Thursday, September 30, 2010

Quality Vs. Quantity

So how many martial arts techniques are there anyway? And how many do you have to know?
This is an age old question: the question of quality vs. quantity. Although many practitioners advocate learning many techniques, as many as one hundred or more, I don't agree with this idea. A martial artist is better off discarding the techniques that don't fit his or her physical make up and fighting mentality and instead, focus in on a few techniques that work well for that individual.

You will be able to tell very quickly which techniques work for you and which don't. I would recommend taking five or six techniques to start with and practice them until you have really become efficient with each one. Then, learn at least one or two combinations to use with each technique. Think of it as a one of those nine digit electronic locks for your car door. There are only nine digits but it is nearly impossible to break the code because of the incredible amount of combinations there are. Similarly, you may only have a few techniques but you can hit your opponent with many different combinations. And it doesn't stop there. There are multiple angles to fire each technique from as well as many ways to set up an opponent for each technique.
(I will write on this subject later in detail)

Don't be afraid to have a trade mark technique. This can work in your favor. Many times an opponent will be over anxiously looking for you to fire that one particular technique and this will leave them vulnerable to a sneak attack. Muhammad Ali would frequently establish his famous jab as his principle weapon and when his opponents started looking for him to throw it, he would switch up and hit them with a sneaky right hand or 45 punch.
Being known for a few techniques may also force an individual to continually increase the skill and deceptive methods with which they are delivered. This has made for some exceptional fighters.

I primarily use only ten striking techniques in sparring/competitive style matches. I have four hand techniques: a forward hand strike, straight right, hook, and uppercut. And I primarily use six kicking techniques: a side kick, round kick, hook kick, front kick, spin back kick, and spin hook kick. Early on when I began my only formal training (Tae Kwon Do), there were many more techniques I was made to try and learn. Out of respect for my instructor I practiced each one diligently. But many of them just didn't seem to work for me. For example, to this day I still hate using the ax kick and the crescent kick. I have never once scored on anybody with them. So I cut them out of my training regimen. I only use them today for theatrical purposes.

Many people believe this shows lack of dedication to the art. I believe it shows an effective training practice that prevents a waste of time. After all, as it was once said...
"I fear not the man who has practiced ten thousand kicks, but the man who has practiced one kick ten thousand times".

Why I Reject The Belt Rank System

The way the belt rank system in martial arts works today, I think it would be best to discard it.
When Benny "The Jet" Urquidez earned his black bet in 1964, he was fourteen years old and the martial arts establishment was in awe of this feat. Today, it's common to see students in any school who are only ten or eleven but are wearing first, second, and even third degree black belts.
Some people claim it's an increase in average skill but I don't buy it. I think our standards over who can wear a black belt have changed dramatically. Dramatically in the wrong direction.

In older martial arts schools, there were usually three or four belt ranks between white and black. Today the average number of belt ranks is around ten and some schools even use colored bands between ranks, making it more like twenty! What happened?
You will hear lots of explanations such as "It motivates kids" but I believe it all comes down to two simple answers: Ego and money.
Everyone has an ego and some show it more than others, but if you really want to see someone with an insecure and carefully guarded ego, walk into a martial arts school. Everyone these days feels like they have to prove themselves better than the other guy. A student who has been training for two weeks longer than another will want to show it with a higher belt rank. Often, there is no real difference in skill between the two. Just a difference in pride.

The second reason is money. This is not the students fault, it is the instructor's.
Martial arts instructors know that a large amount of their total income is from their youngest students. And you have to keep these students enrolled to make your money. A young student who has been training for a long time will want to be promoted. And if the instructor doesn't think they are ready, odds are that they will quit and enroll in a school that will promote them. So how does an instructor keep students for several years and still satisfy their desire to constantly earn new belts? Make multiple belts with many bands, patches, and belt stripes between each rank.

Unfortunately, it gets worse. Many martial arts instructors will manipulate the teaching of patience in the martial arts to keep students in their school. They will tell their students that if they ask about when they might have their next belt test, they are showing a lack of patience, and now the time must be extended. All the while, the student's enrollment money keeps on coming in. It is a very sneaky trick to make students stay enrolled and paying as long as possible.

Ultimately, there is no true need for a belt system in martial arts. I don't want to be judged by someone's own personal idea of what my belt rank means. Because I don't wear a belt or hold a martial arts rank, people can only judge me based upon my performance.
After all, many fighting styles don't use ranking systems. In professional boxing there are no belt ranks except one (the world tittle belt). If someone wants to know how good you are, they have to watch you box. The same applies for wrestling. So why do we need the belt for other styles?

Very few martial arts schools and trainers today require the same expertise, mental toughness, and teaching ability that used to be required to don a black belt. There are exceptions of course. Organizations like the Joe Lewis Fighting System and the Ukidokan systems hold true to awarding black belts selectively and only to those who have the real qualifications.
But over all, I see the belt system as a problem. A problem that might best be discarded.

