Shotgun Prose

OMFG Snow in Seattle

2012-01-20T11:56:00.000-08:00

Pasta attempt number one

2012-01-12T09:19:00.001-08:00

Overall, this is not a hugely time consuming activity. However, it is messy and I really need to look at how well I do things like Kneading and rolling in order to get it right.

So, this was edible, but not quite as good as I hoped.

Onward ...

Shaving just means starting a new beard ...

2012-01-09T19:27:00.001-08:00

Reading List 2011 second half

2011-12-31T18:30:00.000-08:00

The second half of 2011 was about starting to finish series. I am basically now done with all but current materials from life in Bon Temps for instance. I cleared out my library queue as much as possible and will start 2012 with a small stack of books to read to complete some series so I can move on to Game of Thrones, some graphic series I want to get complete or current, and a soccer list, maybe the Don Draper list too. Then, I can look at new materials and what is left over from old reading lists. This list does not take into account the other reading I do like my weekly comics, Astronomy Magazine, various columnists or bloggers, and the like.

Books
The Children's Hospital by Chris Adrian
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
Dead Iron: The Age Of Steam by Devon Monk
The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester
The McSterlingScenes by R.L McSterlingthong
Lust by Ellen Forney
The Basic Basics of Screenwriting by Matt Terry
The Art Of War by Sun Tzu
Time Flies When You're in a Coma: The Wisdom of the Metal Gods by Mike Daly & Mark Weiss (Photographer)
From Dead To Worse by Charlaine Harris
Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
The Sookie Stackhouse Companion by Charlaine Harris
Travel as a Political Act by Rick Steves
The Templar Salvation by Raymond Khoury
Physics on the Fringe: Smoke Rings, Circlons, and Alternative Theories of Everything by Margaret Wertheim
Abarat: Absolute Midnight by Clive Barker
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Iron Maiden: In the Studio: The Stories Behind Every Album by Jake Brown
Magic on the Line by Devon Monk
Instructions by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess (Illustrations)

Selected Graphic Novels and Collections
The 6th Gun (Volume 1 & 2)
The Boys: Highland Laddie (Volume 8)
Superman: The Last Stand of New Krypton Vol. 2
The Locked Maze (Volumes 1, 2, & 3)
Hopeless Savages by Jen Van Meter
Spiderman: Black Cat by Jen Van Meter
Frank Miller's Holy Terror
Embroideries by Marjan Satrapi
iZombie (Volume 1 & 2)
Chew: Flambe (Volume 4)

Selected Short Fiction
Dancers In The Dark by Charlaine Harris
Tacky by Charlaine Harris
Bacon by Charlaine Harris
The Britlingens Go To Hell by Charlaine Harris
Dahlia Underground by Charlaine Harris
Two Blondes by Charlaine Harris
If I Had A Hammer by Charlaine Harris
Sift, Almost Invisible, Through by Jeff Somers
Where the Boom Bands Play by Jeff Somers
The Monster in My Closet by Wil Wheaton
Magic on a Holiday by Devon Monk
The Adakian Eagle by Bradley Denton

Ephemera 2011

2011-12-31T14:49:00.000-08:00

The lists I keep here in these annual Ephemera posts are for when I need to look back at something and can then pinpoint when and where I was. Usually this takes place when writing things or catching up with people. These lists are an offshoot of when I was younger and made lists and then a few years back when I started my soccer book project Oxymoron. It is weird to post them, but they are useful to me.

EMP 1-2-11 / 4-15-11/ 4-21-11 / 5-1-11 / 5-7-11 / 6-4-11

Megamind
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Green Hornet
Tangled
DWK2
True Grit
Paul
Sucker Punch
Thor
The Hangover 2
Source Code
Green Lantern
The Historic
Trollhunter
Harry Potter 7.5
Captain America: The First Avenger (2x)
Kung Fu Panda 2
Horrible Bosses
Cowboys and Aliens
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
50/50
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Hugo

The Davanos - Little Red Hen 1-15-11, 2-20-11, 9-23-11, 12-18-11
Jerry & The Philbillys - Little Red Hen 2-11-11
Wes Jones Band - McCabe's - 2-25-11 - LRH 6-11-11, 9-20-11, 10-9-11, 12-20-11
Jukehouse Hounds - LRH - 3-24-11
Jo Miller LRH 4-3-11 / 5-1-11 / 9-4-11 / 12-11-11
Sammy Steele LRH 4-30-11
The Horde and The Harem EMP 5-7-11
The Rolling Blackouts LRH 5-12-11
Knut Bell 06-03-11 /11-25-11 / 12-25-11 LRH
T&D Review 6-7-11 LRH
Kirby Krackle - 7-15-11 The Comic Stop Lynnwood
Merchants of Moonshine 7-24-11 LRH
The Wrecked Chords, The Downstrokes, School Shootings - 8-14-11 The Funhouse
Duran Duran, The Neon Trees - 9-23-11 Comcast Arena
Highway 9 - 10-25-11 LRH

Back Alley Blues 3-31-11
Two Step Tuesdays 5-17-11/McCabe's Rapture 5-21-11

Everett Silvertips 2 Kelowna Rockets 3 (OT) - Comcast Arena - WHL Regular Season 2-13-11
SSFC 3 CRapids 1 - 3-9-11 Qwest - Community Shield - Friendly
SSFC 0 LAG 1 - 3-15-11 Qwest - MLS Regular Season - MLS First Kick 2011
NSSW 0 Crossfire 0 PDL 5-7-11
SSFC 1 PDX 1 - 5-14-11
Storm 63 Dream 92 8-14-11
M's 1 Braves 3 6-27-11
M's 6 Rangers 7 9-17-11
TCW 4-9-11 Pacific Rim Ballroom
Mexico 1 Ecuador 1 - 5-28-11
SSFC 4 NYRB 2 - 6-23-11
SSFC 0 ManU 7 - 7-20-11
SSFC 0 Herediano 1 CCL Group Phase 9-20-11
SSFC 2 Chicago Fire 0 USOC Final 10-4-11
SSFC 2 SJE 1 - 10-15-11
Cougs 21 Beavers 44 10-22-11
Cougs 0 Huskies 0 (AET) 11-3-11
Seawolves 1 PT U23 5 - 7-22-11
M's Fanfest at Safeco Field 1-29-11
WHS 24 BHS 14 10-7-11
WHS 56 Curtis 17 11-4-11
WHS 21 Union 9 11-19-11

EG 3 Brighton 5 as coach
Shooting Stars Indoor game as Coach (L) 11-27-11
Faculty 0 8th Grade 0 6-9-11 Twin Ponds
Warrior Dash - 7-17-11 51:53:55 or 49:21 ...
STKD 2nd Degree Black Belt in Thai Kickboxing
Classic Paintings Modern Times 5-2-11 Linda's Tavern
WWC Bottling Party 5-31-11
Bellevue Botanical Garden 6-30-11
Break More Boards Class at KGC 4- -11
MTHS 85 Annual Bar night 10-1-11
Fort Nisqually 1 -2x- 11
Tour de Terrace Parade 7-29-11
Tour de Terrace 7-30-11

Bar Games
SSFC 0 NYRB 1 The Atlantic Crossing 3-19-11
SSFC 0 RSL 3

The Historic - Crew Member 2-22-11
Rough Cut Showing 6-26-11
Sneak Preview 11-6-11
Senior Prom - The Play 11-18-11 MTHS

ECCC 3-4,5,6-11 Minion
- Including Buffy Sings, Browncoats: Redemption, Panels
Geek Girl Con Karaoke night at AFK 5-21-11
Star Wars exhibit - PacSci - 3-24-11
Nirvana exhibit opening - EMP - 4-15-11 w/Minions
Avatar exhibit opening - EMP - 6-4-11
Can't Look Away exhibit opening - EMP - 10-1-11
GeekGirlCon - Seattle Center - 10-9-11
Neil deGrasse-Tyson 5-12-11 UW Meany Hall
ECCC Minion Potluck 12-3-11 at The Comic Stop

2011 STKD Awards

2011-12-19T15:21:00.001-08:00

14

2011-12-15T11:11:00.000-08:00

Seattle Marathon 2011
6:06:40
November 27, 2011

Thoughts on the Seattle Marathon 2011.

6:06:40 is not great, but I can live with it given the circumstances of the race.

I was a bit worried in part due to having some serious toe issues through the fall and a serious cold in November that really limited my comfort while running. However, my general fitness level, ongoing martial arts workouts, and intermittent running would hopefully be enough when combined with my knowledge of running marathons and proper preparation in the lead up to the race.

Proper prep and maintaining a fitness lifestyle did indeed pay off.

The weather conditions were mixed. The temperature was not bad, but the wind made it cold and it was gusty enough to bring a lot of fresh leaves onto much of the course. The leaves are a challenge because even though many of the neighborhoods we run through are very high end, the roads on those streets are some of the worst in Seattle. Footing was scary at times.

In the end, I know it was slow, but the first half went pretty well and I recovered quickly. That is what is important.

14.

Observations from the guy with the click counter

2011-11-24T08:51:00.000-08:00

TEDxRainier2011 conference
UW Kane Hall
November 12, 2011

Being around smart people is a good thing.

Telling people NO is not what they want to hear when they are guests.

The fire code still feels like an excuse.

The conversations that start over a comment about a sex survey are eye opening.

Working with people who know what they are doing and that you have worked with before is a valuable commodity.

Let the girl flirt, you get more burritos.

If someone really is your friend they will tell you that there is rice in your beard and not merely notice it.

Nude models really are more or less naked in public.

I like free stuff.

It is very cool to get brief conversations with those you respect.

Flying sex surveys are funny.

Standing ovations are cool.

Spending a day working with beautiful women is good for me.

It is somewhat depressing how many people know who reality tv stars are but not who TED speakers are.

When you hold a prop like a click counter it really does alter how people react to you when you are guarding a door.

In honor of all the 11s today

2011-11-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

Cougar soccer

2011-11-04T10:50:00.000-07:00

WSU 0
UW 0
(AET)
Pac-12 Women's Soccer Regular Season
Husky Soccer Field - Seattle, WA
November 3, 2011

Having watched this game and the pace and skill displayed it is sort of shocking that after 110 minutes it was nil-nil. On the plus side, it has been 8 years since the Dawgs beat the Cougs.

Han Solo costume

2011-10-31T07:36:00.000-07:00

to co blog with Carly

It was Geek Night Out and Carly and I were strolling along looking at Star Wars props, costumes, and models when she made the observation, "Leia's costume for guys, Han's for girls."

Han fired first.

I commented, "I think I need to go as him for Halloween then."
Carly, something to the effect of, "You will get laid."

Last Spring on Community, Abed in Han mode got Annie all hot and bothered ...

Han Fired First.

One of us suggested to co-blog, probably Carly. I might have said I would write about it first, who knows. I do not remember. Not gonna happen due to time constraints and forgetting.

So ... it seemed time to get a good Han costume together, but really again not enough time. Maybe some day.

Han Fired First.

This year ... that's MISTER Smarty Pants, thank you very much.

I was caller number 3

2011-10-28T23:17:00.000-07:00

World Series 2011

There are currently 8 teams in the MLB post-season. I will not go into a rant here on tradition or expansion of the playoffs.

