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London MCM Expo | 23-24 May 2009
If anyone is interested there be a Game, comics and anime Convention in london on the 23 & 24 may 2009, plus signings from some of the stars from sci fi past such as
LINDSAY WAGNER who played the bonic woman from the series in the seventies,
LINDA HAMILTON who played Sarah Connor in the hit movies 'The Terminator' 1 & 2
NEIL GRAYSTON Plays the character of Douglas Fargo in the TV series 'Eureka'. Also appeared in The
Dead Zone, Dead Like Me, Smallville.....
LESLIE NIELSEN is known for his many roles over a long and continuing career perhaps most formovies
such as Airplane, Naked Gun and the Scifi classic Forbidden Planet
TONY CURTIS The Hollywood screen Legend
JAMES DUVAL Has appeared in Donnie Darko
JOE MORTON Can be currently seen playing the role of Henry Deacon in Eureka
There also be signing from comic book artist and writers
the link can be seen below, early tickets can be purchase online and must be purchased before the 13 may or you can queue on the day and get them at the door.
Just a warning the queue could be a mile long as it was last year, if you purchase a ticket online you can just walk in.
London MCM Expo Games, comics, anime Convention
got an event you want to promote? an SF club, D&D meet?, a Munch? Let the world know
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On America's
first official "Earth Day" — April 22, 1970, the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection was born. New Jersey became the
third state in the country to consolidate its past programs into a unified
major agency to administer aggressive environmental protection and conservation
efforts. Former Governor William T. Cahill appointed Richard J. Sullivan
as the first commissioner.
Since that day, NJDEP began a role to manage natural
resources and solve pollution problems. In what started with about
1,400 employees in five divisions, NJDEP now has a staff of approximately
2,900 and is a leader in the country for its pollution prevention
efforts and innovative environmental management strategies.
Department: NJDEP Home | About DEP | Index by Topic | Programs/Units | DEP Online
Statewide: NJ Home | Services A to Z | Departments/Agencies | FAQs
Copyright © State of New
Jersey, 1996-2019
Last Updated:
January 25, 2018

subset: commoncrawl


text: Jen and I will be doing the January 30th show. We'll be looking at the distortions, half-truths, and outright lies in a fund raising letter sent by Mike Huckabee. One of our members received it (we know not why) and she brought it to our attention. Please consider this post open to comments on the letter and the show.


text:
I always watch science and nature shows on television. As a child I sat before the television watching Wild Kingdom, National Geographic, and Jacques Cousteau. Today there is so much more available on a wider range of subjects.
One of the subjects often covered is asteroids. Asteroids present a real risk to the Earth. In fact, it may have been an asteroid (or two) that lead to the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Scientists have had to consider, what, if anything, could be done to protect us from an asteroid on a collision course with the Earth. The recent impact of a comet with Jupiter shows just how real this threat is.
Of course, most people's first thought is to send up nuclear bombs to destroy the asteroid. On several shows, scientists reported that such a plan would not work. The asteroids are simply too big. All the nuclear bombs on the Earth would not protect us, even if they all could be sent up to intercept the asteroid.
Think about it -- all the destructive force of all the nuclear bombs on Earth!
But then another scientist will say, "if you could intercept the asteroid when it is far enough away from the Earth, you would not need that much power to divert its course and make it miss the Earth." Such scientists state that a gentle nudge far enough in advance could save our planet.
"A gentle nudge" can save the Earth.
I thought about it. That is what we are as Karate instuctors. We give gentle nudges to our students. For the youth, these gentle nudges are hopefully far enough in advance to help shape their future lives, to help them avoid problems or troubles.
When a students is about to encounter a life crisis -- a crime, a serious illness or death in the family, divorce, a natural distaster -- it is too late. All the nuclear bombs on the Earth will not be enough because the events are already imminent.
But if we can give a gentle nudge to a student, perhaps years or decades later he or she will avoid committing a crime, will hold back rather than strike spouse or child, will stay out of a gang, will be prepared for challenges because he or she will have obtained a good education. What we say in class and more particularly, the example we set in class, may seem insignificant at the time. But who knows the potential consequences. Even if we never see it or know it, it may help to shape the lives of our students.
Don't wait until it is too late. A gentle nudge only works far in advance. When you see the asteroid it is too late.
Charles C. Goodin
A Gentle Nudge
I always watch science and nature shows on television. As a child I sat before the television watching Wild Kingdom, National Geographic, and Jacques Cousteau. Today there is so much more available on a wider range of subjects.
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Sunday, April 29, 2007
Getting Hit With Your Own Arm
You might have seen movies where someone cuts off a person's arm and hits him with it. This type of thing is usually reserved for horror or zombie flicks.
But Florentino S. Pancipanci (I learned from him at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii), used to do something somewhat similar.
When you attacked, he would grab your wrist and twist your arm inward so that your elbow was pointed toward your body. Then he would thrust forward, striking you with your own elbow!
He was the only person I have ever seen who did this. Mr. Pancipanci used to say that you made the attacker hit himself. I was often on the receiving end of this technique and it really worked. Getting his with your own elbow completely disrupted the flow of your movement -- and it really hurt!
Of course we learned something similar in Aikido, but the striking thrust was replaced with a throw.
Mr. Pancipanci was an amazing instructor.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Saturday, April 28, 2007
Getting It
In December I will be 50. I started practicing Karate at the age of 14, and had practiced Judo from the age of 8. I never did any sports. I have only practiced martial arts: Karate, Judo, Aikido, Kendo, Iaido, Tai Chi, and Kenpo.
I only thought I "got it" in Karate once.
About the age of 17 or 18, I thought I really understood Karate and was quite good. I already taught my own classes at Hickam Air Force Base. I felt fast, strong and skillful. This was the only time in my life I thought I "got it."
When I started to learn Shorin-Ryu from Sensei Rodney Shimabukuro (at Our Lady of the Mount Church in Kalihi Valley), I quickly learned that I did not get it at all. Maybe I got a very small part of it, but I realized that there was much, much more to learn. My sense of what "it" meant grew exponentially.
Time went on. I viewed "it" in terms of understanding the curriculum of the form of Karate I was practicing and teaching: Matsubayashi-Ryu. I thought that if I could learn the kata, basics, bunkai, kumite techniques, etc., I would get it.
"It" was elusive. The more I learned, the more it seemed that there was to learn.
But I was determined. I pursued "it" the same way that others pursued enlightenment.
More time. More effort. Less it.
I met many skilled Karate instructors, both inside and outside of my style. I came to realize that style was a good thing for beginners, but a dangerously limiting thing for advanced students. Karate is much bigger than any style, than any organization, and than any person.
As such, "it" was even bigger.
And yet I did not give up. More to learn, and still "it" did not come sharply into view.
Then I began to get the sense that I was starting to scratch its surface. As my ability grew, the basics began to make more sense. Kata began to be like origami, then like old friends. A block was a block, but also a strike, and much more. The form of Karate became punctuated by spontaneity.
I felt closer to "it."
But still, my movement was so limited. Age. Age became more than a factor. My body could not do the things that were easy in my 20s. Older, slower, weaker. Any yet I was not done. I still wanted to get it.
Then I met Sensei Katsuhiko Shinzato. It was as if he had discovered the Karate fountain of youth. In his 60's he could do things I had never been able to do. If only I could learn to move like him -- I would surely get it.
Koshi, hara, tanden, gamaku, hanmi, whip, sink, explode, osae. "It" became a magnificient cathedral, and I a devoted parishioner.
Perhaps that it was why "it" was so hard to see. Maybe "it" was too big. You can only see the clouds in the sky above you but they extend beyond the horizon
More training. More thinking. Age was not such a factor -- in fact, it seemed manageable. But still the answer eluded me. Where was "it"?
When I stopped and looked closely, as closely as I could, I realized that there was a reason that I could not focus my eyes on "it." There was a reason that I felt limited to the surface of something inexplicable, the reason that the more I learned, even when I felt that I was making progress, still "it" was not there.
I was looking in the wrong direction.
"It" is not outside. "It" has to be inside each student. "It" is personal.
Karate provides a structure, a lens which allows introspection. I was trying to look inside myself with a telescope. It was like trying to feed a hunger by putting food on a table -- the hunger will only be satisfied if you eat.
You can never "get" it, you can only "be" it. Of course, this sounds too metaphysical. It is better not to speak about it at all.
But when I meet Karate instructors and we speak about our experiences, I often mention that I feel that I am just scratching the surface. They reply, "yes, yes," or "hai, hai."
Before I meant I thought that I was just scratching the surface of Karate. Now I mean that I am just scratching the surface of myself... scratching an "it"ch.
Ichi, ni, san... there is no end.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Saturday, April 28, 2007
Graduating Students -- Some Advice
Several of the students in my dojo are graduating. Some are going on to college or technical training programs. Some are going from middle school to high school, and others from elementary school to middle school. I always find that this is a good time of the year to "encourage" my students. Some parents also ask me to do so.
