Saturday, September 30, 2006

The salvation of man is through love and in love. - Viktor E. Frankl

Victor E. Frankl originally wrote those words in 1946 as part of Man's Search for Meaning. Through most of my life, I have believed that there is nothing more human and powerful than the concept of love and for most of that time, I have believed it to be dead in my time. While I wouldn't have spoken such words aloud, because I believe them to be useless in a modern context, seeing them written on the page, coming from the mind of a man who had suffered the miseries and unimaginable horrors of concentration camp existence, their power became undeniable.

Those who survived the Nazi concentration camps survived an experience more horrible than I can fathom. My comfortable life, fretting over customer service for a possession as trivial and luxurious as a car is something of an embarassement to me at the moment. But more shameful is letting such trivialities as the trials and tribulations I have experienced in my search for this thing called "love" darken my ideas of its existence.

In the midst of total misery, suffering, and despair, Frankl would summon up the vision of his wife, the woman he loved, and imagine conversations with her. He would escape horrors I cannot even imagine with the simple thought of her face and memories of her voice. How can I deny the power and reality of something like that coming from a man in such an appalling situation? I can't.

People have been abusing, distorting, desecrating, and shaming the idea of love for as long as our kind has walked this Earth, but it has persevered and survive through our species' most disgusting and darkest hours. Where I have tried to rid myself of the idea that real love can be a real thing in an attempt to rid myself of the longing for it, I have only risked becoming part of the problem, rather than a piece of the solution.

We have to hold on to our ideas of love and companionship, regardless of how ridiculous the world becomes. We have to be willing to stand up and say that love is more important to me than anything else in my life and mean it. We have to really know what love is and dedicate our minds and souls to receiving, as well as giving it. If we do not do these things, we are dead.

I am immediately struck by a dialogue between Morrie (Jack Lemmon) and Mitch Albom (Hank Azaria) from the film Tuesdays with Morrie(based on Albom's book titled the same). Morrie is dying of Lou Gehrig's disease and Albom, both of whom are/were real people, is spending time with him, as the two had developed a professor/student relationship during Albom's time in college. Morrie has a quote that struck me while watching the film: "We must love one another or die". The quote actually belongs to W.H. Auden, but Morrie repeats it frequently during his time with Mitch.

I will admit to having been moved by Albom's story and to being taken aback by the varying circumstances in which men who are dying or consider themselves essentially dead speak of love. It's not a concept many people give serious consideration anymore and we are suffering for it. Those who cannot or will not love and be loved are effectively dead. They are suffering in ways beyond anyone's comprehension.

I do not want to be one of them...

Posted by Erik @ 9/30/2006 12:20:00 AM :: (2) comments

Friday, September 29, 2006

Customer service my ass

Everyone knows that customer service is a thing of the past. Most modern businesses treat you like an inconvenience, rather than the reason for their existence and nowhere is this more evident than the aftermarket auto industry.

Scooby is back, but she's not nearly as bad as she once was. It's time to take the next step, as the engine, turbo, transmission, etc are all tired after 2 years and ~25k miles of hard running. My new target is 500bhp+ on pump gas, which is very reasonable, given what people have been able to do with the 2.5L platform. With that goal in mind, I have started contacting various suppliers and manufacturers about transmissions, drive shafts, shortblocks, heads, longblocks, etc. None of these options are cheap and I am not planning to half-ass anything with this build, but it is amazing how erratic some of these shops are with their handling of email. Some take days, some never reply and one other stop replying when I asked them how much it would cost shipped, meaning right around the time I would hand over the money.

And the money we are talking about isn't cheap. You could buy a reasonably nice car for what I am looking to spend on this upgrade. In many ways, I AM buying a new car, as the transmission, rear end assembly, driveshaft, motor, turbo, wastegate, injectors, intercooler and ECU would ALL be new pieces!! This stuff is NOT cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but I have no real problem with it because I want the car done right.

Only one guy at Mastro, who I have known for years, replied my requests for information and he could not help me directly. I was looking at a longblock that runs in the $9k+ range!! On top of all that, I was talking about having them install the new drivetrain, which would be a $700-800 job in labor alone! How much do you have to want to spend before someone will give a damn about your busines?!? Needless to say, I am looking at other longblock options and trying to figure out where else I might be able to take the car for install work.