I was listening to KJR on the way home from TKB one eve and as I stopped for tacos I heard Elise mention that there was a contest for free pizza based upon the MLB playoffs. I called. I actually got through. I was caller 3 so I would get the third pick from the eight teams to see if I could win some pizza.

The wait wasn't too long. Of course, Philly and Detroit went one and two. No surprises.

The question for me then would be Cardinals, Yankees, Rangers, Brewers, Rays, or Diamondbacks. Using the simple theory that hot teams are a good playoff choice I went with the Cardinals. Plus, they have a veteran manager, a true number one starter, and the best player in baseball in a contract year. I had witnessed the Rangers offense in person, and considered the veteran Yankees, while the others I could not take seriously

The Cardinals had to play the Phillies in the first round, they won. Best team in NL? Gone.

The Cardinals had to play the Brewers in the NLCS, they won. Best home team in Baseball? Gone.

The Cardinals had to play the Rangers in the World Series. And, even though a wild card the Cardinals got home field due to the odd All Star Game rule (a rant for another day), meaning this time it would be in my favor.

When it became clear that the World Series would go at least 6, the home field seemed like it would be a factor.

Game 6 had me thinking it would not happen, then the great finish to force a game 7 had me rethinking my Friday night to watch.

So ... as the newest fan of the Cardinals, I thank them for the awesome pizza I will soon be eating.

Trap Shooting Math

2011-10-26T19:38:00.000-07:00

After much tinkering on the details, this is the geometry of creating a successful hit in trap shooting.

I have never - and do not - own a gun. However, I have always been around them and believe knowledge and safe handling of firearms is a useful basic life skill. Oddly, I now work a PT job where I am around firearms and assist new shooters in the basics and safety. Life is weird.

Completing Leagues

2011-10-26T10:41:00.001-07:00

Next Sports Fan Goal for 2012 and Beyond = Completing Leagues

As a sports fan I attend a fair number of sporting events and follow a few teams above others. In recent years as I have embarked on the Oxymoron Project and the Ephemera Project certain details have emerged. Of the main four teams I follow I am nearly complete in the (current) teams of their respective leagues.

Seattle Sounders FC and MLS - I have not seen Toronto FC. Had a PDX trip worked out this past summer I would not be saying that. Next year the Montreal Impact join MLS and that will add a team to that list as it turns out that I never saw Montreal in the USL era either. I have also yet to see the MLS version of the Vancouver Whitecaps, but have seen the previous versions several times. Eventually, I will also see the new Whitecaps. In essence, I will need to see the 3 Canadian MLS teams to be truly complete. The two contracted Florida teams do not apply as this is based on the current MLS structure.

WSU Cougars and the PAC12 - Focusing on football, the only PAC12 team I have not seen is Utah. Colorado was a non-conference opponent in Seattle several years ago. In fact, of the old PAC10 schools UCLA is the only opponent I have not seen play at least twice. Utah is in Pullman in November this season, but I cannot go so this may happen either when the Utes play at UW or at Pullman in the future. Other Cougar sports such as volleyball, hoops, and soccer are only the new schools on the list as I have attended so many various sporting events while living in Pullman.

Seattle Storm and the WNBA - Other than some folded teams I failed to see, the only current team to see is Washington to complete the current 12 team WNBA.

Seattle Mariners and MLB - The Houston Astros are it. If I count the Montreal Expos and Washington Nationals as separate entities that means I have seen 30 of the 31 possible teams play in AL, NL, Interleague, and Cactus League play. As soon as Houston comes around in IL play it will be solved as they do not do Spring Training in Arizona at this point.

Geekiest stuff

2011-10-25T06:29:00.000-07:00

Magic backback

On 10-9 I went with Sammy to GeekGirlCon and got the chance to learn magic late in the day at one of the booths.

The game has always been intimidating, but I took time to learn a bit at the con. Playing once at lunch with a 6th grader hardly counts as having played the game much before.

As a result of taking the time, I won the backpack.

Recently, I wore it to school; drooling kids and a teacher jealously calling me a nerd was kind of an interesting response. Cool backpack for the win!

If I didn't need a backpack, I would not necessarily have chosen it as a prize and I might not have ever tried the single strap style. Fortunately, I like it ....

Wearing the magic backpack is now one of the geekiest things I have ever done and made me think of some other. Here's a quick list of recent geekiest stuff ...

1) Lying to Neil Gaiman at EMP in re Doctor Who

2) Chanting "So say we all!" with EJO at EMP 2010

3) Asking Spike and Data "if it ever gets old?" about hot girls at ECCC 2011

4) Trying to sneak a pic of Spock at ECCC 2010 and being scolded for it

5) Telling Joe Roth my 1990 story about seeing his film on a plane

6) figuring out if Clive was still answering my Q with Ron in 07 at Third Place Books

7) Discussing WM19 matches with Chris Jericho 2007

8) Wil Wheaton fist bump 2011

Go Cougs!

2011-10-23T18:40:00.000-07:00

WSU Cougars 21
OSU Beavers 44
Century Link Field
Seattle, WA
October 22, 2011

Opportunity knocked this season for Paul Wulff and the Cougs, and it was sent away with coal in its stocking

Flying burgers at the new Edmonds Dick's grand opening

2011-10-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

Dick's Drive In Edmonds Grand Opening
10-20-11

Like manna from heaven, a Dick's cheeseburger fell from the sky and struck me in the heart.

Really, about 15 minutes after starting to serve burgers, about a dozen bags were lobbed into the crowd by Dick's employees and one hit me in the chest. I removed the burger, held it up in triumph, and skedaddled. This also led to me being quoted in the Everett Herald.

But, let's backtrack.

I decided to go and wait in line. Part of me thought I should get there really early, but I ran a few errands first and got there about 2:20PM, just in time for a parking spot.

So, I got in line ... and here's the thing about lines, people will get in them when they see them and they are clearly marked. People WILL stand in them. The one big mistake made during the opening? They screwed up the line when they had one and turned it into a mob. There was a nice line through the parking lot and down onto the sidewalk on 99. But, at 3, instead of having the line move in, they merely dropped the premise of a line and had people move forward. As a result, all the early arrivals got munched in with the later arrivals and it was simply a mob. The mob looked great on camera, but it contributed to the wait. This was a mistake from a customer service standpoint. (Sidebar, the next day lines were in place ...)

However, this was more about the event than the wait, or even the burgers. It is fun to go to these things, to say, "I was there."

Apparently, this was six weeks early. The building was completed early, meaning the opening was early, meaning the date had been fluid.

Oh, I see my friends and others posting serious posts on Facebook all the time with little response, I post pics and comments from being in line and the comments and likes take off. The lesson here ... social media is more about fun than politics.

Kasey Keller Day and The Heritage Cup

2011-10-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

Seattle Sounders FC 2
San Jose Earthquakes 1
October 15, 2011
CenturyLink Field - Seattle, WA
MLS Regular Season - Kasey Keller Day - The Heritage Cup

Kasey Keller night notes

64,140 ... for a regular season game. This is better attendance than for Celtic or Boca.

Scrappy game. A young team playing in front of a big crowd with nothing to lose will be a dangerous opponent sometimes. They were in this instance as well.

The Mauro Effect. Best signing in the league this year and an immediate game changer when he went on.

Kasey played like the Kasey of the mid 90s, the 4 save sequence was like an indoor goalie flopping around. That is a compliment.

The Sounders 2nd goal seemed inevitable judging by the SJ body language after the first.

The Ceremony was nice too. Way to treat the wife with a gift.

Recent solid local police work

2011-10-12T07:04:00.000-07:00

I pulled up to the light as the second car back in the left middle lane of four.

The light had just turned red.

There was a police like light flashing in my rear view.

I glanced to my left to see the third car back in the left turn lane being boxed in by a police car behind it and a police car on the other side of the barrier in the other direction.

The officer from the other direction quickly emerged from his car and approached the driver.

The rear vehicle officer had not yet emerged.

The vehicle driver had no where to go, but he tried anyways.

It appeared he was looking to get out of his vehicle towards the passenger side, but the officer had reached in and grabbed him, causing him to emerge from the vehicle.

The driver attempted to keep going, possible over the hood of the police car, but the officer kept hold of his arm and pulled him around to pin him to his car, quickly cuffing him.

The officer in the rear car was emerging from his vehicle.

The entire exchange lasted a few seconds at most.

The light turned green and I drove off.

Lippincott redux

2011-10-12T05:36:00.000-07:00

In 1995 I was provided with the opportunity to present an entire novel to a publisher after an initial submission. I found that my writing process of the time where I would outline a novel, write the first few chapters, and then submit was looking like it might work.

I took the first few chapters, cranked out a 300 page rough draft in a few weeks, got it all typed up, and sent it off.

Lippincott is still unpublished.

The disks with the originally typed draft exist and i managed to get them converted so that process does not need to be repeated.

Years later, after looking at it from time to time I decided it was time to dust off this Salem Witch Trials Urban Fantasy and give it another go round. Part of this stems from my frustration in losing a notebook, part of it is because it just bugs me that I do not have this material completed the way I think it should be. I guess that makes me a bit like George Lucas.

There are a few people reading the old material and I am taking notes to expand the fantasy element while still trying to keep it grounded.

As part of this revival, I am also looking at a couple old projects that were in the same state back in the day. I think it is time to really crank on this stuff and see about where some of these projects can go.

Geek Girl Con 2011

2011-10-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

Geek Girl Con (Day Two)
October 9, 2011
Seattle, WA

I first heard about this con while working as a minion at ECCC last March. It just sounded like it would be a good thing for me and my daughter to do. I was right. We attended a few panels (including one on Killing Cattiness) and took our time checking out all the booths, chatting with guests and fellow attendees, and soaking up the atmosphere.

USOC Final 2011

2011-10-05T18:14:00.000-07:00

Seattle Sounders FC 2
Chicago Fire 0
US Open Cup Final 2011
Seattle, WA - CenturyLink Field
October 4, 2011

Holy threepeat Batman!

When Fredy popped in that first goal I swear I have not yelled that loud at a game ever ... and that is taking into account being at Apple Cups and USA World Cup matches ...

Oh, The Horror ...

2011-10-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

EMP
Can't Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film
Member Preview
October 1, 2011

It seems like EMP has found a way with these new smaller exhibits to use its space better than it once did.

The pictures here include an Alien, a prop from Buffy, and original pages written by Bram Stoker ...

Anti-Science Culture

2011-10-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'”
― Isaac Asimov

I was going to write a long diatribe about this very subject, but Isaac sums it up far, far better than I possibly could.

Jonah in Gotham?

2011-09-28T19:15:00.000-07:00

I'm on the hunt I'm after you ...

2011-09-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

Duran Duran
Comcast Arena - Everett, WA
September 23, 2011

Free tickets from Frost Donuts via Facebook ... really.

Archive Project ... 1972 Vega

2011-09-22T12:46:00.001-07:00

I think this cost something like 600 bucks back in 1984 ...

Flopping

2011-09-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

Seattle Sounders FC 0
CS Herediano 1
Concacaf Champions League
Group Stage Matchday 4
Seattle, WA - CenturyLink Field
September 20, 2011

There are certain tendencies in Latin American Football that have become epidemic. Where the game south of the Rio Grande down to the land of DAM once was a game of beauty it is now a game of flopping, flailing, stalling, and whining.

