Hey guys, please take the time to check out the new Kombat schedule and to read our Welcome package.  All of this stuff is really, really, really important.  Thxs, Jd

New Kombat Schedule

The Kombat Arts Welcome Package

Here is a short clip of a round from a Thai boxing match held at Studio 7.  Please enjoy.  I will post more later.  I have also posted another video of Mehdi and I training.  It was funny because there are 3 Thai instructors in the ring and me the only Filipino.  Hey I sort of fit in .  The camp is getting busy.  Everyday more people arrive.  We have had guests here from Australia, Russia and the Philippines.

The day was low key.  I woke up, meditated and followed a Yoga routine that I had downloaded on my I Pod.  I felt great even though last night I had that MMA, Muay Thai, Thai Massage combo.  After I had breakfast, a cappuccino, read my book, while listening to Christmas songs outside on the cafe’s patio.  Pretty neat huh?  Afterwards we jumped on some motorcycles and went to MBK, one of Thailand’s largest malls.  You guessed it, more shopping for the guys, than off to Black Canyon for some top notch coffee.

Back on the motorcycle to get back to training.  It was hot to train, but the cool wind really helped.  Than again back to Lumpini Bazaar for more shopping.  This night, like all nights here, we have been staying up to 3.00 AM watching soccer.  We have to stay up pretty late to keep Mehdi company.  He fights on Dec 4 around 11.00 PM, so we are trying to get him used to being active at that time.  Good nite Kombat Arts, I miss you guys Jd

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The ongoing battle regarding Development Charges in Halton Region has been an up and down battle with a lot of input from all sides.  With all the different input, it can get confusing on just what happened in the end.  For some, especially those who bought homes in Halton, it seems they got good news in regards to not having to pay the increase.

In my last blog, I was wondering  just who was going to pay the freight on the development charges.  Fortunately, I have received some clarification on just what is happening.  The following is from Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, who wants to make sure there is full understanding of the issue.  I invite you to visit the link and see the answers yourself.

I appreciate the Mayor taking the time to bring this clarification forward.

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It’s interesting for me as a photographer to view other people’s work. As you can imagine, I can’t go anywhere without my photographer’s eye wandering away on me. Everywhere I look I see images that reflect a capture of someone’s imagination. But sometimes with my background and training, it’s hard for me not to be critical of what makes it to print.

The biggest mistake I notice in photography is in the lighting. As a photographer raised through the old-school methods of film and dark rooms, I was forced to use a critical eye when shooting a scene. I didn’t receive instant feedback on my photography the way people in the digital age do today, so I was forced to become acutely aware of my surroundings, light sources, and subject placement. Film was expensive and it was time consuming to develop. I learned to take the right shot the first time instead of expending 1000 clicks and wading through them hoping for some good shots to come out.

There are still some basic principles of photography one must utilize to make his portraits stand out from the sea of others who operate with a point-and-shoot methodology. How often do you see the stunning photography of yesterday replicated in today’s photographs? When you look at photos of old Hollywood stars like Rita Hayworth or Audrey Hepburn, you see true art. The lighting, the poses, the way they spring off the page and exude that sultry persona. Today’s point and click methods with little more than a chin tilt and a smile make me cringe at the lost art of true photography.

And do you ever wonder why some photographs look dated while others truly seem to stand the test of time? It’s in the photographer’s artistic eye. The way he lights a scene, the feature he zooms in on, the moment he presses the button to capture the shot, and the confidence and connection the subjects feel with their photographer.

These differences may be hard to distinguish when creating a shot, but they are unmistakeable in the final print.

Today I would like you to consider that you can have—that you deserve the best of both worlds. Timeless methodologies in the careful craft of photography paired with digital equipment that can expedite and enhance your images.

Can you see the differences in photography? Do you ever see images that don’t look or feel right but you’re not sure what’s wrong with them? If you need help understanding imagery and what to look for in an exceptional photographer, please contact me, I’d be happy to help.

In our next blog we’ll take a look at the three types of photography and what makes each one special.

Today was HOT!  It was hot enough to respect the heat, but pleasant enough to appreciate the other options: cold rain back in BC where I am building an Ark.  Today I got up late.  Needed the rest and I was ONE big sore muscle.  I started off the day with some quick meditation, breakfast and then I was off to the Channel 7 Studios.  Every Sunday the channel 7 studio shows fights.  Thanks Pak for getting us in!  There were 6 fights and all of them were good.  I have recorded a couple of rounds here and there.  Please be patient as the internet connection here sucks and it takes me awhile to upload.  Please watch them.  I risked life and limb to get them to you; if I don’t make it out, please tell my story.

There were some rounds were all they did was elbow and knee each other.  And when a kick landed it was clearly audible to the whole crowd.  The crowd itself was a spectacle, with betting and cheering going on, it was like a scene from Bloodsport.

After the fights, we went off to eat and hit some weights.  After all of that we hooked up with Cartoon, a good friend of Mehdi’s.  Cartoon produces some pretty awesome Thai shorts.  Her second specialty is finding us the best places to eat.  When I met Cartoon 1 year ago we had the BEST sea food ever.  Tonight we were not disappointed.  She just kept feeding me!  This is one of those rare times were I had to say “no more.”  I was so stuffed.  But in all sincerity it was really good sea food.

