The 07 team so far...

Ok, ok, so the dotted lines have already been signed and we're all set to see Barry Zito in orange and black! I'm really excited to see more of that rainbow curve :) I do believe that the young pitchers will learn something from him, just as they did with Schmidt's fireball-change combo. Coming from the Athletics, I see Barry bringing a great attitude and mindset in the clubhouse and I wouldn't be surprised if great chemistry comes out of this year's rotation and pen.

Now, there are still a few more items that need to be addressed. I'm praying the Giants can finally work out a deal with Florida on Armando Benitez. It just hasn't worked out for him and I'd much rather take the risk with the younger guys to take a shot at the closer's role. I wonder if Robb Nen's arm is completely healed by now......ok, ok, I'm just kidding ;)

I'm not really sure about Klesko....I'd like to think that it would give Bochy flexibility in mixing the lineup with either left or right handed bats. I just hope this doesn't become a problem with the infielder corps, namely Durham, Feliz, Vizquel, Sweeney, Aurilia, and Klesko (and lets not forget a great prospect in Kevin Frandsen). Everyone wants playing time and frequency....so I'd be interested to see how Bochy handles this situation.

Roberts, Vizquel, and Winn.....wow. Are we totally running the bases this year or what? Again, I'm interested to see how Bochy will play these guys around the sluggers, but I can't wait to see the gears roll on this one!

Let's roll!

2006 year marker

one last bit before 06 is gone...
when you see a mirror,
what do you see?
what do you do?

see ya in 07...

Life is a blast when...

I've been exposed to Tony Hawk's Project 8 commerical far too long and I just had to find out who was singing that last bit in the end. As it turns out it was Del the Funky Homosapien. I like the stomping beat and the opening lyrics continue to repeat in my head.

ok....

here we go....

Life is a blast when you know what you're doin

Best to know what you're doin 'fore your life gets ruined

:)

Natalie Walker

Her voice floats.

It's part Sarah McLachlan, part Jem.

It was only a few weeks ago when I was listening to Daughter Darling and loved Broken Bridge and their cover of Dust in the Wind and wondered who was singing...but got distracted and never found out. Somewhere between that time and a weekend when I was surfing iTunes that I ran into Natalie Walker and loved her album enough to not download anything (I wanted the CD). It wasn't 'till I got the CD and read through the credits when I was surprised to discover that it was Natalie Walker who sang for Daughter Darling. Urban Angel is her solo album (she has left Daughter Darling).

Life has a funny way of leading you to someone sometimes.

Offseason moves so far...

So far I'm pleased with the acquisition of Dave Roberts and Rich Aurilia. Dave Roberts adds speed and smarts in the lineup and he works hard. I'm really happy to welcome Rich back. I think his time away from the Giants was a blessing as he discovered his versatility as an infielder. I'm not too thirlled about Bengie Molina but I trust Sabean has a reason for choosing him (or maybe I'm just still bitter about these ex-Angels guys ;) ).

16 mil for Bonds? All I can hope for is that they are able to structure the payoff so that the Giants can still go for Zito, Suppan, Sexson, or Burrell. I'm a bit disappointed that they didn't sign Shea Hillenbrand. I had him on my wishlist a long time ago and when the Giants finally got him I expected him to stick around...anyway.

JT Snow coming back to the organization is well deserved. I hope someday we see Kirk Reuter return as well...perhaps to replace Mark Gardner or assist in some capacity. I wouldn't mind seeing Robb Nen in that pen, too.

Rodrigo Y Gabriela

If you ever listened to Kaki King and wondered what would best complement her percussive style of guitar playing, you probably may have (or not) considered a player with a pick and pluck style of play. That's exactly what Rodrigo y Gabriela is...a perfect match of yin and yang. Listening to their original work and even covers (Led Zep's Stairway to Heaven and Metallica's Orion) leaves you appreciating the guitar playing and blending. The absence of vocals doesn't take away anthything from them at all.

