Three-Dog Family

Hi!

I wrote a post introducing Hissy and Chippy in January. I figured it's about time I start introducing our real pets. (We don't actually "pet" the roaches.) We have three dogs -- Oscar, Casanova, and Bluebell. Oscar, a retired racing greyhound, was Brandi's birthday/Christmas present in 2007. We adopted him from Arizona Adopt A Greyhound, which operates out of the Phoenix Greyhound Park. During his career, Jo-EZ Oscar H, had over 50 top-four finishes and nine wins. He was retired after pulling his groin muscle. Here's a recent picture of Oscar:



His race weight was 73 pounds and he still weighs around that now. (We should all be able to maintain our weight so well after retirement.) He's still pretty fast. He reached 28mph at an event at PGP last November and that was a short run they'd setup for that purpose.

Our other two dogs are technically still puppies. We adopted them one year ago this weekend from Gentle Giants Rescue in Southern California. GGR is owned by Tracy and Burt Ward and they bring dogs from all over the country to their place. (Burt was Robin in the original Batman TV series. He may have been a superhero on TV decades ago, but now he's a superhero in real life.)

Our plan was to adopt a dog as a companion for Oscar, but after we got there we decided to let each kid pick a puppy. Jacqueline picked Bluebell:



She wanted a "girl dog" and Bluebell was the first such dog through the gate. At the time, Bluebell was too young to be fixed. This meant that Joshua had to pick either another female, or a male who was already fixed. Tracy recommended Casanova and Joshua agreed:



Bluebell, who will be two in November, and Casanova, who will be two in August, are borzoi. A "classic" borzoi has really long hair. Bluebell is a short-hair and Casanova is a medium-hair, so they don't have that classic "long-haired greyhound" look. Bluebell is very rambunctious and Casanova is the sweetest dog I've ever met. They play in the yard together and can both run like the wind. The above picture doesn't really capture Casanova's size, so here's one taken last August:



He had just been groomed and we were about to go swimming. Casanova is now slightly taller than Oscar and Bluebell is a bit shorter. Both weigh less than Oscar, though, but we expect Casanova to be the heaviest when he's full-grown. They've been a great addition to the family...

Take care!
Matt

Nationalization & the Liquidity Crisis

Hi!

I wish people would just shut up about nationalization. What the U.S. government is doing is not "nationalizing" banks and the auto industry. This bail-out is designed to be a loan or a purchase of toxic assets from specific companies. Nationalization is when the government takes over management of an industry, by theft (basically). When the Mexican government expropriated petroleum resources in Mexico in 1938 and formed Pemex, that was nationalization. The goal was for the government to take control of the industry, not bail it out of some mess.

By purchasing so-called toxic assets from banks, the government is helping these banks get back into control. The is not that these assets are worthless, it's that they're risky and their value is hard to set. Since banks aren't loaning, there's a liquidity crisis. If you were offered a $100 check posted dated a month from now for $50, you'd take it. However, if you could only come up with $25, you'd hope that you could get it for that amount. The "not being able to come up with $50" is a liquidity problem...and when EVERYONE has it, it's a crisis. It's not that you wouldn't have paid $50, but just that you couldn't come up with the money. It's the same for banks. These assets are technically worth more, but no one can raise enough cash to buy them. This is when the government steps in. If the government pays less than they're worth, but more than anyone else could have, it's a win-win. The banks gets it's best offer and the government (read: the tax-payers) get what is expected to be a pretty good return.

This is why it's a "stimulus." If the banks get straightened out, then they can start lending again. If banks start lending, then companies can get the money they need to grow. If companies can get the money they need to grow, they can develop new products, built plants, and hire workers. If more people are working, they'll have more money to buy goods and services...and so on. If the government made this a hand-out to individuals, especially individuals who don't really need it, then it wouldn't stimulate anything other than increased demand for more populist programs...and that's more like to lead to real nationalization than economic growth.

Thanks,
Matt

Revelation

Hi!

I had a martial arts-related revelation on the way to work today and had to write a post about it.

Thanks,
Matt

Whose form is it anyway?

Hi!

Either I'm getting soft in my old age, or wise... When I was a brown belt in Isshinryu Karate, I spent the summer training with Sensei Harry Charache in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. (Sensei Harry's school is now in Newington, NH.) I had to "re-learn" Wansu Kata because it wasn't my form. Thinking back to this I recall an episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" during which Data is performing a piece on the violin. Picard commented afterwards that while Data's performance was technically flawless, it didn't move him because it lacked emotion. (This was before Data acquired the "emotion" chip from Dr. Sung, of course.) Anyway, that was the problem with my forms. Sensei Harry wanted me to personalize them and make them mine. I knew the moves as they were taught to me, but I didn't internalize them and make them mine, so, like Data's violin performance, my form lacked emotion. I've come to believe that I need to give those I teach the same leeway so they can make their forms theirs...

I'd like to think that this isn't about being lax in my expectations. Sensei Harry didn't do this when I was an orange belt because I wasn't ready to hear it. There are certain aspects of a form that are still "right" or "wrong." For example, if the form calls for a down block and you do an upper block, then you're wrong. However, if the form calls for a mid-section punch and you're hand is not precisely aligned with your solar plexus...that's okay. Why? Well, I've written in the past about visualizing an opponent. (See the "Location, Location, Location" post here.) If I'm to truly allow people to do that, then where they locate their punches should be a function of the opponent they're visualizing. This means that their punches need not all end up in the EXACT same place. This is a revelation to me as I've always felt that there's only one "right" way to do a form.

I think this flexibility can also apply to other transitions. I've written about foot movement in previous posts. (See the "Getting There" post here.) I still believe that there are very good reasons for moving that way, but is doing otherwise wrong? Perhaps not. The key is to make a choice that works for you and and the implications of that choice. The burden of that choice shouldn't be something we (instructors) impose on everyone, though. Beginners, especially kids, still should be taught a "right" way of doing things and instructors at the same school should be consistent. This will avoid confusion and frustration among the students. Those of higher rank, greater life experience (read: older), and the severely anal retentive (like me) will probably need further explanation and the freedom to try things a different way. This is because, well, whose form is it anyway?

Thanks,
Matt

How NOT to use social networking sites

Hi!

I heard about this site on a podcast of NPR's "All Tech Considered" yesterday. They were discussing the use of social networking sites (like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.) and resume builder sites (like VisualCV) to find a job. The aforementioned "Cisco Fatty" used a Twitter post to lose a job at Cisco.

