Justice Never...Justice Never Reloads.

Today, the test screening of a little known, low budget student production will air in the college town of Pullman, Washington. The movie follows two cops that represent bits and pieces of characters from nearly every buddy-cop action movie in existence, amalgamated together to form the caricatures seen on the silver screen.

The project, dubbed “Justice Never Reloads: A Cop Drama Movie”, is the result of a long, strange series of events that began as an inside joke between friends with an affinity for over-the-top action flicks.

What started as a joke resulted resulted in an idea, then a script, and finally a pilot. The next logical step was a film.

A short film.

The movie is approximately 35 minutes in length. But in those 35 minutes, audience members will be treated to blazing gun battles, shockingly well choreographed fight scenes, and so many side-splitting one-liners that laughter will prohibit any claims of diplomatic immunity. (...has just been revoked?)

But beyond the laughs and karate chops, something else stands out, heads and tails above anything else. Not a joke, or a scene, or a particularly extravagant fake mustache, but something else entirely that can’t be seen at the premier.

The makers of this film had a dream, as silly as that dream might have been, and didn’t allow anything to prevent making it a reality. A beyond hectic production schedule, numerous post-production gaffes and even a copyright ownership controversy stemming back to the pilot couldn’t stop this dwarf juggernaut. For a select few in the group, pulling the plug on Justice was never an option.

With job satisfaction polls from every imaginable news outlet suggesting an increasing number of Americans hate their jobs, it’s clear that people are choosing to settle for less.

At what point do we stop wanting to be an astronaut, or a race driver, or a firefighter? Why do so many people flip that switch from dreamers to unwilling clock punchers? How many “K’s” would it take for YOU to cash in YOUR dreams?

Is this movie a career launch pad for anyone involved?

Probably not.

But JNR is a tribute to every man, woman and child who ever said “Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if...” and refused to let anyone talk them out of it.

My advice to you at this point? Go see the movie or don’t. It’s up to you. Whether you like the movie or not, your opinion couldn’t matter less, because these quirky, pipe dreaming movie-makers have already accomplished more of their goals with a 35 minute film than most people do in a life time.

Job Updates, and more

There are many, myself included, who feel that if they haven't accomplished the things in life they set out to accomplish, they are failures. Happiness is tied to whether the person checks an item off their to-do list. It's ALL part of the plan.

But plans don't always (almost never) work out exactly as planned.

Two weeks ago, I interviewed for an anchor/reporter job at a small news station in Idaho. The opening was a full-time position, and would've been a phenomenal opportunity starting out in my career path, not to mention close to home.

When I arrived, the interviewee informed me they were considering me for a part time reporter position as well; one that paid so little I couldn't have feasibly lived off the wages, even if I secured another part time job.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out which job the station offered me.

I would've jumped at the part time opporunity, if I could have afforded it. But that's just the way it goes sometimes.

On Saturday, in the midst of a self pity-fest over my recent career (or lack thereof) developments, I spied a thermometer and realized it was 65 degrees outside. And the Burke-Gilman Trail meets up with a park across the street from house.

So I laced up my kicks, cued up some angry rap tunes in my earbuds, and went for a run.

As I went, I pondered this question: "Why do I feel so terrible right now?" Maybe because I've been out of school for seven months and am no closer to starting my career? Because I haven't accomplished my goals? Because I got my hopes up so high for my recent job interview and was let down?

And then it hit me: I felt guilty. I felt guilty that I haven't taken the opportunity (going to and graduating from college) and turned it into a career yet. And I have several loved ones who either didn't or couldn't take advantage of the same opportunity. And because of them, and partly because of who I am, I've felt the need to prove that I deserved this opportunity. I needed to prove that I was good enough, and until I did that, everything else was to be put on hold. Life included.

This line of reasoning has caused me to be living in the best city in America but not enjoying it.

And I'm sick of it.

I've worked my tail off since I was in grade school toward a single goal, and now I'm in a place where the only thing I can do is apply for jobs and wait. I have no control over when the opportunity for a job comes, and that's no reason to be miserable.

I am good enough, and I'm happy with the way I've lived my life and treated those around me, and I'm going to just enjoy the ride, as opposed to enduring it. I have no reason to feel guilty, and I'm going to enjoy the crap out of this city until the day comes when my career causes me to leave.