After that awesome meal I dragged myself back home.  It was approximately 10.30 PM; time for a traditional Thai massage.  I spent 300 baht for an hour and a half massage.  This is approximately $10 Canadian.  A Thai massage is like MMA, Thai boxing and a massage mixed together!!  No seriously, these little Thai women use their whole body (elbows, knees etc) to find every trigger point in your body.  I came so close to tapping out.  I wish I brought my mouthpiece with me.  It was mind boggling how strong they can be.  I forgot how much I love / hate Thai massages.  So now I sit here back in my apartment at 1.00 AM, Monday morning, drinking Singha, typing this blog, while the rest of my team watches soccer on my TV.  Have a great day Kombat Arts!!! Jd

Today was a day to get used to everything again in Thailand.  I was totally lethargic today.  The day started off with some miscellaneous errands here and there.  The highlight of the day was the night time training.  There is something really cool about training outside in the night.  This set the mood for our movie: Ninja Assassin!

Ok off to Center World to watch Ninja Assassin.  Man it was good to see a movie on traditional martial arts.  The Thai’s have it right when it comes to their movies.  First of all you have to select your seating; you can’t just sit anywhere.  And in our case, we got a couple of reclining coaches.  Luxury!

Afterwards we went back to Patpong for the guys to do more shopping.  I found myself really dozing off and I can tell you I was SO HAPPY to find my bed at the end of the night.  Tomorrow we go watch some fights! Jd

Ok, I’ve finally made it here!  It took us awhile, but when we landed we found Pak (he coordinates Mehdi’s training in Thailand) and we were whisked away to our accommodations.  Before we got there though, we had to stop off at another hotel and grab Fred, one of Mehdi’s students on the way.  We are staying at the President Park Ebony Wing.  I attached a video showing my room:

After getting situated in our rooms we HAD to eat.  Mehdi wanted a chicken sandwich.  So we have travelled all this distance to eat chicken sandwiches!  That’s ok, we will have traditional Thai food tonight.  After we ate we went to check out the new site of Pak’s new training camp which was next door.  It’s pretty exciting to see the camp start from bare bones.

We wanted to work out tonight, but we needed pads, so we decided to go to Lumpini stadium to do some shopping for gear.  In order to beat the traffic Mehdi suggested that we hire motorcycle drivers.  I was a little skeptical of the safety factor, but it was an awesome drive!  There is nothing more exhilarating than speeding along the highway precariously between vehicles.  There were times when my legs almost scrapped against the sides of idling vehicles!  Shopping for gear was a blast and we eventually made our way back to camp.

Back at the camp we started Mehdi’s training.  We are the 1^st guys to work out at the camp.  Mehdi did 10 rounds of 3 minutes, with 1 min rest.  Pak was on hand to guide the training.  That was pretty cool.   I learned a lot from Pak in the few hours we were there.  Check it out here:

While we were training we drew a large crowd.  It felt neat to train outside with spectators.  Eventually some other fighters showed up, and soon we had good energy as the athletes banged away on pads and on each other.

A quick shower after the training and then we took the train to Center World for an actual Thai dinner.  From there we jumped into a cab and made our way to the Patpong Bazaar.  Here we continued with more shopping and browsing.  We are going to finish our day by going back to the airport to pick up Ramin, one of my students and a good friend of Mehdi’s.  Tomorrow we have to do more training, shop, watch movies and get an adapter for Mehdi’s XBOX.  He actually packed his XBOX in his carry on!  Mehdi and I have got about 6 to 8 hours sleep in the last 40 hours!  It is time to sleep-Jd

I love to see everyone’s preparation for the holidays. Lights glisten, trees sparkle…and sequins fall off your favorite dress. Your regular clothing becomes dusted with specks of glitter from your holiday sweater, and your daughter’s crushed velvet dress is, well, truly “crushed” from storage.

Did I mention I equally love to help people in their holiday preparations?

Occasion-wear with all of its embellishment is outside of what you likely experience with your everyday wardrobes unless you’re spending time on the set of Dancing with the Stars. Manufacturers of holiday wear seem to create flashy pieces with little regard to functionality, and that leaves the garment’s owners in a bind.

Here are a few tips from the Dry Cleaning Station of Atlanta to help you preserve and protect your holiday wear.

When you are shopping for the perfect outfit, ask the retailer to protect your garment when you purchase it. Either keep it on a hanger with a plastic garment bag over it, or have it folded gently in their store box. When you get home, hang your clothing immediately, using padded hangers and clips to preserve the shape of the fabric. Roll sweaters or delicate fabrics that may stretch between layers of tissue paper.

Inspect your clothing. Check for loose buttons or appliques and reinforce them with fabric glue or a needle and thread. Protect your garment’s appliques from snagging other clothing by placing it on the end of your clothes bar with the embellishments facing the wall or covered with a garment bag.

