Unfinished Business ...

Unfinished Business ...

After tonight I have unfinished business in the martial arts ...

I will be back to get my Taekwondo 1st Degree International Black Belt and possibly Thai Kickboxing Black Belt ...

I look forward to getting back, there is unfinished business for me there ...

In the meantime I do intend to remain in condition and also intend to continue practicing my Koryo and other poomses ...

The Pursuit of a Bus Pass ...

The Pursuit of a Bus Pass ...

Okay, the printed bus schedules say that buses come every X # of minutes, but they never do. What happens is long stretches of time pass with no buses and then a couple appear back to back with one bus totally packed and the other(s) empty ... eventually you get where you are going and get off the bus at the Bellevue Transit Center ...

So, you go to buy a bus pass at the Bellevue Transit Center, which makes sense since there is a building labeled "Rider Services" and a booth in the middle of the transit center that is manned during the day ...

The "Rider Services" room is unmanned and basically a couple maps and a bunch of bus schedules ...

The manned booth in the midst of all of the buses does not sell bus passes ... the guy sitting there just gets a little ticked that you ask him when one of the 9 or so fliers posted in one of the glass windows indicates that you have to go somewhere else to purchase your pass ... What does he actually do? So, at NEITHER place at the Bellevue Transit Center can you actually buy a bus pass ...

Why? Because that would be easy and make sense since that is where riders all end up ...

No, you have to go several blocks to a Bartell's or a QFC to buy a bus pass because that service is farmed out ...

Yes, I went and got a pass at Bartell's ...

(Being exasperated, I sent what essentially became this posting to friends and discovered that it is virtually the same for ferry passes ...)

Junior ...

Junior ...

I had the good fortune this weekend of being in attendance at game 3 of a 3 game series between the Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds at Safeco Field. Ken Griffey, Jr. returned to Seattle to a hero's welcome that had to make A-Rod jealous being measure. The Seattle crowd showed it understood that there is a time and a place to put aside any early feelings of being dissed in 1999 and to be appreciative of the truth of the situation; Seattle would have lost Major League Baseball if not for Ken Griffey, Jr.

In the game I attended he hit two home runs, passing mark Mark McGwire for 7th on the all-time list. He also made a great sliding catch in right, caught the final out in the bottom of the 8th, did not know he had hit a home run in the top of the first, reminded me exactly what a home run sounds like, and showed a genuine appreciation back to the fans that chose to wear their old Griffey jerseys one last time. Seattle fans showed a true understanding of the game and the place for fun and nostalgia in sport by putting away their boos and cheering the guy who is STILL my favorite Mariner.

Chris Benoit

Chris Benoit

I really don't know what to do ... when I first heard of this tragedy I decided to just post a photo of the ring from Wrestlemania 19 and put down "R.I.P." in order to honor the passing of someone who was just about my favorite in ring performer ...

Now, it appears that Chris Benoit is responsible for the death of his wife Nancy, 7 year old son Daniel, and self ... and although this continues to be a tragedy it completely alters the notion of making this posting a tribute. If the initial news reports coming out turn out to be true then he was a wife and child killer who could not face up to what he had done and killed himself.

None of that changes that this is a horrible, horrible tragedy. But, it does mean that I cannot do something to honor his passing. However, I can still offer my condolences to everyone touched by this situation; especially his two remaining children and Nancy's family.

Lalas & MLS vs. EPL & Eurosnobs ...

Lalas & MLS vs. EPL & Eurosnobs ...

"The fact that a segment of the world worships an inferior product in the Premiership is their business ... In England, our league is considered second class, but I honestly believe if you took a helicopter and grabbed a bunch of MLS players and took them to the perceived best league in the world they wouldn't miss a beat and the fans wouldn't notice any drop in quality." - Alexi Lalas, The Guardian

Okay, okay, okay ... The EPL and MLS aren't exactly on par, but Alexi makes a huge point here that is worthy of consideration ... and that is that reputations need to be taken with a grain of salt. The EPL is not a great league because it is in England, it is a great league because rich owners have been able to purchase players from around the world to make it a cosmopolitan league.

The top English players when placed together - with all of their reputations - are rarely able to beat anyone better than Estonia or Andorra any more. It is simply that they are not as good as their reputations and the Eurosnobs think that they are. The England squad is loaded with names, names which just aren't the best players in the world.

