... and I have been too ...
Seattle Sounders FC are more like a promoted team than an expansion team.
There I was watching the Canadian coverage of the SSFC and TFC game today and the Canadian color guy mentions how Seattle was different than an expansion team due having been in the USL and already having a roster.
It's true.
I consider the expansion tag to be more marketing than true.
Seattle is a promoted team in the way teams used to be promoted, add talent, upgrade in various areas, keep a core of the 2nd division roster, and then try and be competitive in the 1st division.
Everything the Sounders FC have done appears more like that old promotion model than like an expansion model.
Let's see ... there are something like 7 players from last year on the current roster. The ownership group upgraded and added investors. The coaching staff is the 2nd division coach as an assistant to the proven 1st division coach that was brought in. They went out and added players that would not have signed with a 2nd division team. 3 starters in the opener were on last years team. Fans are wearing old Sounders stuff along with the new rave green stuff.
If last year is an indication it should take about 40 points to get to the playoffs. Given the start it seems plausible in season one.
Of course, in the modern game promotion and relegation are more to distract fans from the fact that the EPL is a handful of good teams that are so far ahead that they are followed by teams playing only for promotion and relegation ... but, I digress.
Anyways ... the question now for the next MLS clubs is can they match what Seattle has done at the start. Philadelphia will have a harder time compared to how Vancouver and Portland are more likely to be able to follow the Seattle model. In a few years we will know. I expect Vancouver to be good, Philadelphia to be a typical expansion team, and Portland to give fans an MLS team to perennially disappoint them.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
I guess it is all my fault ...
See ... yesterday afternoon was dry.
I had this vague understanding that one must remove ones studded snow tires prior to April 1 in order to avoid an infraction and fine.
So, I took the time to lift and remove each snow tire. I discovered that I only had three good tires left. Last summer I had a blow out and so one of the snow tires was my spare.
At this point I went to the folks' house to discuss the removal of studs from a tire with my father, who promptly up and did it himself. Thanks dad.
Upon returning home I decided to simply get it over with and changed the snow tire with the newly neutered snow tire. I went inside at 9:42 PM.
This morning, less than 12 hours later and on April Fool's Day no less ... I looked outside and it was snowing.
I guess it is all my fault. At least some friends on Facebook seem to think so when I mentioned it.
I had this vague understanding that one must remove ones studded snow tires prior to April 1 in order to avoid an infraction and fine.
So, I took the time to lift and remove each snow tire. I discovered that I only had three good tires left. Last summer I had a blow out and so one of the snow tires was my spare.
At this point I went to the folks' house to discuss the removal of studs from a tire with my father, who promptly up and did it himself. Thanks dad.
Upon returning home I decided to simply get it over with and changed the snow tire with the newly neutered snow tire. I went inside at 9:42 PM.
This morning, less than 12 hours later and on April Fool's Day no less ... I looked outside and it was snowing.
I guess it is all my fault. At least some friends on Facebook seem to think so when I mentioned it.
Shotgun Prose is winding down.
I have been looking for the time to end this particular blog for a while now. I always considered Shotgun Prose to be something with a life cycle, not something open ended. The usefulness of it for me is wearing off. Over the next few months I will be winding it down and finishing incomplete entries and posts regarding upcoming events that I have already planned to post. After that, it will be only occasionally maintained with Oxymoron, glamourpuss reviews, or Ephemera posts. A new blog might follow, but it won't be Shotgun Prose any more.
Actually, it is not just this blog. I simply don't have the time or resources to have a proper Keeper Studios site right now either and am rapidly losing interest in the internet in general. So, I will be deleting the Keeper Studios Tripod site as well. The Keeper Studios My Space page is likely to remain up due to its various uses. I thought the blog had died a year ago, but was wrong then.
It is time for me to focus on other things and I need to focus time on my next novel, The Scarecrow Effect, and other projects for the time being. Doing things halfway just is not worth it.
Actually, it is not just this blog. I simply don't have the time or resources to have a proper Keeper Studios site right now either and am rapidly losing interest in the internet in general. So, I will be deleting the Keeper Studios Tripod site as well. The Keeper Studios My Space page is likely to remain up due to its various uses. I thought the blog had died a year ago, but was wrong then.