IA Performance in Arizona seemed responsive enough, giving me prompt, informative replies and selling me on $1600 worth of additional hardware I had thought about, but wasn't yet sure I would be purchasing. At this point, I'm sold and want the transmission, the rear assembly, everything, so I ask how much it will cost shipped. Their response? Silence. It has been 3 days and I have heard nothing. How the fuck does that make any sense at all??

The engine builder I am thinking about dealing with took 3 days to respond, but their response was lengthy and clear. They have a stellar reputation and are known to be extremely busy, so I am giving them a pass, for the time being. If I get the impression that my money isn't good enough for them, I will continue looking around.

I am sick and tired of substandard service. Finding a decent business to deal with in just about any field is a test of will and perseverence! How much do you have to want to spend before someone will act like they want your business??? I guess these companies must all have so much money laying around, one more customer is not worth their trouble. It's unbelievable and that is the end of this rant...

Posted by Erik @ 9/29/2006 10:56:00 AM :: (1) comments

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Thoughts on Alice Walker

I was recently required to read a collection of essays by Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple, as part of the general curriculum in this increasingly interesting LLV (Life, Learning, and Vocation) class at Eckerd. The essays are drawn from various points in her life, spanning her college years to the present. She spent her youth in Georgia and Mississippi, growing up in the middle of the Civil Rights movement. She saw racial hatred during a time when it was acceptable to put such ideas on public display. Her formative years were spent in places where lynchings and other forms of hate crime were not unheard of, and somehow she persevered.

I haven't ever read The Color Purple and have only sat through the movie once, the story is just not my style, but I have a new appreciation for its author. To persevere under such circumstances, as Walker and so many other Southern blacks did, refusing to be run out of town or to bow to fear, is the stuff worthwhile lives are made of. She and her peers made a real difference in their lifetimes. Not only did they have a collective impact, but they literally changed their world. How many amongst us will ever have the chance to say that?

Walker became famous for her writing, but even if she had been unknown to society at large, as most participants in the movement were, her life would have been something special, because she followed her heart, did what she knew was right, despite potentially deadly condsequences. She believed in something so strongly, she was willing to die for it. How many people can honestly say that?

There are a few concepts I would die for; my family, my friends, my freedom, but the chances of me ever having to face my demise in defense of a cause or belief are very slim. I am thankful for this, make no mistake, but at the same time I am somehow discouraged. In the real world, most of our causes are corrupted or stained at some level by the people involved in them. Rarely will you find people who are genuine, honest, and unified in their efforts to make a real difference.

Now, more than ever, people have the opportunity to come together, to get informed and do something with their lives, but few will. In retrospect, that generalized apathy is nothing new, but what is new is the reality that so many people have genuine opportunity. I am no bleeding heart altruist, but I do recognize the worth and value of giving back. My life has been easy. My family has not ever been wealthy, but we did not ever go hungry. My brother and I did not ever have to wear tattered clothes or go without life's basic needs. This was due in large part to the efforts of my mom. When my dad's construction business began to struggle and ultimately failed, mom began teaching Summer school, cutting the family budget, and generally making sure our needs were met.

My mom's cause was her family, that much is obvious to me now. And there is no arguing against the impact she has had on my life. The fact that so many people in this world do not even get to experience the basic pleasures of a house, a new pair of shoes, or even something as simple as cereal and milk every morning, should not be dismissed. That said, there is a strong drive in me to hold people accountable for their own suffering. It is hard to help when humans are working toward their own destruction by breeding like barnyard animals or holding tight to tradition when it is clearly bringing about their own destruction.

Realizing that I am not a pure altruist set me free from guilt. My time and energy are finite things, neither should be wasted on people nor causes that are not first helping themselves. My primary cause is a selfish one, I am most interested in and most focused on my own spiritual development. I recognize the commonalities between my self and my fellow humans on a spiritual level, but in the context of the material world, I am more or less completely disassociated.

Through experience and observation, I've come to understand how little the material world really means. Our great teachers have been putting this in our collective ear for eons and it is inevitable that very few will give the thought any real weight in their lives, I know this and accept it...but that's neither here nor there.

