A recent article over at NYTimes got me thinking about the impact MMA is having around the world. Just several years ago, UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) was banned from over 30 states, now Mixed Martial Arts is making its way into high school gymnasiums.

Many people, including students, don't take UFC and MMA seriously. Some believe it's too brutal while others believe it is just a bunch of sweaty guys rolling around in their underwear. Being an avid martial arts fan and a former practitioner, it is easy to see the level of skill being displayed. Unfortunately it is not so for many.

People often taken interest in martial arts when they feel the need to be able to protect themselves. Often, they're afraid of getting hurt and/or being vulnerable, thus taking on a form of martial arts to change that. Proper discipline from any type of martial art will teach self-control and confidence, as well as many other valuable lessons. Additionally, physical conditioning and health improvements are imminent. Read more about the jump...

Let's face it. We all love free and cheap stuff regardless of how well we try to hide it. If you agree, then I reward you with a link to your new favorite website: SampleADay.com. These guys post A LOT of things you can get your hands on for free including coffee, diapers, toothpaste, sharpies, body wash, and more. You have to be MAD not to check this out!

PS. For those of you who don't agree, it's okay. You can be cheap too - we won't tell anyone. Promise.

Disclaimer: It is your responsibility to read all terms and privacy policies before giving your info. In other words, if you start getting 100 new emails/calls a day (or the likes) to buy something, it aint' my fault.

First, I want to begin by thanking everyone who went out there and voted in the elections. The United States has proved to me that change can indeed happen. Not long ago, it was nearly impossible to come across someone who would agree that a man of color can take the role as the President of the United States.

President Obama, I want to thank you for proving to everyone in this world what America as a nation truly represents. We have all seen better times not only in this country, but around the world. I started following the Presidential campaigns roughly a year into the process and I realized that change was imminent. My interest in politics was weak, but now I understand that we all have to work towards the bettering of our country.

As you gave your speech, I started to remember every history class I ever took, telling myself in amazement, that we have achieved what many believed could not be done. I could feel the tears of joy about to start flowing down my face, hearing that the change many have longed for is finally here. I am confident that we, as a country, will face our problems directly and work together to bring forth the great possibilities of our lifetime, regardless of who you are.

I will continue to support my country in every way I can, helping and guiding others to do the same. I will help refresh the promise of this country, proving that, as one, we can achieve the greatness we all seek in our lives, to bring an end to our economic turmoil and halt the progressive endangerment of our planet. We are a country of opportunity, equality, and enlightenment. Let us take advantage and prove to our future generations and the whole world around us all of the things we will accomplish, for we are the United States of America.

Tonight, I will close my eyes and fall asleep with a smile on my face, knowing that tomorrow will be a brand new day. I am grateful that I have taken part and witnessed these marvelous events that are now forever carved into history. I can happily say that my faith and belief in achieving greatness in the United States has been reasserted, and from this day on we are headed towards a better future.

Thank you.

I don't know about you, but every time I get a chance to test something in its beta form, I'm psyched and excited to catch and squash every single problem! Apparently, this is not the case with many beta testers out there. This applies to video games, websites, software, and so forth. Yes, I know; you're probably thinking about how many times you've ran into stupid problems with software that didn't make sense.

I'm not the one to usually point fingers but this time, I will be putting together a list of applications, websites, and games that I encounter these problems in. A lot of problems include interface bugs, illogical layout design, bad placement of elements, lack of searchability, and so forth. If you're interested to see what I'm talking about, I'll post a list of things that bother me (and others) really soon.

If you're a beta tester, I urge you to stop taking advantage and start paying attention to actually fixing and bettering the product you are testing. If not, STOP! You're hurting the company and everyone else that will use the product.

Out of curiosity, I would like to see what annoys you guys about some websites, applications, etc. Thanks!

It has been a while since I last talked about things that have been happening lately. School has been in full force and while it started off a bit bumpy, it is now steady. Lot's of design and web related projects are being assigned and I must say, it can be a challenge at times - managing each one, getting it all right, conducting necessary research, and so forth.

Earlier today, I sent out my DSLR to Canon for repair and cleaning. There was a loose piece inside the camera and it interfered with my viewfinder by with black blemish appearing on the top. I paid $35 for commercial shipping with insurance, tracking, and all that good stuff - still a ripoff if you ask me! Hopefully I'll have my camera back by the end of this week so I can go out and shoot! I've been meaning to do that for a while (about 5 months), and now I have. I hope this serves as much of an initiative as I want it to so I go out and start snapping away! Continue reading for the rest...

