I went temple mental last weekend. Well when I say ‘mental’ I mean that I saw two of ‘em. So maybe ‘mental’ was the wrong way to describe it. Loopy! Yeah, I went temple loopy. That still sounds wrong. I’ll try again. Crazy? No. Krazy? Definitely no. Nuts? Nah. Bonkers? Nope. Coo-coo? I don’t like that either…

*clears throat*

I went to two temples last weekend.

Better.

So anyway. On Saturday I went to Jangyu-Sa temple, and on Sunday I went to Changwon temple. Both really beautiful places, check the photos if you don’t believe me. Not now, carry on reading. You don’t want to break up the flow of things do you?

Right, Saturday first (seems pretty natural to start here). Me and a mate took his motorbike up to the temple. We could have walked, but it would have taken around two hours and since we were planning on hiking up the mountain behind the temple, we felt that taking 20 minutes to bike up the first half wasn’t cheating. This bike really wasn’t built to haul two fully grown people up a steep winding mountain road. Poor thing really struggled at times, but we made it in the end. Here’s some photos of the temple. Doesn’t it feel better that you waited to read the rest of this first before looking at the pictures?

These are two of the gatekeepers that guard the temple

And these are the other two. I personally wouldn't mess with anyone carrying a flaming sword.

This is the temple gate. The bell gets rung at 5am and 6pm (I think). That's when the monks get up and go to bed (I think).

This is the building that the monks live in. We didn't see any about. I can only assume that they were flying from treetop to treetop at the time.

The actual temple. Impressive no? You can go inside and pray and stuff, but we didn't really feel right doing that. There's hundreds of pieces of paper hanging from the ceiling with the names of families who have donated money towards the temple. The monks have to say a prayer for each of the families every day.

The view of Jangyu from the temple.

Then we started climbing.

On the way up we passed a whole bunch of Koreans doing the exact same thing, except they take it seriously. They had all the gear. Hiking sticks/poles, hiking shoes, hiking jackets, hiking trousers, everything! And some of them must have been 70 and maybe even older. The old people here never cease to amaze me. It must be something to do with a diet of pickled vegetables and soju. Maybe it pickles them. Maybe it preserves them. Not aesthetically, but physically. Everyday I see old Korean women doing the ‘Asian Squat’ (I’ve looked it up, it’s a real term) on the pavements, cleaning and preparing food and stuff. I just can’t do it. And I have tried. On numerous occasions. I just fall down.

This thing. It's not quite sitting, but it's not squatting as we Westerners know it.

But back to the mountain. It was tough on the legs. But worth it when we got to the top. Unfortunately it was a tad cloudy so we couldn’t see as far as we might have been able to see. On a clear day we would have been able to see Busan and the sea.

723 metres up.

Part of Jangyu.

There's a whole bunch of small rice farming communities over this direction.

You can just about see the reflection of the sun in the sea.

There's a peace pagoda at the top. It's just like Willen Lake it is.

On the way back down. Slippery and not great on the knees.

Apparently there are trails that connect over all the mountains in Korea, so in theory you could start anywhere and end up anywhere.

One day I might lose my mind and do it.

On to Sunday!

Changwon temple is bigger that Jangyu-Sa but Changwon is bigger than Jangyu so it makes sense I suppose. The temple itself was pretty similar really, but here’s a bunch of photos all the same.

raaaaarrrr!

There were loads of these little statues and stacked stones around both temples. i don't know why. I have a feeling it's about getting prayers answered. But what do I know?

So that’s that.

The weather for the hike on Saturday was awesome. Nice and warm, blue sky. Would have been perfect if it had been a bit less cloudy. Sunday was a bit cooler. And this week the temperature has dropped. I think it’s winter now. There’s a savage wind that’s busting around that cuts right through you. On my walk to work today it felt like I had two starved mice eating my ears and a small dog wearing a hoody chewing on my chin. Should have worn a hat. And some kind of chin warming device.

My bathroom is currently shockingly cold. I head in there in the mornings and start muttering incohearantly and making threats to the various things in there. Also, while I’m on the subject of my bathroom. It took me a while to figure out how to control the boiler but I did in the end. I know how to divert the hot water from the heating system to the taps. But whenever I try to have a shower the boiler treats me like a jerk. I can almost hear it saying “Oh you want hot water do you?!  Well here! have all the hot water in the world!” It’s freakishly hot. The problem with trying to scald me is that it’s not a huge machine, so inevitably it runs out in the end and replaces the ‘I hate you’ hot water with ‘I hate you’ cold water. I suppose it’s good for making sure I’m in and out of there in good time. I’ve named the boiler ‘HAL’. It seems to fit. But if it starts trying to talk to me I’m off.

