![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Dec. 20th, 2018 05:22 pm先週引っ越しした！！
新しい近所は西谷町です。横浜市の保土ヶ谷区にはにしがわです。横浜の街中は遠くないしかし、東京はちょっと遠いです。えいかんには、道場には遠くさをふえしまいました。
新しい近所は西谷町です。横浜市の保土ヶ谷区にはにしがわです。横浜の街中は遠くないしかし、東京はちょっと遠いです。えいかんには、道場には遠くさをふえしまいました。
(no subject)
Apr. 24th, 2013 03:58 pmI Am A: Lawful Good Human Fighter (3rd/2nd Level)
Ability Scores:
Strength-17
Dexterity-18
Constitution-19
Intelligence-17
Wisdom-16
Charisma-12
Alignment:
Lawful Good A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act. He combines a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly. He tells the truth, keeps his word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice. A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished. Lawful good is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and compassion. However, lawful good can be a dangerous alignment when it restricts freedom and criminalizes self-interest.
Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.
Primary Class:
Fighters can be many things, from soldiers to criminal enforcers. Some see adventure as a way to get rich, while others use their skills to protect the innocent. Fighters have the best all-around fighting capabilities of the PC classes, and they are trained to use all standard weapons and armor. A fighter's rigorous martial training grants him many bonus feats as he progresses, and high-level fighters have access to special melee maneuvers and exotic weapons not available to any other character.
Secondary Class:
Monks are versatile warriors skilled at fighting without weapons or armor. Good-aligned monks serve as protectors of the people, while evil monks make ideal spies and assassins. Though they don't cast spells, monks channel a subtle energy, called ki. This energy allows them to perform amazing feats, such as healing themselves, catching arrows in flight, and dodging blows with lightning speed. Their mundane and ki-based abilities grow with experience, granting them more power over themselves and their environment. Monks suffer unique penalties to their abilities if they wear armor, as doing so violates their rigid oath. A monk wearing armor loses their Wisdom and level based armor class bonuses, their movement speed, and their additional unarmed attacks per round.
Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)
Ability Scores:
Strength-17
Dexterity-18
Constitution-19
Intelligence-17
Wisdom-16
Charisma-12
Alignment:
Lawful Good A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act. He combines a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly. He tells the truth, keeps his word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice. A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished. Lawful good is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and compassion. However, lawful good can be a dangerous alignment when it restricts freedom and criminalizes self-interest.
Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.
Primary Class:
Fighters can be many things, from soldiers to criminal enforcers. Some see adventure as a way to get rich, while others use their skills to protect the innocent. Fighters have the best all-around fighting capabilities of the PC classes, and they are trained to use all standard weapons and armor. A fighter's rigorous martial training grants him many bonus feats as he progresses, and high-level fighters have access to special melee maneuvers and exotic weapons not available to any other character.
Secondary Class:
Monks are versatile warriors skilled at fighting without weapons or armor. Good-aligned monks serve as protectors of the people, while evil monks make ideal spies and assassins. Though they don't cast spells, monks channel a subtle energy, called ki. This energy allows them to perform amazing feats, such as healing themselves, catching arrows in flight, and dodging blows with lightning speed. Their mundane and ki-based abilities grow with experience, granting them more power over themselves and their environment. Monks suffer unique penalties to their abilities if they wear armor, as doing so violates their rigid oath. A monk wearing armor loses their Wisdom and level based armor class bonuses, their movement speed, and their additional unarmed attacks per round.
Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)
(no subject)
Mar. 26th, 2010 12:05 pmJournal post!
Martial Arts - Hey look at me, I am a second degree black belt now. And I haven't exactly been a blaze of lightning on the mat since my test either. Shit keeps coming up, and Saki and I have divided our week up so that we each take two weekdays to do our things. If I miss either of my two days, that's it.
I finally decided to look up David Hall, and then I began showing up at the cafeteria of NIH to observe his Yagyu Shinkage Ryu and Jiki Shinkage Ryu groups train. Tremendous levels of awesome. After five weeks of that he showed me the first three kata of the jodan set of Yagyu.
Yagyu Shinkage Ryu has very tall, upright postures, and they put their weight on the outsides of their feet. Their jodan is above the crown of the head, about 20 - 30 degrees. I was told to use my last two fingers to hold the shinai, and open my elbows at the top. Surprisingly, this tore my wrist the fuck up. So I am not sure if I will be able to train for a couple of weeks now. I had been sticking to Ono Ha Itto Ryu's 45 degree angle jodan, in front and slightly above the forehead, and I had rejected opening the elbows, so switching to a new movement seemed to exploit a weakness in my right wrist.
I'd love to practice Jiki but he's got me in the Yagyu group now. Yagyu Shinkage Ryu was the first kenjutsu ryu I was interested in. As far as these things go it's the most mainstream of the classical schools and it has a definite "upper class" pansy kind of cache - Dr. Hall explained that they call their iaijutsu "battojutsu" because the emphasis is on cutting, and they never actually practice tameshigiri (that's when you fuck up a rolled-up rice mat with a live blade) because the guys who practiced Yagyu had people to do that stuff for them, it was considered lower class.
