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The ShanMonster

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Wilt [May. 9th, 2008|08:24 am]
[Tags|, , , , ]
[mood | uncomfortable]
[music |construction]

My lungs feel like a bouquet being held too tightly at the bottom. It's crushing the stems and making the flowers wilt, damnit. My energy levels are way down. All I've been doing this week, it seems, is napping or sitting on my ass. I want to get back to dance and kung fu classes next week, but I'm not so sure my lungs will comply. Nevertheless, I did go for a decent walk yesterday, some calisthenics and my seniors' dance class the day before, and a run the day before that. I teach dance tonight. And I want to go for another run. Maybe I'll get some dance practice in today. Let's see how that goes.

Dancing. Yeah. I want to do a lot more of that. I recently got a copy of Ariellah's drilling DVD, and am eager to give it another try.

----------

Wow. I just remembered it's my anniversary this month (14th!). Umm, [info]f00dave, what do you want to do for it? My weekends are full, but I have a raincheck for plans I've been making for some time.

----------

My tabs are filling up again. Have some tasty links.

Steampunk Star Wars: I'm pretty sure I linked to this before, but [info]papajoemambo's post made me want to link to it again. You know what I want to see? Steampunk renditions of other 70s pop culture: Diff'rent Strokes, Jabberjaws, Towering Inferno, etc.

Plantimals: Corns have ears. Potatoes have eyes. These have, well....

My Beautiful Mommy: Children's book about plastic surgery.

50 Greatest Commercial Parodies of All Time: Cute.

The Ultimate Showdown of Homosexuality: NSFW. Just as brilliant as The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny, but far more nekkid.

Katar Gallery: These are some almighty gorgeous daggers, and if I still had the facilities, I'd make one for myself.

Smell Yo Dick: Oh, pop music. How I love you so.
link7 comments|post comment

A Mundane Recap of No Possible Interest to Any, Including Me! [Apr. 30th, 2008|01:58 pm]
[Tags|, , , , ]
[mood | tired]
[music |traffic]

I felt utterly run down for the past two days. I think yesterday's therapeutic massage session and last night's excess of sleep has ameliorated the problem, somewhat. Yet somehow, despite the exhaustion, brutal neck pain, and [info]f00dave's constant questioning (f00: "Are you depressed? You look depressed!" Me: "No. Just really tired and hurting." f00: "You sure?" Me: "YES!!!"), I managed to teach a dance class, take a yoga class, go for a run, go for a bike ride, and take my first advanced pole class.

Today I go for another run, teach another dance class, take another pole class, and go to the Ren to see Stephen Thrasher. You should go, too. Free show, interesting people, and cheap beer. What more can you want on a Wednesday night?

This weekend is busy again. I'm planning on scouting out the new LARP location. It's a sizable property, and I want to know where the hazards are. I'm also playing with sticks, knives, and fists with Sifu Chuck, [info]lindalicious, [info]gha5t, and company, and then I'm off to Toronto with [info]schwartzung and Sara to see Meshuggah and motherfucking MINISTRY. Oh hells, yes! Then I'm bringing my new buddy Rooster back home with me for a couple of days so he can vacation in beautiful, scenic Kitchener.

I finally ordered business cards. It's about freaking time. Next up, I want promotional postcards to have on-hand for my various performance and teaching venues. I'm hoping there's a place locally which sells 'em for cheap. And then, I need to get my costuming book back in print. Oh yes....

Want links? I've got your links right here.

Help Mother Nature Fight Back: Bizarre promotional campaign meant to increase awareness of the plight of endangered species. Or maybe it's an attempt to up the arms race. I'm not sure which.

Lizards Rapidly Evolve After Introduction to Island: Lizardmen are only a couple of decades away....

Orangutan attempts to hunt fish with spear: Maybe that awareness campaign isn't so far off, after all.

And now for a video that boggled my mind (thanks, [info]gha5t). These guys are total nutjobs, and I love them for it.

link2 comments|post comment

Raar! [Apr. 15th, 2008|07:24 pm]
[Tags|, , ]
[mood | determined]

My legs feel like half-set gelatin. Where did all my muscles go? If I keep exercising, I know I'll find 'em again!

At 4:30 or so, I went for a run. At 6, I went to pole class. In a few minutes, I leave for kung fu.

I want to start going to morning kung fu again, which adds another hour of cycling to the mix.

Gonna pump that body to the top!
linkpost comment

Resume Dancing [Mar. 3rd, 2008|12:15 pm]
[Tags|, , , ]
[music |Qntal - Sleeping]

Yesterday I tried out partner dancing for the first time. Ok, maybe not for the first time, as I had a ten-minute merengue lesson with a Cuban hottie about six years ago. This time, I tried out Argentinian tango and West Coast swing. I found the movement styles very interesting--more like horseback riding or Wing Chun sticky hands than like any other dancing I've done. Both styles relied on pressure cues from my partner, and once I figured out what those cues were, I progressed very quickly. I think I'm more partial to the swing dance than the tango. I didn't get to try lindy hop, but I may get that opportunity yet.

After taking those dance classes (and teaching my own quick and dirty belly dance class), I went for a walk in the park with [info]f00dave with my camera in hand. Unfortunately, although I saw many things I wanted to photograph, the light was very flat, and the shots don't pop the way I want them to. Still, I did get some practice in composition, and got to laugh at ducks sliding around on ice and marvelled at the destroyed computer sitting in a snowbank.

