So yeah I usually don't talk about politics because it's so so so divisive and leads to arguments and people getting pissed off. But things have gotten so dumb that I have to lay out what I think about it, whether you, hypothetical reader, cares or not. Plus school is done for awhile so ample writing time!
Tax cuts: So the whole hoopla now is about how the Republicans won't do shit until the tax cuts are extended to everyone, not just households that earn $250,000 or less. This is annoying 1. because that this is such a childish way to handle this but I guess politically savvy at the same time which is bonkers if you think about it and 2. because the tax cut extension itself is really dumb. I'm not really sure what sort of political gain the Republicans get from extending them to the richest portion of the country. Obviously they fund them a lot but it doesn't seem like Joe Voter would be all that upset about rich people getting their taxes raised.
I understand the arguments for tax cuts. They stimulate consumer spending. The top earners don't deserve to be taxed more just because they earn their money.The problem with this first one is that I'm not entirely sure that these tax cuts are stimulating spending any more. They've been in place since the early days of the Bush administration and I wouldn't really say spending has gone up since the early 2000s besides from inflation. It's entire possible consumer spending has improved as a result but I find it unlikely that the effect is still there. You'd love for that extra money Americans don't have to pay to go back into the economy but it doesn't seem to be happening. The tax cuts haven't stopped the recession. We need some way to pay for the spending and to lower the deficit. It doesn't seem like anyone is willing to cut any of the spending we have so taxes are really the only way to do this.
The fact that the wealthiest Americans have earned their money is true. I'm don't make over $250,000 a year so I don't really know how much of it they need but it seems like the money they would lose from taxes wouldn't be missed as much as the same amount from a household that brings in, say $100,000 a year. It would be easy enough. And the main thing with letting the tax cuts expire is that taxes weren't even that bad under Clinton. I certainly wouldn't say that the nation was suffering economically in the late '90s when taxes were higher. And the tax rate now is half of what it was for most of the last century. I don't understand where all the uproar about the government wanting too much and intervening too much in our lives comes from. We have to make sacrifices with the economy in the shitter and it doesn't seem like anyone wants to do that.
Don't Ask, Don't Tell: I think this whole debate will be seen as regrettable in ten years by most, not that most people don't feel that way now. It's been shown that the soldiers by and large don't really care if another soldier is gay as long as they are competent. That was the whole point of that survey. And really, how likely is it that a gay guy is going to try to come on to a fellow soldier? Is this really a great concern? Is male soldiers raping female soldier a giant problem? This of course isn't going to happen. People are just afraid of gay people for whatever reason and want to exclude them. Is this really a time to be selective in who we pick to serve in war? If we're committed to fighting these wars (which I question whether we should actually be doing but whatever) it doesn't make sense to turn away able bodied people who are willing to do it. Being gay doesn't affect your ability to fight. They keep raising the maximum age to be in the military but it seems like a lot of that could go to allowing gays to serve. The bill to repeal it is only being rejected along party lines. I don;t know if this is just so Republicans can get their tax cut extension or if they really believe that this is right but I don't see any non-political or prejudicial reason for the policy to still exist. For as far as we've come as a nation, we still have some really dumb ideas on how to do things and DADT is one of the prime examples of this.
I could probably talk more about other things if prompted but these are the two most egregious ideas. Yay for economics coming in handy for the tax cut thing.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
What I've Learned
If the last month and a half has taught me anything, it's that I can do pretty much anything I set my mind to. Even with all the personal shit I've gone through, I've been able to maintain at least a B in every class. Like I haven't gotten anything less than a B on anything while taking 20 credits. I'm pretty proud of myself, given everything that's been going on outside of class. I'd be happy otherwise obviously, but it's a real confidence boost to know that I'm able to do that while not exactly devoting my full attention to school. I'm pretty thankful that I have this unwillingness to let myself do worse than my expectations. I'm not sure if this is a learned trait or just a natural characteristic but whatever it is, I'm glad to have it. Whether what I have to thank my parents' rearing or genetics or some higher power, it's nice. I've also been thankful to have friends and family for support and to distract me from school and other problems when I've needed to.
While school success isn't everything, it's pretty important to me and for me to be able to make it through all this so far without getting grades that aren't acceptable for me is something I'm very happy about and I'm getting more confident overall. Obviously I'm not completely happy about everything but I realized today that how this quarter has gone academically has been pretty remarkable.
I don't like to brag about myself and I hope this doesn't come off as such. I just have this tendency to doubt myself and recent events made that happen again in many aspects. But I feel like I'm correcting that line of thinking finally and my results in school are helping that to happen. I still have more people I can meet and such but things are changing for the better and I'm having a better outlook on how things go on. Only time will tell what will happen but I'm glad I am where I am right now, despite what else has gone on.
While school success isn't everything, it's pretty important to me and for me to be able to make it through all this so far without getting grades that aren't acceptable for me is something I'm very happy about and I'm getting more confident overall. Obviously I'm not completely happy about everything but I realized today that how this quarter has gone academically has been pretty remarkable.
I don't like to brag about myself and I hope this doesn't come off as such. I just have this tendency to doubt myself and recent events made that happen again in many aspects. But I feel like I'm correcting that line of thinking finally and my results in school are helping that to happen. I still have more people I can meet and such but things are changing for the better and I'm having a better outlook on how things go on. Only time will tell what will happen but I'm glad I am where I am right now, despite what else has gone on.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Smell
Things that smell good:
Pumpkin flavored things
New bark
Fresh food that I like (sorry to be so specific)
Females
Flowers
New cars
Freshly cut grass
New books
Old books
Gasoline (don't judge me, you've thought it too)
Rubber cement (actually, maybe this is problematic)
A non-wet baseball
Freshly washed dogs
Hand santizer
Cocaine (or so I've heard. Though maybe it's not the smell that people like)
Things that smell bad (besides the obvious gross things):
The inside of an actual pumpkin
New bark
Food that I don't like
Overly-perfumed females/overly-colognated males
Fungus
Old cars
Two-days-after-it's-been-cut grass
New DVDs
Old hats
Exhaust
Glue
A wet baseball
A dog at any other time ever
Alcohol the day after you've been drinking
Cocaine
Hipsters
Pumpkin flavored things
New bark
Fresh food that I like (sorry to be so specific)
Females
Flowers
New cars
Freshly cut grass
New books
Old books
Gasoline (don't judge me, you've thought it too)
Rubber cement (actually, maybe this is problematic)
A non-wet baseball
Freshly washed dogs
Hand santizer
Cocaine (or so I've heard. Though maybe it's not the smell that people like)
Things that smell bad (besides the obvious gross things):
The inside of an actual pumpkin
New bark
Food that I don't like
Overly-perfumed females/overly-colognated males
Fungus
Old cars
Two-days-after-it's-been-cut grass
New DVDs
Old hats
Exhaust
Glue
A wet baseball
A dog at any other time ever
Alcohol the day after you've been drinking
Cocaine
Hipsters
Friday, September 10, 2010
Oh and here's one last rerun
This is something I wrote back in April when i first had to think about losing my dog, Buddy. He passed away on August 27th, so I still got to enjoy a good four months with him before he moved on. What's most remarkable about the two weeks since then is how the behavior in my other dogs has changed. While Lucy and Sally used to bicker, they now stick together as if they are afraid they're next or realize they don't need to fight or something. It's been pretty cool to watch actually. They are almost mourning his loss while being less grumpy in general. While it's never good to lose a dog you've had for over 13 years, I'm glad we didn't make Buddy have to suffer for very long and I'm glad he didn't have to go on while losing most of his senses. I will never forget you, Buddy, and you will always be dear to my heart. What follows is what I wrote back in April.
_____________________________________________________________
This isn't something I want to write but I feel like it's something I have to write.
I've always had dogs. Everyone in my family has. The first dogs I remember having are Suzy, a schnauzer, and Dolly, a... well we'll just say a mutt. I didn't get to experience the primes of these dogs lives. Suzy was basically crippled for my entire memory of her, though she did somehow manage to drag herself across a busy street and survive, my lasting memory of her. Suzy died sometime in my early school years, before I moved to my current house during Kindergarten I believe. She was the mother of the most beloved dogs I can remember of my grandma's Cricket. My grandparents loved him and seeing him whenever we went over to their house is one of my earliest memories. How he always knew that 5 was dinner time.
Dolly was my mom's favorite dog ever. I've always heard stories about how smart she was as a puppy. When my parents lived in California, she would find frogs in the backyard, pick them up by their feet and sling them across the yard. My mom always knew she could count on Dolly. Unfortunately, my memories of her are as a mean, grumpy dog whose senses had gone. She died sometimes in late elementary school but she lived to be almost 20. I was mildly afraid of Dolly, mainly because a single digit boy wasn't the best friend of an old dog with limited senses. But I was sad when she died because I knew how much she meant, and still means to my mom, and wished I had gotten to see her in her youth.
My brothers had Sofie and Molly, two Labradors, one mean and black, the other nice and golden. (I may have the colors mixed up). I remember going down to my brother's house in Lacey and playing with Molly. I remember once when Molly had the lampshade device on her and that was my first exposure to that piece of canine misfortune. I thought they used an actual lampshade for the longest time.
I remember hearing about the dogs my dad had as a kid. Scamp is the one that comes most to mind, though I think my dad was grown by that point. Apparently Scamp would jump from my grandparents' boat into Lake Union and not die, something I found amazing from such a small dog, and from hearing about it at such a young age.
I tell you of all these dogs from my early childhood or even before I was born because some of my most distinct memories from my young days are those of interacting with dogs. From putting the blanket over Dolly in order to pick her up and have her on my lap and keep her from biting me to discovering the Chow that came with our house for some reason. While not all my experiences are necessary pleasant, I really do look back on all of them fondly.
The first dog I had of my own, which was post-Buddy, was Patches, an Australian Shepherd. She was such an energetic dog and just loved to play. Her tail was called Godzilla because it was so damn huge and could knock everything off the table. She quickly was able to leap the fence in our yard and was one of the biggest reasons for us installing a wooden fence. Unfortunately, Patches grew too big. Our yard wasn't big enough to hold her and my mom was allergic to her constantly shedding fur. We gave her away to a family who had a bigger yard and I hope she's living/lived a full, happy life. Of course, at age 8 or 9 when we had to give her up, I was devastated. But I think it was important for me to understand that having a dog that big wasn't appropriate, either for us or the dog, and it was better to find a better environment for her.
The next dog I had of my own was Suki. She was also a Schnauzer. She was the first non-Patches dog who actually responded to me. I believe she was an adopted dog. I loved that dog to death. But, in the Great Bathroom Remodel of 1999(?), our dumbass contractor (installer? I don't know what you call that person) left the door open and off ran Suki, never to be seen again. I'm still sad about it to this day. I don't know what happened to her at all. I'm hoping she didn't die soon thereafter but we never heard anything about it. I suppose it's possible that my parents knew and didn't want to tell me because I was a youngin, but that still pisses me off. Never have Blair do anything home improvement wise for you ever. I don't care if it's a different Blair.
Many of you reading this may have never had a dog and don't understand how one could form a bond with an animal. But dogs are always there for you, no matter what you may have done. They are attention whores, sure, but really, who can get pissed off at something that just wants to be petted constantly? Even through all the changes in my life, I've always had a dog there to cheer me up. They know when you're down, even though I don't know how. This entire paragraph sounds cliche but it's completely true.
This brings me to Buddy. We got Buddy for free from a trailer in Gold Bar when we saw an ad for him in the newspaper. His first year in the world was torturous. He was called Munchkin for God's sake. (note: sorry if your dog's name is Munchkin) For years, Buddy was afraid of being covered with a blanket (which may be a normal dog thing but he seems particularly scared of it), presumably because the hell-child who owned him previously used that as some sort of torture device. I imagine his previous owner as being Sid from Toy Story. I remember going to get Buddy. It was around April of 1997. We had just moved into our house. The trip to Gold Bar was unfathomably long for a 6 year old, so I had my parents drop me off at my grandparents' house in Kirkland on the way. I'm glad I didn't have to see Buddy's original house, as it would make me too angry today to actually see it.
Anyway, when my parents came back with him, we gave him what I'm fairly certain was his first ever bath in my grandparents' front yard. This is my earliest memory of Buddy, and really one of my earliest clear memories. Spry, young Buddy was quite the entertaining Scottish Terrier to be honest. He always would try to catch flies in his mouth (something my other, younger Scottie has inherited), though I don't think he ever actually caught one. It was the adorability of his persistence that made it for me.
Our neighbor to the back of us had a variety of lawn ornaments. One of them was the ubiquitous lawn gnome. This was and probably still is Buddy's arch-nemesis. He would go out there and bark at it for hours. It's dumb because, good lord Buddy, that thing has never moved. But really, you can't fault him at all. There was also the fact that Buddy would take one of my former dogs, Patches, toys and put them just out of reach of her tether outside. He was an asshole about it but it's still fantastic.