The DVD is even better. Aside from seeing them perform live, you get to watch as they tell their story. I was impressed to see how they both started with a heavy metal band and then made the decision to go acoustic. The tutorial is a unique idea and really worth watching.

My favorite track is Ixtapa, which happens to be the only track where they were pleased to have another musician join them.

The Gambler

It was probably two or so months ago that I read about Thea Gilmore, but it wasn't until a couple days ago that I finally decided to listen to tracks in a local Barnes & Noble. The first track (The Gambler) really caught my attention. Sadly, I didn't find anything else in the CD to convince myself to buy the album...so I left it in the rack.

The Gambler continued to play in my mind and so I finally logged in to iTunes and listend to it again. I just couldn't let go. I ended up listening to all the sample tracks from Thea's albums. All in all, I couldn't let go of 3 tracks. It's when Thea slows down that her music becomes haunting and hypnotic.

The Gambler from Harpo's Ghost
Eight Months and Pirate Moon from Avalanche

The Gambler
Roll that dice again again
Once or twice you’ll reel me in
What I’ve got is not what I came for
I’ll keep coming back for more

Lay your head upon my chest
The odds are slim but isn’t that the test
In this game you either bend or break
And I don’t know what kind of mess we’ll make
Come on lay your head upon my chest

Come on, come on
Come on, come on
Spin that wheel, spin that wheel, spin that wheel.

Pull the trigger load the gun
The journey home has only just begun
We could rise but if we swan-dive too
Oh I’ll love going down with you
(come on pull the trigger load the gun)

Come on, come on
Come on, come on
Spin that wheel, spin that wheel, spin that wheel
Come on, come on
Come on, come on
Spin that wheel, spin that wheel, spin that wheel

Eight Months
Indian Summer
Toronto sings
This is the gateway
To everything
Heading south down
The pan American
Lord give me eight months
Eight months
To get it done

Fortaleza
Would make you cry
Cold canyon sunrise
Russian vines
I'll catch these days as
Londons' leaves fall
Lord give me eight months
Eight months
To see it all

Aroura Borealis
The Blue daystar
I'm chasing sunsets, cities, taillights
To get that far

Cut the sky to
Wellington
Then Sydney bathing
In blue neon
Karakorams to rest
In purple skies
Lord Give me eight months
Eight months
To open my eyes

Lord Give me eight months
Eight months
To open my eyes

Pirate Moon
Up in the midnight blue
That's where I'm going to
Up where the sirens scream
Through every misplaced dream

Up with the pirate moon
In bloody Monochrome
That's where I'll call my home
Up where the stars will die

Before they can reach your eyes
Up with the Pirate Moon
Above the mirrored sea
That's where I'm going to be

Up where the whisper fails
In scar tissue of vapour trails
Up with the pirate moon
Up in the cloud ballet
That’s where I'm going to stay
I could just disappear
You cannot reach me here
Up with the pirate moon

Shawn Colvin and Brandi Carlile

In my recent trip down to Portland, I got tickets to see Shawn Colvin. The best part of it was that her opening act was Brandi Carlile. I missed out on Brandi's shows in Seattle so this was a chance to see her perform songs from her current album. She started off with covers from Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan, and then proceeded to original tracks, including "Follow", "Tragedy", and "Closer to You".

When Shawn Colvin's turn came up, she started with a cover as well (performing "Smile", an old BeeGees song). I've watched Shawn perform live on TV (and DVD), but I have to say that watching her in the flesh is priceless. Her voice is really strong and live is just the best way to enjoy her music. Midway through her set she invited Brandi to do a duet and Brandi, ever admitting that she's a big fan, was a little tense in the beginning. But Shawn, ever the old pro, calmed her down and gave her a back rub (which would probably cause any devoted fan to faint ;) ). After the song, Shawn thanked Brandi and even added some humor ("...she's so sweet, she even brushed her teeth before coming on stage...she must be all grossed out at me!").