This reminds me of something my brother once told me about job searching: "Make sure you say enough to get the job, but not enough to talk them out of it afterwards." Well, perhaps it wasn't exactly that, but that was the idea. I see social networking sites as a great way to keep in touch with friends, family, (current and former) colleagues. The problem, though, is that once something is on-line, you no longer have control over it. That post by the CF may have been intended only for her friends, but once posted it was visible to everyone.

If you wouldn't post your Social Security Number (You wouldn't, right?!?!?) then you shouldn't post anything else that can get you into trouble. It's just common sense. Fortunately for Cisco, they found out this person didn't have any before they brought her on board...

Take care!
Matt

Guns for Drugs

Hi!

According to the BATF, 90% of the guns used by Mexican drug cartels come from the U.S. (I heard this on the 3/24 episode of NPR's Fresh Air.) Why? Because it's easy to get guns here! It's quite ironic that U.S. citizens are lamenting the problem of drugs in Mexico as it spills over into border states when it's our supply of guns and demand for drugs that is the root cause. Here are two things we could do to help, neither will go over well Washington but I don't see anything coming out of there that's any better:

1) Legalize drugs, especially marijuana, and allow anyone convicted of possession of a small amount of anything to undergo counseling instead of going to prison. Legalization of pot would improve control, increase tax revenue, and make it less of a gateway drug. The main reason pot is a gateway drug is because it requires people to engage the criminal element to get it. Make it legal, and folks just wanting a hit now and then won't have to subject themselves to criminals who push the hard (and more profitable) stuff. Giving people counseling would not only be cheaper than sending them to prison, but it'd allow them to stay productive members of society. Prisons don't rehabilitate drug addicts, they only introduce them to more contacts and make it easier for them to get drugs when they get out...

2) Reform guns laws. The main way guns are making it to Mexico is through legal purchases that are then turned over to the cartels. These folks buy a few at a gun show, from a dealer, or some other legal (in the U.S. anyway) method, then simply send them underground. It wouldn't take making gun shows illegal to fix this, just better record-keeping. If Joe Blow buys 25 guns over a three week period, that should raise a red flag. If a BATF agent stops by his house and the guns aren't there, then Joe goes to jail. I know the NRA is opposed to this, but where in the Constitution does is state that the right to bear arms comes with right to do it without any records of ownership?

We're quick to complain when another country's laws make it harder on our society, but won't acknowledge when our laws negatively affect another's. If we're to stop this guns for drugs exchange we have with Mexico, we can't just throw money and training south of the border; we need to make make some changes north of it.

Thanks,
Matt

Big Night for the Big East

Hi!

I posted on Facebook yesterday that I was rooting for CT, Memphis, Duke, and Xavier. It didn't work out, though it was a big night for the Big East, which showed that it deserved three #1 seeds. Anyway, Connecticut won, but Memphis lost, Duke lost, and Xavier lost to Pittsburg. My brother actually went to the Memphis game. Here's a picture he sent me from his phone:



The game was in Glendale, in the same stadium in which the Super Bowl was played in 2008. Fortunately, they didn't use all the seats. I was imagining a tiny basketball court in the middle of a the football field. The players would have looked as far away as Mick Jagger when Brandi and I saw The Stones there.

Anyway, it was a big night for the Big East. Now, I can root all out for Connecticut without any serious conflicts. However, I would like to see Arizona do well...

Thanks,
Matt

What is a Black Belt?

Hi!

I made this post on my TKD blog and thought I'd link to it here.

Thanks,
Matt

What is a Black Belt?

Hi!

Last night's black belt testing for Shannon and Nick inspired this post... What is a black belt? It's more than a device for holding up pants, or a rank. A Black Belt is a person. The day such a person is awarded the rank and the device, though, isn't necessarily when that person becomes a "black belt." Becoming a black belt is a growth process. Days like yesterday are merely when the results of that growth are formally acknowledged.

To call what happened yesterday a "testing" isn't entirely accurate. Was it a foregone conclusion that Nick and Shannon "passed" the testing? Well, no, but they wouldn't have been there at all had they not already been considered worthy of the rank. It'd be hard to imagine what they would have had to do (or not do) to have been denied the acknowledgement last night. The main reason it'd be hard is because the inconceivability of them doing such a thing is based on the fact that they've already grown beyond the kind of person who would behave in such a way.

The truth is, though, that I know people who have attained the rank of black belt who don't live up to ideals I've come to expect of people awarded that rank. It's not that I expect black belts to be perfect. We all make mistakes because black belts are, above all else, human beings. Following my "Moving On" post, I was reminded of that by Sensei Dorsey, my Isshinryu Karate instructor. Part of what makes a true black belt special is the ability to acknolwedge their own humanity, and then consistently act in accordance with the brighter side of it. Last night was an acknowledgement that we believe Nick and Shannon will...

Thanks,
Matt

My Thoughts on AIG

Hi!

I've heard several news podcasts and shows recently that have prominently featured the AIG controversy. Mostly, people want to know what happened and what the government can do about it. The bottom line regarding what happened is this: AIG (though one of it's departments) insured mortgage-backed securities and didn't account for the possibility that real estate values could fall. In fact, their models didn't even entertain the notion! Now, they didn't actually have to pay claims. The problem is that insurance companies can have less of a reserve if their rating is high (AA or AAA). When property values fell, their rating fell, too. This meant that they had to provide collateral cash to companies that had policies with them. This "run" on their cash is why they needed a bailout.

One could consider this a corporate example of a small-time investor buying a bunch of houses (with ARM loans, of course) and then renting them to people for a thin profit margin. When their payments to the banks go up, they don't have enough to cover the difference. Even if the renter keeps paying the rent, the bank isn't getting enough money and forecloses anyway. The difference, of course, is that when the government gave a bunch of money to AIG, it gave it to its policy-holders. This, in my opinion, is total B.S. The policy-holders haven't realized any losses. It's all just accounting based on the terms of the policy...

This leads me to the bonuses paid to AIG employees. Also total B.S. The "we have contracts we have to honor" excuse doesn't hold water. Every day the government legally breaks financial contracts: It's called bankruptcy court. AIG could have easily spun-off the division that made these crazy deals, then had it file for bankruptcy. The rest of the company, the part that insures regular folks with traditional policies, would be fine. It doesn't surprise me at all that many of these people don't want to return their bonuses. That merely displays the kind of hubris and greed that allowed them to be successful in their jobs in the first place! Successful, of course, is a subjective term: They were VERY good at doing what they were rewarded for doing: Short-term bookings at the expense of long-term viability.

