Sa Dan

On Saturday April 12th I tested in front of my Taekwondo master instructor, 8th Dan Grandmaster Namsoo Hyong, for the rank of 4th Dan.  Tonight I received my new belt.  

Testing requirements included 20 poomsae (patterns or forms of about 20 movements each), including a creative poomsae of my own design, 40 different kicks, and numerous other combinations, with a few creative combinations of my own.  The testing culminated in sparring against a single opponent, and then sparring against two opponents at once.  

The last time I tested was April 2020, peak pandemic time, 5 years ago.  It took about 18 months to prepare for this test, including about 5 to 10 hours per week since the start of the year.

With this rank I have earned the title 사범 님 Sabeom Nim, meaning one who teaches, and who can perform all of the requirements at a high level.  In our system, you must be 4th Dan to judge Black belt tests, and to award others the rank of Black belt.  Achieving this rank checks off an item on my bucket list.  It will be about 4 years until I am eligible to test for 5th Dan, and from today's perspective, I wonder whether I'll test again.

Glad to have that behind me.

Have A Hap

Hey, wish me a happy birthday.  So far I have survived 66 years without accidentally dying.  Happy square root day (5/5/25  5*5=25) and Cinco de Mayo as well!

Illinois 5K

Today I ran the Illinois 5K as part of the Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon 2025 Race Weekend, alongside Mark Trott (one-time /afrotc on CERL PLATO).  Not a lot of preparation ahead of time, so our time was unremarkable, but it was a fun run.  

Happy Easter

I'm currently hanging out in a cabin close to Lake Carlyle in southern Illinois. We don't have the whole clan together this year, but I've got a couple of kids and a few grandkids here for the occasion.

I hope you all enjoy the holiday weekend.

The Ideal Strong Person

As I become Strong, Strength gives me Autonomy.  Now that I have Autonomy, I must act with Integrity so that I do not infringe on other individuals acting autonomously and with integrity.  This forbearance from interfering with the autonomy of others is Justice, which I expect from them in return.  In choosing among goals with Integrity, I must willfully embrace Right Prioritization, choosing to choose with Integrity.  A society of individuals acting in this way will be Interdependently Effective.

-- Don Appleman, in my essay "The Ideal Strong Person", submitted with my application to test in April for 4th Dan in Taekwondo (8 February 2025)

Memory Lane

Today I had the pleasure and honor of spending a couple of hours over lunch at Papa Del's with some old PLATO folks.  I hope it sparks warm memories when I name drop Josh Paley, Steve Peltz, Susan Wrightson, G. David Frye, Ray Thomsen, Quentin Barnes, and James Quisenberry. 

There was reminiscing, with tales of Dr Bitzer and CERL PLATO.  And there was catching up with past lives, current activities, and future plans.  Many familiar names were mentioned.  A get-together like we had today reminds me of just how many smart people were drawn to PLATO.  It's an amazing community.

Merry Christmas

For the holidays I made a few pies and a few hundred cookies and candies, including a few dozen Christmas cookies which were then decorated by my grandkids.  At dinner time we had 21 people, including kids, grandkids, sons-in-law and other significant others.

I hope the season is treating you well, and that 2025 will treat you even better.

May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back.  May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

RIP Dr Don Bitzer

I just learned an hour ago that yesterday [10 December 2024], Don Bitzer, creator of the PLATO system, and friend to us all, passed away at age 90 in North Carolina.

I'm at a loss for words at the moment and can't think of much to say that I didn't say in my book, which, in hindsight, may kinda sorta be the closest attempt at a biography of Don, but I will say that I never ever met a more generous, supportive, enthusiastic person in the world.  He and his wife Maryann, who passed away in 2022, were incredibly generous.

He was an inspiration to us all, and to the world, which he made a better place.

-- Brian Dear, author of "The Friendly Orange Glow", announcing the passing of Dr Donald L Bitzer

[Meta - I got my start in computing through the good graces of Dr Bitzer in March 1974, and it led to my lifelong career.  And of course "trvth" itself originated on the University of Illinois PLATO system in notesfile =pad in February 1981, and has always been maintained on some PLATO system, somewhere.  Currently these posts are hosted in notesfile =pad on the "cyber1" CYBIS system (more info at cyber1.org).]

AI Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving upon us, it's a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the many blessings in our lives.  I'm truly grateful for the countless small and big moments that have shaped me into who I am today.  From the love and support of my family and friends to the simple joys of a warm meal and a cozy night in, I'm filled with gratitude.

I'm also thankful for the opportunity to connect with others, learn new things, and make a positive impact on the world.  May this Thanksgiving be a time of peace, love, and reflection for all.

Happy Thanksgiving!

