bleachers fixtures chat with mikee

A chat with Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski

Rick: Hi, Mikee. What made you decide to get into your sport --

riding?

Mikee: Some of my older cousins were taking riding lessons. Since I

wanted to be "in", I thought I should do the same. I was eight then,

and my parents refused. But I was persistent, and two years later, I

finally got my way!

Rick: Did your parents influence you in any way?

Mikee: I guess so, because my Dad had racehorses. He would take us to

the races or have us meet him at the training stables on our way back

to Tarlac. You could say I was exposed to them, though I didn't have

much interest at all. Maybe that made me very comfortable with them.

Rick: Why riding and not another sport?

Mikee: I still ask myself the same thing almost everyday!

Rick: What is your most memorable game/match, tournament, and win?

Mikee: I have a few. But the most memorable, of course, is the

Showjumping event at the Busan Asian Games in 2002. Others would be

the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games and the 1996 Chiang-Mai SEA Games

(because of the stress...just ask Toni Leviste!!), the 1996 Pacific

League World Cup Qualifier Finals (because I tied for third with my

coach who ended up winning the whole series after that third place

finish), the 1997 Brisbane Royal Grand Prix (because it was my first

clear round in a top level Grand Prix) and the 1999 Sydney Royal Grand

Prix and Olympic Qualifier where I finished equal third, jumping

Olympic height, earning a Certificate of Qualification for the Sydney

Games (unfortunately, I needed two to actually qualify, but didn't get

the second one).

Rick: What made your triumphs most satisfying?

Mikee: The feeling of triumph in victory as well as loss because of

the lessons I learned through them, the result of working and giving

so much of myself to attain that specific goal (whether or not I got

it), how much I challenged myself and overcame physical, mental,

psychological and spiritual issues, appreciation from my countrymen,

and more than anything, if I was able to come out of those experiences

as a better athlete and person and sharing this with my family and

loved ones.

Rick: What is it like to represent your country in international

competition?

Mikee: I have always been a proud Filipino. Wearing the Philippine

flag on my chest has always been an honor, and a source of

encouragement and inspiration.

Rick: How much preparation do you put into riding?

Mikee: Always in duplicate. Whatever it is we need to do as riders to

keep ourselves in optimum shape for competition, we must do for and

with our horses. Especially when we are competing overseas with our

horses, we monitor them 24-7. And even now that I would consider

myself semi-retired (well, compared to how much time and attention I

spent on my sport before), I ride about 5 times a week. Any pre-game

or pre-match rituals as well? I pray. I also like to be dressed early

for my event so I don't have to think about it later on. My warm-up

for each horse is also pretty routine on competition days.

Rick: So how would you like to be remembered in Philippine sports

history?

Mikee: What I would like is not necessarily to be remembered in a

certain way, but rather, if people would remember me at all and

suddenly think of me, that they would feel a sense of national pride,

a certain closeness to God and have the desire and confidence to

continue to aspire to better themselves, their lives, and to share

this with those around them so that they may do the same. It doesn't

even matter to me if they don't realize that the feeling and idea

started because they remembered or thought of me. As long as it helps,

even in a little way, to make someone's day better and hopefully,

eventually, make this world a better place to live in. Pay it forward.

Rick: Any athletes you look up to? Any particular reason why?

Mikee: Many. Where do I begin? Some are: Michael Jordan (he was

effective, shone without trying and was a team player in spite of his

fame), Tiger Woods (he has always been an amazing athlete who I'm glad

to see is human and has had his own share of defeat but was able to

pull himself out of his losing streak), Annika Sorenstam (so

consistent!), Vicki Roycroft (my coach - it's amazing to see such a

tough competitor who is so committed to the sport have to deal with

every single detail related to it as well as day to day life, yet be

so focused in the ring) Do you have any sports idols (well...not

exactly IDOLS) (when you were growing up)? Lydia de Vega, Elma Muros,

Bea Lucero, Rocky (well, hehe, the idea of him anyway!), Greg

2007_09_01_archive

WE'VE COME A LONG WAY, BABY

Once upon a time in Israel - especially in Jerusalem - you could count

the really good restaurants on the fingers of your hands - and still

have some fingers left over.

There was "A La Gondola" on King George; "Chez Simon" on Rehov Shamai

and "Mishkenot Sha'ananim" in Yemin Moshe. And that was that. All are

gone now.

If you wanted to make the trek into Tel Aviv - and it really was a

trek lasting some two hours, more or less, each way - through Latrun

on a two-lane road and then via Ramle, and driving through orchards if

there happened to be an accident along the way and you needed to get

past the traffic tie-up - you could find a few more "good" restaurants

- the very pretentions "Versailles" which I think was on Allenby,

"Toutoun" in Old Jaffa and "Alhambra" on Jerusalem Boulevard also in

Jaffa.

We've really come a long way, baby. In Tel Aviv - to be sure - there

are a plethora of seriously fabulous restaurants - restaurants that

really make my mouth happy. But it's Jerusalem that's the big

surprise. We have "Arcadia' and "Cavalier", which can stand up proudly

against any restaurant in the world - non-Kosher - and we also have

wonderful Kosher restaurants that I voluntarily go to - "Canela", and

"Gabriel" and "Tzachko" - for instance. I say voluntarily because

although my kitchen is Kosher, my stomach isn't - but these places are

absolutely worth eating in - Kosher or non-Kosher.

Today, my great and good friend Yoav - who is a "feinschmecker" by

anyone's standards and knows and loves fine food and wine although he

can't cook worth a damn - took me out to lunch - as he often does. He

is such a gentlemen that he gave me my choice of restaurants - among

which was a fairly new place called "Colony". I've been hearing only

wonderful things about the restaurant - but, someow, never managed to

get there - until today.

What I've been missing. The restaurant is in an absolutely

non-descript area which is fast becoming one of the "in" places for

fine food and entertainment. There is "Colony", "Pini Etzel Hatzer",

which opened two weeks ago after being a Jerualem fixture in the

center of town for years, then moving to Tel Aviv and then back here,

"Schmiel", a dairy restaurant whose marvelous youghurt soup I copied

when I got home, and the "Ma'abada" - where I saw Shalom Hanoch and

Ninette perform recently.

The restaurant - which bills itself as "Salon - Bar - Restaurant" - is

imaginatively decorated - and has seating both outside and inside.

There is a long bar, lounge seating on some of the most beautiful and

interesting chairs I've ever seen, a dining terrace, a lounging

terrace, and seating on three levels inside. As it was very hot today

we chose to sit inside - as did all the patrons.

And now to the best part - the food. There is an imaginative menu -

with only a few of the items not terribly original I must say - but

all beautifully presented. And judging from the completely empty

plates that went back to the kitchen - all the food was superb. Yoav

began with a gazpacho, served in a gorgeous bowl - which looked

beautiful, and which he said was delicious - and I began with a whole

hatzil baladi - a small roasted eggplant - which was obviously burned

on an open fire as it should have been, so that it had that

distinctive smokey taste - served in a bowl on a bed of creamy tehina

and harissa - a somewhat spicy relish which was the perfect foil for

the mild eggplant and tehina. My mouth was singing. As was Yoav's -

since he tasted - and tasted - my eggplant.

While we usually try to order different main courses when we dine

together - today we were both in the mood for the special - two

fillets of bouri - which is close in taste to American striped bass -

served on a bed of perfectly spiced and seasoned quinoa - and which

had flakes of sea salt, not just as a seasoning but as an integral

part of the dish. My mouth continued singing.

Of course, we drank a bottle of Gamla Chardonnay - perfect and light

to suit the day and the food. It's easy to finish a whole bottle of

wine when the conversation and food are good - and lunch goes on for

several hours. There was an individual loaf of good dense bread on

each table - and we finished with intense dark expressos, as we are

not dessert eaters but like espresso after a meal.

Naturally, we looked at the other tables to see what people had

ordered. We were sitting on a raised level and it was easy to see what

was going on. Most tables ordered the hatzil baladi as one of their

starters, the pastas were original and a lot of people ordered that,

and several people were eating entrecote steak with potato puree -

whose aroma was intoxicating. The table next to us had some kind of

dessert which looked divine - I'm not sure what it was as I didn't

even glance at the dessert menu but I will next time.

I loved the many different shapes of plates they used - each shape

perfectly complementing the food being served. And did I mention the

service? Warm and gracious and competent without being overbearing or

intrusive.

I don't know what lunch cost as I was a guest - but judging from the

menu prices and the wine list - which is relatively small but well

thought out - I would imagine that lunch cost approximately 200

shekels per person - which, when you think about it, comes to about 50

dollars American - much less than it would cost for a comparable meal

in New York.

Even their business card is classy - and I'm putting it into my card

2007_05_01_archive

MY COUNTRY, MY CITY...MY GOODNESS

I once had a French teacher, Benedict D'Arlon, (well, his name was

really Benjamin Schwartz but he felt that wasn't an appropriate name

for a French teacher) who used to say "the world is going to hell in a

handbasket". I never quite understood that - I don't even know what a

handbasket is - but his meaning was loud and clear. And that's the way

I feel today.