It is extremely important for Karate students to try their very best in school. School comes first, Karate third or fourth. You should only practice Karate after you have completed your schoolwork, chores at home, and family obligations. If you are practicing Karate but falling behind in school, you should take a break from Karate training until you have caught up at school.
Most students will not become Karate instructors. Most Karate instructors, at least in Hawaii, do not do it for a living. So sacrificing your education for the sake of Karate does not make any sense. Even if you plan to become a fulltime Karate instructor (unlikely), a good education will help you. If Karate is a business to you, you better become very good at business! Otherwise, you will have a very difficult time making a living and providing for your family.
If you practice Karate as a form or self-defense, self-disclipline, or for health, then you should remember your reason(s) for practicing. School and work are more important. You should only practice Karate when you have the time to do so.
If you are really dedicated to Karate and strive to train regularly and dilligently, then good for you! You will have to try that much harder to keep up with school and work.
But here is the critical thing: training hard in Karate will help you to do better in school and in work. It will help you to do better in anything that requires effort, concentration, self-discipline, analysis, etc. Karate will/should help you to be better at just about everything.
Sometimes I had a very hard time finding time to practice martial arts, particularly when I was in college, business school, and law school. Sometimes I had to miss training (unless I was the instructor). But I found that even though I missed martial arts training, it did not always mean that I had more time. Missing training might have given me a couple of extra hours, but it also meant that I was not getting exercise. Without exercise, my mind was not as sharp. I also began to lack stamina. A couple of hours of training might have saved me many more hours because it made me more focused, efficient, and strong.
When it comes to school, students should strive for the best grades. How students do in school, particularly college, has a lot to do with the types of jobs they will be able to obtain.
I have never met a person who wished that they had gotten lower grades in school! I have never met a person who wished that they had learned less!
In life, there is a big difference between being first and second. But often, there is only a small difference in effort between being first and second. If you run in a mile race and lose by only five feet, you only lost by1/1000th of the distance. Sometimes a mere second separates first from second, third, and fourth.
This means that a little extra effort can really go a long way. You do not have to run twice as fast to win, only a few feet or a second faster.
In Karate, we always have to deal with people who are faster, stronger, heavier, even more skilled. But through our effort we can prevail.
In Judo, everyone was bigger than me when I was a kid. I got used to randori with bigger kids. It actually gave me an advantage (because my center of gravity was so low). It also made me try hard -- very hard. Sure I lost sometimes. But you should have seen the surprised looks when I won!
Karate training is training in effort. If you can try hard in Karate, you should be able to try hard at anything.
Some students would do anything to avoid disappointing me (as their Sensei). They should try harder not to disappoint their parents, and themselves.
Money is not everything. Having a good job does not mean that you will be a happy person. But having a poor paying job does not mean that you will be happy either.
I have never met a person who wished that they made less money. I never met a person who wished that they had provided less for their family.
Money is good. Being able to provide for your family is good. Even if you do not have children (yet), the time may come when you might have to provide for your parents. And don't forget, that are plenty of other people you can help in your community and the world.
So try your best in elementary school, in middle school, in high school, in college, in graduate school, in everything that you do!
Try to be the first. If you come in second, that is still great. Actually, in graduate school I noticed that being first, second or third is pretty much the same. That is because there is usually more than one reward. Good firms do not only hire the #1 graduate, they also tend to hire the top 10 percent.
Don't get me wrong, you should try to be #1. But by doing so, even if you come in less, you will still have a good reward.
But trying to fail, being lazy, giving up... these will certainly lead to nothing but failure.
I have a law office. My wife has a travel agency. We have had to hire and fire many people over the years.
Once in a while you find an employee who is literally one of the 20% who do 80% of the work. You find an employee who works like 3 people, who comes to work on time, who is self-directed, honest, hard working -- someone you can count on, a person who does what they say.
That is not only the kind of person you will want to hire, it is the kind of person you should want to be!
Try your best at school and work. If Karate helps you to do this, then Karate has a value that is infinitely greater than mere self-defense. You might have to defend yourself in life, hopefully not too often. But you definitely will have to get a job and support yourself. That is a certain. You almost certainly will have a family to support too.
The grades you get now mean something. What you learn now is important. What you learn later will depend on what you learn now. So do your best on every assignment, at homework, on every test!
It is your life. Make the best of it!
For my students... this means you! For other students... this means you too!
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Thursday, April 26, 2007
All We Can Do...
Earlier today I was talking to my wife about a Karate situation involving inaccurate information and rather outlandish claims. Unfortunately, this is not that an uncommon a thing. The more you know about martial arts, the more you become aware of... inaccuracies (I am being nice).
My wife didn't seem to pay much attention (after all, she hears this kind of thing from me a lot). Then she said, "All we can do is to try the best we can at what we do."
All we can do is to try the best we can at what we do.
She could not be more right! It does not matter if other people might do this or that -- what matters is what we ourselves do and that we are trying our best. No one can try the best for me. Only I can do that!
I learned something today from my wife.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Tuesday, April 24, 2007
The Elephant and the Butterfly
Two great karate masters were giving a lecture about the art to a group of students. The first master explained how difficult it is for students to fully appreciate the art, and decided to borrow the parable of the elephant.
"Three blind men felt an elephant. The first felt the trunk. The second felt the legs. The third felt its tail."
"An elephant is like a great snake," said the first blind man. "No, it is like four great trees," said the second. "No, it is like a rope," argued the third.
"You see," said the first Karate master, "the three blind men were describing different parts of the same thing!"
Everyone contemplated the parable. Soon, they turned to the second master and wondered what he would have to say.
"The three blind men all started to learn Karate," said the second master. "After many years, their Sensei asked them to feel another animal."
"It is very small and round," said the first blind man. "No, it is a hairy worm," said the second blind man." "You are both wrong," said the third blind man. "It is delicate with powdery wings."
"You see," explained the second master, "the blind men were feeling different phases of the life cycle of a butterfly: an egg, a caterpillar, and the butterfly." "Karate will appear like very different things depending on your level of advancement."
Everyone contemplated the second master's parable. Soon their attention returned to the first master. What would he have to say?
"Three blind elephants felt a Karate student....!"
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Monday, April 23, 2007
One Movement Well...
If you can do one movement well, you can do any movement well.
There are many movements in Karate. But really, the only one that counts is the one you are doing at any given moment. If you can do that movement well, you should be able to do any movement well.
I am serious about this.
If you can perform a punch well, that means that you have learned the body dynamics required to perform the punch. It means that you have broken the punch down into its component elements -- that you have learned how to break down the movement. It means that you can trace the line of power of the movement from the ground, through your body, to your knuckles. It means that you can transfer power, handle the recoil, and use the resulting vibration to initiate the next movement.
If you can do that, you can do the same for any other movement. Usually, about 80 to 90 percent of any movement is the same, when you consider it from the broad view of power generation, execution, delivery, recoil, etc. A punch is not that different than most blocks. Just the ending differs.
You might be thinking that some movements use a forehand or backhand type of koshi. Really, these are not that different either. Most techniques can be used using either, particularly at an advanced stage.
Here is the point. It is very hard to become skilled at all movements at the same time. But if you can concentrate on one or two movements, you will almost certainly become skilled at them. Then it is very easy to apply the same mechanics to all other movements. Really, it is very easy.
My second son worked very hard on learning how to execute a nice shuto. Once he could do that, he applied the same mechnanics to all other movements with great success.
Actually, gedan barai is an easier movement to learn as a base technique because of the natural downward movement. But if you look at it, gedan barai, shuto uke, chudan uke, jodan uke are really the same thing. The end points of the techniques may differ, but the greater part of the movements are the same.
Learn to do one movement well, and you will be able to do any movement well.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Saturday, April 21, 2007
Double Movements
There are many points in kata where we execute double blocks or double strikes. The first movements of Pinan Shidan and Yondan are examples of double movements, as are the "split blocks" in the Naihanchi series.
We throw two punches to the side in the early sequence of Wankan and we execute two middle blocks near the end of Pinan 5. Naihanchi Shodan ends with two punches to the right. You can probably think of many examples in your own system.
The question is whether double movements should be executed simultaneously or slightly off timed. I have heard arguements in favor of and against both propositition.
I discussed this with my Sensei during my recent visit to Okinawa. We had also discussed this in the past. This post reflects what he advised on this subject and my application of his advice.
Of course, movements in any kata represent a range of movements, rather than just the specific movement performed in the kata. This also goes for double movements. Each of the movements (the right and and the left hand) represent a range of movements. As such, double movements can represent many movements (twice as many as a single movement).
But even if we limit ourselves to the set movements of a double movement, the issue of timing is still an interesting one. Take the first movement of Pinan Shodan. The left hand does a middle block (uchi uke) to the left and the right hand does a high block (jodan uke) to the front. Please not that I use the term uchi uke to refer to an "outward" block. Some schools reverse the "uchi" and "soto" designation. In any event, the first movement of the left hand in Pinan Shodan is a block to the left.
