The Zombie Sonics and Moving On As A Fan

Bring 'Em Back! Sonics Arena Rally
Occidental Park - Seattle, WA 06-14-12


Bill Simmons of ESPN calls them The Zombie Sonics.  A local sports talk guy discussed the notion of whether Seattle sports fans are emotionally prepared for NBA success in OKC. I am not thinking of merely making the playoffs type of success, I mean NBA Finals sort of success. Like, tonight.

In recent months I have noticed a surge in Sonics stuff being sold and worn in the area, which is cool.  But, are/were Seattle sports fans really ready for the notion of an NBA Finals with THAT TEAM playing in it? Really, no.  This makes me sick to my stomach.

It's a big question.

Unfortunately, it is a question we are going to get an answer to since San Antonio managed to get old during the trip from San Antonio to Oklahoma City for game 3.

I will always believe the two main owners of that team are liars and bigots and thieves, but I will spend no more energy on that.  There were rants on this blog back before the move.  It takes too much energy to sustain that hate.  So ... no more.  Now, my sports fan energy will go towards the realistic possibility that the Seattle Sonics will rise again.  The Sounders came back.  It can happen.

I wore my Sonics jacket from many years ago as a sort of political statement and avoided sending the kid who made a joke about it to the office.

Today was a chance at the kind of catharsis this fan needed. I imagine the Thunder are the most popular team in Cleveland right now, but those fans got to see LBJ lose last year so it is our turn.  I kind of want to start a Kickstarter to fund a parade in Seattle for the Heat should they win.

The signs say Bring 'Em Back!

"Now would be good."

The KJR team.

Me and Slick Watts.

The money man with the voice. 

I now have a Slick Watts signed Sonics flag.

GP

Opening night crowds

Event movies ... must be seen on opening night. They need to be seen with groups of friends that are as into the event as you are.  They need to be seen with big things of popcorn and soda and much fanfare.

That sounds simple, but the crowds the following weekend are just not the same.

The Avengers opening night was with a group of fellow Minions (TM) and it rocked.  Not only did the movie rock, but the crowd was fun.  It was not the obnoxious group on their phones loud or the kids talking loud, it was the into it responding when you are supposed to loud.  It was the kind of group that got the inside jokes and subtle and not so subtle references.

Then, the second weekend I went with my son (to a 2D version) of the same flick.  The movie still rocked, but the crowd was really, really lame. I got the impression many in attendance really did not get a lot of the references, and I realized that I would be That Guy if I kept trying to explain it to people while the movie was still going.

So, The Dark Knight Rises is coming up in July and there is simply No Way that I will see it with anything but a group of people who truly care.

Grounding myself from social media

I deserved to be punished.

My time management skills have more or less sucked lately.  Yes, I basically live alone and am single and accountable to no one but myself most of the time.  Yes, I can do things at odd hours without upsetting anyone other than maybe a neighbor.  And yes, there is a bit of overreacting here, but sometimes the punishment has got to exceed the crime.

Last weekend I missed a martial arts class I had told someone I would be at.  Over the weekend I noticed I was constantly checking my phone at work, which felt inappropriate.  I also screwed around on the computer at my folks' enough that I did not get home and get laundry done on Sunday night and that screwed up my Monday morning enough that I was nearly late for work and was thrown off for a morning. At one point I more or less went all zombie and watched too many episodes in a row on DVD of a good show, but it meant my apartment was not cleaned.

So ...

I grounded myself.

No DVD player.

No social network.

Clean your apartment young man.  Get your laundry done. Get organized and back on a better sleep schedule.

It has been a week.  It is also working.  And from what I can tell no one has noticed I shut down a page even though I have 300 friends online.

A few more things to catch up and then I can get back to normal ... if I decide to.

Wine tasting fundraisers ftw ...

With my son about to start high school football in wine country in Woodinville I attended my first wine tasting and fundraiser at a local winery.