And so begins my quest: I've compiled a list of 50 plus places, things or events in Seattle I want to experience. My goal is to complete at least one item on the list each week, and to describe my experiences here.

Stay tuned. This could get interesting.

---SPM

Seattle to Improve Bicycle Facilities

Seattle's Transportation Committee met today to discuss improvements to the City's bicycle network and support facilities.

The Committee plans to create a series of interconnected on- and off-road bicycling facilities, with the goal in mind of increasing ridership and improving safety.

The city added 26 miles of marked bicycle lanes and 67 miles of sharrow* lanes between 2007 and 2009, and plans to add 135 more combined miles between now and 2016. The total breaks down to about 13 miles of bicycle lanes and 6 miles of sharrow lanes per year.

The city completed 34 miles total of new bicycle facilities total over the last three years, which means the rate of completion will nearly triple over the next 6 years. **(See below for diagram of planned and completed facilities)

The plan also calls for improved safety on current facilities in the form of pavement repairs, crack sealing, control of vegetation overgrowth and street sweeping to name a few.

The current slated cost of the ongoing project is 240 million dollars over the next six years.

*Sharrow: Markings placed on streets known to be popular cycling paths, but too narrow for traditional, marked bicycle lanes

**(Below is a diagram of Seattle's bicycle facilities in 2000, 2009, and facilities slated for completion in 2017)

Today's post will be an educational post; a post full of figures, facts, maybe even a pie chart (we'll see how ambitious I feel by the end of this).

Here are some of the figures related to my search for a broadcast job(any resemblance to a certain line of credit card commercials is purely coincidental):

The cost of posting a broadcast resume on tvjobs.com: $40

Cost of a laptop with Final Cut to edit and create a demo reel: $1175

Cost of streaming a demo reel on digitaltalent.com: $75

Cost of mailing resumes and demo DVDs all over the country: $207 (and counting)

Receiving little to no response: Priceless. (infuriating?)

In 2009, my final year at WSU, broadcast students were told to fear the worst: "There are no jobs! You'll be poor forever!" was the general sense conveyed by most. And to this point, at least in my case, they appear to be correct.

But when life gives you lemons...you eat the lemons? (Let's be real, most recent broadcast grads aren't rolling in the dough, and wasting food wouldn't be a prudent course of action here)

My ultimate goal is to be a journalist AND get paid for it.

But until that time, what's to stop me from reporting the news for FREE?

Nothing. That's what.

Starting tomorrow, a new brand of reporting begins: independent reporting, grassroots reporting...Guerrilla Reporting.(I like the sound of that)

Here's a preview of what to expect:

Seattle Drivers: Have you ever been slowed by a cyclist in traffic and thought to yourself "Ten Points!"?

If so, you're not alone.

The City has plans to deny you those points, as bikers everywhere heave a sigh of road-rage reduced relief.

Check in tomorrow to see what the plan entails and how much it will cost taxpayers.

Until next time, I leave you you with this pie chart. WARNING: these are startling figures:

Percentage of pie I like:

Likes: 100%

Dislikes: 0.0%

(My next post will include a pie chart that illustrates how bad puns negatively impact blog readership...)

Happy Monday, kids.

---S.M.

Weekend Wrap (Pro Bowl, Grammys, and more)

Happy Monday, weekend warriors. But before embarking on another week, it feels appropriate to tie up some loose ends from the weekend that was.

A quick note: I've been accused of being a competitive person...an unhealthily competitive person. The only problem? I lack the speed, skill, coordination and general athletic prowess to take part in most competitive sports.

Therefore, I make my own.

Examples:

-At the gym, I turn my treadmill to a slightly faster setting than the person next to me.

-I walk on escalators, despite the fact the stairs are already moving. When someone in front of me isn't doing the same, chaos ensues.

-At Thanksgiving, I strive to finish more food than my brother (Tip: sweatpants are your friend. Stretchy waist band = more stuffing. I haven't lost in 4 years).

SO...point made. I am competitive. As such, I chalk up wins and losses to happenings in everyday life...and on TV.

Here are MY winners and losers from this weekend:

WINNERS:

1. The Kings of Leon: An American band forced to move overseas before anyone noticed them. The Grammy statue for best Rock Album and shots with Green Day should help ease the sting.

