Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my very first fencing lesson!

On a cloudy, rainy April evening, I took the plunge not only into the torrential downpour that was blanketing most of Westchester, but also into a whole new world of derring-do as I set foot in the Fencing Academy of Westchester.

The front doors opened up into a vast hardwood floor gym. The floor itself was divided by black tape into several fencing lanes, each at least 30-40 feet in length. Lining the tops of the mirrored walls were posters of past fencing competitions from around the world that screamed out in several languages, "Open Fencing Finals in London!" or "Concurrence d'escrime! Des Le 3 Juin-10 Juin" or "Scherma concorrenza!" and even "Ξιφασκία ανταγωνισμού!" This was the first sign of the worldwide influence this sport has had on all cultures. I stared in awe at the bottom portions of the walls, lined with neatly organized rows of fencing masks, foils of all sizes and baskets of fencing gloves. In the far corner of the room sat three practice dummies poised for attack.

I then gazed at all of the students, and what I saw amazed me. People ranging from 16 year-old boys and girls to adults in their late forties were lunging, parrying and spinning back and forth in their lanes while their instructors, dressed in black fencing vests and masks, stood on the sidelines yelling out instructions or criticisms in thick Eastern European accents. At one point, my eye caught a small girl, who couldn't have been more than eleven or twelve years old, effortlessly blocking and attacking against a foil wielded by her instructor, who was easily twice her size and probably three times her age. The air was filled with the sounds of blades clashing together, fencers laughing and goading each other on in friendly competition and the light thuds of the practice dummies getting assaulted by practice foils.

"Are you Otto," asked a female voice, thick with a Romanian accent. I turned around to face my fencing instructor, a petite, athletic-looking woman in her late thirties. I shook hands with her and introduced myself. "Yes," I answered. "We spoke on the phone two days ago."

"Have you ever fenced before," she asked. I briefly told her about my days as an actor and the training I received in stage combat (see my introduction blog for the full flashback). As I recounted my story, a sly smile crept onto her lips. "I think you'll find that this is much different from what you're used to," she laughed. Within twenty minutes, I found myself changed into my sweat pants and t-shirt and standing before my instructor in Fencing Lane 4. I was wearing a white, form-fitting glove over my right hand, which held a light, flexible metal foil, and over my head was a slightly heavy mask.

Speaking of the mask, it is a challenge in and of itself. As soon as I slipped it over my head, my vision was filled with the dark protective mesh meant to protect the facial area. My breathing immediately became stifled and heavy, giving me the childish urge to look at my instructor with mock menace and rumble the famous line, "No, Luke....I am your father!"

On the cushiony edges of the mask remained the damp sweat from whatever soul had just used it. The weight of the mask tipped my head slightly forward. I felt like I should be in zero-gravity training with NASA rather than learning the art of sword-fighting. Ahhhh, the glorious art of fencing, I thought. "It feels a little weird at first, but you'll get used to it," my instructor said encouragingly.

I told her that I felt like Zorro the Astronaut. She laughed and poked me gently in the chest with her foil. "Let's begin," she commanded. For the next fifteen minutes, I learned the basic en garde position: feet a little less than a shoulder width apart, with my right foot perpendicular to my left. My instructor cocked my free left hand upwards towards my shoulder and showed me how to hold the foil with my gloved right hand. "You must pinch the foil with your thumb and index finger," she said, sternly pressing my fingers against the bottom of the hilt. "It's like holding a pistol."

I then found myself learning how to advance and retreat. A slight kick of my forward right leg brought me within closer range of my instructor/opponent. A larger step back with my rear left leg took me out of range from her blade. So far, so good. This is easy, I thought. I'll become a master in no time at all.

Well.

