This is just another update on the state of things in the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather fight that may never happen. I had to write this quickly after just watching Alex "The Cheat" Ariza blast Bob Arum in an ESNEWS interview. First of all, for a dirty steroid pushing cheat like him to talk about the tyranny of Bob Arum and its longstanding nature is laughable.
But the major take home point is this- all of the fans and media, including Ariza, who buy the fact that the fight isn't happening because of Bob Arum, are ignorant. They are the reason why tyranny will continue going on in the sport. Mayweather is trying to use Bob Arum as a smokescreen, and to anyone with a single brain cell, it should be overly obvious. He claims injustices done to him while under Arum's umbrella at Top Rank years ago, leading to his decision to leave in the first place and begin the Mayweather Promotions. Mayweather Promotions, according to 50 Cent, isn't even a legit, and sturdy or bonafide organization in itself. I keep hearing Ariza say in the interview, as well as Mayweather, that many fighters left Arum in order to pursue big fights, because of Arum's greedy business dealings. This is where you all get duped. Mayweather is not under Top Rank. He has his own promotion company. I'm not doubting how Bob Arum is as a person, but use your head. If there is anything for Mayweather to be concerned about as far as back-door hustles, it would have to be for the sake of Manny Pacquiao, because he would be the only person affected. I sincerely doubt that Mayweather is looking out for Pacman. No one is asking that he sign with Arum. No one asking that he put himself in a position to be under Arum or anyone else. This is an executive, who is digressing to a fighter's demands so that a fight can be made. Think of it this way- If you were working for a company that undermined your wages for years, and suddenly, years later, you find yourself in a position above that company, and poised to be able to make a collective deal with that same company, where you would be in charge, and make the lion's share, and more than you have ever made in life, would you, in a million years, say no and walk away from the deal because of personal feeling about the past? If you say yes, you're either a liar or an idiot. I used to work at Model's and was treated unfairly at that time. Years later, when I made more than the top manager there, I enjoyed coming back to the store to flaunt my success. I never said to myself that I refuse to walk in there and purchase their products based off of feelings, when I was in a better position than them. It's not like I was debating taking a job there again. Imagine if I had the prospect of now owning that Models years later. It's the same principle. And I don't want to hear about Arum owing him money, because that's a load of crap, and if it was that serious, he would have taken him to court outside of boxing, just like Don King could take him to court, being that he apparently owes King $500,000.00.
The other major point that I hear is about transparency. Alex Ariza sounds very much as if he is hired by Floyd, because that is the only way to preach about how transparent Floyd has been, and about how badly he wants the fight. He is doing everything in his power to run from it. In days gone by, like I said on youtube, promoters would never bend to a fighter, even though there was some injustice in that, as Chris Eubanks brought out. However, today, you have a major promoter, and 2 television networks that have contracts ready to sign, and are willingly and publicly bending to the will of an arrogant fighter so that a fight can happen-publicly. They structured the contract to his taste publicly. And somehow, we are supposed to believe that after bending over backwards and jumping through hoops, they are trying to bully Floyd out a fight that would bring home huge money for everyone. Think about it. When did you hear about negotiations falling through- When Floyd declared that. That was just about the time that a usually honorable Miguel Cotto suddenly pulls out of signing the Canelo fight. Put 2 and 2 together. If anyone lacks transparency it's Floyd. At this point anyone defending him is severely sick mentally.
You need to realize when you are being duped. If and when the fight doesn't happen, remember that this was an intricate dance done by Mayweather to avoid the fight. He paid Cotto off behind closed doors to drop the Canelo fight and sign to fight him. Then he brings up Bob Arum's name as the road-block in negotiations, when he was ready to sign for the fight with Bob present, just a few weeks ago. These are the things people aren't catching. Did he have a nightmare about Bob that made him say nevermind? Come on! Mayweather is full of crap, and has lost my respect. I used to believe he was the best, and now I see that he is genuinely afraid of Pacquiao for some reason. Deathly afraid. I think that largely, it's psychological. He is afraid of his equal. He refuses to fight and face someone eye to eye on all levels, not just physical. It intimidates him to have a team his size approaching him at the bargaining table and on even terms. Canelo had to step down to fight him, and every other fighter has to step down before Mayweather will fight them. He needs that mental edge. He knows good and well that Pacquiao is signed to Arum. Yet, he wants him to throw Bob to the side, and come crawling to him and his paid off judges, so they can have a nice, fixed and lop-sided affair. He's a coward. The thought of not having the judges in his pocket for this one scares him, and he knows he may lose. And the last thing that he wants is for his opponent to walk into the ring with the knowledge of that, and the ability to make it happen. He deserves to retire undefeated, and unremembered.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Jones vs Johnson set/ Alvarado Finished
They'd ask how I predicted both events this week. They'd wonder if there really is seriousness to the science of combat that I'm always talking about. Well, now they should know the truth.
I don't talk crap just to talk. I also don't guess, and hope that I'm right most of the time. That's the stupid thinking of my detractors. There is a reason that I can play out a fight mentally usually at or before the weigh-ins. This weekend was no exception. I watched very little training footage for the Rios vs Alvarado fight, and for the Gustaffson vs. Johnson fight. So I watched lead ups, recent fights, and payed attention to the weigh-ins. But there's a funny twist here. If you read some of my thread posts on youtube, you'd ask, "But Jason, we saw you predict these fights way before the weigh-ins. How'd you do that if you didn't see much training footage?" The answer is touched on somewhat in previous blog posts. For the Rios vs Alvarado fight, it was more of a psychological analysis that I made. If you watched the first two fights they had, you know that Rios has an advantage in a brawl, and Alvarado usually has an advantage with strategic boxing. However, I watched Brandon in the gym around the time this fight was announced. I made a comment about Brandon that I probably wouldn't have many years ago. I said that Brandon has a hidden ability to box and win rounds that people aren't aware of. I was one of the people who ragged on him a bit long ago. I always felt he was a great fighter, but felt he refused to box too much, and it angered me because he has the height, reach, and ability. However, I felt that in this fight, Brandon's ability to box would show in some way, and it did. I watched a short video of Alvarado warming up and talking to media. He seemed loose, but very underconditioned, and confident in being able to rely on boxing Rios. I knew that was a false security. Even though Brandon, in this fight, knocked Alvarado out in the 3rd round in this fight, boxing did play a part. He punched in combinations, with power from many angles, and used excellent footwork to cut off countering opportunities for Alvarado, which I'm sure Alvarado didn't see coming. I heard about him protesting afterward, but I knew long before, that he wasn't ready for this fight, and Rios had a very passionate and inspired look in his eyes. You know that he's usually a clown, but for this fight, even Robert Garcia- his coach, looked at him in awe during his interviews and at the weigh-in, because of the unusual composure and articulate responses. He was on his game.
In the Gustaffson vs. Johnson fight, I saw even less video. But I did see some gym footage of Johnson as well as previous fights for both fighters. I felt that the last KO's of Anthony Johnson didn't really show all that he has in store. The media and public didn't even think Johnson existed. He was even less than a pause before the Jones vs Gustaffson rematch. I laughed at that, and clearly stated on youtube, that people will regret that, and I picked Johnson to ragdoll Gustaffson badly. Well, once again, Jason's annoying stupidity shows itself to be something else yet again to the dismay of some. The people who flamed my comments on youtube have to sit back and wonder now. How did I pick that one? I must have just guess on it right? Nope. This particular fight goes back to my previous blog post where I discussed body types and how fighters utilize their strengths and weaknesses. In the Stiverne vs Wilder fight, I knew that with the body types considered, Stiverne had the edges he needed to topple Wilder, but it was any man's fight. We came to find after a Wilder UD victory, that Stiverne had rhabdomyolysis, which is essentially muscle cell death and release into the circulatory system, which can be fatal. He overtrained, and I watched footage of him killing it in the gym. At the pre-fight conference, I remember when he said that he and his team had been ready for a month already, waiting for Deontay to sign the fight contract. I was concerned at that, and it appears that was for a reason. I felt odd seeing him never hook off or let go of punched during the fight, and I knew something was wrong. But the advantages remain the same. In the Johnson vs. Gustaffson fight, Johnson had the same compact advantages and power advantages. Watching his development and his kicks and hand speed carry over into light heavy weight, I knew he would be a problem for Gus. He came in at the opening bell, and crushed Alexander Gustaffson with a hard overhand right, just like he said he would. His aim was to make every punch hurt. The fight could have been stopped very early, but he rode Gus and devastated him with shots from back mount, much like Hendo did to Fedor. Not only did Gus not have an answer for the power, as his head and body were rocked back with every punch, but Johnsons speed was too much for him to get around and line up, which a tall fighter has to do to beat you. Deadly combination, and I knew he had it. And now Johnson has the focus that he needs to dominate further. I saw before the fight, a new champion, and I said specifically that the Johnson train is going to start, and he has all of the pieces to be a figure at the top of the division. This is before the weigh ins. I was confident in my predictions because I know when a fighter is ready, uninjured, and at an advantage. The reason I didn't yell out a prediction for the Wilder vs. Stiverne fight was because I couldn't. Wilder was more fired up than Stiverne, yet Stiverne had the experience and certain advantages. I just knew it could be explosive. I also had in the back of my mind the extra month of training that Stiverne had, and that impresses me most- the fact that I took that factor serious, and it ended up being serious.
So, as you can see, the free fight sites are being shut down systematically. Regardless, I don't really care. I'm content if I can catch highlights, because I can see the fight, one way or another. Until next time.
I don't talk crap just to talk. I also don't guess, and hope that I'm right most of the time. That's the stupid thinking of my detractors. There is a reason that I can play out a fight mentally usually at or before the weigh-ins. This weekend was no exception. I watched very little training footage for the Rios vs Alvarado fight, and for the Gustaffson vs. Johnson fight. So I watched lead ups, recent fights, and payed attention to the weigh-ins. But there's a funny twist here. If you read some of my thread posts on youtube, you'd ask, "But Jason, we saw you predict these fights way before the weigh-ins. How'd you do that if you didn't see much training footage?" The answer is touched on somewhat in previous blog posts. For the Rios vs Alvarado fight, it was more of a psychological analysis that I made. If you watched the first two fights they had, you know that Rios has an advantage in a brawl, and Alvarado usually has an advantage with strategic boxing. However, I watched Brandon in the gym around the time this fight was announced. I made a comment about Brandon that I probably wouldn't have many years ago. I said that Brandon has a hidden ability to box and win rounds that people aren't aware of. I was one of the people who ragged on him a bit long ago. I always felt he was a great fighter, but felt he refused to box too much, and it angered me because he has the height, reach, and ability. However, I felt that in this fight, Brandon's ability to box would show in some way, and it did. I watched a short video of Alvarado warming up and talking to media. He seemed loose, but very underconditioned, and confident in being able to rely on boxing Rios. I knew that was a false security. Even though Brandon, in this fight, knocked Alvarado out in the 3rd round in this fight, boxing did play a part. He punched in combinations, with power from many angles, and used excellent footwork to cut off countering opportunities for Alvarado, which I'm sure Alvarado didn't see coming. I heard about him protesting afterward, but I knew long before, that he wasn't ready for this fight, and Rios had a very passionate and inspired look in his eyes. You know that he's usually a clown, but for this fight, even Robert Garcia- his coach, looked at him in awe during his interviews and at the weigh-in, because of the unusual composure and articulate responses. He was on his game.
In the Gustaffson vs. Johnson fight, I saw even less video. But I did see some gym footage of Johnson as well as previous fights for both fighters. I felt that the last KO's of Anthony Johnson didn't really show all that he has in store. The media and public didn't even think Johnson existed. He was even less than a pause before the Jones vs Gustaffson rematch. I laughed at that, and clearly stated on youtube, that people will regret that, and I picked Johnson to ragdoll Gustaffson badly. Well, once again, Jason's annoying stupidity shows itself to be something else yet again to the dismay of some. The people who flamed my comments on youtube have to sit back and wonder now. How did I pick that one? I must have just guess on it right? Nope. This particular fight goes back to my previous blog post where I discussed body types and how fighters utilize their strengths and weaknesses. In the Stiverne vs Wilder fight, I knew that with the body types considered, Stiverne had the edges he needed to topple Wilder, but it was any man's fight. We came to find after a Wilder UD victory, that Stiverne had rhabdomyolysis, which is essentially muscle cell death and release into the circulatory system, which can be fatal. He overtrained, and I watched footage of him killing it in the gym. At the pre-fight conference, I remember when he said that he and his team had been ready for a month already, waiting for Deontay to sign the fight contract. I was concerned at that, and it appears that was for a reason. I felt odd seeing him never hook off or let go of punched during the fight, and I knew something was wrong. But the advantages remain the same. In the Johnson vs. Gustaffson fight, Johnson had the same compact advantages and power advantages. Watching his development and his kicks and hand speed carry over into light heavy weight, I knew he would be a problem for Gus. He came in at the opening bell, and crushed Alexander Gustaffson with a hard overhand right, just like he said he would. His aim was to make every punch hurt. The fight could have been stopped very early, but he rode Gus and devastated him with shots from back mount, much like Hendo did to Fedor. Not only did Gus not have an answer for the power, as his head and body were rocked back with every punch, but Johnsons speed was too much for him to get around and line up, which a tall fighter has to do to beat you. Deadly combination, and I knew he had it. And now Johnson has the focus that he needs to dominate further. I saw before the fight, a new champion, and I said specifically that the Johnson train is going to start, and he has all of the pieces to be a figure at the top of the division. This is before the weigh ins. I was confident in my predictions because I know when a fighter is ready, uninjured, and at an advantage. The reason I didn't yell out a prediction for the Wilder vs. Stiverne fight was because I couldn't. Wilder was more fired up than Stiverne, yet Stiverne had the experience and certain advantages. I just knew it could be explosive. I also had in the back of my mind the extra month of training that Stiverne had, and that impresses me most- the fact that I took that factor serious, and it ended up being serious.
So, as you can see, the free fight sites are being shut down systematically. Regardless, I don't really care. I'm content if I can catch highlights, because I can see the fight, one way or another. Until next time.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Video Game Passion
I'm writing this review as someone who's passion recently was waning for video games for various reasons. Over recent history, I have watched games and gamers alike become more and more mindless and focused on power and aesthetics. The blog I wrote earlier about this generation of consoles shows how I feel about that. What I should have paid more attention to is the fact that I myself have stated about the pattern of whatever making sense being hated in this world. For the last year or so, I've watched an overwhelming hatred for the Vita spring up just like it did for the PSP Go, and I should have known that it's for the same reason.
In steps Tearaway, a Sony game that utilizes all of the systems features. But it doesn't just utilize them. As one reviewer showed on youtube, it's a game that was made with love, and appreciates the gamer who purchased the game. You instantly get the impression that the company really wanted you to enjoy the purchase and the experience endlessly. In the game, you as the player, play the assistant to the hero in his quest to deliver a message to you. The world inside the game is beautiful and interactive- not forsaking the power of the console, and also very interactive. You have endless possibilities and the game integrates utilization of a camera in the game as well as your system's camera outside of the game. You are given countless things to collect and share from the game. They say the game can be clocked at somewhere over 5 hours, but I believe that is from speed-running, which is stupid to do period, let alone with this game. Music is also integrated into this game, for a very rich experience similar to other PSP titles like Patapon.
What really inspired this review is one particular feature. The game allows you to unlock character and scenery models as you experience them in the game and download them to your profile. From there, they encourage you to then log onto the Tearaway site, and download the packs which contain prints to reconstruct the given model, and bring the game world to life in your world. That wasn't just a very cute and adorable gesture, but also an honorable one amidst a world fraught with greed and heartlessness. The first thing that came to mind was Xbox Live. I've been a member of Xbox Live going back to the late Xbox Original days. For years, I wondered what the point of gamerpoints was. I even did rants and blogs on that in the past due to frustration. For those who don't know already, as you purchase and play Xbox games on your system, and unlock achievements, you build up not only trophies, but a collective Gamer score that is posted on your profile. As the years went by, and Xbox 360 came out, you had things such as Avatars, and an online video game arcade, as well as video, music, and paraphernalia stores. I really liked this stuff, and watched as they had sales throughout the years, but never did they allow gamerpoints to be utilized for any of these purchases. You know how your phone makes you pay for lives in games like Candycrush? That's the greed of this generation. Nothing is ever free, even when it ought to be. They even tried to cash in on Avatars you use online. An avatar is nothing more than a character model that represents you online. Yet, you have to whip out your credit card to purchase items for it to wear. Very rarely will a game you purchase allow you to download a dumb item to your Avatar.
Then, even as Xbox Live started to wind down on the 360, games would go on sale in the arcade, but never would Gamerpoints be allowed to be used just to purchase old games from years gone by. That's the beauty of this game. In this dying generation, here is a game that gives back to the consumer with something meaningful. It's a nice arts and crafts project to have you engaged for hours at a time, that ends in a fulfilling model from a game you're playing, and none of this costs you anything. The developers don't gouge you and try to charge you on their site. It's free fun. That's a dying thing in this world. I remember back when I was doing my residency of sorts during music studies, and I would travel through the city, jamming at different clubs and enjoying the raw music and appreciation of fellow artists. Little did I know then, that that was the tail end of an era that I joyfully read about in Miles' biography and saw on jazz documentaries. Those were beautiful days, that have been replaced by watered down venues, that are attended by artless and idiotic drunks, where you are charged stiffly at the door. That made me lose my love for the whole thing. This game just reignited a piece of that.