I am really hoping that this is not the only one I attend over the next three years and is in fact merely the first of many.

HS football fundraisers ftw ...

Shots overhead

Sometimes I get to do something called "Hot Loading", where I stay in the trap house and keep the machines loaded while shooters continue to shoot.

Really, that is the job.

Eclipse view from Picnic Point

Went outside hoping to see the annular eclipse on Sunday evening, May 20 and this is all we got here in Picnic Point.

Eclipse Fail.

Think Spinal Tap Dimensions

On stage prop of The Davanos from The Little Red Hen on May 13, 2012.

Not 4 feet, more like 4 inches.

My new team

A gift from colleague returning from Istanbul.


I need to wear it to a Sounders game this Summer and pretend to not understand English.

A different kind of rodeo

Mobile Food Rodeo
Seattle, WA - 5-6-12

It should not be possible for PB&J to work on a burger, and yet it does ... There really is no point to go to an event like this and not try something new.

Two things about this pic are that I wore a sombrero and that I actually owned one in the first place. Sometimes you have to be a bit ridiculous to be taken seriously.

Yep. Sing us a song, you're Sombrero Man ...

If you are pushing a Honey Bucket down a street and there are cars, the cars stay out of your way and yield.

One pound sixty embedded in the road.   

Largest tip jar ever.  Very optimistic.

Nom. Seriously, bacon makes everything better.

One half of the street and crowd at mid-day. Thousands and thousands of people. Mostly, people were really cool since it was a suddenly sunny and beautiful day after several days of rain.  The lines were mellow, I think in part because foodies were happy to just be out in the sun.

The beer garden with The Disco Cowboys playing on the stage. I need to see more of this group as opposed to the occasional number I caught as I was working the street.

The headset makes the sombrero. Wearing the headset also proved my "headset right of way in a large crowd" theory from ECCC.

I had to take off the wristbands at one point and today I have odd little tan lines on my arms.

Set up the night before ... this was a lot of work Sat eve and all day Sunday, but it was another chance to work with a group of ECCC Minions and some new folks.  Starting to get a real work history with a number of these people and that is simply not underrated. 

Best baseball moments

I recently attended a game between the Seattle Mariners and the Chicago White Sox where the Chisox pitcher made a pick off move to first base with runners at first and second.  The first baseman was not holding on the runner and was in fact up near the infield grass and focusing on the batter when the ball sailed well past him, allowing both runners to score.  This is one of my favorite baseball moments I have ever witnessed in person at the dozens of games I have attended.  After this, I started thinking about the other more noteworthy moments and immediately made a list, because that is what I do.

10 - 1993 Opening Night first pitch -  I attended Opening Night in the Kingdome in both 1993 and 1994, but seeing my first one was pretty cool.

9 - back to back to back home runs - In September 2011 at Safeco Field I watched the back to back to back home runs of the Texas Rangers.  It is number 9 on the list because it is the opposition, but still noteworthy.

8 - first road game - In June of 1994 I attended my first ever MLB game not in the Kingdome between the Ms and the Angels.

7 - bleacher seats home run at Yankee Stadium - In June 2004 I watched Alfonso Soriano smack a home run on his first at bat in his return to Yankee Stadium.  Yankee fans briefly applauded and then he was the enemy.

6 - inside the park home run - The 1977 Yankees visited the Kingdome during the expansion season and Rupert Jones rounded the bases while Reggie sort of strolled after the ball.

5 - two runners score on errant pick off move - 2012, see above.

4 - final pitch of a legend - Nolan Ryan came to the Kingdome in late 1993 for what proved to be his final start as a major league pitcher, even though it wasn't supposed to be as he got injured and faced only 6 batters and failed to make his final two scheduled home starts.

3 - striking out to end the game - In 2006 Ms closer J.J. Putz stuck out Barry Bonds to end the game.  The previous sentence was awesome to type.