As I do each morning - I picked up my newspapers from my mailbox, made

my first cup of tea of the day, lit my cigarette (yes, I smoke) - and

began to read. You must all know by now of the political problems we

are having here. To add to our woes - Hassan Nasrallah opined that our

Winograd Commission Report now says conclusively that we lost the 2nd

Lebanon War. We really needed to hear that from him. Avigdor Yitzchaki

resigned....only to be replaced by Tzachi Hanegbi who is under

indictment. Ehud Olmert refuses to resign. Tzippi Livni wants to be

Prime Minister. Shimon Peres wants to be....anything - just elect him.

Moshe Katzav wants the rape charges against him to be dropped and Azmi

Bishara - an Arab Member of Knesset - is being charged with treason

for helping the enemy during the 2nd Lebanon War.

Tzippi Livni wants Olmert to resign - she, however, will not resign.

Amir Peretz says he doesn't have to resign because the Winograd Report

didn't blame him as much as it blamed the others - Olmert and Dan

Halutz - he says - "true - I have no Defense experience but I'm

learning". Did you ever hear such "mishugass" (craziness)?

In the meantime, Sallai Meridor, Israeli Ambassador to the United

States says that the Syrian military is undergoing its largest buildup

since 1973 - remember the Yom Kippur War? Vos noch? (Yiddish - what

else?) And that was only on the front page!!

Closer to home - closer to my home, that is - the traffic in Jerusalem

has become more and more impossible to deal with. Some little smug,

self-satisfied functionary (Kobi Bartov if you want to curse him

personally) says that he can't forbid people from driving into

downtown Jerusalem but he can - and will - make life miserable for us

drivers. And he is doing that - with a vengeance. By the way - he also

says that he doesn't care what people say about him - "write what you

will" he said to the journalist who wrote the article telling us about

his plans for the traffic.

To add to our traffic woes - Jerusalem is erecting a Calatrava Bridge

at the entrance to the city. Work goes on day and night - both at the

entrance to the city and along the highway. When we drove home from a

party in the North at 11:00 last night we were stuck in the kind of

traffic jam you expect to see only during rush hour. The bridge will

help move the traffic along that Mr. Bartov doesn't want here.

And to add the cherry to the icing on the cupcake - the weatherman

said yesterday that the rain would finally stop. After two weeks of

not having my car washed - yesterday dawned bright and sunny. Shachar

- my car wash guy - said all was well - go ahead and wash the car -

finally. The car wash was jammed - full of people like me who want to

drive in clean, shiny cars. I waited - I had the car washed - I was

happy. And then this morning - when it wasn't supposed to rain, mind

you - it RAINED - for only two minutes - those big, fat raindrops with

a grain of sand in each drop - and my lovely white car is - once again

2007_11_01_archive

I APOLOGIZE

Does anyone remember the song "I Apologize" sung by Billy Eckstein?

If I told a lie

If I made you cry

When I said goodbye

I'm sorry

From the bottom of my heart, Dear

I apologize

Does anyone even remember Billy Eckstein?

So - I apologize to you. I was just about to close down shop - I wrote

and wrote and never received any comments from anyone. I thought that

no one was reading me anymore and no one cared.

And then - yesterday - on my email I received lots and lots of

"comments" - all dated weeks and weeks ago. I then "found" a whole

page on which there are lot of other "comments" - all dated a long

time ago - and which I cannot open. Have these "comments" been

floating around in the ether all this time? Where have they been? They

have certainly never reached my Blog or my email.

I apologize to all of you who have written for not replying to you. I

didn't even know you were there and now that I do know I can't

retrieve the messages. I click and click and nothing seems to happen.

I think that my computer has a mind of its own.

My CM (computer mumche) seems to have disappeared for the nonce. I'll

try him once more and then I'll try a new CM whom Yoav suggested I

use. Maybe he - they - will come up with a solution for me.

In the meantime - if you want to get in touch with me about any of my

2007_03_01_archive

A PASSAGE TO INDIA or THE RAJ QUINTET

I wanted to post a note telling you all I was going off to India, but

my computer decided - for a change - to stop functioning. Not to worry

- my trusty CM (computer mumche) came to the rescue when I got back

and put it all to rights. Actually - it's not his fault - I switched

servers and television cable companies - and the whole thing went

kerflooey. And all because my original cable provider, HOT, threatened

to discontinue BBC Prime and I couldn't have that so I switched to

YES. But the computer was linked to HOT and the HOT technicians

disconnected the computer - nasty nasty people - and it took forever

to get it all together again. And to add insult to injury HOT decided

to keep BBC Prime in the end!!

So back to my trip to India. It was my fourth trip there - my third

with my friend Myra - sans Arnon this time. There were five of us -

all women. Don't even ask. I have to say though that on the whole the

trip was fine - and interesting - and fun - and I now know more about

some of these women than I ever wanted to know - or needed to know.

Who complains - who is cheap - who is generous - who is "gameesh"

(flexible) - who is a swift pain in the butt - which ones I will never

travel with again - the list goes on. After all - FIVE women!! But all

in all - I'd do it again - only with some men next time as leavening.

Haven't you noticed? I have. When I serve on a Board of some

organization and it is mixed - men and women - there is almost no

infighting and sniping. Women tend to personalize everything.

Anyway - we flew to Mumbai - went to visit the Hare Krishna Temple

between planes - nothing like not wasting any time - then flew on to

Varanassi and then on to Delhi - where we picked up our car and driver

and spent the next few weeks driving to Agra and Fatehour and Jaipur

and Pushkar and Ajmer and Jodphur and Jaisalmer and Osian and Ranakpur

and Udaipur and then flew to Mumbai and then home. By the way - all

those "-purs" are in Rajasthan.

Distances are vast in India -we spent hours and hours on the road -

but we had a fabulous driver who really knew the country well - and

loves his country - and he took us to see all sorts of places that

weren't even on our itinerary. He even took us to his home to meet his

wife and to have some tea and cookies. Salaries are very low in India

- most couples have no more than three children - usually two - so

that they will have the money to educate them. Education is very

important - many of the drivers, in fact, are very highly educated.

And all of our guides were college graduates - many were already

lawyers or studying law.

And the icing on the cake - my friend, Cecelia from Rochester, New

York - was in India at the same time as we were and we managed to meet

up twice during our travels. However - she found the country boring -

a word I would never use in relation to India. The one thing we never

were was bored. Cold? Sometimes - the weather was unusually cold and

rainey for this time of year. Wet? Sometimes. Exhausted? Often - we

ran from morning to night...our choice as we wanted to see as much as

possible. But bored? NEVER.

I'll tell you more about the trip as time goes on - the fabulous

2006_10_01_archive

THE DOG ATE MY HOMEWORK

The dog ate my homework. My grandmother died - for the third time this

year - and I had to go to the funeral. My computer was down. Pick any

excuse. The truth is - the computer died - not my grandmother of

blessed memory - life got in the way - the Holidays came and were duly

celebrated - I am, once again, the Rosh Va'ad (head of the Building

Committtee in case you forgot) ---- nevermind - here I am again.

Anyway - I got through Rosh HaShana without too much damage to my

(perennial) diet and without spending too much time in the kitchen. I

was invited out for meals, and although I came with my contributions

toward the dinners and lunches it still wasn't the same as having to

do the whole thing myself. I survived the Fast of Yom Kippur - very

easy this year I must say, as the weather wasn't too hot - and did no

damage to my diet at all.

So, yesterday was back to real life - although Succot began last night

- and Marallyn and I went out for our usual Friday morning breakfast.

We missed last Friday as it was erev Yom Kippur and we had a lot to

catch up with. I mentioned how much I love to be in Israel for the

High Holidays. We're all on the same page - so to speak - you know

that almost everyone will be celebrating in some way - some of us go

to Beit Knesset (synagogue) - some of not - most of us will be

attending festive meals - many of us will have been cooking and

preparing and shopping and shopping and shopping - and eating and

eating and eating - and on Yom Kippur the whole country is observing

this Holy Day. And while not everyone fasts and while not everyone

goes to Beit Knesset - no one drives and everything is closed down.

All restaurants and shops and places of entertainment are closed,

there is no radio - no television - no one drives - the normally very

busy streets are absolutely empty except for people walking and kids

riding their bikes. (That's another crazy custom that has begun here -

kids go out bike riding on Yom Kippur because it's safe - there are no

cars on the roads. But somehow this year there were fewer kids than

usual on their bikes.) In short - Yom Kippur here is like no where

else in the world.

As we were talking - Maralyn and I came to the conclusion that in

order to really know Israel and the Israelis you have to be here for

three particular days. Yom HaZikaron (Remembrance Day for our Fallen),

Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) and Yom HaAtzmaut

(Independence Day). On Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaShoah the whole country

is in mourning. The television plays - and replays - films of our

fallen soldiers and films depicting life as it was in Europe and in

the camps. Restaurants and places of entertainment are closed as these

days are not times for celebrating. Can you just imagine a day where a

siren is sounded in the morning and wherever you are - whatever you

are doing - you stop. If you are at home you stop whatever you are

doing and just stand and remember. And if you are in your car you stop

- get out of your car and just stand and pay hommage to the dead until

the siren tells you to go back to your life. The whole country just

stops. And when Yom HaAtzmaut comes along we Israelis go back to being

the way we always are - caring, loving, rude, sensitive, insensitive,

brash, loud - and always hungry. The whole country barbecues - and

eats and talks, and laughs and eats some more - and we get on with our

lives until next year - when, once again, we remember. Actually - we

2006_12_01_archive

THERE GOES THE DIET - AGAIN

I have really been trying to stick to my diet - I promise you - I

really have. Even yesterday, when some friends and I went to a concert

at the Dormition Abbey and there was that ever-present Arab selling

Arab Bagelach (than which, I promise you, there is no better smell and

taste) - I just drank my water and sucked on my sugarless candies.

