My Mundial Predictions ...

2010 South Africa ...

I decided to be a bit of a USA homer and to assume at least one of the West African teams would advance far. My other assumptions would be that Euro powers would generally struggle away from Europe and that at least one traditional power would totally crap out in the first round. If this is even close to being true I will be shocked more than anyone reading this.

I have had to completely alter my approach due to injuries. I have no problem altering my projections up to the start of the tourney, after that I have to live with it. However, having two of the best African players taken out of the tourney so close to its start is just brutal ... I had Team Drogba making a run and getting a rematch with Brasil in the final, and I guess it is still possible he will play, but I no longer have the same feeling about their chances.

You Say You Want A Revolution

Seattle Sounders FC 3
New England Revolution 0
June 5, 2010 - Seattle, WA
X-Box Pitch at Qwest Field


In a game that really wasn't even as close as 3-0 ... the Sounders outshot the Revs something like 19-2 and scored early and often in the first half. The second half became a party where late in the game Freddie jogged from one end to the other in front of the crazies, slapped hands with the other Fredy in front of the goal and applauded the crowd before taking the corner. It was that kind of night.

This was the 50th Sounders match (in various incarnations and of various types) that I have attended at Qwest Field. I picked the correct one.










Keller applauding the crowd behind him prior to kick off was a nice touch. He really, really gets it.

I joked to the guy next to me that having guys with "Alcohol Enforcement" in the ECS section almost made it look like the stadium was making certain everyone was drinking as opposed to being there to throw people out.





It was also nice to see Michelle French get the Golden Scarf.

The Sweet Home Run Sound Of Bat Hitting Ball

The Sweet Home Run Sound Of Bat Hitting Ball is what I would title a biography of Ken Griffey, Jr.

It was a pleasure Junior.

Book list 2010 ... month five

Over halfway through the yearly goal in early May is making this seem less and less like a challenge. The real challenge at this point is continuing the pace and documentation. I reached the 52 book point on May 6, a couple months prior to reaching the same point (and 2009 reading goal). So, do I go for 104 and make it 2 books a week? Other viable options are 108 (9 books a month), 120 (10 books a month), 144 (12 books times twelve months), 156 (3 books a week), or some other number. Some of those numbers look ridiculous to me, and I have to guess that 120 is the likely high point, even at the pace I am going.

A Brand-New Me! #17 (Hank Zipzer) by Henry Winkler & Lin Oliver, Jesse Joshua Watson (Illustrator)
On May 1st I saw Henry Winkler give a talk and reading of his latest book. He was awesome as a speaker, great with the kids in the crowd, and very gracious when I told him that I will always love the film, "The One and Only." I chose not to tell him that my daughter only got excited about him when it was pointed out to her that he was the football coach in "The Waterboy". The caption on my daughter's book reads, "You are so wonderful" ... So ... I had no choice but to read this. It does a really nice job of conveying the thoughts and struggles of a kid just trying to make his way in the world. I hope my daughter enjoys it and reads other books in the series.

Taekwondo : A Path To Excellence by Doug Cook
I am very proud of getting my first black belt. I received my First Dan black belt rank in December 2006 at Seattle Tae Kwon Do and am nearing completion of a second black belt in Thai Kickboxing this summer. Reading about the philosophy behind various martial arts is something I enjoy,

Shakespeare Wrote For Money by Nick Hornby
Given that so much of what I am doing here is based on doing a monthly reading column and diary like Hornby it seemed necessary to read this third and final collection of his monthly essays. On occasion, we even read some of the same stuff.

Prozac Nation by Elizabeth Wurtzel
Much of the criticism of this book has to do with how self-indulgent it comes across as. Well, I am not sure how this book would have worked or been remotely relevant to anyone had it not been an entirely over the top level of too much information. Really, it almost had to be this way or it would have felt like it was lacking. It is brutally honest, often unflattering, and yet impossible to put down. I am a week older than Wurtzel and somehow managed to grow in in the same world and an entirely different one.

What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures by Malcolm Gladwell
This is the last of the four Gladwell books for me, so it is with mixed emotions that I finish it and find myself waiting for his next work.

George Washington's Rules of Civility (and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation) by George Washington
George Washington was known to be a man of particularly impeccable manners. He wrote this list of 110 rules of manners and behaviors as a guideline for himself and others drawing on many works and his own experiences. This is a small book I found in a classroom, but it is worth noting and tells us many things about such an important figure in US History.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
I recently started watching True Blood on DVD. It is entirely likely that a number of books in this series will end up on this reading list by the end of the year. I see myself grabbing books here and there and cranking this series out.

