Negro Leaguers Finally Drafted

Thirty former Negro Leaguers were drafted in a pre-draft ceremony in tribute to those players who were never allowed to play in Major League Baseball. Many former players of the Negro Leagues can thank Hall of Famer Dave Winfield for coming up with this idea. In an article written by Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports, Winfield, who is vice president of the San Diego Padres, recalls a time when Satchel Paige once called him to say that he enjoyed the manner in which he played and hoped to meet him in person, but Paige, one of the Negro League's best players, died just weeks after the phone call.

Kudos to Mr. Winfield and Major League Baseball for arriving at such a touching tribute for all those players who were more than talented to play in the Major Leagues, yet were deemed unworthy to play.

Best Guitar Solos

Here's something that's been sitting in my mind's blog files for a while now and having just read a somewhat similar article in Yahoo!'s List of the Day, I thought I'd put in my two-cents about this. Yahoo! had an blurb listing their greatest 25 guitar riffs of all time. It was pretty good actually, but I have a different take on the guitar thing.

These are solos that not only consist of memorable guitar runs but may also provoke one to play the ever popular air guitar. Here are my favorite guitar solos in rock music, in no particular order:

Hotel California, The Eagles
Don Henley and crew create one Rock music's enduring songs. If I'm not mistaken, the guitar solo is played by more than one person. The acoustic version on the Hell Freezes Over video of this particular song rocks even without the help of electric guitars.

Will We Rock You, Queen
Talk about rocking hard, it's the quintessential rock anthem. I love how the guitar solo slowly crescendos almost from nothing and then hammers onto the scene with the force of a tornado through a trailer park. If you want to get technical, you can get a two-fer with this song, if you include We are the Champions as both are usually played back to back. More bang for your musical buck.

Rock Around the Clock, Bill Halley and His Comets
Maybe this is how rock and roll guitar solos started. That's some mighty fine guitar work here! It's an all-time great.

Like a Stone, Audioslave
We'll see if this becomes a classic but goosebumps usually accompany me when I listen to this one, especially at the solo.

Pride and Joy, Stevie Ray Vaughan
What's a guitar list without one of the gods of the guitar. Check this one out and you'll know what I mean.

What Would You Say, Dave Matthews Band
It's more than just a guitar solo-- the sax leads off and then concludes with a goosebump inducing harmonica riff.

When It's Love, Van Halen
The video for this song has a funny moment especially at the guitar solo. Eddie Van Halen plays the first chord, pauses, scratches his head and then proceeds with the rest of the solo.

Dust in the Wind, Kansas
Though not a guitar solo per se, but the string solo is quite memorable and accompanies great acoustic guitar work throughout the song.

If I come up with a few more, I'll be sure to add them to my list.

Vacation from Reality

I just got back from a somewhat lengthy family vacation. It was great to see my parents, my nieces and nephews and visit with my friends in San Antonio on our return swing back to Dallas. I only wished that my folks had internet access so that way I could've posted something whenever it came to mind and not all at once and after the fact which I'm about to do here.

Courtesy on the Road

Growing up we made plenty of roadtrips throughout Texas and most of time we took the roads less traveled or the smaller, two-lane highways. On these "back roads" there was alot of the letting of people pass, either ourselves or the person ahead of us. And when that occurred, whomever was the passer, up went our hands to show the passee that the move over to the road's shoulder was much appreciated. It happened every time. It happened in each instance. It was highway courtesy at its finest. But somewhere between the years of those memorable family trips and the present, folks are hardly ever showing their appreciative hand gesture. Although having thought about it a little more, the "thank you" wave have been in dwindling over the past several years, but on our way down to South Texas, I did not see a single "thank you" wave when we moved over to the shoulder to let folks pass us by! I'm happy to say that I waved thank you whenever someone moved over for me.

NBA Playoffs- The Champs are Defeated

The good thing about the San Antonio Spurs losing to the Los Angeles Lakers was that I only saw two complete games from beginning to end: that 20-point blown lead in game 1 and their game 3 win. Being that we were busy visiting family, we caught only fleeting glimpses of most of the series, which was a good thing because I hated to see the Spurs lose to LA. But I will give the Lakers this much, they were the better team, top to bottom, and they deserve to make it to the Finals after making those personnel moves to finally get over the Spurs hump. The Spurs looked like the old team they really are and only beat the New Orleans Hornets because of pure pride. I still haven't made up my mind who to cheer for in the finals. I could cheer for the Lakers because they beat the Spurs and to prove that Kobe doesn't need Shaquille O'Neal to win a championship. On the other hand, I would like to see Boston win so their "big 3" could finally win a championship. Either way, I expect this series to at least go 7 games unless the Celtics cannot win a road game in Los Angeles.

Putting the Guilt in the Trip

On our return trip back to town we visited our friends in San Antonio and I got my share of guilt thrown at me from a couple of my friends for living so far away. First off, one of my friends gave me her subtle shade of guilt like she usually does whenever she sends me an email. This usually consists of telling me that there's a few houses up for sale in the neighborhood where she and her husband live. Of course this feeds directly to my wife's line of thinking. Anyway, it gets worse.

We went over to visit my daughter's godparents. Mind you, each one of them has a Ph.D. in their field of expertise, so they're alot more driven than me. [On a side note, my compadre may ask me to draw him his maps for his upcoming book on the Spanish-French borderlands in what is now eastern Texas and western Louisiana.] During our visit, my daughter's godmother point blank asked me why we're still in Dallas. Having been caught off guard by the question, I didn't come up with any convincing reason. But having thought about it a bit, I figured it was because of my job. I really like my job and I doubt that I'd find a similar type job in San Antonio with the experience and degree that I have at this point like the one I have now. It's complicated really. It's all grey area. Perhaps it could be for a similar reason why I moved to SA in the first place.

NBA Playoffs- Spurs vs Hornets

The San Antonio Spurs dispatched the New Orleans Hornets in a rare game 7 win for the Spurs. Now the Spurs face MVP Kobe Bryant and his Los Angeles Lakers team. It should be an entertaining series. Let's see what the Spurs have left in their tank.

I read Johnny Ludden's article about Greg Popovich and the Spurs and a couple things stood out in my mind. The first thing that caught my eye was that he noticed that both Chris Paul and David West did not stop to shake their opponents’ hands after the game. I can understand the Detroit Pistons doing that to the Michael Jordan led Chicago Bulls after they finally lost to them in a tough, hard fought series in 1991, but the Pistons were the "Bad Boys" of the NBA in the late 1980s and briefly into the 1990s, so that sort of gamesmanship was standard for them. But the Hornets doing that to the Spurs? Gees, that just sounds like they let their youth and inexperience show them the way. Sure, they'll get their chance in the not too distant future to claim their championship, but leaving the court the way they did, Hornets showed that they never really respected the Spurs, and maybe that's why they lost the series.

Ludden also pointed out NBA commissioner David Stern's apparent dislike of Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs. It's sad that he would rather see his most storied franchises meet in the NBA Finals in the Lakers and Celtics, and their television revenues, than a franchise that epitomizes teamwork from top to bottom. It is unfortunate that Stern's more worried about his bottom line.

Spurs Disappoint

The San Antonio Spurs blew a golden chance to take game 5 against the New Orleans Hornets in the Western Conference semifinals. Nursing a small lead at halftime, the Spurs let Chris Paul and his cohorts take control of the game and subsequently the series. The Spurs looked like the inexperienced team coming out at halftime, by turning the ball over on consecutive plays, taking ill-timed shots, not fighting hard enough for rebounds and barely scoring double digits (11) in the 3rd quarter. Instead the Hornets, the younger and apparently inexperienced group, looked like the team poised to take control.

If the Spurs continue their lackadaisical and inconsistent play, they will most definitely find themselves watching the rest of the NBA playoffs, not on the sidelines, but in the comfort of their own living rooms.

In the Changer- New(ish) Music

I've been sitting on this topic for months now and it's about time it gets posted. Well, it's just that I got tired of seeing my note about this blog sitting the desk for the past couple months. I've listened to these cds and I pretty much give them my thumbs up.



Radiohead's In Rainbows, their latest, is another great album from the lads from across the pond. Nothing new here, but why would you want them to do something new? Their sound is as fresh as ever and they continue to impress.











Colbie Caillat and Sara Bareilles each put out a great cds last year, Coco and Little Voice respectively, and while both releases contain catchy songs, but A Fine Frenzy's One Cell in the Sea is a vastly superior album. It is almost as if Enya put on a red wig and steered her way into the pop music scene. There are elements of Enya-inspired melodies scattered throughout which make for memorable ballads and melancholic lyrics. Sure there are a couple tracks that border on the cheesy like "You Picked Me," but songs such as "Almost Lover" vault this cd into instant classic for me.





Y34RZ3R0R3MIX3D is another good cd from Nine Inch Nails, much better than the original Year Zero album from a earlier in the year, but nowhere near as good as NIN's With Teeth from two years before. This remixed version has also an enhanced cd so one could make up their own mixes since each song is separated in different tracks. Yet another brilliant move by Trent Reznor.