I’m going to end with an observation. One of the books I’m teaching out of has photos of kids at various intervals throughout it. It’s probably to help the students better relate to the subject matter. Anyway, there’s this one girl who’s been popping up. Her name is ‘Kim’ apparently. As soon as I saw her I thought “She’s a bit weird looking. Why did they choose her?” Then I thought “She looks like someone I know or someone I’ve seen before but I don’t know who.” This was bugging me for a few days until it came to me out of the blue. My sudden exclamation of “AHA!” (not entirely unlike a bad impression of Alan Partridge) startled the kids into a couple minutes of “Teacher! What?” but here is conclusive proof that ‘Kim’ from ‘All of Us 1′ also played the part of ‘Chong Li’ in the 1988 Van Damme classic ‘Bloodsport’. Lookit.

Kim is on the left.

It’s uncanny!

Random title I know but it’s what I’m listening to Well, Devotion now by Sy & Demo. Having a bit of a Happy Hardcore nostalgia session and this was my FAVOURITE of them all. I miss my big brother and our Sunday afternoons recording Dream FM *sigh*

Baby D ftw!

So…

IT’S SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!!1 OMFG. I love snow!!!! Can’t believe it’s snowing already! It’s like it never left! Started a CDG course in Croydon on Monday and when we went for our first break, I noticed it was very lightly falling and gradually got heavier as the last hour went on (finished at 12:30) and is still falling! Started around 11am. Wasn’t settling much in Croydon but turning very white around my house in Carshalton! It kept changing from snow to sleet to back again. Seems to have settled on actual flakey snow. I reeeaaaaallllyyyyy want some snow boots! My dad recently bought some and I said I wanted some. Had grey ones when I was little! You can just about see them in this pic. Been writing this for ages and it’s still snowing steadily! It’s starting to settle on the patio now so it’s really starting to be like real snowy snow now.

Went outside to check if the rabbits were alright and gave them even more bedding and covered them back up again. They were fascinated by the snow in February and watched from inside the conservatory! Took our kittens just outside the back door for a minute or so to show them their first snow They started shivering a little bit before I brought them in (they were out for literally a minute and were being held by me).

So the trainee school secretary people rang me and I have to send them my CV. Wasn’t expecting them to call so that was good! Practically had an interview over the phone with the agency so fingers crossed.

ON MY OWWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNN, ALOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE, TONIGHT! I love that song. And the film. Bloodsport is INCREDIBLE. Sad that I know the words! Hahaha. They had it on CD ready for my birthday party but they forgot to take it. Me and Martin would’ve been belting it out! Lmao! We’re as sad as each other.

KUMITE KUMITE KUMITE KUMITE KUMITE KUMITE. Gosh, I’m well over-due for a viewing of Bloodsport. Seen it so many times that we say the lines before they do. Hahaha, Ray Jackson is the pilot of The X-Files! Took a pic of him and sent it to Martin. He found it hilarious.

What else was I gonna talk about?

DIR-TY DI-ANA! If Xtina was to sing it (she’d own it), she’d have to call it Dirrty Diana Smooth Criminal now.

K, I’ll update later

Tippy x

Update:

Credit: http://forgethetime.livejournal.com/49015.html

by Monika Bartyzel – Cinematical.com

It’s time for the second feature written, directed, and starring the Muscles from Brussels Jean-Claude Van Damme. First we had The Quest, a story he whipped up with the help of Frank Dux (the man Bloodsport was based on). Now there’s The Eagle Path. Once called Full Love, this sucker is all-out classic Van Damme with faux serious acting, violence, and of course, the potential love of a sexy woman.

Claudia Bassols

Van Damme plays “Frenchy,” a military vet and former mercenary who hides from his past by working as a taxi driver in East Asia. When he picks up a sexy woman one day, he becomes obsessed with the idea of improving her life and decides to do so without her approval. With help from his special ops friends, he sets out to “save” her, and as the official synopsis says: “War is hell, but nothing they’ve done could have prepared them for this.”

Directed by
  Jean-Claude Van Damme

 Writers
  Jean-Claude Van Damme

 Producers
  Kathy Brayton … executive producer
  Pairoj Rojlertjanya … line producer
  Jean-Claude Van Damme … producer
  Eugene Van Varenberg … producer

 Cast
  Jean-Claude Van Damme … Frenchy
  Claudia Bassols … Sophia
  John Colton … Luther Banks
                                                                                         Josef Cannon … Bobby Jackson
  Chuck DiMaria … Vinnie Scantino
  Adam Karst … Soli

Amazon Specials!

Okej. Jag är den första att erkänna. Jean-Claude Van Damme har nog faktiskt bara gjort skit. Fast å andra sidan så var det ju så det skulle vara på 80-talet. Bloodsport är en kult-rulle. Fast en ganska så dålig sådan. Jag somnade hur som helst någonstans i mitten.