In my case, the answer depends on who I am teaching. For a beginner, it is easier to teach them simultaneous movements. The hands move together.
But as a student advances, and becomes faster, he begins to realize that there is a "dead" moment after double movements, a moment when it is very difficult to move his body or execute another movement. Double movements create "dead" spots -- gaps in timing. Such gaps can create an opening for an attacker.
For advanced students, I teach that double movements are best performed slightly off timed. To a casual observer, the movements will appear to be simultaneous. They will look like double blocks. But actually, they are a split second off timed. It does not matter much whether the right or the left is first, and in fact, this may depend on your direction and the flow of your movement.
For Pinan Shodan, my left hand is slightly ahead of my right. This is true for each segment of the three-double movements to the left: the two blocks; the cross; and the left punch. You might wonder whether the "cross", and the left punch are double movements. They are. Even when you punch, if you pull back your other hand at the same time, it is a form of a double movement.
Again, to a casual observer, perhaps even another Karate student or instructor, the double movements will appear simultaneous -- but they are not.
Your body can feel the subtle difference between a double movement (which creates gaps) and a set that is off timed. In the shudder or vibration of the off timed recoils, there is the potential for further dynamic movement.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Nekko Ashi -- Jigotai
One thing my Sensei often advises is to try using jigotai dachi instead of nekko ashi dachi in kata. He does not mean that you should replace the nekko ashi, just that you should try the jigotai dachi to feel the difference.
The most obvious difference is that jigotai is a much stronger and more stable stance than nekko ashi. Some schools teach that in nekko ashi the weight distribution should be 90% (back foot) / 10% (front foot). This is pretty unstable and relatively weak. In jigotai, the weight distribution is usually 50% / 50%.
But there is another difference that is perhaps more important. In jigotai dachi, the tanden points in the same direction as it would in Naihanchi dachi. It does not point to the side.
Often, students will turn their tanden in the same direction as their nekko ashi. In Pinan Shidan, for example, students might turn their tanden (and koshi) to the left. But if they used a jigotai dachi instead, they would be more likely to keep their tanden (and koshi) pointing to the front (or close to that).
In our system, we view stances as transitions. As such, it is difficult to say exactly how much weight is on a particular foot at a given time because it depends on what you are doing at that time. But it would be fair to say that we do not use the 90% / 10% weight distribution for nekko ashi, unless we are about to kick. Generally, our nekko ashi is closer to 50% / 50%.
As an experiment, try performing all the Pinan kata using jigotai dachi instead of nekko ashi dachi. You might find that this is an interesting experience. You will notice differences in strength of stance, tanden (koshi) direction, and body alignment. When you have done this a few times, then try using nekko ashi again, but try to use it with a feeling of jigotai. If you can distribute your weight, point your tanden (koshi), and align your body like jigotai, then your nekko ashi will be more useful, and certainly stronger.
It is also very interesting to try jigotai in Wankan. The first few movements suddenly feel much better!
Again, this is just a training practice. I am not saying that you should change your kata.
However, I also understand that there are instances in some of our older kata, where movements using jigotai were changed to nekko ashi. The beginning of Chinto may be an example of this. We assume that our kata have existed in unchanged form since their creation. Generally, this is not true. It is more likely that kata have changed relatively little since they were shown in a book (cemented in print).
Nekko ashi may be an attractice stance, but it is weaker than jigotai and Naihanchi dachi. I believe that Choki Motobu said that he never used nekko ashi and that it really was not part of Karate.
Personally, whenever I practiced kumite with a person who liked to use nekko ashi, it would try to slip their kick and then crash into them. Usually, he would fall down, or be in a weakened position for a throw, trip or takedown!
This would not have worked if the other person had used a firmer nekko ashi, or a stance such as jigotai or Naihanchi dachi.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Wednesday, April 18, 2007
"Boiling" Students
I had this discussion with my Sensei during my recent visit to Okinawa.
One of our tasks as Sensei is to motivate our students to try hard. Some instructors accomplish this by being very demanding, strict, yelling, imposing peer pressure, etc. Through such methods, the students will usually try hard.
Some instructors give lots of external motivations -- rank, titles, awards, etc. Again, some students will respond to this.
But this is a bit like boiling water. While you apply great heat, the water will boil. But as soon as you remove the heat, the water will stop boiling very quickly. I believe that Gichin Funakoshi also wrote about this.
And after a while, it will take more and more to continue to motivate students who have grown used to being prodded or flattered.
As Sensei, it is not enough for us to simply apply heat to our students in order to make them boil. If we are not there -- or giving them things -- they will quickly stop boiling.
Instead, we should do our best to encourage our students to light their own fires so that they will boil themselves -- whether we are there or not. We need to ignite our students so that their fires will be self-sustaining.
How do we do this? Most of all it is by our example. If we are on "fire" with Karate, they too might catch this fever. Our interest and enthusiasm could be contagious.
If we set a good example, they might strive to practice Karate for a lifetime... long after we are gone.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Sunday, April 15, 2007
Body Posture 3
In Basic Posture (December 17, 2006), I wrote:
- Slightly tuck your chin.
- Lower your shoulders.
- Squeeze your lats.
- Tuck your koshi.
- Slightly bend your knees.
- Keep your elbows close to your body.
- Shift your weight in the direction you will move, then move.
- Protect your sechusen (centerline).
- Move as if on a tightrope.
- Move from place to place at a walking pace -- time your strikes and blocks to arrive when you get there.
- Squeeze out your air -- almost all of it, but not quite -- in synch with the timing of your strike or block.
- Hit on the recoil of your koshi.
- Recover the energy/power of the recoil for the next movement.
- Train to move freely in any direction.
- Kicks and strikes are like stabbing.
- Keep your elbows close to your body and after a block or strike, generally return your elbows to or near the sides of your body (a little in front of that).
- Never punch or block directly to your sides (the side centerline of your body). You should block or strike more in line with your chest. This will give you more power and make it harder for the attacker to apply joint locks or throws.
- Lower your shoulders, and drop them a little extra before a block or strike.
- In all kata and movements, maintain the tanden/koshi alignment of the Naihanchi kata (or close to it).
- The rear foot in most stances is at a 90 degree angle (rather than a 45 degree angle).
- Maintain a hanmi body alignment.
- In a hanmi body alignment with a 90 degree rear foot, your stance can be narrower (even on a straight line). This makes it easier to move and also protects your centerline.
- Even if the upper body rotates, keep the lower body in the Naihanchi alignment. Even in kosa dachi (a crossed stance) your koshi is in the Naihanchi alignment (your koshi will be in the same direction as your front big toe).
- Do not be limited by the "specifics" of stances. All stances are transitions. The weight shifts throughout and even the length of the stance changes. There are no fixed stances. I only learned to appreciate this recently. I was paralyzed by the specifications of a Karate book I had practically memorized.
- Drop your body as you execute a block or strike. The "drop" is really like a spiral (not only in a downward direction).
- When you "drop" there will be a rebound. Use it.
- Move like a whip -- but not the end of a thin whip. The whip includes your entire body with the base at your feet (usually). Move like a thick whip.
- Blocks must "enter." You do not simply hit an attacking arm or leg -- you also enter toward the attacker. Your block jams in a combination of a striking and pressing manner. The block also has an osae feeling. When you block or strike in this manner, you will be very close to the attacker and able to counterattack or strike again.
- Osae (press) between movements. If you do not osae, you will create an opening for the attacker.
- Tuck your koshi. If you look at yourself in a mirror from the side, the line of your belt will show your "tuck." If your belt slants down, your koshi is probably not tucked. When your koshi is tucked, your belt will be horizontal. This is difficult to see if the student ties his or her belt too high around the waist. Then it will be horizontal even when the koshi is not tucked.
- Tuck your koshi when you block or strike. Before the next movement, your koshi may drop. Tuck it again when you perform the next block or strike. You can also keep your koshi loosely tucked between movements.
- Another way to say "tuck your koshi" is to say that "your belly button points up." My Aikido Sensei used to say the same thing!
- In the process of lowering your shoulders, tucking your koshi, and squeezing your lats, you can create a tension that is called "gamaku." But the name is not important -- the tension is what counts because you can use it.
- Delay your strikes as long as possible. When performing elbow strikes, for example, move your body and adjust your weight, holding off on throwing (or igniting) your elbow strike as long as possible. This is like the idea of a whip snapping -- the actual "crack" at the end is delayed.
- Overload your weight in the direction you wish to go. In the "bump" that occurs, you have an opportunity to move easily. Drop your weight and shoulder at this moment.
- Learn to take "neutral" body positions between techniques. In this way, you can move easily, freely and in any direction. This generally means bringing your feet together. But even with your feet together, keep your Naihanchi alignment. When you keep long stances, your directional choices are more limited.
- Fight sideways. Your shoulders should not be "square" to the front.
- Work to feel the connection between each movement. Each movement should connect to the next. There should be no "dead" spots, or places where you drop your connection. An entire kata can be done in this connected manner. But the idea is not that you could do the specific movements of a kata but rather that you could connect any movements you desire at any time. Do not go, stop, go, stop. Just go, go, go.