Anderson Silva Vs Nate Marquardt



Download the Anderson Silva Vs Nate Marquardt fight

Nathan Joel Marquardt (born April 20, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist. He is a three-time Middleweight King of Pancrase Champion, and currently fights in the middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Marquardt runs an academy, High Altitude Martial Arts, located in Aurora, Colorado.
Mixed Martial Arts career
Marquardt began his professional mixed martial arts career in 1999, amassing victories in various promotions before entering the Bas Rutten Invitational 4 tournament, which was organized in such a manner that the tournament winner was to be offered a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Despite winning the tournament, Marquardt was offered no such contract.[2] Instead, he signed with Japan's Pancrase organization, which had fostered such fighters as Ken Shamrock and Bas Rutten. In his first Pancrase fight, Marquardt lost via submission to Genki Sudo.

Invited back to Pancrase for a middleweight elimination tournament, Marquardt defeated Daiju Takase, Kiuma Kunioku, and Shonie Carter to become the first middleweight King of Pancrase. Marquardt defended this title twice before being defeated by Kunioku in December 2001. A final encounter between the two fighters in December 2002 saw Marquardt defeat Kunioku once again to recapture the King of Pancrase championship, which he held for nearly a year.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Can you imagine the spray tan left on those sheets?

Much like hitting puberty or your mom finding your Playboys underneath the bed, we all knew this day would come.

There's allegedly a Jersey Shore sex tape...I'll wait while you recover from this bombshell.

Care to take a guess?

We had a running pool over at Raucus as to which guido/guidette would 'release' their sex tape.  My money was on The Orange Goblin aka Snookie.  Mags had the Situation and some grenade.  Turns out we were both wrong.  Here's the scoop straight from thedailyfix.com:

 "Rumors are swirling that there may be a Jersey Shore sex tape starring Ronnie and Sammi. Reportedly, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro and Sammi Sweetheart Giancola made a sextape and then lost it." (source)




I can already imagine what this tape will look like if it ever surfaces. Just picture two Syracuse mascots going at while fist pumping to house music and you get the idea. If you're imagination sucks not to worry, I've provided what I feel is an accurate portrayal:

Dez should've just carried the pads

You may remember the stir Dallas Cowboys rookie wide reciever Dez Bryant caused in training camp when he refused to carry Roy Williams pads after practice. 

Dez was quoted as saying, "I feel like I was drafted to play football, not carry another player's pads."

The veteran Williams let the issue drop, but hinted that Bryant would just have to pick up a dinner tab during the season. Well, Dez had to pay the piper last night at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse...the total came to $54,000.  What did they order the Porterhouse with Asian twins a la carte?  Damn that's a lot of money, here's a list of what Dez could've bought with the $54,000:

2,160 Raucus Nature V-necks
(I know it's a shameless plug, but seriously check out our shop section.  Our clothes are legit.)






iPhones for the entire town of Jennings, Kansas (pop. 180)





10 hours with Ashley Dupre (Elliot Spitzer's favorite hooker escort)

I think he paid too much...





2010 Porsche Boxster (you can even get it in 'mid-life crisis red')



or better yet, you could erase my student loan debt.  In the end it sounds like he should've just carried the pads.  Of course if he HAD to take them out to dinner, Dez should've done what I do with all my dates and take them to McDonald's drive thru.  It's not because I'm cheap, they just really like Happy Meals.

Cody

Eargasm of the day: The Black Keys - Next Girl

Check out my favorite, albeit lesser known, song by The Black Keys:

Emma Pooley First British Woman To Win Time Trial World Title

Norwich's Emma Pooley has won the Women's World Time Trial Title in Geelong (Australia), finishing 15 seconds clear of German rider Judith Ardnt and New Zealand's Linda Melanie Villumsen.

Leading the event from the front, Pooley rode a 'beautiful' time trial, in the words of former World Champion Chris Boardman.

Emma Pooley First British Woman To Win Time Trial World Title

Emma Pooley First British Woman To Win Time Trial World Title 1

 Emma-Pooley-006

"JANGAN LUPA MAKAN PERMENNYA"

Alkisah ada dua orang anak laki-laki, Bob dan Bib, yang sedang melewati lembah permen lolipop.
Di tengah lembah itu terdapat jalan setapak yang beraspal. Di jalan itulah Bob dan Bib berjalan kaki bersama. 
Uniknya, di kiri-kanan jalan lembah itu terdapat banyak permen lolipop yang berwarni-warni dengan aneka rasa. 
Permen-permen yang terlihat seperti berbaris itu seakan menunggu tangan-tangan kecil Bob dan Bib untuk mengambil dan menikmati kelezatan mereka. 
Bob sangat kegirangan melihat banyaknya permen lolipop yang bisa diambil. Maka ia pun sibuk mengumpulkan permen-permen tersebut. 
Ia mempercepat jalannya supaya bisa mengambil permen lolipop lainnya yang terlihat sangat banyak didepannya. 
Bob mengumpulkan sangat banyak permen lolipop yang ia simpan di dalam tas karungnya. Ia sibuk mengumpulkan permen-permen tersebut tapi sepertinya permen-permen tersebut tidak pernah habis maka ia memacu langkahnya supaya bisa mengambil semua permen yang dilihatnya.
Tanpa terasa Bob sampai di ujung jalan lembah permen lolipop. Dia melihat gerbang bertuliskan "Selamat Jalan". Itulah batas akhir lembah permen lolipop. 
Di ujung jalan, Bob bertemu seorang lelaki penduduk sekitar. 
Lelaki itu bertanya kepada Bob, "Bagaimana perjalanan kamu di lembah permen lolipop? Apakah permen-permennya lezat? Apakah kamu mencoba yang rasa jeruk? Itu rasa yang paling disenangi. Atau kamu lebih menyukai rasa mangga? Itu juga sangat lezat." 
Bob terdiam mendengar pertanyaan lelaki tadi. Ia merasa sangat lelah dan kehilangan tenaga. 
Ia telah berjalan sangat cepat dan membawa begitu banyak permen lolipop yang terasa berat di dalam tas karungnya. 
Tapi ada satu hal yang membuatnya merasa terkejut dan ia pun menjawab pertanyaan lelaki itu, "Permennya saya lupa makan!"