This short-term view is the result of Wall Street pressure to perform NOW! Companies aren't rewarded for taking the long-term view (unless, of course, everything collapses and long-term is all that's left). The solution will require a complete overhaul of the mentality of investors. Basically, we need all investors to ask: What Would Warren (Buffett) Do? I'm fairly certain that he didn't have any money in AIG or with Bernie Madoff. Until we start rewarding companies for making sound long-term decisions, we can expect this kind of thing to happen pretty regularly...some appropriate regulation wouldn't hurt either. Don't get me started on how AIG could keep a AA rating while it was pull all this crap...

Thanks,
Matt

2009 Arizona Renaissance Festival

Hi!

Brandi, the kids, and I went to the Arizona Renaissance Festival today. It's always a great time! It was warm, but there was a breeze. Unfortunately, it was occasionally VERY strong and blew up a lot of dust... Here's the main gate:



Brandi will eventually post more pictures of the kids on our SmugMug site, so I'll just write a bit about what we did. First, Jacqueline got her face painted. That's all she'd been talking about since she didn't get to do it last year. Then, we went to the jousting tournament. The jousting itself was kind of a let down, though I enjoyed the skills competition leading up to it. Here's a video:



We ate here and there all day; I had several pickles. In years past, one could get artichokes. I love artichokes! I would have preferred artichokes, but the pickles were excellent! Jacqueline wanted to ride on the long slide around the tower, so I went up with her. I got some great pictures of the grounds through the tower windows:






Eventually, we found the greyhounds at Fairhaven. There, we ran into Julia Sayre, P4 Area Governor, practicing her Toastmasters skills explaining the virtues of greyhound adoption. Here's a picture of her answering one of my daughter Jacqueline's many questions:



We walked around a bit more, ate a bit more, and left at around 5:00pm. It's an expensive day, though mostly becuase we buy so much stuff for the kids. It would be a LOT cheaper to hire a baby-sitter so Brandi and I could go on our own, but part of the fun is to do things as a family. Maybe next year we'll do both...

Take care!
Matt

Don't Fear the Audience

Hi!

Why is it that people fear public speaking? The answer that most give is that they're afraid of the audience. They're afraid the audience won't want to hear what they have to say. They're afraid the audience will think them a fool. They're afraid the audience will be hostile...

Believe me, most of the time, the audience wants you to succeed. They want you to do well. Why? That's easy! They'd rather hear a good speaker than a bad one. They're there, they're ready, and they'd rather be entertained then have to feel pity on someone who is having a hard time. I was the contest chair at a Toastmasters speech contest today. Here is the audience I had the privilege of having in front of me:



Toastmasters are great about being a supportive audience. If you're being held back by not having the full support of an audience that wants you to succeed, then join a Toastmasters club. Its mission is, in part, "to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment." What more could you need?

Take care!
Matt

Facebook

Hi!

I joined Facebook last week and I'm still not sure what I'm doing. I don't know why I didn't join years ago; I've been on LinkedIn for a while and really enjoy on-line networking. It's a great way to keep in touch with people.

Thanks,
Matt

An Alternative to Competition: The Demo Team

Hi!

I've written several posts related to the case against competition, most of which are excerpts from my article in Taekwondo Times magazine. They've covered the concept of kiai, martial arts forms, the purpose of stances, and point sparring. This post will cover the positive aspects of martial arts tournaments and how these can still be achieved without the use of competition.

Martial arts tournaments can be a showcase for students to perform in front of large, unfamiliar audiences. Getting over nervousness and having the self-confidence necessary to do this is one of the main benefits of martial arts training. However, a tournament is not the only (or even the best) way to do this. A demonstration not only achieves the same thing, but if done as part of a multi-school event will also encourage students (and instructors) to share knowledge and learn from one another. Tournament competition not only doesn't encourage this, but it would not be in a competitor's best interests to share knowledge if they believe it would hurt their chances of winning. If everyone's goal is to learn and put on a great show, then everyone will have an incentive to share.

A demo team is also a great way for a school to create camaraderie among its students (and perhaps generate some additional revenue for the school). Demo team members don't (and shouldn't) have to be the highest-ranking, most-talented martial artists in the school. By showcasing lower ranks and people with obvious physical limitations (I, for one, am severely gravitationally challenged.), the school will project an "anyone can do this" attitude. Having a diverse demo team will also allow people to see the transformations possible through martial arts.

Removing the competitive undercurrents from training will not only help the students see people as enablers of their success, but will also help the school become a stronger family. Most schools will claim this is their goal, but if a school owner pushes competition, then he may be kicking himself in the foot...

Thanks,
Matt

Escrima Curriculum

Hi!

The first weapon in the curriculum is Escrima sticks. Students learn four basic patterns and the six-count pattern. The four basic patterns are:

1) High, Low
2) High, Low, High
3) High, Low, High, Around the Head, High
4) High, Low, High, Down and Around (strike the floor, actually), High

Starting position is sticks on your shoulders. They're done first with the right hand, then with the left. Typical practice is one pattern for a while, then the next, and so on. Here's a video of Sensei Scott Morrill and I doing the basic patterns with both hands, one after the other:



Note that we shift our weight, but don't step forward or back. Also, note that we keep our hands in front and use the sticks to generate the force with our wrists, rather than swinging our arms. Finally, note that we turn our hands out so that we're striking as if we're using blades. This ensures that our hands are supporting the force of the strike, rather than our fingers.

The six-count pattern uses both hands alternating. Starting position is right stick on right shoulder, left stick under right arm. The six-count pattern is:

1) Right high and follow-through to left shoulder
2) Left low and follow-through to left shoulder (outside right hand)
3) Right low and back to under left arm (ending in the opposite position as the start)
4) Left high and follow-through to right shoulder
5) Right low and follow-through to right shoulder (outside left hand)
6) Left low and back to under right arm (ending in the same position as the start)

This pattern is usually done repeated many times. The "stationary," "rotating around," "up/down," and "roll" mentioned in the curriculum are body movements to be done while repeating the pattern. Rotating around means we'd circle around one another. Up/down means that we'd alternate going down to our knees; and roll means that one (or both) of us will do a forward roll (without colliding) then re-engage in the pattern. Here's a video of Sensei Morrill and I doing the stationary six-count pattern a few times:



What makes this interesting is being able to do the patterns quickly and with a lot of power behind each strike. It's a good forearm workout and will definitely test your focus. Getting hit in the hand with an Escrima stick is pretty painful, so it helps to have a partner you trust.

