Re-Post: HUSKIES & SAD

Sad. It is sad that WSU fans need to gloat and humiliate Husky fans. Plain and simple, it is just sad.
I was pleased when the cougs were winning and looked to become an elite team. I really was
pleased. I would never root for the cougs to beat the Huskies, but any other opponent and WSU
has my support. Yet the cougs ONLY redeeming part of their season so far is now their sweep of
the Huskies. Again, that's sad.

As bad as the Huskies season has become, with two more home wins we will have swept both
USC and UCLA. As bad as the Huskies have played recently, with even two more wins they will
probably still get invited to the dance. WSU needs to win the Pac 10 tournament to get there, and
I hope they do it if it doesn't mean beating the Huskies.

Sports is about us versus them. The Huskies versus the world. The Pac 10 versus the rest of the
world. The State of Washington versus the rest of the country. America versus the rest of the world.
Some fans think our team is elevated by the fall of our closest opponents, but that is narrow sighted
and just plain foolish.

On finding fault: Romar is responsible. No doubt. How is the problem fixed? I am not amongst the
crowd who will be calling for his head. I know way too little about his assistant coaches. Romar
needs help. That seems clear. Are his assistants there to learn or are they there to elevate the
program? If it is to elevate the program then they are failing miserably. Romar should fire all of his
assistants and hire a complementary co-head coach. Or head assistant coach. Someone who can
teach Romar how to coach in those areas he is lacking in skill. Maybe some retired coaching
genius. Like Millen did with his former Sonics coach. The players seem to be both coachable and
talented. They are playing like an uncoached team.

Re-Post: RE: Censorship On Forums

 Editor's Note: Soggyblogger is fighting a minor health problem
and a major addiction. Certainly that is justification for his laziness
and lack of production for this blog. The best he seems to be capable
of is passing along some of his posts on forums where actual humans
exist. The following post was first posted on the Seattle Times Husky
Basketball Forum.

Will WSU make the NIT? That might be wishful thinking.

This is a troll's thread, but this forum needs more trolls not less.
I can't figure out why this forum is so blah. There isn't all that
much activity here, and so maybe the P-I forum is dominating
the scene the way the P-I Seahawks forum dominates. Why is
that? Maybe the P-I's forum has a friendlier interface. I've been
banned there. It happened during my registration process before
I was ever allowed to post a single time. So I don't have the choice.

Self-censorship may be part of the problem with this forum. I read
the rules, and depending on how they are enforced, they can act
with a dampening affect on the conversations here. There is a no
personal attacks rule which might sound nice, and agrees with my
personal philosophy, but to actually make it a RULE causes me to
be more careful in what I write. And I don't know what the penalties
are nor what the definition of an attack is. I have limited myself to
calling people pessimists or chicken little, and so far so good, I have
not been banned yet. Should I escalate? Feel out the edges of
permissible language? It's not that I have a list of people I want to
unload on - it's that there seems to be no real conflict here. People
seem afraid to disagree too strongly.

I hate censorship of any kind. No, that is not correct. I do appreciate
some very compassionate moderation. Deleting posts given to
pointless vulgarity and the like, or removing a poster when after
repeated warnings that poster persists in obstructive behavior or beyond
the pale attacks on people.

My opinion has changed with regards to conflict on forums. I used to
really hate it, but I am much more tolerant of almost any behavior on
forums today. Some forums I participate on are Google forums without
rules or moderators to speak of. The totally childish and rude behavior
I just ignore. It is actually quite easy. All it requires is a fraction of a second
to scroll past it. Some are hugely offended by vulgar posts and then get
emotionally involved and expose their own childish behavior. In the end,
on an uncensored forum, a much clearer picture emerges of each personality.

Lots of mistakes are made. Posters learn along the way. They grow as
people, and learn something about themselves usually. And so do the rest
of us. It's not all good, but it is rarely dull. And a community develops. A
weird sort of community compared to pre-internet community, but in many
ways it can be enriching, IMO.

I follow the P-I Seahawks forum because it is one of the most interesting,
well written, football savvy group I have found. That I cannot post there may
have been to my advantage in some ways. By now I might have exposed
my ignorance of football and been called on it. I cannot say what the differences
in the rules between the two sites, but threads can get quite heated and not
much censoring seems to go on.

What I have learned so far about the censorship policy here at the Seattle Times
Husky Forum is that some posts get deleted without the author getting banned.
That is a hopeful sign, but what it takes to get banned is of interest to me. And is
there any appeal? Does one get banned for life or is there a time limit on banning?
I know in some cases being banned just means the need to create a new ID, but
so far I cannot figure out how to get a new ID for the P-I forum. Their server seems
to recognize me and wherever I go on that site I am reminded that "my account
has been banned."

There are not any actual humans involved in the P-I.com site so far as I can tell.
They do have telephone numbers to call, but every time I have called I end up with
voice mail, and have never had a call back. I have never gotten an answer to an
email, either. Unless one counts robo emails. So far as I can tell everything about
the P-I.com EXCEPT FOR THE FORUMS are robotically created. If there are five
people actually employed there I would be surprised.

Sorry for changing the topic here and going on so long, but I needed to vent.

Re-Post....UW Basketball

Good posts all. I agree with what you said about Romar, chabby,
and would add that the list of talents a bb coach needs is much too
long for any coach to excel at everything....though maybe that was
Wooden's reason for such success. Players come and go, but the
coach is really the key ingredient in any program. I like Romar. I have almost no complaints. I do wish he would improve FASTER than his peers because that is what this is really about. Adapting, learning, changing, and rearranging priorities in a lot of different areas. 

 

The area which is hardest to measure is the people skills. Working with the players and relating to each of them as individuals to get the most out of everyone. Choosing assistant coaches, and then teaching them, and motivating them, and when necessary firing them. I have no knowledge at all regarding the assistant coaches, but if they were really great they would be making Romar appear better than he would otherwise. A great coach might have even greater assistant coaches working for him. Yes, they will leave and that is the testament to a coach outside of winning games. How well his assistants fare when they leave. So he needs to replace them, and how well he does that could cover up a lot of his own deficiencies.

What we are learning this year, IMO, is that the coaching staff needs to improve in many areas. If we take as a given that the Huskies have the most player talent in the conference, then we can grade the coaches high in recruiting and development of players' skills, but we might need to downgrade the game day coaching skills, the motivational skills, or even the game preparation skills of the coaches. My guess is that following the rules 100% has cost us some of the blue chip prospects. That's too bad, but I don't fault the coaches for that. Corruption exists in all endeavors and avoiding it is a choice that pays off in the long term.

Teaching maturity to young adults from various walks of life is possibly the most important skill a coach can be born with, develop over time, or recruit in assistant coaches. Few people really have this skill. Overall, all Romar teams seem to buy into his program and develop maturity as well as most programs. That could just be the result of a recruiting focus on maturity.

Mental focus is the most important attribute in any competitive endeavor. It is easier to focus when playing at home. IMO, that far outweighs the supposed assist teams get from the refs at home.

The mental state of a team is a moving object, and harder to predict than the stock market, but I get a good feeling about the direction our team is going. Taking an optimistic perspective, I like to think our early losses to good teams will give us the experience to finally turn the corner to toughness. Those losses were due to nervousness and lack of confidence. The middle season losses were due to a lot of issues. Arrogance, laziness, and consequently lack of focus.
We learned humility from those losses. From the recent loss at Arizona, I hope we learned the need to play all 40 minutes with intensity.

Unfortunately, it's a lot like Whack-A-Mole, what the next problem to pop up willbe is anyone's guess. That is another coaching job. Most coaches wilt under the pressure or die of stress related illnesses. My hats off to all of them that excel.

 

Soggyblogger

Fashion Police or The Emporer Has No Clothes Revisited

The Seattle Times Sports Page, on Feb. 21, 2011, had a photo of Ichiro whatshisname the Japanese baseball player who plays right field for the Seattle Mariners. In that photo, Ichiro is wearing a plaid suit, itself a fashion felony, but in addition to the plaid suit, he wore a bow tie which is merely a misdemeanor, but the bow tie was also plaid and from what I could tell, was not a matching plaid to his suit. Wow.

If fashion police had the authority to actually imprison offenders, Ichiro would get life. Or maybe even a death sentence. Yet, to my knowledge no one has remarked on Ichiro's attire. Much like the emperor who wore no clothes, everyone seems afraid to point out Ichiro's fashion failures. The photo accompanied a story about an interview of two hours which Ichiro gave to some Japanese media outlet for the Japanese public who adore Ichiro slightly less ardently than Baptists adore Christ.

