Mid-East Musings

One of the two things that I find interesting about U.S. coverage on the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah are the way the latter is spelled. Essentially, it's a transliteration from the Arabic حزب الله but depending on how it's translated it's spelled in various ways: Hezbollah, Hizbollah, Hizbullah or Hizb Allah (commonly used by Al Jazeera.) As to what determines their usage of which spelling... who knows.

The other thing that I find interesting about the coverage isn't that rival cable news networks CNN and Fox News have chosen sides in the battle but that they are actually reporting from both sides of the battle (with some censorship.) This makes it pretty interesting for homes with multiple televisions as you can walk from one room where you were watching the launching of missiles to the other room to see where they landed and the damage taken. Kind of makes you wonder what some of our other military actions look like in multi-room view.

For some reason, I'm shocked that the Human League hasn't released a timely 2006 remix of their U.K. hit "The Lebanon."

Taking My Brain Back To School

Now to clarify my previous mention of CCSN. I've recently come to the realization that I went about my college education ass-backward. Sure, I heard "take your core requirements first" but I rushed into it and took any classes that fit my schedule. At UNLV, I took a science class and Philosophy In Ethics. What the hell was I thinking? Don't know. At CCCC (before changing names to CCSN), I took Nevada History (good class but I wasn't prepared for the essay work) and Music Fundamentals (which was pretty useless because I couldn't tell a whole note from a half-note at the time if my life depended on it.) After dropping most of those classes I went off to Reno and took a Creative Writing class as well as Biology at TMCC. The first went very well (if I recall, as I haven't seen the transcripts yet) and the other I'm pretty sure wasn't so good.

With all my reading, I've come to the decision that I should use some time to take classes and at least finish a degree (which helps with the appraisal field.) Heck, if I started when I started my job nearly 13 years ago, they would have paid for the classes. So I need to take advantage of it now, albeit a bit late. This also means taking placement exams. But, it should be another interesting adventure and if I can do the classes online... easier for me to fit it into my schedule.

Farewell Mr. Brooks

All bras hang at half-strap this week at Hooters as chairman Robert Brooks, 69, was found dead in his home on Sunday. The Myrtle Beach Sun News reports that an autopsy is planned for today. The man told Fortune magazine in 2003, "Good food, cold beer and pretty girls never go out of style."

















I can't say the food is Emeril's or Wolfgang's but maybe I'll make a pilgrimage this week and pay my respects at the Hooters hotel with a beer and some wings. I mean, if it weren't for Hooters, Carrot Top's funnies joke (other than going through the Wendy's drive-thru with pigtails and hearing someone scream, "Oh no! It's the boss!") would be lost to all. (The joke: The Hooters application... which is similar to the one shown in the pixelated photo below.)

The New New York Adventure

Usually, this would be a great photo to use when talking about immigration. But, I put it up for another reason. It looks like I will be able to see it in person if time permits. I received a call from my father yesterday. Those photos that I showed you earlier from Tony Bennett's birthday party/charity auction were actually an early birthday for the crooner. Dad called to ask if I could get free from Aug. 2nd to Aug. 5th for a trip to New York City for Tony's real birthday party. This morning, I received confirmation on the vacation days that I put in for last night. So... I'm heading to New York City.

Now, I've been to the state of New York before. It was the furthest East that I've ever been. Oddly enough, it was for another event. I traveled with my friends Daniel Black and Jim Jerome to Syracuse for Jim's wedding. Prior to the wedding, we decided to hike to the highest point in the state (Mt. Marcy) and my legs were really sore from that. It was during that trip that I discovered how bad my eyes were. We also spent a day walking around Albany taking some odd photos. I'm sure that I have a bunch around here but then again, it was me taking the shots (I've always been better behind the camera than in front of it.)

So now, I'll be seeing the big city that I missed during that trip. So, I confirmed it with Dad this morning and he let me know that it looks like both my brothers Matt and Michael are going to make the trip. I then asked him, "Do you think we could visit 'Ground Zero?" The odd response back floored me, "Sure, we'll see if we can find a piece of the plane for you." I'm worried that he was serious.

Mia's 1st Birthday - Attempt 23

So many photos that I wanted to post today. Yet, it seems that Blogger isn't liking me too much. I'll have to post the photos from Mia's 1st birthday later. Anyhow, I'm off to talk to CCSN. I'll explain the hows and whys of that later also. Maybe, I'll try one more time to get a photo in there. Oh sure, now it works hours after my first attempt as I'm getting ready to leave for work.

Mia really enjoyed her birthday cupcake. She ate all the icing and the cake itself wound up on her and the tray in front of her. I think Connor and Olivia liked watching someone else make a mess.

The other photo here is of Connor and Olivia playing basketball. We lowered the hoop extremely for them and they both made shots. I even got a few photos of their dad lifting them over the rim so they can dunk the ball. I guess you have to take those photos now or they'll be too big to lift. Instead of putting one of those photos in, I'm opting for a photo of Lillian with my sister Michelle. That way we have photos of all of them here. Ok, now that this is working... I'm going to be late heading to CCSN but I can do that tomorrow.

Sins Of The Father

"Few of the sins of the father are visited upon the son."

This is a line from one of my favorite songs, "Forgotten Years," by Midnight Oil. I think about it often. When someone has wronged another, how long does it take to forgive them? If it's someone they love, it could be moments or years. Heck, many don't hold World War II over the heads of the people residing in Germany, Italy and Japan. We do hold the leaders of said nations responsible and still equate their names with evil in oration and textbooks. This can be said with many other wars, misdeeds and failures. Then, I think about the many years of calls for reparations to pay back those affected by slavery from those who made profit from it. Are any of those leaders still around? I wonder... how many generations have to go by before one can be forgiven for the sins of their forefathers?

The Right Name

Well over a year ago, I was contacted by an online radio station that wanted a weekday radio segment of our weekly 80's Nuts newsletter. I had already done some radio news spots before at local radio stations and always had this weird dream of being a DJ myself (they really don't make much money.) So I started the 80's Nuts Update. It was pretty difficult at first to squeeze the contents of the newsletter into little 2 minute segments (less actually after the intro music and exit) but I had it down. Sadly, the radio station went off the air and even though another station wished to pick it up... it wasn't the same.

During my time doing the radio segments, I had talked with the station about the idea of podcasting. They were excited about the concept. At the time, I really didn't know enough about how to set one up to make it a reality... until now. The only thing holding me back from taking the next step forward is the lack of a good name for it. When I started the 80's Nuts newsletter, I had no idea that it might confuse some people. Some wanted movie and television news also. So then I acquired the 80sMusicCentral.com domain name to go with my 80sNuts.com domain. This helped people understand that it was about the music and not about elderly testicles or collecting peanuts, pistachios and almonds from the 1980s (don't laugh, I got emails about both. The worst were the food preparation companies that called and emailed me when I ran the 80's Buffet DJ Service.) If I can find a name that says 80's music news without sounding that generic, I can feel better about this thing and worry about the technical issues. Any suggestions?

Walking In My Shoes

As I've mentioned before, I've been heading into the gym about 3 days a week. Pictured above are my running shoes. Notice anything funky about them? Probably not. You see for some reason, shoe manufacturers have this idea that we want shoe laces that can wrap around our ankles multiple times. (For some reason it reminds me of going skating as a kid.)

