Click images for desktop size: "Alone In London" by Graham Thomas I'm slowly recovering from the onslaught of emails congratulating my puppy on surviving me for nearly 3 years . . .
I'm sorry if I've not gotten back to you. My puppy got nearly 200 emails and many of them can't be answered with just a form letter. I'm not really sorry but I'll say I am; kids always take priority over ay-dults.
In a similar vein I deleted 8,500 comments yesterday . . . I was trying to go through and check for any real comments but, as usual, after about 15 minutes and 500 spam comments I accidentally hit the delete all button . . . I don't really regret it. I'm sorry if your comment was lost due to my ennui.
Deleting comments, ignoring emails . . . I guess I'm just incommunicado . . .
One question seems to predominate . . . 3 people asked. What is the best form of martial art . . . running always comes to my mind first. Running really really fast is definitely the best defense.
Working on running really fast will get you in shape, help you lose weight and clear up your complexion. You will be a babe magnet.
When you can't run for whatever reason . . . I have to wonder why my opinion matters on this but I'm used to spouting off opinions and having them taken as fact when I really have no basis to be an authority on much of anything. That said, I've always thought for learning to do the most damage in the least amount of time, kick boxing, muay thai, is an effective martial art. To get to the level of being deadly takes as much time as any other martial art, but if you're just being harassed by a bully or something, than kick boxing can give you a solid basis in about 3 months (if you apply yourself).
For the others I think aikido is beautiful. The whole "sphere of influence" philosophy with all the wrist locks and gentle throws has a nice grace. Unlike most martial arts that believe that anyone insane enough to physically attack must be destroyed as totally and quickly as possible aikido is
Click images for desktop size: "Betty Page" by Bernel most concerned with stopping them with as little damage as can be needed.
(Don't pay much attention to the stuff Steven Seagal does in his movies. He's cool and fast but I've never seen any aikido masters fight like that.)
As to the others, in full contact fighting (kumite) and sparring its really difficult to see much difference between the different schools. (Talking empty handed fighting and not including boxing which is still a sport with clearly defined rules). For long term health and well being I'd pick Wing Chung Kung Fu. Its excellent for health and fitness and remember its where Bruce Lee started. (forget the movies, has there yet been a better fighter than Bruce Lee?)
For mental and physical discipline, Shotokan Karate. Mr Oshima, my teacher, looks 30 while he's 60. He's as calm and gentle a person as you can imagine. He could possibly kick hell out of your entire gang but would genuinely prefer not to. Bushido.
One advantage to Shotokan is that its the only martial arts school out there that is still run as a not for profit. Its affordable, cheap even, some classes in universities are free. I know of several guys doing work around the dojo because they can't afford to pay for classes.
Any of the JKA schools in karate are good and well regulated. They also offer all those crazy color belts. Americans like crazy colors and they like visible signs of how much better they are than you.
I don't like weapons based schools like escrima and kendo. Weapons . . . if you forget your gun your pretty well done with this fight and are back to running very very fast. Which is what you should be working on anyway . . .

I did get to start a new serial, "Zorro's Fighting Legion". Its a "klazzik" serial. The first chapter was very cool. It starts with an elegant speech from Jaurez, Mexico's first President. Jaurez is given a sense of gravitas and sorrow that the movies usually reserve for Abraham Lincoln. Its a fantastic performance.
Also in his 2 minute speech he explained international economics more clearly and concisely than I'd ever known was possible.
That all this beautiful rhetoric is needed to set up a bunch of indian attacks, bad guys and schemes is to its credit!
Zorro is cool. Great costume, and he fights with a bull whip. I'd never heard of Reed Hadley before. He's awesome as Zorro. Tall thin, rides well, and sword fights better. He's awesome with the whip!
It will be cool to see if the rest of the serial can keep up with the level of this first one. The only caveat is that for a story set in Mexico about Mexicans there's not a single Hispanic in sight . . .

Click images for desktop size: "Drumlin" by Ben Schlitter
I also recently finished a V.I. Warshawski novel. I've lost faith with the series.
Warshawski is a great character and Sara Paretsky is a good writer, but the plots have become surprisingly hackneyed. Its like reading a novel based on the Sid Field's school of scripting. Its the exact same situations with the exact same resolutions. Very disappointing to see talent squandered this way.
Laundry, lawn mower repair and yard work on the agenda today. That and hammering out the details of making the big and scary ISP switch. I realize I need the internet. I guess so I can be a bad communicator and pen pal . . .