Anyway, fact of the matter is, I already own a Yagyu shinai...Kiyota San parted me with $160 or something for one a couple years back. And I can just wear my white gi to class though everybody else wears blue. I thought I would need an obi, so I went online to shop for one, and the pictures I saw of "iaido obis" looked familiar, so I rummaged in my closet. Yep! I already have one. So I don't need any new training gear for this stuff.
I just need a fucking new wrist that has all the proper ligaments and tendons in it!
Anyway, can't quite overstate the fact that I am realizing a very long-held dream by being accepted into this dojo.
Dog - she's loving and mouthy and disobedient as always. Almost done growing! We're trying to get her to exist peacefully outside of her crate during the day. I just don't want a dog that lives in her crate all day. She eats anything she can get her mouth on and poops and pees in the basement near the sliding glass doors. Its frustrating. Other than that, and the fact that she loves people by putting her jaws on their hands lightly, she is a really great dog. Very quiet and has a basically very stable personality. She is learning to be a good running companion too, if you keep her on the move she is less easily distracted by squirrels and smells.
Politics - It would be really bad for the GOP if they actually decided to make healthcare an issue for November elections. It'll basically be like "Hey, remember that time a couple months ago when we failed utterly? Vote for us!" I expect public attention on the bill will fizzle quickly once it is signed into law, because most of its provisions phase in over a long period and the effects will simply not be tangible. And it will be a done deal. In the meantime, the GOP would do well to stop trying to fan the flames of anger among the teabaggers - they are not ultimately going to be able to get control of that, because a lot of those people see the GOP as part of the problem since the great mindwipe of 2006 when they all forgot that they were republicans.
Wasting time - I am very pleased with the PS3 so far. There aren't many games for it still but the games I am interested in seem to be fairly lengthy. I am playing Fallout 3 now. Its a very cool game, I love that they set it in DC and nearby. I am a little dissappointed that the game is not as dirty as Fallout 2, where you were given lots of opportunities to fuck NPCs, there were not as many negative consequences to drug use, there was a pornstar quest, etc. Also, I would have preferred a larger selection of weapons and armor.
Martial Arts - Hey look at me, I am a second degree black belt now. And I haven't exactly been a blaze of lightning on the mat since my test either. Shit keeps coming up, and Saki and I have divided our week up so that we each take two weekdays to do our things. If I miss either of my two days, that's it.
I finally decided to look up David Hall, and then I began showing up at the cafeteria of NIH to observe his Yagyu Shinkage Ryu and Jiki Shinkage Ryu groups train. Tremendous levels of awesome. After five weeks of that he showed me the first three kata of the jodan set of Yagyu.
Yagyu Shinkage Ryu has very tall, upright postures, and they put their weight on the outsides of their feet. Their jodan is above the crown of the head, about 20 - 30 degrees. I was told to use my last two fingers to hold the shinai, and open my elbows at the top. Surprisingly, this tore my wrist the fuck up. So I am not sure if I will be able to train for a couple of weeks now. I had been sticking to Ono Ha Itto Ryu's 45 degree angle jodan, in front and slightly above the forehead, and I had rejected opening the elbows, so switching to a new movement seemed to exploit a weakness in my right wrist.
I'd love to practice Jiki but he's got me in the Yagyu group now. Yagyu Shinkage Ryu was the first kenjutsu ryu I was interested in. As far as these things go it's the most mainstream of the classical schools and it has a definite "upper class" pansy kind of cache - Dr. Hall explained that they call their iaijutsu "battojutsu" because the emphasis is on cutting, and they never actually practice tameshigiri (that's when you fuck up a rolled-up rice mat with a live blade) because the guys who practiced Yagyu had people to do that stuff for them, it was considered lower class.
Anyway, fact of the matter is, I already own a Yagyu shinai...Kiyota San parted me with $160 or something for one a couple years back. And I can just wear my white gi to class though everybody else wears blue. I thought I would need an obi, so I went online to shop for one, and the pictures I saw of "iaido obis" looked familiar, so I rummaged in my closet. Yep! I already have one. So I don't need any new training gear for this stuff.
I just need a fucking new wrist that has all the proper ligaments and tendons in it!
Anyway, can't quite overstate the fact that I am realizing a very long-held dream by being accepted into this dojo.
Dog - she's loving and mouthy and disobedient as always. Almost done growing! We're trying to get her to exist peacefully outside of her crate during the day. I just don't want a dog that lives in her crate all day. She eats anything she can get her mouth on and poops and pees in the basement near the sliding glass doors. Its frustrating. Other than that, and the fact that she loves people by putting her jaws on their hands lightly, she is a really great dog. Very quiet and has a basically very stable personality. She is learning to be a good running companion too, if you keep her on the move she is less easily distracted by squirrels and smells.
Politics - It would be really bad for the GOP if they actually decided to make healthcare an issue for November elections. It'll basically be like "Hey, remember that time a couple months ago when we failed utterly? Vote for us!" I expect public attention on the bill will fizzle quickly once it is signed into law, because most of its provisions phase in over a long period and the effects will simply not be tangible. And it will be a done deal. In the meantime, the GOP would do well to stop trying to fan the flames of anger among the teabaggers - they are not ultimately going to be able to get control of that, because a lot of those people see the GOP as part of the problem since the great mindwipe of 2006 when they all forgot that they were republicans.