Usually, I tie them normally and tuck the bow loops (and anything that would drag on the ground) in next to my ankles. Sure, that's probably going to rub, chafe and cause problems but there isn't much else to do other than breaking out the scissors and tape. I just wish this was the problem with only this pair of shoes. It seems my tennis shoes and a few others have this problem. If I was running the shoe company, I'd probably say, "Hey, we are wasting money on laces... let's shorten them." Just one of life's oddities, I guess.

An Eyeball View Of Corporate Reinvestment

Working for a big company is quite different than working for a little one. One of the things that stand out most between the two are how they go about saving money. Both types of companies will look at labor to see if they could cut hours. But one thing that I notice most often is reinvestment. Some of the bigger companies, when trying to cut deeper than labor, will avoid spending funds on repairs to materials, delay shipments of replacement materials or allow a substandard level of service. Most companies would rather avoid the latter but let's look at laser eye surgery as a subtle example.

Each company uses a specialized blade to cut a flap over the cornea prior to the laser being employed. This expensive blade can be sterilized for reuse but each reuse dulls the blade more. Some companies will use the same blade 3 times, some may use it more and a few use it once and toss it. Every reuse of the blade cheapens the cost of the procedure but increases the risk of a tear of the flap. So one could save money by not replacing the blade and taking a chance on customer dissatisfaction (with a longer healing time and higher chance of infection.) So in this instance putting money aside to replace materials improves your chances of a successful operation. But, this happens in many industries. Tires have to be replaced in auto racing. Sandpaper has to be replaced in carpentry. Sprinklers have to be changed in landscaping. But of course, cutting the costs of any of these items increases hazards, shoddy products or water waste. Have you ever seen a lack of reinvestment in your industry?

Last Read: Neuromancer

It is rather intriguing that my interest in 'cyberpunk' started way back at the end of high school yet it would take me well over a decade later to read William Gibson's Neuromancer. I actually remember gathering with a few friends to play a roleplaying game (ala Dungeons & Dragons) based on the world created in several of these novels. Heck, I was also really excited in 1993 when Billy Idol released his Cyberpunk album (which included the video for "Shock To The System" which gave a nod to the genre -- yet wasn't critically hailed with guitarist Steve Stevens not part of the project and Wendy and Carnie Wilson adding background vocals.)

With a lot of doubts going in, the book was actually a pretty quick read. I could see many people, that were reading it when it was released in 1984, getting lost in the technological terms. I was also amazed at the uses of the words "cyberspace" and "matrix" which of course have broader appeal today yet mean pretty much what they were intended. (Actually, there is a very interesting breakdown of the similarities between Neuromancer and The Matrix which is worth viewing.) Also noteworthy was the mention of Johnny Mnemonic. Yes, it seems that Gibson wove the character of Molly Millions into a trilogy of stories about the seedy futuristic area called the Sprawl... including this one. If you remember the name, Johnny Mnemonic, you may also recall the 1995 movie starring Keanu Reeves. That may be the only negative that I had about the book as I could not separate the character of Case in the book from the thought of Keanu Reeves (the description just fit him.) Overall, very good book and one that I'm a little shocked they haven't attempted to convert to film (as the video game in 1988 stank and looked more like Leisure Suit Larry.) Here's hoping that I find a few more books that I may have bypassed that excite my imagination.

The Doomsday Vault

There has always been a fear of the annihilation of humankind. Plague, global war, global cooling, global warming, judgment day, etc. But, what if not everyone perishes? It seems that a lot of other people have considered this.

As we speak Norway has broken ground on the doomsday vault. If the seeds of all the world's plant life (some 3 million is what they expect) were able to be housed as a form of Noah's Ark, maybe survivors could revive them at a later date. Kind of reminds me of the Lost World idea and maybe a vault containing DNA from many animal species can also be held for future generations. Anyhow, my question to you is: If there was only one herb that you could keep from disappearing from existence, what would it be?

Father's Day '06

Happy Father's Day to all that it applies to. Looks like I'll be joining my family at Lindo Michaocan (I probably mentioned the terrific Mexican restaurant to you before) to celebrate.

Went over to Dad's yesterday to help get his Tivo working (it had trouble getting an update but I think we have it fixed now.) It actually was a pretty good day. We made some chicken tacos, ate pistachio nuts and dropped off some flowers for someone he knows at the hospital. Sometimes, I do really miss living there at the house with him. It'll be 3 years since I moved into this house in about 2 months. I still can't believe that it took me moving in with him back then for me to me to understand him and consider him my friend. I guess as bad as some child-parent relationships can be, they can improve with time and maturity. I'll stop by his house on the way to dinner just to make sure we fixed everything yesterday and see if he wants a ride.

Meanwhile, yesterday I set up a new MySpace page. You see, I had one set up for networking and music information gathering but I had several personal friends that wished to keep in touch. So, I decided to to set up the new page but don't expect the little blog on there to overtake this one. Just a way to separate business and pleasure.

Life Update - 061606

Remember several months back how I looked longingly at the gym being built just blocks away from my house? It opened... months ago and I've been timid about going in there. I think some of it is: If I wake up at noon-ish, is it better to go to the gym then or after work (1 am)? This and pure laziness have been on my mind as I pass the amazing complex daily on my way to work. So today I threw caution and calories to the wind as I walked through the doors with my trusty iPod. I had the tourist gaze working (stopping in the most inappropriate spot and heaving my head to and fro to take in my surroundings) as I made my way to the cardio area. After 45 minutes over there, I headed over to the weights for another 15 minutes. This is my new start. Now to create a habit of it.

I was also made aware by my neighbors that someone was shot while refusing to give up her purse across the street from my house... directly across the street. I heard a little bit about it yesterday as I was running off to work, getting the mail and talking to someone on the phone. So today, after the workout, I decided to get the whole story. The lady will be in the hospital for a week. I just worry about her 11 year-old daughter who saw the whole thing and is staying at her grandparents house with her brother until things calm down. When things do, I'd like to drop some food off or ask if there is anything I can help with.

Been eating healthier. My Tivo picked up a show on FitTV talking about the revamp of the food pyramid. So, I'm working on eating more carrots, peas, cantaloupe, whole grains, brown rice and smaller portions. So far so good. More Triscuits, less Pringles. More peanuts, less gummi/cinnamon bears. The hardest part will be working this into whatever is available to eat at work but so far, so good.

Mom's recovery is going well. It's amazing to listen to someone all your life and tell the difference between how they are feeling just by noticing changes in their voice. For so long, my mother has been going through health issues and after her latest hernia surgery her voice is perceptibly higher, lighter, livelier and ready the new day. I think Mom has rediscovered herself and this can only lead to good things to come. I'm extremely proud of her.

Martin Math: On The Road

You've been hit over the head since Monday with the name Ben Roethlisberger. Yes, he's the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl. Yes, the 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers' first round draft pick was also first quarterback to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. I also know that right now people are still saying how idiotic it was for him to have been riding his motorcycle like he normally does -- without a helmet (which isn't against the law in Pittsburgh.)

