Re: And I Can Levitate

1

Whatever, hippy.


Posted by: Chopper | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 7:36 PM
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The "pwn vaya mudra"? I bet it works.


Posted by: John Emerson | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 7:38 PM
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Here's the thing, though. None of my friends do yoga. None of my coworkers do yoga. Nevertheless, all of my friends and colleagues insist that nowadays "everyone" -- or at least all of our sort of people -- does yoga. I'm starting to think that, in fact, nobody does yoga.


Posted by: Matthew Yglesias | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 7:58 PM
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It's time for an Unfogged poll. My impression is that hot young things in jobs like PR and Marketing do yoga. We'll see.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 8:08 PM
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See? Matt never listens. Just today I argued that nobody does yoga, and it's all a big myth -- my guess would've been less than 1% of the pop. And I'm Californian who's lived in the extra crunchy zones of the NorCal, so I've got credibility here. Damn elders...


Posted by: Ezra | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 8:11 PM
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Everyone I know does yoga. Friends of mine take yoga vacations.


Posted by: ac | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 8:12 PM
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7

See, and I just know that ac's friends are hot young things. But, but, dear ac, how many of your friends actually do yoga? I think yoga is one of those mainstream exotic activities where 7% can seem like "everyone."


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 8:17 PM
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8

The poll is up, by the way.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 8:17 PM
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9

Ezra, you're not seriously suggesting that no one in Northern California does yoga?


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 8:21 PM
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10

One more thing: I'd guess that very few people do yoga before their late 20's and early 30's, because until then, your body basically just works. Things start to go awry a few years later, and everyone freaks out and starts some kind of regimen.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 8:25 PM
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11

I'll take this thread to 100 by myself if I have to.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 8:25 PM
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12

I hate to horn in now that Ogged is finally on a flirtation that shows some promise, but though I never have done yoga lots of people I know in Pittsburgh do. Including, as Ben would say, MY MOM.


Posted by: Matt Weiner | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 8:38 PM
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13

I went to yoga tonight, in fact. I'm just getting back to it after about a year-long hiatus. I quit going after my awesome original instructor quit and was replaced by this Kegel-obsessed weirdo. (Seriously, there's "comfortable with your body" and then there's "has issues".) Kegel-dude finally quit so I'm back.

It's weird -- I can do the harder poses but I can't do the basic ones. I can't do child's pose to save my life (my hips just won't release that way) but I can do stuff like this no problem. I've had three different instructors since coming back and every time the same thing happens: they watch me during the easy-pose warmup (which I suck at) to gauge my level, freak out and plant themselves near me because they think I'm going to be a complete spaz, and then look visibly shocked when I pull out a decent sun salutation.


Posted by: Becks | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 8:40 PM
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14

I'm on a flirtation? Shweet. Yglesias, pick me up at 11.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 8:40 PM
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15

I was thinking of comments 7 through 11.


Posted by: Matt Weiner | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 8:42 PM
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16

That's not nice, Matt.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 8:43 PM
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17

Hey, I can do those! (But of course I'm too manly to have actually tried them just now. It's just a guess that the camel pose kinda hurt, and I probably should have stretched first.) In other news, Becks, after we buy that house together, let's have sex.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 8:50 PM
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No, I'm really in yogaville. They all freakin' do it, even my straight male friends. I once had a party where my violist friend came up to me and said, "They're like pod people with the yoga. We're the last ones left." And she and I now do it, too.


Posted by: ac | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 8:56 PM
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I categorically refuse to believe these reports of widespread yoga-ing. Becks is lying. I live around the corner from a yoga place (what do you call them?) and nobody ever goes in or out of it. There's more traffic at the all-black Freemasons' lodge across the street, and it's well known that there haven't been any Freemasons since the 1820s. A friend of mine once insisted for several weeks that she was about to start yoga-ing, but somehow it never happened. The whole thing is mythical.


Posted by: Matthew Yglesias | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 9:10 PM
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Sorry Matt Y, given 17, I'm obligated to defend Becks' honor: I think we have insufficient evidence to determine whether she's lying. ac, on the other hand, couldn't tell the truth about yoga to save a puppy's life.

(I think they're called yoga studios.)