My exposure to Japanese culture is limited to a six hour wait on a plane sitting on the tarmac of Tokyo's International airport waiting for a Hurricane to pass by. Which is to say, none. And yet....anytime anything Japanese is mentioned on TV regarding some Japanese cultural characteristic, my wife is quick to point out the Japanese learned that from the Chinese. Like seaweed wrapped rice. Or their clothes. Or their music. Or their written language. Or anything at all. If the Japanese know anything at all they learned it from the Chinese.

According to my wife, without the Chinese, the Japanese would still be monkey's swinging in trees. Therefore, Ichiro, in wearing plaid on plaid, must have learned his fashion sense from the Chinese as well. Given this assumption, one would expect to see a fair amount of plaid on plaid fashion choices being demonstrated in China, and I am here to assure my readers that such is the case.

Walking the streets of Shenzhen (pop. 15 million.....uh, make that 16 and read quickly or 16 will also be an obsolete count on the pop.) one is more likely to see major felonies of the fashion kind then in any other place on earth I have visited.

I am not known for my fashion sense. In high school I took a liking to a flannel pajama top and wore it to school more days then not. Various decades have come and gone with my signature attire a flourescent red watch cap, or a purple polar fleece sweatshirt scarred from grinding metal and stained with copper bottom paint. This last item has been casually identified by more than one former owner as I walk down the street of Craig, Alaska - since I acquired this item from the local thrift store. I have almost no shame when it comes to fashion, and so it is out of character for me to throw stones at Ichiro.

The trouble is that no one else has said a single word about Ichiro's odd attire. Putting the onus on me, and my lonely blog. After all, Ichiro is not a farm worker recently arrived to the big city as most of the fashion criminals from China can claim. Nor is he a fisherman, like me - which allows for any clothes which suit the purpose and fashion be damned. No. He is a very rich baseball player who probably paid big bucks for his plaid suit.

Ichiro, I implore you, spend a little of your money on a magazine article about men's fashions. Something along the lines of  "10 Do's and Don'ts for Men's Fashions." Or, "A Guide to Men's Fashions for the Idiot".

Soggyblogger

Blog On Sick Leave

For all my faithful readers, I apologize for my absence. Along with a case of writer's block has come a variety of minor aches and pains which have reduced my production down to bare survival levels. Consider this piece as a gulp of air only. 


If I ever recover from my various ailments I will go fishing which will add to my absence. 


I am also going through nicotine withdrawal. If I come out the other end I hope to be breathing easier. Three days smoke free and I already feel better. Plus I am making money just breathing. Cool. 


Soggyblogger

HOMICIDE

Like all Americans, I have watched my share of TV dramas where homicide is the central theme. I have also read more than a few novels and even non-fiction books with the same theme. I believe I am typical as I read from the NY Times best seller list more often than not.


Without doing any research at all, after all this IS a blog, I believe we can all agree that homicide is probably the most common plot thickener of all time. And that goes way back. A quick memory search comes up with Cain and Abel. Then there is Romulus and Remus or something like that. Shakespeare used murder in more than one of his dramas. And the trend continues and gains momentum by the decade in spite of a rising voice of concern from parents about violence on TV and in video games.


With all of this violence, and specifically homicide, one could easily come to the conclusion that homicide is in fact a very common occurrence when the opposite is actually true. Here is a story from Seattle P-I.com on the official homicide statistics for Seattle going back to the 1950's . Granted, many other cities have considerably higher homicide rates, yet I have to guess it is not 10 or twenty times higher which makes these figures seem rather tame compared to the impression anyone might expect to have based upon the proliferation of homicidal maniacs populating our TV's and movies.


I expect the reader has checked out that P-I story. Bringing that story to the attention of the reader was my primary purpose in writing this blog entry. Reading that story and seeing those graphs and figures clicked with other information I have read over the years about the actual numbers of serial killers in our society and a proliferation of serial killer stories told through our TV and movies. Over the course of a year I might read ten different stories about serial killers and I finally swore off of them voluntarily. No intervention or 12 step program was necessary. I'd just had enough.


Consequently, I am looking for good books to read that do not include a serial killer. I recently saw the mini-series "I, Claudius" which had numerous and various forms of homicide, and technically at least, even one serial killer. However, given it was an historical drama about my brethren, and the serial killer was not a psychopath, but killed for political purposes, I did not censor this movie from my list.


My mother loved Greek and Roman mythology, having been educated at a classics based Catholic educational institution, and I am not sure if she ever saw this production. Dad? I know she would have put down whatever book she was reading at the moment and pulled up a chair to watch this show if she had noticed it in the paper or someone had brought it to her attention as she really loved programs like this.


Anyway.....it is nice to know that homicidal maniacs are actually quite uncommon, and does not seem to increase with increased TV, news, and movies concentrating so heavily on homicide whenever it actually happens or is depicted in fictional dramas. Actually, we are quite safe. Statistically speaking.


Soggyblogger

Husky Basketball

The below was posted on the Seattle Times Husky Basketball Forum, and a thread titled: Disgrace to the program and embarrassed to be a Husky.


The original poster was over the top, and I deleted a bunch of my own complaining about him. What was left is below, and is my response to the recent downturn in the Husky BB fortunes.

I thought Romar's explanation was perfect. This is his fault. He accepted the blame, and yet most of you want to put it on the players. Some of you think coaching is easy, and have the
simple but PERFECT answer to every problem Romar faces.

Yes, it can get frustrating watching our team dismantled by seemingly inferior players. However, if I honestly approach the problem, I cannot think of easy answers. We only have one post
player who can reliably catch the ball. The opponents have learned to remove him from the game and force us to shoot threes.

So what is the answer? Put Suggs, Wilcox, IT, Ross, and MBA in game and bombs away? That was easy. Oh, but rebounding, and defense also comes into the equation. Wilcox, Ross, and Suggs are still developing their defensive skills.

Other than IT getting sloppy, which is a mental error, I thought the team gave a good effort. The first game Duke lost, coach K was very wise. He said, our team gave a good effort, but the other
team gave a better effort. They played really well. They were coached really well. ....that was about all he said, publicly.

Motivating and teaching young athletes is no science. Romar is learning just like everyone else. He is doing fine in my book. Not great, but fine. Let him do his job, and we should do our job which
I suppose does include pretending we are coach and offering ideas. Try to keep it inspirational. Or rationale.

Here is my coaching tip: Next practice, spend half the time allowing everyone to practice their three point shooting. Maybe one on one. The defender giving varied defense from open shots to loosely defended. Maybe a drill where the team plays one minute scrimmages and then immediately goes into the three point shooting practice. Other than Suggs, the entire team is shooting bricks. They are way too tense. They have lost confidence. They need to relax!
Please relax!

Aziz needs to practice CATCHING the ball in the post. Until he learns that he cannot be part of a half court offense. MBA cannot dish off to him when triple teamed. Anyone 7 foot tall
and athletic enough to be playing at the major college level is hoping to get rich in the NBA. Aziz will never make it until he can catch the ball more reliably. Maybe he will never make it, but if he is going to he will have to dedicate himself to putting in the work.

Good luck Huskies! Please spend 20 minutes relaxing before each game. Zen or prayer, it doesn't matter. Then hype yourself up for BATTLE.

***********

Then after the game on the game thread of Percy Allen's Seattle Times Husky Basketball Forum, I wrote the following comment after the Huskies lost a close game to the University of Quack. (Oregon U.)

Soggyblogger said:


"Good effort. Well played except for the early turnover problem. OK, the rest of the country is catching up to the leaders all over the country. Everybody is stepping it up and improving their games. That's what this is all about. Why cry about it? We made progress. I think we turned a corner. Now I think they will accept that nothing is going to be handed to them. Work hard on those things which you can control. Rebounding. Good D. Take care of the ball better.

Thomas was sloppy early, but clearly took control in the second half. I think he is mentally tough and will fight through this. Ross and Suggs are growing every game. Keep rebounding and take care of the ball and I think this team will mature into a top competitor. MBA was great, but either lost his focus or tired out at the end.

It isn't that we are less than we were, but others have turned up the heat and we need to make that next step to being tough AND talented. Go Huskies."

**********

Other fans felt similar, and quite a few are filled with despair. Lots of blame. How sad. If the Huskies cannot get themselves together it is not a life changing problem for me. I will not need prozac. My goodness, it's shocking. Total despair over a college basketball team. Not good mental health. 