After the set, I was on my way out when I heard her come back to do a quick song (because of something...maybe to buy time for the crew...another set was coming up)...and to my surprise....she did Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy"...now that was a treat!

The Departed

oh yeahhhh....good ole Martin S....lotsa rats and dropping bodies (my brother noticed "lotsa close range shots")...The Departed was really good. You try to figure out who know's what and who might be working for whom and that keeps you following the story. In the end, the one left standing was the one who walked away at the right time (and walked back in just in time to make a killing ;) ).

I'd like to think that Vera Farmiga's character had something to do with that last hit. She reminds me of Emmanuel Beart with those big eyes...and her thin body makes me think of her as Beth Orton at times. Jack Nicholson opted to inject his own interpretation during production and while it does come out really well, I'm left to wonder how far he strayed from the real character in the original script. Matt Damon plays the rat, as he did in The Talented Mr. Ripley, to perfection. Playing a character with bones in the closet is becoming a skill for Matt...he uses it repeatedly in playing Jason Bourne. Let's hope this doesn't limit his character choices.

A lot of great supporting performances...enjoyed all the dialogue from Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg (way to go guys).

Like Mother Like Daughter

It's amazing how parents see themselves in their kids. I saw this image of Madonna with her kids and was really surprised to see young Lourdes. I felt a shiver through my spine....she looks exactly like Madonna at that age! Somewhere lodged in my memory is a magazine article that shows a young Louise Ciccone....so I surfed the web frantically looking for the image...but to my despair...was unsuccessful.

The closest one is the black & white below. Don't you think the resemblance is uncanny? It must be even stranger for Ms. Louise Ciccone herself. Do you think she ever stops to stare at Lourdes and ask herself, "Jesus Christ kid you look just like me!" If it were to happen to me, I'd probably get weird sometimes....probably try to talk to the kid as if I was talking to myself.....like I found a way to teleport back to my childhood....and now armed with experience can tell everything I need to know to survive in this world.

Ok ok I know....I sound creepy....here's the photo...

The Horse Whisperer

While sifting through all the magazines i was collating for my scrapbook i found myself watching this film. Seeing Scarlett Johansson in her debut reminded me how not much has changed about her to this day. She will always have that blunt look in her eyes. The more I watched, the more I wish Tommy Lee Jones played the lead character. I just couldn't see Robert Redford as this horse whisperer...Tommy Lee would have been perfect (and he's a real rancher).

I really think that romance between Kristin Scott Thomas and Redford should have been taken out (or done differently). It just felt gratuitous and unoriginal. This reminds me of how well director Clint Eastwood portrayed the chemistry between Tommy Lee Jones and Marcia Gay Harden in Space Cowboys. It held just a few moments in the film but delivered really well. Sometimes it's the short powerful moments that count.

Why does Sam Neil always play the husband destined to be abandoned? Poor guy. I appreciated the fact that in this movie it wasn't a cliche "terrible-husband-definitely-leave-him" character but a person who had a clear grip on the reality of the relationship and was very honest about it (way to go, 'mate).

Love me or hate me

Make way for the SOV!

Drum, bass, dits, blips, and bloops...it's fun music to have on while driving. There indeed is a simple message and however you may see it, it preaches deflection, indifference, and strength. Hey, sometimes you just don't want to give a flying f***. ;)

I find your lack of faith disturbing...

The originals have always been the best.

Nuff said :)

Everybody get random!

Every now and then you just want to hear really fun music. I heard comparisons of Lady Sovereign to Eminem, and his music had catchy beats and lyrics...and to think that Lady Sov is British made it more intriquing (british hip hop rap...or urban underground as they call it in the UK)...I gotta hear this.

Woohoo! Loved the beats and Sov's delivery. Granted I can never really follow that fast rapping, but her funny hiccups (chi-ching!, pop) and howls (eshovee :)) just make me smile and I believe I can count on her to cheer me up whenever I've had a long day ;).