Tisdag idag. Och det är en bra dag. En bra känsla i kroppen. För ikväll ska det bli hårdrock. Verkligen hård hårdrock. Då heter det visst metal. Behemoth, Scar Symmetry är väl de jag mest ser fram mot. Men efter lite lyssning på Arsis och Devildriver så ska det faktiskt bli lite spännande också.

Eftersom man är runt och “tjuvläser” andras bloggar så får man dels uppslag till egna inlägg. Men man blir också sugen på att lämna en kommentar mellan varven. Nu till det lite smått otroliga. Jag har faktiskt svårt för att skriva något till en helt okänd person. Det är ju inte som att skriva mail till kundtjänst direkt. Vart börjar man? Hur börjar man? Det är svårt det där med vett och etikett på nätet. Fast frasen “behandla andra som du själv vill bli behandlad” borde väl gälla även här.

Kameran får följa med ikväll också. Ska försöka knäppa lite fler och lite bättre bilder än vad det blev sist vi var på Trädgårn.

Efter en halvtimme vid spisen och diverse mellanlandningar i soffan för att glutta på sporten är det dags att avsluta den här dagen. Hör och häpna men det blir film ikväll också. Och banne mig om det inte ska bli en gammal hederlig nu. Eller vad sägs om Bloodsport från 80-talet någon gång. Jean-Claude Van Damme har gjort mycket skit men den här rullen är väl ett undantag. Eller? Hmm.. Det är ju ändå några år sedan man såg den så jag kanske får ångra det uttalandet.

Tisdag imorgon. Normalt sett hade jag kräkts en skvätt och sagt några väl valda ord. Men det tänker jag inte göra. Imorgon är det (och lyssna noga nu…) en bra tisdag! Arga polacker intar Göteborg för Neckbreakers ball. Kan bli hur bra som helst.

Som sagt. Saker har haft en tendens att inte vara speciellt normala den senaste tiden.

Så håller vi tummarna för att någon utav telefonernas alarm funkar imorgon.

Over the course of this week, we will uncover twenty titles you need to seek out at your local DVD store. Here is Part 2.

The list is laid out something like this. The title, year it was made, genre, synopsis and finally my rating. I hope to do more of these lists as I uncover some of the treasures hidden at the local videostore.

15. Legionnaire (1998) (Action – Drama)

Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Alain Lefevre, a boxer who decides to defy a mobster and not take a fall in a huge boxing match. To avoid being killed by the mob, Alain escapes to join the French Foreign Legion stationed in Africa. Alain quickly realizes that the struggle to stay alive as a “legionnaire” might be more harrowing than avoiding the mob.

Alain learns a lot about himself and the power of redemption and friendship. “Legionnaire” ranks in the top 5 best Van Damme films among that top 5 are films like “Bloodsport” and “Timecop”.

The reason this film is so much better than a lot of the films Van Damme has done is that it is presented as an epic. The film showcases glorious cinematography, epic war battles and a great performance from Van Damme, which showcases an internal human struggle. Forget the crap films Van Damme has made  like “Knockoff”, “Universal Soldier: The Return” and “Maximum Risk” and embrace this entry in the Van Damme action journey. This movie is way better than it deserves to be! A true must for Van Damme fans and fans of epic adventure. (4 out of 5)

14. Live Wire (1992) (Action – Drama)

Danny O’Neill (Pierce Brosnan) is a bomb disposal expert assigned to a case where terrorists have developed an “invisible” biological liquid explosive. Their targets include a group of US Senators and one of them happens to be sleeping with Danny’s wife.

“Live Wire” is the 2nd Brosnan film on this list and another welcomed discovery. The film is directed and photographed like a “Lethal Weapon” film and has the adrenaline and intensity of that style. The explosive is so original I decided not to reveal what it is in this review.

You really have to see the film to understand how unique it is. It’s something I have never seen before or since. Another similarity between “Lethal Weapon” and this film is the way Brosnan plays Danny.

He plays him a lot like the way Mel Gibson portrayed Martin Riggs, burnt out and as explosive as the materials he uses.

Brosnan accomplishing this draws us into a deeper connection to the character. There is a lot of charisma in Brosnan and from his acting in this film it’s not surprising he was James Bond. (3.5 of 5)

13. Mr. Frost (1990) (Horror – Suspense)

What if Satan walked among us? A man named Frost (Jeff Goldblum) is imprisoned for murder after he is arrested while burying his victims in a garden. However, even while under strict psychiatric care, it becomes obvious that Mr. Frost is not all that he seems. There is more behind this mysterious man than meets the eye. “Mr. Frost” is so blatantly eerie that it sweeps you in with a stranglehold. Goldblum is charismatic and plays one of the spookiest characters you will ever see. Think Goldblum playing a charismatic and younger “Hannibal Lecter”. For the whole film you aren’t sure what makes the man tick and that is what makes it so addicting to watch. Goldblum is brilliant in this mind-bender. (3.5 of 5)

12. No Way Back (1996) (Action – Drama)

When F.B.I. Agent Zack Grant’s (Russell Crowe) partner is killed in an operation goes sour, he will do anything to find the man or men responsible. The action gets intense when airline stewardess Mary (Helen Slater) gets mixed up in Zack’s crusade.

