The Last Ever Seattle Sounders Home Opener At Qwest Field ...

Shotgun Prose with the Cascadia Cup ... I point this out for the TA since I am not sure that they have ever seen one of these ... Jimmy Gabriel enjoys retirement Under the tarp with the ECS Championship Banners Opening Kickoff First Half Action This is what 10k+ looks like ... Closing Minutes

The Last Ever Seattle Sounders Home Opener At Qwest Field ...

... that is, until the Seattle Sounders FC have a home opener there next year ...
Seattle Sounders 0
Portland Timbers 0
5-10-08 Qwest Field Seattle WA

Let's face it ... a tap in during that first 20 minutes of domination and the entire game takes a different track ... that is all I have to say about this game ... Oh, and I owe Eric a Beer ...

Another Look At ... (#1) ... Metal Church - The Dark

Another Look At ... (#1) ... Metal Church - The Dark

I used to do a lot of reviews for my college paper and various magazines ... what I am going to do now is occasionally post reviews of gems from my record and tape collection that I never reviewed, but are very worthy of anyone who reads this taking a moment to consider ....

I saw Metal Church ... but it was after the most dreaded of all personnel changes any band can face; the loss of a lead singer. They were still a good band, but it just was not the same for me because I loved this record more than I even could have liked the one they were touring on with the new guy.

David Wayne died on May 9, 2005.

Track Listing:
"Ton of Bricks" - 3:00
"Start the Fire" - 3:50
"Method to Your Madness" - 4:52
"Watch the Children Pray" - 5:57
"Over My Dead Body" - 3:36
"The Dark" - 4:11
"Psycho" - 3:32
"Line of Death" - 4:42
"Burial at Sea" - 4:58
"Western Alliance" - 3:18

This is a record that I can still put in and play more than once in a row. "Ton of Bricks" is one of my favorite opening numbers of all time; it just sets the tone for the entire album. "Watch the Children Pray" is one of the best metal songs of the 80s. "Line of Death" clearly dates the album because it deals with Muammar Gaddafi. "Method to Your Madness" showed Wayne to be more than just a screamer. I mention Wayne here, but the band as a whole was simply fantastic on this record with great riffs and head banging moments throughout ...

A great record from a band that seemed to be head to head with Metallica when it came out in 1986 ...

"The Dog Who Came To Stay" ...

"The Dog Who Came To Stay" by Hal Borland

Books I should have read while in school ...

... and probably took credit for ...

So, I have occasionally run across books I was supposed to have read for school and read them later as an adult ... For whatever reason this title stood out ... so I went to the library and checked it out ...

I was a terrible high school student ... not terrible in the sense of having really bad grades, but in the sense that I could read really fast and could generally coast to the 3 point needed to keep my car insurance cheap and every one off my back ... for the most part I could get away with it, skimming some books or reading cliff notes or just generally faking it (sorry APES teachers, it's true) ... there was one night as a junior where I read all of Wuthering Heights on a dare, but for the most part I half read things at best ...

As a result there are a number of books I never read that I have taken the occasional time to read as an adult ...

Every so often i will come across a book in a used book store and realize that it makes the list above ... please do bear in mind that I am not talking about a list of dozens of books, but of several total ...

Hal Borland's "The Dog Who Came To Stay" hit the mark as something I know I had held in my hands before, probably as a library book in the 5th grade or something ... so, I checked it out ...

I am pretty certain that I would not have appreciated this book in 1978 the way I do today. I probably got about 6 pages into it at the time and simply gave up ...

Today I found it engrossing, detailing the relationship we can have with our dogs. As a life long dog owner and currently owner of a very old and frail dog I will likely be losing soon, it really was choice reading ...

I am kind of glad now that I waited to read this book until 2008, even if it was not intentionally ...

Despite everything, I still can't vote for McCain ...

Despite everything, I still can't vote for McCain ...

I am frustrated.

For months now I have tried to avoid the debacle that is the 2008 presidential primary season. But, it keeps forcing its way into my vision.

I am a Democrat. Years ago I decided that my politics do not perfectly fit into the Democratic Party, but that they would hardly fit at all in the Republican fold.

However, I like John McCain.

There are those in the US electorate that continually state that they vote for the man and not the party, but that is foolhardy since you get the party with the man. When Senator McCain comes out and promises more conservative judges it reminds me of this fact.

In 2000, I found myself rooting against Hillary Clinton in New York so as to end the Clinton Era in US politics; but Rudy imploded and here we are. It would not be my preference to see her in the Oval Office, but with everything that would come along with McCain I would consider myself as having no choice but to vote for her.

The more I listen to and follow Barack Obama, the less impressed I get. I recently watched him on Sunday morning TV repudiating his 2 decades old relationship with his pastor; an effort that seemed at best half-hearted and calculated on his part. Change? Hardly ...

However, again I would find myself voting for him because of what would come with a McCain presidency.

