Positively Radical

The Ping Pong Chronicles: Part Two, Good Form

Positively Radical — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:28:05 +0000

Ping Pong lessons. Lessons on how to play ping pong. What? Why would anyone need lessons? Can’t you just pick up a paddle and hit the ball? What’s the deal?

Listen up, Grasshopper! This ain’t your basement ping pong. Oh, no, my dear. Far from it. You don’t even know what you don’t know. It’s like that.

But I’m not a sporty girl. I don’t DO sports, never have. When a ball comes flying at me I duck and run for cover. What am I doing here?

Let’s see:

No previous sports experience. CHECK!
Lack of innate ability. CHECK!
Bad eye-hand coordination. CHECK!
Slow reactions. CHECK!
Middle-aged. CHECK!
All-around wimp and pansy. CHECK!

Just the right person to start a new sport!

After buying the ridiculously expensive paddle and rubbers, I embarked on my lessons with the first coach, Mr. Cha, at the Korean ping pong club nearby. Mr. Cha, like all the Korean players at the club, started playing in elementary school in Korea, where he was drilled, drilled, drilled mercilessly by some old-school coaches. And he was prepared to teach me the same way – with endless multiball drills. These are intense sessions where the coach hits balls to the player, one after the other seemingly endlessly. (There is typically a basket of balls next to the coach.)

The balls are fed to you rapidly until the coach runs out of balls. That’s the cue for you to grab a pick-up stick and fetch all the balls so you can start multiballing again. (I don’t know if multiballing is even a word – probably not.)

Watch this baby, Jamie, in a multiball drill:

Before drills, Mr. Cha had to show me how to hold the paddle properly, how to swing a basic forehand, how to position my feet and how to move my body during the swing. So many pieces of the puzzle just to hit a little celluloid ball.

After I was shown the basic forehand, I learned that I had good form. Good form. Remember that. Good form was the clincher, the drug, the motivator to keep me going with this craziness. “You have good form!” “You look good!” Everyone in the club agreed, “she has good form, wow!” “Looks good!”

Yeah, I think it was an evil conspiracy to lock me in to taking more lessons and getting deeper in the madness. I looked good! I had good form! I was a natural! How could I not continue? Bwa-ha-ha! Bwa-ha-ha-ha!!!

To be continued…

It Gets Better

Positively Radical — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:01:13 +0000

Is This Your Inner Child?

I came across the It Gets Better project last year and I think it’s wonderful. It was started to give hope to Gay and Lesbian youth who feel tormented and bullied by their classmates, so they can make it through that tough time.

Many folks grow up in not-so-great circumstances. But I had thought that my siblings and I were pretty well-adjusted. I thought everyone was okay – we made it out of the hellish parts unscathed. But now in our 40s and 50s, the proverbial shit is hitting the fan, and it turns out that no, everyone is not okay, and in fact some of us are letting the past get in the way of living right now.

I think I’d made peace with the miserable parts of the past many years ago. I’ve looked at the memories, analyzed them from time to time when necessary, and put them into their place in my mind – the Past. Done. Move on. I thought that everyone else did so too. I think that everyone should do that. I mean, I had a life to live. How do you dwell in the past and live a whole life? You can’t.

I am not saying that you deny the past. Of course not. But look at it – like some ugly object that you carry with you for the rest of your life – then set it aside in a place where you are not looking at it all the time.

I didn’t call my blog “Positively Radical” for no reason. I believe in looking at the bright side, being optimistic. To push forward. To do things. Carpe Diem and all that. You can’t really make progress in life and live a full life being negative.

Childhood and teen-age can be hell for many. There were many scary times for me, many tears, many nights not sleeping, when I thought there was no way out of all this muck. Feeling hopeless.

I had to transition out of all that and it was not easy. But it does get easier and easier until you feel quite normal and ordinary. What is essential is that you live positively. I don’t mean you have to consciously think “be positive,” “be positive” like a mantra or something. What I mean by positive is to move forward – look forward, get yourself out there and live your life energetically.

Do things. Stretch yourself. Cultivate hobbies. Talk to people. Talk to everyone – siblings, co-workers, teachers. Go places. Take care of your physical self too. Do sports. Wake up each day and get out there.