The most memorable single thing Buddy did was lock my dad out of his car. My dad went in to Fred Meyer for a quick minute and left the keys in the car. Buddy, being in the car because the car is like heaven for dogs (it wasn't hot, don't worry), loved to sit on my dad's left side when he would drive, or on the driver's seat itself with no human occupying it. He had always put his front feet on the door of the car where the window controls were and, well, you see what happened. My brother had to drive up and unlock the car for my dad. You want to get pissed off at him but, c'mon. How can you?
Buddy has been around for most of my life and essentially all of my academic life. I always remember being there. Whether he wanted to be up on the chair while we watched TV or he got so, so excited at the possibility of a walk, he was always a joy to have there. Unfortunately, as all dogs do, Buddy has lost his youthful exuberance. Whereas he used to be able to jump 3 feet straight in the air, (but maybe 9 inches forward) his feet barely leave the ground anymore. He has essentially lost his sight and hearing. Over the last few years, it has been sad to see Buddy after remembering how he was. But the enduring thing about him is that he's always been so nice. I don't think Buddy has ever bitten anyone ever or even growled at anyone (besides those who dared ring his doorbell or walk by his backyard. But that's a territorial thing that comes from being a dog.) Whereas my other dogs haven't always been the nicest to people or even other dogs, Buddy has always been so gentle and kind.
While Buddy is still alive and it's not a real surprise he's reaching his end, it still hurts to see it happen. It makes me realize that I've taken him for granted, as cliched as that sounds. I mean, he's always been there. I can't help but feel I haven't appreciated him enough. I wish my most clear memories of him weren't his decrepit current state. But after thinking about it, I realize that I've always loved Buddy and don't want to see him go. All the good memories I have of him as a pup.
This is what's hard about owning a dog. They live a comparatively short life, so it's almost guaranteed that if you own one, it will die or run away in your life time. In many ways the long life of a dog is bittersweet. You get more time with the dog, but you also have to see their modern-day-Griffey-esque fading years. We don't want the dog to suffer more than we have to but it's always so hard to let go. Even though I have two other dogs still, their personalities are completely different from Buddy's.
I guess all I can really say at this point is that I'm glad to have been able to experience the time with Buddy that I did. His presence throughout my childhood is something I'll never forget. Even though I never thought of him as "my dog" (he's my dad's dog, clearly), He's always been there. And for that I'm glad. Even though it's not quite time to say goodbye yet, Buddy, thank you for always being there. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have.
_____________________________________________________________
This isn't something I want to write but I feel like it's something I have to write.
I've always had dogs. Everyone in my family has. The first dogs I remember having are Suzy, a schnauzer, and Dolly, a... well we'll just say a mutt. I didn't get to experience the primes of these dogs lives. Suzy was basically crippled for my entire memory of her, though she did somehow manage to drag herself across a busy street and survive, my lasting memory of her. Suzy died sometime in my early school years, before I moved to my current house during Kindergarten I believe. She was the mother of the most beloved dogs I can remember of my grandma's Cricket. My grandparents loved him and seeing him whenever we went over to their house is one of my earliest memories. How he always knew that 5 was dinner time.
Dolly was my mom's favorite dog ever. I've always heard stories about how smart she was as a puppy. When my parents lived in California, she would find frogs in the backyard, pick them up by their feet and sling them across the yard. My mom always knew she could count on Dolly. Unfortunately, my memories of her are as a mean, grumpy dog whose senses had gone. She died sometimes in late elementary school but she lived to be almost 20. I was mildly afraid of Dolly, mainly because a single digit boy wasn't the best friend of an old dog with limited senses. But I was sad when she died because I knew how much she meant, and still means to my mom, and wished I had gotten to see her in her youth.
My brothers had Sofie and Molly, two Labradors, one mean and black, the other nice and golden. (I may have the colors mixed up). I remember going down to my brother's house in Lacey and playing with Molly. I remember once when Molly had the lampshade device on her and that was my first exposure to that piece of canine misfortune. I thought they used an actual lampshade for the longest time.
I remember hearing about the dogs my dad had as a kid. Scamp is the one that comes most to mind, though I think my dad was grown by that point. Apparently Scamp would jump from my grandparents' boat into Lake Union and not die, something I found amazing from such a small dog, and from hearing about it at such a young age.
I tell you of all these dogs from my early childhood or even before I was born because some of my most distinct memories from my young days are those of interacting with dogs. From putting the blanket over Dolly in order to pick her up and have her on my lap and keep her from biting me to discovering the Chow that came with our house for some reason. While not all my experiences are necessary pleasant, I really do look back on all of them fondly.
The first dog I had of my own, which was post-Buddy, was Patches, an Australian Shepherd. She was such an energetic dog and just loved to play. Her tail was called Godzilla because it was so damn huge and could knock everything off the table. She quickly was able to leap the fence in our yard and was one of the biggest reasons for us installing a wooden fence. Unfortunately, Patches grew too big. Our yard wasn't big enough to hold her and my mom was allergic to her constantly shedding fur. We gave her away to a family who had a bigger yard and I hope she's living/lived a full, happy life. Of course, at age 8 or 9 when we had to give her up, I was devastated. But I think it was important for me to understand that having a dog that big wasn't appropriate, either for us or the dog, and it was better to find a better environment for her.
The next dog I had of my own was Suki. She was also a Schnauzer. She was the first non-Patches dog who actually responded to me. I believe she was an adopted dog. I loved that dog to death. But, in the Great Bathroom Remodel of 1999(?), our dumbass contractor (installer? I don't know what you call that person) left the door open and off ran Suki, never to be seen again. I'm still sad about it to this day. I don't know what happened to her at all. I'm hoping she didn't die soon thereafter but we never heard anything about it. I suppose it's possible that my parents knew and didn't want to tell me because I was a youngin, but that still pisses me off. Never have Blair do anything home improvement wise for you ever. I don't care if it's a different Blair.
Many of you reading this may have never had a dog and don't understand how one could form a bond with an animal. But dogs are always there for you, no matter what you may have done. They are attention whores, sure, but really, who can get pissed off at something that just wants to be petted constantly? Even through all the changes in my life, I've always had a dog there to cheer me up. They know when you're down, even though I don't know how. This entire paragraph sounds cliche but it's completely true.
This brings me to Buddy. We got Buddy for free from a trailer in Gold Bar when we saw an ad for him in the newspaper. His first year in the world was torturous. He was called Munchkin for God's sake. (note: sorry if your dog's name is Munchkin) For years, Buddy was afraid of being covered with a blanket (which may be a normal dog thing but he seems particularly scared of it), presumably because the hell-child who owned him previously used that as some sort of torture device. I imagine his previous owner as being Sid from Toy Story. I remember going to get Buddy. It was around April of 1997. We had just moved into our house. The trip to Gold Bar was unfathomably long for a 6 year old, so I had my parents drop me off at my grandparents' house in Kirkland on the way. I'm glad I didn't have to see Buddy's original house, as it would make me too angry today to actually see it.
Anyway, when my parents came back with him, we gave him what I'm fairly certain was his first ever bath in my grandparents' front yard. This is my earliest memory of Buddy, and really one of my earliest clear memories. Spry, young Buddy was quite the entertaining Scottish Terrier to be honest. He always would try to catch flies in his mouth (something my other, younger Scottie has inherited), though I don't think he ever actually caught one. It was the adorability of his persistence that made it for me.
Our neighbor to the back of us had a variety of lawn ornaments. One of them was the ubiquitous lawn gnome. This was and probably still is Buddy's arch-nemesis. He would go out there and bark at it for hours. It's dumb because, good lord Buddy, that thing has never moved. But really, you can't fault him at all. There was also the fact that Buddy would take one of my former dogs, Patches, toys and put them just out of reach of her tether outside. He was an asshole about it but it's still fantastic.
The most memorable single thing Buddy did was lock my dad out of his car. My dad went in to Fred Meyer for a quick minute and left the keys in the car. Buddy, being in the car because the car is like heaven for dogs (it wasn't hot, don't worry), loved to sit on my dad's left side when he would drive, or on the driver's seat itself with no human occupying it. He had always put his front feet on the door of the car where the window controls were and, well, you see what happened. My brother had to drive up and unlock the car for my dad. You want to get pissed off at him but, c'mon. How can you?
Buddy has been around for most of my life and essentially all of my academic life. I always remember being there. Whether he wanted to be up on the chair while we watched TV or he got so, so excited at the possibility of a walk, he was always a joy to have there. Unfortunately, as all dogs do, Buddy has lost his youthful exuberance. Whereas he used to be able to jump 3 feet straight in the air, (but maybe 9 inches forward) his feet barely leave the ground anymore. He has essentially lost his sight and hearing. Over the last few years, it has been sad to see Buddy after remembering how he was. But the enduring thing about him is that he's always been so nice. I don't think Buddy has ever bitten anyone ever or even growled at anyone (besides those who dared ring his doorbell or walk by his backyard. But that's a territorial thing that comes from being a dog.) Whereas my other dogs haven't always been the nicest to people or even other dogs, Buddy has always been so gentle and kind.
While Buddy is still alive and it's not a real surprise he's reaching his end, it still hurts to see it happen. It makes me realize that I've taken him for granted, as cliched as that sounds. I mean, he's always been there. I can't help but feel I haven't appreciated him enough. I wish my most clear memories of him weren't his decrepit current state. But after thinking about it, I realize that I've always loved Buddy and don't want to see him go. All the good memories I have of him as a pup.
This is what's hard about owning a dog. They live a comparatively short life, so it's almost guaranteed that if you own one, it will die or run away in your life time. In many ways the long life of a dog is bittersweet. You get more time with the dog, but you also have to see their modern-day-Griffey-esque fading years. We don't want the dog to suffer more than we have to but it's always so hard to let go. Even though I have two other dogs still, their personalities are completely different from Buddy's.
I guess all I can really say at this point is that I'm glad to have been able to experience the time with Buddy that I did. His presence throughout my childhood is something I'll never forget. Even though I never thought of him as "my dog" (he's my dad's dog, clearly), He's always been there. And for that I'm glad. Even though it's not quite time to say goodbye yet, Buddy, thank you for always being there. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have.
Ah, summer
No, blog, I haven't forgotten about you. I've just had extended writer's block and been busy having an amazing summer.My lack of posts may or may not coincide with an introduction of a new segment of my life that has kept me busy. I'm definitely not looking forward to summer ending and having non-work responsibilities. I feel like there was more that I wanted to do this summer that I couldn't get done. In June, summer feels endless but in September, it can't feel any shorter. I didn't spend as much time with friends as I wanted to. I never picked cherries with Alyana or went to a Mariners game with Shun or went to Canada with any of my underage-in-America buddies. I hardly hung out with my favorite Jew. But when I look back on it, I never really felt all that bored. I always had something to do or someone to see, whether it was work or a random meeting with friends or hanging out with my family.
But now I have a smidge over a week left at work and living in Kent. Will I miss work? Miss is a strong word but there are certain aspects I'll miss. The money. Some of the people. Starting to actually work in a part of the store I like. Will I miss Kent? I love the ability to park places for free/without hassle and I will miss easy access to the people I care about most. But there is a certain element of freedom that will come from being back in school. Maybe this will be the year that I actually am a good student and don't just coast by on my intelligence. Maybe I will be more outgoing and make more than a few close friends. I look forward to the new things I will learn this year and hopefully learning whether I actually want to go into business or not. And it will be nice to have people to hang out with just a few doors down from me and not miles away and accessible only by horseless carriage.
So, summer 2010, I will never forget you. You brought me much joy and a little bit of trouble (sorry concrete barrier and Camry! Bye Buddy). And to those who I didn't have a chance to do as much as I wanted to this summer, I did want to and still do want to. I just took the amount of time I would have to do so for granted and didn't embrace the opportunity. But there will be other chances, even once school begins. I hope to have my friends last all year and not just have summer friends and have college friends.
But now I have a smidge over a week left at work and living in Kent. Will I miss work? Miss is a strong word but there are certain aspects I'll miss. The money. Some of the people. Starting to actually work in a part of the store I like. Will I miss Kent? I love the ability to park places for free/without hassle and I will miss easy access to the people I care about most. But there is a certain element of freedom that will come from being back in school. Maybe this will be the year that I actually am a good student and don't just coast by on my intelligence. Maybe I will be more outgoing and make more than a few close friends. I look forward to the new things I will learn this year and hopefully learning whether I actually want to go into business or not. And it will be nice to have people to hang out with just a few doors down from me and not miles away and accessible only by horseless carriage.
So, summer 2010, I will never forget you. You brought me much joy and a little bit of trouble (sorry concrete barrier and Camry! Bye Buddy). And to those who I didn't have a chance to do as much as I wanted to this summer, I did want to and still do want to. I just took the amount of time I would have to do so for granted and didn't embrace the opportunity. But there will be other chances, even once school begins. I hope to have my friends last all year and not just have summer friends and have college friends.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Safeco Field: Wonderfully Frustrating
Safeco Field is a wonderful stadium and is one of the most beautiful parks in the country, if not the most. The old cliche "there isn't a bad seat in the house" applies. A great Sunday afternoon is spent in the sun at the park watching the Mariners most likely lose to a possibly superior club. Or hopefully win. But I'm cynical at this point. Anyway, the experience of Safeco the building is magnificent. Safeco really does feel like home.