What I'd like to talk about are car accidents. I have figured that I've been at the wheel for 4 or 5 in my life. Automobiles tend to be the most standard and safest vehicle on the road excluding NASCAR which in my mind gives them a fair risk factor. So in Martin Math (5 accidents times 1 risk factor divided by 6570 days of driving,) I can find my daily chance of getting in an accident (.0761%). Of course, I don't see myself increasing my risk factor by driving a motorcycle. Cyclists often get lost in blind spots easily, ride between cars lanes, ignore posted speed limits and sometimes use the breakdown lane as a place to show off the art of the wheelie. No wonder why they often say they aren't respected on the road by other vehicles. But even with my percentage chance of getting in an accident being that low, I probably will have another accident in my life and probably wouldn't want to go through it without the safety of a seatbelt/airbags/windshield... then again, I don't make millions of dollars a year either.

Setting A Date For Swift Justice

Whether you've listened to him or seen him before, the picture you see is of R. Kelly. I'd like to think that he is staring at a throng of reporters wanting to know why it has taken over 4 years for him to go to trial for 14 counts of child pornography and having sex with a girl who may have been as young as 13. I doubt that was the case though. I'm sure it was a publicity photo for one of the 5 studio albums that he released (2002's Best Of Both Worlds, 2003's Chocolate Factory, 2003's Happy People/U Saved Me, 2004's Unfinished Business and 2005's TP.3 Reloaded) or 2 compilations (2003's The R. In R&B Collection Vol. 1 and Remix City Vol. 1) since the charges first surfaced in February of 2002. Yet, I'm not disturbed by the money he has made since the charges on album sales or tour ticket sales.

What I do find a bit unsettling is that a trial date has still not been set. I can't remember if I've seen the heavily downloaded video which spawned the original lawsuit but that could be because it is taking prosecutors longer to bring this case to trial than Def Leppard takes to record a studio album. I personally don't know if he is guilty or not but leaving it in the public consciousness for so long creates a stigma (which hasn't hurt his record sales) that may make trying him in court more difficult. But, let's put this another way. Michael Jackson turned himself in, was put on trial and cleared of charges all between R. Kelly's 2002 arrest and now. Oddly enough Kelly worked with Jackson on the yet to be released charity single, "I Have This Dream," for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Although through our rights we are granted a "quick and speedy trial," I am left to wonder how long one should have to wait for redemption or conviction in front of a jury of their peers. Then again, I haven't heard R. Kelly complain.

Cold-filtered Inebriation

You have to love thermochromic ink. Think about it. How often have you grabbed a canned beverage and thought "this isn't as cold as I hoped." Essentially, this new area in design for the classic aluminum can has been out for about a year but I haven't seen many companies make good use of it. If you look at the photo on the right, one can of Coors is cold enough to drink and the other isn't -- this is noted by the color of the little mountain at the bottom of the can. I mean, no one wants a warm beer (unless you are desperate or in college) but most want a consistent level of freshness. There is also another reason why I mention this.

You see, I tend to fall back on Coors Light when I'm drinking. Sure, I like many other beers and some wines but I actually like the taste of a good cold Coors Light. And the process for brewing beer at the Coors brewery is "a unique cold filtering and sterile-fill system that stabilizes the beer at its freshest point without heating it by pasteurization." Remember all the Coors commercials where they rave about "ice cold Coors" or the Coors train seemingly bringing snow with it? There's a reason. You see, heat pasteurization kills the good bacteria fermenting the beer. (I was lucky to taste a beer right from a brewery prior to the heating and cooling... it is amazingly much tastier than the end product.) Coors just brings it to a very low temperature so it remains inactive. Early on this method limited growth of the chain nationally as it needed to be distributed cold also... and possibly another good reason for them to consider that little temperature guide on the can. Did I mention that they were the first to introduce the two-piece all-aluminum beverage can in 1959? Personally, I will only grab mine from the store refrigeration unit. I do need to look to see if some stores actually sit some of the cases out in displays (which would kind of ruin temperature control.)

Interactive: Not My Job, Man

I was reading a book recently and stumbled upon an interesting statistic. Essentially, when we hit 45 years of age we are entering our prime earning potential years. By that time, the average wage earner has held about 9 jobs. I thought about it for awhile and I'm right in there (a bit early in my life, though.) Dishwasher, cook, tennis pro, security, bus person, casino change person, car rental runner, valet person, auto detailer, head of computer-operations, belldesk relief supervisor, hotel employee... I'm sure there are many others that I can't think of at this moment.

I've talked about entry-level/minimum wage jobs before. But, what I find interesting are those that don't take the skills they learn in those first jobs off into another position somewhere else. Sure, if they do well in their position, they will be promoted from within (I call promotions new jobs as they require new or extra responsibilities.) So, today I thought that I'd ask you: How many jobs have you held so far?

My Life, Rated And Approved For Mass Consumption

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	7.3
Mind:	7.9
Body:	8
Spirit:	7.5
Friends/Family:	6.6
Love:	6.9
Finance:	7.2
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

I decided to take this quiz. I wish I could remember where I saw it again as I've been holding onto this awhile. What I am happy to see is that I was over the average and that's all I can ask for.

I've been feeling like I'm in a funk today. I'm sure that it will pass shortly. I think it's lack of sleep yesterday prior to a blood donation. It was interesting giving blood though. They had me on a machine that separates the plasma from the red blood cells (I'm B+.) Instead of the standard needle, it has two holes in the end. One for drawing and one for replacing. Essentially, I have all my plasma back as well as some added saline. No wonder why I feel funky.

Little Sisters Are Gifts

Yesterday, I decided to fix a few things. No, nothing broken at the house. You see, the twins (Connor and Olivia) had their birthday party at an odd time when I would be at work. So, I drove off to Boulder City and gave them their present. As you can see in the photo, Olivia was more concerned with opening it while Connor was focused on smiling for the camera. Amazing kids. I then spent a few hours with my brother-in-law Cory working on some wood flooring he was putting in. I left after we got around the stairs so I could have time to head to the hospital.

No bad news. See, here's a photo of Connor and Olivia at the hospital eating popsicles. They are such good kids. I also read one of their Batman books to them (I don't think the understood all of it but they got a good grasp of things when Batman caught the Riddler.) That was fun. But, the main reason I went to the hospital and made the trip was because my sister gave birth to a baby girl named Lillian Jane on Thursday. I got the news on Friday morning when I got back from work and wasn't going to be able to visit the next day. Michelle was expecting to leave the hospital that day but wasn't feeling up for it (I mean geez... she had a C-section just days before but there is something about the Hennessy blood that makes you want to tell doctors that they don't know what they are talking about.)

I was actually afraid that I wouldn't find the right hospital so I followed Cory's mom there. (Las Vegas for some reason likes the name St. Rose and has a few hospitals starting with that... maybe it's a Knights Templar thing.) The baby is beautiful as you can tell from the picture (sitting on Cory's mom's lap) and very hungry. As expected, Michelle didn't want to be in the photo. The baby gets the name Lilian from my grandmother Lilian Hennessy and Jane is the middle name of Cory's mother. After hearing about the name, I hit Best Buy to pick up Depeche Mode's Playing The Angel for my sister (the song "Lilian" has been released as a dance single.) Actually, upon writing this, I don't know if they or grandma spell it with 1 or 2 L's. Before leaving, I got a chance to tell the twins that having a little sister is special as "I have one also, your mom."

