Today

[Chase]

Just got off work, only worked about four hours.

Now I got to go to the college for around two hours, then I have the rest of the day off!

 

[Smurfyy]

Today...
I just re-applied for admin on Andromada Servers for SA:MP.
Wish me luck! Lol.
Now I'm off to bed, tomorrow is an easy day, or should be...

 

[Chase]

Today...
I just re-applied for admin on Andromada Servers for SA:MP.
Wish me luck! Lol.

Good Luck. lol.

I need to re-install my SA so I can get get on there and play with you.

 

[MWRed]

Today....started off bad, and didn't get any better. Sorry, but here goes...

Where are people learning to drive these days? I kid you not, this happens everyday....today was just worse for some reason.

I'm doing 40 in a 35mph zone, just leaving town, and THREE cars pass me. I'm already at or above the speed limit, yet they need to do this. Then, to top it off this morning, i'm doing 58 in a 55, and people insist on tailgating. Can see them keep attempting to pass, but can't because of oncoming cars, but when they get that small window, then there they go....flying on past and doing 65-75mph( in a 55).

Ya know, I've decided I don't care....if they want to get pissed at me, then fine, but remember, i'm not the one that couldn't leave for work 5 minutes earlier so I didn't HAVE TO rush and risk killing someone.

This is an everyday thing these days. When I first was able to drive, I NEVER drove this stupidly, and people still thought we were crazy back then. Maybe i'm just getting old.
My kid will have his drivers license by this time next year, and, sadly, I hope he drives like I did when I got mine. It may have been a little crazy, but it's not even close to how stupidly people drive now.


Rant OFF.

 

[Chase]

Today....started off bad, and didn't get any better. Sorry, but here goes...

Where are people learning to drive these days? I kid you not, this happens everyday....today was just worse for some reason.

I'm doing 40 in a 35mph zone, just leaving town, and THREE cars pass me. I'm already at or above the speed limit, yet they need to do this. Then, to top it off this morning, i'm doing 58 in a 55, and people insist on tailgating. Can see them keep attempting to pass, but can't because of oncoming cars, but when they get that small window, then there they go....flying on past and doing 65-75mph( in a 55).

Ya know, I've decided I don't care....if they want to get pissed at me, then fine, but remember, i'm not the one that couldn't leave for work 5 minutes earlier so I didn't HAVE TO rush and risk killing someone.

This is an everyday thing these days. When I first was able to drive, I NEVER drove this stupidly, and people still thought we were crazy back then. Maybe i'm just getting old.
My kid will have his drivers license by this time next year, and, sadly, I hope he drives like I did when I got mine. It may have been a little crazy, but it's not even close to how stupidly people drive now.


Rant OFF.

lol.

I know what you mean. Especially living near the San Francisco Bay Area. Over there people will be going 80mph, pretty much the flow of traffic, and everyone's cutting each other off on the four-lane highway trying to get to there exits. You basically have to drive aggressive over there or you'll keep getting cut off and will never get to where you are going.

Personally, I've always liked to just cruise and enjoy the ride. I'm usually not in a hurry and don't like speeding or taking fast maneuvers anymore especially after I flipped my car. I have learned that the speed limits can even feel fast at times, so there really is no need to rush, especially considering the cost of the speeding tickets.

 

[ilikefree]

Only 100 to go, Chase - then we all get to see another shiny new badge on your profile. I still have 450 or so before I get there (so I'm about 2 months away at my current rate).

@ ilikefree,

I actually did start with and take a few weeks of training in Tae Kwon Do at the very beginning (around 6 or 7 yrs old - can't remember exactly), but found that I didn't like the style (and while not sure why at the time, I now know why).

1. Too much focus on footwork and very little close-contact training and too much focus on attack and not enough on defense.