- The recoil or "reaction" of one movement can be used to generate the next movement. Don't waste it.
- Fully extend your blocks and strikes. If you "choke up," you will not properly penetrate (kikomi) and you will have less recoil or reaction to use.
- Horizontal or angular rotation of the trunk is "koshi." Vertical rotation of the trunk is "hara." Koshi gives speed, hara gives power. (I am still working on articulating this.)
- Your weight should not be on your heels, nor should it be on the balls of your feet either. Your weight should be naturally distributed over the soles of your feet so that you can move easily in any direction.
- It is much easier to move when you are already moving. A great deal of energy is required to move from a stationary position. Once you start moving, don't stop until you are completely through with whatever you are doing (including escape).
- There are many ways to move, depending on your body type, age, and level of skill. As such, the elements of Body Posture that you will emphasis will change as you progress and age. Generally, beginners learn to use fixed stances and move in a staccato manner. Advanced students learn to use flexible stances and to move freely in a connected matter.
- When returning to the formal or "ready" position at the end of a kata, you must maintain your awareness and body posture elements so that you are ready to move in an instant. The kata is not done until you complete the bow -- and even then you should remain prepared.
- Kicks and strikes are like stabbing -- with a sword, not a little knife.
I did not make these things up (and do not claim any credit for doing so). I am very fortunate to have very fine Sensei and mentors in Karate. They in turn had very fine Sensei. We are each just a point on the great line of Karate.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Saturday, April 14, 2007
Benefits of Learning
Just back from Okinawa and still reeling from the experience (I am finally back on Hawaii time), I noticed two things about learning:
1. Learning makes you younger. No matter how old you might be, learning something new makes you feel younger. I think that your brain renews itself when you learn. If we can keep learning, we can stay young -- or at least younger than we would be otherwise.
2. When you are busy learning, you have no room in your brain for petty things such as politics. You are too busy learning! Come to think of it, people who have room in their brains for politics, probably stopped learning a long time ago.
The act of learning itself is a good thing. If you can learn an excellent form of Karate from a Sensei with an equally execellent character, how much better!
But even if we cannot learn Karate (perhaps we are stationed on a ship without a dojo, or many other reasons), we should still learn something. Everything we learn makes us that much better -- and perhaps younger.
Here's something to learn that might improve your Karate -- juggling. Seriously.
Charles C. Goodin
Finding Time to Blog
I am often asked how I find the time to write posts for this blog. The answer is that I don't find the time, I make the time.
If we want to do some thing badly enough, we can make the time to do it. Don't forget -- that includes practicing Karate.
We also have to make the time to do nice things for our loved ones. Family must always come first.
Charles C. Goodin
Guest Post: Re: "Brain Freeze"
I received the following email in response to my post entitled "Brain Freeze." I liked it so much that I asked the writer for his permission to post it here. -- Charles
I had to laugh out loud and tried not to spit out my coffee while reading your blog article on brain freeze. Not laughing at you but at myself. It seems that I have a brain freeze on a daily basis when training at my dojo or even here at home. I can relate so much and agree with you that it seems we can only take in only so much information.
Last night while training one on one with my teacher in Tai Chi Chuan I could not for the life of me get the right hand movement. My teacher even grabbed my hand and like scolding a 10 year old said "No, no, no....like this" and proceeded to move my hand through the movement himself. We both laughed over that scene. Luckily, it finally dawned on me what to do.
Thank you for the article and letting me know I'm not the only one that gets the dreaded Brain Freeze.
Akron, Ohio
Bottles of Awamori
Don't try to carry bottles of awamori in your carry on luggage. I had no problem going from Naha to Kansai. But in Kansai when I switched to the international terminal and went through the security scanners, they almost acted like I was carrying a... something very bad. I had two bottles of awamori and two bottles of non-alcoholic drinks, each of which violated the new airline security rules.
So it was back to the check-in counter to check in my carry on bag. They even wrapped it in a plastic bag. Luckily I had lots of time before my flight.
I only wanted to carry the awamori carefully!
Looking back, it was pretty funny and I was pretty dumb for forgetting the carry on rules. And the security personnel at Kansai were very polite. They even gave me a nice "SECURITY" badge to wear when I went back to the check-in counter and let me return to the security area through a special door (to bypass the lines).
The good news is that there was no problem carrying on boxes and boxes of mochi!
So remember, no big bottles on international flights (domestic flights too most likely).
Come to think of it, I had made sure to put my little tube of toothpaste and small bottle of mouthwash in a quart sized plastic bag.
We live and learn.
Charles C. Goodin
Beginner's Mind
Following up on my last post about "Brain Freeze", there is a type of mind that we should maintain -- a beginner's mind.
We should always have the attitude of a beginner. In this way, we will be open and receptive to new things and corrections. When we wear our rank in our minds, we tend to miss things.
When I met my Sensei in Okinawa during my recent visit, I began by privately saying something like this:
"Sensei, I am here to learn. Please teach me whatever you wish and please feel free to correct me in front of your students or other instructors. Please do not hold back. If I am doing something incorrectly it is only because I do not understand the correct way yet."I am serious. I always make it a point to ask my Sensei to teach and correct me. I am not visiting him to show him what I know (or think I know). I am visiting him to learn.
Over the years, I have seen many people miss great opportunities to learn because they lacked a begginer's mind or heart. Sometimes a senior instructor feels that he has to put on a certain face in front of his students or peers. He might feel embarrassed by corrections. Some instructors might actually be looking for praise or approval from their senior... or even for a promotion.
I can understand that. I have seen it happen enough that I think it must reflect an aspect of human nature.
But I am more greedy than that. My desire for learning exceeds my pride or want of approval. Every minute with my Sensei is precious and perhaps a once in a lifetime opportunity. I cannot let "myself" get in the way of that!
The funny thing is that the greatest sensei I have ever met all seem to have a "beginner's mind." They are always seeking to improve their techniques and themselves.
I will share a funny incident. One of Sensei's students is 20 years younger than me but is truly gifted. I am his senior in age and in number of years training (I think I have trained 4 times as long). When I was training, this student would sometimes observe my incorrect technique and mildly shake his head. He would then demonstrate the correct way of moving.
I would try again. Sometimes, when I got it right (or just a little better), he would point his finger and give a little nod.
I am almost 50, have 4 children (two already adults), run a law office, head a Karate museum, have a master's degree, wrote a real estate book, wrote about 50 Karate articles, blah, blah, blah. But in the dojo my spirit was lifted and I was tremendously encouraged by watching a student (who could be my own son in age) point and nod!
I was a beginner.
Standing in front of my own students in my dojo, I am also still a beginner. Writing these line, I am still a beginner.
Since there is no end to learning, we are always beginning. Once we cease to have a beginner's attitude, we begin to decline.
Charles C. Goodin
Brain Freeze
I will begin to share some thoughts about my recent training visit to Okinawa.
I first trained with Sensei Katsuhiko Shinzato in 2002. He visited me in Hawaii twice since then. My recent visit was thus my fourth time training with him.
No matter how much I train and try to keep up, there is no way that I will be in sync with the students who regularly train at his home dojo. Each time I train, Sensei teaches or emphasizes new things and I then work on these and other matters until I see him again. It is natural that I will progress somewhat in my own way -- at least until my next training.
Well, this visit was like my previous three experiences -- after the first day I was already confused and suffered from "brain freeze." What I mean by this is that the conflict between what I understood (or thought I understood) and what Shinzato Sensei was teaching (or emphasizing) caused my brain to overload and shut down. I could follow along but not absorb very much.
Thank goodness for video and Sensei's permission to take it. In the weeks and months following my earlier training sessions, I watched the videos I had taken many times. I must have watched certain sequences dozens of times. I picked up many things that I had missed during training because of "brain freeze."
Let me put it another way. Let's say that your mind can absorb 3 things in a day's worth of training. After those 3 things, everything else will be ignored or missed. When I meet with Shinzato Sensei, I think I often learn 10 or more things in just a few hours. I am not taking about kata or techniques -- I am talking about movement principles. I am very lucky if I can learn and absorb even 3 things!
And I notice that this gets worse as I grow older. I will be 50 this year. I have students who can learn many things very easily. As I grow older, I think I learn things in a deeper way but cannot learn as many things in a short time.
There may be other words to describe it, but I have grown to recognize when "brain freeze" sweeps over me like a thick blanket. There really is no way to avoid it. The best thing is to just relax and go along. There will be time to review the footage later.
Sometimes, even if your brain is frozen, your body might be able to learn. I try to follow along and let my body take the lead. Sometimes, this leads to amazing results. In my case, my brain is my main problem -- I overthink. When my mind is spent, there have been times when my body seemed to move on its own. I think that Sensei might say that my koshi was moving on its own.
However you say it, relaxing the mind is as important as relaxing the body. Explanations tend to be complicated. Moving tends to be pretty simple -- or at least involves a set of simple principles.
