Monday, October 31, 2005
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
A Phone Scam Alert Heads-Up
If you get left a VM from this number: (716) 650-6240 on your caller ID and asks you to call a 1-800 number regarding a very urgent business matter that can't be discussed over the phone, do NOT waste your time calling them back...
Did a Google search. Hmmmm?
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff160418.htm
I would delete and if possible, block this number by using ACR (if on a LAN phone) or whatever code you use if the call is made on your cell...
Did a Google search. Hmmmm?
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff160418.htm
I would delete and if possible, block this number by using ACR (if on a LAN phone) or whatever code you use if the call is made on your cell...
I am competing at Skate San Francisco
... Nov 3rd at 7:30pm (tentatively) at the Pre-Bronze 3 Freeskate event! I'm going against one other person, so at worse, I'll get another default Silver medal... And if I'm REAL lucky, I might even get a Gold medal this time around! (HA!!! Fat chance with my skating as of late!!! So take this as a warning to stay away from the Yerba Buena rink in San Francisco at this time. LOL!!!)
My primary coach is definitely on the ball, as he asked this Monday evening (the schedule was posted Monday at 10am) so do you want me to put you out on the ice on Thurs night or do you want your secondary coach to do it? (I told him, "You! That's what a primary coach is supposed to do, right!!!")
And BTW: the program I'm skating to for this event is ALSO my Bronze FS test program! I have NOT forgotten my goals to pass my tests in time for Adult Nationals in Dallas. And I certainly have NOT stopped my Bronze moves practice either!!! Am practicing just as much as before. (Can't 'ya tell I'm STRESSED!?!?!) *"pulling hair out" emoticon here*
My primary coach is definitely on the ball, as he asked this Monday evening (the schedule was posted Monday at 10am) so do you want me to put you out on the ice on Thurs night or do you want your secondary coach to do it? (I told him, "You! That's what a primary coach is supposed to do, right!!!")
And BTW: the program I'm skating to for this event is ALSO my Bronze FS test program! I have NOT forgotten my goals to pass my tests in time for Adult Nationals in Dallas. And I certainly have NOT stopped my Bronze moves practice either!!! Am practicing just as much as before. (Can't 'ya tell I'm STRESSED!?!?!) *"pulling hair out" emoticon here*
Startup Funding thru Donations, no VC's or Angel fund???
Hmmmm? This should be interesting. Kevin Burton mentioned on FeedBlog that he's funding his new startup, TailRank, not by VC's or Angel funds, but by the "goodwill from people in the Blogsphere." You get different benefits depending on whether you donate $20 or $100.
Hmmm? It's an interesting thought. Certainly beats having to run your company based on profits and NOT on innovations. Plus, raising $5K is cheap enough, given enough time.
If you are reading this, Kevin, I would hook you up, but I have not used my PayPal account for a long time and don't have any wish to. If you post a reply to this blog which coffee shop you're doing your hacking this weekend, I'll come by with my $20. (And I don't need to make my blog public. This is just a friendly blog to share my life with amongst friends.) Knowing that he is a co-founder of yet another company (Rojo (which BTW, I'm still trying to eventually work towards getting a QA gig at...it's SOOO close to the skating rink and my gym...but I digress...)[1], I'm curious to see where he'll take TailRank. Besides, if he does make TailRank into a successful venture, I would like to know that I have a small hand in making TailRank a success.
[1]I would love to join Rojo someday as a QA gal, but I'm not ready to join now b/c I really have to get up to speed on my RSS knowledge and at least brush up on Apache, MySQL and various other technically "stuff." Currently, I am too busy dealing with other "stuff" related to my current job. (Very boring QA process work and fighting with Microsoft ACT/VBScript/Learning how to write HTML Request and Response Headers. I know for the computer geeks reading this, it's boring stuff!!!) I'm also staying at my current job also for no other reason other than it's a quiet enough job where I can concentrate on finishing my goals to become an Adult Bronze level freestyle skater and compete at Adult Nationals (my Olympics!) :)
Hmmm? It's an interesting thought. Certainly beats having to run your company based on profits and NOT on innovations. Plus, raising $5K is cheap enough, given enough time.
If you are reading this, Kevin, I would hook you up, but I have not used my PayPal account for a long time and don't have any wish to. If you post a reply to this blog which coffee shop you're doing your hacking this weekend, I'll come by with my $20. (And I don't need to make my blog public. This is just a friendly blog to share my life with amongst friends.) Knowing that he is a co-founder of yet another company (Rojo (which BTW, I'm still trying to eventually work towards getting a QA gig at...it's SOOO close to the skating rink and my gym...but I digress...)[1], I'm curious to see where he'll take TailRank. Besides, if he does make TailRank into a successful venture, I would like to know that I have a small hand in making TailRank a success.
