Boy, this Lindsay Lohan gal is really messed up, isn't she? What a shame, considering how much talent she has.
On the one hand, I feel bad for her. I realize that her upbringing leaves something to be desired. On the other hand, I also think that people need to wise up. It's a matter of common sense.
Monday, August 09, 2010
Gym lollygaggers annoy me
It really annoys me when I see people attending the cardio classes in my gym who scarcely put in any effort. It's like they know they need to exercise, but aren't willing to put in the effort needed to get real results.
As another gym habitue said, if you're not going to work hard, then why bother? You're just wasting your time.
It's good to see the occasional person who really pours on the effort. There aren't many people like that. Most people need to power through with determination and really work out hard. When they are there, they help raise the energy level of the room, and they set a good example for everyone else. They're a blessing.
As another gym habitue said, if you're not going to work hard, then why bother? You're just wasting your time.
It's good to see the occasional person who really pours on the effort. There aren't many people like that. Most people need to power through with determination and really work out hard. When they are there, they help raise the energy level of the room, and they set a good example for everyone else. They're a blessing.
Sunday, August 08, 2010
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Jeric
I will never forget this fellow Jeric. He was a classmate in high school, and he was known for his rampant cheating. Nobody every cheered in class whenever it was announced that he got the highest scores during a test.
He later went to the same college that I attended. I ran into him toward the end of our freshman year, shortly before term papers were due. He pointedly asked me, "Where is the library?"
That slacker made it through almost an entire school year without stepping foot in the library -- indeed, without even knowing where it was. Lazy bum.
He later went to the same college that I attended. I ran into him toward the end of our freshman year, shortly before term papers were due. He pointedly asked me, "Where is the library?"
That slacker made it through almost an entire school year without stepping foot in the library -- indeed, without even knowing where it was. Lazy bum.
Friday, August 06, 2010
Really sleepy
I didn't get much sleep last night, thanks to some computer problems. Got to get to sleep sooner tonight.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
The Big Apple
I want to learn the Big Apple dance routine from Hellzapoppin. Actually, there's an awful lot of stuff that I want to learn. When in the world will I have time for all of this?
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
No Harley? For good?
I love it. For weeks now, the ever-annoying Harley has not been showing up at the Monday night cardio bootcamp classes at my gym. He's a loudmouthed jackass who insists on barking loudly and calling undue attention to himself. He constantly cheats on his moves, and yet he acts like he's at the top of his game. "Look at me! Look at me!" is what his hooting and hollering amounts to. What a loser.
Haven't seen him in several weeks now. Maybe he's found something else to do during the summer, but I hope that's not it. I hope that he has left... permanently. That'd be great.
Haven't seen him in several weeks now. Maybe he's found something else to do during the summer, but I hope that's not it. I hope that he has left... permanently. That'd be great.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Half-baked solutions
More on the topic of poor preparation.
I was at a social function wherein the host had to entertain some foreign visitors. He wanted to show them a movie, but he didn't have the right DVD on hand.
This other fella -- a guy who had been tapped to help out with the event -- said, "Oh, no problem. We'll just go to Netflix and play the movie that way." Obviously, that was a poorly conceived idea; after all, Netflix streaming can be erratic at best. Unless you're lucky, it won't make for a smooth experience, and there's a very good chance that the movie might not be available.
This fella has a habit of coming up with half-baked solutions -- essentially bandages in place of proper fixes.
I was at a social function wherein the host had to entertain some foreign visitors. He wanted to show them a movie, but he didn't have the right DVD on hand.
This other fella -- a guy who had been tapped to help out with the event -- said, "Oh, no problem. We'll just go to Netflix and play the movie that way." Obviously, that was a poorly conceived idea; after all, Netflix streaming can be erratic at best. Unless you're lucky, it won't make for a smooth experience, and there's a very good chance that the movie might not be available.
This fella has a habit of coming up with half-baked solutions -- essentially bandages in place of proper fixes.
Monday, August 02, 2010
Poor planning
Here's another thing that I'd like to vent about. It's a little thing, but it makes my eyes roll.
So I attended a party recently where some dancing was involved. For the most part, this was not "real" dancing. Rather, it was people shaking around a-rhythmically and without much style.
Did the folks have any music prepared? Mostly, no. When they wanted music, they went to YouTube and tried to find the songs they wanted. That was just mind-numbingly dumb and a sign of poor preparation. Blech.
So I attended a party recently where some dancing was involved. For the most part, this was not "real" dancing. Rather, it was people shaking around a-rhythmically and without much style.
Did the folks have any music prepared? Mostly, no. When they wanted music, they went to YouTube and tried to find the songs they wanted. That was just mind-numbingly dumb and a sign of poor preparation. Blech.
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Speaking of encouragement
Speaking of encouragement, I'm glad that this guy Ross doesn't attend my Muay Thai classes anymore. I was frequently partnered with him, since we were at the same rank. He was a very dour fella. He routinely provided criticism, but he never provided positive feedback -- not even once. That got really old.
He was more skilled and more experienced than I, since he had prior martial arts training. He failed to understand that positive reinforcement is helpful and even necessary.
