Getting back into the swing of things

On Monday morning at 8 a.m. I had my Mass Media Law final…and it was extremely tough… I feel like did alright on it, but we shall see if my grade reflects my confidence and I sure hope it does. After that final I went and turned in my take home final for my linguistics class.

I packed up and drove to Tacoma for a job interview at Griot's Garage. Pending a pee test, which I will pass no problem I will be hired to work there on occasion.

I have gotten back into the swing of things at QFC too. I am mostly closing the bakery but some of my shifts have been early evening departure as well.

That is pretty much my plan for the summer, working almost every day this summer, it will be difficult, but worth it in the long run.

The worst part about living with my parents for the summer is the fact that I have to use the towel bar above the toilet for my shower towel rather than the ones that you step out of the shower and grab on the towel bars at the right level. I have never used that towel bar in my life, but because my sisters have taken over the bathroom and the two towel bars to the right of the shower. Anyway, it is very nice that my parents still allow me to live with them during the summer, and actually want me to live with them.

I haven't really done anything with friends this week because I have been so exhausted…I am just trying to find the balance again…It might take another week or so before I am on a full-fledged hangout schedule again.

 

Firefighters v. McGinn

Hear ye, Hear ye.

I first saw a report on KIRO 7 last night about how firefighters could be putting one less man on their fire engines. Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn suggested this to save money. I cannot this. Mayor McGinn seems to think that putting people at risk to save tax payers money is something that is alright to do.

I disagree with this. I think that there can be cuts in other areas that would not put people at more of a risk.

The beauty of a bookstore

Today I found myself in Borders. I began to think about how much I love bookstores. I absolutely love the fact that I can walk through the aisles and see an assortment of brand new books. I like the smell of brand new books.

How long will these bookstores last? With devices such as the iPad, Kindle and other smart devices I imagine that book sales are decreasing, which is really too bad. I don't want to see bookstores start to go under like record stores or video rental businesses…

BP the new villain

On March 24, 1989 the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground upon a reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska. But does anybody remember the environmental impacts that had or is still having?

On April 20, 2010 the Deepwater Horizon or British Petroleum oil spill began. The memories of the Exxon Valdez spill should have been daunting to BP, but apparently they were not. BP has since made the Exxon Valdez spill look like a drop of water in the ocean. The spill, still going on, has spewed more oil into the ocean than the Exxon Valdez spill ever did.

What happens when a major company in the world destroys millions of natural resources? The Exxon Valdez spill showed us that a company like Exxon can pretty much get away with destroying environment.


BP is seemingly doing the same thing, except maybe this time they will be held much more accountable. President Barack Obama has been saying that he is going to hold BP accountable for the damage they have generated. I hope that Obama sticks to his guns and makes BP pay up. There are too many slimy oil companies that are just trying to make a pretty penny.

Unfortunate events in the United States tend to go on for much longer than expected. Like Hurricane Katrina aftermath or other disasters that occur in our boundaries. We need to focus on the home front and protect our environment and people.

12 year old phenomenon opts out of childhood for MLB Draft...

“Every kid has a dream of being a multi-millionaire sports athlete; my dream will come true in just over a year,” the boy wonder said. The family has trademarked his name and has somehow made it illegal for the media to use their name, unless it is breaking news, without giving them royalties. So, this article will remain uncharacteristically bland yet descriptive. 

The wonder boy has been training for the MLB since the age of three when his family discovered he had a throwing arm. “He picked a baseball and threw it at the television. It went straight through the television and the wall behind the television. Right then, we knew he was special,” his mother said.

The wonder boy has been playing for the high school team since he turned eight and has been striking out people with his mean fastball since then. He can also hit the ball pretty well. 

“Soon after we found out he would be the next big thing, we started having him do hand eye coordination drills. We also purchased him a gym membership so that he could get some power behind his swing. The gym was five miles away so the run there was always a good warm-up for him,” his father said.

Wonder boy isn’t the only family member that was geared to go professional. His older brother was set to make his debut in college football at the age of 13 a couple weeks ago…But in his last high school game he got tackled so hard that he cried. He also tore his Achilles tendon a few weeks before that, but his parents made him play on that. The doctors said that the kids career was over. Since then his parents put him into a retirement home and visit him rarely.