Today I'm working on my dance résumé. I have a couple of potential dance jobs coming up, and if I get them, maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to save up for a better camera.

Links? Sure.

What a Choice! Sex With a Sleaze for $100,000 or Writing for Peanuts: I want a sugar daddy, but not that much.

Racial slur on sofa label stuns family: "When the new chocolate-coloured sofa set was delivered to her Brampton home, Doris Moore was stunned to see packing labels describing the shade as 'Nigger-brown'" (thanks, [info]schwartzung).

Russian 'bird-boy' discovered in aviary: "Russian care workers have rescued a seven-year-old 'bird-boy' who can communicate only by 'chirping' after his mother raised him in a virtual aviary." They lie. He also shakes his feathers.

Erotic Falconry: Parts of this are NSFW, so be warned. "Where’s the deviance in wanting to pull feathers rather than blond hair? What’s abnormal about wanting to see your wife take a three-inch beak instead of a 10-inch African American phallus or a silicon, injection-molded forearm? How can a human vagina or anus even compare to hollow bones or a molty egg-hole."

Cougar Page: Kitties! The cutest frigging mountain lions, ever.

Mysteries of Radio: Number stations. What is the purpose of these bizarre broadcasts? I don't know, but I'm looking for my tinfoil hat....

Students exchanged nude cell phone photos: Little kids, actually. It's the high-tech version of playing doctor.

Fit By Jen: Jen was morbidly obese. Then she got control of her eating and exercise habits, and now she's a personal trainer, and pretty darned inspirational!

Alcoholic parents force children to suckle dogs: No mention if any of these kids ever went on to start their own Roman empires.

How creepy do you want it?: "The famously eerie tale of nine dead Russian hikers, with all the bizarre details you can handle."
link3 comments|post comment

Reading My Own Future [Feb. 11th, 2008|02:57 pm]
[Tags|, , , ]
[mood | sore]
[music |The Decemberists - O Valencia!]

I had a busy weekend planned, but it was cut in half when I took a glorious fall during a game of dodge ball and failed at breaking my hip. I did succeed in decreasing my range of movement and increasing my personal experience with pain. Since the swelling made it feel like my hip wanted to pop out of joint, I kept myself hopped up on anti-inflammatories and skipped yesterday's kung fu seminar. My hip feels better for it. Today I can walk like a normal person, instead of shambling like a zombie pirate. Good thing, too, because I have a dance class to teach in a couple of hours.

Since [info]schwartzung and I seem to be taking turns with falls, and since there appears to be an escalation in severity, he'd better look out because his next fall shall surely kill him.

So, what's coming up?

More dance.

I'm miffed that my floorwork class has been canceled. I was getting a great workout out of it, not to mention getting some good practice at floor transitions. Alas, but I think it was canceled because the exercises intimidated students away. It's very physically demanding. And yes, if you're not used to the exercises, you're going to be damned sore for a few days afterwards. No wonder floorwork is a dying art. People are too wussy as a rule to stick with it.

That being said, not teaching the class frees up a bit more time for me to take dance classes. I've never tried tap dance before. That's what's filling the time slot, so I'll give it a go. Also, a pole routines class is beginning on Mondays (I'll start next week), and there's a drop-in ballet class fairly close to wear I teach my Wednesday class. I'll start doing that as soon as the weather gets decent enough to walk/bike in without destroying my lungs. And joining CADA should make it much easier to attend dance workshops.

More kung fu.

I've missed so many classes because of my asthma, but my lungs are finally starting to go back to what they should be. And the kwoon is getting a wooden dummy, so I'm looking forward to training on that.

More gaming.

It looks like LARP will be happening monthly. Hopefully, I won't be breaking parts of my body at every event. If you're in the Toronto area and want to play, check out Underworld. I'm the bitchy dark elf with the leather armour.

More writing.

I'm behind on my fiction writing, although my poetry production is way, way up from where it's been over the past decade. I'm not sure what's making me so bardlike, but I'm not going to argue with where the muse is taking me.

More concerts.

Henry Rollins is coming up soon. So is Ministry. I'll be at both shows. It looks like I'll be performing in a few more shows, too, but I don't have dates for them yet.

More exercise.

I was planning to do stair training starting today, but I'm saving my hip for tonight's dance class. If I feel fine, then every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I'm going to be zooming up and down the seventeen or so stories of my building a few times to get my cardio back up to snuff. Who needs stairmasters when you live in a high-rise apartment building? And now that I have my stripper pole set up in my studio, I'm doing drive-by chin-ups and pseudo-flagpoles. Once the weather turns nice, I want to start running again, too.

More costume design.

I started work on a black leather dance costume a few months back, and I really want to finish it. I also have ideas in my head for more PVC and leather outfits, as well as the usual textile joy with silk, velvet, etc.

More costume writing.

I really need to complete my new dance costuming book and get it to print. I need money, and this is a guaranteed income, so I've got to get my arse in gear.

....

Link time!

Check out the trailer for the new Thai martial art flick Chocolate. Now that girl's no wuss.