Chi-Ching!

The Inevitable

Well we knew it would come eventually...the end finally came for Andre. It was the last time we would get to see him bow and blow kisses to all four corners of the stadium. I never did get to follow him much during the early part of his career, but I can just imagine how much he had to go through to sustain it.

I think I most admired him when he hit bottom and sunk to 114th in the rankings. He just kept on playing...didn't matter what tournament or where...he just kept playing...and worked himself all the way back to the top. He did have some rough turns outside the tennis court, but he eventually was able to bounce back.

Andre is a great example of of someone who, like a lot of us, make wrong decisions, squander opportunities, and hit rock-bottom in life, and, by hard work and perseverance, sustains and eventually finds peace within.

Farewell, Andre...good show old man! :)

Egad!

Is there a doctor in a house!?!?!?!? Hahaha....another heart attack match, but Andre prevails so everyone's happy. Could this be that last burst of career-ending adrenaline? Lindsay Davenport had it when she was on the verge of retirement (that was at least 2 years ago...and she's continued playing!!!)...I doubt Andre would have any second thoughts, though...it's been a great career and I think he's ready to say goodbye...if only to leave with a swan song.

the drama continues...

Jonatha Live in New York!

One of the benefits of being "in the loop somewhat" has its priviledges :). I've had the advance copy of Jonatha's live CD/DVD for some time now and I'm really thrilled at the whole thing....not just the great performance, but the fact that the CD/DVD project was fan-supported and I'm proud to have contributed to it...it also is a personal thing for me since I was actually there at the Anspacher Public Theater so whenever I listen to the recording I can almost imagine being there all over again.

I only wish I was there when she did her first live recording. Jonatha and her band are really at their best live.

"Crumbs" will always be a favorite of mine, but "Damn Everything But the Circus" was a real treat and I repeat it at least once everytime I listen to the CD. "Inconsolable" played live is magnificent.

A heart attack waiting to happen :)

7-6, 6-7, 6-7 for the first 3 sets.....that's a heart attack waiting to happen! Man, it was nerve-wracking but in the end all worth the pain. It really did look like Andre had played his last match. But like a true veteran of the sport, he knew his mechanics, his equipment, and his will to endure 4 sets.

It was just the first round of the US Open, but it felt like a championship match. Just knowing this is Andre's last tournament does indeed have such an impact on everyone.

'Hope you make it passed the next round, Andre.

Clerks II

It was the last show...10:40pm and I expected to be alone in the theater...but alas, I wasn't...several dudes in the audience (and a few dudettes too, of course...Jay does have that pull).....so I was expecting some movie-watching rudeness....but hell, it's late at night...I didn't care anymore.

What can I say...it was a blast! The underlying story is a serious one...but the bits of comedy sprinkled throughout the movie just made it all worth the distraction. Jay's dance routine was truly a classic...damn I'll sure miss these characters.

To my surprise...when the movie ended...all the dudes actually clapped their hands? Could you believe that?

Hoodwinked

I've always dismissed Anne Hathaway as that "Princess Diaries gal"...well I guess I still do...but the matchup of her voice and Red was great and the supporting cast of Patrick Warburton(wolf-reported), Jim Belushi(unrecognizable voice), and Xzibit(the bear/police chief)....and Andy Dick! The making-of featurette in the dvd was very enlightening and I admired the story/concept start that slowly evolved into a success.

Critters do have feelings!! :)

Doogal Extra: enjoying Hoodwinked too much left me thirsty for another animated feature so I went to the local video store and dug into their previewed bins and found Doogal. The voiceover cast was all-star...Will Macy, Kevin Smith, Jon Stewart...wow...sad to say though...I didn't like the movie. It just didn't have any life to it. I couldn't even finish it. Hoodwinked was driven by the story & concept while technology and great actor-voiceovers supported it. It seemed the other way around with Doogal and it just didn't work for me.