Thanks,
Matt

I've got a lot to (re-)learn...

Hi!

I posted the weapons curriculum for Okinawan Kenpo. I used to know most of these forms, but forgot them in the ~9 years it's been since I trained regularly in OKKK (following my back injury). I've got a lot to learn and a lot to re-learn, but it'll be fun. We had a great meeting over the weekend. Every bit helps...

Take care!
Matt

Okinawan Kenpo Kobudo - Weapons Curriculum

Hi!

Ms. Rush-James teaches weapons at several martial arts schools (primarily TKD) in the Phoenix area. Students who participate in the weapons program, which is outside a school's normal curriculum, learn forms that are part of the Okinawan Kenpo Karate-Kobudo (weapons) system. Rank in the weapons system is indicated by chevrons on the student's pant leg rather than belts. This is to avoid confusion with the school's primary curriculum. Here's what students learn for each belt level:

White:

Four Escrima Patterns (h/l, h/l/h, h/l/around/h, h/l/h/floor/l)

Shihonuke Bo Kata (Four Corners)

Yellow:

Shima Igiri Bo Ichi Kata

Gold:

Freestyle Bo Kata I

Orange:

Chounokun Bo Kata

Six-Count Escrima Pattern (stationary, rotating, up/down, optional roll)

Green:

Chotoku Kyan no Sai Kata

Purple/Blue:

Matayoshi no Sai Kata

Blue/Purple:

Odo Matayoshi no Sai Kata

Red:

Tokumine Bo Kata I

Six-Count Escrima Pattern (with roll)

Brown:

Tokumine Bo Kata II

Black:

Tonfa Kata I

Freestyle Bo Kata II

Note that blue and purple may be swapped depending on the school's belt order. It does not affect the order in which the material is learned. Also, please understand that the videos are meant to show an example of the form, not provide a definitive version or instruction. Our goal is to post videos of all of the kata, but even they won't be a substitute for direct instruction from a qualified black belt. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them in a comment.

Thanks,
Matt

Road Less Traveled

Hi!

I hadn't thought I'd ever post something directly related to my role as a Division Governor in Toastmasters, but today I can't help it. Today, we had a District Executive Committee meeting during which I gave this report. Basically, I read "Road Less Traveled" by Robert Frost:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

Then took the other as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet, knowing how way leads onto way
I doubted if I should ever come back

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference

Why did I read this fanstatic poem about choices? Simple. Because that's what we all do every day and I thought it was relevant. The Gila Division Area Governors and I made the choice to have all five Area contests on one day, staggered by 90 minutes and alternating buildings on Intel's Ocotillo campus. Personally, I thought it worked out great! Others absolutely hated it!!

At first, I was going to defend our choice in my report. Instead, I decided to point out (albeit in a round-about way) that we all make choices. People don't always choose their circumstances, but they choose how to react to them. I think this is a lesson we should all try to remember from time to time...

Thanks,
Matt

Ignite Phoenix

Hi!

A friend presented at Ignite Phoenix last month. My evaluation of his presentation is here. I'm planning on presenting at the next event in June...

Thanks,
Matt

Ignite Phoenix - The heART of Investing

A couple of weeks ago, Brian Carson, my Toastmasters club President and friend, presented during the Ignite Phoenix event on February 25th. His presentation was titled "The heART of Investing" and can be see here. Here is my evaluation of Brian's presentation:

I'm going to go with the "sandwich" approach... First, great message! Brian is a VERY credible source of badgering (I mean, information) on volunteerism. He is truly a shining example of someone who is successful at work, great with his family, but still actively involved in his community.

Second, what is the dress code for Ignite Phoenix? I'm not one to give fashion advice, but I have to comment on Brian's color choices. Wearing black and red on a dark stage made him difficult to see. His body movement and gestures were good and would have made a greater impact had he been dressed in lighter clothes.

Finally, Brian uses humor VERY well. I love that his humor is ALWAYS self-deprecating, even if his stapling gag fell a bit flat at first. It's easy to make fun of others to boost yourself; it's much harder (and requires more confidence) to boost others by making fun of yourself.

Overall, I loved Brian's message and his passion for it. A little better understanding of (and preparation for) the venue would have helped, but that didn't take away from his main point. I hope to see Brian present at Ignite Phoenix again in the future...

Why I Hate Laser Pointers

Hi!

I made this post to my Presentation Skills blog today.

Thanks,
Matt

Why I Hate Laser Pointers

Hi!

I've often been heard talking about this, so it's about time I blog about it. Here's why I hate laser pointers, though most of these reasons apply to any kind of pointing device:

1) Pointing to the screen tends to require one to face it. This means that the presenter isn't facing the audience. Speaking away from the audience has a significant negative impact on voice projection.

2) Relying on pointers decreases one's reliance on language. Saying "here" and "here" while using a pointer instead of "the figure at the top" and "the chart on the right" makes the presentation less about the presenter and more about the slides.

3) They're a crutch one may not always have. If you're presenting to a virtual (or partially virtual) audience, you may not be able to use a pointer. If you become dependent on them, then you'll be in trouble when they're not available.

Remember that the presenter should always be the focus of the presentation, not the visual aid. Using pointers tends to shift that focus, so please use laser pointers only where they're really effective: as a way to drive your cat nuts!

Thanks,
Matt

My Pictures of Chile

Hi!

My pictures of Chile are now on-line at SmugMug. Please take a look and let me know what you think.

Thanks,
Matt

Errazuriz Vineyard Tour

Hi!

On Friday, February 27th, we visited the Errazuriz Vineyard. It was a VERY nice time. The vineyard is very beautiful and the weather was perfect. Here are a few pictures I took of the vineyard:





More are available on our SmugMug site. What I found most interesting is the difference between "wine" grapes and "table" grapes. Grapes used for wine are supposed to be small, about the size of large blueberries. This means that the flavor is packed into a smaller size, not that they have less flavor. What makes table grapes large is water, which dilutes wine. The official reason for our visit was a presentation by one of the winemakers and tasting. Here are some pictures of the setup they had for us:




I liked the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc the best. I normally don't like whites, but this one was different. The winemaker explained that it wasn't stored in oak barrels, which is what darkens most whites. To be an official "winemaker" in Chile, one must have a degree in agriculture. The rationale is that knowing what to do after the grapes are grown does you no good if you don't know how to grow good grapes. She explained that it's possible to make bad wine from great grapes, but never vice versa.

