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Motorcyle mind read.
2006-01-08 01:46:28
I decided to ride my motorcycle in to work today.
If anyone is curious, it's a '96 shadow 1100, big, loud and it has that funky blue that harleys used to use. Actually, other than the logo, it looks like a harley. I'm guessing that was the point when they made them. Why mention all of this? well....
So I'm sitting at this red light, all leathered up, with my death gloves on. ( http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=3&L2=&L3=&L4=&item=PAR_i421-102_G) and my boots and all. To my left I see this guy on a harley. This is an L.A. Harley, mind you, with the custom chopper job, fancy paint and wheels that look like flames. He's sitting waaaay back, practically on the back tire and stretching up to some funky looking handlebars (t-bars, I kind of liked them actually). ( something kind of like this: http://www.planete-biker.com/images/show/10s09.jpg) He looked like a monkey the way that he had to bend in the middle to make his feet reach equally far forward for the pegs. His bike is rattling and sputtering the way that harleys do. Like they are always just on the verge of stalling out, or choking on their own machismo. He's also got on a bunch of leather and shit, only his is spotless. It's gleaming and looks like it was tailored so that he could ride in his monkey position without wrinking the leather. Plus he's one of those guys that has this 'I'm a tough guy little goatee'. So, I'm looking at him, on my honda. He's looking at me from his harley.
For a moment in time we were able to read each others minds.
He was thinking, "God, this fucker should be riding a bad ass harley like me. An AMERICAN made motorcycle. God, damm, I'm awesome. Fukin' A, this harley kicks ass. Fukin jap supporting bastard." Meanwhile I'm thinking... "God, what a fucking poser. How bad ass can you possibly be if you pay someone else 60 grand for a bike that runs like shit and is uncomfortable to ride.".. "fuckin' poser.".
Then the light changed and we politely nodded as though we were part of larger fraternity of people that understand how much more awesome it is to ride motorcycles than drive a car and took off. -
new years resolutions.
2005-12-31 04:26:35
New years resolutions:
Weightlifting:
Currently Bench press 250ish. Get that to over 300
Squat: from 270 to over 300
Deadlift: from 375 to 450.
Arm curls back up to 130.
Bodyweight from 250 to lean at 230.
Get the motorcycle spiffed up with some new stuff.
Save 8K as downpayment on a new mustang GT (by this time next year)
Have six months of security for bills and stuff in the bank account.
Practice all my Martial Arts Kata till I can do them smoothly again.
Teach at least one other person self defence.
Get recertified as an EMT
Get recertified as an PART trainer
Get recertified with my guard card (add Gun and Mace).
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rambly thoughts.
2005-12-09 00:32:58
I am not a pacifist.
wait... maybe I should back up a little bit. I'm not a violent person, honestly. When I was younger I grew up in some pretty rough neighborhoods. I learned to fight, and to make it known that fighting me was generally going to result in a lot of people getting hurt. Being a white guy in a primarily mexican neighborhood isn't fun when you're a kid. So, I'd get surrounded by kids on my way home from school and they'd take turns fighting me. If I got the upper hand on whoever was trying to do it that day, the rest would jump in and general pain and carnage would ensue. Mostly to me, but I dished it out too. Eventually they developed a respect of sorts and we pretty much all avoided each other. There were exceptions. Like the time some kid came into my yard (the backyard!) and stole my bike. I went over and beat him up. His dad came out and beat the living shit out of me with a radiator hose. When I got home, I was called a pussy because I cried. So eventually I got pretty good at violence. Controlled violence, I learned is so much more effective then sheer mad rage. When four guys are attacking you, it's pretty much a given that you're going to lose. Being able to accept that and put as much focus as possible into fighting while injured, hurt, bleeding and dizzy means getting in a few more punches and kicks instead of curling up into a ball and taking it. Take that you fuckers, I never gave up. You're probably all rotting in jail taking it up the ass now, bastards.