This is a little video clip from my Youtube channel taken during the experience. I have to edit it, because of various reasons. The video was taken from the Vita itself. Already, this system is becoming a gem to me with all of its hidden and indie content. I'm looking forward to downloading some of the interesting looking indie games that are for free on PSN. Amazing. Of course, it's when Sony leaves behind snake-like behavior, that they are collectively hated by the public. Is it really any wonder?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0Skq8CRZj0&feature=youtu.be
In steps Tearaway, a Sony game that utilizes all of the systems features. But it doesn't just utilize them. As one reviewer showed on youtube, it's a game that was made with love, and appreciates the gamer who purchased the game. You instantly get the impression that the company really wanted you to enjoy the purchase and the experience endlessly. In the game, you as the player, play the assistant to the hero in his quest to deliver a message to you. The world inside the game is beautiful and interactive- not forsaking the power of the console, and also very interactive. You have endless possibilities and the game integrates utilization of a camera in the game as well as your system's camera outside of the game. You are given countless things to collect and share from the game. They say the game can be clocked at somewhere over 5 hours, but I believe that is from speed-running, which is stupid to do period, let alone with this game. Music is also integrated into this game, for a very rich experience similar to other PSP titles like Patapon.
What really inspired this review is one particular feature. The game allows you to unlock character and scenery models as you experience them in the game and download them to your profile. From there, they encourage you to then log onto the Tearaway site, and download the packs which contain prints to reconstruct the given model, and bring the game world to life in your world. That wasn't just a very cute and adorable gesture, but also an honorable one amidst a world fraught with greed and heartlessness. The first thing that came to mind was Xbox Live. I've been a member of Xbox Live going back to the late Xbox Original days. For years, I wondered what the point of gamerpoints was. I even did rants and blogs on that in the past due to frustration. For those who don't know already, as you purchase and play Xbox games on your system, and unlock achievements, you build up not only trophies, but a collective Gamer score that is posted on your profile. As the years went by, and Xbox 360 came out, you had things such as Avatars, and an online video game arcade, as well as video, music, and paraphernalia stores. I really liked this stuff, and watched as they had sales throughout the years, but never did they allow gamerpoints to be utilized for any of these purchases. You know how your phone makes you pay for lives in games like Candycrush? That's the greed of this generation. Nothing is ever free, even when it ought to be. They even tried to cash in on Avatars you use online. An avatar is nothing more than a character model that represents you online. Yet, you have to whip out your credit card to purchase items for it to wear. Very rarely will a game you purchase allow you to download a dumb item to your Avatar.
Then, even as Xbox Live started to wind down on the 360, games would go on sale in the arcade, but never would Gamerpoints be allowed to be used just to purchase old games from years gone by. That's the beauty of this game. In this dying generation, here is a game that gives back to the consumer with something meaningful. It's a nice arts and crafts project to have you engaged for hours at a time, that ends in a fulfilling model from a game you're playing, and none of this costs you anything. The developers don't gouge you and try to charge you on their site. It's free fun. That's a dying thing in this world. I remember back when I was doing my residency of sorts during music studies, and I would travel through the city, jamming at different clubs and enjoying the raw music and appreciation of fellow artists. Little did I know then, that that was the tail end of an era that I joyfully read about in Miles' biography and saw on jazz documentaries. Those were beautiful days, that have been replaced by watered down venues, that are attended by artless and idiotic drunks, where you are charged stiffly at the door. That made me lose my love for the whole thing. This game just reignited a piece of that.
This is a little video clip from my Youtube channel taken during the experience. I have to edit it, because of various reasons. The video was taken from the Vita itself. Already, this system is becoming a gem to me with all of its hidden and indie content. I'm looking forward to downloading some of the interesting looking indie games that are for free on PSN. Amazing. Of course, it's when Sony leaves behind snake-like behavior, that they are collectively hated by the public. Is it really any wonder?
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Heavyweight Bout Stiverne vs Wilder
Boxing has been called for years, the sweet science. Even going back to the 1800's during the bare-knuckle days, it started, in it's modern form as an English, sophisticated and high science. Although, unfortunately, the large scope of it has become barbaric in nature during history, I've always appreciated the physics and technique behind its execution. I bear the tattoo of the pugilist on my arm with both reservation and passion. Since birth, I've had a passion for the science of combat that I've never truly escaped. The talents are unavoidable that make me understand it.
With that, I say that I understand enough to see past the showy display and telling, ignorant odds, of this weekend's matchup between Deontay Wilder and Bermane Stiverne. I've heard much talk going in each direction leading up to this fight, but the consensus, as I've come to expect, is stupidity. Of course, Wilder is a large odds favorite to beat Stiverne, and even though Stiverne is the champion, he receives heckles from the crowd that supports and arrogant, violent, and rude Wilder. I liked Wilder up until this fight. He has pulled a Jon Jones with his behavior, and aims to be the intimidator and instigator. But that's where I segue into my analysis of technique.
History tells that tall rangy, lanky fighters have always been brash and antagonistic. Ali was, Jon Jones is, Jack Johnson was, and many others have been. And a large part of that is of course due to the feeling of standing over their opponent, and possessing size. But with fighters, it gets much more sophisticated than that. You see, the odds placed on the fight are due to the public's ignorance to a degree. When they see Wilder, they look at his behavior, power, and size. He's 6' 7" and long, having 84 inches of reach like Jon Jones. Fighters built like that don't just act aggressive or intimidating for no reason though. It is part of technique. The only problem is that you have to know how to use your body, and from what I've seen of Wilder, he's young and unaware to a degree. Using Ali as the example for long fighter, let's look at him as a boxer, and forget about his personality. Everyone is unique, but long fighters who have body control will always have these things in common. A long fighter's power is spread out. Having long limbs means that the arc on punches is wider than average, the window on punch recoil is longer, the delay to the point of maximum punch impact is extended, and power dissipation per square inch is unavoidably proportionately reduced. Meaning, no matter how strong Wilder is, he will never have the scale of torque that someone like Bermane can. I use an illustration of 2 water hoses. One is set on stream, and the other on spray. If you set them to push an object away, no matter how you equalize the overall force, the spray will never have the pounds per square inch that the stream does, because it's spread over a larger difference. That's the price that you pay for size. Also, something I didn't really know as a younger athlete was the price that tall fighters pay when it comes to speed and durability. I used to think looking at a guy like Jon Jones and Wilder who is thin, that they must be fast and light on their feet. But the truth is that for being tall, your body has to obey the laws of physics and suffer in the area of speed, as well as take more wear and tear over time. That's why basketball Centers who are in amazing shape, have a hard time keeping their lower extremities healthy during their careers. It's as unavoidable as being heavier for being taller. A 6 foot 6 person is never going to be able to be 120 pounds. As I've grown as an athlete, I learned to appreciate my physique. At 6 feet, I'm not at the threshold where I'm limited in any way. I could be any weight, and fight in any weight class with the given diet.
For these reasons, however, you never saw Ali, with all of his power, KO someone the way Mike Tyson did. Why? It isn't because of styles alone. It's because of the simple law of physics that prevents someone with a long body from rushing their opponents, fighting inside, and pressuring at close range. If they were to do so, they would be inviting damage. No matter how aggressive a boxer or fighter is, they have to respect those laws and dominate in a way that suites their physique. Deontay doesn't seem to get that yet. Watching him fight, he loves to come forward and let off heavy hooks and straights, with no respect for range. In his mind, he wants to fight like Tyson, but he will learn that he can't soon. The only reason that he has succeeded thus far is because he is fighting cowards. He intimidates his opponents, and they ball up and retreat, automatically giving him the range he needs to maximize his punches. They are essentially helping him. They don't even know that they could simply stay put and reduce his output success by 50%. The intimidation factor is used by rangy fighters because it gives a slight cushion and window both physically and psychologically to allow them to fight at their range. Ali didn't just do that for show. A long, outside fighter, wants you on the outside. Big talk and intimidation help to provide just enough hesitation and distance to keep an in-fighter from opening up.
The average person sees a tall person and gets afraid for whoever they're fighting, totally unaware of these universal laws. It's nice to see Jon Jones and other rangy fighters like Carlos Condit and Anderson Silva execute those spinning kicks, but the truth is that they have the same weakness. It's most apparent with Jon Jones in MMA. He's the tallest athlete in the UFC, with the longest reach, and it shows in more ways than the public sees. As I just mentioned, his striking is affected positively and negatively. He is very intelligent though, and he understands that. That is the reason why he has embraced Muay Thai to strengthen his clinch game. A fighter like him could never exchange with normal hooks and uppercuts on the inside like his fight with Cormier showed. He has to utilize elbows and knees inside, and smother his opponent the way that every tall fighter does. Klitchko does it as well. People think he is just being dirty, but if you watch, you'll notice that Ali did it as well as Larry Holmes. Tall fighters are not physically equipped to tighten up and walk into the center of their opponent like Tyson. Jon Jones also showed the other side of those laws when it came to outside fighting. You'll notice that Cormier was outboxing him until he was fatigued and started to be countered and held. Many people were shocked at this. Once again, you look at a tall person, and traditionally expect them to eat up an opponent on the outside. Not if the person is compact and has body control and speed. The truth is that with Jones' height and reach calculated, he has the equivalent outside striking speed of someone heavier. It's unavoidable, and doesn't mean that he is slow. It just means that there is no such thing as paying no price. Balance is always important. It showed in that fight. Neither of them were perfectly balanced. Cormier is overweight and not developed enough in his upper body, nor is he flexible. Jon trains perfectly and has the exact proper mindset. What would actually make him more deadly is if he had a slightly more balance physique. If he was 1 inch shorter with a couple of inches less of reach, believe me that he would be just about unbeatable. People don't know that yet, but they continue to be shocked when they see those laws come into play.
When Wilder fights Stiverne, he may try to pressure and run down the middle like his name is Tyson. With all of his power and intimidation, Stiverne is the better boxer, and has the potential for more power. It's a fight that either man can win. What I was pointing out is the true advantages that the layman won't see. Let's tune in folks. It should be a good one. Later.
With that, I say that I understand enough to see past the showy display and telling, ignorant odds, of this weekend's matchup between Deontay Wilder and Bermane Stiverne. I've heard much talk going in each direction leading up to this fight, but the consensus, as I've come to expect, is stupidity. Of course, Wilder is a large odds favorite to beat Stiverne, and even though Stiverne is the champion, he receives heckles from the crowd that supports and arrogant, violent, and rude Wilder. I liked Wilder up until this fight. He has pulled a Jon Jones with his behavior, and aims to be the intimidator and instigator. But that's where I segue into my analysis of technique.
History tells that tall rangy, lanky fighters have always been brash and antagonistic. Ali was, Jon Jones is, Jack Johnson was, and many others have been. And a large part of that is of course due to the feeling of standing over their opponent, and possessing size. But with fighters, it gets much more sophisticated than that. You see, the odds placed on the fight are due to the public's ignorance to a degree. When they see Wilder, they look at his behavior, power, and size. He's 6' 7" and long, having 84 inches of reach like Jon Jones. Fighters built like that don't just act aggressive or intimidating for no reason though. It is part of technique. The only problem is that you have to know how to use your body, and from what I've seen of Wilder, he's young and unaware to a degree. Using Ali as the example for long fighter, let's look at him as a boxer, and forget about his personality. Everyone is unique, but long fighters who have body control will always have these things in common. A long fighter's power is spread out. Having long limbs means that the arc on punches is wider than average, the window on punch recoil is longer, the delay to the point of maximum punch impact is extended, and power dissipation per square inch is unavoidably proportionately reduced. Meaning, no matter how strong Wilder is, he will never have the scale of torque that someone like Bermane can. I use an illustration of 2 water hoses. One is set on stream, and the other on spray. If you set them to push an object away, no matter how you equalize the overall force, the spray will never have the pounds per square inch that the stream does, because it's spread over a larger difference. That's the price that you pay for size. Also, something I didn't really know as a younger athlete was the price that tall fighters pay when it comes to speed and durability. I used to think looking at a guy like Jon Jones and Wilder who is thin, that they must be fast and light on their feet. But the truth is that for being tall, your body has to obey the laws of physics and suffer in the area of speed, as well as take more wear and tear over time. That's why basketball Centers who are in amazing shape, have a hard time keeping their lower extremities healthy during their careers. It's as unavoidable as being heavier for being taller. A 6 foot 6 person is never going to be able to be 120 pounds. As I've grown as an athlete, I learned to appreciate my physique. At 6 feet, I'm not at the threshold where I'm limited in any way. I could be any weight, and fight in any weight class with the given diet.
For these reasons, however, you never saw Ali, with all of his power, KO someone the way Mike Tyson did. Why? It isn't because of styles alone. It's because of the simple law of physics that prevents someone with a long body from rushing their opponents, fighting inside, and pressuring at close range. If they were to do so, they would be inviting damage. No matter how aggressive a boxer or fighter is, they have to respect those laws and dominate in a way that suites their physique. Deontay doesn't seem to get that yet. Watching him fight, he loves to come forward and let off heavy hooks and straights, with no respect for range. In his mind, he wants to fight like Tyson, but he will learn that he can't soon. The only reason that he has succeeded thus far is because he is fighting cowards. He intimidates his opponents, and they ball up and retreat, automatically giving him the range he needs to maximize his punches. They are essentially helping him. They don't even know that they could simply stay put and reduce his output success by 50%. The intimidation factor is used by rangy fighters because it gives a slight cushion and window both physically and psychologically to allow them to fight at their range. Ali didn't just do that for show. A long, outside fighter, wants you on the outside. Big talk and intimidation help to provide just enough hesitation and distance to keep an in-fighter from opening up.
The average person sees a tall person and gets afraid for whoever they're fighting, totally unaware of these universal laws. It's nice to see Jon Jones and other rangy fighters like Carlos Condit and Anderson Silva execute those spinning kicks, but the truth is that they have the same weakness. It's most apparent with Jon Jones in MMA. He's the tallest athlete in the UFC, with the longest reach, and it shows in more ways than the public sees. As I just mentioned, his striking is affected positively and negatively. He is very intelligent though, and he understands that. That is the reason why he has embraced Muay Thai to strengthen his clinch game. A fighter like him could never exchange with normal hooks and uppercuts on the inside like his fight with Cormier showed. He has to utilize elbows and knees inside, and smother his opponent the way that every tall fighter does. Klitchko does it as well. People think he is just being dirty, but if you watch, you'll notice that Ali did it as well as Larry Holmes. Tall fighters are not physically equipped to tighten up and walk into the center of their opponent like Tyson. Jon Jones also showed the other side of those laws when it came to outside fighting. You'll notice that Cormier was outboxing him until he was fatigued and started to be countered and held. Many people were shocked at this. Once again, you look at a tall person, and traditionally expect them to eat up an opponent on the outside. Not if the person is compact and has body control and speed. The truth is that with Jones' height and reach calculated, he has the equivalent outside striking speed of someone heavier. It's unavoidable, and doesn't mean that he is slow. It just means that there is no such thing as paying no price. Balance is always important. It showed in that fight. Neither of them were perfectly balanced. Cormier is overweight and not developed enough in his upper body, nor is he flexible. Jon trains perfectly and has the exact proper mindset. What would actually make him more deadly is if he had a slightly more balance physique. If he was 1 inch shorter with a couple of inches less of reach, believe me that he would be just about unbeatable. People don't know that yet, but they continue to be shocked when they see those laws come into play.
When Wilder fights Stiverne, he may try to pressure and run down the middle like his name is Tyson. With all of his power and intimidation, Stiverne is the better boxer, and has the potential for more power. It's a fight that either man can win. What I was pointing out is the true advantages that the layman won't see. Let's tune in folks. It should be a good one. Later.
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Current Gen Systems.
I just purchased a PS Vita after about 2 years of debating and researching the device. I must say, when I look at the current state of both home and handheld consoles, I believe due to the increasing ignorance of the public, the video game industry is just about dead in all reality. They just announced that the Wii U will be bringing digital games to the market that may eventually include Gamecube games. Some people are wondering why this wasn't done before. The answer is obvious- its the consumer's fault. It's only just now that the public is beginning to embrace digital media in the game world. Why that took so long is beyond me. I wrote an article a couple of years ago talking about how today's society is almost solely reliant on digital media, from phones to tablets to computers. Yet, for some reason gamers have a hard time embracing that ideology when it comes to video game media. Mostly, it's due to the childish addiction to hoarding boxes of games and looking at them. They claim they doubt their ownership of downloaded games, which makes no sense. When you download your games digitally, you can store them on your own external hard drive at home, and have it saved indefinitely. You are not contracted to the game.