When people's happiness is based upon a sporting event or season, they need to re-evaluate their priorities, and they are missing the best thing about being a fan of sports. Regardless of what happens, I will take pleasure in the Huskies successes  and shrug my shoulders when they lose. Either they will help make me happy or I will find happiness somewhere else. Any other attitude seems self-destructive to me. 

Oh, well.... [shrug]

Soggyblogger 

Mortal Enemies

I have spent the last week or two as a Husky Football fan following the recruiting process of high school stars. This process never ends, but each year culminates in the LOI day. Letter Of Intent signing day. Technically, athletes can sign any day after LOI day, but the first day has a carnival feel to it, and is much awaited by the growing internet fan base.

Nowadays, fans can get much more information, think about it, and write about it with other similarly interested fans and an education goes on elevating the discussion from the pre-internet sort which used to go on. I am a recently recruited internet fan. One of over 500 comments made on a thread on Husky recruiting from the Seattle Times Husky Football Blog.

Sark set up a camera panning the UW Football office's Fax machine, and over 700 people were viewing that awesome internet feed. 700 people stareing at a monitor showing an office and a fax machine! One could NOT read the faxes. So I am assuming much excitement was had when the fax machine began whirring and paper came out with fortune cookie expectations.

Twitter was being used for actual information announcements like "Kasen Williams confirmed." Other social networking sites for other schools were followed and reported on, and one such contribution got a rumor started that we were now on the list for the "Black Mamba" some guy defecting from U$C to Nike U (Zero University or Oregon U. are other aliases).

As the reader can see, this reporter has been converted from an objective observer to a homer journalist. In the past I would have said, "USC, and Oregon U...." but after reading 500 posts from the Husky faithful minus a few trolls from WSU and Oregon, I have been brainwashed into seeing both programs in a new light. Meaning, of course, as mortal enemies.

And speaking of enemies, how about that SEC conference? Wasn't I just rooting for the University of Quack against an SEC opponent for the national title?

This is a lot like fishing. While I have local opposition,  competition, or enemies depending on a variety of emotional and environmental factors, but all of us locals are actually more in competition with non-locals. If the BIG SCHOOL OF KING SALMON decides to hang out up around Sitka, then those of us down around Noyes Island fight over the proverbial crumbs. I may catch more than my immediate neighbor, but the ones who are up around Sitka are catching many times more fish than any of us down around Noyes Island.

I guess the comparison is not enlightenment quality, but still I think I have made my point. I DO hate Oregon, USC, and all the rest of the football world, but I like our conference to get better together. The perception that Oregon and USC and UW are powerhouses actually helps each other recruit better athletes from out of the conference and to keep those from within from defecting.

Right now, the SEC sucks off of other parts of the country because of the perception, based upon strong evidence, that the SEC rules NCAA football. I think 8 or 9 teams from the SEC held places in the top 25 recruiting classes. Next best conference was the Pac 12 with 5 or 6. Then the ACC with 4 teams in the top 25.

Until people get tired of living in swamps filled with pollution from the industrial north, the SEC seems to have a decided edge on the rest of the world when it comes to high school talent for football. One other factor might be the education level of the west and east versus the south. I have heard professional athletes say that with what we now know about head injuries, he wouldn't want his child to play football. I suspect more and more parents with any education will be pushing their children to consider less violent sports to pursue. Tiger Woods is looking better and better all the time. Not only can you get as many women as you want playing a sport old men can play, you can make oodles of money without all of that pain. How many billionaire football players are there?

Well, that is about it for now....

Soggyblogger

Welcome Followers and Lurkers, Too

I am back. I was unable to enter my own blog! This is just a test to determine if I am truly back. 


Since I have been gone, I have gained my first follower. How exciting! Too bad for all those lurkers who missed out on this hidden prize for being the first follower. My first follower is currently receiving her $600.00 per month award. Again, so sorry to all you lurkers who missed out on this fabulous award. In a previous post, I mentioned our upcoming reward program for news tips, gossip, Sloggyblogger's Investigative Journalistic Apprentice Program (SIJAP) which is waiting on a grant from the Federal Govt. We are still struggling with some of the requirements and translating the legaleze back into English. We may need to apply for a grant to supply us with a legaleze translator before we can complete our original grant request. SIJAP is just one of our proposed AWARDS PROGRAM. Check back for further updates on our exciting proposed AWARDS PROGRAM. 


And don't miss out on any more hidden awards. Sign up as a follower today! Tell your friends and neighbors to sign up, too.


Today I had "frosted flakes" with half and half for breakfast. Welcome back to myself. 


Soggyblogger

I CARE.......

I CARE about the Seahawks because I choose to care. On a day to day basis, I could watch C-Span and FOX and MSNBC and as many other news outlets as possible and CARE about the latest tragedy or flood victims. The latest scandal or the latest disaster or even the public debate on specific issues before congress. Perhaps that is what I OUGHT to do. But it's not. I am more hedonistic and selfish then that, I guess. But all of those disasters and wrangling over legislation seems so inevitably repetitious. So circular. Yet nothing of consequence seems to come of it. Also, I feel mostly powerless to affect the outcomes. My hat is off to all those who take a political stand and ring doorbells or go to meetings and watch the politicians to protect us from possible corruption. I have been there and done that. The FBI will confirm it. I cannot say I liked the person I became as I participated in the democratic process. I was argumentative and narrow minded. I became emotionally stressed out, and felt largely unappreciated and ineffectual. I and all of the other individuals involved were not, in the end, ineffectual as it turns out. History has vindicated us, and the records support the belief that the anti-Viet Nam war effort was very effective. We changed society in the process. We changed ourselves in the process as well.

Some changes were good and necessary. Some were not. I believe the entire Viet Nam war and all of its ramifications had HUGE affects on our country. Most of them good. That is not the subject of this article and adds a sort of mushiness to it, but I want to reflect reality. Perhaps I will return to this subject some day.

I believe when an issue as significant as the Viet Nam war presents itself again, many millions of otherwise content sports aficionados and couch potatoes, and Nascar fans, and grumpy old men and women will stand up and be counted.

Perhaps that issue exists today. Perhaps the core issue at the heart of the health care reform debate will gradually escalate to engage the attention of Nixon's "silent majority" of which I am a member now.

As I see it, the core issue of the health care reform debate is this: Has basic health care benefits become a basic right of citizenship in this country? Today, it is not. In Europe, it is. Personally, I like the idea of basic health care being part of a citizen's rights. There are many models to choose from to make that a reality without the  upheaval of our way of life or bankrupting our government. Debating the specifics of those models and their inclusion or exclusion from various plans is not really relevant until the core issue is settled first. 
 
Issues such as building more medical schools and producing more MD's would go a long way towards the goal of reducing health care costs across the board, but The AMA keeps tight control on the spigot producing MD's in this country, and that  contributes mightily to the average earnings for doctors, and increases the cost of medical care significantly as well. However, that is a specifics of any plan to achieve the goal of making basic health care a basic citizen's right. Others include things like what procedures will be included in that "basic" level of protection. All doable. Certainly, no coverage at all does more harm and costs society even more in lost productivity, etc. by excluding preventative health care now before more costly therapies are required.

But debating the specifics of any changes in our health care system is more of a diversion by the opposition, who oppose ANY CHANGE to the status quo, when what we should be debating is simply: Is basic health care a citizens right? Is giving basic health care to virtually everyone a positive to the ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL health of our nation as a whole? I think the answer to that question is a resounding "YES!"

If that core principal was debated and voted upon by congress, citizens would clearly see where everyone stood. Just a proclamation that BASIC HEALTH CARE IS EVERY CITIZEN'S RIGHT would lead to further debates about the mechanics of systemic changes needed to bring about that idea. If we could get agreement to that concept, then bringing it about is not so difficult. 



Honest and honorable people disagree on the question: Is basic health care a basic citizen's right? If this country were to debate this issue, and congress were to vote on it, I would accept defeat if that was the result. I would know where everyone stood on the issue, and who to vote for next time. All any of the politicians, or talking heads, and even the press is doing now is just obfuscating the real issue which needs to be decided before those ancillary issues ought to even be discussed.  Wrangling over side issues before the core issue has been decided averts attention from that core issue. Yet that core issue will keep coming up until people stop getting sick and dying, or we decide to give every citizen a basic health care guarantee. Then and only then should we start debating how to achieve that goal. If it is not the goal, I want to know that, too. Right now I don't know who is in favor of it, and who is not.
 