Why is it then that the people who flock there are, for the most part, hard to sit near? I preface the rest of this post with the fact that this might just be me and that I have too high of standards. Not everyone is as big of a fan as me and not everyone follows the game as closely as me. This is something I've noticed this season especially but the fans at Safeco haven't been particularly knowledgeable or into the game even back when the team had great success. Yes, it was better earlier in the century but they still had the tendency to be terrible. This year, every game I've gone to has been marred by a bad fan experience. The home opener brought the girls who would not stop talking at an extremely high volume and the guys next to them who were borderline lecherous and just annoying in general. (The specifics will be less vague as we get closer to the present, don't worry.) Then there was the tool at a game later in the month who just made jokes about Griffey sleeping and otherwise was annoying everyone including those attending with him. Then there were the Cubs fans. My God the Cubs fans. On Wednesday there was the lady who was explaining every single detail to her companion, who was a Spaniard who likely had little experience with it. While this isn't really a problem, my strategy for explaining it would be to let them ask questions rather than explain every detail. And, y'know, not be wrong and say things like a run rarely scores in the first inning or that 80% of hockey teams make the playoffs while 20% of baseball teams do (the second fact is much closer to the truth, at least). Or explaining obvious things like why they play Do the Hustle after a stolen base.
But anyway, most of those are innocent enough. I like that she was trying to explain the game to someone who didn't know about it, even if it wasn't the greatest way to go about it. Today's game was what drove me crazy the most, though the team doing terribly didn't help. I was sitting next to my exact opposite as a person. Well, there were two of them but one was more obvious. For starters, he was old. I am not. That's the most basic. He talked pretty much the entire game. I do talk during the game but not continuously. What he talked about was not generally on topic and what was on topic was generally wildly inaccurate. I tend to talk about the game at hand and if it goes off topic, it's usually sparked by something else. I don't really talk about politics because I don't really know enough about them to talk about them. Not only did he talk about politics, his views to diametrically opposed to mine. And to top it all off, his granddaughter got rejected from Seattle U because her GPA was under 3.8 or something (which I suspect is BS because 1. I've never heard of that specific of a rejection letter and 2. it's not THAT important to get into our school I don't think.) All of this isn't really that bad. We're just different people. I just found the extent to how different we were was comical, right down to his hatred of my institution of higher learning.
No, the problem with this was the kind of fan these guys seemed to be. It started right away. Derek Jeter came to the plate. He is pretty well known as the Yankees' lead off hitter. Tom Hutyler said his name over the intercom. His picture and name were on the diamond vision as well as at least three other places in the stadium. He proceeds to ask "Who is this? Jeter?" Maybe this particular complaint is a problem for me because I tend to think people should be able to find things out for themselves. Maybe that's a lofty expectation of mine. It's akin to asking what the score is or what inning the game is in to me. I understand mid-inning or something since the information isn't always readily available because of various other things going on on the screens but it's fairly obvious during the game who is batting. This sort of thing continued on into the game, whether it was wondering where Sabathia was before he was a Yankee or whether the pitcher was still in when a player with a complete different piece of handedness came up.
I absolutely hate defeatism and extreme pessimism and these guys exhibited it. This is understandable this year, as the team has been dreadful, especially the hitting. Rowland-Smith started today and he has not been good this year. But he didn't deserve to give up 6 runs today. His first inning was:
groundout
throwing error by Lopez on a grounder (runner reached)
grounder through the hole between short and third for a single
reach on error on what is usually a fielder's choice at second
sacrifice fly to score run
ground ball single up the middle to score a run
strike out
So Ryan had what should've been five outs in the inning but what ended up being a 2-0 hole to start the game. The rest of the way, he was betrayed by his defense, with runners reaching on a ball dropped in the sun for a double. That runner eventually scored on a wild pitch, though I don't know if it was really RRS's fault. He did give up two legitimate doubles in the fourth but those were really the only two all night. Rowland-Smith deserved to give up maybe half of the runs he actually did give up and maybe fewer.
Which brings me, at long last, to the thing that pissed me off the most. I irrationally love Hyphen as a player and even have a jersey with his name and number, which I wore because he was starting. The douche next to me somehow noticed this and said "you have his jersey. You could go out there and pitch better than him," to which I mumbled barely audibly, "yeah." Why would you do something like this to 1. a fan of the same team as you and 2. in a game where he wasn't really that terrible and was just getting unlucky. If he was a Yankees fan, fine. But no. He wasn't. I don't go up to people with Griffey jerseys and make fun of them because he sucked this year or talk to them about how bad he was this year. People can be a fan of whoever they want to be. I just don't see the need to be that much of a dick to someone but then again I tend not to be confrontational.
Then the game just spiraled out of control. After RRS came out, the team was down 6 runs or more the rest of the way. When another ball fell for a double due to the sun, the offending fan proceeded to say "oh he won't catch this next fly ball, it's going to fall," and later, "maybe they just aren't used to the sun because they play in Seattle." This is not funny and just needlessly downerish. Gutierrez and Saunders aren't going to drop balls very often. Seattle being cloudy jokes have ceased being funny for pretty much ever. It's just, urgh.
Then when the Mariners finally did string together some hits, it was just "well that will help us win. Only need 12 more of those." Which I'll admit, I've thought before. But I've also not shown myself to be annoying the entire game up to that point. And I'm still always hoping that I'm going to witness the game where some gargantuan comeback occurs. But the main thing is that this season is over. The wins and losses don't really matter anymore. A win doesn't make us much more likely to make the playoffs. At this point I'm watching to see individual players do well and to see something entertaining. So why try to ruin that by saying something like that?
To finish off the talk of negative nancyism, every time a Mariner player would come up, these guys would remark at their poor hitting statistics, mainly the batting average. You mean a team that is one of two to score fewer than 300 runs in the first half doesn't have good hitting stats? Amazing! The one player they did laud for his hitting ability was Jack Wilson which, what? Him? Okay. But saying Justin Smoak isn't going to help this team because he's hitting .210 isn't really a great way to look at things because 1. he's a rookie 2. he's 24 3. he's only had 235 ABs 4. he's one of the best prospects in the game and 5. he's been here 2 days. The same goes for Saunders, besides the last point. Yes, Figgins has been terrible. Yes, Gutierrez has come back down to earth. Yes, Lopez and Kotchman have been terrible. But honestly, expressing surprise audibly every time they come up to the plate isn't necessary.
These fans reflected most of what annoys me about a lot of Safeco Field attendees, much like this game was like a microcosm of the entire season to this point. Not paying attention, not knowing much at all, being overly dickish for no reason and just being unfunny in general, willful ignorance. These qualities don't describe every Safeco fan. It's fine if you are one of these things. Hell, I don't pay attention to the game for every second. But it's the combination of these that are all too evident. There are great Mariners fans out there. But it seems like if these behaviors are at least somewhat on display every game, there is a problem. This on top of the general lack of want to cheer or clap unless prompted. Seahawks fans are the loudest in the league, as are Husky football fans and Sounders fans. Sonics fans were raucous and seemed knowledgeable in their day as well. So why are Mariner fans so much worse in general? Is it because the tickets are cheaper? Or that they've been bad for a while? Or that I've just been exposed to it more? Or am I just holding people to to high of a standard? Or simply just should stop eavesdropping and try to ignore it? I am certainly not going to stop going to Mariners games as I love them every time but this doesn't add to my enjoyment.
Why is it then that the people who flock there are, for the most part, hard to sit near? I preface the rest of this post with the fact that this might just be me and that I have too high of standards. Not everyone is as big of a fan as me and not everyone follows the game as closely as me. This is something I've noticed this season especially but the fans at Safeco haven't been particularly knowledgeable or into the game even back when the team had great success. Yes, it was better earlier in the century but they still had the tendency to be terrible. This year, every game I've gone to has been marred by a bad fan experience. The home opener brought the girls who would not stop talking at an extremely high volume and the guys next to them who were borderline lecherous and just annoying in general. (The specifics will be less vague as we get closer to the present, don't worry.) Then there was the tool at a game later in the month who just made jokes about Griffey sleeping and otherwise was annoying everyone including those attending with him. Then there were the Cubs fans. My God the Cubs fans. On Wednesday there was the lady who was explaining every single detail to her companion, who was a Spaniard who likely had little experience with it. While this isn't really a problem, my strategy for explaining it would be to let them ask questions rather than explain every detail. And, y'know, not be wrong and say things like a run rarely scores in the first inning or that 80% of hockey teams make the playoffs while 20% of baseball teams do (the second fact is much closer to the truth, at least). Or explaining obvious things like why they play Do the Hustle after a stolen base.
But anyway, most of those are innocent enough. I like that she was trying to explain the game to someone who didn't know about it, even if it wasn't the greatest way to go about it. Today's game was what drove me crazy the most, though the team doing terribly didn't help. I was sitting next to my exact opposite as a person. Well, there were two of them but one was more obvious. For starters, he was old. I am not. That's the most basic. He talked pretty much the entire game. I do talk during the game but not continuously. What he talked about was not generally on topic and what was on topic was generally wildly inaccurate. I tend to talk about the game at hand and if it goes off topic, it's usually sparked by something else. I don't really talk about politics because I don't really know enough about them to talk about them. Not only did he talk about politics, his views to diametrically opposed to mine. And to top it all off, his granddaughter got rejected from Seattle U because her GPA was under 3.8 or something (which I suspect is BS because 1. I've never heard of that specific of a rejection letter and 2. it's not THAT important to get into our school I don't think.) All of this isn't really that bad. We're just different people. I just found the extent to how different we were was comical, right down to his hatred of my institution of higher learning.
No, the problem with this was the kind of fan these guys seemed to be. It started right away. Derek Jeter came to the plate. He is pretty well known as the Yankees' lead off hitter. Tom Hutyler said his name over the intercom. His picture and name were on the diamond vision as well as at least three other places in the stadium. He proceeds to ask "Who is this? Jeter?" Maybe this particular complaint is a problem for me because I tend to think people should be able to find things out for themselves. Maybe that's a lofty expectation of mine. It's akin to asking what the score is or what inning the game is in to me. I understand mid-inning or something since the information isn't always readily available because of various other things going on on the screens but it's fairly obvious during the game who is batting. This sort of thing continued on into the game, whether it was wondering where Sabathia was before he was a Yankee or whether the pitcher was still in when a player with a complete different piece of handedness came up.
I absolutely hate defeatism and extreme pessimism and these guys exhibited it. This is understandable this year, as the team has been dreadful, especially the hitting. Rowland-Smith started today and he has not been good this year. But he didn't deserve to give up 6 runs today. His first inning was:
groundout
throwing error by Lopez on a grounder (runner reached)
grounder through the hole between short and third for a single
reach on error on what is usually a fielder's choice at second
sacrifice fly to score run
ground ball single up the middle to score a run
strike out
So Ryan had what should've been five outs in the inning but what ended up being a 2-0 hole to start the game. The rest of the way, he was betrayed by his defense, with runners reaching on a ball dropped in the sun for a double. That runner eventually scored on a wild pitch, though I don't know if it was really RRS's fault. He did give up two legitimate doubles in the fourth but those were really the only two all night. Rowland-Smith deserved to give up maybe half of the runs he actually did give up and maybe fewer.
Which brings me, at long last, to the thing that pissed me off the most. I irrationally love Hyphen as a player and even have a jersey with his name and number, which I wore because he was starting. The douche next to me somehow noticed this and said "you have his jersey. You could go out there and pitch better than him," to which I mumbled barely audibly, "yeah." Why would you do something like this to 1. a fan of the same team as you and 2. in a game where he wasn't really that terrible and was just getting unlucky. If he was a Yankees fan, fine. But no. He wasn't. I don't go up to people with Griffey jerseys and make fun of them because he sucked this year or talk to them about how bad he was this year. People can be a fan of whoever they want to be. I just don't see the need to be that much of a dick to someone but then again I tend not to be confrontational.
Then the game just spiraled out of control. After RRS came out, the team was down 6 runs or more the rest of the way. When another ball fell for a double due to the sun, the offending fan proceeded to say "oh he won't catch this next fly ball, it's going to fall," and later, "maybe they just aren't used to the sun because they play in Seattle." This is not funny and just needlessly downerish. Gutierrez and Saunders aren't going to drop balls very often. Seattle being cloudy jokes have ceased being funny for pretty much ever. It's just, urgh.
Then when the Mariners finally did string together some hits, it was just "well that will help us win. Only need 12 more of those." Which I'll admit, I've thought before. But I've also not shown myself to be annoying the entire game up to that point. And I'm still always hoping that I'm going to witness the game where some gargantuan comeback occurs. But the main thing is that this season is over. The wins and losses don't really matter anymore. A win doesn't make us much more likely to make the playoffs. At this point I'm watching to see individual players do well and to see something entertaining. So why try to ruin that by saying something like that?