Then came the lunge. "Point your foil towards my chest," my instructor said. I obeyed. "Now," she continued, "kick out your right foot as far as it will go, stretch out your left leg and aim right here," she commanded, patting her vest just above her heart, where a small grey patch signified the target area. Piece of cake, I thought. If friggin' Antonio Banderas can do it, how hard can this be? I mightily kicked my right foot out, confidently thrust my foil towards her chest and arched myself forward. I had every confidence that my foil would land right in the target area, impressing my instructor to no end. I pictured myself being able to fence circles around her in no time at all. Piece of cake.

Instead, I felt my right quadricep suddenly seize up as soon as I landed on my right leg. My foil richochet'ed harmlessly off my instructor's vest, nowhere near that cursed grey patch, and went spinning out of my hand and across the room. I ended up sprawled on all fours in the fencing lane, staring up at my instructor, who was calmly staring back down at me. Zorro the Astronaut indeed.

My instructor took off her helmet. I was expecting a scolding from her, using me as an example to the class of how fencing should not be done. Instead, she smiled gently and sighed, "Let's try that again, shall we?" I groaned as she helped me up. After stretching out my right quadricep a little more, I decided to give the lunge another shot. I kicked out my right foot, again nearly falling over, and my foil landed somewhere in the stomach area of her vest. "Always keep your eye on where the blade in going," she corrected me.

I tried yet again. My footing held, although I hit the right side of her vest.

On the fourth try, the foil went flying out of my hand again, prompting her to correct my grip. "Pinch," she yelled, again pressing my thumb and index fingers tightly around the handle at the hilt. "Pinch," I repeated, observing my corrected grip.

A fifth try. I just missed the target area, hitting below it.

A sixth try. I focused my energy to steady my right foot as it landed in front of her. I narrowed my eyes and held my right arm steady as the foil made a bee-line for her vest. And then....THUD! The tip of my foil landed awkwardly in the grey patch. I excitedly let out a laugh. "Good," my instructor smiled. I tried it again five more times, each time feeling my foil getting steadier, my footing finding its position more smoothly, and my eyes slowly adjusting to the black protective mesh of the mask.

By this point, my legs felt like jello, my arms were like forty pound weights and my face was drenched in perspiration. But I took off my mask with a victorious smile. "So, what do you think," my instructor asked me. "This is incredible," I panted in response. "Next week?"

"Next week. I want you to practice that lunge every day. Remember: pinch, focus on the blade and steady your footing."

I repeated these tips over and over to myself as I wiped the sweat off my face, as I drove home, as I was in the shower that night and as I incorporated the lunge into my daily morning workouts during the following week. By the following Wednesday, I felt pretty confident about my lunge.

When I see her at the next lesson, that grey patch won't stand a chance, I thought as I placed a bag of ice on my quadriceps one evening after having pulled them on a Sunday morning. Well, I guess I have to learn to walk before I can run. But one thing is for certain:

Zorro the Astronaut will have his revenge on the grey patch.

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Obama in Cairo, as Seen From Tel Aviv. Grosse Point Theatres Auditions For R Hs THE KING AND I Held. Miaie Williams JR Kellie Morrison JR. Singurul lucru comun la ei este TUPEUL. Ceea ce au inteles, se pare, fundasii societatii civile, este ca de data asta tatal Basescu chiar se bazeaza pe fiica Basescu. In primul rand, tara noastra a intrat in nato si in uniunea europeana.
S a intarit fmm de ratat idiot k s a bazat pe o economie pe consum si pe importuri si pe furtisaguri. Doamna rodica ciobanu, sa va traiasca copiii intelectuali, daca ii aveti si, noi, cei prosti pe langa ei sa puteti face diferenta. Ciocu mic ca noi suntem la putere quot. Pai tu nu ai asa ceva impotent stupid.

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Posted at May. 8, 2009 in hornymatches by Paul Martinez - Comments
Wellcome Miranda, from Corpus Christi::
hi there, it's Miranda! discribe myself, wow thats kinda hard for me, I'm a pretty easy going,laid back kinda person.very I love to spend time with friends and family. Try to enjoy life to the full. I admire ppl who inspite of all the obstacles, keep following their dream.

