Stream
The water is muddy, and all around the trees are gray.
Mossy stones along the sides, an earthy smell,
The scene is not pretty but it is beautiful.
Water is like fire, it burbles, it crackles, it even sounds the same,
And watching it flow or burn is like watching my blood flow in a mirror,
Like watching my life burn its way to the sea.
My 2013 Zinefest Table
Saturday I went to RVA Zinefest. If you haven’t been to a zinefest before, let me tell you that it is like standing naked in a waterfall of creativity. Icy waves of unfiltered self expression wash over you, bracing you, exciting you, waking you up to new possibilities. It is the exact opposite of Hollywood polish, the antithesis of the focus-group powered ad pitch, the additive inverse of the end-cap, checkout-line-powered sales machine.
Assorted Zines I brought home
Behind every table to you visit there is a person, an actual human being, who will talk to you and interact with you and have an actual conversation. You can stop and talk to Mo from the Wingnut, the hardest working human in the anarchy anti-business, or spend a few minutes with Oura whose art will blow your mind.
Start a conversation with Aijung Kim and you not only will you have a better day than you expected, but you will see fifteen things on her table that you can’t leave without. Hang out at the Adhouse Books table and be smashed upside the head by some of the most beautiful productions you’ve ever seen. Over at Studio Two Three you can get zines that will show you how to silk screen and linocut and express yourself, and they’ll tell you about all of the amazing stuff they’re doing over at 1617 W. Main St.
More zines I brought home
Free stuff is everywhere — music cds, flyers, pamphlets, and yes, ‘zines. Some people are just trying to break even, others are trying to make a couple of bucks, and there are a few semi-pros running from one event to the next trying to pay the bills.
On one end there is a guy named Yuri Realman (or is that an alias?) selling a fascinating project called Conspiratorial. On the other end of the hall you can meet Christine Stoddard from Quail Bell and buy something truly beautiful.
Zinefest hall full of cool people
There are workshops on everything from beekeeping to reproductive rights. There’s an area with free materials where you can make your own ‘zine right there on the spot. You can ramble from pillar to post. You can drink great coffee and eat good food from Lamplighter. You can forget you even have a cell phone.
Before I knew it it was time for my five o’clock “How to Tell a Story” workshop. It was the end of the day and everybody, including me, was fully exhausted. Attendance was low — only two people — but both of them tolerated my rambling without yawning too much. One of them was Megan who heads up Trail Mix (a cool person who puts out a very cool zine).
See what a mean? Everywhere you go at Zinefest there’s another person to meet, another smile to share, and another inspiration.
Split J/Squats 50,Neck Bridge 90s,Pushups 50,Leg Lifts 50,100 Yard Dash 2,Bear Sprint 100m,P/ups knuckle 40 @cabal_fang #WOD
Posted in Martial arts
Two slaw wraps ready to be taken to the office for lunch time consumption
I’m a big van of the humble collard. For a low carb wrap, how do you beat a collard leaf? They’re big, don’t tear too easily, have great flavor, and they’re packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Although they can be used raw, I have found that steaming them first gives them a softer texture and a nicer flavor.
Here’s how the process breaks down.
Vegetarian Slaw Wraps
Buy a small bunch of organic collards. Select the bunch that has the biggest, most perfect leaves.
Put about 1/2″ of water in a big pot and put it on the stove on HIGH. Wash your collards while you’re waiting for it to boil. When the water’s rolling, lay the leaves in the pot and put on the lid. Leave them in for two minutes. After two minutes, remove from heat and run cold tap water into the pot to stop the cooking action. Remove the leaves and spread them flat on clean dishcloths. Pat dry and let them rest while you make your slaw.
Almost ready to wrap up. This one isn’t Asian-styled — it contains gold ‘ol southern-styled slaw. That’s another option. Experiment.
You can buy a prepared Asian slaw mix (there’s a nice organic one in the produce section where I shop) or make some from scratch. Shred your cabbage and soak it in a bath of water with a teaspoon of salt for one hour. Drain. Add a sprinkle of sesame oil (careful — a little bit goes a LONG way) and a splash of soy sauce. Careful not to make the slaw too wet. Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Put a dollop in the middle of each collard leaf, then wrap ‘n’ roll.