MLS is preparing a steady stream of players to play for the USA and for European teams. I would love to see how well England would do in the CONCACAF qualifying playing road games in places like Mexico City, Tegucigalpa, San Jose, Kingston, and San Salvador. The MLS level of play is steadily improving. American players are on rosters all over Europe and the majority of them cut their professional teeth in MLS. No, MLS is not loaded with names and stars, but that hardly makes it significantly inferior to the EPL.

Alexi, you overshot the mark, but not by much.

The Hottest Chicks in Metal Tour (Review) ...

The Hottest Chicks in Metal Tour (Review) ...

Lacuna Coil - The Gathering - Within Temptation - Stolen Babies
El Corazon - Seattle, WA - May 29, 2007

(The pictures from this show are online - posted May 30)
http://shotgunprose.blogspot.com/2007/05/hottest-chicks-in-metal-tour.html

I took a lot of notes right after the Lacuna Coil show last month, but for various reasons never got around to posting a review with the pictures ... I think I just forgot to type them up and then never got back to it ...

So, in lieu of a traditional review, these are my notes from the show:

- I have never caught a pick before, I got one from Maus from the final song of the encore, meaning the pick I got was only used to play "Our Truth" (this was after getting a finger on one a song or two before and being really bummed out for a couple minutes)
- It has been a long time since I went to the stage and held my ground, but I did it, gray hair and all
- I think a guy also at the front used to take Thai Kickboxing with me ...
- I had to decide between ordering a beer and knowing I would need to use the restroom or being a bit thirsty in a really hot room and keeping my place, I chose thirst
- Kudos to security at El Corazon for spraying water bottles on the crowd and frankly doing a nice job, I made a point of telling two of them so and they seemed to appreciate it
- I got to high 5 everyone in Lacuna Coil other than the drummer Criz at least once, Cristina twice ...
- I got to speak to the bass player and guitarist for The Gathering and they were really cool, the bass player was excited I knew a little of the geography of Holland (which is because of soccer to be honest, she is from near where PSV plays)
- I took a picture of the singer from "Stolen Babies" and nearly blinded one of their band members in the process, he was not happy and commented so
- Tim called during the show to ask if I felt the earthquake (???) and then I proceeded to tell everyone around me that there had been an earthquake ...
- Lacuna Coil playing for 75 minutes is more than I saw them play combined at two Ozzfest appearances in 2k4 and 2k6
- Within Temptation is worth seeing for full price as a headliner and completely blew me away, they jumped way up the list for me
- Sharon den Adel has an amazing stage charisma
- I can understand that there was a hierarchy of the bands (Stolen Babies, Within Temptation, The Gathering, Lacuna Coil) but the energy change from Within Temptation to The Gathering kind of threw off the energy of the room, even though The Gathering was a good band that was generally well received by the crowd
- Stolen Babies won over some people
- After the show a guy showed me a little video he shot of Lacuna Coil on his phone
- I wore my AC Milan jersey and band members noticed and nodded and smiled when they saw it, especially bass player Marco, who gave me a nice nod and wink
- I got to watch roadies argue in Italian, which was really, really funny with the hand gestures
- Lacuna Coil's set list covered their entire career and included My Wings, Senzafine, Swamped, Heaven's A Lie, Daylight Dancer, To The Edge, Our Truth, Enjoy The Silence, Within me, Closer, and Fragile (and a few others)
- I had not been to El Corazon as El Corazon, the last time I was there was 1993 to interview Sweaty Nipples for Pandemonium when it was still named The Off Ramp
- El Corazon is "all ages" but I still could not bring myself to take anyone underage there
- The band was dying from the heat as much as the crowd and I can remember a few moments where they really had to take a breath or a drink and gave each other looks and made comments about the heat
- Cristina got bass player Marco to do a little pole dance in between songs that got a good laugh (there is a ceiling support pole on stage)

Thank You Jeff Weaver ...

Thank You Jeff Weaver ...

For the past several seasons now the M's have sucked. They have been brutally bad at times. There have been horrible signings of players so common fans are becoming jaded. And yet, this season, there is a glimmer of hope. The M's are pretty good. They are a bit up and down, but worth going to. They are at least competetive. There are player signings that have worked. Kudos to the same people that the fans have been booing the last few years.