Keep Your Hands Off My Books

I'm right-handed. Yet, my father is left-handed (ok, he's pretty much ambidextrous but still leans to using his left hand more.) Some stats place an approximate 10% of the population as left-handed. Seeing that this is a rare and unusual thing. Heck, many saw this as a sign of weakness ages ago and would retrain a child to use his right hand by restraining the offending arm. Nuns would smack the left hand of a child trying to write with that hand in school. That was possibly because being left-handed was interpreted as a sign of Satanic influence. It was claimed that until recently left-handed children in Africa would have their hand covered in boiling water and then buried in mud until all the nerves in that hand were killed... forcing them to use the other one.

So, I believe that we should rewrite all our elementary, junior high, high school and college textbooks to denote any historical personage with "(left-handed)" after their name. This would show students in the Southpaw minority that they are not alone, they can aspire to great things and that they will not be bullied into being like everyone else. Pretty idiotic isn't it. What if Michelangelo or Leonardo da Vinci didn't want people to focus on their hand preference?

Well, something similar is going on in California with another reportedly 10% of the population. A bill (Senate Bill 1437) has been introduced by Sheila Kuehl of the California State Senate to require mention of the accomplishments of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual people in school books for students as early as kindergarten. The bill which calls for a "bias free curriculum" was recently passed by the Senate and is awaiting a vote in the State Assembly. An Assembly Bill (606) would authorize the state to withhold funds from any school district whose policies do not adequately lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals. There's even another Assembly bill that would allot $250,000 tax funds to "tolerance education" for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual lifestyle in 10 state schools.

I have several reasons for not supporting either of those bills. I have no issues with those I do and don't know in lesbian, gay, bisexual or transsexual lifestyles. I believe that if bills like these were passed nationwide... you are talking millions of dollars in tax dollars spent on new textbooks when schools have enough of a problem paying for the books they are short. Doing this for a footnote of "oh, by the way, he went both ways" doesn't add to an education a doesn't create a "bias free curriculum" when you only mention those that aren't heterosexual. How balanced is that? I also think that we have enough problems figuring out when to mention these things. You have artists like David Bowie, Marilyn Manson, Morrissey and Clay Aiken that either dabbled, claims celibacy or denies. You then have to define how much dabbling makes the person something other than straight. Then you have people like Leonardo da Vinci that was not only left-handed but was emprisoned on suspicion of homosexuality although not convicted.

The Study Of Chinese Art

So, I finished my last book, Larry Elder's Ten Things You Can't Say In America, and was looking for something lighter. I usually try to put an easier fiction book as a breather between some of the more detailed reading.

I was getting fitted for a tux at that event I mentioned earlier and found myself talking to the man taking the measurements. For some reason we got to talking about books and he mentioned that he was reading Sun Tzu's The Art Of War. It reminded me that the centuries-old text is still revered and it should be on my shelf. He also mentioned that the biggest problem with the book is the translation as some very bad versions came out early on.

I was persuaded to check online to find the best translation before buying it. This was extremely difficult to do so I gave up and stumbled around at Barnes & Noble for awhile. I was shown the section with the books and then I asked the customer service person about the translations. After thinking about it for awhile, she led me to a section of Barnes & Noble Classics. Yes, the chain actually prints their own versions of some of the classic books in paperback. It makes sense. The company wouldn't want to reprint a bad translation of the book. They'd want to sell the one that might get purchased. This was the Lionel Giles translation.

The one thing I can say (being maybe 20 pages in) is that it is an extremely easy read. The text is separated by sections and numbers (supposedly for student reference) with mainly single and double sentences. This book is going to fly by but I do find it interesting that I should take the enemy's chariot and have my troops use it to demoralize that enemy. Sure, I don't see that working now but it's little things like that and how many pieces of silver it will take to raise an army of 10,000 soldiers that I find dated but intriguing. If anything, it will hold me over until I restart Freakonomics.

In Praise Of Golden Arches or You Deserve A Bust Today... No Really, Today

I've never been a big customer of McDonalds. Sure, I like visiting here and there once in a blue moon. Yes, there is something unholy about the smell of their french fries that can make any mammal drool. Of course I'm still upset that they got rid of their ham, egg and cheese breakfast bagel but I've learned to deal with the loss. The last time I was there, I tried out their new premium spicy chicken sandwich. It currently is the most spicy one out there (just beating out Wendy's) but the chicken breast is so thin that it seems crunchy.

Of course, I like to think of myself as a connoisseur of breasts and not just chicken. I remember growing up where girls were hitting puberty at 15 (Treasa had trouble finding bras) and yes, I would notice. Over the years this age has been getting younger and younger with even a condition called precocious puberty affecting children as young as... 5. I've heard rumors and reports over the years linking childhood obesity and early puberty on McDonalds consumption and the beef and chicken producers' use of antibiotics and growth hormones. Other reports have dismissed it and said that occassional meals at McDonalds will not cause any problems with your health.

Why do I mention this now? Well, a new report finds that many Chinese undergarment manufacturers are producing less of the A-cup bras they are used to and are even seeing a sales boom of C's, D's and E's for women under the age of 20. Many scientists believe that the lack of a nutrition in the average Chinese diet in the past hampered their ummm... growth. The average chest circumference of a Chinese woman increased 1cm since 1990 according to The Beijing Institute of Clothing Technology. McDonalds opened their first stores in China in 1990. As of 2004 the city of Shanghai had 66 stores and over 600 in the country (with 100 more planned to open annually over then next few years.)

VegasTennis.com's Marty Hennessy Jr. Tennis Foundation Benefit

So, the party went pretty well. I found myself a nice tux (all black with white tie and hanky... very Mafioso) and got there with time to spare. You won't find any photos of myself. I don't take many photos and since it was my camera... I'd have to put my finger in the way to make it happen. The first picture you will see here (I won't name everyone because I can't) includes (left to right) Rudy Ruettiger, Frankie Avalon, Tony Bennett, Phyllis McGuire and Mike Agassi... ok, Dad is there behind Tony and Phyllis.

After taking the first photo, I was standing with my brother Michael (in the second photo on the far right) and this guy walks up and introduces himself. All I heard was the name Rudy but Mike heard the last name and got all giddy. "That's THE Rudy!" I tracked him down a little later and told him I'd love to get a photo of him with my brother... I found out a little later that Michael already made sure that happened. So I opted to get one of Michael, Rudy and my other brother Matt (on left.) Had a good laugh with Michael about the fact that Andre Agassi's dad Mike was at the event and that if he kept close and quiet to him, people would think he's Andre.

Finally, here is a photo of Jay Leno as he came in to wish Tony an early happy 80th birthday. Jay snuck around the corner with a big cake and said a few words. He stayed for a little while before having to go perform at the Mirage. This preceded the auction which went very well. I believe the whole event raised $200,000 for junior tennis players in Las Vegas. I even wound up purchasing a little piece of artwork from one of the kids in a silent auction. I just don't know where I'm going to put it.

Life Update - 051206

Lots of stuff going on so let's dive in:

Missed my niece and nephew's birthday party last night. I was actually pretty excited about changing my shift to true weekends (Saturday/Sunday) as usually they celebrated these things then as I was usually the odd one out. Oh, well. Just means that I'm going to have to make a trip and spend some quality time with them to make up for it.