“We need to focus on the real talent of our family and make sure he gets his large paycheck.” The father said.

With Bryce Harper, 17, the likely number one pick in the upcoming MLB Draft, this will clear the road for this kid to be the number one pick, either next year or the year after that. 

“I think I can take on today’s top pitchers even at my young age. I have a lot of maturity and a small strike zone. Nobody will want to pitch to me,” the Wonder boy said.

(Satire)

Ken Griffey Jr. story trumped by the call

 The Ken Griffey Jr. era has ended. Unfortunately his retirement was overshadowed by another rare and unfortunate event. Armando Galarraga nearly pitched a perfect game. His perfect game lasted 8 and 2/3 innings until a fatal call by umpire Jim Joyce ruined it for him.

Jason Donald hit a ground ball to first baseman Miguel Cabrera who moved towards second base to make the play. Cabrera whisk a throw to Galarraga who was covering first by this time. It appeared that they had made the play perfectly. Joyce on the other hand thought that Donald had been safe. Upon further inspection via instant replay, it was deemed that Donald would have been ought if Joyce had made the right call. The impact: Galarraga does not receive credit for a perfect game which is a very rare feat in baseball.

If the call would have been made correctly, Galarraga would have been the third player in a month to toss a perfect game, (Dallas Braden and Roy Halladay were the other two,) and it would have been the first time in ever that three players threw a perfect game in a single season. It is a call like this that brings into question the umpires roll in the game. Umpires are there to make their best judgment even though it may clearly be the wrong one, it is their opinion. This was the unfortunate event that overshadowed Ken Griffey’s final day in the league.

I believe that Griffey made the right call, hanging his jersey up after 22 seasons and retiring with the Mariners. The unfortunate part of this call…He retired hitting bloody awful. After 22 seasons of baseball “The Kid” ends a beautiful career with a total of 630 homeruns but none this season…I think we need to look at Griffey as an overall Mariner rather than what he has done the last two years. The last two seasons were minor speed bumps in an overall amazing career.

When Griffey went to Cincinnati I was mad at him for going. I was mad that the Mariners let him go. But, when he came back I was extremely pleased that they would bring back such a fun-loving player. I don’t think the Mariners brought Griffey back to be the dominate force he once was, he was brought back to end his career, to have a final year or two as a Mariner. The team that he had an incredible amount of success with; the team that loved him for every ounce of joy he brought to the fans. Griffey will be missed even though he was hitting lousy. He was fun to watch. This is the first time there has never been a Griffey in baseball for me. It is weird to me…But, he helped me to really become a fan when I was younger, and for that I thank him. Griff you the man.

Life hast a way.

Updates on my life:
-Working at the QFC bakery full-time starting on Tuesday.
-Finals week ends after my 8:00 am final on Monday.
-I am stressed, but I think that will die down as soon as summer hits.

-Sapi has been wearing socks the last couple days because she has been itching too often.

-After my final on Monday I am going down to Tacoma to have lunch with my father!

An attempt at a new direction

I have been thinking about this for a few days. I feel that I am going to take a new direction with this blog.

Mayhem Monday: A discussion of something randomly opinionated.

Entertainment Tuesday: A day to talk about music, movies and anything else in this realm.

Newsworthy Wednesday: Talk about something that is in the news day.

Thorough Thursdays: Discussion of my life in terms of exploration.
Friday: Nothing

Sports Saturday: A look at my week of following sports.

Satire Sundays: Just some satire.

Facebook, intrusion?

I need to start counting how many times I hear the word Facebook each day.


More so I would like to count how many times we reference facebook in our actual social lives, not just our online social lives.


In each of my classes this week facebook was mentioned multiple times. Sometimes by the teacher, sometimes by students. I had a teacher even log onto her facebook during class to show us pictures of odd signs she had posted in one of her album.


I don't like how facebook is intruding into our lives this much. It has become a bit ridiculous.

Google smart phone....

Well, that would just be ridiculous wouldn't it...

The Killers

Dear Killers,

I was listening to you on my iPod today and though I might be years behind on critiquing your work, I thought I would take a shot. Your lyrics oftentimes are a jumbled mess unable for me to clearly obtain the message seemingly hidden in your musical fusion. This is my ode to two songs of your first album, Hot Fuss.

