Judo

I know that before I got into martial arts I had no clue about it. Couldn't tell you the difference between Karate, Kung Fu, Jiu-Jitsu, Judo... and I didn't even know about Akihito and many others. But I looked into some of these arts before choosing the one I thought was best for me.

As much as I wanted to go into my friend David's studio at Colorado Brazilian JuJitsu I found myself attracted to the throws in Judo. I know I'll end up at David's studio soon to learn more of the grappling (ne-waza) work.

Here's two videos that will show you what I've been doing all summer. Not to their degree obviously but I hope to start competing in October.

2006 US Open Ippons


Judo Newaza Grappling International Fights
(I love about 1 min into the video you see a guy get choked out.)

Poodle Exercise - so surreal

Really weird poodle exercise video for humans. This is a mesmerizing and frightening video. It's a word-for-word parody of Susan Powter's first workout video, featuring poodles and a crazy poodle-woman. Absolutely surreal. It was made by Nagi Noda for Panasonic. It was part of 10 films they made for the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Roommates

I have to say, I have two awesome roommates living with me now. It took a while to find the right people and it wasn't fun finding the wrong ones.

First I get screwed over by this flakey guy named Danny C. (we'll spare the last name) who holds out on signing his lease, but lets me know he's moving in on the 3rd of March. I keep checking up on him over and over and he keeps saying he'll stop by to sign it, but it never happens. Meanwhile I'm telling a few other people it's unavailable. Danny says he'll just take care of the lease on moving day. Well that day arrives, but he doesn't. Finally calls me back the next day and says some family stuff came up and now he's moving out of town. Come to find out later, it's a complete story and he basically just held out and screwed me over, with no apology. Yeah... there are people like that! LOL

Then I get this young roommate named Sean B. (again, we'll spare the last name) who used to date my friend Cody, and he seemed nice enough. But little do I know this kid is a pathological lair that has been telling everyone about how he inherited $60 plus million dollars from his family. Yeah, and that's why he needs to rent from me? LOL But he had a story for that! Actually, like any good liar, he had a story for EVERYTHING! Needless to say when he could pay his rent on time his first month (April) I warned him about paying on time in May. When RENT-A-CENTER started knocking on the door to pick up the brand new furniture and flat screen TV that he told us he had just bought... his stories started to unravel quickly. The last straw was him paying late on the 9th of May with a bad check from an account he had closed a while back. So of course it bounces on me and I evict him.

WOW, I was off to a great start! Being a landlord isn't all what it's cracked up to be!

However, Erin found me off CL and moved in mid-May, and he's awesome. I'm lucky we get along so well. So the rest of May, June, and July it was just Erin and I. I had many opportunities, but no one seemed "just right". We met Eric (moving back out from Wisconsin) and it was obvious he would fit perfectly. And we were right. We all have a great time together and have started to hang out together.

Fun times... like last night... ohhhhh lord...

This is what happens when you indulge in the drinks or smokes too much! I go to take a drink and without noticing I bring the lighter up to light it.


I don't have any pictures of Erin right now, but here's Eric and Mary. Eric just moved in this month.

(oh yeah, Mary has some demons she's fighting... LOL)

Virgin Airlines Commercial

We need commercials like this in the U.S...

Like it or Not

One of the most amazing song on her new album. I love the lyrics, of course! Personally, I think this song is a great motto to have. Like it or not. ;-)

Appreciate the contrast in life!

One of the hardest things for me to do is appreciate the contrast in life. Appreciate that not everyone has the same likes and dislikes, character/personality and beliefs, etc... Someone may annoy the hell out of you, but at least it helps you appreciate those that don't. It's the ying and yang of life baby!

A quote from Abraham last week:
"As you diminish contrast, you diminish your ability to decide, and as you diminish your ability to decide, you diminish your ability to focus, and as you diminish your ability to focus, you do away with your reason for existing."

Excerpted from a workshop in Orlando, FL on Saturday, February 15th, 1997

Be picky about what you think!

You're picky about the car you drive. You're picky about what you wear. You're picky about what you put in your mouth. We want you to be pickier about what you think.

