Peter’s Soapbox

Heatbox and That 1 Guy Rock Higher Ground

Last night I saw That 1 Guy at Higher Ground in Burlington, VT. Regulars of my blog may recall I saw That 1 Guy last year in the same venue. As with last time, he provided a great amount of entertainment. His stage presence (along with the Magic Pipe) is great, and he interacts wonderfully with the audience, this time including antics such as passing out giant mustaches while directing laser beams out across the crowd (hence, the tour name “Mustaches and Laser Beams”).

However, I have to say I was even more impressed with his opening act, who goes by the handle “Heatbox.” Continue reading Heatbox and That 1 Guy Rock Higher Ground…

What a Month!

I think I’ve had my busiest October ever. Here’s a quick summary:

• Fall gasshukku with Hiroshi Ikeda shihan at Shobu Aikido of Boston.
• Mountain biking with my new (to me) Sinister Splinter (affectionately referred to as “the Tractor”).
• Work work work work work! Audits and migrations and troubleshooting, oh my!
• Reading: The Road by Cormac McCarthy and Nmap Network Scanning: The Official Nmap Project Guide to Network Discovery and Security Scanning by Gordon “Fyodor” Lyon

I plan on elaborating on all of these points.

Eventually.

Perhaps.

Sinister Retrograde Chain Suck

I’ve been trying to decide on my next mountain bike. I really like my old Tomac Six Shooter – a versatile, light, nimble all-mountain bike. However, for some of the trails I tackle, something a little heavier-duty is called for. Continue reading Sinister Retrograde Chain Suck…

Koshinage and Sensei Flashbacks

Last night, fighting a cold, I led our weekly Wednesday night Aikido basics class at the dojo here. For the second week in a row, we covered basics of koshinage (hip throw), and did drills to help build leg strength, as well as to build the kinesthetic memory and response which enables one to perform a koshinage without having to stop and think about it. Koshinage has also always been one of my weakest techniques, as the transition to my weak knee has usually been an iffy proposition at best, so I can always use the practice. Continue reading Koshinage and Sensei Flashbacks…

Book Review: The Power of Full Enagement

I recently finished reading The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz. As the subtitle indicates, “Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal.” Continue reading Book Review: The Power of Full Enagement…