Booor-ing! But I felt so virtuous - and thin.

So today - not only was I dieting - I was also working at my desk

trying to clean up all my paperwork (I tell you - my papers have

babies even while I sleep - sort of like wire hangers which seem to

proliferate in the clothes closets overnight). My phone rang. My

friend, Joey. "Do you want to go out to lunch?" "No" I said - "I'm

doing my paperwork" - feeling very virtuous yet again. "OK - I'm

bringing lunch to you - I found us a great treat."

And a short time later my doorbell rang. "Meals on Wheels" announced

Joey. And then we went to town. Joey and I both keep kosher - at home.

There was a time when we didn't keep kosher - so we know what

non-kosher tastes like. Well - I still know what real non-kosher

tastes like as I eat all kinds of "treyf" outside (things like bacon

and prosciutto and shellfish). Joey doesn't.

So what did he bring for lunch? Kosher bacon. It's really veal - but -

I swear - it tastes like bacon. We never even bothered to sit at the

table. We just scarfed down bacon and mayonnaise sandwiches while

standing over the sink. Not even with lettuce and tomato. And Joey -

what a goyishe thing to do - he brought a loaf of white bread which he

didn't even toast! I, of course, was semi-good and ate my sandwiches

on seven-grain "leham kal" (diet bread). Toasted.

2007_10_01_archive

MORE THIS 'N' THAT

My televisions haven't been working properly. One died - nothing to do

about that - it was the first color TV we bought about thirty years

ago - served us well and has now gone to its eternal rest. But the

others have been cutting out in the middle of the programs - all of a

sudden two new TVs are dying too? Whom should I call - my service

provider "YES" - or the TV repairman?

Neither, as it turns out. There is some kind of ship out in the

Mediterranean whose signals are interfering with our cable company.

Did you ever hear of such a thing? To make it up to us "YES" is giving

us - for the next two weeks - free first-run movies. Whooppee! But it

doesn't do me any good as I am going abroad for the next two weeks.

"THE HOLIDAYS" are finally over - whew! Absolutely nothing gets done

here - it's always "leefnay ha chag" (before the holiday) or "acharay

ha chag" (after the holiday). The post office virtually closes down

operations, my money changer went on vacation (I need to get some

euros), my hairdresser went away, almost all offices are on half-day

schedules, my hairdresser went away, and it is impossible to drive in

Jerusalem. And my hairdresser went away!!

The religious come from all over the world to spend "The Holidays" in

Jerusalem. People who don't drive all year long are renting cars for

the holiday period. Then we have "marches" - The March to Jerusalem,

The Blessings of the Cohanim (Priests - jewish ones of course), the

cars whose drivers can't see where they are going because the schach

(the fronds used to cover the succot (temporary dwellings) is falling

down over the windshields - and on and on and on.

Last week Ros (with an s) came back from her trip abroad. As she has

lived here even longer than I have, I asked her what restaurants she

remembered from our early days here. ( Remember the last blog I

wrote?) So as we were having dinner in the Black Steer - which she

remembered used to be the Pundak Motza back in the days when - she

remembered a whole lot of other restaurants to add to my list - Beni

Dagim, HaShipudia, Shipudei HaGefen, Rama, The Georgian which then

became the Marrakesh, Mama Mia, La Fontana, Ha Tzrif, Savion, an

Indian Restaurant whose name no one seems to remember on Rehov Yannai

- but everyone remembers was there - and whose owner was called Flower

Sillamon, a Chinese Restaurant at the top of the windmill next to the

Kings Hotel, and Kerem.

By the way, in my last blog I gave the transliteration for a dish

called "Jerusalem Mixed Grill" as meiourav. Myra - my expert on Hebrew

pronounciation - says it should have been meyorav. I stand corrected.

And now I'll say goodbye for the next two weeks. Roz (with a z) and I

are going off to Barcelona and Bilbao for a holiday. That's what I

needed the euros for and why I can't take advantage of the "YES" offer

of free films. Our trip sounds really exciting - we've planned all

2007_12_01_archive

HANUKKAH - CHANUKA - CHANNUKA - HANNUK-----

Doesn't matter how you spell it - it's almost here again. And early

again - although sometimes it's late.

Wasn't it just a few months ago that I was railing about Rosh Hashana

being very early this year? It stands to reason that if Rosh Hashana

was early this year then Chanukkah will also be early - but it's still

too early for me.

Have barely finished with Thanksgiving - well, I still have a turkey

carcass in the freezer to make another soup but to all intents and

purposes Thanksgiving is over and done with for this year. I'm simply

not ready for Hanukah to arrive - and this week yet. I haven't

polished my chanukia - although I did break down and buy the candles

last week.

Truth to tell - there have been soufganiot (jelly donuts) in the shops

for weeks now. For those of you who don't know - soufganiot are the

symbolic food for Hanukkah here in Israel - unlike latkes - also known

as levivot here (pancakes - particularly potato pancakes) in the

States. Yes - people do eat latkes here - but soufganiot are the

preferred food. Doesn't matter how many years I'll live here - jelly

donuts are what we used to buy on the way to the office (in New York)

to eat with our morning coffee - not something symbolizing Hannuka.

I'm a latka girl....and I'll always be one.

On Wednesday Marallyn is doing her annual Channukka bash - and while

2006_09_01_archive

"Ich hab' noch einen Koffer in Berlin"

In one of the early episodes of this Telenovela (Hebrew for soap-opera

- pronounced TELE-no-VELA) I call my life, I once lived in Germany for

a few years. It was a long time ago and in those days there was the

Berlin Wall, and Checkpoint Charlie and East Germany and West Germany

- and never the twain shall meet. My then-husband was an officer in

the American Army, and as he had a top-secret clearance we were not

allowed to go to Berlin - "in case those rotten Communists picked us

up and beat us until we divulged all the secrets we were supposed to

have held". In all the years I lived in Germany I travelled all over

the country - but never to Berlin.

So - I always dreamed of going to Berlin - right - don't you always

want what you can't have? Finally, three weeks ago, the stars were in

the right place in the heavens, there was room on the flight we

wanted, my friend, Rosaline (who is my good travelling companion -

more about her at another time), had a week off because her office was

closed - and so we went to Berlin.

They say - whoever "they" are - that when you want something so much

and look forward to it so much - that you are inevitably disappointed

when you get it. Wrong! Berlin was fabulous. I can't now imagine what

I thought Berlin was going to be like and look like - but it wasn't.

Does that make sense? It doesn't look at all like the rest of Germany,

the food is completely different, the people are different, they speak

a beautiful and clear German (very unlike the terrible-sounding

Schwaebish dialect we spoke in Stuttgart) and the city is absolutely

elegant and very clean.

We stayed at a little boutique hotel off the Kurfurstendam - familarly

known as the Ku-dam - a boulevard very much like the Champs Elysee in

Paris - sidewalk cafes, restaurants, shops and people parading along

day and night. The Germans have a very well developed "cafe culture" -

do you know the kind of place I mean? - an inside, of course, but on

the wide sidewalks little tables with chairs side-by-side so you can

face the constant parade of people and watch the world go by. The cafe

near our hotel was called "Dressners" - to my mind a perfect name for

a perfect place. Don't ask why I thought the name was perfect -

somehow it just fit. And we drank large glasses of very milky coffee

which they called Latte - not a German name to be sure - but very much

like the delicious "cafe hafuch" (literally upside-down coffee) which

we have here. And most of the patrons were eating the most delicious

pastries - always accompanied by "shlag" - whipped cream. I don't even

like whipped cream - but I loved it there. Go know. And if they

weren't eating pastries and shlag they were eating what seems to be a

very popular nosh in Berlin - plates of "kartoffel ecke" (potato

corners) little pieces of roasted - fried? - potatoes accompanied by

sour cream. Now there's a nosh for you.

There isn't a typical Berliner cuisine - except for those kartoffel

ecke and a kind of sausage called "curry wurst" which you eat

on-the-go - on paper plates with plastic forks - don't ask. And of

course, there is the famous pork knuckle served with sauerkraut and

mashed potatoes and a portion of split pea puree. What knuckle - it

looks like the whole leg hanging off the side of the plate. Those of

you who have had the good fortune (!) to eat a meal with me know that

I will eat almost anything that isn't tied down - fish heads (the eyes

are the best part), brains, "beitzim" (bulls testicles if you must

know) - that pork knuckle just doesn't do it for me.

Lest you be worried, however, Ros and I didn't starve. The Berliners

serve wonderful Argentinian steaks - order it "English" (pronounced

AYN-glish) if you want it very rare and that's what you get - just the

way I like it. And good Chinese and good Italian and those lovely

pastries and and and....

I will never understand their pricing though - Ros is not a wine

drinker and I very definitely am - so at dinner I would order a glass

of wine and Ros would order a Sprite or a ginger ale - and my wine -

very good by the way - not plonk - cost less than her soft drink.

She's still carrying on about it.