It is time for me to focus on other things and I need to focus time on my next novel, The Scarecrow Effect, and other projects for the time being. Doing things halfway just is not worth it.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Vagabond life
I left home for college at 19. My parents had purchased the home they still live in while my mother was pregnant with me and still live there. Since then I have moved regularly. Today I have lived in my apt for 4 years and 2 months and at the age of 41 it is the longest I have lived in one place since I was 19 and left for college. For some reason it seems worth noting.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
My Dave Sim Collection ...
I recently received a package from Dave Sim ... it this package was a letter and original art. The character drawing that he enclosed was a gift I appreciate very much. I am now very much looking forward to glamourpuss #7 in May and the character that he says would not have been had it not been for me.
Dave, this is so very, very cool.
Dave Sim was the creator and artist on Cerebus for 300 issues. I picked up my first issue (#16) and followed the story to its conclusion. Over the years I have also collected other works Sim was involved in working on.
This post is to show off a bit of the other material I have collected. Much of this collection comes directly from Dave himself.
I had the good fortune to meet Dave at Zanadu Comics in Seattle in the early 90s when he was on tour. He autographed a few issues for me and drew a Cerebus head for me on a poster. In addition, he autographed a charcoal drawing of Cerebus that I had done. I had my fanboy geek on something fierce.
Yes, I had a letter printed in an issue of Cerebus during the Melmoth storyline. I have only had three letters printed in comics. The issue of Cerebus, an issue of Hepcats, and one in Bone.
Years later, I received written responses to a couple other letters I wrote. The letters directly responded to my comments. A two page letter in response to a couple of poorly written letters by me took me a bit by surprise. However, I had done a poor job of supporting my arguments and Dave's responses did a good job of pointing that out.
Then one day I got some original pencils in the mail. These were pencils Dave uses to later light table onto the pages. He apparently sent out a bunch of these to fans. Needless to say, some of these are framed and on my walls.
Also in the pictures is my autographed Cerebus issue from the Neil Gaiman practical joke and a note where Dave sent me another autographed Cerebus for a friend of mine. Plus, there is another signed poster that was a gift and my promotional issues of glamourpuss #1 and Judenhass.
Shotgun Prose has reviewed and commented on glamourpuss issues and Judenhass. I have also signed the online petition for Dave and commented on that "controversy" in other posts.
So, to totally keep my fanboy geek on I must say this. This collection of stuff is something I enjoy having and displaying and I would not have most of it if Dave Sim was not generous with his readers.
Dave, this is so very, very cool.
Dave Sim was the creator and artist on Cerebus for 300 issues. I picked up my first issue (#16) and followed the story to its conclusion. Over the years I have also collected other works Sim was involved in working on.
This post is to show off a bit of the other material I have collected. Much of this collection comes directly from Dave himself.
I had the good fortune to meet Dave at Zanadu Comics in Seattle in the early 90s when he was on tour. He autographed a few issues for me and drew a Cerebus head for me on a poster. In addition, he autographed a charcoal drawing of Cerebus that I had done. I had my fanboy geek on something fierce.
Yes, I had a letter printed in an issue of Cerebus during the Melmoth storyline. I have only had three letters printed in comics. The issue of Cerebus, an issue of Hepcats, and one in Bone.
Years later, I received written responses to a couple other letters I wrote. The letters directly responded to my comments. A two page letter in response to a couple of poorly written letters by me took me a bit by surprise. However, I had done a poor job of supporting my arguments and Dave's responses did a good job of pointing that out.
Then one day I got some original pencils in the mail. These were pencils Dave uses to later light table onto the pages. He apparently sent out a bunch of these to fans. Needless to say, some of these are framed and on my walls.
Also in the pictures is my autographed Cerebus issue from the Neil Gaiman practical joke and a note where Dave sent me another autographed Cerebus for a friend of mine. Plus, there is another signed poster that was a gift and my promotional issues of glamourpuss #1 and Judenhass.
Shotgun Prose has reviewed and commented on glamourpuss issues and Judenhass. I have also signed the online petition for Dave and commented on that "controversy" in other posts.
So, to totally keep my fanboy geek on I must say this. This collection of stuff is something I enjoy having and displaying and I would not have most of it if Dave Sim was not generous with his readers.
Friday, March 20, 2009
The Inaugural Game of SSFC!
Seattle Sounders FC 3
New York Red Bulls 0
XBOX Pitch at Qwest Field - Seattle, WA
March 19, 2009 - 6PMish
Some random notes to go with the photos ...
- People stood the entire game, just not in my section.
- I spun two wheels outside the stadium prior to the game and one a free ticket to another game and a dog biscuit.
