Seattle, WA

Tonight was simply that, a new beginning. The SuperSonics were able to accomplish a lot in tonights 2007 NBA draft, hopefully enough to mark this as a huge turning point in the franchise. Few players have the raw talent that the Sonics got with the 2nd overall pick Kevin Durant, he can score from anywhere on the floor and his rebounding and defense made him the only freshman to win the NCAA Player of the Year. He over matched the players in college and some think he will do the same in the bigs when he squares off against players that will undoubtedly be jealous of his skills.

But this pick wasn’t enough to sate the desires of new GM Sam Presti so he dealt All-Star guard Ray Allen to Boston in exchange for the rights to No. 5 pick Jeff Green, guard Delonte West and forward Wally Szczerbiak in a trade that also saw the teams swap second-round picks.

The team got very young in a hurry and it looks like the rebuilding process will begin sooner rather than later. With Rashard Lewis playing forward that leaves a sign and trade deal that could bring in yet another superstar to the mix. It also seems inevitable that Luke Ridnour will be traded as well and if both him and Rashard are traded that will leave 3 of the 5 starters from last year out of the picture and in those their two best players.

This was already a young team and this was the right move as the team will now be built around the athletic Durant who is in rare company as his wingspan, mobility, quickness, and leaping ability have few peers. Hope is something that all true SuperSonic fans have had for some time, hope of a championship, hope of a state of the art stadium, and hope of a team owner that is looking to win.

‘Let me tell you something my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane. And yet hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.’
- Red

And with that GO SONICS!!!!!

Sorry to those who read this blog (mom) but my sciatica has been acting up and I am unable to fulfill my duties. I feel so unworthy. Hopefully the painkillers will do their job tonight and I will be back to my bloggin’ post haste. For those of you still angry, writing this caused me great pain, so at least my haters will be pleased.

This will come as an earth trembling shock but someone has actually decided to pay me to write, crazy huh? Due to this chain of events I am forced to give up this website….hey hey get off the ledge….you are not a young Mel Gibson who had a net to jump into.

If you somehow feel you cant get past this tragic announcement and cant find the will to live, be sure to add me to your will and leave me all your money, belongings, and hottie girlfriends.

I will keep posting until the end of the month but my standards will no doubt drop and I could start talk about things like how Graham Crackers are actually cookies and that Nabisco isn’t fooling anyone. I just wanted you to know that my best is behind me, whew…what a relief.

Side Note: If for some reason I actually make some revenue this month I will donate it all to the nearest parking meter.

Rarely does Seattle celebrate anything other than the protesting of the WTO or Starbucks not using whole milk as the default foam in all drinks. However this week is a bit different, someone is coming back to town that shaped how this town feels about its icons.

Ken Griffey Jr made it so easy to be a baseball fan, he made you feel as if his accomplishments were yours as well. Fans and non fans alike can recall the moment he made the biggest impression, the time he climbed the wall in New York and stole a home run. It wasn’t the play that made the impression but his reaction, complete and total joy spread across his face in an enthusiastic grin that resonates to this day. Infectious is one way to put it, remarkable is how I like to remember it. This was an athlete giving us a glimpse into his emotional core, revealing his love and admiration for the game of baseball.

To this day veterans of the game recall this moment as the truest expression of exuberance and wonder that they had witnessed. Wondering aloud why the game isn’t represented this way more often, how joy isn’t the overriding emotion expressed by players. It means a lot to many people and represents what is the great about the game.

This week marks his return to the city he played in for 11 years, a town which might be without baseball if it wasn’t for his efforts in 1995. He will return as a conquering hero and rightfully so. He will be greeted in the exact opposite manner in which Arod was upon his return after his free agency departure and subsequent throwing of the M’s management under the bus. Even though Griffey put the Mariners in a serious bind with his trade demands enough time has passed (8 years) that those wounds have healed and all that remains is his highlight reel.

So if you happen to have the means and the time, purchase a ticket to Fridays game against the Reds and witness something that will be one of the more memorable moments ever to take place at Safeco Field.

Photo Credits: SEATTLE TIMES

It all started with a woman (isn’t that just the way) a woman I saw at my local Piggly Wiggly. We were in the same aisle, both seemingly looking for something to cool us down. She looked back as I looked forward and with that our eyes locked. And oh a connection was formed, the kind that shoots lightning bolts straight up your spine and to the back of your neck, causing hairs to stand at attention.