These problems snowball as Mafioso and Yakuza complications present themselves. “No Way Back” is a solid and adrenaline packed action film that debuted just a year before Crowe became famous to the world in “LA Confidential”.

Crowe brings such grit and demeanor to the burnt out hero that we cheer for him all the way through. The film’s ending doesn’t do the rest justice but the reason to see this film is purely for fans of Russell Crowe. (3.5 of 5)

11. Raising Cain (1992) (Suspense)

Jenny Nix (Lolita Davidovich), wife of eminent child psychologist Carter Nix (John Lithgow), begins to neglect her daughter after an adulterous affair with an old flame (Steven Bauer).

While Jenny becomes enthralled in the affair her husband becomes deeply concerned for the well being of their daughter. Some rather distressing kidnapping grip the neighborhood in which the Nix’s live.

Could these kidnapping be linked to Carter Nix’s past. Lithgow is utterly brilliant, as he has to play not 2 characters but 4.

His performance even dives deeper into depth as Carter Nix begins to go insane.

Director Brian DePalma seems to give Lithgow a lot of leeway, as some of the mental shuffles seem almost ad-libbed. Those scenes are brilliant to watch as you see the magnificence of Lithgow.

The real sad note of the film is that it is way to short and the script seems to bolt along. The script could have used a little more detail.

The film is a great suspense ride and with the perfect performance by Lithgow which make it a great renter. (3 of 5)

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HAVE A GOOD DAY!!

Just in time for Christmas!! ...from an ideator that I don't EVER WANT TO MEET!!!

Had enough of  Cage fighting? Had enough of Minotaurs? Hate Pitbulls?  No, don’t go there, don’t think of Michael Vick and those POOR POOR dogs, nope, you hold onto that animosity and just center yourself…Cuz here’s what you’ve always wanted…  a showdown to end all showdowns!  and….done in ceramic!  finely crafted, with real life angles! A bloodsport-vision in miniature! It’s even elegant enough t0 go right next to that garish self important Lladro your mother gave you!!! “Boy in tight pants with flower” or some such hunk of clay.

Because it’s my childhood movie

Because I used to watch it with my father

Because it brings grey lovely memories of my early youth

Because I love Jean-Claude Van Damme

Because it’s such a good fighting movie

Because BloodSport is just the best, the must and the most!

Check out the official video for Top Gunnaz by Bloodsport, Tone Trump, and Young Reek produced by Mr. Philadelphia Musik aka Sarom. Philly Stand Up…………It’s A Movement! Shout out to my boy KDON from KDON TV. Let me know what ya think about the video!

~Signing Off~
AGE

La gente que ya tenga unos añitos en sus espaldas seguramente recordará el film “BloodSport”, que en España tomó el nombre de “Contacto Sangriento”. Lo protagonizaba un joven Jean Claude Van Damme y contaba la historia de Frank Dux, un soldado norteamericano que se presentaba a un torneo clandestino de artes marciales donde participantes venidos de todo el mundo se enfrentaban en contacto total.

El americano había sido entrenado por un ninja junto con su hijo, que murió al presentarse en un torneo similar, razón que aprovecha el protagonista para tomar partido en los combates.

Al final de la película, cuenta que está basada en la historia de Frank Dux, creador del estilo Dux Ryu y poseedor de varios records a nivel marcial.

El verdadero Frank Dux

Frank W. Dux es un artista marcial y coreógrafo; creó su propia escuela de Ninjutsu en 1975 “Dux Ryu Ninjutsu”. Dux afirma que fue entrenado en el estilo Koga Yamabushi Ninjutsu por Senzo “Tiger” Tanaka”, habiendo empezado cuando tenía 13 años.

El Kumite

Según ha manifestado el creador del Dux Ryu en revistas especializadas, el torneo tuvo lugar en una isla privada en las Bahamas en 1975, para evitar problemas de carácter legal por la dureza de los combates. Acudieron peleadores de múltiples puntos del globo, apadrinados por algunos acaudalados hombres de negocios de algunos Estados de EE.UU. Frank logró ganar el evento clandestino, llegando a convertirse en el codiciado objeto del deseo de muchos promotores que deseaban llevarlo a luchar a Asia en torneos clandestinos.

Frank Dux en acción

La controversia

A lo largo del tiempo ha sufrido ataques desde diversos medios y foros por la supuesta falsedad de toda su historia, desde el famoso kumite en Jamaica hasta su pertenencia al ejercito y a la CIA.