I haven't been able to fine any Errazuriz wines in the Phoenix area. If you know where I might find some, please let me know...

Thanks,
Matt

Vina del Mar & Valparaiso

Hi!

We visited Vina del Mar and Valparaiso today. On the way in, we stopped by a museum that has a Maoi statue out front. You may recognize the style from those on Easter Island, which is part of Chile. Here's a photo of me with the statue:



Our first official stop was at the beach in Vina del Mar, which means "vineyards of the sea." The city is famous for its vineyards, but we were more interested in the beach. (I'll write another post for the vineyard we visited on Friday.) Here's the first picture I took of the beach:



The water was Maine-cold, so we didn't go in. However, even if it were 80 degrees we wouldn't have gone in because of the strong surf. The lifeguards were blowing their whistle whenever anyone (especially kids) got more than waist-deep. Here's a picture I took of a warning sign:



Roughly translated, "playa no apta para el bano" means "the beach is not good for swimming." Totally agree! There is a relatively steep drop to the water's edge and the waves were large (>5'). This makes for good surfing, but also BAD undertow.

After leaving the beach, we went to lunch at Coco Loco, a revolving restaurant in Valparaiso. It was nice, but it revolved so fast that it gave some of our group motion sickness and they had to eat downstairs. Here's a photo of me on the balcony of the restaurant:



After leaving the restaurant, we went to a cul-de-sac that contains a bunch of souvenir shops and some photo opportunities. Here's a picture I took of the port of Valparaiso:



Notice the shipping containers in the foreground and the cruise ship in the background. Valpo is Chile's largest port and my parents' cruise ship landed there after their trip to Antarctica in 2007. Eventually, I'll post more pictures on our SmugMug site.

Thanks,
Matt

Dunkin' Donuts in Chile

I'm not normally one to criticize differences in other countries, but I'm going to have to make an exception in this case. This morning I went to a Dunkin' Donuts in Santiago:



I was really excited to get coffee there because most of the coffee I'd been drinking was more like espresso and was served in small cups. I wanted a Dunkin' BIG ONE! The first sign that things weren't going to be like in the States was the fact that it didn't open until 7:30. This would be unthinkable in New England as most DDs in the Boston area probably make most of their daily revenue before that time. I was a bit early, but I didn't want to give up, so I took a few pictures of the surrounding area:





When I finally got in, which was around 7:45, I ordered a "cafe grande" but that caused some confusion. They didn't really have "cafe regular." They had cappuccino and espresso. What I ended up getting was a "cappuccino grande" for CLP 1380 (around $2.25):



It tastes (since I'm still drinking it) just like all the rest of the coffee I've gotten here, which is not what I expected. Overall, I love the food here! I really enjoyed the French restaurant we visited for dinner last night, but the coffee leaves much to be desired...

Lessons from Fernando Léniz

Our first guest speaker on Tuesday was Fernando Léniz, who was the first Economy Minister of Chile after the 1973 coup that led to assumption of power by Augusto Pinochet. Here's a picture of him with Dr. Roy Nelson, my professor at Thunderbird:



Here's what I learned about economic reform from Don Fernando. Initially, Pinochet did not have the power to impose economic changes, so he did not get involved. Léniz was tasked with helping to implement a system developed by the Chicago Boys. More specifically, he sought buy-in from the people and gave presentations toward that end. His main audiences were:

Military regiments

Women

Workers unions

Clearly, he needed the military's support but not because they were to enforce the policies. He needed the support of the military because they were a widespread and highly-influential social group. The same could be said for women and workers unions. How he did this is by using the classic advice to any presenter: Know Thy Audience. Don Fernando did this by explaining how a free-market economy would benefit each group. For example, women were worried about how eliminating price fixing would harm them. He crafted an example using food that helped them understand that market-driven prices would improve quality and availability. He not only did this in person, but appeared regularly on prime-time television to reinforce his message.

Don Fernando further explained that he often made concessions to get buy-in, something not normally associated with military dictatorships. He also said that "it really helped NOT having a Congress," though I don't believe he meant this to be "it really helped HAVING a dictator." It's that it takes a while for real change to bear fruit; 10 years in Chile's case. Congressmen tend to be so focused on the next election that they're not patient enough to support long-term solutions. From his perspective, success was not measured in GDP but in the people's perception of how the economy serves them personally. Once the people buy-in to the policies, they'll give them time to work. Unfortunately, people in the U.S. (including Congressmen) cast their votes based on 30-second sound bites rather than a true understanding of the issues.

Welcome to Santiago

Hi!

I'm getting ready for bed after be up for most of the past two days. I arrived at the Phoenix airport just after 10am (local time) yesterday. Things went really smoothly at the check-in counter and through security, so I had well over an hour to kill. Knowing that I'd be sitting for a while, I decided to walk around while I waited for my flight to Atlanta to board. While walking, I found this:



Most graduate business programs advertise on billboards. The fact that Thunderbird advertises at the airport really tells you that they expect their students to be travelers. I'm glad to be in the program!!

During my layover in Atlanta, I had dinner with Jessica Brodnik, a friend I've known since high school but haven't seen in almost 10 years (when she lived in New Hampshire). We ate at Houlihan's in the airport terminal. I was pretty hungry not having eaten on the flight. Here's a picture one of the restaurant employees took of us as we were leaving:



Out in the food court, there is a replica of a dinosaur skeleton. I had to take pictures of it:







I'll bet I can guess the name of the guy who discovered this species! (Yang Chuan anyone?) The flight to Santiago was pretty long. I slept a bit, but it was bad sleep so it only really counts to pass the time. I was watching "Pineapple Express" and it was stopped about two-thirds of the way through as we approached for landing. I'll just have to rent it.

There were three other T-birds on my flight and six more who arrived at around the same time. It took a while to get us all through customs and get our bags (though one guy's bags didn't make it). We ended up renting two vans to take us to the hotel. This took about 30 minutes, but I still ended up at the hotel a couple of hours before my rooms was ready. Some folks in our class arrived yesterday, so I put my bags in someone else's room and walked around a bit. I saw a Subway:



However, I didn't want to eat there. Instead, I ate at Schopdog!





