Brian Setzer Rocks this town

I went to see Brian Setzer and his big band tonight at the Arena Theater in Houston. The show was a part of his Christmas Extravaganza show. I almost missed it, only seeing the ad on the theater marquee one day as I was driving by a few weeks ago, and boy I'm glad I caught the show.
I've seen his Christmas DVD, so I had some idea what to expect, but the show was still overwhelming. 

     Now, I'm a heavy metal guy from way back, and very little thrills me like that feel of heavy metal thunder - the crunchy guitars and bass you can feel as well as hear, but something I had always heard is absolutely true - there is nothing in the world like the experience of seeing, hearing and feeling a big band live in full cry. The power is incredible. I've been listening to both the new and original big band stuff for a long time, but nothing beats the live experience. I saw Royal Crown Revue (more on them later) on their Walk on Fire tour at the Continental Club in downtown Houston a number of years ago, and it was an excellent show, but tonight was different.
     The biggest surprise personnel-wise was the drummer - not Bernie Dresel as expected, but Danny Glass. Danny is a tremendous drummer who has done many things, but is most well known (to me anyway) for his work with Royal Crown Revue since 1994.  If you don't know RCR,  they - to quote DG's web site " single-handedly inspired today’s “Retro-Swing"” resurgence by combining 1940s sound and style with modern raw power."  They were playing at the Derby in LA and were influential in inspiring and paving the way for other bands including Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
    Danny and Bassist Johnny Hatton form the backbone of the band, supporting five trumpets, five trombones, and five reed players who sometimes double up between saxes and things like bass clarinets and flutes.
     In his Christmas Extravaganza shows, Brian mixes his regular hits with selection from his Christmas albums. All the expected tunes were present, with highlights being Stray Cat Strut and Jump, Jive, and Wail. Also appearing were This Cat's on a Hot Tin Roof, '49 Mercury Blues, and Drive Like Lightning, Crash Like Thunder.  A tune made an appearance that I have never heard him do with the big band - the old Stray Cats number Sexy and 17. He did this as a feature with his backup singers, the Vixens - Julie and Leslie.  His Christmas version of Stray Cat Strut includes a detour through You're a Mean One, Mister Grinch, and featured a costumed Grinch causing trouble and scattering sheet music.  At one point the band takes a break and Brian plays a set with the trio, him, Danny, and Johnny.  They ran through an exciting set including Fish Net Stockings, and the Vixens came back for Blue Christmas.
     Brian's guitar work was up to his virtuoso level, with perhaps the most awe-inspiring example coming on his version of Flight of the Bumblebee - Honey Man. It features some of the fastest finger work I've ever seen.  Breathtaking to see live.
     For me, the highlight of the show was when the trio started in on Rock This Town, and the band came back in time to chime in for the second verse, with the whole band going full blast, and the crowd on it's feet.  For an encore, they did their version of the Nutcracker, displaying a lot of versatility and quite a bit of instrument switching on the part of the reed section.  They ended with their take on Glenn Miller's classic In The Mood.  All in all, it was a tremendous show, and if you have  a chance to catch them live I would highly recommend it.  Also kudos to the stage crew. They had a lot of fun dealing with the rotating stage, and did great work getting the second drum kit on and off the stage for the trio set. 

Blowing off the Dust

I thought I would try to breathe a little life into my long-dormant blog, but where to begin - there are so many things worthy of my attention.

I have finished the bulk of the text for what should soon be my first published work, an adventure module for my brother Jeremy and his wife Jenn's pen-and-paper role playing game Mana Punk. It will be entitled The Elementals of Vond and will be set in a Dwarven Mine that has been infiltrated by a group of radical Elven environmentalist-types.  I look forward to the play-testing phase - it should be fun!