Showcase Presents: Shazam! by DC Comics (Various Writers and Artists)
This is a 500 page collection of early Shazam! stuff so I will include it here. Fun stuff that is a product of its time, but worth the read. Love some of this old comic stuff.

A Strange Kind of Glory: Sir Matt Busby and Manchester United by Eamon Dunphy
This is not blasphemy on the part of a Liverpool supporter since Busby was actually a Liverpool player for three season. Plus, my respect for the game made this a worthwhile read in advance and in principle. As a history of the development of the professional game it gives a lot of insights into how things really worked back in the day. And, it seems like things aren't really that much different, other than the commas in the dollar figures now.

Tunnels by Brian Williams and Roderick Gordon
It took me a while to get into this as I incorrectly assumed that it was for a much younger crowd than it really is. The things that happen in this book are more in the later Harry Potter side of things where the consequences are real and dark and severe and genuinely scary people exist. I am looking forward to the other two books already released in this series.

Lost and Found by Alan Dean Foster
The first novel in The Taken trilogy. I have always loved Foster's ability to put clever dialogue and scenarios together in numerous books of his that I have read. It had been a while since I had taken on a series of his so I decided to jump into this trilogy. As usual, it did not disappoint.

Fray by Joss Whedon
Last year when I was doing a simple list I included significant graphic novels. An 8 issue mini series plus extras feels right to include here for both consistency and thoroughness. This series jumped ahead in the Buffyverse several centuries to a time without a current slayer ... worth reading for Buffy obsessives.

Living Dead In Dallas by Charlaine Harris
The second Sookie Stackhouse book. At this point I have decided to not only get totally caught up in True Blood, but to also go ahead and read the series too ...





May total = 13 / YTD = 61 (goal 100)

Why I like the UnFrosted

I bring this up to people from time to time and get the impression that I am in a distinct minority in the frosted vs unfrosted Po Tars debate. However, I know that I am right because the frosting is nasty and you cannot toast and then butter the frosted ones ... I win.

I can now go back to ignoring the mNBA ...

Recent Facebook status:

"With the Zombie Sonics eliminated I can return to ignoring the mNBA existence and playoffs."

A couple of mildly sarcastic or incredulous comments from a friend about actually paying attention led to:

"I cannot take credit for Zombie Sonics, that is Bill Simmons on ESPN. However, I also did not watch any of the games, but was aware of them via headlines enough to know what was going on. I want to be a fan of Durant, but i cannot watch him play for OKC. Rooting for the Lakers was hard because I do not root for teams named Lakers, teams that are from LA, or teams that wear their particular color scheme. It was tough."

Basically, I wrote a bunch on this blog about the Sonics sale and saga. I have steadfastly refused to sit down and watch a game since the move to OKC occurred. I have not watched one game. I grew up with the Sonics, seeing so many games on person and television over the years that I really felt the ebb and flow of the franchise more than I did the Mariners or Seahawks.

In 2002 I chatted up Howard and Wally at a Storm draft day event and discussed the playoff series with the Spurs. Yes, I attended a game in that series.

I have a Kevin Durant Sonics jersey. It hangs because wearing it makes no sense.

I recently watch Sonicsgate and almost wanted to cry.

Now, we find that Durant has made the leap from merely being talented or entertaining to being a leader and winner. The jump is not one many players make. I cannot watch it. Clay Bennett and Howard Schultz and David Stern have robbed me of a true sports fan joy, that of watching a true superstar emerge for your team. I have been robbed of watching the emergence of what could turn out to be the greatest Sonic of all time.

While getting ready for Knut I wrote this ...

It's 8:52PM Friday and you seem to be the odd one out at your booth ...

To the pretty girl I keep glancing at and is seeming to glance at me

There is clearly (at least to me) something more to you from what I see behind your eyes

But from the way you are cornered slash sequestered in a corner of your booth (with the uneven male female distribution in your group of friends) I may never know

You have only been sitting there for ten or so minuted since we first made eye contact as you walked by

And yet, we keep making eye contact, but don't either of us seem embarrassed or startled

If you knew this was what I was writing now how would you feel?

Is it creepy?

Is it flattering?

Is it, dare I say, romantic even?

So I glance again and you are looking this way again

What will the evening bring when the band starts playing?

Too close to the heater I think ...

