Sunday, December 31, 2017

Ephemera 2017

This is the ShotgunProse annual CDO list of things I did in order to reference later.  It is a weird thing I do, but being able to have these lists is worth it from time to time.

Cinema
Sherlock (Season 4 Premiere) 1-1 Central Cinema
Underworld: Blood Wars
Moulin Rouge 2-14 Central Cinema
Logan
Firefly 3-10 Central Cinema
Moana
Doctor Who Season 10 Premiere 4-17
Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2 (w/GotG as double feature) 5-4
Wonder Woman
Spider-Man: Homecoming
War For The Planet Of The Apes
Atomic Blonde
The Hitman's Bodyguard
Professor Marston and the Wonder Women
Thor Ragnarok
Justice League
Victoria & Abdul
Star WarsEpisode 8: The Last Jedi
The Shape of Water

Interesting Things
Women's March on Seattle 1-21
PAX South Jan 26-31 San Antonio (Viking Guitar Live 1-28)
EVOLVE 76 1-27 Woodlawn Lake Park Gym
Ace Frehley 2-11 The Neptune
Katya Kabanova (Dress Rehearsal) 2-22 McCaw Hall
ECCC March 2-5 WSCTC (Alice Cooper)
Sounds Of Silence 3-25 WHS Theatre
Neil Gaiman 4-2 Benaroya Hall (w/Jason Webley)
Mariners 2 Rangers 1 4-14 Safeco Field
Jason Webley (w/Pepper Proud & Chris Poage) 4-21 Fremont Abbey
Robert J. Sternberg, Ph.D: Defying Convention: Understanding the Creative Mind 4-24 Kane Hall
Chris Cornell Memorial 5-18 KEXP
The Davanos 5-28 LRH
Mountlake Terrace Elementary Reunion 6-9
Wordburglar & Kirby Krackle 6-9 Subspace Comics
GP Las Vegas Limited Sealed Event 6-16 Las Vegas Convention Center (1303/2695)
BAZ Star Crossed Lovers 6-17 The Palazzo Theatre
The Swains 7-14 LRH
Dita: The Art of the Teese 7-23 Moore Theatre
PAX West 9/1-4 (Polaris Party 9/2 Crocodile)
PAX Dev 8-29/30 Westin
Epica - Lacuna Coil - Insomnium - Elantris 9-11 Showbox
Book Signing Resurgence 9-12 UW
Bob's Corn Maze 10-16
Jet City Comic Show 11-5/6 Tacoma Convention Center
Krysten Ritter 11-15 UW Bookstore
Scott Kelly 11-16 UW Bookstore
Grilled Cheese 11-18 Magnuson Park
Space Time (Marian Call and guests including Molly Lewis) 11-19 Jewelbox Theatre
Bill Murray 11-29 McCaw Hall
WPZ Wildlights 12-6
First Thursday Art Walk 12-7
Podcon 12-9/10 WSCTC (WTNV/Lore/Vlog Bros/Alice Isn't Dead/etc ...)
Child's Play Charity Auction 12-14 Meydenbauer Center
Sugarplum Gary 12-23 18th & Union
Oregon Zoo Zoo Lights 12-30

Seattle Reign
2017 Kit Unveil 4-11 WAC
SRFC 3 UW 0 / 4-8 Husky Soccer Stadium
SRFC 1 SBFC 1 / 4-15 Memorial Stadium
SRFC 5 HOU 1 / 4-22 Memorial Stadium
SRFC 6 WASH 2 / 5-13 Memorial Stadium
SRFC 1 ORL 1 / 5-21 Memorial Stadium
SRFC 1 FCKC 1 / 6-24 Memorial Stadium
SRFC 2 CHI 1 / 6-28 Memorial Stadium
SRFC 2 PTFC 0 / 7-1 Memorial Stadium
SRFC 1 BOS 1 / 7-15 Memorial Stadium
SRFC 5 SBFC 4 / 7-22 Memorial Stadium
SRFC 1 NCC 2 / 8-13 Memorial Stadium
SRFC 1 PTFC 2 / 8-26 Memorial Stadium
SRFC 0 FCKC 1 / 9-24 Memorial Stadium