Tea Adventures

I got some wonderful  new loose leaf tea from my brothers for  my birthday, specifically black dragon pearls, some Darjeeling, and jasmine dragon pearls.  The black dragon pearls have proven to provide a very nice strong brew that is at the same time very smooth with no hint of bitterness. The Darjeeling is  not quite as strong, but has a very nice rich flavor with lots of character. The one that has been the biggest revelation for me has been the jasmine dragon pearls. It's a type I have not tried before, and is exceedingly light, fragrant, and refreshing while also standing up well to multiple infusions without losing flavor. I usually drink European blend black teas (with the exception of Earl Grey) with milk and sweetener, but the two new black teas I have taken black with just a little sweetener to get the most out of the great flavor and complexity.

Music

I had the opportunity to see a wonderful presentation of the Christmas portion of Handel's Messiah at Christ Evangelical Presbyterian Church on I-10 Thursday evening.  This church has for the last 8 or 9 years been presenting the Messiah free of charge as a gift to the community, and they do a great job.  The soloists are well worth hearing, with my favorite being the bass (shock, I know) who has a lot of depth and character to his voice.  I did feel a bit sorry for the tenor who was the first soloist to sing, but due to the selection of numbers, we never heard from again after that.  The soprano and mezzo blended beautifully for "He shall feed his flock", and the choir and orchestra were outstanding and I sincerely hope these folks can keep this tradition alive. If you have never heard the Hallelujah Chorus performed live, it is an experience you will never forget.

On a completely different note, I am anticipating seeing Brian Setzer live in concert with his big band Saturday the 15th at the Arena Theater. I have always wanted to see him live, and have never had the opportunity. Stay tuned to this site for reviews of the show!

Gaming

I am still very much enjoying World of Warcraft's latest expansion "The Mists of Pandaria". I have gotten my tauren druid Kernos to level 90, and and now busy doing daily quests, raising reputation with various factions, and collecting some fascinating new mounts. I have made a pandaren monk, but don't have him very far along - maybe level 15. I have enjoyed the storytelling in this expansion, and the zones are gorgeous.  I am anxious to see where the lore is going because  they are setting things up for an interesting ending. I've always been Horde (Lok'tar Ogar!), and was sad to see Thrall resign as war-chief, the ascension of Garrosh to power, and the betrayal and death of Cairne Bloodhoof.  Garrosh has become much more of a bloodthirsty madman than I think most foresaw, what with the nuking of Theramore and other things. It looks like the tauren and trolls are very much against his new direction, but no one has had the courage to do anything about it just yet.

Well that is enough for one evening, but stay tuned to this channel for more frequent updates!

Manapunk

I would like to recommend to everyone my brother Jeremy and his wife Jenn's new venture. They have created a fresh, new world for pencil-and-paper role playing. I haven't done any pen and paper gaming in a while, but I did cut my teeth on Dungeons and Dragons, and their new project might just make me come out of retirement, as it were. to quote from the website:

Mana Punk is the fantasy role-playing game with a steam-punk twist! Create your own troll warrior with a steam powered mechanical arm to help drive their weapon swings, or be a spell slinging mage capable of commanding the very elements themselves!

This is a project he has been working on for a long time, and it has finally come to fruition. Manapunk is now available from a variety of sources, including lulu.com in either PDF or hardcopy, and will shortly be available from Amazon, and hopefully in your local gaming store. Also, Manapunk can be played with just a six-sided die, so no carrying around a huge bag full of weird dice around like a geek - not that there's anything wrong with that :)

Sad but probably true

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band triumph at Nashville's Sommet Center in what might have been one of their final shows

Submitted by Zach Everson on Sun, 11/22/2009 - 20:39.

It's not clear how many audience members realized that Wednesday night at Nashville's Sommet Center probably was their last Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concert.

After almost two straight years of touring, Springsteen and E Street are going on hiatus after tonight's show in Buffalo. With most of the band members in their 60s, saxophonist Clarence "Big Man" Clemons's health issues and recent remarks from band members, the odds are good that Nashville saw one of rock's greatest live acts' third-to-last show.

While the set list for the Nashville concert was full of older material (1975's Born to Run was played in its entirety and three songs from 1984's blockbuster Born in the U.S.A. anchored the encores, while just one song was played from their last two albums), there was nothing stale or dated about the blistering three-hour 28-song concert. This show was the 26th time I've seen Springsteen with E Street--the performance was as tight and the band was as loose as I've seen. If tonight is in fact their last concert, Springsteen and E Street are not cruising to the finish but rather have kicked into a higher gear.

