Blog Posts:
Latest News and Blog Posts from Wayne “Pendragon” Owens.
FCMA: Proof I am Nice!
Well i finally have proof I am at heart a “nice guy“. Take that all you haters, who disbelieve my claims that I am the nice one!
Last nights training involved a grading/check-test session. I was being graded by the Instructors son, who is notoriously picky in his scoring.
I lost a point for “being too Nice!“.
Apparently I was not smashing his sister hard enough into the floor… Brotherly Love, There’s nothing like it!!
Well that’s Ni Kyu sorted, just one grade left and I get to start on a new syllabus.
The Middle East Conflict
Considering The Supreme Commandant of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps described the United States, Britain, and Israel as an “axis of evil”. Stating that they want us all wiped off the face of their planet (Or so it seems).
It may be wise to take a moment and consider some words from a WWII poem, before we all jump on the bandwagon of blaming Israel….
First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.
Pastor Martin Niemöller
MEME: Questions
1. Elaborate on your default icon.
Which one is my default Icon? Can’t remember, Hang on one second I’ll go check….
“Intermission”
Ah its that one… I generally use a dragon based name/logo and that is just one of the
Dragon logo’s I use, I believe its the one I use for Dragon Code.
2. What’s your current relationship status?
Sadly Single. Due to never being able to find an intelligent, beautiful woman with a great
personality (Curse my look of living in the Wrexham area.)
3. Ever have a near-death experience?
Err, not that I am aware of, I have had my past flash before my eyes as I was in a serious
car crash, but all I remember of that is realizing I was in a smashed up car, and saying
“weeee Can I do that again!!!”
4. Name an obvious quality you have.
Brilliant Mind. That I never really make use of.
EDIT:: I have just been informed my best feature is my Sarcasm
5. What’s the name of the song that’s stuck in your head right now.
Witchcraft by Wonderwall. due to it being played 4 times this morning.
6. Name a celebrity you would marry:
Errr. Sheesh.. I not know…
- Kate Beckinsdale
- Jewel Staite
- Claudia Black
- Lexa Doig
- Eliza Dushku
7. Who will cut and paste this first?
No one because only one likely to do it is and he has already done it.
8. Has anyone ever said you look like a celebrity?
I am a celebrity, and people have been told they look like me, does that count?
Err, I was told I look like Michael Jackson, Which I took as an Insult!
And I was told I look like a character from a book, and the drawings of him on the cover.
EDIT:: I was also told I looked like a young Stephen King, and Wiz from the wizbiz books
9. Do you wear a watch? What kind?
Occasionally a pocket watch, silver on a chain…
10. Do you have anything pierced?
No
11. Do you have any tattoos?
No. Still not found the right dragon drawing…
12. Do you like pain?
Apart from sadomasochists does anyone actually like pain?
13. Do you like to shop?
Yes, but online, or out of normal hours, I hate crowds, and queuing! But like getting new stuff.
14. What was the last thing you paid for with cash?
A can of coke I just drank.
15. What was the last thing you paid for with your credit card?
Petrol
16. Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone?
Tim the Director about a script for poaching domain names.
17. What is on your desktop background?
Gray Background
Blue Background
Black Background
Black Background
Depending which Desktop I in front off..
18. What is the background on your cell phone?
Err its called steel, but looks like a plant pot with a plant in it. Don’t ask, it came with the phone.
19. Do you like redheads?
If they are cute, nice, and don’t shout insults at me from the window of a Taxi..
20. Do you know any twins?
Yes, they were born on Feb 29th, and very weird!!
21. Do you have any weird relatives?
I am the weird relative!!!!
22. What was the last movie you watched?
Superman Returns
23. What was the last book you read?
Finished would be “The Traveler” (Real book) and Gibsons Neuromancer (eBook) but there are currently half a dozen in the progress of being read by me.. I just don’t get the time as much as I would like.
Stepping Inside a Horror Film
It s an old story, we have all seen it in a horror film, or read it in a book, or even heard it while telling ghost stories in a group. Someone’s driving along a country lane late at night, when the car’s headlights reveal a body on the road. The body is not moving. The driver of the car gets out to check on the body, only to find out that its some maniac.
If you were in the story, would you have stopped to offer help to the injured person? Or would you have driven past, possibly leaving an innocent person to die at the side of the road?
Well I now know my answer to this question, for it happened to me last night. I had gone to a kind of house warming/social gathering of sorts, then on the way home after a short detour to drop off a friend at his place, I proceeded home about 2am.
After l had left the main roads, and was traveling along country lanes, the lights of my car illuminated a body curled up at the side of the road. It was just lying there unmoving, and there were no houses or buildings in the area, and a bit out the way for anyone to be walking around at that time of night.