When your shirt or dress shimmers with glitter, it is a good idea to keep it covered until you are ready to wear it. Shake it out over a trash container to remove loose glitter and put it on just before you walk out the door. Wear a coat with a smooth lining over glittery outfits. The smooth lining helps prevent glitter from imbedding itself into the lining of your outerwear and transferring onto clothing you wear in the future.

Finally, let your dry cleaner know about any stains you experience and hang onto those extra buttons or threads that come with your garment. We want to see you get a lot of wear out of your holiday clothes, and you can trust The Dry Cleaning Station to keep them looking their best!

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My attention was drawn to a Toronto Star article concerning Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion and her son Peter, a local real estate entrepreneur.  This article goes over “the decision by Mississauga council to launch a judicial inquiry into a controversial $14.4 million land deal he initiated – which will also probe conflict-of-interest allegations involving the mayor.”

We have seen in Oakville where decisions were being made concerning allegations of illegal wiring putting children’s lives at risk and former Mayor Ann Mulvale, whose mentor is Hazel McCalliion, was in negotiations for a Mattamy donation.  Was that a conflict of interest?  I will let you decide.

But the bigger picture to us all, is something brought forward to me by another reader.  Without the facts, I can’t make a specific allegation but, we should be monitoring our councillors in preparation to make our voting decisions come November 2010.

This just isn’t an Oakville problem (as seen my an earlier blog that gave donation statistics for Toronto politicians and the Vaughan problem) but, we should be aware that politicians will be making decisions now to ensure their power base (money) is consolidated for the next election.

Look at the Edgemere decision.  Even though the developer was legally obligated to hand over the shorefront strip, he argued and got some density concessions.  Why even bother when he had to dedicate the land?

Another interesting area was up in Milton – or Mattamy-Ville,  as other reader has aptly named it.  Big argument over Development Charges and Mattamy led the Complaint Brigade – with a plethora of Voluntolds in support.  After new homeowners were threatened with an almost $8000 increase due to the levy, it seems now that they don’t have to pay. 

But who will?  I stand to be corrected on this but it seems that Halton will get a loan from the developers to build the necessary infrastructure and then will give future concessions of some sort. 

WHO WILL PAY THIS LOAN BACK???   THE TAXPAYER? 

We are already paying for the water pipeline that allowed Peter Gilgan et al to make their fortunes developing the Milton area.  And who voted to make these changes and why?  At first Halton was strong on the new development paying for itself, even saying so in an online report- since removed.  It will be interesting to see who gets the developer’s support the next election.

Appears that, as someone pointed out to me, Mattamy rules the roost in Halton.  I hope the Milton taxpayer is happy with the free bus rides they might get for Christmas, courtesy of Mattamy.  Nothing like buying someone off with cheap trinkets. 

BLOG  EDIT:  SEE NOVEMBER 30TH  FOR CLARIFICATION

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I’ve been visting a church in milton,fl.called Hickory Hammock Baptist.I’m so excited to be  joining this fellowship soon. I’m so excited about the love for Jesus and the many ministries they do for the Lord Jesus.My Father attended there before he went to be with the Lord.I was so touched to see Pastor Carl Gallups and Pastor Greg Robards as well as Bro Tony Llorns as they came by to see my Dad and how the Love of the Lord used these men to make a difference in Dad’s Life as well as my wonderful step mother that God gave to Dad.My Father’s faith was so strong during his battle with cancer,He used to come by my job and say Son i love you and i’ll miss you but i want to go home to Jesus.Some may say my dad lost his battle with cancer.No way!! He has a new body and is in Heaven with JESUS.The Love of Jesus is what outshined the sadness.My Life was turned around when i saw Bro Carl,Bro Greg,and Bro Tony how they let the Lord work in their lives so other could see Jesus.This is what i needed as well.I didn’t need a finger in my face i needed to be loved.The Unconditional Love of Jesus is the best and most powerful way to reach the lost and hurting.The World’s I love you if’s is conditional and is cold.To Think that Jesus knew us before we ever came to be and yet loved us so much He died for us.He paid our debts in full.In all our ugliness,He loved us.He took all of our shame,Yet He loved us still.That Unconditional Love is AWESOME.JESUS truly SAVES

A long and bitter battle fought between Halton Region and major homebuilders in the residential development industry has been settled, for the moment.

 Regional council last week approved, with the support of a development industry lobbying group, a staff recommendation to continue collecting a disputed $7,888 per-house charge from residential developers in north Oakville and Milton with the money to be used to pay for roads and water and wastewater infrastructure.

 However, those developers will now be able to recoup the full amount back from the Region, at no interest, once the municipality collects the same charge from future developers.

The unusual agreement results from a change in the Provincial law under which Halton will collect the charge.

 What that means is the homebuilders will be able to recover the full $7,888 from fees that will be paid by future residential developers in Halton, with no risk to the taxpayer, regional staff told council. When the charge was under the Municipal Act, the same builders were only going to be able to get back just over 40 per cent of their money.

 “Ultimately, Halton has the opportunity now to generate the revenue they need to move forward on their capital (construction) program and the industry has the opportunity to find those contributions become recoverable in future development charges,” Joe Vaccaro, vice-president of policy and government relations for the Building Industry and Land Development (BILD) association, said in a recent interview.