Excerpted from a workshop in Napa, CA on Thursday, February 27th, 1997

Global Warming Commercial

I've been talking about this commercial to a few people. Why? Because I may not be a HUGE environmentalist, but I try to do my part with everything I can. Because I talk about it, and share knowledge about it and encourage others to do their part too. Because the only time I am frustrated is when I talk to old people who don't think it's their problem... but because they don't want to sound selfish... they choose to sound ignorant and say there is no problem. I've been told my sister's boyfriend's father, that we're all just "blowing everything out of proportion". I think the worst comment (and most offensive comment) I ever heard was 2 years ago from my best friend's mother. She said that she thought it was completely fine that Bush wanted to drill for oil in the wildlife refuge in Alaska because God gave us this earth to use and it's in his hands, we shouldn't worry about it. WOW!

Thought of the Day

"We are really advocates of just getting as happy as you can be—which takes care of everything. Even if you don't have reason to be happy—make it up. Fantasize it. Make a decision that you're going to be happy one way or another—no matter what. "No matter what, I'm going to be happy! If I have to ignore everybody; if I have to never watch television again; if I have to never pick up a newspaper again, I'm going to be happy. If I never have to see that person's face again, I'm going to be happy. If I have to see that person's face, I'm going to find something to see in that person's face that makes me happy. I'm going to be happy. I'm going to be happy. I'm going to be happy."

Excerpted from a workshop in Sacramento, CA on Saturday, March 15th, 2003

Abercrombie Spoofs

This pretty much sums up what I think of Abercrombie, too!

Jonas' Family Dinner

Jonas' family was kind enough to have our family over last weekend.

Nothing against OLD people, but...

"The reason the grandchildren will benefit by the "launched rockets" (analogy of your desires, creations, etc...) that you've set forth; is because they're born with no resistance to the rockets of desires that you've launched forth... You've seen those little ones on computers? They have no problem with that. They were born with computers in their life; they're born cable-ready. They're already up to speed with what you've launched into the vibrational future. And that's one of the reasons that it's nice when the old ones croak and the new ones come in, because it sort of dilutes the resistance factor that's going on on this planet."

This was the Daily Quote a few days ago that I just had to laugh about. I love it!

First off, I love how Abraham refers to dieing as "croaking" because it almost mocks how grave (pun intended) people make death out to be. I've always felt like death was hardly the end, and only a return to my source. I feel like death is simply the end of my physical existence which is full of resistance. So what a release it must be! Abraham also said this about death: "Everyone who makes this transition experiences the relief of the release of such resistance. And as we reemerge into that pure positive energy knowing fully who we are, we never look back with a moments regret."

Anyway, I also love how Abraham talks about the "old ones" as a great source of resistance. Which explains even more why I've always had such a hard time with the elderly. Don't get me wrong, I respect them entirely... but rarely appreciate their contributions unless they continue to expand, learn, and grow with the world. Otherwise, it really is time they just make their transition and let the rest of the world prosper progressively. I know when it's my time, I'll be ready to go!!

Left over pictures!

Oh, look what was left on my camera!

Donielle and I went to Chris Lovio's party a while back this summer and ran into Alan. Apparently we took some pictures that I never got off my camera. Just found them! Maybe they should have stayed on there?

Get out there! - Abraham Quote

Get out into the sunlight, out where everything is, with a vibration that is so dominant that those who annoy you, those who don't agree with you, those who make your life feel uncomfortable don't come into your experience, because your vibration, through your practice, has become so clear, so pure, so clean, so in keeping with what you want, that the world that revolves around you just feels like that. That's what you planned.

Excerpted from a workshop in San Rafael, CA on Friday, March 9th, 2001

Putting things into perspective!

My friend Chris sent this to me and I was quite impressed with it. This is such a good illustration of the universe. I've never quite seen it put this way. It's exciting to imagine all the possibilities from this perspective, isn't it?

Antares (the last photo you'll see in this group) is the 15th brightest star in the sky. It is more than 1000 light years away.

Face the Facts - No thanks!

Many around you want to point out "reality" to you. They say, "Face the facts. Look at what-is." And we say to you, if you are able to see only what-is—then, by Law of Attraction, you will create only more of what-is... You must be able to put your thoughts beyond what-is in order to attract something different or something more.

Excerpted from a workshop in “The Law of Attraction, The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham” on Saturday, July 1st, 2006