Shinzato Sensei often says that you cannot move freely when your mind is fixed.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Thursday, April 12, 2007
Learning The Process
I mentioned that I first visited Okinawa in 2002 and just returned from my second visit on Sunday. I began learning Karate about 1973 and am still learning!
But during this visit to Okinawa I realized something very important (at least to me). For all of my Karate life, I have tried to imitate people, usually my Sensei. Most recently, in 2002, I became a student of Sensei Katsuhiko Shinzato. To the best of my ability, I have tried to imitate his movements to the exclusion of all others. My mission has been to learn to move like him. Of course, I have not succeeded -- I cannot move like him -- but have made some progress.
Shinzato Sensei is a very challenging person to imitate. He does not stand still and is constantly refining his movements. He has told me that he feels uncomfortable watching any film of himself because he always feels that he could have done better, and may actually have modified his emphasis since the filming date.
I finally realized that it is virtually impossible for me to imitate Shinzato Sensei. I am always imitating how he was, not how he is. Even if I spend time with him, I will be outdated in just a few days.
My realization was that I should not be imitating Shinzato Sensei. Instead, I should learn the process he follows to refine his movements. I should follow the same or a similar process.
Let us say that I am at stage B. I need to move to stage C. How can I do this? I could copy someone who is at stage C, but that would be just an imitation. If, however, I follow the process of questioning, experimentation, and refinement that leads from one stage to another, then I might be able to move to stage C, and even to stages D, E, F.
There is also a big problem. If I am at stage B, the senior I learn from may actually be at stage G. If I copy him, I will get to neither stage C or G. I will probably just get confused!
Think about it. No one becomes great by imitation alone. Imitation is just an early level and can at best give us a good foundation. Anyone who who has become great has done so by his own hard work. A sensei can help us to gain a good foundation, but we have to build our own house. It is good to copy the early stages. It is practically impossible to copy the more advanced stages.
Don't get me wrong, I will still try to imitate my Sensei. If he does something, I will try my best to do it too. But I will also ask myself how I can improve myself, overcome my limitations (which change with age), move optimally, etc.?
I will try to learn the process rather than just imitate the result.
I think that this is one of the most important things I have ever realized in my Karate training.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Thursday, April 12, 2007
Karate in Okinawa
Sensei Pat Nakata was very kind to accompany me during my visit to Okinawa. This really helped, since he has been to Okinawan many times since the 1960's, knows many Karate seniors, and speaks Japanese. This was my second visit (my first was in 2002).
Nakata Sensei said that there was recently a survey conducted in Okinawa to determine the number of Karate dojo and classes on the island. The answer was about 400, which is pretty amazing. Okinawa is about twice the size of the island of Oahu. Here, we have many classes, but relatively few full-time dojo. We tend to teach in gyms, recreation centers, churches, and schools. They do the same in Okinawa, but there are more full-time dojo (buildings used exclusively for Karate or Kobudo training).
I was suprised to discover that the Jundokan dojo was right behind our hotel (which was right by the Asato monorail station).
One of the things that distinguishes Okinawan dojo and classes is the seniority of their instructors. It is not unusual to meet 8th and 9th dan (usually men or women in their 60s or older who have trained since childhood). In some ways, Okinawan dojo and classes are like a law firm with many senior partners and few associates. They are extremely top heavy. You also have to remember that a dojo with a 10th dan or 9th dan, will also usually have a group of seniors in the 6th to 8th dan range. Any of these seniors could also head a dojo or group of dojo.
I was surprised to learn that there are many Goju-Ryu dojo in Okinawa. I heard that there may be more Goju-Ryu dojo (and related styles) than there are Shorin-Ryu dojo. On Oahu, we really have only two Goju-Ryu dojo.
During our stay, we were very fortunate to be invited to Sensei Morio Higaonna's dojo, which was not far from the Asato monorail station (actually it is closer to the Makishi station). Higaonna Sensei is one of the most senior Goju-Ryu instructors in the world (see IOGKF.com). His students showed us their hojo undo training with chishi, sashi, kame, makiwara, iron geta, kongo, a big log, a rock, and a heavy striking pad (there might be other tools I do not remember). I had never seen such training and was grateful to learn how the supplementary equipment is used in Karate. We have some of these items in the Hawaii Karate Museum.
Higaonna Sensei also took us out for lunch and to a used bookstore to look for old Karate books. I did not find any for the Hawaii Karate Museum, but did find one that Higaonna Sensei acquired for his collection. Higaonna Sensei is planning to open a Karate museum on the third floor in the building where his dojo is located. I am always happy to see efforts to preserve and perpetuate Karate's history and traditions and look forward to cooperatiopn and sharing between Higaonna Sensei's museum and the Hawaii Karate Museum. I have said that our museums will be like brothers -- I'll be the younger brother.
After watching Higaonna Sensei's students rigorously train and perform kata, I asked them to please remember that I am their sensei's friend!
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Back From Okinawa
Aloha from Hawaii,
I returned home safely from Okinawa yesterday morning. I slept most of the day (the couple behind me on the plane were very sick and coughed the entire flight) and I am catching up with work today. As soon as I can I will begin to share my thoughts about my visit and training.
I will mention two things that changed since my first visit to Okinawa in 2002: Naha now has a very convenient and modern monorail system connecting the airport and Shuri; and my hotel (near the Asato monorail station) had a heated toilet seat -- now regular toilet seats feel so cold! Honolulu is considering a fixed rail transportation system. I hope that it is as nice as Naha's!
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Monday, April 09, 2007
Guest Post: An Obvious Insight
This Guest Post is by my friend, Mark Tankosich, who has dan rankings in both Sho-ha Shorin-ryu karate and Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei jodo. Along with the martial arts, his passions include the Japanese language. He currently lives and teaches in Hiroshima, Japan.
A while ago, I happened to be looking at myself in the mirror, and I noticed something. I won't go into the details here, but I realized that, in a certain way, I had begun to physically resemble my teacher, John Hamilton Sensei. "Hmmm," I thought, "must be one of the effects of karate training."
Immediately following this thought, it "hit" me that karate training has – or at least should have – a certain kind of effect on not only the karate-ka's body, but also on his or her mind / spirit / personality / character.
Anytime that I'm lucky enough to have this kind of personal insight, I try to jot something down that, in the future, will help me to remember what I'd learned. Here is what I wrote this time:
"Think about it. A primary reason for walking a Way is that, over the years, it molds you into a certain kind of person. As you progress down the path, who you are should be gradually changing in ways that are consistent with the ideals of your Way."Through your karate training, are you changing in ways other than those that are physical? I'd like to believe that I am, but occasionally rereading the short passage above helps me to insure that I don't stray too far from the right path.
Mark Tankosich
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Monday, April 09, 2007


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Scott Dunlap's blog of trail running, ultrarunning, triathlon, and other life adventures. I enjoy the physical, emotional, and spiritual journey of outdoor events and the chance to meet cool people. This blog contains interviews, research, original fiction, new product ideas, and all things trail running.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Volunteers build 60 ft bridge for the McNaughton Trail Ultra
My favorite part was hearing how volunteer Larry LaBlanca was being nudged out of the house during a slow work season...then spent 7 days a week and 400 hours on a massive bridge!
2 comments:
Sweet!! I'm running there next weekend!ReplyDelete
I ran the 100 there last year, will be running the 100 there next weekend. I had NO idea that we would be running across a bridge this year. Wow, I was planning on 30 river crossings. If I recall correctly, there were 3 creek crossings each 10 mile loop. What a pleasant surprise :)ReplyDelete
I LIVE for comments! Please add your thoughts, let me know you stopped by, etc., and be thoughtful of others. Always best if you sign your name, of course.


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Neve Campbell Signs On To Play Dempsey's Sister On Grey's Anatomy
Neve Campbell is to join the cast of hit Tv medical drama Grey's Anatomy as Patrick Dempsey's onscreen sister.
The Scream star will play one of his character Dr. Derek Shepherd's four sisters in two episodes that will air in the U.S. in December (12), according to _Tv_Guide.com.
Embeth Davitz and Caterina Scorsone have appeared as Shepherd's siblings in previous episodes.
Campbell's latest Tv role will be a reunion of sorts - she and Dempsey co-starred in Scream 3.


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Compuware has released Compuware DevPartner Studio 9.0 which offers integrated reporting, producing code quality reports that managers and team leads can review easily using a Web browser. Important metrics and summary-level information enable managers to quickly understand the quality and stability of the code base from the earliest stages of development through the final QA testing phase. Customizable reports are provided for a range of reporting needs, including code quality, code review, error detection, performance, code coverage and more.
DevPartner Studio 9.0 now supports 32-bit application development on Microsoft Windows x64 platforms as well as a number of new .NET Framework technologies, including:
- Visual Studio 2008 and Visual Studio Team System 2008
- Windows Server 2008
- .NET Framework 3.5
- Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)
- Language Integrated Query (LINQ)
- ASP.NET AJAX Extensions
Recognizing that IT environments are comprised of both new and legacy applications, DevPartner Studio 9.0 provides support for the latest Microsoft technologies as well as targeting legacy applications built with Visual Studio 6.0, Visual Basic 6.0, Visual C++ 6.0, Visual Studio .NET 2003, and the .NET Framework 1.1.