Mr. Urethra, Meet Mr. Anus: NSFW. And no. Just no (thanks, [info]warren_ellis).
link4 comments|post comment

Every Little Thing That is Discovered [Feb. 6th, 2008|10:02 am]
[Tags|, , , , ]
[mood | uncomfortable]
[music |Skinny Puppy - Ghostman]

I have a busy week ahead of me, ranging from the mundane to the wonderful. Today's adventure begins with a visit to the dentist for a cleaning (I still have to really force myself to go, after that tooth-pulling fiasco that left me in the hospital), continues with more writing (dance organization membership stuff and promotional materials for 8 Digital), and ends with an hour of dance. Tomorrow begins with a trip to a Buddhist temple in Mississauga to celebrate the Chinese new year, continues with a dance class, and ends with kung fu training. Moving right along, I have a LARP event on Saturday where I'll be once again donning elf ears, armour, and black makeup and beating people up with a foam sword. Then I'm back to kung fu again, the next day.

I've discovered a ballet school that offers drop-in classes on Wednesday nights. It's fairly close to where I teach, so when I'm through teaching eastern dance to seniors, I can work on developing my western dance background. And then maybe at next year's On the Move conference, I'll be able to participate when the instructor wants a grande jettée.

I'm still looking for ways to increase my income without resorting to taking a job I'll loathe. Modeling is one of those ways. I noticed a photographer in Toronto is looking for alt models. Are you familiar with Santillo Photography? I am reluctant to work with new photographers until I'm familiar with their reputation. I either want to know more about him from someone I trust, or I want to be able to bring along an escort to ensure my safety.

Ready for some links? Here you go:

Pure Energy: A Critical Look At Energy Drinks: A crazy person decides to drink and review thirteen energy drinks over the course of a weekend.

Quarter of Brits think Churchill was myth: poll: This reminds of an anecdote I heard in which a history professor was discussing WWII with a freshman class. Upon seeing utter bafflement on their faces, he asked what was wrong. "Why is it called World War Two?" asked one student. The rest of the students stared at the professor expectantly.... Talk about a serious gap in education!

Pelvic floor exercises 'help men too': Pfizer likely doesn't want people to know that doing Kegels can make Viagra unnecessary for many men.

Save Mom's Life, Kick Loose Deadly Tumor From Mom's Cervix While Still in Womb: Ki-ai!

Cap'n Danger Baby Chute: I think I should buy one of these for my nephew. What do you think, [info]raine_storm?

Popple Cat Dog: The most creative taxidermy I think I've ever seen--as equally disgusting as it is cool.

Volunteer in Canada and Abroad: I've wanted to do humanitarian work in other countries for most of my life. Maybe I'll be able to do it within the next five years.
link9 comments|post comment

Kill or Cure, and Attack of the Killer Nerd [Jan. 16th, 2008|11:16 am]
[Tags|, , , ]
[mood | determined]
[music |a fan]

For various reasons including asthma and holidays, I've not been working out regularly for over a month. Last night, I crawled back on the wagon with four hours of exercise. I started with an hour of pole dance, and that left me worried about the rest of the night. Normally, the leg section of the class goes by as easy as pie. This time, my legs were quivering and burning with lactic acid. This did not bode well. After all, when pole dance was over, I had to hustle my arse over to kung fu where the leg workout is significantly greater.

And sure enough, I was to do 160 Hindu squats in a row. By the time I reached 100, I could barely get my body low to the ground. But around 130, I decided to hell with it all. I was going to do them right, and just forget how sore I was. And so I did them. In fact, for the last ten, I decided to add a jump after each squat.

We played sticky hands for a while after that, and my legs were all but useless to me. I fell a lot more than usual, to be sure.

I'll see how my legs hold up for me tonight when I start teaching my new session of seniors' dance classes. I'm now teaching two back-to-back on Wednesday nights.

And tomorrow, I teach floorwork, then proceed directly to kung fu to die another muscley death.

This is like some sort of brutal kill or cure technique, this going from sitting on my arse for a month to two to four hours of exercise a night, isn't it?

....

On Saturday, after I did my Cambodian dance workshop, I donned elf ears, armour, and black makeup and went to another LARP event. I was waylaid by bandits twice, and got dragged by the ankle into the keep by party members. The setting for this event was a tournament hosted by a baron in honour of our heroic actions at the last event (where we rid a wood of some demonic evil or another). After I received by certificate of heroism, I entered all of the competitions: throwing accuracy, wits, entertainment, and a grand mélée. After all, who doesn't want to win fabulous prizes? I did decently enough at the throwing accuracy competition, but was disqualified when one of my feet slipped ahead of the line. D'oh! The wits competition was comprised of two pages of riddles and brain-teasers. My group (which I've dubbed Team Hot Chick) worked together on the answers. Next up was the entertainment competition wherein I learned I have transferable skills. I did a sword dance, balancing a boffer weapon on my head while I did a back bend and a roll-over. I felt like a huge dork while doing it, but managed to keep a straight face the whole time. One of my slaves, Elly, sang a song for her entry, and we tied for first place.

In the next round of the entertainment competition, we had to perform in an entirely different style than we'd already done. The winner would be decided by audience applause. Elly chose to tell a bawdy joke. I chose to sing Dark Eyes in Russian (although my version seems a bit different from this one). When it came time for Elly's applause to be measured, she received a good round of applause. When I stood for mine, I had applause and cheering.

The Baron addressed the crowd and said, "I think it is obvious who the winner is. The prize goes to Elly!"