Tak berapa lama kemudian, Bib sampai di ujung jalan lembah permen lolipop. 
"Hai, Bob! Kamu berjalan cepat sekali. Saya memanggil-manggil kamu tapi kamu sudah sangat jauh di depan saya." 
"Kenapa kamu memanggil saya?" tanya Bob. "Saya ingin mengajak kamu duduk dan makan permen anggur bersama. Rasanya lezat sekali. Juga saya menikmati pemandangan lembah, indah sekali!" Bib bercerita panjang lebar kepada Bob. 
"Lalu tadi ada seorang kakek tua yang sangat kelelahan. Saya temani dia berjalan. Saya beri dia beberapa permen yang ada di tas saya. Kami makan bersama dan dia banyak menceritakan hal-hal yang lucu. Kami tertawa bersama." Bib menambahkan.


Mendengar cerita Bib, Bob menyadari betapa banyak hal yang telah ia lewatkan dari lembah permen lolipop yang sangat indah. 
Ia terlalu sibuk mengumpulkan permen-permen itu. 
Tapi pun ia sampai lupa memakannya dan tidak punya waktu untuk menikmati kelezatannya karena ia begitu sibuk memasukkan semua permen itu ke dalam tas karungnya.


Di akhir perjalanannya di lembah permen lolipop, Bob menyadari suatu hal dan ia bergumam kepada dirinya sendiri, "Perjalanan ini bukan tentang berapa banyak permen yang telah saya kumpulkan. Tapi tentang bagaimana saya menikmatinya dengan berbagi dan berbahagia." 
Ia pun berkata dalam hati, "Waktu tidak bisa diputar kembali." Perjalanan di lembah lolipop sudah berlalu dan Bob pun harus melanjutkan kembali perjalanannya.


Dalam kehidupan kita, banyak hal yang ternyata kita lewati begitu saja. Kita lupa untuk berhenti sejenak dan menikmati kebahagiaan hidup. 
Kita menjadi Bob di lembah permen lolipop yang sibuk mengumpulkan permen tapi lupa untuk menikmatinya dan menjadi bahagia.


Pernahkan Anda bertanya kapan waktunya untuk merasakan bahagia? 
Jika saya tanyakan pertanyaan tersebut kepada para klien saya, biasanya mereka menjawab, "Saya akan bahagia nanti... nanti pada waktu saya sudah menikah... nanti pada waktu saya memiliki rumah sendiri... nanti pada saat suami saya lebih mencintai saya... nanti pada saat saya telah meraih semua impian saya... nanti pada saat penghasilan sudah sangat besar... "


Pemikiran 'nanti' itu membuat kita bekerja sangat keras di saat 'sekarang'. Semuanya itu supaya kita bisa mencapai apa yang kita konsepkan tentang masa 'nanti' bahagia.
Terkadang jika saya renungkan hal tersebut, ternyata kita telah mengorbankan begitu banyak hal dalam hidup ini untuk masa 'nanti' bahagia. 
Ritme kehidupan kita menjadi sangat cepat tapi rasanya tidak pernah sampai di masa 'nanti' bahagia itu. 
Ritme hidup yang sangat cepat... target-target tinggi yang harus kita capai, yang anehnya kita sendirilah yang membuat semua target itu... tetap semuanya itu tidak pernah terasa memuaskan dan membahagiakan.


Uniknya, pada saat kita memelankan ritme kehidupan kita; pada saat kita duduk menikmati keindahan pohon bonsai di beranda depan, pada saat kita mendengarkan cerita lucu anak-anak kita, pada saat makan malam bersama keluarga, pada saat kita duduk bermeditasi atau pada saat membagikan beras dalam acara bakti sosial tanggap banjir; terasa hidup menjadi lebih indah.


Jika saja kita mau memelankan ritme hidup kita dengan penuh kesadaran; memelankan ritme makan kita, memelankan ritme jalan kita dan menyadari setiap gerak tubuh kita, berhenti sejenak dan memperhatikan tawa indah anak-anak bahkan menyadari setiap hembusan nafas maka kita akan menyadari begitu banyak detil kehidupan yang begitu indah dan bisa disyukuri.