I guess what I am getting at is that I am in some strange way jealous of those with a larger cause that the could connect to their spiritual journey. That sort of clarity brings life into focus in a way no amount of self-analysis or piety can. Unfortunately, such focus is usually a byproduct of duress and strife. Maybe what I really envy is that sense of brotherhood people like Walker and her peers experienced, because it is most definitely lacking in many ways for me.

Where she saw her peers as brothers and sisters in a monumental structure, I see most of my generation as obstacles to real progress. They are caught up in the same old patterns of acquiring goods, protectiing their public persona, hypocrisy, cowardice, and a million other things that have nothing to do with what occupies my mind a majority of the time. I find brotherhood and connection in the alcoves and cracks of society, because good people, as I understand the concept, are increasingly hard to find. Those involved in mass movements suffer and even die, but on a very essential level they are more alive and real than people in my position will ever be.

Posted by Erik @ 9/26/2006 08:33:00 AM :: (2) comments

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Three weekends dry, nearly a month off the sauce

It's been nearly a month since I took a drink of anything more stout than a Yuengling and that was one of only three beers the entire day. I probably couldn't say something like that more than once or twice in the past 8.5 years. It's been nearly six months since I've had a date...sadly, that's more of an ordinary thing, but still noteworthy. All I do these days is work, workout, school, and laundry, with car washing and waxing interspersed in all of that at even intervals. Life is boring by just about anyone's standard and honestly, for the first time in months, I feel genuinely good!

My head is clearer, my eyes are a little less heavily shadowed by dark circles and my bank account is recovering from the car fiasco rather nicely. My grades are good, my next paper is about 50% written, and a plan is developing to build Scooby up to acceptable power levels, with an eye aimed at achieving lots of HP with a super-heavy dose of durability factored into the equation.

What I can't change in the world, I can change in myself, so that has become the focus. The time has come to take another turn in my life's path. It's been years since I took a signifcant step forward, but I can feel the light at the end of the tunnel in my bones. Trials and tribulations...they confront and challenge us so that we might learn essential things about ourselves. I've learned some things the hard way, but I have learned. It will be nice to wake up relatively early on Sunday without the sting of dehydration dragging me down.

Posted by Erik @ 9/24/2006 01:07:00 AM :: (2) comments

Friday, September 22, 2006

What do we do?

The question keeps echoing in my mind lately...what do we do? What can I do? What is in my power to be done? At this point in my life, the answer is almost universally "not much". I feel like I have to do something, anything, to improve the world I live in, but am constantly haunted by the unpleasant truth that my power as a man is so limited. My time is so full of activity, I rarely have a chance to give the matter any significant consideration. Here's what has been bouncing around my mind lately...
There are certain things no man who is not a Judeo-Christian messiah is going to be able to do anything about. The world will always house more followers than leaders, more weak than strong, more cowards than courageous, more slothful than motivated, more selfish than generous, and more foolish than wise. History makes the case universally and I can see no evidence that the reasonable expectation isn't for these constants to continue ad infinitum. Likewise, peace amongst all peoples on the planet at any given time is impossible. Human desires, both good and ill, dictate that violence will be a constant component of our existence as homo sapiens. We may survive long enough to evolve away from the animalistic drive to employ force as a solution to particular problems, but that bit of genetic mutation will very likely not happen in my lifetime and certainly not to everyone at once. Similarly, lying, cheating, and stealing will remain components of humanity's behavioral constants until the end of our time. No man is going to erase these negative aspects of the human animal.

So is it hopeless? In some ways, yes, I think it is, in that we have to accept the unreasonable nature of our ideals, as well as the messy nature of reality. As one who does not believe people are inherently good, I accept that the primary motivating factors in our decision making processes are predominantly self-preservation and self-gratification. What will continue our lives and what will make us feel good in living those lives are two of the most powerful motivational considerations we are confronted with on a day-to-day business. In our society, an overwhelming majority of us no longer have to worry about the daily continuance of our lives, so we have an abundance of time to spend on what makes us feel good about living and how to go about getting it.

