Hmmmm....

As I sit here in the GRCC library with a warm laptop on me, I look out and see that it is raining on one side of the library and not on the other. Now, this is typical for Washington, but the cloudy side is the side without rain and the clear side is the side with rain. I was just wondering, when did mother nature decide to take an acid trip?

Second Best Investment of 2009

sandisk.co.uk

The #1 investment of 2009 was my Camera, and this doesn't even hold a candle to that, but that is a sign of how highly I regard my camera and not a slant against this wonderful piece of 21st century tech. The best investment of 2010 are the Skullcandys I got to go with this bad boy. I have the 8GB silver version of this and I'm not to sure how I survived without it. I used to carry some music files on my phone or PSP, but never really listened to them unless I was really bored or had to find a way to get to sleep in a foreign bed. I had been collecting music on my computer for years but it mostly just stayed on the computer and took up space. The main reason I got this was the desire to play Madden on my PSP while listening to my own music and not the crap in the game. Ever since I got it though, you will be hard pressed to find me without it. It is on me more than my camera, and that is saying something because my camera sticks to me like an extra arm. I fly through homework much faster when I can listen to my music and boring car rides are now passed in leisure instead of sick because I have something else to concentrate on. I think that is why it helps so much with homework. Because the frontal abstract part of my brain is busy listening to music, the creative and more literate part my brain can be tapped more efficiently and used to my benefit. Even now, while I right this, I am listening to Steve Miller Band. I have most of my favorite songs on this thing and it barely takes up a quarter of its memory capacity. If I had to though, I could increase its memory from the internal 8GB to an outstanding 40GB with a Micro SD card. Now, I have an extremely eclectic taste in music, and am constantly changing music according to my mood. I can go from classic rock, to Hawaiian, to new age, and end up in native Africa. The easy navigation of the firmware and the simple physical design are both pluses and I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes music of any kind and in any location. The only issue I have with it is how often I need to charge it, but I guess that is my fault for having it one for 6+ straight hours each day ;).

Storms

There is some crazy weather around here today.

Check out the video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJu6oBmnxHI

KSD screws up agian.

The Kent School District, in their infinite stupidity, have come out with ideas on how to save the nearly 6 million dollars that they need to stay afloat. Among these ideas are to eliminate music programs, Golf, Judo, full time tech specialists, labor workers, assistant principals at both the Middle School and High School level, and clerical positions across the district. All in all, there are 44 different things to cut or eliminate to save a total of 5 plus million dollars out of the 6 million they need. Now, I'm very great full to the KSD for providing me with a good education and a diploma, not to mention some fantastic memories, but this is just stupid. I remember at Kentlake HS in 2008-2009, they were forced to eliminate 6 teachers in order to save money which we already had. None of the students liked it, none of the staff liked it, but all 6 teachers were let go in order to save money the district already had, to pay the admins. Now, if they are able willing to cut teacher's positions to save their own salaries, then have the nerve to eliminate Music programs and popular sports programs to supposedly save money, what will be cut next? The para-educators who do just as much work as the teachers for far less money? The art classes that make certain days in school worth attending? The football programs?

This is a prime example of a failure or corruption at the top, which trickles its way down through the rest of the administration to the point where the students are suffering. Cutting music and sports? That is seriously stupid. These kids need the creative outlet in order to be good students. It isn't all test scores people. The things they are proposing to cut are vital to the students future, not to mention the livelihood of all people filling the positions they are threatening. Here's a thought, how much money would we save by cutting administration salaries by 15%? 1 million dollars? 2? 3? Maybe even the whole 6 million that they need. Just sayin.

Here are the results of a public poll to see what the community thought the district should cut.

http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/ksd/it/budget/deploy/documents/survey_results.pdf

Skullcandy Ink'd

Skullcandy.com

Okay, I have had these for four days now and I think that these are the best headphones I have ever owned. The sound quality is amazing and they actually have bass! It makes listening to Queen worth while again. As I'm sure with any in-ear headphones, it takes a couple of days for your ears to get used to the feeling, but everything is working out well. They look really cool wrapped around my Sansa Fuze and the speaker themselves actually look like speakers, not little fuzzy lint. It comes with three sizes of rubber tips for your ears, and even the smallest cancel noise better than I've had with other headphones. The skull is a little weird to look at, but it is a small price to pay for such quality. Speaking of price, they retail at $19.99, but you can get them for $10 at Best Buy when they have them on sale. The range on these things is amazing, and the gold plated connector ensures the best quality from the player to you ears. Overall, these have to be the second best investment I've made this year and have a life expectancy of 3-6 YEARS! Skullcandy make both earbuds and regular headphones that are second only to Bose I think. Brian's rating 4.5/5.






