Posted by carltonstedman in job, karate, life.
So, I’ve been having a really great week so far. I’m posting this not to gloat and say “ooh, look how awesome I am” so much as a reminder to look back on later on when I’m very stressed out or something. Anywho, I’ll chronicle this week.
For starters, Jilly and I celebrated our 3-year anniversary. Pretty awesome. She’ll be moving back in to our apartment during her month(ish) off for winter break, which I’m looking forward to; we got so use to living with each other over the summer that it really feels funny when she’s not around. We’re waiting until she’s out of school to get married, but it’s been a “sure thing” for years now. We’re gonna get engaged sometime next year, when she’s a senior at FSC, since we decided long ago that we didn’t want to be engaged for more than a year or so.
At work on Monday I received a “Department Award for Engineering Excellence” since I “developed an outstanding Application note on Average Current Mode Control (ACMC) for the NCV8851 as well as develop[ed] a comprehensive design tool that aids in the customer design in process.” Pretty sweet. I just saw my check, and due to this award I received a 3.5% bonus. Nice, just about covers the cost of the couch Jilly and I recently purchased from Bob’s.
I’ve been going to this local dojo for the last month. They call it “kensho-ryu” as in KENpo SHOtokan. It’s a kenpo/karate/jiujitsu art, broken off from “Prof.” Nick Cerio’s kenpo, who’s lineage goes back to Ed Parker, Will Chow and Mitose. Kenpo, or “way of the fist” combines the hard techniques of karate (“empty hand”) with the soft techniques of jiujitsu (literally, “soft technique”). It’s a lot like karate, which I have 13 years experience, before college.
The head sensei, Erick Thorne, is a cool guy. He’s an ex-marine, boxed back then, and retired as a guard from the ACI (which is right across the street of the dojo). The dojo’s been open in Cranston since 2003 and now there are a total of 19 kensho-ryu dojo’s, with the head Kyoshi in Providence. He’s a no-nonsense type of guy; try a technique, if it doesn’t work, throw it out type of thing. And the dojo is definitely more traditional than the previous dojo I was at, back in the day. I love it.
So, last night I was testing for my yellow belt (next step above white belt). This is already ahead of schedule for most people, getting a new belt in just a month, but my previous experience really helps. It really showed through last night, the first time I got to spar. I was sparring a brown belt (right below black belt) and at the beginning of the fight I was very aggressive and basically handed his ass to him (to be fair, he was not expecting a white belt to fight like I did). I caught him with a quick kick to his head on his blind side, which everyone was talking to me about later, much impressed; it’s hard to catch someone with a kick to the head and I only throw it when I know I’ll connect. He got the message and fought me like he should have been. I was able to hold my own, but I’ll be a serious force to be reckoned with once my endurance picks back up.
Anyway, end of class, formal bow out and I’m getting my new belt. I was very surprised to go and grab it and, lo’ and behold, I got promoted directly to an orange belt (then next step above yellow belt). Now, that’s not completely unheard of, but it is still very rare. Pretty fricking sweet, if I do say so myself.
So, yeah, this week is kicking ass.
Posted by carltonstedman in books, job, life, metal, movies.
I finished reading Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows late Monday night. Great book and great end to the series. I then realized it really *is* the last of the HP series, that it has all come to an end, and felt a little sad at that thought. Great series, and I’ll definitely read them all many times again in the future, and hope some day that Jilly’s and my children will enjoy them as thoroughly as we have.
Also saw the latest HP movie with Adam and Jared the other night. The most fun of it was reminiscing of old times, crazy Mrs. Rose, Adam and I in middle school and such. The movie was pretty good too, especially the big wizard fight scene at the end. I can’t wait to see how they do the siege of Hogwarts in the final movie; reading it, I was reminded of the epic battle of Helmsdeep. Course, the movie probably only had 20-25% of what was in the book, as was to be expected.
Work at ON Semiconductor continues to go well. The latest project is coming together. I’ve been doing a lot of work looking at error amplifier performance, using network analyzers, getting Bode plots and making sure the DC and AC results are up to specification. My boss is going to have me write up a white paper about error amp measurement, with the intent of getting it published. Very cool.
Very excited about the upcoming Symphony X concert. I’ve been listening and re-listening to their entire discography over the last month and can’t wait; it’s going to be awesome.
A new blog
Monday, March 26th, 2007
Posted by carltonstedman in job, metal, school.
Listening to: Maximum the Hormone – Rei Rei Rei Rei Rei Rei Rei Rei Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma [link]
So, I’ve started up a new blog. Why? Mainly because this is the new and improved Blogger, using my Google account. I will post Interesting and Relevant information regarding my Life, for those who are so interested (or have nothing better to do).
My previous blog, by the way, can still be found here.
So, right now, I’m finishing up my undergraduate studies in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Mainly, this means I need to finish my senior project in the next few weeks. Besides that, I’m done and I’ll have my B.S. ECE ASAP IMHO BTW.
This band, Maximum the Hormone, is wicked good. Love this CD, Rokkinpo Goroshi. [wikipedia entry] They’re really interesting. Japanese band with aspects of punk, hardcore, death metal and even pop at times. Nice growls and breakdowns. They definitely don’t take themselves completely seriously, and are a fun time. Good stuff.
Speaking about metal, went to a concert last Friday. Saw Scar Symmetry (who we really went for), Into Eternity and Dark Traquillity (didn’t bother to stay for The Haunted, seen them a few times and not overly impressed). Good stuff, DT put on a great show. Into Eternity wasn’t bad either, decent pit too. Course, there’s always a good pit at the Palladium. Scar Symmetry was awesome, but they only played 6 songs, since they were a warm up band. Still, first time in US (they’re from Sweden), and they rock. They’re a melodic death metal band, and their latest CD (from 2006), Pitched Black Progression, really kicks. Definitely one of the best CDs I’ve listened to in quite a while.
Also, I’ve got a job. I will be an Applications Engineer in the Analog Automotive group at ON Semiconductor in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, where I interned over the summer and winter breaks previously. Pretty good money, nice benefits and a great bunch of folks to work with; plus, it’s close to “home” for Jillian and I (nearly two and a half years dating now! Love you, hon!).