To finish off the talk of negative nancyism, every time a Mariner player would come up, these guys would remark at their poor hitting statistics, mainly the batting average. You mean a team that is one of two to score fewer than 300 runs in the first half doesn't have good hitting stats? Amazing! The one player they did laud for his hitting ability was Jack Wilson which, what? Him? Okay. But saying Justin Smoak isn't going to help this team because he's hitting .210 isn't really a great way to look at things because 1. he's a rookie 2. he's 24 3. he's only had 235 ABs 4. he's one of the best prospects in the game and 5. he's been here 2 days. The same goes for Saunders, besides the last point. Yes, Figgins has been terrible. Yes, Gutierrez has come back down to earth. Yes, Lopez and Kotchman have been terrible. But honestly, expressing surprise audibly every time they come up to the plate isn't necessary.
These fans reflected most of what annoys me about a lot of Safeco Field attendees, much like this game was like a microcosm of the entire season to this point. Not paying attention, not knowing much at all, being overly dickish for no reason and just being unfunny in general, willful ignorance. These qualities don't describe every Safeco fan. It's fine if you are one of these things. Hell, I don't pay attention to the game for every second. But it's the combination of these that are all too evident. There are great Mariners fans out there. But it seems like if these behaviors are at least somewhat on display every game, there is a problem. This on top of the general lack of want to cheer or clap unless prompted. Seahawks fans are the loudest in the league, as are Husky football fans and Sounders fans. Sonics fans were raucous and seemed knowledgeable in their day as well. So why are Mariner fans so much worse in general? Is it because the tickets are cheaper? Or that they've been bad for a while? Or that I've just been exposed to it more? Or am I just holding people to to high of a standard? Or simply just should stop eavesdropping and try to ignore it? I am certainly not going to stop going to Mariners games as I love them every time but this doesn't add to my enjoyment.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Desultory Musings
-Target's request system (time off, availability changes, etc.) is now online, which, welcome to the 21st century guys. The problem with this is that it is only compatible with Internet Explorer. This would be great if A. I had used IE anywhere but school in the last five years and B. the main computer I use wasn't a Mac and thus not compatible. I have gone to my parents' computer to try but The schedule tool doesn't work on there so yay. Using the computer in the break room at work isn't terrible but it's not very private. Meh, just another minor complaint about Target. I need to stop doing that.
-Part of my summer plans is to visit all four corners of the state (maybe five. Does Point Roberts count). I have already conquered the northwest portion with a wonderful journey to Cape Flattery with Anna. The other destinations are slightly less desirable to go to. Ilwaco not so much as, hey, it's on the coast. But the other two are Metaline Fallsand Anatone. As you can tell by the maps, not exactly hot beds of civilization. My original plan was to take these trips on my own, doing each in a day, partially because I want to get some miles on my car and because I want to see more of the state but also because I have a lot of audiobooks and podcasts that would be nice to catch up on. But looking at the optimistic Google Maps distance predictions, it takes 7 hours one way to the Eastern Washington locations and that's a lot. So rather than try to do 14 hours of driving on my own in one day, I thought, why not get someone to go with me and maybe we can camp or something over there? Let me know if you are interested in going on one or all of these trips. Otherwise I am content to go on my own.
-The other, more exciting part of summer I'm excited for is a 10 day trip to various Eastern time zone cities in August. The plan is to go to Cleveland, Cooperstown, Boston, New York and Washington in those 10 days which is quite ambitious but the first two cities are somewhat limited in what you can do there. (Yeah, I just likened Cleveland to Cooperstown. I'm pretty sure the only thing we're doing there is going to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Baseball Hall of Fame, respectively so the comparison is apt. Sorry Clevelanders who may be reading this.) I'm really excited to see a part of the country I haven't seen. Seeing the Rock and Baseball Hall of Fames will be so fascinating. I can't imagine all the awesome that is contained in the BHOF. We're also going to see games in Fenway and Yankee Stadium, the latter involving the Mariners. (It will be nice to see the Mariners lose someplace new.) Along with that will be just experiencing New York. I'm really excited for DC because, on top of all the Memorials and governments buildings, there's so many awesome museums there. I'm pretty sure I'm going to spend an entire day in the Smithsonian. This is a really small picture of all of these cities but I am really excited anyhow. I can go back later in life and experience them more fully but it will be nice to see all the touristy things there and to experience the different way of life that exists there. (First time experiencing East Coast humidity will be grrrrreat.)
-I am a rather picky eater and have been thinking lately of making a list of foods I do not like and why just for reference and because it might be fascinating for others. Most of the problem is texture (onions, tomatoes, cooked spinach). There's not a lot of foods I don't like because of taste. As a result of this distaste (distexture?) for a lot of different kinds of things, I have to keep a strict policy of only asking to remove three things from something at a restaurant. Mmmmm this pasta looks good. Oh... onions, mushrooms, peppers and capers. Never mind. It's a gag reflex thing I guess. So if I'm ever at your house and am picking something you have made me, it is not a criticism of your cooking, I promise.
-Summer has led me to once again revisit the idea that I am a nightowl. I can't remember the last time I went to sleep before two. This generally works because I don't really have any non-work obligations but I'm not a giant fan of it. But I think this might be the way I actually get the required amount of sleep. I get so tired that I can't do anything but sleep. I am more wide awake at 2 AM sometimes than I am at 2 PM a lot of the time. This is why I kind of like having a roommate because it forces me to go to sleep earlier. Since most people don't stay up as late as me, I tend to just go to bed when they go to bed. I don't want to be that asshole roommate who is up really late reading Cracked for no apparent reading or loudly typing (this is for you Bryan). I actually do like 8 and 9 AM but I can't get to sleep in time to see them without being unbearably tired most of the time. Curse you internet and XBox.
-Part of my summer plans is to visit all four corners of the state (maybe five. Does Point Roberts count). I have already conquered the northwest portion with a wonderful journey to Cape Flattery with Anna. The other destinations are slightly less desirable to go to. Ilwaco not so much as, hey, it's on the coast. But the other two are Metaline Fallsand Anatone. As you can tell by the maps, not exactly hot beds of civilization. My original plan was to take these trips on my own, doing each in a day, partially because I want to get some miles on my car and because I want to see more of the state but also because I have a lot of audiobooks and podcasts that would be nice to catch up on. But looking at the optimistic Google Maps distance predictions, it takes 7 hours one way to the Eastern Washington locations and that's a lot. So rather than try to do 14 hours of driving on my own in one day, I thought, why not get someone to go with me and maybe we can camp or something over there? Let me know if you are interested in going on one or all of these trips. Otherwise I am content to go on my own.
-The other, more exciting part of summer I'm excited for is a 10 day trip to various Eastern time zone cities in August. The plan is to go to Cleveland, Cooperstown, Boston, New York and Washington in those 10 days which is quite ambitious but the first two cities are somewhat limited in what you can do there. (Yeah, I just likened Cleveland to Cooperstown. I'm pretty sure the only thing we're doing there is going to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Baseball Hall of Fame, respectively so the comparison is apt. Sorry Clevelanders who may be reading this.) I'm really excited to see a part of the country I haven't seen. Seeing the Rock and Baseball Hall of Fames will be so fascinating. I can't imagine all the awesome that is contained in the BHOF. We're also going to see games in Fenway and Yankee Stadium, the latter involving the Mariners. (It will be nice to see the Mariners lose someplace new.) Along with that will be just experiencing New York. I'm really excited for DC because, on top of all the Memorials and governments buildings, there's so many awesome museums there. I'm pretty sure I'm going to spend an entire day in the Smithsonian. This is a really small picture of all of these cities but I am really excited anyhow. I can go back later in life and experience them more fully but it will be nice to see all the touristy things there and to experience the different way of life that exists there. (First time experiencing East Coast humidity will be grrrrreat.)
-I am a rather picky eater and have been thinking lately of making a list of foods I do not like and why just for reference and because it might be fascinating for others. Most of the problem is texture (onions, tomatoes, cooked spinach). There's not a lot of foods I don't like because of taste. As a result of this distaste (distexture?) for a lot of different kinds of things, I have to keep a strict policy of only asking to remove three things from something at a restaurant. Mmmmm this pasta looks good. Oh... onions, mushrooms, peppers and capers. Never mind. It's a gag reflex thing I guess. So if I'm ever at your house and am picking something you have made me, it is not a criticism of your cooking, I promise.
-Summer has led me to once again revisit the idea that I am a nightowl. I can't remember the last time I went to sleep before two. This generally works because I don't really have any non-work obligations but I'm not a giant fan of it. But I think this might be the way I actually get the required amount of sleep. I get so tired that I can't do anything but sleep. I am more wide awake at 2 AM sometimes than I am at 2 PM a lot of the time. This is why I kind of like having a roommate because it forces me to go to sleep earlier. Since most people don't stay up as late as me, I tend to just go to bed when they go to bed. I don't want to be that asshole roommate who is up really late reading Cracked for no apparent reading or loudly typing (this is for you Bryan). I actually do like 8 and 9 AM but I can't get to sleep in time to see them without being unbearably tired most of the time. Curse you internet and XBox.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Target Shoppers Part... 3?
I thought of more. It's not hard.
The Comedian (hat tip to Robyn)
Makes jokes that are hard to respond too without either seeming like you are no fun or taking the joke too far. Thinks item is free if it has no numbers or barcode. Expects a discount and makes you feel like a Narc if you don't give it to them (though this could be just being an ass. I had a very awkward transaction like this though where I didn't know what to say when they kept saying "Aw man, you can give me a discount. Target can afford it!") Other various jokes that are more awkward than funny.
The Underly-Concerned-About-Conveyor-Belt
Puts jewelry right on belt and is surprised when it gets caught underneath metal thingy. Puts CASH ON THE BELT WHILE IT IS MOVING. Puts purse/wallet on belt/in basket and is surprised when you are unsure of whether they are buying it or not. Puts gift card they are paying with on belt and is ambiguous about whether they are purchasing it or paying with it.
The Overly-Concerned-About-Conveyor-Belt
Holds all clothing and hands directly to you so as not to get it dirty on the conveyor belt, despite the clothes having been God knows where in shipping and the conveyor belt not being made of ink. Moves their stuff once the belt continues to move because item is not big enough to be sensed, which only causes it to move for longer.
The Self Bagger
Rips the bags right off the holders before you are done. Does not think that simply asking you to put the other stuff in a new bag will suffice. Ruins the who bag feng shui by tanking inappropriately.
Closely related to Guy Who Wants Bags for Everything Including 24 Packs of Toilet Paper and 12 Packs of Coke
I think I'm done with this for now. New people come up all the time but meh.
The Comedian (hat tip to Robyn)
Makes jokes that are hard to respond too without either seeming like you are no fun or taking the joke too far. Thinks item is free if it has no numbers or barcode. Expects a discount and makes you feel like a Narc if you don't give it to them (though this could be just being an ass. I had a very awkward transaction like this though where I didn't know what to say when they kept saying "Aw man, you can give me a discount. Target can afford it!") Other various jokes that are more awkward than funny.
The Underly-Concerned-About-Conveyor-Belt
Puts jewelry right on belt and is surprised when it gets caught underneath metal thingy. Puts CASH ON THE BELT WHILE IT IS MOVING. Puts purse/wallet on belt/in basket and is surprised when you are unsure of whether they are buying it or not. Puts gift card they are paying with on belt and is ambiguous about whether they are purchasing it or paying with it.
The Overly-Concerned-About-Conveyor-Belt
Holds all clothing and hands directly to you so as not to get it dirty on the conveyor belt, despite the clothes having been God knows where in shipping and the conveyor belt not being made of ink. Moves their stuff once the belt continues to move because item is not big enough to be sensed, which only causes it to move for longer.
The Self Bagger
Rips the bags right off the holders before you are done. Does not think that simply asking you to put the other stuff in a new bag will suffice. Ruins the who bag feng shui by tanking inappropriately.
Closely related to Guy Who Wants Bags for Everything Including 24 Packs of Toilet Paper and 12 Packs of Coke
I think I'm done with this for now. New people come up all the time but meh.
On English (with pointers!)
I am what some would call a grammar Nazi. It's true, I correct people's spelling and grammar a lot. And I can sound like a tool because of it. But the thing is, it bothers me a lot for some reason. People have started writing more stupidly (no, it's not stupider) since the age of the internet and texting began. And I don't adhere to rule of grammar and punctuation when I'm instant messaging or texting just like most people. But that's because they are less formal methods of communication and the goal of them is quickness rather than typing accuracy. The key there is that I am always at least coherent. The incoherence I see is one of the more frustrating things I see. Not using punctuation at all makes it quite difficult to read things. I'm typically fine with it if it's a friend of mine because, hey, I can understand you when I talk to you in person. but when you see random people typing sentences like this it gets really annoying doesnt it i bet you cant understand whats going on no periods no commas no nothing its a bit of a trainwreck isnt it. Yeah, you can piece together the message of it but good lord it takes so much longer to read.
(You may notice I used a conjunction at the beginning of many of the sentences in the last paragraph. This is because I don't necessarily think that that particular rule is necessary anymore, though I wish I had a better reason why. This is an example of language evolving towards the better in my opinion. But I digress.)