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He has been one of the brightest stars in Hollywood a hard-charging actor whose intensity on the screen has been mirrored in his personal life. As Kirk Douglas has grown older-he turned 90 in December 2006-he has become less impetuous and more reflective. In this poignant and inspiring new memoir Douglas contemplates what life is all about weighing current events from his present frame of mind while summoning the passions of his younger days. Douglas is a born storyteller and throughout Lets Face It he tells wonderful tales and shares favorite jokes and hard-won insights. In the book he explores the mixed blessings of growing older and looks back at his childhood his young adulthood and his storied glamorous and colorful life and career in Hollywood. He tells delightful stories of the making of such films as Spartacus Lust for Life Champion The Bad and the Beautiful and many others. He includes anecdotes about his friends Frank Sinatra Burt Lancaster Lauren Bacall Ronald Reagan Ava Gardner Henry Kissinger Fred Astaire Yul Brynner John Wayne and Johnny Cash. He reveals the secrets that have kept him and his wife Anne happily married for more than five decades and talks fondly and movingly of times spent with his sons Michael Peter Eric and Joel and his grandchildren.

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interactive interface to provide a seamless experience, at any time you choose, there is always help at hand, with no hassle or contact issues. If you opt for less than direct-access 247 support, youll regret it very quickly. You may not need it during the night, but what about weekends, early mornings or even late evenings at some point.
The age-old way of teaching, with books and manuals, can be pretty hard going sometimes. If this describes you, look for learning programmes which feature interactive and multimedia modules. Learning psychology studies show that we remember much more when we involve as many senses as possible, and we get physically involved with the study process.
Start a study-program in which youre provided with an array of CD and DVD ROMs - youll learn by watching video tutorials and demonstrations, and then have the opportunity to use virtual labs to practice your new skills. Youll definitely want a study material demo from your training provider. The package should contain instructor videos, demonstrations, slide-shows and labs for you to practice your skills in.
Youll find that many companies will only provide purely on-line training; and while this is acceptable much of the time, think what will happen if you lose your internet access or you only get very a very slow connection sometimes. Its much safer to rely on CD and DVD ROM materials that will solve that problem.
Many students come unstuck over a single training area which doesnt even occur to them: The method used to the courseware before being delivered to your home. The majority of training companies will set up a program spread over 1-3 years, and drop-ship the materials to you piecemeal as you complete each exam. Sounds reasonable? Well consider these facts: Often, the staged breakdown insisted on by the company wont suit you. You may find it a stretch to finalise all the elements inside of their particular timetable?
The ideal solution is to have every piece of your study pack posted to your address right at the beginning; every single thing! This way, nothing can happen down the line which could affect your capability of finishing.
Exam Guarantees are often bundled with training offers - this always means you have to pay for the exams at the very beginning of your studies. However, prior to embracing a course with such a promise, why not look at the following:
Patently its not free - youre still paying for it - the cost has just been rolled into the whole training package. Those who take each progressive exam, funding them as they go are much better placed to get through first time. They are mindful of their investment and revise more thoroughly to be ready for the task.
Dont pay up-front, but seek out the best deal for you at the time, and keep hold of your own money. Youll then be able to select where you do the examinations - so you can find somewhere local. Is there a good reason to pay interest on a bigger loan than is necessary because youve paid early for exams when there was no need to? Huge profits are secured by training companies getting money in early for exam fees - and banking on the fact that many wont be taken. The majority of companies will require you to sit pre-tests and not allow you to re-take an exam until you have proved to them you have a good chance of passing - so an Exam Guarantee comes with many clauses in reality.
With average prices for VUE and Pro-metric exams in the United Kingdom costing around 112 pounds, it makes sense to pay as you go. Its not in the students interests to fork out hundreds or thousands of pounds for exams when enrolling on a course. Study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.
One feature that several companies offer is a Job Placement Assistance program. This is designed to help you find your first job in the industry. But dont place too much emphasis on it - its quite easy for companies marketing departments to make too much of it. In reality, the massive skills shortage in Great Britain is what will make you attractive to employers.
Advice and support about getting interviews and your CV may be available (alternatively, check out one of our sites for help). Its essential that you work on your old CV right away - dont wait until youve finished your exams! Its possible that you wont have even taken your exams when you land your first junior support job; however this isnt going to happen if your CV isnt in front of employers.