I started to write about Berlin - and went off on a tangent about

food. How like me. I relate everything to food. Directions to

someplace - where is it in relation to a restaurant? Have I been to a

particular city - what did I eat there? So - next time I'll tell you

about Berlin - probably with a little food-lore thrown in.

By the way - the title of this blog is the title of a famous song sung

by Marlene Dietrich - it means "I still have a suitcase in Berliln" -

wherever she is in the world a part of her is still in Berlin. I think

I feel that way about Germany - strange, isn't it - but some very

2006_11_01_archive

ZE LO YUMAN - or - UNBELIEVEABLE

Am I living in Jerusalem or in Chelm?

This evening Rosaline and I decided to go to the films - as we often

do. Now, you have to understand that in Jerusalem you choose between

going to a nice theatre - which may or may not have a decent film -

and may or may not have convenient parking - or you go to a dive

without decent parking and with yucky seats and with escalators that

don't work - but with the best films in the city. So we chose to go to

the Rav Chen Movie Complex (a white-elephant of a place) to see

"Keeping Mum" - a funny, off-the-wall film with Rowan Atkinson (Mr.

Bean, Blackadder) - see it.

Anyway - this theatre gives a discount for the 5 o'clock

showing....the first showing of the day. So we get to the "kuppa" (box

office) for the 7:30 show - because there was no 5 o'clock show. We

asked for our discount - and were told that it was only for the 5

o'clock show. But there was no 5 o'clock show - so we should be

entitled to the discount for the 7:30 show - we said. We would have

come to the 5'oclock show had there been one. No way - it seems you

are entitled to a discount for the 5 o'clock show only if there is

one! Chelm!

After the film we decided to get a bite to eat. We went to a fairly

new "steakiah" called "Bibi"- no relation at all to Bibi Netanyahu.

The food there is very good. DO NOT GO!!

We weren't in the mood for meat - or a lot of food at all in fact. But

- these steakiah's have a wonderful selection of salads served with

fresh-baked "laffa" - a large, flat Iraqi pita....which is served

gratis when you order a main course. However - the menu said - "Salads

(without meat) 25 shekel per person". Goody. Just what we wanted. And

so we ordered salads - which came with gorgeous chips (french fries)

and that delicious laffa. A perfect late-evening nosh.

We thoroughly enjoyed our supper and asked for the check. When the

waiter brought it to us he said - "The manager is very angry at me for

only serving you salads - you have to have meat, too". Hello! The menu

said we could order only salads.

Ros and I are far from shrinking violets - so we went up to the

manager and asked why he was angry with the waiter for only serving us

salads - when it said on the menu that we could order only salads. Lo

mishaneh (it doesn't matter) what the menu says - you have to order a

guy with wings

The Guy with "Wings"

Hey, I want to let you in on a little secret. Actually it's more of an

inside joke between Jan and myself. Whenever I do something that Jan

appreciates she says, "Your wings are growing". I take those words to

mean that I'm an angel and my wings are growing. At least I hope

that's what she means! Heck, maybe she thinks I'm a bird, I dunno. I

realize that I have a long way to go to be standing alongside Michael

the Archangel. But when she says "Your wings are growing" I get a

spring in my step. Remember when you were in kindergarten and the

teacher had a chart with all the students names on it? If you did

something "good" you were awarded with a gold star next to your name.

That's the feeling I get. We all want to be accepted and appreciated,

and this is her way of telling me that she appreciates what I have

done. I usually don't "grow wings" when I do things that are expected

of me. It's when I do unexpected acts that she finds it necessary to

award me with my "wings". On the other hand, if I do something

"stupid" (at least in her eyes) I get my wings clipped. There is

nothing worse than an angel without wings. At least in my eyes anyway.

You see, it is the little things in life that mean the most to us. A

kind word, a smile, a compliment all help us feel better about

ourselves and the people around us.

I continue to find ways to be awarded wings everyday. I feel much

six pack training lying on heavy bag

Six Pack Training Lying on the Heavy Bag

I hope everyone knows by now, that if you want a six pack, you must

watch your diet, reduce calories to reveal muscle under your fat

layers (if any), and do some stomach exercises to develop your

abdominal muscles. With regards to the diet, sorry but its a slow and

mind blowing process where you eat tasteless foods half the time and

try to resist the tasteful ones. With regards to the exercises, there

aren't many you have to do. Just five or six will do. 20 reps each, 3

sets per exercise and your well on your way. But one way in which the

muscle will be developed more quickly and so will surrounding muscles

of the abdominals is by training whilst lying on a heavy punch bag.

Nearly every gym in the world has them so finding one shouldn't be a

problem. The idea is, when you perform your exercises lying on the

bag, because its round, you will have to balance yourself to quite an

extent so as it does not slide away from under you. By training this

way you will notice that it will be much harder to do your exercises

and you will be performing them much stricter so as you don't fall,

forcing your abdominals to work harder. The basic crunch will become a

workout that works more than just your upper abdominals as a slight

twist in your arm or training to fast will throw you completely off

balance. Reverse sit ups (lying on the bag and bringing your knees to

your chest, and down again) are the worst for me. My balance goes

everywhere with this one. It takes time to learn the balance required

to train like this but it is extremely beneficial. Obviously you need

a bag which is big enough for you to lie on but as I said, a lot of

gyms have them, and if you train at a martial art school, it should

definitely have one. For grapplers, the balance you can pick up by

training on the bag like this is priceless. After a while, your

groundwork will be much smoother, and you will be finding it easier to

best bodybuilding and weight training

Best Bodybuilding and Weight Training Book

For anybody wanting to get into supreme top shape, weather to excel as

a martial artist, or just to become more fit and muscular, i recommend

a book written by Arnold Schwarzenegger called The New Encyclopedia of

Modern Bodybuilding. For beginners and advanced exercisers, this book

is amazing. It contains everything a person needs to know, including

information on training principles, training methods, diet and

nutrition, analysis's on different injuries and much much more.

Instead of buying different books which cover all these aspects, i

advise this one book by Arnie. The advantage with this encyclopedia

compared to others, is that is written by one of the best bodybuilders

of all time who won the Mr Olympia competition 7 times. His experience

and prowess in the sport is apparent in this book and because of his

reputation, you can not help but keep reading more of what he has to

say. If you are looking for a book which will help you achieve your

pictures themes and more

Today we're launching a new version of Google Talk with fun

personalization features: Pictures and Chat Themes.

Pictures. Now you can set your own picture and see your friends'

pictures, right from your friends list. It's easy to use: simply click

on your picture to select a new picture. In addition you can see the

pictures in chat notifications, optional friend online notifications,

and new Profile Cards that show up over your friends list. We think

pictures are a big visual improvement to Google Talk, and we hope you

like them as much as we do.

Chat Themes. Customize the look of your chat conversations by choosing

from a number of built-in themes. Just select your theme from

Settings->Appearances. One of the themes replicates the simple style,

and some get quite fancy and include pictures of your friends.

Keeping Google Talk simple and easy to use is a high priority for us.

Sometimes it's a tradeoff between adding a feature and keeping Google

Talk easy to use, but we're happy when we can find the line that lets

us do both.

Many members of the Google Talk team contributed to this release, some

of whom will be posting to this blog over the coming days. Stay tuned!

Scott Ludwig

Software Engineer

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walk through garden

A Walk Through The Garden...

Good Day Sunshine

The Beatles, from their 1966 album "Revolver".

2005_05_08_archive

come chat with team system product

Come chat with the Team System product group - December 5th

It's time again for a chat with the Team System Product Group, make

sure that you clear you calender on the 5th of december.

Join members of the Visual Studio Team System product group to

discuss features available in Team Foundation Server, Team Suite,

Architecture Edition, Development Edition, Database Edition, and

Test Edition. In addition, discuss what's new for these editions

for Visual Studio 2008.

Read more about it here.

firehouse chat with harry r carter phd

Firehouse Chat with Harry R. Carter Ph.D., MIFireE

Detour for the day...

Harry Carter, contributing editor to Firehouse.com paints an

interesting picture about what the average public servant is up

against...when attempting to their job. There is an aura of intrigue

as to why the "infrastructure" we rely upon and used to assume was

fully intact, has been disrupted through subtle agenda ridden

initiatives.

This editorial also boomerangs my thoughts back to my own backyard,

where shootings in Minneapolis, Minnesota is occurring in areas

typically untouched before. After the Minneapolis Police department

faced forced creative (legal) bookkeeping techniques in 2004 at the

hands of the city council and a 2003 budget cut in local government

aid - state government grants.

The author hits on areas of concerns that do transcend across this

nation. From the perspective of the regular everyday citizen, I would

expect that all the services that I pay taxes for, are not just

intact, but completely and thoroughly meant to do what it was intended

for.

The author is absolutely correct; each area of service represents a

different role with different needs. If those local level familiar

roles are changing away from the norm...we do have many more problems

ahead. Unfortunately, constantly waiting for the next well planned

crisis to occur, is damaging to the psyche.

Dr. Carter says what he feels. This is the voice of "been there, done

that." This is the voice of someone who cares. I appreciate his

courage for expressing his opinion openly.

Link to read the whole editorial on firehouse.com...

