The Shape of Things
shaneschnell.com

Seattle Viaduct

     Posted on Sun ,01/02/2009 by Shane Schnell

Since I moved to Seattle in March 2006 I have been hearing this discussion on what to do with the viaduct.  I have talked to everyone who will listen, but I think this video sums up my view perfectly.

Enjoy!

Via StreetFilms

Superbowl XLIII

     Posted on Sat ,31/01/2009 by Shane Schnell

The 2008 NFL season will come to an end tomorrow and with it I see a huge sea change. Jon Gruden is no longer the hard working genius, Shananhan isn’t untouchable, and Dungy decided to retire while Peyton is still in his prime.

It doesn’t stop at the coaching level though… here are the last 3 MVP’s (not counting this year’s Manning)

2005 | Shaun Alexander, who this season did his best impersonation of Johnny Drama while trying out for any team that would answer the phone.

2006 | LaDainian Tomlinson, who after averaging close to 400 touches a season throughout his career looks closer to Emmitt on the Cards, then Emmitt on the Cowboys.

2007 | Tom Brady, who is still sitting on the couch with this leg up hoping that Gisele isn’t eyeing Big Ben.

Who will fill the void in the upcoming seasons? Well, we do have some promising young QBs such as Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, Eli Manning, and Matt Ryan. It will also be interesting to see if the Vikings can surround Adrian Peterson with some talent before they run him into the ground the same way the Chargers did with LT. And can the Saints figure out Reggie Bush? I still remember the Saints in the NFC championship against the Bears. They had the lead after Reggie Bush ran for a long touchdown, but towards the end of the run he turned around and taunted the closest defender. That was just what the Bears needed, the Saints ended up losing the game and haven’t been back to the playoffs since.

I’ve always heard that the NFL is a “what have you done for me lately” league, and looking at the way things change so fast I guess it is true. Peyton Manning seems to be still going strong, but just as he inherited the “face of the league” from Brett Farve, he will have to pass it on to someone else soon.

super-bowl-xliii-logo

Superbowl XLIII prediction:

Cardinals 21 – Steelers 17

NFL Playoffs 2009.01.18

     Posted on Sun ,18/01/2009 by Shane Schnell

Eagles over Cardinals
Steelers over Ravens

NFL Playoffs 2009.01.10

     Posted on Sat ,10/01/2009 by Shane Schnell

Ravens over Titans
Panthers over Cardinals
Giants over Eagles
Chargers over Steelers

NFL Playoffs – Working Class weekend

     Posted on Sat ,03/01/2009 by Shane Schnell

Alright, here are my picks for the working class playoff weekend:

Arizona over Atlanta

Indianapolis over San Diego

Baltimore over Miami

Minnesota over Philadelphia

January ‘09 Manifesto

     Posted on Mon ,29/12/2008 by Shane Schnell
  • Spend less than $200 for food for the entire month
  • Buy an alarm clock (so that I won’t have my iPhone on my bedside stand)
  • Run a 5k in less than 25 min (my personal best is 25:50)
  • Play Wii Fit everyday
  • Read the book of Genesis (taking notes on each chapter)
  • Learn 5 words in Portuguese
  • Write a [written] letter to my nieces and nephew
  • Call family once a week
  • Date night with Kelly at least twice

Ocarina iPhone App Review

     Posted on Tue ,02/12/2008 by Shane Schnell

I really love my iPhone but there are times when I can go through a dry period where I think the gadget is getting stale.  Oh… but that dang App Store keeps me coming back.  Recently I discovered Ocarina developed by Smule.  Anyone who has played the Legend of Zelda will fondly remember the angelic sounds of the Ocarina.

The way you play the iPhone Ocarina is by blowing into the microphone and playing the 4 keys on the touch screen:

In my opinon it is probably the best designed application for the iPhone because of it creativity and functionality.  Until you try it, you won’t believe how well it works.

There is even sheet music for quite a few songs… my favorite being the Godfather theme.

Gallup Daily?? No longer the authoritative source!!

     Posted on Fri ,03/10/2008 by Shane Schnell

I never paid much attention to polls, possibly because when I am polled I don’t really put much thought into the questions they are asking and the answers I give.

Now we have http://www.intrade.com

My buddy Gil turned me on to the website and I was instantly hooked.  When people actually put money down on an issue you know they have thought it out.

Here is a short video on how InTrade works.

I’m over the Huffington Post…

     Posted on Tue ,30/09/2008 by Shane Schnell

There was a time when I thought the Huffington Post was a interesting website, primarily because it wasn’t the typical news site (existing newspaper/channel) and I like all things new. Since the beginning of year I have noticed that the journalism on this site has been on a gradual slide towards uselessness… which to me equates to less frequent visits to the site. Today I came home and was surfing the web to catch up on the latest news and found this article:

Is Sarah Palin’s Lipliner A Tatoo?

It’s sad to say, but that will be the last article I read on that site.

Random quotes from my visit to the Taco Bus

     Posted on Fri ,29/08/2008 by Shane Schnell

Tonight Kelly and I wanted a quick meal… and is there anything better than Taco Bus???

As I was waiting for Kellys burrito and my 4 tacos I overheard a couple memorable quotes:

Older lady:

Do you like to cook?? I know I don’t, I might just drive this bus home!”

Mechanic who just got off work:

How much are the Tacos? ($1.20) Ok, I’ll take 15