Hearts of Lions, Brains of Goldfishes, Former Portland Timbers: Where Are They Now?

Hearts of Lions, Brains of Goldfishes, Former Portland Timbers: Where Are They Now? 

Intro

Hello all, my name is Aaron but some of you may know me as HopsAndSoccer. I thought I might throw my cap in and contribute to what is already an amazingly creative, unique, and bright community brought together by our shared love for the Portland Timbers.

I cannot top the amazing podcasts by the likes of the Timbros, Soccer Made in PDX, or the Rose City Soccer Show; nor can I best the creative and insightful discussions, hot takes, and commentaries, that guys like BOG, Chris Gluck, and Chris Rifer provide.

I will, however, attempt to shine a light on former Timbers players, in a weekly or semi-weekly musing on a former Timber player. We all support and love the Timbers. Indeed, their success or failure on the weekend, for better or worse, determines our happiness, our productiveness, our very well-being. We may get frustrated by the FO, coaching staff, or players form; but our support for the players cannot be shaken nor broken. Once they step onto the pitch for us, they're RCTID.

While it is so natural to live in the now, I often wonder what becomes of our former players who have, for one reason or another, moved on in their career and life. Some leave unceremoniously, guys like Yartey or Tshuma, others leave on mutual appreciative terms like David Horst or La Gata.

Each week, I'll focus on one former Timber and relive their best and worst moment(s) for PTFC, the circumstances and general feeling on their inevitable departure, and how life and their player career has fared since leaving our fair city.

And thus Kalif Alhassan enters the scene.

Pronounced “KA-leaf AL-hass-on.”

Career Statistics (Regular Season)

Year	Club	GP	GS	G	MIN	A	SHT	SOG	FC	OFF	Y	R
2014	Portland Timbers	15	5	1	590	1	14	4	6	0	1	0
2013	Portland Timbers	30	15	3	1324	3	34	11	20	4	2	0
2012	Portland Timbers	16	10	1	827	2	19	6	5	1	1	0
2011	Portland Timbers	32	27	0	2337	6	58	14	28	3	3	1
Career Totals		93	57	5	5078	12	125	35	59	8	7	1

Kalif arrived in Portland signed with the Timbers on Dec. 15, 2010, after playing in eight games with Portland’s second-division club in 2010. The Ghanian midfielder delighted and frustrated fans alike; his moments of brilliance often overshadowed by indeterminable amounts of time lost and in the shadows. He brought us 'Jazz Hands' and crosses/shots that what we came to describe as 'Shrosses'. 

We sang his name to the tune of Feliz Navidad and reviled in what we saw as our young talent about to break out. He was awarded the 2011 Timbers Young Player of the Year at the close of our first campaign finishing second in team assists with 6 on the year, 3 of which were game-winning assists. 

I will always remember him for this moment of joy, his first MLS goal, in a 3-1 win over Philadelphia Union in the 2012 season-opener.

There is no one moment of true failure for Kalif; rather, a collection of sighs and confusion as he would often curl a shot 10 yards wide and kill many attacking sequences with attempts of brilliance and skill that was often overdone where a calm tidy finish or pass was the correct option. It became clear that he was a player not destined to last on our roster, let alone, in the top flight. Moments of unmatched skill and raw talent can only last so long amidst a sea of anonymity on the pitch. It was with understanding and readiness that we awaited his time in the Rose City to end, yet we all have fond memories of Kalif and were sad to see him go.

Where is he now?

In December of 2014, Portland declined a 2015 contract for the mercurial Kalif Alhassan signaling an end of era; He was the last remaining player who played for the Timbers prior to the club joining MLS in 2011. In February of 2015, NASL's MLS-destined Minnesota United signed Kalif Alhassan.

He appears to have found admirable success thus far in NASL with 2 goals and 4 assists to his name in 15 starts for the Loons. As recently as July 25th, Kalif put in a great shift for Minnesota United notching two assists and a goal in a 4-3 win over San Antonio earning MOTM, see highlights below.

It's great to see that insatiable smile once again. Stay Jazzy friend. 

Kalif Alhassan: We Salute You.

Follow me on Twitter @HopsAndSoccer

Unpaid Internships

I read this article a week or so ago and I've kept coming back to it in my mind. At first I was nearly in agreeance(or agreement depending upon the perceived evolution of the word agreeance) with it.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2014/01/16/why-your-unpaid-internship-makes-you-less-employable/

Then came counter arguments which lead to where I am today as I write this. Internships, both unpaid and paid, are a way of life for college students and young professionals. It's a market trend that has reached great new heights on the back of the Great Recession at a time when young professionals search desperately for some crack, some weakness to break through the formidable barriers that exist.

I do not aim to debate internships on a macro scale; rather, whether an unpaid internship truly makes you less appealing in the current job market. I would argue that that may be the case; however, it is certainly not always the case. Something I can attest for myself.