Kita akan merasakan ritme yang berbeda dari kehidupan yang ternyata jauh lebih damai dan tenang. 
Dan pada akhirnya akan membawa kita menjadi lebih bahagia dan bersyukur seperti Bib yang melewati perjalanannya di lembah permen lolipop

(Author Unknown)

BONUS :
Wrong turns are as important as right turns. 
More important sometimes.


(Richard Bach)

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Wingman of the week: Frank Reynolds

This week's wingman is none other than Danny DeVito's character Frank Reynolds from FX's 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'. Ladies, guard your heart from this charmer...






Later Boners,
Cody

Monday, September 27, 2010

Da Bears are 3-0!!!

I can't tell who gets me more excited, Brian Urlacher stripping the rock from James Jones with only 2:18 left in the fourth or the Bear's new good luck charm...after comparing pictures of the two, I'm inclined to go with the latter.

Keep this relationship going and this super babe happy Cutler or Chicago will hate you more than some guy named Bartman:

Jay's offseason program seems to be paying dividends.


 Cody

Eargasm of the day: Wale - Chillin


Check out this 70's 'go-go' inspired anthem by D.C.'s own Wale featuring Lady Gaga.  An unlikely collaboration, but damn I'm glad they did it.

You can check out more about Wale here at his official site.

Cody

Hindsight is 20/20: UFC 119 post-analysis

Oh my my my, we've got a lot of explaining to do.  We at Raucus Nature posted an atrocious 1-4 record on Saturday for UFC:119 Mir v Cro Corpse, while our MMA idiot savant Poul 'E. Slithers' Collins went a commendable 3-2.  Let's just say we had a tougher time picking these fights than Charlie did at playing Simon:






Frank Mir def Mirko 'Cro Corpse' Filipovic via 3rd KO

Raucus: Mir
Poul: Mir

My bromance with Frank Mir has been well documented.  That being said, this fight was a huge letdown from an otherwise intriguing pay per view card.

Frank Mir was originally slated to take on Big Nog in a rematch until an injury forced Nogeuira off the card.  With an already average PPV main event the buzz surrounding UFC 119 was about to go from bad to Lohan.  Not to worry though, in steps the corpse of Mirko Cro Cop to save the day.  If this was 2006 and Cro Corpse was still sending men to their maker with his left head kick I would be jumping up down like a 13 year old chick at a Justin Bieber concert.

Mir did end up knocking out Cro Cop in the final minute of last round, but the 14 minutes leading up to the fight looked like a light sparring session.  It seemed as though both men weren't fighting to win, but to not lose.


Ryan Bader def. Lil' Nog via unanimous decision

Raucus: Lil' Nog
Poul: Bader

Interesting for short stretches when Bader decided to trade with Lil' Nog.  'Darth' can celebrate his well deserved technical victory, but Nogeuira will be the real winner.

He won't have to face Jon Jones next.  Sorry Bader, but you better get your doctor on speed dial.  This is how two of Bones' last three opponents looked after Jon got his hands on them:



Chris Lytle def. Matt Serra via unanimous decision

Raucus: Serra
Poul: Lytle

This was an action packed fight with Lytle just two piecing Serra's face, while Serra tried valiantly to bruise Lytle's knuckles with his dome.  It's crazy to think Lytle is one fight away from title contention, but it's completely justified.  'Light's Out' has won his last four fights in the octagon.


Sean Sherk def Evan Dunham via split decision

Raucus: Dunham
Poul: Sherk

This was an absolutely amazing fight.  Sherk came out and got back to his bread and butter wrestling and top control.   Sherk's submission defense is top notch, Duham had him in deep guillotines four times and Sherk found a way out.

Touching on Dunham.  WOW, what a coming out party.  (Taylor Lautner take note for when you inevitably come out in a couple years after Twilight)  After getting split open by a Sherk elbow in the opening frame, Dunham dug deep, put a smile on his face and proceeded to knock the shit out of Sherk for the next two rounds.  He put some crazy combos together on his feet and showed a slick ground game when things hit the mat.

Now to address the 500 pound gorilla in the room.  How in the fuck did two judges give the fight to Sherk?  That was a travesty.  Whether complete reform or half point scoring, something needs to be done with MMA judging.  Or just get rid of Cecil Peoples.


Melvin Guillard def Jeremy Stephens via split decision

Raucus: Stephens
Poul: Stephens

I thought for sure this fight wouldn't go beyond the first round and after Lil' Heathen dropped Guillard in the opening 10 seconds and I was almost right.  However, Guillard proved to be too fast for Stephens to close out in the first frame.

I thought both guys fought extremely smart, especially Stephens who tailored his strikes to Guillard's body to wear him down.  I scored the fight 29-28 Stephens, but could easily see Guillard take the very close 2nd round.

In conclusion, I think Georges St. Pierre pretty much sums up how Raucus Nature did for UFC 119:




Cody

UFC 119: Intriguing match-ups, lackluster decisions


As the UFC continues to take their traveling roadshow across the country and the world, their latest foray was to Hoosier country in Indianapolis, Indiana; there a card filled with intriguing match-ups ended up filled with lackluster decisions. UFC 119 wasn't the worst card this year that dubious distinction still belongs to UFC 112, but it was far from the best as well.

