I’ve been playing lots of Doukutsu Monogatari lately. It’s actually one of the best games I’ve ever played. Go to the link and download it with the English patch, that is, unless you can read Japanese. The music is amazing too, so download it from that same site. Cave Story game is the only game I’ve ever played that I would call flawless.

In real life, I’ve been bumming around a lot lately. I’m gained some weight this summer because I’ve been largely sedentary and inactive. Duncan’s not around to play DDR with and Capoeira isn’t happening because my sister isn’t going. I also just got hit by a bunch of comment spam again ~_~

That sounds worse than it really is. Lots of cool stuff has been happening too. Let’s do something that hasn’t happened in a while: Life Ratings

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This makes me extremly sad and angry. Sad because 40 or so people died. And angry, because of the reasons behind it.

al-Qaeda’s religous fundamentalism is the direct cause, but it would have no power if not for the immense number of recruits it acquires from the western nations invading the middle east. If your family and friends were bombed by the US, you’d sure as hell help the people attacking back.

Within the last five years we’ve seen major attacks on the US, Spain, and Britain: all major players in the disgustingly-titled “war-on-terror.” Both the islamic fundamentalists and the leaders of the nations need each other to continue their wars, and therefore, their power. While Bush and Blair tell their people they aren’t safe from the terrorists, bin Laden and al-Zarqawi tell their people they aren’t safe from the western devil.

Between 9-11 in New York, the war in Afghanistan, night-club bombings in Bali, 3-11 in Madrid, bombings in Istanbul, the war in Iraq, and now today in London, many thousands of people are dead from the actions of extremists on both sides. And when will this end? George Bush is not going to kill terrorism, no matter how much idiotic rethoric he spouts, nor is the western devil going to fall, but lots of people will die, and lots of people will suffer needlessly.

So fuck you extremists. Fuck you and your inability to value human life and happiness.

I had my my first Capoeira class last night. Capoeira is a unique Brazilian martial arts developed by Dutch slaves. It’s set to rhythmic music played on a instrument called a berimbau that looks like a bow with a gourd hanging off of it. The actual movements itself resemble sort of gymnastic dance incorporating cartwheels, handstands, high kicks, flips, and such.

It is very. Very. VERY. VERY strenuous. Participants are constantly in motion, staying still is an invitation to get a foot in the face or a head in the stomach. Even if you aren’t directly participating in the action, you are expected to stand in a circle around the opponents and participate in the music.

Being that my gymnastic ability was limited to a strained somersault and my flexibility was limited to a very difficult toe-touch, the first day was tough. The first thing I had to learn was the ginga: A sort of stance that forms the basis of Capoeira. I only say “stance” in the most general meaning, as even it is a constant motion involving the whole body.

The moved on to the negativa, a sort of ducking/squating dodge you use can use to avoid high kicks. Then on to cartwheels, something I failed miserably at, but continue to improve. Finally we tried a move I can’t even begin to grasp called the Queda de Rins or “stand on the kidneys.” I have no idea why it’s called that, but it requires something like standing on your head while twisting an elbow under your torso to support your body weight. Weirder and more difficult than I can describe.

It’s crazy. The next class in tomarrow, but my attendence requires my sister to fully recuperate from yesterday’s session (She hadn’t practiced Capoeira in at least a year). We’ll see if that happens.

Wish me luck ~ LittleZephyr.

Bonus Movie: Here is a clip of a Capoeira cord ceremony called the Batizado (Quciktime, 6MB). You can hear the berimbau in the music.