Soccer
USWNT 0 Australia 1 / 7-27 CLink
SSFC 1 PTFC 1 / 8-27 CLink
SSFC 3 VWFC 0 / 9-27 CLink

Randoma
Hashtag Bookclub at Subspace Comics
Seattle Saberfit
MTG PPTQ & tournaments
Tango classes at Belltown Dance Studio
Vertical World FT 6-12
Hamilton at Evergreen

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

The PODCON Experience

It has been some time since I attended a con with an attendee badge and did not work in any way on the event.

I had contributed to the Indiegogo campaign, ended up not doing the volunteer app, and got into the autograph lottery for Lore. 

The stuff I looked forward to was what I had hoped for and the new things I sampled and made notes to follow up on will give me interesting stuff to explore.

This was a great experience.  I felt like the vibe or feel was good.  Whether the measurable financial metrics for PodCon work out for there to be a second is not up to me, but for a first year event I felt it was really solid. When the recordings come out I look forward to revisiting some things I attended and checking out everything I missed.


SATURDAY
DAY 1

Getting ready for the PodCon Opening Show

Attendee badge

Hal Lublin and Meg Bashwiner host the PodCon Opening Show

The Five Founders of PodCon

An intro of various folks from various podcasts of note

Julian Koster sings

Lore live with Aaron Mahnke and Chad Lawson

getting my Lore book signed by Aaron Mahnke

getting my Lore book signed by Aaron Mahnke

with Aaron Mahnke

Welcome to Night Vale Q & A

Indiegogo contributors like me

Voice acting workshop with Cecil and Meg

SUNDAY 
DAY 2

They used chairs for autograph lines and I took notes

How to Create Straight Characters

Everybody Has a Podcast with Hank Green, John Green, Casper ter Keile, Drew Ackerman, Francesa Ramsey, and Patrick Kondas

Alice Isn't Dead live with Jasika Nicole and Disparition 

Serial Fiction Storytelling with Hal Lublin, Julian Koster, Paul Bae, Joseph Fink, Brie Williams, and Lauren Shippen

Gaby Dunn and Symphony Sanders host the PodCon Closing Show

Disparition

Dylan Marron

John Green

Ashley Ahearn and Hank Green

Hal Lublin's Battle World

Aparna Nancheria

The Five Founders close it out

Seeding 52 Geek Pickup

Thursday, November 16, 2017

We have lost too much

On Chris Cornell and others.

This is a letter I emailed to KEXP last Spring.

----

I stood there, tears welling up for someone whose work I know pretty well but who I did not know personally.

Years ago, I wrote for and was an editor of a music magazine during the grunge era in Seattle.  I had written for my college newspaper and was aware of the Seattle scene in the late 80s as bands like Alice in Chains played at WSU.  I wrote for other music mags over the years but my writing eventually moved in other directions.  I currently am Seattle Editor for women's soccer for ProstAmerika.com and cover the Seattle Reign.  

Again, I stood there, tears welling up.

I look back on that time, the Grunge Era, both fondly and with the knowledge that it was far darker than the music even told.  We have buried too many people, too young, and young people only die tragically.

When I speak with young people about that era, it comes up, and I point out the dark side. Recently, I have worked with two long time music industry folks (Alice Cooper and Michael Rowe of Bucket Truck fame) at some comic cons I work for.  They are fascinated by what I can tell them, but both are very aware of what I mean.

In 1990 I was fresh out of college, made editor of a music mag, and then Andrew died.  My friend and colleague had interviewed him literally the evening before.  We were freaked, Rolling Stone was calling, and we ended up a few days later in Leschi at a manager's house with Andrew's fiance and the band and Alice in Chains, and I stood there as a fly on the wall in something I had no real business being a part of talking to Stone and Jeff and trying very hard to just get away.