Bad referees fall for it, and in some ways by truly failing to punish it create a tacit rewards system.

But ... bad reffing does not cause crosses to float to nowhere, shots to go high over the bar, or passes to go to no one.

Hey batter hey!

2011-09-18T18:41:00.000-07:00

Seattle Mariners 6
Texas Ranger 7
Safeco Field
September 17, 2011

First off a shout out to Dave O. for the free tix ...

I had never witnessed back to back to back home runs before. Thanks to the Rangers offense, I now have.

It was good to see a bunch of the young players the M's have brought up over the course of the season in person, there is a legit shot that this group could get good.

For Fan Appreciation Day this was a truly awful crowd.

Not what you want to find ...

2011-09-18T16:44:00.000-07:00

When one is allergic this is not what one wants to find out front of one's apartment.

Dawnstar

2011-09-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

Dawnstar, Legion Lost, Pete Woods, The Comic Stop, and the DC Relaunch ...

Yesterday I went up to the Everett location of The Comic Stop and got my DC Relaunch Legion Lost signed. Plus, Pete Woods was very cool and drew the Dawnstar headshot for me. He seemed a bit surprised I asked for her, but I thought it would be cool to have a Legion Lost character as opposed to a Batman drawing.

I went pretty late in the signing and it gave me a chance to actually have a nice conversation with Woods about his moving to working in the LOSH universe, the New Krypton story arc, and the comic industry in general. He's a good guy.

Kudos to The Comic Stop for these DC Relaunch store signings.

My Sunday night not too long ago ...

2011-09-06T15:10:00.000-07:00

I had been having a great weekend. To begin with, it was a complete 2 day off weekend and that just doesn't happen enough. It is amazing how quickly the wheels can figuratively fall off.

6:41 PM Sunday as my weekend was winding down I put the key in the ignition of my van and got a whole lot of nothing in response. No click. No turnover. No bells or whistles or lights flashing. Nothing.

Nothing can be a jolt.

There I was sitting on a Sunday evening in my van with my daughter parked on the street near Green Lake and I was feeling pretty smacked in the face.

I do not drive the best of vehicles. I know that. But, I try to keep it running and am aware of any odd noises or creaks it makes. It has always had moments where it started roughly, it is a 94 with almost 250K miles on it after all. But, again nothing was not expected.

It is hard to maintain one's composure in situations where one feels smacked in the face, but I tried by taking several deep breaths. I popped the hood, grabbed some stuff from the back of the van, and even popped under it to try and see if there was anything noteworthy. More nothing.

I do not want to put any money into this van beyond basic maintenance.

My first call was to Scott and he had me try a few tricks, one of which led to a single click from the starter. A starter is not catastrophic in its repair cost so that was at least something. I felt fairly confident I was only dealing with a starter at this point so that helped. However, it was a Sunday evening and I was down at Green Lake with my daughter.

So ... while we were waiting for the help to arrive to get my (extremely helpful under the circumstances) daughter home I also placed a call to my insurance company and got the ball rolling for a tow. All things considered this was not going to be too bad, just needing a tow, pay for a new starter, and move on. In effect that is mostly what happened, but the details are a bit different in how it all came about.

The process began at 6:41 PM, I did not get home until 12:40AM ... six hours of joy.

It was best to go ahead and have the ride come and get my daughter, and although I missed her company I had to figure it was for the best.

The tow truck took its time.

Bear in mind I was doing my own diagnosis and repair attempts for close to an hour before call for the tow. The tow was to arrive within an hour and ten minutes, so I would expect to be pulled up to Lynnwood by about 9 PM.

9PM came and went.

I tried my insurance company and could not get anywhere in their phone tree. I missed a call from someone. Things were starting to get frustrating.

9:25PM a call comes in from the tow truck driver to inform me he might be a bit behind and should be there in a while as he was in Lake City. Fine.

It took him over an hour to get to Green Lake from Lake City. 10:30 a tow truck finally arrives with a mildly tired and frazzled tow truck driver. It has been almost 4 hours since I first attempted the ignition. It is over an hour since the tow truck driver told me he might be a little late even though it was 25 minutes late when he first called me. Fine.

I hop in the tow truck for the ride to the repair shop I am having the van dropped off at. For the next 20 or so minutes I am given the opportunity to reflect on the story of how unjust it was that my tow truck driver was arrested a few nights earlier. In this instance I am faced with no viable option other than to let the man rant and occasionally nod and agree with him. I can imagine it is a shock to find one's face against the hood of one's vehicle with one's hands in cuffs. I can imagine it is not fun to call my employer to inform him I have been working with a suspended license for some time. 48 hours later he is working and driving and has me in the cab of the tow truck and my van hooked up, but no worries. The seat belt does not work, but I decide to hold it in place because that would probably not help the situation were I to point it out to him.

We get to the repair shop, drop the van, and he offers me a ride home. It is almost 11PM, I am tired, and it is about a 4 or more mile walk home. No thanks on the ride. I grab myself and start walking.

I really don't mind that walk and I did not have to be at school until 9:30AM the next morning so all things considered it should be fine.

The walk really is not too bad and starts out to be kind of cathartic actually. The first mile or two is fine and I am walking briskly making good time when an SUV or van or something swerves towards me on the walkway and something comes flying out of a side window striking me on my left hip and more or less exploding fluid of some sort all over me. As I look behind me I see someone leaning back into the vehicle and I hear serious laughter emanating from the rapidly fleeing vehicle.

I am soaked and sticky at this point, which given that I am already tired and frustrated and still a couple miles from home at midnight sets me off on a really loud screaming tirade directed in the general direction of the vehicle. It was kind of an impressive display in some ways, but I probably owe an apology to the residents of the nearby houses. The fluid appears to have been something like a soft drink, which is probably a small victory in some ways.

Local police are not remotely interested in things like this. Make a note of that should it happen to you and save yourself the aggravation of getting no help when you call.

The last couple miles are more stomping than walking. It is hard to get right to sleep when I finally get home.

Tan Line Fail

2011-09-05T19:49:00.000-07:00

Tan line fail math: Work outdoors on sunny days for a 3 day weekend + wear work boots with camo shorts due to heat = white ankles, feet, and legs - tanned calves.

Why there is a hiatus ... The Scarecrow Effect

2011-09-05T06:59:00.000-07:00

To start with I must point out that a HIATUS should imply that I eventually intend to return to something.

I write things out long hand, rarely composing at a keyboard. The first typing up of a handwritten piece of material is therefore like a sort of first revision because I correct a bit as I go. It works for me. I like it.

However, much like with virtually everything there are drawbacks to my process. It's nice to be able to make notes on random sheets of paper, but I also have to not lose those little random sheets of paper. This is not exactly green of me.

My handwriting is actually truly "that" bad. There are times where it even gets worse as i try to keep my hand going as fast as my brain. Translating my own stuff can be therefore sometimes quite a challenge.

Timeliness is also an issue. Without having a computer at home I have to make the time to type and not get distracted while on the computer by other things. Easier said then done.

Keeping track of the copies of things I write or making certain I have backups is essential. This is hardly different than what pre-computer age writers faced but is different today than the norm.

I also need to manage all the different notebooks I have out there to make certain I have the correct one with me as I tend to have several in use at the same time.

At some point I do need to consider getting a computer. I know that. I am not a luddite i just like my home the way it is.

So, if I lose a notebook that has no backup it can be a real problem.

Guess what happened?

In the middle of June I lost a notebook that had no backup and had a number of pages and scene descriptions for The Scarecrow Effect. I use the word lost here loosely as my van was broken into and the bag that was taken included the notebook in question. I am guessing that about 20ish pages of material was lost. This accounts for several weeks or more worth of work on a project I have been chipping away at for a couple years now.

I can stand losing the items in the bag. Not to say it doesn't suck to be ripped off. It is irritating to be ripped off, but I can eventually replace what was lost. Not the notebook.

Losing this notebook is awful. I didn't misplace it and do it to myself. Having it taken is a violation that really messed with me. Someone has my work. Someone probably simply tossed it away.

There are a lot of things on those pages I can recreate quickly and I took an opportunity to try and at least get those ideas onto paper. I know I got some of it. After working on those pages for so long I can practically picture them. But, i know I did not get it all. And, I feel violated.

The Scarecrow Effect is a novel I am actually pleased with insofar as how it was progressing. The Shotgunprose blog has a number of excerpts and I had reached a point where I was actively seeking feedback from a variety of people on the material.

I know that me losing my notebook is not quite on par with Bono getting his songbook stolen in Seattle before the October recording sessions it still really hurt me in a way that was unexpected. It took me several tries to be able to take those pages of notes in order to set it aside.

I had wanted to get right back on the horse but it quickly became clear to me that I really cannot in this regard. It is going to be best to take a hiatus at this point.

So ... I return to to town of Lippincott. Lippincott is a novel I actually completed a draft of in 1995 that I have on occasion taken a peak at over the years. The story of writing Lippincott's first draft is in itself kind of funny, but will be another posting. Lippincott is dusted off and in the process of massive overhaul. Readers have already begun looking at it for me. At this point I am so far removed from it that it feels like reading someone else. Anyone who wants to help review a few chapters can feel free to let me know.

I will get back to and finish The Scarecrow Effect.

Kasey and Arlo

2011-08-17T20:45:00.001-07:00

The Atlantic Crossing
Seattle, WA
8-17-11
Kasey Keller and Arlo White

Today at school we made and tested paper airplanes. The Sounders themed airplane I made is now signed by and had its photo taken with Kasey Keller.

Also, I won a tee and the game pic is from my seat at the 2010 US Open Cup Final and is now signed.

A Girl Named Sue

2011-08-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

Seattle Storm 63
Atlanta Dream 92
Key Arena - Seattle, WA
August 13, 2011

In celebration of Sue Bird's tenth season in Seattle with the Storm the team went out and play like they did before they drafted her. Or, in other words, they played like a team sucky enough to get the first overall draft pick. Make a layup.

Still, my streak of seeing at least one Storm game in every season is intact. And, There is now only one current WNBA team that I have not seen play in person ... Washington.

It was cool to see Gus and Slick in attendance.

Random infinity symbol on the parking lot pavement ...

2011-08-15T18:20:00.000-07:00

Infinity ...

2nd Degree Black Belt in Thai Kickboxing

2011-08-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

August 9, 2011
Seattle Tae Kwon Do
2nd Degree Black Belt in Thai Kickboxing

Final Show

2011-08-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

The Wrecked Chords and The Downstrokes
The Funhouse
Seattle, WA
August 14, 2011

I would cheer against

2011-08-14T17:56:00.000-07:00

NorthSound SeaWolves 1
Portland Timbers U-23's 5
7-22-11
Everett, WA
Goddard Stadium
USL PDL Regular Season

I joked to a friend at this game that I would root against a U-8 girls team named the Timbers ... and even though I was mostly joking I was enjoying rooting against this Timbers PDL squad despite it being Timbers, Jr.

CT scored against the Timbers. Nice.

August 2011 TKB News ...