2. Matt Schaub: Having Andre Johnson at the Pro Bowl made him look very good...like MVP good. If he has the good fortune to play with Andre his entire career, we could be looking at a future Hall of Famer.

3. Avatar(IN 3-D!!!): For the seventh weekend in a row, James Cameron's intergalactic body switching space epic sits atop the box office, beating down it's next closest competitor by nearly 13 million dollars. Sure, the dialogue was bad, but I swear the jungle foliage and walking robot bullets were COMING RIGHT AT ME!!!

4. The NFL: Moving the Pro Bowl to Miami (or anywhere on the mainland) was a long overdue move, and the financial decision paid off: Attendance at the game was the highest it's been in a half century.

LOSERS:

1. Taylor Swift: (Wait, didn't she pull in 4 Grammy's?) Yes, she may have won 4 Grammy's, but her performance with Stevie Nicks vaulted her into the losers category. Why? Because the raw power of Stevie's raspy chords made Taylor's trademark high pitched yodel sound like a live cow being cheese grated to hamburger.

2. Apple's Marketing Department: Congratulations! Thanks to Steve Jobs, you now get to try and sell an I-Phone too big to fit in your pocket that DOESN'T MAKE PHONE CALLS. GOOD LUCK with that.

3. "Lost" Fans: With the final season of JJ Abrams' epic series about time traveling, island marooned plane crash victims, soon its cult following will only be left with "Heroes" and "Fringe" to confuse them on a weekly basis.

4. Anyone who watched the NFL Pro Bowl: Mario William's intentional "whiff" on Aaron Rodgers was enough to make west coasters wish the Grammy's hadn't been on time delay. Pro Bowl rules are already designed to make defenses look bad, and cutting Aaron Rodgers a break by not putting him on his back only further proves that the players couldn't care less about the outcome of the game.

5. Me: My drivers license somehow fell out of my wallet and is now lost forever. I know in my heart that some 16 year old is bragging to his friends over an illegally purchased 30-bomb of Pabst Blue Ribbon about the 23 year olds ID he found at the gas station. (If you didn't know better, you'd swear they were twins)

And thus ends my list of winners and losers for the weekend. I'd love to rattle off some more, but I feel it necessary to take some time and reflect on more important matters. Matters such as whether the new heart emblem next to my name on this temporary paper Driver's license will make emergency medical responders less likely to revive me in the event of some horrific, heart stopping trauma. (Skeptical? Watch "Crank 2: High Voltage". I REFUSE to let the Chinese mafia replace my heart with a battery powered knock-off.)

Look for the first edition of "Mundane Broadcast Copy" (News stories written in AP broadcast style, but lacking the element of relevancy and sometimes truth...), and career updates in my next post.

But until that time, keep it real, you TV-fed, pop-cultured news junkies.

---S.M.

The Fresh Prince of...Sea-Fair?

Greetings to sports nerds and others alike.

It's a new year, and therefore, time for new start.

When I first began this blog, it was meant to act as a platform from which I could spew my radical propaganda regarding the wide world of athletics.

That hasn't changed.

But many other things have, and as such, so will this blog.

A life update seems appropriate at this point.

The 30 second version begins....NOW:

-My internship at KJR in Seattle is over.

-I graduated from Washington State University with a BA in Communication, emphasis in broadcast production.

-I moved twice in the last four months, from Kent to Lakewood, then Lakewood to Seattle.

-I am currently employed at a large, local beer and wine shipper that supplies beverages to grocery chains. This job threatens to slowly but surely crush my soul. I die a bit on the inside with each day that I spend in this profession.

-I currently live in the U-district in Seattle...as in the University of Washington. Husky-ville. Dawg Central. A metaphorical hive of purple and gold activity. Trust me, as a flag waving Cougar grad, the irony does not escape me .

-I am currently hunting for a job in a TV station news room. I'm going on 6 months now with little to no response from most stations I've applied to.

Welcome to job hunting in a down trodden economy.

And welcome to...

The Journal of an Aspiring Journalist

But, before this blog can take it's maiden voyage, there are a few things I need to clear up. Here goes:

Sean Maginnis (that's me) wants to be a news reporter.

---Why?