And you know what's funny? People will resist whenever you do the right thing these days. The PS Vita had a rough start, but started to get behind their support of 3rd party and indie games, as well as embrace the digital market like they should have at first. In days gone by, that approach would be met with consumer support and system purchases. However, in today's backwards and stupid world, people are outraged that Triple A titles aren't the main focus of Sony for the Vita. They want their Call of Duty and Battlefields. But you know what makes it even dumber? The Triple A titles being on both the consoles and the handhelds are the same exact reason why many consumers don't want to bother purchasing the Vita. They feel that they're better off playing on their consoles. In fact, some consumers have even said that it bothers them for their handheld to be of such high quality. You can't make this stuff up. People are amazingly stupid today, and the entertainment market is suffering due to that. I looked at the Vita market on PSN the other day, and I like what I see. They have taken the approach that many tablets and phones have with the digital Android marketplace. There are even some free, full indie titles. I checked the games to make sure I wasn't seeing things, and sure enough, you can download full games, even larger than 100mb which was the previous PS Mini limit. These are now completely unbridled indie developers, allowed to make ground-breaking titles for the Vita utilizing its technology to the fullest. That is a very good thing. I specifically said that the Vita needs to start having exclusives if it is going to survive. Forget about carrying over Triple A titles that exist already, and forget about sharing your titles with other markets. You need to have something of your own. We have Gravity Rush which looks to be a good series of games if it carries on.
The game industry suck. I could go on and on about how the reason the Wii U is so ambiguous. I'm a neutral consumer when it comes to the Wii U. I don't know a lot about it. I was a Nintendo fan for many years. When the Wii U came out, which I feel was way too quick, I didn't know what the system was. For a while, I thought the gamepad was the system. Then I found out that it's an accessory. Looking at such a huge and sophisticated gamepad, I felt it should be a stand alone device. However, it is reliant on the system itself. The system has games, but doesn't even bundle the gamepad with the console. In the end, it's a fancy, and pricey controller. I appreciate the games Nintendo is releasing though. To be honest, it's sad that they are going down somewhat, because they are the last system to focus on video games. Every board you look at online is filled with power hungry idiots who point out pixel differentiation and texture nuances as if they are the size of mountains. They want power that they don't need. They shun the PS Vita because they can make out differences between it and the home consoles of this generation. Does that make any sense, when it's the same dual analog system that you people cried for for years, to the point of calling for the death of the PSP? It's sheer idiocy! I truly believe that the Vita will be the last console purchase I make. I'll enjoy the titles it has and what is slated for this year. It doesn't look like the support will hold out beyond 2016. If and when they release another follow up to this generation of handhelds, I won't be in the party. I'm sick of this do-over phase we are in. We kill a console because we feel we have something better on our hands. Then we release it and complain about it more than the former console. Rinse and repeat. I'm done. Until next time guys.
And you know what's funny? People will resist whenever you do the right thing these days. The PS Vita had a rough start, but started to get behind their support of 3rd party and indie games, as well as embrace the digital market like they should have at first. In days gone by, that approach would be met with consumer support and system purchases. However, in today's backwards and stupid world, people are outraged that Triple A titles aren't the main focus of Sony for the Vita. They want their Call of Duty and Battlefields. But you know what makes it even dumber? The Triple A titles being on both the consoles and the handhelds are the same exact reason why many consumers don't want to bother purchasing the Vita. They feel that they're better off playing on their consoles. In fact, some consumers have even said that it bothers them for their handheld to be of such high quality. You can't make this stuff up. People are amazingly stupid today, and the entertainment market is suffering due to that. I looked at the Vita market on PSN the other day, and I like what I see. They have taken the approach that many tablets and phones have with the digital Android marketplace. There are even some free, full indie titles. I checked the games to make sure I wasn't seeing things, and sure enough, you can download full games, even larger than 100mb which was the previous PS Mini limit. These are now completely unbridled indie developers, allowed to make ground-breaking titles for the Vita utilizing its technology to the fullest. That is a very good thing. I specifically said that the Vita needs to start having exclusives if it is going to survive. Forget about carrying over Triple A titles that exist already, and forget about sharing your titles with other markets. You need to have something of your own. We have Gravity Rush which looks to be a good series of games if it carries on.
The game industry suck. I could go on and on about how the reason the Wii U is so ambiguous. I'm a neutral consumer when it comes to the Wii U. I don't know a lot about it. I was a Nintendo fan for many years. When the Wii U came out, which I feel was way too quick, I didn't know what the system was. For a while, I thought the gamepad was the system. Then I found out that it's an accessory. Looking at such a huge and sophisticated gamepad, I felt it should be a stand alone device. However, it is reliant on the system itself. The system has games, but doesn't even bundle the gamepad with the console. In the end, it's a fancy, and pricey controller. I appreciate the games Nintendo is releasing though. To be honest, it's sad that they are going down somewhat, because they are the last system to focus on video games. Every board you look at online is filled with power hungry idiots who point out pixel differentiation and texture nuances as if they are the size of mountains. They want power that they don't need. They shun the PS Vita because they can make out differences between it and the home consoles of this generation. Does that make any sense, when it's the same dual analog system that you people cried for for years, to the point of calling for the death of the PSP? It's sheer idiocy! I truly believe that the Vita will be the last console purchase I make. I'll enjoy the titles it has and what is slated for this year. It doesn't look like the support will hold out beyond 2016. If and when they release another follow up to this generation of handhelds, I won't be in the party. I'm sick of this do-over phase we are in. We kill a console because we feel we have something better on our hands. Then we release it and complain about it more than the former console. Rinse and repeat. I'm done. Until next time guys.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Underrated Album: "The Seventh Seal" by Rahkim
I'm going to do a few of these reviews on my page for games, music, and other art both past and present that I feel should have gotten more credit.
I'm covering the "Seventh Seal," album by Rahkim. I'm doing this also because I feel very passionate about music like that, and I hate to see it undermined. I know Rah doesn't need me to support him or build him up, but he deserves it as a cornerstone of hip-hop and modern art. His lyricism is timeless, and when you listen to his early stuff, or this album, you can see why Nas looks up to him. But hip hop culture as a whole, as well as society today doesn't see it that way. He is another overlooked artist who doesn't fit the mold of idiocy that people accept, and is thus considered trash.
I'm going to cite an excerpt from a review for the album, which recieved about 3 stars by the way:
The album sold 12,000 copies in the United States by November 22, 2009, according to SoundScan.[13] Upon its release, The Seventh Seal received generally mixed or average reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 59/100 from.
That's from wikipedia. If you look up the critic reviews, you'll see that the album received an average score of about 4/10. This is for an album that was delayed and poured over for several years. Rahkim took this project very serious, and even parted with Dr. Dre to maintain its integrity, and all of that is lost on an empty minded public. I'm honored to have this album on my mp3 player. If you actually listen to the lyrics, you will not only be blown away by the depth and delivery, but you will instantly know that you have something on your hands that will keep giving for years to come. I personally built my career on that thinking. Everything that I made as an artist and put out, I wanted to be timeless and to build up the listener far into the future. Artists like him inspired that. Critics have the nerve to sum Rahkim in words like these: Rakim's subject matter often covered his own rapping skills and lyrical superiority over other rappers.[44][45] Allmusic editor Steve Huey comments that "the majority of his lyrics concern his own skills and his Islamic faith."[7]
It disgusts me that his depth has gone completely over the heads of these so- called listeners. I'll leave you with this quote and you tell me if even when he does rhyme about himself, which he does not always do, is it a problem:
"Things run up in it mass where I been, nothing get em high as a bag of Rakim
I'm red like Canadian, cuss with a Opium touch a fat piece of hash, seen soap with some dust
I got it so good, I got the whole hood smoking it, coke cookers kill for the flow to cook coke in it
The new form of crack, turn fans to fanatics hip hop hands to attacks fiends hit off that
DJ's cut it, let the streets step on that, still a hundred percent pure King Heron's back"
I'm covering the "Seventh Seal," album by Rahkim. I'm doing this also because I feel very passionate about music like that, and I hate to see it undermined. I know Rah doesn't need me to support him or build him up, but he deserves it as a cornerstone of hip-hop and modern art. His lyricism is timeless, and when you listen to his early stuff, or this album, you can see why Nas looks up to him. But hip hop culture as a whole, as well as society today doesn't see it that way. He is another overlooked artist who doesn't fit the mold of idiocy that people accept, and is thus considered trash.
I'm going to cite an excerpt from a review for the album, which recieved about 3 stars by the way:
The album sold 12,000 copies in the United States by November 22, 2009, according to SoundScan.[13] Upon its release, The Seventh Seal received generally mixed or average reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 59/100 from.
That's from wikipedia. If you look up the critic reviews, you'll see that the album received an average score of about 4/10. This is for an album that was delayed and poured over for several years. Rahkim took this project very serious, and even parted with Dr. Dre to maintain its integrity, and all of that is lost on an empty minded public. I'm honored to have this album on my mp3 player. If you actually listen to the lyrics, you will not only be blown away by the depth and delivery, but you will instantly know that you have something on your hands that will keep giving for years to come. I personally built my career on that thinking. Everything that I made as an artist and put out, I wanted to be timeless and to build up the listener far into the future. Artists like him inspired that. Critics have the nerve to sum Rahkim in words like these: Rakim's subject matter often covered his own rapping skills and lyrical superiority over other rappers.[44][45] Allmusic editor Steve Huey comments that "the majority of his lyrics concern his own skills and his Islamic faith."[7]
It disgusts me that his depth has gone completely over the heads of these so- called listeners. I'll leave you with this quote and you tell me if even when he does rhyme about himself, which he does not always do, is it a problem:
"Things run up in it mass where I been, nothing get em high as a bag of Rakim
I'm red like Canadian, cuss with a Opium touch a fat piece of hash, seen soap with some dust
I got it so good, I got the whole hood smoking it, coke cookers kill for the flow to cook coke in it
The new form of crack, turn fans to fanatics hip hop hands to attacks fiends hit off that
DJ's cut it, let the streets step on that, still a hundred percent pure King Heron's back"
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Post UFC 182
Well. It was quite a show last night. The main event sucked how I feared it would. Jon Jones vs. Daniel "DC" Cormier. A tall and rangy spiritual fighter versus a lovable, hard working and modest chubby kid from Louisiana who makes you root for him due to his failures. Joe Rogan and company did as best they could to talk up the even nature of the fight, but not only was it a clear beating, but it was clearly a withheld finish.
Jon Jones showed me tonight, that fighters do receive orders in boxing, MMA, and even tennis matches, to make rivalry matches intriguing. Dana White even pulled him over to the side afterwards and whispered something to him. The bottom line is that Jon had several opportunities to finish DC and chose not to. I knew from the start that unless something big happened, he would do exactly what he did with Rashad Evans- let his opponent live to keep their money making potential intact. With Rashad you could say it was friendship that motivated it, but not with DC. DC was someone Jon clearly wanted to destroy on fight night, and then I watched him clearly avoid several finishes.
I like Jon Jones, and have always respected and admired him as a fellow pure practitioner, but his antics before the fight made you cheer a bit for DC. But regardless, people let their emotions control their vision. I knew from the start that DC had a lot to overcome tactically, and physically to win this fight. He finished the first round and started the 2nd round doing exactly what he needed to win as I said- he applied pressure, and attacked off of transitions and the clinch. In the middle of the fight, when he was pouring it on, Jon poked him in the eye inadvertently, or so it seems. I immediately yelled at the screen for DC to hurry up, and get back, and forget about the eye, because I knew that was a costly break in his strategy. That gave a winded Jon time to catch his breath, and reset. Then he controlled DC against the cage for the rest of the fight, getting about 4 takedowns near the end of the 4th round. DC's physique came into play as well as I imagined it would. He is quick with his hands and a sharp boxer, so he was able to outbox Jon very well from mid-range. It was in the clinch that his heavy lower body was too slow to spring out of Jon's quick take downs. There was a point in the 4th or 5th round when Jon took DC down and had his head against the cage. He had every opportunity in the world to rain short elbows on a guy who has no Jiu jitsu, and finish the fight. He wrestled with him and allowed him to eventually stand. They finished the fight trading punches and hitting Herb Dean- the referee. I laughed, and thought that maybe this was a hype job after all. DC talked so much that he convinced every non-fighter that he had a strong chance. Only people like myself and other martial artists knew that it was an overhyped fight. I like DC and wanted him to be okay, and at least he is. He just talked too much, and now he has to face the music tomorrow.
On the co-main event, it was a match between Donald Cerrone and Myles Jury. That fight was an eye-opener for me having watched "Cowboy" Cerrone in the past. I was a fan of his years ago, and then when he had a couple of setbacks, I figured he had fallen off. I totally missed the fact that he is on a 6 fight win-streak. He slipped right past like Anthony Johnson. In this fight, he looked impressive on the feet, in the clinch, in top position, and off of his back. It was a mega dominant performance that reminded me of the problem that Cowboy is. He may get a title shot soon.
It's going to be very funny hearing all of the talk at work. My coworkers will no doubt try to play kindergarten games and say that I picked DC when they all did. In the end, this was one of those fights that reminds you who knows fighting and who doesn't. Everybody talks a big game, but few know what they're talking about. The only reason I looked forward to this match was because of tension. I knew beyond any doubt that it was not an even fight. I'm just agitated that Jon acquiesced to letting the fight go the distance. Most likely he was told that he had better not jeopardize the money they could make from a rematch. You can't doubt that. If they fight again in March, now the fight could very well sell. Or at least, DC can be used for big fights of his own, as a draw still, even for main events. That would have been put in danger if he was KO'ed tonight. Jon had a guillotine choke a couple of times and chose not to go for that either. After the fight he went on a rant about how he hates DC, and I just shook my head. If that is the case, which I'm sure it is, there is no reason other than that you were given orders, for someone with your stamina and skill set to have DC in those positions in the 4th and 5th round and deliberately not finish.
A lot of you thought DC is a killer. I knew his power wouldn't be enough for Jon's chin. Go back an read my post. I also said that there is a reason DC was such a dominant yet, underachieving wrestler. He lost to Cael 6 times, and to Olympians and other collegiate wrestlers because he only knows 1 way to win. He dominates his opponent, applies pressure, takes down his opponent in only 1 or 2 ways if he can, and grinds. That's all DC can do. As a MMA fighter, of course he's added a few wrinkles, but it's still the same formula, and that is tailor made to be undone by a martial artist who adapts while fighting. I called the entire thing verbatim. The only reason the end was different is because Jon made it so by choice. All DC can do is shoot for a shotgun- or leg pick, and try to sweep and switch to a double, or go for hip tosses. If you watch his matches with Cael Sanderson, as I have, you can see that those limitation cost him when he faces a true artist. Cael was master artist - a wrestling version of a Martial Artist. He constantly gave different looks and turned DC making him look like a child. It isn't because Cael was undefeated that DC lost. He lost for the same reason he lost tonight. He has not learned enough. And he may never learn. At 35, he is just a grinder. He is fortunate that Jon had to have mercy on him and was able to leave with his chin and pride intact. Jon could have effectively ended his career, and for the better of DC overall, I feel that it should have happened. Let's see how it all plays out now that the biggest MMA fight of the year is over. Maybe a matchup between Jon and Gus next which everyone wants.
After that fight, I now look to Mayweather and Pacquiao to deliver for anticipated hype of a super-fight, because Jones vs DC was surely a bust.
Jon Jones showed me tonight, that fighters do receive orders in boxing, MMA, and even tennis matches, to make rivalry matches intriguing. Dana White even pulled him over to the side afterwards and whispered something to him. The bottom line is that Jon had several opportunities to finish DC and chose not to. I knew from the start that unless something big happened, he would do exactly what he did with Rashad Evans- let his opponent live to keep their money making potential intact. With Rashad you could say it was friendship that motivated it, but not with DC. DC was someone Jon clearly wanted to destroy on fight night, and then I watched him clearly avoid several finishes.
I like Jon Jones, and have always respected and admired him as a fellow pure practitioner, but his antics before the fight made you cheer a bit for DC. But regardless, people let their emotions control their vision. I knew from the start that DC had a lot to overcome tactically, and physically to win this fight. He finished the first round and started the 2nd round doing exactly what he needed to win as I said- he applied pressure, and attacked off of transitions and the clinch. In the middle of the fight, when he was pouring it on, Jon poked him in the eye inadvertently, or so it seems. I immediately yelled at the screen for DC to hurry up, and get back, and forget about the eye, because I knew that was a costly break in his strategy. That gave a winded Jon time to catch his breath, and reset. Then he controlled DC against the cage for the rest of the fight, getting about 4 takedowns near the end of the 4th round. DC's physique came into play as well as I imagined it would. He is quick with his hands and a sharp boxer, so he was able to outbox Jon very well from mid-range. It was in the clinch that his heavy lower body was too slow to spring out of Jon's quick take downs. There was a point in the 4th or 5th round when Jon took DC down and had his head against the cage. He had every opportunity in the world to rain short elbows on a guy who has no Jiu jitsu, and finish the fight. He wrestled with him and allowed him to eventually stand. They finished the fight trading punches and hitting Herb Dean- the referee. I laughed, and thought that maybe this was a hype job after all. DC talked so much that he convinced every non-fighter that he had a strong chance. Only people like myself and other martial artists knew that it was an overhyped fight. I like DC and wanted him to be okay, and at least he is. He just talked too much, and now he has to face the music tomorrow.
On the co-main event, it was a match between Donald Cerrone and Myles Jury. That fight was an eye-opener for me having watched "Cowboy" Cerrone in the past. I was a fan of his years ago, and then when he had a couple of setbacks, I figured he had fallen off. I totally missed the fact that he is on a 6 fight win-streak. He slipped right past like Anthony Johnson. In this fight, he looked impressive on the feet, in the clinch, in top position, and off of his back. It was a mega dominant performance that reminded me of the problem that Cowboy is. He may get a title shot soon.