Where was I? Oh yes. I'm not a pacifist. I firmly believe that if you turn the other cheek that one will get hit too. 'Hit back harder' works just fine for me. But, since I got to experience so much of it first hand, what I hate the most is bullies. I hate them. I hate when the strong pick on the weak. When men beat up women, when bullies beat up smaller or younger kids. Don't even get me started on the subject of rape. Even to this day I get a sense of outrage that pisses me off so badly that I want to pound the living fucking shit out of people when I see it happening. I'm pretty strong too. I've been a powerlifter for a few years, I used to teach martial arts, AND I worked in a prison camp where I had to fend off attacks daily.
What does all this have to do with anything at all? Well the thing is: I'm a school teacher. I see kids bully other kids almost every single day. I'll tell you, when I see three gang bangers all picking on some little kid, or making him throw up their gang tag it pisses me off. The problem is that in a civilized society, going and bashing someones head against a wall isn't an acceptable solution.
So, how do I deal with it? I deal with it by being an example. I stand up for someone when I see them in a bad spot, I'll defend those that I think deserve it. I teach others to defend themselves, and help then become strong if they can. In short: I'm a teacher. Teaching isn't just about books and homework.
I believe that being a teacher is a noble calling.
The things that I teach my students could potentially stay with them for the rest of their lives. If I am able to show someone their potential, and they take a path that leads to success or hapiness then I can't ask for more. Obviously this isn't gong to happen to many, if any of my students. I can't force someone to learn lifes important lessons. I can't 'make' them understand that school, the four years of high school are over in such a short time that years later they will wonder that they ever even thought about it. As a teacher, I don't try to put things in their heads. I try to show them, my students what amazing people that they are and let them figure it out for themselves.
Sometime, it's hard though.
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The night of the boo
2005-11-06 23:40:45
For some reason I was asked if I knew what it was like to be in the spotlight recently. I can't remember exactly why. Probably something to do with working in front of a lot of people, or feeling nervous in crowds.
So I thought back a bit.
Most people have heard of the Rose bowl. It's a football game that takes place in a stadium by the same name in Pasadena. It's a pretty large stadium. 60-80,000 capacity if I remember correctly. Well, I was working security at a soccer game at that same stadium. It was a pretty big game. Mexico Vs [somebody]. It was about 3/4 full, so I'll be generous and guess 50,000.
During the game somehow the ball got kicked up into the stands. A little boy cought it. He was very proud, standing on his seat showing everyone. People were clapping and telling him what a great job he'd done. This is where I come in. You see, unlike baseball; you don't get to keep the ball. I had to walk into the crowd, and take this soccer ball from the proud little boy. As I walked over I could see that he was still on the big screen that they have for the stadium.
As soon as I pulled the ball from his little hands, (yes the cameras were still on me) I could hear the loudest, most physical sound that I've ever heard in my life: 50,000 people all yelling "BOOOOO!" "BOOOOOOO!" At me. It was so loud that they heard it out in the parking lot and called over the radio to find out what happened.
So, yeah. I know what it feels like to have a lot of people looking at me. -
That terrible sound.... of laughter.
2005-10-28 03:03:05
I was sitting in a meeting today, one of the usual boring meetings. We were going over stuff that I can't even remember. All through the meeting people kept telling jokes, and laughing.
I came to realize something. I hate the sound of that laughter.
You see, when I'm in my room, teaching and I hear a whole group of people out in the hallway laughing and joking it pisses me off. That's because that whole group of people are fucking off instead of working. Meanwhile I have 87 things that I'm always trying to catch up on, in addition to teaching.
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I handed out grades for my report cards today. Over 60% of the people got Fails. How goddam hard is it to actually show up? They can kiss my ass if they think I'm changing those scores too. Football? Kitchen? Hah... how about show up and do your work instead?
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Damm, I'm really aggravated tonight.
JOURNAL: madbunny
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