What NOT to do is cocoon yourself into yourself. Once you go down the path of turning inward, dwelling on bad things, not talking, not doing – it’s harder and harder to get out. Because if your mind has only been fed bitterness, anger, hatred, etc., it becomes stunted. Year after year of this bitter diet will kill your spirit. Give your sad or angry inner child a daily hug. You need to give your mind light and feed it for it to thrive. Be kind to your self and fertilize your memories with new experiences and positive behaviors. Then your mind will take care of you. As each year goes by and you’ve done more and more things and met lots of people and exposed yourself to life fully – the past becomes more and more distant and separate in your memory.

Just do it.

It gets better.

Rest In Peace Steve Jobs

Positively Radical — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:08:13 +0000

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”

Shine On You Crazy Diamond

Rainy Days and California Dogs

Positively Radical — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 23:07:03 +0000

Ahem. If any of you see the pix below sideways – it’s not you. My iPhone camera has a bug in it.

It’s just a little rainy. Our first rainy day of the season. Southern California rain – not too heavy, no typhoon or anything. But still. Rainy, gray skies, haze, dark house, etc.

Sun deck - SUN deck. Not today though.

We’re very spoiled with our sunshine here. Sun shines most every day. This is why we pay the big bucks to live in this state. That’s why I bought all those deck and patio chairs and plants and stuff.

The outdoor life. Not today though.

The way rain works in California, at least in the twenty-five years I’ve lived here is this – no rainy season for several years. Drought conditions, water conservation warnings, reservoir water levels down 30 feet. Then a veritable deluge, by our standards – a big rainy season. Usually attributed to something like El Nino or La Nina conditions. Those busy scientists – always giving things cute names. Then another cycle of no rain for several years and so on. We had quite a bit of rain last winter after a long dry season as usual. So I don’t know what this year is going to bring.

In Southern California you have a weird wardrobe. People wear shorts and open shoes year round. Even in the rain. People seldom carry umbrellas. They are usually caught unaware, and dart from building to car when it’s rainy, sans umbrella. I have one. Somewhere. Always forget to carry it. Feel awkward with it. Unnatural. Don’t know where to put it. Today I went to Starbucks on the way to the office. No one had an umbrella. Seriously. I know these things.

You know why the rain sucks? My hair. No use drying it nicely now. As soon as I set foot outside it will curl and frizz up. Especially the bangs. I will drench it in Moroccan oil and stick it in a knit cap while I’m out and about. Note to self – Need. More. Cute. Knit. Hats. Stop procrastinating. Get online today and buy. Or hit JC Penney or Sports Chalet – somewhere.

Another note to self – put towel in car trunk for wet dog. And baby wipes. And umbrella!

You know what rain is good for? Washing the car. Yay, my car will get washed off today. See, I’m looking at the bright side.

The ten-day forecast according to my Weather Channel app is sunny. The weekend temps are in the mid-70s. But they didn’t have rain forecast for today as of last week. What’s the point of a forecast if it’s always, well, wrong? It’s that California-style forecast – they spot the rain, then forecast it for right now. Then flip a coin for tomorrow.

If we have a real rainy season I’ll take extra Vitamin D3 and grab sun whenever it comes out or maybe hit a tanning salon a few times. Maybe I’ll buy a decent umbrella, some waterproof boots and actually go outside in the rain and take walks in it. Stretch myself – get out of my comfort zone, yadda-yadda.

Don’t think I’ll be able to enlist the dog for that idea though.

I'm not going anywhere. Go away.

Dachshunds and water don’t mix.

He’s only an inch off the ground people.

And some things hang.

And there’s not much fur on the bottom side.

I can hold it all day long. Really. Leave me alone.

So no walks today.

Then what happens?

Of course…

Play with me I'm bored.

I thought I told you to

Go!

Out-Side!

I'm booooored! Come on!

I’m busy.

Gah!

Now you leave ME alone, jeez…

Grrrr... Grrrrrrrrowrrrrr!

Dangit.

Hobbit Dog always wins.