Boy, that was a fun parenthetical. Anyway, I'm not sure where this evolved from. I guess I've always been good at language and writing. When I first write a draft of a paper, the need for editing for spelling or punctuation errors is generally negligible, besides random typos or perhaps poor comma usage. (Use of commas is my weak point in writing. I tend to not use enough of them.) I guess it's because my writing tends to be properly capitalized and punctuated and all that good grammatical stuff that it makes me notice when others spell things wrong or just sprinkle apostrophes where they don't belong. It doesn't help that my Business Communications class was pretty grammar intensive and the professor was a pretty big stickler for having the best writing you could. ("Best practice" not "common practice", guys!)
So anyway, when/if I correct your grammar and I'm not proofreading your paper or something else like that, it's out of love. Or because you keep making the same mistake and I want to help you. It's a little elitist of me I admit to hold people to this standard even in, say, facebook comments and statuses, but I don't notice or point them out out of condescension. It's because it can drive me crazy and also the fact that I do want people to know if what they're (yes, it's they're. It's replacing they are. Sorry guys.) typing wrong. Maybe it's not my duty to do this but it certainly can't hurt someone to know one of their mistakes, unless they have some sort of weird medical condition that causes their skin to break out when corrected on something. In which case, I think you should try to get into a medical journal of some sort because, man that would be rare. I like things to be readable. It saves everyone a lot of time if there isn't vague wording in someone's writing. But if I do point it out, it's because it's happened A LOT or because I know I'm close enough to someone that they won't get pissed at me for pointing it out and make me feel like a dick. But it should be noted that I err on the side of not correcting and tend not to do it because I did it too much as a lad and I don't like to feel like that guy who always corrects people.
At the risk of sounding like a tool, I leave you with three tips for writing that are pretty simple and will lead to less potential for embarrassment in the future:
1. 's vs. s
's is to indicate possession. S, without the apostrophe, is to indicate a plural. The one exception to this is in the case of it. It's is a contraction of it is whereas its indicates something belongs to it. There are a lot of irregular plurals because, hey, English is weird, but this is just a general rule. So when writing a sentence using plurals, think about whether you are trying to show that something owns something else. If it doesn't, don't use an apostrophe.
Good: The walrus's tusks were poached, contrary to popular belief, for their sweet, sweet tusk juices rather than for ivory.
Bad: The walruses tusk's were poached, contrary to popular belief, for their sweet, sweet tusk juice's rather than for ivory.
Good: It's going to get on the snail's nerves if you keep throwing salt in its path.
Bad: It's going to get on the snail's nerve's if you keep throwing salt in it's path.
2. they're, their and there
They're is a contraction of they are (as I so astutely pointed out earlier). Their indicates possession of something by a group. There indicated a position that is somewhere besides here.
Good: They're going over there to their pencil box factory to play poker.
Bad: There going over their to its pencil box factory to play poker.
3. Quotation marks
Quotation marks are to be used only when quoting someone or when saying something ironically. Use of superfluous quotation marks leads to the importance or actuality of said object to be lost. When a quotation is used inside a quote, either ironically or actually quoting, they transform into apostrophes to avoid confusion.
Good: "We're going to have to go at ten o'clock," Jose said, wearily. "Yancey's 'roommates' want him home by eleven and I'm his ride."
The quotes are used correctly here because Yancey is 38 and refers to his parents, whom he still lives with, as his roommates. Also, Jose did indeed say this.
Bad: Guest's: can you please put your "jackets" on the "hook" so they aren't in the way.
Not only did this person add the heinous unnecessary apostrophe, the quotation marks around "jackets" and "hook" imply that these are theoretical and can lead to smartasses to wonder how such things don't actual exist.
There are more that I could talk about but these are the most common and I can't think of any others right now.
I leave you with the great works from The Oatmeal on the subject and a cartoon from Allie Brosh (from Hyperbole and a Half, which you should be reading) about what she imagines when people use "alot" instead of "a lot".
The Oatmeal on Irony
The Oatmeal on How to Use a Semicolon
The Oatmeal on How to Use an Apostrophe
Seriously, read everything the Oatmeal does. It's amazing.
(You may notice I used a conjunction at the beginning of many of the sentences in the last paragraph. This is because I don't necessarily think that that particular rule is necessary anymore, though I wish I had a better reason why. This is an example of language evolving towards the better in my opinion. But I digress.)
Boy, that was a fun parenthetical. Anyway, I'm not sure where this evolved from. I guess I've always been good at language and writing. When I first write a draft of a paper, the need for editing for spelling or punctuation errors is generally negligible, besides random typos or perhaps poor comma usage. (Use of commas is my weak point in writing. I tend to not use enough of them.) I guess it's because my writing tends to be properly capitalized and punctuated and all that good grammatical stuff that it makes me notice when others spell things wrong or just sprinkle apostrophes where they don't belong. It doesn't help that my Business Communications class was pretty grammar intensive and the professor was a pretty big stickler for having the best writing you could. ("Best practice" not "common practice", guys!)
So anyway, when/if I correct your grammar and I'm not proofreading your paper or something else like that, it's out of love. Or because you keep making the same mistake and I want to help you. It's a little elitist of me I admit to hold people to this standard even in, say, facebook comments and statuses, but I don't notice or point them out out of condescension. It's because it can drive me crazy and also the fact that I do want people to know if what they're (yes, it's they're. It's replacing they are. Sorry guys.) typing wrong. Maybe it's not my duty to do this but it certainly can't hurt someone to know one of their mistakes, unless they have some sort of weird medical condition that causes their skin to break out when corrected on something. In which case, I think you should try to get into a medical journal of some sort because, man that would be rare. I like things to be readable. It saves everyone a lot of time if there isn't vague wording in someone's writing. But if I do point it out, it's because it's happened A LOT or because I know I'm close enough to someone that they won't get pissed at me for pointing it out and make me feel like a dick. But it should be noted that I err on the side of not correcting and tend not to do it because I did it too much as a lad and I don't like to feel like that guy who always corrects people.
At the risk of sounding like a tool, I leave you with three tips for writing that are pretty simple and will lead to less potential for embarrassment in the future:
1. 's vs. s
's is to indicate possession. S, without the apostrophe, is to indicate a plural. The one exception to this is in the case of it. It's is a contraction of it is whereas its indicates something belongs to it. There are a lot of irregular plurals because, hey, English is weird, but this is just a general rule. So when writing a sentence using plurals, think about whether you are trying to show that something owns something else. If it doesn't, don't use an apostrophe.
Good: The walrus's tusks were poached, contrary to popular belief, for their sweet, sweet tusk juices rather than for ivory.
Bad: The walruses tusk's were poached, contrary to popular belief, for their sweet, sweet tusk juice's rather than for ivory.
Good: It's going to get on the snail's nerves if you keep throwing salt in its path.
Bad: It's going to get on the snail's nerve's if you keep throwing salt in it's path.
2. they're, their and there
They're is a contraction of they are (as I so astutely pointed out earlier). Their indicates possession of something by a group. There indicated a position that is somewhere besides here.
Good: They're going over there to their pencil box factory to play poker.
Bad: There going over their to its pencil box factory to play poker.
3. Quotation marks
Quotation marks are to be used only when quoting someone or when saying something ironically. Use of superfluous quotation marks leads to the importance or actuality of said object to be lost. When a quotation is used inside a quote, either ironically or actually quoting, they transform into apostrophes to avoid confusion.
Good: "We're going to have to go at ten o'clock," Jose said, wearily. "Yancey's 'roommates' want him home by eleven and I'm his ride."
The quotes are used correctly here because Yancey is 38 and refers to his parents, whom he still lives with, as his roommates. Also, Jose did indeed say this.
Bad: Guest's: can you please put your "jackets" on the "hook" so they aren't in the way.
Not only did this person add the heinous unnecessary apostrophe, the quotation marks around "jackets" and "hook" imply that these are theoretical and can lead to smartasses to wonder how such things don't actual exist.
There are more that I could talk about but these are the most common and I can't think of any others right now.
I leave you with the great works from The Oatmeal on the subject and a cartoon from Allie Brosh (from Hyperbole and a Half, which you should be reading) about what she imagines when people use "alot" instead of "a lot".
The Oatmeal on Irony
The Oatmeal on How to Use a Semicolon
The Oatmeal on How to Use an Apostrophe
Seriously, read everything the Oatmeal does. It's amazing.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Three Years
Sometime in the next few days (either the 3rd or the 7th) I will "celebrate" 3 years at Target. Yay? Some would argue that it's bad that I've been at the same place for that long and haven't really moved up while others, me included generally, would argue it's good to have had a stable job and the lack of moving up is the lack of ability to work full time for more than 3 months at a time. As annoying as Target can be, it's not a terrible job and there's a decent sense of loyalty there for me. While there's always a little bit of a feeling of lack of appreciation, I'm glad they're so flexible with time off and leaves of absences. I don't think I've gotten any time off requests denied that I've submitted on time.
But anyway enough of that. To celebrate this joyous occasion, I'm going to complain. I already did thisto a certain extent but there's more!
The Teenage Bystander
Is texting and/or on the phone. If not, is reading a magazine that will be put back in 2 minutes. Ignores the stack of 6 bags cashier is trying to keep from falling off the counter. Does not help parent with bags. Seems generally unhappy to be there, even though parent is paying for multiple things that are theirs.
I was gong to have Ignorant Parent in this place but I realize that parenting is harder than I probably realize. But still guys, please try to keep your kid from screaming uncontrollably in public and/or putting random items on the belt that you do not want and/or wandering off to look at something. But still, this is less awful as I understand that there are probably days where you just stop caring.
The Unknowing Credit Card Applicant
Is shocked when 10% discount does not apply if instant approval doesn't happen. Thinks Target is stealing their information if disapproved. Is shocked at the amount of information asked in the process. And people wonder why I hate asking people if they want a red card.
To add to Unnecessarily Irate
Is angry if they can't read entire agreement when signing for a credit card transaction, even if me pressing total earlier would have resulted in her not reading it and the high unlikelihood that it says anything objectionable when exchanging currency for goods.
Again, there might be more. But I don't always remember these things that well if I think of them at the time.
But anyway enough of that. To celebrate this joyous occasion, I'm going to complain. I already did thisto a certain extent but there's more!
The Teenage Bystander
Is texting and/or on the phone. If not, is reading a magazine that will be put back in 2 minutes. Ignores the stack of 6 bags cashier is trying to keep from falling off the counter. Does not help parent with bags. Seems generally unhappy to be there, even though parent is paying for multiple things that are theirs.
I was gong to have Ignorant Parent in this place but I realize that parenting is harder than I probably realize. But still guys, please try to keep your kid from screaming uncontrollably in public and/or putting random items on the belt that you do not want and/or wandering off to look at something. But still, this is less awful as I understand that there are probably days where you just stop caring.
The Unknowing Credit Card Applicant
Is shocked when 10% discount does not apply if instant approval doesn't happen. Thinks Target is stealing their information if disapproved. Is shocked at the amount of information asked in the process. And people wonder why I hate asking people if they want a red card.
To add to Unnecessarily Irate
Is angry if they can't read entire agreement when signing for a credit card transaction, even if me pressing total earlier would have resulted in her not reading it and the high unlikelihood that it says anything objectionable when exchanging currency for goods.
Again, there might be more. But I don't always remember these things that well if I think of them at the time.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
About the Author
Hey look I haven't updated this in a week. Oopsies! I've been busy and haven't been using the internet too much at all. At least as much as is normal for me. Anyway, this blog won't be for a lot of self reflection or anything but this piece is all about me because I'm slightly narcissistic.
I don't have any sort of set thing I want to talk about so I'm gonna stream of consciousness this bitch. I made stream of consciousness a verb. What are you gonna do about it? Anyway, I guess I'll start with my social interactions with people. Something I've noticed is that I try to be as nice as possible to people until I get closer to them and then I tend to be asshole mixed with nice. I hope that at that point people know that I don't mean anything by being a dick. I think this characteristic developed from having an older brother or two plus a dad that doesn't mind teasing either. It's just how the interaction has been in my life. The weird thing is that I'm really not mean to people I don't like. I just try to be as polite as possible to them and talk shit about them to my friends and/or family. It's my inner Seattlite. Passive aggressivity is fun. It's probably not the best way to go about life, not confronting anyway, but I've found that I rarely alienate people this way and that it's easier to be civil than to get into an argument. So in summation: nice with hints of asshole to friends, nice to neutral people, possibly overly polite and civil or just quiet to people I don't like. So if I'm a dick to you, don't worry! I like you! Or else you've been a giant, giant douchenozzle. Also, being quiet around you doesn't mean I don't like you, it just means I don't have anything good to say or don't know you that well. I always err on the side of silence.
When people ask me what I do in my free time, I don't really have a good answer. Most of my time, when alone, is spent dicking around on the internet or watching TV or playing video games. An exciting life for sure. I just hate doing some things alone. Like if I wanted to play football or some shit, I wouldn't just walk up to a field of people playing and ask to play, both because I don't generally just walk up to someone and talk to them and because my football and other athletic abilities aren't so good that I wouldn't feel like I was ruining their game or whatever. And I don't run because I have terrible endurance and don't want to look foolish running in public. I'm up for doing a lot of different stuff with friends, it's just a matter of actually doing it I guess.