I wasn't at all surprised. The Baron had already made it abundantly clear to me that he was a racist bastard by this point. So when it came time for me to hand in my sheet with the answers to the riddles, I crossed out my name and put in the name of our sergeant, instead. (We didn't win this one, but no matter.)

Up next was the grand mélée. I fought the Baron's guard, and although I lost, I think I did decently enough for myself. Frankly, I was surprised I had the energy in me to fight that long while wearing very heavy armour and face paint, especially considering I'd already spent the morning dancing in the Cambodian style.

I won't say what other devious things I got up to in the game lest spies are reading this entry, but suffice it to say I'm quite pleased with the way Team Hot Chick ended the night.

I think I'll be doing another event some time next month. Maybe my armour will be even closer to completion, then!

[Team Hot Chick, aka Nerd Brigade]

See that? From left to right, it's Elly, Jun, and Di'ikh Aiah. We are the Nerd Brigade Team Hot Chick. Wanna see more?
link6 comments|post comment

No Rest for the Wicked [Nov. 17th, 2007|12:21 pm]
[Tags|, ]
[mood | okay]
[music |Pumpkin Cult - Cynicus]

Forget acting my age. I've been up to no good at all, staying up all last night to watch Pantera videos, wage an epic penny/pillow battle with James, and shoot [info]schwartzung gangsta-style with a glue gun.

Two days after a particularly brutal kung fu class, my abs are still sore, especially when I laugh or stretch. We did a couple of partner exercises which led me to this condition. The first is a classic: one person stands upright with their feet spread apart while the other lies on their back with their head between the other's ankles, holding onto their lower legs. The person on the bottom swings both legs up toward the standing one's head, and the standing one reciprocates by shoving the legs back down to the floor. The feet aren't allowed to touch the floor again, of course. One variation includes raising the entire torso along with the legs. I actually find this variant a bit easier.

The other exercise is in-fucking-sane. One person lies on their back with knees bent, feet close to their butt. The partner sits in a kneeling position with their butt on their buddy's feet, holding their buddy by the back of the knees. The one on their back has to jettison themselves into standing position with their arms crossed on their chest. I did fifteen of these, and by the end, I was completely drenched with sweat.

Oh yes, and I skipped nonstop for seven minutes, and that after a minor asthma attack. That was probably the easiest part of the class. I've got to say, I'm surprised I can skip that long, because it always winded me before.

I've quit my gym membership, and I'm stronger than I thought, with better cardio-vascular endurance than I thought. Go me.

Want some links? I'll give you some links.

Tree Man Who "Grew Roots" May Be Cured: "An Indonesian fisherman who feared that he would be killed by tree-like growths covering his body has been given hope of recovery by an American doctor - and Vitamin A" (Thanks, Ken Donald).

Airworks Inflatables: Probably NSFW, as it's a giant, inflatable, tentacled twat.

Fear of Girls: Gamer comedy. It's funny because it's true (thanks, [info]schwartzung).

Our Ugliest Crime: Holly Exposes Child-Sex Trafficking: "The Israeli-born New York attorney was in the midst of a very long sabbatical, traveling around the world, when he found himself on the streets of Cambodia surrounded by a dozen young girls. 'I’m talking really little, like five to seven years old, who were aggressively soliciting me for prostitution.'"

Conclusive Proof - That There Is No God and Humans Are Essentially Evil: Would you go to a brothel to boff a shaved orangutan named Pony? Lots of people did (thanks, [info]warrenellis, for restoring my faith in humanity). Fortunately for Pony, she was eventually saved by an orangutan rescue organization.
link4 comments|post comment

Maintenance [Nov. 14th, 2007|01:32 am]
[Tags|, , , ]
[mood | determined]

I'm going to cancel my gym membership.

It's not because I plan on slowing down my exercise regimen. It's because I really haven't been using the gym's services more than once every two weeks or so, and that's a huge money suck. I'm getting lots of exercise from cycling and from my kung fu and dance classes. Today I learned that by using just my arms I can climb at least partway up the pole. I have every intention of being able to scale the whole pole with just my arms. My biceps are bulging out to the sides now, rather than just getting "tall" when I flex. This is a first. After umpteen years of working out, I am finally getting some serious upper body strength. It's about freaking time.

I've cut back on my caloric intake and improved on my food quality lately, and it's finally beginning to pay off again. My belly fat is melting off, and I've got the vaguest hint of a six-pack going on again. Booyeah.

My sifu made some sounds today about possibly teaching Jeet Kun Do, too. If that happens, I might be there. It would be on Wednesday nights, and that's when I teach my seniors' class. If JKD is after the class, well, that just might work out.

The Thursday floorwork class (taught after I do kung fu for a couple of hours and bike for an hour) continues to turn my students into wobbling heaps of jelly. Hell, even I feel the effects, albeit not nearly to the extent that they do. I plan on adding a new exercise to the regimen this week--something that will work leg and glute strength while also helping with cardio and flexibility. I might also do a few partner exercises for abdominal strength development. Mwahahaha!

My class is up a flight of stairs, and one of my students said she's very glad there's a handrail, because she's scared she'd tumble down the stairs without one after my class.

This week, I might be all weak, too, because after my floorwork class, I have to go on yet another bike ride to cash in a gift certificate I won as a door prize.
link4 comments|post comment

Weighty Matters [Sep. 11th, 2007|10:33 am]
[Tags|, , , ]
[mood | determined]
[music |construction and traffic]

Congratulations to redlyra who got into the Mendelssohn Choir! That's pretty awesome, even if it means she'll be singing Carmina Burana instead of running around in the woods with me bopping people with foam swords while pretending she's an elf. Hee!