Por otro lado se comenta que todos los títulos y records que anuncia este hombre no aparecen registrados en ningún sitio, llegando incluso al punto de preguntarse cómo se podían medir las velocidades de los golpes o las patadas en los combates clandestinos a los que asistió, cuando actualmente no se miden (ni se pueden medir).

En conclusión

Frank Dux es un personaje que no deja indiferente a quien le conoce o quién lee acerca de él. Los que han entrenado a su lado hablan muy bien de su persona y afirman que es una figura de la que se puede aprender mucho. Algunos le han endiosado hasta el punto de llamarle “el mejor artista marcial” y otros en cambio le critican como un farsante. La realidad no está muy clara, pero lo que es seguro es que es un artista marcial y que entrena y ha entrenado a mucha gente. No seré yo quién critique a una persona de ese calibre cuando estoy seguro que podría aprender mucho de él, haya o no entrenado el estilo Koga Yamabushi Ninjutsu o haya o no participado en el kumite de las Bahamas.

I want to be a kid again
Combed down hair and Sunday best
See me staying out bunking school
Knowing wrong from right just rules

(Bloodsport by Sneaker Pimps)

photo by Elif Sanem Karakoc

In the words of Tone Loc, “Lez do it”…

Your winner of this week’s Bad Guy of the Week…

Chong Li from Bloodsport!! This is one bad Chinese dude. Mega buff, super tan, uber mean, and wicked good at kung fu. What the hell else do you need to know about Chong Li? He gets pissed off, rages and kicks helpless asses for a living. He’s in the business of beating the shit out of posers, and business is indeed recession proof.

Take a look at Chong Li in action,

Wow. What a supreme example of pounding anus. Where some men wake up in the morning, put on a suit and go push papers all day; Chong Li tells the woman he’s with to quit performing fellatio, then straps on a head band and kicks asses for six to seven hours before returning to his crib to resume being being pleasured.

What makes Chong Li such a formidable opponent is his desire to not only win the match, but to maim or permanently incapacitate his adversary. He also cheats a lot which is a very bad guy thing to do.

Someone is about to have their ass handed to them in one of those chinese food boxes.

Bonus clip of the entire final showdown between Frank Dux and Chong Li:

Savor the flavor of those eight minutes of cinema history.

Bad Guy of the Week Runner Up:

Your not quite the baddest bad guy of the week is…

Johnny Lawrence from karate Kid! We’re sticking within the realm of karate movie bad guys with this one and I really struggled with whether Mr. Lawrence was bad enough to win the award (though not this week because he doesn’t hold a candle to Chong Li). What it really came down to was the fact that Johnny Lawrence is mean and the bad guy in this movie but he really isn’t all that mean, more of a douche. Douche bags don’t throw sand in you eyes to make it easier to kill you or break your best friend’s spine for shits and gigs, that’s bad guy stuff. I feel like with Johnny Lawrence if you just convinced his parents to not pay his credit card bill or something you would effectively break him and that’s what holds him back from winning a bad guy of the week award. That and this picture:

We're here and we're queer.

This is not a picture that a bad guy of the week would ever be found in. This picture is of four best friends at a karate tournament that they probably cannot legally drive themselves to. Chong Li doesn’t have any friends to even take a picture with. If he did have friends, he would sleep with their women and take pictures of that and mail it to them and all their co-workers. That is his definition of friendship. So point is, Chung Li= Bad mother fucker and supreme champ of all things bad, Johnny Lawrence= kind of douchey.

In the wake of the highly publicized aftermath of the Brock Lesnar v. Frank Mir fight at UFC 100, I feel like its time for a good ol’ sports rant. The battle for relevance for both boxing and MMA has been well documented in the last decade or so and has spurned many a debate amongst boxing purists (ie; old people) and MMA enthusiasts (ie; Males age 13-35). The irony is that both sport’s are their own worst enemies, as oppose to being each other’s.

The true battle between the two is for the majority market share of fight fans in general, a coveted audience indeed, however I believe each has its own place for people to be fans of both. Unfortunately the stigma of the initial image of the UFC and MMA has long sullied it to many core boxing fans, who view it as threat to their own beloved bloodsport. The “No Holds Barred” brawling that dominated the early years of UFC, and the lack of true rules or weight classes made it a spectacle and a beacon for controversy. Even Senator John McCain got involved, criticizing the unsanctioned bouts and calling it “human cock-fighting”. UFC was near bankruptcy but after being purchased in 2001 and the installation of Dana White as president it has become one of the most watched sports in the US with copycat promotions left and right and a youthful, enthusiastic audience that now outmatches boxing’s “reach”.