Cafe Tacvba released their newest album, Sino, in late 2007 and is their best studio album, maybe since Re. One could argue that Reves/Yo Soy is as good, but Sino is levels above their previous cd Cuarto Caminos. I'm still waiting to catch them in concert, who knows what'll happen, but having their music in my library is almost good enough for me.







There was a Beatles tribute album made back in 2005 called, This Bird has Flown: A 40th Anniversary Tribute to The Beatles' Rubber Soul. My buddy Gary also a Beatles-phile, first told me about this cd and it didn't disappoint. Included were some magnificent covers like The Donnas version of Drive My Car and the bluegrass inspired Think for Yourself. I especially loved Surjan Stevens' What Goes On; it's as if the song was deconstructed, reessembled and redone as a totally different song. There are few echoes of The Beatles in this track. But on the other hand there was at least song that I thought did not work as a cover. Unfortunately the title track of this album, Norwegian Wood (This Bird has Flown) did not do it for me. It seems like The Fiery Furnaces tried too hard to make this song sound Beatle-esque and may have lost the verve this song has in its original state. Otherwise, it's a nice album to add to anyone's Beatles musical library.

NBA Playoffs- One and Done: Mavericks and Suns

Soon, there will a big shake up in Dallas on account of the playoff demise of the Dallas Mavericks against the New Orleans Hornets. People will say that the Jason Kidd trade was a bust, especially since he was useless against Chris Paul. I agree. Some will say that Dirk Nowitski did not impose his will as he could have throughout the series. Yeah maybe. Yet others will say that Avery Johnson's coaching style does not fit with the team's roster. They may be right too. But with all this said, players will be traded and coaches fired, but what's missing in all this is owner Mark Cuban's hand in all this drama.

Cuban has been the triggerman in some of the lame brain moves he's made with this franchise. I have never been a fan of Mark Cuban, much less respected him as an NBA owner. Sure he's lavished his team with luxury items in the locker rooms and etc, but this guy is just a big spoiled kid, masquerading as an overzealous fan. I can honestly say that he's probably the reason the Mavs didn't win against the Miami Heat a few years back: all that whining about bad calls and fouls caught up to him in that Finals series- you've got to admit that there were some bad ones there.

He probably says stuff like this to himself in the mirror: "I bet I can run this team better than a guy who's been in the League (capitalized for emphasis) for 30 years plus as a player, coach and GM; Let me trade away a top point guard because I'm too cheap to pay what he's actually worth and I could win with whomever's sloppy seconds; Let's trade away our future point guard (again) for an aging point guard who's actually closer to entering the Hall of Fame than actually winning a championship."

Okay, I may have been over dramatizing things a little but you get the picture. No wonder Nellie left for Golden State. Poor Avery. In the midst of writing this, I heard that he got canned. Too bad. Well, he wasn't without fault either. Avery, you should have left Jason Kidd run the game like we all know he can. You should've checked your ego at the door and let the guy do his thing.

The Phoenix Suns came into their series against the San Antonio Spurs with their typical arrogance, saying that they're a better team. Whomever the game broadcasters were throughout the series, each mentioned how the Suns thought they are the better team. If you recall, the Suns had the same mentality when they played the Spurs last year. Sure, you have some supremely talented individuals at a few positions, but you can't talk the talk until you've walked the walk. Last year, even after San Antonio dispatched them from the playoffs, head coach Mike D'Antoni still stated that they "were a better, more talented team." Huh?! What?! Didn't you just lose a playoff series? I don't get it, until you can beat a team in a 7 game series, you cannot say things like this. Get over yourself. Maybe that's why he may find himself without a job in Phoenix. Reality and presumptions don't mix well.

MDA's Fill the Boot

At traffic intersections on the way home yesterday, I saw firefighters run from car to car asking for donations to MDA's Fill the Boot fundraiser. So if you see your local firefighers out on the streets this weekend, or any weekend for that matter, asking for donations to this great cause, please be mindful and donate what you can.

My dad used to be a volunteer firefighter in my hometown when I was younger and I remember he and his fellow volunteers doing these fundraisers at our town's major intersections. Seeing these guys out there yesterday brought back great memories. There were not, if at all, any hispanic volunteers in our town back then and I still feel quite proud of my father for being, if memory serves me correct, the only hispanic fireman during his time as a volunteer.

It's about time- Grey's Anatomy returns!

Though I did not go through withdrawals for not having seen Grey's Anatomy because of Hollywood's writers strike, but I might as well have because it was great to see the show again. Ever since the show's been around, at the end of each episode, I always say that each show needs to be at least two hours long. I think it's that good. Great writing and eye candy for both sexes aside, I will really miss the show when it runs its course-- hopefully many, many years from now.

Now I'm excited to see Meredith finally start to get over her abandonment issues; Izzy continues to be the same quirky, freakin' hottie; George still rocks being the heart of the gang and with the possibility of seeing a romantic hookup between nurse Rose and McDreamy, I can't wait for what the rest of the season holds!

Shoes- Do leave home without them?

I ran across this article about shoes on NPR the other day and thought it veddy eenteresting. The article says that the wearing of shoes is harmful to your feet. Yeah I can see the wearing of certain types of shoes, like 5" stilettos, could do specific damage, but this analysis states that most shoes create some sort of injury to the overall health of the human foot. Essentially it says that humans have survived for many millenia without the necessity of a pair of Jimmy Choo pumps or even some funky Birkenstocks.

Yeah, I'd like to see someone tell all these gals who looove shoes that they have to do away with them. Nor would I tell all these other people whose shoes are more than a way to cover one's foot, but as a hip-hop fashion statement. Do you remember people killing others just for a pair of Air Jordans? Yeah... that's gonna work.

I'd be the first one to tell you that most of the time shoes are just special ornaments that make or break an outfit. And there's nothing wrong with a pair of great looking shoes, but I'll tell you, I've worn some that had me wishing I had gotten the lame pair of work loafers instead of the rocking pair I went with in the end. Whether they are some cool, classic loafers for myself or some that I would love seeing a cute gal wear, shoes, harmful or not, are too ingrained in our modern society to get people to stop wearing them.

I'm your Huckleberry- Tombstone, a movie favorite

One of the better contemporary Western movies, if you ask folks, is 1993's Tombstone. This fairly unassuming flick with several well-known actors was a movie that still carries weight more than 15 years after its release. There are several aspects of the movie that I find intriguing but what I love about it is Val Kilmer's portrayal of Doc Holliday and the romantic undertone of Wyatt Earp's life story.

The constant stream of Doc Holliday one-liners gives one a stockpile of memorable utterances that to me are some of the best. Pick any line Holliday says, whether its his exchanges with Johnny Ringo,"I'm your huckleberry" or when he reunites with Wyatt Earp on the streets with of Tombstone and says to Billy Bob Thorton's Johnny Tyler, "I'm sorry Johnny, I forgot that you were there." Of course he says all this with the smooth lilt of the American South. And ya gotta dig that mustache. I wish mine looked as good as his.

The underlying romantic story between Earp and actress Josephine Marcus ties the movie together. Wyatt Earp first meets Marcus while he's married, but after ridding the Arizona countryside of the villainous Cowboys and after a timely death of his wife due to a drug overdose, Earp is finally reunited with Josephine.

It's a great flick with plenty of intrigue and fast paced action and with brief cameos of Charlton Heston and with an epilogue read by Robert Mitchum to give it the movie some clout, Tombstone is a wonderful movie to enjoy.

Daily Pendejadas- Updating Soaring Gas Prices

Okay, who's getting ticked off by the daily media barrage telling us that each day the price for a barrel of oil has hit an all-time high or that the price per gallon of gas has also hit a new high? Gees, we all know that-- we're not stupid. The prices for these commodities will continue to soar until our oil consumption drops. And the way things are going with gas prices zooming their way toward $5.00, we'll be there before we know it.

Now if gas prices have gone down for eight days straight and OPEC has agreed to release more oil reserves, let me know. Otherwise I don't want to hear anymore of the media's broken record of whining that we've been hearing everyday for as long as I can remember.

Thanks and Good-bye Steve McNair

One of my favorite NFL players retired the other day- Steve McNair. His thirteen years in the NFL proved that he belonged in the league after enduring much consternation early in his career. He came out of Alcorn State without much fanfare and was drafted by the Houston Oilers. Folks thought that the Oilers wasted a draft pick, but after a few years, he proved them all wrong by eventually leading the Tennessee Titans to what is now considered one of the best Super Bowl games of all time against the St. Louis Rams. Even to this day, I cannot think about that SB loss without getting a little misty-eyed. I so wanted Steve McNair to win that game, but the good thing was that he will always be remembered for the courageous manner in which he got the team close enough to have a chance to win the game.

I am still a little upset at the way the Titans franchise treated their one-time franchise quarterback by essentially kicking him out of their off-season facilities prior to the season a few years ago. It was a bit on the not-so-classy side of things. But it pales by comparison to how the city of Houston let the Oilers leave for Tennessee. I sooo wanted to drive to Houston to see them play, but no... they didn't want to fork over the money to build them a new stadium. Yet, you built a new one for the current franchise, the team I call the Houston Usurpers, otherwise known as the Texans (sarcastic applause for the creativity in choosing that team name!)