2011-08-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

Ryan Giggs and Ronaldo ... (Oxymoron Project)

2011-07-21T09:40:00.000-07:00

Seattle Sounders FC 0
Manchester United 7
July 20, 2011
X-Box Pitch - Seattle, WA

With the 2011 retirement of Brazillian great Ronaldo and the announcement of another year under contract for Welshman Ryan Giggs at Manchester United I found myself pondering the notion of how greatness is measured and careers are remembered. These two men are two of the great players of their generation and as their generation collectively winds down I think that there are reasons to use the two of them as examples.

Ronaldo ... A multi-club mercenary man known more for his international duty with Brazil than for his play (that one highlight reel with Barca aside) than for his play with any of them.

Giggs ... A one club man not know much for his international work with Wales.

The all time greats are generally thought of as Pele, Maradona, Beckenbauer, etc ... and they share the common theme of World Cup Glory. Ronaldo found himself in World Cup finals, despite an injury riddled club career that also found him fighting his weight and fitness.

It seems to be that players like Giggs get punished in the career evaluation for playing for a "lesser" national team. Giggs spent his career playing qualifiers and friendlies, and never in World Cups or Euros. Having all his success in the club realm has hindered how he is regarded.

Think of the Georges; Weah and Best ... No world cup appearances.

Even some great players are not judged as highly if they got to the big stage and did not win anything. Or, if they won a lesser trophy but not the World Cup ... see Platini, Drogba, Messi, etc ...

It causes players to choose and consider their national team representation ... like Gullit or Eusebio.

I never saw Ronaldo play, but I have now seen Giggs twice. Awesome.

Red Dawn Video From Paul's Basement

2011-07-19T18:09:00.000-07:00

Five years ago I did a reading for Paul's Basement. I posted the transcript of the reading, I am finally posting the video of the reading. Thanks, Jason. The link to the earlier ShotgunProse post is below. http://shotgunprose.blogspot.com/2006/09/this-will-be-on-pauls-basement-soon.html

Warrior Dash 2011

2011-07-19T08:53:00.000-07:00

Warrior Dash
July 17, 2011
North Bend, WA
Team STKD Thai Kickboxing
51:53:55
Sunday Results - M 40-44 (242/393) Overall (2438/7687)

July 15, 2011 - Kirby Krackle at The Comic Stop (Lynnwood, WA)

2011-07-16T12:47:00.000-07:00

July 15, 2011 - Kirby Krackle at The Comic Stop (Lynnwood, WA)

Gotta love a concert in a comic shop with little kids moshing ...

Five Bucks

2011-07-10T06:01:00.000-07:00

Seriously, FIVE bucks for dinner.

Late night munchies

2011-07-09T06:02:00.000-07:00

No, I am not proud of this. But, for me and the boy, this was awesome recent post movie Friday night grub back at the apt.

Parity (Oxymoron Project)

2011-07-09T05:14:00.000-07:00

Seattle Sounders FC 4
New York Red Bulls 2
June 23, 2011
XBox Pitch - Seattle, WA

Good organizations in all sports seem to overcome handicaps. Bad organizations stay bad in spite of the help ...

Do you want to be a buying club or a selling club. I recently read Harry make that comment about Spurs and Gareth Bale.

MLS? NFL? NBA? MLB? NHL?

Lots of team have brief jumps to success in US leagues, yet there are some common results in amongst the different financial systems.

Good teams find a way.

Even though the perception in MLB is that only the big clubs rule, all but three have made at least one World Series in my lifetime, and only 4 have not made a Super Bowl. Yes, there are a few clubs that stay up, but that has as much to do with good sense and planning as cash. There are plenty of large market teams, in the same city as the Yankees, that are perpetually awful despite all the financial advantages.
It seems more difficult to get good in the NBA. The NHL is very different after the lost season.

MLS strives for parity, yet even there the good teams seem to stay good.

This was a crazy game.

The 2 early goals altered the intensity of both teams and turned it into a roller coaster sort of a game. However, the Rave Green D played more like Keystone Cops than professional defenders.

After RL scored his second goal I think there was a wave of man crushes on him throughout the stadium. A pressure goal like that only happens once or twice a season, good to see it on our side. Oh, and the Scuba was a great goal celebration.

Greg Sutton was not in good form; he hammered a Sounders player to draw a foul that went the wrong way, overreacted and charged a ref after the 2nd goal without punishment, but Karma bit his ass on the fourth goal to make up for it.

No Henry, Agudelo, or Rafa ... this could have been a very different game.

I am losing respect for Dwayne Diva DeRosario the way he went after an obvious foul at the end when it was totally unnecessary.

Henry, Beckham (03), and MJ (85) ... not playing right before a trip to Seattle? Too much of a habit for me.

46K

Midfield up high is nice.

Probably too excited about this ...

2011-07-08T18:19:00.001-07:00

Recently, my trusty toaster emitted a giant blue spark. Countertop kitchen appliances should not do that, even if it is sort of exciting it doesn't really toast anything at that point and leaving it plugged in is sort of a bad idea. So ... off I went toaster shopping and I found this on clearance at Freddy's for $8.99 and felt plenty proud of myself for finding such an awesome deal. This picture is of the ceremonial first Eggo's. There will never be a frosted Pop Tart tainting this toaster.

The greatest potato chips ever.

2011-07-08T18:17:00.000-07:00

Main Street Alehouse in Bothell fresh potato chips ... cajun style with nummy dip.

I Heart Epsom Salt

2011-07-08T18:16:00.001-07:00

Sitting on my couch with my feet in an epsom salt hot water soak while watching the third season of True Blood on DVD.

Ted's old team

2011-07-08T17:55:00.000-07:00

Seattle Mariners 1
Atlanta Braves 3
June 27, 2011
Safeco Field - Seattle, WA
Interleague Play

Larry had a rough game, but it is harder than many think to temporarily transition to DH as a position player.

Flirting with a couple of girls with my bro might have been a first.

My first Smoak and Ackley sightings. Oh, and I do not believe I saw Bedard pitch before. Of course, the Ms wasted a another solid pitching performance with their lack of offense.

Hopefully, these kids will start to hit and become the offense they need, because they will be fine if these guys mature into an offense.

The kids are all right.

Even using sunscreen

2011-07-08T06:02:00.000-07:00

One day in the sun a few weeks ago ... and two coatings of sunscreen were not enough. Given that I am of Celtic and Viking ancestry, this is not hard to find unsurprising.

Rough Cut Screening of The Historic

2011-07-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

"The Historic"
Rough Cut Screening
The Historic Everett Theatre
Everett, WA
June 25, 2011

Yes, I do have a brief appearance in this.

Yes, I did use my cell phone during the film to capture and post these pics on Facebook.

But, this is better than big budget films I have recently been to. I look forward to future Nick Terry films.

The City At (Almost) Night

2011-07-07T06:03:00.000-07:00

Seattle, from what is no longer Qwest Field just after the June 23, 2011 Seattle Sounders FC victory over the New York Red Bulls.

Four seats away ...

2011-07-06T15:57:00.000-07:00

2011 Science Fiction Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
EMP JBL Theater
June 24, 2011

So there I was at EMP in the JBL Theater for the SFM HOF ceremony. I realized that Harlan would not make it and was kind of bummed. Then, I realized I was FOUR seats away from Neil Gaiman and he was listed in the program as inducting Harlan ...

I got to watch him typing on his laptop ...

I seriously thought my son was going to get up and walk out, "You are being such a girl," he told me. However, he did not sell me out later when I lied to Neil about having seen his Doctor Who episode. Given that my son knows that I have never watched a single episode of any of the 11 doctors that was very nice of him and I probably owe him something for it.

Reading list 2011 first half

2011-07-06T06:29:00.000-07:00

I have not done a monthly reading list or set a particular numerical goal in 2011 like in recent years. My real goal this year is to complete some series, clear off some reading lists I have, and to get caught up on some comic series so that I am close to current and can read new issues as they come out without being so far behind. The list is not as OCD as previous years, but close.

Books
Agatha H and the Airship City by Kaja and Phil Foglio
The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking
Why AC/DC Matters by Anthony Bozza
True Grit by Charles Portis
Death By Blackhole by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Go The Fuck To Sleep by Adam Mansbach and Ricardo Cortes
Zombie Haiku: Good Poetry For Your...Brains by Ryan Mecum
Agent To The Stars by John Scalzi
Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines by Janna Levin
Countdown to Lockdown: A Hardcore Journal by Mick Foley
Dexter is Delicious by Jeff Lindsay
Magic at the Gate by Devon Monk
Magic on the Hunt by Devon Monk
A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris
All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris
The Day After and Other Stories by Wil Wheaton
Sunken Treasure by Wil Wheaton
Clash Of The Geeks by John Scalzi, Wil Wheaton, et al
Among The Free by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Bruce Dickinson: Flashing Metal with Maiden and Flying Solo by Joe Shooman

(Select) Short Fiction
"The Extinction Parade" by Max Brooks
"The Strange Case of Finley Jayne" (Steampunk Chronicles 0.5) by Kady Cross
"The Sweet Smell of Cherries" (Allie Beckstrom short story) by Devon Monk
"Hunter" by Wil Wheaton
"The Sentinel" by Arthur C Clarke

(Select) Graphic Novels and collections
Batwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka and J.H. Willams III
Powers by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming (volumes 1-13)
The Boys by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson (volumes 1-7)
Superman: New Krypton by various (complete series)
The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman and various artists (volumes 1 & 2)
The Devil's Panties by Jennie Breeden (volumes 0, 2, & pirate book)
Girl Genius by Phil and Kaja Foglio (volumes 1-10 + various shorts)

Avatar at EMP Member Preview Morning

2011-06-09T14:02:00.000-07:00

Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum
Avatar Exhibit Member Preview
June 4, 2011

Using the Whiskey Cow ...

2011-06-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

Woodinville Whiskey Co.
May 31, 2011
Volunteer Bottling Session

I do believe that we cranked out several hundred bottles in only 3 or so hours. Nice.

Things about this picture ...

2011-06-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

First of all, that is a duct tape wallet in Sounders FC green ... my daughter made it for me.

Secondly, that is a Magnum (ice cream coupon) in the wallet.

Some people might find this funny ...

Honorary Ecuadoran for 90 minutes

2011-05-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

Ecuador 1
Mexico 1
International Friendly
Qwest Field - Seattle, WA
5-28-11

One final dance ...

2011-05-23T17:06:00.000-07:00

McCabe's
Everett, WA
5-21-2011
RIP

Blistered Earth

2011-05-16T15:03:00.001-07:00

May 15, 2011
Tulalip Casino

versus PDX

2011-05-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

Seattle Sounders FC 1
Portland Timbers 1
May 14, 2011
Seattle, WA - XBox Pitch at Qwest Field

versus Seattle's soccer suburb PDX

Sounders vs. Timbers 7-2-3, 7-1-3 in league matches between various eras.