Springsteen's catalog is so deep that he opened the Nashville show with three straight powerful and timely songs that aren't on any of his 16 studio albums: the new "Wrecking Ball," a tribute to the soon-to-be-demolished Giants Stadium; a scorching "Seeds," which was released on the Live/1975-85 box set; and his powerful version of Jimmy Cliff's "Trapped," which has long been a live favorite.

Based on the crowd's reaction though, you could have thought Springsteen opened with three of his greatest hits. Throughout the show, the audience was what you'd expect from Music City: fun, engaged and loud but respectful too.

When Springsteen did play a track from one of his studio albums, it was the nihilistic "Something in the Night," a deep cut from 1978's Darkness on the Edge of Town, that wasn't on the original setlist for Nashville.

It wasn't until song five that Springsteen performed one of his many hits--"Hungry Heart," which 29 years ago was his first top 10 song. As he usually does in concert, Springsteen let the audience take the vocals on the first verse. But in a twist that's new to this tour, halfway into the track he ventured out to a mini-stage about 10 rows into the crowd for a verse before riding the audience back (OMFG I touched his leg!) to the main stage, probably making the 60-year-old the first AARP The Magazine cover model to crowd surf.

After those songs about a building slated for destruction, a homeless family heading "south with just spit and a song," a trapped lover, a guy on a journey to nowhere and an unrepentant philanderer, Springsteen ended the first part of the show with the optimistic "Working on a Dream," the sole track from his most recent album he played on Wednesday.

The show's emotional and thematic centerpiece began two songs later when the band played the classic Born to Run album in its entirety. From the groggy harmonica opening that snaps to life at the beginning of "Thunder Road" to the final existential wails and cymbal rolls of "Jungleland," Springsteen and E Street nailed their performance of one of rock's best albums. Rather than blowing through an album that they've been playing for 34 years and played start to finish several times already on this tour, the songs were fresh.

Put in the context of the album, the title track, which had become anticlimactic for me after having heard it about two dozen times in concert before, regained the relevancy that it had when I was 17 years old and writing out its lyrics from memory while bored in English class. Mansions of glory, suicide machines, trying to look so hard, the runaway American Dream: why pay attention to a lecture on the 180-page "The Great Gatsby" when you can just rock out to the 4:30 "Born to Run"?

Springsteen too believes "in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter--tomorrow we will run faster, stretch our our arms further..." And while one fine Wednesday night in Nashville, we--band and audience--"beat on, boats against the current," we were not "borne back ceaselessly into the past," but rather were delivered into the present, 15,000 of us thrusting our arms into the air in unison as Bruce belted out "Tramps like us / baby we were born to run."

The only issue with performing the entire album was the segue out of it (there's a reason that on past tours "Jungleland" was a set closer). After finishing that last song on the album, Springsteen and the members of the current E Street Band who recorded the album, all of whom are still in the band except organist Danny Federici who died in 2008, came to the front of the stage for a deserved ovation, but the mid-set break did curtail the show's momentum.

The seven songs performed after Born to Run in the main set came across like an afterthought: a fun, well-played afterthought that I enjoyed, but one without much of a theme. Of course, with Springsteen taking three straight suggestions from the crowd (many audience members--this one included--brought signs with song requests), it's probably a bit much to expect a unifying theme. But then again, he is Springsteen and perhaps the only American who faces greater expectations is the guy we elected president last November.

Some highlights from the last part of the main set:

* "Waitin' on a Sunny Day," with its cliched and simplistic lyrics, is one of my least-favorite Springsteen songs, but Springsteen's bringing kids on stage of late to sing a verse has made it a delight in concert.
* During "Two Hearts," guitarist Steve "Little Steven" "Miami Steve" "Silvio Dante" "That guy who looks like a New Jersey pirate" Van Zandt pulled six women in pink cowboy hat who'd been making eyes at him all concert on stage to dance. That move led Springsteen to audible into...
* A fun version of "You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)."