Should Senator McCain win I know I will be able to live with that aspect of another Republican victory, as he is likely to be able to work fairly well with Democrats given his history. But should McCain win, the Democratic candidate that was not nominated will simply be back in 4 years since they will spend all of that time saying, "See, you nominated the wrong one." No matter which of the two it is ...

I used to be a political junkie. Now, I am just tired of it. The 2008 election feels like it will never go away.

100 Things To Do Before I Die ...

100 Things ...

My favorite Texan Janet emailed me this exercise ... 100 Things To Do Before I Die ... The timing of it was interesting, since I was subbing a high school life skills class and told them I had just received it and printed it out for them to look at as well ... in the interests of setting a a good example I thought I would toss out a few of the things I would like to do myself and found myself completing the exercise in a couple of class periods ... I went over and stopped, figuring that this was a good example of how I felt on the day I did it ... April 24, 2008 ...

Since I went ahead and did this and typed it up to send back I decided to post it here ...

To be fair and give proper credit he exercise comes from "Caroline Miller Coaching" ...

Jefferson's 100 ...

1) Publish in hardcover
- I have a serialized novel, but this would be so much better

2) Direct a feature length film
- "the comic book shop" was a good attempt, but this would be so much better

3) Ride the Seattle To Portland bike race

4) Complete 25 Marathons (including Boston and New York at least once each)
- currently at 10 completed full marathons, all Seattle

5) 2nd Degree International Taekwondo Black Belt
- currently 1st Degree National

6) Own a condo

7) Teach English in a foreign country (most likely Korea)

8) Drive cross country to all states

9) Watch a rocket launch

10) Take a trip on Virgin Galactic

11) Take and Africa trip focusing on Egypt and South Africa
- 2010 would be perfect, but slipping away

12) Front a band in a bar for a night
- if only I could sing

13) Attend the Oscars
- be it as a fan or pro

14) Sit in The Kop for a game at Liverpool

15) Sit on the bench for a Sounders game

16) A NASCAR and/or INDY 500 weekend
- including a ride on the track

17) Cook with a famous cook

18) Write a story arc for Captain America or the Fantastic Four

19) Guest on a TV talk show
- preferably Republica Deportiva so that Alba could escort me to El Bar

20) Do a stand up comedy routine in a club
- working on that one about my adventures as a substitute teacher

21) Learn to play my favorite songs on the guitar
- I can play a little, but not nearly enough

22) Have a private Q & A with Stephen Hawking

23) Dine with the President and stay overnight at the White House

24) Take an art class in sculpture or pottery

25) Work in Antarctica for a season

26) Train in the martial arts in Asia
- which will happen if I teach English in Korea

27) Play kick with Pele

28) Learn to Tango
- by this I mean actually take lessons

29) Become fluent in a foreign language
- which could come in handy while Alba escorted me out on Republica Deportiva

30) Climb a mountain top

31) Be a pro wrestling manager for a night
- I have my character

32) Spend a week at the Sundance Film Festival
- be it as a fan, for school, or to show

33) Ph.D. in Political Science

34) Advise a political campaign
- #33 would likely need to come first

35) Guest star in a Star Trek film or TV episode

36) Fishing in Alaska

37) Hang out back stage at a Rolling Stones or other big name band concert
- U2, The Police, Iron Maiden ...

38) Dance with Cheryl Burke

39) Get a rose tattoo

40) Luge

41) Attend a Summer Olympics
- been to a Winter Olympics

42) Photo a major sports event with media credentials

43) Ask a question at a political press conference

44) Jeopardy!

45) Own a minor league sports team

46) Have my own microbrewery
- Jefferson's Brewery ...

47) Write a song and have it produced and played on the radio

48) Host a KISW or KJR segment

49) Do color commentary on a TV soccer match

50) Give a public reading or book signing
- See #1

51) Try out as an AFL kicker
- should have done this with the Everett Hawks

52) Drink from the FA Cup or Stanley Cup

53) Stay a night in the Waldorf Astoria or the Burj Al Arab

54) Tour the Louvre

55) Win a million dollar contest
- note: to win the lottery one must actually buy a ticket

56) Spend a week on a tropical island

57) Take an underwater tour of the Titanic wreckage

58) Ride in a Nuclear Submarine

59) Fly off of and onto an aircraft carrier

60) Hot air balloon ride

61) Feed the Lions at the zoo

62) Walk along famous walls like Hadrian's or the Great Wall

63) Attend a Hollywood Movie Premiere
- ideally #2 above

64) Fly in a helicopter

65) See the world's major holy sites
- I have attended mass at the Vatican

66) Weekend in Vegas as a high roller

67) Opening Pitch at a Mariners game

68) Raise the 12th Man Flag at a Seahawks game

69) Owe no one anything (be it money or apologies)