Boxing has had it’s own quarrels. The once beloved Heavyweight division has been without a marketable name or personality since Lennox Lewis and the sport itself is hindered by the corruption and disorganization of its various governing bodies. With so many weight classes and an alphabet soup of titles, it has become too hard for the average sports fan to follow with any enthusiasm. Personally I feel the only interesting thing in boxing in the last 5 years was “The Contender” simply because it could develop storylines for the fighters, and bring back the “everyman” feel of the sport. Recently though boxing has had a resurgence in popularity in the middle weight classes thanks to easily the most marketable fighter today Floyd “Money” Mayweather. His recent spat with retirement allowed some other contenders to arise, and Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, & “Sugar” Shane Mosely are among the names now on boxing’s elite list. Now that Floyd is out of retirement the hype and smack talk is reaching epic proportions. Pacquiao/Mayweather is clearly the dream matchup, but Mayweather has his own obstacles in working his way back up, with accusations of ducking several fighters including Cotto. His return to the ring is this September July 18th against Juan Manuel Marquez, a fighter who has fought Pacquiao twice, winning the first match in a highly disputed draw. Even with all this finally drawing attention, boxing simply cannot compete on an organizational level with the UFC and its marketing juggernaut.

MMA’s biggest obstacle currently is the slow adoption of it into normal sports telecasts and newspaper sports sections. The stigma of the old UFC is beyond ridiculous at this point, with monthly pay-per-views, a weekly television series “The Ultimate Fighter” (its own version of “The Contender”), as well as weekly fights and ppv previews on Spike TV. The bevvy of sponsors already attached to the brand is rivaled only by the list of others begging to get a piece of that precious 13-35 year old male demographic. Other smaller organizations draw some attention but none rival the legitimacy UFC has garnered for itself. ESPN and Sports Illustrated have slowly begun sticking their toes in the water of MMA (UFC) coverage, however the coverage is usually peppered with the personal reservations held by the hosts and journalists themselves. This is where the debate of last weekend’s UFC 100 aftermath comes in.

When Brock Lesnar entered UFC it was as much of a spectacle as the giant sword tattooed on his torso. Coming from short but successful career in pro wrestling, he was instantly both loved and hated. His size and tenacity made him seem a worthy opponent, but as with anyone making the transition from WWE to actual fighting, other fighters were not going to accept him until he proved himself. Still he reached a title shot (somewhat controversially if you ask the other fighters) rather quickly and dominated. A man with a massive build and a massive ego to match emerged from that cage. For his next match he faced Frank Mir one of the few who beat Lesnar early on, and to unify the heavyweight titles. It happened this past Saturday on PPV and Lesnar easily destroyed Mir. After the fight however, The larger than life persona took over, and Lesnar jawed in the face of a bleeding Mir while he received medical attention, then proceeded to give the crowd the finger, double fisted.

Immediately afterward spinmeister and UFC president Dana White took to the airwaves decrying the antics of Lesnar and claiming he believes it as an act from the massive brawler too accustomed to playing heel in his previous profession. The question though isn’t whether or not it’s an act, It’s whether his villainesque melodrama is good for a sport trying to be welcomed at the American dinner table. But the merits of this debate are questionable. While Lesnar’s reaction may have been crude and disrespectful does boxing not also thrive on such larger than life personas? Ever since Muhammed Ali boxing promotion has been made by the level of smack talk and animosity between opponents. The difference in what Lesnar did however is he acted out AFTER a fight, which in boxing is unanimously labeled as disgraceful. Still, making himself hated much like a wrestling heel has its own draw of attention. People will watch to see him get beat, and still others will watch because they want to see him crush all in his path. Either way it makes the sport more interesting, whether the mainstream press likes it or not. Is Dana White really angry or is he just playing his role as the miffed boss?

One way or another, both of these sports need to get more household names and personalities to survive. With MMA dominating so much of the youthful market share, which sport is more likely to have the edge in 10 more years? To me the future of these sports is tide to each other. Imagine one day having a Pay-Per-View bill with the top MMA title holders going at it on the same card as the top boxers in the world. Now that would have a draw.

Sometimes we’re just as low brow here as we are attempting to be high brow. No joke, I watched this today:

JCVD, also released as Van Dammage in some parts of the world, ha ha. I watch a lot of good, classy films, I’m not going to lie, but I also watch a lot of popcorn shit and, well, strange oddities, like this film. But it wasn’t bad.

It’s like if Lost In Translation punched The Wrestler in the balls and then high kicked Being John Malkovich in the face and then had sex on top of Jean Luc Godard.

This movie is frighteningly aware, dangerously meta. For example, in the picture above, they’re talking about John Wood, whom Van Damme brought over from Hong Kong to do Hard Target, and then who dropped him. After that, they talk a little shit about Steven Seagal. It not only takes the cinema of the broken man of action into a new level, but actually elevate Van Damme, which is a sentence that I never thought I’d have to type anywhere ever.

