, if I could study more full-time with Leslie Buck I would, but I can’t. There’s something about Aikido has pulls me, at least to explore it. Who knows. I may shake this off as a whim in a few days. I may try a few classes and not care for it. I may do it for a few months and then bail. Or I may end up studying it for the rest of my life. Who knows.

Whether it’s running or Aikido or whatever… just taking things as they come, enjoying life’s journey.

Public School FAIL

/ hsoi / 3 Comments

As you may know, the Texas school boards are working to rewrite history — literally.

Some of the changes I agree with. For instance, I see nothing wrong with teaching religion in school, from a scholarly standpoint. I learned about ancient religions (what we now call mythology) and studied ancient religious texts. I studied modern religions and texts. We looked at them from a scholarly standpoint because you cannot fully understand other civilizations and history if you do not look at the religions of that civilization. But yes, this implies looking at all of them, not just emphasizing one or another nor does it mean being “sensitive” to one so as to not risk offending it.

Some I don’t, like removing the study of Sir Isaac Newton. How can you understand modern science if you don’t understand Newton!! Good grief!

And some things I think are just appalling, such as dropping “references to the slave trade in favour of calling it the more innocuous ‘Atlantic triangular trade’, and recasts the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as driven by Islamic fundamentalism.”  Denial or revision (even in the name of political correctness or “sensitivity”) of history undermines the whole point of studying history in the first place.

But whether or not you agree with what the Texas board is doing, it all points to one thing: the growing failure of the public government school system. A few work to gain political leverage, then work in their agenda in hopes of longer-term indoctrination of their view of the world. This is not education, this is brainwashing. This is not education, this is politics, and our children are the sacrifice. But, true education has been dead for a long time.

Just one more reason that the public government school system is a failed organization. We do better when we can have choices, when you can choose what school your child attends. If you want your child to have a particular view of the world, then send your child to that school… be that school one with a narrow view or a broad view. Public government school is supposed to serve everyone, but because of that it serves no one.

I could go a step further and say it’s a greater failing of our social structure, where we demand others teach and raise our children instead of doing that job ourselves. This isn’t to say you have to homeschool, but at least when Junior comes home from whatever school they are sent to, take a look at their textbooks, look at the notes they take, discuss with them what they were learning in school. Get involved in your child’s education. Discuss alternative viewpoints. Expand upon what the school taught. Help them see the world that you want them to see.

Who’s racist?

/ hsoi

According to “modern politically correct society”, this man’s message is one of valiant struggle.

But change the speaker to “a white guy”, substitute “white” for “Mexicano”, substitute “Aryan Nation” for “La Raza”, substitute “Aryan Front” for “Northern Front of a Latin American Revolutionary Movement”… just make those small changes to his speech, but you can keep “our people” as “our people”. Suddenly, this same message becomes racist, again by modern politically correct standards. Why the double-standard? And how is it this man — who is angry about racism — doesn’t see his own racism? He is angry about racism directed at him, but then lashes out with racism of his own?

He claims superiority and justification due to his racial/ethnic heritage. He’s wanting to separate himself from the rest of the world and beat the rest of the world down (or at least “whites”), because they are not of his racial/ethnic heritage. And he wants only the people of his same ethnic/racial background to join him. Is that not racism?

If we really want to stop racism, we have to stop racism. Racism isn’t “whites oppressing non-whites”, it’s anyone claiming superiority due to their race, it’s anyone putting someone else down because of their race. It’s using race for leverage, for politics, as a rallying point, especially for selfish gain.

If you want people to stop caring about your race, you have to stop caring about your race. If you separate yourself from others by your race, expect others to separate you from others by your race.

I know my ethnic background, but I see myself as a human. The only groups I tend to split people into are good people and assholes. Being good or being an asshole has nothing to do with your ethnic background, your level of education, your economic status, gender, religious practice. It’s only a matter of what sort of person you choose to be and how you treat others around you.