First off let me say that the first album set the bar way too high for the subsequent albums.

Mr. Brightside: To me this song is not only catchy but packs a powerful meaning that hits deep. To me, this song says that when life deals you a poor hand, don’t cry over it. Get up and look for the Brightside. I can tie so many of my experiences in my life where looking for the Brightside really does help. Without that, living in self-pity would be the other option, which does not appeal in the least bit to me any longer.

Smile like you mean it: This song gives a very sad overtone of the past. Whether it be that the past brings back poor memories or that it brings longing to be in the past still, you must mark your sorrow with a smile. Not just any smile, a convincing one. I consider this to be something I used to be very good at. Masking emotion left a build up on untouched feelings. Eventually it gets overwhelming…But still pretending that you are okay when you aren’t gives you the image of a strong person. But shouldn’t a strong person also be able to exhibit emotion?

To skills that are seemingly unrelated that goes so hand in hand for repressing emotion and putting up a front. While these are skills they are also nightmares that haunt you.

Five things for May

1. I am ready to be done with school until September. June 7th cannot meet me soon enough.
2. A job must be found by me for the summer. Somewhat check. We will see how many hours I get.
3. Find a place to live next year. Check.
4. Play quite a lot of basketball.
5. Continue to blog and stay away from Facebook.

Facebook Recovery

No relapse in sight.

So...How is blogger different? I have much more control over my pages. I feel like the social networking sites such as Facebook remove your control from the content that appears on your page. I did not feel like continuing to discontinue my rights on the internet to such a right-sucking monster.

I no longer wanted to spend my evenings like the video above.

Marniners..time is running...out

The Seattle Mariners just finished a 1-8 home stand. Nice job guys! I hope this is not a model of the new Mariners...Felix Hernandez pitched awful on Friday against the Angels. The only pitcher who did alright was Doug Fister, but he did give up three runs on Saturday against the Angels which to some is "too many," but I think he is pitching really great. He is 2-1 and has maintained a 1.71 ERA. Though his strikeout numbers a low, he gets the job done. He just doesn't get the necessary run support that he needs.

What do the Mariners do about the Cliff Lee dilemma...Lee is a gifted left-handed pitcher who has improved this rotation, but is most likely bound for free agency. I say that the Mariners ought to shop him before the trade deadline to try and fill some of the holes in their lineup. Trade him to a team that will be needing pitching help in the playoffs because they will give you the most for your money. Not to be pessimistic, but the Mariners aren't looking like a playoff team right now.... The clock is ticking for this team to make some changes to become winners, otherwise count them out.

"Rojo" Johnson

The next big star.



I love parodies like this. It just warms my heart. I just wish the commentators played along better.

iTunes...

I dislike iTunes. It has been known to delete my library in its entirety. When I uploaded the songs from my computer again to the program, they all appeared in duplicates. Thus I began to delete the duplicates. The only reason I even have the program is because I purchased an iPod and iTunes is the only program that even works with the iPod. iTunes is just plain difficult to use in comparison to other media using programs.

The program just irks me beyond belief. Apple makes millions of dollars, yet they cannot produce a media player that actually helps me organize my music, pictures and movies.

What goes around comes around

Disrespect. It can be connotative in too many ways nowadays. Recently certain exposures have lead me to write some thoughts on being disrespectful. My recent observations of disrespect have come in concurrence with the debate in my life of why I choose to be the way that I am. My most common observation of disrespectful behavior is in being just plain rude for no reason. Simply not saying "please or thank you," may not seem like such a big deal, but it speaks wonders to your character when those words are uttered from your more often than not.

I am not saying that I am not disrespectful. Quite the contrary as a matter of fact. I am striving to get the disrespect out of my life. In doing so, my observation of disrespect has become keener, thus I would like to distance myself from those who exhibit the said behavior.

I cannot say that any human being appreciates disrespect, so my question is, why do we behave so poorly towards other people at times?

Ignorance to the true nature of one's behave equates to lying to yourself.

And when you are disrespectful towards other people, does that make it any better when somebody treats you with disrespect?