2. Almost no weaponry training - certainly not like ninjutsu where I have ALL the possible weapons and can quite effectively use all of them though better with some than with others (I can hit the bullseye EVERY time with a wide variety of shuriken stars and darts from 25 feet but after that I lose accuracy quite quickly as I can't maintain a consistent throwing speed and get different dropoffs, and manriki chains, and a bo that turns into a hokachai (like a nunchaka but with three bars instead of two - a lot better once you learn how to use it) where I'm VERY good within about 10 feet and satisfactory to a maximum of 15 - unless I throw it then I can do some damage out to about 25-30 feet but I hate that as I then lose my weapon and it's only good against one person (but if he has a gun, then there's no choice unless I use a different long-distance weapon and I may not have the time to switch), and different explosive and smoke powders, and climbing claws, several different swords (including my favorite katana) and a wide variety of throwing and fighting knives, kamas, sais, and quite a few more).

3. Unlike Aiki-justsu which is highly defensive-oriented, tae kwon do is more about attack (and in many martial arts (especially Aiki-jutsu which is the precursor to the more commonly practiced Aikido today - think Steven Segal), the attacker is the one who loses the encounter (though that's not the case with ninjutsu, especially if using weapons, which is quite a bit more balanced and every move is designed to leave you with a good defensive position whereas tae kwon do often leaves you sometimes wide open for a counter-strike). Although I prefer Aiki-jutsu as it is less aggressive and more oriented to fending off attacks (since I've never started a fight in my life and this art is good at just fending off an attacker until they give up or are rendered immobilized), I must say that ninjutsu is quite a bit more effective if I'm inclined to do some damage or attacked by a group (especially if carrying weapons). To be honest, my own style is a unique combination of the two - it's not like I switch back and forth but instead use features of both as appropriate.

While these days I couldn't go full-out for long, I have adapted and, unfortunately, that means I've had to become far more deadly quicker as I don't have the breath to try to defuse the situation by proving the futility of the attack. If attacked now, I would try first to disable (breaking bones and such) and then, if I found myself having breathing difficulty, I would need to become lethal far more quickly than I would prefer (and I pray that never becomes necessary).

I've only been in a couple of situations in my life (all when much younger) and all turned out fine (for everyone in fact), and hope no more ever occur because I can no longer afford to allow things to get drawn out and I really don't want to badly hurt someone or several people (or worse) - but I'm not going to be a helpless victim either and I'm not going to let anyone I'm with come to harm because I failed to act. Even unarmed, it can legally be considered assault with a deadly weapon unless I can justify what I did as self-defense, and even then it can be considered excessive force simply because of my training. Then again, these things don't happen hardly at all around where I live and tend to go - unlike what Richard has related which sounds like a war zone. Although even in the USA, I'm not permitted to carry a firearm outside my own property (and would if in a state where it was permitted - like Texas where I believe Brink lives) - that doesn't apply to some (but not all) of the martial arts weapons, so I'm never totally unarmed anywhere.

Anyway, as you expressed some interest, I thought I'd expand on it a bit.

Later, man!

I find the hardest thing is to deal with drunk mates. They say some bad stuff to people and when I tell them to stop they say "why,You will protect us, you know self defence" I point out the "self" bit and they calm down.I did Tae Kwon Do 6 days a week 3 where I was learning and 2 where I was teaching and 1 really informal training with street clothes. Also taught several self defence classes for women. I found weapon training not that relevant as you seldom carry weapons around in normal life.

 

[Lorien]

I found weapon training not that relevant as you seldom carry weapons around in normal life.

I most certainly do and always have (pretty much 24/7 except like on planes or in government buildings) - they're just well hidden and the smaller ones when in places they would be discouraged (and many fit that bill (shuriken stars and darts, manriki chains, throwing knives,...) even if I'd prefer to have others available as well, but I need to consider how it will look). Several of the larger ones are on the floor of the back seat of my cars - so generally not all that far away. At home I'm quite a bit more heavily armed and they are both hidden and some are quite visible (like my Beretta - even if not a martial arts weapon - and sometimes one or two of the larger ones - like the hokachai or maybe escrima sticks or kamas). I like to vary things to stay up to speed with all of them. At first my wife complained, but that stopped after some people broke into our house - now she has no problems whatsoever.