[1]I would love to join Rojo someday as a QA gal, but I'm not ready to join now b/c I really have to get up to speed on my RSS knowledge and at least brush up on Apache, MySQL and various other technically "stuff." Currently, I am too busy dealing with other "stuff" related to my current job. (Very boring QA process work and fighting with Microsoft ACT/VBScript/Learning how to write HTML Request and Response Headers. I know for the computer geeks reading this, it's boring stuff!!!) I'm also staying at my current job also for no other reason other than it's a quiet enough job where I can concentrate on finishing my goals to become an Adult Bronze level freestyle skater and compete at Adult Nationals (my Olympics!) :)
Monday, October 10, 2005
Going to NYC for Christmas again!!! :D
Well, I loved NYC so much last year that I've decided to do another Christmas there and spend time with my in-laws again!!! Can't wait to have my MIL's cooking too!!! (She's a GREAT cook!!!!)
This year I'm planning to go to the following rinks:
There's also talk of some of the skatingforums.com gang going out for dim sum in Brooklyn. I hope it does come together. I would love to meet everyone all in one shot. (Though I don't know how my hubby's gonna handle this one though since he's not much of a skater type... maybe have people bring their significant other, maybe?)
YAY!!! Can't wait!!! :-D
This year I'm planning to go to the following rinks:
- Prospect Park/Kate Wollman rink
- Central Park Wollman rink (freestyle session only)
- Chelsea Piers
- The Ice House in Hackensack, NJ!!!
There's also talk of some of the skatingforums.com gang going out for dim sum in Brooklyn. I hope it does come together. I would love to meet everyone all in one shot. (Though I don't know how my hubby's gonna handle this one though since he's not much of a skater type... maybe have people bring their significant other, maybe?)
YAY!!! Can't wait!!! :-D
The Figure Skating Channel
...is finally up and running.
One of our fellow skaters at my home rink is part of the effort behind this new subscription based website!!! KEWL!!! :-D
One of our fellow skaters at my home rink is part of the effort behind this new subscription based website!!! KEWL!!! :-D
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Bronze Moves Test Experience
So close... but no cigar! One judge passed me but I need at least 2 to pass the Bronze Moves test.
Here's my take on things:
PASSING AVG: 2.5
Forward perimeter crossovers: I got a 2.3 from one judge and a 2.7 from a second judge! Don't remember what the third judge thought of it...but I think it was borderline passing. I did remember that the comment was pretty much "Good power, skated on flats though..." One other judge did comment that I was "walking" on my crossovers. She wants progressives (as in "cross under"), NOT crossovers (as in... well, crossovers!!!)
Back perimeter crossovers: The toe pick monster got me on this one... again, I had a "skated on flats" comment. (As you can see, this is a reoccuring theme for me.) But this time there were no comments on flow and speed... (Last time I took it I was marked for being SLOW too!!!) I think you would need to do back progressives to pass this test. BEND your knees!!!
Forward Power 3's: This is where I did get comments for power and for toe picks. One judge commented on my being out of control on the transition to RFO from back crossovers on the end pattern... (Yeah! I was a bit wild there...) Same judge also said that the 3's were SWINGY... And yes, the toe pick monster and flat edge monster got me here too... (God! I hate HATE HATE this move!!!) Another move that you have to BEND your knees on is this one b/c of the power thing...
Back crossover to BO edge: No comments on extensions. They commented again on the flat edge here too. (I REALLY need to work on back crossovers!!!! YIKES!!! ) BEND your knees!!! It does help you on the "continuous flow and strength" part of the moves...
5 step mohawk: Step on flat (probably that 3rd to 4th edge is bad...) FI mohawk "hoppy". No comment on extensions though. I guess I did okay on that. Don't know what happened to me on that one... Probably I was quite tired and exhausted by the time I did this move.
I also don't remember which move, but I got a "good posture" remark from one of the judges on one of the moves... (Which I find funny since that's one of my WORST attributes in skating...)
General comments:
Overall I think most of the low scores were not below 2.3. (I think one of my moves on the really tough judge was like 2.2. She essentially gave me scores more closer to "I didn't improve from last year...") The one judge that DID judge me last year gave me much better scores overall this year. Some were 2.4's. The judge that passed me had me at 2.5's on some moves and a 2.7 on the forward perimeter. (B/c of the power I got from that move...) My not getting a reskate had nothing to do with ONE particular move. It was an overall thing. (i.e. the other two judges that didn't pass it gave me 2.3's on some moves and 2.4's on others.) If it was a matter of one move being on the borderline and everything else was passing, then yes, it would have been a different story. But this is not one of those cases! I was not deemed a reskate b/c of this.
REALLY BEND KNEES!!! If I did bend my knees enough, I'd probably would have gotten better scores on some of the moves... Certainly, it would harder for the toe pick monster to get me!
Watch your posture!!! They do watch for that... and besides, if you lurch over, then you'll definitely get bitten by the toe pick monster...
Just b/c "power" is taken out in place of "continuous flow and strength" doesn't make it that much easier to pass. If anything, having the emphasis on power encourages the skater to work on better technique. And as we all know, better technique makes skating those move elements ten times EASIER! (See the notes on "flat edges." If I had worked on power, there would be no "flat edges"...)