She knew it and I knew, it was mutual and no words needed to be spoken. We froze locked in a gaze that meant only one thing, the person across from me, the one in the frozen food section, is a person I would kill or be killed for. The unspoken connection of the attraction said it all, and in that instant we lived a full life. But as is the case when time stands still, it starts up again but time moves fast…too fast and before I knew it she was gone.

I went to where she once stood hoping to make a connection, hoping to get that feeling back and trying not to let my emotions spill out. And what I saw was the type of thing that Shakespeare has written about so well, pure and utter tragedy. The bitch bought the last quart of Starbucks Classic Coffee Ice Cream, the Coffee Ice Cream so tasty and so creamy it’s as if it was made by the Goddess of Butter Cream. This woman had ripped it right from my heart leaving only emptiness.

So right now, go to the store and buy a pint, quart, or huge fuggin gallon of this glorious elixir before another vicious and vengeful succubus is unleashed upon our society and buys it all up.

I’d head down to UW Quad and eat it with a giant wooden spoon to attract all the beautiful babies. Be a bear and get that rabbit.

Blogs, Seattle, Starbucks, Ice cream cone, Succubus, Coffee Ice Cream, unspoken connection

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Special Assignment to this About Seattle Blog
By Dennis O’Brien

Seattle - Some say they have seen BigFoot, others swear that Nellie exists in Loch Ness. I am not searching for the answers to those myths, no my mission was to find the ever elusive Whatchamacallit. I embarked on this hunt packing all the necessary equipment to find this magnificent beast in its natural environment. Yep you guessed it, I had to think like a stoned hippie. So I rented a Hybrid car, strapped on my hemp jeans, lathered myself in patchouli oil, grabbed my hacky sack, and headed downtown.

After getting sidetracked for 5 hours by something called the Chronic I began my search. I tried to blend in so as to not alert the beatniks, non-conformists and the worst hippie of all… the dreaded college know it all hippie. I checked a few stores and came up dry, WHY SEATTLE WHY?!? I could have checked the internet but no I wanted to find this on my own, Damn you Google… Damn you straight to hell!!!

Ok first off I needed to calm down a little and think about it logically. Where would I expect to find this wonderfully tasty peanut buttery bar of pure joy? I had to start thinking like someone who loves munchies. Someone that would know the Whatchamacallit Timeline:

1978 WHATCHAMACALLIT candy bar is introduced.
1987 WHATCHAMACALLIT bar was reformulated and caramel was added.
2002 King Size introduced.
2002 New brand graphics.

Then I saw it, it was what appeared to be local country store where a killer game of the Hacky Sack was brewing out front. Yes this looked promising. I casually strolled into the store and looked around for my increasingly elusive bounty. I found the candy aisle and suddenly was frozen in my tracks, there is was! A box with the Whatchamacallit logo on it but the closer i got I began to realize it was empty dammit…empty. I picked up the box hoping that there was another one was behind it, there wasn’t. I felt like a vanquished foe. I had failed in my mission. As I walked up to the counter with the empty box I asked the cashier if they had anymore in the stock room, he replied that alas no but that he had actually just sold the last one to the guy that was walking out of the store.

I perked up and knew that the chase was now on, he was a large man and was walking slowly but he had a good head start so I figured that I would barely catch him. As it turned out he was walking much slower than I anticipated and I caught up to him right outside the front door.

I called out to him “Is that a Whatchamacallit?????”

“Why yes it” he replied through a wide grin

“Can I see it” I said sheepishly

“No its mine and its the last one and that makes it twice as sweet”

“You don’t understand, I’ve been looking for one of those for the better part of an afternoon” I pleaded

I can still hear his reply echoing in my head

“I guess it sucks to be you then”

After beating him savagely and ripping the bar from his cold dead chubby hands, I wiped the blood from the wrapper and ate the candy bar of my dreams.

In Conclusion: It was pretty good

Go to the Space Needle, I’ve heard it’s ok if you happen to be a tourist. Other than that, nothing else is open today.

Ive been kind of lagging on stuff to do in the Emerald City so now for a huge announcement to amaze and dazzle the senses:
Cool Stuff In Seattle Week

I know I know, pretty stunning huh? Well I aim to please, so BAM here is the numero uno thingo of the weeko to do-o:

The Seattle Aquarium
I mean c’mon if you can’t have fun at an aquarium you must be Aqua Man and really bored with everything aquatic. Here are a few of the attractions that should be on your to do list.