More on the current Minneapolis crime solution from Minnesota Public

Radio

Link Link

posted by Awakening at 12:22 PM #

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my three shrinks podcast 7 fireside

My Three Shrinks Podcast 7: Fireside Chat

Posted by Roy at 12:13 AM

[Previous] . . . [7] . . . [Next] . . . [All]

Blame Roy on the delay in getting this podcast out. We strive to get

these out on Sundays, but life just gets in the way sometimes. We

recorded this on Sunday, Jan 21, in front of Dinah's fireside studio,

when we had our first snow of the season (not even an inch). Go to the

bottom of these Show Notes for a picture of us in front of the fire

(the crackles and pops you hear in the audio are from the fire).

Roy (our podcast producer) has added a new "feature" where the music

which is played as we transition from one carefully planned subject to

the next will change from week to week. Feel free to figure out where

each week's song snippet comes from. The first one to figure it out

will receive the dubious distinction of a link to their blog or site

in the following week's Show Notes. (Extra points if you can find some

connection between the song and a topic from the podcast.)

_________________________________________________________________

January 24, 2007:

Topics include:

* Dinah's post on the "Well-Worried Well" provokes dissension

amongst the Shrink Rappers. Are folks who go to high-end hospital

units, such as The Retreat at Sheppard Pratt, just the worried

well, or are they "rich people with mental illness"?

* Paying for Psychotherapy: "That's the problem with reimbursement

for psychotherapy. How do you decide what is and isn't valid

psychotherapy?"

* BusinessWeek, 1/29/07: "Held Hostage by Health Care", by Michelle

Conlin. Article about people who stay in jobs they hate due to

fear of losing their health insurance coverage.

* Movie: Idiocracy [IMDB link] from Roy's post of YouTube video,

Hospital of the Future.

* National health care system.

_________________________________________________________________

Find show notes with links at:

http://psychiatrist-blog.blogspot.com/2007/01/my-three-shrinks-podcast

-7-fireside.html

This podcast is available on iTunes. You can also listen to or

download the .mp3 or the MPEG-4 file from mythreeshrinks.com. Thank

you for listening.

_________________________________________________________________

fireplace technorati tags:psychiatry, psychiatrist, psychology,

podcast, psychotherapy, retreat, businessweek, healthcare, idiocracy,

fireside, blog

Blogged with Flock

100 greatest quotes from fundamentalist

100 Greatest Quotes from fundamentalist christian chat rooms

This is so awesome and so scary at the same time (although, in my

opinion, scary more than anything else).

Check out the reddit comments here.

here are some that i particularly liked:

"Gravity: Doesn't exist. If items of mass had any impact of others,

then mountains should have people orbiting them. Or the space shuttle

in space should have the astronauts orbiting it. Of course, that's

just the tip of the gravity myth. Think about it. Scientists want us

to believe that the sun has a gravitation pull strong enough to keep a

planet like neptune or pluto in orbit, but then it's not strong enough

to keep the moon in orbit? Why is that? What I believe is going on

here is this: These objects in space have yet to receive mans touch,

and thus have no sin to weigh them down. This isn't the case for

earth, where we see the impact of transfered sin to material objects.

The more sin, the heavier something is."

"I am a bit troubled. I believe my son has a girlfriend, because she

left a dirty magazine with men in it under his bed. My son is only 16

and I really don't think he's ready to date yet. What's worse is that

he's sneaking some girl to his room behind my back. I need help, God!

I want my son to stop being so secretive!"

" [about a girl being born with mental disabilities]

This girl is like a leper so what she needs to do is try and find god

if she really believes she can be healed from this state, she will be

healed from this state

Most afflictions like this are caused by sins committed while still

inside the womb. If she can repent for what she does god will embrace

her and make her as human as you or me but if she chooses not to

she'll always be like this

god tests every one of us [emphasis added]"

" I can sum it all up in three words: Evolution is a lie"

"A woman wants to abort a rape child? She should have thought of that

before she walked down that dark alley without a male prescence, not

to mention she should have thought before putting on revealing attire.

[Yes. It should (be legal). Otherwise you're screwing over the women

who don't deserve their fate.]

Are you calling them victims now? Should've stayed in the house where

it's safe."

yankee bashing tim brown on xm

Yankee Bashing, Tim Brown on XM

Leading off Charley Steiner's show is Yankee payroll bashing with Tim

Brown, in harmony with the flurry of articles just released on last

year's top payroll. First, the point should be, $100 million will be

given away in charity from the Yankee organization and its fans to

other teams in revenue sharing. Isn't that a lot of money? About half

again its total payroll. Who'll get that? What will be done with this

fruit of others' labor? And this doesn't even include millions more in

luxury tax Yankees will pay as penalty for the payroll.

* Tim Brown says the same old thing, ie the Yankees said they were

going to try and get the payroll down, but we don't see it, etc.

Tim should be getting more assignments across ESPN/MLB platforms.

* Tim, what if the Yankees had spent many more millions getting

Santana? Would you say the Yankees are greedy and evil?

Since they haven't and may not be spending an egregious sum on Santana

(an additional 40% on top of which going to luxury tax) and want to

stay with the young players they've developed, isn't that an obvious

sign they want to lower the payroll? Wasn't their not signing Eric

Gagne another recent sign?

posted by susan mullen at 1/24/2008 01:11:00 PM

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short row serenade

Short Row Serenade

After months of crochet on the as-yet-still-unfinished ripple blanket,

I've picked up the knitting needles again to work on this Calorimetry

as a birthday pressie for a friend. The yarn is Wendy Fusion which

I've used before in the red and orange colourway. This time Clare had

spare balls of the purple which she kindly distributed amongst the

Foyles knitters.

The Calorimetry pattern is worked in short rows which I've realised is

one of my favourite knitting techniques - there's something rather

magical, I think, in the way straight lines can become three

dimensional, just by leaving behind stitches. One of the most

satisfying projects I've knitted was the A Capella cape, which is all

short rows.

[photo: Leo Bleicher, via Knitty]

Although the picture of the project didn't sing for me, I saw it

knitted up and it's wonderful. My Mum is devoted to her purple one and

wears it most days during the winter.

I have my eyes on another promising short row project, the Lizard

Ridge Throw, also on Knitty.

[photo: Laura Aylor, via Knitty]

Its so gorgeous I can hardly contain myself! Sadly I have exactly one

ball of Kureyon in my possession and am without the financial means to

acquire the enormous pile the project requires. Oh well, I can always

you spin me right round baby right

You Spin Me Right Round Baby, Right Round

I'm tired this morning cause I stayed up til 2am online gaming with

some friends. I convinced a new friend to go buy the game we play and

last night I was showing him the ropes. I love sucking people into my

gaming universe. Mwahahaa. I THINK I've got him hooked already, but

only time will tell. He's already a gamer, so really, it's an easy

sell. Place the crack in front of him and.... heh.

Anyone who says videogames are NOT addicting is crazy. I don't think

of them as a bad thing by any means. It beats shooting up heroin,

right? But these online role playing games are super time suckers.

Anyway - in case you are curious - this is the game we play. World of

Warcraft.

I found out yesterday that another author, Joshilyn Jackson is

addicted to the game as well. Unfortunately she's on a different

server so we can't play together. But I'm still psyched to know there

are more of us author/gamers out there!!

Anyway, enough Geek Talk. And just to prove I really do have a life as

well **GRIN**, tonight a sweet and wonderful friend is throwing me a

garden party to celebrate my book release. (I feel like I'm getting

married with all these parties - I LOVE IT!) THEN later on, some

friends and I are going to a club which plays only 80s new wave

music!!! In other words, the DJ is guarenteed to not only know, but

also PLAY the Smiths. Maybe more than one song!!

This is the first time I've been dancing since RT, so I'm going to

enjoy myself.

Okay so that brings us to the QUESTION OF THE DAY. (And you thought it

was going to end up being about videogames, didn't you!? What a

relief!)

What was the record, cassette tape, cd that as a teen or pre-teen once

you bought did not leave your player for months. The one you could

never get sick of listening to.

Mine would be Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine. Every song

reminded me of some real life teen angst I was going through. All sung

by Trent Reznor's powerful, soul sucking voice. I could listen to that

album forever and never get sick of it.

Then some stupid boy who was a DJ I was dating borrowed it to use

during a school dance. (He had terrible pop stuff so I was trying to

educate him. See - I was criticizing DJs even back then!!) Anyhow,

then we sort of broke up and he never gave it back.

swj editors on todays wapo chat

SWJ Editors on today's WaPo Chat

The venerable editors of the Small Wars Journal (and associated blog)

have been invited to partake in an online discussion hosted by the

Washington Post:

Join editor Dave Dilegge and publisher Bill Nagle of Small Wars

Journal on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at noon ET to discuss the debate in

Washington among government, military and intelligence officials

over what course to follow in Iraq.

Submit your questions and comments before or during the discussion.

We've had some excellent discussions in the comments the last few

weeks on Pakistan, anthropology, and the State Dept, to name a few.

Here's a chance to get down in the weeds on Iraq. Enjoy!

bj penns elbow strike

BJ Penn's Elbow Strike

Over the weekend, UFC 80 was aired which pitted legendry BJ Penn

versus the young and very talented Joe Stevenson. Although Penn had a

seemingly easy victory, what shocked a lot of people about the fight

was the cut that was made on Stevensons forehead.

