Monday, December 21, 2009
Where does it go from here?
Over the next 50 years the Earth may warm by an average of 3 degrees or more. Half the species alive today may be extinct. And half a billion or more people may starve to death as a result of climate change. Eco-systems which may hold the undiscovered cures to such things as killed my son will be gone. And a quarter of the world's oceans could be an island of rubbish.
Something's gotta give...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
My, what a cheerful mood you're in. Thanks for spreading it. ; )
ReplyDeleteI broke my leg three weeks back and I'm unable to train at the moment, so I'm feeling a bit pent up.
ReplyDeleteThat and the dufus 'nope-nuthin-going-on' denial brigade on climate change are pissing me off.
My sympathies. I've broken mine three times. How did you do it and what do you train for?
ReplyDeleteI'm agraid the denial brigade is as active as the know-nothings.
I do martial arts and I broke my leg in a training accident.
ReplyDeleteTwo guys I wasn't actually fighting tumbled over like a human snowball and took my leg out, sideways, with their combined weight. I was focused on something else and they were so intent on each other they didn't even see me. All three of us heard the crack.
I knew instantly it was broken and after I cooled down the pain went off. Went to hospital but went home that night.
It was just an accident and I don't hold a grudge or anything. I just want to heal, and ease back into training when it's firm.
How did you break yours?
The climate change debate is probably more front-page political here than in the States because our conservative party had a meltdown between a faction who wanted to pass an emissions trading scheme and those who did not. Our centre-left and currently ruling party wanted to take a lead on this ahead of Copenhagen. It's the number one wedge issue between Right and Left in Australian politics today.
Sorry to hear about your leg, amigo. Sideways, I can only imagine. I've actually been thinking about getting into some martial arts training myself. I had several good buddies in college who taught Aikido and I really dug the concept. What would you suggest trying?
ReplyDeleteI've done only a little aikido a long time ago in Japan but I found it interesting.
ReplyDeleteI do a modified form of karate which takes in elements of many other things (especially kick-boxing), and I do some Mixed Martial Arts, which I would recommend. My instructors are special operations cops so there is a strong emphasis on "it must work". I do a bit of Filipino knife and stick stuff as well.
My preference is for striking based arts because I'm fairly tall so I have the reach, but we incorporate grappling and takedowns because the majority of fights do go to the ground, somehow, and a little knowledge goes very far. I recommend this bit strongly, because having the best roundhouse in the world, for example, will avail you nothing if the guy is sitting on you.
All in perspective though... People take that principle too far though and treat grappling arts ( like jui-jitsu ) as the ultimate fighting system, but in a real situation going to the ground willingly is not an option if the other guy has friends with him.
Whatever you do, I recommend that it involve semi-contact sparring from day one (full contact like in Kyokushin karate is fine too but there are obvious risks).
The other thing I would say is that there is no 'ultimate' system. All styles have something of value, and they all have blindspots.
The other thing that I would add is that martial arts helps in every aspect of life. New friends, fitness, focus, spirit, equalibrium. Everything.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was losing my son, and I was watching the light go out, it saved me from going insane.
The therapeutic benefits are foremost in my mind, magpie. Thanks for the info.
ReplyDelete