It's going to be very funny hearing all of the talk at work. My coworkers will no doubt try to play kindergarten games and say that I picked DC when they all did. In the end, this was one of those fights that reminds you who knows fighting and who doesn't. Everybody talks a big game, but few know what they're talking about. The only reason I looked forward to this match was because of tension. I knew beyond any doubt that it was not an even fight. I'm just agitated that Jon acquiesced to letting the fight go the distance. Most likely he was told that he had better not jeopardize the money they could make from a rematch. You can't doubt that. If they fight again in March, now the fight could very well sell. Or at least, DC can be used for big fights of his own, as a draw still, even for main events. That would have been put in danger if he was KO'ed tonight. Jon had a guillotine choke a couple of times and chose not to go for that either. After the fight he went on a rant about how he hates DC, and I just shook my head. If that is the case, which I'm sure it is, there is no reason other than that you were given orders, for someone with your stamina and skill set to have DC in those positions in the 4th and 5th round and deliberately not finish.
A lot of you thought DC is a killer. I knew his power wouldn't be enough for Jon's chin. Go back an read my post. I also said that there is a reason DC was such a dominant yet, underachieving wrestler. He lost to Cael 6 times, and to Olympians and other collegiate wrestlers because he only knows 1 way to win. He dominates his opponent, applies pressure, takes down his opponent in only 1 or 2 ways if he can, and grinds. That's all DC can do. As a MMA fighter, of course he's added a few wrinkles, but it's still the same formula, and that is tailor made to be undone by a martial artist who adapts while fighting. I called the entire thing verbatim. The only reason the end was different is because Jon made it so by choice. All DC can do is shoot for a shotgun- or leg pick, and try to sweep and switch to a double, or go for hip tosses. If you watch his matches with Cael Sanderson, as I have, you can see that those limitation cost him when he faces a true artist. Cael was master artist - a wrestling version of a Martial Artist. He constantly gave different looks and turned DC making him look like a child. It isn't because Cael was undefeated that DC lost. He lost for the same reason he lost tonight. He has not learned enough. And he may never learn. At 35, he is just a grinder. He is fortunate that Jon had to have mercy on him and was able to leave with his chin and pride intact. Jon could have effectively ended his career, and for the better of DC overall, I feel that it should have happened. Let's see how it all plays out now that the biggest MMA fight of the year is over. Maybe a matchup between Jon and Gus next which everyone wants.
After that fight, I now look to Mayweather and Pacquiao to deliver for anticipated hype of a super-fight, because Jones vs DC was surely a bust.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Predictions for UFC 182
Not to glorify anything in particular, but as a historian and long time practitioner and artist myself, I can't help but to marvel at Saturday's matchup between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier. Yes, you truly have 2 polar opposites stepping into the octagon. You have a former Olympic wrestler, and blue-collar fighter in Daniel Cormier or DC, and a very spiritual and constantly evolving, and expressive martial artist in Jon Jones. In conventional competition, I side with the latter, but this fight could have a few wrinkles.
The other day, while driving home, I ran the fight through in my mind, as to what would happen. I've been involved with combat arts from the age of 9. I usually keep that to myself, because it's wasted on conversations with coworker and idiots alike who are obsessed with disrespecting me. Anyway, over the years, being exposed to boxing, wrestling, kung fu, tae kwon do, muay thai, jiu jitsu, ninjustsu, etc, and countless fight film, I've had no choice but to develop intuition. And you don't have to be a former or current fighter or practitioner.Even f you've watched fight prep and film for years and years, you can look at the lead up to a fight and the weigh ins, and have a good idea of how the fight will play out. It's freaky sometimes.
I was pulling for DC a bit due to his lovable personality, but I have to explain why I favor the artist over the blue-collar fighter. To be clear, DC is a perfectionist just like Jon is, He lost just before a medal match in the 2004 olympics, and was sidelined by kidney failure in the 2008 olympics. He never won a NCAA Championship, which made me look deeper in itself. In college, he lost all 6 matches with Cael Sanderson. I know that Cael is the greatest wrestler of all time, but DC lost other matches as well. I watched him dominate in wrestling matches as well as fighters in MMA, and I kept thinking wondering what could be holding back such a dominant wrestler and fighter from victory in big matches. Now, I realize that it's his work ethic. I know that sounds crazy, because DC works so hard, but it's not about how hard he works. It's about how you work. He is the opposite of Jon Jones. He does what he needs to do to win, and works to a rigid gameplan, grinding. He doesn't believe in thinking outside of the box. He wins his matches on dominance and enforcing his will while avoiding adversity. He also has a team behind him- AKA- American Kickboxing Academy, that is very limited in their understanding of fighters like Jon. If I was in a fight camp, I knew it would be Jon Jones' camp - Greg Jackson's Gym, long before I even know Jon as a fighter. Greg Jackson has been known for years for developing artistic fighters with his philosophies. He made GSP, and he had Rashad Evans when Evan was his most dangerous. It's the perfect place for Jon.
Jon Jones is an artist. When he trains, he trains to be amazing in all areas, and surprise his opponent and himself. Watching his training, he leaves no stone unturned. He works on all areas, and doesn't run from his weaknesses, but strives to make them his strengths. That's what GSP and every other Greg Jackson fighter does. It's because of that, and his belief, not his reach and size, that he is likely to dominate and stop DC on Saturday. DC works hard, but has a few limitations. He also has a team behind him that thinks that Jon Jones is all elbows and knees at long range, and has no chin. They are way off in their analysis. I knew Jones had a chin since his fight with Rampage. DC is a worker bee as a fighter. He works hard, and tries to avoid trouble in a fight. Jon Jones works on trouble in fights, and how to dominate from a bad turn in a fight. Those philosophical differences are going to be a problem for DC. I watch their workouts and one of them stood out to me. I watched both of them working the heavy rope. Jon looked like he embraced it and DC looked like a fat kid just getting through the workout. What a martial artist understands is that there is a benefit in all exercises. Jon knows that as well as I do. He isn't a powerhouse guy by any means, but he knows that it serves him well to be able to become that when needed. Remember in Karate Kid when Mister Miyagi made Daniel clean the car? We all chuckle at that, but it is a base principle of all martial arts. technique lies in everything; even a handshake. The heavy rope helps you block and keep your hands up and in position, utilizing the key muscles in your deltoids. It isn't a useless workout. Yet, alot of people, including fighters, view it as such, even if subconsciously, and show it in their workouts. Even when working the mitts, I saw it carry over, as DC has hands that tend to drop. He struggles keeping his hands up.
I see the fight playing out like this: DC comes in confident and looks to establish some kind of respectable jab. At first, Jon keeps his distance, respecting DC's power a bit too much. Then Jon starts to pepper DC's guard with jabs and straights. All of the DC fans start to show shock as some punches get through. There, you start to see his weak deltoids showing up. Then, he tries to catch Jon over the top with looping shots, catching only arms. Jon continues to hammer at his guard with shots. DC's chin is solid, so he won't wilt under these initial punches. We saw his chin in the Big Country fight. Soon, when he sees that Jon is better conditioned on the feet, he'll try to double and triple up his combos- even going for leg kicks. When his success is minimal, he will know that it's time to shoot for a single. Jon will likely spin out of the first attempt. Staying upright will cause Jon to lessen his strikes just enough for DC to try to time one of them and shoot in for another takedown. He'll eventually get it, probably on the second attempt. Being dominant in holding top position, DC will try to lay on Jon. Unfortunately, Jon will be able to cut him up from the bottom position. He may even go for subs that DC is not ready for. When the danger becomes apparent, DC will lighten up just enough for Jones to stand again. Soon, DC will try to get into a clinch to wear Jon down. His strong positions will be attacking while Jon tries to block transitions or transition himself. Other than that, Jon is superior. And I think when he sees the body shots and uppercuts in Jon's clinch game, he's going to resent his camp's reconnaissance. If he isn't careful, Jon can sweep him from mount, and end the fight very nastily. However, I give DC a slight chance if he can keep Jon off balance from beginning to end. Honestly though, I see Jon Jones by vicious TKO, probably in the 3rd round. I know, it's a "Say it ain't so," outcome, but if you do honest observance you can see that too. I wish sometimes that I could train these guys when I see their camps leading them wrong. All AKA does is glorify the great wrestler that DC is and work on that. That is not how you develop a fighter.
As far as Vitor Belfort goes, I see more potential for him to upset than I do in DC. They are fighting equally difficult champions, but Vitor is preparing better. He is preparing like Jon Jones. I like all of what I'm seeing in his training camp. The only thing I question is the ability of these brazilian camps to handle wrestlers. Notoriously, they are weak against wrestlers. Also, his fight is in late January. I wonder why he is training as hard as Jon Jones now. That is not good. If he peaks too early or blows himself out, that would suck. He is coming off of TRT, and vulnerable to injury. He better be careful.
The other day, while driving home, I ran the fight through in my mind, as to what would happen. I've been involved with combat arts from the age of 9. I usually keep that to myself, because it's wasted on conversations with coworker and idiots alike who are obsessed with disrespecting me. Anyway, over the years, being exposed to boxing, wrestling, kung fu, tae kwon do, muay thai, jiu jitsu, ninjustsu, etc, and countless fight film, I've had no choice but to develop intuition. And you don't have to be a former or current fighter or practitioner.Even f you've watched fight prep and film for years and years, you can look at the lead up to a fight and the weigh ins, and have a good idea of how the fight will play out. It's freaky sometimes.
I was pulling for DC a bit due to his lovable personality, but I have to explain why I favor the artist over the blue-collar fighter. To be clear, DC is a perfectionist just like Jon is, He lost just before a medal match in the 2004 olympics, and was sidelined by kidney failure in the 2008 olympics. He never won a NCAA Championship, which made me look deeper in itself. In college, he lost all 6 matches with Cael Sanderson. I know that Cael is the greatest wrestler of all time, but DC lost other matches as well. I watched him dominate in wrestling matches as well as fighters in MMA, and I kept thinking wondering what could be holding back such a dominant wrestler and fighter from victory in big matches. Now, I realize that it's his work ethic. I know that sounds crazy, because DC works so hard, but it's not about how hard he works. It's about how you work. He is the opposite of Jon Jones. He does what he needs to do to win, and works to a rigid gameplan, grinding. He doesn't believe in thinking outside of the box. He wins his matches on dominance and enforcing his will while avoiding adversity. He also has a team behind him- AKA- American Kickboxing Academy, that is very limited in their understanding of fighters like Jon. If I was in a fight camp, I knew it would be Jon Jones' camp - Greg Jackson's Gym, long before I even know Jon as a fighter. Greg Jackson has been known for years for developing artistic fighters with his philosophies. He made GSP, and he had Rashad Evans when Evan was his most dangerous. It's the perfect place for Jon.
Jon Jones is an artist. When he trains, he trains to be amazing in all areas, and surprise his opponent and himself. Watching his training, he leaves no stone unturned. He works on all areas, and doesn't run from his weaknesses, but strives to make them his strengths. That's what GSP and every other Greg Jackson fighter does. It's because of that, and his belief, not his reach and size, that he is likely to dominate and stop DC on Saturday. DC works hard, but has a few limitations. He also has a team behind him that thinks that Jon Jones is all elbows and knees at long range, and has no chin. They are way off in their analysis. I knew Jones had a chin since his fight with Rampage. DC is a worker bee as a fighter. He works hard, and tries to avoid trouble in a fight. Jon Jones works on trouble in fights, and how to dominate from a bad turn in a fight. Those philosophical differences are going to be a problem for DC. I watch their workouts and one of them stood out to me. I watched both of them working the heavy rope. Jon looked like he embraced it and DC looked like a fat kid just getting through the workout. What a martial artist understands is that there is a benefit in all exercises. Jon knows that as well as I do. He isn't a powerhouse guy by any means, but he knows that it serves him well to be able to become that when needed. Remember in Karate Kid when Mister Miyagi made Daniel clean the car? We all chuckle at that, but it is a base principle of all martial arts. technique lies in everything; even a handshake. The heavy rope helps you block and keep your hands up and in position, utilizing the key muscles in your deltoids. It isn't a useless workout. Yet, alot of people, including fighters, view it as such, even if subconsciously, and show it in their workouts. Even when working the mitts, I saw it carry over, as DC has hands that tend to drop. He struggles keeping his hands up.
I see the fight playing out like this: DC comes in confident and looks to establish some kind of respectable jab. At first, Jon keeps his distance, respecting DC's power a bit too much. Then Jon starts to pepper DC's guard with jabs and straights. All of the DC fans start to show shock as some punches get through. There, you start to see his weak deltoids showing up. Then, he tries to catch Jon over the top with looping shots, catching only arms. Jon continues to hammer at his guard with shots. DC's chin is solid, so he won't wilt under these initial punches. We saw his chin in the Big Country fight. Soon, when he sees that Jon is better conditioned on the feet, he'll try to double and triple up his combos- even going for leg kicks. When his success is minimal, he will know that it's time to shoot for a single. Jon will likely spin out of the first attempt. Staying upright will cause Jon to lessen his strikes just enough for DC to try to time one of them and shoot in for another takedown. He'll eventually get it, probably on the second attempt. Being dominant in holding top position, DC will try to lay on Jon. Unfortunately, Jon will be able to cut him up from the bottom position. He may even go for subs that DC is not ready for. When the danger becomes apparent, DC will lighten up just enough for Jones to stand again. Soon, DC will try to get into a clinch to wear Jon down. His strong positions will be attacking while Jon tries to block transitions or transition himself. Other than that, Jon is superior. And I think when he sees the body shots and uppercuts in Jon's clinch game, he's going to resent his camp's reconnaissance. If he isn't careful, Jon can sweep him from mount, and end the fight very nastily. However, I give DC a slight chance if he can keep Jon off balance from beginning to end. Honestly though, I see Jon Jones by vicious TKO, probably in the 3rd round. I know, it's a "Say it ain't so," outcome, but if you do honest observance you can see that too. I wish sometimes that I could train these guys when I see their camps leading them wrong. All AKA does is glorify the great wrestler that DC is and work on that. That is not how you develop a fighter.
As far as Vitor Belfort goes, I see more potential for him to upset than I do in DC. They are fighting equally difficult champions, but Vitor is preparing better. He is preparing like Jon Jones. I like all of what I'm seeing in his training camp. The only thing I question is the ability of these brazilian camps to handle wrestlers. Notoriously, they are weak against wrestlers. Also, his fight is in late January. I wonder why he is training as hard as Jon Jones now. That is not good. If he peaks too early or blows himself out, that would suck. He is coming off of TRT, and vulnerable to injury. He better be careful.
Sunday, December 28, 2014
New Poem - No Title
All of these recent events have brought to mind a poem of mine that I wanted to include in the novel. I lost the original drafts of it, but have just recovered them. I never titled it. Here it is:
Thick foliage providing shade for already darkened skies
The facade of mankind providing shade for already darkened eyes.
I guess that's why they hate the dark guy.
These days, people ask why not more than they ask why.
What I'd like to hear more of is talk of defeat.
I'll explain.
So often, you hear the debauched criticizing the principled as thoughtless.
Yet, visibly to all, they walk in anguish.
You don't believe in the way you act.
You've conceded to it.
If understanding something makes you fall out of love with it,
You really never loved it in the first place.
If I tell my oppressor his actions are deliberate, he smiles and calls me crazy.
If I use my fists and blow him away, he never smiles again.
Just when it seems unfair, look -
The beauty of balance.
But why must it always come to this?
Why must it always come down to the lingerie of a murderer -
Gloves
Covering the identity of madness.
Thick foliage providing shade for already darkened skies
The facade of mankind providing shade for already darkened eyes.
I guess that's why they hate the dark guy.
These days, people ask why not more than they ask why.
What I'd like to hear more of is talk of defeat.
I'll explain.
So often, you hear the debauched criticizing the principled as thoughtless.
Yet, visibly to all, they walk in anguish.
You don't believe in the way you act.
You've conceded to it.
If understanding something makes you fall out of love with it,
You really never loved it in the first place.
If I tell my oppressor his actions are deliberate, he smiles and calls me crazy.
If I use my fists and blow him away, he never smiles again.
Just when it seems unfair, look -
The beauty of balance.
But why must it always come to this?
Why must it always come down to the lingerie of a murderer -
Gloves
Covering the identity of madness.
Follow Up to the Therapy Session
I wasn't exactly sure what to name this post. It's somewhat of a carry over of the end of my last blog post. And I do this simply because it is such a loaded subject, and is vital in various ways to everyone.
A lot of people that you approach with the truth, generally tend to have a very similar response. That is to base their acceptance on their view of the speaker. One thing I have stressed in my writings over the years is that Jason, nor anybody else, invented the truth. When I speak something true, hating me is not going to do a single productive thing. And if you think I've erred, you have to accept the basis on which I came to the conclusion. Sometimes, I as well anyone, can arrive at a wrong conclusion. It can happen as long as you're imperfect. But yet still, sometimes this is due to very real base facts. For instance, in my last blog post I mentioned an associate who I communicated with on a comfortable level with for some time, and considered a friend. I spoke of him being moreso of an associate at this point due to the behavioral stance he has taken towards me in recent times. After that, I specifically reiterated that I consider him a friend, and am confused as to his sudden switch in stance. The perspective of associate is changed and controlled by his attitude. Now, if he would read that, the all too common juvenile reaction is to see me as a cancer who has ill will towards him. Then he would do what the vast majority of today's psychologically challenged society does- brush off all that he heard, despise the person who said it, put up a wall, and go off his way in a rage. That would be childish, yet it's behavior I have witnessed often over the years. If I were the person myself, I would stop and break down what was said. The first thing I would conclude if anything, is that something about my recent behavior towards them, has them believing I no longer trust or like them. Then I would go from there. At no point would I insert malice on their part, because nothing about that statement said anything of the sort. The fact is that when there is an issue, the easiest thing for people to do is make themselves the victim.