70) Build a cabin

71) River Rafting

72) Skydiving

73) Hang glide

74) Bungee Jump

75) Take paparazzi photos in Hollywood for a night

76) Learn to high dive

77) Compete on Dancing With The Stars

78) Audition for a Broadway show

79) Ride on a camel or elephant

80) Go to a Super Bowl

81) Work as a photographer's assistant on a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition photo shoot

82) Write for Esquire Magazine - "What I've Learned" segment

83) Give Distinguished Alumnus Address at WSU or MTHS

84) Have my own charitable foundation

85) Live long enough to meet my great grandchildren

86) Attend a Supreme Court session and or State of the Union

87) Get vision fixed

88) Work for ESPN dot com

89) New Year's Eve in Times Square

90) Completely circumnavigate the globe

91) Have something named after me

92) Patent something
- I have this idea for floating board games for hot tubs ...

93) See the Cougs play in a Rose Bowl, a Final Four, and/or a College World Series in person

94) Face Major League pitching
- be it BP or Spring Training ...

95) Spend an evening in a major observatory

96) Write a front page or cover story for a major newspaper or magazine

97) Write a SNL skit
- I have one about an actress and her agent

98) Wear armor

99) Police ride along
- been meaning to do this with Lance for 15 years now

100) Attend a major demolition
- I had to watch the Kingdome on TV

101) Attend the Triple Crown races with my daughter

102) Play chess with Kasparov

Stamps

I use a PO Box ...

Many years ago I got a PO Box because I was moving a lot and simply kept up the habit. It's actually kind of nice to have one since I have had mail stolen from home mailboxes, but the PO box is secure. I have access to the box 24/7. There has been a nice little stamp vending machine 4 feet from the box that I have now had for ten years ...

It has not mattered my schedule. When I was working nights or days or weekends I could grab my mail, buy stamps, drop stuff off. When there was something too big they put a key in the box and I grab it from the lockers. I have simply not had to worry about post office hours for years now.

Until the last week or two when the vending machines were taken from the building.

There is a wonderful sign there announcing that I can use their business partners to buy stamps.

Now I can't even buy stamps at the post office unless they are open.

The post office is not open convenient hours. Oh, yes they have limited Saturday hours, but the line is long and the post office is slow.

This is mostly just a rant, but it completely sucks and is totally unreasonable to remove the vending machines from the lobby of the Lynnwood 98046 post office.

"I don't believe that Dave Sim is a misogynist."

Dave,

I do not believe that you are a misogynist.

I respectfully disagree with some of your published commentaries, but I am absolutely willing to go on the record on your behalf. I do not find it to be intellectually honest or logically consistent to believe that the necessary opposite of feminism is misogynist. Dave, you don't hate women; you disagree with a political philosophy.

Overly Melodramatic Environmentalism

Overly Melodramatic Environmentalism

I consider myself to be environmentally conscious, an environmentalist if you will.

Being green is something I do work to do.

But sometimes I find the rhetoric to be a bit tiresome, melodramatic, and counter-porductive.

You can only pound people with a message of despair so often before it starts to become white noise.

Sometimes I see a much better approach, but often we get the tactics of the Seattle City Council shoving stuff down from high above on environmental issues. Those tactics and the overly-meloidramatic way TV news covers environmental issues often does damage and not help to the environmental cause.

The following poem was one I wrote a few years back when I was frustrated with the backlash I was seeing from overly-melodramatic environmentalism.

11.26.95 poetry slam - 3 hr

How can people relate to "save the earth"
when they've never left their home town?
Is a can in a ditch a crime against the earth?
Or an easy to remedy problem?
Slogans overstate the truth
even when they are mostly accurate
turn into a backlash
those in agreement say "yeah"
those who don't say "puh-lease"
cynics and doubters exploit the claims
ecotopians are labeled as dangerous
extremists of the worst kind
corporations buy ad time
and let us know how safe things really are
yet elitism within the movement
hes led to battles and disharmony
letting people like Limbaugh have influence
even when they lie
and their sponsors cheat and steal
our heritage
our planet
our grandchildren's future

Watercolors with Kindergartners ...

Watercolors with Kindergartners ...

I told them yesterday to paint a dream and that I would paint a dream of music as an example ...

My Inner Redneck

My Inner Redneck

I am finally starting to get and get into NASCAR (thanks Scott).

Once again ... I am getting in touch with My Inner Redneck ...

(Poem from The Voice - Bad Poetry Section - p.10 - January 1999

Years ago I went to Reno ...

During my Senior Year at Wazzu we went on a little family Thanksgiving vacation to Reno ...

I was a month away from betting my BA and to get away for a few days was really nice; since I mostly worked all my breaks from school ...

As part of this I was given $200 and told to gamble it and NOT to save it ... basically, I was TOLD to have fun ...

And so ... I saved my winnings and gambled my $200 ... it was free money ... I was not a high roller and the money wasn't really mine so I was expected to just go out and blow it ... it was nice, but weird at the same time and it still made more sense to me to pay some bills and save the money ...