What makes me feel good about living probably puts me in amongst a miniscule minority. I like to work; physically, mentally, and spiritually. I do not like rest or remain idle for long. Where I draw a certain amount of pleasure from things like cars, music, movies, books, etc, real satisfaction is derived from my mental and spiritual well being. The deeper implications of maintenance of the mind, body, and spirit factor into my daily life and decision making processes. This constant vigilance and contemplation makes my life worth living, by my own estimation. There will always be mistakes, but I feel like minimizing the number of mistakes I make contributes greatly to the overall quality of my life. Where some judge their lives according to wealth, power, and social standing, I side with those who recognize these things as fallacies and ultimately inconsequential. None of it matters once one’s body has failed them.

All of the world’s existing religions recognize the ultimate meaninglessness of wealth and status, and I am led to believe there is some value in this recognition, not because I believe there is a Heaven or Hell waiting for us, but because I believe there is an inherent and obvious truth in the idea that there is more to this life than the simple, primal acquisition of goods, pursuit of physical gratification, and exhibitions of power. I am just so tired of the superficial and the meaningless. I want to surround myself with philosophers, spiritualists, and altruists. Where I once might have dreamt of raising everyone up in some kind of mass enlightenment movement, I now realize how foolish something like that sounds in the echo chamber that is our real world. My primary desire now is to find the 5% of the populace who are worth a shit and are focused on doing something positive with their lives, discarding or ignoring the 95% who are interested in doing whatever it is they do.

Where are the people who want to make a difference? I’m not sure, but I want to find them, because the rest of these people are annoying the shit out of me!

Random aside...another comic might be on the way. This is probably news to the two or three people on Earth who care. For the other two or three who will read this, please carry on. :)

Posted by Erik @ 9/22/2006 12:42:00 PM :: (2) comments

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

The numbers game

97X's morning crew was having a discussion about numbers and their significance this morning. According to a completely unscientific, credibility-impaired poll on Match.com, the average woman has made out with at least 29 guys before marriage. At a kill rate of 25%, which is pretty reasonable IMO, is it safe to assume the average woman has slept with 8-10 guys by the time she "settles down" with someone? Some people would probably applaud those numbers, but I have a feeling most would claim to dismiss them outright as insignificant.

Here's the thing, when you have purposely kept your own numbers fairly low in the foolish hope that others might as well, hearing that sort of thing makes you wince. The realization has set in that the best I can hope for as I get older is someone with only slightly higher numbers than mine. If I'm lucky, she will see sex as something more than a recreational sport. Then my thoughts drift to marriage. In a world where sex is so cheap and meaningless for so many people, what's the point of getting married at all? And why do so many people claim to be chasing love, when in reality they are too busy chasing ass to ever have a genuine chance of finding love to begin with? Personally, I'm over it. Everyone is sitting around crying about the disappearance of morality in this country, when in reality 90% of those complaining are doing their best to contribute to the degeneration.

I used to wish I could see things the same way most people claim to. After all, it's just sport fucking, what's the big deal? But I won't ever be one of those people and as I have grown older, I've come to want anything but that attitude. Chances are good that I won't make out with 29 girls in my lifetime and I can't imagine a scenario, outside of long-term, permanent bachelorhood (which is looking more and more like an option) that will see me sleeping with 8-10 people in my time on this Earth. Sex isn't cheap, it shouldn't be a throwaway act, and I refuse to buy into the constant, soulless, bullshit shell game society continually plays to justify its collective lack of self-discipline.

Hearing those two idiots on the radio this morning, more or less deniying the significance of numbers, irritates the hell out of me. Hearing that and seeing the repurcussions of such attitudes in real life convinces me more than ever that 95% of the people you meet are full of shit when it comes to sex. The enlightened masses have it all figured out, have all the answers, yet more and more people seem to be unhappy. Is it really any great surprise that so many Americans end up in therapy, numbed by Prozac or Paxil? It's no surprise at all to me.

And this is why I want my island, my private preserve on which to build my proverbial pyramid. At nearly 30 years of age, I find myself tired of the illusory truths that infect the common mind. I want to live in a place where love and sex and intimacy are precious, protected, and powerful things. I want to live in a place where people really do want to know what it's like to be loved, and be surrounded by people who are capable of loving. That might sound hokey or even (gasp)emo, but the truth is it takes more courage to care and to trust than it does to suppress one's emotions while making out with others indiscriminantly or treating sex like a passtime. But then I am not a "real man" by modern standards, so what do I know?