Fortunately empty ... and fortunate nothing worse happened.

Autographs and Free Tickets

Evans, Zakuani, and Riley at Dick's Sporting Goods in Puyallup on 5-2-10 ... and then I won the 4 tix to the DCU game too!

I shook hands with The Fonz

He was awesome as a speaker, great with the kids in the crowd, and very gracious when I told him that I will always love the film, "The One and Only." I chose not to tell him that my daughter only got excited about him when it was pointed out to her that he was the football coach in "The Waterboy". The caption on my daughter's book reads, "You are so wonderful" ...

Book list 2010 ... month four

April found me over a month "ahead" at the start and having started a couple books in March that carried over. The library queue is winding down at this point so I will need to go over the lists to get it built back up soon. However, there is something sort of mental about finishing book four for the month, feeling behind, and realizing it is the 8th. A book every other day for a pace is ridiculous.


The Book of Totally Useless Information by Don Voorhees
How can a book like this be useless? This is the sort of reading that enables me to do so well at Trivial Pursuit and freak people out with all the weird crap I know. Useless? I think not.

Twilight Tours: An Illustrated Guide to the Real Forks by George Beahm (Author), Mike Gurling (Photographer)
Since the kids and I were going to do this it felt prudent to read this. Forks and La Push are where the books are set but not where the movies have been filmed, so this is needed before going to understand what Meyer used as opposed to the film directors.

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcom Gladwell
I know Gladwell has his critics, but his ability to convey a lot of complicated information, keep it in context, and yet not dumb it down makes me really enjoy reading his work. He is like Carl Sagan or James Burke, and that is really good company.

Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby
Given that this monthly reading journal is in part inspired from having read a collection of Hornby's own monthly reading journals, it was almost essential that a Hornby book would be included. Fortunately, he had a new novel for me to read. As I read this and got ready to write this my realizations about how much I seem to be trying to write like I am the American Nick Hornby became even more stark. It is not a bad writer to emulate, but as I am writing a soccer book, a novel, and this reading log the biggest influence on all of that is Hornby's writing. I have decided to simply accept that is the way it is.

Ball Four: The Final Pitch by Jim Bouton
I saw Bouton recognized in 2009 as one of the surviving members of the Seattle Pilots at a Safeco Field ceremony (where he also threw out the ceremonial first pitch) and realized I had never read this book. How is it that I had never read this book? It took many months to get this from the library and I am relieved to have now finally read it. This is an important sports book for so many already documented in other media reason that I will simply say that it does in fact live up to its reputation. Now, to head to the old stadium site and take pictures.

Time Blender by Michael Dorn
Yes, a book by Worf. Found it for a buck at a used book store when I was picking up a couple paperbacks for my Spring Training weekend. Would have bought it anyway on principle when I saw it. Didn't get much of a chance to read it during the trip and got back to it and finished it after library books were prioritized.

Bitch: In Praise of Difficult Women by Elizabeth Wurtzel
There is a good difficult and a bad difficult. I've dealt with both. This is the book that looks at the question many men ask, "Is it worth it to date the hot but crazy chick?" from the female perspective. Also, Wurtzel and I are peers ... having been born the same month and raised in the same era I know exactly the culture she is describing for having gone through things at the same time without having to look through a filter. No, this book is not perfect and some of it is a bit much. But, yes we do live in a world that has generally been afraid of strong women, so her points are valid.

Bushido: The Soul of Japan by Inazō Nitobe.
A look into the origins and meanings of Samurai culture. A must read after seeing Ghost Dog again ... even though this isn't the book he was reading in Ghost Dog. This is a book written to introduce and compare the culture of Japan with the West in order to explain to the world that there was a valuable culture in Japan. The author wanted to show the world Japan had a culture that was valid and important.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
After recently finally succumbing to the charms of Zombieland & Shaun Of The Dead I could not resist this book almost entirely because of the title. Yes, I have somehow recently become a connoisseur of zombie culture ... this from a guy who as a general rule does not care much for the horror genre. I actually think this will make a better movie than novel since so much of it feels like a giant sight gag waiting to happen.

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell
I had meant to merely motivate a group of young people to work hard by discussing the ten thousand hour rule, in order to let them know that there is always room for improvement no matter how small and incremental. Some kids get cocky because you can get good at something fairly quickly. A hand raised. "Is that by Malcom Gladwell?" The girl asks. "Yes," I reply. "He's one of my favorite writers. Have you read his book Blink? It's about snap judgements." I had read an excerpt. I think I grunted something like, "huh" to her and then told her to get started running her laps with the rest of the class. I felt completely intellectually inadequate and no longer quite as well read. For the record, it was a third grade class and third graders are generally 8 years old and most turn 9 during the school year. Needless to say I had NO CHOICE but to read this book in its entirety now, along with the other couple Gladwell books that are on other monthly reading lists. On principle.