Which is sort of how I feel about the $600 checks that are being sent out by the IRS ...

(The chip above is actually Pink and scanned plain.)

Just a little thought about the food and fuel crisis ...

Since I generally don't believe a farmer would really care what is grown if it is all good and legal and profitable ...

And since there is a growing crisis about staple food items being used for fuel ...

And since there are a couple billion more people on Earth than just a few decades ago ... and they all need food and fuel and everything else ...

And since alternate fuel sources are so important ...

And since growing staple food is so important ...

And since the crops will all go up in smoke any ways ...

Why not have all those tobacco farmers grow fuel ???

No, it would not solve all of the food issues ...

Yes, cigarette costs would skyrocket ... with the tobacco related health care costs declining most likely as an additional benefit ...

The crops are all going to go up in smoke any ways ... so why not ???

How I Ended Up Having Eggo's and a Pot Pie For Dinner ...

Snow on the 18th of April

I sat on the little fold out love seat on my back porch and watched the snow fall. It was pretty. It was getting close to four inches after snowing all afternoon. My driveway was treacherous enough that I was not even considering going out on a Friday night ... and it was the 18th of April in Seattle ...

The radio was on in the dining room so I closed the screen and listened to sports radio while the snow continued to fall with really big flakes. The cat was not pleased; he whined at the screen to be let out, like that might actually be allowed to happen ...

However, I had decided that morning to come home, clean up, get in a jog, do some laundry, and head out dancing at McCabe's since I had not been there since the week of Thanksgiving ...

There was a video from the library near the TV and I could always watch pro wrestling, so the night would not be a complete waste ...

I was hungry and payday was a while away ... the cupboard was not bare, per se, but it was hardly inspiring ...

And so I had one of those "bachelor moments" and raided the freezer ... and had a chicken pot pie and Eggo's for dinner ... while watching it continue to snow on my back porch ...

I held out picking an MLS team to follow ...

I held out picking an MLS team to follow ...

In 1996 I faced the same dilemma other Seattle Sounders fans faced ... do I choose a team in MLS to support?

See ... here was the problem ... I had a team, even if it was now in what was to be considered the 2nd Division ... I had no idea if and or when I would have a local MLS team to support, but I had a sense that Seattle would get a team eventually ... I watched games and cheered for players and good games ... but, still I held out, not allowing myself to get too attached to any MLS side ...

It did not take long for MLS to make the now infamous 2002 promise during the electoral push for funding for what has become Qwest Field ... 2002 felt like a long way away, but I held out ...

And then Crew Stadium got built, the MLS changed commissioners, and the economics of the game led to a brief contraction ... but still, I held out ...

And then Qwest Field opened and the Sounders played in it ... and despite its size, I held out ...

And then the Sounders beat MLS teams in the Open Cup and when they played MLS teams the crowds were significantly larger ... and still I held out ...

And then MLS started expanding to places like Salt Lake City and added a 2nd LA team ... and still I held out ...

And then it happened ... and I went to the George & Dragon on Veteran's Day in 2007 and Drew Carey put on an Emerald City Supporters scarf and told us what we want to hear ...

A year from now I will not be trying to find the Sounders on FSC on a Friday night USL Game of the Week against Atlanta ... I can watch the Sounders FC on ESPN2 on a Thursday playing DC United ...

The ride in the USL has had some ups and downs but it has been worth staying with the home side and waiting for the move up ... and next weekend I plan on being in Qwest Field for the last ever home opener of the Seattle Sounders ...

and the notion that patience pays off rings true ...

Battlestar Galactica ...

Battlestar Galactica ...

I resisted Battlestar Galactica (Mark 2) until this weekend. The weather was crappy - as in snowing - so I went to the library to get some movies because I knew that I would be staying in. The selection was thin, given that I am not the only person to use the library as a free version of Netflix. But, there was the Battlestar Galactica miniseries on DVD. I had time. I checked it out.

Crap.

It's good.

I was the exact right age for the original series when it came out and watched every episode; yes, even the 1980 season on Earth. However, I was more of a Buck Rogers fan if forced to choose. That being said, I was sad when it was cancelled and perplexed as to why anyone would want to remake it. It's not like Star Trek where they could jump forward a few decades and exist in the same story. Battlestar Galactica got hosed by the 1980 season on Earth. If a new Battlestar Galactica was to be done, it could not just pick up the storyline a generation later or something. It also had to do some things to differentiate itself from its predecessor. We are fortunate that it is easy to like both the original and the modern version.

I know that some remakes or re-imagings can be good. I didn't expect this to be one of them. Not having cable made it easy to ignore. But now, due to the wonders of DVD's being readily available for entire seasons I can take the next year or two and catch up ...

Too bad we don't have a soccer specific stadium in Seattle ...

Too bad we don't have a soccer specific stadium in Seattle ...

This summer marks the end of the sixth year in which Qwest Field has been open for business ...