Last night, I stood and listened to you as you spoke about Chris and we yelled and we were silent and a lot of people who were younger and just loved the music and grey beards like me were all tearing up.  I couldn't stay long. It was hard.

We all have family and friends and people we wish we knew who are always struggling.  We help them as we can, we do what we can.But, we have buried too many who either didn't get any help, were taken advantage of for their talents, or who finally lost the battle they were fighting.

I thought what you and KEXP did last night was tasteful and the right thing to do.  Celebrate the music and the man, feel genuine sorrow for his family and those in his life, and let the fans of his genius and body of work grieve even as they didn't know him personally.  They knew him through his work and that is ok.

Take care, and thank you.

Saturday, September 09, 2017

Tango lessons went well

More soon.

Time to Tango.


Friday, September 08, 2017

Goodbye Old Friend


They are knocking down and rebuilding my elementary school on the same site.  My junior high and high schools both have had the same fate. So, all three buildings I attended no longer exist, although there are - or will be - schools still functioning on the same site.


Thursday, September 07, 2017

Grand Prix Las Vegas

1303/2695 was my official placement in the Limited Sealed Main




Monday, August 21, 2017

Eclipse thoughts


I got a really nice 90 percent of the eclipse.

Kicked back in a chair, had my glasses and my box, listened to some Pink Floyd.



Tuesday, June 20, 2017

So, they are both graduated

Yep.  Both of them.  Graduated.




Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Dave brings Cerebus back, but not to life



This is not a retcon, Cerebus remains very dead.  However, he also is in Hell.

I decided to wait and post this until after Emerald City Comic Con when I would have a first chance to meet Gerhard, which was cool.

I also decided to wait until I got all five issues, zero through four equals five.

When I look at this as a collection of strips as opposed to a story it makes more sense, because the story really is the title.  beyond that, the jokes are mostly funny, if not in a lot of cases basically the same joke told over and over.

Given that Dave has faced a serious health issue with his hand, coming up with this project was a good way to get the material out and into print.  I hope he does get a full recovery and can go back to doing other projects again and variant covers, and because I hope the man gets healthy.





Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Because I am clumsy

It was a month ago yesterday that I finally went to the doctor's office.

It was a good three weeks earlier that I banged my clavicle, apparently fracturing it, leaving a lot of bruising and swelling in my shoulder.

The problem was not the clavicle by the time the doctor saw me.  I had not been able to get the swelling and bruising to go away, it was burning, and I was getting sick.  One evening, it appeared that the bruising was seeping and I did my best to try and clean it up, but it became clear that a doctor visit was necessary.

It did not take more than a quick glance before the doc had me move to the procedure room, was trying to get the area numb, and informed me that although they normally lance these sorts of things, "I am going to cut you now."  Two slices, five attempts at numbing the area with shots, and about 35 minutes later, I was a wreck with a huge packed wound bigger than a golf ball.

It is not clear whether an earlier visit of even a few days would have done much to avoid the abscess procedure by very much since it was so hidden by the swelling, but I feel like it would have been a lot easier on me physically and cheaper on my pocket book.

Sunday, April 09, 2017

It was not even a pipe dream 26 years ago

It has taken me a good week now to get to writing this.  Gonzaga played for the national title in men's basketball this past Monday against North Carolina, losing late after leading in stretches.  It was a brutal outcome. However, it is also an amazing accomplishment for the little Jesuit school from Spokane that is no longer a surprising success.

26 years ago I sat in the old Kennel as a student watching the Zags play Eastern Washington.  The GU coach was talking about NCAA tourney appearances, and with the field being 64 with automatic bids it all seemed plausible.  By plausible, I mean that it would be plausible for GU to contend for that automatic bid and get crushed annually as a 14 seed.

Within a few years GU did get to the tourney, and now it is a mainstay with multiple Sweet 16 appearances and the 2017 Final Four and championship game appearance.