I've never been someone that gets excited about big gala events. I don't know if it's either that I'm just a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy or if it's the feeling that I'm on display. I believe that is why I've been hedging about going to one that my father is holding. I missed out on one before (which I planned on attending but had to finish the newsletter first and then couldn't find my sports coat) in which my father was honored. So, over the last few days, I've been planning to go to the tuxedo shop to get fitted (I think Dad came up with the idea of tuxes for all so I couldn't use the missing sports coat excuse again) but haven't made it. I did talk to the store owner and they'll let me do same day service on Saturday. I do plan on sneaking my camera into the event so expect a few photos. The one that I'd like most? A photo of my brother Michael with his godfather Tony Bennett (ok, maybe Jay Leno can be allowed in the photo as he'll be at the event also.)

Still working on adjusting my sleep. Things were going so well but then I had a string of nights where I'd see daylight before I could drift off. I think that I'm going to have to purchase big sheets of Styrofoam to fit my bedroom window (I never open up the blinds.) Styrofoam would block the sunlight (which rises on that side of the house) and also insulate the window during the summer season. I still need to try that 'hot shower when I get home' idea.

I'm on a frosted shredded wheats kick right now. I like them but by making that more of my meals, I won't eat a lot of the crap they serve at work. The buffet mentality is not conducive to weight maintenance, control or loss.

I'm trying to clear off my Tivo and DVD shelf before things get busy in June. Finally made it through the last of the Battlestar Galactica episodes. Now I have a bunch of Smallville and Bones episodes (maybe about 10 each) waiting for me.

I may be making a trip to Pittsburgh as the new company that I'll be working with (as early as June) wants me to see how they operate at the main office. I'm not big on travel unless I have a lot of free time and that's been dwindling over the last few years. I've been asked to clear a weekend to visit but I know that I prep the newsletter on Sunday (work on compiling new release data and sorting through some email press releases.) Maybe I can talk them into a Saturday (quick in and out) but I also wonder what am I going there on a weekend for if I want to see them work.

I think that someone would make a lot of money hiring me to compile great obscure songs for their upcoming movie soundtrack. They just need to call me and set up a meeting.

I was doing so well with my CD purchases for my iPod. I picked up a best of Kenny Rogers, best of Tanya Tucker and best of Freddie Jackson for $0.96 each. Then I found Danzig's Danzig, K.T. Oslin's Greatest Hits, Live's Throwing Copper (I know I have it somewhere but someone probably is holding onto it hoping that I forget) and This Mortal Coil's This Mortal Coil for $2.50 each. So things were looking great but then my The Best Of Kid Creole And The Coconuts came in... nowhere on the disc does it say live album. I'm pissed. I'm not big on most live albums and if I want a 'best of' I want it to be the best of the albums they've released.

I am also noticing that after mentioning that I'll expand upon a topic later in a post or reply, I often forget and never bring it up again. So here's to hoping that I remember.

The Shaping Of Las Vegas

Las Vegas is a very strange place. Many would say that the way it gets its reputation from the early ties to organized crime, exotic dancers, millionaire hermits... but I believe people remember the varied themes of each hotel. History is wonderful but people are visual creatures. Themes have been a focus of hotel creation during the last few decades as a means to draw a 'different' type of crowd.

First of these to create a theme would have to be Circus Circus. Sure, it's a kiddie place with midway games and pink all over but it did draw people with circus shows and stuffed animals. Then I would say the Excalibur took the next step. They were created by Circus Circus properties and actually gave the impression of castle walls with turrets. The only problem is getting from one section to another as an employee but the theme works. They even carried the midway idea over and included a weight guesser.

The Circus Circus company then went one step further and decided to bring Egypt to Las Vegas with the creation of the Luxor. The pyramid shape had early issues as drivers reported being blinded as they passed the area so a change of reflective glass was chosen (and now sometimes has advertising on it.) The high-powered beam shooting through the top has been seen as far away as space. There is some interesting history of the hotel about it being cursed for trying to bring such a place to Las Vegas. During the first year of creation, many engineers reportedly saw cracks in the foundation widening. Many said the hotel was sinking others said the weight of the top was pushing the base out due to it being hollow in the center. More recently, the hotel added other sections around it which could be seen as lending support to the base... if you are a conspiracy theorist.

The MGM Grand popped up in 1993 and went in as a partner to build the New York, New York hotel across the strip from it. The company would later buy the partner company and the other half of the hotel. It is the only hotel in Las Vegas to actually show a skyline of any city and has a functioning roller coaster running on the outside. I still wonder how it functions internally as it is a collection of actual New York buildings. I do wonder if the rooms are themed or if they have a view from each of those little windows. Anyhow, after the purchase of Primadonna (the partner company), MGM went and purchased the Mirage properties and Circus Cirus properties (under the Mandalay Bay name.)

The MGM itself is rather interesting as it isn't the original. Many people visit and ask why it took so long to rebuild it after the fire. The MGM actually sold their hotel to Bally's after the destruction and lawsuits following the fire that claimed 84 lives and injured 679 in 1980. They actually decided to avoid the hotel industry entirely... until they decided to build the largest hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. The MGM Grand is actually built on an existing structure, the Marina hotel. The newer structures took over the Tropicana golf course and included a theme park. Opening with a Wizard Of Oz theme, the hotel changed direction away from family marketing with the removal of the theme park and Oz areas. Not often mentioned is that if you look directly down on the hotel room area, it is in the shape of a crucifix.

A cross would be the first obvious use of symbology (although not often cited) in Las Vegas hotel structures but it would be wrong for me to exclude the Imperial Palace. It was long rumored that the building was slowly being shaped as a swastika. Now, you won't see many photos of it from above but this longstanding rumor still exists due to the history of late owner Ralph Engelstad. Essentially he was given the 2nd largest fine against a Las Vegas hotel ($1.5 million) for disgracing the industry with Hitler parties in 1986 and 1988 (Engelstad was the owner of a massive Nazi and World War II memorabilia collection.)

All in all, some people will see the glitz and glamour of 'Sin City' in television specials, shows and movies but there is a lot more in the buildings millions come to visit every year.

Worth A Million

No one can earn a million dollars honestly.

William Jennings Bryan

Sure, things have changed in the decades since Bryan wrote that quote. One is inflation but if you take it at face value, money can be earned honestly. The only dishonesty is when people judge the value of what you earned without knowledge of what you actually do. Yes, there are people out there that see big companies and believe that they run themselves and that the man at the top is just there as a figurehead or rolls around in a bathtub full of $100 bills. As a free society, we are allowed to believe such things. But, I wonder... where the dishonesty is in a Web site that sells space ($1 per pixel, 1,000,000 pixels)?

The Million Dollar Homepage is such a place. One perception would be that it didn't cost him $1,000,000 so why is he charging that much for it? (Cost is always a good critique.) Another view would be that because the site states the value at $1 per pixel, is that the true value? Web site value is pretty immeasurable as we've seen with a net bubble burst several years back. But... the domain name, the perceived advertising space and the fact that I'm mentioning it here give it a higher value than it took to create. Yet, owner Alex Tew will not earn $1 million for the Web site. In fact, the space will lose value over time as he re-purchases his domain name and pays for Web hosting. He will make money in speaking engagements and book deals, though. But, I do wonder what the level of dishonesty in this business model would be?

There Can Be Only One... Unless You Offer Us Big Money

I had to address this at some point but I really have no idea how anyone can get through life without seeing the film Highlander. I would think with the television series and even the film sequels that some people might have even heard of it but there are some uninitiated out there.