And then there is the Jeff Weaver signing. He has been worse than bad. It is almost three months into the season going into last night's game and he has no wins. He has been pulled very, very early in games for pitching very, very badly. He has been so bad that they put him on IR for what had to be "suck-itis" just to give him a break to try and figure things out.

Well, since he came off the IR for "suck-itis" he has pitched reasonably well. So, last night when Tim and I went to the game I was not quite as worried as I should have or could have been.

The result? A complete game 4 hit shutout. He faces 5 over the minimum and only throws something like 108 pitches. He strikes out 5 and walks only 2. He retires something like 16 straight at one point. He picks off a runner, one of the single coolest things that can ever happen in a baseball game. He only faces as many as 5 batters in an inning once. There are only 2 baserunners on at one time once. It is as steady and solid a pitching performance as I have ever witnessed by an M's starter.

When he got the big ovation after the 8th and at the start of the 9th I was genuinely happy for the guy. It was clear his teammates and the fans wanted him to get that shutout. It was clear that everyone there knew that the M's need him to pitch well to make a run at the Angels or for the Wild Card.

It was almost enough to make up for missing a different M's pitching performance in June of 1990 ... which is a story for another time and referenced in an old entry on this blog ...

(my scorekeeping is not perfect, but I think it should pretty much match up to the official box score)

After the credits roll ...

After the credits roll ...

"Raise your hands if you have seen Pirates 3?" I asked the 6th graders today.

Many hands raised, and they were suddenly interested in what I had to say.

"Keep them raised if you stayed until after the credits to see the actual end of the movie?"

Many hands dropped. Many faces seemed stunned by this revelation. A few hands stayed up and the faces looked smug.

See ... a lot of movies now are rewarding those that stay for the credits with another scene or something special.

For instance, last summer at the end of the credits of X-Men 3 there is a scene where (spoiler censor) ....

Or, at the end of Clerks 2 when Kevin Smith ran something like 10,000 names of his Myspace "friends" ...

It is actually kind of cool and fun when they do that. Ringo and I stayed through the credits of Shrek 3 recently just in case. The kids and I stayed through the credits of FF2 just in case. Neither of them had a scene, but it was still kind of fun to stay to just find out.

But, after Pirates 3? A nearly 3 hour bladder buster of a movie with an extra scene at the end is kind of mean. It was almost like after a LOTR film where people were rushing for the restrooms. I know I took and aisle seat at LOTR for that reason.

So, if you did not stay through the credits of Pirates 3 I won't spoil what I also had to go look up by using Google. Go on, look it up ...

Maybe it will work for my birthday ...

Maybe it will work for my birthday ...

Last Fall I posted a Christmas wish list ... it worked about as well as one would reasonably expect ...

So, some of the items on that list will be repeated here:

white button up cotton shirts 16 1/2, 34/35
a wine rack
a bacon press
a cast iron stove top griddle with handles
the new Within Temptation CD
tickets to the Sounders vs. Preston North End on 7/23 at Qwest Field
a black tee shirt that simply reads "XL" on the front
a little digital camera
mixed martial arts gloves - black or gray
frames - 10x10 and triangular for a flag

There ... I did it ...

Drivers that brake for green lights _____ (fill in the blank) ...

Drivers that brake for green lights _____ (fill in the blank) ...

This is my Seattle drivers rant.

I started writing this post a few months ago in response to Ken Schram's silly and sarcastic brush off of a legitimate issue that affects public safety, cell phone use while driving ...

I spent several years working auto insurance claims - cell phones were regularly the problem and the direct cause of accidents leading to serious injuries, even fatalities ...

I am a firm believer that laws should only be passed regarding behavior that places others safety and lives in jeopardy; the screaming "Fire!" in a crowded theatre example. I think anti-smoking laws count. Cell phone driving, especially text messaging, counts; this is not an example of government holding our hands. Cell phone use does not just effect the driver, it causes and creates dangerous situations. Drivers should be driving. I am not talking about always having hands at 10 and 2, but to be holding something that takes away attention from the road is dangerous and cars are lethal weapons. I will fess up to being guilty about using my cell, but I put it on speaker or use an ear piece when available.

My rules of the road rant:

"Try!" This is what I yell at cars that stop for green lights and stare at green arrows.