It's weird, my language is a lot more vulgar in written form than out loud. I don't really swear that often verbally in general. I never swear in front of my parents either. It's just not that natural I guess. The main times I do cuss up a storm is when watching sports or playing video games. It's a good way to put aside that pent-up frustration when I get angry at Sean White or at myself for swinging at a curve up eight feet off the plate. But I use swear words to add verbal flourish and/or emotion to a sentence, not just to use them. Saying "stop sucking you fucks" says so much more than "stop sucking you poopheads".
In general, what frustrates me more than anything is antagonistic ignorance. When I try to explain something to someone and they either get pissed at me for pointing it out or don't care and continue doing it their way, it's frustrating. I guess I can't do more than suggest something to someone but when the thing is something simple, like a spelling problem I notice a lot or a different way of doing something they might not have thought of, it's annoying to face such resistance.
When people have the frownies, I always try to give them the bright side. I've always felt I've been good at looking at two different sides of something. Sometimes this isn't helpful but I think it always help a little bit to look on the bright side of the situation and sometimes people can't see it at that moment. Otherwise, I don't always have much to say other than "That sucks" or "Aw, I'm sorry" which doesn't sound very sincere. But if you really do have a bad thing going on and I give you a meh answer, it's not because I don't give a shit, it's just because I don't know what to say.
And to close, words and symbols I overuse: >_>, whoopsies, ! (since I cannot convey excitement very well in my speaking voice I compensate with sometimes sarcastic internet excitement), well, really, God, aw, :P, lol (I hate myself everytime I use this), clearly, apparently, like, I guess, Jew. Likely more that I'm forgetting.
I don't have any sort of set thing I want to talk about so I'm gonna stream of consciousness this bitch. I made stream of consciousness a verb. What are you gonna do about it? Anyway, I guess I'll start with my social interactions with people. Something I've noticed is that I try to be as nice as possible to people until I get closer to them and then I tend to be asshole mixed with nice. I hope that at that point people know that I don't mean anything by being a dick. I think this characteristic developed from having an older brother or two plus a dad that doesn't mind teasing either. It's just how the interaction has been in my life. The weird thing is that I'm really not mean to people I don't like. I just try to be as polite as possible to them and talk shit about them to my friends and/or family. It's my inner Seattlite. Passive aggressivity is fun. It's probably not the best way to go about life, not confronting anyway, but I've found that I rarely alienate people this way and that it's easier to be civil than to get into an argument. So in summation: nice with hints of asshole to friends, nice to neutral people, possibly overly polite and civil or just quiet to people I don't like. So if I'm a dick to you, don't worry! I like you! Or else you've been a giant, giant douchenozzle. Also, being quiet around you doesn't mean I don't like you, it just means I don't have anything good to say or don't know you that well. I always err on the side of silence.
When people ask me what I do in my free time, I don't really have a good answer. Most of my time, when alone, is spent dicking around on the internet or watching TV or playing video games. An exciting life for sure. I just hate doing some things alone. Like if I wanted to play football or some shit, I wouldn't just walk up to a field of people playing and ask to play, both because I don't generally just walk up to someone and talk to them and because my football and other athletic abilities aren't so good that I wouldn't feel like I was ruining their game or whatever. And I don't run because I have terrible endurance and don't want to look foolish running in public. I'm up for doing a lot of different stuff with friends, it's just a matter of actually doing it I guess.
It's weird, my language is a lot more vulgar in written form than out loud. I don't really swear that often verbally in general. I never swear in front of my parents either. It's just not that natural I guess. The main times I do cuss up a storm is when watching sports or playing video games. It's a good way to put aside that pent-up frustration when I get angry at Sean White or at myself for swinging at a curve up eight feet off the plate. But I use swear words to add verbal flourish and/or emotion to a sentence, not just to use them. Saying "stop sucking you fucks" says so much more than "stop sucking you poopheads".
In general, what frustrates me more than anything is antagonistic ignorance. When I try to explain something to someone and they either get pissed at me for pointing it out or don't care and continue doing it their way, it's frustrating. I guess I can't do more than suggest something to someone but when the thing is something simple, like a spelling problem I notice a lot or a different way of doing something they might not have thought of, it's annoying to face such resistance.
When people have the frownies, I always try to give them the bright side. I've always felt I've been good at looking at two different sides of something. Sometimes this isn't helpful but I think it always help a little bit to look on the bright side of the situation and sometimes people can't see it at that moment. Otherwise, I don't always have much to say other than "That sucks" or "Aw, I'm sorry" which doesn't sound very sincere. But if you really do have a bad thing going on and I give you a meh answer, it's not because I don't give a shit, it's just because I don't know what to say.
And to close, words and symbols I overuse: >_>, whoopsies, ! (since I cannot convey excitement very well in my speaking voice I compensate with sometimes sarcastic internet excitement), well, really, God, aw, :P, lol (I hate myself everytime I use this), clearly, apparently, like, I guess, Jew. Likely more that I'm forgetting.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Random Thoughts
These will probably happen every so often. Nothing big to write about so just these ~bullet points.
-Toy Story 3 is awesome. Go see it now if you haven't. Go see it again if you have. The universe Pixar has created with that franchise - and managed to maintain through three movies - is just fantastic. I love the fact that Mr. Potato Head is a wisecracking semi-coward with Mrs. Costanza as a wife. And that Ham is somehow an expert on a ton of different things that no one else knows about. And that Rex is a giant wuss but still tries his darnedest to be tough. And that Bullseye doesn't talk and is so loyal to Woody. Woody and Buzz are icons clearly but it's the supporting characters that really make the movies for me. I love that Ken is ambiguously gay and that Buttercup the stuffed unicorn is voiced by this guy. It's hard to say if it's the best movie Pixar has made but it's definitely up there. If you don't come close to getting teary eyed at the end, then I envy your abilities to hold back tears and question your status as human or robot.
-My phone's auto correct, while helpful, is sometimes bothersome. If you type something it doesn't recognize, it will add it to its dictionary. This is problematic at times though, since if it senses the wrong word and I go back and hit space again, that word is saved. So stuff like gejl is in there now.
Also words like Wentworth and Friendster are somehow pre-programmed into it. Which comes in handy if I'm ever talking about Prison Break or dead social networking sites. But other than that and its frustratingly small battery life, I love my phone.
-The Mariners have won 4 straight! And somehow lost 1/2 a game in the process. I don't exactly have hope again since the offense has still been pretty pisspoor in those games and Rowland-Smith wasn't that fantastic today but it's nice that they can actually win games every once in a while. The sad thing is that it won't be enough to keep Cliff Lee around. When he leaves I will be a sad panda. He is the best pitcher I have ever seen. I still feel like the trade was worth it even for these 2 months of pure awesome we've gotten out of Lee. If there was a way we could keep him forever it would tickle me pink but I don't see it happening without a stupidly expensive. contract. The good news is that the M's do have some prospects doing well in the minors. Dustin Ackley and Miguel Pineda could be ready next year and Nick Franklin is beasting the Midwest League as a 19 year old. Which makes me think "Oh God, people younger than me are starting to play professionally." Such a weird feeling.
-Song I'm currently loving: Australia by the Shins
-Podcast you should be listening to: Adam Carolla Show. It's pretty racy at times but it's pretty damn funny. Each are like 90 minutes long. It's fun just to listen to him talk about the most random shit that makes him angry.
-Random vent-ish: Kinda frustrating to be getting so few hours at work compared to others my age. I'm getting less than 20 each week and this week I'm only working 2 days. It's nice to have free time but it would also be nice to have money to spend during that free time. It would be one thing if I was told what I could do to improve more than I have (besides being more friendly, which I think I have been for awhile). I haven't even had my yearly review I was supposed to have in May. Which is also tied to whatever raise I may get. I just wish I knew what I could be doing better. If I'm too slow at something or not doing something right, tell me so I can do it better or suggest another way to do it. I'm a smart guy and have a decent amount of common sense.
-School-wise, I'm shocked that I got an A in philosophy but I did work pretty hard to show my professor drafts of my essays and to try to fine tune them into good finished products. Almost more surprising is the A- in geology but it's not like I failed it. I just find it odd that I got an A in my sophomore level classes but an A- in my intro to rocks class. I didn't try as hard though because it wasn't very challenging but probably too much so. This is why I couldn't do core classes in high school. Things being too easy makes me not do them as well as things that challenge me. Anyway, I don't want this to sound like bragging. It's not, I'm just happy about the grades I got and that I'm doing well in college thus far. And terrified for my 20-credit fall quarter.
-Toy Story 3 is awesome. Go see it now if you haven't. Go see it again if you have. The universe Pixar has created with that franchise - and managed to maintain through three movies - is just fantastic. I love the fact that Mr. Potato Head is a wisecracking semi-coward with Mrs. Costanza as a wife. And that Ham is somehow an expert on a ton of different things that no one else knows about. And that Rex is a giant wuss but still tries his darnedest to be tough. And that Bullseye doesn't talk and is so loyal to Woody. Woody and Buzz are icons clearly but it's the supporting characters that really make the movies for me. I love that Ken is ambiguously gay and that Buttercup the stuffed unicorn is voiced by this guy. It's hard to say if it's the best movie Pixar has made but it's definitely up there. If you don't come close to getting teary eyed at the end, then I envy your abilities to hold back tears and question your status as human or robot.
-My phone's auto correct, while helpful, is sometimes bothersome. If you type something it doesn't recognize, it will add it to its dictionary. This is problematic at times though, since if it senses the wrong word and I go back and hit space again, that word is saved. So stuff like gejl is in there now.
Also words like Wentworth and Friendster are somehow pre-programmed into it. Which comes in handy if I'm ever talking about Prison Break or dead social networking sites. But other than that and its frustratingly small battery life, I love my phone.
-The Mariners have won 4 straight! And somehow lost 1/2 a game in the process. I don't exactly have hope again since the offense has still been pretty pisspoor in those games and Rowland-Smith wasn't that fantastic today but it's nice that they can actually win games every once in a while. The sad thing is that it won't be enough to keep Cliff Lee around. When he leaves I will be a sad panda. He is the best pitcher I have ever seen. I still feel like the trade was worth it even for these 2 months of pure awesome we've gotten out of Lee. If there was a way we could keep him forever it would tickle me pink but I don't see it happening without a stupidly expensive. contract. The good news is that the M's do have some prospects doing well in the minors. Dustin Ackley and Miguel Pineda could be ready next year and Nick Franklin is beasting the Midwest League as a 19 year old. Which makes me think "Oh God, people younger than me are starting to play professionally." Such a weird feeling.
-Song I'm currently loving: Australia by the Shins
-Podcast you should be listening to: Adam Carolla Show. It's pretty racy at times but it's pretty damn funny. Each are like 90 minutes long. It's fun just to listen to him talk about the most random shit that makes him angry.
-Random vent-ish: Kinda frustrating to be getting so few hours at work compared to others my age. I'm getting less than 20 each week and this week I'm only working 2 days. It's nice to have free time but it would also be nice to have money to spend during that free time. It would be one thing if I was told what I could do to improve more than I have (besides being more friendly, which I think I have been for awhile). I haven't even had my yearly review I was supposed to have in May. Which is also tied to whatever raise I may get. I just wish I knew what I could be doing better. If I'm too slow at something or not doing something right, tell me so I can do it better or suggest another way to do it. I'm a smart guy and have a decent amount of common sense.
-School-wise, I'm shocked that I got an A in philosophy but I did work pretty hard to show my professor drafts of my essays and to try to fine tune them into good finished products. Almost more surprising is the A- in geology but it's not like I failed it. I just find it odd that I got an A in my sophomore level classes but an A- in my intro to rocks class. I didn't try as hard though because it wasn't very challenging but probably too much so. This is why I couldn't do core classes in high school. Things being too easy makes me not do them as well as things that challenge me. Anyway, I don't want this to sound like bragging. It's not, I'm just happy about the grades I got and that I'm doing well in college thus far. And terrified for my 20-credit fall quarter.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Why am I a Sport Fan?: Depressing Edition
It's times like these where I wish I didn't grow up in Seattle so I wouldn't have to be a Seattle sports fan. Though I suppose liking terrible sports teams here is better than liking terrible sports teams in Cleveland. But it would save me a lot of grief. In my most memorable times as a fan, I have seen my favorite baseball team miss the playoffs for eight straight years (soon to be nine!) and seen my favorite football team make the Super Bowl once and lose in heart-breaking fashion. I've also seen my favorite basketball team suck and then proceed to move to one of the few places in the country I never want to visit. On top of all that my favorite college team has had mostly mediocre and bordering on terrible football teams and good but not great basketball teams. Oh how I pine for the late '90s and early oughts.