Planet Earth

Well, I finally jumped on the Planet Earth bandwagon. Though it came out a few years ago, I finally made the purchase of the DVD set. I watched the first episode "Pole to Pole" last night, and I must say, I am in love with it. I have seen severally episodes on television, but having the ability to pause and rewind and see the majestic images again is an incredible idea that I look forward to doing. I love documentaries, and Planet Earth just tickles my fancy.

M's: Reason to believe?

I think I like Chone Figgins at second base and Jose Lopez at third base. Why? Figgins provides that range needed at second base and Lopez is built much more like a corner infielder.

>I am digging the fact that Figgins is batting behind Ichiro too. Ichiro is arguably the best lead-off man in the game. Figgins can draw walks advancing one of the fastest guys in the American League to second base, if he is on-base that is, is not the worst thing ever...I hope this combination of OBP players creates more opportunities as the season advances.

Doug Fister. Phenomenal so far this season to say the least. Well, as a fifth starter that is. I have really enjoyed watching this kid develop. This season he battled for the fifth starting spot and that battle rages on. Cliff Lee will be joining the Mariners on Friday. His debut for the Mariners will take either Jason Vargas or Doug Fister out of the starting rotation. I hope Fister gets a bid from Don Wakamatsu to stay in the starting five. His ERA is lower than any other Mariner starter, at 1.67, as of April 28. I like this guy and I hope to see him continue to throw strikes from the confines of the first inning.

Deleting Facebook!

Facebook Logo
Originally uploaded by maxkalehhoff

I have seemed to lost track of when I deleted my Facebook. Roughly two weeks ago I made the conscious decision to delete an infection in my life. Do I regret it? I don't think so. I have been able to spend a lot more time off the internet and doing other things with my time. With my internet time I have done more "productive" things, such as really starting to write in this blog.
What really gets me is this common trend in people to constantly check their facebook...Facebook is seen as a substitute for actual human contact. To many people it is human contact.


I feel much more accomplished if I talk to somebody on the phone or in person rather than via Facebook Chat or text message. Instead of spending time "Facebook Stalking" people I could spend time actually getting to know the people around me better? I could take the time to make friends, better friends. Lo and behold, I have time to do other unproductive things too, like play my video games. I still feel more accomplished after playing them then a good ol' Facebook session.

The one thing I certainly don't miss is that gosh darn like feature. When you would like somebodies status and then people would comment on it for days, leaving you with notifications.

Why leave Facebook? Why not just not go onto it?

It completely gets rid of the temptation. Facebook is a great tool to reconnect with people, stay in touch with people, and other various activities. But, so is the modern telephone. It is even easier now to stay in contact with folks with voice messaging systems, mobile devices, annnnnnnnnnnnd the fact that most people have the ability to be contacted rather easily.

Avatar, the mind of James Cameron

Let me just say, I am one of the few people who didn't see Avatar in theaters. I watched it yesterday and I was thoroughly surprised that I could be entertained for 2 1/2 hours straight. But, then again it did come from the mind of James Cameron, who seems to know what he is doing when he writes a script. I went into this experience trying not to like it because everyone I have talked to has said what a great movie it is.

(Photo from Amazon.com)

I am contemplating on buying this DVD just because I sincerely enjoyed it. I feel like this is going to be the trilogy of the next decade. (James Cameron is supposedly working on two sequels.) It will be the Pirates of the Caribbean of the 10's. Much like Pirates dominated the box-office even though the films scripts may not have been as good as the first, they still sold tickets. Avatar, has outsold any Pirate of the Caribbean movie's box office revenue, I speculate.

The only way a sequel will not be successful is if Cameron takes too long to produce it. Which is entirely likely, since it took him nearly fifteen years for Avatar to be put in theaters from the original concepts that Cameron had. All in all this movie is going to go down as one of the most watched films in America.

Why I ought to work my muscles out more...

Nuff said.

Seahawks Draft Picks....Time will be telling factor...

These three pics are the guys that I think will add the most value to the Seattle Seahawks. Aside from Russell Okung, Earl Thomas and Golden Tate, these are the guys that will be fighting for playing time and I think are going to make excellent additions to the Seattle Seahawks.


