Last night’s Kenpo Karate class focused on several sets of “point-counterpoint” exercises. We only did a small subset, but it was really interesting. Normally the self-defense lessons consist of a set of moves to counter a technique like a certain punch/push or a grab. The general idea is to hit the attacker hard enough with your first move(s) so that he/she will then fall victim to your insane 99-hit combo. As such, it is important to land your “launcher” (haha fighting games).
However, in the point-counterpoint exercise your partner actually counters each of your moves, and typically only half of the combo is completed. Although each set in the point-counterpoint has a determined order of moves, each set can transition into a different set at any time. Once both people know the sets, the point-counterpoint can be done in a freeform manner where each person must read what the attacker is doing and react appropriately. This looks reeeeeaaaaaally cool when done at full speed; the look is similar to the sticky hands exercise in Kung Fu. Several sets also transition into various joint locks and how to escape, further increasing the cool factor of the exercise.
I just wanted to take a minute to advise all my readers that the orange flavored “Fresh Citrus” Listerine Pocket Mist tastes of FAIL.
I like the standard minty version of the Pocket Mists, and I thought the orange version would be tasty like orange TicTacs. Unfortunately, when I sprayed the horrid concoction in my mouth, all I could think was “BLARGGGGG!!!!”
Over the weekend, the bookshelf that Bunky ordered arrived. It was assembly furniture, but since it came from Crate and Barrel, it was nice/sturdy assembly furniture; the whole thing was much better than the IKEA bookshelf I had assembled while at the cottage. I figured the job wouldn’t take too long, since I am now a grizzled veteran when it comes to putting these things together.
Unfortunately, it was not enough for Bunky to order a normal bookshelf. No, instead she opted for the aptly named Puzzle Bookshelf. While I saved time by not making any mistakes, the process took up an entire afternoon and left my hands in pain. Luckily we had recently gotten a power drill, because otherwise the project likely would have taken a lot longer.
The main problem was that the back of both the left and right pieces required a billion screws in the back. Even worse, the screws were not normal screws, but rather the kind with hexagon slots that require the tiny L-shaped Allen Wrench. Normally these wrench-bolt combinations are not a problem, but the screws actually required a considerable amount of effort to screw in. The drill did not have a large enough Allen Wrench bit, and so I had to do every single one by hand. Trying to twist the tiny little metal bastard drove me completely nuts. The finished product did come out looking great, but I was more relieved than proud. After that I had to anchor the shelves to the wall, and that was even more frustrating as the stupid wall anchors would often bend when being hammered in.
This Saturday, the 40-inch LCD Sony Bravia television that Bunky ordered is arriving. I think we might be picking up the HDTV box tonight, and the TV stand arrives on Wednesday. It’s gonna be completely crazy. Bunky will probably be glued to the tube, even though we’ll have to set it on an old desk at first (since the TV is so much larger than the stand for our current POS television). I keep telling Bunky that World of Warcraft is gonna look freaking awesome on the 40-inch, but she just scowls at me.
We haven’t purchased a HDMI cable yet, and I’m wondering if we’ll need it right away.
Sports | Kabitzin 2/28/2007 | 
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