Some Guy

When I was a teenager, I was put into a mental health institution which is highly respected where I live. I was there for a period of about a week, where I was improperly medicated in such a way that could seriously threaten my life. (I am diabetic and they mismanaged my insulin.) But what s worse is that my father, who I was not living with, was able to call the place and get all of my information from them free of charge AND without providing any information about who he was. I never signed anything which told them his address, name, number, or anything else, and he didn t provide any proof to them for who he was. He just called and asked, and they sent him everything they had on file.

Can I sue these quacks for releasing my information and get justice for how they posed a serious threat to my health and safety?

Well, the cork was falling apart and this was in the basement for a really, really long time. And not stored properly. And it tastes like vinegar. But the liquor store's closed and I don't want to pay the cost of going to a bar. Will the garbage wine still get me drunk, if I can stomach the taste?

Often times I've heard of the Golden Dawn, but recently I was looking at some books in a local used book shop and I ran across Ordo Aurum Solis. Looking into them, they seem to be similar in some aspects of their practice. Apparently they've been around for a long time and they've got many books on their ideas and rituals available, but I've never heard of them up until now.

Is Ordo Aurum Solis -- their teachings and their organization -- legitimate? Or are they just a group trying to capitalize on the popularity of other groups by using buzzwords like "Hermeticism" and "Qabalah"?

In my TKD class, I'm a low belt level. We do some groundfighting at low belt levels, but a lot at higher belt levels. At my level, what we do is have one person go onto their back and raise the legs to guard themselves. The goal of the exercise is to get past the guard. The attacker "wins" when they strike the opponent on the head.

I can't figure it out. If I approach from the front, I get kicked away, and I can't just run around the person. I've tried grabbing the foot of the opponent on the ground, but I can't seem to figure out what to do. I could try to do some kind of leg lock, but for the sake of that specific exercise I don't think it would get me anywhere.

What would you guys suggest?

夏の日に

仏は歩いて

はなをさく

Are there many grammar issues in here? What can be made better?

I believe the question is fairly self-explanatory. If two expert staff fighters met in the road -- one trained in the Shaolin staff fighting methods, or even specifically Yin Shou Gun, and the other trained in Okinawan Kobudo staff fighting, which fighter would come out on top?

Keep in mind that the Okinawan fighter would be using a traditional Bo staff, about 6 feet tall, and the Chinese fighter using a Bailangan. Assume waxwood is used.

I have a vocal range of E3 to E5 after warmups. How do I get to E6?

I practice on my own and recently discovered that there's a group lead by someone who went through many years of learning with monks. They regularly host meditation practice and talks.

I'm afraid, though, that the personal ideas and biases of the speakers and other people there would effect me so that I would no longer truly be understanding myself, but understanding things through their lenses.

What would you suggest? I trust you.

As someone who is bisexual it baffles me that so many people take their sexuality so seriously. It borders on self-parody at best and at its worst it is (presumably) unintentionally offensive.

I, for one, am sick of people in the LGBT community assuming I'm some kind of sexual deviant (even if they don't consider this a bad thing) just because I'm attracted to both genders.

What is the purpose of this LGBT culture? It really seems to me like a bunch of people who desperately crave attention, and it creates stereotypes that I don't want to be associated with.

I've learned a large frame Wu-style long form, and I've been working on learning both an old small frame Yang-style form as well as Cheng Man-Ching short Yang form and a short Chen form.

I'd like to make my practice more efficient and combine techniques found in all of them into one synthetic form. Will they translate well together?

I've made my way through the Genki series in Japanese and am going to make my way through the Tobira books.

Is Korean difficult? Do they use Kanji?

Don't get me wrong -- I've met plenty of nice ground fighters who do BJJ and stuff.

But the vast majority of them have been tapout guys who praise groundfighting as the end-all and have no respect for any art besides their own.

Comparing this to the majority of people I've met in striking arts such as boxing, karate, kung fu, etc., I usually meet very kind strikers.

And when it comes to internal martial arts (Tai Chi Chuan, Xingyi, etc.) I don't think I've ever met a single person who wasn't calm, collected, and kind.

So what is it? Just bad luck on my part, with the people I meet? Or is there a real trend here?

Popped open a bottle of wine and it tastes of vinegar. Will this still do the job?

Or is it expected?

Currently studying Chinese martial arts under a decent instructor, but there is no sparring in class and it is not encouraged at all. In addition, many of our forms seem to have useless movements. I enjoy learning the forms and think it is good exercise, but I want to learn how to fight, not just how to have good health.

There is a Moo Duk Kwan school near me taught by someone with high ranks in MDK, Aikido, and Jujitsu. The instructor has won sparring tournaments on an international level and the school has a good tournament record.

I really enjoy what I'm doing, though. CMA guys and girls, does something "click" at some point? Do I suddenly become able to use my Tan Tui in combat through dedicated form practice? What is your advice?

The kwoon I go to teaches a 5-element 2-animal style Xingyi and two Baguazhang forms (one circle stepping, the other not). My experience is primarily in Northern Shaolin and Wu-style Tai Chi Chuan. I want to learn both of these styles and advance my internal martial arts knowledge, but which should I go into first?

After many long hours of meditation and Qigong, I feel I am ready to start learning how to direct the energy I've cultivated.

How do I learn Reiki? Do I need to study under a master with hands-on training, or can I learn through books properly to the point of becoming a "Reiki Master"?

I've always been attracted to Zen meditation, but at the same time I'm interested in seeing levels of existence which aren't seen by the average human being. The Zen meditator focuses on nothing; I want to take in everything. How do I do this? What system teaches this?

Look at the past. Shakespeare, for example. Or, Poe. Or T.S. Elliot. Or Robert Frost. Why has there been such a drop in quality? Is it the fault of these modern "artists" who claim that anything and everything is art?

It seems to me that many people go to the big bang as an explanation for the beginning of the universe, and as a point to hold against god. However, the same issue -- "Who created God? What existed before God?" -- can be applied to the big bang.

Why is it that people are satisfied with this explanation? It even presumes matter/something to have existed during/before the big bang.