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 9:18 PM
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Matt, I've seen Freemasons going into that place. I was using the ATM in their anteroom at the time, and got lots of confused and/or dirty looks.

I have never done yoga, but my mom was really into it when I was a kid. I actually got dragged to an Ashram for about half a week. I spent the time sulking and developing a deep hostility toward alternative medicine.


Posted by: tom | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 9:20 PM
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and then look visibly shocked when I pull out a decent sun salutation

I don't know what that is, but please warn us first if you do it anywhere near the blog. I generally like to know why I'm, say, trembling.


Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 9:27 PM
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23

The sun salutation.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 9:29 PM
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24

Well, Ogged, since you'll just be down the hall, I'll take it under consideration. And when the standard to beat is "She doesn't do her thing particularly well. In fact, she seems like she's slumming, and her heart isn't always in it." the pressure's kind of off.


Posted by: Becks | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 9:33 PM
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25

How Yglesias could grow up in the Village and doubt the prevalence of yoga is beyond me. He's the liar.


Posted by: Becks | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 9:37 PM
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26

Of course you're right.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 9:38 PM
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27

Don't tell me you're already whipped by the consideration of sex?


Posted by: Becks | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 9:44 PM
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28

I told you 7-11 was the way to go.


Posted by: Matt Weiner | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 9:46 PM
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29

Whipped? Me? Of course not. Just calling 'em like I see 'em. (I can drop even more syllables if you think it'll make look more resolute.)


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 9:49 PM
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30

I tried the apan vaya mudra and I felt giddy. Is that supposed to happen?


Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 9:50 PM
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31

Are you serious, SB?


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 9:51 PM
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32

Not a lot giddy. Maybe it was the power of suggestion.


Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 9:55 PM
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33

I really like Yoga. I was totally unathletic as a child. I eased into it when I was 20 over the summer, and then I got an instructor in college who was into ashtanga, and I got hooked. I liked the flow combined with the breathing. If I try to run, I spend all of my time thinking about how much I don't like what I'm doing, but with my iujaii breathing and knowing which poses are coming I really like ashtanga.

I highly recommend David Swenson's Short Forms. There's a 15 min, 30 mion and 45 min. workout for when you don't have time for the whole series.


Posted by: bostoniangirl | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 9:55 PM
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34

I do yoga.


Posted by: Armsmasher | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 9:59 PM
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35

No you don't.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:01 PM
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36

I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I couldn't do yoga and also be named Kriston.


Posted by: Armsmasher | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:02 PM
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37

You couldn't do it and be named Armsmasher, either.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:04 PM
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38

I think that actually might perfectly capture how yoga would work out for me.


Posted by: Armsmasher | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:05 PM
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39

-So, why do they call you Armsmasher?

-Because I have a girl's name and hurt myself doing yoga.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:07 PM
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40

But I do know lots of people who do yoga.


Posted by: Armsmasher | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:08 PM
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41

It's the similar to the funny feeling I get when I cross my arms in front of me, rotate my palms 180 degrees to face each other, clasp my hands together with fingers interlocked, trace with my knuckles an arc towards me clockwise from 3 to 12, choose a finger by sight, and then try to wiggle it. The wrong finger wiggles! In this case there's no wiggling, but there's the same acute consciousness of limb/digit articulation.


Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:09 PM
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42

Yglesias does yoga, doesn't he?


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:09 PM
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43

I must say -- the straight guys one meets at the yoga studios? 99% weirdos.


Posted by: Becks | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:10 PM
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44

Unlike the guys one meets on the Internets.


Posted by: Becks | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:11 PM
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45

Yglesias? I'm sure the yoga goes well with his smoking.


Posted by: Becks | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:11 PM
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46

SB, I know what you mean! But you can still do it! Look at your finger and figure out in advance which it is: say to yourself, eg, "that's my left ring finger"--and voila! you'll move the right one.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:13 PM
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47

The correct one?


Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:14 PM
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48

Yes, the correct one; don't w-lfs-n me when I'm trying to help.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:15 PM
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49

Excellent. I just flipped myself the bird.


Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:15 PM
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50

It works, eh?