Yellow flashers are not red flashers. I got really mad at a car that wouldn't pass a public bus that was pulled onto the side allowing for a passing lane - public buses are not school buses that you can't pass by law due to flashing red lights. Public buses put on yellow flashers as a warning and pull to a separate lane in order for you to go past them because they are not supposed to hold up traffic.

Turn signals equal intent, they do not give a car actual right of way.

On that note, if you have ROY, use it, if not yield it - waiving people on is not being nice, it is confusing. People think that they are being nice. "Nice" is to drive the way you are supposed to. This especially applies to crossing lanes, when one driver stops and speaks for another lane, where they cannot see or tell what is going on, causing t-bone accidents. The car that waves people on do not get hurt and are not legally accountable, yet they are the ones who are actually responsible in the real world sense.

Double turn lanes are not that hard to understand.

I don't expect people to speed, I expect them to be interested in getting to their destination.

A car stopping or slowing to 20 on Highway 99 while looking at stores is dangerous. The car going half the speed is as dangerous as the car going twice the speed in that instance.

I am fed up with the cars that don't understand 4 way stop rules ... 4 way stops slow down traffic so badly it is not even funny, I take alternate routes to avoid them.

When it is foggy don't use your brights.

My biggest pet peeve though is the car that goes around another while merging, preventing the front car from merging easier and essentially cutting them off. It is something that bothers me more than almost any other driving situation ... although the car waiving a car across traffic and speaking for a lane of traffic that driver is not in is a very close second place ...

I am done ranting for now.

Meeting rock stars ...

Meeting rock stars ...

There is a big difference between being in the media as opposed to being a fan, "knowing" vs "Meeting", or "worked with" when it comes to meeting celebrities. This is true in my experience as a journalist when it comes to rock stars, politicians, or athletes.

I have "met" rock stars like Queenryche when they signed Mindcrime at Tower Records in 88, Eddie Jackson was at the Kingdome at the Monsters of Rock in 88, or Scott Rockenfield was in line behind me for Batman in 89. I ask for autographs and pose for pictures when "meeting" rock stars and cannot behave that way when "working" with them. I got George Lynch's autograph at the Monsters of Rock. I posed for pictures with Lacuna Coil at Ozzfest in 06. I got Tesla's collective autographs in 87 at the mall. I do not bring things to sign when doing an interview. It simply does not work that way.

It was different when I was writing and editing City Heat. When you are "working" with a band, there is a totally different relationship. In "Almost Famous" this "fan" versus "journalist" battle is an important part of the story.

When people ask me if I "know" the guys from Alice in Chains or Pearl Jam, the answer is not simply a yes or no answer. Having "worked" with them is different.

Recently, I had a conversation with Ringo about this as he is learning the guitar and I had the opportunity to introduce him to professional musicians. He got a chance to help set up and meet the guitarist from a band (Punkin got to meet that same band and get autographs on the CD liner notes and had a totally different experience at the same time.). For Ringo, it was different than meeting them as strictly a fan and was very, very cool.

Time, Place, and Audience ...

Time, Place, and Audience ...

I hear kids talking while subbing (if there is one thing I would like to teach kids other than understanding that learning to dance is good, it is knowing when not to express an opinion) ... I hear parents talking around other parents (makes me wonder how long I can coach, I have been lucky with my current group) ... I hear people on the bus (it is like they want people to know about all the stupid things they do) ...

I am in favor of direct, but geez .... whatever happened to tact?

Whatever happened to an understanding of Time, Place, and Audience?

People don't have to be on edge, but being aware of when it is, where you are, and who is listening seems to have fallen out of favor.

I am withdrawn in public, because it is not where I want to hold certain conversations. I listen to people talk about others - including other kids at kid sporting events - right in front of them.

There are times I want to ask people, "Does your brain hear things you've said after you've said them?"

This post is mostly just a rant of a cranky sounding guy, but there was a catalyst for this ... but I don't want to call the person out in public, the audience here could be anyone ...

I have walked the mall ...

I have walked the mall ...

This almost feels like a confession.

"The mall" is the park of the modern day; the town center, a place where people go to meet and not just to shop - say what you will about that, but it is true ...

I worked at Macy's a Christmas season ago. I always sort of knew of the mall walking thing prior to that, but I really saw it then when I opened one morning. There are a lot of people at the mall prior to the stores actually opening. It is like a running track; a warm, lit, indoor place to walk in the morning. Let me be clear, there appears to be no running, only walking.