Chocolate Mousse, Paleo Style with Coconut Milk

Positively Radical — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:07:52 +0000

I’ve been buying coconut milk by the case from Amazon since the stores around here, including Trader Joe’s, only carry low-fat coconut milk. Yuck, right? The last case I ordered was Thai Kitchen Pure Coconut Milk, sold by Amazon. It was so thick it came out of the can in one solid chunk, very little liquid. In my newest order, the cans were labeled with more Marketingese: “Thai Kitchen Unsweetened Premium First Pressing Coconut Milk (95% Organic)” and the contents contained more liquid. This batch was also sold by Amazon.

The differences in textures and qualities of the various coconut milk brands and even within the brand makes it hard to get a consistent ingredient for recipes – so when you are trying to replicate a recipe that simply calls out “coconut milk” be aware that the kind of coconut milk the originator of the recipe used and the kind you buy can be quite different. I find the liquid that separates from the creamy part of coconut milk tends to have an off taste, tinny is how I would describe it, and the tinniness gets imparted into your recipe.

Anyway, enough consumer education, let’s get on with the recipe. I’ve made this a few times and I think last night’s was the best I’ve concocted so far.

Mr. PR had grabbed some fresh raspberries yesterday so as I was planning to cook dinner I thought, what could I do with those raspberries? Oh, doh! Chocolate! Chocolate mousse.

Okay, now I have to let you know before you get mad – I do not use recipes. I have lots of beautiful cookbooks I love to look at. But I don’t use recipes. I get ideas from recipes. I might follow a recipe in a kinda-sorta way. But I don’t measure out ingredients and use all the same ingredients.

Even my own concoctions are not really recipes – written-down, measured out recipes. Nope. I don’t do that. So I’m not going to give you any of those kinds of recipes here on my blog. So your results of my concoctions will vary.

Okay! That caveat out of the way. Last night here is kinda-sorta what I did:

Open three cans of coconut milk I described earlier. Drain out the water. I put the water aside for another use – probably something like a soup or smoothie. Put the creamy, buttery part in a mixing bowl.

Add the remainder of a container of pure, unsweetened cocoa powder.

I didn’t have enough to give it that really chocolatey taste, so I added about an equal amount of Ghirardelli double chocolate cocoa powder, sweetened. I didn’t look at the ingredients. Honestly, why do that to myself? I know the stuff is sweetened. That’s all I need to know.

Using a silicone spatula, I mixed and mixed and mixed until all the cocoa powder was blended (lots of lumps – I had to change hands a couple of times from fatigue). After the mixture was lump-free I poured it into a glass container, covered it and put it in the refrigerator. Then I licked the spatula and cleaned the bowl with my finger – then licked my finger. Can’t let that chocolatey heavenliness go to waste.

I grilled some vegetables and some salmon for dinner. Here is how I grill the salmon – I cover this grill basket thingie with foil, and put the salmon on it and cook it on the grill uncovered. I’ve tried it covered with foil but I like the flavor and consistency of the salmon done this way. Self-experimentation y’all, that’s what it’s all about.

Use a little olive oil on the foil to prevent sticking

Then I grilled a bunch of tri-tip steaks for cutting into roast beef slices for lunches. Funny how the dog is always around when I turn on the grill.

Don't mind me, I'm just looking at the view...

After dinner, when those tritips have cooled, I use a long, serrated knife and slice them up. Before I threw them on the grill I gave them a sprinkling of Montreal Steak Seasoning. That’s all. And I keep them quite rare because refrigerating will toughen a medium rare or medium well done beef. Tritips are pretty lean too, so to get the moist, flavorful roast beef slices, you’ll want to keep them rare. Then let them rest before slicing.

Taking a rest

Alright, enough side-tracking. Back to the mousse. After dinner was eaten and cleared and the tritips were sliced and put away and the dog got fed and given some tritip pieces and juice as a doggy jackpot, I took out the cooled mousse. The mousse firmed up into a consistency between pudding and traditional mousse. This picture is meant to give you an idea of that consistency. Hope that works for ya.

Chocolate Coconut Milk Mousse

I spooned some mousse into margarita/ice cream glasses, then loaded the glasses with the raspberries, which I had taken out of the fridge to take the edge off. (I don’t like cold fruit).