This film sits in my top shelf area in my video library because it blurs many genres and holds many great memories. Take one man in a kilt who is cut down in battle but miraculously survives and is shunned by his fellow combatants. Take one foreigner who befriends him and instructs him in swordplay, life, battle and what it is like to be immortal. Place them in a battle for an unknown prize that spans centuries between fellow immortals who are literally after each others heads. Throw in two love stories, wrestling, a very evil immortal, a lot of clashing swords, sparks, Sean Connery and a soundtrack by Queen. You are left with a film that touches on many levels and leaves you wanting more... even though the prize is attained and the battle is over. The film wasn't a box office hit but the advent of video rentals created a cult hit. I personally remember wielding broomsticks in the living room with my brother Matt while watching the movie over and over again.

I never got into the sequels and side-stories created as I didn't see the logic in how you could continue a battle between immortals if all but one had to die in the first film. The television series was very successful and had it's own spin-off series but after watching a few early episodes, I lost interest. They even tried an animated series in 1994. The only way I could see it existing was as something that happened before the film. Having a different Highlander with the name Duncan just messed up my mind. Films tried to follow the renewed interest but they were disappointments. Although, I felt some closure watching Highlander: Endgame (the fourth film) because they brought both Connor and Duncan into the film and made a decision on where the future would go. I have seen that they are actually working on a Highlander: The Source (film 5) which is supposed to be a search for the first immortal and the source of their immortality.

I do feel like there is something wrong with me that I can't accept a separate Highlander reality which would make it easier for me to accept there being more than "one." But I find it harder to believe that there are people who haven't seen the original film. If you haven't, rectify it and marvel in how a film like that got overlooked in the theater (ok, that happened to Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory and The Wizard Of OZ.)

How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?

No, that isn't my dog. I don't actually have one. Some day I'll probably write down my internal debate about pets but that's actually a picture provided by An Alaskan Abroad. This was the closest photo I found to illustrate my story.

I was working on my newsletter on Monday and heard a lot of barking. My bedroom faces my backyard and computer desk faces my window (which I keep the blinds up because I am a freak about privacy.) Suddenly, I hear a weird falling crushing sound followed by more barking. I peeked out my window and well, that picture fits exactly what I saw. Now, I mentioned recently that a neighbors dog has eaten a few of the new plants that I put down in the front yard. I've also known that parts of my iron gate leading to my backyard have been broken off due to someone standing on them. I've even seen my gate open here and there but here is this dog staring me in the face. So, I burst out the back door with a vengeance hoping to catch the owner of the dog also. No luck. I shooed the dog off and found the gate closed (but unlocked as I've never locked it.) It was a big dog but didn't react with hostility. The only one that was hostile was me as I looked at the yard after the smoke had cleared and noticed two "dog-piles" and digging areas in my newly created landscape.

I bought a lock that was too big for it and have run a coat-hanger through the access latch and made sure no one is getting in or out without deliberate action. Sure, I'd love to go to the dog's owner and say, "Keep track of your dog unless you plan of paying to fix my yard." But instead I'm more likely to ask, "How much is that doggie in the window?" as I write the owner a check to pay for what I wind up doing to it.

I'm Confused Are They Boycotting America Or Americans Boycotting?

Allergies have been kicking my butt. So, yesterday I visited some friends and just rested alot (with one eye on the draft.) I have to work on the newsletter tomorrow morning and normally I'd run off to work right after. Normally... but tomorrow is being called A Day Without An Immigrant and The Great American Boycott 2006 (yes, we are united but we can't agree on one name.) No, I'm not staying home to show my support.

I actually work in a "building" that has a mostly Hispanic cleaning staff (more than half of the employees on property.) The "building" is full of people renting rooms that need to be cleaned between guests and during their stay. A lot of the time, I meet these guests whether I'm bringing them things, listening to a complaint or assisting them with their keys. If the cleaning staff doesn't show up, all hell will break loose. This means that people in non-organized job classes will be told to clean rooms. I don't have to worry about that but I do know that these guests will not be happy waiting longer for their rooms, will find problems with their rooms and will want to vent these problems with someone who just so happens to be standing near them. I decided that I wasn't going to be there for that several weeks ago and put in for a vacation day. I've since seen many handouts at the "building" asking people to sign a petition as a show of support but still show up for work with the idea that they can go join the rallies after their shift. I don't think that is going to work too well. The cleaning classification is hard to fill where we are and many can use a nifty provision called F.M.L.A. (if you haven't heard about it, I'll probably talk about it soon) to get the day off and often get paid for it.

Anyhow, I look at the timing as perfect as I'm all stuffed up (I guess, I talk in my sleep when I'm really stuffy) at what feels like the peak of my allergy symptoms and I'll be able to take some nifty drugs and sleep (ok, I have to do a lot of typing but I don't have to rush it out by 4 pm like normal.) In some ways, I hope those protesting don't show up to work. Nothing shows how much you have sacrificed for honest work than to walk off of the job, have your children walk out of a taxpayer-funded school, spend no money (which means buy more before or after) and voice your "right" to reside in a foreign country illegally. I just wonder if it will take this one event, one event every year or a monthly walkout that will put businesses on the hotseat to maybe re-evaluate their hiring practices.

Oakland Wanted A Quarterback In The First Round?

Ever since Oakland released Kerry Collins in the off-season, critics have linked the Raiders with an urge and/or need for a quarterback. There are many reasons for this. Lets recap: Oakland drafts quarterback Andrew Walter in the 3rd round of the 2005 NFL Draft. The team enters the season with Kerry Collins at QB, Collins is pulled for backup (2001 2nd round draft pick) Marques Tuiasosopo, Tuiasosopo is pulled for Collins and season ends with Collins throwing 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions (ranked 6th in in NFL passing yards and ranked 10th in NFL touchdowns.) Collins is now a free agent and is contemplating retirement. Tui started 1 game and was tossed around like a rag doll (he did throw a touchdown) but remains with the team. In the off-season, Oakland signed former Saints starting quarterback Aaron Brooks to a 1 year deal.

A lot of the problems should fall on the shoulders of Oakland offensive line, which was pretty offensive. We'll start by saying that they need help at guard. They need to move Robert Gallery to his natural position. They have tried to plug the line holes with veterans but it hasn't helped. (Hint: Consider drafting a guard as early as the 4th round, guys.) Whatever quarterback they use, he'll need protection. Granted, a 1 year deal with a veteran usually means that he is there to groom someone for the position. Hence, the talking heads pushing the idea that Oakland would take a quarterback with the #7 pick in the draft. Many expected they would take Vince Young and others said Matt Leinart (Oakland likes California players.) It didn't happen (as of noon PST the team drafted Michael Huff a much needed defensive back.

Ahhh, why wouldn't the team want to draft a quarterback? That would be because the team and many fans view Andrew Walter as the team's quarterback of the future. I know, why didn't he get thrown into a game last year during a lousy season if he was that good? Great question. Walter had a great year in 2004 leading Arizona to an 8-3 record and became the Pac-10's all-time touchdown leader breaking a mark held by John Elway (recently broken again by Matt Leinart.) Why didn't Walter get drafted higher than 3rd round then? During the last game of the 2004 season, Walter suffered a 3rd degree shoulder separation which affected his draft status (originally expected to be a 1st round prospect.) Walter reportedly was injured during training camp and was held back for the remainder of 2005 to allow the shoulder and groin injuries to heal. Walter is expected to compete with Brooks and Tuiasosopo for the starting quarterback position. Teams usually carry 3 quarterbacks into a season. If Oakland drafted another, they would likely be cutting Tuiasosopo (which still can happen.)