If any one saw the fight they would have noticed that the octagon

floor was covered with blood which came from Stevenson. It was made by

a very weak looking elbow by Penn. When it was shown in slow motion it

was seen to be a grazing type of blow. Although it is not very

powerful this is the type of blow that can cause short sharp pain and

obviously a big cut. As an example, try elbowing the palm of your hand

in a glancing fashion, just skimming your hand. You should notice that

it is not particularly powerful but sharp and this same sharpness was

delivered by Penn. Although probably not intended to be delivered in

this way but as a full power strike, it gave Penn a great edge

physically, with blood crawling down Stevenson's face making it hard

for him to see.

The elbow strike is a very powerful and devastating blow. In a

professional fight it can help decide the match as seen over the

weekend and in the street it can end a fight very quickly, which may

be needed when dealing with multiple opponents. It should be studied

carefully.

Marks

2007_07_01_archive

2008_02_01_archive

Reveries

understanding primaries

Understanding Primaries

Understanding Primaries My wife came across this simple explanation

about the primaries. McCain has all the juice right now, but

surprisingly, Romney has the most delegates won and Huckabee is 2nd.

McCain 3rd. Super Tuesday will be the big one.

There are so many delegates up for grabs. I think if I had to rate my

hopefuls they would be:

Huckabee

Romney

Giuliani

McCain

I am still checking out Paul, His voice is like fingernails on a

chalkboard. I trust many of my friends who dig him though.

This is a tough election year. I like the first Republican, Abe

Lincoln, even more than the iconic Ronald Reagan. I don't see any of

the Democrats filling Abe's hat; Republicans either. T'will be a rocky

2007_04_01_archive

2007 Preseason

The Chiefs preseason schedule is highlighted by a nationally-televised

Thursday night contest on ESPN with the Miami Dolphins at Arrowhead

Stadium on August 16th at 7:00 PM (Central). The Chiefs will also host

the New Orleans Saints at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday, August 23rd

at 7:30 PM (Central).

The Chiefs will open their 2007 preseason slate with a road game at

Cleveland on Saturday, August 11th. Kansas City will conclude its

preseason schedule with the 2007 installment of the Governor's Cup

2005_02_01_archive

Hungriest Player of the Yr

Priest Holmes, former Texas Longhorn, has been announced as the

Snickers Hungriest Player of the year. This award goes to a most

valuable player who had a spectacular game during a Monday Night

Football game. This award was given to Brett Favre last year but falls

into the hands of Holmes because of his phenomenal performance during

the Chiefs vs. Ravens game on October 3rd.

During the game, Holmes stacked up 125 rushing yards and two

touchdowns against a defense that had not let anyone stack up more

than 100. Holmes shut down a streak that had been running for the

Ravens.

Along with the honor, the Snickers Hungriest Player is awarded

$10,000, which will go to Holmes' own personal charitable foundation,

2007_06_01_archive

Outlook for 2007

Looking like we'll have a rookie at quarterback, which screams

"lackluster performance" for the coming season...the plus side is a

solid support network - of course, all eyes will be on the offensive

line. With one of the best running backs in football, and an excellent

tight end, there may not be too much reason for pessimism. Ultimately,

my chat with iag blog

2006_11_01_archive

sculpture in washington dc

Sculpture in Washington DC

Whilst walking through the gardens surrounding the museums in

Washington DC. I came across a series of modern status including this

chat megakit and freebies

CHAT, MEGAKIT AND FREEBIES

sss october megakit sale and chat

SSS OCTOBER MEGAKIT SALE AND CHAT

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

bleachers fixtures chat with gabe

A chat with Gabe Mercado

Rick: What's up with Gabe Mercado aside from Yakult commercials? Do

you still do stand up comedy?

Gabe: I have a show with ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs called

Noypi, Ikaw Ba ''to? which shows Monday nights right after Bandila.

It's a show that focuses on Filipino values and examines and tests

them through social experiments and hidden camera situations. The show

has been on for a little over a year and a half and has achieved a lot

of success both in terms of ratings and critical acclaim. It's a show

I am very very proud to be associated with. Noypi can also be seen on

TFC and ANC.

Aside from Noypi, I am also the host of The Real Estate Show (with

another Ateneo alumna, Issa Litton) which will premiere at the end of

January on TFC and ANC.

I've never done stand up per se although my group SPIT (Silly People's

Improv Theater) pioneered improv comedy in Metro Manila. Improv is

worlds apart from stand up comedy although both are forms of live

comedy. Stand up is completely scripted. Improv is not and improv

actors rely on chemistry, quick thinking and a lot of wit and

adrenalin to get them through their act. I have a new batch of actors

in SPIT and we're still very active, performing in Magnet Katipunan

and Magnet Bonifacio High Street as well as doing school tours and

workshops. We're also working on a television show/videocast which

should be out within the next few months.

I am a partner in Mag:net Bonifacio High Street and I am also a

partner in a startup business center for emerging artists called

Kolektib which is in Cubao Expo and I also do my part in running the

family owned Forest Club in Bay, Laguna.

And yes, I just made a new batch of Yakult commercials.

Rick: During the UAAP basketball season I'd oft see you courtside as

well. Were you working with Studio 23's coverage?

Gabe: I was a consultant for ABS-CBN Sports during the last UAAP

season. I ran the courtside reporters through one of my workshops and

I would often help them out during the coverage. When I wasn't busy

watching the game, of course.

Rick: Is it tough staying on the court and not being able to react to

calls or bum plays? Or do you?

Gabe: It was surprisingly easy to keep my emotions in check throughout

all the games. Aside from the fact that professional decorum dictated

it, I was often only one PJ Walsham stride from immediate retribution

if I said anything even remotely offensive to the opposing team.

Besides, as a father of a three year old child, I find that many

Ateneo fans go way overboard with their taunts and reactions to

opposing schools and their players. Cheer your heart out for your own

team yes, but save your vitriol for NABRO.

Rick: You were with the Blue Babble Battalion during your college

days. Aside from the obvious female cheerdancers, any notable changes

you see in the cheering today? What is your most unforgettable moment

as a member of the BBB?

Gabe: They look healthier now. We were poster boys for coronary

disease back then since we were all a little short and pudgy in my

batch. In my first La Salle game, I was taunted with shouts of

"bansot" until I realized that the description fit about four of us in

the team.

They're better looking now and they have a lot more heart now. I'd

like to think though that we had more charm. You have to make up in

other areas if you're born bansot after all.

Rick: Is it still tough being an Ateneo Blue Eagles fan since we're

really not cut out to win a championship year after year?

Gabe: Not at all! I was a fan during the dark ages and I still watched

most games back then. Unlike most fans today, I do not feel entitled

to a championship. This team deserves my support as long as they play

well and they play like gentlemen. It's how you play the game that

counts.

Yes, a championship would be nice, but I think it's crazy the way many

Ateneans feel that we should do anything to get a championship.

There's more pride in supporting a team that plays well and gives it

their all and a coaching staff and team management that cares for the

personal growth and formation of the players without compromising

academic standards than having a team of mercenaries who don't give a

flying fig to academics winning championship after championship.

I hope we never become like that. But if we become too obsessed with

winning championships, there's a big danger that we will.

I first met Gabe Mercado several years ago at the Music Museum where

his band Da Pulis opened for... Slapshock (yes, for those in the know

of the local band scene, I'm still wondering like why). Then a couple

of years later I interviewed him for a couple of Ateneo projects

including the Generations video that Ateneo is currently using during

2006_07_01_archive

Play between Worlds

I have been studying World of Warcraft, an online video game, and

recently read T.L. Taylor's new book, Play between Worlds: Exploring

Online Game Culture (MIT Press). Taylor, at the IT University of

Copenhagen, has been studying games for several years. Play between

Worlds is a thoughtful discussion of many issues, but the two of most

interest to me were her examination of gender and player produced

culture.

Taylor has conducted participant-observation field research in

Everquest, a popular role playing game, since 1999. She has immersed

herself in larger sociological, economic, and legal questions of the

game, avoiding the pitfalls of ethnographic positivism Kallinikos

identified. Taylor knows the game inside out. She handles a broad

range of issues with authority, and, I might even say, wisdom. Her

writing has a kind of quiet power.

It's hard to know how many women and girls play competitive role

playing games such as Everquest and World of Warcraft. There are no

reliable statistics. Nick Yee has self-reports but I believe there are

sampling issues there. Taylor says that it appears that females

comprise 20-30% of Everquest players. That number feels very right to

me after several months of playing World of Warcraft. I just run into

females too much for it to be any less, and I think when the dust

settles (if it ever does), we'll find similar statistics for WoW.

OK, so Everquest has a clear majority of male players. Taylor

describes the way the significant minority of females is marginalized

in design discussions, as though somehow they are aberrations, and if

only designers could find out what women want, they could appeal to

women. It seems that the game does appeal to women, as Taylor argues.

It appeals to women who like competitive role playing video games. The

question for me is what cultural forces outside the game produce this

number. Other games such as bingo and some of the simulation games

have higher percentages of women. But the women who prefer games like

Everquest are not aberrations - they are women who like games that a

lot of men like too. I found myself wondering if we should be aiming

for games that are 50-50 genderwise? Is that the ideal? What exactly

do we want? Taylor's book is a contribution in pushing us to ask such

questions.