Read the full article “Battle between Region and homebuilders alleviated, for now” by Tim Foran from today’s Oakville Beaver

Related Posts:

• Oakville Real Estate News: Mattamy Challenges Halton’s Development Charges
• Oakville Real Estate News: Battle over Development Fees Burns Hotter in Oakville

while i was reading paradise lost
i came across adam and eve
so i imagined you as eve and me
as adam and we were
beautiful like apples

it just so happens
when you think everything is lost
you come across someone to believe
so i imagined you as eve and me
as adam and we were
beautiful like sanguine pomegranates

i could never take for granted
the comfort of being lost in your sleeve
with a cross of arms around my back like eve
so i imagined you and me
could have our own garden
beautiful like apples

Ok I made a little mistake.  I will elaborate on this later on.  My day started off with my 3^rd private lesson in Power Yoga with Lori.  It was AWESOME!  Not only did I do the usual Sun Salutations, I also got introduced to some really cool standing poses and some hand stand poses.  Handstand stuff, neato!  Again thanks Lori for the great experience.  I am definitely going to check out this Power Yoga stuff when I get back home.  Namasta Lori.  Again good luck to you, your husband and your baby!

After this I made my way to the academy to give Mehdi a hand with his training.  Mehdi had already completed 15 rounds of boxing with Perry when Josip and I got there.  I held Thai pads for Mehdi for 5 three minute rounds.  Again Mehdi was on the ball!  This is going to be a great fight.  Then I held some pads for Josip.  Josip man you look sharp!  We finished off with some bag work and some plyo ab work.

I was talking to Mehdi about our flight arrangements to Thailand and he made me realize my MISTAKE.  I thought I was leaving Thursday midnight; nope BIG mistake.  I was leaving Wed midnight; tonight.  LOL.

I rushed off to cram some Persian food down my throat, get home, do 2 loads of laundry, pack my gear in the suitcase (I did an AMAZING JOB!), packed my amazing Maxpedition sling bag, with the Jack Bauer patch, handled banking and credit card authorizations, bribed my cab driver to speed to the airport, and I MADE IT!  I did 24 hours worth of crap, in about 3 hours.  Not bad.

Mehdi just shook his head as we checked in.  This was my 1^st time flying with Eva Airlines.  This is a Taiwanese Airline (Hector and Ivano you have to come).  I actually felt pretty tall.  I was actually taller than quite a few of the passengers.  Sitting in the Deluxe section, I was treated to huge chairs, that reclined like Lazy Boy chairs, complete with foot rests, an actual glass for my wine, an actual cup for my coffee and a remote for my TV!  Heaven!  Got to kill 12 hours on this flight, so I am going to watch the Ugly Truth, Up! and Ghajini, a really awesome 3 hour love story with action (this will be the 2^nd time I have watched this good foreign film).

I did not get to say a proper “good bye” to my bro Josip.  I hope you read this guy.  Again thanks my friend for putting me up at your house, showing me a good time, eating and drinking with me (I know you gained a lot of weight because of me) and for helping me out in a lot of immeasurable intangible ways.  You’re a great friend and brother to me Josip, again thanks.

The second leg of my journey has begun.  I’m off to Thailand guys to help Mehdi as he prepares to defend his championship belt.  I’ll be back soon guys, have a good one for me-Jd

PS.  Quick update: I’ve stopped off in Taipai, Taiwan.  ALL IS GOOD

As a teenager in school, we studied Milton’s “Paradise Lost”; the story of the “council of war” by the angels who had rebelled against God and been banished from the Kingdom of Heaven. Milton’s epic poem had them bemoaning their plight and the possibilities of re-assembling and attacking heaven again and regaining their former elevated position. Of course we were aware that the fallen angels were now devils. Each devil/angel takes the stage, and has his say, (it seems they were all men!),  and after each has outlined his case the situation was summed up and concluded by the arch devil himself, Lucifer. We weren’t allowed to forget that these devils were once angels in God’s heaven. And, I suppose, this was a lesson for us young boys to learn and remember.

Notwithstanding their inherent threatening nature, I was never frightened by these rebel angels of Miltons, rather I was fascinated by their characters, like actors in a play, and the arguments that he put in their mouths; it was all a trifle unreal, even to a young romantic scholar like myself. They were, in his depiction, powerful personalities, but now deprived of the glory of heaven, and that took the wind out of their sails. Fallen and broken angels they were and not a pair of wings between the lot of them!

Their main deliberation was in their own plight and not focused on me and trying to lead me astray. They were deeply occupied with trying to solve the bungled revolution they had so recently fought with seriously damaging results. Another lesson for us to take heed of, I suppose: not to oppose God and think we could win!

What enthralled me the most about them was the richness and the power of the language Milton gave them. His use and command of the English language intrigued and delighted me more than the so-called evilness of these pathetic creatures, once bright and beautiful, but now dark and despondent. These devils’ speeches had us young English scholars leafing through the dictionary like never before learning new words and meanings. This was more the purpose of the study of the poem, of course, and not anyway religious at all. It was in English class.