My sports fandom began about 15 years ago. I heard about the Washington Bullets and thought "hey aren't they from around here". I was 5, shut up. You're laughing at the innocence of a kindergartener. I hope you feel like an ass. But shortly thereafter, I fell in love with the Sonics. I remember Payton and Perkins (man, he was so fun to watch) and Kemp and Schrempf and Hawkins and, weirdly, Eric Snow. I vaguely recall watching a Sonics-Bulls game (it may have been the '96 Finals but I can't say for sure) and seeing Gary Payton "foul" Michael Jordan and help the Sonics lose closely. I have had a slightly negative opinion of Jordan since. This wouldn't be my last experience with poor officiating, unfortunately. The Sonics were so, so good when I was a kid. I remember them starting 8-0 in the lockout year and then proceeding to finish .500 and miss the playoffs. Short of the 2005 season, my memories of the Sonics are of frustration from poor management to sadness because of their unceremonious departure. But I have been lucky enough to see those aforementioned players on top of Lewis and Allen and one season of Durant. I will always have the Sonics to thank for introducing me to the wonder that is sports, even if it did end in heartbreak.
But it's the Mariners that I have the strongest affinity for and who have caused me the most frustration. I remember the day of my first game remarkably well considering how poor my memory of some things in my early childhood is. It was an August (or possibly May. I don't remember all the details.) game against the Twins in 1996. My dad picked me up at daycare (St. Columbus! Star Lake represent!) and said we were going to a Mariners game. Being 5, I couldn't really protest. I'm hoping it was more excitement than anything. My uncle Bill and cousin Billy were there as well. These were the days where you could sit a few rows behind home plate for fairly cheap. Yay Kingdome. I don't really remember the result, though I think the Mariners may have won. Baseball Reference says no if it was August but whatever, that's not important. I didn't know what a home run was. I was cute in my complete ignorance of the game up to that point.
But I would say that is the start of my fandom. I remember bits and pieces of the wildly successful 1997 season and Randy looking mortal in the playoffs. I was at the game the day Randy got traded and remember either not understanding the trade or just having not heard of the players we were getting back (Freddy Garcia?!?!? Who's that?!). I remember Russ Davis coming up to Sweet Home Alabama and Jay Buhner coming up to Bad to the Bone. I remember portions of the last games in the Kingdome and remember at my first game in Safeco marveling at how wide the aisles were. And the bathrooms were actually usable. I remember the day Griffey was traded and how befuddled I was by the package we got back (boy did that work out. <3 Cammy)
But my biggest memories of the childhood Mariners come from 2000 and 2001. I remember Who Let the Dogs Out playing for A-Rod in what would be his last season as a Mariner. I recall coming home from school and seeing Carlos Guillen (good riddance Randy! (not really)) bunt home the winning run against the White Sox to move on to the ALCS. I think I was actually at a couple of ALCS games (though that might be 2001. or both. Thank you, dad's coworker who had season tickets). But it ended in heartbreak thanks to Arthur Rhodes and David Justice. Then 2001 came. The best team ever assembled. Looking back I really can't see any holes based on their performance besides the terrible Al Martin. My biggest memories, besides the general joy that comes from following a team so dominant, are the terrible loss in Cleveland after being up 14-2 and the 116th win. On the day of the Cleveland game, I remember going to some far-ish off place and hauling back a bunch of plants or something and helping my dad with them. "Oh, we're up by 12. Well this will hold." Guess not! Then I remember Kazu striking out A-Rod for the last out of the 116th win and how amazing that felt. I don't remember actually seeing the celebration of clinching the division with the flag and all that when it happened but that was still pretty fantastic.
Then the playoffs came. We barely scraped it out against Cleveland. My dad and I were at Disneyland for the first time and I remember wanting so badly to know how the Mariners were doing against the Indians and how well the Huskies did against UCLA (not very!). The Mariners lost 17-2(!) that day and the Huskies lost 35-13 after starting undefeated. What a terrible sports day in an otherwise amazing first time at Disneyland. Then I remember listening to Game 4 on the way back from the airport the next day. I remember the sense of despair that would become so familiar when they were down 1-0 going into the 7th. But they rallied and pulled off a 6-2 win. Then Jamie Moyer locked them down in Game 5 and on they went to New York. Then everything went wrong. The series started off 0-2, then the Mariners won game 3 and looked like they were going to win game 4 until Bernie Williams tied it in the 8th (Arthur Rhodes :( ) and Alfonso Soriano won it in the 9th. And then from there it was just a downward spiral. Two straight 93 win teams that missed the playoffs. Then the terrible 2004 and 2005 and bad 2006 with shades of decency. Then the false hope of 2007 followed by the swift kick to the balls of 2008.
Perhaps I assumed that my teams would always succeed early on. Look at that 7 year period from 1995-2001. The Seahawks sucked but I wasn't really a fan as much at that point. The Sonics made the NBA Finals in 1996 and were mediocre to outstanding until 2002-03. The Huskies were still expected to win every year and won a Rose Bowl and nearly a national championship. But then everything went to hell more or less from there. The Seahawks were good and consistently in the playoffs but were only able to make the Super Bowl once (though they probably should have won) and have been terrible for two straight years. The Sonics are gone. The Huskies have made their way back to decency in football and have been good in basketball but still had some terrible years. The Mariners have been many different shades of terrible.
But as I said in the previous post, most of the reason I am a sports fan is the potential joy I get from watching sports. Whether it's watching Felix hit a grand slam off of Johan freaking Santana in an otherwise lost season or seeing Shaun Alexander in his prime cutting up defenses. Going through all of this suffering now will only make things sweeter when the wins actually come. The Mariners, this year notwithstanding, have righted the ship from the terrible Bavasi years and have smart management. It will take some time to heal all the wounds formed by the 2004-2008 seasons but things are overall positive. I will get to watch Franklin Gutierrez and Felix Hernandez for the next 5 years and hopefully Ichiro for just as long. The Seahawks didn't have as terrible of an offseason as I assumed when Carroll came in and hopefully will be respectable this year. The Huskies have a Heisman candidate at quarterback this year and can hopefully improve on their year last year. Their basketball team has almost all the same starters coming back and will hopefully be less raw and better. Sonicsgate's success and Gary Payton's recent comments leave us hope as far as getting a team back is concerned. While we as Seattle sports fans have overall led a miserable existence, it has at least been fairly short and we have had some great teams to watch for all of our major teams. And id our teams being bad is the worst thing in our lives, then things are pretty good aren't they? At least I'm not avoiding making plans to watch the Mariners as much as I had anticipated for the summer.
My sports fandom began about 15 years ago. I heard about the Washington Bullets and thought "hey aren't they from around here". I was 5, shut up. You're laughing at the innocence of a kindergartener. I hope you feel like an ass. But shortly thereafter, I fell in love with the Sonics. I remember Payton and Perkins (man, he was so fun to watch) and Kemp and Schrempf and Hawkins and, weirdly, Eric Snow. I vaguely recall watching a Sonics-Bulls game (it may have been the '96 Finals but I can't say for sure) and seeing Gary Payton "foul" Michael Jordan and help the Sonics lose closely. I have had a slightly negative opinion of Jordan since. This wouldn't be my last experience with poor officiating, unfortunately. The Sonics were so, so good when I was a kid. I remember them starting 8-0 in the lockout year and then proceeding to finish .500 and miss the playoffs. Short of the 2005 season, my memories of the Sonics are of frustration from poor management to sadness because of their unceremonious departure. But I have been lucky enough to see those aforementioned players on top of Lewis and Allen and one season of Durant. I will always have the Sonics to thank for introducing me to the wonder that is sports, even if it did end in heartbreak.
But it's the Mariners that I have the strongest affinity for and who have caused me the most frustration. I remember the day of my first game remarkably well considering how poor my memory of some things in my early childhood is. It was an August (or possibly May. I don't remember all the details.) game against the Twins in 1996. My dad picked me up at daycare (St. Columbus! Star Lake represent!) and said we were going to a Mariners game. Being 5, I couldn't really protest. I'm hoping it was more excitement than anything. My uncle Bill and cousin Billy were there as well. These were the days where you could sit a few rows behind home plate for fairly cheap. Yay Kingdome. I don't really remember the result, though I think the Mariners may have won. Baseball Reference says no if it was August but whatever, that's not important. I didn't know what a home run was. I was cute in my complete ignorance of the game up to that point.
But I would say that is the start of my fandom. I remember bits and pieces of the wildly successful 1997 season and Randy looking mortal in the playoffs. I was at the game the day Randy got traded and remember either not understanding the trade or just having not heard of the players we were getting back (Freddy Garcia?!?!? Who's that?!). I remember Russ Davis coming up to Sweet Home Alabama and Jay Buhner coming up to Bad to the Bone. I remember portions of the last games in the Kingdome and remember at my first game in Safeco marveling at how wide the aisles were. And the bathrooms were actually usable. I remember the day Griffey was traded and how befuddled I was by the package we got back (boy did that work out. <3 Cammy)
But my biggest memories of the childhood Mariners come from 2000 and 2001. I remember Who Let the Dogs Out playing for A-Rod in what would be his last season as a Mariner. I recall coming home from school and seeing Carlos Guillen (good riddance Randy! (not really)) bunt home the winning run against the White Sox to move on to the ALCS. I think I was actually at a couple of ALCS games (though that might be 2001. or both. Thank you, dad's coworker who had season tickets). But it ended in heartbreak thanks to Arthur Rhodes and David Justice. Then 2001 came. The best team ever assembled. Looking back I really can't see any holes based on their performance besides the terrible Al Martin. My biggest memories, besides the general joy that comes from following a team so dominant, are the terrible loss in Cleveland after being up 14-2 and the 116th win. On the day of the Cleveland game, I remember going to some far-ish off place and hauling back a bunch of plants or something and helping my dad with them. "Oh, we're up by 12. Well this will hold." Guess not! Then I remember Kazu striking out A-Rod for the last out of the 116th win and how amazing that felt. I don't remember actually seeing the celebration of clinching the division with the flag and all that when it happened but that was still pretty fantastic.
Then the playoffs came. We barely scraped it out against Cleveland. My dad and I were at Disneyland for the first time and I remember wanting so badly to know how the Mariners were doing against the Indians and how well the Huskies did against UCLA (not very!). The Mariners lost 17-2(!) that day and the Huskies lost 35-13 after starting undefeated. What a terrible sports day in an otherwise amazing first time at Disneyland. Then I remember listening to Game 4 on the way back from the airport the next day. I remember the sense of despair that would become so familiar when they were down 1-0 going into the 7th. But they rallied and pulled off a 6-2 win. Then Jamie Moyer locked them down in Game 5 and on they went to New York. Then everything went wrong. The series started off 0-2, then the Mariners won game 3 and looked like they were going to win game 4 until Bernie Williams tied it in the 8th (Arthur Rhodes :( ) and Alfonso Soriano won it in the 9th. And then from there it was just a downward spiral. Two straight 93 win teams that missed the playoffs. Then the terrible 2004 and 2005 and bad 2006 with shades of decency. Then the false hope of 2007 followed by the swift kick to the balls of 2008.
Perhaps I assumed that my teams would always succeed early on. Look at that 7 year period from 1995-2001. The Seahawks sucked but I wasn't really a fan as much at that point. The Sonics made the NBA Finals in 1996 and were mediocre to outstanding until 2002-03. The Huskies were still expected to win every year and won a Rose Bowl and nearly a national championship. But then everything went to hell more or less from there. The Seahawks were good and consistently in the playoffs but were only able to make the Super Bowl once (though they probably should have won) and have been terrible for two straight years. The Sonics are gone. The Huskies have made their way back to decency in football and have been good in basketball but still had some terrible years. The Mariners have been many different shades of terrible.
But as I said in the previous post, most of the reason I am a sports fan is the potential joy I get from watching sports. Whether it's watching Felix hit a grand slam off of Johan freaking Santana in an otherwise lost season or seeing Shaun Alexander in his prime cutting up defenses. Going through all of this suffering now will only make things sweeter when the wins actually come. The Mariners, this year notwithstanding, have righted the ship from the terrible Bavasi years and have smart management. It will take some time to heal all the wounds formed by the 2004-2008 seasons but things are overall positive. I will get to watch Franklin Gutierrez and Felix Hernandez for the next 5 years and hopefully Ichiro for just as long. The Seahawks didn't have as terrible of an offseason as I assumed when Carroll came in and hopefully will be respectable this year. The Huskies have a Heisman candidate at quarterback this year and can hopefully improve on their year last year. Their basketball team has almost all the same starters coming back and will hopefully be less raw and better. Sonicsgate's success and Gary Payton's recent comments leave us hope as far as getting a team back is concerned. While we as Seattle sports fans have overall led a miserable existence, it has at least been fairly short and we have had some great teams to watch for all of our major teams. And id our teams being bad is the worst thing in our lives, then things are pretty good aren't they? At least I'm not avoiding making plans to watch the Mariners as much as I had anticipated for the summer.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
My Single of the Decade
Well this is 6 months late. Anyway, the last decade was a coming of age decade for me quite literally. I can't say more so than the previous one because I literally became an age during that decade but still, I went from pre-pubescent grade school student to post-pubescent college student. And as such, my music tastes changed drastic. I don't listen to whatever is on Kiss 106.1 anymore. At some point I stopped buying Backstreet Boys albums (hey, I was 10. Don't act like you didn't want it that way) and started buying Black Keys albums. I went from getting all my music from the radio to only listening to the radio if necessary. Anyway, this song comes from the middle of the decade and I didn't really realize the effect until much later. It's weird that this song comes from my least favorite album by them by far but the song just stands out. I remember listening to The End and hearing them introduce this new song and liking it immediately. Then, when MTV2 used to play music, it was on the rock countdown videos for quite some time. Anyway, here it is, without further ado:
I suppose it helps that it had a pretty good video (if a little inappropriate). Me loves some David Cross. Anyway, I never get tired of this song. Ever. I could listen to it all day, every day. I don't know what it means. It probably doesn't mean anything. But everything about this song is amazing. The vocals from Julian Casablancas (who I admit I have a slight mancrush on). The bass line. The guitar. The steady drum beat. This song epitomizes everything I like about music.