Shameless plug of my orchid-growing capabilities

Ohhhhhh! So creamy, so chocolatey! It was so rich. I mean a little too rich. I had to give some of mine to Mr. PR, my mouth just couldn’t take anymore. Next time I serve it out I’ll use less mousse and more fruit. It’s that rich. Very delicious. Very mousse-like. If someone served this to you in their home, you would not believe that this isn’t the traditional cream-and-egg mousse. It’s that good. And there’s no coconut taste at all. I’ve got to get some vanilla-flavored protein powder and try that next time to make a nice vanilla pudding. That would be awesome with fruit.

Lunch Mates

Positively Radical — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:38:44 +0000

Well, that was fun! I posted a few unrelated articles then dropped this blog for over a year. My, my, I didn’t take myself for a procrastinator! What was I doing? Where has the time gone?

Stuff did happen.

33 Chilean Miners were rescued on television and the world was transfixed.

Oil spilled for 86 days in the Gulf of Mexico and the world was transfixed.

North Korea provoked South Korea again and ~~the world was transfixed~~.

Me and Mr. PR went Primal (more on that soon).

Oh, and I had visitors.

I like when people want to come to my house and tell me to make sure to bring the dog to the airport. Or they ask me to come over and get all, “where’s the dog?” Thanks guys. I get it.

Lunch Mates

We ate. A lot. I fell off the Primal wagon a few (cough) times. I had to buy rice for the house. I mean, my mom. My nephew. They need rice. They has to haz rice. And Korean food. And Korean sweets. And American pastries. And bread for sandwiches. And we went out to eat a bunch of times. I had a lot of doggy bags. Then there’s my mom. Her eyes are way bigger than her stomach. DoggyBag should be her middle name. Lots of boxes and bags in the fridge.

Buddies

We went here and there. We ate all kinds of food. I had to go up a jeans size. Dang. It’s expensive to buy all new jeans. Even at the outlet mall. I ate a burger at the San Diego Zoo that was called an Angus burger but tasted like sawdust. Can you make hamburgers out of sawdust and call it Angus burger? Evidently you can.

I ordered 40 minutes ago dangit - where's my crepe?!

After the visitors left I threw all the miscellaneous boxes and half-eaten Korean food into the trash. Ugh. Primal re-boot, and with a vengeance. I started boiling bone broth right away. Lifting heavy things. Getting sun. Reclaimed the guest room closet. (That part’s not necessarily Primal). Cleaned the house. Put on the country music.

The Ping Pong Chronicles: Part One, the Beginning

Positively Radical — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 03:02:20 +0000

Cripes am I tired.

Picture this: a middle-aged woman, Ms. Positively Radical, fit but not athletic by any standards, never played a ball sport, never played a sport period. Cheerleading doesn’t count, at least not what we called cheerleading back in the day. Disco dancing doesn’t count – although if I were doing that 3 times a week it would definitely be a sport and I’d have dancer’s legs – if this were 1980 and discos still existed. Walking the dog doesn’t count. It’s a weiner dog, ’nuff said. Pilates doesn’t count. I’m sorry Pilates people. I took the classes, I bought a reformer, I still use it. It’s great for stretching and toning but it’s not a workout. Walking really doesn’t count. I can get tired out and break a light sweat walking but it takes a looooong walk. I don’t have that kind of time. My feet don’t have that kind of time.

Ping pong. Table tennis. That’s where I get my workout. Don’t laugh, I ain’t lying.

Regular ol' ping pong

Started as a social thing. A few friends have tables, we’d play after dinner or something. Play like you all imagine ping pong playing – just tapping a ball back and forth lightly, chasing the runaway balls and laughing. Maybe some drinking would be involved. Definitely eating. Eating and drinking. Hitting a few balls, having some yucks.

Ping Pong is Tres Chic, non?

Then a couple of the friends found a local club. A CLUB. A ping pong club. Yes, they do exist, can you imagine that? The friends were positively giddy (not Positively Radical, that would be me), and they promptly joined the club and let me know that my husband and I HAD to go check it out, because they had REAL players, who could beat all our asses, even my husband’s cuz he’s the best of all our friends.

