A picture within a picture within a picture

Dawn and I attended the International Fight League card September 9th in Portland. The first half of the card will be featured on Fox Sports Net on Sunday September 24th at Six. The last half of the card will air on Sunday October First on FSN also at Six o'clock. Even though Dawn and I were still trying to figure out our digital camera, she was able to take some very nice pictures. These are some of my favorites. Allan Goes is on the big screen doing and interview with FSN while Devin Cole (in the foreground in the ring and the background on the big screen) is consoled by his Portland Teamates.Cole was domintaing the bout until he was caught in a submission hold and had to tap out.  

The Thrill of victory. Brazilian Ju Jitsu Black belt Alan Goes, Celebrates his comeback victory against Devin Cole. 

The agony of defeat.Devin Cole is still trying to regain his senses after submitting to Allan Goes's choke hold. 

Dan Henderson Is one of the best pound for pound Mixed martial artists in the world. He was in Portland cornering his friend Matt Lindland 

2000 Olympic Greco Roman silver medalist and home town hero Matt "the law" Lindland Was victorious in the main event knocking out Jeremy Horn. Horn has over 75 MMA victories including a victory over UFC Supperstar Chuck Liddle, But on this night he was no match for Lindland. 

Popular Portland Mixed Martial Artist Matt Horwitch Does and interview after a hard fought victory  

The fight of the night was Brad Blackburn(left) vs Chris Wilson(right).  

Would you like a slice of watermellon? Dawn and I drove all over town looking for the perfect pc of wood for this slice. It's also one of the first pictures we took with our new digital camera. 

Portland

Dawn and I had a wonderfull weekend in Portland.
Once we parked our car on friday at the hotel we relied on our feet to explore the city. We visited several museums, stores as well as a market by the Portland Sate Campus.
Saturday night we got in our car and went to the venerable Portland Memorial Colesuem
(The sight of the Blazers 1977 NBA title victory over Philly).We enjoyed an exciting night of mixed martial arts action promoted by the fledgeling International Fight League. We along 5300 other fans in attendance enjoyed 13 exciting bouts.
From these 13 bouts fox sports net will put together two one hour shows. The first is scheduled to air september 24 at six, the second show is scheduled to air october 1stalso at 6:00.Check your local listings as fsn shows are often moved or preempted due to local sports. The shows also appear to be on the same nights as yom kippur and Roshashana. So you may have to set your vcr (whoops that would be innapropriate).
Dawn and I were sitting on the floor level in the sixth row so we may possible appear on camera. Sunday we did some more sightseeing and then headed back to Walla Walla.

Hello!

Sorry I have not been updating my blog.
Dawn and I are both doing very well.
We have been very lucky this month to get visits from both my sister Teri and my brother Mike and my sister in law Debra.
Walla Walla has been very smokey the last few days due to the fires in Columbia county which have consumed 67,000 acres.

A friend saw this on ebay several years ago and thought of me. This is a 1953 issue of boxing life magazine. Not only does it have the cool Marciano/walcott picture on the cover it also has some really good articles about both marciano and Sugar Ray Robinson as well as a recap of the events of 1953, 

The 4th of July at Pioneer Park 1977 

1933-2006
Some People grew up watching captain Kangeroo or
Mister Rogers. I grew up watching Wall Street Week with Louie Rukeyser every Friday at my grandParents house  

I have posted these previously. I figured I would do it again after my Dad's recent posts. The checks signed by Dave are from 1940 the check signed by my grandfather is from 1929, the year my dad was born, I also have a check from 1929 signed by B. Barer. 

George Mason

George Mason was vanquished in the semifinals of the NCAA tourneyment on Saturday. Of course they lost they were not playing against any of my picks. While I love to anlyze and strategize games I have decided that being in pools like this distacts from the fun of just sitting back and watching the games

Fight Fight fight for George Mason and vic-tor-eee!

George Mason better win the NCAA Tournament. On their road to the final four they had the audacity to defeat three of my top picks in the office pool forcing me to be eliminated from the competition.

George Mason is a tremendous story and a fun team to watch. I really hope things go well for them this weekend.

Bracketology, George Mason and the Huckin Fuskies

Darn George Mason, Darn them all to heck!

They are the reason why my boss is two games ahead of me in our NCAA basketball pool. George Mason one of his late round garbage picks
defeated two of my top teams Michigan st and North Carolina. Due to these events I am going to have to root for Conneticut to beat the UW in order for me to have any chance to rally and win the $20 pool.