Until some debate in politics engages my interest or ire, I will continue to choose to CARE more about whether Matt Hasselbeck gets re-signed by the Seahawks then the latest tragedy, or the latest scandal, or any of the political issues which are not clearly drawn debates - which simply frustrates or bores me at this point. 

Bread and circuses. The Romans figured it out a long time ago. Maybe the political debates are intentionally boring and pointless so we do not pay attention, and go back to our circuses. I'd rather watch an honest circus then an intentionally obscure and pointless political debate that is essentially rigged.

ALASKAN FISHING (TROLLING) ch1

Before I begin what will be a chapter by chapter story of fishing - though I cannot say I am not at all sure the direction it will take; I want to first talk a little about blogging. Blogging as differentiated from writing a book. If I were to write a book, I would somehow write the darn thing to a first draft completion, and then I would go through it and re-write, and edit, and re-write until I was happy or finished with it otherwise. Then I would, perhaps, attempt to get it published. 

Blogging is different in that I just start writing. Then I transfer with copy and paste and check for spelling and glaring grammatical mistakes, and then I usually publish. Sometimes, upon publishing and reading what I publish I have to edit, and this process might go on through two or more cycles of that. In this chapter on fishing, I do not expect to do a lot of polishing. It felt like technical writing sort of. Almost inhuman. Though I hope to humanize it more in the future, I am not unsatisfied with this approach for the first chapter which is establishing the basis of fishing before we can get to actual fishing. 

I am not vitally attached to this work, but who knows where it will go? I certainly am an expert on fishing in this part of Alaska. I am more qualified to write about Trolling in SE Alaska then on any other subject. In some ways, I feel too close to it, but that may change. For anyone who takes the time to read it, I hope you enjoy it or at least feel edified from your and my efforts. 


Chapter 1 - Getting Started

Somewhere back in the stacks, I mentioned my boat. I live on my boat in Alaska. Craig, Alaska. That's in SE Alaska, or what some call the Panhandle. It is made up of an Island achepelagio or a group of Islands. Big and small. Mostly,the islands are thinner east to west and longer north to south. Waterways tend to run NW to SE.

Craig sits on the West side of one such island. At the  middle measuring from North to South of the largest of all the islands in SE Alaska. That island is called Prince of Wales, and most locals call it POW. POW extends from the Canadian border North - away from Canada for over one hundred miles. Another row of smaller islands protect POW from direct contact with the Pacific Ocean.

Craig is a small fishing village, really. It's population of about 2000 is bolstered by the largest single employer in the area, the National Forest Service. Though tree cutting has almost entirely disappeared, the FS seems to be going at full capacity. Besides the bonus income the city derives from the Fed's, fishing is about the only other industry which produces anything but support services.

Tourism is almost entirely fish related, so I include that in the general fishing industry. That does not exactly tell the whole story. To understand Craig, and fishing, and fish tourism, one needs to understand that a non-shooting war exists between the different fishing groups. With all commercial fisherman on one side, and any charter fishing boat and operator on the exact opposite side of the war. It is mostly civil, but emotions run high.

Money is involved in all ways, but that doesn't tell the whole story at all. Commercial trolling has been unalterably changed by charter fishing. Up until about the late 1980's or so, there were near zero charter boats. Now they number in the hundreds and probably more than one thousand. The total number of available licences to troll commecialy has remained steady at around 1000 the whole time, but the effort level has increased perhaps 50% from 600 boats fishing to 900 boats fishing. During that same time the charter fishing industry began to expand like a metastasized cancer. Sprouting up simultaneously throughout SE Alaska until, today, there is no piece of water which has not been covered in the routine travels of some charter boat. They are seen in every bay and inlet. They know every fishy point. Every shallow spot on the ocean. They travel alone out to Forrester Island which is almost 20 miles offshore. They travel in massive trains of dozens of boats speeding down a straight.

Territorial disputes exist. No one owns any piece of water, and trollers are by definition moving all the time. Charter boats will come in to an area and drift directly over bait balls and deny access to trollers. Legally, trollers have the right of way, and some trollers do endure the stress necessary to insist on their right of way, but mostly trollers have ceded most of the shallow water fishing in SE Alaska.

Trollers have watched this transformation over the course of twenty years, and see no end in sight. The economic downturn has temporarily slowed the growth like a mediocre chemo therapy treatment. For now, the charter boat industry is in remission, but will recover with the economy and then the growth will continue. The boat orders have been made, and the cabins are being built as I write.

The trolling industry has also been under siege from the fish farming industry which began almost simultaneously and kept pace with the growth rate of the charter boat industry. Though not visible on the fishing grounds, this incursion has had an even more disasterous effect on trolling. Starting with a few dozen million fish and growing to hundreds of millions of fish being dumped on the salmon markets, the price of salmon first stopped increasing and then started falling. The price of salmon peaked around 1984 or so, but would have reached a higher high had there been no farmed fish on the market. The following year, increased farm production drove the price of all salmon down. With few exceptions, each new year was worse than the year before. By the early 2000's the price finally bottomed out around $1.00 per pound for king salmon. The high was around $4.00/pound in 1984.

Many factors were involved in the final bottoming out of the price of salmon. One of the major reasons was that with all of the cheap salmon on the market, restaurants and families ate more of it. Consumers became accustomed to eating more salmon. It is not like the glut on the market caused fish to go bad and get thrown out. No. The price fell until someone was willing to buy. So the entire world supply of salmon increased by as much as 100% as a result of fish farming, and that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Fishermen might not like it, but all things being equal, the world needs more food, and salmon have become like pigs, chicken, and beef. Grow it for the lowest possible price. On land farms this causes pollution, but we have to eat, right? The same holds true for fish farms. There is pollution, and the reduction of shoreline for general use, and genetic issues when farmed fish escape from captivity.

These are much more complex issues than I can hope to explain adequately unless I were to make this book specifically about this subject, and I am no expert nor do I wish to become one, but you get the picture.

The big reason that the markets for salmon finally bottomed out is because of the real and perceived  healthfulness differences between farmed fish and wild fish. More omega fatty acids and no dye to turn the meat red. Political correctness sided with wild fish. Consumers began to differentiate between the two products available. Consumer willingness to pay extra for wild fish combined with declining returns of wild fish everywhere but Alaska created a shortage of wild fish and an increasing price.

That's where we stand today. With more feeding from the same trough, but with increasing prices for the fish. It is not a picture of economic health, but it is better than the worst years, and a profit can be made catching fish.

I have stuck to it since I began back in the 1970's. I took two years off when my carpel tunnel syndrome required it, but after taking care of that with surgery, I got back into it. Then I took two years off to rebuild my boat's cabin and replace my engine and fuel tanks. Lots of other changes in the rigging and equipment, but this isn't a book about boat building, or worse, fiberglass laying. Neither activity suits my nature nor pleases me.

Fishing is fun. However, there are many things to do before one can go fishing. And to keep fishing. Things break and need to be fixed. Equipment needs to be maintained or it breaks more often. A boat is a complex group of equipment. When something breaks it either ends fishing or threatens the boat. Or both. Engine, shaft, propeller, rudder, cooling system, water pumps of dozens of types, hydraulics, electrical systems, electronics of multiple purposes, anchor and anchoring equipment, steering systems and auto pilots. The list seems endless before any fishing is even considered.

Every fisherman maintains and fixes almost every system on a boat except the engine. Engine repairs often require a professional. Some fishermen do these repairs, too. I have had a reduction gear apart and back together, which is the car equivalent of the transmission, but never an engine. Special tools are usually required, and some experience is more than useful.

None of this interests me even slightly. Except as much as a soldier takes an interest in his gun as a necessity. As my life depends on this stuff, I pay attention. That doesn't mean that taking apart a reduction gear is a pleasant experience. Nor is changing the oil in the engine.

Once everything is in working order, a fisherman can consider getting ready to fish. That would be a good place to start the next chapter....  

THE TOP TEN MOST FAQ v.1

What IS a Soggyblogger??? is THE most frequently asked question by a four to one margin vs the next most FAQ.

The answer is neither simple nor facile, and in fact is a hotly debated topic amongst a small but militant arm of the philologist inteligencia. Some similarities have been noticed between this group and the Catholic sect known as Opus Dei made famous in the wildly popular work of fiction "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown. But I digress....

Soggyblogger derives from the modern term "blog" and "blogger" which is an internet born form of news, opinion, journal, and other sorts of written expression on an internet "page" which doesn't actually exist at all except in the cyber world. Wow. This IS complicated.

Soggy: From Wikipedia  (those unfamiliar with Wikipedia are beyond educating and may leave off reading this portion of this story) has only a referrence to "soggy biscuits" and "The Soggybottom Boys" from some movie, but no definition of just "soggy" so I will move on to a more reliable source....