Afterwards, I returned to the hotel and relaxed in my room. I was lucky enough to turn on the TV in time for a showing of "Forrest Gump." I had to hit the SAP button to get the English audio, but it made for a relaxing afternoon. When I went down to sign in, I took this picture from the hotel lobby:



This wasn't the only dog I saw around the city. Dinner, for which we left the hotel at 7:30, was at a rotating restaurant called Giratorio, just around the corner. I had a salmon appetizer, steak, and rice to eat, with a mango sour, wine, and water to drink. It was all very good and nice catching up with some classmates I haven't seen since orientation week. I'm pretty tired and left "early" at around 10:30. When I went to www.blogger.com, the home page looked a bit different:



Different, but some how familiar. Not unlike Santiago. It's a nice city and I'm looking forward to spending time here...

Take care!
Matt

Santiago Trip

Hi!

I'm leaving for Santiago in a few hours as part of my Regional Business Environment: Latin America course at Thunderbird. I had to borrow jackets from my brother for the more formal events we'll be attending. Yesterday, I had to buy some dress shirts and a new suitcase. I think the outfits I put together look pretty good, but what do I know?

I plan on posting from Chile, but don't know for sure whether I'll be able to. Our schedule is VERY packed and I have a presentation due on Saturday. Obviously, getting that done will be my top priority...second will be to try and have some fun and see the sights. I'll definitely post when I get back...

Thanks,
Matt

Stances

Hi!

I published a post on stances on my martial arts blog.

Thanks,
Matt

Stances

In August of 2006, I posted an entry titled "The Purpose of Stances." This post goes into some detail about this important aspect of martial arts. It is my contention that there are three kinds of stances: front stances, back stances, and middle stances. I'll explain each kinds and its variations. Much thanks to Lindsey Williams for being my model...

Front Stances

Front stances are stances in which most of your weight is on your front foot. These can also be called walking stances, forward stances, and probably several other names I've never heard. Here's Lindsey doing a basic front stance:


Note that her shoulders are square to the front, her back leg is nearly straight, and her front knee is bent. Some styles / schools / instructors prefer deeper or shallower stances. That's fine. To each his own. Even some situations require deeper or shallower stances than is typical. What makes a front stance a front stance is weight distribution: Most of the weight is supported by the front foot.

Back Stances

Back stances are stances in which most of your weight is on your back foot. These can also be called "L" stances because your feet make an "L." Here's Lindsey doing a basic back stance:


Note that her shoulders are turned to 45 degrees, both knees are bent, and her back is straight and aligned with her back heel. Again, depth is a matter of preference and situation. A variation on the back stance is the cat stance. A cat stance positions the front foot closer to the back foot, and has the heel off the floor. Many Okinawan karate styles (Isshinryu, for example) use cat stance exclusively as its form of back stance. Regardless, what makes a back stance a back stance is weight distribution: Most of the weight is supported by the back foot.

Middle Stances

Middle stances are stances in which the weight is equally distributed. A ready stance is a middle stance, but the best visual example is a horse (or horse-riding) stance. Here's Lindsey doing a horse stance:


Note that her back is straight, her knees are back, and her hips are forward. Of course, depth is a matter of preference here, too. The key to a good horse stance is to keep your weight not only in the center between your feet, but balanced front-to-back.

There are other "middle" stances, such as a crane stance, but that will require its own post. If you keep in mind the main aspect of front, back, and middle stances, then regardless of depth, you'll have a strong foundation from which to execute any technique!

What's the Use?

Hi!

Recently I woke up to a downstairs bathroom that looked like this:



My first thought used to be, "What a mess! I can't believe Jacqueline wasted all this stuff!! Now I'm going to have to clean it up!!!" When I thought that way, I wasn't asking myself why she did it. Jacqueline, who turned 5 last fall, isn't "making messes," she's learning about her world. When I think of what she's doing as making messes, I'm not taking into account her development.

I also used to think that she's "wasting" stuff by mixing it into her "potions." I had this idea that each thing has a "proper" use and by using things in a different way, Jacqueline was wasting it. What's the use? Well, to Jacqueline, it's just another interesting potion ingredient. As long as it's not harmful, and most of what she uses are baking materials so they're not, what's the problem? Per pound, flour and corn starch are a LOT cheaper than most of the other toys she likes, so I should be happy.

I have explained to her that when she creates these elaborate concoctions she's also committing some time to clean-up. She's probably love for her potions to stay where they are, but (for sanitary and sanity reasons) they need to be removed. It's probably not going to be HER time, mind you, but someone's time. All I can do now is encourage her to keep it localized (like in the bathroom) and ask her help when it's time to clean-up... It sure beats getting angry, which never makes me feel better in the long run, so what's the use in that?

Thanks,
Matt

Intel Entry Storage System SS4200-E

Hi!

For a while, I'd been dreading a hard drive crash. We have hundreds of gigabytes of movies, music, and pictures. Losing any of it, especially the pictures, would be devastating. Creating back-up discs was an option, but not a very pleasant one since Brandi shoots her pictures in RAW format. It also didn't make sense for movies. What I wanted was a RAID system that I could connect directly to my network. Enter the Intel Entry Storage System SS4200-E.



The Intel Entry Storage System SS4200-E became available last year for employees to purchase directly from the company store for ~$250. It holds four hard drives, can be configured for RAID 5, and can connect directly to my network. Perfect. The only question was: What kind of hard drives should I put into it? Even though the documentation didn't guarantee they'd work, I decide to go for Seagate Barracuda 1.5TB SATA drives. Mostly because I want a LOT of storage, but also because a friend turned me on to a REALLY GREAT deal and I was able to get four for ~$500. Here's a picture of me installing them.



It was really quite easy. The drives aren't actually attached to the frame. Small screws with plastic knobs attach to the drive. These knobs are trapped between two hinged parts of the frame, then secured together. No problem! I plugged it in, attached it to the network, and installed the configuration software. After a bit of a scare as the configuration software seemed to be confused as to whether it needs an upgrade, I saw this on My Computer:



Very cool! It took a LONG time to copy all of the files from two 750GB FreeAgent drives (longer than I would have thought), but it seems to be working just fine. We have the media read by an XBOX Media Center to get it into the living room, so I decided we might as well have the server in the same cabinet as the TV and XBMC. The XBMC already had a network connection, so I just bought a ~$30 four-port switch by Linksys and used it to connect the XBMC, storage server, and our Nintendo Wii to the router.



I imagine that it won't be long before we'll buy a new TV, so at least we'll be ready with the rest of the equipment! Now that we have the storage, our next project is to digitize all of our old VHS tapes. If you have any suggestions regarding a convenient (and inexpensive) way of doing that, please let me know.

