We sawed in in half and it smells like a pine tree was pureed in our garage. I think it grew off of a tree...that's what Steve said, but perhaps he dug it up in his backyard after a meteor shower...
anybody remember Stephen King in Tales from the Darkside....eeeewww Meteor Shit! On Tue, Jan 13, 2009 at 10:14 AM, Liz Purkrabek <[email protected]>wrote: > What the hell is that thing? Are you sure it's of this world? > > > > Liz > > > > *From:* [email protected] [mailto: > [email protected]] *On Behalf Of *CrossBow > *Sent:* Tuesday, January 13, 2009 9:57 AM > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: Sun Tzu and the Art of War > > > > WE have a woodshop in our garage that could produce awesome Go Boards...and > Clogtowner just gave us a giant burl...It looks like a giant brain complete > with lobes and ripples.. it is saved as attachement. > > > > Asian peoples have such an appreciation for wood grain:) > > > > i said wood... > > On Mon, Jan 12, 2009 at 9:40 PM, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > *** not to be outdone, orn posts a link for go game sets, ranging in > price from $40 to over $20,000.00 http://www.kiseido.com/go_equipment.htm > *** > > On Jan 12, 6:48 am, CrossBow <[email protected]> wrote: > > I'm game for go...go for a game of go...you get it:) > > > > hahah. Just thinking about what I said the other day in my mail about > not > > seeing anything new in the Sun Tzu book...that should have read " I've > run > > into all this before from other sources" not, the pompous sounding > > rigamarole that actually came out. Hee hee. > > > > Oh, and I like chess cause of the myriad sets you can now purchase...my > > latest is the full cast of the Lord of the Rings. Yeah:) > > > > On Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 12:11 AM, ornamentalmind > > <[email protected]>wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > "...Made me want to play chess..." - CB > > > > > Again, I suggest the game of Go. It far surpasses chess. I learned > > > chess at age 5 and after learning Go in an appendix to a chess book by > > > E. Lasker, I never played chess again. In fact, lore has it that all > > > generals had to learn the game since it reflects life so well. In > > > fact, for hundreds of years, there were Go monasteries. > > > > > Bush was way too into drugs. > > > > > On Jan 9, 7:06 am, CrossBow <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > btw, just finished Sun Tzu's Art of War last night. Wu Ch'i has a > > > similar > > > > but more situational section in the back. Loved it, didnt learn > anything > > > > new, but was amazed how it was arranged as a manual. It is obviously > a > > > > powerful tool anyone in command should read. Made me want to play > chess. > > > > > > Obviously Bush has never cracked it at all:) > > > > > > On Thu, Jan 8, 2009 at 10:23 PM, ornamentalmind < > > > [email protected]>wrote: > > > > > > > I have heard the story about Tai Chi that many adapt to their own > form > > > > > of martial art and that is: Many years ago, the Emperor of China > would > > > > > hold open contests for all comers and all forms of fighting. > Whoever > > > > > was left would run his palace guard. Tai Chi was what was left. > > > > > > > Such truth and/or myth aside, even though with a little effort I > > > > > couldn't find the film online of the younger Tai Chi boxer who had > > > > > just finished undefeated after days of martial art contests. Chen > Man > > > > > Ching had told the student to not enter the contest. (In fact, in > > > > > Watson's school, none of us were allowed to enter contests, even > after > > > > > decades of study.) Anyway, for having disregarded his teacher's > > > > > admonition, Chen Man Ching, when 'attacked' by the younger student, > > > > > didn't even let the student engage him. With a very small flick of > his > > > > > left wrist, the student went flying away, not able to regain his > > > > > footing for about 20 feet or more. (backward) I have seen the film > > > > > over and over…it is amazing. And, an example why few will ever see > > > > > actual tai chi. > > > > > > > On Jan 8, 6:26 am, Isparklaria <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > On Jan 7, 9:11 pm, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > > This said, even Chen Man Ching himself found > > > > > > > > > himself in a situation where he had to use his art. A very > large > > > > > > > person just picked him up once and was going to throw him down. > On > > > the > > > > > > > way up, with some very fast footwork, Chen Man Ching did a lot > of > > > > > > > damage to the person so was then let down easily. > > > > > > > > Orn, Crossbow and anyone else reading this. > > > > > > > > I just want to make sure that the reader doesn't mistake the > > > uprooting > > > > > > of tai chi for grabbing someone and picking them up as the > assailant > > > > > > did to Cheng Man Ching. First of all the "pure and correct" > uproot is > > > > > > a training exercise. The uproot can be seamlessly melded into a > > > > > > projection technique, which can propel the airborne person into a > > > wall > > > > > > or other object. Tai chi has many other attack methods besides > > > > > > bouncing someone off the wall. Uprooting need not precede most of > > > > > > these other types of attacks. > > > > > > > > It is not worth explaining exactly how uprooting works unless > someone > > > > > > can feel it. In brief let me say that it is nothing like what > most > > > > > > people think of when they think of wrestling. To some it seems to > > > some > > > > > > to defy the laws of physics because the contact between the > persons > > > is > > > > > > so light. It does not defy any laws of physics since living > beings > > > > > > have a lot of momentum that they are not typically aware of. > > > Uprooting > > > > > > relies on the relative tension levels between the uprooter and > the > > > > > > uprooted in order to manipulate the others momentum. If the > person > > > you > > > > > > are trying to uproot is less tense than you are in the moment > that > > > you > > > > > > are trying to uproot