R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio

/ hsoi

Dio died today. He’d been battling stomach cancer for the past some months.

Big loss for the world, not just the metal world. Not just as a musician, but as a person for all the great things he did and contributed. We can’t forget Hear N’ Aid (We’re Stars!). We can’t forget that no matter how old you get or how long you’ve been in this business, that you can still be a gentleman and a good person.

And we can’t forget the horns:  \m/

Thank you, Ronnie James Dio. We’ll miss you.

A Good Day

/ hsoi / 5 Comments

Watching the local morning news, weather report comes on. I see stuff about Fredericksburg, TX and say to Wife “Want to go there today?” Just on a whim. And off we went. I’ve been wanting to take the family out there for some time, just because. It’ll be good to go in a month or two when peach season kicks in. But hey… we had time today, so seize the day!

Drove out. Stopped at Whittington’s for some of their awesome jerky. Wanted to stop in Luckenbach but opted to save that for next time (we were getting hungry). I figured if we’re going to Fredericksburg, we need to eat German food. Yelp seemed to have mostly favorable reviews of Der Lindenbaum, so we gave it a try. I’ve had some German food in my life, but despite my ethnic heritage (look at my last name!) not a whole lot of it — when Mom is in charge of cooking well, that’s why I ate a lot of Korean food while growing up. 😉  So really, this was a “first experience” for the whole family.

Everyone was pleasantly surprised, even Oldest got adventurous. I had a beef sauerbraten (made with raisins), Wife had a jager schnitzel, Oldest had some bratwurst, Daughter a cheese-potato soup (can’t remember the German for it), Youngest had a wiener schnitzel. Very good stuff all around. I loved the cheese in the soup, very hearty flavor but not overpowering. I really liked how the raisins in the sauerbraten and this red kraut (which was both clove-sweet and sour) mixed together. But for my money, it the jager schnitzel was the winner — I’m having that next time. But of course, I think next time we ought to try one of the other German restaurants in town.

We perused the shops. Wife found some nice clothing. Kids all found some cute toys in a toy shop. Me? I was just happy to be with my family.

On the way home, stopped into a vineyard. Which? We just picked “the next one” along the road (and one that I hadn’t been into before). This one was Grape Creek Vineyards. Did a tasting, 6 wines apiece. Wife and I overlapped on a few wines, but for the most part we tasted different things because we have varying tastes: she likes lighter, sweeter stuff, whites more than reds; I like more robust, drier, reds more than whites but I also like a good port. Now, I’m no wine snob or even all that wine educated… I just know what my taste buds and my nose like and don’t like. So with that….

  • 2008 Cuvee Blanc — Nice, crisp. I could see having that with say a light pork cooked with fruit, or a light fish.
  • 2008 Pinot Grigio — Sorry, but neither Wife nor I are fans of Pinot Grigio. We try, but we just can’t get into it.
  • 2009 Viognier — Surprisingly good. Wife liked it, but not enough to want to buy it (given we could only buy so many bottles and we preferred some other things).
  • 2009 Riesling — This surprised me. I usually don’t like Reislings but enjoy trying them. This was very peach/apricot on the nose, and went down very nice. Stupid me forgot to buy a bottle, because I could see enjoying a glass of this on a hot summer night after dinner.
  • 2008 Grand Rouge — Wife liked this a lot, we bought a couple of bottles. I didn’t care much for it, but it could be because by the time I tried a sip I had so many strong reds on my tongue (even after crackers).
  • Port — I didn’t like it. I mean, it wasn’t bad, but it’s just not my style of port. I forgot all the details the guy told me as he was pouring it, but for instance it didn’t use sherry to fortify it and didn’t have as much sugars as other ports. It wasn’t bad for what it was, but just not my preference. Wife isn’t a port drinker.
  • 2007 Bellissimo — Wow. This was fantastic. Complex but not overly so. Robust, full. Just great overall. Picked up a couple of bottles of this.
  • 2007 Mosaic — Very strong, their strongest, fullest, “biggest” red. It was too much for my palette. It’s not bad, just a lot for my tongue. I could see maybe having a small glass of this with a fine cigar.
  • 2007 Merlot — Picked up a bottle of this. A “light” red, but a very good flavor and still “full” and “strong”, just lighter than ones like the Bellissimo and the Mosaic.