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:16 PM
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51

I concede that 47 was not really w-lfs-ning, as my comment was ambiguous.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:16 PM
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52

It works. Now it is no longer magic. Thanks a lot.


Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:17 PM
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53

re 45: yoga and smoking don't mix? Or is it just that smokers don't much yogue?


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:18 PM
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54

Sorry, SB. David Blaine's stuff is still all real, though.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:20 PM
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55

A capricious god allowed you to dunk at 15, and now you're talking about yoga. It makes me want to weep.


Posted by: SomeCallMeTim | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:20 PM
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56

A lot of farting goes on during yoga.


Posted by: Michael | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:22 PM
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57

Both. Yoga's all about breathing. The funny poses are just a bonus. I would also think that the universe of smokers would not have a big overlap with the universe of yogis for other reasons.


Posted by: Becks | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:22 PM
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58

I'm not sure I'm doing 41 right; I tried twice and got it both times.


Posted by: Michael | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:23 PM
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59

smokers n yogis = Yglesias


Posted by: Armsmasher | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:24 PM
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60

Yoga is about breathing.

Smoking is about breathing.

Smoking is Yoga.


Posted by: Michael | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:24 PM
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61

I'm a social yogi—I only practice yoga when I'm drinking.


Posted by: Armsmasher | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:25 PM
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62

Since SCMT is already hating on me, this is where I admit that Ex's mom is a yoga teacher, and I know all about yoga! Take that, Tim!


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:25 PM
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63

I'm not sure I'm doing 41 right; I tried twice and got it both times.

A thief has taken your magic from you.


Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:25 PM
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64

I should go out with Ogged just so I could become The BEx.


Posted by: Becks | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:26 PM
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65

63: Probably the cat. I always suspected her.


Posted by: Michael | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:27 PM
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66

Becks, I like how you think.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:28 PM
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67

UPDATE: My magic has returned. I failed.


Posted by: Michael | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:28 PM
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68

Becks, the beauty of coincidence compels you.


Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:28 PM
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69

The truth is a thief, Bridgeplate.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:29 PM
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70

Ogged is finally getting the hang of flirting, excpet now he's being a little too ubiquitous.


Posted by: Michael | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:29 PM
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71

The truth is a thief, and our innocence is its booty.


Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:30 PM
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72

Michael, pick me up at 1.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:30 PM
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73

Now you're just a slut.


Posted by: Michael | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:31 PM
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74

All my booty is gone.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:32 PM
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75

Were I to go out at 1 and pick someone up, however, it would be you.


Posted by: Michael | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:34 PM
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76

I admit that Ex's mom is a yoga teacher

So, using the recently issued secret decoder ring, this post is really about getting some rhythm from Ex's mom. Nice, ogged. Really nice.


Posted by: SomeCallMeTim | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:34 PM
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77

When two forms in language intersect in a third, more pleasing form, so also should their referents.


Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:35 PM
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78

You lost me, SB.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:38 PM
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79

I was inspired by 64. But now I see that my little aphorism would demand the cobobulation of Becks and Ex. That's not what I was aiming for.


Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:45 PM
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80

I guess you're another vote against Bound, then.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:48 PM
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81

Maybe not what you were aiming for.

(or, me, either, i guess, since it hadn't occured to me.)

It seems like Yglesias is becoming a regular around here, so at one point he's going to have to take part in these late night comment sections. After that, the fruit basket.

Gawd I need to go study.


Posted by: Michael | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:49 PM
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82

anti-lesbian-encouraging does not equal anti-bound. I rented it to see it because it was a Wachowski film (i'm not going to look up the spelling. i'm busy.), but never made it all the way through.


Posted by: Michael | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:50 PM
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83

I'm not opposed, in principle, to hot action of any kind.


Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:52 PM
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84

What about hot principal action?


Posted by: Michael | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:53 PM
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85

I know a lot of people who do yoga and a couple of teachers. I even took a class about five years back that I enjoyed, but decided to focus on smoking instead.


Posted by: apostropher | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:56 PM
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I meant only that I understood the goal to be a short-lived ogged and Becks relationship, simply for the wordplay it afforded. Lesbians are orthogonal.


Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:57 PM
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87

Mainly, I wanted to link to that thread so I could tell you that I saw Matt's post in my RSS reader, and clicked through so that I could make the "blow" joke, but Fontana had beaten me to it. So I came back here, made a Tom Hilde joke, went back to Matt's place, and saw that Labs had just made a Hilde joke. Sometimes, it's disturbing.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 10:57 PM
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88

What about hot principal action?

I'm not sure that much happens, but there sure has been a lot of hot young teacher action getting had by teenaged boys recently.


Posted by: apostropher | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:00 PM
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89

Gah. I just tried this finger pose and it made it harder to breathe. Really.

Yoga never has that effect on me.


Posted by: profgrrrrl | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:04 PM
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90

Huh. Don't know what to say to that, pg.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:05 PM
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91

"I just tried this finger pose and it made it harder to breathe."


Posted by: apostropher | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:07 PM
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92

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and opine that a 31-yr-old woman having an affair with a 16 yr-old boy does not qualify her as a "sec offender."


Posted by: Michael | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:08 PM
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93

That's not ashtanga.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:08 PM
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94

I just Googled Tom Hilde and realized Tom Hilde c'est moi: "I was living in DC (as I am now), but commuting to work at New York University (a few days in DC, a few days in NYC)." Ack.


Posted by: Becks | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:09 PM
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apos, that link doesn't work for me.


Posted by: Michael | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:09 PM
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96

"I just tried this finger pose and it made it harder to breathe."


Posted by: Armsmasher | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:11 PM
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97

That's what I thought the apostropher's was going to be, but I was pleasantly surprised.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:13 PM
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98

Now I'm going to have a dream about Tom Hilde cruising Yglesias on the US Airways Shuttle.


Posted by: Becks | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:13 PM
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99

99!


Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:14 PM
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100

dream nightmare


Posted by: Becks | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:14 PM
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101

"I live around the corner from a yoga place (what do you call them?) and nobody ever goes in or out of it. "

That's the invisibility power, or perhaps the teleportation power.


Posted by: John Emerson | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:15 PM
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102

I didn't say it was inspired commenting.


Posted by: Armsmasher | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:17 PM
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103

It's ok, it needed to be done.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:18 PM
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104

Yoga studio? No no no. Yojo.


Posted by: Standpipe Bridgeplate | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:20 PM
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105

And the greatest practitioner is Usagi Yojo-limbo.


Posted by: Michael | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:24 PM
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106

apos, that link doesn't work for me

Really? Hmm. This one should.

"I just tried this finger pose and it made it harder to breathe."


Posted by: apostropher | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:27 PM
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107

apo, I keep trying to post this as a comment on your site.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:28 PM
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108

Is my blacklist stopping it?


Posted by: apostropher | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:30 PM
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109

500 error.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:31 PM
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110

sigh. That'll be fixed in a minute.


Posted by: apostropher | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:32 PM
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111

A lot of the hot-for-teacher cases involve students from special-needs classes. Are these the bad boy classes?


Posted by: Armsmasher | Link to this comment | 09-29-05 11:38 PM
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112

Maybe if those teachers had done more yoga they would have been sufficiently centered to stay out of that kind of trouble.


Posted by: Matthew Yglesias | Link to this comment | 09-30-05 12:08 PM
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113

Are we talkingabout Ms. Schmitz-LaTourneau again? Her victim was not special-needs.


Posted by: John Emerson | Link to this comment | 09-30-05 12:30 PM
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114

Maybe if those teachers had done more yoga they would have been sufficiently centered to stay out of that kind of trouble.

On the other hand, they would have been flexible enough to get into worse trouble.


Posted by: tom | Link to this comment | 09-30-05 12:34 PM
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115

113: no, there's a new one named Tammy Imre.


Posted by: tom | Link to this comment | 09-30-05 12:36 PM
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116

A very friendly site. Have a nice day! Central Corner becomes Standard Cards in final: http://www.movieflix.com/ , Green, Coolblooded, Astonishing nothing comparative to Collective right Opponents will Make Soldier without any questions , Memorizing is feature of Beautiful Circle Central, Faithful, Lazy nothing comparative to Greedy


Posted by: Jesse Campbell | Link to this comment | 12- 5-05 4:28 AM
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