Wasting time - I am very pleased with the PS3 so far. There aren't many games for it still but the games I am interested in seem to be fairly lengthy. I am playing Fallout 3 now. Its a very cool game, I love that they set it in DC and nearby. I am a little dissappointed that the game is not as dirty as Fallout 2, where you were given lots of opportunities to fuck NPCs, there were not as many negative consequences to drug use, there was a pornstar quest, etc. Also, I would have preferred a larger selection of weapons and armor.
(no subject)
Jan. 10th, 2010 01:30 pmFRIEND MARK ARGENT MAKE POST BRING UP IMPORTANT TOPIC MUST NOW SHARE WITH REST OF TRIBE.
MAN EAT STEAK. THIS HOW YOU COOK STEAK.
MUST HAVE STEAK. MUST BE THICK STEAK. SOME HUNTER LIKE STEAK WITH FAT ON IT BETTER. BUT LEAN STEAK ALSO VERY GOOD. MAN LIVE TO SEE GREAT GRANDSONS, NOT DIE FROM EVIL IN POOP PLACE. MAYBE MAN DIE FROM SABRETOOTH ANYWAY, BUT CONSIDER MAYBE TRY LEAN STEAK.
ONE. BEFORE COOK STEAK, TURN OVEN TO 350 DEGREES. IF CAN'T COUNT THAT HIGH, MAYBE ASK WOMAN. GET POTATO FROM BAG. CAN'T FIND BAG, ASK WOMAN, MAYBE SHE MOVE BAG. RUB POTATO WITH HANDS UNDER WATER. MAN HANDS ROUGH FROM HOLDING SPEAR ALL DAY, MAKE GOOD RUBBING. MAKE HOLES IN POTATO SO NOT EXPLODE. PLACE POTATO ON OVEN RACK THEN PUT STICK IN GROUND. WHEN SHADOW OF STICK MOVE LENGTH OF TWO FINGER OR HALF HOUR, TIME START COOK STEAK.
TWO. MAN COOK STEAK ON GRILL UNDER SKY. BEST LEAVE KITCHEN TO WOMAN, MAKE HAPPY CAVE, MAN CHOOSE BATTLES. TURN ON GRILL AND MAKE VERY HOT. USUALLY SMOKE COME OFF. SCRUB GRILL SURFACE WITH METAL BRISTLE BRUSH. THIS NOT TO CLEAN GRILL SO MUCH AS SPREAD GOOD TASTE AROUND ON GRILL. GOOD FOR HURT MARKS ON STEAK BUT CLIFF TALK MORE ABOUT THAT LATER.
MORE THAN TWO. STEAK NEED SALT AND PEPPER ON BOTH SIDES. WASH HANDS AND RUB SALT AND PEPPER ON STEAK. MONTREAL STEAK SEASONING HAVE SALT AND PEPPER AND ALSO CRUSHED SOULS OF ENEMIES MAKE EVEN BETTER, SO YOU TRY THAT.
MORE THAN TWO. COOK STEAK ON GRILL FIVE MINUTES. THAN MAKE QUARTER TURN, FIVE MINUTES, THEN FLIP STEAK (NOT USE HANDS!!!) FIVE MINUTES, THEN QUARTER TURN AGAIN, THEN FIVE MINUTES, STEAK PROBABLY PERFECT. WHY MAKE QUART TURN? BECAUSE MAKE HURT MARK IN STEAK. HURT MARK MAKE TASTE GOOD. NO CLIFF NOT HURT MARK ARGENT. TALK ABOUT OTHER WORD MARK HERE.
NO COVER GRILL. HEAT GO INSIDE STEAK TOO MUCH. ALSO, STEAK LIKE DAUGHTER. NO TOUCH A LOT. JUST LEAVE ON GRILL, FIRE DO WORK. THIS LIKE WHEN HUNT SEALS ON ICE. MAN FIND HOLE IN ICE, MUST STAND OVER HOLE AIM SPEAR AT HOLE AND WAIT. IT TAKE A LONG TIME, MAN FEEL LIKE DOING SOMETHING ELSE BUT THEN MISS SEAL AND THEN HAVE TO EAT BERRIES AND NUTS THAT WOMEN GATHER. PROBABLY NOT BAD FROM NUTRITION STANDPOINT BUT MAKE WOMAN ASK WHY YOU OUT ON ICE FOR TWO DAYS STUPID? AND MAN ONLY SAY UH CLIFF NO KNOW HONEY. BETTER SHOW WOMAN THAT MAN IMPORTANT PART OF TRIBE EVEN THOUGH NOT AS GOOD AT TALKING AND NOT HAVE MAGIC OF NEW LIFE IN STOMACH. BUT DIGRESS! BACK TO STEAK.
MORE THAN TWO. STEAK PROBABLY DONE NOW, CRISPY ON OUTSIDE BUT SHOULD HAVE SMALL AMOUNT OF BLOOD IN MIDDLE. POTATO ALSO PROBABLY DONE, IF STICK FLINT KNIFE INTO POTATO, SHOULD SINK RIGHT IN. CAREFUL NOT BURN HANDS.