Anyhow, I digress. I'll be the first one to say that Steve McNair may not be a Hall of Famer, though he garnered a NFL Co-MVP award, but what I will always remember about him was his tenacity and heart and how he carried his teams each and every season. He'll always be a Hall of Famer in my mind.

A Rude Wake Up Call: Overnight storms

We had some major storms blast their through the Dallas/Fort Worth area overnight. Just prior to going to bed, I checked out NOAA's Storm Prediction Center's website to get the latest information. I saw that the immediate D/FW area was under a Tornado Watch until 6:00am. In all the time of being a weather watcher (nerd), I've never experienced a tornado watch to encompass the overnight hours such as this one. Not only did I see that, but I also saw that the region could sustain large hail and very strong winds, upwards of 80+ mph! Needless to say I brought down my patio garden plants off the ledge onto the floor and kept an ear to weather.

Many different areas in north and south Dallas experienced severe storms right around the 3:00 to 4:00am hour and then beyond. What came through our specific neighborhood arrived around 3:40-3:45 or so. What initially go my attention was hearing the hum of the bedroom fan turn off and then back on several times. I heard a few rumbles of thunder with an occasional knock of what I thought was hail on the windows and walls, but when I got to my feet and peeked outside the window, I saw the trees blowing around in a wind that I've never witnessed before: it was a howling, whistling type of wind. There was a eerie strangeness to it. Nevertheless, after blurting out a curse in my overnight stupor, I riled everyone out of bed and into the bathroom.

As soon as everyone got settled in the bathroom, I ran to the laptop to check the latest weather reports and radar. After a few tense moments, I was able to get a internet connection going and got to this radar image and took a picture of it shortly after the storm passed with my camera phone, hence the picture quality. But if you look closely, you'll see that in the radar image in the southern edges of Denton and Collin counties, there's a definite "kink" in the bow echo blowing through the area. In these type of storms, namely squall lines, the northern edge of a bow echo, may usually cause a quick spin-up or two of a tornado. Note the time in the upper right-hand corner of the image.

Who knows what the storm assessors will say with the damage connected to this part of the storm, but the areas around my part of town report the same type of damage: significant roof damage, blown down fences with uprooted and blown down trees, similar to those I've posted below from our apartment complex.

Play Ball!

Hold the presses! The Texas Rangers starting pitchers are pitching, dare I say it, they're pitching pretty good. Six games into the regular season and each starter has pitched at least 5 innings, with Kevin Millwood throwing a rare complete game with his second start. Not only are they reaching the later innings but they are doing it without giving up a lot of runs. Their cumulative ERA is under 3.00.

I know it's very early to make this statement, but it's a step in the right direction. What a difference it makes when you have good starting pitching.

Singing in the Car

There's nothing like hearing a favorite song while driving in your car. Who cares what the other drivers may think, but doesn't it feel good to belt out the song's lyrics? I had such an instance just a few days ago on my way to work.

It had been a while since I've listened to the radio as I've been busy listening to cds for the better part of two weeks (the cds of which will be subject of a future posting). I spent the first part of my commute switching from station to station, with many of them stucks in commercials, until I nailed with the one playing December by Collective Soul. I don't know why I love this song, perhaps the lyrics or that I know them all, or whatever, but whenever this song comes on the radio, it's crank up the volume and rev up the singing! First off I'm not a bad singer. I used to accompany one of my buddies when he sang at Saturday evening mass, so I'm not tone deaf to begin with and could carry a tune whenever possible.

Once I get into December, it's a constant flood of memories, a recollection of my younger days, among them being: listening to a newly purchased Collective Soul album as I drove three hours to visit a gal, then becoming part of my daily soundtrack when I moved to San Antonio, and then it being a part of a music compilation a friend gave me a couple years ago. Whatever the case may be, it's a great song, and for me, many mental souvenirs are attached to it. So if you ever see a crazy looking guy singing in his car, know you may know why.

Drummers Are We- Continued

There were a couple drumming songs I'd like to add to my list from a few days back: Every Little Thing She Does is Magic by the Police and Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin.

That Police song has some great hi-hat stick work. It's a wonderful song from an awesome band. It's amazing to hear such power from a 3 man group. Speaking of power, that aforementioned Led Zeppelin song is probably everyone's Zeppelin track. Except for Robert Plant that is. I heard in an interview from waaaay back that Stairway was not one of his favorite songs for whatever reason. Who knows... Maybe if they tour again, he'll get asked that specific question. I really hope that a Led Zeppelin reunion tour happens!

Daily Pendejadas- Definition of a Maverick

Define a Maverick

I live in Dallas, so I get my daily dose of Dallas Maverick bumper stickers and the like. What I see is the franchise's version of what a "maverick" is: a horse. For as long as I can remember a "maverick" is essentially a cow. So I've always found the use of a horse on the Dallas NBA franchise logo a little strange.

Here's what the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary says:
Main Entry: 1mav·er·ick
Pronunciation: \ˈmav-rik, ˈma-və-\
Function: noun
Etymology: Samuel A. Maverick died 1870 American pioneer who did not brand his calves
Date: 1867
1: an unbranded range animal; especially : a motherless calf
2: an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party

But here's a sad note to this connotation. The University of Texas at Arlington, who recently made news with their first entrance to the NCAA Basketball Tournament, also calls their sports mascot the Mavericks. The sad part is that they also use a horse to personify their mascot. You'd think being at a university that someone would've pointed out this misnomer.

I guess both the NBA's Mavericks and UTA's Mavericks are mavericks in their own rights by choosing the wrong animal for their mascots.

Daily Pendejadas- Signal Lights

I want to make a blog series consisting of stupid things, pendejadas, that I see people do, or in most cases, things they don't do. I know I won't be able to make daily entries for this series, but I couldn't pass up the title.

Signal lights or lack thereof

It seems like the signal lights in most people's cars do not work. People do not use them at all. Of course it just ticks me off when the car in front of me slows down and turns in one direction or the other without the notion of letting you know what he or she is going to do. Apparently the sudden flash of the vehicle's brake lights are enough of a "signal" for the fellow motorist. Seriously, it happens so infrequently that when I come across folks who do indeed use their turn signals on the roadways, I feel like getting out of my car and giving them a gold star.

Drummers Are We

My little brother called me last night to say that he finally bought himself an electric drumset. He'd be wanting one for years, as so have I, but since he's the engineer and married with no kids, he was more apt to get one before me. Either way, I'm quite psyched for him.

Since we both were percussionists in high school, me a one-time all-district and he a two-time all-stater, we had plenty to chat about drum-wise. He told me he's tried to get the drumming down for the title track of Tool's album Undertow, in all it's intricate glory, but he's had issues with it. We both agreed that this song has to be one of the more complicated rock drumming song out there. When you get a chance, listen to it and you'll agree. He said that he's taking the drum part of that song piece by piece, kind of like this: "you do a 2-e-&-a rhythm on the hi-hat and pedal down(left foot) on every other upbeat, while you do a 1-&-a beat on the bass drum pedal (right foot...)." Ya know, simple shtuff like that. Seriously, I really think it's a tough way to start, but nevertheless he'll start some drum kit lessons he picked up at a all-state band camp several years ago.

Since we talked about that specific Tool song, which is one of my favorite song of theirs, namely because of the drumming, I brought up other songs that I've considered my favorite drumming songs. My list consisted of Again by Alice in Chains, Led Zeppelin's Ocean, Go by Pearl Jam, One by Metallica, and Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! by The Beatles.

While we're on the subject of drummers, I thought I'd share what I think who've been the best in the past couple decades. It's hard to dispute the creative and bombastic style of Led Zeppelin's John Bonham, who's arguably one of Rock's all-time best. During the mid to late 1980s you heard Tommy Lee's name thrown around as being the best at that point, but I always thought him to be just alright for the most part. But who I thought was a better drummer around that same time frame was Lars Ulrich from Metallica. The track One from And Justice for All.. is a stand-alone, I think one of the most difficult songs for a drummer. But as Metallica's music softened and became more mainstream, Ulrich's drumming suffered. However, as he and Metallica waned, another band swept into prominence, Tool. And with that came the superb body of work of Danny Carey.

As mentioned in a previous post, I've been a big fan of this group for a long time. Although it wasn't their first studio album, but the first album of theirs that I got was Undertow and they've had me hooked ever since. Over the years, their music has evolved into symphonic orchestrations of sorts. There's just something about their stuff that keeps me coming back for more. Perhaps a reason for that is the percussive prowess of Danny Carey. And in my opinion he's the best Rock drummer in the current era.

The first time I saw Tool was in a small venue in San Antonio that would be the ideal place to hold wedding receptions and some gal's sweet sixteen, but what I saw was a great show. In that concert I was most mesmerized by the dynamic playing of Carey in Undertow. There near the end, perhaps 15-20 seconds before the song ends, there's this jazz inspired cymbal work that melts into a percussive guitar laden conclusion. And as I stood there watching, there's Danny looking calm, while his arms flail away. UH-mazing! To get an idea of what I'm talking about check out these short flicks to see what I mean: 46 & 2 and Lateralus. If you had any doubt about who's Rock's best drummer before, I'd be very surprised if you didn't agree with me after seeing and hearing his stick work.