When adding 2010 Exhibition and FC Seattle Storm vs. FCP/PT 7-4-4

Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers (3-0)
04-25-76 W 1-0 (OT) NASL Regular Season – Kingdome
04-30-77 W 3-2 NASL Regular Season – Kingdome
06-30-79 W 5-1 NASL Regular Season – Kingdome
(+11-11-80 NASL Indoor Jamboree with Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers)

FC Seattle Storm vs. FC Portland/Portland Timbers (1-1-1)
07-26-86 T 1-1 FC Portland - Renton Stadium – Western Soccer Alliance (WSA) Regular Season
07-09-88 W 3-2 (OT) Portland Timbers (w/Sounders reunion game) – Memorial Stadium - Western Soccer Alliance (WSA) Regular Season
06-03-89 L 2-3 (OT) Portland Timbers – Memorial Stadium – Western Soccer League (WSL) Regular Season

Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers (4-2-1)
05-10-08 T 0-0 Cascadia Cup/USL-1 Regular Season - Qwest Field
08-01-07 W 2-0 Cascadia Cup/USL-1 Regular Season - Qwest Field
05-05-07 W 1-0 Cascadia Cup/USL-1 Regular Season – Qwest Field
07-22-06 W 3-1 Cascadia Cup/USL-1 Regular Season – Qwest Field
04-30-05 L 1-2 Cascadia Cup/USL-1 Regular Season – Qwest Field
05-15-04 L 0-1 Cascadia Cup/A-League Regular Season – Seahawks Stadium
05-05-02 W 1-0 A-League Regular Season – Memorial Stadium

Seattle Sounders FC vs. Portland Timbers (0-1-1)
03-11-10 L 0-1 Community Shield Match (Pre-Season Friendly)

Neil deGrasse Tyson at Meany Hall

2011-05-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

May 12, 2011

I ventured forth onto the grounds of my collegiate arch nemesis ...

Thank you emails from collegiate arch nemesis alumni associations are weird to receive.

Perspective on Fact Checking

2011-05-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

I recently took an opportunity to be a part of a project that looked like it would be fun. The project involves someone else blogging about a series of events in both an effort to get through a difficult time and the possibility of turning it someday into a book. The project looked and still looks interesting in principle. My involvement is now very much over.

First person or narrative non-fiction is a tricky thing; the writer both has to be factually accurate and give their personal reflections or perspectives on events that have occurred. I read a lot of this type of material. I enjoy reading how a writer views the material, but I trust that the factual details have been thoroughly vetted; including dates, places, and quotes. When those items are wrong or fudged, the entire context of the item as non-fiction is altered negatively.

Fact checking is essential to non-fiction in that events, dates, activities, quotes, etc ... either happened or did not; these things can be fact checked. If a person is misquoted or something is listed as having happened that did not it is a real problem and not a minor deal.

Perspectives are what the writer feels, thinks, believes, etc ... about the items that can be fact checked. Things either happened or they didn't. How the writer feels cannot really be fact checked because that is the point of the non-fiction ... to get the perspective. Opinions or perspectives are not facts and do not get fact checked. By all means a writer should state clearly how they feel about something.

The details in non-fiction matter and are not a small thing.

It is a challenge for a writer of first person narrative non-fiction to get the details right, but it is absolutely essential. If the details are not correct or blur into perspective the validity of the piece as non-fiction begins to fade. Exaggerations or details being a bit fuzzy can occur, but the writer needs to be careful at that point not to state something as factual when it might not be so, otherwise they mislead a reader. There are ways to do this that do not diminish the validity of the piece as non-fiction.

Finding a dance groove again

2011-05-10T23:58:00.000-07:00

Dancing.

It seems weird to think about how long I have been dancing and how far I have managed to go as a lead. Leading a woman about a dance floor to a song I like with good dance chemistry is something I never thought I would achieve. Yet, I cannot seem to generate any real dancing momentum any more.

There are a lot of factors that can explain my lack of dancing momentum. For instance, the group of dance partners I once cultivated as I learned to dance is mostly disbursed. I know longer have one or two reliable dancing partners that I can regularly contact or rely upon to be somewhere at a particular place and time. The venues where I once danced have significant dance culture issues. Well ... yes, all of these things are true. However, all of them are easy to overcome in many ways.

As a single male, when I go to a dance venue I am often in a situation where there are a lot of guys. However, there may be a lot of guys dancing, but not always a lot that can lead. After a few dances I can often shake loose from being just a guy there to being a lead women want to dance with. As a result the lack of previous dance partners being present does not always cause me problems.

Yet, I keep trying ... so there is a part of me that needs it. So, here I go again.

North Sound SeaWolves Inaugural Game

2011-05-08T11:59:00.000-07:00

North Sound SeaWolves Inaugural Game

North Sound Seawolves 0
Washington Crossfire 0
Goddard Stadium - Everett, WA
May 7, 2011

It was very cool to see a new club make its regular season debut in Everett. Although the game ended nil nil it was not without its share of moments. North Sound have a really sweet set piece goal called back for ... something. Crossfire had a sure goal cleared off the line by a far post defender. Both sides hit a post or crossbar. Each keeper was called on to make some tricky saves. Each side had a former Sounder on the field. Hopefully the crowds will keep growing over time. Very cool.

More Nirvana ...

2011-05-08T11:52:00.000-07:00

I posted this picture on the EMP Nirvana fan photo site with the following information:

"These are two pieces of vinyl I picked up many years ago before Nevermind came out. I always thought Nirvana was good, but who knew they would blow up so big?"

Picture

2011-05-07T19:37:00.000-07:00

The things we "fall into" ...

This sort of thing is Awesome; and since I only have time for things that are Awesome, I had to join in.

My friends of Classic Paintings Modern Times are Awesome.

Nirvana Exhibit Member Preview Night At EMP

2011-04-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

April 15, 2011
EMP - Seattle, WA

SeaWolves

2011-04-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

I have maintained a good soccer collection of various teams. My Spokane Shadow stuff recently posted on the blog as an example.

So, I now have a new local team to support in the North Sound SeaWolves. I recently went to an autograph signing with Craig Tomlinson and now have my first piece of memorabilia.

In the past my local minor league teams have included the Everett Bigfoot and Seattle Hibernian, a little bit of memorabilia for each is included in this post.

Sweet Caroline

2011-04-12T20:07:00.000-07:00

Caroline Kennedy
Third Place Books
Lake Forest Park, WA
4-11-11

Got the chance to sit in on a brief talk by Caroline Kennedy about poetry. Took my mom and her neighbor, who were overwhelmingly in the main demographic, and acted mostly as driver and photog.

TCW 4-9-11

2011-04-11T20:12:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I had even heard of TCW - Tulalip Championship Wrestling - until it had been around for almost two years. Finally, I made the effort to go. It has been too many years since I have been to an indie wrestling card and that will not happen again. A small venue just added to how much this totally rocked for a Saturday evening.

The pics mostly suck because the way the lighting was and it being indoor made my camera really confused, but I picked out a few high points for this post.

TCW HEAVYWWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
NO DQ- FALLS COUNT ANYWHERE
KELLEN RAETH defeated J-SIN SULLIVAN

TCW WOMAN'S CHAMPIONSHIP
MJ AURORA defeated The LOVELY LYLAH
by Countout

HBQ- HOME BOY QUIZ defeated DASH VENTURE

LUCHA LIBRE RULES
AZTECA & JUVENTUD 3000 defeated
EL VAGABUNDO & PELIGRO

EXILE defeated HOSS TULL

PAT LARGE defeated LOVERBOY NATE

DR. KLIEVER defeated CJ EDWARDS

I Felt At Home

2011-04-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

I didn't even know I had a tape dispenser like this.

I complain some more about parking in Seattle

2011-03-29T07:37:00.000-07:00

30 minute zones should have 30 minute meters.

It doesn't seem so long ago that one would pull up to a parking meter in Seattle, plug in a few coins, be able to read exactly how much time one had on the meter, and move one. If the meter was two hours you could plug in up to two hours worth of coins and if it was only 30 that was that. Times have changed. Today, we can use our debit cards to pay for parking in addition to coins at spiffy new stations that print out stickers that tell us not how much time is left, but at what time the parking expires. In some ways this is an improvement (no change is no longer an issue), but in other ways not so much(creates waste in "green" Seattle).

I have tried to not make Shotgun Prose a bitch fest over the years. On occasion I do, and this is one of them. See, it seems like Seattle is going out of its way to make driving into Seattle as unattractive as it possibly can be without having a truly awesome mass transit system to compensate for the need to drive in to town. It feels like the parking situation just gets worse and more complicated and sometimes areas are blocked off from parking for no visible reason. The new parking meter system is confusing and the machines are fuss about cards.

Also, when I was at a 30 minute spot in a 30 minute zone on a street where all the spots are 30 minutes there should not be a machine that gives you a 2 Hour charge and ticket when you press "Max Time".

Recently, I pulled up to Qwest Field to get some stuff from the team shop and there was a 30 minute spot. I did not have coin, so I plugged in my card and got charged $5 for two hours of "Max Time". There does not appear to be a viable way to correct mistakes, Seattle sure as hell is not going to issue a refund, and I guess the 2 on the meter station should have caught my eye. Instead of paying about 75 cents I was on the hook for the full $5.

Seattle will tell you that the new system allows you to take the ticket with you. Great. Nice. Wonderful. #*(%ing useless. I was ripped off by Seattle by their new and improved system. There is part of me that figures that this happens a lot. It means that Seattle gets a lot of people like me paying "Max Time" at stations like this for time that is never going to be used and therefore gets a lot of extra cash as this happens over time. This is a truly $#!++y way to treat people who drive into town.

A 30 minute zone should only have 30 minute meters. It used to be that way and a new and improved system should not be worse than the previous one for the consumer.

The Gold Scarf should go to ...

2011-03-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

With Drew Carey getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame I joked to a friend that it is now only a matter of time this season for when Vince McMahon shows up and gets a gold scarf. But, the best thing they could do is have Kane come and get the scarf and have Carey put it on him. I will let you google a photo from the Royal Rumble in 2001 to see why. WWE will be here soon for a May PPV ... let's hope.

Maestro Gerard Schwarz of the Seattle Symphony got the scarf in the opener, and then conducted the band for the national anthem ... I found that to be a nice start to the season as he is retiring this year.

Here is a list of potential mostly soccer related Gold Scarf potential recipients and why I think they make good choices.

1) The Yugo Duo of Preki and Steve Zungul
- to honor the original Tacoma Stars

2) Fernando Clavijo
- to honor the Seattle Seadogs

3) Harry Redknapp
- current Spurs boss and NASL Sounder player and asst. coach would be an awesome recipient in conjunction with a friendly with Spurs

4) Neil Megson / Laurie Calloway / Bernie James
- old coaches day

5) Bruce Arena
- to honor the ASL Tacoma Tides and this would have been cool before the opener in a bit a gamesmanship

6) Kasey Keller
- this could happen before his final home game in the fall or at the start of 2012

7) Marcus Hahnemann
- Marcus is reportedly out of contract this summer and it would be awesome if he decided to come home, train in the fall with the SSFC, receive a Gold Scarf, and then sign to play 2-3 seasons back home in Seattle to finish his career where it started.

8) 1977 Cosmos - Pele by McAllister, Beckenbauer or Chinaglia ...
- Really tap into the rich history of the Sounders name with members of the 1977 Soccer Bowl teams some August.

9) John Harkes
- Harkes clearly loves the atmosphere of the XBox Pitch and it would be cool to honor the USMNT's only ever crowned Captain For Life.