A little under a week ago, I purchased two new sweaters and a pair of jeans on sale from Aeropostale. I walked into the door expecting to see a nice small package waiting to be opened. Instead, I saw a massive 14" square box lying there only to find roughly a quarter of the space being used. Utter disappointment spread throughout my body, albeit excited to try on my new clothes.

I am generally not that big on online shopping but when I do purchase something online, I expect it to be shipped efficiently. There's really no excuse, to be honest. Why would a company waste money on oversized shipping boxes when they can save on both equipment and shipping costs?

This is definitely not the first time something like this has happened, and I am not the first to complain. I gotta hand it to companies like Amazon, Apple, and Logitech for using efficient shipping methods (from my experiences) and for keeping their shipment carbon footprint low. Have you had any negative experiences like this? I'd like to know.

As children come of age, parents need to have a good grasp of what their kids are like and what type of discipline they should apply. This, in turn, applies directly to the kind of freedom that the child is given. Results vary depending on the family situation, so it is important to have a decent understanding of child psychology.

When is the right time to draw the line and say enough is enough, or how much is too much to begin with? Well, it begins once the child starts interacting with his or her environment. Depending on the combination of occurrences that the child experiences, ideas and and standards develop accordingly.

It is important for parents to know that a developing child undergoes a phenomenal series of phases. A child's vulnerability throughout these stages should be taken into deep consideration. As you can imagine, aggressiveness is detrimental (not to mention abuse). Giving complete leeway isn't a healthy path either, as having little to no guidance will cause undesired development. Taking the middle ground stance by being Authoritative is the most reliable method.

About a week ago, One Fused Life was accepted into the 9Rules Network. 9rules is a community of blogs with topics covering the whole spectrum of the blogosphere. Members and readers from around the world "can connect, build relationships, and learn new things." When 9Rules first started back in 2003, they followed a set of 9 rules that stuck along to the present day:

1. Love what you do.
2. Never stop learning.
3. Form works with function.
4. Simple is beautiful.
5. Work hard, play hard.
6. You get what you pay for.
7. When you talk, we listen.
8. Must constantly improve.
9. Respect your inspiration.

I always wanted to be a part of 9Rules even when One Fused Life was just an idea. I have discovered great content, bloggers, and learned so many different things from people sharing their thoughts and experiences. I am honored to finally be a part of the network that I respect.

On another note, this is the 100th post on One Fused Life and I am glad to be celebrating it in this fashion. This encourages me to be more active, write quality content, and share my wealth of knowledge with all of you. Throughout the past 9 months, One Fused Life has received several thousand unique hits per month. I want to thank all of you for the support and I hope you stick around for the exciting things that are to come!

Just a few days ago, the stock market took one of the biggest hits since the great depression. People cried, panicked, and were filled with worry. When one of the largest corporations in the world files for bankruptcy, everybody living in America and elsewhere are effected.

Thousands of jobs lost, lives ruined, billions of dollars gone to waste. What are we to do when we face such challenges? The hopeful thought would be for CEOs to get together, stop being greedy, and give back to the people that need it most. It's true, if companies cared more about being great at what they do, and profits were just an added bonus, we wouldn't have these kinds of situations occur as they do.

People say "tragedy is one of the only ways change is initiated." Is something like this enough to make a difference and serve as a wake up call to large corporations and people in general? I certainly hope so. I don't want to have to wait for a grander tragedy to destroy more lives and cause harm to the world, like the climate crisis. Continue to read the rest...

Waking up to this kind of news is pleasing to hear. What I don't understand is why it's not promoted on a larger scale. Throughout 1999 and 2000, over 1200 weapons were collected, and gun violence was noticeably reduced. Local police stations offer $100 in exchange for guns, which is pretty decent as well. If reducing gun crimes, and the general dangers from having access to a gun is not important enough to promote it, I don't know what is.

I haven't seen a single advertisement on TV or in the subway, which means that it's poorly advertised. I would be more than glad to design posters and newspaper ads for this, encouraging people to be safe! Taking illegal weapons off the streets should be the priority of all cities and government, and there's no better way than cash incentives. People love cash.

I think I am going to work on some ads promoting gun safety, just for fun. Anyone have any ideas? I'd like to view your thoughts.