Cars

Most people have a dream car that they would love to own.  Of course, I say most, because there's always an exception to the rule, but that's beside the point.  I was thinking back of a story of a training class for a previous job.  My manager was trying to make a point, and had told this story about a car, etc. etc.  He asked the question "If you could have any car you wanted, any car, price being no object, what would you choose?"  I started hearing whispers of people saying cars like "Lamborghini ____" and "Ferrari ____", and out of the group, I was chosen for the example.  Everyone was surprised at my answer, but, I have much different tastes than most people.  So here's a list of a few cars I would love to have, and being that they're all sport oriented, my auto insurance company would love me until I hit 25.  Then of course, they'd still love me, but a bit less.  But being as I won't be purchasing a new car any time soon, I don't have to worry about auto insurance rates for a few more years anyway.  That being said, I know I can purchase all of these cars in this lifetime.

Mazda MX-5

Nothing extravagant in appearances in this car, but a simple design I enjoy.  Having driven several of these, I've always been happy with their performance.  Known for being one of the "safer" of the smaller breed of cars (barring a collision with a much larger vehicle) because these cars handle very well.  They're definitely a fun drive, and with an MSRP starting at $23000, it's something I can easily achieve rather soon.

Mitsubishi Eclipse

Another car I've had the pleasure of driving on more than one occasion.  Sleek lines, with it's now trademark "bubble-butt" are very pleasing to the eye.  Not too many cars can pull of the burnt-orange color very well, but this one can pull it off.  MSRP starts at $19000, which once again, is very achievable.


Ford Mustang

Ah, the Mustang.  Ford's flagship car, and quote possibly the most iconic car in America, you'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't know what the Mustang is.  These cars of course pack a punch, and when Ford finally realized its mistake, and brought back the spirit of the style of the classic 60s design, these cars are everywhere.  I seriously like to pretend that Mustangs didn't really exist from the 70s until the early 2000's.  My brother owns a 2003 GT, and damn, these are pretty awesome.  The roar is very pleasing on the ears, and the power is great.  MSRP $22000


Nissan 3X0 Z

I decided to combine both of these into one post since they're pretty similar.  I haven't had the chance to drive the 370z, but I've been behind the wheel of plenty of 350zs.  Another car with an identifiable shape, and another one I've enjoyed driving.  The MSRP of the 370z starts at about $30000, which is a decent step up from the previous 3.



Now for the car that I chose in the "Any price, any car" question

Nissan GT-R

Oh. My. God.  Just look at the sexy thing.  If there was a car I could choose to have sex with, it would be this one right here.  I had fallen in love with this car at first sight, and have lusted after it since.  Unfortunately, this is the one car on the list I have not yet to drive, but if it's as good as in my dreams, it'll be orgasmic.  This car has set a new bar for cars, outperforming cars that people never expected it to outperform.  With an MSRP of $84000, it's not out of reach, but it will be for a while.  I will continue to dream until then.

Mechs

So what would you expect from the land of giant robots.  This robot exo-skeleton standing at roughly 5.25 feet is designed to be piloted by children.  It would be used for mobility, and to help children accomplish tasks with it's grips.  It is expected that it would be popular amongst children, and who would say differently, I myself would enjoy having one.  Granted, in my hands, it would be used against it's primary purpose, but hey, it would be mine to use as I please.  The suit costs $21,000 to make, but the designer has no current plans to put it into mass production.  What a shame.  My fantasies of robot death matches are still held off for the future. Probably wouldn't be street legal anyway, I can imagine it'd be an car insurance company's worst nightmare.

More information

For Fairness

Well, I don't want to seem close-minded. Stupid people come from everywhere. While this guy CAN fight, it doesn't make him smart either. I hope he had a good DUI attorney, and regardless, I'm sure his auto insurance rates are going up. I just hope nobody was hurt.

Yellow Bamboo

Yellow Bamboo practitioners are simply hilarious.  I was searching for another clip, and ended up finding a "training video" for free online.  Now everyone will get to see a little more in depth into this silliness. It's a bit long, but if you have the time, it's worth a watch.

Martial Art Ignorance

I know this is an older video, but I can't believe at how much people believed in the mysticism of martial arts, and continue to believe in them today.  I can see with all the kung fu movies that used to be popular how Karate gained such popularity, but this is something else.



People actually believe that they can "balls of chakra" at anyone who has the intent to harm, in order to dispatch their foe.  Watching the people's reactions are almost surreal.  I had to continually ask myself "Are they serious?" because there's no way they could actually believe that they were doing that.

Granted, this example is at the farthest end of the spectrum.  Even today with the popularity of MMA, people still believe that certain martial arts are feasible.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that MMA is the only way, they simply have one thing that most arts don't have... Pressure testing.

Many schools I've visited only practice drills, and always with a cooperating partner, never with resistance. Now I know not everyone studies a martial art for the same reason.  Some do it to keep a tradition alive, some do it for fitness and socialization, but most of them actually believe they are learning effective fighting techniques, but they never actual go against someone who fights back. So of course they believe their techniques work, because they "always work in class".  But put them against anyone who fights back, and suddenly, they can't pull anything off.  More people need to actually practice with an opponent who will fight back in order to actually learn how to defend themselves.

Edit: I'm not disapproving of any martial arts in general, I'm merely stating that no matter what art you choose to study, put it into practice with a resisting opponent.  Train safely, but train with someone who will do more than simply let you do forms.

Minecraft

I've been hearing a lot of this game.  When I say a lot, I truly mean it's mentioned often.  Everyone seems to love this game, and I know it has a sandbox style of play, but the fact that it's first person keeps me away.  I'm rather prone to motion sickness, and because of this, I'm unable to enjoy first-person games, especially the ever popular genre of shooter games.  Is this game worth giving a try?  I'm open to all opinions.

Spelunky Download

Didn't dawn on me that it would be easier for people to download the game if I just added a link here.
www.spelunkyworld.com