Edit: Well, they lasted to June 18, 2010. That is pretty disappointing considering the hype. The left speaker blew so now I can only hear out of the right side. Maybe I used them too much and I probably shouldn't have wrapped them up as much but I'm still kind of disappointed. Mom's crapped out too, same problem. I plan on getting some more as soon as I can get my hand's on another $20.

Mariner's Home Opener

Well, baseball has come back to the Northwest, with an unfortunate loss to Oakland. There are some serious offensive and pitching problems this year. However, I had a great time at the game. Randy Johnson, THE BIG UNIT, threw out the first pitch, and then Mariners legends Edgar Martinez, Dan Wilson, Johnson, Jay Buhner, and Ken Griffey Jr all posed for a photo. I got some cool pictures and I had a great time. Dad even got me a commemorative pin! I hope to see some better stuff from the team in the next few weeks.

Here are my photos.

Adobe Photoshop CS5

photographyblog.com


I just got done watching the live premier of this at Adobe.com and it looks amazing. This is the newest in the line of Adobe's line of photo editing, manipulating, and sharing software. As of now, it is the best ever. Aside from its new features, CS5 also has the latest version of the Flash Consul which has the ability to put code into a Flash movie or application so it will work across all platforms including Desktop, Laptop, Netbook, Tablet and Slate, and Mobile Device operations. This ensures that you can reach over 300 Million Flash users worldwide. No doubt that this will cause an evolution in the digital design world, but with prices ranging from $699 to $1899 for the whole program, and $199 to $599 for the upgrade, it will take a while for CS5 to live up to its potential.

First Pitch Strikes

d.umn.edu

WTF MARINERS??? At least swing at the pitches that are right over the plate, don't just let it sail by and expect a better pitch later. The pitchers KNOW you won't swing at it, so why shouldn't they just throw an easy fastball up the middle and get an easy strike? SWING THE BAT AND GET YOUR @$$ ON BASE. Then maybe we can have more than one 1 plus hit inning and actually win a game. If you are going to play small ball, you have to produce some hits.

Crazy Weather

KiroTV.com

MWAHAHAHA, Mother Nature has the best sense of humor ever. I feel sorry for the Tulip people, but listening to everybody's reactions, they are still amazed that it could snow in April. Well, I don't know where they live, but here in Washington, it is almost an annual joke for Mother Nature to snow in early April.

Too Freaking Early

tqsuttle@flickr.com

I honestly think that who ever came up with the idea of a early morning education should be forced to stay awake forever and never enjoy any sleep at all. Same goes for the parking lot constructors at Green River CC. If there were more places to park in the lot, then I wouldn't have to get there at 8 for a 10 o'clock class. I would much rather sleep in the extra 2 hours. Of course if it were up to me, I would have classes start at 1 p.m. so I could sleep until noon everyday.

Why I Like Baseball

Why baseball? There are several reasons. Baseball is America's pastime for a reason. I think people like baseball for it's atmosphere. Its excitement, its strategy, its talent, and youth, and camaraderie, and community, and everything else that is wrapped up in the game. While this world is changing for the worst, and the better, baseball manages to remain a highlight in any situation. During times of struggle, it reminds us of better times and things that are really important. During times of prosperity, it allows us to create memories that last a lifetime. It has penetrated out culture so far that every walk of life knows of it and it influences our speech in expressions like "getting to first base" with a girl or hitting a "grand slam" when something fortuitous happens. Legends are formed in players and players are formed by legends. Above everything else, it is interesting. The delicate balance between pitcher and batter. The connection between ball, bat, and glove. The game of deception between pitcher and base runner. Every hit, every pitch, every game is different, never to be repeated. There is always something new and exciting to watch and experience in this game we call baseball. As said by Mariner's announcer Dave Heihaus, my oh my.

