Aoki Goes For A Carny!

...if that's how you spell it... I've never seen anyone in MMA go for it. I hope Karl reads this.




BTW, Aoki won by decision.

Idiot of the Week

I'm impressed with the iron will of the managers.

---

West Palm Beach supermarket shootout lands man in jail
By SONJA ISGER

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

WEST PALM BEACH — It could've been a typical spat between grocery store customer and manager, with the customer announcing he planned to take his business elsewhere. But then the customer drew his gun. The store manager drew his and so did the assistant manager.

It all happened at 5 p.m. Monday at the IGA Supermarket at 1000 36th St. in West Palm Beach. And in the end, West Palm Beach police arrested customer Marshall Hugo Grant for attempted first-degree murder, shooting into an occupied dwelling, aggravated assault with a firearm and carrying a concealed firearm.

Police reported Tuesday morning that Grant, 73, entered the store through the exit despite manager Marino Hernandez's warning not to enter that way. The confrontation escalated, Grant drew a handgun; assistant manager Roberto Espinal drew his handgun. Hernandez also pulled a gun. Grant backed out of the store, firing three times as he went, the arrest report states.

The managers, who witnesses said never returned fire, ended up surrounding Grant, who hid behind a vehicle while continuing to fire, according to the police report. Grant eventually surrendered his weapon to the managers, once they told him police were on their way.

Grant appeared Tuesday morning before Judge Nancy Perez, who ordered him held without bond while he undergoes a psychiatric examination.

I found that article riiiiiight here.

Gas Price Survey

I've been saying it...

---

Gasoline prices top concerns over jobs, health troubles By KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press Writer
Tue Apr 29, 6:21 AM ET



Paying for gasoline easily tops the list of economic woes facing families in the United States, according to a survey on how changes in the economy have affected people's lives.

About 44 percent of survey participants said paying for gasoline was a "serious problem" for them. Across all income levels, the cost of gas was the most frequently cited economic concern. The price of gas nationally averaged $3.60 a gallon on Monday, according to the Energy Department.

More than a quarter of households earning more than $75,000 a year described paying for gasoline as a serious problem. For those with incomes of less than $30,000, about 63 percent felt that way.

In a distant second and third place among participants' economic concerns were: getting a good-paying job or raise, 29 percent; and paying for health care and health insurance, 28 percent.

Following in fourth place was difficulty paying rent or mortgage, 19 percent.

Many participants in the survey, nearly three in 10, said they put off or postponed getting health care they needed in the past year. Nearly a quarter of participants skipped a recommended test or treatment. Nearly the same number didn't fill a prescription.

The survey of 2,003 adults was conducted April 3-13 on behalf of the Kaiser Family Foundation, which conducts health research. The survey's margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Originally posted here.

Basic and Tech Schools

A lot of people have been asking me where I'm going to be going when I start my life as a member of the Air Force, so I figured I'd do an en-masse email/blog post and hopefully answer the questions for everyone.

Basic training for enlisted members of the Air Force, at Lackland AFB, TX (just outside of San Antonio), is 6 1/2 weeks. I don't expect it to be too difficult; I have many friends that have gone through Marine Corps basic training and they tell me that in the shape I'm in, I'd have no trouble getting through the physical demands of even their BMT which is, in the opinion of many, significantly tougher than AFBMT. I don't claim to have the faintest clue which one is tougher; one can't really say unless they've done both. Not that it all matters anyway...

So, I leave May 20th. That's a Tuesday. I expect that first week ("Zero Week") to be the "1/2" week. Six weeks from that Sunday will be BMT, which puts my graduation at the weekend of July 4th (my best guess at this point), provided that I don't do anything dumb like get injured.

I get one day off (or two days if I really kick ass up to that point) and then I'm scheduled to go to my first technical school. I'll be going to two of them, and I'm not sure which one is first, but here they are:

Keesler AFB in Mississippi, and Sheppard AFB in Texas. Although I'm not sure the exact amount of time I'll be at either one, all my research suggests that all this will take me right up to and maybe through March 2008. At that point, I get some time off to go home and pack up all of mine and Carol's stuff (as well as Carol herself) and we head to wherever in the world I'll be working.