Whereas before, we, as children, had been introduced to devils as evil tempters who spent their time egging us on to commit sin and displease God, we were now seeing another side to these tempters; they had their own problems, problems much bigger than ours here on the Earth. Many a the time I felt really sorry for them, defeated, banished and desperate.

I often wondered, later, on more mature philosophical reflection, if such creatures existed at all. Or did their brighter counterparts, angels, also exist? Or were they all like Milton’s darker brooding brothers, simply figments of his fertile artistic imagination? And as the power of the image, whether in painting or literature, has a great impact on the minds of the common man or woman, (as in advertising), we began to accept the artistic vision as the real. Or was the artist’s projected image a reflection of our own fears, perhaps? Of the dark. Of our loss. Of our insecurity!

I’m sure that many arguments, both pro and con, could be tabled. And would we ever know the truth? The human being seems to have the ability to proffer one argument only to be quickly routed by the opposite. As soon as one authority has professed that it’s “okay to eat butter”, another knocks it on the head as being bad for us. I think the same is somewhat true of angels and devils.

Dick Donaghue.

I woke up in one of the White Hart’s comfortable rooms, early brightness offering some hope that this would be a good walking day. Chalfont St Giles being the home of John Milton, I read some Paradise Lost while I waited for breakfast time. I hadn’t looked at this poem for years – not since ‘Rusty’ Reynolds taught it at A-level, at least when we weren’t able to distract him into talking about cricket, jazz or Bob Dylan. (A happy memory – VIth form huts at the back of Hove Grammar School as lost paradise…) I became steadily more wide-eyed as I read through Books 1 and 2 – soaking in the language of a potent supermyth; I often read comics, pulp and fantasy, to the point where I’m jaded from a surfeit of marvels, but this stuff… has me babbling with inarticulate enthusiasm.

The pub breakfast was suitably hearty, though for some reason the three overnight guests were squashed into one corner of the restaurant. My fellow breakfasters were on some kind of public- or third-sector job-related trip, their language similar to my own work-speak but with different words – so much so that I couldn’t understand what they were saying. We all spoke ‘corporate’, but in different dialects.

I paid up and left. At the end of the bar, pink balloons, slightly deflated, were a residue of last night’s breast cancer fundraising dinner (£25 with a complimentary half-bottle of wine, £5 to the charity) – worthy resistance to the bodily effects of ‘Chaos…And Tumult and Confusion all imbroild’. Flashback to encountering the language of cancer – suddenly learning unwanted words like ‘metastasized’, treading uncertain territory of ‘percentages’ and ‘remission’.

A few hundred yards down the hill I passed Milton’s Cottage. I believe he wrote Paradise Lost here. I wondered if Edge Hill, a key battle of the English Civil War (the site of which I visited a few months ago) featured in his mental landscape. Opposite the cottage is ‘Milton’s Indian Restaurant’, where I checked out the menu – disappointed not to find dishes with Miltonian themes, a vindaloo maybe described as ‘a fiery Deluge, fed With ever-burning Sulphur unconsum’d (very spicy)’.

In Chalfont itself I overshot the path and wandered into the churchyard, walking out through the lich gate (better than being carried in) and picking up the South Bucks Way.

On a gloomy day in the rain I was braced for walking through a ‘dismal Situation waste and wilde’. It was somewhat grim with the strangled sounds of cattle and barking dogs blowing across the wet heath, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Another tract of country, no beauty spot and no reason to come here except for the journey itself…

It was raining harder as I walked through Chalfont St Peter, and over a hill via long streets lined with big houses to Gerrards Cross. A Costa Coffee gave a brief respite, the warm tones of its corporate decor familiar from just about everywhere I’ve been. From there, really wet now, I walked across some parkland and out past the last houses, too busy plunging through the rain to wonder why the woods here are called ‘The Rancho’, a soggy echo of Spain or California.

Rancho: notorious?

In Fulmer I stopped for a pint in the Black Horse – Greene King ‘Fireside’ Bitter, a cheerful picture of a blazing hearth on the pump clip contrasting with the unlit fires in the pub itself. It was nice enough though for some reason I felt glad I hadn’t stayed there, as I had considered doing. From the pub I doubled back past the church, sounds of hymn singing emerging, today being the Festival of Christ the King, for many the last Sunday of the liturgical year – the expectant penitent waiting of Advent soon to start. I yearn for such spiritual structure but here I am out walking, again.

I joined the Beeches Way and soon crossed the M40, almost at its southernmost tip. I suppose I could have called this year ‘Walking the M40′ as I have more or less completed its length and recrossed it several times. I now feel that I ‘own’ it in a different way from the drivers and passengers.

Shortly afterwards I entered Black Park Country Park. This seems a clumsy title as its name is ‘Black Park’, and it’s a ‘Country Park’. Google simply conflate this into ‘Black Country Park’, implying that this stretch of wood and heath could really belong back in an earlier part of the walk, near Dudley, Stourbridge and Wolverhampton. A low sun appeared, gleaming through the dripping trees.

On the other side of Black Park, I found myself at the southern tip of Pinewood Studios. Rather than walk on, I decided to take a detour, making a complete circuit which will comprise a post of its own.