From an online dictionary: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/soggy 

sog·gy  (sg, sôg)
adj. sog·gi·er, sog·gi·est
1. Saturated or sodden with moisture; soaked: soggy clothes.
2. Lacking spirit; dull: a soggy bit of dialogue.
3. Humid; sultry: a soggy afternoon in August.

I believe ALL of those definitions fit me in one way or another. A little like the way I see all of my characteristics represented in all of the signs of the Zodiac. Spooky.

No, really, I hadn't consulted a dictionary before choosing the name Soggyblogger, but now I see it was the hand of fate. It was MEANT TO BE. There ARE no coincindences.

I could NOT be happier. The first definition is, perfectly, first in my intentions. Sodden with moisture. In other words all wet. Perhaps a more common way of putting it is "full of shit" but normally I refrain from gratuitus crudities.

The second definition is highly prophetic as well as  perceptive and I am surprised they did not publish my photograph alongside the definition as a demonstration, and cite my blog specifically when they said, "a soggy bit of dialogue." - though they may have intended that close comparison when they chose the wording.

The third definition treads lightly on the doorstep to porn, and I am reluctant to be drawn into that discussion, but as I am honest if nothing, I MUST confess to a "sultriness" which conjurs an image I am not reluctant to embrace and combined with all of the other definitions, in a massive gestalt, a totally acurate picture emerges of who I am. At the core. In essence.

Perhaps others would be reluctant to expose themselves in such a naked way without shame or remorse. Not all bloggers are created equal. Not all bloggers can bring themselves to expose the essence of who they are regardless of the mental anguish involved - sparing themselves no face whatsoever. 

However, I am determined to be the most honest, the most exposed and introspective blogger on the entire internet - leaving off actual photographs of my genitalia. I do draw the line at pornography. I hate to even use the word - though I have noticed a direct correlation between an increased frequency in my use of the term "porn" and an increase in this website's popularity.

We do not have any fetish articles, nor PHOTOS OF BDSM, MASSIVE HOOTERS, BUXOM BABES, FREE PORN FOR U or GIRL ON GIRL SEX. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Soggyblogger

The Siren Song of Sarah Palin....

A Poem for Sarah....

I’m a little Tea BIGOT!
Short on Clout!
Here is my Anger!
Here is my Pout!
When I get steamed up
Bile comes Out!
Disagree with me and
my Gun will come Out!

-author unknown

In an internet story about Sarah Palin and her response to the criticism for her use of the term "blood libel" more than 1800 readers took the time to comment on Palin, and this story. I have read the first page of 32 such pages and selected for my readers a representative sampling.

For a few weeks now, I have boycotted Palin stories in the press. For a while, I had enjoyed reading anything negative about my former governor, but finally realized the attention people like myself give to Palin stories is exactly why the press continues to follow Palin around like paparazzi.

Polls indicate Sarah Palin appeals to a large minority of Republicans which translates into a fairly small minority of total Americans. However, large portions of Palin haters are like myself and cannot ignore her. We dislike her politics and demeanor so strongly we select any story with her name in the headline hoping for one more pratfall...one more foot in the mouth. Each time thinking this is the one which will dethrone her as the standard bearer for that large minority of republicans.

I have come to the conclusion that she will never stop, and the press will never stop responding anytime she calls them so long as both lovers and haters cannot take their eyes off her. Only boredom of the masses will finally end her reign as the darling of the press. So I did my part and boycotted any press coverage she received until this "blood libel" comment snowballed Palin onto the front page headlines again which I could not ignore.

In a desperate attempt to increase my readership, I hereby succumb to the siren song of Sarah.  Though I stake no claim to fairness or impartiality, I start off with a pro-Palin comment:



"....Is the term "blood libel  somehow copyrighted and no one but a Jewish priest can use it ? Are bulls-eyes the only proper way to mark a political candidate to be voted out of office? She uses the tools available to her to stir the pot and it is working I guess.

It seems interesting that if this woman is so insignificant that so many feel the need to downgrade her with such vigor. Is she really that much of a threat to politics as usual that a full on attack is needed ? Seems she may well be making a lot of people nervous."

Then.....

Why does this woman continue to get national attention? She has made an utter fool of herself since day one. All the way back to her vice-presidential bid she was unable to name a Supreme Court case besides Roe vs Wade, and she couldn't name one magazine or newspaper that she read. In another interview, she seemed to have no clue who Hamas is and started rambling rather incoherently about Iran. She made some weird claim about International Relations experience because the president of Russia would fly over Alaskin airspace or something similarly bizarre. Thanks so much McCain for introducing this airhead to the country. I wish she would just stop talking, I think most of the nation is quite fed up with her self-centered illogical and dimwited ways.

and.....

Sarah Palin has become the Paris Hilton of politics -- except without the porn video. Regarding her "blood libel" comment, I think SNL last week on their fake news said it best -- "I would be offended if I thought she actually knew what it meant."

Come to think of it, I wonder what Paris Hilton has to say about the Tucson shootings. Her opinion is at least as relevant and well-informed as Sarah's.
*****************

Sadly, all of the moronic comments above attacking Sarah Palin, one, have high ratings and, two, prove you are fools.

I don't know if a single comment had a valid, logical reason as to why one should not like her. Instead, it's all "she's a moron", "she's stupid", "she needs to shut up". Good grief, you guys are like 3rd graders.

Why do I like her? Because she knows that America has largely drifted from a Christian-based, common sense approach to life, qualities that our nation was founded on, and she's not afraid to say it.

For the sake of our country, please use your brain.
***********

Everything she says needs an excuse...but notice it takes ten days or more to figure out that excuse. Stay home and take care of your kids lady. 
**********

Funny how Palin criticizes "mainstream" media. She's part of the mainstream media. Fox News is mainstream media, masquerading as otherwise. It's called controlled opposition.

Fox is owned by News Corp, one of six multinationals that own most news outlets in the US. And it's all corporate-state propaganda.

When a Republican puppet's in office, MSNBC plays opposition. When it's a Democrat puppet, it's Fox News. Keith Olbermann doesn't recount dead American troops in his nightly sign-off since Obama took control. Fox never made a peep about Bush II tripling the size of the federal government, but now that Obama's in office, they can't have a segment where "spending" doesn't enter into the debate.

It's all controlled. It's all theater. Both major parties are the same. They might pretend to be opposed to one and other, and they might squabble over small things, carefully designed to give the illusion of choice and difference, but on all the major fronts both parties go along.

*****************

Palin is an interesting phenomenon. I am not sure if it is because she is an (apparently) physically attractive person that the media likes to print her picture, or if it has more to do with the fact that people who are "liberal" (I don't mean actually "liberal" by that, but "knee-jerk liberal") think that all conservatives are moronic, and see her as a typical spokesperson.

We can find many such individuals--the intellectually limited Hasselbeck, the self-aggrandizing O'Reilly, the ethnocentric Palin, the unbalanced Bachmann--whom the media gloms onto.

What I find very sad is that these people have come to be spokespersons for the "conservatives." These people are no more capable of clearly articulating a conservative position than they are capable of explaining Einstein's theory of relativity.

I wonder if the Republican party realizes--and I think that they are coming to realize this--that such people are doing more to alienate voters entirely than they are to bringing them into the Republican fold (or to turn them into Democrats). The last time this happened--and disaffected people started up the "American" party (also known as the "Know Nothing" party), an interesting thing happened. The Whig party disappeared and the new Republican party came into being.

I think that, perhaps, people ought to look into the "Know Nothing" party--it was opposed to the immigration of Irish and German Catholics into the US and wanted to curb both immigration and naturalization (they promised to appoint only native born Americans to office), it was only open to Protestant males of British lineage who were over 21, it was largely middle class, it was prone to violence to achieve its ends . . . wow, does this sound like Palin's "Tea Party" or what?

Those who fail to learn from history (and Palin would be one) are doomed to repeat it. The time is ripe for a new party to emerge--and the party most likely to bite the dust is the Republican party. Allowing someone like Palin (and the others) to rise to power was not a very good idea for them.

I am sure that we all know people like Palin--who don't understand the Constitution, who don't understand what a democratic republic based on religious freedom is, who don't understand even the basics of logic or the English language. The world must be a really frightening place for people like that--and it kind of explains why they get so angry about "change." These are people for whom "different is bad" because all they can wrap their brains around is what was done in the past (or, what they fantasize was done in the past). They only understand slogans--which is why, like Palin, they tend to cobble half-understood sloganizing language together in a kind of gibberish way.