To further my point, check out this tutorial video of Eulogy played by an obvious fan of Carey's work. And that's just one of their songs. Talk about having your work cut out for you. Try it for youself and you'll know. Perhaps my brother needs to start with an easier drummer to emulate!

A Barry Big Sigh of Relief

The San Antonio Spurs re-signed Brent Barry today after having been involved in the Kurt Thomas-Francisco Elson trade with the Seattle Supersonics last month. Since the trade the Spurs' offense have been, well...fairly offensive, especially in the last couple weeks. With Barry coming back, that will give Michael Finley a little extra rest because he's been in a horrible shooting slump lately, which I think comes from playing so much. He's not a spring chicken anymore, so any little rest will go a long way.

Maybe with a rested, and hopefully healthy Brent Barry, the Spurs will regain some of the momentum they lost when they were atop the Western Conference, a mere few weeks ago.

War's 5th Anniversary

The fifth anniversary of George W. Bush's war in Iraq came and went just recently. He's still saying that "removing Saddam Hussein" was the right thing to do. And he continues to say that the current war is "a fight that America can and must win." Well, yeah...duh. First of all, he still thinks that Saddam and all his weapons of mass destruction were behind the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the United States has to win this war in Iraq. So Bush saying that the Iraq war is a must win is an understatement. The United States' status in the world depends on how we win the war, or better yet, how get out of this mess that the Bush administration has created.

But seriously, what would be considered a win in Iraq? A photo op aboard a US warship? Oh wait, that's already been done. I don't know about you, but not only do I not see an "end" to this war anytime soon, but unless we just turn our backs on the Iraqis, a protracted US occupation is inevitable. I've always been against this particular theatre of the "war on terror," but if we just pull up stakes and leave without some sort of safeguards for the Iraqi people, this region will be another ethnic tinderbox. Yugoslavia, anyone?

I'd also like to comment on something I saw a couple weeks ago related to this fifth anniversary. While out on a lunch break, I drove up to an intersection were two different rallies were occurring simultaneously. On one side of the road, a group of peace activists rallied against the war in Iraq by holding up signs and flags with peace signs, in other words a group of modern day hippies. Conversely, the other group of people was composed of biker types that held signs supporting the troops, and with American flags placed all over: in waving hands and poles staked in the ground.

Although I consider myself against the Iraqi war, I also am a proud supporter of our troops. So as I pulled up to that intersection I felt the pull from each group. But what struck me more than anything, and what really turned me off, was the lack of American flags on the side of the peace activists. My thing is that if you live in this great country, regardless of how you feel about who's running the government, you better damn well respect the freedoms we have and be proud (blessed, lucky...) that we can readily voice our opinions (within the law) about the government without repercussions. Dissent is as American as apple pie and baseball. So what these peace folks told me with their lack of American flags was that they've turned their back on this country and for that I feel sorry for them. Because they like President Bush, still don't get it.


Source: G.W. Bush quotes: New York Times, March 20.

Bracket (not so) Busted

Even with all the upsets in the first two days of the NCAA basketball tournament, my bracket's doing pretty good. It helps to have a couple upsets picked in there, but it can be tough watching these games because on one hand, I love to see the upsets, but on the other, those said upsets screw up your brackets. Either way, it's fun no matter what.

I have two brackets actually-- I have one at home and another that's set up through Yahoo!. For as long as I can remember, I do the Yahoo! bracket every tourney time, but the thing is, you have to have all your picks done ahead of time and not go game by game. Either way, if you happen to be on Yahoo!'s Pick'Em the bracket set called And the Winner is, is mine.

Kiss Me, I'm Irish

I'm proud of my Irish heritage. What the...?! Yep, you heard me, I am proud of my Irish forebears. Although my family's heritage is Spanish, Basque, Mexican and a little French, I can say that I'm part Irish. Just hear me out. Sure, if you've seen me you might think I may be a little Irish because my beard is definitively auburn and my hair also has a reddish tinge to it, but that's because of something altogether different. There are redheads on my Mom's side of the family, with a couple of her aunts being redheads- albeit grey now. And then further back, some of the men where called "hilos de maíz" because their beards looked like the threads, or silks, of an ear of corn. But as far as we all know, that's all from my Spanish ancestry. But all this doesn't explain why I've always had a "thing" for redheaded gals. Anyhow, I digress. What I mean about all this talk about being Irish comes from, well, where I've come from. My hometown in South Texas, resides in San Patricio County, which was home to one of the first Irish settlements in Texas.

In 1828, the first group of families recruited from the Irish population of New York came to the then Mexican province of Coahuila y Texas and settled along the Nueces River, northwest of present day Corpus Christi. The settlement was called San Patricio de Hibernia, after their patron saint, St. Patrick. A few years later, the settlement was legally established as the Municipality of San Patricio. Later still, after the Texas Revolution, San Patricio County was created by the 1836 Congress of the new Republic of Texas, with the initial Irish settlement of San Patricio, being the county seat.

The period between the Texas Revolution and the US-Mexican War, this area was known as a "depopulated area" because gangs of former Mexican soldiers and gringo cattle rustlers roamed this zone relatively unchecked. Once the US annexed Texas in 1845, and with the arrival of General Zachary Taylor, the region began to stabilize. One of the fascinating aspects of the early San Patricio County was that it encompassed a far greater territory than its current size and that most of the surrounding counties came from the original county.

Although predominantly known for crop cultivation in the present, much of the remaining 19th century San Patricio County was known for cattle ranching. One of the largest cattle firms in Texas called San Pat County home, The Coleman, Mathis, & Fulton Pasture Company. By then other small towns began to spring up along the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railway. Subsequently, several out of state developers, including David B. Sinton and his son-in-law Charles P. Taft, half brother of President William H. Taft, began to see the area grow, and then created the Taft Ranch, one of the largest ranches in South Texas.

More towns sprouted up from the black soils of the county, again along the rail lines. From those lines also came trainloads of Mexican laborers who were brought in to help clear the land of mesquite and associated brush to prepare the land for farming. Once farming became established, cotton became king, and then later, shared with the cultivating of sorghum grain, both became the county's cash crops. Even though the county is home to several large companies including OxyChem, Sherwin Alumina, and Naval Station Ingleside, cultivated crops still dominate the county's landscape.

The land is still as flat as it was when the first Irish New Yorkers arrived, but the terrain is more cropped covered than with tall prairie grasses. Though the Irish have dispersed throughout the region, there's still some vestiges of Irish culture remaining- The World Champion Rattlesnake Races are held in "Old San Patricio" every March!

Source: The New Handbook of Texas, 1996.

Dems are Gonna Blow It!

Somebody better tell the Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to stop screwing with each other and start readying themselves to mess witht the GOP. If you thought the November elections would come with a regime change, you've got another thing coming.

The only sure thing at this point is that the Republicans are licking their chops at all the incessant bickering and in-fighting occuring with the Democratic party. Even they thought they'd lose the 2008 presidential election! Yet with the way things are going with the Democratic primary process, John McCain might breeze his way into the White House. And by the way, did you see how uncomfortable he looked when he stood behind when George W. Bush endorsed him? Maybe he was embarrassed with the little jig George did while he waited for McCain to arrive.

Anyhow, the Democratic presidential candidates better get their shit together or they will see the Republicans sitting in the White House for at least another four years. Then they'll be wishing and thinking about what could have been. Get over yourselves and think about what's important, the good of our country.

Personal Political See-saw & Dream Ticket

I'm having the hardest time choosing between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for the March 4th Texas Primary. It's a toss up between hope and experience: Obama has brought hope and inspiration, while Clinton has been there before, so to speak. So it's a tough call.

I've been caught up in Obama's inspiring words and I want to send my vote his way, but his relative lack of experience bugs me just enough to let doubt creep into the room. But hearing him speak really moves me. He gives Bill Clinton, whom I've thought to be the best orator of my generation, a run for his money. Gees, he beat out Bill for the Spoken Word Grammy just recently!

On the other hand, I think Hillary Clinton has the best experience of all candidates, as she's lived in the White House as First Lady for 8 years. It's hard to beat that kind of experience. But she's such a polarizing figure on the political scene, and I think that has become a liability. Many Republicans have a tremendous hatred for her and see her as a divisive individual. So I guess it depends on if one seeks inspiration or experience. Unless....

...you talk about my Dream Ticket: Clinton/Obama.

First of all, having Obama on your ticket means that he'll bring in a serious amount of crossover voters, these so-called Obama-cans: Republicans voting for Obama. That's a big plus. Clinton has all that White House experience and hopefully a sense of knowing what not to do and how to do things the right way and not waste her chance at righting the ship that is America.

Having Obama as VP means that he'll be the "president" of the Senate. He'll more apt to create a sense of togetherness, a "uniter" if you will. No longer will the US have someone who's first inclination will be to look after the betterment of his political party, i.e., Dick Cheney, but finally someone who will have the interests of the American people in mind. Obama will serve as a gentle persuader to remind those across the aisle that all their work is the American people and not for political gains.