The lightness continued in the encores, which began with Springsteen emerging from a band huddle and announcing, "We've never done this before." After a bit more futzing, Springsteen asked trumpeter Curt Ramm (a great recent addition to the lineup) to play the riff for the still unannounced song to the band. Ramm responded with the mariachi trumpet intro to "Ring of Fire" and not only did the band pick it up, but so too did the audience, turning Johnny Cash's biggest hit into a giant sing-along. Three days later, I'm still singing along to it. Bum, bum bum, bum bum ba da bum…

The show became a dance-along five songs later when Springsteen plucked a girl out of the audience, not to dance with him, but rather to oblige her request to dance with guitarist Nils Lofgren, during "Dancing in the Dark." The former top two song was one of three tracks from the 1984 blockbuster Born in the U.S.A. album played in the encores, songs this Springsteen snob normally would be disappointed to hear when they could be playing some rare gem. But knowing that what could be my final E Street Band concert was close to wrapping up, I was thrilled to hear them play anything.

And while Springsteen finished the show with a hit song, it wasn't one of his own but rather an ecstatic take of Jackie Wilson's "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher," which again brought him out to the platform about 10 rows out in the crowd.

Hopefully Springsteen and E Street will remember that feeling and decide to tour again, lifting us all higher and higher one more time.

Set list
Wrecking Ball
Seeds
Trapped
Something In The Night
Hungry Heart
Working On A Dream
Thunder Road
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
Night
Backstreets
Born To Run
She's The One
Meeting Across The River
Jungleland
Waitin' On A Sunny Day
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Two Hearts
You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Badlands

Ring of Fire
No Surrender
Bobby Jean
American Land
Dancing In The Dark
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher

from louisville.com

Star Wars: The Old Republic

As I mentioned in my last column, I saw a gameplay trailer for the new Star Wars MMO coming out. It's being done by Bioware in conjunction with LucasArts. If you have played Star Wars games, either single-player, or the existing MMO, then you know this is a good thing. I have played Star Wars Galaxies several times at different phases in it's meandering lifespan. I have revelled in finally reaching 'glowie' status and have ground away at the Jedi path, and have also had my Jedi status handed to me on a silver platter. In short, while I have enjoyed playing SWG in the past, it can be kind of confusing, and if you leave the game and come back, chances are they will have completely changed the mechanics and you will have to learn how to play all over again.

Bioware is the outfit that produced the best of all the Star Wars games that I have played, Knights of the Old Republic. It was set about 4000 years before the events in the movies, at the height of the Sith Wars and had a role-playing system based on Wizards of the Coast's Star Wars Roleplaying Game. It had great gameplay, and the roleplaying aspect was excellent, driven by a menu system that let you choose your responses to events that you encounter. The new MMO they are developing uses this same system and also the concept of accruing Light side or Dark side points. These points are earned based on choices you make, and have quite a large impact on gameplay down the road, from abilities and equipment available, to how people react to you. This was one of the coolest aspects of KoTOR.

The combat system also looks very promising, with a few features I have not seem before. Combat seems a lot more real-time. In the trailer, a smuggler-class was engaging multiple opponents at the same time, moving to cover and firing from cover. It was impressive. While in combat, the system indicates places in the terrain that will provide cover, and also indicates where others are taking cover

The word used quite a few times in the trailer was 'epic'. The developers want the combat to feel epic - heroic - not routine, but exiting. Based on what I have seen, Star Wars: The Old Republic has a chance to immerse the player in its world like few other games have been able to. The story seems to be very important to the developers - an integral part of the game, not just a construct to build the game around. I love my WoW, but might have to take some time away from Azeroth to jump into the Star Wars world again.

Gaming News

Well, I should have seen it coming, but Bizzard has finally released information on the next expansion for World of Warcraft. Of course, it was announced in conjunction with BlizzCon, and it has some interesting stuff in it. One of the things I have lamented, despite how much I have enjoyed the two expansions, Burning Crusades and Wrath of the Lich King, was that the old Worlds - Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms have been getting neglected. The next expansion, titled Cataclysm addresses that in a big way. Deathwing the dragon returns to Azeroth with a vengance, and this world event gives Blizzard the opportunity to revisit the old kingdoms quite extensively.