The high number of people walking in the morning really caught me off guard. Some of the food places open, with the coffee shops doing great business.

The demographic is skewed toward the older crowd. I remember seeing this old guy in sweater pushing a walker still looking for love as he walked, clearly he had got up early and put on his nice slacks and a sweater in order to impress the ladies; it was very sweet.

Recently, I went mall walking with a friend one morning ... I almost felt out of place, we were much younger than the demographic ....

Thanks a latte ...

Thanks a latte ...

The police have the time to investigate espresso stands to make certain that the girls are not breaking the law with how they are dressed?

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=coffeegirls22e&date=20070122&query=espresso+girls

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/saturdayspin/302267_sorbo03.html

How do I get that job?

This fall I wrote in my journal about this. Some of my thoughts were kind of mean actually. I will post some excerpts here.

There was a song several years ago about espresso girls. I cannot find it online for the life of me, which is weird.

There is a place near my apartment that deliberately plays up the fact that all of the girls that work there are hotter than your coffee, it is called Latte Babes ...

Well, recently, I was working in Bellevue and commuting in from Kenmore. I would drop Dasher off at puppy day care. Parking is expensive so I just would go ahead and go to the park and ride. Well, there is an espresso stand there that is well known for having exceptionally hot girls working at it. It was very clear that these girls would dress skimpy and practically pose while making the coffee to give the guys a long and lingering look, and I cannot imagine that their tips would suffer for it.

They were hot and would behave in such a detached way about it that it was hard to determine if they were jaded or resigned to it. They would not even bother to glare and make you look away, they were almost aloof about the fact that you are supposed to stare at them. Clearly, they worked very hard to look that casual about it.

I remember thinking a very mean thought about how for some of these girls the making of coffee would be the hardest that they would ever have to work physically at a job. They won't have to. I know why I thought it, but it does not change the fact that it is mean.

A few years ago KZOK did a local barista calendar. I bought one for my brother.

I remember a recent discussion with some friends over the Kenmore coffee stand. The consensus? Hot girls equal good sales of coffee.

And what guy doesn't like it when a pretty girl asks, "Would you like whipped cream on that?"

Qwest Field at first was to be a Natte Latte stand, but it fell through ...
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/82145_coffee10.shtml

As for my local Latte Babes? Yes I have a punch card ...

(Links may go inactive at any time.)

Unpublished novels ...

Unpublished novels ...

I have published a novel, albeit in serialized form, titled Boomerang. I also have a couple of completed unpublished novels and several novels that are plotted and have a few chapters written. A few of the unfinished novels have also had excerpts published as short stories.

Completed and unpublished:

Lippincott is a novel I wrote about the possible impact of a real witch having been burned at the stake in 1692 during the Salem Witch Trials ...

Searching For Mojo is a science fiction parody piece about a rock star possibly staging his death in order to drop out of society at some point in the future ....

Works in progress:

Rocketride is the story of a young man who discovers he has superpowers. He discovers he is not the only one in his family to have had these powers.

6 Days in October has had several pieces published as short stories. It is a novel of various characters set in the real world that have odd relationships with each other and is more of an overlapping collection of stories than a traditional novel.

Someone to Blame is a novel about a domestic terrorist group working with an unsuspecting computer geek at a chemical company. I started work on this project in 1989.

Raindog has had the intro chapter published as a short story in 1996. It is the story of a TV Weatherman that has an ancestor that was a rainmaker.

It's all becoming a company town ...

It's all becoming a company town ...

I remember reading a joke a few years ago - it may have been in The Onion but I could not find it when I searched a little while ago - that with the most recent corporate merger US corporations are now down to six ... it feels true.

It is like the US has become one giant company town, with livelihoods and families totally dependent upon the whims of corporate executives. Roger & Me was prophetic.

It is not quite like the old manorial system, but it does feel like our "classless" system is becoming ever more stratified. It is like there is a corporate, or business class, and worker classes ... where there is no real middle class any more per se ... there seems to be no or little mobility despite what people want to believe.

It is like those in the corporate class actually want less higher education, as education equals more progressive very often ...

More and more Americans have negative net worth. Fewer and fewer will have resources, rest will owe the company .... like the song says about owing to the company store ....

I do not have functioning opposable thumbs ....