Put them in the fridge to chill. Serve cold.
3 Circuits: 10 Barrel-Roll Pushups, 12 Leg Lifts, 12 Squat-Press (20# Dumbbells), 8 Pullups @cabal_fang #WOD
Posted in Martial arts
Fencing coach Frank Scaramuzza foiled a robbery (actually he used his épée — wink-wink). The alleged perpetrators, Butt and Johnson, were arrested. Another triumph for Western martial arts.
You did good coach.
Just in case you missed it, my article “And in Other News of Interest to Writers” is up at Writer’s Lunch.
I’d like to interview one of my readers. After all, you guys are the ones who supply my Recommended Daily Requirement of of “hey look, somebody’s listening” and you deserve an extra shot of “hey look, he’s listening to me listening!”
If you’d like to be the one I interview, send answers to the below questions to 12thkey [at] gmail.com. I’ll pick randomly between the coolest answers.
Dirty Dogs 25/side,Jackknifes 25,Pushups 50,Leg Lifts 50,100 Yard Dash 2,Side Crunch 50,P/ups barrel roll 25 @cabal_fang #WOD
Posted in Martial arts
Last night at the monthly meeting of Richmond League of Occult Research and Education (L.O.R.E.) we experimented with a “ghost box.”
Chris, one of our members, was kind enough to do the background research and set up the experiment. After a failed attempt to set up an AM-scanner-type ghost box (wrecking a couple of transistor radios in the process), Chris was forced to download the SV-1 SpiritVox “Ghost Box” onto his android phone. This is a very popular app, and has been used by Ghost Hunters International, Fact or Faked, and over 200 other paranormal investigation groups around the globe.
What does this thing do? The SV-1 Spiritvox plays random audio clips and white noise. An AM scanner ghost box pulls random words from the airwaves. Either way, the idea is that any spirits in the area are able to manipulate the random clips and send messages to us mere mortals.
Chris and I made a list of questions and started asking them. Our first question was “Is anyone there?” to which we got what seemed to be an immediate, although unintelligible answer (click to hear it yourself). Next we asked, “What is your name?” Again the answer was unintelligible (listen).
But when we asked, “When did you die?” we got a reply that sounds like “1832.”. “1832” appears at 1:13 (listen). At this point we were intrigued and excited. Next we posed the question, “Where are you buried?” and got what seems to be “In the cemetery.” This happens at :13 of the recording (listen). I may be dreaming, but I think I hear it twice on the recording. We asked a few more questions, but heard nothing.
Actual spirits or random sounds? Wishful thinking, or actual phenomena? I’m at a loss as to how we could possibly prove or disprove that what we heard was a real spirit. I’m also fully aware that the human mind is really good at recognizing patterns and/or creating patterns when there aren’t any (a phenomena known as pareidolia).
All I can say is that the experience was a huge amount of fun. By all means give it a try yourself. When you’re done, just in case, I suggest completing a simple banishment. Say something simple and direct like, “To the forces, powers, and spirits present, I bid you farewell and godspeed and send you back to whence you came — let there be peace between us all.” As you make this statement, cross yourself, or if it suits you better, scribe a banishing pentagram with your finger, complete a Qabalistic cross, etc.
That’s what I did when I left the meeting. You know, just to make sure nothing followed me home.
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I teach free of charge through Heritage Arts , a 501(c)(3) educational charity offering free or donation-only classes related to martial arts, fitness, outdoor skills, and spiritual development. Distance learning programs available. Visit the Heritage Arts website to find out more, or click here to join the Heritage Self-Defense group on Facebook.
What is Heritage Rough ‘n’ Tumble? It’s mind-body-spirit form of American Rough ‘n’ Tumble, which began as a manner of no-holds-barred fighting in the Southern Virginia backcountry during the Colonial Era and has since grown, evolved, and adapted to the realities of modern self-defense. An amalgam of the varying techniques brought to America by colonists from all over the world, blended with the fighting methods of the over 900 distinct indigenous tribes, American Rough ‘n’ Tumble is perhaps the world’s most fearsome martial art.
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Robert Mitchell Jr. 