Don - ProfilesArchive

About Me

"You have wings, use them to fly." Well, it's been interesting. I returned from a year combat tour as an Infantryman attached to 1st Cav back in April, 2005. I moved from Seattle to LA to 'start over' and it was a good decision. I'm multifaceted and keep busy with a variety of pursuits. I am a TRADITIONAL Martial artist...none of that back flipping, hopping around, wire work so prevailent in Hollywood. I am the Los Angeles Instructor for Ishi Yama Ryu Iai/Battoujutsu (Japanese Swordsmanship), a member of Bujinkan Los Angeles (Togakure Ryu Ninpo) and dabble in grappling to round it out. Ive been in Martial arts for 27 years and it keeps me young. I work in a variety of jobs to pay the bills. I am an Executive Bodyguard, a professional propmaker, a martial arts instructor and a (former maybe again some day)talk show host and producer. I am also working on my first screenplay which has already garnered some interest. I recently re-enlisted with the National Guard. The nature of what I am pursuing...well...cant tell you or Id have to kill ya. Living in LA has taught me that you have to be wary of the people who protest their 'realness'. This is a deceptive town firmly rooted in smoke and mirrors and the people who claim to be 'real' should be taken with the same grain of salt as those that say' trust me' when you first meet them. It is a land of shameless self promotion and shallow self centered spirituality. Most folks seem to be out for themselves BUT I have also found some very REAL people in the least expected places. I have found people of quiet spirituality, exceptionally talented while exceptionally humble. I have found people that seek connection and real interaction as more then just a means to advance their careers. I believe in honesty and if you cant be honest with yourself then how can you be honest with anyone else. I do not demand from others any more then I expect from myself. EVERYONE should aspire to greatness but not at the expense of being a human being. Fame should be a symptom of greatness...greatness is NEVER a symptom of fame. Now...on with the show...

My Interests

Improving, divining, confronting, loving, seeking, empowering, touching, LEARNING, applying, growing, knowing, working... Art, writing, drawing, martial arts, reading, philosophy, theology and self improvement. I pursue these things with the intensity for which those who know me...know me.

I'd like to meet:

My Myspace Tracker William Shatner, Bruce Lee,Miyamoto Musashi, Mohammed, Jesus, and the Dalai Lama. href="http://www.myspace.com/jessicasonner"

Music:

Myspace Tracker - Free Profile Tracking SARAH-BE, Diosa, Keith Leon,Led Zep, Clapton, The Eagles, Bad Company, the Firm, The Moody Blues, Santana, Los Lobos, Satriani, Shuvel,Queen, Black Eyed Peas, John Tesh (kidding), Kotaro, RHCP,Sarah Brightman, Loreena McKennett, Andrea Bocelli...you got a sound? Let me hear it.

Movies:

Click Here to put this Superman Returns clip in your profile!
ANYTHING KUROSAWA!!! Star Wars (the original three of which 'Empire' was the best. 'Phantom' and 'Clones' were painful but 'Sith' was palatable.), Batman Begins (FINALLY a good Batman movie to make up for the last two)., The Big Fish (and pretty much anything Tim Burton does)., Blade Runner, Ridley Scott's Alien, The Godfather Trilogy, Saving Private Ryan, Three Kings, Dodgeball (guilty Pleasure), The Crow, Highlander (the original), Dark City (underated CLASSIC), Akira, The Hunted (Original NOT the Del Toro, Jones version), ANY Bruce Lee (still the man to beat). ANY Jet Li (Catching up to the Dragon), Last Samurai, Resevoir Dogs, Boondock Saints, Pulp Fiction (Tarantino is da MAN) Dusk til Dawn Kill Bill 1 and 2 FIGHT CLUB!!! El Mariachi Desperado Once Upon a Time in Mexico The Princess Bride (no movie list is complete without it) Disney's '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' and the list goes on......and on....

Television:

I don't watch a lot of TV.

Books:

You Can Heal Your Life, The War of Art, The Artist's Way, The Seven Steps to Successful Relationships, The Purpose Driven Life, The Art of War, Book of Five Rings, The Final Reflection, Lives of the Master Swordsmen, Conversations With God, The Prophet, The Bible, The Qu'Ran, Gray's Anatomy, Iaido: The Art of Drawing the Sword, Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit Salem's Lot, Clive Barker's Books of Blood, The Talisman and Black House, Black Rain, Tale of Genji, Shimabarra, Shogun, Tai Pan, Empire of the Sun Stoker's 'Dracula', The Outsiders, and on...and on...

Heroes:

Anyone who has had the strength and comittment to stand up truthfully and doggedly to injustice. Anyone who devotes their life to peace (ironic yes?). Anyone who refuse to stand by and simply watch the world erode but who has a plan and a method for making THEIR part better. It's time to fix ourselves and in doing so we will be in a far better place to assist the world

My Blog

Girls and Corpses Premier Party was...

..corpse-a-riffic!!!! Just wanted to pimp out my bros and babes at Girls and Corpses. The first PRINT issue is out NOW (and already banned in Wisconsin). The premier party was held at Dark Delicasies ...
Posted by Don on Thu, 05 Apr 2007 07:53:00 PST

RIP, Baby Girl...Updated

[url=http://imageshack.us][img=http://img86.imageshack.us/im g86/4388/meriannels0.jpg][/url] My mom just called me to wish me a Happy Birthday and in the same breath tells me that a young lady I ba...
Posted by Don on Tue, 13 Mar 2007 08:25:00 PST

..We are ALL honorable men...

OK, folks I need some feedback from you...my longtime friends...my former viewers...relatives and co-workers and soldiers... Recently my integrity and (lol) even my sanity has been called in to questi...
Posted by Don on Tue, 06 Mar 2007 01:42:00 PST

Honor isn't easy...

Honor isnt easy... ...if it was then it wouldnt be honor...it would simply be convenient. These last few weeks have taught me that we live in a society of victims...people that feel they have a se...
Posted by Don on Tue, 27 Feb 2007 07:02:00 PST

Life...hmmmmm

The famous Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi once said, "To die with one's sword still in it's scabbard is regrettable." What did Musashi mean? Did he mean that if a warrior died a 'rab...
Posted by Don on Thu, 25 Jan 2007 12:19:00 PST

Some oldies (BLOGS) but goodies...a mini 'best of'...

These are a few of my faves looking back...thought Id bring 'em back for a curtain call... You know you've been in Iraq too long when... http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&f rie...
Posted by Don on Fri, 19 Jan 2007 12:22:00 PST

My Thoughts On Saddams Execution

First of all let me preface this by saying I was with 3/8 BCT (1st Cav) in Baghdad. My Company was in charge of security for L Paul Bremmer and the Interim Iraqi Government to include Coalition Forces...
Posted by Don on Sat, 30 Dec 2006 06:22:00 PST

9/11 Five Years Later....Where Are We Now....

I was of course going to rant in this blog as I am prone to doing but I thought it may be more relevant to reflect then to vent. It's been 5 years. What has happened in those 5 years. What profound an...
Posted by Don on Mon, 11 Sep 2006 11:22:00 PST

WW3...sprouting under your noses...do you care?

The seeds of WW3 are sprouting under your noses. Are you paying attention?I know, I know...your Soap Opera is on...or you have to do your Yoga....or there's a great band playing at the Club tonight bu...
Posted by Don on Thu, 17 Aug 2006 01:56:00 PST

What limits and binds us?

Only ourselves and the fears we hold on to. Seriously, everything negative in life boils down to fear. We lie, cheat and steal because of fear. We hurt, kill and maim because of fear. We fail to becom...
Posted by Don on Fri, 14 Jul 2006 03:11:00 PST