And at the end of the day, what is true is just plain true. The fact that there is no getting around that leads to a lot of lazy people just shutting their brains off to all sense. The truth is like a weight, that over time has become heavy to lift, in an out-of-shape world. People like it less and less, and more and more people have put it down altogether. But truth, just like a real metal weight, is matter that cannot be destroyed. So it's pointless and stupid to try to ignore its existence. Not only my last blog, but the last few years, I have annoyed and disgusted a lot of possessed individuals simply by uttering the truth. I'm not perfect, or an angel at all. I make mistakes, and am capable of malice. However, I'm not blind. A lot of people lazily put so much faith in numbers. Simply due to the fact that there are a number of people who are at odds with one person, the principle has become that the majority must be right. However, I disagree with that enormously. What about the Messiah. If you used that same principle, that would mean that the clear and evident truth he bore was wrong. When I was a kid, I remember sitting in class as my math teacher was introducing a new formula. The entire class, including myself, believed he was making some mistake in his teaching, because it didn't make sense to us yet. In fact, some of us did formulas ourselves and showed it to him in an argument that he was wrong. In time, however, once he quieted the class, he showed the truth. Proof of my observations is the fact that most people reading this paragraph will be stuck in the middle, thinking that I'm comparing myself to the Messiah. Why? Because their brains have become trained by today's world to think in word association, and clusters. I know this because I've used that example before. The minute they hear an argument, and then hear that name, they compare the subjects, when if you read it again, you'll see that it isn't comparing the subjects at all. It's comparing the environments of the subjects. Truth is not subjective. You have to embrace that.
Going back to what I said, I have gained the ire of many individuals, and if you analyze every word and action of mine, you won't find perfection, but you will find a constant of truth. Because I speak the truth, I've become many people's reflection, even unknowingly. That's one explanation for certain individuals who associated with me and then suddenly stopped cold without any contact or incident. Of course, deeper, and even more sinister reasons can exist I'm sure. It's just that, even giving them the benefit of the doubt, that would be the best explanation of their behavior. The explanation, regardless of how many of them there is, can't be me. That's the point. I didn't invent the truth. I also can't bear the world's demons. Because if I disappear tomorrow, whatever issues lie within those people I mentioned, will still be there. That's just what I wanted to finish bringing out- we have to all own our own reflections. We have to face our decisions. I mentioned earlier, the possible reactions of those individuals, should they read the blog. It doesn't matter to me. Even if it did, that would be pointless, because I can't save them. I know, they know, God knows, and whomever else spawns and inspires their behavior knows, that they all made conscious decisions to walk their paths. Using me as an excuse, or smokescreen only does what self-destructive fools have been doing for ages- put a bandaid on a mortal wound. And no, numbers do not mean everything. Sometimes a bitter change in someone's behavior isn't brought about because of what they suddenly see in another, but what they suddenly see in themselves. Regardless, the battle lies in all of us personally, and no other way. Thank you
A lot of people that you approach with the truth, generally tend to have a very similar response. That is to base their acceptance on their view of the speaker. One thing I have stressed in my writings over the years is that Jason, nor anybody else, invented the truth. When I speak something true, hating me is not going to do a single productive thing. And if you think I've erred, you have to accept the basis on which I came to the conclusion. Sometimes, I as well anyone, can arrive at a wrong conclusion. It can happen as long as you're imperfect. But yet still, sometimes this is due to very real base facts. For instance, in my last blog post I mentioned an associate who I communicated with on a comfortable level with for some time, and considered a friend. I spoke of him being moreso of an associate at this point due to the behavioral stance he has taken towards me in recent times. After that, I specifically reiterated that I consider him a friend, and am confused as to his sudden switch in stance. The perspective of associate is changed and controlled by his attitude. Now, if he would read that, the all too common juvenile reaction is to see me as a cancer who has ill will towards him. Then he would do what the vast majority of today's psychologically challenged society does- brush off all that he heard, despise the person who said it, put up a wall, and go off his way in a rage. That would be childish, yet it's behavior I have witnessed often over the years. If I were the person myself, I would stop and break down what was said. The first thing I would conclude if anything, is that something about my recent behavior towards them, has them believing I no longer trust or like them. Then I would go from there. At no point would I insert malice on their part, because nothing about that statement said anything of the sort. The fact is that when there is an issue, the easiest thing for people to do is make themselves the victim.
And at the end of the day, what is true is just plain true. The fact that there is no getting around that leads to a lot of lazy people just shutting their brains off to all sense. The truth is like a weight, that over time has become heavy to lift, in an out-of-shape world. People like it less and less, and more and more people have put it down altogether. But truth, just like a real metal weight, is matter that cannot be destroyed. So it's pointless and stupid to try to ignore its existence. Not only my last blog, but the last few years, I have annoyed and disgusted a lot of possessed individuals simply by uttering the truth. I'm not perfect, or an angel at all. I make mistakes, and am capable of malice. However, I'm not blind. A lot of people lazily put so much faith in numbers. Simply due to the fact that there are a number of people who are at odds with one person, the principle has become that the majority must be right. However, I disagree with that enormously. What about the Messiah. If you used that same principle, that would mean that the clear and evident truth he bore was wrong. When I was a kid, I remember sitting in class as my math teacher was introducing a new formula. The entire class, including myself, believed he was making some mistake in his teaching, because it didn't make sense to us yet. In fact, some of us did formulas ourselves and showed it to him in an argument that he was wrong. In time, however, once he quieted the class, he showed the truth. Proof of my observations is the fact that most people reading this paragraph will be stuck in the middle, thinking that I'm comparing myself to the Messiah. Why? Because their brains have become trained by today's world to think in word association, and clusters. I know this because I've used that example before. The minute they hear an argument, and then hear that name, they compare the subjects, when if you read it again, you'll see that it isn't comparing the subjects at all. It's comparing the environments of the subjects. Truth is not subjective. You have to embrace that.
Going back to what I said, I have gained the ire of many individuals, and if you analyze every word and action of mine, you won't find perfection, but you will find a constant of truth. Because I speak the truth, I've become many people's reflection, even unknowingly. That's one explanation for certain individuals who associated with me and then suddenly stopped cold without any contact or incident. Of course, deeper, and even more sinister reasons can exist I'm sure. It's just that, even giving them the benefit of the doubt, that would be the best explanation of their behavior. The explanation, regardless of how many of them there is, can't be me. That's the point. I didn't invent the truth. I also can't bear the world's demons. Because if I disappear tomorrow, whatever issues lie within those people I mentioned, will still be there. That's just what I wanted to finish bringing out- we have to all own our own reflections. We have to face our decisions. I mentioned earlier, the possible reactions of those individuals, should they read the blog. It doesn't matter to me. Even if it did, that would be pointless, because I can't save them. I know, they know, God knows, and whomever else spawns and inspires their behavior knows, that they all made conscious decisions to walk their paths. Using me as an excuse, or smokescreen only does what self-destructive fools have been doing for ages- put a bandaid on a mortal wound. And no, numbers do not mean everything. Sometimes a bitter change in someone's behavior isn't brought about because of what they suddenly see in another, but what they suddenly see in themselves. Regardless, the battle lies in all of us personally, and no other way. Thank you
Saturday, December 27, 2014
The Season Finale of The Beast
This is the 3rd and Final chapter of my MMA Series
I had I nice time attempting and completing my title run in UFC 3. I've finished the footage and the lead up fights and they are in this final episode. I tried to make the video more involved and fluid. Hopefully it's enjoyable. I miss involving other gamers in the episodes, because it gives a more hilarious and raw vibe. Hopefully, I can do stuff like that in the future.
I had I nice time attempting and completing my title run in UFC 3. I've finished the footage and the lead up fights and they are in this final episode. I tried to make the video more involved and fluid. Hopefully it's enjoyable. I miss involving other gamers in the episodes, because it gives a more hilarious and raw vibe. Hopefully, I can do stuff like that in the future.
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Nostalgia
- just as a side note, I have to comment on how I get traffic here. Not to put people on the spot, but come one. There is no need to be afraid of bookmarking, or following the site. I see there are no followers, but seemingly regular visitors who are a bit scared of joining the site, but rather pull it up on google. Guys, nothing is going to happen to you if you click the follow/join button. LOL. just saying
Yesterday, I had a very profound moment of nostalgia that carried over into today. I might sound like Johnny Millenium when I go into this story, and to be honest, I almost want to do a video on my youtube, only it's weird to do those kind of videos if you don't have a huge following. You just can't pull it off the same, even if you do a great job.
I went to visit an associate's house. I'm cool with his youngest son, who's just 12, and often play games with him and keep him company. He seems to enjoy it, and calls me over very regularly- to the point of excess. He is very good at games, and a pretty broad minded young kid, even if a bit too direct at times, but that's just his nature. I like teaching him things about the generation that I came from, and seeing the surprise. Like talking about Pokemon. I'm not a fan of Pokemon, but I remember when it came out, the original theme song, and the buzz surrounding it with the first games. It's also sick to see that it's still at large. I appreciate carry over series like that to a degree, because they give a nice depiction of how far we've come over time. On youtube, I was watching some young kids argue over how dumb the old Pokemon was, and I was laughing to myself at the cycle that persists of the current generation always undermining and trashing the founders of what they love today. Most of today's entertainment has taken a complete step backwards, but you would be hard-pressed to convince a youth of this generation of that, because it's all they ever knew.
When I came over, he implored me to bring over Smash Brothers Melee. I put it in the box, as well as Metroid Prime, and went over. Before we started, he had to ask his father if we could play. You know when you get that feeling that someone's impression of you has taken some sudden, yet permanent turn for the worse? That's the reason I mention his father as an associate, not necessarily a friend. It isn't because I don't get along with him. Anyone who knows me, knows that I always find a way to like people- even the people that no one else likes. It's just at a somewhat awkward point, where it feels like, while he doesn't verbalize it, he doesn't trust me the same, or feel as cool with me. I don't know why exactly, but we still have good conversations nonetheless. To be clear, I personally see him as a friend, as I do everyone, but that's something that has to go both ways. It's clearly visible that we have gone from first meeting, and talking freely, to having a communication gap of sorts. Anyhow, I chill with his son primarily and it's pretty fun. The son came back down, and said he was allowed to play it. I was somewhat expecting a no, but I told him to put it in the system.
We started the game up at first, I realized that the characters weren't unlocked. I wanted to get Falco at least, so I told him to go online and look up how to unlock the characters, because it's been so long since I did that. To get Falco, as many of you old-timers may know, you have to complete the 100 man melee. So I started it and used Link to make quick work of the cpu bots. Towards the end, I started losing, and he starts laughing and saying that I'm going to get knocked out. Then I said something that made me pause, "No. Sorry, but I've been playing this game longer than you've been alive." At first, I just said it mindlessly, and then I picked up the box after a few seconds to remind myself, that it came out in December I believe, of 2001. He was born in 2002. I sat back, after realizing that, and just stared dreamily at the screen, remembering the days that me and my friends would meet at either my house or my friends' houses to play that game almost every day. And it never got old. When it came out, I remember us talking about the first Smash Brothers game being 5 years old. Then after playing the game for 5 years, we looked back and talked about how we started playing it when the original was 5 years old, and now it's 5 years old. We also said that years down the line, we would look back and play this game after 20 years or so, and we laughed. We took it lightly, but we also knew it to hold some truth, because the game really is that good. It is one of the rare gems to come out in gaming history, that can carry a console by itself. I remember when it was the only game I had on Gamecube, and I would never be bored because of all the game has to offer. Not many games can do that. And I sat and thought about how it's actually been 13 years. I repeated that out loud several times, just floored with amazement. Amazement at how long it's been, and amazement at how good it still is. The graphics are just as crisp and the gameplay, amazing and timeless.
I started to show him how to play the game, and explain all of the controls and mechanics to him. I couldn't help but get excited all over again, like I was finding the game again through his eyes. It was just as fun as it was all of those years ago. Just holding the box, and looking at it, I felt like I was right back in highschool going over to play it at my friend's house all over again. I'm proud to still have Smash Brothers Melee. And it was good to have this stretch of time to build myself up, and be a kid again for a change. I got to beat a couple of games, such as Assassin's Creed: Revelations, and Fight Night: Champion. I always love the AC series, and have been following it since the beginning, as well as the spin off games and videos online that cover deeper aspects of it. It was good to be frustrated as well, in it's own way. Fight Night Champion started off very simple, and had a last boss that was absolutely legendarily hard. It was kind of cool to be frustrated trying to beat him, as I sat and retried for hours. Honestly, I almost broke the game at one point. I took it out of the console, and after holding it in my hands, contemplating snapping it, I threw it like a shuriken across my apartment. It smacked a wall, and shot into another room. I thought it was broken, especially when I saw the scratches on it, but I was able to restore it with my CD Doctor. I kept playing, and almost losing it again. I went online, and looked up forums on how impossible he can be. Finally, I beat him. It was great to be able to sit and work through a game like that again, and I only get time to do stuff like that on a vacation. That's why it's so important to me to take 2 weeks off every year in the winter time.
Then, that night, I had a very surreal dream. I was walking through a park I used to live by and describing the times of youth there to a person. As I was doing so, kids were on the fringes of the park, walking along the path. At one point, we reached a huge rock that used to sit in the middle, and you could look down the narrow path to the other entrance, that runs through thick foliage. I described how we would run through there, and in mid sentence I fell to my knees and began sobbing in nostalgia. I don't know why the emotion was so strong, but apparently it was audible and forced my wife to shake me awake. She told me I was having a nightmare, but I couldn't bring myself to tell her that it was a very powerful and nostalgic dream, and those were cries of joy and longing at the same time. I just kept that to myself, and thought about how this vacation of mine has given me a chance to step back in time in various ways and remember what got me to today. First, it was a long overdue visit to my parents, where we got to voice meaningful words to one another for the first time in ages, and grow from it. And then, it was, of all things, a game - Smash Brothers Melee, that brought up all of these emotions towards a time that was truly beautiful. I'm fulfilled at this point, and invigorated for whatever it is that I'll do next.
I don't want to end this with a sour patch, but if I leave out what this brings to mind, I feel like I'm being dishonest. You see, over the last few years, there have been a number of individuals that have turned heel so to speak for reasons they don't say. People I know by the names of Todd, Daniel, his brother Luke, Khalil and some others, are among these. I don't say this to bash anyone, but rather just to make a point. I'm at an age, or point in life, if you will, where I like to get to the heart of matters, and say what needs to be said. I think that as you get older and older, the politics start to disappear in your mind. I actually love that about older people. These people I'm speaking of, have completely begun to despise me, and the sad thing is that it has nothing to do with anything negative that I've done, but apparently demons that they face. I've associated with all of these people at various points in the past, and it was a positive experience at the time. With one of them, they were actually the best man in my wedding, and an associate, when suddenly, around the time that my wife got gravely ill and was in the hospital, there was some reason in that, to suddenly despise me and never speak to me again, even when we moved into his area. With another of them, they were like a best friend who I hung out with for years, even as recently as this year, doing an art gallery in Brooklyn together, when suddenly, after a good event, completely cut me off and refused to ever speak with me again. Then there was another, who I collaborated with on a couple of my jazz albums and associated and encouraged for years, who meets and stops me in Models one day to tell me that he's ordered my new book, and looking forward to reading it, and then following that up with telling me to contact him on Facebook. Somewhere in all of that, he chose to actually lie about purchasing the book, and then cut me off when I simply asked if his order went through. All I was doing was trying to see if I could get him a discount, and make sure his order process properly. Yet something in himself caused him to project self hatred onto me.
What inspires all of this behavior you ask? I have absolutely no idea, although in my novel, I briefly touch on a theory. But regardless, I'm not saying this to air out my business or dirty laundry, because that isn't what I even consider it to be. Years ago, in younger days, I vented about things like this and pointlessly confronted people over their strange behavior, as if forcing an agreement. Now, at my age, I simply say that I pity these people, because whatever reasons they chose to embark on these senseless paths of hatred, they just aren't worth life, and it's sad that people can't see that. When I look back and also look forward to a new year, I see the final years of my current job nearing, and new plans for where I'll live in the future, as well what I'll do. I honestly pray for all of the people out there who have dedicated their lives to a complete, and stupid dead end. Hopefully this blog reaches some of them, and they are mature enough to see what it's really saying. To be clear once again, I have love for these ones, as I do everyone. I'm not bound by sad and obligatory hatred. If they tense up and hate me further after reading this, I really don't care obviously. Just think about this- it was stupid to create the rift out of nowhere in the first place, and that all lies on YOU. We all have to assess dead weight in our lives and clean it out. If they honestly think that their behavior has accomplished something, they are sadly mistaken. I'm not saying this to insult them, but to, if possible, move them to get on track.
Yesterday, I had a very profound moment of nostalgia that carried over into today. I might sound like Johnny Millenium when I go into this story, and to be honest, I almost want to do a video on my youtube, only it's weird to do those kind of videos if you don't have a huge following. You just can't pull it off the same, even if you do a great job.
