kipsta project blog

spreading my wings out i wanted to try the look and usage of another blog service....the kipsta project is now blogged at kipstaproject.wordpress.com...check that out...posting more this weekend

Cha-cha-cha-changes...

hello all....been awhile, I always mean to get back to you sooner but then the world gets in the way, doesn't it?...updates from the across the wire...xmas per usual vossa gassa and got to see a few friends and celebrate...same with the New Years, a nice time was had, hosted by the Kellys....anyway, to the heart of the post, i am not one for resolutions made on new year's because they almost always fall to the wayside and as always, i didn't make any this year either...i actually made new year's observations, which is another long word ending in "tions"....i observed a great little note link from my friends Dennis and Krist that spoke of the upside to being in better shape, the huge benefits of just doing more exercise, that stuck in my head, thanks guys...i also observed that in as much fun as life in this person has been, i completely cringed when i saw pix from xmas and that sent me to the mirror...realizing that slowly over time, that i have become a little larger not just in personality, but in reflection as well...in short, how did i get this extra-large?....hence the changes...knowing that giant proclamations usually turn into regrets down the line when the zeal becomes less zesty, i decided to very quietly make an effort to fix shit, shit in this case meaning me. yes, i had wanted to quit smoking for some time, so my habitual darling nicotine habit went 1st...she and i have went our separate ways...knowing that quitting the smokes usually leads to more pounds to sulk over, i quietly committed to hitting the gym regularly and developing a better habit in its place...this has all gone on well as well...in short, I have dropped twenty pounds and i have more to go, but I'm on my way...i really wasn't going to say anything about it for a while longer, but i'm opening up about it for a couple of reasons...one, if u see me, it's ok to say "wow, you've lost weight"...i have, yes (and i'm thrilled about it)...i know you aren't being mean and saying "dude you were really getting fat before"....well, i was, but i see your quandary...you want to be nice so im letting you know i'm kewl with it....also, i feel fucking spectacular...i always was thin-ish sure, but over time, that slides...(it happens to everyone)...it doesn't have to though and its easier than you are thinking it is in your mind...i had the help of a couple of amazing apps that i carried with me everywhere and logged everything i ate and exercise and the apps encouraged me and yelled at me when i slid a little. as this has gone on longer than i thought it would, i'll add just a couple more things and get off of the soapbox. early on when the idea was forming in my head, a couple of close friends (who could say this to me without offense) said i couldn't or rather wouldn't do it...thank you for that, i adore proving you wrong (and i sincerely mean that with much love)...also i have some race/events planned to the summer that i've been using as a carrot in my head to keep going with the training..i'll link them at the end, come join me, i would love to rock them with you....so all of that said. I'm not there yet. But for now, I feel fantastic. I have more energy. I don't dread working out, I look forward to it. I'm glad in hindsight that no one harped on me to get my shit more together because I had to arrive to this place on my own. To me in my mind, I had gone too far past the point weight-wise that I couldn't ignore it, try as I did for a while. Yes, I know I wasn't 450 pounds, but to me, I might as well have been. But now, I'm not and I am glad that I took stock of the situation. SO, lastly, thanks for the encouragement and I'll let you get back to more important things now. Just wanted to slide that all your way. As promised, I'm doing some kewl stuff in the IL area this summer, come join me....they are going to be the most not-fun fun things i've looked forward to in a while...thanks for listening...new cd soon, and it's the fucking bomb.

Merrell Down and Dirty Mud Run May 20th

2012 Fleet Feet Sports Soldier Field 10 Mile May 26th (w/ Chris & Life Fitness Running Club)

2012 Warrior Dash Illinois June 16th (w/ Matt Kelly, Joe Ortega, and Karla Medina)

2012 Columbia Muddy Buddy Bike and Run July 21st (w Matt Kelly)

2012 Hero Rush Illinois July 28th

Yes....I've got my work cut out for me. Nothing worth doing was ever easy, right?

-kipsta out

rainy days and mondays...

12th week meetings at the school...looking forward to getting to the clips everyone has turned in for ARTimation...i have seen some good looking stuff so far, so that makes me optimistic for the rest....the theme is a little shaky at this point but the intro looks like it is coming along....heading to Sarasota this weekend, the sunshine will do me well, methinks...new mix cd forthcoming of a ton of new musics that i have really been digging...think that I'm going to release the link through this blog site next time to alleviate everyone getting so many emails through Facebook...speaking of the Facebook, the new design is taking some time to get used to, but the new Timeline is pretty sweet...i think it will be awesome once everyone fills it up with their content...also enough of "the Facebook is going to be charging" spam....c'mon people...anyways..kipsta out, be back soon, schweeties