To summarize it, one has to look no further than the main event between former heavyweight champion Frank Mir (14-5, 3 KO's 8 subs) and former Pride Grand Prix Champion Mirko 'Cro-Cop' Filipovic (27-8-2, 20 KO's, 4 subs). Although the fight ended up with Mir knocking out Cro-Cop with a standing knee to the jaw, that explosion didn't happen till less than a minute left in a fight that was easily the most boring on the main card. In other words, the only one of the five fights on the main card to end with a finish, the other four were decisions, was actually the worst.

There's not much more to discuss regarding the main event, so let's go to the co-main event where young stud light-heavyweight (205 lbs.) Ryan 'Darth' Bader (12-0, 5 KO's, 3 subs) defeated 'Lil' Nog' Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19-4 5 KO's, 6 subs) to up his record in the UFC to (5-0).

Bader combined an improved stand-up game with his superior wrestling background and overall speed advantage to keep the more experienced Jiu-Jitsu wizard off balance. While I didn't have one, apparently there was some question as to the decision of the judges. Dana White, President of the UFC, quelled any speculation when asked about it at the press conference. "Believe me, I'll be the first one to tell you who I think won or didn't win a fight; I think Bader won that fight."

Not surprisingly, two of the more interesting fights of the pay-per-view took place at the lighter weights. First, former lightweight (155 lbs.) champion Sean 'The Muscle Shark' Sherk (33-4-1, 8 KO's 13 subs) won a razor thin split decision over up and coming Evan Dunham (11-1, 2 KO's 6 subs). It was so close; it ended up winning one of two fights of the night bonuses. Sherk, using his overall experience, finally went back to his roots in this fight, which is his wrestling, after losing two of his previous three thinking he was a boxer.

Dunham, a black-belt in Jiu-Jitsu who was coming off a four-fight win streak in the Octagon, almost caught Sherk in two very tight guillotine choke holds, but that's where Sherk's experience was able to help pull him through and out of both those positions. Dunham was one of five fighters I featured to look out for in a column I wrote a couple of months ago entitled 'The next generation of UFC Superstars'. Thus, even though he took the loss, it made me feel pretty good when Dana White stated in the post-fight press conference, "I thought Dunham won the fight."

The other fight which was fairly entertaining was the back and forth battle between former welterweight (170 lbs.) champion Matt 'The Terror' Serra (11-7, 2 KO's 5 subs) vs. Chris 'Lights Out' Lytle (30-17-5, 3 KO's, 21 subs). This was a rematch of a fight they had four years ago in 'The Ultimate Fighter' Season Four finale. Serra won a split decision then, but Lytle (pictured above) left no doubt this time as he clearly won a unanimous decision. Using his superior boxing skills, he actually sports a professional boxing record of (13-1), Lytle peppered Serra with combinations over three rounds.

Lytle fighting in his hometown was hoping to put on a good show and surprisingly Serra, a Renzo Gracie renowned Jiu-Jitsu black belt, was willing to oblige him by standing and trading with him. While his record may not look all that impressive, Lytle is currently (9-9) in the UFC, he's won four fights in a row and five out of his last six. When asked where Lytle stands in the pecking order of welterweights, White's response was, "he's in the mix; it was a big fight for him and Serra tonight and Chris fought a great fight as usual."

Lastly, in what was expected to be a fight filled with fireworks, ended up being a dud. Melvin 'The Young Assassin' Guillard (26-8-2, 16 KO's 2 subs) failed to assassinate Jeremy 'Lil' Heathen' Stephens (17-6, 12 KO's 2 subs) in a lightweight fight that failed to live up to the hype. Guillard won a disputed split decision. He even acknowledged his failure to perform as he publicly apologized to Dana White for it at the post-fight press conference.

Up next, UFC 120 on October 16, 2010 from London, England, which will be broadcast for free here in the states on Spike TV. While many have openly criticized the overall content of the upcoming card, UFC 119 has proven that sometimes intriguing match-ups don't necessarily equate to a great night of fights, but rather a bunch of lackluster decisions.

Anderson Silva Vs Chael Sonnen



Download The Anderson Silva Vs Chael Sonnen Fight

Chael Patrick Sonnen (pronounced /ˈtʃeɪl ˈsʌnən/; born April 3, 1977) is an American mixed martial arts fighter. He is currently signed as a middleweight with the UFC. He is an NCAA Division I All-American wrestler at the University of Oregon, two-time national champion and a silver medalist at the 2001 World Championships.[1][2]

Sonnen is currently ranked as the #2 middleweight in the world by Sherdog.com.[3] On September 19, 2010, Sherdog reported that Sonnen had tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.[4] He was subsequently faced with a year-long suspension by the California State Athletic Commission. Sonnen also works as a real estate agent[5] and was running for State Representative in Oregon's House District 37 as a Republican.[6] On June 16, 2010, Chael quit the race for the Oregon Legislative Assembly.[7]

Creative Career Coaching from the Creators (you can amost taste the alliteration) of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia



Cody

Friday, September 24, 2010

Eargasm of the day: B.O.B. - Magic


Get your weekend started off right with this amazingly happy song by B.O.B. and Rivers Cuomo from Weezer.  If this song doesn't brighten your day (and you're under 30) jump off a building.