Posted by Erik @ 9/20/2006 08:05:00 AM :: (2) comments

Monday, September 18, 2006

Favorite parts

I came across a photo by one of my favorite DeviantArt photographers, "Zedul" (aka Jeff Bowlin) that got me thinking about what I find most appealing in the female form. There are the obvious answers, as my eyes are always drawn to a woman's ocular receptors upon the first head-on encounter. If I'm trailing, the glutes are the opposite and equally obvious center of attention. In fact, if I come across a pretty pair of eyes and a shapely derriere combined with an approachable/interesting aura, chances are good that I will start trying to find a way to say hello. Those are the easy and immediate answers, but there is usually much more to physical attraction than the easy and obvious.

Reams of paper, acres of canvas, miles of celluloid and oceans of ink have been spent trying to capture the inherent beauty of the female form through the eons. The ideal female's soft curves and delicate proportions have confounded and possessed great artists since our earliest civilizations established the artistic tradition as an integral part of the human condition. As a heterosexual male, it is impossible to separate the sexuality of females in art from the quality of the piece in question. We are visual creatures and it is beyond our capabilities to deny the primal response all of us have when something attractive enters our visual window.

We take notice, even if we would rather not. Our mind makes a note, even if we discard it immediately. Not doing so would probably make us something other than human. The most fascinating thing to me is how different our respective ideas of attractiveness tend to be. You have your stereotypes, but there are an incredible number of exceptions to the general rules that adjust or downright defy the generalized expectation. And that is the beauty of our species' diversity...we are all over the place, from waif thin to morbidly obese and everything in between. Big boobs, tiny boobs, big butts, no butts, they all find a place, so it is not all about the cartoonish stereotypes that adolescent and overgrown adolescent males seem to embrace.

There is only so much power physical attraction can have over a functional, intelligent human being, and it certainly isn't the only thing that matters, but it is almost always the first impression we create of each other. It can't be helped, there is some level of superficial in all of us. We cannot be slaves to our eyes, because we run the risk of losing our souls, but our visual nature lends great weight to how we process and store what we see. I have a weakness for eyes and asses and I am not ashamed to admit it. Does that make me a superficial asshole? I don't think so, but then that sort of thing always depends on who you ask.

Posted by Erik @ 9/18/2006 09:54:00 PM :: (2) comments

Saturday, September 16, 2006

And the majors are...

Global Business and Visual Arts. Why Global Business? It opens options not currently available to me and could potentially create opportunities that would most definitely not be available to me otherwise. My life has been something of a strange, solitary journey, and there is no real reason to think that the trend is going to somehow change. That said, one could safely conclude that I am going to be unfettered for quite some time to come. Seeing other parts of the world has always been something I have wanted to do, so why not explore an option that might allow me to go about doing just that as part of my job, rather than limiting the experience to what I could get on vacations?

I have also come to realize that I am burned out on American "culture". That's not to say there is necessarily anything better out there, but I would like to go abroad and discover what else this life has to offer. From the way people think to the way they live, Florida is becoming a place that feels less and less like home. Of course, one could say the ailments we suffer here are more or less universal, from indoctrinated insecurity and false senses of self to the trivializing of concepts like integrity, honesty, and honor, but having grown up here, I am simply running out of the energy needed to remain optimistic when surrounded by Florida's particular brand of phony superficiality.

There has to be a place on this Earth where values still mean something and honesty is still a cornerstone of culture. Maybe that place is in America, maybe it is elsewhere on this little rock, but there is no way to know without taking the time to explore and find out for myself. I want so desperately to find an oasis, a hidden alcove of decency and positivity, it seems only logical to take steps that will allow me to actively seek it out. Getting a business degree is a no-brainer, as I’ve been in business on one level or another for nearly 10 years. Going with Global Business may open up a world of possibilities, pardon the simultaneous cliché and pun. It only makes sense, given my mindset and my situation.