Underwater Dome
The Underwater Dome is the Aquarium’s largest and most spectacular exhibit. A spherical undersea room featuring 360 degree views into a 400,000 gallon tank filled with Fish, Giant Piranha, Mermaids, Jaws I II III & IV, and the dreaded hybrid 600lb Lobster/Bear that haunts all my dreams.

Marine Mammals
The marine mammal exhibit features sea otters, harbor seals and fur seals. The Seattle Aquarium has the distinction of being the first facility in the world to host a successful live birth of a sea otter and also the scariest fattest laziest mammal of them all, the Rosie O’Donnell Seal and her dreaded Blubber of Death.

Giant Pacific Octopus
Catch the Puget Sound’s famous Giant Pacific Octopus up close and personal. Come early in the day and watch him feed on whole cows and buffalo.

All information included in this article was provided by the Seattle Aquarium website and quite possibly my imagination.

Jaws ate my mommy, Here Fishy Fishy Fishy, Huge Giant Massive Woman Eating Octopus, Seattle, Steve Jobs aka Aqua Man, Mermaids, Lobster/Bear, Cows, Robot Fish that will take over the world, Rosie O’Donnell’s Blubber of Death

A University of Washington scientist is testing his idea that light particles act in reverse time. What Dr. John Cramer is proposing might seem crazy but its actually rooted in science faction and not science fiction. It’s about quantum retrocausality or for the nerds in training an Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox. A PARADOX MAN!!!

“He’s looking into the fundamental qualities of the universe,” said some stoned dude hanging outside of his 100th viewing of Laser Floyd. “Its a particle, its a wave, its a duality.” Added Keanu Reeves

Calls to Dr. Emmett Brown, Marty McFly and Biff Tannen weren’t immediately returned.

Photo Credit: Andy Rogers/Seattle Post-Intelligencer

And no he is not using a Delorean

A message of love to an unknown “Gina” is scrawled across the lanes of an overpass on Highway 520 in the Arboretum on Tuesday in Seattle. The message was painted on an unused ramp on the highway in the serene park. The painter and the recipient of the message are mysteries.

Now additional reports of this declaration of love have risen:

About 3 years go there was a handmade wood sign posted on NE 3rd Street in Renton that said exactly the same ting. “GINA I *heart* You!”. It was not too far from the cemetery where Jimi Hendrix is buried.

There is a train overpass on the Old Snohomish Monroe Road that had been tagged with the same GINA I {Heart} U for some time now. Same message with identical handwriting…

I for one just think this guy is just Gina Whipped

Photo Credit: Joshua Trujillo / P-I

Yesterday the leading headline in the local paper the Seattle PI was Workers die at an alarming rate. This story was actually
supposed to run in a paper last year but 7 different reporters working on the story also perished. It got to the point that they were dying at a rate more frequently than that of a Spinal Tap drummer. However when a reporter started to wear kevlar even in the shower the story finally got completed and it seems the reason for the high rate of deaths in the state are due to the large increase in construction sites. It might even be worth in my opinion if someone local could actually afford a condo but no these constructions companies are just taking advantage of the real estate boom. I don’t actually wish that anyone would die just so that I could have a lower rent, well no one but perhaps Paris Hilton or David Chase. It just that the market continues to grow by leaps and bounds and some of wish something would happen to maybe lower the market by some, no I am not suggesting a natural disaster, but maybe something even horrible could happen like maybe Rosie O’Donnell could move into Belltown.

Okay sorry for all the whining about money, Seattle can be a fun town no matter how much cash you might have, so without further ado I present my:

5 best things to do for free in Seattle list:

5. Head down to 5th Ave and heckle the hookers for charging too much

4. Watch all the fish tossing down at Pike Place Market and say hi to the Yogurt Guys taking a break from their corporate gigs

3. Park outside or Safeco Field while the M’s are playing inside and listen along with the radio. You can listen on the radio and it will seem like your there, plus you can buy a six-pack for 7 bucks the same price for one beer inside. Go M’s!!!