Like so many of my peers around the country, I examined the marginal costs and benefits of an unpaid internship during my time at the University of Oregon and found an internship that I believed tipped the proverbial seesaw towards benefits. Note: Although I am grateful to have worked and sorted financial aid in order to pay my way, many others are not in a position to do so and are thus unfairly discriminated. There is some awful market failure that occurs when a lower income student is excluded from these opportunities which inherently excludes them from entry level jobs that require such experiences.

My internship experience was unforgettable, both personally and professionally. I secured it through the International Affairs office and the Political Science Department here at the U of O. I worked for four months as a research assistant for a member of the Scottish parliament. Specifically for one that belonged to the majority party and the party seeking independence from the United Kingdom, the SNP. It was an exciting time to be a part of and after learning the ins and outs the first week or two, I was gradually given more work and more responsibility.

Primarily, I researched a multitude of subjects pertaining to upcoming parliamentary debates and wrote a great deal of research briefings for my MSP. However, I did not research and write briefings all day; on the contrary, each day was so different from the others I would find myself constantly learning new skills. I spent a great deal of time working on constituency casework, reading, answering emails and mail from constituents, following up with constituents and seeking information and correspondence from third parties. I would be in contact via phone and email primarily with local government departments, private businesses, individuals, etc.

I authored press releases and, on my own accord, dramatically increased the quantity of parliamentary motions our office produced. Often I would shift my work to our neighboring office and MSP when I was needed. I enjoyed giving tours of the Parliament and assisting visitors coming to our office. The tours started a bit dry, given I hadn't been told any information or how to conduct them; however, I got the hang of it after a while. Often they were for visiting classes from our district, they would get a kick out of my accent.

I would stay late to assist with events our office or neighboring office were holding, attend committee meetings on behalf of my MSP to dictate notes. It was all very exciting and extremely beneficial in my development and betterment of my job market skills. For me, taking an unpaid internship was of great benefit to me on a professional level as well as the experience of living and working abroad. I'm confident I'll use the same skills garnered in Edinburgh in my future jobs, and ultimately, my career.

Best,

Aaron Robert Matney

Michael Sam

It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.― Audre Lorde

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/10/sports/michael-sam-college-football-star-says-he-is-gay-ahead-of-nfl-draft.html?_r=0

Gary Clark Jr - 2013 Sizzle Reel

Gary Clark Jr. is a huge musical influence for myself and it's been fascinating to see him reach such new heights after his first record label album.. His style, his creativity have been missing in music for over a decade it would seem. You could come up with a hundred artists his style sounds is infused with, Hendrix, Mayer, etc.

Gardening: The Importance of Praying Mantises?

After moseying on through midterms and having a bout of sickness I'm back to provide some updates on the garden!

The weekend before last the Eugene Home and Garden show was in town at the Lane County Fairgrounds and I lassoed my partner into coming with me to visit some of the gardening exhibitions and booths. In particular I wanted to stop by a landscaping booth who had recommended I come and chat with them at the Garden show rather than pay for a consultation.

It was packed inside and we only browsed a few shops before heading towards the booth in question; however, we did stop and purchase a small Cactus flower. Moreover, I purchased a small mesh bag containing a grey cocoon containing not one, but 200 praying mantis' ready to hatch! Strange I know.

You see, we have always had a problem with aphids and other assorted 'bad bugs' around our house. This holds true especially with my nasturtiums that I have always been so fond of. I was a quick sell. An old man and his wife jumped into conversation with me and told me all their praises for the little mantis'.

I've gone ahead and followed instructions and placed the mesh bag about 1 ft. off the ground, whereupon if the temperature reaches 70 degrees or above, they will begin to hatch and immediately spread out in search of food throughout the garden. I'm hopeful they take out any bugs that plan on hurting my plants; my housemates are hoping for a large decrease in spider sightings.




Anyways, back to the H&G show. I met with the landscape consultants and arranged to have a later meeting to discuss some possible plans and bounce ideas off of them. I do not plan on outsourcing my work to them; rather, to brainstorm ideas and learn how I can do it my self, and perhaps if needed, let them work their magic on too burdensome projects for a green individual such as myself.

More to come soon!

Concerning vocabulary and The Economist.

The Economist

I'm always trying to better my vocabulary. It's rather unfortunate that the importance and value we attached to bettering ones vocabulary in our developing years fades away as we grow older into college and our working lives.

For me it wasn't about learning words to ace the SAT's. I inherently did not enjoy failing to understand a word or a phrase. So often nowadays we are quick to move past something that we do not immediately understand. Perhaps it is due to a increasingly demanding world around us that has shortened our attentions. Or perhaps that is too simple an explanation.

However if one fails to understand a word it throws off the entire sentence, perhaps even the remaining paragraph! One is failing to comprehend that which the author wished to express. This is, however, neither here nor there and in any case serves only as segue to the topic of this post.