PROBABLY READY TO EAT NOW, BUT WORD ON BEVERAGE ACCOMPANIMENT. LIKE MARK SAY, ONLY THING MUST DRINK WITH STEAK IS BEER. MARK AND CLIFF DISAGREE ON TYPE OF BEER. MARK SAY MUST BE BLACK BEER ALWAYS. CLIFF POINT OUT THAT BEER MUST BE STRONG, HAVE HIGH ABV - ABV HIGHER THAN ALL FINGERS AMOUNT, SO MORE THAN TWO. SOME BLACK BEER STRONG ENOUGH, BUT NOT ALL STRONG ENOUGH BEER BLACK. YOU UNDERSTAND? THIS IMPORTANT. MAN DRINK RIGHT BEER, BEER KILL EVIL IN MAN, MAN IS BETTER PERSON. ALSO GIVE BEER TO WOMAN, MAYBE SHE SLEEP BEFORE START YELLING ABOUT WHY MAN NO TAKE TURNS CLEANING CAVE, WHY MAN NEVER JUST LISTEN. BUT TOO MUCH BEER, WOMAN START YELLING ANYWAY, PASS OUT BEFORE MAKEUP SEX.
MAN EAT STEAK. THIS HOW YOU COOK STEAK.
MUST HAVE STEAK. MUST BE THICK STEAK. SOME HUNTER LIKE STEAK WITH FAT ON IT BETTER. BUT LEAN STEAK ALSO VERY GOOD. MAN LIVE TO SEE GREAT GRANDSONS, NOT DIE FROM EVIL IN POOP PLACE. MAYBE MAN DIE FROM SABRETOOTH ANYWAY, BUT CONSIDER MAYBE TRY LEAN STEAK.
ONE. BEFORE COOK STEAK, TURN OVEN TO 350 DEGREES. IF CAN'T COUNT THAT HIGH, MAYBE ASK WOMAN. GET POTATO FROM BAG. CAN'T FIND BAG, ASK WOMAN, MAYBE SHE MOVE BAG. RUB POTATO WITH HANDS UNDER WATER. MAN HANDS ROUGH FROM HOLDING SPEAR ALL DAY, MAKE GOOD RUBBING. MAKE HOLES IN POTATO SO NOT EXPLODE. PLACE POTATO ON OVEN RACK THEN PUT STICK IN GROUND. WHEN SHADOW OF STICK MOVE LENGTH OF TWO FINGER OR HALF HOUR, TIME START COOK STEAK.
TWO. MAN COOK STEAK ON GRILL UNDER SKY. BEST LEAVE KITCHEN TO WOMAN, MAKE HAPPY CAVE, MAN CHOOSE BATTLES. TURN ON GRILL AND MAKE VERY HOT. USUALLY SMOKE COME OFF. SCRUB GRILL SURFACE WITH METAL BRISTLE BRUSH. THIS NOT TO CLEAN GRILL SO MUCH AS SPREAD GOOD TASTE AROUND ON GRILL. GOOD FOR HURT MARKS ON STEAK BUT CLIFF TALK MORE ABOUT THAT LATER.
MORE THAN TWO. STEAK NEED SALT AND PEPPER ON BOTH SIDES. WASH HANDS AND RUB SALT AND PEPPER ON STEAK. MONTREAL STEAK SEASONING HAVE SALT AND PEPPER AND ALSO CRUSHED SOULS OF ENEMIES MAKE EVEN BETTER, SO YOU TRY THAT.
MORE THAN TWO. COOK STEAK ON GRILL FIVE MINUTES. THAN MAKE QUARTER TURN, FIVE MINUTES, THEN FLIP STEAK (NOT USE HANDS!!!) FIVE MINUTES, THEN QUARTER TURN AGAIN, THEN FIVE MINUTES, STEAK PROBABLY PERFECT. WHY MAKE QUART TURN? BECAUSE MAKE HURT MARK IN STEAK. HURT MARK MAKE TASTE GOOD. NO CLIFF NOT HURT MARK ARGENT. TALK ABOUT OTHER WORD MARK HERE.
NO COVER GRILL. HEAT GO INSIDE STEAK TOO MUCH. ALSO, STEAK LIKE DAUGHTER. NO TOUCH A LOT. JUST LEAVE ON GRILL, FIRE DO WORK. THIS LIKE WHEN HUNT SEALS ON ICE. MAN FIND HOLE IN ICE, MUST STAND OVER HOLE AIM SPEAR AT HOLE AND WAIT. IT TAKE A LONG TIME, MAN FEEL LIKE DOING SOMETHING ELSE BUT THEN MISS SEAL AND THEN HAVE TO EAT BERRIES AND NUTS THAT WOMEN GATHER. PROBABLY NOT BAD FROM NUTRITION STANDPOINT BUT MAKE WOMAN ASK WHY YOU OUT ON ICE FOR TWO DAYS STUPID? AND MAN ONLY SAY UH CLIFF NO KNOW HONEY. BETTER SHOW WOMAN THAT MAN IMPORTANT PART OF TRIBE EVEN THOUGH NOT AS GOOD AT TALKING AND NOT HAVE MAGIC OF NEW LIFE IN STOMACH. BUT DIGRESS! BACK TO STEAK.