10) Kevin Callabro
- the 2010 experiment did not work out, but it was worth trying and since KC has been such a part of the sports landscape for so long it would be a nice touch to bring him back to get a cheer

11) Marshawn Lynch
- his run in the playoffs triggered a fan response so severe it was measurable on a fault line

12) Bob Robertson and Bob Rondeau
- The Bobs are the voices of the Cougs and Dawgs and have a history with soccer in this region.

13) Lauren Jackson
- to honor the 2010 WNBA champs and because she is awesome

14) Washington Stealth
- to honor a team that won a title in 2010 and to give exposure to other local teams

15) PDL clubs
- bring in members of the various PDL clubs for a chance to expose the lower tiers to a major audience

16) The Winnebago Man Jack Rebney
- the Holy Grail of Gold Scarf potentials as Rebney was actually the NASL Sounders GM in the early 1980s

17) Me
- if I ever finish and publish Oxymoron

I would hope to see all of these eventually get the Gold Scarf, but we have years and years to see ...

Rules I have learned to follow on FB

2011-03-28T12:34:00.000-07:00

1) Non sequitur comments get more attention.
The odd little comments I make get a lot more comments.

2) Passive aggressive behavior does not get me to re-post.
All those please re-post if you believe in this cause thing that are really passive aggressive like "You aren't my friend and don't care about ____ victims if you don't re-post this" comments will never get me to re-post them. Ever. I didn't like that kind of behavior at recess in Kindergarten and I don't like it on Facebook. It is not why I am on Facebook. Leave me alone.

3) Too many political or religious postings and I hide you.
This goes for those I agree with and is a judgement call thing. However, if it seems like that is all someone is doing I am tired of having that clog up the news feed. If I wanted all that crap in my face I would get cable and listen to talk radio.

4) Funny stuff, I look forward to you.
Some of my friends post awesome and funny things. I look forward to their observations.

5) Accept friends, then click Hide.
There are times where an awkward friend request comes through. I have found that if I just click the hide button after friending them it works out for the best. It doesn't reall come up much, but for those few times this is a good rule to follow.

6) Posting pictures is a mixed blessing.
I find myself in a lot of photos from other people. If Facebook had really awesome facial recognition software it would be even worse.

7) What happens on Facebook does not stay on Facebook.
"Private" is a loose concept given that this is a place on The Internets where stuff is being protected by a third party. Everything you put on there is public no matter what. Do not believe that anything is truly private.

Geek Night Out

2011-03-25T19:24:00.000-07:00

March 24, 2011
After shuffling my schedule a bit I managed to be able to attend. The PacSci Star Wars exhibit is something I was wanting to do anyway, so this was as good an excuse as any to get to it when I might have kept putting it off until it was too late like the Harry Potter one. I enjoyed the Dark Matter lecture very much, and since it was a 21+ event it was nice to sit in the Laser Dome with a beer and have that be okay. Probably could have paid more attention to the details of the exhibit than I did, but it was refreshing to go to an event like this with a group that all had this common interest and I was as interested in BS'ing with as much as anything else.

So, a nice cup of soup at The Hurricane Cafe and off we went ...

2011 Opener

2011-03-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

SSFC 0 LAG 1
MLS Regular Season - X-Box Pitch at Qwest Field
MLS First Kick 2011

I am not going to post a lot about this as it was sort of the thing we has seen so often. The Sounders attack, don't get an early goal because a keeper is solid. Then, they have a five second defensive lapse leading to a goal, Sigi makes weird subs, and they do not score at home. Frustrating.

However, I did win and sort of dominate my Foosball match, winning a tee shirt. I guess that is something.

A Minion Discloses Comicon Secrets

2011-03-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

Emerald City Comicon 2011
March 4-6, 2011
MINION

A story in which our hero spends much more time doing something than originally intended, includes a fist bump from Wil Wheaton for paying up money owed in quarters, gets a new nickname from a Buffy star, gets to see TJ Hooker in person, brings his Overlord cupcakes, and we find out that sometimes parking downtown is actually cheaper than the bus.

I have gone to various comicons in the past, most of them not having the scope that ECCC has grown to. A few years ago I started being a regular attendee at the ECCC and kind of wanted one of the red shirts that the workers of the con had. A few months ago now I saw a call for volunteers to be a MINION for the con and that it would include perks like being able to attend the con in exchange for time served. For whatever reason, I went ahead and clicked the button, filled out the form, and was successfully through the screening program and invited to give my blood, sweat, and tears. Cupcakes were mentioned. Fast forward to a couple weeks before the con and a meeting was held for potential minions, in which great attendance actually occurred, department heads were met with, and it became apparent that I might need to alter the original time I would serve and found myself agreeing to extra hours. Given that it appeared the con was actually well organized, I felt comfortable doing this.

My Friday was not nearly as open as I had hoped. So, I felt better about the Saturday hours. I would still have a lot of attendee time. But, my Friday availability continued to shrink in advance of the event so plans needed to be made. On Thursday eve I went to a place we shall code name Albertson's and picked up some most excellent peace offerings known as Hostess Cupcakes.

I was able to get to the con by 4:30 on Friday, much later than originally hoped for, but with cupcakes in hand as I entered 307 I hoped all would be well. Upon entering I was provided with my excellent green MINION tee shirt and whisked immediately up on to the show room floor to assist with Artist's Alley. The con was much busier on Friday than I really think anyone expected and Minions were tiring.

For the next four hours as the con wore down for the day and while artists were closing shop for the night I minioned my area. It was a great chance to help really hot women find artists their boyfriends liked in order to get something signed as a gift (actually happened). As I minioned Artist's Alley questions were asked of me, answers were sought, lines were wrangled, and much friendly banter occurred. Mark Waid actually used the sentence, "Excellent minioning" at one point. The creators whose work has found its way on to the silver screen or idiot box have a rather higher level of volume. I passed along a message to Phil Foglio that a buddy of mine would not be able to attend and he did a little drawing for me to give to him. When in my life would I ever be able to say that I did Marv Wolfman a favor? Also, I was able to scout the area out for when I would be an attendee and know where certain artists were. Friday gave me a good vibe and I had only been there four hours.

Sidebar 1: “To minion” is now a verb and I do not think that it was prior to being used as such at ECCC. I feel privileged to have been a part of something that adds to the English language in such a way. The green shirts we wore turned out to be kind of a special thing. I heard stories of people being offered things in exchange for their green MINION shirts. A few minions I saw got all sorts of autographs on theirs. Winning!

With sheer luck I managed to get back to the magical minion lair of 307 and grab my stuff in time to scurry to the big auditorium and catch the beginning of the Buffy Singalong. It is with great confidence that I state that the Buffy musical has the potential to become the Rocky Horror of our time. Plus, on Saturday morn I got to hear a Fellow Minion utter the sentence, "I haven't been to Rocky Horror since I was three," and realize that she wasn't joking. In addition, I scored a Buffy Sings, "Pump Me For Information" button that I wore with my minion badge for the rest of the con, including when I was standing later at the Spike table on Sunday. Nice.

Sidebar 2: I paid $3.66 to park downtown on Friday night. I only had to pay til six, but on Saturday I paid $4.50 round trip to take the bus in from the park and ride, and on Sunday parking was free and I scored a spot just off Pike a block from the con. So ... the lesson learned was that it was actually more cost effective for me to not take public transportation two of the three days. Public Transportation Funding Fail.

Despite having my boots in the car and Knut Bell playing the Hen all weekend I was already a bit tired. It was the 6th day of my work week and I had volunteered to be back at the con at seven. I am not a morning person in ANY sense of the word. It made sense to volunteer more hours in a way that would still allow for as much attendee time as possible so I did it.

I managed to get to the park and ride on time and get to the con by seven, which is something from where I am sitting. When I arrived I was promptly asked to assist with line wrangling those really enthusiastic convention attendee souls in line before the gates were open to get an early spot for the Priceline Negotiator guy. The convention center staff was kind of freaked by just how many people were there early, but they were in public space and it was before con hours. However, due to the excellent minioning done by a group early arriving minions those in line were herded to a good enough to stop the convention center staff from continuing to freak out sort of order. Eventually, a suit arrived and we were able to split the ticket holding group and the ticket buying group up and those who got in line did not get screwed over by losing their well earned front spots in line. This easily could have been a disaster, it wasn't. The convention center suit seemed impressed with our minion line wrangling abilities and those early attendees ended up well treated.

Once we got people in through the con doors, my task changed to that of the media lines, where I was magically transported to the same place all those early arrivals were. I was not a doppelganger of the guy up stairs ...

The Media guests used to be on the show floor, but the decision was made to move the location this year. I think that this turned out for the best, as it freed up a lot of show floor space and allowed the con to keep better order of an area as potentially crazy as the Media area will get. I was thankful that I ended up NOT in the area for The Shat, even though from all accounts it went very well. It looked like an absolute cluster#*(% on that side of the room. I was down with the TNG guys and it was busy enough. I had the Brent Spiner line and worked mostly with a guy name Mike that had a good handle on what we needed to do. The guys were good sports about candid photos, but that was in part because minions managed to convey the message that flashes were a no-no by repeating said instructions over and over and over again ... that part actually kind of got old. But, back in 02 at the Winter Olympics I was up at the Luge track and they actually had volunteers going along and giving people blue masking tape to cover their flashes. We did not go that far, but flashes could potentially blind and kill the athletes, in this instance it would just put TV actors into Diva mode if it got out of hand.

Sidebar 3: There was this guy in line for Spiner with this pretty comicon cool Captain America hoody that actually had a mask as the hood that fit over his eyes and had an A on the forehead and little wings on it. The existence of this hoody had his wife utterly horrified to be in its presence. My comment to him led him to show me the hood and had her recoiling in horror. However, when I pointed out how many people seemed to like it in line, including those suddenly taking his picture (leading to more reminders to turn off flashes) she had to finally accept that if there was one place, one time, and one audience where it might be okay to wear this item, it was at ECCC amongst his people. She seemed visibly relieved. He will never be allowed to wear it again, but for one moment it worked out for him. This is just one of the many services I provide.

Spiner was near Frakes and Wil Wheaton. In fact, the curtain between them had apparently been taken down by Frakes, who seemed to relish his role as MC for that side of the room, even going so far as to offer to sign anything William Shatner for five bucks. Spiner was a very nice man, polite to guests, and said thank you to Mike and I when he went on break. His handler helped us out with the volume he could do in a certain time period and it allowed us to cut his line off so he could get to his panel and photo op on time without leaving a group of people waiting for no reason. This was nice. I was near the Fringe people and TRON but I really didn’t get much of a chance to see what was going on over there given how steady our area was.

Sidebar 4: I recently downloaded a short story by Wil Wheaton titled "Hunter". Go ahead and google it really quick. Good. Anyways, it was kind of a pay what you want download. It appeared a couple bucks was the average and so I downloaded it for my Kobo. However, Paypal and I are not the best of friends so I had decided a couple weeks before con when I downloaded it that I would print out a hard copy, have him sign it, and then give him the two bucks in cash. A good plan. Due to lines and hours and my sudden desire to keep minioning, it became apparent that I would likely not get in the Wheaton line and accomplish this task. In both 09 and 10 I got his autograph and picture, including having him sign my VHS copy of Flubber last year (an apparent first for him, go ahead and look it up on IMDB, he plays a surly college kid son of the dean basketball player). Soooooo .... when Wil stepped out front of his table at one point, I slid over quickly and set the two bucks in coin in my pocket onto his table and informed his staffer very quickly of why. Wil was sneaking behind me to get back to the safer side of the table and apparently overheard my explanation, uttered the phrase, “In quarters!” whilst pocketing said quarters, and offered up a fist bump. A good story in lieu of an autograph? Win, I say.