I don't talk much about that year at GU for reasons. I loved the school, but how that year played out still sometimes causes me to pause and reflect.

Deep down I will always be a Coug first.  I played and coached soccer against the Zags.  When WSU hosted GU in Pullman for a first round NIT match I was very much a Cougar.  Ambition and consistency are not something that mid major programs can easily juggle.  But, how the Zags have approached their program is something larger conference teams just don't seem to realize would work anywhere in the power conferences.

So, GU now has the chance to build on this success, even as players move on.  Few has seemed to have no problem in recruiting, and now even a childhood friend of my daughter's has signed on to be a freshman next season.

It was surprising to me just how emotional this game made me.  Even though I am a Coug first, clearly my brief time at GU did in fact have a profound affect on me.

Go Zags!

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Best assignment ever


Of all the cons I have worked, this assignment will be tough to ever beat.

Wednesday, February 01, 2017

San Antonio trip 2017

San Antonio 2017






PAX South






EVOLVE 76





Friday, January 20, 2017

Like a middle aged goth kid without the makeup


Because today.

All black.

Socks.

Underwear.

Shoes.

Rings.

Pants.

Belt.

Shirt.

Hoodie.

Coat.

Backpack.

Lanyard.

Hankie.

Glasses.

Hat.

Scarf.

Wallet.

Notebook.

Pen.

Key chain.

All black.

Because today.



Sunday, January 15, 2017

Yo, Adrian (years later)

Nine years ago I penned an open letter to Adrian Hanauer.

I was optimistic about the MLS Sounders launch, but had a few thoughts, issues, and suggestions.

Now, it is 2017 and almost a decade later.  The club has won 4 US Open Cups (with a fifth final appearance).  The club has won a Supporters Shield.  The club has grabbed two Cascadia Cups.  The club has made the playoffs all 8 seasons.  The club has made it to the semis of the regional champions league. Average attendance of 40k per game is a regular thing.  The upper bowl is filled on occasion and has season ticket options. And, the club is defending MLS Cup champions.

So, Adrian, you and the club have exceeded literally any expectations.

Well done.