MORE THAN TWO. STEAK PROBABLY DONE NOW, CRISPY ON OUTSIDE BUT SHOULD HAVE SMALL AMOUNT OF BLOOD IN MIDDLE. POTATO ALSO PROBABLY DONE, IF STICK FLINT KNIFE INTO POTATO, SHOULD SINK RIGHT IN. CAREFUL NOT BURN HANDS.
PROBABLY READY TO EAT NOW, BUT WORD ON BEVERAGE ACCOMPANIMENT. LIKE MARK SAY, ONLY THING MUST DRINK WITH STEAK IS BEER. MARK AND CLIFF DISAGREE ON TYPE OF BEER. MARK SAY MUST BE BLACK BEER ALWAYS. CLIFF POINT OUT THAT BEER MUST BE STRONG, HAVE HIGH ABV - ABV HIGHER THAN ALL FINGERS AMOUNT, SO MORE THAN TWO. SOME BLACK BEER STRONG ENOUGH, BUT NOT ALL STRONG ENOUGH BEER BLACK. YOU UNDERSTAND? THIS IMPORTANT. MAN DRINK RIGHT BEER, BEER KILL EVIL IN MAN, MAN IS BETTER PERSON. ALSO GIVE BEER TO WOMAN, MAYBE SHE SLEEP BEFORE START YELLING ABOUT WHY MAN NO TAKE TURNS CLEANING CAVE, WHY MAN NEVER JUST LISTEN. BUT TOO MUCH BEER, WOMAN START YELLING ANYWAY, PASS OUT BEFORE MAKEUP SEX.
shit is brilliant
Sep. 13th, 2009 11:54 pmI have re-discovered Bolo books. Why did this property never get made into a proper game franchise? Boardgame, RPG, computer game, whatever. No, OGRE does not count...a Bolo would find an OGRE to be an extremely boring opponent.
I have completed reading The Road To Damascus by John Ringo and Linda Evans and found it to be brilliant, canny, though-provoking, deep, and thoroughly insulting all at once. The most important part of a Bolo story is that it makes you sympathize with a robot tank. Let me share this passage with you:
( Read more... )
I have completed reading The Road To Damascus by John Ringo and Linda Evans and found it to be brilliant, canny, though-provoking, deep, and thoroughly insulting all at once. The most important part of a Bolo story is that it makes you sympathize with a robot tank. Let me share this passage with you:
( Read more... )(no subject)
Jul. 25th, 2009 05:59 pmI'm confused. I am not sure if this Raaaaaaaandy character is actually funny or not. I'm laughing, but I can't tell if I am laughing at his material, or him, or the idea of what he is doing, or if I am just laughing at the fact that I am laughing at this dumb shit.
(no subject)
Jul. 15th, 2009 12:07 pmSo Columbia and its outskirts, which I will call "Central Howard County" though its really all on the eastern side, has an interesting mix of food.
the WIN category includes:
Sushi - Sushi Sono, Sushi King, and sometimes Nichi Bei Kai. Sushi Sono is, in particular, some of the best sushi in the DC area.
Pizza - Pasta Blitz in particular, which is real pizza. We have a Mama Lucia and a Three Brothers if you like chains, and plenty of decent places for those of you who like square grease crackers like you get at Ledo's, or california-style weirdo cheese pies that make baseball bats bounce off when you try to hit them.
Coffee - Riverside roasts their own beans and are not starbucks. Still in business under Korean management.
Beer - Perfect Pour has one of the best beer selections in MD, Frisco Grill has a tremendous selection of beers on tap, and if you can't handle that there is Pub Dog around the corner that brews their own.
The FAILURE category includes:
Thai - there is a place by my house that has lots of flies.
Chinese - some people swear by Hunan Manor, but I've never been terrible impressed. There was a large and very nice place by the lake that closed down recently.
The PASSING category includes:
Burgers - we have all the chains represented, and we have a place called Cheeburger Cheeburger, but I am not convinced that we're missing some important burger dimension here.
Upscale - I really like the King's Contrivance. If you are willing to venture into old Ellicott city there is Tersegel's.
Anyway, I tried a new pizza place called Coal Fire on route 108 on the outskirts, and it rocked. They made me a really excellent Margherita. Just the right amount of fresh mozzarella, which didn't taste cheesy at all. Each slice was a journey of flavor and the crust was like the orgasm.
the WIN category includes:
Sushi - Sushi Sono, Sushi King, and sometimes Nichi Bei Kai. Sushi Sono is, in particular, some of the best sushi in the DC area.
Pizza - Pasta Blitz in particular, which is real pizza. We have a Mama Lucia and a Three Brothers if you like chains, and plenty of decent places for those of you who like square grease crackers like you get at Ledo's, or california-style weirdo cheese pies that make baseball bats bounce off when you try to hit them.
Coffee - Riverside roasts their own beans and are not starbucks. Still in business under Korean management.