The Visual Arts degree is an obvious choice, I would hope. My technique needs a lot of work and my creativity needs a giant kick in the ass, but the visual arts have been a part of my life going all the way back to my earliest days in grade school. The only intelligent thing to do is to further explore what being an artist means to me, and just how far my abilities can take my creative drive. It sounds silly, but I have a vision of what I dream this life could be and finding ways to express that dream visually would be tremendously rewarding.

Due to some scheduling issues, my first art class will not start until the first term of 2007, but I will be taking two business courses (Statistical Techniques in Business and Technology and Society) this term. That officially makes me a full-time student according to Eckerd. I only wish I could take a couple of years away from work, but I have too much going on right now to make that a realistic option. With this degree plan, I am looking at three years of school, at least, so there is plenty of time for things to change.

Posted by Erik @ 9/16/2006 08:17:00 AM :: (2) comments

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Well, it's finally done


While I'm not thrilled with it, I am happy to have worked it to a satisfactory state of completion. There are probably only two other humans on the face of this planet who will get a chuckle out of this particular item, but really, getting huge laughs or making some kind of statement isn't the point right now. For the moment, I'm more concerned with figuring out how I want to present the imagery. Expect sporadic additions to my collection, though they will probably be higher pixel depth, lower resolution in an effort to save space in the future.

So there you have it, my first comic strip EVER. It's certainly not Calvin and Hobbes, but it's a start. Let me know what you think. I really would love to hear feedback, particularly any criticisms or "opportunities for improvement". Later kids...

Posted by Erik @ 9/14/2006 10:23:00 PM :: (2) comments

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Going through the motions

I have been catching myself doing this pretty regularly at work lately. My motivation has been more or less completely drained, as the company has systematically eliminated any form of incentive for advancement as part of cost cutting measures put into place during the past two years. Not only that, they have restructured, read cut, our pensin and benefits packages. In short, they are making the same anti-personnel, pro-profit maneuvers that most American companies have made a part of their corporate philosophy over the past two decades. Collective morale has accordingly declined to the point that they suspended the employee satisfaction survey, because the question of whether or not employee satisfaction was high became a redundant question. Most of the people I talk to today, even the movers and shakers within my department are dissatisfied. A majority of us are formulating plans to move on at this point. The dwindling number of good reasons to stay makes the decision to leave a much more attractive one.

That's not to say that it is all bad. I draw a decent salary, still work for/with a couple of my oldest friends and generally have a good time, but the long outlook is starting to seem less and less positive. Not only that, but my interests are starting to meander a bit, so I am more open to exploring options. The Company has been good to me, but this is not the same company and my loyalty to their agenda is directly proportianate to my perception of their loyalty, which is to say nothing short of nil. Things have certainly changed over the past three years...

Believe it or not, the comic strip is STILL a work in progress. I probably have a total or an hour and an half or so wrapped up in it. I have been so busy with other things that most of the work has been in ten or fifteen minute stints. As it sits, 3/4 of the panels have been "inked", which means I am almost home. The funny part is that this little strip is not even particularly funny. In fact, I'll be lucky to draw a chuckle out of anyone who doesn't know Manboy and The Chancellor directly, but that no longer matters to me. All I care about at this point is getting the damn thing done. Expect to see it in a day or two. You will be underwhelmed, but we all have to start somewhere. ;)

Time to get back to work...

Posted by Erik @ 9/12/2006 11:12:00 AM :: (0) comments

Friday, September 08, 2006

More later

I just wanted to post one of the more disturbingly entertaining video remixes I have seen in a long, long time. Check out NIN meets classic Star Trek here. More later...

Alright, it's finally later. Needless to say, I've been a busy boy lately. Between school, work, schoolwork, working out, the car, and a steadily declining social life, I am being pulled in a dozen different directions. The good news is, life is starting its inevitable rebound after some very trying and discouraging months. School has reinvigorated me and Scooby's return has me happily putting miles on her odometer after months of stressing over her rehabilitation. My bank account is bruised and battered, but not broken.

Got some good news today from the fight front. Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva got himself KTFO (knocked the fuck out) by Mirko "Crocop" Filipovic in Pride's Open Weight Grand Prix Finals. I am not a huge fan of Crocop's, but I am definitely not a fan of Wanderlei Silva, so it was refreshing to see the Chute Box middleweight champ get his head rung by a left high kick. Silva was bloody and swollen inside of the first round and looked outclassed the entire time. Filipovic threw straight punches to counter Silva's wild haymaker style and went to the ground to deliver more punishment from Silva's guard. By the time it was all over, Wanderlei's right eye was swollen shut, his nose was bleeding badly and it looks as if he might have suffered a rib injury from a kick earlier in the fight.