Friday, January 06, 2017

Reading Log 2016

2016 Books, short fiction, and noteworthy odd items:




The Lazy Dungeon Master by Michael Shea
The Chemical Wedding by Bruce Dickinson & Julian Doyle
Rubber Soul by Greg Kihn
Grimm: The Killing Time by Tim Waggoner
Painted Black by Greg Kihn
Hobo Sapien: Freight Train Hopping Tao & Zen by Wayne Iverson
Outsider in the White House by Bernie Sanders
The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
Pass Judgment: Inside the Seattle Seahawks' Super Bowl XLIX Season and the Play That Dashed a Dream by Jerry Brewer
The Last Starfighter by Alan Dean Foster
The Labyrinth House by Mark Rollins
Microscope (& various other game rule books like MLP)
Oath of the Gatewatch Players Guide
The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks
Justice Lague United (Volume 2): The Infinitus Saga by 
The Wishsong of Shannara by Terry Brooks
Oddly Normal (Book 3) by Otis Frampton
Captain Marvel Volume 1: Faster  by Kelly Sue DeConnick
You're Never Weird On the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day
Shadows Over Innistrad Players Guide
Voluptuous Panic: The Erotic World of Weimar Berlin by Mel Gordon
Blade and Chain by Jay Morse
The First King of Shannara by Terry Brooks
3500: An Autistic Boy's Ten-Year Romance with Snow White by Ron Miles 
Suicide Squad Volume 1
Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Pamela Roach
Yarrow, Sturdy and Bright by Devon Monk 
Of Things Gone Astray by Janina Matthewson
The Shatterred Gears: Omnibus (Avery Cates) by Jeff Somers
Death and Relaxation: Ordinary Magic Book 1 by Devon Monk
The Badlings by Ksenia Anske
Hunter's Prayer by Lilith Saintcrow 
1886: The Last Campaign by Kregg Jorgenson
How We Will Live On Mars by Stephen Petranek
Redemption Alley by Lilith Saintcrow 
Flesh Circus by Lilith Saintcrow 
The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi
The Sagan Diaries by John Scalzi
The Last Colony by John Scalzi 
Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi 
Heaven's Spite by Lilith Saintcrow 
The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
Angel Town by Lilith Saintcrow 
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Gotham Academy 1 & 2, 3
The Human Division by John Scalzi
The End of All Things by John Scalzi
Eldritch Moon Players Guide
Twelve Yards: The Art and Psychology of the Perfect Penalty Kick by Ben Lyttleton
Thirty-One Nil: On the Road With Football's Outsiders: A World Cup Odyssey by James Piotr Montague
Eternal Blue Forever Green bv Adrian Webster
Rock 'n' Roll Soccer: The Short Life and Fast Times of the North American Soccer League by Ian Plenderleith
Ms Marvel (Volumes 1 & 2)
Black Panther: Who is the Black Panther
Black Panther: The Deadliest of the Species
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
Education Nation by Milton Chen
Y: The Last Man Volume 1: Unmanned
Jessica Jones: Avenger by Bendis
The Hunt for Vulcan: …And How Albert Einstein Destroyed a Planet, Discovered Relativity, and Deciphered the Universe by Kevin Pariseau
Devils and Details by Devon Monk
Nasa ISS experient PDF
The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi
A Guide to Being a Dog - by Seamus Wheaton (& Wil)
The Darkest Dark by Colonel Chris Hadfield
The Noble Hustle: Poker, Beef Jerky, and Death by Colson Whitehead
Undeniable by Bill Nye
The Silkworm by JK Rowling
Career of Evil by JK Rowling
The Ghastlytrump Tinies by Mike Selinker
An Odd Animal Alphabet! by Hilary Austin
Pottermore Presents: Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide by JK Rowling
Pottermore Presents: Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies
by JK Rowling
Pottermore Presents: Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists
 by JK Rowling
An Astronaut's Guide To Life on Earth by Colonel Chris Hadfield 
The War on Science: Who's Waging It, Why It Matters, What We Can Do about It by Shawn Lawrence Otto
Giant Days Volume 1
Kaladesh Player's Guide
Space Raptor Butt Invasion by Chuck Tingle
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Defeats the Marvel Universe 
Wonder Women by Sam Maggs
Ladykiller Volume 1
ProstAmerika Women's Soccer Yearbook 2016/17
The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse by Bud Hanzel & John Olson
Martian-American War : A Personal Recounting by Earth Alliance President Theodore Roosevelt by Daniel T. Foster & Michael J. King 
The Bully's Bully by Courtney Huddleston & James Taylor
Ms. Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
The Hidden Life of Owls: The Science and Spirit of Nature's Most Elusive Birds by Leigh Calvez
Hagakure: The Book of The Samura by Yamamoto Tsunetomo
Funny Girl by Nick Hornby
The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel 
Funeral Potatoes by Kiri Callaghan
Into The Dust by Ren Cummins & Kiri Callaghan
Indeh by Ethan Hawke & Greg Ruth
Everything But The Squeal by John Scalzi
Learn Harmonica by Hinkler Books
Tak: Companion Book by James Ernest & Patrick Rothfuss
Evidence for a Distant Giant Planet in the Solar System by Konstantin Batygin & Michael E. Brown
Apple (3-15-16 brief to court regarding unlocking phone)
Brady Reversal Ruling
Evenwel v. Abbott  578 U.S. ___ (2016)

Wednesday, January 04, 2017

Ephemera 2016

2016 was a year.  No middle ground.  2016 was only a year of highs and lows.

As always, the Ephemera lists are about me being able to look stuff up later and are a bit ridiculous in their nature. I know.