In those six years we have seen a huge crowd for the opening event ... a Seattle Sounders soccer game ...

In those six years we have seen a US Men's National Team friendly against Venezuela ...

In those six years we have seen a USL-1 team play home games, playoff games, a championship game, Open Cup games against MLS teams, MLS exhibitions, and internationals against teams from Mexico and the United Kingdom ...

In those six years we have seen the stadium sell out in a few hours for Manchester United to play Celtic ...

In those six years we have seen the stadium sell out for Real Madrid against DC United ...

In those six years we have seen a game with a good crowd for a match between Chelsea and Celtic ...

In those six years we have seen a huge crowd turn out for a friendly between Mexico and China ...

In those six years we have seen the CONCACAF Gold Cup play two double headers in the Group Phase ...

In those six years we have seen a MLS franchise be awarded to play in the facility ...

And from what we read on the internets ... Brazil will be making a stop here shortly ...

Now if only we had a Soccer Specific Stadium in Seattle, maybe this soccer thing might do a little better ...

6 months, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years ...

6 months, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years ...

The biggest question facing the City of Seattle as it battles the NBA over the Seattle Supersonics possible relocation to Oklahoma City is not whether we will have a team in 6 months or in 2 years ... but whether we will have a team in 5 years or in 10 years ...

It is very important to not lose sight of the big picture and win a battle but lose the war ...

David Stern is a stubborn @$$ ... if he gets mad enough he is likely stubborn enough to prevent a new team in Seattle for as long as he rules the roost ...

So ... whatever the outcome of the lease trial, the fan lawsuit, or the breach of contract suit ... the bottom line is that all outcomes must lead to and fascilitate a team to be here 5 or 10 years from now, not simply the next season or two ...

I simply cannot believe that the NBA is willing to risk the outcome of these trials ... the precedents that would be set by the lease win, the Schultz suit, or the fan suit have very severe repercussions for the NBA and other sports leagues ... it really is in the best interest of the NBA to get this settled ... and by settled I mean to find a way to have a Seattle Supersonics playing in Seattle for the long term ...

If it is necessary to take a cash settlement in order to secure a franchise ... even a franchise after a few years of not having a team ... that would be worth it ...

Left Behind

Left Behind

You know ... I had hoped to like this book ... and I almost do ...

For years I have seen this series of books on the shelves and thought about reading them. What I tend to do is read the first book of a series ... not the first 100 pages, but the entire first book ...

I am a huge fan of dystopian or post-apocalyptic literature and film. Not having at least sampled the Left Behind Series seemed silly. Now I have. It is possible that I could read more of the books, but I doubt it will happen soon.

Bear in mind that I do not agree with the particular biblical viewpoint the book espouses ... but that is not what I found lacking ... the writing and dialogue were simply not that good ... the plot and story and characters were potentially interesting, but were too obvious in their roles ... it felt sort of dumbed down when it had the opportunity to be so much more ... as to the controversy that the book is anti everything, I just don't see how that is an issue ... These books are written from a perspective that is trying to use literary forms to flesh out what Revelations might look like were it to come to pass as interpreted by the writers ... it would be really hard for them to then include everyone else's interpretation into their fictional world ... and the word fictional is the key ... Much like the accusations against Dan Brown I do not see the need to vilify the Left Behind writers for taking a particular interpretation of The Bible and flushing out what that might mean as fiction ...

I just thought it would be a little less obvious in its narrative and let the story tell itself ...

Turning down Indiana ...

Turning down Indiana ...

Tony Bennett admitted he spoke to and declined to pursue the head coaching position at Indiana ... he has also not taken the jobs at Marquette, OSU, or LSU and has indicated that he would not change to a job within the conference ... some people are shocked ...

I don't know Tony Bennett. But, as someone who did coach at Wazzu I can tell you that depsite all of the negatives people throw out as examples, it is a good place to live and coach. So, Tony, I cannot speak for you but I think I understand.

Plus, Wazzu returns the starting point guard and center of a Sweet 16 team, along with three obvious starting replacements for the departing senior starters and some young players and new recruits with promise. In a conference that is not only losing seniors but is in fact losing virtually every NBA prospect underclassmen it is possible that the Cougs might not find themselves slipping the way pundits would want to believe.

Is Stanford going to be nearly as good with a coaching change and the loss of the twins?

Only a handful of the All Pac-10 Team (15 players honored) are coming back. The conference will not be nearly as strong as it was this year. On one level that is lame, but with everyone rebuilding, the Cougs bring back starters at two key positions that having veterans at is an advantage.

Good luck Tony, and thanks for sticking around for a while.

FRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For the better part of two years I went to most Sunday nights at The Hen and danced my @$$ off to The Davanos ... I miss that ...

Fred ... you are so the man ...