a hooray day

yesterday, i was more than pleased to hear that three gentlemen from Arkansas were to be released from prison. these three were featured on one of my t-shirts entitled "free the west Memphis three". every time someone would ask about the shirt at school, i would always explain their plight/situation. no matter how little time i had, i felt that it was more than important to do so, because i can't imagine a.) being falsely accused of murder and b.) being sentenced to life imprisonment/death row with no physical evidence proffered in my conviction...this,  i am sad to say, was a case of media gone wild on three juvenile kids that looked the part and got corralled in with the usual suspects...i have always felt a closeness to this case, mostly because i as a youth, could have been one of these kids....growing up in a rural town and misunderstood by virtually everyone for the music that i liked and the way that i dressed....18 years later, they are almost vindicated...i feel an astonishing amount of sorrow that to do so, that they had to plead guilty formally although allowed to maintain their innocence publicly. it was really the only way out for the state to walk away with any amount of self-respect....i still feel for those three, tho...so much of their lives have been snatched away from them and for absolutely nothing...on the headline at MSNBC, it read, "Convicted Child Murderers To Be Freed"...c'mon.....can't we just say the truth anymore......? ....be well boys, i used to think of you looking at my students knowing that easily any one of them could've swapped spots with you...enjoy what is left of your lives..

an awesome surprise today

what an awesome surprise today.....easily one of my closest, nearest, and dearest of friends sent me a book today that was autographed by the author to me...the author is a poet named Taylor Mali and the inscription is wonderful...if you are unfamiliar with his work (as was I, the book I received, "the Last Time as We Are" is rather amazing), he is famous for writing the poem "What Teachers Make". This is allegedly the most forwarded poem in the world. I only say allegedly as no one has ever forwarded it to me, but what do i know?...so, in the spirit of awesome gift giving (thank u, dear Kendra), I'm passing along in this blog, the most forwarded poem in the world (that I had never read until tonight, but wholeheartedly love and appreciate)...and encourage everyone to both check out Taylor Mali and his work..and to also encourage you to do something really nice soon for someone dear to you for no other reason than you care...

What Teachers Make, or
Objection Overruled, or
If things don't work out, you can always go to law school

By Taylor Mali
www.taylormali.com

He says the problem with teachers is, "What's a kid going to learn
from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"
He reminds the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about
teachers:
Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.

I decide to bite my tongue instead of his
and resist the temptation to remind the other dinner guests
that it's also true what they say about lawyers.

Because we're eating, after all, and this is polite company.

"I mean, you¹re a teacher, Taylor," he says.
"Be honest. What do you make?"

And I wish he hadn't done that
(asked me to be honest)
because, you see, I have a policy
about honesty and ass-kicking:
if you ask for it, I have to let you have it.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor
and an A- feel like a slap in the face.
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall
in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups.
No, you may not ask a question.
Why won't I let you get a drink of water?
Because you're not thirsty, you're bored, that's why.

I make parents tremble in fear when I call home:
I hope I haven't called at a bad time,
I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today.
Billy said, "Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don't you?"
And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen.

I make parents see their children for who they are
and what they can be.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.
And then I make them read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely
beautiful
over and over and over again until they will never misspell
either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math.
And hide it on their final drafts in English.
I make them understand that if you got this (brains)
then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge you
by what you make, you give them this (the finger).

Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a goddamn difference! What about you?

namaste....

long day of playing connect-this-person-with-this-person-so-they-can-do-this-which-will-ultimately-be-good-for-all-concerned karma dance..doo wah diddy diddy....hung with my tennis buddies tonight and they thoroughly handed my ass to me..i literally can't imagine how sore I'm going to be tomorrow....came home from this karma-infused day and found that I have to pump out some of my Dunkin Donuts animation goodness out to the Cleveland Indians before Opening Day (read:11 days from now)...i love surprise gigs and esp dig when they need stuff in Apple codecs I don't have readily available....but back to the title of this post....Nameste... a greeting in India...something your hippy friend says to u while being ultra-kewl...also a new summer brew by Dogfish Head...adore these guys beers...you may have seen them on a tv show called BrewMasters or something like that..anyways good people with a new killer brew... its called Nameste, a beer brewed with coriander, orange and fresh lemongrass...delicious, yes? oh delicious yes!...anyways, on the bottle its defines the name as "the spirit in me recognizes and celebrates the spirit in you"....i like that more than the beer, which is tasty...i later found out that a Belgian brewery had a huge loss of 1/3 their yearly product due to a heating malfunction and that Dogfish Head is taking the profits of Nameste and turning it over to that brewery....very Nameste indeed....very good karma day..moustaches abound...tonight, my spirit recognizes and celebrates the spirit of all my friends and loved ones...Nameste!...kipsta out..

almost impossible

to have a bad day when Soph left the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the tv this am when she left for school...those songs are pretty damned joyful