Sports Ball:

Seattle Reign FC & NWSL:
4-10 4-1 UW
4-17 1-2 SBFC
5-01 1-0 FCKC
5-14 1-1 PTFC
5-22 1-2 CRS
5-26 1-1 ARSE
6-12 1-0 HOU
7-02 2-0 BOS
7-16 1-1 WNY
7-23 5-2 ORL
8-27 3-1 PTFC
9-11 2-0 WAS
10-2 NWSL Semi PDX 3 WNY 4 (AET)
(3-20 training @ Memorial Stadium / 4-7 Kit unveil @ Hard Rock Cafe / 5-24 Arsenal Ladies training @Memorial Stadium)

Sounders 1-23 Starfire 1st training
SSFC 0 LAG 1 7-9 CLink MLS Regular Season
SSFC 0 HOU 0 10-12 CLink MLS Regular Season

ProstAmerika.com book release @ The Atlantic Crossing 11-13-16 @6pm w/American Outlaws

Mariners 1 Rangers 2 (11) AL West Regular Season 6-11 @ Safeco Field


Movies on the big screen:
Finding October (Premiere 1-10 SCC) (SIFF 5-30/6-2)(NW Filmaker's Forum 11-11)
The Martian (2nd)
Deadpool
Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice
Captain America: Civil War (2)
X-Men: Apocalypse
Love & Friendship
Ghostbusters: Answer the Call
Star Trek Beyond
Suicide Squad
Ms. Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Mad Max: Fury Road (Back and Chrome Edition)
Doctor Strange
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Live Stuff:
AC2 - 1-16 @ Paramount
The Swains - 1-22, 3-9, 3-25, 9-17  @ LRH
The Great Ball 2-13 (The Swains & Sabrina RockArena)
Pax South 1/29-31* - The Doubleclicks (1-30)
Kirby Krackle - 2-27 @ Subspace Comics
Nightwish, Sonata Arctica, Delain - 3-7 @ Showbox Sodo
Loreena McKennitt -  3-26 @ Paramount
ECCC - 4-7/10 @ WSCTC
Kracklefest - 4-8 @ Hard Rock Cafe (Kirby Krackle/Death*Star)
Iron Maiden - 4-11 @ Tacoma Dome (The Raven Age)
AngelHack  - 4-17
STEM & Wine - 4-22 @ PacSci
Rat City Rollergirls Hitditch Cup 5-7 @ The Rat's Nest
Andrea Bocelli - 6-1 @ Key Arena
10 Minutes in the Forest - 6-10 @ The Slate Theater
UofO commencement - 6-13
Welcome to Night Vale: Ghost Stories - 7-22 @ Benaroya Hall
Flogging Molly - 8-1 @ Showbox Sodo
Kickstarter 52 Geek Pickup & 52 Jock Pickup release party - 8-20 @ Subspace Comics
Slipknot & Marilyn Manson - 8-11 @ White River Amphitheatre
KISW Pain in the Grass (Disturbed/Breaking Benjamin, etc) - 8-21 @ White River Amphitheatre 
PAX Dev & West 8/31-9/5 WSCTC + set up and tear down days (Geek Owned Business Panel Moderator @ Chipmunk Theatre 9-3)
Colonel Chris Hadfield - 9-13 @ Town Hall Seattle
Neil deGrasse Tyson - 9-22 @ Paramount
Hedda Gabler - 10-1 @ Black Box Theater
NYCC - 10-6/9 @ Javits Center
Sam Maggs & Bonnie Burton - 10-18 @ Third Place Books
Bob's Corn Maze - 10-29
Jet City Comic Show - 11-(4)5/6 @ Tacoma Convention Center
Postmodern Jukebox - 11-18 @ Paramount
The Pretty Reckless - 12-2 @ Showbox Sodo


Odd regular things:
Seattle SaberFit
STKD Thai Kickboxing
Subspace Comics Book Club 5-23/6-29/7-27/8-31/9-28/10-26/11-30
Fremont Sunday Market
MTG