2 - over the fence catch in deep center - The first week of the 2000 season the Ms new center fielder Mike Cameron not only robbed a home run, he robbed a home run from Derek Jeter.

1 - walk off grand slam - 2010 Spring Training Ken Griffey, Jr. smacked a walk off home run against the Reds.  Yes, it was Spring Training, but it turned out to be the final HR by Junior.

Hit hard, shake hands, share a brew ...

I have always played contact sports.

Currently, I am involved heavily in the martial arts.  I hit and kick people.  They hit and kick me. We are not hurting each other, we are challenging each others skills.

Games I play are generally played hard.  I do not mind contact, when it is about the game, but when it seems gratuitous, not so much.  Do not substitute aggression for skill. I grew up playing goalkeeper, catcher, etc ... and that meant contact and impacts.  I played a little high school football and got my ass handed to me.  Any injuries I suffered was due to incidental contact, never because someone was trying to injure me. I never intentionally injured any one.

That brings me to the New Orleans Saints.  Intentionally going after another athlete with the intent to injure and to reward that is not sport. It is not football.  Sports like football, hockey, or rugby require that athletes play the games hard, but with a respect for the contact.  The New Orleans Saints rewarded and chose injury over competition. Intentional ... that is Rollerball.

Suspensions, fines, and public scorn is but the tip of the ice berg.  The lawsuits, they are a coming.  Brett Favre or Kurt Warner, I hope you sue and end up owning the Saints.

Catching Up With Dave Sim

At one point I was reviewing things pretty regularly on this blog, but like all things it has evolved.

In an effort to catch up with previous work I am posting an update and collective review of materials from Dave Sim. The last entry was on April 6 of 2009 for glamourpuss #6. A lot of material to cover then.

There have been 17 new issues of glamourpuss (#'s 7-23) and 17 issues of Cerebus Archive, plus one new issue of Following Cerebus (#12). I could include Cerebus TV, but I have to admit only seeing bits and pieces of it while hoping for an eventual DVD release.

Let's start with glamourpuss. Over the course of reading this series, the narrative about photo-realism and the like has evolved.  There is a story being told.  I find the ongoing breakdown of the rivalries and personalities of the past to be interesting.  The professional culture of the time and the egos involved is a soap opera of the interesting kind. However, the ad parodies and the like all essentially are the same joke.

Looking at Cerebus Archive, the changes in the comic industry in the 1970s that led to the direct market and creator owned projects is being told through the lens of Dave's career.  There is a lot here as Dave goes over his early career.  Not sure how long this will run, but it is interesting to read stuff I would never possibly have read without this series. From an art stand point I find the growth of him as an artist, especially the inking, to be interesting to note and look at as I read his more current works too.

Following Cerebus #12 looks at more than one Dave.  As a long time fan of DFW his death was unsettling and clearly tragic for both human and creative reasons. I read the issue at about the same point I finally got around to reading The Pale King.

Because AC/DC matters ...

AC/DC: Australia's Family Jewels 
Opening Weekend 
Why AC/DC Matters with author Anthony Bozza
EMP Museum - Seattle, WA
April 28, 2012

The entrance to the exhibit.

One of Angus' actual outfits.

For those about to rock ...

Author Anthony Bozza during a Q & A about his book, Why ACDC Matters in the JBL Theater.

The photo booth in the exhibit.

They are young, give them time

Seattle Mariners 4
Chicago White Sox 7
April 22, 2012 - Seattle, WA - Safeco Field
AL Regular Season

Maybe I am drinking the cool aid here, but there is a nice group of young players here, but judging by the continuing slump in attendance, Seattle is not paying attention.  A beautiful Sunday like this and the building was well under half full.

I saw some things for the first time.  For instance, a pitcher throwing to a base as a pick off move when there were multiple runners on and no one was covering first.  The ball went all the way to the stands and both runners went all the way round to score.