Another mile of wood and wintry sunshine, some muddy paths to the station, and the day’s walk was finished. Elsewhere, the rain I had enjoyed was washing bridges away, flooding homes. There were autumn leaves still unfallen on the branches, and also some spring green come unnaturally early; in a couple of weeks I would be 48, a year-and-a-day left to reach the 50th year where the endpoint of this journey should lie; a bit more time ‘treading the crude consistence’ of ill-defined territory, ‘bog or steep…strait, rough, dense, or rare’; pointing lenses into the sun, metastasizing words and pixels and unfolding fresh maps.

About a weekend ago we had Professor Salem Assli come and do a 2 day seminar on silat, JKD, savate and kali.  I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the following for passing their tests in either JKD or savate.  Great work guys! Jd

Martin Duncan – JKD White and Green Ying Yang

Anthony Colli – White Glove

Andre Maitland – White Glove

Calvin Millar – White Glove

Barry Lee – Red Glove

Neal Hoyte – Red Glove

Matthew Mejias – Green Glove

Waldek Rak – Green Glove

Maja Zonjic – Green Glove

Roberto Mastromarini also successfully tested for first level instructorship (Savate)

Again great work guys!!! Jd

Ist natürlich meine Frau! Aber woher kommt eigentlich diese Redewendung?

Die scherzhafte Bezeichnung der Ehefrau als „bessere Hälfte“ stammt aus dem Schäferroman The countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia (Das Arkadien der Gräfin von Pembroke) des englischen Dichters Philip Sidney.

Der Dichter John Milton griff diese Wendung in seinem Epos Paradise Lost (Das verlorene Paradies) wieder auf, indem er Adam seine Frau Eva als „dearer half“ als „teurere Hälfte“, bezeichnen lässt. [Wikipedia]

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the news frequently and not for what they have accomplished.  The richest team in the league and scraping bottom right now.  Those of us who have been around awhile remember the glory days when it was a winning team.  Now – making the money but not producing the product their reputation was built on.

Mattamy Homes had a very good reputation – something that people are still making a decision to buy a home on.  In the early years, they seemed to produce a very good product and people bought knowing they would be well treated. 

Seems those glory days aren’t what they used to be.  Flooding basements in Bracebridge, selling homes without being given permission to develop in Ottawa, illegal landfill in Ottawa that had the potential to ruin the environment, poor construction in Florida, starting pre-mature construction on land in Milton that had been fertilized with human waste and, illegal wiring – the list is becoming endless it seems.

Like the Leafs who are striving for the elusive Stanley Cup, Mattamy has dropped to second place in the GTA with the JD Power Customer Satisfaction award and in Ottawa – just like the Leafs, scraping bottom in customer satisfaction.

I see in the newspapers they are starting to hint about a change in leadership for the Leafs.  Do we need this at Mattamy to curtail the dropping of quality and customer satisfaction?  Maybe, instead of trying to enhance a reputation in the press for Entrepreneur of the Year,  Mattamy management should be focusing on why people are being shafted with all these problems.  If you want to donate, go ahead but make sure it isn’t to mayors who are supposed to be investigating why children’s lives were put at risk by illegal wiring that allowed sales to close.

If people keep buying Mattamy based on the old reputation, is Mattamy thinking – why should they change.  Like the Leafs - they are still raking in the money from loyal fans who are not getting the product they are expecting.

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As you work towards monetizing LinkedIn we’d like to offer some tools to help you work more effectively.

Non-LinkedIn Tools

LinkedIn Presence Scoring Tool
Ever wondered how your LinkedIn efforts compare to the average user.  The Linkulator grades your LinkedIn activity on a scale from 0 to 100, and shows you the average score among those who have graded their profile.  The results also include tips on what you can do to improve your score and presence.

Google Alerts to Track Topics
This isn’t a LinkedIn tool but it can be used to track LinkedIn related information.  Set up a Google Alert to track LinkedIn related topics to keep up to date with changes and information about LinkedIn.

Xobni Email Plugin
This Outlook plugin opens a summary window that displays information on each email sender and how you connect to that person.

LinkedIn Tools:

Outlook Toolbar
The Outlook toolbar is an excellent way to have full-time access to your LinkedIn contacts and information even when you are not on the LinkedIn Web site.  The tool integrates your LinkedIn data with Outlook, provider you instant access to en email sender’s profile.

Browser Toolbars (IE & Firefox)
The LinkedIn Browser Toolbar allows you to directly access LinkedIn, it allows you to search from anywhere, and also get the scoop on inside job connections. With easy one-click access to LinkedIn, you can easily see the LinkedIn profiles of everyone sending you Web mail.

Jobs Insider
The Jobs Insider comes with the LinkedIn Browser toolbar.  With it you can see how you connect into a job listing and see how you are connected to the position.  The tool works with Monster, CareerBuilder, HotJobs, Craigslist, SimplyHired, Dice, or Vault

You can request an introduction to the hiring manager, get your resume to the right person, or find out more about the company

LinkedIn Widgets

Company Insider
Let your users discover how they are connected to companies on your site. You pass a company name and we’ll show how many people the user knows and a few sample names. This widget works great for news sites and blogs, letting readers connect to people at companies you mention. It also works well on jobs sites where job seekers can see who they know at hiring companies. Use it anywhere to inject professional networking into your site.