Well that got my husband’s attention (from now on let’s call my husband Mr. Positively Radical, or Mr. PR for short). Anyway, Mr. PR was intrigued, so we visited the club the following weekend.

Oh. My. God. Y’all. Really. About 30 people were in this gymnasium pinging and ponging away like there was no tomorrow. And at a level theretofore unbeknownst to us. Like Olympic-type level. Seriously I was scared. There was grunting and sweating and fancy moves and these folks looked like they were hopped up on some kind of drug.

Are these men on drugs?

Before I knew what happened, I had purchased an expensive paddle and signed up for lessons. (To be continued — Dun! Dun! Dunnnn!!!)

Marriage and Government

Positively Radical — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:08:19 +0000

Another article on gay marriage anyone?

I’m game if you are. Although my thoughts encompass more than gay marriage rights.

My thinking is more along the lines of – -

The government needs to be out of the marriage business altogether.

I mean totally. I mean in a very libertarian way, I want the Gov out of my hair when it comes to my personal social contracts. And yours too of course. As an adult, I want to be able to go to a lawyer, or an online legal service to fill out some stock contracts stating that me and my significant beloved want to be a unit, and check off form boxes to let the world know what we plan to do in case of separation or death, how we want our money and property to be divvied up, and who will get how much time with the kids or Muffy the standard poodle. And any and all other details we want to codify concerning our newly-formed unit. What’s the big deal?

Contrary to popular belief, coupledom was not always sanctified by religious organizations or under rule of governmental laws. Churches were the first to pull a power-grab and take marriage matters under their control. Government then followed, not wanting the churches to have all the fun.

So here we are in America today. The Gov effectively controls marriage rights and benefits. You can’t do a legal end run around the Gov to obtain all these rights and benefits, you can only get the rights and benefits through official government sanction of your male/female unit. Male/male units and female/female units are out of luck here. Gay couples can’t count on estate tax exemptions, receiving Social Security, Medicare, disability benefits, veterans and military benefits, worker’s compensation, retirement plan benefits, and various and sundry other rights and benefits automatically bestowed to married couples.

Come on – it’s simple discrimination. Gays will get marriage rights — they will. It’s gonna happen, so just make it happen now, punk-ass government dudes. Punk-ass religious dudes. Look I know that inter-racial marriage was only fully legalized country-wide in 1967, but things are happening faster now in the digital age, so let’s get on with it. (My parents were an inter-racial couple, married in 1959 – so that means they were breaking the law in a bunch of states – so Ms Positively Radical had radical roots!)

And, befitting of the “radical” portion of my blog moniker, I believe people should be allowed to have units involving multiple spouses as well – providing all parties are consenting adults. But I’m hoeing a very unpopular row with that one. Just letting you know where my head’s at.

Here are a couple of good articles I found about government and marriage:

The Institution of Marriage, by Michael J. Hurd, November 18, 2004

Marriage Rights and Benefits, Nolo Press

Until next time, Carpe Diem! and be positively radical!

California Drivers – We Want Your Money

Positively Radical — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 05:36:13 +0000

Well, they want more of it I should say. Everyone knows the dire straits California is in. I wonder how long it will take to get our state tax refunds this year – since there’s NO MONEY…

But never fear! California legislators have found the answer – traffic fines have been increased astronomically and anecdotal evidence points to more rigorous enforcement.

If you are unemployed or on a tight budget, be prepared for a soaking if you get one of these more expensive fines.

Traffic ticket quotas are explicitly prohibited by most jurisdictions but that doesn’t mean there aren’t “projections” and pressures to raise more revenue through these hugely-increased fines.

Speeding, Parking Tickets on Rise as Government Revenue Source

Fines for red-light traffic violations jumped nearly 65% in L.A. County

California Cities Have Red Light Camera Ticket Quota

California, Tennessee Ticket Quotas Uncovered

Free parking? Not if one California lawmaker gets his way

More Tickets in Hard Times – Cities searching for revenue look to their police departments as a way to cash in

Watch out for the new “Move-Over Laws” – effective on January 1, 2010:

SB 159, authored by Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), makes permanent California’s “Slow Down and Move Over” law. When approaching an emergency vehicle or tow truck displaying emergency lights on the highway motorists must slow down and move out of the lane adjacent to the emergency vehicle, if it’s safe to do so. Additionally, SB 240 authored by Rod Wright (D-Inglewood) expands the “Slow Down and Move Over” law to include Caltrans vehicles that are flashing amber lights. Effective January 1, 2010.