Taylor points out that while women and men both enjoy the social

aspects of role playing games, it's not just chat women are after. As

she says, calling out chat as the main driver trivializes the

activities of competing, playing, and socializing which go far beyond

chat. In my preliminary interviews on gender and WoW, the word

competition comes up as something that appeals to women who play. It

seems this orientation precedes the game, so back to my question about

the lower numbers of females for whom competition is a passion. Taylor

notes that only recently have women's sports really taken hold. A

desire for physical competition was apparently either squelched or

hidden in the bad old days. And still, only some women want to compete

in sports.

Taylor writes quite a bit about the hypersexualized images of women in

games. I am not an expert here but my sense is that World of Warcraft

has toned this down somewhat, although representations of females with

Barbie Doll proportions seem to be a permanent part of the culture in

games and everywhere else. My darker question is whether women care

about this. In looking around, I see young women going to work and

school in revealing clothing clearly chosen to be provocative. Yes,

yes, yes, playing around with subverting gender stereotypes and all of

that, but honestly, men don't get those subtleties. Women's everyday

clothing can be nearly as hypersexualized as the images in video

games, so it seems if anything, a significant number of women have

gone along with the culture on this one. Certainly some female gamers

are uncomfortable with their choices for female characters. Taylor

writes well about this. But I wonder if removing such images would

have any impact on numbers of females players. I think not, but it

would be interesting to find out in some empirically grounded way.

Taylor has identified the many ways in which players co-produce the

game such as add-ons, FAQs, guides, forums, fan sites, and so on.

While this point is very well-taken, it seems to somewhat delete the

artistry and imagination of the developers. My most gut reaction to

World of Warcraft is that it is a work of art. Yes it's derivative of

Tolkien and of other games, but the game experience is more than the

sum of its parts. It's tricky to say why it works, and I've never seen

anyone put it into words, so I'm going to fail here too, but WoW is a

work of art as a participatory experience. It's not like looking at

pictures on a wall in a museum, it's not like playing a sport, it's

not like being in a club, but it's a bit of each of these in an

indefinable mix. There are many other ingredients that go into this

mix but the end result is enormously engaging.

I don't believe Taylor mentions the word "artist" very much in the

book, but I think the leap of imagination the developers made in

Everquest must be acknowledged as a key part of its success. Taylor

suggests more input from gamers as a way to broaden co-production, but

might this not kill the artistry? Artists must go beyond the ordinary.

If one wants the gamers' input, there's Second Life.

I haven't played Everquest, but World of Warcraft is beautiful, it's

witty, it constantly surprises. For those who play I'll just mention a

few places I consider amazing in graphics - Ashenvale, Jintha'alor,

Ironforge. The references to high culture always make me laugh, like

Kurzen's Compound (Heart of Darkness) and A Tailor to Cities

(Dickens). There's tons of references to pop culture, most of which

I'm sure I'm missing, but, for example, Jethro Tull's Bungle in the

Jungle. The game takes you back to the Middle Ages but it also takes

you back to your own cultural experiences. Is this part of the elusive

depth of play?

Taylor suggests that game companies pay more attention to gamers, but

it seems Blizzard is already doing that. The challenge is to get the

user input but then not just create a paint by numbers product. It's

clear from every patch that Blizzard has listened to feedback. It's

also clear they are worlds ahead of the users in dreaming up new

content. That's their value, their product.

Taylor comes pretty close to suggesting that game companies owe their

users because of all the player-produced content, as well as free beta

testing, and so on which add up to what she calls "labor." I can't

quite see this. Labor, if that is what it is, is voluntary. People ask

enviously in guild chat how a fellow player got to be a tester.

Writing about how to play a game seems more like play than work to me.

Of course this distinction raises many interesting issues that need

further thought. Just because games enter people's lives in meaningful

ways does not mean that for-profit companies owe customers anything

beyond normal terms of service, in our capitalist economy. I think

Taylor wishes it were otherwise. If consulting users makes for great

profits then companies can be expected to do so. Otherwise, nothing is

changed about the fundamental game of capitalism which is profit.

We must ask if games such as Everquest could exist at all outside

capitalism. One answer might be the simple MOOs and MUDs that preceded

current massively multiplayer online video games. Back in the day they

were great but they were never going to attract millions of players.

Perhaps today's game are a fruit of capitalism. With WoW there is a

kind of proof in the 6.5 million player pudding.

I think it would have been interesting for Taylor to compare fandom in

Everquest with fandom in some other realm such as those who love

Disney experiences. There are some distinct similarities.

Understanding how Disney attends to its customers might provide some

insight into gaming, not in the radical way Taylor wants, but in an

analytical way at least.

Games such as Second Life are all about user content so Taylor should

be happy about that. There is room for calling upon the creativity of

users and pushing the envelope in terms of player-production. While we

could argue that Second Life is not really a game, there are

player-produced games within Second Life. Maybe that's why Second Life

is not a game - because there are no artists creating a unified

coherent experience.

Who should read Play between Worlds? Anyone interested in games of

course, and anyone interested in thinking about the relationship

2008_02_01_archive

What to Eat for a Competition or a Fight

The day of a tournament or fight is a time of excitement to some, fear

to many or curiosity to others. To veterans of these types of events,

who enjoy the thrill of competing they wake up buzzing, not being able

to wait until the "opening bell". Others, mainly beginners are scared

or curious, not knowing what awaits them and become very agitated.

Whatever type of person described above, there will always be nerves,

and going by my own experience, nerves can take up a lot of energy.

For this reason, good healthy meals are essential the day of

competition. What youeat will depend on what type of competition and

what time.

Night time events usually consist of "card bouts" where a fighter will

fight once in the night against one opponent of similar weight, and

for a certain number of rounds. For this type of situation a good

hearty breakfast consisting of protein, carbs and healthy fats should

be consumed. A couple of eggs, some fruit, wholemeal bread and milk

would be good. Then every two hours up to a couple of hours before the

event some energising snacks such as turkey sandwiches, oatmeal, tuna

salads and fruit juice should be consumed to keep the fighter steadily

fuelled and to give enough energy to keep him/her going through the

fight later on.

Tournaments are usually events starting early morning and can in some

cases go right up until early evening time. These types of fighters

will fight many short round fights every so often, (normally every 20

minutes or so). For this type of situation, it is no point the fighter

having a large slow digesting breakfast like a night time fighter. A

quick, easy and small breakfast is needed. Something like a cereal and

protein shake is realistic for early bird tournaments, and should be

taken in at least an hour and a half before the tournament starts.

Then I would suggest that after every time you finish a fight, as soon

as you come off the mat, something quickly digestible like fruit or an

energy beverage should be taken to keep energy levels up. It is very

easy to forget to eat during tournaments and this can have drastic

effects to your fighting.

Water is a must for every type of fighting situation. It should be

sipped constantly throughout the day to keep you hydrated and to

provide good cooling through sweat as your body gets hot. If you are

on your own, always have some handy, if you have someone with you

(your friend, trainer) get them to ask you to take a few sips often as

chances are you shall forget.

Marks

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Posted by MARKS at 4:36 PM 0 comments Labels: breakfast, competition,

eat, fight, tournament

Friday, 8 February 2008

Training to Failure, Martial Arts and Life

Martial arts and weight training go hand in hand. When done correctly,

weight training, can strengthen, make faster and make more flexible

the muscles used to become a better martial artist. Many weight

training principles have been adopted by martial artists, including

the cheat principle, negatives, running the rack etc, but I think none

will benefit the martial artist as much as the Failure principle.

Imagine you are working biceps by curling a barbell. You carry out a

few reps and find that you're still feeling strong. After a few more

you start getting tired in your arms and your grip feels weaker. After

two more reps, you feel like dropping the bar and resting as your arms

are very tired and weak. It's at this point that the failure principle

starts to "kick in". You can either stop the set, or go through the

pain for a couple more reps. If you decide to keep going, you know it

will be hard, but your biceps will gain that little bit more strength.

This is where the failure principle relates to martial artists. When

you are sparring or fighting and you reach a certain point where you

feel you can not continue you have to dig deep inside, and find that

little bit more effort and spirit to carry on. If you give up, you

will be overpowered by your opponent, but most importantly, if you

carry on doing this, it will become a habit and could become part of

your every day activities. By going that little bit more, carrying out

them extra couple of reps, throwing them few more punches, eventually

you will create a habit of NEVER GIVING UP. Although yes, your body

will have to give up some time, your mind and spirit should always

remain strong.

Marks

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Posted by MARKS at 10:18 AM 0 comments Labels: Biceps, Curl, martial

arts, Principles, Spirit, Weight training

Thursday, 7 February 2008

How to Sprawl for Fighting and Training

A while back, I wrote an article entitled Defending the Takedown (for

Strikers), in which I talked about the basic takedown defences. I

mentioned the Sprawl as part of the defences. Many Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

and other grappling styles know of the sprawl and use it to defend

mainly pickups and tackles (shoots).

One thing I have noticed unfortunately though is that most Judo

practitioners still don't use this technique when attacked with the

above takedowns, and instead try to spin out them, by trying to turn

so they land on there front. Although they will stop there opponent

from winning in competition, they will always find themselves in a

very vulnerable position, and it is not wise to be done on the street.