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Personalised Number Plate InformationAll the information you need to buy or sell your registration number
Number Plates
Number Plates
Each number plate has 1, 2 or 3 letters and one or more numbers. Number plates listed here have recently been sold but we have many similar numbers. Please call us or visit our main number plate website
Number plate results shown. If you want to go to our main website you can use our reg plate search facility.
Regplates have over 99% of all available number plates available to buy online 24 hours a day. We are members of MIRAD, APRT & CNG trade dealers associations.
All number plates are transferred in accordance with the DVLA.
Number Plates Recently Sold Search - FUR registrations
The following number plates are based on FUR number plates
Our team of trained personalised number plate staff will professionally handle your transfer as swiftly as possible with all paperwork change over handled for you including the V5, tax disc and MOT certificate. We offer advice without technical 'jargon', and are always competitive on price.
If you are looking to sell a private plate, our personalised registration plates valuations department can give you an accurate market value on your registration number by post or by e-mail.
Personalised Cherished Number Plates
Since their humble beginning in 1903, cherished numbers have continued to increase in popularity often adding the finishing touch to our prized possessions and very often prove to be a valuable investment.
The First Number Plate Ever Issued
A1 assigned in 1903
The Motor Car Act 1903, which came into force on 1 January 1904, required all motor vehicles to be entered on an official vehicle register, and to carry number plates. The Act was passed in order that vehicles could be easily traced in the event of an accident or contravention of the law. Vehicle registration number plates in the UK are rectangular or square in shape, with the exact permitted dimensions of the plate and its lettering set down in law.
You can find out where your personalised registration number plate was originally issued here.
Recently, Rishi Kapoor bought himself a new set of wheels - a shiny new luxury SUV - and took it out for a spin yesterday. Mumbai Mirror couldn't help but notice the common thing between Kapoor's cars, old and new - the number plate digits of all cars in this Kapoor household total up to '8'.
A source close to the family told the tabloid that the Kapoor trio - Rishi, Neetu and Ranbir - have always considered the number '8' very lucky for the family. When Ranbir purchased his first jeep back in the late 2000s, the number plate was a one digit, '8'. Later, two cars that followed, one a fiery red sports car and another sedan, too featured a single digit plate.
On the other hand, Neetu, whose driven a blue SUV for the last couple of years, also has a number plate that adds up to 8. "It's also because it coincides with Neetu's birthday, July 8, and everyone in the family makes sure that the registration number totals up to it," the source added pointing out that even Ranbir's football jerseys always have the same number.
The Kapoor clan's affinity for numerology comes as no surprise, since it's always been about digits with Bollywood stars. Amitabh Bachchan, whose birthday falls on October 11, considers his lucky number to be 2 and many of his dozen cars feature the single digit on their plate, three of which have been photographed at multiple events.
Similar for Shah Rukh Khan, who has a triple five (555) on all his number plates. Shahid Kapoor also makes sure to flaunt his lucky number 700 on his plates and even added a custom plate to his Harley Davidson, with the three digit figure on it. Saif Ali Khan sticks to the number 7, since his birthday falls on August 16 and Sanjay Dutt always has a 4545 plate.
Also in the News:
HALIFAX—A Nova Scotia man fighting to have his last name — Grabher — reinstated on a licence plate says police have now forced him to remove an inactive Alberta plate from the front of his car.
Lorne Grabher said he received a call from police Monday after a complaint was lodged against the personalized Alberta licence plate he had on the front of his car.
Nova Scotia requires only one valid plate, at the rear, and drivers in the province often place inactive or novelty plates on the front of their vehicles.
Grabher says police told him he would face a stiff penalty for driving with a fraudulent plate if he did not remove the Alberta plate, which had his last name on it in capitalized letters.
The 69-year-old man said he feels he's being unfairly targeted.
"I've been red-flagged," he said from his Dartmouth home, noting the large number of vehicles in the province that have inactive out-of-province plates on the front.
It should be noted that the date denoted by a registration plate is the date a vehicle was first imported into the United Kingdom and registered with that registration system. For instance a vehicle manufactured in say 1991 and registered in Northern Ireland might have been given a 1993 registration letter when it was registered on the Swansea system. This also applies to vehicles imported from other countries. This is apparent by examining the registration document which will show a date of manufacture different from the date of first registration. The date of manufacture is notional, though, as vehicles may be manufactured and stored unused, for many years in some cases, and then registered as new when first registered into the system. This allows manufacturers to sell cars as new allowing for shipping, storing at dockyards etc.
The Licensing Agency, Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) is all set to offer 250 licensing plates comprising 3, 4 and 5 digits in its forthcoming 51st online auction. Plates on offer bear the Codes (H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, and T). Registration of bidders starts on Sunday 21st January. The bidding will start at 08:00 am on 28th Jan 2018 and continue for five days.
"The wide participation of the public in online or open auctions and the positive competition to grab such numbers underscore the importance of holding these auctions in bringing happiness & satisfaction to number plate enthusiasts," Sultan Al Marzouqi, Director of Vehicles licensing, RTA Licensing Agency.
Al Marzouqi highlighted the importance of online auctions to a large segment of community members who prefer such particular auctions as they find the liberty of selecting their fancied numbers in a hassle-free environment. "These auctions also contribute to enhancing the online services of the RTA under its annual plan aimed at improving the quality and standard of processing public transactions," he commented.
"Participation in the auction requires the client to have an account opened through RTA's website (www.rta.ae) or use the 'New User' link to obtain a Username and Password. For a new registration, the user is required to have either a vehicle registered in Dubai or a driver license issued from Dubai. For participating in the auction, the bidder is required to issue a security cheque to the order of the RTA amounting to AED5,000 and deposit it to one of RTA's Customers Happiness Centers at Umm Al Ramool, Bur Dubai, Deira or Al Tawar Municipal Centre. In the case of payment by a credit card, the client must also deposit five thousand dirhams as security. Clients have also to pay 120 dirhams as participation fees through the website (www.rta.ae)" explained Al Marzouqi.
"The successful bidder has to clear the due amount within ten working days from the Auction Closing Date by cash or credit card through centres of service providers or RTA's Customer Happiness Centers. Cash payments are acceptable up to AED 50,000. For higher amounts, customers can make payment by a certified check or credit card, or pay online using a credit card too. Failure to clear due payments will result in entering the bidder in the list of defaulters," he added.
"A dedicated team at RTA's Call Center has been furnished with all information related to the auction, and stands ready to respond to any public inquiries relating to procedures of participation or payment through the toll-free number 8009090," concluded Al Marzouqi.
It had been expected to sell for between £15,000 and £25,000 but the first Manx vehicle registration plate ever to be issued was eventually sold last week for £100,000. It is, says auctioneer Murray Keefe, a valuable piece of Manx history.
It was the first Isle of Man number plate and people do like to have number 1. At the auction we had 4 telephone lines wanting to bid on the number plate and quite a few bidding in the room so I was not surprised it made so much money knowing that some of the plates in the United Kingdom make substantially more than that. "
It was 1980 when legislation was passed to allow Illinois drivers to order vanity and personalized license plates. As defined then, vanity plates contained up to six letters or the numbers 1 to 999. Personalized plates had a combination of desired letters and numbers. In the very first year, 24,000 state residents decided they wanted to pay extra to show off their vanity to fellow motorists.
Drivers were displaying personalized plates long before 1980 however.
There was no law that he could find before 1980 authorizing such plates. Instead, he figures it likely was a typical case of not what you knew being important, but who you knew.
There's no question, however, that it was 1907 when the Motor Vehicle Act, which required motorists to register with the secretary of state's office, became law. For a one-time $2 fee per vehicle, motorists received a round aluminum disk with a registration number to affix to their vehicles. (Drivers had to furnish their own plates until 1911. The disks were dropped in 1917.) From July 1, 1907, to June 30, 1909, the state registered 20,224 vehicles. Sidney S. Gorham, of LaGrange, was issued license plate number 1.
As you might guess, that "one-time fee" didn't last long. Probably realizing they had a cash cow on their hands, the state began charging an annual fee in 1909 and re-registered all vehicles.
More interesting plate trivia: In 1912, front plates were perforated so more air could flow through a car's radiator. Aluminum license plates were issued for the first time in 1950. The slogan "Land of Lincoln" debuted in 1954, although a requirement for showing Lincoln's image was dropped because it was deemed impractical at the time.
Purple and white plates were issued in 1964 to honor both McKendree College and Rockford College (as they were known then). In 1966, for the first time in 30 years, fees were increased 50 cents to pay for a new reflective coating. In 1977, drivers were able to complain about lousy photos on their licenses for the first time. The discontinuation of annual plates in 1979 ended a 67-year run, the longest in the United States. In 1985, all vehicles were charged the same fee ($48) rather than one based on horsepower.