I do not have functioning opposable thumbs ....

I am, therefore, not quite as useful as a monkey.

See ... my right thumb was fractured due to an incident involving my brother, a fence, a ball, a chase, a wall, him ducking, me going ice skating, and it being set wrong. In December 2006 I wrote a blog entry about breaking a brick that explains it.

See ... my left thumb was broken when I went for a little jog, encountered a dog behind a fence that somehow found his way over the fence and charged me. That dog caused me to lose balance, fall back and land awkwardly on my thumb and wrist, fracturing it in several places requiring surgery and a titanium screw to be drilled through my thumb. I called into work to tell them I would be late the next day due to a dog attack. My boss thought the note was a joke. When I arrived the next day with a cast from the tip of my thumb up to my armpit I began a journey that led my coworkers to consider me the unluckiest guy they had ever met. Oh, and try and button your slacks with one hand. An ambulance chaser lawyer gave up trying to get me compensation from the dog owner, the situation was that bad.

The right thumb was not an issue for me for the most part, in fact it gave me a decent slider. But, I do not have the strength in that thumb I could have due to it being offset from where it should be.

The left thumb continues to be a problem. I have had cortisone shots. It is never a good sign when the doc tells you not to move because it is really going to hurt and that I would not want him to have to do it again. The thumb bends weird ways and gives out a lot, causing me to drop things. It is also the "thumb of control" for dance partners who wish to back lead and use my hand like an old Atari joystick to lead me wherever they want me to go.

I don't get ...

I don't get ...

Why are white people so offended by Indians not wanting to be mascots and are so insistent that it is to honor them ???

"We're honoring you, you ungrateful #*(%s!!!"

Beer and Wine snobs unite ...

Beer and Wine snobs unite ...

We took both the Red Hook Brewery Tour and the Chateau St. Michelle Winery Tour back to back on Saturday afternoon ...

She told me she found it funny to listen to the wine snobs.

And it was ... funny.

It would be easy to become one, too.

I know that I am capable of it and in many ways am prone to it with coffee, scotch, beer, and dancing as examples.

Fighting against it is both noble and somewhat useless ... you can't be who you are not.

(P.S. The beer snobs are a lot more fun. Photos by Lorrie.)

Tiger and Jack (journal entry 6.11.07 830PM-ish)

Tiger and Jack (journal entry 6.11.07 830PM-ish)

The cat likes to lay on me.

I haven't quite figured out why.

We've never been what you might call close.

He represents something negative.

It's not his fault.

Being nice to him has been both challenging and healing.

I've come to be fond of him.

He depends on me.

I feel guilty that I wasn't exactly nicer to the dog that came along in that general time period. Getting him a new home was the nicest thing I could have done for him. I tried and looked into something similar for the cat without success. But, the emotions from the kids re the dog were tough enough to deal with. This would have just been piling on.

And so, he purrs.

He is on my lap as I write this.

Some things could be better for the both of us, but for now this will just have to do.

CSI has changed everything ....

CSI has changed everything ....

Shortly before midnight 13 years ago today, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were murdered.

How does the OJ jury feel today?

Cold in June (6.7.07 10 PM-ish journal entry)

Cold in June (6.7.07 10PM-ish journal entry)

I'm cold.

It's June.

This should not be so.

Of course, I'm naked, it's a dreary night, and I just got out of a really frickin' hot bath, so my skin is still adjusting.

But ...

I don't want to be cold in June.

It would be warmer if I wasn't alone. The aquarium in the living room, the dog under the bed, and the cat on my legs don't quite count.

Were I to be so inclined, I suppose I could put on jammies or a sweatshirt or something. But, I will acclimate and warm up under the comforter soon enough for that to be both silly and overkill.

My eyes are getting very tired.

I am getting sleepy, so very, very sleepy.

The light switch is just inconveniently enough away to make me seriously consider just leaving it on. I do prefer to sleep with the light on. Technically, I prefer to sleep during the day and live nocturnally.

I am not afraid of the dark.

I feel safer knowing Paris is in jail ...

I feel safer knowing Paris is in jail ...

Not really.

Paris Hilton was sentenced to jail for DUI. DUI is a crime. It appears that Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer gave her a typical sentence. I would expect the same.

However ... the GLEE with with people have seemed to take the news that Paris is in jail and was taken sobbing from the courtroom bothers me.

