Kicked off my two week break correctly on Saturday with an old soldier, Matt, at Big E's to watch UFC 118. Even if the card was a little weak, MMA and microbrews isn't a combination to be dropping qualms on. So here's my brief fight-by-fight breakdown that you probably don't want to read.
Nate Diaz v. Marcus Davis - This was easily the best fight of the night. Diaz, known for his jiu-jitsu/submission skills, displayed far superior striking in his hands. He turned Davis' face into something out of Dick Tracy, before submitting him via guillotine choke towards the end of the third round.
Kenny Florian v. Gray Maynard - Despite fighting in his hometown and walking out to the awesome "For Boston" by Dropkick Murphys, K-Flo looked uncomfortable, getting handled in all three rounds by Maynard - who took the unanimous decision.
Demian Maia v. Mario Miranda - This fight was reminiscent of the Jon Fitch/Thiago Alves fight from the last card, where there wasn't a lot of excitement because one fighter successfully neutralized his opponent by controlling them on the ground. It was Maia this time around.
James Toney v. Randy Couture - Boxing legend meets MMA legend - a total joke of a fight. This sideshow played out exactly like most of us had predicted: someone competing in MMA with little-to-no background in wrestling and/or jiu-jitsu is going to get dumped on their ass and submitted with the quickness. To be a one-dimensional fighter is to be worthless. Thank you Randy Couture for proving the haters wrong and hopefully bringing a little more respect to the sport.
Frankie Edgar v. BJ Penn (2) - Huge bummer. This was supposed to be Penn getting redemption for the last fight with Edgar, proving he was still one of the greats. That did not happen. Instead, it was basically the same fight as before, with Penn not doing what he does best (shooting for takedowns) and Edgar outworking him for five rounds (he looked as fresh in the fifth as he did in the first). I don't know whether it was poor conditioning or an issue with cutting weight, but this was not the Penn of (even recent) past. I sincerely hope that he's not finished. I don't want to be stuck remembering him through reruns of the Joe Stevenson fight (see below - don't be a wuss) on Spike.
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Recently finished a couple of books: Slumberland by Paul Beatty and both Wise Blood and half of A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor. Josh, I already talked to you about these and since you're the probably the only one taking interest in what I read, I will refrain from any lengthy redundancy. If you're new to Beatty, start with The White Boy Shuffle - the stereotypes he's playing with will be more identifiable. If you're new to O'Connor, be well-versed with Christian theology and start with A Good Man is Hard to Find - she was a better short story writer than a novelist.
Recently finished a couple of books: Slumberland by Paul Beatty and both Wise Blood and half of A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor. Josh, I already talked to you about these and since you're the probably the only one taking interest in what I read, I will refrain from any lengthy redundancy. If you're new to Beatty, start with The White Boy Shuffle - the stereotypes he's playing with will be more identifiable. If you're new to O'Connor, be well-versed with Christian theology and start with A Good Man is Hard to Find - she was a better short story writer than a novelist.
Dusted off OutKast's Aquemini last night for the first time since...I'm going to guess high school. Talk about a fine wine. I've always claimed ATLiens was their best (probably because I had my mind blown at age 12 by the video for "Elevators [Me & You]"), but I think I'm going to have to go back on that now. Aquemini is a rare specimen of an album that set an artist on the road to stardom without representing a compromise. It's sort of psychedelic and distinctly southern without being obnoxiously "dirty" (even if they use the word "dirty"). In short, it brings the funk. Even the instrumental/spoken word track (see below - don't be wuss) is dope as hell.
So two weeks off. Got some reading to do. Some projects to help the parents with around the house. Have Architecture II and Engineering Graphics II next quarter. Will probably be more intense coursework than I've had in awhile. But I've got less than a year to go now with my CDD degree. And from talking to a couple of people in the industry, the combination of this degree and my bachelor's degree gives me the opportunity to get a decent job. Finally, there's some light at the end of the tunnel. The chance to comeback from nothing to something. The return of self-worth and pride, never to let them be taken again. Or like The Jealous Sound said, there is hope for us.
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