Love,

Cody

UFC 119: Bold Predictions

Welcome to the first installment of UFC (insert number) bold predictions.  Here at Raucus we are huge MMA fans, but you may not know this because we don't wear obnoxious graphic tees of panthers fucking dragons with skulls around them.  For this this card I am bringing in a huge asset, Mr. 10&2 himself,  Poul 'E. Slithers' Collins for his take on the fights.  


As always, if Poul loses I will post his cell phone number on the site.  Good luck 10&2...screw it, I'll post the number anyway because he's not gonna win. 


(314) 663-9832.  Call him anytime.  


Without further ado, here are our bold predictions:


Frank Mir v Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic




Raucus Nature: If this fight was made four years ago I would've bought tickets to see it live.  Flash forward to 2010 and you have Frank Mir's weird sideways soul patch going against the corpse of Cro Cop.  He looked like shit in the dos Santos fight and only won the Barry fight because of 'HD's' huge bromance with Mirko.  Speaking of bromances, Mir is one of my favorite fighters, so I will go Mir by submission 1st round.


Poul: For the main card, I think it's going to be very competitive, but I'll take Mir (for the first time ever); simply because Cro Cop's tiny head and uppety accent annoy me a lot more than Mir's creepy, crooked soul patch. Winner: Mir


Ryan Bader v Antonio Rogerio Nogueira




Raucus Nature: Do you really want to win this fight, when rumor has it your prize is a fight with phenom Jon 'Bones' Jones next?


Disregarding that, I'm not ready to jump on the death star just yet (get it...haha) .  Ryan Bader's best win was against Kieth 'I lost five in a row Dean of Mean' Jardine.  Due to the shit bomb he delivered in the Brilz fight Lil' Nog is popping off at a 2:1 underdog, which is ridiculous.  He is an Olympic level amateur boxer and a southpaw to boot.  And don't even bring up Bader's superior level wrestling as the wild card because Lil' Nog will fold 'Master' Bader up like origami if this hits the floor...too bad it won't.  Lil' Nog by 2nd round TKO which will put Bader back in gatekeeper status.


Poul: I think Bader is going to be a tad too much physically for Lil' Nog, plus this is the fight where he loses the 'Darth' nickname, and becomes the 'Master'. Winner: Bader


Sean Sherk v Evan Dunham




Raucus Nature: Sherk hasn't fought in 16 months.  He also seems content to trade on his feet now instead of using his superior takedowns and smothering top control to grind out fights like he used to. Which is mind blowing considering he has the reach of a T-Rex.  Dunham looked great against Tyson Griffin in his last fight, couple that with Sherk's inevitable ring rust, I say Dunham via unanimous decision.


Poul: Dunham over Sherk because Dunham has proved he can handle the smaller, thick body wrestling types. Winner: Dunham

Chris Lytle v Matt Serra



Raucus Nature: 'Lights out' Lytle has more fight bonuses than anyone in UFC history with eight (he netted over 300k combined for those) so expect fireworks in the rematch of The Ultimate Fighter season 4 finale.  Snooki might be taller than Matt 'The Terror' Serra, but don't sleep on the boy from Jersey, he comes to scrap every fight.  That being said, I gotta go with my fist pumping favorite.  Matt Serra 3rd round submission.


Poul: Lytle over Serra cause Matt is a Terra, but it's the '-ble' type. Winner: Lytle


Jeremy Stephens v Melvin Guillard




Raucus Nature: This has fight of the night written all over it.  Both guys seem to check their ground games at the cage door and proceed to throw bombs like they just walked in on their opponent tea bagging their mom.  This fight is a toss up, so I'm gonna show some love for my hometown and go with Des Moines' own Jeremy 'Lil' Heathen' Stephens via 2nd round TKO.


Poul:  I'm taking Stephens over Guillard because he doesn't feel pain.  Winner: Stephens

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Gettin' stuff done

I'm not a very productive person overall so gettin' stuff done usually takes me a while.  At the opposite end of the spectrum is our unofficial mayor of Fayetteville, Gene Kistler.  Gene knows how to get stuff done.  Here's a picture of Gene with the new Bubba City signboard that was installed this morning.  This sign was built using NRAC funds and will soon contain info on how to get into Bubba, maps, access issues, etc.  We had a sturdy crew to hoist that thing which probably weighed 700 pounds.  Concrete was poured, shit was talked, then we headed over to the Bridge Buttress to work on the staircase used to access the top. 

The staircase has been on ongoing project that Gene says we've been working on for "twenty years".  Everytime it pours rain a torrent of water rushes down the gully and eventually erodes the slope and the stairs start to shift.  We need bigger rocks!

   Robbie was the hero of the day with his elaborate haul system.  Huge rocks were hoisted into the sky and hauled to the top of the gulley where BJ the mason was ready to shift them into place.