Van Damme plays himself, coming back to Brussels, broke and tired, having just lost his daughter in a nasty custody battle and looking back on a faded career. He goes into a bank to withdraw what little cash he has left, but it’s being held up. There’s a hostage situation and he’s framed as the bad guy. Then, of course, he has to take matters into his own hand to catch the real bad guys and clear his good, ridiculous name. Cllllasssic, right?

Man, remember back to those halcyon days of the 90s when Van Damme guest starred on that post-Superbowl episode of Friends? And it was kind of an exciting thing, too? He played himself back then, as well (perhaps he’s a better actor when he’s playing himself?) starring in a fictional movie – brilliantly, it was Outbreak 2 – and was trying to make a threesome happen between himself, Courtney Cox, and Jennifer Aniston. Oh, Muscles from Brussels, you silly dog you.

I remember that Van Damme kind of updated my previously held notion of what a Belgian person was like, the only real previous contender being Hercule Poirot. And, obviously there’s a huge difference between those two…

But now, thanks to Van Damme, my impression of Belgian guys – sadly, I know no Belgian girls, though I’d obviously like to – is pretty much the same as French guys. Rather than the whole “Yes, I smell funny” and “Yes, I would love to paint you in the nude, then have dirty sexy,” it’s more of a “Let’s have some waffles, make work out a little, and then have dirty sex!” Take that, Europe.

Anyway. This movie? Not so bad.

Post by Melina- ITP Volunteer

“Yesterday, authorities seized more than 400 dogs and charged 26 people from seven states in what Humane Society officials are calling one of the largest crackdowns on dogfighting in the United States.

State and federal agents staged multiple raids, charging individuals in Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas following a more-than-year-long investigation originally tipped off by the Humane Society of Missouri.

In Missouri, prosecutors said members of a multistate ring routinely denied the dogs medical treatment and “destroyed” injured dogs who were no longer able to fight by shooting them “in the head, throwing them into the river or burning them in a barrel.”

Although the arrests stem from the same investigation, the rings were not “one concentrated, organized conspiracy.” United States attorneys in four districts will try the cases separately.

Kathy Warnick, president of the Humane Society of Missouri called the raid the “largest coordinated rescue in U.S. history.” “This heinous, heinous bloodsport is not going to be tolerated,” she told the New York Daily News.

The Humane Society of Missouri is sheltering more than 300 dogs — believed to be mostly pit bull terriers — seized in Missouri and Illinois raids. The dogs will be housed, cared for and evaluated at an undisclosed emergency shelter in St. Louis.

Jordan Crump, a spokesperson for The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), said each dog will be assessed by behavioral experts in hopes of placing as many as possible in adoptive homes. This approach is in line with the treatment of the dogs that were rescued from Michael Vick’s Bad Newz Kennels in the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback’s dogfighting case. The majority of the Vick dogs are now living with individuals and families around the country.

“The Vick case taught us to see dogs in these cases as victims,” said Donna Reynolds of our own local pit bull rescue organization, Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pit bulls (BAD RAP).

This incident is the latest in a series of investigations that have taken place since President George W. Bush signed into law the 2007 Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act, which makes dogfighting a felony in all 50 states. Under the law, each person charged could receive a maximum of five years in prison and be fined up to $250,000.”

Article was taken from:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/pets/detail?entry_id=43313&tsp=1

Posted By: Amelia Glynn | July 09 2009 at 01:41 PM

These dogs ARE victims! It’s just horrendous! Do you know of any other breed that this happens to? Of course not! You know why? Because the HEARTLESS people that are into dog fighting know that Pit Bulls are 1) easy to train, 2) smart, 3) loyal and 4) strong. So these low life’s use their best traits- the things that make them the BEST dogs, family pets and companions against them!Justice, I want justice!

A big thanks to Petside.com for posting the news story on Facebook.

Animal instincts among wildlife are crucial for their survival. Their ability to hunt, reproduce and protect their young are essential skills to sustain any species. Many of these abilities are innate and have been developed over long periods of time – a mother’s surge of adrenaline to defend her newborn from a predator or a male’s aggressive claim on a mate.

While human beings are advanced in many ways compared to the animal world (we can tell lies and clean up our own poop), we too have fundamental instincts. Sexual prowess and desire are animalistic urges that are usually attributed to men, however there is a rising presence of sexually expressive women that are not concerned with societies judgment of them and their appetites. These mature women usually prey on young, sexually compatible men.

These women, known as cougars, are only one group in the broader existence of salivating women. Pumas, the youngest class of sexually open women are in their late twenties and are just beginning to open up and accept their desires. Panthers are in their thirties and find no shame in going after young men in their late teens or older men into their fifties (they’re not stupid – they know they’ll get great sex or a sugar daddy, it’s a win win).