Well, there are a multitude of ways I could answer that question, so instead I'll offer some of my favorite answers that others have suggested to me:

1. I want to earn an annual salary that is scarcely more than my total cost of attendance per year in college*

(*The total cost of attendance for an in-state student at Washington State University was somewhere between $17,000 and $20,000 at the time I attended)

2. I want to further hinder my social life and ability to date by working long hours, nights, weekends and holidays, thus all but ensuring the elimination of my branch of the gene pool

3. Because I have a strong urge to alienate myself from every friend and family member I have by moving to a town that no one has ever heard of and can only be reached via biplane, canoe or saddled mountain goat, yet somehow miraculously broadcasts nightly in HD.

4. I thrive on rejection. Furthermore, I enjoy trying to find new ways to stand out on a cover letter that will likely find it's way to the nearest trash receptacle before the news director finishes mispronouncing my name as written on the return address.

I find each and every one of those answers vastly superior in entertainment value to the idealistic reasoning behind my desire to become a journalist, so go ahead and pick your favorite of the four (or make up your own! Suggestions welcome) and call it good.

Next: Why write this?

Simple: To chronicle the process (through trial and error) of landing that elusive entry level broadcast gig.

Essentially, I want to create a road map to getting the job that shows what works, what doesn't work, etc, and so forth.

And should I fail miserably and end up flipping burgers at your nearest friendly neighborhood fast food establishment, or if my experiences are in no way helpful in someone's quest to become a journalist, then perhaps a cheap laugh or two will keep them coming back for more.

BUT BE FOREWARNED:

I will also use this forum to rant about not only sports, but topics in news, politics and life on a regular basis. I might even throw down with some freelance, guerilla journalism(almost as cool as regular journalism, except without pay or any readership to speak of...).

SO NOW THAT YOU'VE BEEN FOREWARNED:

Feel free to continue reading my posts.

Or don't.

It's completely up to you. Or as a certain spandex-clad, eco-friendly, mullet sporting 1990's icon once said:

The Saga Continues...

Hey there sports geeks,



it's been way too long since my last update.



Call it laziness. Call it forgetfulness. Call it poor planning.



Call it whatever you want! You'll appreciate this one a lot more than the one I should've written a week ago (I hope).



erhem.

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So yesterday was a fairly exciting day. Dianna invited me to tag along with her for her sideline report at the Tacoma Rainers game, so of course I jumped at the chance.



The Rainiers are an institution in the city of Tacoma. Even if they are partially owned by Nick Lachey(doh!).



At one point during the game, around the fourth inning or so, Dianna beat feet to the concessions stand to snag a chicken sandwich and lemony frutista freeze...okay, I know that's Taco Bell, but I don't know what else to call it.



The chicken sandwich was very dry(sorry Dianna, I stole a bite while you weren't looking...such a trusting woman).



But I digress(digest?). While Dianna was out getting her Chicken Sandwich, suddenly I became aware of a soft hand, slowly sliding from the back of my neck to around my left shoulder. I turn to see a 6'7" reindeer sidled up next to me.



Not one to be easily embarrased, I upped the ante on this touchy feely mascot and took his hand in mine.



Next thing I knew, he copped a feel on my right pec(I NEED AN ADULT!).



Great googley, moogley.



As I attempted to suppress my memory of being touched inappropriately by Rhubarb the Reindeer, I watched Ryan Rowland-Smith pitch a scoreless, two-hit, seven-plus inning gem of a game.



He could have pitched nine, were it not for relief pitcher Cezar Jimenez, who is on rehab assignment and needed to get some work in.



Rowland-Smith will be called up to the Mariners, and soon. It's only a matter of time, especially now that Brandon Morrow has (FINALLY) been sent back down to develop something other than his trademark "right-in-the-wheel-house" fastball. The big Aussie is coming off two stellar performances in Triple-A ball against Salt Lake and Portland, and appears poised to make his comeback to the majors.



His stock is definitely on the rise.



Here are my risers and fallers of the week:



RISERS:



1. Jarrod Washburn. The man has pitched like an all-star for two years, and how have Mariners repayed him? With one of the lowest averages for run support in the league. How do you combat that? Pitch even better. Washburns line over his past two starts looks a little something like this: 16 innings pitched, 5 hits, 1 earned run, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts(and one complete game shut-out). Should the Mariners trade him? Their recent trade of Yuniesky Betancourt to the Royals for two minor league prospects would suggest they're looking to rebuild, but the aqcuisition of Joel Hannahan from the A's and the fact that they've sent Brandon Morrow packing would suggest they're intent on winning now.