...

Yesterday I met with a personal trainer, not so much so I can get personal training (I can't possibly afford that), but so I can see how she goes about working with prospective new clients. We did a before and after mock-up on her computer. I would look pretty much identical to the way I do now in six weeks if I were to fix my diet and get more regular weight-training. I'm not even a little bit surprised about that. However, the program wasn't really written with already-fit people in mind. Had I been forty or fifty pounds overweight, inactive, and eating a lot of crap, I would expect to see significant physical changes if I were to suddenly change my lifestyle.

That being said, I certainly have room for improvement. My clean diet fell by the wayside in the past year, as did my regular weight training. When the trainer asked me when I was going to fix that, I thought a bit and said, "Tomorrow." That gave her a huge grin.

She also told me that when I get my trainer certification to look her up, because she might be able to give me a job. So I need to look into that again. Everything costs money, though. Sigh....

So here I am, eating a perfectly cromulent breakfast, and I've packed a nutritious, junk-free lunch for work so I won't be tempted by the cream cheese and smoked salmon Montreal-style bagels just down the street (they're delicious, but creamed cheese and bagels don't fit on my tried and true meal plan). I need to get some serious groceries, and get more fresh veggies to snack on instead of the microwave popcorn that's been my standby for too long.

I fully expect to still have a cheat day once a week. Pizza happens because game happens, but the rest of my week will compensate.

I'm going to see if I can get my four-pack (I never quite made a six-pack) back.

...

Cool news! It looks like I'll be teaching floorwork again. We're going to give it a go at the dance studio. Of course, the average student has never even heard of floorwork, so we had to give the class a catchy name. My class will be replacing a butts and guts workout class, so I think it could appeal to the same sort of student. I decided on the name "Core on the Floor", and will have to come up with a snappy little description for it, too. The price for taking the class is dirt-cheap, too. Where else can you study floorwork for $10/hour? If all goes well, classes will start up the second week of October on Monday nights at 7.

No one showed for my belly dance class last night, so I took a pole dance class, instead. Somehow, I gave myself a wicked pole burn on my wrist, so I'm wearing a big bandage that makes me look like a suicide attempt. I'm hoping it will be sufficient protection for my advanced pole class tonight. And then, if I still have any energy left, I'm going to go for a kung fu class with [info]lindalicious and [info]gha5t. Maybe we'll get some Hung Gar practice in, too. I haven't done any Hung Gar in too long. And I'd especially love to do some Northern Mantis, too. Mmm...

...

Ready for links? Here you go, anyway.

The World's Largest Penises: Contains no pictures of penes, but you'll have to make the judgment call over whether this is SFW or not.

Chinese woman's 'needle ordeal': "Doctors in China have discovered 26 sewing needles embedded in the body of a 31-year-old woman. They think they were inserted into Luo Cuifen's body when she was a baby by grandparents upset she was not a boy."

Curiosities: A gallery of very creative artwork.

Hidden method of reading revealed: "The mystery of how we read a sentence has been unlocked by scientists. Previously, researchers thought that, when reading, both eyes focused on the same letter of a word. But a UK team has found this is not always the case."

7 Amazing Holes: Contains no porn, just huge holes in the ground, both naturally-occurring and manufactured.

Study finds left-wing brain, right-wing brain: There's a gay gene and a democrat gene (thanks, [info]gha5t)?
link8 comments|post comment

Nothing Sucks Seeds Like Success [Sep. 5th, 2007|10:15 am]
[Tags|, , ]
[mood | pleased]
[music |construction and traffic]

Yesterday saw a very excited ShanMonster when I realized I can now flip myself upside down on the pole into something akin to a handstand. I can hardly wait until I can extricate myself from said position gracefully. Right now, I kind of slide-clunk my way down the pole headfirst until I land on my shoulders, back, then arse. It's not a pretty sight. But I can flip upside down!

My Tuesdays are about to get hella busy, with cycling to kung fu in the morning, cycling back, taking an hour of intermediate pole class, cycling back out to kung fu, and cycling back home. That's a total of two hours of cycling.

Tonight, when I get back from work, I'm off for another pole class, and tomorrow, I want to start up with modern/lyrical again. It's been far too long since I last did modern or lyrical dance.

My deltoids are still slabs of marble. I checked them out in the mirror. They definitely look larger than I remember. My lats are beginning to emerge once again, too. Once I get my eating back on track, they'll pop like mad.

I stopped by Value Village again yesterday. It was 50%-off day. I was hoping the button key accordion I'd seen there last week would still be there, but it wasn't. So I guess I won't be reacquainting myself with that nerdy instrument any time soon. Those suckers are expensive! I did, however, score another fabulous find. I bought a beautiful suede coat for about seven bucks. I just need to replace the buttons, and it's good to go. I found an amazing dress, too, but sadly had to let it go. It's just too small for me. I'd have bought it for someone smaller, like [info]lindalicious or redlyra, but I wasn't sure if it would be to their liking and I don't have the money to spare on a gamble.


Oh, and I'd love to dress like this for Hallowe'en: [Alien Queen]

Are you ready for some links? Here you go....