Beer - Perfect Pour has one of the best beer selections in MD, Frisco Grill has a tremendous selection of beers on tap, and if you can't handle that there is Pub Dog around the corner that brews their own.
The FAILURE category includes:
Thai - there is a place by my house that has lots of flies.
Chinese - some people swear by Hunan Manor, but I've never been terrible impressed. There was a large and very nice place by the lake that closed down recently.
The PASSING category includes:
Burgers - we have all the chains represented, and we have a place called Cheeburger Cheeburger, but I am not convinced that we're missing some important burger dimension here.
Upscale - I really like the King's Contrivance. If you are willing to venture into old Ellicott city there is Tersegel's.
Anyway, I tried a new pizza place called Coal Fire on route 108 on the outskirts, and it rocked. They made me a really excellent Margherita. Just the right amount of fresh mozzarella, which didn't taste cheesy at all. Each slice was a journey of flavor and the crust was like the orgasm.
(no subject)
Jun. 26th, 2009 09:42 amOne thing that was timely about Michael Jackson's death is that it has overshadowed Farah Fawcett's passing.
Which was of anal cancer.
And that makes you think of Farah Fawcett's anus. Which, if you hold in your mind an image of her in her prime, is possibly a thought that distracts you from other things you have to do, like drive your car or focus on your job. Really, the economy is in NO shape right now to have most western men daydreaming about Farah Fawcett's anus.
Which was of anal cancer.
And that makes you think of Farah Fawcett's anus. Which, if you hold in your mind an image of her in her prime, is possibly a thought that distracts you from other things you have to do, like drive your car or focus on your job. Really, the economy is in NO shape right now to have most western men daydreaming about Farah Fawcett's anus.
(no subject)
Jun. 21st, 2009 12:39 amI keep hearing a suspicious assortment of poo-pooing of the current participants in the Iranian revolution.
I hear people say that they're just a bunch of 30somethings and yuppies, that it's just an educated youth movement.
I hear people say that Moussavi is basically just a slightly softer hardline right winger, and that there might not be much difference under him. I mean, he's establishment, and that establishment is one that makes the American gut lurch to contemplate it. It involves a lot of tan, severe men with black moutaches and we're not sure we like how that makes us feel.
There will still be a Supreme Leader above Moussavi, calling the shots, the one who is really in power and really important, evoking evil, righteous, faith-driven rage from the OTHER, larger part of the populace: not the educated, english-speaking, internationally-minded educated youth. but the bad terrorist kind of middle easterner that is so prevalent in Iran.
But you know what I think, I think if the people of Iran fight hard enough, they will be more relevant than any of those other political forces.
I hear people say that they're just a bunch of 30somethings and yuppies, that it's just an educated youth movement.
I hear people say that Moussavi is basically just a slightly softer hardline right winger, and that there might not be much difference under him. I mean, he's establishment, and that establishment is one that makes the American gut lurch to contemplate it. It involves a lot of tan, severe men with black moutaches and we're not sure we like how that makes us feel.
There will still be a Supreme Leader above Moussavi, calling the shots, the one who is really in power and really important, evoking evil, righteous, faith-driven rage from the OTHER, larger part of the populace: not the educated, english-speaking, internationally-minded educated youth. but the bad terrorist kind of middle easterner that is so prevalent in Iran.
But you know what I think, I think if the people of Iran fight hard enough, they will be more relevant than any of those other political forces.
Stuff I Don't Get volume 1
Jun. 11th, 2009 09:48 amMy we're chatty lately.
I have often started, but not posted, an entry where I list Things I Don't Get. But it never seems complete, because I am a bit of an outlier, and a moron to boot, so it's a pretty big list.
But here are few that have been on my mind lately.
1) Sports. Honestly. How can you sit down and watch an entire two-four hours of dudes who are freakish physical specimens doing shit you could never do, even if you had trained for it your whole life? Don't you look at the powerful and graceful movement, mechanical teamwork, and stunning endurance and feel just a LITTLE self-conscious about the fact that you are sitting on your ass eating chips and guac? Props to folks who actually play the sports they watch on TV. I don't get playing sports either but that is entirely just me. if you play sports, and watch people competing in your sport at a professional level, then I can see that. Football though. Why am I supposed to care? I guess if you PLAYED football in the past, fair enough. But say you never did sports in high school and never cared about sports in your youth, why pick it up now? Are you like trying to "pass?"
2) Reality TV. Let's take this in two parts: scripted shows like Survivor, and likely not as heavily scripted shows like American Idol. Scripted shows. Please tell me you know those are actors and they are working off a script? The producers decide who gets voted for whatever? Everybody knows exactly who is going to get picked to go on the date before they get in front of the camera? Okay, I am glad. Now why are you watching that shit? Isn't something worthwhile like Gilligan's Island or Star Trek:NG or Bob Ross shows on somewhere on your FIOS? Okay now American Idol. I can understand if you have no musical taste or like pain. In the digital age, there aren't any channels you can turn to where there is just snow and white noise any more. Maybe you hate your cat and want to torture her sonically. Why do people choose to sit in front of the screen and listen to horrible singing of utterly plain shit?