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15th April 2006, 09:31 PM
Every book I read about looking after puppies warns you about "over-walking" a young pup. Maisie is nearly 15wks old, and currently gets walked once in the morning (on lead) for about 20mins, and once early evening 15 mins on lead, and 10 mins off lead (running around fields daft). The rest of the day she runs around our garden crazy chasing anything that moves. While out on one of our evening sessions, another dog walker (labrador) was surprised that I allowed her off the lead because apparently it's bad for her little body. :yikes I was horrified and immediately put her on the lead because I would hate to be harming her. :cry*ing: My hubby said to ignore busybodies like her, and that it can't be doing any harm because she runs around just as fast for just as long in our garden. I would really love to hear from anyone who can give me some advice about how often, how long for, and on or off the lead. On the bright side Maisie loves both our walks, is very well-behaved both on and off the lead, and is quite the little charmer with other dogs. Oh yeah, I now avoid the field where the labrador owner walks her very overweight dog! ;)
Maisie (ruby)
Maisie (ruby)


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Secure Design Principles
When building a house, there are certain very specific things that a builder will do: roofing shingles are laid so that the higher shingles overlap the lower ones. Flashing is placed over the top of newly installed windows. These specific practices protect the house from water damage, and they flow from a single, general principle: that water needs to run off of a house in waterfall fashion. Similarly, while there are many specific security practices, they flow from a small set of well-accepted principles. Understanding the fundamental principles puts you in the best position to implement specific practices where needed in your own projects.
The Principle of Least Privilege
The principle of least privilege states that a user or computer program should be given the least amount of privileges necessary to accomplish a task. A common example in which the principle of least privilege works in the physical world is the use of valet keys. A valet is someone that parks your car for you when you arrive at a hotel or restaurant. Car manufacturers give buyers special valet keys with the purchase of their vehicle. When the car owner pulls up at a hotel or restaurant, she gives the valet key to the valet to park the car. The valet key only allows the valet to start the car and drive it to its parking spot, but does not give the valet access to open the glove compartment or the trunk where valuables may be kept. The idea is to only give the valet access to those resources of the car necessary to get the job of parking the car accomplished.1
When you design and use software, you should attempt to employ the same kind of mentality with respect to giving programs just enough permissions for the job that they are required to accomplish. If you are designing or implementing a web server that is only responsible for serving static (read-only) marketing pages to web users, the web server should only be given access to the exact set of files that the web server serves to its clients. The web server should not be given privileges to access the company employee database or any other resource that would allow it to do more than serve the marketing pages. By following this approach, if anyone breaks into the web server, the hope is that the most that the attacker will be able to do is read the files that make up the marketing pages, because that is all the web server is able to do. If the web server is configured correctly and not given write access to the files, then you would also expect that the attacker would not be able to deface the web site.2
Unfortunately, in practice, web servers are sometimes given unnecessary privileges that allow them access to parts of the file system that they do not need access to, and that also allow them to modify files. Attackers are able to do an excessive amount of damage when they crack into such web servers because of these elevated privileges.
For instance, if the system administrator were to run SimpleWebServer under the root account,3 then when clients connect to the web server, they would be able to access all files on the system. You might think that this might not be so bad so long as there are no sensitive documents stored in the web server's directory tree. However, due to a vulnerability in SimpleWebServer, an attacker will be able to access all files on the system! We will now illustrate the vulnerability.
Note that in the serveFile() function, SimpleWebServer creates a FileReader object to read the file that the user requested in memory. While you would expect that typical filenames specified by users in the GET request might look like /index.html, /admin/login.php, or even /logs/joe/1.txt, an attacker might issue GET requests that are malicious. For instance, an attacker might issue the following request:
GET ../../../../etc/shadow HTTP/1.0
Due to the way the FileReader constructor works, it will attempt to access the file specified by its string argument relative to the current working directory. As a result, by issuing such a GET request, the attacker would be able to traverse up the directory tree to the root directory, and then access a file such as /etc/shadow, which, on UNIX, contains a list of all usernames and "encrypted" versions of their passwords. Even though the passwords are "encrypted," an attacker may then attempt to mount a dictionary attack against the password file, especially if the password system was not designed well.
To prevent this attack, you need to canonicalize and validate the pathname that the client specifies in the GET request. Writing such code can often be tricky business. The following might be a first-cut implementation at a function that checks the path with the goal of preventing the attack:
String checkPath (String pathname) throws Exception { File target = new File (pathname); File cwd = new File (System.getProperty("user.dir")); String targetStr = target.getCanonicalPath(); String cwdStr = cwd.getCanonicalPath(); if (!targetStr.startsWith(cwdStr)) throw new Exception("File Not Found"); else return targetStr; }
Then, you just pass a normalized path to the File constructor in the serveFile() method:
fr = new FileReader (checkPath(pathname));
The checkPath() function first creates a File object called target that corresponds to the pathname that the user requests. Then, it creates a File object called cwd that corresponds to the current working directory. (The call to System.getProperty("user.dir") is used to retrieve the current working directory.) The getCanonicalPath() method is called for each file to normalize the pathnames (i.e., eliminate ".," "..," and other ambiguities in the pathname).4 If the canonicalization fails for any reason, checkPath() will throw an IOException. Finally, the if statement checks to see if the target pathname is at the same level or below the current working directory. If not, checkPath() throws an exception to prevent the case in which an attacker tries to access a file that is above the web server's current working directory.
The preceding example used the checkPath() function to help contain the impact if the web server is run as root. Validating the input in the HTTP request prevents an attacker from being able to access files (including those accessible only by root) that are above the directory from which the web server is run. However, if the web server is run as root, an attacker could still successfully place HTTP requests for files only accessible to root that are in or below the directory from which the web server is run, even when checkPath() is used to validate the input in the HTTP request. While checkPath() helps contain the damage if the principle of least privilege is ignored, to truly avoid vulnerability, the web server should not be run as root.
Defense-in-depth, also referred to as redundancy, is the second design principle we will discuss in this article. To start with a common real-world example, consider how some banks protect themselves from bank robbers.
Prevent,Detect, Contain, and Recover
The point of defense-in-depth is to not rely on any one defense to achieve security. Multiple mechanisms can help you achieve more security than just one. Some mechanisms (such as the security guards outside the bank) might help prevent attacks. In the case of a bank robbery, it is usually quite obvious when the robbery is taking place-but in the world of network security, it may not even be clear when an attack is taking place. As such, some mechanisms might help you detect when attacks are taking place. Since it is not always possible to prevent attacks altogether, it is important to deploy mechanisms that help you manage or contain attacks while they are in progress. In some banks, bank tellers are stationed behind bulletproof glass, which helps contain the effect of a bank robbery by working to spare the lives of the bank tellers in the case that violence breaks out. After an attack takes place, you want to be able to recover from the attack, to whatever extent possible. Bank tellers may give the robbers a specially prepared briefcase of cash that will spurt dye on the robber when he opens it. The police will then be able to find the bank robber because the dye can only be removed using special chemicals, which helps create accountability.5 In addition to dye-laced briefcases, banks take out insurance policies to help deal with the financial loss in case the cash cannot be recovered. A good security system, whether it be for physical banks or software information systems, should employ defense-in-depth, and include mechanisms that help to prevent, detect, manage, and recover from attacks.
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It's just a matter of time. Asian soybean rust will infect the U.S. soybean crop, says Tadashi Yorinori, a research plant pathologist at Embrapa Soja in Londrina, Brazil, and considered the world's foremost expert on the disease.
Yorinori, who has been working with Brazilian agricultural experts and farmers, was in the United States recently, working with Bayer CropScience crop specialists, training them on disease identification and management. He also addressed a tele-conference of agricultural journalists.
"The disease is unpredictable," he said. "It has infected areas in the Southern Hemisphere where we did not expect it. It's wind borne, so U.S. soybean growers have to be ready."
Yorinori said the disease was first detected in Paraguay and southern Brazil in 2001. By 2003, 60 percent of the acreage in both countries was infected. "Now, it's all over the Southern Hemisphere, including Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and into Argentina," he said.
He classifies Asian Soybean Rust as "the worst thing that could hit a soybean farmer." Damage from infection ranges from nothing to 100 percent losses. Average infection ranges from a 30 percent to a 75 percent loss," he said.
The problem may be more prevalent in Brazil because of a 12-month growing season. He said growers have soybeans in the ground in some part of the country year-round. The shorter season in the United States may limit infection somewhat, but he's convinced that losses can still be severe.
He said two elements must occur for infection: First, the inoculum must be present. Second, climatic conditions must be conducive. Ideal conditions for severe infection include temperatures less than 86 degrees Fahrenheit and seven to eight hours of leaf wetness, with inoculum present.
A 75-degree to 81-degree Fahrenheit temperature range during the day with a 70-degree reading in the evening will create dew, he said. Rainfall also may supply the required humidity for infection.
"But we've also found that the disease adapts to various conditions."