Profile
Show LinkedIn profiles on your blog, website, or application. The Profile widget shows the public profile of anyone in LinkedIn. Use it to show your own profile on your blog or website. Or use it in your business application to show profiles of people. The Profile widget takes a Public Profile URL and shows the public profile for that person. Your users can then click through to see the full LinkedIn profile page, including how they may be related and communication options.

Share on LinkedIn
Add a Share on LinkedIn link to your website or blog allowing your users to share your content with their LinkedIn connections or networks. This gives your content legs: one user visits your site and can notify literally tens, hundreds, or thousands of others. Works great for news sites, blogs, and other content rich sites.

I would also consider the various LinkedIn applications tools as well.  Down the road I’ll add a post reviewing these but for now you can access them from the LinkedIn site.

Which tools have you found useful?  And what are some LinkedIn tools that I missed that you think everyone should know about?

Just finished: The Woman in White.

Reading next: Guilty Pleasures, by Donald Barthelme.

This book really does have more than its fair share of monsters, doesn’t it?  People monstrous — grotesque might be another way of putting it (but then I couldn’t use that killer title, lifted from this Maureen McHugh collection) — in their self-interest, their willful disavowal of wrongdoing or even wrongful impulse, their superficial gentility.

Fosco is an obvious example — like Milton’s Satan, he seems something of a heroic villain until you remember the bodies he’s buried under rhetoric, charm, and rationalization (it’s more complicated with the rather defensible Satan, of course, but that’s a whole other topic) — and I’ve already talked a little about Frederick Fairlie, who is so indifferent to everything in the world but his own comfort as to be rather delightful.  But I’m thinking here of other monsters.

The monstrous mother is Mrs. Catherick.  In her discussion with Walter, and especially in the letter she sends him, Mrs. Catherick displays her absolute lack of interest in her daughter’s well being; the coldness with which she dismisses news of Anne is matched only by the warmth with which she justifies her abandonment of Anne.  It’s a magnificent portrait, this little sketch of Mrs. Catherick.  There’s her pride at being bowed to by the minister, this tiny measure of civility and her rehabilitated status in her community to be clung to at all costs.  And, especially, there’s her magnificent sign-off to Walter, which, in context, seems like the epitome of that hoary old chestnut, the banality of evil: “My hour for tea is half-past five, and my buttered toast waits for nobody.”

Is it wrong to argue that Walter Hartright himself is something of a monster, too?  What brought this to mind for me was his insistence that he bore no blame for Glyde’s death.  Of course, Glyde never would have been where he was if Walter were not digging into Glyde’s past — it’s not like he bears no responsibility.  And one of the main conflicts throughout the Third Epoch is Walter’s internal struggle between the need for vengeance and the need to protect Marian and Laura.  Collins kind of bails Walter out of this conflict, in the end.  But the conflict hews awfully close to that classic noir trope of the detective as the other side of the criminal coin: capable of impulses as dark as any murderer’s.  Interesting, that this proto-detective novel already contains the DNA of hardboiled novels and The French Connection.

Here are some piks of our athletes and team that recently competed in St. Catherines at an event hosted by Muay Thai Niagara.  Again congrats Team Kombat! Thxs Rohan for the piks.  Jd

I’m going to post some random Thai boxing and K1 style matches that I filmed from Austria.  These matches have no real significance to me, I just filmed them to further my education and also my students’ education.  Observe the pace and footwork.  Pretty good stuff.  Enjoy!  Jd

ANGRY residents are complaining about a patch of land which has been left derelict for more than 20 years. Families on Meadow Street, Milton, near Stoke, claim it is an eyesore and are tired of the land being used as a dumping ground and car park.
The land is owned by Stoke City Council but employees from nearby businesses and residents from other areas are using it as a car park.
One resident, Harold Heath (pictured), 79, said: “The land is full of pot holes and overgrown trees. In the summer it becomes a dust bowl and in the winter it becomes a sludge pit. It just makes the street look so untidy, something needs to be done.”
Originally there were eight cottages on the land but they were demolished in 1986. Since then the land has been neglected despite numerous applications for planning permission.
The latest application has been submitted by Milton Free Baptist Church on Millrise Road to build a new church.
Pastor David Moore said: “The church would provide a great service to this community and would allow local groups to meet. It would also provide much easier access to disabled people compared to the premises we have now.”
The plans are backed by people desperate to see the land put to good use, but the Highways Agency is concerned about traffic congestion.
Councillor Joanne Powell-Beckett said: ” I agree that the land should be tidied up because it does look a mess, but I think that the church is not the right thing. Meadow Street is already congested and I think that by adding a church this will only create more traffic.”
The council is yet to make a final decision on the application.

Boy the day after can be rough.  The boys really did a good job with their wins yesterday so as they were partying it up in TO, I decided to do the same in Vancouver.