Some of the more advanced practitioners in our class understood that, which made them great to work with. Too bad he didn't. This made him a real pain.
He was more skilled and more experienced than I, since he had prior martial arts training. He failed to understand that positive reinforcement is helpful and even necessary.
Some of the more advanced practitioners in our class understood that, which made them great to work with. Too bad he didn't. This made him a real pain.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Encouragement
I wish that the lady swing dancers would enthuse over me the way they gush over certain other guys. I don't think I'm that bad, even though I know that I'm not highly skilled. Would be nice to get a bit more encouragement now and then, just as I routinely try to provide encouragement for these ladies.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
About swearing
Somebody on the 'net asked why children should be taught to avoid swearing. I like what one person said in response. Here is what he/she said, albeit paraphrased slightly.
I would add that one should avoid swearing around people that one doesn't know well -- people that you've just met at a party or on vacation, for example. One should also avoid swearing in the office, as a general rule, even when among friends.
It is a sign of maturity and intelligence to display the ability to moderate your behavior for the circumstances you find yourself in. You wear a suit to a wedding, but shorts to the beach. The same is true with language. People will respect you more if you understand the difference between swearing in the office and swearing at a backyard barbecue with your oldest friends.
Also, attempting to be offensive just for the sake of being offensive is manipulative behavior, and most people will recognize this and respond to you accordingly. If you can't communicate appropriately and effectively, it will affect your relationships with people, and this is true whether you're swearing or not.
I would add that one should avoid swearing around people that one doesn't know well -- people that you've just met at a party or on vacation, for example. One should also avoid swearing in the office, as a general rule, even when among friends.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Just a couple more
Just a couple more negative postings, please. I really did mean it when I said that I wanted to focus on more positive, uplifting things. On the other hand, I also meant it when I said that I need to unburden and vent now and then. Some of the things I'll be venting about will be fairly minor, but I still want to voice these things and get them off my chest.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
More on the gym classes, continued again
Here's another gym annoyance.
We sometimes do these moves in the kicbkoxing classes where you have to bob and weave. Jumping jacks are also a frequent requirement. A whole bunch of people pretty much just shake their fannies slightly instead of doing the moves properly. It's kinda like simulating the move without having to put in much real effort.
On the one hand, I understand that it's their life, and if they want to cheat themselves, that's their business. The reality, however, is that they're a distraction and they bring the energy level of the room down. Energy is contagious, and when people put in very little effort, then their neighbors will also tend to be motivated to do minimal work as well.
One of the worst offenders is this woman who just kinda twists her booty around slightly during our jab-and-cross moves. Now, you have to understand -- jabbing and crossing are both strong, energetic upper body moves. The jab is a quick little punch with nearly full extension. The cross requires twisting one's body around so as to put a lot of power into a punch. This gal just moves her hands around slightly and wiggles her tushie. It's annoying and bloody painful to watch.
We sometimes do these moves in the kicbkoxing classes where you have to bob and weave. Jumping jacks are also a frequent requirement. A whole bunch of people pretty much just shake their fannies slightly instead of doing the moves properly. It's kinda like simulating the move without having to put in much real effort.
On the one hand, I understand that it's their life, and if they want to cheat themselves, that's their business. The reality, however, is that they're a distraction and they bring the energy level of the room down. Energy is contagious, and when people put in very little effort, then their neighbors will also tend to be motivated to do minimal work as well.
One of the worst offenders is this woman who just kinda twists her booty around slightly during our jab-and-cross moves. Now, you have to understand -- jabbing and crossing are both strong, energetic upper body moves. The jab is a quick little punch with nearly full extension. The cross requires twisting one's body around so as to put a lot of power into a punch. This gal just moves her hands around slightly and wiggles her tushie. It's annoying and bloody painful to watch.
Monday, July 26, 2010
More on the gym classes, continued
Another complaint about folks in the gym classes...
A lot of people move very jerkily, even when it comes to simple moves such as knee raises. Now please understand, I'm not trying to cast blame here, nor am I saying that these people are crude louts or any such thing. I'll be honest, though... it's distracting and even painful to watch.
A couple of guys keep crunching their upper bodies during simple knee raises, for example. I don't know what to make of that. It does throw off their rhythm, and it's almost an eyesore. It could be that they just need a little bit of coaching, or it could be that they're led such sedentary lives that they don't know how to move anymore. I just don't know.
Several people look like they're about to tip over when they do moderate tempo knee raises. This is usually because they're standing upright instead of leaning over and bending the supporting leg, as should be done during proper non-alternating knee raises. I don't know... is this because they've never been taught the fine points of this move? Or is it because they're trying to do the moves with as little effort as possible, so they stand vertically instead of supporting one's self with a single bent leg? I honestly don't know.
A lot of people move very jerkily, even when it comes to simple moves such as knee raises. Now please understand, I'm not trying to cast blame here, nor am I saying that these people are crude louts or any such thing. I'll be honest, though... it's distracting and even painful to watch.
A couple of guys keep crunching their upper bodies during simple knee raises, for example. I don't know what to make of that. It does throw off their rhythm, and it's almost an eyesore. It could be that they just need a little bit of coaching, or it could be that they're led such sedentary lives that they don't know how to move anymore. I just don't know.