- Hooters has a "Lake Union Sounders Fan Club" and I will watch at least one road game there.
- Fredy Montero is very good and needs to be hidden from Chelsea this summer.
- Having the one drunk in your section sitting next to you with a horn and a propensity to spill beer is not fun.
- I have never heard a crowd sing the national anthem quite like that before.
- A politician being booed should not surprise people.
- Team speed emotionally wears down an opponent.
- Having the Upper Bowl tarped really does take it out of the picture.
- They need a stoppage time clock on the screen.
Goal #1 in Sounders FC history ...
Ladies and gentlemen I give you Fredy Montero ...
August 19, 2009
Seattle, WA
XBOX Pitch at Qwest Field
12th minute
The Airport
I live in the flight path.
Locals are split on the issue.
But, here's the deal as I see it ...
There is this full-sized, jumbo jet capable airstrip. It is in the major metropolitan area of a city in need of more airstrips but with no convenient location to add. We are expected to believe that somehow the feds won't simply force commercial use down our throats?
There is an opportunity to work with the growth to make it as palatable as possible with community involvement. This opportunity will not last once the feds and courts start inevitably weighing in. There is a sense of inevitability here that too many in the area are trying to say is not there. They are trying to be a speed bump. The problem is that speed bumps are not stop lights. People drive over speed bumps.
I'm not sure I like it either, but there are ways to make it work.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
2002 is finally here!
I have sat by and watched as the Sounders FC have built up to the Inaugural game.
They have remained true to their roots.
They have tapped into the community.
They have brought in a solid roster and coaching staff.
They have us all ready to wear that awful green that I now must love.
Tonight, 2002 is finally here!
Here is some Sounders stuff from over the years to commemorate the day ...
... and if I had the opportunity to have today and tomorrow off I would already be in a pub on a two day Guinness diet ...
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Is the GU rivalry in Hoops bigger than the UW?
I think so.
As a Coug I enjoy the rivalry with Washington in all sports, but I am not convinced that the real rival in hoops any more is with the Dawgs.
My freshman year at Wazzu I went to a game on December 10, 1986 and saw the Zags win by one 59-58. At the time I - and my dorm mates - were really depressed because we thought of GU as some lowly school. In the 80s John Stockton had played for GU and the program was starting to go on an upswing. It would not be the only GU win in that era. With the proximity and ability of fans to attend easily it felt like a rivalry was really brewing.
For many years prior to the early 80s when Seattle U dropped out of D1, the Seattle versus Washington rivalry was huge. It is now being rekindled with the return to D1 by Seattle U. Washington's closest actual D1 opponent would be Portland otherwise. I would like to take a moment to point out Portland beat Washington this year, just on general principle. Washington has not had a truly close geographic rival in decades. The Cougs have EWU, Idaho, and GU within an hour and half drive of campus. In Philly, much is made of having 5 schools in town. Seattle, with the loss of the Thunder needs the SU and UW game to come to have meaning.
Fast forward to 1996. The Cougs had finished something like 7 straight winning seasons and had been to the NIT a couple times and the Big Dance in 94. GU had also finished another winning season and had been to the Big Dance recently. The first round of the NIT would take place in Pullman and there was a really nice crowd with a huge GU travelling section. On March 14, 1996 I watched the Cougs beat the Zags 92 to 73. It was awesome and odd for me at the same time, since I had gone to GU for a year in 90-91.
Prior to the 96 NIT game the Cougs and Zags had not played for a few years. There was a lot of talk and build up to the game due to that. The series was revived and GU has won most of the games, but with the return to being good under the current regime, Wazzu and GU is a heck of a game. It has been nice to dominate Washington lately, but when the Cougs snapped their losing streak to the Zags a few years ago, that felt better.
Now, the GU game is one to look forward to on the Wazzu schedule. Washington is ducking the Zags any more, but Wazzu never will again. It is awesome.
So, the Cougs are playing the Dawgs, and that is great and all. But, the real rival for Wazzu hoops is the Zags.
As a Coug I enjoy the rivalry with Washington in all sports, but I am not convinced that the real rival in hoops any more is with the Dawgs.
My freshman year at Wazzu I went to a game on December 10, 1986 and saw the Zags win by one 59-58. At the time I - and my dorm mates - were really depressed because we thought of GU as some lowly school. In the 80s John Stockton had played for GU and the program was starting to go on an upswing. It would not be the only GU win in that era. With the proximity and ability of fans to attend easily it felt like a rivalry was really brewing.