It was 1pm on Saturday and off I went on my autograph seeking rounds. ECCC is a comic book based event after all ... I had put in my shift on Friday, added the hours Saturday, and felt good about it. For the next two hours I briskly moved about Artist’s Alley, getting a number of items signed by Geoff Darrow, Kurt Busiek, JG Jones, Mark Waid, Marv Wolfman, and others, seriously nailing at least 75 percent of the stack I had brought. However, it was apparent that there was more minioning left in me and so I posed the offer that if they needed me I would be back to help. Offer accepted, and at 3ish I was upstairs helping out with clearing out the big auditorium of TNG fans in order to fill it with Buffy fans. It was in my own self interest to do this, as I had planned to go to the Buffy and Boston Legal panels anyways. As such, I was in the room and able to reasonably follow along from near the stage and off to one side. Double win.

About half way through Captain Kirk’s panel it was requested by a Fellow Minion (something I will never tire of saying) to help get the line together for the screening of Browncoats to follow the Shatner panel. Since I had been able to enjoy a bunch of it I didn’t feel put out and headed over to get a surprisingly large number of people ready.

Sidebar 5: Fan films are a catch-22. Even at their best there is always a certain amount of hesitation I have watching them. Fortunately, Browncoats: Redemption is at the far upper end of the fan film phenomena. Once we got people in I was off minioning duty again and went and sat in, asked a question during the Q & A scoring a Jones Soda, and brought home a DVD.

It was 7pm and I was tired. 12 hours at the con, 8 working and 4 playing, had made for the good kind of tired. So, as I got back to my car at the park and ride I looked longingly at my cowboy boots and drove home instead of heading to where the cowgirls needed me as a dance lead, choosing to not be even more tired for Sunday. See, as I left I agreed to come in early on Sunday to help out again with the early birds. That, and I completely spaced the panel and movie from the guy on The Office.

It was 8am on Sunday and I had just scored a sweet free parking spot. Quickly we went back out and found the same exact four guys in the front of the line from yesterday already in the place where they ended up the morning before. There is a weird phenomena about lines, in that once they start, most people notice them and get in them. The convention center staff was very relieved that this was occurring and later as people filled in the much shorter than Saturday line things went very smoothly. No reason to reinvent the wheel every day. The same suit came over, the same process was followed, and the same result worked out well for everyone. Winning!

At ten I was an attendee again for a while, trying to finish off my autograph pile. Other than one writer who made an early exit I managed to complete basically the pile I brought in the 10 to 1130 stretch and the 230 to 330 stretch I was out getting things signed. At 1130 I went back to Media and worked the Brainiac table with Roy and Marlowe next line over with Xander. Given that these were sort of long shifts and in a group of people things can get warm I had been wearing a black bandana and my large martial arts wrist bands with my awesome green MINION tee shirt. Marsters and his people called me “Pirate Guy” to get my attention. I accepted the nickname in the spirit in which it was given and no one other than them will ever get away with it. Just saying. Spike has a very enthusiastic female following. I asked him at one point if all these women ever got old and he gave me a sly smile and no freaking way nod. Cool guy.

Sidebar 6: The woman who played Glory (Clare Kramer) was also near by and I had always thought she was a pretty lady, but in person … smo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-king hot. So, when she asked if I would mind standing near her table to keep an eye on it when she took a break the answer was of course that I would do anything she asked. I think I managed to just say something like, “Of course,” but you never know.

I was finished down in media again. Someone asked me when I was off and I got to say the classic phrase, "I'm not even supposed to be here today!" But, I said it in a fun way. It was actually better minioning than simply attending. It was stated once that the more we minioned the more we would want to, and that actually happened. There was another hour where I was able to get a few items purchased and signed and I returned to 307 to hang out and see if anything else was needed.

307 turned out to be a very cool place to be when not actually minioning or attending; we swapped war stories, told each other funny things, ate the donuts that magically appeared, and just hung out in the presence of new people that shared common interests. This may come across as overly sentimental, but hanging out and getting to know the other green shirts and black shirted staff members like Carly, Johnny, and Rose went a long way towards me working the extra hours I ended up choosing to work.

Sidebar 7: It is always good to run into people you know in large crowds. There were several friendly faces there including Paige at her Corner Comics booth.

Sunday night I was home and exhausted in the good sort of way. Some of my friends probably got sick of all my FB posts from the con, but so be it. Given that for some of them my being out of the closet about comicons and geekdom, maybe it gives them permission to admit to theirs. I think a few of them might end up as Fellow Minions in the future.

This is actually the second attempt at this post, as last week I spent several hours typing and saving only to have Blogger delete it. Their customer service would improve if they actually had any.

Happy PI Day

2011-03-14T01:14:00.000-07:00

I was hungry while waiting to see Picasso in December and drew this in a kids area at SAM. I had no idea I was about to draw about food ...

Poverty (Oxymoron Project)

2011-03-10T11:56:00.000-08:00

Seattle Sounders FC 3
Colorado Rapids 1
March 9, 2011 - XBox Pitch at Qwest Field
Community Shield

For decades, yes decades, I have followed impoverished soccer teams.

So, when the Sounders have games like this to raise some cash or play international friendies and people scream "Cash Grab!" I scream back, "Good! I am sick of broke teams struggling to get by!"

If things like this make it possible to have the cash to sign their roster, I am on board.

Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.

2011-02-26T19:38:00.000-08:00

The Historic: First Poster

2011-02-24T18:30:00.000-08:00

Reading lists ... or not ... 2011

2011-02-16T06:46:00.000-08:00

For the past few years I have done versions of reading lists on this blog.

However, for 2011 I am not planning to do that.

I commented to a friend I shall call Bob that it just got tedious and felt like too much work, which seems lame even to me, but it is true. I just have not maintained an interest in the listing so I will not be doing it at this time.

I might post a highlights list at some point, but nothing is certain. How this blog is used is always in flux.

This year I will be continuing to clear off old reading lists, complete various series, use my new Kobo as much as possible, and am planning a huge graphic novel binge. Also, new books by Jean Auel and David Foster Wallace will play a part.

Things I can do without as a sports fan - 2011 edition

2011-02-01T10:58:00.000-08:00

1) Radio call in segments - I probably did not like listening to you rant at the game and I do not want to hear you in my car or at home on the radio.

2) Statistical minutiae in lieu of actual analysis - The eyeball test is still more important to me as a fan or coach. What do you see and judge? Not just who is .02 percent statistically better at something ...

3) Stadium Bag Checks - Yes, terrorists are going to attack Mariners Fan Fest ... and by poking a stick in my mother's purse I feel so much safer.

4) Diva athletes - Not just NFL Wide Receivers either ...

5) People who think sports are what they used to be or should still be what they were - Times change. What things used to cost is interesting too I guess ...

6) Nike - Especially Oregon uniforms. Nike represents everything that is wrong with college athletics today. I am not crazy about their soccer stuff either ...

7) Soccer fans who still think it is 1985 - Soccer has made it in this country. No, it is not as big as the NFL, but it is a legit and viable business now.

8) BCS whining - A Division 1 Football playoff would be great, I get it. I would watch it. But, College Football being different is part of why they won't change it. They want it to stay different. The NCAA is not going to get involved, Congress cannot make them do anything, and the big conferences will go back to old bowl match ups just to be dicks if they have to. Until and unless the NCAA creates a playoff, and there is nothing to indicate that is coming, there won't be one.

9) Cheating - Flopping and diving equals cheating.

10) Jumping countries - Unless there is a real compelling reason, people should play for their actual country and not switch for career reasons.

11) Inadequate or inappropriate use of technology during games - Certain things are not judgement calls. A game should not be decided because I ref could not see a line. If the tech is available and not hugely intrusive and still not used, that is stupid. It is not needed for everything, but it is needed for matters of fact. I even like the idea of fining floppers or cheaters later if there is video evidence.

12) Scoreboard proposals - It is no longer new and exciting to put your potential bride to be on a giant screen to ambush her with a proposal. Bobble head dolls are no longer new and innovative either.

13) Piped in music and cheering - Do not tell me it is time to cheer. I can tell.

14) Prissy fans at stadiums - I understand that there is a line and sometimes too much is too much, but if your team hits a homer it should be okay to stand and cheer.

15) Fantasy sports, especially football - I need to not hear about stats being used so far out of context and I do not care that you had the San Diego defense last weekend.

16) NCAA anti-celebration rules - Taunting and unsportsmanlike conduct should be flagged, but that is not what they flag in college football. Jake Locker against BYU and the kid in the Pinstripe Bowl did not do anything that could remotely be considered taunting or unsportsmanlike. Everyone on the NCAA rules committee that have voted for these rules need to be removed from their jobs.

17) The word "motivation" ...

M's FanFest 2011

2011-01-29T14:36:00.000-08:00

Mostly, this is stuff from the Dave Niehaus Tribute room ... and some shots from the field. I always like going down on the field.

Spokane Shadow RIP ...

2011-01-29T10:53:00.000-08:00

http://www.examiner.com/soccer-in-seattle/spokane-shadow-flashback-strikes-a-nerve-with-readers

http://goalseattle.com/Spokane/SPO/spokane_soccer_history.htm

Spokane Shadow

07-25-95 L 1-2 (ot) Portland Firebirds – SVCC - Inaugural Season

06-02-96 W 3-2 Everett Bigfoot – SVCC - Reg

08-10-96 W 2-1 Puget Sound Hammers – SVCC - Playoffs

08-02-97 L 0-1 San Gabriel Valley Highlanders – Albi - Playoffs

06-13-97 W 1-0 Bellingham Orcas – Albi - Reg

07-05-97 L 1-2 Vancouver 86ers – Albi – Exh

05-15-99 W 3-2 Willamette Valley Firebirds – Albi - USOCQ

06-10-00 L 0-4 Seattle Sounders – Albi - Exh

Bees

2011-01-24T09:29:00.000-08:00

I do not like dreaming about having bees on me. Lately, it seems like that is happening all the time. There is usually just one, it tends to be on my forearm, and it is a huge strain to try and flick it off. The tendency is then that I wake up, either because I am getting stung or because I am physically flicking my arm and startling myself. It is hard to know exactly which one it is, although both seem to be cousins of the whole "pinch me" approach to determining whether one is awake or asleep. In the dreams I do have a sensory memory of being calm and rational about it all, which is off since I have generally tended to be spastic and panic stricken in the real world most of my life. Since my kids were born I have developed a new bee sting backbone and have managed to confront potential bee sting situations with much more of a "man up" approach than in the decades preceding. Ending up in the hospital getting steroid shots in the ass from a scary as hell nurse is not something I relish ever repeating. Long story.