However ... the way in which LA County handled the situation leading to the hearing is terrible. It never should have come to a new hearing to send her back to jail had they followed the judge's instructions in the first place. That actually was unfair to yo-yo her like that, even if she should have still been in jail. Expect a lawsuit against the county for putting her through that.

However ... Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer needs to be on the US Supreme Court, 70 years old or not.

However ... Paris screaming "Mom!" in court pretty much sums up the entire situation, doesn't it ... ?

10 geeky things I have never done ... (yet)

10 geeky things I have never done ... (yet)
- As always, in no particular order.

1) I have never attended a Star Trek Convention.
- Okay ... I have been to comic conventions and even Pokemon conventions with Jacob, but not an actual Star Trek convention.

2) I have never worn body paint at a game ...
- or face paint either ...

3)I have never started The Wave.
- The Wave had its place, and that place was The Kingdome.

4) I have never rushed the field to tear down goal posts ....
- Ya know, mace just doesn't seem like fun to me.

5) I have never voted for anyone on American Idol.
- The kids have ... and I have attended a concert from an American Idol alum though ...

6) I have never brought my mitt to catch a ball at a Mariners game ...
- I have tried to get one though, but not by bringing the mitt ...

7) I have never attended a fantasy football live draft.
- I have played MLS fantasy soccer and won, but I have never played any other fantasty sport.

8)

9)

10)


I could only think of seven since I have done so many geeky things already in my life ... (like sending fan mail, attending an awards show red carpet, entering a Halloween costume contest, attending WWE PPV's at Hooters, getting a guitar pick at a concert, ...) ... kind of sad, really.

The proper crepe ...

The proper crepe ...

Recently ... I had the opportunity to make crepes for a group of alternative high school students ... it went well ... there is nothing like impressing the difficult to impress ...

So, here is the deal. I watched the very, very awful movie "Talladega Nights" last Summer. One of the few redeeming qualities of the movie, and definitely an unintended consequence of attending the film, was that I decided to try and make crepes ... I found a simple recipe online and went for it ... the kids love them ... actually, so does Lorrie ...

1 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Water
1/4 TSP Salt
4 Eggs
2 TBSP Melted Butter
(us a 1/4 Cup of mix per crepe, a minute or so on each side, heating on medium to medium high in melted butter)

It is important to melt the butter as it blends in smoother.
It is important to blend the mix on the highest setting for at least a minute and to scrape the sides and then blend again for a bit.
It is best to let the concoction sit overnight.
It is best to let the pan heat first and then let the butter become brown prior to pouring in the mix.
It is best to swirl the pan on the first side to keep the crepe from clumping.
It is best to use real butter.
It is best to use 2 Percent or Whole Milk.

Trust me on this ...

Ten Things I Miss ... (in no particular order)

Ten Things I Miss ... (in no particular order)

1) The HUB, The HAWKDOME, and The Little Theatre ...
- they tore down the old MTHS ...

2) Daylight Donuts "Fill Your Bag Special" ...
- It wasn't actually called that, but was worth dragging yourself out at night to go to get ...

3) Ferdinand's Cookies and Cream Milkshakes ...
- and their bags of Cougar Gold Cheese scraps ... nummy ...

4) Hanging out of the back of a Pinto ...
- or riding in the back of my dad's pickup for that matter ....

5) Busing to Pike Place Market ...
- when Golden Age Collectibles was the be all and end all for comic readers ...

6) Music still on MTV ...
- with apologies to Bowling For Soup, but there was a time when MTV defined cool ...

7) Thinking Pro Wrestling was real ...
- and dragging my dad to Mercer Arena for a cage match ...

8) Concert T-Shirts being a badge of honor ...
- they just don't mean the same thing any more ...

9) Standing in Student Sections ...
- MTHS, Wazzu, or The GU Kennel ...

10) Being Blond ...
- at least it is still MY hair ...

This Ain't The Summer Of Love ...

This Ain't The Summer Of Love ...

40 years ago today The Beatles released "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". It was the start of what id generally referred to as "The Summer of Love". I was born during that summer, so we know what that means ...

But, things are different today. See, back then the US was in an unpopular and draining war. We had an unpopular president who had lied to us about the war and why we were there and Congress had blindly gone and followed him ...

.... ummmmm .....