I think that SNL is right--I would be offended if I actually thought she understood what she was doing. But, I do think that people ought to look up the Know Nothing party to see what happened--we really can learn from history. Well, if we are a little more advanced than Palin.
****************

Do you have a crystal ball. Bets are on, Palin won't run. She is a Media "Star".; they love hacking away at her, and she loves returning it.

She is a reminder to those on the Left, not to forget Freedom of Speech. We all have it.

Strong, Powerful, secure; most people fear an intelligent, outspoken person.

***********

Christian values? Do you seriously think Jesus Christ would have made himself a political victim of a tragedy the day of a memorial for the actual victims of the tragedy?

Jesus Christ said that we should love our neighbors as thyself.

I am sorry but after listening to both Christians speeches I believe Obama's was much more Christ like than Palin's was. Obama spoke about offering words of healing rather than wounding. He also stated that power, wealth and fame was not as important than love. That was more Christ like than what Palin had to offer during this crisis.

Being at the top is not all that it is cracked up to be. A good leader is selfless and others come first. A good leader has to be strong in the face of adversity. Palin did not display strong common sense leadership. If she would have waited she would had been exalted of the accusations that had been made personally against her. She didn't, which ended up making her look weak and foolish. A good leader needs to stay focused and positive, not just for Christians, but for ALL of humanity!
***************

Sarah's unique.

She can drag herself up on the cross, nail herself to it, then use that position of self crucifixtion to @!$%# us all over.

**************

I do not believe it is coincidental that most of those who defend Palin sound a lot like the below commenter. That is not to say all Palin supporters are ignorant and nearly illiterate, but certainly a large portion of her supporters come across as such. Perhaps that explains why her supporters do not expect more from her in the way of knowledge of geography, history, and current world events.


Soggyblogger
*******

....I'd bet anyone of your lives, ...That "ALL"99% of you "PALIN BASHERS" are either on the gov "PAYROLL" and or .....Welfare, Urban Housing, Food Stamps, Fuel Assistance, Medicare, Unemployment, etc, etc,.....And "NOT FROM OLD AGE" ....The truth hurts don't it?....You "ALL" need to get a "JOB OR LIFE"

*************

Palin's hardcore right-wing constituents will continue to think that she's the greatest thing since sliced cheese, ignoring the fact that she is unelectable. I don't know if Palin has any advisors, but if she does, she should fire them. When you have to explain your defense, you are in grave danger of becoming irrelevant. It would be my fondest hope to see Palin as the 2012 Republican candidate, but then the GOP would have to be planning on throwing the election. As for Ms. Palin's bonifieds as a "Christian," she represents the far right version of that too. Most of us Christian at the middle or on the left are absolutely horrified that she purports to speak for the faithful. Christ himself warned us against mixing our faith with politics.

**************

Sarah was a college party girl in Hawaii who hopscotched to different colleges before graduating in journalism. Her first job was as a sports caster. She took that job not because she has a passion for sports, but she has a passion for being in front of a camera. She ran for mayor not because of a passion for politics but a passion for fame. It's not a better nation that she seeks, it's the camera! She simply loves being in front of a camera and she found a way to keep doing it forever. Kudos Sarah.

**************

It is telling that Palin does not even comprehend the point being made. Spirited political debate does not have to incite violence, paint cross hairs or celebrate locking and loading to take on the opposition. If she is unable to see the difference between celebrating violence against your opposition and debating issues, what kind of politician is she.

There is a difference between political debate as evinced by the Lincoln/Douglasdebates or even Kennedy. Nixon or Bush/Gore and the style of demagoguery she espouses. She seems to subscribe to the Hitler/Goebbels School of Demagoguery and Propaganda instead. She would rather inflame emotions than debate issues rationally.

There are numerous other talking heads and politicians of all political stripes that could face similar criticism but she is the one whining unfair.

**********

From the comments of the neo-cons here, it is so obvious who her target audience is: the gun-toting, God-fearing, undereducated, republican base. The same 20% who still think GW did a good job (and voted for him because they can spell GW most of the time). They're as predictable as the audience at a "Pro Wrestling" event and easier to market to.

************

You say "she was unjustly connected with he shooting"; while I can agree that there is likely no direct link between Sarah Palin and the shooter. It was Congress Woman Gifford that made the link to "heated rhetoric" the crosshairs on the map and said you have to expect that your choice of words have consequences. Since she was the primary target, that is close enough link to warrant a little backing down, but no Dear Sarah had to double down in stead.

It probably would have be best if Sarah had said "we have taken down the map because, while I do not believe it has any link to the shooting, I do not want to cause the Gifford family any more distress. But no! Poor Tone Deaf Sarah uses the term Blood Libel in her own defense. A term offensive to many Jewish People because it is the Blood Libel that was used to justify killing the Jews. Oh, and do I need to point out that Congress Woman Giffod is the first Jewish representative from Arizona?

Sarah's handling of this hole situation has been tone deaf and utterly clueless. I also read two conservative posts and heard another that used the term Blood Libel before Sarah's little video. It was not even an original thought for her, she copied something without clearly understanding the breadth of the term.

I have not gone to name calling Sarah, but I think she has managed to show herself to be morally bankrupt.

*******************8

There is no way that Ms. Palin will run for president in 2012 unless she is irretreivably stupid. Why would she want to give up her self aggrandizing money machine and her little circle of mindless worshipers to have to answer questions about her beliefs, practices and pronouncements? She is just playing to her base and stirring controversy to try to squeeze more money out of anyone who is silly enough to listen to her.

****************

How can Sarah be stupid? She reads "oh, just everything".

************

The whole "Blood Libel" thing never bothered me... what bothered me was people were shot and killed, especially the little girl and instead of ignoring her "critics" and calling for peace and unification, she labeled herself the "Victim"... the real victims are no longer breathing.

Always had to be about her.
**************

Soggyblogger

Seattle Needs a Scapegoat

Seattle sports fans are desperately in need of a scapegoat. I nominate Mike Williams. He is officially charged with four dropped passes in the Seahawks loss to the Chicago Bears. He may not be the only Seahawk who dropped critical passes in that loss, but he was the most persistent. Cameron Morrah, the replacement for injured John Carlson the starting tight end for the Seahawks,  dropped a long pass on a critical third down play in the second quarter which would have put the Seahawks in the red zone. Morrah was replacing Carlson who was taken from the field immobilized on a stretcher directly to the hospital as a precaution against worsening his injury. Instead of a first down, the Seahawks punted and Chicago marched down the field for another score.

But that was it for Morrah who had not dropped an obvious pass all season up until that point, and wasn't given another opportunity because of a turf toe injury which removed him from further play. Not so for Mike Williams who made a few grabs for short yardage including one touchdown pass, but three of the four situations where Mike Williams dropped passes were third downs and usually the passes hit both of his hands. Hasselbeck was nearly perfect all day long. The same cannot be said for the Seahawks receiver corp.

Golden Tate had an opportunity to make an exceptional reception in a critical moment to extend a drive and put the Seahawks in the red zone again, but let the ball fall without being caught. End of offensive series with another punt.

Obamanu was slightly better but dropped at least one pass too, and if there was any satisfaction in making the entire receiver corp the scapegoat that would be fair. However, it is not very satisfying and ignores the glaring mistakes made by one receiver with almost machine regularity.

Each time Mike Williams dropped a pass he could have been a hero and his previous drops could have been forgiven if not  forgotten. I kept telling myself, "it's not too late to be a hero, Mike" but then he would drop another pass. Finally, when it was much too late to alter the outcome of the game, and Hasselbeck was completing passes to a variety of receivers, I thought it would be charitable of Hasselbeck to throw another touchdown to Mike Williams as a compassionate act. A "hey, I don't hold any grudges, brother" message would have been sent, but towards the end of the game as Seattle began to rack up some yards, Williams was no longer the first target.

On the other hand, Mike, if Hasselbeck has not approached you recently and patted you on the ass and said, "forget it brother, you'll get em next time...." then he may have gone to Pete Carroll and said, "Trade him! Now! Before I have to play with him again. It's Trade Mike Williams or I am gone!" Sprinkled into his speech might be phrases such as "slippery handed mf...." or "the wideout without any fingers!" and the like.

Mike Williams appropriateness for the sacred scapegoat position is enhanced significantly by his recent signing of a three year contract. No one misses the irony. No one.