Thanks,
Matt

AZ Kenpo Posts

Hi!

I made three posts (Intel OC2 Gym, Wansu Kata, and Koryo Hyung) to the AZ Kenpo blog today. I'll probably consider that enough for the long weekend.

Take care!
Matt

Wansu Kata - Okinawan Kenpo

The following description of Wansu (or Wanshu) is from Wikipedia:

Wanshu is a name borne by several katas in many systems of karate, including Isshin-Ryu, Shotokan (under the name empi), Wadō-ryū and others.

Wanshu is also the Okinawan-adapted name of Sappushi [Jp. 'diplomat'] 'Wang Ji' (1621-1689), the leader of a large ambassadorial mission from China sent by the Qing government to the village of Tomari, Okinawa in 1683. A poet, calligrapher, diplomat, and martial artist in the Shaolin tradition of Fujian White Crane, he is often credited with teaching chu'an fa to the gentry of Tomari.

The Wanshu kata was either a creation of Wang Ji's, or composed by his students and named in tribute to him. Regardless, many karate traditions include a kata bearing the name of Wanshu or a variant (Ansu, Anshu) which vary in schematics but carry certain distinctive similarities. One translation of the word "Wanshu" is "dumping form" for the dramatic grab-and-throw technique seen in most versions.

The two main versions are Matsumora-Wanshu and Itosu-Wanshu; though Itosu Anko trained with Matsumora Kosaku, it is uncertain whether Itosu adapted his version from Matsumora-Wanshu or whether he acquired a separate Wanshu kata that would have developed in parallel to Matsumora's. Itosu-Wanshu, while still bearing this name in certain karate styles, was renamed Empi by Gichin Funakoshi for use in Shotokan.

Here's a video of Patrick Callahan performing the Okinawan Kenpo version of the kata:



If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post them.

More on the bailout...

Like a lot of people (though apparently not all of Congress), I've been thinking about the bailout and trying to get my head around numbers approaching trillions of dollars. It's not easy. The amounts of money we're talking about are inconceivable, really. The richest people in the world have more money than they know what to do with...and we're talking about hundreds of times more.

The other day, I was talking with a colleague about it. He said that he thought everyone ought to get a $10k tax credit. That, he said, would be fair. Giving money only to those who need it, would not be. Perhaps that's true, but what's the goal here? Is it to be fair, or is it to get the economy back on track?

I don't think anyone would argue that it's anything other than to get the economy back on track. Life's not fair, so let's quit talking about the bailout as if that's one of the goals. We need to stop the bleeding and put whatever resources necessary to do so. If you cut your arm, you wouldn't also bandage your leg "to be fair."

While it might be more personally satisfying (and politically defensible) to throw all those responsible for this mess in jail (assuming we can decide who that is), it won't solve our problem. While it might be more personally profitable (and politically defensible) to give everyone a handout and call it a "stimulus," that won't solve our problem either.

The problem is that people are losing their jobs and their houses and that's causing a ripple effect that ends up creating a positive feedback loop. If people can't afford to buy stuff, the businesses selling stuff cut jobs. This creates more people who can't afford to buy stuff, which creates more business that have to cut jobs. This isn't just about cars!

Here's my proposal, though since the Senate and the House agreed on a bill today, it's probably too late... The government needs to get into the mortgage business, but with some pretty interesting terms:

1) ANYONE (regardless of income or foreclosure status) can refinance the mortgage on their primary residence, or purchase a home that is to be a primary residence.

2) The monthly payment won't be more than 40% of the family's income...ever! The payment will adjust annually based on the previous year's tax return.

3) The interest rate will be fixed and pretty low (say, 4%), but the duration of the loan can be as long as necessary to keep the payment low.

4) Mortgage interest for anyone on this program is NOT tax deductible. This should discourage anyone from using this program who doesn't really need it.

5) Capital gains tax when someone sells a home financed with this program is double what it normally would be. Again, don't want to encourage anyone who should have a better option.

6) Anyone who loses their job doesn't have to make payments for as long as they qualify for unemployment benefits. The principle of the loan will go up, so it's not a completely free lunch. The goal here is to prevent foreclosure, which defeats the purpose.

It's not perfect and it's not fair, but it's better than a hand-out. While I don't always agree with the IMF's methods, I like their philosophy: We'll give you money, but it's going to hurt. I hate thinking that some people are actually happy to receive bailout money. I think my proposal will at least make people who may be on the fence think twice, and let people who are doing fine feel better about it...

How to Be a Good Unschooler

We tell people that our kids are homeschooled, but what we're doing is really called "unschooling." Below is an article titled "How to Be a Good Unschooler" written by Pam Sorooshian that was posted on Sandra Dodd's web site. These are our goals as parents:


1. Give your love generously and criticism sparingly. Be your children's partner. Support them and respect them. Never belittle them or their interests, no matter how superficial, unimportant, or even misguided their interests may seem to you. Be a guide, not a dictator. Shine a light ahead for them, and lend them a hand, but don't drag or push them. You WILL sometimes despair when your vision of what your child ought to be bangs up against the reality that they are their own person. But that same reality can also give you great joy if you learn not to cling to your own preconceived notions and expectations.

2. Homeschooled children who grow up in a stimulating and enriched environment surrounded by family and friends who are generally interested and interesting, will learn all kinds of things and repeatedly surprise you with what they know. If they are supported in following their own passions, they will build strengths upon strengths and excel in their own ways whether that is academic, artistic, athletic, interpersonal, or whichever direction that particular child develops. One thing leads to another. A passion for playing in the dirt at six can become a passion for protecting the natural environment at 16 and a career as a forest ranger as an adult. You just never ever know where those childhood interests will eventually lead. Be careful not to squash them; instead, nurture them.

3. Bring the world to your children and your children to the world. Revel in what brings you together as a family. Watch tv and movies and listen to music and the radio. Laugh together, cry together, be shocked together. Analyze and critique and think together about what you experience. Notice what your child loves and offer more of it, not less. What IS it about particular shows that engage your child—build on that. Don't operate out of fear. Think for yourself and about your own real child. Don't be swayed by pseudostudies done on school children.

4. Surround your child with text of all kinds and he/she will learn to read. Read to them, read in front of them, help them, don't push them. Children allowed to learn on their own timetable do learn to read at widely divergent times—there is NO right time for all children. Some learn to read at three years old and others at 12 or even older. It doesn't matter. Children who are not yet reading are STILL learning—support their learning in their own way. Pushing children to try to learn to read before they are developmentally ready is probably a major cause of long-term antipathy toward reading, at best, and reading disabilities, at worst.