2. Go to Gas Works Park and watch the sunset with a bottle of wine and your special lady friend (That one was for the ladies that probably aren’t reading this)

1. Stay at home and blog about things you’ve already done tonight

With the explosion of blogs and targeted advertising, a new era has been created. One that finds many hopefuls wanting to become rich for doing very little, all from the comfort of their own home. Just searching for the term ‘Blogger Jobs’ in any search engine brings up dozens of job sites that specifically relate to this industry and within those results are hundreds of positions ripe for the picking.

You too can apply for and likely get a blog on some burgeoning media group attempting to form a conglomerate in some little corner of the Internet. Within these job boards, some companies even state you don’t need to have any experience, only passion. Obviously standards have lowered some.

Soon after joining a similar community, the inexperienced passionate ones with no skills or ability to write anything over 100 words drag you down when you try to use your writing as a reference to further your career. Potential employers don’t just look at writing skill, they click around and see the amateurish insights into such things as why Dancing with the Stars is so much better than American Idol. Their existence alone forms the basis of how your community is perceived and the lowest common denominator is generally the easiest to find.

But what are the true consequences of inferior blogs? They flood the blogoshpere with uninteresting stories and poor writing, giving readers bad impressions of an entire group of sites. Poor reputations can taint a great many things, word travels fast on the Internet and in a flash your fate can be sealed before it ever got started.

Being associated with something that isn’t taken seriously might be the worse of all outcomes, being dismissed is demoralizing, the rejection stings and lingers for you to relive over and over. Who knew that the blog you applied for was more interested in how many sites they had in their control than factors like integrity and talent.

Quality over quantity should be the mantra of the Internet, unfortunately we all know that just isn’t the case. How many stories have we read that stated some fact like how bad soda pop is for us but when you actually go to the site and read the story they have no scientific facts or studies that back up their claim. No, it’s just someone’s opinion and most likely a tainted one at that, because of some self perceived slight by the company they attacked. This is what bad opinions try to do, skew your opinion without any empirical evidence to back them up. These articles are rampant at a time when actual newspapers are cutting half of their staff because of the ethics that required within their industry like needing two independent sources for the same story.

The threat isn’t the woman that starts a Wordpress site in hopes of sharing her secrets on knitting but the person that decides they can get rich by having a group of sites written by people they’ve never spoken with and that have no real desire to achieve anything but high earnings from their Adsense revenues.

Blogs, Seattle, Wordpress, Adsense, blogosphere, Technology, Google

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Blogging is actually just a part time job until I finally get that call from Google or Microsoft. My problem is that I never seem to get an interview no matter how many jobs I apply for. I have included my resume and a questionnaire I recently filled out for askaninja.com. Please provide me with some input and perhaps even some constructive criticism if you like to live dangerously.

RESUME
Name: Benjamin Leatherwood
Phone: 1-800-BIG-PIMP
Fax: 1-800-FAX-PIMP
E-mail: I_Like_Big_Butts@aol.com
Objective: To make some moneys and meet some honeys
Functional summary: I would like a job at your place because it has air conditioning and my house doesn’t
Employment: 1995 - 1999 West Side Mafia where I was a Distribution Specialist that met a growing demand with a steady supply of goods
Employment: 1990 - 1995 Compton Avenue Crips where I was Security Agent whom threatened, maimed or had coffee with people that didn’t cooperate with family rules or deals
Education: The Old School
References: Rick James, Darryl Strawberry, Nino Brown and OJ
Summary of qualifications: Good with a Crossbow, Loan Sharking, Racketeering, Gang Banging, Beating a Rap, Gardening, Making Potpourri, Self-Taught Hacker and Pimp
Accreditations: Eagle Scout, Union Delegate for the Teamsters
Professional memberships: NRA, Friars Club, BlockBuster
Volunteer experience: Ray Ray’s shoe fund
Languages: Street, Ghetto, Jive, Gangsta, Canadian and Sign
Awards received: JD Power Rated my Corner #1 in Customer Service for Baltimore in 2001
Rookie Pimp of The Year - Las Vegas 1995
Most improved cadet at Space Camp in 1989
Participant ribbon awarded for best pig competition at County Fair 1988
Hobbies: Drinking, lighting my farts on fire, prank calling Kevin Rose. I love water, give me some water, and I’ll find something to do with it!!!!!