Now a lot of people don't like the Strokes, mainly because they feel Julian Casablancas is a pretentious prick. This is pretty much true! However, that doesn't matter to me. I don't really care if he's a dick if he writes music like this. It's a shame they haven't come out with an album for over 5 years but they are apparently working on one now.
The Strokes became one of my favorite bands, if not my favorite, a couple of years ago. I heard Juicebox again randomly after not hearing it for awhile and then I thought "hey, this band is good". Then I checked out their best and debut album, Is This It? That album is one of my favorites of all time. Every song on there is good. Which makes it hard to pick one as a favorite. It was the Strpkes at their best. It's nothing too groundbreaking but every song is a solid alternative song.
So yeah, there's my song of the decade. I don't know what the deep lyrical meaning is, nor can I describe why I really like the musicality of the song that much. I can only say that I will listen to this song whenever I can and not get tired of it. After all, isn't that the quality we most want in our music?
I suppose it helps that it had a pretty good video (if a little inappropriate). Me loves some David Cross. Anyway, I never get tired of this song. Ever. I could listen to it all day, every day. I don't know what it means. It probably doesn't mean anything. But everything about this song is amazing. The vocals from Julian Casablancas (who I admit I have a slight mancrush on). The bass line. The guitar. The steady drum beat. This song epitomizes everything I like about music.
Now a lot of people don't like the Strokes, mainly because they feel Julian Casablancas is a pretentious prick. This is pretty much true! However, that doesn't matter to me. I don't really care if he's a dick if he writes music like this. It's a shame they haven't come out with an album for over 5 years but they are apparently working on one now.
The Strokes became one of my favorite bands, if not my favorite, a couple of years ago. I heard Juicebox again randomly after not hearing it for awhile and then I thought "hey, this band is good". Then I checked out their best and debut album, Is This It? That album is one of my favorites of all time. Every song on there is good. Which makes it hard to pick one as a favorite. It was the Strpkes at their best. It's nothing too groundbreaking but every song is a solid alternative song.
So yeah, there's my song of the decade. I don't know what the deep lyrical meaning is, nor can I describe why I really like the musicality of the song that much. I can only say that I will listen to this song whenever I can and not get tired of it. After all, isn't that the quality we most want in our music?
Friday, June 11, 2010
Why I'm a Sports Fan: Non-Depressing Edition
If you know me very well, you'll know that I am quite the sports fan, mostly baseball but also football and, less so, hockey. Baseball is what I know the most about and what I love the most, for some stupid reason (but we'll get to that reason in a later post). But why do I like sports so much? They're just men in matching outfits exercising after all. It's a legitimate question. After watching the World Cup today, though, I think I may have an answer.
Now I know very little about soccer compared to most of the world. I am aware that the ball gets kicked and the object is to get it into the goal. I know the reasons for offsides and yellow and red cards. But other than that I don't know much. I know some team, mostly in the Premier League and the Barca and AC Milan types in the other leagues. (And the MLS teams but that's like knowing all the AAA teams (which I do!)). I don't know many players and I don't know much strategy. But I do enjoy watching the World Cup and, maybe, hopefully, more than that after this is over. And the reason? The tension.
I was watching the Uruguay-France game today. Now a lot of soccer (I'm not ready to call it football yet) fans said it was a pretty bad game to watch. A 0-0 tie, with Uruguay just trying to stop France from scoring most of the time. And even though it appears France can't shoot very well at all, it was intense just waiting to see if they would break the tie and leave Uruguay with a heartbreaking loss. I was rooting for Uruguay because, while France is a cool place, they are a supposed soccer power (though apparently not this year!) and Uruguay is a pretty small South American country. Plus I love that shade of blue. Uruguay is one of the forgotten countries of South America (you know, besides Suriname and Guyana. Speak Spanish or be bigger, idiots*) so I think it would be cool for them to go far.
Anyway, Uruguay's strategy appeared to be to have all 11 (or 10 after a late red card) stand in the defensive zone and stop France from doing anything. From what I saw, they had no interest in scoring at all and were going for the 1 point from the draw, even more so after they had to play one down. The tension of watching that and wondering whether France would finally break through and score was pretty exhilarating for someone who has barely watched any soccer at all. And this sort of feeling goes into my watching of all sports. I always wonder when something is going to happen.
The anticipation of action is overpowering when watching sports for me. When I watch football (mainly the Seahawks because o the emotional investment) I get that feeling in my stomach when you get excited about something. I'm hoping they can drive down the field to score whenever they have the ball. And I always, sometimes stupidly, have the hope that they do. I always hope and, sometimes stupidly, assume they will stop the other team and get back to scoring when they are on defense. Obviously this hasn't exactly worked out great but still the excitement of waiting for it to happen is nearly addictive. The hope for the joy that comes from achievement of a team I love is what I live for.
And then there's baseball. There's always the tension there. The pauses in the game amplify the tension more than take away from it. You could say that a David Aardsma save (I said start originally. Whoopsy!) is the biggest source of adrenaline you can get because good lord does he give up a lot of fly balls. Anyway, whenever a game is going on, I'm always thinking about what the batting team needs to do to score or how the pitcher needs to attack the hitter to get out. In some cases, it's futile (you are terrible, Ian Snell). In others, it's all sorts of amazing (don't leave, Cliff Lee). But watching your pitcher get that big strikeout or double play ball to end the opposing team's rally is one of the more exhilarating experiences you can have in watching something, as is a player coming through in the clutch on your side.
So what I'm saying in this wall of text is that the excitement of the potential of an event happening and the joy (or despair) that comes from it are the main draws of watching sports for me. Even in a game where I have little emotional investment in a sport I have only a basic knowledge of, I get that feeling of excitement when watching. Obviously it doesn't match what comes from actually playing but that's still different. Seeing my team succeed that I've rooted for since I was 5 and have been watching closely that entire time would pay off more for me than scoring a winning touchdown in a pick up football game. Though each is pretty damned awesome, the years of watching and hoping finally paying off would make me so ecstatic. And the Storm don't count.
Now I know very little about soccer compared to most of the world. I am aware that the ball gets kicked and the object is to get it into the goal. I know the reasons for offsides and yellow and red cards. But other than that I don't know much. I know some team, mostly in the Premier League and the Barca and AC Milan types in the other leagues. (And the MLS teams but that's like knowing all the AAA teams (which I do!)). I don't know many players and I don't know much strategy. But I do enjoy watching the World Cup and, maybe, hopefully, more than that after this is over. And the reason? The tension.
I was watching the Uruguay-France game today. Now a lot of soccer (I'm not ready to call it football yet) fans said it was a pretty bad game to watch. A 0-0 tie, with Uruguay just trying to stop France from scoring most of the time. And even though it appears France can't shoot very well at all, it was intense just waiting to see if they would break the tie and leave Uruguay with a heartbreaking loss. I was rooting for Uruguay because, while France is a cool place, they are a supposed soccer power (though apparently not this year!) and Uruguay is a pretty small South American country. Plus I love that shade of blue. Uruguay is one of the forgotten countries of South America (you know, besides Suriname and Guyana. Speak Spanish or be bigger, idiots*) so I think it would be cool for them to go far.
Anyway, Uruguay's strategy appeared to be to have all 11 (or 10 after a late red card) stand in the defensive zone and stop France from doing anything. From what I saw, they had no interest in scoring at all and were going for the 1 point from the draw, even more so after they had to play one down. The tension of watching that and wondering whether France would finally break through and score was pretty exhilarating for someone who has barely watched any soccer at all. And this sort of feeling goes into my watching of all sports. I always wonder when something is going to happen.
The anticipation of action is overpowering when watching sports for me. When I watch football (mainly the Seahawks because o the emotional investment) I get that feeling in my stomach when you get excited about something. I'm hoping they can drive down the field to score whenever they have the ball. And I always, sometimes stupidly, have the hope that they do. I always hope and, sometimes stupidly, assume they will stop the other team and get back to scoring when they are on defense. Obviously this hasn't exactly worked out great but still the excitement of waiting for it to happen is nearly addictive. The hope for the joy that comes from achievement of a team I love is what I live for.
And then there's baseball. There's always the tension there. The pauses in the game amplify the tension more than take away from it. You could say that a David Aardsma save (I said start originally. Whoopsy!) is the biggest source of adrenaline you can get because good lord does he give up a lot of fly balls. Anyway, whenever a game is going on, I'm always thinking about what the batting team needs to do to score or how the pitcher needs to attack the hitter to get out. In some cases, it's futile (you are terrible, Ian Snell). In others, it's all sorts of amazing (don't leave, Cliff Lee). But watching your pitcher get that big strikeout or double play ball to end the opposing team's rally is one of the more exhilarating experiences you can have in watching something, as is a player coming through in the clutch on your side.
So what I'm saying in this wall of text is that the excitement of the potential of an event happening and the joy (or despair) that comes from it are the main draws of watching sports for me. Even in a game where I have little emotional investment in a sport I have only a basic knowledge of, I get that feeling of excitement when watching. Obviously it doesn't match what comes from actually playing but that's still different. Seeing my team succeed that I've rooted for since I was 5 and have been watching closely that entire time would pay off more for me than scoring a winning touchdown in a pick up football game. Though each is pretty damned awesome, the years of watching and hoping finally paying off would make me so ecstatic. And the Storm don't count.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Okay, this one is actually about a disc.
I'll preface this by saying that I'm not good at describing why I like music or any of the technical parts of it. But I know what I like.
Band of Skulls is a band of three Brits who do indeed have skulls (presumably. I assume they couldn't function otherwise). Baby Darling Doll Face Honeyis their debut album and it was released in March of 2009. If I had to describe them I would use the cliche comparison to the White Stripes. They have two lead singers, Russell Marsden and Emma Richardson. So perhaps that's where the White Stripes comparisons come from, though Emma sings a lot more than Meg does and appears to be more talented. (I said it. As much as I like them, she isn't that technically gifted but she gets the job done as far as the band goes.) I really haven't heard them get much play, nor do I really know anyone else who likes them but I don't really listen to the radio so maybe that's why. I also regularly confuse them with Band of Horses because, well, looks at the similarities in those names. I actually discovered it through my dad. He said that the album was really good and I was sort of hesitant to listen to it at first but eventually it grew on me. The song that really got me hooked is "Blood".
This song stood out to me because the whole song just flows really well. Emma's voice and the guitar are in sync and the guitar just has a rolling quality the whole time. It's one of those songs that has a simple solo that's just a variation on the chorus but often times those are the best solos.
Most of the songs are fast paced but there are a couple slower ones. "Fires" and "Cold Dull Heart" are such examples. They work surprisingly well given the general tempo of the album. If I had to pick a worst song, it would be "Death by Diamonds and Pearls". It's not necessarily bad, I just find it a little repetitive. This is also the rare example of a band where I like the woman's voice more than the dude's voice and this song is just Russell singing. The best songs are when their voices complement each other.
If I had one song for you to listen to, it would be "I Know What I Am".
This is the best example of the singers' voices playing off of each other. It's one of their singles, as evidenced by the video. The constant bass line is always there and that's one of the things I look for in a song. (Note: it might actually be guitar. Like I said, I'm not so good with the music description thing.)
Anyway, I would recommend you picking this up. If you like the two embedded songs, you'll likely also enjoy the rest of the album. It's nothing revolutionary but it's just a solid, consistent rock album. Though if you don't like the White Stripes or bands like them, then avoid it.
Oh, I didn't see you there
Why hello there. You might know me. I'm that kid who doesn't talk that much. And when he does it's all monotone and sarcastic and shit. But enough about me, let's talk about my blog. What is up with that name? Well, a sphere is a round three-dimensional shape. Oh wait, you already knew that? Sorry, it's hard to keep a dialogue up with a hypothetical reader. Anyway, the name comes from the fact that my two passions in life are geography and baseball. The earth is a sphere (okay, well not a perfect sphere but close enough. Stop nitpicking, imaginary audience) as is a baseball. So there. Get your testicle jokes out of the way. I'll wait.
Okay with that out of the way, you might wonder, "Is he just going to talk about Istanbul's economy and the state of the Mariners' AA team all the time?" Well, no. I'm going to blog about whatever might tickle my fancy at that particular time. It could be a movie or an album or just some random thoughts that are floating around my head at the time. I have these thoughts all the time, it's weird. Like I'm a sentient being or something. So anyway, to the eight of you who will read this, I hope you enjoy! And I will try to not forget about this in three days.
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