And that is why I hope the Seahawks show some responsibility and establish a suicide watch on Mike. He is in a fragile psychological situation. Professionals should be consulted and every effort should be made to encourage Mike to seek treatment voluntarily.

There should be no shame associated with it. All of us, at times, would benefit from a friendly visit to a shrink.

I do not have a source inside the Seahawk organization, and so it is only speculation as to whether any ostracization has been initiated. I hope not. I have witnessed the mental disease riddled husks left after Jehovah Witness' ostracization of one of their members. Given the camaraderie of a football team, I can only surmise that the results would be even more tragic.

Yet Seattle sports fans need someone to fill the role of scapegoat. Mike is the perfect candidate. The offensive line or the cornerbacks are weak candidates even if there is some truth to their complicity in the Seahawks loss. The O-line for their inability to create any running lanes, and the cornerbacks for making every quarterback the Seahawks have faced look like an  awesome quarterbacks when other teams routinely shut them down.

Yes, we lost. Yes, Chicago may be a better team. Nevertheless I believe the game was winnable with a perfect performance from the receiver corp. Hasselbeck delivered the ball and those guys missed the catches way too often.

My life will go on without much ado, but Mike Williams will probably need some form of help to move on. I hope his teammates and coaches will forgive him and move on to next season with good cheer. Hopefully, a few million dollars will sooth Mike's mind. 

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I hear those phones starting to ring......

CONCERNING A THREAT TO OUR WAY OF LIFE

They say that theft is the highest form of flattery when it comes to writing. I, personally, have never resorted to plagiarism, though when it comes to writing I cannot say I have any morals at all. So it does not surprise me, or wound me mortally, to have my blog plagiarized by nationally syndicated  columnists. On the contrary, I am flattered. 

More than one sports writer as well as one humor writer from a nationally circulated magazine has apparently been monitoring this site for inspiration for punch lines, the turn of a phrase, or sometimes, brazenly, the entire premise of a story.

I will not name names or anything classless like that. I won't use initials like T, or leave an incriminating file on my desk while I go on a bathroom break. I will not cite case and file,give quotes, and compare published dates. Though, I certainly could do all of those things.

I will not do anything about this immoral behavior, probably. I will look upon it as a curse of a free society and a free internet. We are easily infiltrated. I could make this blog proprietary and charge a fee for entry like a porn site or have a "premium" membership fee for my best stuff like theStreet.com. Leaving what I ate for breakfast on the free site, and words of wisdom such as the secret to happiness on the premium members only site.

I could offer an even higher level of membership which included color photos and cooking tips. But all of that layering is elitist and  anti-democratic and limits the free flow of ideas - punishing the average internet user in the process. So I will not, at this time, change the format of this blog just to safegaurd my articles from the persistent plagiarists plaguing this blog.

Though at this moment I am not seeking justice or retribution,  I am keeping records of every stolen phrase, joke, and copy idea (be looking for the phrase " persistent plagiarists plaguing" to show up in a nationally syndicated column soon). I am keeping links, emails with date stamps; all printed out and mailed through the United States Postal Service in sealed envelopes as a cheap copyright solution. This enables me to keep my legal options available when/if it comes time for me to prove my allegations and name names and dates. Believe me when I tell you that I will include a list of nationally snynicated newspapers and magazines. Not to mention multiple blogs. All transgressors have not, as yet, been identified. The number of blogs in the universe is huge. More than one per household at last count. So tracking them all down without spending money or being some kind of computer hacker geek is impossible. I will keep trying, though, and document every case I can.

Perhaps I will turn all of my files over to the FBI and let them handle it. This is intellectual theft such as they warn about before every DVD I watch - and that includes the pirated ones I watch in China. They seem to mean business when it comes to pirated DVD's, but I wonder how hard they will work to protect a lowly blogger against blatant plagiarism by monolithic mega media corporations? We all know the answer to that question. 

Keeping track of all the plagiarists infesting this blog has been tedious, tiring, and taken up a larger and larger part of my life, and that has taken a toll on the creative process and ultimately the quality of the content for which this blog is so well known. Eventually, the time will come when I will have to choose between tracking down all of these literary thieves, and throwing my hands up in acceptance of the impossibility of bringing them all to justice, and the unendingness of it all, and just write. Frig em. Let them steal my best stuff. I am flattered, and will try to just ignore them.

Soggyblogger

Editors Note: Some readers may have noticed that you would "be the first" to be a follower of this blog, and may conclude that Soggyblogger has jumped to erroneous conclusions regarding the plagiarism he purports, but that is easily explained as a simple software glitch. Try it yourself. If you sign up to "follow" this blog, you will notice that nothing changes after you start following. Try it. Plenty of nationally syndicated columnists already have.

Editors Note #2: You can contribute to this sites investigations of Soggybloggers claims by paying close attention to the phraseology used on this site and looking for suspiciously close wordage used in other publications. Please report any violations you may suspect to this site and the FBI. Your cooperation is appreciated. Rewards are being considered and might be rewarded retroactively once the specifics of our reward program are run by our legal department. Keep checking back for further updates on our future rewards programs. 

I HATE THE PITTSBURG STEELERS

As a child, my family had this rule whereby any child could choose one vegetable we did not have to eat. With much the same thinking, reasoning, and logic - each Seahawk fan is allowed one opponent to hate.  

As a child, I foolishly chose asparagus which, being expensive, was served less than once a month. Had I chosen broccoli, I would have had more opportunities to exercise my veto due to it being such a popular vegetable on our dinner table.

Others may choose the football equivalent of brocolli such as a divisional opponent guaranteeing them more hate opportunities, but I choose to HATE the Pittsburg Steelers. The remainder of the Seattle Seahawks opponents in the NFL I merely dislike very very much. The primary reason for my hatred of the Steelers is the girly trick plays they used to beat the Seahawks in the 2005 Superbowl*

* The girly plays alone would not have defeated the Seahawks without the added help from ADMITTEDLY MISTAKEN CALLS by the officiating crew. Apologies have been tendered by those responsible. However, reparations have not even been discussed. To my knowledge, no quid pro quo has even been contemplated - though God Himself knows it is the just due of our beloved Seahawks.  

The mighty Steelers of "The Steel Curtain" defense - a manly image - relied on trick plays for nearly all of their yardage in that Superbowl game. Such hypocracy earns my excessive hatred. 

Listening to the game between Baltimore and Pittsburg, I can only hope they get blown out, but at this moment in time they have lucked into a couple or three turnovers and are looking like they might win.

In the back of my mind is a secret wish Pittsburg makes it to the Superbowl. But only if Seattle is destined to be their opponent. That would set up a rematch of the 2005 Superbowl where we were beaten by Pittsburg with a combination of girly plays and bad officiating in spite of Pittsburg obviously being the less talented team. If the two teams should meet again in 2011, everyone would agree that Seattle was this time the less talented team. So a victory would be even more sweet. Nothing but beating Pittsburg in the Superbowl with less talent will fully quench my thirst for revenge. Nothing else will satisfy this hunger to devour the Pittsburg Steelers.

If all of these conditions are met, and the Seahawks get the opportunity to play Pittsburg in the 2011 Superbowl, my last wish is that Seattle uses as many girly plays as necessary to ensure our win.   


Soggyblogger

GET READY FOR FAME

My very dear friend, John Taylor, of Anacortes, WA, who sells boats for a living, will be inconvenienced should Green Bay beat Atlanta on Sunday and the Seahawks pull off another upset against the Chicago Bears in the Windy City.  He will be inconvenienced because that would mean the Seahawks would host the Green Bay Packers for the League Championship game deciding who would go to the Superbowl. Hosting the game against the Packers would mean the Seattle Boat Show would need to vacate parts of Qwest Field to make room for the Championship game. 


My dear friend, John, says he cannot root for Green Bay to beat Atlanta in spite of the home field advantage that win would assure for the Seahawks which would certainly increase Seattle's chances of winning the game against Green Bay. 12th man and all of that. And here I might add is an area where John is being a bit hypocritical. John calls me on the phone every time the 12th man causes a delay of game penalty against the opposing team. He laughs and delights in the 12th man. Yet in spite of his obvious pleasure taken from the Seahawks, he is unwilling to give anything in return in the way of removing a folding table, a couple of folding chairs, some pamphlets, a few pens, and a rug from some portion of Qwest field late at night after a full and stressful day of selling aluminum boats made mostly by Thunder Jet which is a super-high quality American made boat. So we are looking for Seahawk fans to volunteer to help John as he is old and cranky and whiny and won't STFU. Any volunteers may call John at 360-555-1212. 