So I pulled over before the body, and decided what to do, it was not an easy choice. Years of watching horror movies and reading books, coupled with training to be wary of suspicious circumstances was telling me to drive on and pretend I saw nothing. On the other side I had common decency in wanting to check the guy was alright and not in need of help.
In the end decency won out, and I got out the car to check on them.
Ok, there was a knife in my pocket and I was ready to slam it into their chest had they made any offensive looking moves. As it was my caution was not needed, the guy was just drunk and lost, so had decided to sleep where he was, and find his way home in the morning. So I pointed him in the right direction, and continued on my way, happy in the knowledge that when the moment required it, I did the right thing!!
FCMA: Plains Of Enlightenment
I have noticed that there seems to be a tradition forming, where one night a week after training the instructor goes round to PlanetPete’s house and we all end up talking until way past the witching hour.
What do we talk about at these intellectual meetings? Normally we discuss important dojo business, deep philosophical questions, quantum theory, and general crap.
This evenings was very productive. We now have the information needed for the next stage of the website. We have plans/ideas for the dojo, and the hope the current trend continues and even more women start coming down.
Well we now have two new female members, so at least Caz can stop moaning about being the only girl, and getting picked on. Not that any of us would pick on her, none of us are that insane or brave!
The Storm Aproaches
We have needed a storm to try and and take away some of the oppressive heat,
We have prayed for it, we have dusted off the old shamanic gear and done the rain dance. (or didn’t but why let reality ruin a good post!).
Earlier on the heavens opened and large drops of rain started to fall, which grew into a short but heavy shower.
Now, there is the rumbling of thunder in the distance, and hopefully this storm with show itself, Since the one last night never really got further than the stage of growling like an old disturbed dog.
So come on storm, throw your wrath at us, shake the buildings with your power.
Some People Have No Sense Of Humor
A short while back I received an email from someone I did not know.
Which is something that happens a lot to me.
[EMAIL]
Hello.
I don’t know you and you probably don’t know me because this e-mail adress does not have my real name. I was just wondering if you could tell me who you are, and please tell the truth. I saw this e-mail adress someplace and I was wondering who was this person. Please respond with your real name. Thank you.
Kat Lando
[/EMAIL]
They did not help me out by saying where they had seen my email address, or in what context the had seen it. Most Wanted List? Hit List?
So I emailed back in the only manner available.
[EMAIL]
I am Me!
That’s who I am, No more, No Less, Just myself!!
Wayne Owens
[/EMAIL]
Which I figured was both a simple answer, and a correct answer.
I stated, that I was me, and as requested I gave my real name. So imagine my surprise when 2 weeks later I get this…
Proving some people have no sense of humor.
[EMAIL]
That’s really helpful. Thanks a lot. Seriously though who are you?
[/EMAIL]
See, try and be helpful, and you get nowhere!!! :0)
FCMA: Seminar & Gradings
Well the advertised FCMA seminar on sparring techniques was changed due to low numbers.
In fairness the days seminar did clash with some small sportsball event. I think it was called an England World Cup match. Apparently that is a big thing for the English members of the dojo.
So instead we went through the first level of the intermediate course to warm everyone up, and it’s a good variety of techniques…
Then it went into the gradings, just a quick one since there was only 3 people up for grading. Everyone passed (Which is always good!), with me picking up 3rd Kyu in Shinden Kihon Kata.
Which is good as it leaves just one grade left where the instructor gets to try and hit me with a sword. :0)
Bow down before The Morning Star
Feel The EVIL!!!
evil squared..
06:06:06 on the 06/06/06
*Que Spooky Music*
This is the most evil moment any of us will witness in our lifetimes.
Err, unless of course you count the other evil moment of :-
06:06:06pm on the 06/06/06
The Clouds of Doom and Gloom
Its amazing the affect one person can have on the people around them. I woke up this morning all happy and full of the joys of summer, I’d had a good weekend, the sun was shining, all was going well, and this good feeling lasted for about twenty minutes after hitting the office.
And I don’t mean the normal Monday morning back at work feeling, but more like a huge cloud of depression had settled in the room, any red Dwarf fan may have seen the episode that could describe the office here, Yes we have our own despair squid! Ok, he’s been up and down since he started working here, but for the last year or so its been getting worse and worse, and it can bring down the happiness of the office faster than a very fast thing indeed.
Well its got so bad the guy who sits opposite him has built a shelf on top of his desk to raise the height of his monitors, making a wall to block out the sight of him with his head in his hands, staring sadly at the floor, looking to be close to tears, or punching himself for making some small mistake.
Due to the positioning of my desk, attempts to build a wall of cardboard boxes failed, so I’ve had to result in moving my pc so I now sit awkwardly but facing the opposite direction, now we just have to deal with the atmosphere, and not have to watch the self harm, or view the pure doom and gloom (which over the last year I have come to realize is like a fog you can cut and see).
This can’t go on!
Where’s the rope?