For many years prior to the early 80s when Seattle U dropped out of D1, the Seattle versus Washington rivalry was huge. It is now being rekindled with the return to D1 by Seattle U. Washington's closest actual D1 opponent would be Portland otherwise. I would like to take a moment to point out Portland beat Washington this year, just on general principle. Washington has not had a truly close geographic rival in decades. The Cougs have EWU, Idaho, and GU within an hour and half drive of campus. In Philly, much is made of having 5 schools in town. Seattle, with the loss of the Thunder needs the SU and UW game to come to have meaning.
Fast forward to 1996. The Cougs had finished something like 7 straight winning seasons and had been to the NIT a couple times and the Big Dance in 94. GU had also finished another winning season and had been to the Big Dance recently. The first round of the NIT would take place in Pullman and there was a really nice crowd with a huge GU travelling section. On March 14, 1996 I watched the Cougs beat the Zags 92 to 73. It was awesome and odd for me at the same time, since I had gone to GU for a year in 90-91.
Prior to the 96 NIT game the Cougs and Zags had not played for a few years. There was a lot of talk and build up to the game due to that. The series was revived and GU has won most of the games, but with the return to being good under the current regime, Wazzu and GU is a heck of a game. It has been nice to dominate Washington lately, but when the Cougs snapped their losing streak to the Zags a few years ago, that felt better.
Now, the GU game is one to look forward to on the Wazzu schedule. Washington is ducking the Zags any more, but Wazzu never will again. It is awesome.
So, the Cougs are playing the Dawgs, and that is great and all. But, the real rival for Wazzu hoops is the Zags.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Vote for my flag ...
Please go to goalseattle.com and vote for my flag ... "oxymoron" ... in the flag contest.
The contest runs from March 5-8 and the season tix to the winner will be awarded on March 9.
A lot of work went into this flag and I would appreciate any support ... thanks.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Carrot Soup for lunch today ...
The kids tried it, although the color and look made it tough for them ...
What is the diff?
Spring Training games or World Baseball Classic games ... what is the diff?
They are scheduled at the same time on purpose. Unlike the World Cup in soccer, the baseball internationals are designed to minimize the impact on the teams. A guy takes swings and plays a few games in March for the USA or for his team in a Cactus League game ... what is the diff?
They are scheduled at the same time on purpose. Unlike the World Cup in soccer, the baseball internationals are designed to minimize the impact on the teams. A guy takes swings and plays a few games in March for the USA or for his team in a Cactus League game ... what is the diff?
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Shotgun Prose has a fan
It is exciting to log in and regularly get fan mail from "Anonymous".
I recently posted some videos on You Tube where I did some recording off of the tv of old tapes. I received a number of really detailed comments from the same person with a screen name as the only identifier, where the writer decided to comment personally on me as well as showing displeasure for the videos themselves. Fine. If you don't like the videos don't watch them. I know that I don't have home internet or anything and rely on accessible computers in order to post online. The fact that these old videos were transferred the way I did was kind of funny for how low tech it was, but that was lost on the viewer.
As a single father and full time substitute teacher (a profession I was able to fall back on a couple years ago when faced with a changing insurance industry - my old job doesn't exist any more) I have to be extraordinarily careful about where I spend my resources. Things like cable and internet are luxuries I simply have to let go. I make no apologies as I work full time and very hard. Still, the reality is that I do not have a home computer and rely on what the computer systems I can get to allow me to do.
Shortly after receiving the messages at You Tube I started getting comments from an "Anonymous" reader. The tone and writing strike me as consistent with the You Tube comments. I clearly have a fan.
It is funny to read how much you seem to hate everything I have written and do. Nice to know you have so much free time. I know I wish I had that much free time.
It is even better how much you have to say when you don't ever disclose who you are.
So, no I don't feel stupid that the Sounders got 20K season tickets. I found one small element of their ad campaign to be tired and over used. My comment was after a general description of how much I liked virtually everything else that they had done. If you were capable of understanding the notion of context, maybe that would have been noticed. Also, when Adrian responded to me personally he commented that my point was certainly valid and would be forwarded to the department. The SSFC got 20K in tix because of a convergence of of a variety of elements, of which marketing played a small part.