I bolded "wherever in the world" because I really have no idea, and likely no influence upon where that will be. I've been talking online to another guy who's been doing my job for a couple years. Right now he's in Utah, but he spent a few years in Italy. I'm cool with that though, I have my first couple of choices, but I'm going to make the best and have a blast wherever I go.

Anyway, I started to write more but I think I've satisfied the purpose for which I began writing this... I'm looking forward to seeing everyone and partying my ass off until I head out! See you all soon!

Death By Caffeine

I learned something new today! At my average weight of 165, it would take 104.76 cups of coffee to kill me. Let Energy Fiend tell you how much you could withstand!

Happy Tax Freedom Day

New video from Remy Remz! Enjoy!

GSP Sets the MMA World Right Again.

See the original article here.

---

St. Pierre Talks Win Over Serra
By Andy Cotterill

[4/22/2008] Newly crowned UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre (Pictures) spoke exclusively with Sherdog.com the day after his impressive second-round TKO over Matt Serra (Pictures) at UFC 83. With the win, St. Pierre reclaimed the belt that Serra had taken from him in his first title defense in April 2007.

"Yesterday was the most beautiful day of my life," St. Pierre said, his voice still raspy and full of happiness. "Everything worked out perfectly, and it is a dream come true."

To get the win, St. Pierre employed a very solid wrestling game that allowed him to stay on top of Serra and punish him with countless hard knees to the body. The style contrasted greatly to the standup that Serra had used so successfully the first time. Was St. Pierre worried the few times that Serra got back to his feet?

"No, I was in perfect control," he said. "My plan was to mix it up with him -- up and down and up and down to get him tired."

There had been some bad blood in the buildup to the bout, but after the win St. Pierre, now 16-2, was quick to praise his opponent. In fact, he pleaded with the Montreal crowd to treat Serra like a gentleman. St. Pierre acknowledged that any animosity that may have existed is now gone.

"He's not a friend because I would never fight a friend," St. Pierre said. "He's an acquaintance. How do you say … a ‘buddy.' Somebody that I respect in the sport."

St. Pierre was also very thankful to the Montreal crowd, whom he called the "noisiest I had ever heard in my life." During the pre-fight warm-up, he couldn't hear the crowd because he was deep within the bowels of the Bell Centre. However, St. Pierre said he felt the trembling in the walls.

"The place was shaking," he remarked.

Surprising perhaps to those who think fighters live like rock stars, St. Pierre only spent a short time at his after-party. The 26-year-old Quebecer's real celebration? A meal at McDonalds and an early trip to bed.

"That's because the stress of the fight makes you tired," he said.

Most followers of MMA agree that contender Jon Fitch (Pictures) will likely get the first crack at St. Pierre, followed possibly by Thiago Alves (Pictures), but only UFC brass knows who will be the Canadian's next foe. If the decision has already been made, St. Pierre doesn't want to know.

"They are both tough fighters, and I don't know yet," he said. "And I don't even want to know until one week, at least."

In the meantime, St. Pierre jetted to the Bahamas Sunday evening for four days in the surf and sun with friends and family. After that it's back to the gym, where he'll help Keith Jardine (Pictures) get ready for his May 24 meeting with Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) in Las Vegas.

Is that too little time to relax after such a lengthy training session and a big fight?

"My friend," St. Pierre said, "that's what I like to do with my life."

4/20 At CU

HAHAHAHA!!! Oh, man. If you're going to try and advocate a drug like weed, you're probably going to get the best responce if you're NOT high at the time. This is pretty funny, I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't smoke weed and this post does not represent my opinions on the matter. It's just pretty funny. If you're going to look into it any more than that, please click here instead.

Hillary's Bosnia Footage Revealed!

It was too dangerous for Bill, so they sent Hill.

Whey Protein Powder Lesson

Today, I tried to make a new combination for a drink: Blueberry tea (which I like on its own) with vanilla flavored whey protein powder (which I also like on its own). I use this mixture (actual blueberries, not the tea) all the time in the blender, and I thought it might be a good idea.

When I added the powder to the hot water, I learned a new life lesson: Protein powder does not like to be put in hot water. No, it didn't explode, but I definitely wasted a serving of the stuff, as well as a perfectly good blueberry tea bag. Nasty.