Several people look like they're about to tip over when they do moderate tempo knee raises. This is usually because they're standing upright instead of leaning over and bending the supporting leg, as should be done during proper non-alternating knee raises. I don't know... is this because they've never been taught the fine points of this move? Or is it because they're trying to do the moves with as little effort as possible, so they stand vertically instead of supporting one's self with a single bent leg? I honestly don't know.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
More on the gym classes
I don't want to harp on the people at my gym too much, but I swear... some of them are just truly aggravating. Here are some of the annoyances in the various cardio kickboxing classes that I attend.
- People who groan and moan a lot. Folks, if you're having a hard time with the moves, please keep that information to yourselves. We can see that you're struggling; indeed most of the people do. You don't need to piss and moan about it during the class.
- Gigglers. Some folks giggle almost hysterically when they can't do the moves. I understand that they do this out of nervousness, and I understand that this is a natural reaction for them. Please though, you need to learn how to suppress that reaction. It's not polite to giggle during the class, just as it's not polite to giggle inappropriately in a classroom situation. Just relax. If you can't do the move, then acknowledge that and do your best. No need to go into hysterics about it.
- Folks who don't match the moves at all. At least try to move in sync with the instructor, please. I know that people will mess up -- I certainly do. Still, please try to move in more-or-less the same way as the instructor and the class; otherwise, you can wind up throwing other people off.
Again, I'm not saying that everyone needs to be in tip-top shape. That's not the objection at all. I do understand that some people will struggle. I'm just saying that they need to do their best, get their head in the game, and basically work hard and working out hard.
- People who groan and moan a lot. Folks, if you're having a hard time with the moves, please keep that information to yourselves. We can see that you're struggling; indeed most of the people do. You don't need to piss and moan about it during the class.
- Gigglers. Some folks giggle almost hysterically when they can't do the moves. I understand that they do this out of nervousness, and I understand that this is a natural reaction for them. Please though, you need to learn how to suppress that reaction. It's not polite to giggle during the class, just as it's not polite to giggle inappropriately in a classroom situation. Just relax. If you can't do the move, then acknowledge that and do your best. No need to go into hysterics about it.
- Folks who don't match the moves at all. At least try to move in sync with the instructor, please. I know that people will mess up -- I certainly do. Still, please try to move in more-or-less the same way as the instructor and the class; otherwise, you can wind up throwing other people off.
Again, I'm not saying that everyone needs to be in tip-top shape. That's not the objection at all. I do understand that some people will struggle. I'm just saying that they need to do their best, get their head in the game, and basically work hard and working out hard.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
You're not that great, pal
There's this fellow that I'll call "M." M says that he's one of the very best dancers in town. I think that's a great exaggeration. He's very good, and he certainly has a lot of experience. He also throws a lot of energy into his dance, and I know that some gals just love him. I think that he greatly overrates himself, though.
For one thing, he puts a lot of body english into his moves, even when it's not warranted. During a simple swing dance, for example, he keeps twisting and rolling his body, and that doesn't really suit the music well. He also tends to do a lot of things to call attention to himself, flashy stuff that's designed to make himself stand out. A little bit of flash is good, but you don't want to overdo it. That's just poor dance style.
For one thing, he puts a lot of body english into his moves, even when it's not warranted. During a simple swing dance, for example, he keeps twisting and rolling his body, and that doesn't really suit the music well. He also tends to do a lot of things to call attention to himself, flashy stuff that's designed to make himself stand out. A little bit of flash is good, but you don't want to overdo it. That's just poor dance style.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Need a new SD card
Drat. I wasted maybe half an hour of work last night, all because my SD card (or technically a microSD card with an adapter) chose to give out. Phooey.
I hate this. I hate losing productive time, especially with all that I need to accomplish.
I hate this. I hate losing productive time, especially with all that I need to accomplish.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Move your feet, darn it!
Some of the people in my cardio classes are darned annoying. I've talked about some of them before, but right now, I want to focus on one particular type -- the kind that scarcely moves.
It's very frustrating when the class is told to shuffle to the left or to the right, and the person to your left or right doesn't move. I realize that some of these folks might not be able to move at all, but frankly, I doubt it. After all, even a greatly overweight person can push himself hard for a while. I've seen it happen time and time again in real life, and you can also see it on a certain weight-loss competition program on TV.
Folks, if you don't want to move, then please stay on the sides of the room or to the back. Don't take up center stage, so to speak. Not only are you being an obstacle to other people, but you're also setting a bad example for everyone else. Either move it or take up a more discreet position.
It's very frustrating when the class is told to shuffle to the left or to the right, and the person to your left or right doesn't move. I realize that some of these folks might not be able to move at all, but frankly, I doubt it. After all, even a greatly overweight person can push himself hard for a while. I've seen it happen time and time again in real life, and you can also see it on a certain weight-loss competition program on TV.
Folks, if you don't want to move, then please stay on the sides of the room or to the back. Don't take up center stage, so to speak. Not only are you being an obstacle to other people, but you're also setting a bad example for everyone else. Either move it or take up a more discreet position.
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