τι γαρ ωφελειται ανθρωπος εαν τον κοσμον ολον κερδηση την δε ψυχην αυτου ζημιωθη η τι δωσει ανθρωπος ανταλλαγμα της ψυχης αυτου

It seems there is a cure for arachibutyrophobia. At last. Keep the arm rested on that dead man’s handle, eh?

Sorry to put in more code, but you know, I am just dumb. Here is something I never knew before:

perl -e 'sub bar { $where = (caller(0))[3];
  warn $where, "\n\n" } bar'

That is pretty cool. When I get told these things, I always wonder why I am so far behind, and everyone knows this stuff and I am being laughed at. Ah well, no change there then.

It is known, although not widely, that I have taken up a martial art. (I must mail him and point out that animated gifs offend my religion, and his site could do with, a, well, overhaul.) And before I say anything else, I have to point I am really enjoying it. A good workout, it has increased my energy levels and I even practice at home. Who would have thought it? My goal, which I probably shouldn’t state publicly, is to be a black belt in five years, and do that groovy destruction.

But given this is a martial art, there is all that bowing and respecting and all. Which, back at the start, Cassandra did say How are you going to get along with that then? You? Showing such respect? And, to be honest, it was true. It rankled with me. Why give respect just because you are told you have to? Thran at the best of times, me. Why do people blindly give respect?

Why respect the media? They can’t read reports. (from one of my fave newly-discovered-by-me blogs.) They hype, destroy, misrepresent, lie and distort.

Why respect the Government? They just lie and lie and lie and lie (who would have thought I would link to something written by a Morning Star journo?) and lie. (I stop now. I could go on, as I haven’t touched on any of the recent issues (most of this was written before that), but it is all too depressing.)

(I also advise you do some Truth Seeking.)

breathe

It has been said before, but you have got to earn respect. By words, works or deeds. So going back to the TKD, I did find it hard, somewhat galling, to have to bow before someone I didn’t know, just because etiquette dictates. Etiquette is something that is used to put others down, to oppress. Manners, on the other hand, show some sense of decorum and understanding of the situation. So I was, at the start, mannerful. But respect has since been earned. I now bow without reservation.

Golden handcuffs, nowhere to run