So did my completely sappy and heart-felt tale of inspiration get anyone to want to go after something?  IT BETTER HAVE!!!  hahahaha.   I swear, after I got done writing it and posted it, I re-read it and thought "ummm dude...you sound a wee bit too serious", like I was getting way too self-analytical.  Oh well, if I did I did.  Hey, I've been called "deep"...what can I say?  Hahahaha.  Eh...I was just in one of those moods.

I can say thought that I signed up for Muay Thai training and had my first class tonight.  I'm surprised I can type because I have pain and soreness in areas of my body I forgot existed.  I mean weird pains...like I can't bend my big toe on my left foot for some reason and I can't figure out what would have caused it since we didn't throw any kicks tonight.  Let me tell you how the class went because I haven't had my ass kicked physically like this in a looooong time.  I get there and sign some forms since I'm a guest, and get handed gloves and shin pads.  Well right then I was BEYOND pumped.  So I change and get told where the Thai training is and to go ahead and stretch before class starts.  I spend some time stretching, and then it's time to go.  The instructor gets us to line up in a couple of rows and off we go...running in place, slamming to the mat and back up multiple times, high knee jumps, slamming to the mat and back up multiple times, shadow boxing, slamming to the mat and back up multiple times, push-ups, leg raises...just all sorts of stuff.  Now I run and use my bowflex, but this was brutal for a first-timer.  After that we were all shown a takedown and paired off to practice it.  After a while we were shown another takedown based off the first one and worked on it, and then we were showed the counter to that takedown and paired off to practice it.  After that, it was time to punch.  We put the gloves on and paired off practicing jabs and crosses.  Oh, did I mention I gashed a toe open on the mat during the warm-up exercises?  Yep, just my luck.  My right big toe caught the seam of one of the mats and sliced it open pretty nicely.  I had to put a bunch of band-aids on it and tape it while someone cleaned the blood off the mat.  When the instructor asked if I was ok, that macho part of me kicked in and I was like "oh yeah, I'm fine" as it was still bleeding....hahaha.  Anyway, when we started throwing punches I was having a blast.  Why?  Because here it was my first time, and I was learning small little things technique-wise that would make a HUGE difference when it comes to protecting yourself on counter-punches.  Plus, when I was corrected on my footwork and could actually feel the difference in the power of the jabs I was throwing just made me break out in goosebumps.  The funny thing was I could tell how much boxing I've watched over the years because one instructor told me that my technique on throwing punches was great, but my footwork was like a boxer, and you have to stand more squared when doing this because you'll be working kicks in.  It was awesome...the dude would hold up the gloves calling out "1" for a jab and "2" for a cross and of course I would have to throw whatever he called while concentrating on footwork and punch technique.  After that we lined up again and basically went through the same drill we did at the start and I was GASPING for air...but the great thing was the instructor started saying stuff like "this is only round five and you guys are ready to quit?" and "do NOT give up...you made it this far tonight so finish strong!" and I have to say it got me going...I LOVE that stuff in a sadistic way...haha.  And when we got done, I don't think I have had that big of a feeling of self-satisfaction in a looooong time.  There I was, my first time in a Muay Thai class, and I was able to hang in there during the whole thing, of course I'm in complete agony now.  After the class I talked to the instructors for a few and wanted to sign up, so I did.  Two nights a week and optional Saturdays when I want.  What I really dug about it all was I didn't detect egos tonight.  Everyone I talked to and the instructors were very helpful.  One instructor that worked with me and the guy I paired off with kept reminding me as I constantly used the wrong leg on a takedown for some reason that the only reason he could do it as well as he does is because he's practiced it about 800 times.  So next Monday when I show up I get my own gloves and shin pads which will rock.  And I'll tell you what...when we were going through all the warm-up and end drills, there were some guys who looked like they were in far better shape than me and they were moaning and yelling more than I was.  In fact, I honestly think I'm the oldest dude in the class.  Most of the guys looked like they were in their 20's, and here I am at 38 doing this.  As much pain as I am in right now, I can't wait for Monday to get here to get this same feeling of satisfaction in something I was able to do.  Hopefully my arthritic knee and bum shoulder and everything will hold up now that I'm getting older and feeble...hahaha.  It was just such a great feeling to push myself physically like that.  And yes, I seriously need to work on quitting smoking.