Gene's job was to tie into the haul line and jump off the top of the cliff.  I took this picture fully expecting him to eat it into the ground at top speed but the rocks proved to be heavier than Gene.


It required more hauling.  When Lilah barked the order everyone tugged and the rock shifted up the hill as Gene slowly descended back to earth.  In just a few hours we made good headway on the project and hopefully this task is nearing finality.  We had a great time and at the end of the day we got to reflect on just how much NRAC has done for the climbing community.  Particularly Gene and Maura Kistler and Kenny Parker who've been doing this since the beginning.  Literally over twenty years of making the New a better place to live and climb.

One thing I did manage to get done recently is to bolt two new lines at the Meadow.  This beautiful white wall has somehow managed to remain untouched though I know many have thought about it.  For those that are familiar, the two lines I bolted are just left of Matt Fanning's project Phone Home which is itself a brilliant looking line that still awaits a redpoint.  The two to the left will be equally as classic and I can't wait to chalk the holds this weekend.  The middle line is for Colinator.  Probably in the 12b to 12d range.  The left line looks a bit more difficult and may be in the 13a to c range.  Can't wait!
  Parting shot:  Here is Elissa ending her 8 year reign as a full vegeterian.  For health reasons she decided to start eating meat.  She dabbled with fish a little and succeeded then moved up to a single bite of bacon.
And here she is trying not to throw up.  It didn't take.  Maybe next time Colley!







Sometimes being good is not good enough


The recent disclosure that Chael Sonnen failed his post-fight drug test after his UFC 117 fight with Anderson Silva has not only thrown a monkey wrench into the UFC's middleweight (185lbs.) title picture, but it has had a tremendous trickle down effect. Sadly, the one that is getting screwed once again is the one that should be benefiting, Yushin 'Thunder' Okami (pictured @ left).

Okami (25-5, 9 KO's 4 subs) is currently 9-2 over 11 fights in the UFC. In that stretch, he's garnered wins over such contenders as Alan Belcher, Mike Swick and former champion the late great Evan Tanner and rising contender Mark Munoz. He's had separate winning streaks of four fights and three fights and his only losses were to former champion Rich Franklin and number one contender, the aforementioned Sonnen. So, why no title fight in that period?

Simple, Okami's good, but sometimes being good is not good enough. He has fallen into the category of a winner, but not a sexy winner. In other words, like Big Daddy Kane, "he gets the job done," but he does it in a workmanlike fashion. In those nine wins, only either KO or submission won four, the other five went to a decision, including his two losses. Step in Vitor Belfort.

Belfort, AKA 'The Phenom', is (19-8, 13 KO's 2 subs) and although he is somewhat of a pioneer in the UFC and a former champion himself, even at his young age of 33, he has had only one fight in his latest run within the organization. That fight, which took place over a year ago against the aforementioned Franklin, wasn't even at middleweight, but at a catch weight of 195lbs. So why is Belfort named the replacement for Sonnen against Silva in Silva's next title defense on New Year's Day instead of Okami?

Let me preface my response by saying I am a huge Vitor Belfort fan and I, like most including UFC President Dana White, feel like a Belfort/Silva match-up could be dynamite. That said, what's right is right. Okami deserves this shot before Belfort and he's deserved it for awhile now.

At the time he fought and defeated Swick for his fourth win in a row, Swick himself was riding a five-fight win streak. It was all but a given that the winner of that fight would get a title shot, at least that's what we thought. I think Dana White and the UFC brass were hoping and assuming Swick would win, which would've set-up, a fight against Silva between two slick strikers. Sadly, they didn't realize Okami was out to win, which he did.

Yet, instead of giving Okami the title shot he deserved, they decided he would have to prove himself yet again, this time against former champion Franklin who had already been decimated once by Silva. This time, to the satisfaction of the UFC, Okami lost. However, the rematch they ended up putting together between Frankin and Silva turned out to be as one-sided as their first fight.

In the meantime Okami pressed on. He'd win three more fights in a row, but instead of giving him the title shot he once again earned, they made him fight Sonnen who was (1-1) at the time in his latest UFC run. Again, Okami would lose a decision, while Sonnen would go on to defeat Nate Marquardt and earn the title shot @ UFC 117.

Now, Okami, riding another two fight win streak, was slated to headline UFC 122 in November against Belfort, while Sonnen was getting an immediate rematch against Silva. However, Sonnen's failed test has forced the UFC's hand. Thus, the Belfort/Silva match in January; meanwhile Okami is left to prove himself, yet again against another title contender in Marquardt.

I know when it comes to selling tickets; it's about putting together exciting fights that fans want to see. However, if you're not going to acknowledge or reward fighters such as Okami, welterweight contender Jon Fitch, winner of his last five fights, or lightweight contender George Sotiropoulos, who has won seven in a row, then why bother to keep them on your roster? The only way they'll ever get title opportunities is to absolutely force the UFC's hand by continuing to win, which Fitch has done once already.

I am far from an Okami homer, but the fact is the guy is a great fighter who just keeps winning. On top of that, lately his game has shown flashes of improvement and excitement in both his stand-up and wrestling along with being the consummate company man. Bottom line, the guy is good and deserves a shot, but sometimes being good is not good enough.