Hey, maybe there’s a little hope:

Camera plan to catch speeders stalls in California

Traffic Tickets Fines as of 01/06/2010:

Violation	Total Fine Due
VC 12814.6	$ 214
Failure to obey license(DMV) provisions.	$ 214
VC 14600(A)	$ 214
Failure to notify DMV of address change within 10 days
Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction.
VC 16028(A)	$ 796
Failure to provide evidence of financial responsibility (insurance)
Note: This fine may be reduced with proof of insurance on or after the violation date.
VC 21453(A)	$ 436
Failure to stop at a red signal.	$ 436
VC 22350	$ 214
VC 22349
Unsafe Speed, 1 to 15 miles over the limit.
VC 22350	$ 328
VC 22349
Unsafe Speed, 16 to 25 miles over the limit.
VC 22450	$ 214
Failure to stop at a stop sign. (california roll)	$ 214
VC 22454(A)	$ 616
Passing a school bus with flashing red signals.	$ 616
VC 23123(A)	$ 148
Drive using wireless phone not hands free, First offense	$ 148
VC 23123(A)	$ 256
Drive using wireless phone not hands free, For each subsequent offense.	$ 256
VC 23123.5(A)	$ 148
Drive while wireless device to send, read or write text.	$ 148
VC 23124(B)	$ 148
A Minor using wireless phone while driving.	$ 148
VC 22500(I)	$ 976
Parking in a bus loading area.	$ 976
VC 22507.8(A through C)	$ 976
Violation of disabled parking provisions, first offense.	$ 976
VC 22507.8(A through C)	$ 1876
Violation of disabled parking provisions, second offense.	$ 1876
VC 26708(A)	$ 178
Unlawful material on vehicle windows.	$ 178
VC 27150(A and B)	$ 178
Adequate muffler required	$ 178
VC 27315(D and E)	$ 148
Improper Mandatory use of seat belts.	$ 148
VC 27360(A and B)	$ 436
Mandatory use of child passenger restraints
Note: This fine may be reduced by completing a court authorized child seat diversion program.
VC 27400	$ 178
Headsets/Earplugs over both ears.	$ 178
VC 27803 (A through C)	$ 178
Motorcycle safety helmet requirements.	$ 178
VC 34506.3	$ 616
Commercial Driver – Log book violation	$ 616
VC 4000(A)	$ 256
No evidence of current registration.
Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction.
VC 4159	$ 178
Deliberate failure to notify DMV of change of address within 10 days.
Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction.
VC 5200	$ 178
Improper Display of license plates.
Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction.
VC 9400 (A through C)	$ 178
Commercial weight fees due.
Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction.

Police departments don’t call what they do revenue-raising.

They’ll tell you that they are not tax collectors. But revenue is revenue. Jacking up traffic fines and aggressively going after Dick and Jane Taxpayer amounts to a hidden tax, and one that especially hurts already-down-on-their-luck folks the most. So be careful out there!

The Next Housing Bubble and Bailout 2.0 – Coming Soon?

Positively Radical — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:44:07 +0000

Dr. Housing Bubble has read the SIGTARP report, released Saturday, and has once again written a thorough article explaining the coming meltdown they are calling Bubble 2.0.

Read it here:

The Subtle Nationalization of the Banks and Housing Market – How the Taxpayers Support the Banks through Pseudo Nationalization. We Own the Financial Junk and the Banks Collect the Profits. The Stunning SIGTARP Report.

It sounds trite today, but thank goodness once again for the internet and for talented bloggers who put their backbones and time into analyses, explanations and insider information for us John and Jane Americans.

I’ll continue to try to find the best from these talented thinkers and link them here on my newbie blog.

The news coming down the pike makes it hard for little Miss Positively Radical to stay Positive as the Cock-eyed Optimist I choose to be. But I’m trying really hard!