3) MMORPGs. First there was D&D and other role playing games. A couple of people get together at somebody's house and engage in a mostly cooperative mental game that stimulates the imagination, offers an escape from reality, has an element of chance that offers the possibility of dramatic highs and lows. There may be beer and pizza. It's social, it involves using your brain, its open-ended. Then there were computer games that borrowed settings and tropes and themes from D&D. You can enjoy some great graphics, its not open-ended, but its entertaining, a new way for the game designers to tell a story, etc. Now we have MMORPGs that combine the worst elements of both. Its not open-ended, you aren't sitting down with your friends, the stories can't be all that great or the game would end or change dramatically or become unbalanced. I guess there is the new social element that is created when millions of people get together online to apply themselves earnestly to something completely useless. Whoopdedoo!
4) Vegas. First off, you know you ain't going to win nothing, right? Second, you know, that's not "class," that's you getting ripped off, right? If you are the kind of person who enjoys wearing a suit and being fake, and alchohol and cigarettes are your favorite drugs, reading is for squares, airbags are for fags, ditto to Rush, etc then Vegas is for you. Otherwise...you see what I am getting at here I hope...Vegas represents everything that is inherently uncool about American culture and how it takes its pleasure, right? Why would you buy into that? Can you not figure out some way to be cool on your own? I can't explain this as well as George Carlin did, only time I ever been to Vegas, I saw George Carlin. He made it clear that we were all suckers and dipshits for being there. Long long ago, when I was a very small boy, I decided to never go against the word of Carlin. You shouldn't either.
I have often started, but not posted, an entry where I list Things I Don't Get. But it never seems complete, because I am a bit of an outlier, and a moron to boot, so it's a pretty big list.
But here are few that have been on my mind lately.
1) Sports. Honestly. How can you sit down and watch an entire two-four hours of dudes who are freakish physical specimens doing shit you could never do, even if you had trained for it your whole life? Don't you look at the powerful and graceful movement, mechanical teamwork, and stunning endurance and feel just a LITTLE self-conscious about the fact that you are sitting on your ass eating chips and guac? Props to folks who actually play the sports they watch on TV. I don't get playing sports either but that is entirely just me. if you play sports, and watch people competing in your sport at a professional level, then I can see that. Football though. Why am I supposed to care? I guess if you PLAYED football in the past, fair enough. But say you never did sports in high school and never cared about sports in your youth, why pick it up now? Are you like trying to "pass?"
2) Reality TV. Let's take this in two parts: scripted shows like Survivor, and likely not as heavily scripted shows like American Idol. Scripted shows. Please tell me you know those are actors and they are working off a script? The producers decide who gets voted for whatever? Everybody knows exactly who is going to get picked to go on the date before they get in front of the camera? Okay, I am glad. Now why are you watching that shit? Isn't something worthwhile like Gilligan's Island or Star Trek:NG or Bob Ross shows on somewhere on your FIOS? Okay now American Idol. I can understand if you have no musical taste or like pain. In the digital age, there aren't any channels you can turn to where there is just snow and white noise any more. Maybe you hate your cat and want to torture her sonically. Why do people choose to sit in front of the screen and listen to horrible singing of utterly plain shit?
3) MMORPGs. First there was D&D and other role playing games. A couple of people get together at somebody's house and engage in a mostly cooperative mental game that stimulates the imagination, offers an escape from reality, has an element of chance that offers the possibility of dramatic highs and lows. There may be beer and pizza. It's social, it involves using your brain, its open-ended. Then there were computer games that borrowed settings and tropes and themes from D&D. You can enjoy some great graphics, its not open-ended, but its entertaining, a new way for the game designers to tell a story, etc. Now we have MMORPGs that combine the worst elements of both. Its not open-ended, you aren't sitting down with your friends, the stories can't be all that great or the game would end or change dramatically or become unbalanced. I guess there is the new social element that is created when millions of people get together online to apply themselves earnestly to something completely useless. Whoopdedoo!
4) Vegas. First off, you know you ain't going to win nothing, right? Second, you know, that's not "class," that's you getting ripped off, right? If you are the kind of person who enjoys wearing a suit and being fake, and alchohol and cigarettes are your favorite drugs, reading is for squares, airbags are for fags, ditto to Rush, etc then Vegas is for you. Otherwise...you see what I am getting at here I hope...Vegas represents everything that is inherently uncool about American culture and how it takes its pleasure, right? Why would you buy into that? Can you not figure out some way to be cool on your own? I can't explain this as well as George Carlin did, only time I ever been to Vegas, I saw George Carlin. He made it clear that we were all suckers and dipshits for being there. Long long ago, when I was a very small boy, I decided to never go against the word of Carlin. You shouldn't either.
(no subject)
Jun. 10th, 2009 10:42 amLast night I had a dream that President Obama fucked Jerry Seinfeld in the ass and then donned a green cape and flew away like superman at mach 7.
(no subject)
May. 19th, 2009 09:42 amI've been trying to make a conscious effort to be nice to everyone lately.
Two weeks ago I was driving through a parking lot and found myself in one of those situations where a portion of the spacetime continuum was desired by both me and another vehicle. Being an aggressive male primate who has read plenty of Nietzche I took it. The teenager in the other car honked at me and said, "Nice going, asshole!" So I yelled, "Fuck you, bitch!" and drove on my merry way. Then my wife said to me, "You ARE an asshole."