March Madness

No reality show can match the excitement of the first round of the NCAA tourney.
Unlike pro basketball the college game is one and done. You'll be watching a game go into 2 over times completely exhausting the players and the fans and those watching on TV. Then they will switch to another games where it's a one point game with a minute and a half left the lead has changed hans thirty times in the game and will change hands five more time in the next 90 seconds with each shot being more spectacular then the last. When that game concludes they will switch to a one versus 16 match up where some small college from the middle of nowhere has a five point lead in the second half over the invincible #1 team in the country. Even though your worn out from the excitement of the previous games you become completely rivited.

This year the guys at work decided to organize a march madness pool. I pride myself on my sports sports knowledge. Unfortunately this year I watched virtually
no colege basketball in the regular season. I have watched sports center and I bought into the hype that the big east was the best conference so I stocked up on big east teams. The first day of the tourney this strategery looked disasterous as the big east lost it's first three games. On the positive side I was able to pick three #1 seeds as everyone was busy picking their favorite teams(gonzaga/wash). After the second day of action I am 1 game off the lead in a second place tie. Things are really going to have to break my way in order for me to win the pool.

It' really is a great time to be a sports fan with both the mens and womens tourney in full swing. The Pros getting ready for the playoffs. Even the world baseball clasic is fun to watch even though we (the u.s.) have been beaten in international play once again in one of the sports we created

March 06

It's almost 9:00 as I am sitting here typing. Sportscenter is on my T.V.(highlights of FSU upsetting #1 Duke) abd Dawn is sleeping on my couch.


Six years ago my dad sold the house I grew up in and I really had no emotion about it.A little over a week ago we finished cleaning my grandfathers house. During my grade school years I spent allmost every friday night at that house. AS I walked through the empty house the memories came flooding back. Life was just so darn simple back then and incredibly fun.

My weekend

Dawn and I are big fans of the dog whisperer TV show. On friday we got to see my cousin Burl appear on the show. Burl's dog Isis and his girlfriend's dog Tina were
not getting along. So Ceasar MIlan the dog whisperer was brought in to help the two dogs coexist. Ceasar seemed to have success as he had both dog's were walking on the same leash within minutes. Burl was quite entertaining and he got his books plugged.
Besides Burl's segment they had a segment on a dog that ate evrything in the house and almost died from an ubstruction after eating a large chunk of carpet. Ceasar prescribes more exercise and the dogs behavior noticebly imoroved. The final segment featured dogs that had survived hurricane Katrina. Ceasar took three refugee dogs into his pack. It was interesting to see how they fit in with the other dogs. All in all in was a very good episode of the show.

Dawn and I went to the Animal clinic on Saturday and took home Tag the min pin for the weekend. Tag's owner has been in the hospital for a month so Tag has been bording at the clinic. We decided to spring him for a couple of days. It was quite and adventure for him as he got to hang out at both my place and Dawn's. Which are both nicer then a dog run. While Tag was at Dawn's he encountered Puff the cat. Puff spent the better part of two day stalking Tag. Puff even got so bold as to pounce on Tag a couple of times. By the time the super bowl arrived on Sunday the tide had turned.Puff cornered Tag and the min pin chased Puff out of the room. Dawn then ran up the stairs got Puff and had Puff and Tag sit on either side of her and the to animals looked like Yasir Arafat and Ben Netanyau when Clinton made them come to the white house for cease fire talks.

In February 50 Years Ago

February 26th 1956 my Mom and Dad, Alan and Jean Barer got married. Here they are with my grandparents Israel and Esther Barer, Ed and Marie Granek and great grandmother Gussie Granek and great grandmother Ricy Barer 

My mom and dads wedding party. I recognize cousin Jan, Jean Lillie, Uncle Arny, cousin Stan, Dave Slotnick, and Andy Epstein  

Kind of amazing

I was just looking a the pictures of Grandfather at Thanksgiving with Dawn's neices Kristen and Calen. Grandfather always enjoyed being around kids and kids always enjoyed grandfather. We would occasionally take Dawn's neices over to visit grandfather and a great time was had by both grandfather and the kids.

It made me think of the fact that during the course of grandfathers 99 year life he undoubtedly interacted with people who were born in the first half of the 1800's and he also touched the lives of two girls who will live well into the 21st century and possibly into the 22nd. It's kind of mind boggling when you think about it.

The Endless Pool

I keep seeing these comercials for the endless pool. They are kind of an aquatic treadmill. I don't know if it's the voice over or the bad music the goofy kid in the goggles or the people swimming in place, but every time I see this comercial I feel like I am having a bad dream or I am stuck in an episode of the twilight zone.