Robotic Cow Tongue: I think I may have linked to this before, but it's creepy enough for another go-round.

I Love (not having kids with) You; Birth Control of Yesteryear...: "The universal symbol of love and affection has its origins in an herb that let the ancients fornicate [like rabbits] free from the worries of pregnancy. Yep, thats right, the heart shaped sign that we all know and love originated as the universal sign for a natural birth control pill."

Hard-core for Christ: "Heavy metal guitars, lyrics about burning flesh, and the faithful crying out to bathe in Jesus' blood might trigger an exodus at traditional churches. But it packs them in every Sunday at the nondenominational Deliverance Bible Church in Hurst."

Woman visits her own heart at exhibition: Not everyone gets to look at their heart in a jar (thanks, [info]tdj).

Morbid little comic: Ha!

Idahomosexual Public Service: "As a public service to those people who are straight or gay or NOT GAY, NOT GAY, NOT GAY, who may be dramatically impaired, I offer you my reading of the police report from the incident in which the NOT GAY conservative Senator from the great state of Idaho was arrested for playing NOT GAY footsie with an undercover cop."

Goats sacrificed to fix Nepal jet: "Nepal's state-run airline has confirmed that it sacrificed two goats to appease a Hindu god, following technical problems with one of its aircraft" (thanks, Benoît).

Instructional Film for Women: Women! Know your place (thanks, Tom)!
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Dink Lump [Sep. 3rd, 2007|09:55 am]
[Tags|, ]
[mood | awake]
[music |traffic]

After Saturday's kung fu fest, my deltoids feel like slabs of granite. My hamstrings are a slightly more porous rock. Everything else feels normal, although I slept long and hard the last two nights. Phew!

Last night I dreamed I was a soldier who'd brought back several prisoners of war. I tied one onto a circular frame and flayed him, but he died before I could get any information out of him. C'est la vie....

Link time!

Just Like You Were in 7th Grade, September’s Mags are Fat: "Of Vogue’s 840 pages, 727 are ads, or: 13 percent is editorial."

Puppy With Heart-Shaped Marking: What could be cuter than a puppy? How about a puppy with a heart-shaped marking?

Man pays the price for being a good samaritan: Don't cops have more important things to do?

Men charged over brother sex switch: "A man in Germany who was embarrassed about his penis size is facing charges, after asking his girlfriend to have sex in the dark – and getting his brother to stand in."

The 17th century women's guide to looking good: Includes some great pick-up lines, my favourite being your "breasts are two Ivory balls of listing pleasure".

Lion Reunites with Humans: "This lion was reared by the guys in the vid,he was then released into the wild in africa but a year later the guys returned to see if he was doing OK. Check out the look on the lions face as he realises-'thats not food its my MATES!!'"

Honey Doll Has Touch Sensors, Moans, Has Fake Orgasms: NSFW. "Thank the Japanese for pushing humanity one step closer to sexbots: This almost-perfect, silicon-made Honey Doll is equipped with touch sensors that will make her moan with different sounds."

Quiltsryche: Quilts for rockers.

Japanese Wasp Crackers - made with Real Wasps: Hey [info]snowy_kathryn! This one's for you....

Button Embroidery: I was planning on using buttons decoratively on a new costume I'm making. I like the way these are sewn on, although I really don't like what they did with 'em overall.

Nicola Constantino: Probably NSFW. Bloated, slow-to-load website, but the content is interesting. I'm particularly amused by the T&A bag.

How to Kiss Someone Passionately: I like the what not to do sections....

Breast Cancer Differs Between African American and White Women: Black women should be more vigilant in their tests for breast cancer because they're more prone than white women to a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer.
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Six Hours or So of Training... [Sep. 1st, 2007|07:26 pm]
[Tags|]
[mood | sore]
[music |Depeche Mode - The Sinner in Me]

Today's kung fu seminar was excellent. The best part was when I got to do sticky hands with a German guy who specializes in just that. Now that was eye-opening. The difference between knocking over your opponent and getting knocked over can be so very, very minute. We practiced very slowly, which let me feel all the changes/transfers all the more. His analogies were rather colourful. "Pull him into you. Like you're making love." Er, you're a nice guy, dude, but you're not my type. Still, I was able to figure out the energy exchanges and the subtleties of balance corrections after a bit of coaching. I want to do a lot more of this....

I also got to do a little bit of weapon sparring and an even smaller bit of wushu. I felt like a senior citizen in the class. Almost all of the students were in their teens or even younger. And those kids sure do hop high.

My Sifu wants me to compete in an upcoming tournament. I've never done that before, but I figure I may as well give it a shot. I might compete in sticky hands and weapon sparring. We shall see.

In the meantime, am I ever sore.
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Arachnophilia [Aug. 31st, 2007|07:37 pm]
[Tags|, , ]
[mood | sleepy]
[music |traffic]

It's been a long day. Not everyone's day job includes a few hours of playing dress-up, but I work at a costume shop. So yes, I was paid to be a fairy princess.

Tomorrow, I'm off to a kung fu workshop, and then I'll get to try out some wushu for the first time. After that, I might be beating people up with foam weaponry. I live the dream, I tell ya!

Link time.

A Public Cervix Announcement: NSFW, because it's the amazing Annie Sprinkle.

Hyper Intelligent Spiders Work Together to Lure, Trap and Eat Human Prey: Shelob lives (thanks, [info]tdj).