Crocop would go on to beat Josh Barnett, becoming the first ever Pride Open Weight Grand Prix champion. Now he gets to face Fedor Emelianenko for the Pride Heavyweight Belt, probably as the headlining fight at Pride's New Year's Eve show. That could all come apart, since they both have fights lined up before then, but barring injury, this is the matchup everyone expects to see. Fedor is a monster, but Crocop looked very crisp and very strong in winning the Grand Prix. Their rematch (Fedor beat Mirko by decision last year) should be a very interesting matchup. I can't wait. :D

For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, here are a few embedded vids to give you some very brief, visual background on the characters and events involved. Enjoy. ;)

Pride Open Weight GP Hype Vid:


Open Weight GP Highlight+Final matchup:


Championship match final conflict
Uploaded by Hater_Huntin


Crocop highlight from nokaut.com:

Mirko crocop Filipovic highlight
Uploaded by LoganSan


Wanderlei Silva highlight:


Fedor Emelianenko highlight:


MMA is not for the faint of heart. :)

Posted by Erik @ 9/08/2006 08:30:00 PM :: (0) comments

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

She's baaaaack!

Scooby came home today after being away for two months and change! The details shall remain unspoken here, primarily because I do not feel like reliving the consumption of this particular shitburger sandwich. Take my word for it, life without her has sucked, but she is back and I couldn't be more relieved. She doesn't look exactly like she did in this picture, but she looks pretty damn good to stress-wearied eyes. Needless to say, I'm happy to have her home.

On a side note, I've finally had a chance to draw up my first comic strip. I'm inking it as fast as I can, but my work load, gym routine and school work are all conspiring to make putting something so simple as a black and white, four-panel comic together a very difficult task. Don't expect world changing or mind blowing results...at this point, I'm just hoping someone besides me gets a chuckle from the sorts of things I have in mind. We shall see. Expect it by the weekend and as always, any and all comments will be welcome. :)

Posted by Erik @ 9/05/2006 10:50:00 PM :: (4) comments

Friday, September 01, 2006

Writing an autobiography

Our first major assignment as Eckered students is to write a 7-10 page, selective autobiography. The story is to be centered around a book by Carol Pearson called The Hero Within: Six Archetypes We Live By. Pearson is a Ph.D. carrying Psychiatrist from the Jungian school of archetypal head shrinking. My personal take on personality archetypes is that there is some merit in the idea, but that we seem to transition from one to another so often and so fluidly that their relevance as a diagnostic tool seems fairly limited. Then again, I am no expert, so what do I know.

Anyway, the autobio was actually fairly quick and painless to write. Spent most of the day today (Saturday, 9/2) writing, revising and tightening it up. Ten pages of double-spaced, 12pt font later and I have a paper to turn in. I ended up writing the paper as more of a periodical overview, rather than as an event=archetype, event=archetype, event=archetype thing. It seemed more logical to break my life out into stages and describe how one archetype or another dominated each stage as I pgressed through the years to the present. Hopefully this will be acceptable. If anyone would like to read what I've put to paper and share their feedback, drop me an email and let me know. Any and all help would be appreciated.

In a completely unrelated story, I should have my car back by Monday (if they're open, Tuesday if they are not). This will bring to an end a two month saga of trials and tribulations with poor Scooby. Supposedly the shop working on the car now has one of the best Subaru guys in the state on the case, so I'm tentatively optimistic. All I want now is my car back and looking right. Only 48 hours and counting until we know for sure.

For those with any interest, I came across a very nicely done Wanderlei Silva highlight vid on YouTube. If you are into MMA combat, check it out here If you are into really bad English and MMA combat, check out his homepage here. Not one of my favorite fighters, but definitely a brutally skilled mixed martial artist worthy of respect. Here's hoping he gets his ass handed to him by Crocop on September 10th. :)

Posted by Erik @ 9/01/2006 10:39:00 AM :: (0) comments