That would be something, wouldn't it: Hillary Clinton for President and Barack Obama as Vice President? It's possible, but it could work the other way around, but I don't think it'll be the same as the first option.

We'll see how things turn out after March 4th. Either way, it'll be very exciting whatever the outcome.

A Local Gem: Miguel Antonio

I had the pleasure of visiting De Tapas in Addison over the weekend and had a wonderful time listening to the classical guitar sounds of Miguel Antonio. Being that I had to take my wife out for our anniversary, hearing his beautiful flamenco inspired riffs more than made up for that. All I can say is: Wow! The way he strummed through Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez and Fantasía para un Gentilhombre were beyond spectacular.

The first time I saw him was several years ago at SMU's Caruth Auditorium while I was in graduate school there. Talk about an amazing show! The Dallas/Fort Worth music scene is better because of Miguel Antonio's talent. This cabellero is truly a local gem. And it is a privilege to see and hear him play.

¡Olé!

Super Bowl

Yahoo! Sports columnist Michael Silver gives his top picks for the best Super Bowl game of all time in his most recent column. I pretty much agree with his picks, especially that he put the most recent game on the list and along with the St. Louis-Tennessee game from 2000. I still can't bear to watch the last second play without getting emotional. Even when I replay it in my head, I still hope for Kevin Dyson to elude the game saving tackle!

Further down the column you should come across the "Lyric-Altered Song Dedication of the Week" for everyone's enjoyment. The altered song is Radiohead's Karma Police and the alteration is great. I love to alter song lyrics and am pretty notorious for doing that to beloved songs. My favorite is to one of REO Speedwagon's best known hits. It starts a little like this: "Heard it from a friend who... heard it from a friend who... heard it from a friend you've been fucking around." Love it!

Unhappy Valentine

I hate Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day is my least favorite holiday, it even lags behind Arbor Day and Flag Day, and that's because I could care less about those "holidays." And the thing is, I've always considered myself a romantic, but I guess several years of marriage will do that to a guy. But I've always felt this way about Valentine's Day. It must be all the hype surrounding this holiday that really gets me. It's like, "Here honey, he's bunch of flowers that will wilt and die in a few days time and you'll end up getting me to clean up all the dead leaves and flowers." Or, "Here's a box of chocolates for you dear. Just don't come complaining back to me in a few days saying how fat you feel." It's just a big waste in my opinion. And don't get me started on much they jack up the prices for a measely dozen roses! They cost at least twice as much another other day throughout the year.

I also have another reason why I feel a certain disdain for this "special" day: my wedding anniversary is a few days prior so I have to deal with the ramifications of having to endure both days in a week's time. I used to joke that no one would get any Christmas gifts from me because I would have save up the money to get my wife something for our anniversary, Valentine's Day, and her birthday because they all occur in the month of February.

Spiral out: Tool and the Fibonacci Sequence

My brother forwarded me a link about Tool's use of the Fibonacci Sequence in the title track of the Laterlus album from a few years back. Having been a fan of theirs for a long time, at least 15 years, it did not surprise me that they use this sort of numerological sequence in their music. Check it out.

Spiral out, keep going...

Im-Perfect Season

The Perfect NFL Season lies somewhere out there in the mythical ether. A place where only the memories of the 1972 Miami Dolphins team reside. Having been born a year after that magical run, I have no point of reference in which to compare that team's season with any I have seen in my lifetime. There have been a couple close calls, namely the 1986 Chicago Bears, and most recently, the New England Patriots team that went into last Sunday's Super Bowl LXII 18-0.

Perhaps we'll see a perfect season in our lifetime. It could even be New England who'll do it next year. They've got the best chance to do it, as long as they avoid all bad karmic situations such as this season's Spygate incident. I swear, as bad karma goes, that was as bad as it could get. And I for one am glad that they didn't win the Super Bowl and go 19-0. This team had no business stooping down to that level and cheat lke they did. I've liked the Pats in the past and how they've won championships with a bunch of no-name players, but after having been caught breaking some NFL Rules, I've lost respect for them.

And in no way am I discounting the play of the New York Giants. Are you kidding? I'm a huge Dallas Cowboys fan, but I appreciate how the Giants played Sunday and my hoarse voice postgame was indicative of how much cheering I did for New York. That was some of the best defense play I have ever seen. I think that Justin Tuck and Michael Strahan were as worthy to receive the game's MVP honors as Eli Manning. Though that sack escape and pass to David Tyree on the game winning drive was great enough for him to win all in itself. Speaking of which, who's seen a better play in Super Bowl history?

Yes, I am sorry that history was not made last Sunday evening, because that's one of a plethora of reasons why I watch sports, but the team which wanted it more won and that's what it's all about in the end.

A few things

It's been a few weeks since I've posted anything. It's not that I haven't had anything to share, but I've been spending my extra time getting back on the exercise wagon. I'd essentially fallen of the wagon, so to speak, toward the end of last year and it took a couple visits to the doctor to get me back on track.

1). I had picked up a cold back in December so I visited my doctor just to make sure. While there he saw that my blood pressure was higher than it should and said that this had been something he had noticed for the better part of a year. I had attributed my high bp in December to not having done much of any exercising in the previous month or so. But why did I stop working out to begin with? I really do not know. Perhaps it had to do with my aunt's passing in October or maybe letting the eye rolling I'd get everytime I'd go workout get the better of me. Either way, I'm on medication now and have gotten back into the exercising groove of things. There's nothing better than waking up sore the morning after a good workout.

If you've got some iffy health issues going on, please go get yourself checked out and be proactive about it. Talk to your friends and family and go from there.

2). Actor Heath Ledger passed away quite unexpectedly today. It is a tremendous shock to any movie fan. I've only seen a few of his movies, although none of his newer flicks, but I do know that we've lost a great actor and person. Please say a little prayer for him and his family. It is certainly a sad day for us all.

3). Hopefully the Dallas Cowboys have a better year next year. To be honest with you, I did not think they'd be this "good" this year. I thought they'd be 10-6 or even 11-5, but not the 13-3 the pulled off this regular season. Knowing how well they did this, however, I'm expecting them to do alot more than to have a great regular season, and get to the playoffs. Nothing short of making it to the Super Bowl next year will be unacceptable. Good thing that Jerry Jones re-signed Jason Garrett. They'd go nowhere without him into the future. Now if Tony Romo could find himself an honest, likeable, no-name girlfriend...

New Year's Day Sports at Its Finest

From about 10:30 am, local time New Year's Day, until the start of the Rose Bowl, I endured what one could call, sports heaven. I put my remote to the ultimate test yesterday with all the games a guy can handle. For starters, the Cotton Bowl game between Missouri and Arkansas was a great game, especially if you were pulling for Mizzou. Sorry Hogs fans, my burnt Orange blood was a little too thick to root for you yesterday. Then at 12pm, the game of the day came on from Orchard Park, New York. Eh, what?! Yes, you heard me, I watched the Pittsburgh Penguins versus Buffalo Sabres game played outside in the elements.

What a wonderful concept. Though I didn't catch the first time the NHL played an outdoor game a few years back, I made a point to watch this one. First of all, it the game was played in front of 73,000+ plus fans. Secondly and more importantly, they played in the snow. The lake effect snow machine was in full force, okay, I exaggerate, but it snowed for most of the game. If you didn't see the game, you missed something special.

During and after this game were too equally intriguing bowl games, Michigan vs Florida and Virginia vs Texas Tech. Although I could have had a split loyalty for each team in the first set of games, my rooting for Michigan superceded any small allegiance I had for Florida. What a way to send off outgoing headcoach Lloyd Carr. In what was one of the biggest upsets of the day, Big Blue sent the cocky Gators on a long drive up the interstate from Orlando to Gainesville.

Texas Tech spent most of their game playing catch-up with Virginia. But thanks to heroics by their stud quarterback Graham Harrell and his offense, Tech was able to surpass the Cavaliers with a game-winning field goal with a couple seconds left.

(On a related note, I don't know about you, but I think the Big 12 will have a great season next year. Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Texas Tech among others will return most of their starting line-ups. Can't wait for that!)

If it wasn't for the two blowouts in the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl, New Year's Day 2008 could've been a perfect way to start the sports year.

The New England Borings

There's talk of the New England Patriots being boring now. Sure they're 16-0, and pretty much have a championship all sewn up, barring a loss somewhere in the playoffs, but they're winning without much fanfare. I guess just winning is not enough for some people. Doing things in the team-first concept makes you... uh, boring. This sort of talk reminds me of the San Antonio Spurs and their championship runs of late.

Sports pundits have always described the Spurs as being a boring team, but all this doesn't not really surprise me. I've always seen the Patriots and Spurs as franchise siblings. Both teams have won championships with this, new fangled thing called a "team-first" concept and led by a not so glitzy leader, Brady and Duncan, respectively. During their runs, neither team had a sexy, me-first star. Until now...