I went to visit an associate's house. I'm cool with his youngest son, who's just 12, and often play games with him and keep him company. He seems to enjoy it, and calls me over very regularly- to the point of excess. He is very good at games, and a pretty broad minded young kid, even if a bit too direct at times, but that's just his nature. I like teaching him things about the generation that I came from, and seeing the surprise. Like talking about Pokemon. I'm not a fan of Pokemon, but I remember when it came out, the original theme song, and the buzz surrounding it with the first games. It's also sick to see that it's still at large. I appreciate carry over series like that to a degree, because they give a nice depiction of how far we've come over time. On youtube, I was watching some young kids argue over how dumb the old Pokemon was, and I was laughing to myself at the cycle that persists of the current generation always undermining and trashing the founders of what they love today. Most of today's entertainment has taken a complete step backwards, but you would be hard-pressed to convince a youth of this generation of that, because it's all they ever knew.
When I came over, he implored me to bring over Smash Brothers Melee. I put it in the box, as well as Metroid Prime, and went over. Before we started, he had to ask his father if we could play. You know when you get that feeling that someone's impression of you has taken some sudden, yet permanent turn for the worse? That's the reason I mention his father as an associate, not necessarily a friend. It isn't because I don't get along with him. Anyone who knows me, knows that I always find a way to like people- even the people that no one else likes. It's just at a somewhat awkward point, where it feels like, while he doesn't verbalize it, he doesn't trust me the same, or feel as cool with me. I don't know why exactly, but we still have good conversations nonetheless. To be clear, I personally see him as a friend, as I do everyone, but that's something that has to go both ways. It's clearly visible that we have gone from first meeting, and talking freely, to having a communication gap of sorts. Anyhow, I chill with his son primarily and it's pretty fun. The son came back down, and said he was allowed to play it. I was somewhat expecting a no, but I told him to put it in the system.
We started the game up at first, I realized that the characters weren't unlocked. I wanted to get Falco at least, so I told him to go online and look up how to unlock the characters, because it's been so long since I did that. To get Falco, as many of you old-timers may know, you have to complete the 100 man melee. So I started it and used Link to make quick work of the cpu bots. Towards the end, I started losing, and he starts laughing and saying that I'm going to get knocked out. Then I said something that made me pause, "No. Sorry, but I've been playing this game longer than you've been alive." At first, I just said it mindlessly, and then I picked up the box after a few seconds to remind myself, that it came out in December I believe, of 2001. He was born in 2002. I sat back, after realizing that, and just stared dreamily at the screen, remembering the days that me and my friends would meet at either my house or my friends' houses to play that game almost every day. And it never got old. When it came out, I remember us talking about the first Smash Brothers game being 5 years old. Then after playing the game for 5 years, we looked back and talked about how we started playing it when the original was 5 years old, and now it's 5 years old. We also said that years down the line, we would look back and play this game after 20 years or so, and we laughed. We took it lightly, but we also knew it to hold some truth, because the game really is that good. It is one of the rare gems to come out in gaming history, that can carry a console by itself. I remember when it was the only game I had on Gamecube, and I would never be bored because of all the game has to offer. Not many games can do that. And I sat and thought about how it's actually been 13 years. I repeated that out loud several times, just floored with amazement. Amazement at how long it's been, and amazement at how good it still is. The graphics are just as crisp and the gameplay, amazing and timeless.
I started to show him how to play the game, and explain all of the controls and mechanics to him. I couldn't help but get excited all over again, like I was finding the game again through his eyes. It was just as fun as it was all of those years ago. Just holding the box, and looking at it, I felt like I was right back in highschool going over to play it at my friend's house all over again. I'm proud to still have Smash Brothers Melee. And it was good to have this stretch of time to build myself up, and be a kid again for a change. I got to beat a couple of games, such as Assassin's Creed: Revelations, and Fight Night: Champion. I always love the AC series, and have been following it since the beginning, as well as the spin off games and videos online that cover deeper aspects of it. It was good to be frustrated as well, in it's own way. Fight Night Champion started off very simple, and had a last boss that was absolutely legendarily hard. It was kind of cool to be frustrated trying to beat him, as I sat and retried for hours. Honestly, I almost broke the game at one point. I took it out of the console, and after holding it in my hands, contemplating snapping it, I threw it like a shuriken across my apartment. It smacked a wall, and shot into another room. I thought it was broken, especially when I saw the scratches on it, but I was able to restore it with my CD Doctor. I kept playing, and almost losing it again. I went online, and looked up forums on how impossible he can be. Finally, I beat him. It was great to be able to sit and work through a game like that again, and I only get time to do stuff like that on a vacation. That's why it's so important to me to take 2 weeks off every year in the winter time.
Then, that night, I had a very surreal dream. I was walking through a park I used to live by and describing the times of youth there to a person. As I was doing so, kids were on the fringes of the park, walking along the path. At one point, we reached a huge rock that used to sit in the middle, and you could look down the narrow path to the other entrance, that runs through thick foliage. I described how we would run through there, and in mid sentence I fell to my knees and began sobbing in nostalgia. I don't know why the emotion was so strong, but apparently it was audible and forced my wife to shake me awake. She told me I was having a nightmare, but I couldn't bring myself to tell her that it was a very powerful and nostalgic dream, and those were cries of joy and longing at the same time. I just kept that to myself, and thought about how this vacation of mine has given me a chance to step back in time in various ways and remember what got me to today. First, it was a long overdue visit to my parents, where we got to voice meaningful words to one another for the first time in ages, and grow from it. And then, it was, of all things, a game - Smash Brothers Melee, that brought up all of these emotions towards a time that was truly beautiful. I'm fulfilled at this point, and invigorated for whatever it is that I'll do next.
I don't want to end this with a sour patch, but if I leave out what this brings to mind, I feel like I'm being dishonest. You see, over the last few years, there have been a number of individuals that have turned heel so to speak for reasons they don't say. People I know by the names of Todd, Daniel, his brother Luke, Khalil and some others, are among these. I don't say this to bash anyone, but rather just to make a point. I'm at an age, or point in life, if you will, where I like to get to the heart of matters, and say what needs to be said. I think that as you get older and older, the politics start to disappear in your mind. I actually love that about older people. These people I'm speaking of, have completely begun to despise me, and the sad thing is that it has nothing to do with anything negative that I've done, but apparently demons that they face. I've associated with all of these people at various points in the past, and it was a positive experience at the time. With one of them, they were actually the best man in my wedding, and an associate, when suddenly, around the time that my wife got gravely ill and was in the hospital, there was some reason in that, to suddenly despise me and never speak to me again, even when we moved into his area. With another of them, they were like a best friend who I hung out with for years, even as recently as this year, doing an art gallery in Brooklyn together, when suddenly, after a good event, completely cut me off and refused to ever speak with me again. Then there was another, who I collaborated with on a couple of my jazz albums and associated and encouraged for years, who meets and stops me in Models one day to tell me that he's ordered my new book, and looking forward to reading it, and then following that up with telling me to contact him on Facebook. Somewhere in all of that, he chose to actually lie about purchasing the book, and then cut me off when I simply asked if his order went through. All I was doing was trying to see if I could get him a discount, and make sure his order process properly. Yet something in himself caused him to project self hatred onto me.
What inspires all of this behavior you ask? I have absolutely no idea, although in my novel, I briefly touch on a theory. But regardless, I'm not saying this to air out my business or dirty laundry, because that isn't what I even consider it to be. Years ago, in younger days, I vented about things like this and pointlessly confronted people over their strange behavior, as if forcing an agreement. Now, at my age, I simply say that I pity these people, because whatever reasons they chose to embark on these senseless paths of hatred, they just aren't worth life, and it's sad that people can't see that. When I look back and also look forward to a new year, I see the final years of my current job nearing, and new plans for where I'll live in the future, as well what I'll do. I honestly pray for all of the people out there who have dedicated their lives to a complete, and stupid dead end. Hopefully this blog reaches some of them, and they are mature enough to see what it's really saying. To be clear once again, I have love for these ones, as I do everyone. I'm not bound by sad and obligatory hatred. If they tense up and hate me further after reading this, I really don't care obviously. Just think about this- it was stupid to create the rift out of nowhere in the first place, and that all lies on YOU. We all have to assess dead weight in our lives and clean it out. If they honestly think that their behavior has accomplished something, they are sadly mistaken. I'm not saying this to insult them, but to, if possible, move them to get on track.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
The Beast Series Covers UFC 3
I have wanted to, but haven't been that inspired to do a gaming series again. I recently got back into playing UFC Undisputed 3, and have been reminded how dedicated you have to be to play this game. Right now, I'm working my way to a title shot with Jon Jones, and I'll be chronicling my development along the way on my series - The Beast. This is the first of those episodes. I'm working on the follow up right now. I plan on improving the camera angle and zoom. I apologize for how unclear it may be. You should get a laugh from it at times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oihaAgky2oU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oihaAgky2oU
Sports Update
Well, here we are. So much has transpired recently. I'm enjoying a well needed vacation right now, which I kicked off by visiting my parents down south this past week. It was a nice time spent there, that also revealed certain issues that sadly still exist in my family. I look forward to a future where some of that is rectified. However, all in all, I enjoyed seeing them again, and also seeing old antiques that they've held onto over the years including pictures- some of which I haven't seen in ages.
I'm back home readjusting now, and putting things in perspective. This week, in fantasy football, I engineered a playoff win that has me once again, for the second straight season, in the championship game. I'm the second seed, and my opponent is the first seed. It's the ideal championship game, where the 2 best teams meet. We both dominated this season, losing 7 games total between us. That's enough losses to still make the playoffs in some instances.
What's impressive about this season is the way that me and my opponent dominated this season respectively. We won in similar ways. We both have 2 of the lesser stacked teams in the league. Our runs were a showcase of what coaching means in fantasy football, and in general. It isn't about getting the biggest and strongest players and letting them loose on the field. It's about managing a roster, and knowing when to digress, and when to attack. People tend to overlook that, and brand it, "Over Thinking." It feels good to see it have us at the top. There were teams with insane rosters that I made a mark dominating this season, as did the first seed- whose team is "band camps" by the way. I didn't win a trophy all season. My first trophy was this past week in the first round of the playoffs, for Odell Beckam who I picked up off of waivers. All season, we both faced opponents with high powered offenses, but no regard for balance. We both had dangerous matchups in week 13- the week before we faced each other the first time. I was impressed how we both took on tough teams and coached to great games. He won decisively, but I lost a very close game. That was the week my running back issues hit a head. I started the season with a fairly healthy roster, only to have my first and second string RB go down. I struggled with that, as well as finding back up, but I showed a talent for finding talent. I managed to weather that storm and mask that weakness. I was infuriated that Steve Smith and Branden Oliver couldn't deliver even 1 point between them. I learned from that.
When we faced each, I was 9-4. I made a personal goal of getting double digit wins this season, and it all came down to the last game of the season, against, of all people, the number 1 player. I had envisioned going 12-2 or something, especially with the way I started the season, but I took some hard losses that made me have to revamp my team. Our game was a highly charged event, in which I came out on top, giving him only his third loss of the season. We both coasted into the playoffs, and won. Now we face each other.
Well, onto other discussions- particularly with boxing. I didn't catch this past weekend's fights live, as I was away, but I did catch replays when I came back. The only fight I have yet to see in full is the main event between Timothy Bradley and Diego Chaves. I hear that it was very controversial, and a draw that should have been a UD for Bradley. I believe that, and from what I've seen so far, and know of Chaves, I think he should be ignored by any top level fighters from here on out. He is not a respectable or honorable fighter. He doesn't come to box or fight. He takes pleasure in frustrating his opponents by sneaking foul after foul past the ref. He's sick, and you can even see the grinning pleasure he gets from it. Just like when he fought Brandon Rios, he applied several head butts to Bradley, swelling his jaw in the process, only to grin and look around. He even tells on himself by stating that he is happy with the draw decision. Of course he is. All he wants to do and frustrate whatever he can. And I get sick of the commentators who try to compare that fight to the one Bradley had verses Pacquiao. At this point, it's clear to see that you may as well gouge out the public's eyes, because it's clear they can't use them anyway. They claim to see whatever it is they were told to expect. Because Pacquiao was a huge name at the time and Bradley was an upset, it was the worst time to get a decision win over Pacman. I'm not saying he beat Pacquiao decisively, or definitely won, but if you have eyes and can watch the fight, it's clear as day that it was nothing like the fight Bradley had with Chaves. Bradley boxed Pacman, and was even busier than him at several times in that first fight. It was a closer fight than it seemed at first. It's just good that it wasn't a loss for Bradley. I'm sure he's learned his lesson though- don't give dirty journeymen opportunities at your belts.
In the Devon Alexander vs. Khan fight, I was very surprised with Khan's dominance. He showed good defense, and sharp offense against a game, but confused Alexander. Now, the pieces are in place to push the fight with Mayweather. And I will go on record again in stating that the fight is beyond stupid, and the public will fall right into the trap. Mayweather did well to remain relatively quiet lately after Pacquiao made yet another clear statement that their fight needs to happen. Putting together any other fight now, is nothing short of retardation. But the problem is that it's very easy to expose the retardation of the public. All he had to do was wait and pray for a dominant Khan win, to take wind out of Pacman's dominance of Algieri. Now, he can take the fight with Khan over to England, and with the help of the media hyping the Khan win, and a little bit of campaigning, before you know it, he'll be fighting Khan, and making money doing it, even alongside a potential Cotto vs. Canelo event on May 2nd. That's how easy it is to fool people. In fact, it only takes a bit of fodder to confuse them, because you also have the media suddenly doing boxing specials showcasing Keith Thurman. He's been a good boxer for a while, but I have never seen the media pushing like this ever before. The other day, I go onto Yahoo sports to look at the boxing column, and I see a video that is supposed to be a preview of his fight with Bundu. However, the entire video deviates to a campaign for a Mayweather fight. And this isn't just from Thurman's mouth- he's been wanting that fight forever. What surprised me is that it was the media pushing it as a legitimate fight that needs to happen now. Since when the heck does a contender with no top 10 wins deserve an immediate fight with a HOF fighter who has 2 fights on his final contract? That's especially stupid considering the fact that the Pacquiao fight still hasn't happened. But this all serves to Mayweather's benefit. He watches the confusion, and now he can step in and pick Thurman or Khan and avoid the Pacman fight. And it won't be nearly as noticed as it would have been a month ago, simply because there are more players involved now. It sound stupid, but it's really that simple to fool people.
To Thurman's credit, he showed he can box, doing what Lomachenko was cheered for a couple of weeks ago, being booed in the process. It was so funny watching Brian Kenny try to find a way to respectfully explain the retarded behavior of the boxing fans at the event. With their Russian hero, it was fine that he boxed and moved the entire night though. Thurman's opponent- Leonard Bundu, was a joke. I keep hearing about his undefeated record, which he maintained in Europe. Retired fighters go to Europe to have successful runs. Bundu has some ability, but was gun shy the entire night. I don't want to hear about counter punching opportunities. It looked like Bundu was already set up to ease off of the trigger. Not saying he would have won either way. However, I still noticed some holes in Thurman's game. I never got a chance to really give him a look until this fight. I saw bits and pieces and heard the media and his mouth, but it's always good to go to the source. Thurman fights with very low hands, and like the old Khan, has a tendency to drop his right hand when turning out, and be a sitting duck for left hooks to the head and body. He also, while never hurt in that fight, showed that he can be, when Bundu stunned him with a hook at one point, but didn't follow up. In fact, Keith froze in that instance as if not knowing what to do. There were little moments, where I felt that Bundu could turn up the pressure and hurt Thurman. He throws wide punches at times, which leave him open for counters inside and down the middle. Overall he boxed well and won every round, against a short, old, and gun-shy journeyman. How people see a mega-fight potential in him is ridiculous at this point. Khan would beat him, and even he knows that to a degree, and even stated it in an interview. He knows that he isn't ready. I saw an video on youtube that quotes Thurman as saying Bundu is the closest to Mayweather. I sincerely hope that was a joke. Khan looked good, but I still think Pacquiao beats him, and Mayweather beat him, possibly both by stoppage. He did show good defense, and I liked the snap on his punches early in the fight. However, his aggression is probably the main thing he needs to work on at this point. He needs to develop finishing combinations more. There is no reason he shouldn't have stopped Alexander. He couldn't see himself doing it, and if you've been around this sport long enough you can tell that's why by just looking at him and his body language. Once it wasn't an early KO, it wasn't going to happen. I liked his footwork alot. He looks polished, smooth, and in incredible shape. He just isn't ready for Mayweather yet. He's more ready than Thurman though. I just say he should fight Mayweather after Pacman.
I'm back home readjusting now, and putting things in perspective. This week, in fantasy football, I engineered a playoff win that has me once again, for the second straight season, in the championship game. I'm the second seed, and my opponent is the first seed. It's the ideal championship game, where the 2 best teams meet. We both dominated this season, losing 7 games total between us. That's enough losses to still make the playoffs in some instances.