Mexico vs. China / 4.16.08 / Qwest Field

Mexico 1
China 0
4.16.08
Seattle, WA
Qwest Field

While walking to the M's game the night prior to Mexico vs. China I noted that some bars already had their soccer signs up and that the North Lot of Qwest Field had a giant inflatable Mexico jersey already up and inflated.

While walking back to the bus after the same evening I noticed three Mexican fans all dressed up for a game that was not to happen for 24 hours standing outside the gate like the game was supposed to be that night. They appeared a bit confused disappointed that they were there on the wrong night.

But, I got to hang out in a Qwest Field suite again and stay warm and dry watching the Arch Rival play the Evil Commies ... Who do you root for ??? I just saw the Dalai Lama at the same venue a few days earlier so I can't possibly root for China ... and rooting for Mexico to win would be like rooting for the Timbers; they even wear green ...

As Jorge and I walked around prior to kickoff and enjoyed the Futball Fiesta and then took a little tour of the stadium it was funny to watch the scalpers try and work with the Mexican supporters ... I am so sick of those guys being out front of every venue and every event that the frustration they were clearly feeling was kind of humorous to me ...

As far as the game itself went on Wednesday night ... well ... you know those US games like in 03 when Venezuela came to the stadium and Bruce had Edson Buddle and Kyle Martino on the roster??? The game was sort of disjointed but the opponent was not really strong enough to capitalize on the lack of 11 starters and the dispruptions caused by 5 substitutions??? That sort of sums it up ...

Mexico came out blazing the first ten minutes and showed that the Chinese goalie and defense were in way over their heads ... a ball cleared off the line by a defender saving his reckless goalie ... the offsides flag negating an early goal ... finally Mexico scored in around the 19th minute, the place erupted, and the Chinese settled into an offside trap defense and occassional counter for the rest of the game ... it started to look like Mexico would make a mistake on the defensive end resulting in an embarrassing tie, but that did not happen ... the whistling late in the game towards their own team showed a certain amount of displeasure with beating China 1-0 ...

The crowd was fun and loud and it was as much a party as a game ...

Brazil next at Qwest??? Oh, please yes ...

Free Movie Night ...

Free Movie Night

Free tickets rock. It does not matter if those free tickets are to a play, a movie, a concert, or a ball game; free tickets simply rock. Given the state of my budget, they are actually essential, but that is a story for another time.

So, when I recently got free tickets to see "Under the Same Moon" or "La Misma Luna" I felt compelled to go and enjoy a movie I likely would not have plunked down money I do not have to go and see.

It is odd to find ones self in a distinctive demographic minority. The film is a Spanish language film about a separated mother and son and the US / Mexico border. This was not a dubbed version to appease an English speaking audience, but a Spanish film with subtitles. One must read quickly. And, it is also clear that despite the subtitles many of the jokes and situations do not translate literally or require a specific frame of reference to get on certain levels. A number of times I found myself wondering exactly what the audience was chuckling at. So be it.

This is a good film, not a great film. It is fairly predictable in that the boy faces virtually every possible immigration pitfall in a matter of days. It's a movie, I get it. What it does have is very good performances throughout the cast. It also has the "how do we put a hot band into the movie and make it fit into the story ...?" moment where suddenly .... (spoiler alert - I'll stop here) ...

I don't my friends that it was like a big budget Lifetime movie in Spanish, only better than that ... which probably wasn't fair, but does describe it. Yesterday I saw that it was playing at an art house in the U District. I hope it does well. It actually would be worth paying to see.

Oh, and when the radio station promoting the free showing hands out raffle #s and you are one number off ... that really bites ...

That was one long, cold game ...

Seattle Mariners 11
Kansas City Royals 6

I haven't been that cold at a game since Apple Cup 1998 in Pullman.

It was freezing. 72 hours earlier I was at Qwest Field sweltering and listening to the Dalai Lama. Tuesday evening I was feeling a breeze off the water on a night that felt like it might have reached 38 degrees. There are moments where the Kingdome is missed ... and then you realize how awful that thing was for baseball and the moment passes ... because you look around and see a ball hit to the gap in left center and watch it hit the grass and you become glad that you might have been wrong in 1995 ... which is another story entirely ...

It is well worth it to take a bus in from Northgate, plunk down a whopping eight bucks to get in the ballpark, splurge another buck for a scorecard, and then find a good spot on the rail about the M's bullpen to keep score and watch a game ...

As the game progresses and it becomes clear that you actually know how to score a game a number of things happen. First, people sort of glance at the card. Second, people come over and try and read the card over your shoulder. Third, people flat out ask you about game details.

Bear in mind that if you are going to keep score like I did, that you must be thorough and consistent, else the wheels fall off and you look silly when people ask because you don't know how many strike outs someone has. Trust me on this.

Game notes:

Attendance listed as 17K+ ... no #@(%ing way were there 17 thousand people in the stadium. It looked like a Tuesday crowd from 1987 ...

I didn't realize that grounding into a fielder's choice granted the batter an RBI ...