5. It doesn't matter when something is learned. It is perfectly all right for a person to learn all about dinosaurs when they are 40 years old, they don't have to learn it when they are nine. It is perfectly all right to learn to do long division at 16 years old, they do not have to learn that at nine, either. It does not get more difficult to learn most things later; it gets easier.

6. Don't worry about how fast or slow they are learning. Don't test them to see if they are "up to speed." If you nurture them in a supportive environment, your children will grow and learn at their own speed, and you can trust in that process. They are like seeds planted in good earth, watered and fertilized. You don't keep digging up the seeds to see if the roots are growing—that disrupts the natural growing process. Trust your children in the same way you trust seeds to sprout and seedlings to develop into strong and healthy plants.

7. Think about what is REALLY important and keep that always in the forefront of your interactions with your children. What values do you hope to pass on to them? You can't "pass on" something you don't exemplify yourself. Treat them the way you want them to treat others. Do you want respect? Be respectful. Do you want responsibility from them? Be responsible. Think of how you look to them, from their perspective. Do you order them around? Is that respectful? Do you say, "I'll be just a minute" and then take 20 more minutes talking to a friend while the children wait? Is that responsible? Focus more on your own behavior than on theirs. It'll pay off bigger.

8. Let kids learn. Don't protect them or control them so much that they don't get needed experience. But, don't use the excuse of "natural consequences" to teach them a lesson. Instead, exemplify kindness and consideration. If you see a toy left lying in the driveway, don't leave it there to be run over, pick it up and set it aside because that is the kind and considerate thing to do and because kindness and consideration are values you want to pass on to your kids. Natural consequences will happen, they are inevitable. But it isn't "natural" anymore if you could have prevented it, but chose not to do so.

9. We can't always fix everything for our kids or save them from every hurt. It can be a delicate balancing act—when should we intervene, when should we stay out of the way? Empathy goes a long long way and may often be all your child needs or wants. Be available to offer more, but let your child be your guide. Maybe your child wants guidance, ideas, support, or intervention. Maybe not. Sometimes the best thing you can offer is distraction.

10. Be sensitive to your child's interest level. Don't push activities that your child isn't interested in pursuing. Don't let YOUR interests dictate your child's opportunities. If your child wants a pet, be realistic and don't demand promises that the child will take sole care for it. Plan to care for it yourself when the interest wanes. Do it cheerfully. Model the joy of caring for animals. Model kindness and helpfulness. Help a child by organizing their toys so they are easy to care for. Plan to care for them yourself much of the time, but invite your child's help in ways that are appealing. If YOU act like you hate organizing and cleaning, why would your child want to do it? Always openly enjoy the results of caring for your possessions—take note of the extra space to play in, the ease of finding things you want, how nice it is to reach into a cupboard and find clean dishes. Enjoy housework together and don't make it a battle.

11. Don't pass on your own fears and hates about learning anything. If you hate or fear math, keep it to yourself. Act like it is the most fun thing in the world. Cuddle up and do math in the same way you cuddle up and read together. Play games, make it fun. If you can't keep your own negativity at bay, at least try to do no harm by staying out of it.

12. Don't try to "make kids think." They WILL think, you don't have to make them. Don't use every opportunity to force them to learn something. They WILL learn something at every opportunity, you don't have to force it. Don't answer a question by telling them to "look it up" or by asking them another question. If you know the answer, give it. If you don't, then HELP them find it. Speculating about an answer often leads to a good conversation. If your child stops seeing you as helpful when they have questions, they'll stop coming to you with their questions. Is that what you really want?

13. When you offer a child choices, be sure they are real choices. Offer them choices as often as you can. Try to limit the "have to's" as much as you can. Frequently ask yourself, "Is this really a "have to" situation or can we find some choices here?"

Bush's Legacy of Terrorism

I listened to a BusinessWeek podcast this morning from immediately following the terrorist attack in Mumbai, India. The conversation between the host and the guest covered the policital impact of terrorism and both praised George Bush for making America safer and stated that this would be his legacy. I beg to differ.

Let's say my kids are sleeping and I run into their room dressed as a monster, brandishing a axe, and start yelling and screaming. My kids would be VERY frightened. Then, let's say, I take off the mask, put down the axe, and start comforting them. Does the fact that I comforted them make me a great dad? No way! The fact is that I'm the main reason they were frightened!! Sure, there are "monsters" out there who may also be axe-weilding murderers, but they're few and far between...kind of like terrorists. Bush wants to get credit for easing our fears, but the truth is that he's the main reason we have them.

Terrorism isn't just an act of violence. Terrorism using fear to control people for political purposes. After 9/11, Bush didn't attempt to ease America's fears. He sought to benefit from them. He used them to help pass the PATRIOT Act, which limited our freedom, and he used them to get re-elected. He wanted everyone to believe that we should fear for their safety if we didn't vote for him. That, my friends, is terrorism.

Bush didn't protect us from terrorism. He became a terrorist. That should be his legacy.

February Resolution Update

Hi!

I thought I'd take the time to give an update on my New Year's Resolutions... According to my post on 1/1/9, my resolutions are:

Get back into martial arts as a family activity.

Successfully complete my courses at Thunderbird.

Establish better communication with friends and family.

Establish and maintain good exercise and financial habits.

The first one, I'd say, is complete. I have gotten back into martial arts and it is a family activity. I'm really happy with how things are going with S&H, at Intel, and in Kenpo. In fact, just last night I started blogging on the Arizona Kenpo Club blog.

The second one is on-going. I'll be leaving for Santiago two weeks from today and will have a paper due four weeks from today. I'm sure there will be posts related to the trip, even if they're just to share pictures.

My intent for the third resolution was to post regularly to my blog. My goal was four times per week. This means that I should have made at least 22 posts in the past five-and-a-half weeks. I've made 25, so I think I'm on track for that.

The fourth resolution is somewhat related to the first, but I've also been using our Wii Fit to record most days. My goal is to record some exercise every day and I've been pretty consistent. I miss a day now and then, but mostly that's because the Wii Fit won't allow you to record time for any day but the current day.

The fourth resolution is also related to finances. Brandi and I started using YNAB (You Need A Budget) software and really find it helpful. Brandi has done most of the work in setting it up, but it'll only be effective if we both buy-in to the concept. So far, so good...

I'll post another update in a month or so...

Take care!
Matt