What's impressive about this season is the way that me and my opponent dominated this season respectively. We won in similar ways. We both have 2 of the lesser stacked teams in the league. Our runs were a showcase of what coaching means in fantasy football, and in general. It isn't about getting the biggest and strongest players and letting them loose on the field. It's about managing a roster, and knowing when to digress, and when to attack. People tend to overlook that, and brand it, "Over Thinking." It feels good to see it have us at the top. There were teams with insane rosters that I made a mark dominating this season, as did the first seed- whose team is "band camps" by the way. I didn't win a trophy all season. My first trophy was this past week in the first round of the playoffs, for Odell Beckam who I picked up off of waivers. All season, we both faced opponents with high powered offenses, but no regard for balance. We both had dangerous matchups in week 13- the week before we faced each other the first time. I was impressed how we both took on tough teams and coached to great games. He won decisively, but I lost a very close game. That was the week my running back issues hit a head. I started the season with a fairly healthy roster, only to have my first and second string RB go down. I struggled with that, as well as finding back up, but I showed a talent for finding talent. I managed to weather that storm and mask that weakness. I was infuriated that Steve Smith and Branden Oliver couldn't deliver even 1 point between them. I learned from that.
When we faced each, I was 9-4. I made a personal goal of getting double digit wins this season, and it all came down to the last game of the season, against, of all people, the number 1 player. I had envisioned going 12-2 or something, especially with the way I started the season, but I took some hard losses that made me have to revamp my team. Our game was a highly charged event, in which I came out on top, giving him only his third loss of the season. We both coasted into the playoffs, and won. Now we face each other.
Well, onto other discussions- particularly with boxing. I didn't catch this past weekend's fights live, as I was away, but I did catch replays when I came back. The only fight I have yet to see in full is the main event between Timothy Bradley and Diego Chaves. I hear that it was very controversial, and a draw that should have been a UD for Bradley. I believe that, and from what I've seen so far, and know of Chaves, I think he should be ignored by any top level fighters from here on out. He is not a respectable or honorable fighter. He doesn't come to box or fight. He takes pleasure in frustrating his opponents by sneaking foul after foul past the ref. He's sick, and you can even see the grinning pleasure he gets from it. Just like when he fought Brandon Rios, he applied several head butts to Bradley, swelling his jaw in the process, only to grin and look around. He even tells on himself by stating that he is happy with the draw decision. Of course he is. All he wants to do and frustrate whatever he can. And I get sick of the commentators who try to compare that fight to the one Bradley had verses Pacquiao. At this point, it's clear to see that you may as well gouge out the public's eyes, because it's clear they can't use them anyway. They claim to see whatever it is they were told to expect. Because Pacquiao was a huge name at the time and Bradley was an upset, it was the worst time to get a decision win over Pacman. I'm not saying he beat Pacquiao decisively, or definitely won, but if you have eyes and can watch the fight, it's clear as day that it was nothing like the fight Bradley had with Chaves. Bradley boxed Pacman, and was even busier than him at several times in that first fight. It was a closer fight than it seemed at first. It's just good that it wasn't a loss for Bradley. I'm sure he's learned his lesson though- don't give dirty journeymen opportunities at your belts.
In the Devon Alexander vs. Khan fight, I was very surprised with Khan's dominance. He showed good defense, and sharp offense against a game, but confused Alexander. Now, the pieces are in place to push the fight with Mayweather. And I will go on record again in stating that the fight is beyond stupid, and the public will fall right into the trap. Mayweather did well to remain relatively quiet lately after Pacquiao made yet another clear statement that their fight needs to happen. Putting together any other fight now, is nothing short of retardation. But the problem is that it's very easy to expose the retardation of the public. All he had to do was wait and pray for a dominant Khan win, to take wind out of Pacman's dominance of Algieri. Now, he can take the fight with Khan over to England, and with the help of the media hyping the Khan win, and a little bit of campaigning, before you know it, he'll be fighting Khan, and making money doing it, even alongside a potential Cotto vs. Canelo event on May 2nd. That's how easy it is to fool people. In fact, it only takes a bit of fodder to confuse them, because you also have the media suddenly doing boxing specials showcasing Keith Thurman. He's been a good boxer for a while, but I have never seen the media pushing like this ever before. The other day, I go onto Yahoo sports to look at the boxing column, and I see a video that is supposed to be a preview of his fight with Bundu. However, the entire video deviates to a campaign for a Mayweather fight. And this isn't just from Thurman's mouth- he's been wanting that fight forever. What surprised me is that it was the media pushing it as a legitimate fight that needs to happen now. Since when the heck does a contender with no top 10 wins deserve an immediate fight with a HOF fighter who has 2 fights on his final contract? That's especially stupid considering the fact that the Pacquiao fight still hasn't happened. But this all serves to Mayweather's benefit. He watches the confusion, and now he can step in and pick Thurman or Khan and avoid the Pacman fight. And it won't be nearly as noticed as it would have been a month ago, simply because there are more players involved now. It sound stupid, but it's really that simple to fool people.
To Thurman's credit, he showed he can box, doing what Lomachenko was cheered for a couple of weeks ago, being booed in the process. It was so funny watching Brian Kenny try to find a way to respectfully explain the retarded behavior of the boxing fans at the event. With their Russian hero, it was fine that he boxed and moved the entire night though. Thurman's opponent- Leonard Bundu, was a joke. I keep hearing about his undefeated record, which he maintained in Europe. Retired fighters go to Europe to have successful runs. Bundu has some ability, but was gun shy the entire night. I don't want to hear about counter punching opportunities. It looked like Bundu was already set up to ease off of the trigger. Not saying he would have won either way. However, I still noticed some holes in Thurman's game. I never got a chance to really give him a look until this fight. I saw bits and pieces and heard the media and his mouth, but it's always good to go to the source. Thurman fights with very low hands, and like the old Khan, has a tendency to drop his right hand when turning out, and be a sitting duck for left hooks to the head and body. He also, while never hurt in that fight, showed that he can be, when Bundu stunned him with a hook at one point, but didn't follow up. In fact, Keith froze in that instance as if not knowing what to do. There were little moments, where I felt that Bundu could turn up the pressure and hurt Thurman. He throws wide punches at times, which leave him open for counters inside and down the middle. Overall he boxed well and won every round, against a short, old, and gun-shy journeyman. How people see a mega-fight potential in him is ridiculous at this point. Khan would beat him, and even he knows that to a degree, and even stated it in an interview. He knows that he isn't ready. I saw an video on youtube that quotes Thurman as saying Bundu is the closest to Mayweather. I sincerely hope that was a joke. Khan looked good, but I still think Pacquiao beats him, and Mayweather beat him, possibly both by stoppage. He did show good defense, and I liked the snap on his punches early in the fight. However, his aggression is probably the main thing he needs to work on at this point. He needs to develop finishing combinations more. There is no reason he shouldn't have stopped Alexander. He couldn't see himself doing it, and if you've been around this sport long enough you can tell that's why by just looking at him and his body language. Once it wasn't an early KO, it wasn't going to happen. I liked his footwork alot. He looks polished, smooth, and in incredible shape. He just isn't ready for Mayweather yet. He's more ready than Thurman though. I just say he should fight Mayweather after Pacman.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
New Workout tip
I just put together a pretty effective indoor workout that should be effective for staying in peak condition through the winter months. I had been agonizing over this for quite a while, until Crossfit gave me a few ideas. My crossfit team is still trying to put together outdoor workouts, but inevitably the months will come when there is no going outdoors, even to work. Me and my coach talked about the horrors of coming out of hibernation and having to start from scratch on the intense Crossfit workout regimens. That could be brutal, or even dangerous. That's why I've been preparing.
I call this workout- Supreme Self
At first, I wanted to put together a challenging circuit that hits all of the major muscle groups. You could then do reps of it until wasted. Then, half-way through the workout, I noticed that it would be crazy to mix it up. So it goes like this:
First Set:
Perfect Push ups - 30
Pull ups - 15
Kettle Bell snatches (20lbs)- 10 x each arm
Ab Wheel- 20
Plank - 1 minute
(1 minute of rest maximum- exceeding this restarts the set)
Second Set: Multiply everything by 2
Perfect Push ups - 60
Pull ups - 30
Kettle Bell snatches (20lbs) - 20x each arm * i like to do alternating reps on this*
Ab wheel - 40
Plank - 2 minutes
(when you are winded, take no more than 30 seconds to rest. Exceeding this restarts the set)
It's a very quick and effective way to hit muscles and cardio. Routines like this will have you stepping out of the cave in the spring, ready for crossfit again. Remember to have a recovery shake loaded with protein to repair your muscles.
I call this workout- Supreme Self
At first, I wanted to put together a challenging circuit that hits all of the major muscle groups. You could then do reps of it until wasted. Then, half-way through the workout, I noticed that it would be crazy to mix it up. So it goes like this:
First Set:
Perfect Push ups - 30
Pull ups - 15
Kettle Bell snatches (20lbs)- 10 x each arm
Ab Wheel- 20
Plank - 1 minute
(1 minute of rest maximum- exceeding this restarts the set)
Second Set: Multiply everything by 2
Perfect Push ups - 60
Pull ups - 30
Kettle Bell snatches (20lbs) - 20x each arm * i like to do alternating reps on this*
Ab wheel - 40
Plank - 2 minutes
(when you are winded, take no more than 30 seconds to rest. Exceeding this restarts the set)
It's a very quick and effective way to hit muscles and cardio. Routines like this will have you stepping out of the cave in the spring, ready for crossfit again. Remember to have a recovery shake loaded with protein to repair your muscles.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
An Essay on Race Relations
An Essay on Race Relations
This is an essay that I’ve felt very compelled to write in recent times due to the amassed ignorance, bigotry, historical leniency, and hatred that runs all too rampant in today’s society. For years, you hear racial slurs used to deride other races, screaming above the din of reason, and you see wall erected daily to further separate people, even beyond the point of perception. In my novel, “Magnum Opus: Reminiscer,” I made mention of the race riots that occurred in Chicago and other American cities since the dawn of the countries inception. Going back to the 1960‘s, you have had cities that underwent racial reform, go completely full circle. Here we stand today, with laughable court cases such as the murders of Trayvon Martin, and Michael Brown. I’ll briefly go into the cases so as to lay a groundwork for this discussion.
First, we have the case of Trayvon Martin. This is a teenager in Florida who, as most children of this era, can be tied to loose behavior if analyzed enough. He’s visiting his father and his father’s girlfriend, for what couldn’t have been the first time. They live in a community with a neighborhood watch, much like many neighborhoods in this country, including the ones that I’ve lived in. The problem, is that there are undertones that lay in the hearts of the residents that will surface from time to time. A neighborhood watch advocate named George Zimmerman utilizes Florida’s free carrying laws, and holds weapons. He also happens to be on the neighborhood watch panel. He follows Trayvon home and confronts him, following him through walkways and down streets after calling emergency services and being told not to pursue. Let’s pause for a moment at this juncture. What do you make of the order to not pursue? That’s a key point that many people overlook as arbitrary, when in fact there is a reason for that command. Regardless of Florida laws, a citizen who carries, and takes on the role of a neigborhood watch person at the same time, has to realized that they are now assuming a role that is not legal for a citizen. It’s the reason cops and other governmental officers are sworn in. That right has to be earned. You don’t get to mix and match at your choosing. He disobeys, starts a confrontation, and kills Trayvon. Common sense is left to put the pieces together as far as motive, but that is usually asking to much of the public. Even the jurors realized that clearing Zimmerman of murder was wrong. Yet, they speak of their hands being tied, which leaves so many questions in itself.
Now, we also have the murder of a Missouri teen, Michael Brown. Another so-called troubled teen who is this time, accosted by an officer. The officer’s story is beyond ridiculous, and makes Zimmerman look noble if anything. He claimed a number of different scenarios from what I recall, including that Mike controlled and assaulted him while in the vehicle, also batting him around like a bear with unbelievable power, to walking through gunshots to get to him. I felt such disgust for the people of this country while listening to that interview, being that people are somewhat skeptical, but overall do not see how outright ridiculous and fabricated the entire tale is. He sits there shivering, and making up the story as he goes along, talking to the reporter. He knows that, bottom line, he has to show no remorse for the mission he completed. He knows it, and all of racist America watching and cheering him on knows it. Even to the point of death, that must be obeyed. Even the interviewer looks on in amazement. In the end, he’s a sodier.
I won’t get too in depth on those cases, because they paint a bigger picture. We live in a country that was pretty much built on fear and hatred. Slavers and descendents alike love to point to the bible as having slavery, as well as other countries. Yet, they fail to realize the nature is completely different as well as the motive. Racism was at the heart of American slavery. And prior to that, as well as superceding it, is self-hatred. That’s an aspect that racists in the world are scared to accept, but the fact is that it is unavoidable. To be fair, there is a large amount of ignorance on both sides, with the supremacists being the most ignorant and animalistic.
This all surrounds the sad fact that people don’t know their origins. From secular records and biblical records, down to what is evident to the competent today, there is evidence of common first parents. Scientists have found greater variances within races than without. Anomalies occur daily, such as traits of other races being found in one another. People brush this off as stupid coincidences and continue to hate what they are ignorant of. I’ve met a lot of historians and supremacists from different cultures and races, and what I’ve noticed is that they all miss huge facts in their blind hatred of one another. There is a dispute over the race of bible characters when the evidence is still there today. This shows you how stupid people are capable of becoming.
Before I tangent off, I want to touch on one of the main things I want to discuss. Being blunt, I have to say there has been a conscious effort for ages to quarantine and minimize the black race. This writing isn’t to fist-pump a revolution. That is just one of the many aspects of mankind and evil’s constant attack on any unity in this world. Today we now sit in a world in the year 2015, that is as close to being segregated as it was decades ago. They talk about progress, but we seem to take one step forward, and three backwards. I was watching a documentary that my father-in-law showed me the other day. I had see some of the footage before. In it, they showed documentation and evidence of how widespread individuals with African roots spread. The bottom line is that all races cam from the Mediterranean region originally. That is where Eden was. That is where Noah was. That is where several landmarks from mankind’s beginnings were, and still are today. Yet, people shun that, and are more willing to run to tales of evolution, that are at most, crap. Looking at races in Indonesia, Italy, and several other countries, including in South Africa, there are many mixtures of races and ethnicities. I’ve known this for a long time, and I’m 29 years old. Somehow, I have become surrounded by a sea of idiots who don’t even know anything but the words black and white. My father is a descendent of Africans, Mediterraneans, and Asians. That doesn’t just blow the mind of the common fool, but even those supposedly related to me by blood. I’ve mentioned that fact before. We live in a society that has a very difficult time specifying. To make things easier, everything is sectored to an A-side, or a B-side. Heads or tails. There can be no variations. And what we see, is based off of what we socially expect.
When I look at society today, I see an effort to isolate, in America, the black race. Now, some of my ancestors were Sicilians who migrated to Africa. When I mentioned that to a coworker of mine, guess what his response was? He said, “Yeah, I know. There are some blacks in Sicily and other countries.” And the sad thing is that his stupid response would be the response of 999 out of 1,000 people. Stupidity like that is no longer rare. It’s the commodity today. He totally misses the point. I never said my family today is Sicilian. I said ancestors- meaning natural Sicilians. I even stated plainly that they migrated TOO Africa. The thing is that society paints blacks as a simple, monkey race, that stayed caged in Africa with no variance or ingenuity, while the rest of the world advanced, mixed, and mingled. That is one of the most insulting, yet covert ideas I’ve ever seen. The sad thing, is that I’m one of the only people who sees that. And it stems, once again, from insecurity. The supremacists that built this country are afraid of their reflection. The had slaves for that very purpose, and leeched off of blacks from the beginning. Then they pretend to believe they’re superior and hate blacks, when evidence shows that they are enamored by them, and envious of them.
My coworker is part of the sea of ignorance. I was looking at an article today about the woman who is going to review the Grand Jury ruling of the policeman who murdered Mike Brown. She’s an Indian woman who experienced racism in Europe as a child. She will apparently take a judicial position soon. In this country, that’s about all that would be allowed. If she isn’t careful, she will draw heavy fired. She has worked with similar cases in the past, and is very keen. You better believe that she won’t be allowed to make any major changes. I look at so called intellects like Hawking and I laugh a bit. Society, including the oppressed, are so brain washed. Ask yourself if you could ever see a black or brown person ever be revered as the intellect that society looks to for advice and guidance. Ask yourself if you could ever see yourself respecting a black person to that degree. If you’re honest, most of you will say no. Society has brainwashed you into looking to whites as a superior breed. I say this not to be a bigot or to speak against any race. This is just how subtle the devil is with his division tactics. When militant blacks see this, they end up becoming their enemy and behaving just as ruthlessly. We have poets like Langston Hughes as forerunners. You will never see them go beyond being anything but an interesting jester. Never will they stand at the forefront. We’ve been conditioned to accept that a black can never lead.