Lopez had one of those games where he kept flying out, but because Ichiro kept finding himself on third it appears he had a great night at the plate due to the RBIs ...

Richie Sexson's night can be viewed two completely different ways depending on how you use the stats ... he was either 0 for 3 with two strike outs and in need of being benched .... OR, he had an OBP of .400 because he walked twice and came around to score and salvaged his night with patience at the plate when it counted ...

The "Countdown to Cooperstown" display with the number of days until Dave Niehaus' HOF induction is very classy and cool ...

Several players wore "42" in honor of Jackie Robinson; Beltre, Rhodes, Batista, etc ... and there was a large 42 above 2nd base ... very nice and tastefully done ...

Speaking of which, it was nice to see Arther Rhodes pitch in an M's uni at Safeco Field again ...

0 home runs in a game with 17 runs scored makes for a lot of rallies, pitching changes, long innings, and a 3 1/2+ hour game ... when it is cold like last night, that is a long time ... a few years ago I went to a game that lasted 2 hours and 4 minutes ... we weren't through 5 at that point last night ...

The sound of the pitcher warming up with the snapping sound from the catcher is very cool ...

drunk idiots are drunk idiots in any city or ballpark ... heckling the other bullpen does not "get into his head" ...

Hideo Nomo needs to retire ... who knew he was even still in the majors? I had to look it up, he had not pitched in MLB since pitching for Tampa Bay in 2005 ...

Dear New Sonics Ownership Group (part 6)

It turns out you're stupid too.

Dear Clay Clay ...

Maybe you haven't won after all.

How are all of those legal bills coming along?

Let's see ... the City of Seattle is suing you and you will have that trial expense to pay for in June ... a fan group is suing you over false and misleading advertizing so someone has to be working on that case too ... if the NBA does vote to allow relocation you will likely be fighting another suit and injunction to hold off on the actual move pending the outcome of the above mentioned suits ... and it turns out Howard Schultz gives a damn about his PR image enough to sue you for breach ...

Granted, Howard's suit is a heck of a long shot, but it is ingenius in that he is apparently not seeking moentary damages specifically, but only the return of the team ... might not work, but the billable hours ought to be piling up on that one in a hurry too ... and I bet he can afford some pretty good lawyers himself ...

This is what happens when you are stupid.

It is bad enough that you lied to everyone. However, you made the mistake of leaving a trail. Emails can be retrieved and are pretty much like writing things on paper in the sense that they are a "paper trail" ...

Oh, and I know Emperor Stern still says publicly that he supports you, but how excited can the most arrogant man in professional sports be about looking like a sucker? Don't call someone your inspiration in one email when you are lying to them. Women don't like that. David Stern does not like that.

You'd be better off selling the team and using that money to get a different one.

Those billable hours have got to be adding up.

Shout Outs to Retiring History Profs at Wazzu ...

Shout Outs to Retiring History Profs at Wazzu ...

According to the card I received there are several history professors retiring from Wazzu this Spring. I will not be able to make the gala the card grants me an invitation to. But, having had a fair amount of contact with two of the professors on the list I would like to take a moment and give them a warm Shotgun Prose shout out ...

Professor Coon, I enjoyed your class on Revolutionary War America very much. You were clearly fond of your subject and made the class very interesting. The time you functioned as an emergency advisor was likely inconvenient, but you handled it with patience. Also, it was in your class that I learned of my nomination into Phi Alpha Theta. Congratulations, thank you and good luck.

Professor Ashby, your classes were worth attending even if not enrolled in the course. You have won a number of awards for your instruction and legend has it that you blew out the power in Todd Hall with all of the multi-media you used in the days before the term multi-media was actually coined. Did that really happen? You also served as an emergency advisor one semester. Your use of a "Think Piece" as opposed to a "Term Paper" is worth copying into my own social studies classes. Congratulations, thank you and good luck.

I did not have classes with the other professors listed, but I wish them the best as well. History at Wazzu will just not be the same without all of you ...

Suzie

Back in high school I worked my junior year and summer at Jack in the Box ... (which feels like admitting I liked Duran Duran) ...

In an effort to make the best of the learning experience that is one's first real job with FICA taxes I did little things to keep my sanity ...

For instance ... I would utilize all of the huge and obscure words the CP and AP teachers would make us learn in English ... whenever I could I would drop a word into conversations that would make people wonder if I was making it up ... at 1:47AM on a Sunday morning when you are making a Bacon Cheeseburger for a schoolmate that is out having a good time, one does what one can to keep one's sanity short of spitting on a burger ... and sometimes we would go swimming after work at a local lake ... or I would golf before Ballinger opened and pay on my way out ...

Anyways ... I decided I had enough of that at the end of the Summer and took a job bagging groceries for my senior year ... in the world of high school jobs that was a serious step up ...