The Moviegoer by Walker Percy
I cannot remember who recommended Walker Percy to me, but there his name was on one of my reading lists. So, I got this one at the same time as the Worf book for the same price and trip. Then, it was weeks later before I got to it. Thank you to whoever it was or however it was that I ended up scribbling Walker Percy onto my reading lists ...



April total = 11 / YTD = 48 (goal 100)

Yann Martel

Yann Martel, reading from his new novel Beatrice and Virgil at Third Place books in Lake Forest Park on April 18, 2010.

Yann Martel's Life of Pi is one of the great novel's of the 21st Century so far, and to get the opportunity to hear him read from his new work was something I looked forward to for several weeks.

Martel is an excellent reader, not as easy as it sounds, and his Q & A was interesting and thoughtful. His disclosure that he recently received a note from President Obama about Life of Pi was a real contrast to the responses he has got from his own Prime Minister in Canada about all of the books he keeps sending to Ottawa.

Exene Cervenka acoustic set

at Easy Street Records 04-16-2010

A good crowd, not like a mosh pit packed, but good turned up for a cool acoustic set from Punk legend Exene Cervenka of X fame.

A free concert in a record store is a very cool thing. A 6pm start time on a Friday night is brutal when commuting in but it turned out to be not too bad and I even found decent parking. Let's face it, the drive in was an all or nothing deal, because if I had got stuck or could not find parking the whole thing was a waste of time and gas. It was like the Gods of Punk Rock wanted me to go to this.

It had been many many years since I had a can of Rainier ... and so when a guy offered me one, it felt right, even if it will be the last one again for a while ...

Venus and Moon April 15

Low in the twilight sky on the night of April 15, the thin crescent moon phase and Venus ... worth pulling over and taking some quick shots and video of, even if I did freak out a couple of joggers by standing in the dark taking pictures on a sidewalk ...

A cool view of Seattle

Flying in from PHX a couple weeks ago ...

Team Alice heads to Forks / La Push

Road trip on 4-7-10 ...

Bear in mind that Forks / La Push is where the books are based, not where the movies were filmed. There is a difference.



When one embarks on a journey like this one either needs to completely embrace it ... or try and talk someone else into doing it instead. I chose to embrace it. I have read the books, taken my daughter to opening night of a movie, and now done the Forks Tour. We had a good time and my daughter was ecstatic. These are the things we remember.




Part of the fun of having read these books is that I get to drop my actually informed opinions on unsuspecting students. The collective exasperation on the part of 8th grade girls when I explain that I think that neither Edward or Jacob is right for her and that Mike is not a viable alternative is quite entertaining. For the record, Edward loves what she is because he can't read her, not who she is. Jacob has a puppy love crush on her from when he was little combined with genetic and cultural hatred for Edward. Mike is just a wuss. Bella should have taken the opportunity to go away to school in some place like Vermont and dated, getting over the entire vain "losing my beauty because I am so old at 18" crap.



A couple years ago a friend and I went on a day trip to Neah Bay and ended up being the very first car on a ferry home. That sounds great, other than that it meant that we were the very last car to miss a ferry and had to sit an extra 40 or so minutes before getting home when we had been driving all day. Even the ice cream stand there in Kingston isn't worth an extra 40 minutes in a parking lot. However, that sort of luck was completely reversed when in both directions me and the kids were right on time for the morning ferry and were buying our ticket as the ferry was loading and were one of the last 5 cars on a ferry home. Much better.




In re the stigma or taint of Twilight. Come on you haters, let other people enjoy what they enjoy in peace. Kids are reading these large books and talking about them and it is leading to them reading other books. They are going on pilgrimages like this because of books. Books. People's tastes are there own. Let it go, and then go back upstairs your mom has dinner ready.







The night before the trip my daughter thought it would be a good idea to make some signs ... hence the Team Alice sign. Of course, she also added, "Dad, you'd have no chance with her," but that's okay. I didn't cancel the trip because of this.

Some Easter Disc Golf

All went well til I slid down a muddy hill on my @$$ to retrieve a wayward disc of my daughter ...