Justina Revolution

      Today is a good day. I woke up. Took care of some auto repair issues and then I practiced my Tai Chi. This summer is all about focusing on my Tai Chi form and skills. Getting better at stand up grappling and closing the distance. Each summer I try to focus on one specific art or aspect of martial arts to play with and improve upon. It's fun because I set a goal and pursue it. Sometimes I even make it. My goal for this summer is to keep my purple belt Brazilian Jiu Jitsu friend from taking me down in five three minute rounds. It's nothing competitive, just good fun and a challenge to myself.     It is really interesting. I will do things like this and dig in my heels quite hard about learning even basic HTML. I am not interested in the marketable skills. I just want to do the stuff I think is cool. I am quite unreasonable on this point too. I model my life on the idea of the Five Excellences: Meditation, Martial Arts, Healing, Composition, and Presentation. The idea behind

      It is morning here and I sit before my computer typing this entry. It is a strange day. I practiced some qigong and Tai Chi this morning and feel pretty good right now. I am mostly avoiding social media and news today. I feel apprehensive about today. Like I need to be a bit more aware and alert. Like my heart and mind need to be still and listen. It is like that moment when you are walking through the forest and all the birds go silent.     The song "The Wolf In Your Darkest Room" has popped up on my playlist and it feels like that. Something is out there stalking us all and we can only wait for it. Then I get a flash of insight. The world, my subconscious, the universe, the Dao, God, whatever you call it is presenting a horror film for me. And that thought brings some comfort. I like horror movies quite a bit. The suspense and relief of suspense is a lot of fun. And that is I think the only sane response to a situation like we are living through today.      If I ident

      I have been out of the writing habit since COVID hit me a few weeks back. Tonight is my attempt at getting back to it. I am still pretty tired from it. The feeling of congestion, fever, soreness, and tiredness was pretty awful and I am thrice vaccinated. I cannot imagine what wild COVID without vaccinations would have been like. It is a strange and tiring time to be alive. Plagues and hatred seem to fill up the internet and yet life outside continues pretty well unabated. The looming shadow of inflation, rising costs, and wage stagnation stand over everything like a pall. And yet the sun still shines hot and bloody in the Texas sun.      I have never felt particularly safe in my life. Growing up in rural Appalachia isn't exactly the most queer friendly environment for a child. I spent most of my life cultivating some sense of safety. I ended up getting black belts in several martial arts and developing a sort of grim outlook that I would likely die at any moment. I was born i