I read The Economist. Typically I get it on Sunday mornings delivered to my house and I try my best to get through as much as I can throughout the week; however, I haven't yet finished an entire issue nor do I know of anyone that does. There is simply so much information to take in, it's an incredible resource for a learning economist or student such as myself.

Even if you only have time for two pages, you can read The world this week which is in the first five or so pages and learn about Russian special operations in Dagestan, protests in Kiev, new legislation on fracking in Britain, 15% decline in piracy off the coast of Somalia, drug vigilantes in Michoacan, Mexico, business mergers in Japan, and growth rates in Germany, and more!

These short paragraphs are events happening around the world right this very now and they serve as a doorway to uncovering the full story or the latest updates that often come in the following pages.

The Economist is supremely well written and I am continually learning new words, phrases, and technical terminology. So much so that I began underlining these words and writing them down to look up and understand. Some I understand vaguely though need clarification and others I am at a total loss. I decided to include some of those words that I've recently learnt on this blog and look forward to the many more I've yet to encounter.

Da-da-da-daa!

1. Party-cum-militia: Political Party of combined nature with a militia.

2. Magistrate: A civil officer who administers and enforces law.

3. Apogee: The farthest point in an orbit from that which it is orbiting.

4. Discomfiting: To make uneasy or perplexed.

5. Largesse: Generosity of spirit, liberality of gift giving.

6. Pique: a feeling of resentment or irritation, as from having one's pride wounded. Not to be confused with a certain FC Barcelona defender.

7. Kleptocrat: government official who is a thief or exploiter.

8. Blithely: Lighthearted; carefree.

9. Cajoling: To persuade by flattering.

10. agents provocateurs: An agent employed to provoke suspected persons to commit illegal acts and so be discredited.

11. Panacea: Remedy for all diseases or evils.

12. Athwart: From side to side or to thwart ones effort.

13. Arrear: State of a debt unpaid.

14. Delineated: To sketch or draw out.

15. I have drunk and seen the spider. -Shakespeare

*Definitions loosely based off of http://www.thefreedictionary.com/*

Best,
Aaron Robert Matney

Beginners Composting 101

This Fall I decided I needed a new hobby.

You see, I used to be more active in trying out and practicing my hobbies and interests. Something happened along the way, school happened, work happened, family happened, and most importantly unfortunate life circumstances have occurred.

It's important to question yourself and why you are doing or thinking the things you are at times, particularly in times of reflection in the cold of winter perhaps, or after a shaking life event.

I used to run more, I used to take wonderful photographs for school and during my travels, I used to read books of history, biographies of famous politicians. I used to play guitar nearly every afternoon, learning my favorite songs as best I could, sometimes even mastering them and creating something my own off of their structure. I used to go to more concerts, even gambled on artists I was barely familiar with. Most importantly, I tried to get to know as many different people as I could with as much variety as possible.

I've decided to take up composting.

Well gardening mainly, but to start, composting! Decomposing plants and matter steaming in a pile in my backyard, that would be my first of many projects around the garden. I wanted to restructure our whole backyard and introduce new plants and begin cultivating vegetables and fruits, constructing raised garden beds and trellises for tomatoes. Perhaps even take a whack at growing hops! This is the Willamette Valley after all.

I had little idea what I was doing but I researched online and in garden books for ideas for a compost bin. Turns out there are a multitude of options! I opted for a simple start, something that isn't fancy nor far reaching; rather, a DIY option that is cheap and something I would complete all on my own!

I bought 4x25 Chicken Wire for 26 dollars,four 4 ft. Green Steel Posts for 16, and Rebar Tiewire for 3 dollars to hold it all together. I selected a section of the backyard that was nearly always void of sunlight and would not be suitable for growing much of anything of utility. It is on the eastern side of the house away from the majority of the garden in a section as compost bins aren't exactly the prettiest additions, though with work they can be! After the first afternoon of work, here is what I ended up with. I added as much leaves and dead plant material as I could and called it a day!

The malleable nature of the chicken wire led to it bulging in areas and encroaching towards the exterior of the house. Furthermore, the chicken wire left the compost open to air from all sides and the cold. This would prove detrimental as only some aeration is beneficial to compost piles and ideally there would be some covering over the top of the compost so as to keep moisture out and keep the eventual heat of the compost from escaping, delaying the progress of the whole pile.

I headed back to Home Depot for 20 6"x8"x16" concrete blocks at 99 cents a pop to enclose the compost pile and remove the chicken wire. I wasn't sure how many my old Subaru would hold but here is a photo of after the first day of work.

I was still determining how to shape it throughout the process but I've calculated that I need 56 blocks to build four blocks high on each side.

After two afternoons of experimenting, here are some photos of the process and the current state of the compost pile, which is nearing it's one month birthday! My assistant Joey is also featured, he's not sure why I've been building this contraption.

Best,
Aaron Robert Matney