Anthony McCoy, TE, from USC
6th Round (185th Overall)
Why I like him: John Carlson aside, a big tight end such as McCoy is always nice to have. Adding McCoy will give the Seahawks another strong blocker to protect Matthew Hasselbeck or Charles Whitehurst, as well as be an option as a receiver to. According to CBSSports.com, McCoy fell deep into the draft most likely due to the fact that he tested positive for use of marijuana at the NFL Combine.


E.J. Wilson, DE, from North Carolina
4th Round (127th Overall)
Why I like him: This Tar-Heel brings a good strong run defensive strength to the Seahawks. He only had four sacks his senior year, but had a career high 49 tackles, including 12 for a loss. (tarheelblue.cstv.com) The Seahawks have struggled in recent years with preventing explosive running. I think that Wilson can have a very positive impact on that statistic given the playing time.


Dexter Davis, DE, from Arizona State
7th Round (236th Overall pick)
Why I like him: This is a Pete Carroll pick. Reason being: Davis is from the Pac10. Carroll knows what this guy is capable of because he has spent years planning how to avoid his pass rush. I think that Davis gives the Seahawks another valuable pass rusher. He finished his collegiate career with 31 sacks! Let that translate to the NFL, (Please Please Please!)

Your rights as a blogger,

When I enter my thoughts into my blogging area I obviously want my thoughts to be read, digested and hopefully reverberated. What confuses me is when somebody puts an entity on the World Wide Web, why they feel like they feel like they have control of who uses that entity in a commentary or opinion based piece. When I post something on the World Wide Web I want people to view it as much as possible. That is the beauty of this mass communication device. I can see how somebody would be upset if their entity was claimed to be the work of another person, then they have every right to become upset. But somebody simply putting a photograph in a blog and then citing it should not be able to be sued. I have done some digging into the Fair Use Act of 2007 and here is what I have found.

This following piece is taken form the U.S. Copyright Office. I believe that I have the right to use this, because I am making commentary on it, and possibly for an educational purpose, thus I feel like I have fulfilled to requirements set forth by the following document.

"

Where the document came from...

Section 107 contains a list of the various purposes for which the reproduction of a particular work may be considered fair, such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Section 107 also sets out four factors to be considered in determining whether or not a particular use is fair:

1. The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes
2. The nature of the copyrighted work
3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
4. The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work

The distinction between fair use and infringement may be unclear and not easily defined. There is no specific number of words, lines, or notes that may safely be taken without permission.

"

Section 107, something that I hope I never have to consult, but at the same time it is comforting to know that such an act has been passed to protect what I am allowed to replicate here on the web.

This video does an excellent describing the paradigm that exists between copyright and reproducing material.



When reproducing material, there is always the gray zone. However, if you are always in the gray zone I think you should look at what you are posting or reproducing. Gray zones should be avoided at all costs because if you really have to question whether or not you should be allowed to post something, then you probably should not be posting it.

2010 NFL Draft + Seahawks Redemption

Three days, 255 picks, 32 teams: All in one NFL Draft. If football was a religion, such as Christianity, then this is the draft is Easter. Thursday marks the first day of the draft and the first 32 picks.

The NFL has recently switched to the three day format, (Round one on Thursday, Rounds two & three on Friday and four through seven on Saturday.) This is really an attempt to turn the draft into a bigger event. Without a doubt, the Super Bowl is the NFL's biggest event, but it appears that they are trying to make the draft the second biggest. I wonder if companies will spend millions on ad space like they do for the Super Bowl. I hope not.

SEATTLE:I am a Seattle fan. The Seahawks have made many moves that have made me cringe in recent years. I am on board with the idea of Pete Carroll being the coach for Seattle. I just don't think that we should expect much from him during his first year in the league. I mean, college coaching is as much as about recruiting players as it is coaching them. So, let's hope that Carroll can make the adjustment to the NFL that Seattle needs him to make. I like having Carroll helping making decisions in the Draft will help Seattle immensely. Seattle has the #6 and 14 overall picks. Where does Seattle need help...Better question: Where doesn't Seattle need help...? We need some offensive linemen that will mimic the mid-2000's teams'.