About a month ago, I told my brother that the 2007 version of the New England Patriots, with Randy Moss, are like the San Antonio Spurs if they had acquired Kobe Bryant. Moss up to this point in his career has been like a Kobe Bryant, but has finally who relinquished his me-first attitude for the sake of winning championships. While with the Oakland Raiders, all one heard from Moss were complaints. Well... duh! He opted to play for the money and that got him nowhere. But all of a sudden, he has this epiphany and wants to win. Sheesh...

New England could've won without Moss, especially since they picked up Wes Welker, who's putting up some gawdy numbers of his own. But the rich got richer this year. And another thing. Did they really need to cheat to win? In two words: heeeeeell no!

Recipe for a Favorite

Anytime I get asked for my favorite song, I always have a hard time deciding which one is my favorite-- I usually cannot come up with one... ultimate favorite. A question of my top 10 songs was posed to me a while back, perhaps as long as a year ago, but I could not stick to a list of 10. Needless to say, it was more like 30 or 40. Now if I could narrow the field into several musical categories, maybe I have a shot of giving one my favorite heavy metal song, my favorite piece of classical music, or even give one my opinion of the best Beatles hit. Maybe.


But what makes a song great in our mental soundtrack? What makes it special for us? Does it move us, emotionally or even physically? Does its transport you back to a specific place and time? Does it remind you of a certain someone? Or does one like the way the music is put together? Well, all these questions are valid ones and any answer will suffice, because anyone's favorite is their own.

For me, it boils down to this-- when listening to a song, if I get the chills, it's a good song. I don't know why it happens, but if a song gives me a nice case of the goosebumps, it's a keeper. This morning however, Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin, moved me beyond mere goosebumps and head-bobbing. This piece had me up and around my bedroom, waving my arms like a crazed conductor, singing to the beautiful notes of the french horn and forceful rhythms of Gershwin's magnum opus.

I don't know why it happened, but I can now say Rhapsody in Blue is my favorite piece of classical music. I think it has everything that a classical song should have: sweet melodies, gorgeous accompaniments, and powerful staccato textures, all overlaid upon a piano solo- it is a piano concerto for orchestra if you want to get picky. It tells a specific story, that of New York City and you can essentially hear the hustle and bustle of The Big Apple Gershwin put to music. It's not split into movements as it's a stand alone composition. One will hear the subtle intonation of the woodwinds, most notably the clarinet at one point, and then it's balanced with a vigorous and robust finale.

From a personal standpoint, when listening to it, it brings back particularly pleasant memories. I once listened to it on a trip to Mexico back during my undergraduate days. I can see Monterrey's Cerro de la Silla in my mind. And then I remember the time when I watched Fantasia 2000 with my daughter when she was a toddler. Each is a treasured memory.

Prior to this reckoning, I've said that Stravinsky's Rite of Spring was my favorite classical song, if you will, with the first movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony right there as well. But haven't spent the day thinking about it, I am quite satisfied with Rhapsody in Blue being my favorite classical song.

It's Beginning to Sound a Lot Like Christmas

The weeks and days leading up to Christmas is probably my favorite time of the year. The weather starts to get cooler and one begins to reminisce about the years past with family and friends. However, nothing gets me in the mood like Christmas music.

There are radio stations around that start to play holiday music just as the calendar turns over to November. But you won't catch me listening to them until maybe mid-December at the earliest, otherwise I get burnt out. That happened once and by the time Christmas came around, I was ready to for the holidays to be over. Music and movies... everything. So it's all about moderation for me.

Anyhow, here are some of my favorite Christmas albums of all-time:

Harry Simeone Chorale's Little Drummer Boy:
It's not Christmas unless I've heard this album. It is my numero one all-time favorite. It's full of traditional songs and these are my favorites from the album:

1). Go Tell it on the Mountain
I've always thought James Earl Jones sang this tune because the guy who does has the coolest baritone. Of course, I always have to sing along with it in the lowest voice I can muster.
2). O Holy Night
We once tried to sing this at a Christmas mass several years ago, but thought better of it because the girls in the group couldn't hit some of the notes. Though us guys could in falsetto, hence why we nixed the idea.
3). Little Drummer Boy
I've always had a certain affinity to this song, because I too, was a little drummer boy at one time. Maybe I'll give my favorite all-time drummers one of these days.
4). God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Though part of a medley, it's only a short version of this song, but it's long enough to make an impact.

Bing Crosby's White Christmas
I think this is my mom's favorite, and since it's listed here, it's also one of mine. These are the classic standards of American Christmas music. My faves:

1). White Christmas
Who doesn't like this song? Like I mentioned in a past posting, this song has an all new different meaning to me after having witnessed a "white Christmas" in my hometown, down near Corpus Christi, in 2004.
2). I'll be Home for Christmas
This used to be my mantra for the time after finals and before I went home for the holidays. Now, it's just another Christmas song since going "home for Christmas" is not necessarily a feasible thing to do every year.
3). It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas
Classic.
4). Mele Kalikimaka
Apparently, if you spend your Christmas in Hawai'i, this is what they'll say to you. Thanks Bing for the heads-up!


George Strait's Merry Christmas Strait to You
Another family favorite. My dad is a huge George Strait fan, and so am I to a certain extent, and he has always said that George is his twin. Of course, that's debatable, but my dad's a handsome dude, so I'll give him that much. Among my faves here:

1). There's a New Kid in Town
A country twist on something like, O Little Town of Bethlehem.
2). The title track is a 2-step dancin' type.


Rebecca St. James Christmas
This album consists of updated, rockin' versions of many famous Christmas standards. I totally dig these:

1). Happy Xmas (War is Over)
This song seems to be sung by anyone who has any musical talent and St. James' version is quite good.
2). Come, O Come Emmanuel, O
3). One Small Child
4). O Holy Night
An up tempo version of this Christmas classic, replete with back beat. I would have never thought I'd say that O Holy Night could rock, but it does.

Sarah McLachlan Wintersong
She is one of my all-time favorite musical maidens, and she does a fairly good job of doing Christmas music. Check these out:

1). What Child is This?
2). River
3). Although it's not on the Wintersong album, I love Sarah's featured voice on The Barenaked Ladies version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings.


Okay... after having written all this, now I'm ready for Christmas music!

Spurs - Scola = Rockets?!?

Okay, can anyone tell me why Luis Scola is playing with the Houston Rockets this season after having been a draft pick with the San Antonio Spurs? For the longest time the Spurs had the rights to his contract, but after some contract snafu he's playing for the Rockets. How did this transpire? Better yet and more importantly, why is he playing for a division rival?

That dude can play with the best of them. He's a future all-star. I love his hustle and hard work. He kind of reminds me of Eduardo Nájera, but without the fouls and dirty play. Don't get me wrong, I like the Houston Rockets and their roster with Scola on it, but I don't like that he's playing for a team that could beat the San Antonio Spurs come playoff time.

Hands on Astronomy

I came across a quick little article about how us amateur astronomers can put in our "two cents" in a new web-based project called Galaxy Zoo. The cool thing is that this project wants to enlist the general public's assistance to help the Sloan Digital Sky Survey classify a million galaxies. This endeavor will help scientists better understand how the cosmos evolved by asking participants to distinguish the subtle differences, for example, between spiral and elliptical galaxies. Apparently the human brain is more adept at figuring out these variations than a computer program. After folks do a short online tutorial, Galaxy Zoo will show galaxy images to participants in the hopes that we could spot any minute differences between galaxies, and maybe even to decide which way a particular galaxy is rotating! Exciting stuff to be involved with I say.

So Long Sidle

The original CSI show lost a major character last week as CSI-Sara Sidle left the show. I wonder what Gil Grissom will do now without a love interest? I'm sure he'll figure something out.

Not only did CSI lose a huge component to it's award winning cast, but it lost a major hottie. I've got to admit that she was one of the main reasons why I watched the show. There's something about her, Jorja Fox, that is, that really struck me. I think it was her eyes. She has these amazing soul piercing eyes that just pull you in. And the thing is, as Sara, she really didn't do anything to draw attention to herself such as wearing revealing clothes and etc. To me, everything starts with the eyes-- it could be eyes of blue, or in this case, her dark-colored eyes.

Maybe the television audience will be blessed with her presence in another show before too long. Let's hope.

Climbing the Great Wall of Yao

My brother sent me this link of the San Antonio Spurs' guard Manu Ginobili slam dunk over the Houston Rockets' center Yao Ming last week. Talk about a ferocious facial. Manu's elbows were in the rim!

Here it is, check it out: Manu's dunk.

Healthy Television

I've become a big fan of NBC's reality television show, The Biggest Loser. You gotta say that this show is probably the best in terms of providing a healthy lifestyle. I love to see these folks change from their old, obese selves into the lean, healthy machines most become at the show's end. Even the contestants who get voted off the show during the season continue the exercise regimens learned in front of America and look just as great.

Over the past several months, I've told my friends that I wish I could join the cast just so I can workout all day and eat well. Of course when I tell my friends this, they usually raise an eyebrow and say that I don't need to do that. Well, they have a point. Even though I'm quite overweight, I'm about at that halfway point for those guys who start off near or over 300 pounds. I'm about 255-260, down from near 280 a couple years ago. I just wish I had more time to lose the 30 pounds or so that I think would be a good weight for me. Now if I was on this show, I'd probably be voted off before too long because I'd lose the weight too quickly. A good problem to have I guess.