The Celebrity UFC Fighter: Randy Couture


Every fighter in sports and all gamer of online casino come out from a dream to be on what they want to become, they start for being a nobody till they became somebody. Like in a sports, one most take their full effort when pursuing a career but every career requires time to be professional in the field of sports. A normal sports made us fit and much able and stronger also give you confident in many things, such us facing difficulties, work and relationship this has a character which teach a man to be patient and be more perseverance to what their doing and when you master you surely building a wiser and nicer you.



In a sports like UFC, fighter on this game took many years to establish themselves before entering into the world of entertainment. Dedicated man like Randy Couture did a lot of strategical effort. He is an American mixed martial artist, and part of a team Xtreme Couture and actively been on the sport since 1997 and continuously growing and being known till present. Couture has competed in a record 15 title fights. At 23 couture already known to be called as one of the first members of the UFC Hall of Fame and many consider him to be the most popular fighter in MMA history.




Randy Couture known in using the style of Greco-Roman Wrestling, Boxing, Catch Wrestling. Couture put on a display that began to earn him the reputation of a master strategist in the sport. Couture appear in UFC after retiring from the professional fighting circuit. Couture has the ambiance of good vibes and as a relaxed as can be and smiling in the cage as he enter. Now that he reach his fame and become a celebrity through hardship and proper training see he made it to the top.

Season Dos: Kenny Powers is deep inside Mexico

Kenny Powers is fuckin' back!  The 2nd season of Eastbound and Down, which profiles the hilarious fall from grace of an arrogant, hillbilly, drug abusing major league pitcher, premiers on HBO Sunday at 10:30.  For those that followed Kenny in his journey of redemption in the first season, you know how incredible this show is.

For those that didn't, I only have two things to say to you:

1. How dare you?

2. Get yourself educated with this highlight reel of the first season below.




Cody

Courtney Love finally took a shower...



Holy shit. 

Here's a pic of Courtney Love at the premier of Wall Street Money Never Sleeps.  Now, I'm sure you expect me to make fun of Courtney by using a part of the movie title. Such as, 'You know why money never sleeps?  Because it's up all night doing crack with Courtney."  But, that would be tasteless and also really low hanging fruit on the comedy scale.

So instead, I'll take the high road and become a leading advocate of Courtney Love showering on a regular basis.  I'm not going to get my hopes up and start thinking Courtney is snorting a new line turning over a new leaf, so I'm still punching my dick right now so it stays flaccid.  Because we all know Courtney can go from classy broad to swamp donkey succubus in about as much time as it takes Lohan to check in and out of rehab, but damn she looks good.


Cody

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Raucus Nature at London Fashion Week..



I would like to start off by just mentioning that I can't understand why there are not more straight dudes at these fashion week events.  It's no wonder the photographers are cleaning up shop at these things, there are smoking hot models everywhere and very little competition.  Just thought I would mention this to all you straight readers.  It may be worth a shot to check it out.

Now that we got that out of the way, the show was an amazing experience.  The fashion was crazy, everything from classic jewelry to outrageous mad hater style top hats.  The week is comprised of runway shows and basically a trade show with thousands of designers, buyers, sellers, etc.  All in all it was a kick ass time and well worth the journey.

Check out some of the pictures from London below and the video of me and my aunt walking around the streets of London at the wee hours of the morning.





Eargasm of the Day: Deadmau5 feat. Rob Swire - Ghosts n Stuff



I don't know what it is but this song is awesome.  Give it a listen and I am sure you will agree.  It is the creation of a Canadian DJ known as Deadmua5 (pronounced Dead Mouse), real name Joel Zimmerman.  Check out his site for tour information and for other videos and tracks, it's all pretty awesome.

I hope the eargarsm was as good for you as it was for me!

SNAPSHOT PLAT NOMOR KEREN Di INDONESIA

BAYOU namanya pasti bayu.



BIASA (dibacanya biasa, tapi boilnya RUAR BIASAA)



BSATU kita teguh..!




B*BI (censored)


DJOGYA mobil bandung rasa jogja J


PIPA mungkin boss PDAM?




B2 YUK (ngajak nih heheh) ayuuuuukkk



BH IBU . . Anak Nakal..!! masa BH emak dibawa2..!



ABIS ML.. ML mulu nih cape dee


BLAZER.. sesuai ma mobilnya



FIGHT.. jangan berantem mulu ya



BIASA ML.. perasaan banyak yg hobi ML ya hehe



KIIIIIIIIING artinya RAAAAAAAJA J



AIDS.. jangan mendekat mobil ini, nanti tertular


BH ISI TT.. parno nih



P*JU ini lebih parno lagi hehehe



BEBAS... kereeen..!





DIGIGIT ada guguknya kaleee ya?



BIJI OM.. Oom2 emang ada bijinya ya?



D SPA, hobinya Spa?



B GIGOLO emangnya mobil keren aja yg bisa pake nomer keren..!




tapi yang paling keren diantara semuanya... tetep.....!!!

HI CW ( Haiiii Cewe...!) Manstaaab...!


BUSEEET DAAAAH NIH KYAI...