By sprawling, you land on top of your opponent, in a dominating

position, and it is easy to get back up on your feet if you're on the

street. The best demonstration of the sprawl which I have seen was on

a production by Frank Shamrock called The Ultimate Home Workout. In my

previous article I wrote that "When your opponent dives in for your

legs in a rugby tackle type attack (or pickup), kick your legs back,

and drop your chest onto his upper back area. You will both end up on

the floor but lying on his back, it should be YOU in the dominating

position" The drill to practise the sprawl is,

From a normal fighting stance,

Drop your legs behind you, landing on your thighs as opposed to your

knees, toes as opposed to the top of your feet and hands,

Make sure you hands land on your palms, (not fingers or fist),

shoulder width apart with your fingers pointing outwards,

On landing, remember to keep your chin up and breathe out (breathing

in when you're up again)

As soon as you land, quickly thrust back, and stand, ending up in your

fighting stance, taking about 1-2 seconds for the whole sprawl.

If your new to sprawls, perform repetitions to begin with,

concentrating on slow and quality technique, and after you feel you

have mastered the movement, the best way to carry out this drill is to

sprawl by time. Perform as many as you can in 30 seconds then 1

minute, working up to two minutes, and least 5 rounds.

This is a great exercise which works nearly all of the muscles in the

body, providing a strength, ploymetric and cardio workout in one.

Marks

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Posted by MARKS at 10:17 AM 0 comments Labels: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu,

drill, Frank Shamrock, Judo, Sprawl

Wednesday, 6 February 2008

Vital Point Striking for all Martial Artists

In todays day and age, there is more and more street violence

occurring, and people use weapons including knives, hammers, bats, and

guns. Many martial artists strike hard and practice hitting with full

power, but sometimes in the street this may not be enough. An extra

edge that could help all that is not practised as much as it should be

is Vital Point Striking.

It is called many things, but people are common with Kyusho Atemi Waza

or Dim Mak. Being able to strike vital points is hard to achieve. In

practise, finding the points and practising hitting them is easy, but

against a person who is hitting back, it is hard, so lots of

controlled sparring is necessary. A good way of being able to hit

these points is by holding your opponent securely whilst striking. By

holding, it is easier to strike and easier to locate the points. If

you don't hold, you don't control and it is much harder. This is one

of the reasons why there is a lot of hikite with most strikes in

katas. The hikite represents holding the opponent, whilst delivering

the strike to a vital point.

Vital Points include obvious ones such as eyes, groin, joints, but

then there are not so obvious ones like the bottom of the shoulder

where it meets the bicep or under the armpit. These are more less

known points and if you would like to know more of them, I strongly

recommend you get a copy of the Bubishi. It shows all the points on

the human body.

To practice vital point striking, one of the best ways is to make

small dots with a pen on a heavy bag, and concentrate on trying to

strike these points. The beauty of vital point striking is that the

strikes do not have to be very hard to hurt or do damage so don't hit

with full force on the bag, instead, concentrate on accuracy and on

using more striking surfaces rather than the fist, foot and shin,

including, ridge hand, knife hand, one knuckle strikes, elbows, knees

etc.

Striking vital points can be devastating, so care must be taken when

practising, and if you find yourself unfortunate to have to defend

yourself on the street, ask yourself if the situation is dangerous

enough for you to have to resort to vital point striking. Most of the

time simply walking away is enough to defend yourself.

Marks

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Posted by MARKS at 10:21 AM 0 comments Labels: Bubishi, Dim Mak,

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Tuesday, 5 February 2008

Heavy Bag Tip - Punching Through the Target

To be able to deliver a possible knockout strike, you need a strong

punch. You must not "pull" your punch (unless its light sparring) for

in a real situation, if you are used to doing this, your strikes will

be futile and you may end up getting beaten, whilst doubting your own

technique since it wont be effective.

Practising punching through the heavy bag is probably the best way to

learn how to punch hard through a target. When I say punch through the

target, I also mean that you should bring your hand back immediately

after the strike. Many people make the mistake of either leaving there

hand in the stretched punch position or simply drop there arm. Don't

do this, as getting used to it will leave you in vulnerable positions

in a real life encounter. Also, practise hitting the heavy bag as it

is swinging freely. Many people stop the bag from swinging. Although

sometimes this may be good if you are practising quick punching drills

on the bag, your opponent will not be standing still. Getting used to

moving forward, back or sideways whilst striking hard through the

target, will greatly enhance your ability and balance.

Marks

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Posted by MARKS at 2:09 PM 0 comments Labels: effective, heavy bag,

punching, target

Monday, 4 February 2008

Abdominal Toughening for Martial Arts

For people who take up martial arts with the thought of never getting

hit, then im afraid you are wasting your time. You will get hit

eventually, even if you train semi or non contact. There are plenty of

these types of fighters that attack so fast and vigorous that it is

very hard to "pull" there kicks and punches. For this reason,

abdominal toughening should be a must for all martial artists.

There are various ways to condition the abdominals to take hard shots.

Obviously you need to strengthen the abdominal muscles so crunch's,

reverse crunches, roman chair sit-ups etc are a must, and should be

carried out about three to four times a week. Then there is impact

training on the abdominals, where the midsection is struck. This gets

the abdominal wall used to taking hits. It also helps you as a martial

artist to get used to being hit, so when it happens in sparring or a

fight, it does not surprise you. There are many ways to carry this

out, including dropping a medicine ball of a heavy bag on your

abdominals while you are lying on the floor, having a partner punch

you in the midsection whilst wearing gloves, concentrating on a

variety of punches, so he/she also benefits from practising, with a

partner, kicking each other in the midsection for a few minutes,

getting harder as time goes by, or even self hitting. A method found

in Fighting Power by Loren Christensen involves positioning yourself a

certain distance away from a heavy bag, so as you can swing it and it

hits you square in the gut each time it swings back.

If you are new to impact training, you must start lightly and as your

abdominals become stronger and your punishment threshold expands, the

shots can get harder and harder. Work frequently on abdominal

toughening, especially if you are planning on fighting full contact or

MMA style.

Marks

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Posted by MARKS at 11:49 PM 0 comments Labels: abdominal toughening,

full contact, kick, martial arts, punches

Review of UFC 81 Breaking Point

Over the weekend, UFC 81 Breaking Point took place, and Im sure that

many would agree with me that many lessons were learnt by most of the

fighters.

Firstly there was one technique that became the king of the night, and

that's the Guillotine Choke. A very dangerous choke if caught in, as

the chances of escape are minimal. Having your opponent wrap his arm

around the back of your neck and digging his forearm bone into the

throat has proved that its enough to take out anyone. Even submission

grappling veteran and expert Jeremy Horn got caught in the technique.

Im sure over the next couple of months his going to practice taking

down opponents while not dipping his head to much.

Then there was the Tim Sylvia, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira fight. Sylvia

looked the dominant one through the whole fight, with some good boxing

skills, opening up the Brazilians face with cuts, except for the last

minute or so when they were on the ground. With his grappling finesse,

"Minotauro" (Nogueira) easily swept big Tim onto his back, and whilst

attempting an arm lock, transitioned it into, yes you've guessed, a

guillotine choke, proving that "it aint over until the fat lady sings"

Lastly, what many people saw as the main event of the evening, WWE

star Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir. From the opening bell, Brock looked

powerful and vicious, using his strength to wrestle Mir to the floor.

From there he pummelled away with hammer fist strikes to Mir, and Im

sure this must have been a shock to the system for the very much

experienced MMA star. But after a short while, Mir proved that just

strength alone is not enough and caught Brock with an awesome knee

bar, winning the fight. Brock is a great wrestler, and now, surly he

will go away, think about the fight, and come to the conclusion, that

he must use his strength wisely, and mix it up with technique which he

certainly does have, and maybe he could be one of the greatest

heavyweights MMA has ever seen.

Marks

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Posted by MARKS at 8:59 AM 0 comments Labels: Breaking Point, Brock

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UFC 81

Saturday, 2 February 2008

Self Defence Training for all Martial Artists

Training in martial arts has many benefits. Fitness, strength,

competition success, surpassing plateaus etc, all of these things are

great achievements that can be attained from years of vigorous effort.

But we must not lose the fact that near the top of the benefit list

should be to attain a high level of SELF DEFENCE SKILLS.

Its ironic, that nowadays not much actual self defence is practised at

many martial arts schools. In a self defence situation on the street,

it is not practical to ground fight, feel your opponent out with jabs

until you deliver a knockout punch, try and defend yourself with a

spinning roundhouse kick or attack with a stepping lunge punch. In

many schools depending on the type of fighting concentrated on

(striking or grappling) the majority of the class is involved in

becoming a better fighter for competitive purposes in mind, with

stronger techniques, and about 10 minutes at the end of the class is

used for self defence training. Having said that, IT IS NOT LIKE THAT

AT ALL SCHOOLS, but it is at many.

We can not lose the thought that maybe one day, our well being will

depend on us being able to defend ourselves well, so having said that

I think we should all (including myself) spend slightly longer in

realistic self defence training, being more comfortable with things

like, wild swings and unorthodox kicks, defending against two or more

attackers, defending against realistic knife attacks, and learning how

to read aggressive behaviour. Throughout my time with this blog, Im

sure the following topic will come up in many articles so I leave you

by saying, FIGHTING ON THE STREET IS VERY DIFFERENT TO FIGHTING IN THE

GYM OR DOJO. PLEASE BE PREPARED...just in case.

Marks