Monday, July 24, 2006

Hiatus

Anybody who comes to this blog on purpose, as opposed to just stumbling across it, should already know I'll be back in NC for the next 2 weeks or so...

Blogging and other related nonsense to resume on or about Aug 11th.

My Job is Brilliant.

Today I earned my paycheck by playing basketball with Jr High School students.

All day.

The End.

Sunday, July 23, 2006

The Return of "El Guapo"

Bas Rutten, after seven years out of competition, and at 41 years young, wins his comeback fight.

For those of us creeping up in our 30's, that's what we call "inspiring".

Via Sherdog: Jackson Wins at the Wire; Rutten Enjoys Return:
"Standing across from him was Ruben Villarreal, a last-minute replacement for Kimo Leopoldo after the Hawaiian tested positive for steroids during a pre-fight examination conducted by the California State Athletic Commission

Rutten was able to score at will.



He opened with crisp right hands that connected to the chin of his game foe, though they appeared to have little influence in the outcome of the fight. Rather, it was leg kicks that led to an early night for Rutten.

...Three solid low kicks forced Villareal into a limp, and a fourth, albeit it glancing, dropped “Warpath” to the canvas, where he remained until referee Josh Rosenthal waved off the contest."

Attitude is All

The Lazy Way to Success: Dealing with Obstacles, Setbacks, Failures, and Three-Putts:
...John used to get supremely angry when cars would not stop and he’d curse them as they passed. I, on the other hand, had developed a highly successful hitching technique. I’d open my heart and love each car and its occupants no matter if they passed us by or not. With this technique I scored most of our rides. I tried to teach John my technique but he preferred his bile.

If ever we got stuck at some place, instead of getting impatient, I always felt that there was something in that place that Nature wanted me to learn or appreciate or someone she wanted me to meet before she would get us our ride out. That being the case, I never felt that we were in danger of being stranded. I’d look for the beauty or the lesson of that place...

...To me there is no such thing as an obstacle or a setback or a failure. Those things are just Nature’s traffic signs letting me know that there is something right there and then that is important to be learned or appreciated before the next step can be taken.

Sometimes, by taking the time to look, a greater success can be found in a failure than if you actually achieved that which you were originally aiming at. You just have to stop and check out the so-called failure from a different angle."

Originally, I thought this was kind of stupid, but it actually sounds rather clever...

Stan Lee's "reality" show Who Wants to be a Superhero?



Comic Book Resources - CBR News - The Comic Wire:
"Because none of the contestants actually possess superpowers, the producers chose to test the 'heroes' by a different criteria. 'On the inside,' Scott Satin explained, 'every superhero has compassion, intelligence, and morals. Since those are all human qualities, let's test our players on that instead of just physical strength.'

One such test required the eleven 'heroes' to change out of their civilian identities and into their superhero costumes in the middle of Perishing Square in downtown Los Angeles -- without anybody seeing them. Once in costume, the contestants had to run to a finish line. What they were not told was that there would be a crying, lost child placed just before the finish line, and that how they reacted to that child would be the true test of heroism. Lee said viewers will be surprised by the results of the challenge, and that certain heroes were ejected from the show as a result of their choices."

Comic books Reflect Reality [and comic book creators are witty]





NEWSARAMA.COM: SDCC '06: THE 52 PANEL:
"When pressed by the fan, as to why the population of the US in the DCU seems to be overlooking [Lex] Luthor's earlier misdeeds and are not publicly questioning him, or holding him accountable for his earlier actions, Jones said: 'Are you a voter? Then you understand how these things can happen...' to the applause of the crowd."