I cannot recall a batter reaching first safe on a passed ball after a strike out in person before.

There were 4 separate plays at the plate and two were tag outs.

I have never seen a major league base runner called out for runner interference.

The Seahawks posted a hit it here target, kind of feels like taunting.

The seagulls invaded.  At first it was kind of funny that a bunch of seagulls came into the park.  Then, it started getting a bit creepy, as it was well over a hundred of them swarming the upper deck down the first base side.

Greatest post-game giveaway ever.  Dirt.

Things I WANT To Like

Chinese Democracy is St. Anger.

I was a huge fan of Guns 'n Roses back in the day.  They were unapologetic and had songs to crank up and scream along with.  When I saw them in 1988 in Seattle opening for Iron Maiden it still is the best double bill I have ever witnessed.

That being said, I more or less ignored Chinese Democracy when it came out. Guns 'n Roses had not released a record in 15 years and the band on this record was not the band I liked.  This band was the singer with a bunch of new guys.  I once joked it was "Axl Rose and the Hired Guns".

Had there been activity over the years I would have accepted the changes, they happen.  But, Velvet Revolver, essentially the band without Axl had moved on and released a record I really liked a few years earlier.  And, let's face it, Axl really is hard to sympathize with.  So, the record came out, I heard a song or two on the radio, and promptly ignored it.

Axl Rose recently posted an open letter explaining his choice to not accept or be involved in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction of Guns 'n Roses.  I read it.  Okay ... a new level of diva has emerged, even for him.  But, I also realized I had not given his new version of the band an actual chance.  I checked out a library copy of Chinese Democracy and let it spin a few times the way I do with new records. Well,, there are some interesting pieces on the record, I will give Axl that.  At times it sounds like the same band, but it also is pretty uneven in style, like it was recorded over a long period with a bunch of different members ... which it was.  Basically, when my son asked I used St. Anger from Metallica as an example.  See, it too was recorded over a long time of turmoil, is really personal to the guys in the band, but is lacking in those songs that really grab you and want to crank it up.  Chinese Democracy is lacking that Paradise City or November Rain, the songs you just turn up when they come on.  Sure, some good stuff here and there, but not record I really would want to just grab and crank up. I wanted to like this more, like a huge surprise gift, but I didn't.

Thai Kickboxing drills

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MgU8leeLJI&feature=colike

The link is from a video of some drills we were doing at Seattle Taekwondo on Tuesday April 17, 2012.

Kirby Krackle video screen shot

Screen shot from Kirby Krackle video "I wanna Live In A World Full Of Heroes" by Garrett Wesley Gibbons

Marian Call at The Fremont Abbey

Marian Call
April 14, 2012
The Fremont Abbey - Seattle, WA
with Scott Barkan and Zizzy Zi Zixxy

I am really, really glad i talked myself into going out on Saturday instead of staying in.  This was one of the best shows I have been to in a long, long time.

Minion

Emerald City Comicon 2012

March 30 - April 1, 2012

Seattle, WA - WSCTC

This year we had some jobs within the Minion Corps that had titles.  I was a Wrangler, sort of like First Amongst Equals in communism.  It had a radio, a name not number badge, and somehow more authority that I thought would come along with it.  There were moments of drama, a couple of dept heads that knew what they were doing, and Corey and the Minions doing the actual work. Organization matters, ECCC has it. I do not have time for poorly run activities, I could easily go back to being an attendee.

Roy, Ashley, Abby, Holly, George, Robbin, Stephanie, Annie … Todd and Jason  … thank god for the minion lair and Carly and team. I did not learn everyone’s name.  As the facebook requests came in I found myself saying, "Oh," a few times.

I made fun of Carly last year and how she would sort of drift off when the radio in her ear would kick in.  it happened to me this year and I have to apologize.  However, with the ear piece and the microphone a crowd will part like the rest see.  There is power in that. Walkie talkies and earpieces are like a signal to get the f*ck out of the way.