Mariner's Pitching

kramer-s-nehl.com

Ahh baseball. From rainy springs to hopefully not too hot summers, and finally the changing leaves of autumn, baseball is a special thing. It entices the young and brings a familiar contentment to those who love the game. My favorite team is the Seattle Mariners and Mariner's baseball starts today at 4:05 pm (pst) on FSN. This year's team is going to prove interesting to watch. The biggest story this year is the pitching. Last year ace Felix Hernandez finished with 19 wins and came in second for the Cy Young award. We all know and love "King Felix" and I expect him to have another outstanding year. During the off season, Jackie Z, the GM, picked up Cliff Lee, the World Series ace from last year, from the Phillies in a three team trade. Lee was the only pitcher who could stop the red hot Yankees (blech) in 2009 and was the only reason the Phillies won 2 of the series games. With him in the rotation, the Mainer's will have an awesome one-two punch with Felix and Lee. The only problem is that Lee managed to hurt himself during spring training and probably will start the season off the rotation. (GET JARROD WASHBURN BACK!!!)duh. I have less faith in the rest of the starters. Jason Vargas, Ian Snell, Luke French, Doug Fister, Eric Bedard, and Ryan Rowland-Smith are all fighting for a spot. Jason Vargas had two good games last year before crapping out, but he seems to be doing well in spring training. The same is true for Snell and Fister although Fister never had a bad game last year. Luke French needs to be sent down to AAA for a while before he is ready to pitch in the majors again. Eric Bedard is recovering from a series of injuries and surgeries, but his progress is good. He will not be making the rotation out of ST. Which leaves Ryan Rowland-Smith. He is a great pitcher who can strike out anyone in the majors, when he's good. He hasn't had the best ST ever, but I am hoping that he will turn it around quickly. I met Rowland-Smith at a TOP Food last year. He's a nice guy. I would be willing to bet that come April 5, the rotation will look something like Felix, Rowland-Smith, Snell, Vargas, and Fister. I expect this to change to Felix, Lee, Rowland-Smith, Bedard, and Fister when everybody is healthy again. The bullpen is looking to be as good as ever with the return of Shawn Kelley, Mark Lowe, and David Aardsma. Last year this was the best 7, 8, and 9th inning pitchers in the AL and they all appear to have all of the same stuff. Also, with relievers like Texeira and eventually Vargas and Snell, the bullpen looks to be packed with talent. The biggest issue I have with GM Jackie Z is the trading of Jarrod Washburn. He was a starter last year who put up unbelievable numbers with almost zero run support. He pitched his first 1 hitter last year which was amazing to watch. We traded him to Detroit for some stupid reason but he is a free agent now. The way Wash sees it is that he has 3 options. Go into retirement. He is old for a starter, and he definitely has the money to do it, but he still has at least 3 more good seasons in him. He has expressed a desire to return to the Mariners, but negotiations are sticky. He can also go to the Angels which would be a good fit for him, but it isn't Seattle. The Mariners recently let Ryan Garko (1B) out on waivers and I think it would be a good idea to use that money to put a better offer on the table for Washburn. All in all, I expect awesome things from the Mariner's pitching this year, but not right off. With injuries and competition for spots so early in the season, I don't expect a clean start.

April Fools Day

Okay, April Fools. I'm all for practical jokes when they aren't cruel or just plain stupid (or played on me for that matter). It seems like every year there is a story about someone who took a joke too far or who couldn't take a joke, and did something stupid like lighting someone's hair on fire or something. Be creative not stupid. Take my friend Daniel. Last year he approached his father and had him sit down telling him that he had something important to tell him. With the straight face of an expert poker player, he confessed the he had gotten his girlfriend pregnant. At which time his father turns red and goes crazy. Needless to say it was a joke and Daniel did get his dad to calm down after bursting with laughter. That was perfect. Nothing too elaborate, stupid, or painful. Just enough to scare the crap out of someone works fine. I'm a little wary about meeting Daniel today as he is very good at this whole joke thing and has a sick sense of humor, which is one of the reasons he is one of my friends. So for all of you who are planning an ER visit on your April 1 calendar, don't.