The idiocy of my coworker is conditioned in him. See, we have a rule. You have those who are socially seen as blacks, and those who play the game and are given the asylum of being white, or what I call off-white. Those two groups operate on a safety net that keeps them from ever being put under the pressures of a biased society. And like I said earlier, socially seen has almost nothing to do with physical vision. If society looks at your image, and gets an overall perception of negro, you are nothing but a useless black who comes from nothing. It’s that simple. I don’t talk about my roots, even with family, because I’ve become aware of how ignorant the world has become. It’s pointless conversation. It’s the same reason I no longer discuss art. This is an artless world. To discuss it would be to fake a dance with a parter who feigns interest, and lacks any real knowledge of the steps. It would serve only to infuriate the artist. Italians are Mediterranean. Any real Jew, is Middle Eastern in origin. Yet, why do you see these two groups turn on blacks and play the Aryan card when convenient? Like I said, the perception has been instilled quite well by the early founding white racist bigots of the overhead society, that being at least associated with whites, is to be at the very top of humanity. And to be associated anywhere near blacks, is to be at the depths of it. Therefore, the black versus white and off-white war began. My coworker who I mentioned, is Italian. If you look at them, they clearly look olive skinned, showing their middle easter roots. In fact, you will find that most of their ancestors passed though and shared the middle east throughout history. Jews also, unless the European derivatives, are olive skinned, and show middle eastern features. This is the same region that some of my ancestors come from. Yet, there is this fear of seeing that for what it is. Do you know how many Italians I’ve watched be mistaken for Mexican or Puerto Rican? And the funny thing is that right after the mistake is corrected, they’ll go right back to calling the person white. I’m like, “Am I in the twilight zone? What just happened? How do you accidentally look like another race?” Apparently, that’s a new trick. But you try to tell me that my theory about social sight is wrong!
When I look at the reception I’ve received over my career, it all aligns. If I was white, there is no doubt my work would be revered. Unfortunately, as I mentioned in my novel, I came along in a time where skill can’t get over. I know that what I’ve said and done over the years has had meaning. I’m not saying that my every crap was made of gold. I’m calling it as it is. When I look around and see a world where they don’t even hail depth, what does that tell me? The won’t see reason either. Nothing I’ve ever said has gotten past that front gate. That gate is a mandate that everything I say must be hated and discarded. No questions are asked. That simple and stupid mandate is just obediently obeyed. And it just may have a lot to do with race. Of course, I’m aware there are other factors, but there is also a reason you see somewhat of a contrast with the supremacists that run this country, and those who share their race in other parts of the world. That wall of insecurity isn’t as prevalent. If you go to Germany or Denmark, you will meet caucasians who will talk about art, and talk in a straight forward conversation. That entire aura of discomfort is gone. They aren’t scrambling for their identity like the racists that ran to, and claim to have built America.
This essay isn’t to preach reform, even though it’s needed. That is something that won’t come about in this time. However, this is to awaken the reader to what is around them. I want you to think about this writing the next time you interact in society, with a family member, or a stranger. Think about how you see them, and realize how much control the sick society heads have seized over you, and the need to get it back. Hatred is not freedom. Destruction is not freedom. That is a lie that the trapped tell themselves to continue to sleep. The other day I spoke about how many, who choose a sick and destructive lifestyle, are like drug attics chasing a moment. It’s very real. No matter how you try to bat away reason and principles, you are only, in the end, doing it for a blissful moment of rebellion. How much is that worth? Where does that stand in the stream of forever? It’s not about your will. You didn’t make the universe. The truth is like the sunrise. It’s coming no matter what. It’s sick not to embrace that beauty for what it is, and see the promise that will be.
Normally, that line would end it, and finish like a poet or something- which I am. I’m also going to add to it that it’s sad that this most likely will be glossed over and once again stopped at the front gate of modern reason. Like most other things I’ve said, it’s subconsciously labeled nonsense and ignored. And part of the reason was discussed in this little article. And it’s really sad, you know? Because, I don’t always go into human relation topics, but I did here, and what was said is true. Sometimes, when I finish a project, depending on how big it is in scope, I almost sit back, biting nails, on pins and needles, anxious to see the public take it in- at least I used to be that way. And each time, I’m met with disappointment, at strangers, and so-called family and friends. None seem to have the guts to attack my ideas head on and draw a conclusion, as if entertaining it bring forth some kind of deadly ostracism. I often wonder if people really do share my blood. I just don’t see it. I haven’t seen a trace of where I’m coming from. It’s always just Pariah talk. To be honest, if you read my novel, after reading this, some of the topics will become clearer. I was pleased with the finished product. Man, I was just looking at the articles about Usher’s concert the other day, and I was thinking about how mine would be. I really have respect for the few artists left who are in love with music and art. I read about how he got on the drums and took the energy through the roof, just having fun. And you people are so blown away by that, when that’s the only way the true artist knows. He wasn’t trying or tensing a muscle. He was relaxed. I would love to do something like that. I think mine would be on another level, especially since I have so much to tell. Just like him, I’d go on with no breaks probably. I think he played too many love ballads in that session. I’d like to take it everywhere. I wish more people were like me. I know that sounds vain, and it is. When I see a new and glowing artist, I love to see what he has in store. I don’t look at his name, or feel a certain way about him that I’m told. I take it in, more readily than from an established artist, because I know that, in some ways I’m getting so much more. People just can’t see that. It has to be by the rules. I’m happy not to be in chains like that. If it’s freedom, keep it. I went to a couple of concerts downtown by “nobodies,” and they were amazing.
This is an essay that I’ve felt very compelled to write in recent times due to the amassed ignorance, bigotry, historical leniency, and hatred that runs all too rampant in today’s society. For years, you hear racial slurs used to deride other races, screaming above the din of reason, and you see wall erected daily to further separate people, even beyond the point of perception. In my novel, “Magnum Opus: Reminiscer,” I made mention of the race riots that occurred in Chicago and other American cities since the dawn of the countries inception. Going back to the 1960‘s, you have had cities that underwent racial reform, go completely full circle. Here we stand today, with laughable court cases such as the murders of Trayvon Martin, and Michael Brown. I’ll briefly go into the cases so as to lay a groundwork for this discussion.
First, we have the case of Trayvon Martin. This is a teenager in Florida who, as most children of this era, can be tied to loose behavior if analyzed enough. He’s visiting his father and his father’s girlfriend, for what couldn’t have been the first time. They live in a community with a neighborhood watch, much like many neighborhoods in this country, including the ones that I’ve lived in. The problem, is that there are undertones that lay in the hearts of the residents that will surface from time to time. A neighborhood watch advocate named George Zimmerman utilizes Florida’s free carrying laws, and holds weapons. He also happens to be on the neighborhood watch panel. He follows Trayvon home and confronts him, following him through walkways and down streets after calling emergency services and being told not to pursue. Let’s pause for a moment at this juncture. What do you make of the order to not pursue? That’s a key point that many people overlook as arbitrary, when in fact there is a reason for that command. Regardless of Florida laws, a citizen who carries, and takes on the role of a neigborhood watch person at the same time, has to realized that they are now assuming a role that is not legal for a citizen. It’s the reason cops and other governmental officers are sworn in. That right has to be earned. You don’t get to mix and match at your choosing. He disobeys, starts a confrontation, and kills Trayvon. Common sense is left to put the pieces together as far as motive, but that is usually asking to much of the public. Even the jurors realized that clearing Zimmerman of murder was wrong. Yet, they speak of their hands being tied, which leaves so many questions in itself.
Now, we also have the murder of a Missouri teen, Michael Brown. Another so-called troubled teen who is this time, accosted by an officer. The officer’s story is beyond ridiculous, and makes Zimmerman look noble if anything. He claimed a number of different scenarios from what I recall, including that Mike controlled and assaulted him while in the vehicle, also batting him around like a bear with unbelievable power, to walking through gunshots to get to him. I felt such disgust for the people of this country while listening to that interview, being that people are somewhat skeptical, but overall do not see how outright ridiculous and fabricated the entire tale is. He sits there shivering, and making up the story as he goes along, talking to the reporter. He knows that, bottom line, he has to show no remorse for the mission he completed. He knows it, and all of racist America watching and cheering him on knows it. Even to the point of death, that must be obeyed. Even the interviewer looks on in amazement. In the end, he’s a sodier.
I won’t get too in depth on those cases, because they paint a bigger picture. We live in a country that was pretty much built on fear and hatred. Slavers and descendents alike love to point to the bible as having slavery, as well as other countries. Yet, they fail to realize the nature is completely different as well as the motive. Racism was at the heart of American slavery. And prior to that, as well as superceding it, is self-hatred. That’s an aspect that racists in the world are scared to accept, but the fact is that it is unavoidable. To be fair, there is a large amount of ignorance on both sides, with the supremacists being the most ignorant and animalistic.
This all surrounds the sad fact that people don’t know their origins. From secular records and biblical records, down to what is evident to the competent today, there is evidence of common first parents. Scientists have found greater variances within races than without. Anomalies occur daily, such as traits of other races being found in one another. People brush this off as stupid coincidences and continue to hate what they are ignorant of. I’ve met a lot of historians and supremacists from different cultures and races, and what I’ve noticed is that they all miss huge facts in their blind hatred of one another. There is a dispute over the race of bible characters when the evidence is still there today. This shows you how stupid people are capable of becoming.
Before I tangent off, I want to touch on one of the main things I want to discuss. Being blunt, I have to say there has been a conscious effort for ages to quarantine and minimize the black race. This writing isn’t to fist-pump a revolution. That is just one of the many aspects of mankind and evil’s constant attack on any unity in this world. Today we now sit in a world in the year 2015, that is as close to being segregated as it was decades ago. They talk about progress, but we seem to take one step forward, and three backwards. I was watching a documentary that my father-in-law showed me the other day. I had see some of the footage before. In it, they showed documentation and evidence of how widespread individuals with African roots spread. The bottom line is that all races cam from the Mediterranean region originally. That is where Eden was. That is where Noah was. That is where several landmarks from mankind’s beginnings were, and still are today. Yet, people shun that, and are more willing to run to tales of evolution, that are at most, crap. Looking at races in Indonesia, Italy, and several other countries, including in South Africa, there are many mixtures of races and ethnicities. I’ve known this for a long time, and I’m 29 years old. Somehow, I have become surrounded by a sea of idiots who don’t even know anything but the words black and white. My father is a descendent of Africans, Mediterraneans, and Asians. That doesn’t just blow the mind of the common fool, but even those supposedly related to me by blood. I’ve mentioned that fact before. We live in a society that has a very difficult time specifying. To make things easier, everything is sectored to an A-side, or a B-side. Heads or tails. There can be no variations. And what we see, is based off of what we socially expect.
When I look at society today, I see an effort to isolate, in America, the black race. Now, some of my ancestors were Sicilians who migrated to Africa. When I mentioned that to a coworker of mine, guess what his response was? He said, “Yeah, I know. There are some blacks in Sicily and other countries.” And the sad thing is that his stupid response would be the response of 999 out of 1,000 people. Stupidity like that is no longer rare. It’s the commodity today. He totally misses the point. I never said my family today is Sicilian. I said ancestors- meaning natural Sicilians. I even stated plainly that they migrated TOO Africa. The thing is that society paints blacks as a simple, monkey race, that stayed caged in Africa with no variance or ingenuity, while the rest of the world advanced, mixed, and mingled. That is one of the most insulting, yet covert ideas I’ve ever seen. The sad thing, is that I’m one of the only people who sees that. And it stems, once again, from insecurity. The supremacists that built this country are afraid of their reflection. The had slaves for that very purpose, and leeched off of blacks from the beginning. Then they pretend to believe they’re superior and hate blacks, when evidence shows that they are enamored by them, and envious of them.
My coworker is part of the sea of ignorance. I was looking at an article today about the woman who is going to review the Grand Jury ruling of the policeman who murdered Mike Brown. She’s an Indian woman who experienced racism in Europe as a child. She will apparently take a judicial position soon. In this country, that’s about all that would be allowed. If she isn’t careful, she will draw heavy fired. She has worked with similar cases in the past, and is very keen. You better believe that she won’t be allowed to make any major changes. I look at so called intellects like Hawking and I laugh a bit. Society, including the oppressed, are so brain washed. Ask yourself if you could ever see a black or brown person ever be revered as the intellect that society looks to for advice and guidance. Ask yourself if you could ever see yourself respecting a black person to that degree. If you’re honest, most of you will say no. Society has brainwashed you into looking to whites as a superior breed. I say this not to be a bigot or to speak against any race. This is just how subtle the devil is with his division tactics. When militant blacks see this, they end up becoming their enemy and behaving just as ruthlessly. We have poets like Langston Hughes as forerunners. You will never see them go beyond being anything but an interesting jester. Never will they stand at the forefront. We’ve been conditioned to accept that a black can never lead.
The idiocy of my coworker is conditioned in him. See, we have a rule. You have those who are socially seen as blacks, and those who play the game and are given the asylum of being white, or what I call off-white. Those two groups operate on a safety net that keeps them from ever being put under the pressures of a biased society. And like I said earlier, socially seen has almost nothing to do with physical vision. If society looks at your image, and gets an overall perception of negro, you are nothing but a useless black who comes from nothing. It’s that simple. I don’t talk about my roots, even with family, because I’ve become aware of how ignorant the world has become. It’s pointless conversation. It’s the same reason I no longer discuss art. This is an artless world. To discuss it would be to fake a dance with a parter who feigns interest, and lacks any real knowledge of the steps. It would serve only to infuriate the artist. Italians are Mediterranean. Any real Jew, is Middle Eastern in origin. Yet, why do you see these two groups turn on blacks and play the Aryan card when convenient? Like I said, the perception has been instilled quite well by the early founding white racist bigots of the overhead society, that being at least associated with whites, is to be at the very top of humanity. And to be associated anywhere near blacks, is to be at the depths of it. Therefore, the black versus white and off-white war began. My coworker who I mentioned, is Italian. If you look at them, they clearly look olive skinned, showing their middle easter roots. In fact, you will find that most of their ancestors passed though and shared the middle east throughout history. Jews also, unless the European derivatives, are olive skinned, and show middle eastern features. This is the same region that some of my ancestors come from. Yet, there is this fear of seeing that for what it is. Do you know how many Italians I’ve watched be mistaken for Mexican or Puerto Rican? And the funny thing is that right after the mistake is corrected, they’ll go right back to calling the person white. I’m like, “Am I in the twilight zone? What just happened? How do you accidentally look like another race?” Apparently, that’s a new trick. But you try to tell me that my theory about social sight is wrong!
When I look at the reception I’ve received over my career, it all aligns. If I was white, there is no doubt my work would be revered. Unfortunately, as I mentioned in my novel, I came along in a time where skill can’t get over. I know that what I’ve said and done over the years has had meaning. I’m not saying that my every crap was made of gold. I’m calling it as it is. When I look around and see a world where they don’t even hail depth, what does that tell me? The won’t see reason either. Nothing I’ve ever said has gotten past that front gate. That gate is a mandate that everything I say must be hated and discarded. No questions are asked. That simple and stupid mandate is just obediently obeyed. And it just may have a lot to do with race. Of course, I’m aware there are other factors, but there is also a reason you see somewhat of a contrast with the supremacists that run this country, and those who share their race in other parts of the world. That wall of insecurity isn’t as prevalent. If you go to Germany or Denmark, you will meet caucasians who will talk about art, and talk in a straight forward conversation. That entire aura of discomfort is gone. They aren’t scrambling for their identity like the racists that ran to, and claim to have built America.
This essay isn’t to preach reform, even though it’s needed. That is something that won’t come about in this time. However, this is to awaken the reader to what is around them. I want you to think about this writing the next time you interact in society, with a family member, or a stranger. Think about how you see them, and realize how much control the sick society heads have seized over you, and the need to get it back. Hatred is not freedom. Destruction is not freedom. That is a lie that the trapped tell themselves to continue to sleep. The other day I spoke about how many, who choose a sick and destructive lifestyle, are like drug attics chasing a moment. It’s very real. No matter how you try to bat away reason and principles, you are only, in the end, doing it for a blissful moment of rebellion. How much is that worth? Where does that stand in the stream of forever? It’s not about your will. You didn’t make the universe. The truth is like the sunrise. It’s coming no matter what. It’s sick not to embrace that beauty for what it is, and see the promise that will be.
Normally, that line would end it, and finish like a poet or something- which I am. I’m also going to add to it that it’s sad that this most likely will be glossed over and once again stopped at the front gate of modern reason. Like most other things I’ve said, it’s subconsciously labeled nonsense and ignored. And part of the reason was discussed in this little article. And it’s really sad, you know? Because, I don’t always go into human relation topics, but I did here, and what was said is true. Sometimes, when I finish a project, depending on how big it is in scope, I almost sit back, biting nails, on pins and needles, anxious to see the public take it in- at least I used to be that way. And each time, I’m met with disappointment, at strangers, and so-called family and friends. None seem to have the guts to attack my ideas head on and draw a conclusion, as if entertaining it bring forth some kind of deadly ostracism. I often wonder if people really do share my blood. I just don’t see it. I haven’t seen a trace of where I’m coming from. It’s always just Pariah talk. To be honest, if you read my novel, after reading this, some of the topics will become clearer. I was pleased with the finished product. Man, I was just looking at the articles about Usher’s concert the other day, and I was thinking about how mine would be. I really have respect for the few artists left who are in love with music and art. I read about how he got on the drums and took the energy through the roof, just having fun. And you people are so blown away by that, when that’s the only way the true artist knows. He wasn’t trying or tensing a muscle. He was relaxed. I would love to do something like that. I think mine would be on another level, especially since I have so much to tell. Just like him, I’d go on with no breaks probably. I think he played too many love ballads in that session. I’d like to take it everywhere. I wish more people were like me. I know that sounds vain, and it is. When I see a new and glowing artist, I love to see what he has in store. I don’t look at his name, or feel a certain way about him that I’m told. I take it in, more readily than from an established artist, because I know that, in some ways I’m getting so much more. People just can’t see that. It has to be by the rules. I’m happy not to be in chains like that. If it’s freedom, keep it. I went to a couple of concerts downtown by “nobodies,” and they were amazing.
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