-- Google AI Gemini (since this is the modern world), when prompted with "Give me 20 to 30 words of gratitude appropriate to Thanksgiving", and then asked to make its original response longer (27 November 2024)

Compromise

[C]ompromise with evil doesn't mean only compromise with one's opponent; to compromise one's ideals or morals is another way to spend one's own worth in lieu of striving.

-- Don Appleman, Trvth, as an editorial aside to the post "Win Your Peace Or Buy It" (25 January 2006)

Rock The Vote

Rock the vote, people!

Haidong Gumdo 1st Dan

This weekend I had another 3-day Korean sword seminar with Grandmaster JeongWoo Kim, Chief of Education for the World Haidong Gumdo Federation.  At the end of the seminar I successfully tested for Black Belt in Gumdo along with four other HMD Academy instructors.

Our academy was the first stop of Master Kim's 2024 Pan American Haidong Gumdo Masters Training Seminar, in which he is conducting six 3-day seminars in six different United States during November before returning to Korea.

I look forward to continuing to train with Master Kim whenever possible, and I'm pleased to have a better understanding of Gumdo to share with my students.

해동  HaiDong!

I Voted

I voted.

I parked near the courthouse and went in to vote in person.  It was quick and easy, with no waiting.

Plan your vote today.  You can literally google "How to vote".  Then vote today, if you can and you're ready.

Don't forget to vote.

Happy Halloween 2024

Happy Halloween!  

We had good weather this year, a little windy with temperatures in the upper fifties during Trick Or Treat time.  I had a good turnout, with 106 trick-or-treaters stopping by my house this evening.  My youngest daughter decorated the house, and kids and grandkids had a good time.  

I hope you all did as well.

Congratulations, David

Congratulations to my Taekwondo student, David, age 12, who successfully tested for Black Belt this Saturday. It was satisfying to watch as he performed his Black Belt test with its 10 forms, 30 different kicks (4 times each), and 17 pre-arranged sparring combinations, plus free-sparring against his fellow Black Belt candidates.

He's enthusiastic to continue the journey.

Missing Sky

Late Wednesday / early Thursday I sat by the side of my cat Sky while she let slip this mortal coil.  She was my fluffy kitty, fluffa girl, and fluffleupagus.  She was a long-haired cat that matches google images of "ragdoll cat".  

She came from the cat lady's house as a kitten about 16 years ago, brought home by my #3 & #4 daughters who were in high school at the time.  They named her Shi'Thead (pronounced shuh theed), which did not stick.  When my #4 daughter moved out she took Sky with her, but Sky objected and ended up back at the house.  In a very complicated circle of activity, she also was given to a family friend, dropped off at the Humane Society, and recovered by me before going up for adoption.

She was the biggest cat in the house, and got along with everyone.  If you held her, she would wrap her arms around your neck for a hug.  She is already missed.

Analyze

You cannot analyze data you don't collect.

-- Don Appleman, while working for NovaNET a few decades ago, and occasionally since, on the subject of how much data (usually on work done and throughput) should be collected by software

Landmines

Our memories are full of landmines.  Do not time travel.  If you do time travel, be careful where you stop.

-- Don Appleman (2024), regarding the things one should not contemplate when trying to fall asleep at night

Souvenir Memories

This Sunday I watched the St Louis Cardinals lose a baseball game to the Chicago White Sox 5-1 in St Louis.  I was accompanied by my good friend Mark Trott and by my youngest daughter, Alyssa, who sprang for the tickets as a gift for my 65th birthday that day.  The weather was pretty great.

We had bleacher seats in fair territory, 10 rows back in deep right center field.  My daughter brought her glove, and there were a few chances at souvenirs as a couple of balls in play came our way.  About halfway through the game Cardinals center fielder Dylan Carlson threw a ball into the stands that my daughter came away with, and I now have that ball as a souvenir.

Good times.

Golden Anniversary?

Back in the day I was a Boy Scout camp counselor and lifeguard.  More recently, I worked as a lifeguard for the Champaign County YMCA from 2009 into 2023.  This summer I'll be working at the Bement Village Pool, and I spent the weekend getting my lifeguard certification up to date.  It was 8 hours of training on Saturday, and 7 hours testing out on Sunday, including 4 hours in the water, for lifeguard rescue, cpr & aed, and first aid.  

I wrote this nice Trvth bit tonight when I mistakenly recollected that I (in a class with Dan LaBerge) first got certified (by Red Cross) as a lifeguard back in 1974.  I thought it was my Golden Anniversary, but then I found a pic of my original certificate, and I see that it was 1975.  In any case, the new certificate is good for 2 years, so it'll be past 50 years next time, if there is a next time.  Stay safe in the water this summer.