Before I could go, the burger flipping coworkers were kind enough to throw me a little party and one of the coworkers was nice enough to get me the dictionary ... I remember that Suzie could match me on vocab and it was fun to work with her ... there was a time circa 93ish that I recall running into her on a bus downtown ...

And, last Friday when I hosted SCRABBLE NIGHT I needed to place some sort of a dictionary out for disputes of obscure two and three letter words ... without the ability to have scrabble dot com available I decided that the best thing to do was to utilize the dictionary I still have that was given to me by Suzie ...

Whatever happened to Suzie???

Things I've Learned ...

Things I've Learned ...

Back in February I took a glance at this book at a local chain bookstore. I set it down and noted it on the list of books I would check out from the library. A moment later I was browsing still when someone came up very close to me and stood next to me, I presumed because there was an interesting book there. It took me a moment to realize that this person and I knew each other and that she was trying to get my attention. I was very glad that I was not still flipping through this book at that moment.

Other than that, I really have nothing to add to what is written in the book. Humor from pain can be cathartic. I suppose if asked to I would have had my own stories to tell, but not here and not now ...

Dalai Lama / 4-12-08 / Qwest Field

Dalai Lama / 4-12-08 / Qwest Field

Seeds of Compassion

Sounders Pre-season ...

Sounders Pre-season ...


I was originally planning on not blogging the Hispanic All Star game ... but I jotted down some notes, emailed them to GS-1, and they got posted ... so I decided to put one post together of the notes from the two Seattle Sounders preseason games I attended.

Seattle Sounders 4
Hispanic All Stars 2
Comcast Cup 2008 - March 30, 2008
Pop Keeney Stadium - Bothell, WA

Notes:
Seattle scored 8 minutes in on a a nice goal ... but the 2 starters and 9 subs/trialists gave up a goal a minute later ... nice crack on that HAS goal, but the D left him alone with the ball too long ...

Seattle got one back a while later and should have had a first half third goal but CT tapped a PK softly enough for me to save it from the stands ...

Seattle got a couple other 2nd half goals and the Seattle GK (turned out to be Dragavon) slipped on his @$$ and had a ball simply bounce over his head in the 85th minute ...

Spoke with Puerto Rican International Graham Taylor in line for the Men's Room (weird I know, but I had a serious Q about the whole PR thing and he was gracious enough to answer it) and it turns out he may not be allowed to play for PR in the future due to a protest and the weirdness that is FIFA eligibility ... I still hope he is announced as "Puerto Rican International Graham Taylor" from now on though ...

Hugo showed me something I had never seen from him in Portland and Seattle; he was clearly the best player on the field and controlled the game. Often, I have thought of him as a player that sort of floats in and out and picks his spots, but he was clearly in charge of the field. I liked that.

Oh, and the food was great ... sort of like at the Rose Bowl in 01 when I saw the Galaxy and Earthquakes and ate from the Hispanic concessions ... the roasted corn was nummy ...

http://seattlepitch.tripod.com/matches/2008/mar30.html

Oh, and it was funny to have to hear Mitch do a Comcast Cup promo for the On Demand service after this game.

-----


Seattle Sounders 4
Seattle University Redhawks 2
April 6, 2008
Everett, WA - Goddard Stadium

Notes:

Starting lineup had the look of "Oh crap, the bosses are here, we better play some starters …" (Roth and Hanauer were sitting near me with Henderson)

When Le Toux was on the field for about 35 minutes in the 2nd half, they were a different team, when he left the field SU scored its second goal ...

When Jackson came on in the 2nd half, Puerto Rican International (and he should be introduced that way from now on but was not on this night) Taylor Graham and Jackson clearly were in control of the D and with Merl and Scott on the field were very, solid … it took changing that lineup and the Le Toux exit to allow SU to score #2 ...

When the ref announced 4 minutes of 2nd half stoppage, I have never seen Schmetzer as openly demonstrative about a referee decision; his entire body convulsed in frustration … there should be no stoppage in a game like that …

Doesn't it seem statistically improbable to have two Kenji's on different pro teams in Seattle?

Memo to SU players … when you are hoping to impress the MLS guys in attendance, fouling is a bad idea, play hard, but play smarter than that … and don't kick the ball away like a U12 player when you are angry about getting a red card ...

Blues in the School

Blues in the School

Recently my kids were involved in an after school music program called Blues in the School. For 3 to 4 weeks they were rehearsing daily with professional musicians from what would have to be considered R&B or Classic Rock. They were excited and it sounded like they were having fun.

I wasn't exactly sure what was happening, although their mom gave me a bit of a rundown on it. Sounded good.

So, I went to the assembly where the performance or finale of the project would be the kids involved singing all these songs to their school ...

I get there and there they were lined up with mics facing the toughest audience they will ever face ... their peers ... their entire school and teachers and parents ...

They nailed it ... a live rock band of pros behind them and lined up across the stage they came out and won over that tough audience with the first song.

Thank you, Blues in the School.

http://www.bluesintheschools.org