Questionnaire:
“What would you do if you were presented with an individual in a confrontational manner?”
Say goodbye to the bad guy

“What attracted you to our company?”
Access to a lot of Social Security Numbers and the cool ninja clothes

“What would your friends say about you?”
Don’t believe anything that those criminals and druggies say

“Why do you feel you are a good candidate for the position?”
I look good in black

“What kind of people do you not work well with?”
Women ninjas, they are so hormonal

Most people don’t have to buy a professional digital camera capable of 16 megapixels, 10 frames a second, and zero shutter lag to produce stunning images. Camera manufacturers have made astonishing advancements but you don’t need expensive equipment if you follow a few simple rules in buying a sub $300 point and shoot camera.

1. Find a camera that feels good in your hand, ergonomics play a big part in being able to control a camera.

2. Always get the highest optical zoom available, 8x at the least. These aren’t hard to find and can be had in the $200 range. This gives you maximum flexibility especially for youth sports. And remember digital zoom is worthless, its something you can do on your home computer and usually with better results that will still be on the horrible side.

3. Get a camera with manual controls no matter what your skill level. Being able to see a histogram and adjust the aperture, ISO, quality, size, and color are essential and are all things you will wish you had once your skill level increases.

4. Image stabilization. This feature helps prevent the shaky hand and blurred shots that comprise at least half of an amateur photographers end results.

5. Accessories. Purchase extra batteries, memory cards, and a travel case. These will always come in handy.

6. A viewfinder with dioptric adjustment. Using the LCD drains the battery and cant always be used due to weather conditions. Dioptric adjustment allows you to take off your prescription glasses and dial in a clear picture based on your personal eyesight.

7. Customizable white balance. This is a very overlooked feature and makes the biggest impact in portraits. Skin tones vary to such degrees that digital sensors have difficulty with the predetermined settings. Creating a custom white balance in an especially dark locale can make the difference between usable and useless images.

8. Auto focus points. Look for something with at least 5 focus points in addition to the ability to let you change to other settings as in center spot. This will ensure your entire frame is focus, think family portraits.

9. Lens quality. When it comes down to it, this is the only thing that really matters. Without a good glass lens no number of tips will help you. Look for maximum aperture of 2.8 to 3.2. Canon makes superior lenses and now have added UD (Ultra Low Dispersion) and and USM (Ultrasonic Motor). Look to the sidelines on any big sporting event and all those big white zoom lenses are all made by Canon. Leica is also another good choice and they are available on multiple manufacturers and are experts at fitting an immense about of technology into their zoom lenses, like 11 different lens elements within 8 Groups with 3 Aspherical Lenses.

10. The most important piece of equipment isn’t your camera at all and is something you should never leave the house without and that is a Monopod. This is like a tripod but has only one leg and retracts into a very small form factor. This product will save so many shots it will pay for itself within just a few weeks. It keeps your camera stable, within reach and is easily adjustable to virtually any level. It can also help with overhead shots and those hard to reach areas.

These guys cant be wrong now can they?

One of my ‘cheapo’ point and shoot shots:

11. Bonus tip. If you have PhotoShop I recommend a plugin above all others. Its called Noise Ninja and it is brilliant at reducing noise in pictures and turning a subjects skin into flawless model-like epidermis. It has over 120 profiles made specifically for your specific camera model.

Photography, Canon, Gadgets, Seattle, Lens, Leica, Point and Shoot, Technology

The University of Washington Eight Crew completed its first undefeated rowing season in 10 years with style amid a resounding victory at the Intercollegiate Rowing Associations National Championship in Copper River New Jersey.

It was their first title since 1997 beating Harvard by 25 points in what can only be described as a sound thrashing. Harvard and Stanford seemingly conceded that there was no way to come out victorious against the speedy huskies and that spoke volumes as the The Crimson and The Cardinal ended up having trophy envy along with other types envy only guys with Corvettes know about.

‘Washington is strong and the deserve all the credit’ Harvard coach Harry Parker said after they were given the second place trophy that paled in comparison to the championship cup that the Huskies will hold for at least a year and perhaps the rest of the decade.

The Huskies finished the race in 5:33.16, seemingly knowing they were going to win as they appeared so loose and confident they were joking up until the start even though all knew how important winning the cup would be for the program. They were able to endure the pain that comes with so much racing in a short span and hold up the champions cup up high for all the Ivy Leaguers to see.

With their unbeaten status and easy victory over a very strong field, the rowers from Montlake could go down as one of the greatest teams in history.

Photo Credit: University of Washington

NCAA, Rowing, Championship, UW, University of Washington, Harvard, Standford, Seattle, 451 Press