Also on the same vane: Taking out "power" in place of "continuous flow and strength" DOES NOT mean you can slow down!!! You still need to go FASTER and PUSH!!! This is the "continuous flow and strength" part of the moves! (Ha HA! And we, the pre-Bronze Peanut Gallery thought we have it lucky, huh? )
And speaking of flat edges: WATCH THOSE EDGES!!! Make SURE you're ON a true edge!!! This is primarily what did me in this time! If I had skated on a correct and true edge, I probably would have passed this test... Currently, it's probably kinda hard for me to distinguish and the only person who can tell me whether I'm on an edge or not are my coaches.
I don't have my test form with me. I'll get a copy of it sometime towards the end of the month. I'll have more comments then. Primary coach did read mine and did relay the comments onto my secondary coach, so they know what they have to work on now... One note of encouragment though... I will be testing again in two months!!! Secondary coach wants me to try it again!!!
Here's my take on things:
PASSING AVG: 2.5
Forward perimeter crossovers: I got a 2.3 from one judge and a 2.7 from a second judge! Don't remember what the third judge thought of it...but I think it was borderline passing. I did remember that the comment was pretty much "Good power, skated on flats though..." One other judge did comment that I was "walking" on my crossovers. She wants progressives (as in "cross under"), NOT crossovers (as in... well, crossovers!!!)
Back perimeter crossovers: The toe pick monster got me on this one... again, I had a "skated on flats" comment. (As you can see, this is a reoccuring theme for me.) But this time there were no comments on flow and speed... (Last time I took it I was marked for being SLOW too!!!) I think you would need to do back progressives to pass this test. BEND your knees!!!
Forward Power 3's: This is where I did get comments for power and for toe picks. One judge commented on my being out of control on the transition to RFO from back crossovers on the end pattern... (Yeah! I was a bit wild there...) Same judge also said that the 3's were SWINGY... And yes, the toe pick monster and flat edge monster got me here too... (God! I hate HATE HATE this move!!!) Another move that you have to BEND your knees on is this one b/c of the power thing...
Back crossover to BO edge: No comments on extensions. They commented again on the flat edge here too. (I REALLY need to work on back crossovers!!!! YIKES!!! ) BEND your knees!!! It does help you on the "continuous flow and strength" part of the moves...
5 step mohawk: Step on flat (probably that 3rd to 4th edge is bad...) FI mohawk "hoppy". No comment on extensions though. I guess I did okay on that. Don't know what happened to me on that one... Probably I was quite tired and exhausted by the time I did this move.
I also don't remember which move, but I got a "good posture" remark from one of the judges on one of the moves... (Which I find funny since that's one of my WORST attributes in skating...)
General comments:
Overall I think most of the low scores were not below 2.3. (I think one of my moves on the really tough judge was like 2.2. She essentially gave me scores more closer to "I didn't improve from last year...") The one judge that DID judge me last year gave me much better scores overall this year. Some were 2.4's. The judge that passed me had me at 2.5's on some moves and a 2.7 on the forward perimeter. (B/c of the power I got from that move...) My not getting a reskate had nothing to do with ONE particular move. It was an overall thing. (i.e. the other two judges that didn't pass it gave me 2.3's on some moves and 2.4's on others.) If it was a matter of one move being on the borderline and everything else was passing, then yes, it would have been a different story. But this is not one of those cases! I was not deemed a reskate b/c of this.
REALLY BEND KNEES!!! If I did bend my knees enough, I'd probably would have gotten better scores on some of the moves... Certainly, it would harder for the toe pick monster to get me!
Watch your posture!!! They do watch for that... and besides, if you lurch over, then you'll definitely get bitten by the toe pick monster...
Just b/c "power" is taken out in place of "continuous flow and strength" doesn't make it that much easier to pass. If anything, having the emphasis on power encourages the skater to work on better technique. And as we all know, better technique makes skating those move elements ten times EASIER! (See the notes on "flat edges." If I had worked on power, there would be no "flat edges"...)
Also on the same vane: Taking out "power" in place of "continuous flow and strength" DOES NOT mean you can slow down!!! You still need to go FASTER and PUSH!!! This is the "continuous flow and strength" part of the moves! (Ha HA! And we, the pre-Bronze Peanut Gallery thought we have it lucky, huh? )
And speaking of flat edges: WATCH THOSE EDGES!!! Make SURE you're ON a true edge!!! This is primarily what did me in this time! If I had skated on a correct and true edge, I probably would have passed this test... Currently, it's probably kinda hard for me to distinguish and the only person who can tell me whether I'm on an edge or not are my coaches.
I don't have my test form with me. I'll get a copy of it sometime towards the end of the month. I'll have more comments then. Primary coach did read mine and did relay the comments onto my secondary coach, so they know what they have to work on now... One note of encouragment though... I will be testing again in two months!!! Secondary coach wants me to try it again!!!
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