...It's A Gas, Gas, Gas

I guess that I've become rather numb to the rise in the price of gasoline. After all, as a scarce non-renewable resource, the price isn't going to get cheaper over time. But, a few days ago I started relating it to other things. Statistics show that we go through 20 million barrels of oil a day in the U.S. Of course gasoline is a major consumer of that oil but there are the thousands of petroleum-based products on the market (CDs, cosmetics, auto polish, safety glass, PVC pipes, industrial cleaners, wire insulation, printing ink, paint, pesticide... anything made of plastic, elastic, polyester, rayon, dacron or orlon among many many others) that bid for their share that oil so they can continue production. Of that 20 million barrels, we as a country produce: 8 million. We produce 40% of a product that we use multiple times each day. It's that stat that keeps rattling in my head.

I keep thinking that if I had 12 million barrels of oil per day coming in from other countries at $70 a pop, that comes to a mere $840,000,000. If I wanted to balance trade internationally, I'd want to cut that back some and depend on ourselves more. We don't and wont. Instead, we actually put some of what we produce aside in a oil reserve. In some respects, it's not a bad idea to put something aside because we are oil dependents and it's good to have some sense of security. Currently, we get the remaining 60% from (in order of supply): Saudi Arabia, Canada, Venezuela, Mexico and Nigeria. I'll avoid boring you with how we could currently produce more oil at a cheaper rate (which I know you've heard a lot about), how we haven't opened an oil refinery in nearly 30 years and about how we can cut consumption by embracing new technology. I just wonder if we as a country are purposely purchasing from others something we could produce cheaper as a means to be "last man standing" when the oil supplies of other countries start drying up.

Parody Or Marketing Device?

I actually remember going to my grandparents store in Idaho (the only one in the small friendly town) and being told to pick a few treats out. It literally was the kid in a candy store analogy brought to life. Now, I didn't go crazy. I've always been a bit finicky. But, I always thought candy cigarettes were funny. They had a taste of their own and were what I consider "parody" candy.

Several countries in the world actually made candy cigarettes illegal during the early 1990's. Necco and World Candies actually fought a bill in Congress in 1990 that would have banned the product in the U.S. The claims were made that the items looked so similar to the real thing that they urged children to smoke later in their lives. The items even have a little red at the end.

I might be in the minority here but I don't think the candy made me want to smoke. It's not one of my vices although several friends and one of my parents have and/or do currently inhale. I remember trying to act like it was real and of course this was in the late 70's and early 80's when smoking wasn't as frowned upon. I'd hold it in my fingers and put the end in my mouth. The thing didn't last more than a few seconds. Usually the first one would be played with but they'd end up in my mouth in seconds. I think that if candy cigarettes lead children to smoking that it also leads them to eating their Marlboros and Salem Lights. I also think that if people are so freaked out about candy cigarettes... why aren't they upset about licorice pipes. (I actually bought that one in a store near Olivia's recital.) But don't they lead people to smoking pipes? Is there a pipe smoking crisis? It's like saying that the eating of bananas or Big Stick ice cream treats promotes and trains young women for oral sex. Never heard of a study or a ban on those.

Bunny Left From Easter

Went to my first recital last night. The performance was of Little Red Riding Hood by a ballet company in Boulder City, Nevada. Why would I break such a long streak of never seeing a recital? Olivia.

She was one of the bunnies in the forest during Red's 2 1/2 hour trek to Grandma's house. Sure, I wanted her to have a bigger part but this is her first year, I believe. But one thing that was very noticeable was that the other girls were looking over at her to make sure they were doing the right thing. That smile on her face in the photo says it all. I gave her that flower (that's in her hands) after the performance. If you look closely to the right of the picture, you can see Olivia's new brother/sister... well, my sister's stomach (which she tried to avoid getting photographed.) I had a great time and I even got to play with Connor for a bit (felt bad about getting something for Olivia so I gave him some taffy.)

Juggling Unknown Variables

Ever have a project you need to do but are given very few details in an area well outside your working knowledge? Ok, I have two of these that I need to address before the 29th. These chores deal with the new job starting in June. I'm figuring that putting them down will help me shake loose an idea or two... or someone else nudges me in the right direction.

1) The new business coming to town need an office. The boss is hoping for something in the 1,000 sq. ft. range and in the Summerlin area. I know very little about offices, leasing and even his plans for the space. But, I told him I'd "keep my eyes open." (Yes, I think I piled the dirt on my grave with that statement.) The only things that I can think of are driving around and writing down addresses with phone numbers at decent locations. Now that I think about it, it might be worth talking to Mom about these things as she leases out airplane hangars.

2) A soon-to-be co-worker will be moving to town with his family and will need to find a rental home. Again, details are fuzzy here. I don't know how many rooms but know he is looking in the Summerlin area also (stay close to work etc.) So, I've been hoping to pile up information on houses to rent but I haven't seen any good magazines in town. I have considered emailing the link for the Review Journal (local paper) website so they have something more to go on.

Either way, both the boss and the co-worker are due in town on the 29th and I'll need to show that I haven't ignored the tasks. Meeting them that day is also going to be interesting. NFL Draft starts that morning, my brother's birthday party (held later to also celebrate his sister-in-law's birthday) starts at 3 pm and I'm supposed to have dinner with the new boss and co-worker later. Should be an interesting day. Think I'll give Mom a call and pick her brain on lease/rental properties.

Update: Mom gave me some great leads on the lease property. She goes in for her multiple hernia surgery tomorrow. I'm going to see if I can drop in on her when she gets home later that day before I go to work.

My Brother, Matthew

Didn't get to post this yesterday as it was a busy newsletter day but here it goes. Yesterday was my brother Matt's birthday. He's there in the picture in the red sweater and also in the tux with his wife on the far left. He turned 32.

As I think about it, I've had 32 years of memories with him making it one of my longest lasting friendships. I've always felt a weird connection with him. Both of us were slapped plenty of times in church for just looking at each other at the wrong time and bursting out into laughter. (Yes, the wrong time is when the pastor says, "This is my body, eat from it...") As sporadic and cautious that I am, Matt is equally more focused and sure. Just him being around pushed me to be better. I don't think he'll ever know how proud I am of him.

Before starting the newsletter, I ran over to pick up donuts. I remember during weekends that Mom would usually pick up a dozen from Winchell's as we went to the tennis courts. I had a flashback of myself looking through the glass with my siblings as they each picked a few to go in the dozen. I remember Matt always picked the maple bars, glazed twists and cinnamon rolls so I made sure to get a few of those. They were out of what I like but yesterday wasn't about me. (I'll talk about those another day.) I then proceeded over to his office (which is oddly enough just a few blocks away from my house.) An hour flew by quickly and it seems several people brought him goodies (two batches of homemade rice krispy treats, a bottle of alcoholic beverage and tons of email.) As I left, I was thinking that I really need to spend more days with him like this. Happy Birthday, Matt.