Dog Whispering

Dawn and I got the opportunity to work on our first dog whispering case today. We met Jackie the Jack Russel terrior. Jackie has issues with pulling on the leash as well as not liking strangers in the house. Dawn and I along with Jackie and her owner Steve worked on techniques to improve Jackies behavior during walks.
Then we went back to the house and worked on having her sit while we took turns ringing the door bell and entering the house. I think we all made some progress.
We will check back with Jackie in two weeks to see how she is doing.

coincidentaly my cousin Burl will be appearing on the TV show the Dog Whisperer with Ceasar Milan Friday Febuary the 3rd at eight o'clock on the National Geographic channel.

Blogging Barers

If you are looking for blogs that have MORE Walla Walla related content. Please visit my brother Mike's blog. Michael is always adding interesting Walla Walla related trivia and facts.

I would also encourage people to visit my dad's blog abarer.blogspot.com/. My dad is gifted story teller who has a virtual encyclopedia of knowledge regarding the history of our little corner of the world

Pride Fighting Championships

Dawn and I watched the Pride Fighting Championship sunday night.

These fights took place at the saitama super arena in Saitama Japan on new years eve in front of a capacity crowd of 49,000.

For fans who are interested in blood and guts and brutal knockout this was probably not a good card. For fans like me who enjoy watching amazing atheletes with tremendous skills compete against one another this was a very entertaining show.

Fedor vs zuluzinho: Fedor Emelianeko is the Pride heavyweight champion and I think of him as the Michael Jordan of Mixed Martial Arts because he is head and shoulders aboce everyone else. This guy has gone toe to toe with some of the best kickboxers in the world and he's rolled with some of the best graplers in the world and no one has come close to beating this guy. Tonight Fedor is getting a late christmas/ hanukkah present in the form of Brazilian giant Zuluzinho. For 99.9% of the population stepping in to the ring with Zulinho would be their worst nightmare. this guy is 6'7 370lbs. Unfortunatly for zuluzinho he is screwed any direction he goes here as he does not have the skills to kick box with fedor and if the fight goes to the ground Fedor would likely make zuluzinho cry uncle very quickly. Sure enough 15 seconds into this fight Fedor floors the giant Zulinho with a left and continues to pummel him until the ref jumps in and mercifully stops the fight at the 26 second mark.

Yoshida vs Ogawa: This was the second fight shown on the u.s. ppv. In Japan it was the main event that drew the capacity crowd. Yoshida is a 1992 Olimpic Judo gold medalist. Ogawa was a Judo prodigy who was the all Japan Judo champion several occasions. Ogawa retired from Judo and got envolved in japaneese pro wrestling where he became the Hulk Hogan of Pro wrestling in Japan. Over the years when the price has been right ogawa has appeared in legit fights. This is one of those occasions. This fight was an interesting contrast as Yoshida was the technicaly superior grappler but ogawa was considerably larger. The ironic thing about this bout was that for six minutes these to grappled for the dominant/top position and at the six minute mark the larger ogawa muscled his way into the desired top position. then he made a mistake, he posted(extented) his arm for balance. Yoshida took advantage of Ogawa's error and passed his leg over ogawa head and trapped the extented arm in a arm lock. Initially it looked like ogawa would escape but Yoshida the olimpic gold medalist persisted as he rolled though and completed the arm bar leaving Ogawa with no choice but to tap out(say uncle).

Takanori Gomi vs "Mach" Sakurai: This bout is for the inaugural 160lb title. Sakurai
was a big star in the early part of this decade but he has seen his career stall the last few years until he had a successful run last fall in the 160lb tournament.
Takanori Gomi is one of my favorite fighters this guy has a tremendous presence/ charisma that shines through even though he does not speak a word of English. Gomi also represents the new generation of fighters who can do it all weather it's a grappling match or kickboxing. This bout started with a couple of spirited exchanges on the feet. Then sakurai went for a take down. Unfortunately for sakurai, gomi reverse it and ended up taking sakurai's back. Gomi went for a choke hold which Sakurai did a good job of defending. In the process gomi manage to get some good punches in. Eventually Sakurai was able to scramble up to his feet, but he was on rubbery legs and Gomi Poured it on throwing and combanation of punches that sent saurai down and caused the ref to jump in and stop the bout. Taknori Gomi becomes the first pride 160lb champion.


The last three fight on this card went to decisions.

American Dan Henderson won the inaugural Pride 183 pound title with a narrow split decision victory over Brazilian Maurilio Bustamante.

Austrailian Mark Hunt a frormer k-1 world Kick boxing champion defeated pride golden boy "the croation sensation" Mirco "cro cop" Filipovic by decision.

Vanderlei Silva who has held the pride 205lb title for five years reatined his title by controversial split decision over fellow brazilian Ricardo Arona.