A Good Week for Astronomy

Here are few quick astronomy hits for this week.

First of all, did anyone see or hear about that amazing spacewalk by a couple of astronauts over the weekend? Wow! I found some wonderful pictures on Space.com that described the dangerous mission to fix one of the space station's solar arrays. The astronaut dangled precariously off the space shuttle's robotic arm in order to untangle some wires. That electrified array carried upwards of 100 volts of electricity. And talk about getting the right guy to do the job-- the guy, Dr. Scott Parazynski, is a former emergency room doctor! It took him 7 hours to get the job done, including a harrowing hour to get back into the shuttle. I bet his parents are very proud of him.

Last Saturday I read that there would be an interesting celestial conjunction in the eastern skies later that night. However, I didn't think that I would have to be up in the wee hours of Sunday morning to see it. No, I wasn't out and about doing who knows what, but I did happen to be out of the house for a few hours between 2 & 5 am because we took our daughter to the emergency room. It was nothing serious thank goodness, but there it was, almost in a straight line up and down from the horizon, a beautiful conjuction-- starting at the bottom, Venus, the Moon, Jupiter and Leo's alpha star, Regulus. Even though we were up because my daughter fell ill in the middle of the night and everything turned out alright, seeing this conjunction made me feel that everything indeed would be alright.

News flash: There's an exploding comet in our skies! Comet Holmes, which is a fuzzy spot in the constellation Perseus, has become a surprise to many astronomers. Comets as they enter the Solar System, usually have a increasingly long tail as it nears the Sun, however in this case, Comet 17P/Holmes is tail less. No one's unsure how long the comet will last at its present state, but experts say it could last weeks, if not months. Check it out before it's gone!

And last, but not least, astronomers have found a star outside our Solar System with at least 5 planets. This is the first time that a star has been found with at least 5 planets. The fifth was found to orbiting relatively distant from its home star, but is much bigger than our planet Earth.

A Tale of Two Stars

In the last week or so, two sports superstars made headlines from opposite ends of the contract negotiation spectrum. Not only was each case different in how the contract was handled, but it also showed how each decision impacted their respective team and sport. The stars I speak of are Tim Duncan and Alex Rodríguez. And if you delve deeper into each instance, you'll notice a stark difference between the apparent selfishness of the two and how that selfishness has taken one to sports championship immortality and the other still waiting for his first shot at a championship.

The Rodríguez story started the night the Boston Red Sox clinched their second World Series championship in three years. During the telecast of the Series' game four, the sportcasters and sports reporters broke the news that Alex Rodríguez would opt out of his contract with the New York Yankees, thus setting him onto the free agent market. What he and his agent, Scott Boras, did was step into the limelight that should have been strictly for yet another historic Red Sox playoff run.

But we all know that this is nothing new with Rodríguez and Boras. They seem to make every contractual agreement about them and how much money Alex (Scott) will garner. Who can blame them really? They're really good at what they do and we're here along for the ride. Some poor sap of a MLB franchise that will pay through the nose to have Rodríguez play on their team. Alex will continue to hit like none before him has, yet will he and his team be around come World Series time? Who knows. Whatever team picks him up may not have enough money to field a decent team anyway because Rodríguez will demand an astronomical amount of cash to fulfill his (Boras') need.

And then there's Tim Duncan. Selfish, Tim Duncan that is. Yes, he is selfish. Even Tim has caught the selfish bug, where it's all about "me, me, me." However, it's not about how much endorsement money he needs to make. Or about how many times he's on the highlight reel each night. Or even about how many shots he needs to take. For Tim Duncan, it's about winning. He took an apparent pay cut when he signed his contract extention this week so that it will pave the way to re-sign Manu Ginobili and even another top free agent down the line. What all this means is that he has set up himself and his teammates for more years of championship runs. This the good kind of selfish that the NBA needs, and the sports world for that matter.

How the Mighty have Risen?

It's somewhat surprising. It's something quite remarkable really. It's even a little bit unbelievable. The thing that is surprising, remarkable, and unbelievable is the gritty and gutsy rebounding of the University of Michigan's football team after their 0-2 start.

Prospects were bleak for a winning season after that debacle in losing to lower tiered Appalachian State in their home opener and then the following week losing to a very talented Oregon Duck team that's fresh off a defeat of USC and is currently ranked #5. Yet weeks later, Michigan finds itself undefeated in the Big Ten Conference with more than meaningful games (re: important now) still yet to play against Michigan State, Wisconsin and the season finale at home against Ohio State.

Go figure. Big Blue still has a chance to make up for those two early season losses and even making it to a BCS bowl if they win out. It probably won't happen, but they're still in contention after all this. Go Big Blue!

The First Polish Texans

A few weeks back I made a trip home to South Texas to attend the funeral of a dear aunt, my dad's only sister, and along the way, we passed through many small towns including one that stuck in my mind. Although we didn't drive directly through this town, but the highway we used was a few short miles down the road from Panna Maria, Texas-- the first Polish settlement in the United States of America.

Several years after Texas became a state, a large group of Polish immigrants settled in an area that is now approximately 40 miles southeast of San Antonio off of State Highway 123. Many of the surrounding communities are made up of the descendents of the initial Polish settlers.

Believe or not, Panna Maria, Texas does indeed have its own website and one should visit it to brush up on its history. Better yet, if you find yourself in South Texas, take State Highway 123 south from San Marcos and you'll see signs pointing in Panna Maria's direction. You could also take US Highway 181 south from San Antonio towards Corpus Christi and you should come across highway signs prior to arriving in Karnes City pointing you towards Panna Maria.

Stupidity abounds

Here's a quick rant:

NFL quarterback Michael Vick got himself in trouble again during this past week for apparently having marijuana in his system. Well, you can't fault the dude since he no longer has to conform to NFL rules and regs because he's not playing right now, but what kind of idiot is he though? The guy is already in so much trouble for his dogfighting charges and now he's in a different kind of legal trouble because of the drugs. He's really showing to us all that he wants to make a positive change in his life.

And on a similar vein of thought, what about these immigrants getting deported from a Dallas suburb? It's the same kind of stupidity. Here's why: to begin with, these folks were in jail for breaking the law in some way and the City of Irving is running checks with the U.S. Immigration department to make sure these public offenders are here in the country legally. Sounds like a good plan, right? I don't have a problem with sending law breaking, illegal immigrants back to their country of origin. Nor do I understand all the hubbub concerning this policy. There's all sorts of upheaval and protests going on because of the City of Irving's proactive stance. People feel that they are being singled out because of their ethnicity; most of the deportees are of Hispanic origin. Unless the offenders are jailed illegally and their human rights were violated, there should be no hesitation in making sure any of these folks are legal residents of this country.

You would think that if you're here illegally that you would try to stay as clean as possible so that way you won't have any chance of being kicked out. Keep your nose clean, so to speak, and maybe, years down the line, you can get some sort of amnesty to stay in this country rightfully and legally. In Vick's case, you'd think that he would steer clear of any sort of illegal activity since he's also being indicted by the State of Virginia. And there's still that issue of reinstatement back into the NFL that he has to contend with when he's completed his jail time.

Nature and Man versus Man

I just read an article about a guy on Galveston Island who got into some legal trouble for shooting a cat. The thing is that the guy, Jim Stevenson, is a naturalist and bird expert. Stevenson, who was charged with animal cruelty by a Galveston County grand jury, is the founding member of the Galveston Ornithological Society and insists that the cat he shot belongs to a feral cat colony that threatens the Island's bird population. And what makes matters worse is that Galveston Island is a natural stopover on an active bird migration route that crosses the United States. Some of Stevenson's neighbors and friends see him as a "respecter of nature," but others think otherwise, especially the "owner" of the cat involved in this case, John Newland. Right now there's a lot of legal wrangling going on regarding whether or not Stevenson broke any state laws.

I consider myself a animal lover and have owned several pets at various times in my life, so I feel for both sides of this case, but are these feral cats a natural part of the local environs? Probably not. Do these cats pose a threat to the birds in this area? Stevenson's actions deem it so. Unfortunately, people who "care" for these animals only exascerbate the problems associated with feral animals. And if one person decides to "care" for these animals, he or she should think about keeping these "pets" indoors, capture them in order to have them spayed or neutered, or have them moved to another location for de-feralizing, so as not to endanger the naturally occurring animals and their habitats of a given locale.

Perhaps it's not Mr. Stevenson's responsibility to take on this polemic endeavor to make the ferals cats go away, but those who care for these feral cats in some way, should bear some of the responsibility that goes with helping them survive in the wild.

Sore Loser

I just read that Kanye West said that MTV "exploited" Britney Spears for ratings. Duh! Doesn't he do the same thing? Doesn't he exploit MTV for his own personal gain? Not only did he say this about Britney, but he also complained about not winning any awards and said that MTV disrespected him. Wow, tough words from someone who was MTV's darling just a few short years ago. Yo, sorry dude, you can't win 'em all!