But I do see your point and it's valid for almost everyone, everywhere. I just happen to be an exception to the general rule.

 

[Smurfyy]

Good Luck. lol.

I need to re-install my SA so I can get get on there and play with you.

Thanks!
That'd be so cool!

I most certainly do and always have (pretty much 24/7 except like on planes or in government buildings) - they're just well hidden and the smaller ones when in places they would be discouraged (and many fit that bill (shuriken stars and darts, manriki chains, throwing knives,...) even if I'd prefer to have others available as well, but I need to consider how it will look). Several of the larger ones are on the floor of the back seat of my cars - so generally not all that far away. At home I'm quite a bit more heavily armed and they are both hidden and some are quite visible (like my Beretta - even if not a martial arts weapon - and sometimes one or two of the larger ones - like the hokachai or maybe escrima sticks or kamas). I like to vary things to stay up to speed with all of them. At first my wife complained, but that stopped after some people broke into our house - now she has no problems whatsoever.

But I do see your point and it's valid for almost everyone, everywhere. I just happen to be an exception to the general rule.

Shame it's not like that here in the UK, but I suppose if it was we'd have the nutters going around shooting and knifing everyone :huh:

 

[ilikefree]

Yeah it's not quite the wild west here.
Most people that carry weapons in New Zealand are criminals and knives seem to be the weapon of choice.

 

[Lorien]

Yeah it's not quite the wild west here.
Most people that carry weapons in New Zealand are criminals and knives seem to be the weapon of choice.

That's mostly true here as well - though there are many more firearms (it's not quite "the wild west", though there is an awful lot of crime and there are MANY people who are mugged, assaulted, raped, or even killed by these armed criminals or even unarmed criminals and IMHO quite a few victims who might have escaped or survived had they been armed) - which is to say that generally the only people armed are criminals here as well (and the police who are never around when you need them) - and I disagree with that. I live in a state where even having a completely clear record doesn't permit one to carry firearms in public - or even swords or knives past a certain blade length or some common martial arts weapons like sais or kamas or even nunchakas (unlike say Texas where one can carry as many as wanted in plain sight - and some do though most don't and even there, most go about unarmed to my great surprise). But many exotic martial arts weapons aren't covered in the laws (because they fail to mention all of them or because they consider it too rare to legislate or because they have other uses and can't be prohibited - like a combat cane which is essentially no different from a regular cane used by someone disabled) - so it's generally possible and legal to carry some type of weapon or weapons (though it often is worse than nothing if the person has no idea how to use them).

I believe if most or all people were armed and trained, there might actually be less violence as the criminals would think twice about starting anything (despite evidence which suggests otherwise, but I believe it is reported that way because most people, even if given the option, choose not to go about armed and "hope for the best" and thus the evidence is somewhat biased and not based on a FULLY implemented process which would change the overall environment).

During the cold war, both the USA and Soviet Union had tons of weapons of mass destruction but nothing happened because they both knew the consequences of doing anything (detente). I wonder how things would have gone if only the Soviet Union possessed these weapons at that time? I view this in a similar way and believe true peace comes from strength and not from hoping such a thing "won't happen to you" or trusting the system which generally only responds after the fact and after the damage or harm is done (and even then often doesn't catch the criminals, is unsuccessul in prosecuting them, or lets them off much too easily and/or much earlier than should be the case - resulting in more violence as they seek revenge on the people who survived their violence for having the audacity to testify against them).

I have no intention of being a victim of these criminals (or allowing harm to come to my family or whoever I'm with or possibly even a total stranger being attacked) so I try to come close to matching them (within the law) so, in the event of an assault, hopefully seeing what they may have considered an easy target holding an exotic weapon in a way suggesting he knows how to use it (or a more normal one depending on the location and circumstances) will serve as a deterrent and defuse the situation before anything can start. And if something actually does start anyway (perhaps there are more than one of them or the person is going to carry through in any event), then at least I'm on more even footing - and probably on better footing than all but a few.