Well "The Big Game" is this weekend.  Isn't that just ridiculous?  Have you noticed how NO ads will say "The Super Bowl" but instead say "come into Best Buy and get a great deal on a new TV for The Big Game!"  Well, the money-whores of the NFL have the rights to the name, and actually charge people to use that term in advertising...can you believe that?  Anyway, it's that time of the year where people who NEVER watch football feel some need to watch this game because everyone else is.  I've said it before...I HATE Super Bowl parties.  I do however love getting a bunch of people together to watch the Super Bowl WHO ACTUALLY LOVE FOOTBALL!  So what's my prediction?  Pain!  Ok, enough Clubber Lang, my prediction is Chicago 27, Colts 10.  Hopefully Manning will be hanging his head as he always does when things aren't going well and he'll get happy feet while the Bears' defense is in his face all night.  It's a shame too because I like Tony Dungy...I think he's a really good guy...and if it weren't for Manning I would actually like the Colts (I'd still pull for The Bears in this game).  But because Manning happens to wear a Colts' jersey, I can only hope for complete failure.  And remember, tune in to 102.9 FM at 9:00 here in Nashville that night and listen to NoiseCult as the in-studio guest!

What happened to global warming???  As the UN is having some kind of hearing or whatever about the "problem", it's friggin FREEZING outside!  The other morning I woke up and turned on the the local morning news to see what Theresa Weakly was wearing as she did her traffic report, and the temp in the corner of the screen said 15 degrees.  If global warming is supposed to push the average temp up 3 degrees over the next 100 years then I'm all for it.  I would love to have a January where no day gets lower than 60 degrees...that would rock!  I'll never forget how during the 70's and some of the 80's, the "top scientists" of the world said we were headed towards another ice age.  And now the sun might be colliding with the earth.  If a weatherman can't get a forecast right over a seven day period, how in the HECK am I supposed to think some scientist can figure out what the average temperature is going to be 100 years from now???  And because Al Gore took a break from hunting manbearpig to make a movie about global warming, he's actually being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.  That award is about as important as an Oscar...basically that means in the grand scheme of life it means nothing.  Oh, and did you see the Oscar nominees?  What really blows my mind, and I guess I shouldn't be surprised, is that Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto" didn't get a nomination for the best foreign language film.  Oh wait, he got drunk and said he hates Jews, I forgot.  Yet Roman Polanski who can't set foot in America because of charges of pedophilia still gets showered with praise and award nominations.  Isn't Hollywood great?  Remember, George Clooney really took a stand for Hollywood last year at The Oscars when he talked about Hollywood not being out of touch with issues, or something like that.  He said that Hollywood was at the front of the Civil Rights movement.  How?  What exactly did Hollywood do?  Were they sitting by Rosa Parks in the front of a bus?  Were they standing next to Martin Luther King as he spoke?  Were they protesting and getting sprayed with firehoses?  I don't think so.  And Clooney also educated us all how Hollywood was at the forefront of tackling AIDS.  Again, how?  Because Rock Hudson died of AIDS?  Those people are so full of themselves, that's why I HATE awards shows...it's nothing but a night for them all to stroke each others' egos and think they are actually important people.  But back to global warming.  I just love how the week that Bush gives the State of The Union where he mentions something about global warming, the midwest was crippled by a massive snowstorm.  And this week while the UN is doing who knows what to come out with a statement saying we're all going to burn to death in five years, areas of this country are experiencing record cold.  Oh, and if you mention these record cold temps to a global warming chicken-little, you know what's causing it?  Yep, global warming...because of "shifting weather patterns" which basically translates into "I'm a moron who is not basing anything on facts so I resort to using buzzwords Al Gore says".  One more thing about Al Gore...how can ANYONE put any stock in what he says?  When he was a Senator from Tennessee and was supposedly one known for taking a strong stand on education, this state ranked 48th in education.

Ok, enough of me for right now.  I need to go lay down and look forward to waking up tomorrow after every single muscle I have stiffens.  Then again...I don't know if I can stand up form the chair I'm in right now...hahaha.  Later sportsfans!