Dropped shot(s) and Winner

Over the Labor Day weekend, I spoke to my dad and youngest brother about the US Open and about tennis in general, and spoke at length about how I felt about the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus. I said that they should win every tennis tournament they enter because of their tremendous talent, BUT because of their occasional mental lapses, they usually don't play up to said talent. I consider myself a fan of theirs and cheer for them at every chance, but they sometimes do not play up to their potential. So it did not surprise me to hear Serena say what she did after losing to Justine Henin. It's really sad that she had to stoop to that level than to admit that Henin flat out beat her. And by the way, has anyone noticed that Henin has won 7 major titles in her career?! She's quietly moving up the majors list...

And speaking of winning, how 'bout Roger Federer? That guy is the best player I've ever seen. Through the years my favorites have been John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Goran Ivanisevic, Andre Agassi and Roger Federer. I like to call him the Tim Duncan of the tennis world, because all he does is win. He wins without too much flair. He wins without too much fanfare. He just wins. Sure, he hasn't won the French Open, but neither did Pete Sampras and he really never made it past the opening rounds. Federer on the other hand has usually met and lost to Mr. ClayCourt, Rafael Nadal in the laters rounds. Pete never had to compete with such a clay court specialist. Roger is on the verge of being the all-time leader in majors.

The Bonds Burden

It's been a few weeks since Barry Bonds passed Hank Aaron on Major League Baseball's all-time home run list and he's still slugging away. At last check, he was at 760 and unless he hurts himself rounding the bases or taking first base on an intentional walk, he'll probably finish the season at or about 770 home runs. Not bad for an old guy, huh? Back on July 24th, Barry Bonds turned 44 and for him to still be productive is a miracle all onto itself as he's hit 26 home runs, driven in 59 runs and is hitting a pretty solid .280 so far this season.

Although he's never tested positive for steroids, just the shadow of performance enhancing drugs over the last third of his career is unavoidable. I hate to sound like a Bonds apologist, but it's hard to dispute the numbers he's put up. And the one thing I hold on to when talking about his numbers is his bat speed. Sure he's bulked up tremendously, but to still have the flexibility to get around those pitches on the inner half of the plate, is incredible. One would think that he'd be too big to get around those pitches, much less hit them over the outfield fences. But therein lies the conundrum-- he's strong enough now to get them over [insert head scratch here]. My argument is still that you cannot teach bat speed.

I've always thought that he had reached a point in his career where he had to do something significant to his workout regimen in order to keep up with the younger and stronger players that now make up this league. Perhaps some sort of anabolic steroids were included, but where's the proof? I still haven't heard of him failing one of those tests yet. And if it ever comes out that he did do it, MLB may have to share some of the culpability.

Whenever Bonds calls it quits, he may end up somewhere around 800 career home runs. And yet, someone down the line should eclipse him. It'll probably be Alex Rodríguez who will break the record, barring a major catastrophe. I remember at one time that Ken Griffey, Jr. as the one to surpass Hank Aaron's record, but his body thought otherwise. Too bad for us. We would not have had to worry about the burden Barry Bonds has put on one of the most cherished and sexiest records in all of sports history.

Not so new now

Several months ago, I stumbled across a very good music cd and I can't tell you how much I dig this album: Astralwerks SXSW New Music 2006. It quickly became one of my favorites and I would say it's the best compilation cd that I've ever listened to, save for one that a friend made for me. Well, maybe not, but holy moly, is it good. This is who's on it, along with a few comments.

1. Beth Orton Conceived
A wonderful start to the album with a mix of Orton's vocals and instrumentation.

2. Willy Mason Oxygen

3. Sondre Lerche Everyone's Rooting for You
Reminds me those jazz/big big band standards from way back. Good to know that good jazz is still being made today.

4. The Concretes Chosen One
This song could belong on a Grey's Anatomy soundtrack.

5. Hot Chip Playboy

6. Small Sins Stay
Another future Grey's Anatomy track. Great singable chorus.

7. Athlete Half Light (Michael Brauer Mix)
I once woke up with this song in my head. Needless to say, it's a catchy tune.

8. Placebo Infra-Red
My initial favorite because of it's beat and grit but the song's intent is a little out there: song for the obsessed.

9. Sia Breathe Me
Ahhhh... what music. I get the sense she's channeling Jewell, Tori Amos and even Sarah McLachlan. Dig the marimba, too!

10. Audio Bullys I'm in Love

11. Candi Staton When Will I?
Speaking of channeling, along the lines of a female Otis Redding. Fantastic.

12. k-os Crabbuckit

13. Stephanie McKay Tell It Like It Is
Wow. This is instant head-bobbing music. Lyrically smooth, rhythmically moving.

14. The Juan Maclean Tito's Way

15. VHS or BETA You Got Me (Baby Daddy Remix)
Sounds like this one was taken straight the '80s New Wave dance movement, but with an updated twist.

16. Prophet Omega The Right Thing
Ooooh yeah. This song just rocks!

17. Fatboy Slim Weapon of Choice
This song was made famous by its video starring everyone's favorite funky actor Christopher Walken.

The Bard in Love

I saw Shakespeare in Love the other day for the first time in several years. Actually, the last time I saw this movie was during its initial theatrical release and at that time, it didn't strike me as a bonafide Oscar winner. Sure it was a good movie, with a wonderful premise and equally impressive performances by Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes & Geoffrey Rush, but Academy Award winning material? No. Perhaps Oscar voters were too turned off by Saving Private Ryan's intense realism to give that epic the Best Picture nod.

Anyhow, several years later, I found this Shakespeare movie much more inviting and real. This probably stems from having matured enough to understand and feel the true emotion associated with it. The passage in the film where Shakespeare wrote the sonnet with probably the most famous first line in literature, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" hit me like lightning bolt. Wow, I knew exactly what he meant and in the movie's context, I grasped the sheer intensity of the sonnet's intention.

Chalk it up to maturity or in my case, life experience, but my eyes to a better extent now see the greatness of this film. I can relate on some levels to the gamut of emotions encountered by Shakespeare that was translated onto the silver screen by this 1998 film. My personal experiences since 1998 have let me appreciate this fictionalized tale of William Shakespeare's life.

(But I still say Saving Private Ryan should have won that year's Best Picture Oscar!)

UnOriginal Okies

On the way home the other day, I saw something that really irked me for some reason. Maybe it was just an accumulation of seeing these things every so often that set me off, so to speak. The object of my irritation was an Oklahoma Sooners fans' upside-down, chrome Longhorns decal. Occasionally you'll see Sooner fans wave a crimson flag adorned with an upside-down white longhorn. I've never really understood why they would choose the upside-down 'Horns symbol as their symbol of choice, perhaps just to rile their UT neighbors, but to me, this only smacks of unoriginality.

In my eyes, this means that they are not necessarily pro-OU, but anti-UT. Do they really care more about dissing their archrival than promoting their own university? Who knows.

And another thing... the formal name of the aforementioned university is The University of Oklahoma and not vice-versa. So why do Sooners call their school OU? Seriously, what's up with that?! Like one of my good friends, who happens to be from Oklahoma, once told me it's a part of the state's culture- "where else would a state choose mistletoe as their state flower?" Mistletoe is a parasitic weed.

Only in Oklahoma, I guess.

Nice try, but it doesn't compare

There are people out there that say that Canada's healthcare system is better than what we have here in the United States. Yeah, maybe... Then there are others that say that some of our European counterparts also have a better system than we do. Uh, yeah, it's possible. But the thing is that the US has too many low income, poverty striken families in this country to have a true universal system. And I doubt that our first-world counterparts have the same percentage of folks that live near or below the poverty line.

I'm all about helping those who can't help themselves, but there are many folks out there who can work but choose not to. They unfortunately choose to ride the back of the welfare system as far as it is allowed. We can't afford to have a universal healthcare system because we have too many poor folks- they would flood the market, so to speak. We just need to get folks to work. What would be nice is to have a system that would reward those who do have a steady job. This system would alleviate the lower-middle class of the astounding insurance premiums they have to pay. Many families go without providing their respective families health insurance because these deductions from their paychecks are much too high to afford on their meager salaries.

So you have these people who are hard working and are making a decent living, yet they cannot afford to have the least bit of health insurance, and in the end, have to go on Medicare/Medicaid or some other type of public assistance to take care of their families. If health insurance wasn't so expensive, they would be able to fend for themselves. And therein lies the problem. Those who should, really can't.

You have to commend Michael Moore for going after the medical industry in his new movie, Sicko. I'm glad that someone has infiltrated the industry and helped bring out some of its negative aspects. Hopefully, what this will do, is show the people at large that something needs to be done to our healthcare system, because it does need work. There are too many corporations out there are making too much money off of those ever increasing insurance premiums. And there are far too many physicians getting kickbacks because they prescribe particular drugs from a specific drug company. Making a quick buck at the expense of others is not necessarily the American way.

Politicians are speaking more and more of making changes to our beleaguered healthcare system and that's a great thing. They are finally realzing that there is a problem. And realizing that there is something amiss, is the first step.