As I noted earlier, my breathing is a factor I must consider now and so I can't depend on unarmed fighting as much as I once could (even if it's probably enough if I get serious about it from the start). I should note I've been in very, very few altercations and none turned out badly for anyone - even the criminals (who I just allowed to run off despite being sorely tempted). Just because I'm armed doesn't mean I go looking for trouble (quite the contrary in fact) and I've never committed or even considered a crime in my life - except for a speeding ticket or two. But that doesn't mean I can't or won't be lethal if ever in a situation where it is warranted and unavoidable - but I've been lucky enough to have always avoided that (mostly by using common sense in terms of where I go and when I go - and always being aware of my environment and moving away if I see anything suspicious) and pray that will always remain the case.

 

[Imperfect1]

Today I'm up and about again. Bit unsteady but will be ok for a bit longer yet.
Hogkin's you can't kill me yet as it takes a bit to kill weeds.
Was reading earlier posts about martial arts good to hear some do it.
I did Tae Kwon Do for 9 years but just got bored with it all, Short attention span I guess.Still have that.

Didn't know about the Hodgkins, ilikefree. I'm so sorry! I hope this is just a very temporary downturn!

 

[Imperfect1]

Today so far I haven't been anywhere as productive as normal - I've basically only responded to replies and messages and made some simple posts (like this) and a few comments but not sought out threads in which to post (well, I have and saw several but then just backed out to the main menu without even reading them!!). I believe I've made only one genuinely good post since I woke (plus a few others of acceptable but not extraordinary quality). I'm having an uncommonly difficult time breathing and not even the emergency inhaler seems to be helping and that's a considerable distraction and because of that I'm having trouble focusing - I couldn't even concentrate enough to watch an on-demand TV show I normally enjoy a lot and had to turn it off.
. . .

I've honestly had better days - this is very frustrating.

Sounds like you're having a rough day too, Lorien. So sorry about that! Is there anything else you can do to get some relief?

 

[Smurfyy]

Today is Friday!
Just gunna have the radio on locked to RiseOne all night. They are hosting a night club tonight, and it's most of the DJ going there. There would be no one to do the station, see, that's where my neighbour comes in, he's gunna be doing a bit of overtime for the people that can't be down at The Edge. It's gunna be good!
Also, just got my first text from Abbie in like, a week, it was chainmail followed by a proper text, Idk, maybe it's a sign. Lol

 

[Chase]

It is finally Friday. Gonna do some laundry today along with some VF postin'.

 

[Cytherian]

It would be something like this:

or a massively colourful one.

Wow... mindmaps. I'd completely forgotten about these! Back when I was working during a rather overloaded period, I resorted to using these to help keep myself on track. Really good tool. It helps you keep in mind dependencies on things that are on your agenda.

Ever tried "Mind Jet"? It's a software tool along the same idea. I'd tried out a demo and found it intriguing... but the purchase price put me off.

 

[MWRed]

Today, I want no drama, so i'm picking up my boy after school, and just hanging out.

 

[ilikefree]

Today I'm up and about again. Bit unsteady but will be ok for a bit longer yet.
Hogkin's you can't kill me yet as it takes a bit to kill weeds.
Was reading earlier posts about martial arts good to hear some do it.
I did Tae Kwon Do for 9 years but just got bored with it all, Short attention span I guess.Still have that.

Didn't know about the Hodgkins, ilikefree. I'm so sorry! I hope this is just a very temporary downturn!

I was told 20 months ago I had about 2 years to live, but I think I will last longer than that. Most of the time I'm alright but sometimes I have to have a rest putting on my shoes, after one I get short of breath so I know how Lorien feels. Taking my shirt off and putting it on again at the doctors is a mission as well.
I have to think it's all good though some people don't get the time I have had and I have done a lot in my life so I'm pretty happy with it all. I intend to be around for a while yet.

 

[ilikefree]

Today, I want no drama, so i'm picking up my boy after school, and just hanging out.

Sound good, will be chilling out myself.