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At 23 wins and 41 losses (Jesus!), the race for the bottom has truly begun.  Anything shy of 28 wins should assure the Raptors a reasonable chance of landing a Top 5 pick.  You know what that means
The Raptors are about to be tank-tastic!  Sometime over the next 7 - 10 days the following conversation is going to take place:
INT. Raptors Practice Facility at the ACC. The team has just finished their morning practice.  Chris Bosh is playing a casual game of one-on-one with the winner of his play a casual game of one-on-one with Chris Bosh Facebook contest.  Bryan Colangelo approaches Bosh.
Bryan Colangelo
Hey there, CB4. How are you my man?
Chris Bosh
Stop right there. Is this basketball related? Because I only deal with basketball related issues during official team functions.
Bryan Colangelo
Uh Yeah. It is sort of basketball related and I respect your policy, but this is important.
Bosh gives the contest winner a knowing glance. He quickly slinks away.
Chris Bosh
Make it quick.
Bryan Colangelo
Ive got some bad news. The MRI that we did on your shoulder revealed an issue that were going to need to take care of.
Chris Bosh
My shoulder doesnt hurt.
Bryan Colangelo
Exactly. Thats what were talking about. The inflammation of some nerves is masking pain that you dont even know is there. Without rehabilitation this has the potential to sideline you indefinitely.
Chris Bosh
How long?
Bryan Colangelo
First of all, were going to shut you down for the remainder of the season. Past that we want you to stay away from contact drills until early August. Now, CB4 I know youre a warrior. And I know how difficult it must be for a warrior to stop doing what they love
Bosh interrupts with enthusiasm.
Chris Bosh
For sure, BC. Its mad-tough. Thats why Im working so hard to cultivate a personality off the court. My website is killing. Lenos people have been back in touch with me to do some correspondence work. Maybe I could even hook in with the TNT group as an in-studio analyst.
Bryan Colangelo
Actually, I was thinking about hiring a conditioning coach so that you stop wearing down
Bosh interrupts again.
Chris Bosh
Gotta roll brother. Should I still come to the games? And what do I say to the media?
Bryan Colangelo
Well draft something for you.
Chris Bosh
Beautiful. So I should hold off on Tweeting the news?
Bryan Colangelo
Thats an affirmative, Chris. Hold off on the Tweet.
Bosh nods and jogs towards the locker room.  Colangelo whips out his BlackBerry and starts talking.  Evidently, someone has been on hold the entire time.
Bryan Colangelo
He went for it. Actually, it was easier than I thought. No No, he didnt go for the strength and conditioning coach idea. Look I didnt want to press, alright? Alright?!?! Hes just playing head games Listen, when we give him $127,000,000 for six hell start to focus it in, am I right? Of course I am. Got to talk with Jose about his the increased chance that his anti-inflammatory medication will give him food poisoning if he plays more than 18 minutes a night Talk to you soon.

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hi, it's Tamara! I'm ready to settle down and stop playing games! Spending quality time is most important to me: sitting by the water watching the boats go by while having a few drinks. Hello life is to short to live without that special someone I am a good person with a big heart.
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Its been a colorful journey thus far in my sex life and boy have I learned a lot. In retrospect there are a lot of unexplained happenings as well, but overall it has been a good learning experience. I thought Id share some of my most valuable lessons:

I have been pretty lucky in my sex life to come across guys who have been well endowed, but I have come in contact with sizes from each end of the spectrum. My first boyfriend, H.S. Sweetheart, was on the bigger end of the spectrum. This was not a particularly good fit for a virgin. What made matters worse was that we were both too inexperienced to realize that things can be done to rectify that problem, like oh I dont know lube? After a few attempts we werent sure what to do and in our two years of being in a relationship never figured it out.