80's Albums You May Not Know

Allergies are kicking my butt and I've been sleeping a lot. But instead of leaving landscape photos up forever, I decided to talk about a few of my favorite albums of the 1980s (since I covered 3 from the 90s a few months back.) Yes, they may be bands that you haven't heard or been familiar with but I call each of them 'perfect' albums - meaning that I enjoy each of the songs and prefer to hear them straight through.

The first album may be one that you've heard of... or heard at least one song from. In 1987, Icehouse released Man Of Colours which would mark the apex of their career. The album showed maturity for a band that leaned heavily on synthesizers early on where a new emphasis on the songwriting became almost as important as the music. The album includes the Top 20 hit singles, "Electric Blue," which was co-written (and included background vocals) by John Oates of Hall & Oates and "Crazy." The album wasn't as critically accepted as the hit singles imply. The album boasts some gems ("My Obsession,") beautiful harmonies ("Sunrise") and sonic soundscapes ("Heartbreak Kid.") The lyricism and vocal strength of this album made it quite hard to follow up. Well worth giving a few listens to if you can find it (the album is out of print and I had to replace my old one with one from eBay.)

I fell into this next album thanks to a friend in Junior High named Phil Gelber. After reaching some success with the band Sheriff (minor hit with "When I'm With You" in 1982 which would become a bigger hit for them later when re-released in 1989,) the Canadian band split into two camps. Steve DeMarchi and Freddy Curci went and formed Alias (with former members of Heart) while bassist Wolf Hassel and vocalist/guitarist Arnold Lanni formed Frozen Ghost. The album had a chart single with "Should I See" but got little notice outside of Canada. The songs range from driving beats to the melancholy but never so drastic as to seem out of place. Lyrically strong tracks even when one of the songs is titled "Yum Bai Ya" - no relation to "Kum Bi Ya." This release is also out of print and had to spend over $20 on eBay to repurchase it. (Saw it as high as $50.) Oddly enough, the band recently saw some of their songs released in an Essential Frozen Ghost collection in Canada. (note - I actually used to use the name Frozen Ghost on BBS' after hearing this album and even ran my own Phantom Zone BBS under the name Frozen Ghost.)

And now for something a little darker. Fields Of The Nephilim released The Nephilim (their second independent album) in 1988. I saw the cover in a record store and purchased it right away (also noticing that the album was #1 on the U.K. Indie charts and had a top 40 hit single there with "Moonchild.") Haunting or country/metal/gothic are probably the best descriptions for this band and their guitar-work. Lead vocalist Carl McCoy has a gravelly delivery that ranges from whispers to roars to moans that takes some time to get accustomed to but very distinctive. I guess this would be the equivalent of stumbling upon a bunch of druids at a ceremony worshiping a lost pagan idol. It seems so out of place yet harmonic and deviant. The tracks run from blistering-paced guitars to the dark and sensual "Celebrate." This is an album to listen to in a dark room with your eyes closed.

Lucky Shoes, Don't Fail Me Now

Ok, I don't really believe I own lucky things. I just think that there are times when everything goes well or better than expected and I feel amazed and, yes, even blessed. Today was the end to my landscaping adventure. (See earlier entry with photo of the home when I purchased it.) First up here is a photo of what my home looked without clothes on. Yes, that's right a naked yard. Took a lot of work to get it that way too. I finished prepping the areas for running irrigation and marked off areas that I'd like to highlight. The photo was taken this morning at about 6:30 A.M. with the sunrise behind the house.

Next up are the lucky shoes. No, they aren't lucky but you'd think they are because I've kept them a whole 20+ years. My father would purchase tennis shoes to sell at his shop and every once in awhile he'd say, "Find a pair that are your size." As a youngster, I was pretty amazed that Goodyear made the soles and thought that they have to be a good as car tires. Yes, they have lasted that long and I have been picked on by family members for still owning them but there they are in all their glory. I put them on because I knew I'd need something that I wouldn't care if they got trashed or not. They actually survived pretty well.

And last but not least... the final product. I took the photo at 6:30 P.M. and having the sun behind you doesn't do the area justice. Many of the little plants in front will get a lot bigger, almost bushy (green cassia) while others will spread and circle the rocks. I'm sore and tired (got 5 hours sleep before starting and 5 hours the day before (they dropped off the rocks early.) Took some ibuprofen and plan to have a few beers after a nap. I will tell you something, though. I was going nuts trying to design a layout for what should go where (we even put in a few things so I can run lighting in a few spots later.) I decided use the red rock fines (crushed rock) to highlight specific areas and encircle them with the gold 1" rock. I'm actually shocked that it looked better than I expected. Content and without yardwork, life is sweet.

Not Football Again!

Ever thought about why certain people don't follow professional football? I have. I believe it is the forethought of a higher power that keeps people who would be passionate about one NFL team from beating up people wearing apparel for 96.8% of the other teams in the league. Sure, they might not beat them down every time but they may attempt it more than average fans. So, I believe it's for the greater good.

We Need A Fence Or To Sell A Vote?

Historically, cultures that have come to another country for work and not tried to assimilate have drawn the ire of the natives. Although the success of immigrants abroad usually creates a bigger backlash, keeping up language and social barriers puts them in a perilous spot. Germans living abroad suffered after World War I and II. Those successfully farming in Russia were told to stop teaching classes in the German language, end printing newspapers in their former country's tongue and cease gathering in secret groups. After World War II broke out, these immigrants were forced out of the country as some were believed to be drumming up support for the Nazi cause. Businesses were taken from them and many were sent to their deaths in the cold harsh elements. Russia wasn't the only one that treated Germans this way but restrictions on schools, newspapers and social groups were created in Brazil and even in the United States. This same thing happened to many cultures including the Jewish, Lebanese, Chinese and eastern Indians. Those that don't assimilate become resented for their success, what they might be saying or teaching in their language and even outward appearance.

These thoughts have been on my mind during the recent marches by those supporting the rights of illegal immigrants. I've been waiting to see things come to a head in our country as they are now. Personally, I'm stuck in the middle. The marches have shown me more than I expected. People carrying the Mexican flag as they try to show the United States that they are patriotic? (Being born in Sacramento, California, if I were to wave a state flag, I would hoist that of Nevada as it represents me as a Nevadan.) I've even seen signs saying that they are just taking back the property the U.S. stole from them. Ignoring the outcome of the Mexican - American War is not helping their case.

I personally believe that we have a lot of people that don't want to or can't physically or mentally do work in our economic system. In February, we posted a 4.8% national unemployment rate. Many of the jobs being taken are entry level set at our minimum wage standard. Many of the other jobs are ones we have little record of seeing that if I pick someone up to do yard work and pay him in cash, taxes aren't reported nor collected. So, I'm not against a guest worker program if it will keep track of who we have in our country, push towards assimilation, accurately increase tax revenue and lessen the strain put on our education system. But, I also believe that giving amnesty to those that broke our laws promotes more of the same. (This year, I hope we can forgive anyone that broke the speed limit... no points on your license and no fine. How will you drive next year?) Amnesty would also buy a lot of the Hispanic vote come election day.

Do good fences make good neighbors? Sure, to some extent but if one neighbor has to watch the fence more than the other, something is wrong. I hate the whole situation as I like my friends that have come to work over here. I also dislike racism with a passion. Right now the United States Senate and House of Representatives are redefining what being an "American" is and the future will only tell if history repeats itself.