Dreams are made of our thoughts, fears, goals, anxieties, and subconscious trying to work through those situations. I don't believe in any of that silly nonsense about dreams having precognitive powers, but even just writing that sounds pretentious and condescending so I am not going to expand or expound on it here, even though is is at least somewhat useful and necessary to state it at least briefly for the perspective to be understood. Not that being afraid of bees and being stung when deathly allergic is too complicated, but still ...

There are all sorts of meaning about bees in the psychological literature that I have found about it representing anger and control issues. So maybe I dream about bees when I am in a higher anxiety period? This sort of speculation could go off the rails really quickly.

Bottom line is I am tired about dreaming about bees.

Fortunately, I was wearing a glove ...

2011-01-15T10:36:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, over my sink ...

World Cup Captains (Oxymoron Project)

2011-01-11T11:05:00.000-08:00

As a part of the ever ongoing Oxymoron Project research and list making ... this is in regards to World Cup Captions that have won the trophy and therefore been the player that first hoisted the trophy. It is an elite group. I will break it down in regards to men and women separately.

19 men have hoisted the World Cup trophy as captains of their country. No one has hoisted it twice.

I have seen 6 of them play and Dunga later as a coach with Brazil.
Bobby Moore with the Seattle Sounders
Franz Beckenbauer with the Cosmos
Carlos Alberto with the Cosmos
Diego Maradona with Argentina
Iker Casillas with Real Madrid
Fabio Cannavaro with Real Madrid

4 women have hoisted the World Cup trophy as captains of their country. Birgit Prinz has hoisted it twice for Germany.

I have seen one of them as a coach and 2 of the other 3 as players.

April Heinrichs as USA coach
Birgit Prinz with Germany
Carla Overbeck with the USA

Book List 2010 ... month twelve and year end

2011-01-11T11:04:00.000-08:00

I finished the reading goal way too early and the wheels fell off this project. So, in early November when I realized I had not read very much and was late on posting the October list I went ahead and just decided then to put everything into one post at the end and not think about it for a while. So, here it is ... the final 3 months of the reading list for 2010 in recap form without a complete list or breakdown. I probably ended at about 130 for the year.

A few highlights:

Second Wind : One Woman's Midlife Quest to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents
by Cami Ostman

Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern

Odd And The Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman

I went on a graphic novel binge, mostly by Mark Millar. Old Man Logan and a few others are great reads and comics done well. Also, I read the first collections of Chew and Cowboy Ninja Viking and enjoyed them very much.

I ended 2010 with one book to go in a 7 book series by Margaret Peterson Haddix about a dystopian world with autocratic population controls after a famine. I read this with my son.

Ephemera 2010

2011-01-11T03:55:00.000-08:00

Ephemera Project Updates for 2010 because I am OCD about this kind of listing and figure it is better to simply go along with it at this point since it is mostly harmless. This year I was more detailed than normal. Please don't judge. It was lists and the ability to make lists like this that is what is making my soccer book "Oxymoron" possible. I was not certain I would post this but decided to because I have referred to previous lists for various purposes.

Sporting events:
WSU Cougars 54 UW Huskies 70 (BOA Arena) 2-27-10 - Pac 10 Women Regular Season

Sounders FC 0 Portland Timbers 1 (Qwest Field) 3-11-10 - Community Shield

Sounders FC 2 Philadelphia Union 0 (Qwest Field) 3-25-10 - MLS Regular Season

Seattle Mariners 6 Cincinnatti Reds 5 (Peoria Sports Complex) 3-26-10 - Cactus League

Seattle Mariners 1 Los Angeles Dodgers 3 (Camelback Ranch) 3-27-10 - Cactus League

Seattle Mariners 0 Chicago Cubs 1 (Peoria Sports Complex) 3-28-10 - Cactus League

Sounders FC 3 New England Revolution 0 (Qwest Field) 6-5-10 - MLS Regular Season

Sounders FC 2 DC United 3 (Qwest Field) 6-10-10 - MLS Regular Season

Yakima Reds 1 Tacoma Tide FC 7 (Marquette Stadium) 6-26-10 - PDL Northwest Division Regular Season

Sounders FC 1 AD Isidro Metapán 0 (Qwest Field) - CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round Leg One

Seattle Storm 111 Tulsa Shock 65 (Key Arena) 8-7-10 - WNBA Regular Season

Seattle Seahawks 24 Green Bay Packers 27 (Qwest Field) 08-21-10 - NFL Preseason

Sounders FC 0 C.F. Monterrey 2 (Qwest Field) - CONCACAF Champions League Group Phase

Sounders FC 2 Columbus Crew 1 (Qwest Field) - US Open Cup Final

Live music:
Bob Manning & The Honky Tonk Roadshow 2-12-10 Little Red Hen
Jerry & The Philbillys 2-18-10 / 2-19-10 / 5-21-10 / 5-22-10 / 8-7-10 Little Red Hen
Young Country 3-27-10 / Whiskey River Saloon
Exene Cervenka 04-16-10 / Easy Street Records
The Nathan Arneson Band 04-16-10 / 10-01-10 Little Red Hen
Wes Jones Band 04-18-10, 06-20-10 / Little Red Hen - 06-05-10 / T's Honky Tonk
Knut Bell & The Blue Collars 05-07-10, 07-09-10, 07-10-10, 09-03-10, 11-25-10, 11-26-10, 12-25-10, 12-31-10 / Little Red Hen
Open Mic 5-23-10 Little Red Hen
The Shivering Denizens 06-17-10 Little Red Hen
Marlin James Trio 07-20-10 / 08-17-10 Little Red Hen
1Uppers 07-25-10 Little Red Hen
The Whiskey Rose Band 08-01-10 Little Red Hen
Herbie Hancock 08/29/10 WPZ
5 Dollar Fine 10/16/10 Little Red Hen
Buckaroosters 10/23/10 Cold Cold Heart
Wild Turkeys 11/12-10 Little Red Hen
The Davanos 12/19/10 Little Red Hen
T & D Review 12/21/10 Little Red Hen

Live theatre:
The A/V Club - 2-12-10 Driftwood Theatre
Robinson Crusoe - 3-20-10 Missoula Children's Theatre (HHE)
Othello - 7-14-10 Wooden O/Seattle Shakespeare Co. (Lynndale Park)
Much Ado About Nothing - 7-21-10 Wooden O/Seattle Shakespeare Co. (Lynndale Park)
MacBeth - 10-24-10 Greenstage

Movies in the theatre:
Senior Prom
The Men Who Stare At Goats
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Iron Man 2
Shrek Forever After
Kick-Ass
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Inception
Toy Story 3
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part One
Red
Tron Legacy
Never Let Me Go

Miscellaneous events:
Arlo White introduction by the Sounders FC at the George & Dragon (2-10-10)
Donuts 3 Demolition Squad 2 (2-10-10)
Donuts 3 Black Dog 1 (2-17-10)
Olympic Cauldron (2-21-10)
Emerald City Comicon (3-14-10) Day Two Only
Twilight - Forks / La Push day trip (4-7-10)
Yann Martel reading from Beatrice and Virgil (04-18-10) Third Place Books
Henry Winkler reading from Hank Zipzer #17 (5-1-10) Third Place Books
Zakuani, Evans, and Riley autograph session (5-2-10) Dick's Sporting Goods Puyallup
Seattle Folklife Festival (05-30-10) Seattle Center
USA 1 Algeria 0 (06-23-10) St. Andrew's Bar and Grill
USA 1 Ghana 2 (06-26-10) St. Andrew's Bar and Grill
Thai Kickboxing Black Belt Graduation
Bothell 4th of July Parade
Lake Union 4th of July Fireworks
Faust Sovar Wedding 07-17-10
Tour de Terrace Carnival and Parade 07-30/31-10
Henry Moses Aquatic Center 08/25/10
MTHS 25 Year Reunion 09/17-18/10
Billy Cox Q&A 10/7/10 EMP
Evergreen 5 Brighton 3 10-21-10
BSG Member Preview 10/22/10 EMP/SFM
Teachers 4 Evergreen 2 10-28-10 Twin Ponds
Beater Brunch 11-13-10
Second Wind book reading 11-19-10
Cake Boss book signing 11-20-10
Seattle Marathon 11-28-10
Filming scenes for "The Historic" at HET 12-11-10
Jingle Bell Run 12-12-10 35:43
Picasso Exhibit 12-29-10 SAM

Stadiums:
Qwest Field
71 - 56 soccer (47 Sounders), 10 FB, open house, DL, media day, Tour, Freddie
2010 - SSFC 3/11, 3/25, 06/05, 06/10, 07/28, 08/25, 10/05 - Seahawks 08/21

Safeco Field
36 - (29Ms) - FFEST 2x, FOL, WM19, USA M, USA W, Opening Day Tour - 3 turn aways ...

Key Arena
28 - 14 Storm + 2 events, 3 sonics +practice, 2 indoor soccer, 2 hockey, Def Leppard, Metallica, 2 WWE - (2 Sonics sell out turn aways)
2010 - Storm 8/7

Comcast Arena
11 - 3 Hockey, 3 arena, 2 concerts, open house, 2 hoops - (1 sell out turn away)

Ringing in 2011

2011-01-01T11:42:00.000-08:00

I told people that if I was spotted wearing this on the dance floor last night that it would be time to call me a cab ...

As the sun sets on 2010 ...

2010-12-31T23:44:00.000-08:00

Photo of sunset over West Seattle on December 29, 2010 taken from Pike Place Market.

Picasso in Seattle 12-29-10

2010-12-30T11:23:00.000-08:00

Well, they won't let you take pics in the gallery so this is the route to Picasso and a post card of one of the paintings I really liked ...

A Partial View of a Full Lunar Eclipse

2010-12-21T12:40:00.000-08:00

The cloud cover rolled in and screwed up the viewing of the eclipse of 12-20-10 ... this was all I could get.

The ten poems I read for "The Historic" on 12-11-10

2010-12-21T12:38:00.002-08:00

The criteria I was given was that the poems either needed to be mine or in the public domain, and that there could be "No profanity laced tirades against ex-girlfriends." All the poems were mine and met the other criteria too ...

POETRY by Jeff Lageson
All poems (C) Jeff Lageson

"Home Opener" p94
"Surgery" p113
"Untitled Poem '94" p142
originally published in WHISPERS FROM WHITMAN COUNTY 1995

"Marlboro Man"
"Owl"
"My Dog Killed A Possum Last Night"
originally published in THE DAILY EVERGREEN, SUMMER BIO-RHYTHMS Section 6/11/96 p16

"The Store"
originally published in THE JOURNAL, (Pullman High School) 1997

"Carl"
"Holding On"
originally published in "The Silver Valley Voice"/ Moonshine Hill Press 09/97

"Wednesday August 3, 2005 Just Before Midnight"
originally published in "The Voice"/Moonshine Hill Press 12/06 p5

Removing the taint ... in context.

2010-12-15T11:17:00.000-08:00

When you take the time to remove all the Crunchberries before you add the milk and yet you still get the taint of that Crunchberry flavor it is hard to avoid feeling disappointed.

Last night I realized that grandma had sent us a box of cereal in one of her little care package moments, but that it was not the standard version of my favorite Captain.

So ... while I was preparing other foods I started sorting out the regular in order to have a bowl of cereal and ended up taking a bit of time and separating out the entire box into two bowls.

My son was amused by this in ways only 8th graders can be amused by things. He gets the other half.