Lesson: Lube makes things go in easier.

The second guy I ever had sex with was of the smaller variety and let me tell you if I hadnt liked this guy so much I dont think we would have stayed together long after that first time. The funny thing is, this Small Guy had a huge ego and boasted a repertoire of many girls. I dont know how much to believe since Small Guy used to switch condoms in the middle of sex. I kid you not. Weird behavior aside, I dont remember having an orgasm while I was with him. This may or may not explain why I tried to reconnect with him later in life. While we were making out I felt his little soldier against my very thinly clothed leg and knew right away I was not going to have sex with him.

Lesson: Stay away from guys who brag, its probably a front.

I was at my friends family party and there was only one eligible bachelor. This may have been why, after many drinks, I decided to have sex with him when we went back to his apartment. He was not ugly by any means, but what did I really know about the guy? I came three times that night, and whilst he was trying to make a big finish? I kept falling asleep. Good thing it was only a one night stand.

Lesson: Orgasms induce sleep and falling asleep during a one night stand is probably what made it a one night stand in the first place.

My relationship with Officer, although extremely short, was very fulfilling while I was in it. He was somebody who I could actually see myself with for a long time. I am glad that it didnt work out that way after all, but what makes this a lesson is because I had sex with him on our first date. He wasnt expecting it and neither was I, but it felt right.

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dating website can be one handy and very effective way. Post an ad on a dating website to meet some women who match your expectations. There are far to many websites offering this kind of service on Internet, that its nearly impossible you wont find a woman that fits on your profile.
5. Like the womens clothing stores, Hobby and crafts stores are good spots to be considered as searching sites. Women tend to enjoy arts and crafts, so you will probably find many of them at these places, purchasing tools and items for their hobbies. The main point here is that hobbies normally dont get great men interest, so there is a huge possibility to be only few men around at this kind of shop.
6. Other places not prone to have many men around are the tanning spas and beauty salons. On the other hand, those are places always full of women. If you get a crush on women who really put an effort to keep their good look, a salon is definitely a place you should go to. Get manicured will leave your hands nice and sound like a dream for this type of women. After all, its not really usual to meet men who assume that keeping a good appearance is not only a matter of mere vanity.
7. Bookstores are a good place to go if your goal is to find someone having interests alike to yours. Dont speculate which subject attracts womens attention more. Just stick to the reading sections holding your personal interests and give notice to women walking by the shelves. You may get extremely surprised to realize there are many women interested on football, ocean fishing or old cars.
8. Sports events are a spectacular place to meet a great new women, although it sounds a bit paradoxical. Ok, we all know the regular audience of sports events are men. Even so, there are two good reasons that may drive you to look for women at those events. Firstly, if you are a sports fan, certainly, it will be great fun to meet someone who may share your passion with you. Secondly, you must be aware that women use the same strategy shown here to find men, meaning that women at a sports event may be looking for men, as well.
9. Spotting once more womens taste for arts, you should write down on your list of the greatest places to meet great new women. Men, normally, dont attend to plays on their own, however, women frequently do. Since a man watching a play alone is something unlikely to happen, your sole presence can make you more noticeable than the rest of the audience and call single women attention.
10. At last, if you are really keen to meet a beautiful new woman, maybe you should shop for food more often. Women are the bigger percentage of grocery stores costumers, so being one of the few men around can give you some advantage. Grocery stores also offer you a huge range of subjects to begin a conversation. Ask a woman for assistance to choose a pasta source or vegetables for a special salad, and it may wind up on an invitation for dinner.

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