Scouting will hold the key to management when it hits the United States, Yorinori said. "Farmers likely will need professionally-trained scouts to identify the rust," he said. "It's especially difficult to identify in the early stages. Farmers should collect samples of any suspected infection and have them tested."
Early treatment and thorough coverage with an approved fungicide are critical to control, he said.
Jim Bloomberg, manager, Fungicide Product Development for Bayer, said relatively few fungicides are available for effective control in the United States. He said fungicides in the triazole and strobilurin classes may be the only options presently available.
"In the future, USDA is likely to grant a Section 18 to provide more options."
He said if widespread, severe infections hit now, U.S. growers would not have adequate fungicide to control the disease to any degree.
"I think we'll be ready when the rust is identified here," he said.
Yorinori said varietal resistance may provide one management option but has not been successful in Brazil. "We had one resistant variety but a new race developed and wiped it out."
He said thorough coverage with a fungicide and proper timing are both essential for control. "Growers may need to change row spacing or reduce the number of plants per foot of row to improve coverage," he said.
Yorinori also noted that soybean farmers in the Southern United States may have another dilemma. Kudzu could be an alternate host.
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Incident reports
Hillsboro police
March 16: Officers took a report of a reckless driver, a dog complaint, and addressed a curfew violation in Memorial Park.
March 17: Police took a report of damage to a business in Hillsboro Heights.
March 18: Officers took a report of a gas skip. When it was discovered that there was a problem with the person's financial card, the person returned to the scene to sort out the situation.
March 19: Police took two dog complaints and responded to a report of suspicious activity.
Thursday: Officers took reports of an altercation between two juveniles, a domestic disturbance, and provided traffic control for a house that was transported through town.
Friday: Police destroyed a sick skunk, took a report of fraud, and responded to a report of suspicious activity in which juveniles were thought to be consuming alcohol. Officers also took a parking complaint and took a report in which a man said that a window in his vehicle was damaged while parked on Main St.
Saturday: Police responded to a report of a suspicious person walking through yards on W. Grand St. Officers also took a report of a possible abandoned vehicle.


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Torch snuffed
Francesca Hogi from the Bikal Tribe becomes the first eliminated survivor on the premiere episode of SURVIVOR: CARAMOAN - FANS VS. FAVORITES. The Emmy Award-winning series returns for its 26th season with a special 90-minute premiere, Wednesday, Feb. 13 (8:00-9:30 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. #Survivor. Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS© 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc.


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Best of Angel Groups
Fund: Band of Angels Management
Posted by henrythedog on 2010-10-26
I have passed the screening process with three Angel Groups. I have presented at the dinners and made it to due diligence with all of them. I am very familiar with the process. Although with each case I did not get the results I wanted, I view the experience as a victory. Nicola and Ian are very involved in the process. As they should be. You can always get them on the phone. They are able to give you valuable information. I found the organization of this group the best. You have to have a great amount of patience with any of these groups. Gaining and keeping momentum is key. The reality is if you cant sell the room or come in with a strong lead its difficult to close. I think having cocktails before the dinner is a great touch. You get to meet many of the investors before you present. No other angel group does this. They run a tight ship. Even though I could not get enough members to sustain momentum, I still talk to them for advice on a regular basis. They are still there to help. With the amount of companies they meet this has been incredibly helpful to me. I am still speaking with investors I met through the Band. If your candid and ask hard questions, you do get very quick responses. I found the whole experience pleasant. I walk away with no regrets. Having screened, pitched and gone to due diligence. Its the process that counts for me.PRIVATE: Members Only


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The Department of Mathematics is an undergraduate department with five full-time faculty members and about 40 undergraduate majors. We are characterized by our excellent teaching, research productivity, diversity, and interdisciplinary connections.
Andrews University provides a big-university experience in a small-college atmosphere. In particular, our department offers:
Exceptional Faculty: At Andrews, your professors are not only active in their respective specialties and recognized for their research contributions, but also deeply interested in helping you find the best professional opportunities. Moreover, you will study in a Christian setting under professors who are dedicated to furthering your personal and spiritual development.
Research Environment The mathematics faculty have attracted over a million dollars of external research grants and published more than 60 research papers in the last 10 years. Furthermore, many students have coauthored research papers with faculty since the department encourages majors to participate in undergraduate research, both here at Andrews and in summer research programs and internships elsewhere.
Diversity and Camaraderie: Andrews is the most internationally diverse university in the US, and it is the 6th most ethnically diverse university in the US. The atmosphere here is richly multicultural, and many of our majors are from under-represented groups. Four of the six mathematics faculty, and about one third of the majors, are women. As a mathematics major, you will automatically become involved with eigen* (the Mathematics and Physics club). Eigen* sponsors functions like the Friday eigen*Talks and eigen*Vespers, where you can enjoy food, intellectual stimulation, and worship. No matter what your background, the diversity and camaraderie in our department will make you feel at home.
Interdisciplinary Connections Many mathematics majors choose second majors. Recent examples include physics, computer science, psychology, economics, chemistry, and English. The Department of Mathematics has strong ties to the Departments of Physics and Biology. Physics and Mathematics faculty and students meet every Friday for eigen*Talk, which features guest lectures and student research presentations. We offer two interdisciplinary courses in mathematical biology (Calculus I for Biology and Mathematical Modeling in Biology). Our department participates in a National Science Foundation funded interdisciplinary research group (the Seabird Ecology Team) with the Department of Biology. We also participate in the Behavioral Neuroscience program by providing a mathematics track.
Pi Mu Epsilon: Andrews University is home to the Michigan Gamma Chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon, the national mathematics honor society. Students who qualify for membership may receive travel money to attend the summer MathFest conference and rub shoulders and exchange ideas with top math students from all over the country. In 2005 an Andrews mathematics major, Chantel Blackburn, won the top award for her paper presented at the Pi Mu Epsilon session at the MathFest conference in Albuquerque, NM.
Undergraduate Research: Rarely do mathematics students gain significant research opportunities at the undergraduate level, but that's exactly what math majors do at Andrews. To see the list of student publications, click here. The Seabird Ecology Team, a research group funded by the National Science Foundation, gives opportunities for mathematics and biology students to engage in interdisciplinary research in mathematical ecology. Student members of the group help with data collection on Protection Island and work on data analysis and mathematical modeling of the system. They give presentations and coauthor papers with Professors Shandelle Henson and James Hayward.
Scholarship and Student Work Opportunities: Math majors typically win substantial academic scholarships based on their ACT/SAT scores, and the Department offers three named scholarships as part of the Andrews Partnership Scholarship program. Also, mathematics majors are given preference in filling the numerous employment opportunities in the Department, including work as tutors in the Mathematics Center, as graders, and as supervisors for lab sections of certain courses.


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Replies to This Discussion
Hi John,
I haven't hit with both, but isn't the microgel the new series and the liquid metal the outdated series. it doesn't surprise me that the prices could be that different, but I'd say if the liquid metal was good enough for murray and safin two years ago, they still be good enuff for us today! :-)
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MOSCOW (Reuters) - Prominent Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny said on Saturday the jail sentence handed to a protester against President Vladimir Putin highlighted the government's harsh approach to dissent.
Fitness club manager Maxim Luzyanin, the first of 17 people arrested during a protest on the eve of Putin's inauguration in May, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years on Friday for "mass disorder" and violence against the police.
"If earlier there were minor administrative arrests, soft harassment, now - jail time," Navalny, one of the top faces during the past year of protests against Putin's 12-year rule, told the OpenSpace.ru political internet portal.
"The time has passed when they were afraid to jail because they didn't want people to think about '37," the blogger added, referring to Great Purge of the 1937, a year of mass political repressions and murders orchestrated by Joseph Stalin.
Luzyanin, one of the "Bolotnaya 17" detained - named after the square where they protested, was the only member of the group to plead guilty.
Opposition activists say the Bolotnaya case could achieve the notoriety of the Pussy Riot trial, in which three members of the punk band were sentenced to two years in jail after performing an anti-Putin song in Moscow's main cathedral in February.
Luzyanin's sentence does not bode well for the rest of those detained, Navalny said.
"This is either a sign that they will give long sentences to those who will not agree to a deal with investigators, or a sign of the widespread Russian and worldwide practice when the first to confess and cooperate gets immediately a long sentence, to scare the rest to death," he said.
The opposition movement, which had drawn tens of thousands demonstrators in Moscow in the months following the December 4 parliamentary and March 4 presidential election, has dwindled in recent months, failing to unify and mobilize activists.
Putin, who has ruled Russia since 2000 either as president or prime minister, has rushed a series of laws through parliament, such as increasing fines for protesters who step out of line, since his return to the Kremlin.
Russia's investigative committee, which has launched a series of criminal proceedings against opposition leaders in recent months, issued a stark warning last month.
"Those who think they can with impunity organize riots, plan and prepare terrorist attacks and other acts that threaten the lives and health of Russians, you underestimate the Russian special services' professionalism," a statement said.
Reporting by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Pravin Char