 

[Chase]

Today went good. Did my laundry and addressed my g-parents about moving out.

 

[Lorien]

I was told 20 months ago I had about 2 years to live, but I think I will last longer than that. Most of the time I'm alright but sometimes I have to have a rest putting on my shoes, after one I get short of breath so I know how Lorien feels. Taking my shirt off and putting it on again at the doctors is a mission as well.
I have to think it's all good though some people don't get the time I have had and I have done a lot in my life so I'm pretty happy with it all. I intend to be around for a while yet.

I had no clue it was that bad for you - I'm sorry to hear about it as well. I didn't realize shortness of breath was a symptom (I guess I need to do a little basic research to try to get a better understanding) - it's much worse than I thought when it was just something other people experienced and hard to explain unless you've been there - and I'm very sorry to hear that you understand. I'm glad to hear you have a positive attitude about it - I'm not so sure I'd be taking it anywhere nearly that well (I'm not taking my own situation all that well and nobody has put any time limits on me though I imagine there's a significant though perhaps not measurable or predictable impact). And as a fellow martial artist, I KNOW you must miss that greatly as I do.

And here you are helping people for free in your spare time - and that's great (and rewarding) as I too understand. Not only is it productive and enjoyable and a good learning experience, but it's something that can normally be done by both of us except perhaps on some of the very bad days when we just wait for the incident to pass and return to the normal baseline.

We need you here - you're a valuable asset and contributor. There aren't many so skilled especially in your timezone, so I'm glad you plan to stay onboard to cover when most of the rest of us are asleep (though in some cases, I wonder if some actually do ever sleep - like Richard and John for example) or help whenever you feel like logging on. It may seem that way with me too (we do share some concurrent online time) - but I just have an odd sleep schedule where I basically nap for a few hours several times each day rather than all at once - but moreso when it's your daytime and in what is my late afternoon and early evening. More medication would help, but I can't talk the doctor into it (and I'm not quite ready to forge prescriptions - especially since the insurance company wouldn't pay for them unless I used different medication and I know what would work and possibly even better than what I am getting though the doctor isn't willing to consider those more extreme options - even if doing so would be fairly simplistic though I know my doctor has a program to check on every medication I submit for insurance reimbursement and could discover it if I did it and he ever checked).

I don't know about you, but shortness of breath takes a lot out of me and saps my energy more than I would have expected (especially since they tell me my oxygen levels are 150% of normal despite that) - so I'm "down" a bit more than I would prefer despite the various medications to deal with that and to help me stay awake and alert which is probably why I sleep like I do.

Sounds like you're having a rough day too, Lorien. So sorry about that! Is there anything else you can do to get some relief?

Sometimes the medication helps, but sometimes nothing at all does any good and it's just a matter of living through it until it passes. It's certainly not like I can exercise or do martial arts training (or get the mail) during an incident. Some have suggested Yoga or something similar and maybe I'll give that a try - but I don't expect it to be very helpful (and that expectation alone is probably enough to defeat whatever benefit it might provide if I believed in it). I may also see a Respiratory Therapist to see if I can learn a different and more effective way of breathing and maybe some tactics to try during a severe attack (even if the pulmonologist who should know more or at least is better trained had none to suggest when I asked him that question). I suppose there are some not so legal ways I could get some relief (even if I'm not sure what they might be or rather which might be the best choice or choices - I imagine some could make things even worse), but that's just not my way and probably the last thing I need to do is add on another problem or simply replace one with another (and I probably can't afford it anyway even if I have no idea what such things cost these days - I imagine quite a bit more than 30+ years ago when I was in college and last knew such things).

I just don't understand how I was smoking 2-3 packs of cigarettes a day for years (with some periods where I quit for a while and some where it was up to 5 packs a day) with no problems whatsoever and then, in the space of less than a week, I was suddenly in this condition which has not improved very much (slightly, but hardly noticeable) in the 15 or so months since it began. I would have expected the onset to be considerably more gradual and noticeable and give me time to quit before it got anywhere near this bad - but it didn't happen that way.