Not a bad place really. Certainly one of the better Texas wineries I’ve been to in recent years.

Anyway, just a damn good day with my family. Life can’t be all work. And I got to spend it with the people I love most. 🙂

Sunday Metal – Exodus

/ hsoi

After seeing Exodus live a little while ago I figured it was time to check out some of their more recent stuff.

This is “War Is My Shepherd” from their 2004 album, “Tempo of the Damned”.

Heavy.

Dumb fucks, eh?

/ hsoi

So, Facebook found Mark Zuckerberg thinks we’re all “dumb fucks”.

Last night I was talking with a friend. He’s semi-tech savvy and had a paper to write for a class, and being I’m sorta tech-savvy he wanted my input. I forget the details of the paper but the basic question was: “what do you want to see in eCommerce in the next 5 years?”

My answer?

Honesty and integrity.

But I want to see that period.

Facebook is prime example, and one that I constantly hum-haw over. I avoided Facebook for a long time, but one day while trying to find an old friend they came up via Facebook and joining was going to be my only way of reconnecting with them. So I gave in and did it. Since that time, I’ve reconnected with a lot of folks from my past, and it’s been quite a wonderful thing. It’s a casual social environment that allows me to socialize with friends all around the world from different parts and points in my life. I see what’s going on in their lives, and they mine. There’s just something great about the way the platform works that allows for this mode of communication and interaction. It’s great.

But Facebook needs to make money, so they make it by selling advertisements (ignore Mafia Wars and Farmville and all that). The way the ads work is simple: truly targeted demographics. People voluntarily enter in all this information about themselves. Then there’s various connections due to your friends. It’s just a fantastic way to analyze the things you might like and might care about, and even the things you could care less about, then to allow advertisers to deliver a perfectly targeted message right to the people they want to see it most. How awesome for the advertisers, right?

And if you turn it around, it’s actually good for you as the consumer. If you don’t care anything about cats but love dogs and list it as such in your Facebook profile (maybe your Info, maybe based upon your Likes, whatever), then you can be pretty sure that your time won’t be wasted learning about cat-based products. Good thing!

A personal prime example? That Motörhead show I recently attended? I learned about it because of a Facebook ad, and I’m so glad I did. So, I don’t get ads about Taylor Swift, but I do about Motörhead. That’s a good thing. I now have less chaff to sort through, I learn about things I want to learn about. Isn’t that a good thing for me as well as the advertiser?

So folks, don’t consider it to be a one-sided “they’re horrible” thing for them wanting to target you in such a way. And if you don’t like it well… don’t use Facebook, or if you do, mind what information you put on there.

So how does this relate to honesty and integrity?

Because Facebook hasn’t had either.

Look at how Facebook has behaved the past 5 years with their changing privacy policy. And then for those people who don’t want to play by their rules, it’s harder and harder to do anything about it, especially after the fact.

People don’t like that.

If Facebook had been honest from the get go, that’d be different. But they haven’t been honest. They have been arrogant. They are driven by money, not making happy users. Now I see nothing wrong with making money and as much money as you want to make. But, and call my naive, I believe you can make money and still be good. How does the Socrates quote go?

“Virtue does not come from wealth, but. . . wealth, and every other good thing which men have. . . comes from virtue.”

You may make money in the short-term by being ugly, but it won’t last. People will not stand for it. You may try to change your stripes, but your true colors have already been shown. Consider what Home Depot just did.

Karma’s real, folks.