My friend, John, keeps irregular hours so do not worry about the time of day or night you call. After checking with John for permission I may post his real business phone number on the off chance you are interested in purchasing a shiny new fish killing machine. 


John threatens to hold it against the Seahawks for eternity if their plans inconvenience him in the slightest. Threats such as voting against any future bond issues for stadiums and infrastructure to support professional football in the Seattle area is only one of many such threats. All of these negative vibes can be averted with a small cadre of volunteers. 


While once friends, John is starting to piss me off, and I almost regret making him famous like this. Nevertheless, if you happen to be going to the Seattle Boat Show anyway, stop by the Thunder Jet booth and say hello to my ex-friend John, and tell him you are going to buy a boat from a true and loyal Seahawks fan - which EXCLUDES HIM. Go Seahawks AND the Green Bay Packers! Rah rah. 

Soggyblogger

MY PSYCHOTIC NEIGHBORS

In a previous post I mentioned, in passing, my psychotic neighbors, and upon some reflection it occurred to me this might alarm some of my loved ones. For their sake, I want to make clear that there is no immediate reason to be alarmed as I may have exaggerated the situation slightly. As far as I know with first hand knowledge, only a few of them are armed with assault weapons. The bad news is that the gun toting group includes the one self-avowed mentally disturbed person. Yes, I am sorry to say, "group" is a better description than "a few" or even "a smattering", but at least "mob" is not quite accurate as they never seem to act in any organized way.


I am always pleasant and agreeable, as you can imagine, and which only seems prudent. Can anyone say they would act with more valor? I am entirely unarmed unless one counts the gaff hooks out on the back deck of my fishing boat. Or my kitchen knives. I suppose I could grab a crowbar in the event of borders. I have thought long and hard on the subject of arming myself, and came to the decision to buy a simple single shot breach loading 12 gauge shotgun. The sort they sell for $89 at any Walmart in America. Except Alaska. Here the price is a bit steeper. But my big problem is transportation. Walmart will not ship any guns. They are progressive this way. And are highly resistant to any change in their policy, and corruption has not reached that low a level yet. At least not via cell phones. A personal appeal might work, but once I get there I can just buy the darn gun and tote it home - making sure to carry it in plain sight when I finally arrive. Or not. 


Aye, that is the question. A hefty one, it is. Deterrence or the advantage of surprise? Yes, they do know I am unarmed, and I have no one to blame but myself, but I can use that to my advantage if I keep my dangerous weapons purchase to myself. Yes, I can see a plan developing. So sneak it by my neighbors it is. 


That will require planning and planning will require some more thought. Devious, I must be. As any dictator in his right mind says, "I know I am paranoid, but what I don't know is if I am paranoid enough." - which probably explains a lot of bad things which have happened up until now. 


Though a king I am not, paranoid I must be. It is the natural state of anyone surrounded by psychotics even if that is a bit of an exaggeration. That would come down to the definition of "bit" wouldn't it? Am I splitting hairs now?


In reality, and all kidding aside, I do plan on buying the above described gun which I will henceforth refer to as "Bessie". Yes, I have named my gun (to be) in the cowboy tradition. I am also a heroin addict in the cowboy tradition. Ha ha. Just kidding about being a heroin addict. Though many cowboys were. Which might explain why there weren't even more gunfights. 


I see a plan forming.....



Soggyblogger

EDITORS NOTE: We here at Soggyblogger take no responsibility for the views and opinions expressed on this site. All of us behind the scenes of this blogsite wish to specifically distance ourselves from the entire post above. 

WE GOT OUR MOJO WORKING

Editors note: The following story was first published on  SEATTLE SEAHAWKS OUTSIDER in the comments section about a week ago before the birth of this blog. The following story is a slightly edited version of that original post. You can go look up the original story if you want but I won't help any more.




        We Got Our Mojo Working

Delirious is the only way to describe Seattle sports fans today, January 8th, 2011. Seattle sports fans are not familiar with this level of happiness, and like the high from ingesting too many alcoholic drinks, Seattle sports fans are drunk on winning. Seattle fans endured another 100 loss Mariner's season, the start of another NBA season without even a losing team, and at one time the Huskies football team was 3-6 and on the verge of being eliminated from bowl contention - which is when Seattle sports seems to have gotten it's MOJO back. The Husky football team won three straight to earn a bowl bid which led to a magical weekend of sports down in Southern California where the Huskies stunned Nebraska by not only beating them, but clearly dominating them. Simultaneously, the Husky basketball team was sweeping USC and UCLA in their own cribs.

Returning home, the Seahawks took advantage of that Mojo and beat the Rams to win the NFC West Divisional Championship. The Seahawks did not back into this win. They did not win with some flukey bounce of the ball, or a rash of bad luck plays for the other guys. The Seahawks won like the Huskies vs. Nebraska, they clearly dominated their opponent, and deserved the win. Instead of the Rookie QB sensation, Sam Bradford, tearing The Seahawks apart as most pundits would have it, it was our unheralded first year playing, Charlie Whitehurst, who looked like the better young QB and helped the Seahawks to an upset win versus the Rams.

That contest set up the debate in the sporting community as to whether winning the division, and a spot in the playoffs, was even worth losing the 10 or more places in the upcoming draft that winning took away from us. National sports writers even chimed in on the side of losing for the draft pick (FoxSports.com). EVERY non-Seattle sports commentator, and most of those within the city limits as well, gave the Seahawks little to none as the chances of beating the New Orleans Saints who are the defending Super Bowl champs. Way too many made flat out "The Seahawks cannot beat NO" statements which splattered egg all over their faces. Of course, most sports writers just move on and make their next outrageous comment. This is entertainment folks. There's no accountability here to speak of. Even most fans have the attention span of a clam, and live in the moment and future, but much less in the past. Most of us don't hold grudges for past predictions gone wrong because most of us know that about forty different scenarios run through our heads each day imagining the Huskies BB team winning out the Pac 10 season unbeaten...until they get beat. Or envisioning the Huskies football team going 3-9 in our darkest hour. If we were sports writers in the wrong place at the wrong time maybe we would write the story which would force us to eat crow.
 
Chicago Bear heart is on the menu now, and not crow. Soon after the Seahawks finished off the Saints, the Husky basketball team was devouring the Oregon State Beavers. Seattle's sports fans are delirious with winning. We've had our Mojo going now for about 2 weeks - let's see if we can make it 3 or 5 or...Coming up the Chicago Bears and as many more victims of the Husky basketball machine as possible. I need another drink....uh, make that a win.


by Soggyblogger


Editors Note: Last night the Husky basketball team lost to Stanford, and it felt like our Mojo leaving - though I have always considered the San Francisco area to be a spiritual place, and so maybe that offered some protection against our Mojo? On the other hand, I know Chicago, and it is not a spiritual place. More like a thin spot between earth and below. How else can anyone explain O'Hare? I will re-evaluate the situation post-Bears. I suggest cleansing teas, and tin foil hats just in case.

BEFORE I GO CRAZY AND DO SOMETHING DRASTIC

Today I have a lot planned for this blog, but first and foremost I want to kill Soggyblogger. No, I will not banish my alter ego to the cyber-graveyard - meaning, I will not change the name of this blog - which is the only way I know to accomplish the virtual grave digging thing, but I will stop referring to myself as Soggyblogger. I will no longer refer to myself in the third person by any name. Referring to myself as Soggyblogger felt a little immature and was becoming a bit habitual. I was feeling a psychic disconnect creeping into my mind, and a vulnerability to stray psychic emanations of unknown origin. The result of all this feels like I may have downloaded about 1% insanity in the process. I do not expect it to be a permanent disability. In fact, I am feeling much better already.


Writing a blog is a learning experience. At first, I had hoped to write polished stuff, but in the interests of keeping a flow of content going, I polished less and the results were a bit alarming. After giving the future direction of this blog very little thought, I decided my old idea of what this blog would become wouldn't work as well as a more informal and more traditional blog - of the type being written in mother's basements all across this planet.


That does NOT mean I will start telling my readers what I ate for breakfast (cherry Yoplait yogurt eaten straight out of the container using an especially small spoon, of course; dark toast lightly buttered, and French roast coffee without any cream or sugar - like all real men drink their coffee). Nor will I be writing about my trip to the grocery store and the like - though there was an interesting encounter in the frozen foods section with one of my psychotic neighbors......oh, never mind. 

However, there may be more of these "little blogs" about blogging, and about writing in general, and possibly about my mental health issues. Just kidding. Unless I am not. For those really interested, I just farted.


by Me (Soggyblogger)