And, when a person writes a check to someone their bank should honor that check at its face value; not as a service to the person cashing it, but so as to honor what their own customer intended. Check cashing is a minor part of modern banking and hardly a difficult or expensive consideration. When customers find out that their bank charges the people they wrote the check to in order to cash it they are usually very angry. I know that because I was once a teller and had that conversation with many account holders who were glad that the financial institution I worked for did not do that. In no way do I imply that many fees are not valid and justified. But, much like a courtesy cup of water is a minor service provided to a patron at a restaurant so to is cashing a check for a customer at the bank on which it was written. A simple knowledge of the banking system would show that by sending a person to their own bank and making that check then work its way through the banking system a significant amount of processing expenses are created that are avoidable otherwise.
I am reasonably certain that this is all from the same person. At first I found the comments to be funny. They don't anger me because my skin is pretty thick and I can take it. I just find it tiresome. Criticism is fine. Hiding behind anonymity while insulting someone personally is not something I can respect.
"Anonymous" comments will not be posted on this blog from today forward. All unidentified comments will be deleted unread when they show up in the "Comment Moderation" section.
So, "Anonymous" ... in the words of a Pearl Jam song I like, "This is not for you." Go back upstairs and see what your mother is making you for dinner.
I recently posted some videos on You Tube where I did some recording off of the tv of old tapes. I received a number of really detailed comments from the same person with a screen name as the only identifier, where the writer decided to comment personally on me as well as showing displeasure for the videos themselves. Fine. If you don't like the videos don't watch them. I know that I don't have home internet or anything and rely on accessible computers in order to post online. The fact that these old videos were transferred the way I did was kind of funny for how low tech it was, but that was lost on the viewer.
As a single father and full time substitute teacher (a profession I was able to fall back on a couple years ago when faced with a changing insurance industry - my old job doesn't exist any more) I have to be extraordinarily careful about where I spend my resources. Things like cable and internet are luxuries I simply have to let go. I make no apologies as I work full time and very hard. Still, the reality is that I do not have a home computer and rely on what the computer systems I can get to allow me to do.
Shortly after receiving the messages at You Tube I started getting comments from an "Anonymous" reader. The tone and writing strike me as consistent with the You Tube comments. I clearly have a fan.
It is funny to read how much you seem to hate everything I have written and do. Nice to know you have so much free time. I know I wish I had that much free time.
It is even better how much you have to say when you don't ever disclose who you are.
So, no I don't feel stupid that the Sounders got 20K season tickets. I found one small element of their ad campaign to be tired and over used. My comment was after a general description of how much I liked virtually everything else that they had done. If you were capable of understanding the notion of context, maybe that would have been noticed. Also, when Adrian responded to me personally he commented that my point was certainly valid and would be forwarded to the department. The SSFC got 20K in tix because of a convergence of of a variety of elements, of which marketing played a small part.
And, when a person writes a check to someone their bank should honor that check at its face value; not as a service to the person cashing it, but so as to honor what their own customer intended. Check cashing is a minor part of modern banking and hardly a difficult or expensive consideration. When customers find out that their bank charges the people they wrote the check to in order to cash it they are usually very angry. I know that because I was once a teller and had that conversation with many account holders who were glad that the financial institution I worked for did not do that. In no way do I imply that many fees are not valid and justified. But, much like a courtesy cup of water is a minor service provided to a patron at a restaurant so to is cashing a check for a customer at the bank on which it was written. A simple knowledge of the banking system would show that by sending a person to their own bank and making that check then work its way through the banking system a significant amount of processing expenses are created that are avoidable otherwise.
I am reasonably certain that this is all from the same person. At first I found the comments to be funny. They don't anger me because my skin is pretty thick and I can take it. I just find it tiresome. Criticism is fine. Hiding behind anonymity while insulting someone personally is not something I can respect.
"Anonymous" comments will not be posted on this blog from today forward. All unidentified comments will be deleted unread when they show up in the "Comment Moderation" section.
So, "Anonymous" ... in the words of a Pearl Jam song I like, "This is not for you." Go back upstairs and see what your mother is making you for dinner.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Which 39 year old will have a better year?
Two homecomings. Two men 8 days apart in age.
Kasey Keller is returning home after a long career in European soccer to play for the Seattle Sounders FC at Qwest Field. He is 39 years old and will turn 40 in November at the end of the season.
Ken Griffey, Jr. is returning to Seattle after nearly a decade adrift to play for the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. He is 39 years old and will turn 40 in November at the end of the season.
I am hoping that they both have great years, but following each player should make for an interesting sidebar during 2009.
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