Cougars are right in the middle, so it’s easy to use this term to include all women. These forty somethings are in a do or die phase in their life. They know their youth, an invaluable trait for a woman, has escaped their grasp and they spin into a fun, pleasure seeking midlife crises. While a man would dye his hair or go buy a sports car, a woman overcomes her hesitations about decisively claiming what she wants. What better way to build up the beaten down self-esteem of a mature woman than to get the attention and satisfaction of desire from a young, option filled man? The beauty of this is that she gets what she wants and he gets to live it up with the “Stifler’s Mom” fantasy.

Leopards are the next group in their fifties. They get this name because of their ever-increasing age spots. There are always exceptions for getting it on with a woman in this class, but as a whole you’re going to have to be in an alter state to consider playing with this jungle cat. Finally the eldest group is the snow leopard. Yes, they not only have full blown age spots but the frosty white hair to top it off. These majestic creatures have a world of experience and may give you the blowey of a lifetime (especially the ones with dentures) but these encounters are usually left untold, unless you spill the beans on a night of drunken openness with your closest boys.

Why bother with these older women you ask? A woman’s youth gives her the right to play games and be obsessively choosey. Additionally, as confident and full of herself as she may seem on the outside, she’s typically equally insecure. These insecurities translate to a less experimental, tamed down sexual experience. What guy wants to do all the work in the missionary position while the girl lies there like a dead fish? An older woman cuts through the BS, is willing to try things she never would have before, and from my experience, plays to her theme song, Rick James’ Superfreak.

These claims are always countered by the exception to the rule but why bother with young difficult chicks now when you can have fun with the cougars and work your way down, as you get older? After all young chicks usually want the older man. Play it smart, you only get one shot boys.

Until the Next Kumate …

For your consideration:
Why is “No.” the abbreviation for number? There isn’t even an o in the word number.

My friend Jamie called to tell me she was preggers. Instead of being happy for her, I was concerned. I’ve known her since we were four and I never pictured her actually having a baby – she just isn’t responsible enough. Some proof of this was the fact that she got knocked and she wasn’t dating anyone at the time. This was part of my source of concern.

About seven months earlier she asked me to meet her in Vegas. She was going to be there with some friends and really wanted me to come for a weekend of fun. I told her I couldn’t because I had a crazy schedule, but she begged and pleaded with me. She told me she’d make it worth my while and she’d show me the best weekend of my life. I thought to myself that I’ve had some pretty damn good weekends, what’s going to make this one so incredible I asked her? She replied, anything you’d like. Uncertain of how she was going to bring me Lou Malnati’s pizza, I decided to consider it.

Jamie and I have always been good friends but nothing like this had ever come up. She’s cute, but nothing incredible so I’d never pursued anything. However, apparently she wanted things to change. Unsure of how this would play out, I said I’d come. I mean what’s there to lose with a weekend in Vegas? And while I can’t say I was interested is messing around with her, I also can’t deny that easy ass is like finding a $20 bill on the ground – you’ll always be happy to accept it.

This past weekend was pretty good. I went to some parties at a couple of bars with a bunch of friends Saturday night. Towards the end of the night, I ended up getting separated from them and I turned up at this bar alone. I stayed until the drink special was over, and then went outside around 3AM to find a cab home. As I started walking away from the bar, I crossed the street and heard some woman yell out to me, “Hey you, come over here.” I was drunk and had nothing else going on, so I decided to investigate.

As I approached the white jeep this chick was sitting idle in, I saw her flash a smile at me. “What’s your name?” she asked me.

“Biff. What’s your name?” I replied immediately.

“Candy. Need a ride?”

As I was standing there drunk trying to follow what was going on, I was confused because I wasn’t sure why she had offered me a ride and what she was doing. However, after a brief moment of consideration, I decided that she should be the one in this situation to be afraid of someone if anyone were to be, and I did need a ride. So, fearlessly I accepted and walked around the car and got in. She asked me where I lived so I told her and gave her directions.

While we were driving, the conversation was cordial and nice. She asked me what I had done that night and if I had a good time. She asked me why I was alone and I explained how sometimes I tend to wander when I get drunk and how I had misplaced my friends. Finally, we got to my place and she pulled over on the side. She turned to me, smiled, and said, “Would you like me to come up?”

I was sitting there trying to figure this whole thing out. I couldn’t believe that it was going to be this easy. She wasn’t great looking, but decent, and certainly good enough for me at that time and condition. “Sure…” I shot back at her happy and surprised. At that moment, she leaned over and started rubbing my leg. I just sat there with my head tilted down, starring at her hand massaging me. In my head I was thinking this was ridiculous and none of this made sense, but then I remember my ridiculous sex appeal and figured this one just couldn’t resist.

Who would have thought that the innocent looking chick that called me over and offered me a ride was a hooker. As I walked up to my place I smiled thinking about this humorous story, but immediately the smile turned to a disappointed head nod as I had to accept the fact that this time had nothing to do with my raw sex appeal.

Until the next Kumate…

For your consideration:
Why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways?