Steel City Freestyle

Keep a diary of what you're hitting, what's frustrating you, and your goals.
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Ian Brill
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Post by Ian Brill »

Kicked briefly with Matt. Sucks that I got to be an adult, find more work and not kick as much but my knees will thank me for it later.

Matt is sick.
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Ian Brill
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Post by Ian Brill »

No footbag today. My knee told me to chill out. I spent the day thinking about my future and weighed options as I cleaned my house. I am not in any desperate rush to find a new job yet, but I do feel conditional-anxiety about not having the security of one. So I just kept cleaning, organizing, and visualizing my future. Using all of my belongings as muses.

It's really tough to be in my head right now. Although I have wanted to be an artist since I was four, I have spent most of my life just trying to independently acquire economic stability. I've been there for years now, and was able to pay my way through college, while working full-time, but now that I have a degree, experience and the opportunity to really decide my future, it's really difficult.

I really want to learn more about computer vision and electronics, but I also feel compelled to put my time into mastering web design. Of course, many people I respect tell me I should be pushing my music. My music did make my vacation to Europe possible. I am so confused.

Anyway, my head is filled with so many ideas for projects! So many that it is hard to concentrate on any one. So, I will continue to spend this weekend cleaning, and reward myself with some footbag here and there. Tomorrow Matt and I are going to kick in Oakland where Juliana Hatfield's band is playing. This sort of reminds me of how much I loved that one song by the Lemonhead's, "It's a Shame About Ray".

I used to listen to that song at my buddy Zoltan's house in 1992. Zoltan was my Transylvanian buddy that got me hanging out in Washington Square and Central Parks. Funny.

Anyway. I still love footbag. Even though I feel like a crippled dynosaur sometimes. Cleaning is the shit. I'm glad to be alive.

Me and my dad just housed some steaks, my new balsamic-vinagrette/diced bacon-potato/ arugula, red leaf, and fresh strawberry salads, and topped it off with Chocolate and Gummy bears from Germany, while discussing politics. My father never supported my footbag interest, but it's nice to know that we share a similar world view, and that he can hang with the salad. It was crazy. Neither of us touched the steaks until AFTER the salads were gone. It was like steak for desert! Except there was also all that chocolate...

So, yeah. I hope I can move tomorrow, much less kick!
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Ian Brill
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Post by Ian Brill »

Here's a random thought.

I just read about the Mars having soil that is friendly for living, and my first thought was, what if some bacteria from our world started growing over there. And then I thought... what if we evolved out of the bacteria of another traveller...

I'm gonna have some killer dreams tonight!
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Rieferman
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Post by Rieferman »

My sister is in a similar balancing artistic needs against financial stability mode right now (and for past 13 years). She taught voice lessons for years at $60/hour and made a comfortable living while working less than 15 hours per week... She was frugal, but lived nicely.. and with that little work she was free to explore her art. In NYC no less. But, she thought voice teaching took a ton of emotional energy for a variety of reasons, so now that she's in San Fran, she's trying to find other ways that will let art slowly become the living instead of the side car. Next time we're hanging out in the burgh, and if my sister is around, you two should share some conversation on the topic. I remember last time you two really had a lot to talk about, so it would be a good thing I think.

You're not a dinosaur!
Bob R.
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Ian Brill
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Post by Ian Brill »

Rieferman wrote:My sister...
Your sister is great. I had a really good time talking with her when we met. I hope she is doing well in San Francisco.

You're right about the dinosaur business too. Reviewing my post from last night I can tell that I am literally fighting off a fog of depression with a broomstick!

As my girlfriend says, "Eff that Ess."
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mattbeall
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Post by mattbeall »

Brian Ill, you are a dynosaur. A DYNOsaur!!!! Oh snap, I'm clever.

Yesterday was the first day I didn't kick in about two and a half weeks. Instead, I made a birthday cake with an old friend.

I'm moving from the 3rd floor apartment to the 1st floor apartment tomorrow and half my stuff is already down there, so Kayla and I sat on the floor in my completely empty living room with forks, ice cream, a giant cake and two containers of icing.

The new place is amazing, dude, you have to check it out soon. It's the best apartment in all of Pittsburgh. This is not a joke.
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Ian Brill
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Post by Ian Brill »

mattbeall wrote:Brian Ill, you are a dynosaur. A DYNOsaur!!!! Oh snap, I'm clever.

Yesterday was the first day I didn't kick in about two and a half weeks. Instead, I made a birthday cake with an old friend.

I'm moving from the 3rd floor apartment to the 1st floor apartment tomorrow and half my stuff is already down there, so Kayla and I sat on the floor in my completely empty living room with forks, ice cream, a giant cake and two containers of icing.

The new place is amazing, dude, you have to check it out soon. It's the best apartment in all of Pittsburgh. This is not a joke.
First off, I have always wanted to be called Brian Ill.
Second, it's a good thing that we establish that you eat before any videos of you get posted.
Third, I believe it on the apartment front. Just make sure it's insulated.
Fourth, Konrad would like to meet up with later. He is going away to the Bronx tomorrow.

I just moved the light table in my clean bedroom. It sort of sucks because it is so large. Perhaps once I clean up the wax and use it will feel better.
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Najeh
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whatup

Post by Najeh »

wow it took me way too long to find something like this...
id really like to hack with yinz sometime. im not very good at least compared to the crazy shit i see ppl doing online, but im eager to learn. please please call me because a lot of my friends who i used to play with stopped hacking because were not grimey street rats nemore. but i still have like 2 friends that i hack with pretty regularly and im sure theyd love to join in.
this place doesnt look like it gets a lot of traffic so im just gonna go ahead and give you my phone number 412 352 4019
btw i live in sq, have a car and go to pitt during the school year
i dont really know whos in charge so to speak or else i wouldve sent a pm, so if someone could just call me and clue me in on what the hack scene is like in pittsburgh thatd be just grand
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Tripp
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Post by Tripp »

What is sq? I could tell you're from west penn when you said 'yinz'.
Josh Gayhart ... keeping footbag tuff since 2002.

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Ian Brill
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Post by Ian Brill »

Tripp? What's up man? Where ya' been? We seem to be getting a bit more of scene here these days. You should really drop by some time.

So here's the story. I get to Oakland and Matt still has to change. So I sez, how about I check my email at this kiosk while you change in that there bathroom. And, that is when I saw the post from From Najeh, from about an hour prior. Gave a call, and that was that. Two new heads with a lot of natural skill. Great session. Matt left a bit early but I stayed on and gave them tips. We also played a little 4 square, which is something I never do.

Highlights:
Matt hit a bunch of sick drills.
I believe he hit alpine smear bsos in the middle of one string. It may have been a slight variation, but alpine nonetheless.

Me:
Whirl X4 on my weak side, into a string.
Paradox whirls on my weak side, mid string.
Paradons and ducking PM's bsos in a long string
Stronger ripwalk from left side. Reliable. Link-able.
Ducking moves were strong in general
Longer strings
ducking butterflyX4
Etc

The biggest highlight was meeting these two cats though. It was a lot of fun kicking and I think there will be a lot more.
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Najeh
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Post by Najeh »

ggs all. as soon as my shin stops cramping ill do a bit of practice, hopefully be doing the simple butterflies with both feet. oh yeah and i have another friend, dave, who is also really good. just as good as me and tyler, maybe even has better control than us, but his weakness is that he can only use his right inside and left outside constistently. but at the same time i think ull really appreciate his unique style. it will be interesting to see what u can do with him, lol... btw i can't thank you enough for helping me and tyler. it was like a dream come true... really!
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Tripp
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Post by Tripp »

Do you fellas have a set weekly schedule for sessions?
Josh Gayhart ... keeping footbag tuff since 2002.

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Ian Brill
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Post by Ian Brill »

Najeh wrote: as soon as my shin stops cramping ill do a bit of practice,
There are parts of the forum that help with this!
Najeh wrote:i have another friend, dave, who is also really good. just as good as me and tyler, maybe even has better control than us, but his weakness is that he can only use his right inside and left outside constistently. but at the same time i think ull really appreciate his unique style.
Awesome. We'll try and break him in! learning tricks on both sides is not only key to a foundation, but it opens up your trick selection and string variation immensely. Let him know about the units.
Najeh wrote:i can't thank you enough for helping me and tyler
It's our pleasure. you will find that a majority of the people who play this sport are very patient and helpful. We love the game as well as sharing it.
I would take advice from Matt and Jake very seriously, as it becomes available. Jake has a very chill style that is very much his own, but it came from reading these boards for years and a lot of questions and practice. Matt is also invaluable because he simply makes things happen. His toe game is tight, and he seems to have a lot of insight. Caleb is one of the more amiable guys around but he plays like a beast. I hope that you get to meet him.
Tripp wrote:Do you fellas have a set weekly schedule for sessions?
No, but we play a lot! Let us know if you can make it some time, in advance.
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mattbeall
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Post by mattbeall »

Najeh, you already bought g-units? That's great. If you need help modifying them, let me know. Footbag is taking Pittsburgh by storm.

I just finished moving in, didn't kick all weekend. It's looking like I'm going to be pretty busy for a while. I'm not about to take a break from footbag, but I think I'll be limiting most of my sessions to Friendship Park at around 5. If anyone wants to kick other than that, I'm going to say that we have to make plans at least a day in advance.

My new bedroom is big enough that I hit some spinning clippers in there last night. Haha.
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Najeh
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Post by Najeh »

whatup matt id be down for a few sessions this week. as u may or may not know im goin to europe in exactly a week so I would like to kick with u guys a bit before im on my own. right now ive been practicing basic shit, lots of toe to toes, tryin to freeze clippers and butterflies and whatnot. its going pretty good actually, only thing is I need some help learning how to set up off of my clippers/ butters, seems like after a freeze i can only pop it up about 2/3 as high as I would like to, and without enough accuracy. i think today or tommorow would work out so ill call Ian and if hes busy then ill get ur number off him
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Ian Brill
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Post by Ian Brill »

Kicked with Matt and Jake. Due to being out of the country this was the first time the three of us could get together in about a month, if not more. It was a great session.

Jake was busting long strings and hitting more of the harder links he usually throws out.

Matt can put fairy ducking on his resume now. Both sides, two tricks. Bsos on on one of them, alpine fear. His string length is getting even longer.

Me:
pm-flux, repeat. first try
6 whirls on good side, string, two on other
leggy atomic moves on both sides
8 contacts of pm-paradon
mid-string twirls
some good strings

Najeh could not make it today but hopefully he be able to make it tomorrow.
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Najeh
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Post by Najeh »

glad to hear u guys had a good session. i feel kinda like a dick because i couldve gone if id really wanted to but i promised my friends a ride at 6 and they didn't want to come with me and chill since they dont kick or anything. I havent tracked my order yet but im pretty sure that the g6s are due to arrive in 2 or 3 days so ill be lookin for u guys to guide me through the whole modding process. im busy this afternoon but im free this evening for a little nite hack if anyone has time, lets say around 8 or so.
edit: in case anyone cares... Najeh Davenport, my namesake and runningback for the steelers was released a few days ago so now im stuck with this name for no good reason lol
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Ian Brill
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Post by Ian Brill »

I don't know about 8. I might already be done after kicking with Matt around 5. Check this out. I will kick at 5, work on my web page some more and then maybe we can kick some more later? There is one lit area around Bloomfield near the Catholic School's parking lot (base of friendship park).Call me if this appeals to you.

Peace.
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Najeh
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Post by Najeh »

word yo whatever works for u.. and dont forget ill probably have access to car so keep that in mind if u need picked up or something
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Ian Brill
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Post by Ian Brill »

Hey, I haven't heared from you Najeh. I hope all is well! We would all really like to kick with you again sometime before you leave.

Jake, Matt and I kicked today. It was great fun.

Jake hit some very long strings.
Matt hit some very long strings. I'll take the liberty to post about some of his recent accomplishments. Just in the last week he has started hitting:

alpine illusion
alpine atom smasher both sides
ripped Warrior
spikehammer
alpine fear
alpine fairy pickup both sides

some of these moves he has been busting mid-string, along with pixie ducking moves.

I had a good day but nothing that I hit stood out that much.
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