She was right. However impeachable I was as far as right of way was concerned, I showed some kid my ugliness. I'm on this earth living in a particularly nice part of the world with my awesome stuff that I worked hard to get, and I still have to grab at things. It suddenly felt like a big burden.
I started to think about how I represent stuff. Like my family, which isn't to say that my family has consistently produced awesome people, but it's kind of a clean slate for me, and when you get a clean slate, don't put poop on it right out of the gate, you know.
I represent my dojo and my teachers. I represent gun-owning liberals. I represent pro-choice left handers. I represent C programmers who read lots of Gene Wolfe. I represent people who were unsuccessful in college in the 90s, fell into internetworking jobs, then were fortunate enough to have parents with basements to live in for seven years so they could go back to school - and therefore should remember to be humble. I represent white dudes who grew up in PG County. I represent heterosexual men who don't give a fuck about sports. I represent post-Catholics. I represent people who would rather pay $20 for two pints of beer than on 750ml of wine. I represent kids who got detention in 5th grade because I was smarter than my teachers. I represent people whose dream job is Giant Robot Pilot.
If I am connected to these things, then the choice to show the world my ugliness or show the world a better part of me doesn't affect just me. I have to think about how my conduct reflects on all of these other groups and things, no matter how stupid they may seem to anyone other than me.
The better part of being nice to everyone is keeping your mouth shut. I could have words about Catholics and their view on abortion. I could bitch about the research geeks that sit near me at work. I could hold onto my bitterness over how I was treated in my last job here. But that's not being nice, that's showing the ugly.
I have been having a hard time at the dojo with this too. I've been trying to force my opinions onto junior students a lot, trying to force things to come out the way I want them to. I think maybe I've been resisting advice my senior students have for me as well. I need to clean all this up and just manifest some Aikido is what I need to do.
Anyway, I don't have a good wrapup for this post or anything. Just that my life is really really good right now. People should always try to express a good self. If you are having a rough day or a tough life it can be hard. But if you are like me and you are in a place where things really feel like they are coming together and you are nurturing stable, long-lasting happiness, then you've got no excuse really.
So like...even if it's funny. Not gonna do it.
Two weeks ago I was driving through a parking lot and found myself in one of those situations where a portion of the spacetime continuum was desired by both me and another vehicle. Being an aggressive male primate who has read plenty of Nietzche I took it. The teenager in the other car honked at me and said, "Nice going, asshole!" So I yelled, "Fuck you, bitch!" and drove on my merry way. Then my wife said to me, "You ARE an asshole."
She was right. However impeachable I was as far as right of way was concerned, I showed some kid my ugliness. I'm on this earth living in a particularly nice part of the world with my awesome stuff that I worked hard to get, and I still have to grab at things. It suddenly felt like a big burden.
I started to think about how I represent stuff. Like my family, which isn't to say that my family has consistently produced awesome people, but it's kind of a clean slate for me, and when you get a clean slate, don't put poop on it right out of the gate, you know.
I represent my dojo and my teachers. I represent gun-owning liberals. I represent pro-choice left handers. I represent C programmers who read lots of Gene Wolfe. I represent people who were unsuccessful in college in the 90s, fell into internetworking jobs, then were fortunate enough to have parents with basements to live in for seven years so they could go back to school - and therefore should remember to be humble. I represent white dudes who grew up in PG County. I represent heterosexual men who don't give a fuck about sports. I represent post-Catholics. I represent people who would rather pay $20 for two pints of beer than on 750ml of wine. I represent kids who got detention in 5th grade because I was smarter than my teachers. I represent people whose dream job is Giant Robot Pilot.
If I am connected to these things, then the choice to show the world my ugliness or show the world a better part of me doesn't affect just me. I have to think about how my conduct reflects on all of these other groups and things, no matter how stupid they may seem to anyone other than me.
The better part of being nice to everyone is keeping your mouth shut. I could have words about Catholics and their view on abortion. I could bitch about the research geeks that sit near me at work. I could hold onto my bitterness over how I was treated in my last job here. But that's not being nice, that's showing the ugly.
I have been having a hard time at the dojo with this too. I've been trying to force my opinions onto junior students a lot, trying to force things to come out the way I want them to. I think maybe I've been resisting advice my senior students have for me as well. I need to clean all this up and just manifest some Aikido is what I need to do.
Anyway, I don't have a good wrapup for this post or anything. Just that my life is really really good right now. People should always try to express a good self. If you are having a rough day or a tough life it can be hard. But if you are like me and you are in a place where things really feel like they are coming together and you are nurturing stable, long-lasting happiness, then you've got no excuse really.
So like...even if it's funny. Not gonna do it.
(no subject)
May. 15th, 2009 10:03 amMy cat has begun training me to feed her a "pre-breakfast" at 6am.
It's still rough going, with a lot of yelling and throwing socks and such, but she knows that patience and consistency are the keys to a happy, obedient human.
It's still rough going, with a lot of yelling and throwing socks and such, but she knows that patience and consistency are the keys to a happy, obedient human.