Pet creepy-crawlies eat human owner: This goes well with the previous link.

Short Letterpress Documentary: Printing presses, real presses, that is, are wonderful.

“They wanted them poor niggers out of there.”: Even more nastiness from the Big Easy.

At Least Nine Cases Of Walmart Flipflops Burning Customers, Here's The Latest: Don't buy the cheap-ass flipflops.

Cadbury's Dairy Milk Ad: I really, really, really don't get it.

Davidson Vs. Darby: This kid put together an ingenious way of pranking fans of the other team. I think he should have been rewarded for his ingenuity, and not suspended.
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Leatherclad Warrior [Aug. 30th, 2007|04:28 pm]
[Tags|, , ]
[mood | sick]

[Have a fag!]I felt a bit crappy last night at the club. When I woke up this morning, I was fine. I ended up leading the first part of today's kung fu class because the Sifu was caught in traffic, and I felt fine. But once he arrived, I suddenly felt like shit on a stick. My guts were all roiling, and I felt grey and sweaty. I had to sit out part of the class, but managed to finish up and bike all the way home.

On the way back, I stopped in a thrift shop in the hopes of finding a crappy old leather trench coat to use for armour. I couldn't find one, but what I did find was better.

I've been wanting plain black leather pants for years. Today, I found a brand new pair of Northbound Leather pants for $15. And they fit (although I'll need to wear a belt with them). Oh frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!

So even though I still feel grody to the max, I'm wearing a gleeful smile.

Now, I still need some leather armour. I think I need this doorknob, too.

Have a map.

Psst. I think these are the same pants:

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There's a Reason My Arms are Sore Right Now [Aug. 29th, 2007|09:51 am]
[Tags|, , ]
[mood | uncomfortable]
[music |construction and traffic]

I had a private class in kung fu yesterday. We worked mostly on chi sao (sticky hands). I still suck, but I did land a few hits while we were playing, so that counts for something. Of course, so does the one hit I took to the kisser. Oops!

My intermediate pole dance class wasn't as in-depth. I ended up having to share a pole with a sweet li'l thang, so I didn't get in as much spin time as I'd have liked. Even still, I did manage to do the splits a few times in the air, landing in the splits. I may have lost a lot of flexibility, but it's coming back....

Alas, but I have no time for a workout today. I work at the costume shop all day, then I'm off to MAC for my birthday gift: professional makeup application and some sort of cosmetic or another. I'm thinking I might get a red eye shadow. I've been wanting one for years, and it just hasn't transpired.

After getting all gussied up, I'm out to the Renn to see Psyche.

I really wanted to wear my black top with all the chains, but it appears to be AWOL. This fills me with sad. It's a cool shirt! I guess I'll be wearing my PVC pants and top with my Mad Max boots, then.

Link time!

Hagfish Sliming: So gross!

Miss Teen USA South Carolina 2007 with Subtitles: Dear lord (thanks, [info]papajoemambo).

How to Break Up a Cat Fight: So cute (thanks, [info]zombienought)!

Hurricane George: How the White House Drowned New Orleans: Politics makes me feel ill (thanks, [info]warren_ellis).

This photo gives me vertigo: (thanks, [info]f00dave).

Top 10 Physically Modified People in the World: Personally, I think it's missing Steve Mann (thanks, [info]gha5t).

Russian Medieval: Ignore the cartoon nonsense at the top, and scroll down to see some really great photos. I want that kind of armour!

Drains of Canada: Spelunking meets urban exploration and produces some amazing photographs (thanks, [info]tdj).

[Camels]
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Peekaboo! [Aug. 21st, 2007|08:54 pm]
[Tags|, , ]
[mood | uncomfortable]
[music |Otep - Blood Pigs]

I get new glasses tomorrow! I am so very, very excited about being able to see again. Whee!

Today in kung fu I worked a bit on staff handling. I am weak. I need to get stronger. Tonight's pole dancing class helped with that, though. I can not only do the jelly fish spin now, but I can also do the starfish (spinning with body horizontal to ground with legs open in side splits up and down the pole). I'm not good at it yet, but that will come with time.

Links. My browsers are dying, I tell you. DYING!

Fitz: This online puzzle game is highly addictive and time-wasting.

Penis Ice Cream: Probably NSFW.

Should I Teach My Children to Masturbate? I am astonished this woman thought it might be necessary to teach her sons how to beat the bishop.

Nose Fetish: I think this girl is good at faking it.

Clench your teeth for tunes, Japan researchers say: "Japanese train commuters who don't want to reach conspicuously into their bags or pockets to start their iPods will soon be able to do it more subtly -- by simply clenching their teeth." I see a secondary use for this--one which I would like. I clench my teeth in my sleep. If whenever I clenched them, music started to play, I might have an easier time breaking myself of the habit. What do you think?

Africa Children high on sewage: Sniffing gas, glue, or paint is for wimps.

Starving Snakes Eat Their Hearts Out: The longer they go without food, the bigger their heads get, and the smaller their hearts....

Kung Fu Kids: The real reason I study martial arts is so I can beat the shit out of children (thanks, [info]schwartzung).

Study: Virus may contribute to obesity: It may, but the percentage of the population who are fat only because of this virus is exceedingly small. It's the bonbons, folks.

....

