10 Things You Need to Know Before You Start Training

by Jason Keller on November 15, 2012

1.  Hygiene, Hygiene, Hygiene!  Grappling is a dirty game.  There are all manner of skin born pathogens present in even the cleanest gym.  The big two you will hear about are Saph and Ringworm, but they are not the only ones.  This being said, always show up freshly showered and wearing clean gear.  I highly [...]

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Valhalla Jiu Jitsu Website Launches

June 27, 2012

I recently worked on a new web site for one of my dearest friends, AJ Albert.  AJ is a brown belt in BJJ under Cleber Luciano of Cleber Jiu Jitsu in Huntington Beach.  You can check out the site HERE.  It offers info on the classes, articles and video playlists to encourage and inspire all [...]

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www.poetrIE.net

New Site Launched for Poets and Writers of the Inland Empire

June 17, 2011

Yesterday, I finally dialed in the look and feel of PoetrIE.net.  The site is dedicated to building community for the literary types of the Inland Empire.  We will be working hard to keep writers connected, and to spread the word about workshops, seminars and readings in the area.  We are also in the process of [...]

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New Straightedge Clothing Company: YoungXGuns Launching Winter Collection

Thumbnail image for New Straightedge Clothing Company: YoungXGuns Launching Winter Collection January 19, 2011

So…this is shameless self promotion.  I am always a bit leary of marketing so I feel that full disclosure is the best approach.  Now that that is settled:  With YoungXguns, my mission is to create high quality garments using sustainable processes and materials that I would wear myself.  The inaugural collection will will feature some [...]

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River Runs Red: Life of Agony Celebrates 20 Years

Thumbnail image for River Runs Red: Life of Agony Celebrates 20 Years January 7, 2011

I first saw Life of Agony at Decibels in Carlisle, PA when I was somewhere in the ballpark of 14 years old.  It was the night that I learned that I was not the only straight edge kid on the planet.  Being honest, I had largely forgotten about them until my good friends in Salt [...]

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Yale Lectures on Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

Ben Nichols Album-Last Pale Light in the West December 11, 2010

A while back I wrote a short review of Lucero front man Ben Nichol’s solo ep, Last Pale Light in the West, which is based on McCarthy’s novel, Blood Meridian.  Last week I found these lectures by Professor Amy Hungerford from Yale University.  Yes, it’s two hours worth of video, but I can’t think of [...]

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This River-James Brown

Thumbnail image for This River-James Brown December 10, 2010

James Brown has had a long hard road; one that he faces head on in his memoir, The Los Angeles Diaries.  I was fortunate enough to have James as a professor for one of my undergraduate creative writing classes.  That same quarter I had the opportunity to hear him read an excerpt from his newest [...]

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Charles Bukowski-Bluebird

Thumbnail image for Charles Bukowski-Bluebird December 9, 2010

Trying to offer some clever anecdote to accompany this poem is a useless effort.  Whatever words I write will not match these.  I simply ask that you to listen and bask in the sweet sadness.

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Chopin-Piano Concerto no. 1 in E minor, Op. 11, Mov. 2

December 8, 2010

I had not listened to Chopin in some time.  It was actually an episode of Dexter that reminded me, and what a lovely reminder it was.  Of all the great composers, Chopin is my favorite.  This is my favorite piece:

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William Elliott Whitmore-Dry-Live at the Orpheum

December 7, 2010

I first learned of William Elliott Whitmore when I missed his set at the Troubadour with Lucero and Rocky Votolato.  I picked up his album Song of the Blackbird to check it out on the way home.  I have never been so bummed to have missed a set as I was after I heard this [...]

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