There are a number of good choices that Seattle can make in that department: Russell Okung(above,) OT, from Oklahoma State would be an excellent choice if he is still around for the Seahawks to pick at #6. Bryan Bugala, OT, Iowa would also bring some force to the line. Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma would be another excellent choice. All three of these guys are first rounders for sure...but the question is, are they top 10 worthy.

With the Seahawks second pick on day on, I would like to see them go with either a RB or QB. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas is my favorite for the Seahawks to take, but I doubt they will take him in the first round. McCoy is probably not first round worthy. If he is available in the second round for the Seahawks to take, I really hope they grab him. Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame would also be an interesting choice. I think Clausen might be the Seahawks pick...but again, is he first round worthy? C.J. Spiller(above,) RB, Clemson is bar none the best back in this draft. The more pressing question is... Will he be around for the Seahawks to draft at #14. If he is then the Seahawks have to grab him.

KG introduces his elbows

Kevin Garnett has started his downfall of respectable tyrant of the game of basketball. He introduced his elbows to Quinton Richardson's jaw on Sunday. Here is that video.




According to ESPN.com Garnett received a one-game suspension for this altercation. I am happy to see that David Stern did not let Garnett go with a simple fine. But still, Garnett is beginning to remind of another infamous player, Karl Malone. To me, Malone always served as a villain. Not because he was a bad guy, but because of his style of play, and who he was playing. Malone was commonly known for the elbows he would throw during games. More times than not, he would get away with it too.





Kevin Garnett is now becoming the villain that Karl Malone once was for me.

The wonders of Woot

Let me introduce you to one of my favorite websites: Woot.com. A deal a day. Their concept for a business model is indeed an interesting one. Wouldn't it make logical sense to have multiple products at a time? But, this is why I really enjoy this site. It gets me to come back every 24 hours to see if what they are selling is something I would like to like to own. Many of their products are computer or entertainment related. Oftentimes the products they are selling are cheaper than they would be anywhere else. Products may be refurbished or no longer state of the art, but I think that this is an opportunity for a great deal. I don't need the top of the line gear, I need reliable gear. One of my favorite aspects of the woot site is their spin-off site. shirt.woot.com. This site is neat because they have one shirt every day for 10 bucks, and it is designed by the people for the people. Well this is my little speech on why I like woot.

NBA playoffs

The playoffs this year look more hopeful than they have been in years. The Charlotte Bobcats and the Oklahoma City Thunder are in the playoffs for this first time in since they were created. While the Seattle Sonics were last in the playoffs in 2005, Clay Bennett and company stole the Sonics away for Seattle. Thus, the Oklahoma City team has earned its first playoff berth since the theft. This to me is why it is interesting.

A lot of new faces in the playoffs make for an interesting scenario. Kevin Durant, the scoring champion this year, will look to lead Thunder to their first playoff win...but they have to beat the Lakers...which I don't see happening. Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant are looking to repeat their championship, and their vast experience will make it probably impossible for the Thunder to beat them. The Cavs look considerably better this with their addition of Shaq. Last year, the Cavs fizzled late in the playoffs because they lacked depth. Shaq will add that extra layer of depth that the Cavs needed. So many good series's are taking place. The battle for Texas will surely be a good matchup, I predict the Spurs will win this one. After this year, I don't think that the Spurs stand much of a chance to win any playoff games...Sorry Spurs fans... They are just getting too old, but I still feel like they have a shot to beat Dirk and the Mavs.

Boston's superstar lineup is running out of time to make a move towards a second title, but their younger group of guys look to be a thriving bunch in the next few years. I hope the Blazers can muster a win without Brandon Roy. Roy's injury against the Lakers on April 11th will require him to have surgery and thus miss the first series. However, the Suns are one of the hottest teams in basketball right now. Magic v. Bobcats will result in a Magic domination.

The Hawks look to outlast the Bucks. Both these teams are inexperienced in the playoffs thus I predict it will be a extended playoff series due to both teams young players. The Bucks will show why they are one of the most exciting teams in basketball in this series. Jazz v. Nuggets will result in a Nuggets win. Carmello Anthony is hungry for playoff experience and will battle Deron Williams for the second round. Well, I will blog more on this as the games progress. Good luck to all teams.