I am on the lookout for something horrible I linked to a couple of years ago but cannot relocate: Japanese upnose porn incorporating a nasal speculum and a schnozz full of spooge. Anyone?
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[Aug. 15th, 2007|12:51 am]
[Tags|, , , ]
[mood | wistful]
[music |Gary Numan - Haunted]

At kung fu, my deltoids got so tired that when I paused an exercise to reach up to scratch my nose, I found it took every bit of strength I had to get my hand to my nose. Phew!

So of course, a few hours later I worked it even harder by taking an advanced pole dance class. Despite my tiredness, I managed to do a lift/spin I've never been able to figure out before. Go team me....

On the weekend, I did a martial arts seminar where we covered some Wing Chun principles, then did knife fighting and kali stick exercises. We didn't have real knives, but used Crayola scented markers. I tried not to die, but took two killing wounds (one to the diaphragm, another right in the ear). My shirt was marked up all to hell, but not nearly as bad as some. I'm afraid I slaughtered the hell out of [info]lindalicious. [info]gha5t was trickier, but I did slash his jugular. Go team me redux.

I'm particularly fond of kali sticks, and really hope I can find someone to practice with.

Wanna?

....

I got the best drive-by compliment yesterday while walking to work. A guy on a bicycle zoomed by me, and when he stopped at the traffic light, looked over and said, "I hope you don't mind it when I say 'WOW!"

It put a grin on my face. So much classier than the guys who say things like, "Now that's what I call some grade-A pussy" (actually said to [info]snowy_kathryn a while back).

....

[info]schwartzung introduced me to the music of Otep the other night, and all of a sudden, I find myself diving headfirst into metal. She's good. I can't believe the noises she makes.

....

Link time.

Little Joseph Candle Holder: Creepy. I want some.

Abortion pill could become daily contraceptive: RU-486 may become part of your daily ritual (thanks, [info]warren_ellis).

Dust Comes Alive in Space: "Scientists have discovered that inorganic material can take on the characteristics of living organisms in space, a development that could transform views of alien life."

Do Not Click This Link: I'm warning you. Very NSFW (thanks, [info]balthcat).
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Buzz Buzz Buzz [Aug. 12th, 2007|04:15 am]
[Tags|]
[mood | ginseng jitters]

No sleep. 4:15 in the morning, and I'm buzzing off an effective but horrid-tasting energy drink. I spent the night listening to music and talking with friends. We didn't game. We just hung out.

Tomorrow (today?) is kung fu, knife, and stick fighting. I hope my neck is up to it. It sure didn't like the dance class this (yesterday?) morning.

Brain tired. Body awake.

Let's see if I can get the whole package to sleep, now.
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[Aug. 8th, 2007|05:57 pm]
[Tags|, , ]
[mood | sore]
[music |Android Lust - Sense of it All]

I don't know what the proper way of meeting women is, but I'm fairly sure it isn't by cycling up behind someone and whispering "I need you" in her ear.

And when you're answered by, "I don't need you," that is not an invitation to keep trying.

Sigh....

In other news, I got to use my kung fu skills on the bus when a little boy foolishly stood up on the seat as we went around a turn. Palm strikes are good for more than violence, when applied judiciously. He didn't fall and break his head, and I didn't have to listen to screaming and crying until my stop.

My neck is still fantastically sore, but not nearly as bad as yesterday. I went in for a massage this morning, and it helped tremendously. Now I can actually move my head around, even if not to my usual standards. The verdict? Idiopathic muscle spasms. It could be caused by the humidity. But who knows? I don't. I just want it gone. Now.

I also went in to the airway specialist today for a follow-up visit. My lungs have improved drastically on the new medication--far more than anticipated. My persistent cough is apparently the result of post-nasal drip associated with my asthma, so now I have another medication to take until that clears up. I guess my trachea looks like it was napalmed.

I may be employed. I'm really not sure. I go in for training tomorrow, but I don't know much more than that. Here's hoping I can get some part-time hours. I really don't want full-time, but just enough to relieve the economic pressure.

I've been writing up a storm. I'm surpassing my expectations, sometimes doing more than twenty pages a day. I hope the well doesn't run dry. It feels good to be able to read what the voices in my head are saying....

Link time, boys and girls.

Kids love any food that says McDonalds: Thoroughly disheartening to anyone but a McDonald's ad executive (thanks, [info]snowy_kathryn).

My Rattlesnake Bite: When I was eleven years old, I was nearly bitten by a rattler. I'm glad I didn't have to go through this ordeal (thanks, [info]gha5t).

Mystery Lego: "A huge Lego toy has mysteriously appeared on Zandvoort beach in Holland. Nobody knows where it comes from" (thanks, [info]warren_ellis).

Shitty Room Mate: Every now and then, I come across a truly gruesome story about people who seem too craptastic to be real. This is another one of those.

Spine Lamp: If money were no problem, I'd have one of these on my desk right now.

Alcoholic beverages derived from animal extract, and methods for the production thereof: A truly unappetizing patent.

Angry Hornet Warning: Yup (thanks, [info]f00dave).

Seagull becomes crisp shoplifter: This seagull has very particular tastes (thanks, Ken).

Chickens in the Mist: I suspect this RPG may have been made with me in mind (thanks, [info]gha5t).

Flashlight Weapon Makes Targets Throw Up: When the Fleshlight just doesn't trigger the gag reflex...
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