2. OLD PEOPLE: (Lance Armstrong, Mark Martin). 37 years old and sitting pretty in third at Le Tour de France? oui, oui. Although his team may be suffering as result of the inner-squad conflict between Lance and Alberto Contador, I(and most Americans) are inclined to think that perhaps Lance has earned the right to not play the role of a subservient protector to the teams best. In all likelihood, Lance IS the best rider on the Astana team bus right now.

And how about four wins on the season for 50-year-old Mark Martin in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series? Most men his age experience heart palpitations while driving over speed bumps in a Safeway parking lot. Score one more for the geezers.



3. MY fantasy baseball team. Sorry kids, had to toot my own horn here. I went into my fantasy draft with a plan, and despite injuries early on and some lackluster performances to start the season(I'm looking at you David Ortiz), the "Irish Avengers" have moved from tenth (out of eleven) to seventh place in a span of two and half weeks. Top six make the play-offs. Key Waiver wire additions: Jarrod Washburn, Michael Bourn, J.A. Happ, Wandy Rodriguez.



4. Michael Phelps. Four gold medals and a world record at the World Championships with a strained neck? Is this guy serious? Apparently his short lived affair with "Mary-Jane" hasn't affected his ability to swim...fast.



5. Team USA U-19 Basketball. The Americans ended an 18 year drought in the medal department with their defeat of Greece(88-80 final score) in the FIBA U-19 Basketball Championship. Tayshon Taylor led the Americans with 18 points and five steals, and Washington State Guard Klay Thompson(here's a shout out from a Coug alum, Klay) chipped in 10 points, not too mention some timely threes to help bury Greece.



FALLERS:



1. Brandon Inge. After becoming a late addition to the All-Star game and Home Run Derby, he put up a giant goose egg on the score board. This link pretty well sums up his night: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ytCEuuW2_A .

2. UFC. Brock Lesnar's antics following his win were just plain stupid. THIS is the man that will save UFC? Fred Flintstone on steroids? After flipping off the booing crowd and bashing event sponsor Budweiser, Lesnar apologized for his antics at the post-fight press-conference, with a Bud Light strategically placed next to his microphone(so much for his facade of being an anti-corporate rebel...).

3. WSU Cougar Football. As much as it pains me to say this, things don't look good going into next season. With nearly as many arrests as two- and three-star recruit commitments, the Cougars just don't appear poised to improve much on their two wins from last season. If second year coach Paul Wulff doesn't take control of this team and purge it of the bad seeds left over from the hapless Doba regime, the WSU football program could be looking at another two to three years minimum of suck(excuse me while I plug in my toaster, the bath tub is nearly full...).

4. The Los Angeles Clippers. Many would argue that the Clippers are poised to turn things around following a stellar 2009 draft, including former Sooners stud Blake Griffin. This "faller", therefore, is conditional. The Clippers appear to be in serious talks with free agent Allen Iverson. On the surface, this move appears plausible, as Iverson has a few good years left, and would definitely boost attendance. But despite his nickname, Iverson is NOT the Answer for a team looking to build toward the future. He's a black hole of possessions, kills a teams field goal percentage and refuses to play off the bench. Just look at the difference between the Denver Nuggets and the Detroit Pistons following one of the worst trades in Piston history. Detroit floundered and Denver looked a legit contender against the Lakers in the playoffs. If the Clippers sign Iverson, they'll be stunting the growth of their talented young with a guard who will never pass them the ball.

And with that, I'm off to wallow in shame for my prediction that Brandon Inge would win the Home Run Derby this year. I won't live that one down in the near future.

Until next time, keep it real sports nerds.

...and keep watching sports.

Sincerely,

Your Friendly Neighborhood Sports Intern: Sean

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Note: Want to see what all the hullabaloo is about? Watch the Dave "Softy" Mahler show on Comcast Channel 179 from 10 AM to 1 PM, Monday through Friday.

My weekly Wednesday Segment will air this Wednesday, so be sure to tune in and check it out!