On Friday night, Wil Wheaton still had a line.  He stuck around to finish it with everyone else cleared out.  As he sprinted to take a quick potty break I got a few minions in line and as he emerged from the men’s room he saw up, smiled, and ran by giving the six of us high fives.  Video is on facebook.

I recruited a few friends. My good friend Tim worked Saturday, that was cool. 

A gap of 23 years was filled when I got to see my old dorm friend from Wazzu Stephanie and meet her husband at the con.  I have long maintained that finding old friends and seeing that they are well helps me realize that the world is not crashing and ending.  It was awesome and I hope she had a good time.

We take care of our own.  Yes, I taped up her ankles.

I posed for photos for people, more than once.

Our job was to get people in lines; if they are fair and clear, no problem.  But, some people are never happy, and we can only turn so many frowns into smiles.  Do the right thing for people, bring them tears of joy, they take pictures with you.  Drama, yes, but offset by happy people.   The perception was that I had the authority.  We tried to have a policy of yes.  Hopefully, the minions in my care got to see the panels and do the photo ops and signings they wanted to do. 

The sheer volume of people this year.  30K on Saturday alone.  53k reported for the weekend.  They all came through my room.  But, I imagine the show floor, panels, and admissions all faced exactly the same problems.

On Sunday afternoon I wandered through the convention floor eating my sandwich and chips.  I took a quick break by veering the long way back to my post.  It was a chance to see some of the artist alley and the booths.  Phil Foglio signed my Girl Genius postcard.  I got to the escalator to head downstairs but held off putting back on my green shirt, ate my cookie and surveyed the scene.  No fires, no injuries, no animals harmed.  Good people doing their jobs in an environment set up for success.  Organization matters. I had not met most of these people, including my girl Friday Corey, 48 hours earlier, yet we worked well together right away.

I got my earpiece back and boom, the questions came right back at me … but still.

Fist bumps, fist bumps, get your fist bumps here.  There were a lot of people to juggle, so I made a point of constantly checking in with people.  If they knew I was around they could do their job better and have a better experience.  We were all grown ups there, let people do their jobs, but let them know they were supported.

Did not get books signed this year, although I tried on Friday.  Bill S. is awesome with the fans at his table, but I just didn’t have time to wait.  I ended up with some magic cards signed by Foglio and Snoddy, a girl Genius postcard signed, my program signed by Wil Wheaton … got a pic with Wil, should have with Eddie M.  Eddie M was awesome, walked past at one point and patted me on the shoulder and shook my hand.  EJO is a gentlemen and I got to make him chuckle.  Judge did me a solid with some people hosed by a schedule change. The rest of the guests I got to see up close and they seemed pretty easy to work with. 

There are three types of costumes.  There is nice, what were they thinking, and smoking hot.  I wanted to thank one particular Batwoman by being bad and giving her the chance to … you know, apprehend me.

I lost my notes from running the floor, but that happens. I had my camera, took no pictures, but got a couple of camera phone shots. 

I chose health and skipped some of the evening activities.  Would have loved to see Kracklefest.  But, Sleep matters.  I had a commute. A beard will tingle from too much caffeine.  Shoot a five hour energy with a Wired chaser … a frightening result.

A hug from a pretty girl?  Yes, please.  It was good to see people I only know through the con. Seeing Jenna on Saturday was very, very cool. 

I did make a few jokes that surprised people … Astroglide for crowded lines indeed.

Almost 36 hours at the con.  This was work. Fun … maybe, worthwhile ... yes. 

Speak Easy

April 4, 2012 ... Underground Seattle Tour.

I had not gone on this tour in almost 25 years, so it was good to get down there and see it while it is still available to the public to tour.  Another bad quake like in 2001 and who knows?

Minions Assemble!

My buddy Dave from  http://daveoglesby.blogspot.com/ put this together and put it on facebook, so I am stealing it and posting it here.