One of the laments I have heard from friends who no longer play is that if they were to return, the new recent expansions look cool, but they don't have the heart to grind through the same old low level content one more time as a part of getting to the new coolness. I sympathize. The thought of slogging through Silverpine or the Barrens again does make my head hurt. Also, one of the things that been said more than once in response to the question, "Will I be able to use flying mounts in the old kingdoms?" is that no, they were not designed for flying mounts, and rewriting all that code would take too much time.

Well Blizzard has apparently heard some of the same feedback I have and has addressed some of our concerns. Cataclysm will feature an upheaval to the old lands that will give the game designers a chance to take their crayons out and completely revamp the zones we are familiar with. According to the FAQ I read, all of the old zones will be reworked to one degree or another. To quote the web site: Nearly all of the game’s original zones are being altered to some degree, but the extent of the changes varies by zone. For example, Darkshore is flooded and has been completely redesigned with all new quest hubs. The Barrens have been split in two; one half is for low-level players and the other is for higher-level players. Azshara is now a low-level zone for Horde players and connects directly to Orgrimmar.

The re-tooling of the original zones has also given the powers that be a chance to implement flying mounts in the old world, but they haven't yet said exactly how this will be done - at what level it will be available, and so forth.

The level cap has again been raised, but not by the standard 10 levels, but only to 85, and they have mentioned a new "path system" which makes me a little nervous. I have visions of Dark Age of Camelot's lame Champion Abilities dancing in my head, but at the same time have more faith in Blizzard than I ever did in Mythic. They are also introducing guild achievements, similar, I suppose to those used in EQ2 - which is a nice system.

One of the main features of Cataclysm is two new playable races, the Goblins and the Worgen. People have voiced the desire to play goblins for some time and now will get their chance, siding of course with the Horde. The Alliance will finally get a scary-looking monster race in the Worgen, a race grown out of the Arugal storyline in Silverpine Forest, and are doing something I have hoped they would - use one of the zones that show up on the world map, but have never been opened before. In this case, they are creating a zone called Gilneas, which was sealed off behind the Greymane Wall at the southern end of Silverpine forest. Goblin players will start on the Isle of Kezan and then head to the Lost Isles in the South Seas before joining the mainland. There are therefore two new starting zones and quest lines to experience, and Blizzard has promised an experience similar to the Death Knight questline and a prominent use of zone phasing. That's a good thing since the Death Knight starting quest line is an exceptionally cool experience.

One of the other minor features is new race/class combinations. In addition to the new races, they are opening up a few other new possibilities including an expansion of the druid class for the first time ever to include worgen and trolls, as well as a few other interesting combinations.

Well there you have it. Feel free to stop by the WoW website and check out the trailer and screenshots, but Blizz has given us (well me at least) something to look forward to. That is not all the news though. In my next post I will discuss the cool new things I saw in a gameplay trailer for Star Wars: The Old Republic coming from LucasArts and Biosphere.

A Veteran of the Wrathgate

Well I have been playing Wrath of the Lich King for a couple of weeks now and have enjoyed it all. Blizzard really did a good job on this one. There are a lot of new types of quests and some very interesting storyline, but most of all, you feel like you are right in the middle of the action - fighting on the frontline for your faction - a real hero for your side, not just another dork killing 8 of this animal or kill those guys until you collect 10 red hats.

The deathknight beginning quest chain is worth the price of admission and should not be missed, even if you don't think you will play the toon later. The quests are fun and original, and make use of phasing. This allows you to have a real impact on the world around you. As you progress through a quest chain and - for example - help to conquer the village, then you will see the village in flames, and it will be desolate the next time you pass thru it - instead of back to normal like you have never been there.