Our evening consisted at dining at my friend’s restaurant Azia.  If you love Asian Fusion food, you gotta come here.  It’s got tapas, Thai, Chinese, Malaysian, Mongolian and Japanese theme dishes.  A lot of the staff are Asian, so Ivano and Hector, jump on a plane!

Afterwards we hit the theaters to see 2012.  Awesome effects in this movie.  However with all of the rain we’ve been getting in Vancouver, you would think 2012 is already upon us!

The night concluded with more eating at Moxies and at the fully licensed Cafe Crepe!

Next morning I woke up with a purpose to hit the gym in an effort to reverse the damage I had caused.  As my student Julian likes to state “if you do the crime, you must do the time.”  Man I know that statement very well!

Before I had a chance to hit the gym, I got a call from Rob Kaman!  You will be very glad to hear that Rob is his usual charismatic destructive self.  He says “hi” to all of the Kombat boys and girls.

I jumped on the SkyTrain and made my way to the Gold’s Gym.  Boy it’s been a long time since I’ve been in a gym.  We actually started off Kombat Arts in the aerobics studio (just 2500 sq ft!) of a Gold’s Gym.  Boy I miss those days, and at times a small part of me wishes to be back there.  The good news is that I weighed  in at 147 lbs this morning!  Must be the facial hair!

It was great to be totally anonymous and get in about 1 1/2 hours of hard work.  My workout consisted of: skipping rope, shadowboxing, chin ups, dips, snatches into a split squat, military push presses, 1 legged stiff legged deadlifts, japanese squats, plate twists, more core training, Ys and Ts for the mid back and finally neck training.  Whew, not bad eh?

I finished up and made my way to Extreme Pita were I chilled and read more of Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now.  It’s pretty interesting; if you’ve completed the whole book, please let me know your thoughts on it.

Back at home Josip’s brother entertained us for an hour or so by bringing over his German Shepherd puppies.  They are such little terrors!

After getting nipped everywhere, Josip and I escaped our residence and headed to Earls for dinner.  The night got capped off with the movie, The Blind Side.  The movie was really moving and inspirational.  If you get a chance please check it out.  Ok guys, off to chill out by watching Heroes on my net book.  Tomorrow will be a full day of Yoga (my 1st lesson!) and back to training camp-Jd

In “Office Space”, Peter Gibbons is an average guy who can’t seem to catch a break. He hates his job, but isn’t willing to do anything about it. His relationship is falling apart, and he can’t figure out how to make things work. In an attempt to make things work in his relationship, and at his girlfriend’s suggestion, he goes to a hypnotherapist.

“Office Space” Movie Review
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Tom_L_Michaels]Tom L Michaels

In “Office Space”, Peter Gibbons is an average guy who can’t seem to catch a break. He hates his job, but isn’t willing to do anything about it. His relationship is falling apart, and he can’t figure out how to make things work. In an attempt to make things work in his relationship, and at his girlfriend’s suggestion, he goes to a hypnotherapist. While under hypnosis, Peter is put into a state of happiness/bliss, but is never pulled out of the hypnosis due to the therapist’s untimely death. Thus, Peter begins to realize he only wants to do those things that make his happy, so he begins to flake on work. During this time, the company he works at, Initech, is doing layoffs, which could cause problems with Peter’s current state of mind. However, the consultants take a liking to him and he is rewarded for his unique thought process.

At the same time, his co-workers and friends decide to implement a plan to steal small amounts of money from Initech (which over a period of time would amount to a lot of money that in their opinion the company would not notice). When something goes wrong with their plan, Peter and his friends must find a solution quickly in order to avoid the possible jail-time associated with their crime.

What makes “Office Space” such a great movie is the true to life comedy that first-time director Mike Judge puts forth. So many people work in a cubicle style job with managers and middle-managers who only do what is best to advance their own career, not the company as a whole. There always seems to be meaningless tasks that unless done perfectly, like the TPS Reports that drive Peter crazy, you risk causing unwanted negative attention from your bosses. Every job has co-workers like Milton, who seem to be constantly ignored and used since they’ll always do what is asked.

Additionally, specific scenes always come to mind after having viewed the movie, because of their implications in our own lives. For example, the scene where Peter and his friends destroy a copy machine with baseball bats to a hip-hop soundtrack is so memorable because it is a hidden desire of a lot of us when technology seems to work against us. Or single quotes like Lumbergh’s (Peter’s boss) “Peter, what’s happening?” and “Yeaaaa, I’m gonna have to ask you to come in on Saturday”, because they remind us of our own bosses.

Overall, “Office Space” is a great movie. Even though a lot of the events seem to happen by coincidence, the story is something everyone can relate to. A job we dislike and the desire to get out of it. Peter’s blissful need to do what makes him happy is something we all could/should strive for, even if not in exactly the way Peter does.

Tom L Michaels is the owner and creator of [http://heardattheoffice.com]Heardattheoffice.com. Have you ever heard something out of context in the office that made you burst out in laughter? Made you want to tell someone what was said, even though it may be inappropriate for you to do so at work? If so, go to http://www.heardattheoffice.com and post those memorable quotes for others just like you to read and laugh about.

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