them, it will fail. It also relies on the > > > > > > automatic reaction of the uprooted to a very slight and precisely > > > > > > directed downward pressure that seamlessly occurs before the > uproot. > > > > > > The founder of Yang style tai chi is reported to have said that > there > > > > > > are three types of men that he could not beat, men made of wood, > men > > > > > > made of brass, and men made of iron. Yes, his great technique > would > > > > > > not work against an unresponsive statue. But when some one is not > > > > > > moving they are not a threat at the moment and they can also be > hit > > > at > > > > > > will, if you are sure that they are about to attack. > > > > > > > > On Jan 7, 9:11 pm, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > > > > > For those who want more than theory about Tai Chi, although the > > > > > > > YouTube videos are not nearly as clear as the original films, > which > > > I > > > > > > > watched many times, they may give you a sense of what we are > > > talking > > > > > > > about more. > > > > > > > This is of one of the masters we have been talking about and > the > > > > > > > teacher of Patrick Watson who was asked to start the school > I've > > > been > > > > > > > in since the early 70s. Some of the students were able to have > > > studied > > > > > > > with Chen Man Ching himself. Watson had the original films and > even > > > > > > > more than what this set of videos shows. He kept them close > yet, > > > they > > > > > > > were taken from his apartment in NYC late in his life. The 3rd > > > person > > > > > > > in this video is Smith, who Ish has mentioned. He is also shown > > > doing > > > > > > > the Sword Form later on. > > > > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4603FB2mh4&feature=PlayList&p=2814CFE. > > > .. > > > > > > > > > While perhaps a little too mystical for some here, to me, > rather > > > than > > > > > > > learning how to fight, the best Tai Chi, in my view, is that > which > > > > > > > never has to be used. This said, even Chen Man Ching himself > found > > > > > > > himself in a situation where he had to use his art. A very > large > > > > > > > person just picked him up once and was going to throw him down. > On > > > the > > > > > > > way up, with some very fast footwork, Chen Man Ching did a lot > of > > > > > > > damage to the person so was then let down easily. > > > > > > > In NYC, there were many times when my intuition was to change > > > routs. > > > > > > > Some of the time, I found out why. > > > > > > > As to health, Chen Man Ching's autobiography is testament to > how > > > well > > > > > > > it can work. And, having known Patrick for many years, I guess > I > > > don't > > > > > > > see how one can say he was in any way unhealthy. But, perhaps > that > > > is > > > > > > > bias. I know that his hands felt like cotton, if like anything > and > > > one > > > > > > > moment we were engaged, the next moment I was in the air and > then > > > hit > > > > > > > the wall on the fly. Overall, it did help the inner organs. > > > > > > > > > Also, from the more mystical lore, it is said that if you > attack > > > with > > > > > > > the intention to kill, this energy will be returned and you > will > > > find > > > > > > > out you have killed yourself. > > > > > > > > > On Jan 7, 5:48 am, Isparklaria <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Orn, > > > > > > > > > > I am writing much of this out for the benefit of others. Your > tai > > > chi > > > > > > > > style of writing, drawing me out is good, but other will not > > > > > > > > understand much and at the moment I want them too. > > > > > > > > > > In my opinion, the bottom line with tai chi is that it is an > > > > > empiracle > > > > > > > > art. I had to reread and rethink what you said about that > > > particlar > > > > > > > > women who cannot be "pushed" your qoutes. First of all she is > > > short, > > > > > > > > which helps when no no striking is involved. Secondly you > said > > > that > > > > > no > > > > > > > > one could "push" (your quotes) her. But if you are making a > > > judgemnt > > > > > > > > as to who is better at push hands than it would seem that she > can > > > > > also > > > > > > > > move every one else, at least occaisionally. If she can and > also > > > > > > > > cannot be moved then I would judge her the best in your > circle. > > > > > > > > > > William Chen claims to have only practiced neutralization for > > > about > > > > > > > > his first year. It was only later that he learned to > effortlessly > > > > > lift > > > > > > > > others straight up off the floor, both feet leaving the > ground > > > and > > > > > > > > using only light contact with his hands (I could barely feel > them > > > > > when > > > > > > > > ever he did this to me). It is this skill that that is hard > to > > > > > develop > > > > > > > > for all but seems to be harder for women to develop, in my > > > > > experience, > > > > > > > > then men. That is the style of uprooting that CMC taught. > Making > > > > > > > > others stumble backwards, fall forwards or to the sides, is > also > > > > > > > > useful, for fighting, but according to CMC not the correct > > > uproot. > > > > > > > > > > As for the "real" Tai Chi, I would suggest you look for a top > > > > > > > > certified student on Ma Yueh Liang. CMC was one of the best, > best > > > > > > > > nearly every one who experienced both agreed the Ma was the > best > > > in > > > > > > > > the world at the time and had a much more complete system. He > has > > > top > > > > > > > > students in China who have surpassed his level and some very > good > > > > > ones > > > > > > > > in the USA. > > > > > > > > > > As far as fighting goes, as far as I know Ma never really > showed > > > it > > > > ... > > > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - > > > > > -- > gnothe se auton > > > > > -- gnothe se auton --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Memphis Freethought Alliance" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/memphisfreethoughtalliance?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