As much fun as the deathnight quests are, for my money, one of the most entertaining and rewarding gameplay experiences I have ever had is easily the Dragonblight quest chain. Dragonblight is on the south side of Northrend in the center, and is the zone a player would naturally progress to after finishing either Borean Tundra or Howling Fjords. There are the standard faction strongholds, but the centerpiece is the Wyrmrest Temple, kind of a dragon U.N. building. All of the dragons have shrines in the zone, and they come together in an uneasy alliance against the aggression of the Azure Dragonflight who are bent on destroying all who use magic.

The quest chain is very long, and involves interaction with most all of the different dragons in the zone, including a really fun quest where you get to command a dragon in battle against the Azure Dragonflight and fight from his back. It's pretty awesome to participate, but just as incredible to watch from the ground as dead dragons rain from the sky.

If you follow this chain to its end, it climaxes in a confrontation with Arthas the Lich King at the Wrathgate - a Gates of Mordor - type affair at the north end of Dragonblight. The cutscene is epic and Blizzard-worthy (a company famous for its cutscenes) I won't give away the plot details, but it is a great scene, and can be re-visited by talking to the right NPC in game.

The events of the Wrathgate episode are followed by a visit to a locked-down, martial law-imposed Orgrimmar where you meet with Thrall, the Orc battlechief and leader of the Horde and witness a confrontation with Jaina Proudmoor, a hero of the Alliance. You then accompany Thrall to the Undercity where your hero gets to fight alongside him and Lady Sylvanas Windrunner to reconquer the Undercity in an epic battle from the front gates all the way to the Royal Quarter. It is truly an incredible experience, and makes you feel like you truly are a Champion of the Horde

I can't give you an Alliance perspective but the Horde experience was excellent and it makes me want to level up an Alliance toon to see the same events from the other side.

Your character not only gets to be on the frontlines for momentous and epic events, but the player is put right in the middle of a lot of key WoW lore and storyline, and is quite a bit more satisfying than just grinding on murlocs. If you are sitting on the fence and cannot decide whether or not to come back, I give Wrath of the Lich King a hearty thumbs up - it is the best work Blizzard has done to date.

Currently Listening to:

The Newsboys - Take Me to Your Leader
The Tossers - Long Dim Road

Last Movie Seen

Hancock

In Tribute II

This was written by Robert Kent, my stepson, and Jimmy's older brother.

Michael James Cornett went home to be with the lord December 10, 2008. Known to his family as “Jimmy” he was born in San Antonio TX on August 18, 1978. He was a devoted father, brother and son. Surviving family include his mother Donna, father Mike, sister Janine, brother Robert , nephews Jacob and Aaron as well as stepfather Patrick along with many friends. Jimmy graduated Bellaire High School in May of 1997. Jimmy served in the United States Marines and United Stated Army completing two successful tours in Iraq, one with each service - protecting his family and this Country of which he served. In life he was but a traveler along a journey of discovery and accomplishment. In death he is now without boundary, without restriction, without pain. You can go anywhere you want Jimmy, do whatever you want because death is but another journey to another life for only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing and when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb. We will meet you there.

In Tribute

I am here today to pay tribute to my stepson Michael James Cornett - Jimmy to us, Michael to his friends. On December 10, 2008 at 7:20 am, he was killed in a car accident in Manhattan, Kansas on his way to work on base at Fort Riley. I don't know where to start, except to say that he has been one of my heroes. He graduated from Bellaire High School and joined the Marines. He completed his hitch and got out right before 9/11, but then a few year later joined the reserves, got activated and went to Iraq. He had one close call that tour when his convoy was attacked and his roommate was killed, but he made it home safely. After getting back home, he switched to the Army and was sent back to Iraq where he was a forward observer for an artillery unit. Once again he made it home safely, despite a few close calls.
He was looking to make a career out of the Army, and would liked to be a drill instructor. He also had just adopted his two stepkids, despite the fact that he and his wife were splitting up. A number of people didn't understand that, but he loved Victoria and Junior so much, that he wanted to make sure they were provided for, no matter what happened. I don't have the capacity to be eloquent right now, but I wanted to get something in writing.

He was a good son, a good man, a great father , a dedicated soldier and always a Marine.



Currently Listening to

Stiff Little Fingers
The Tossers

Currently Reading

Brisingr - Christopher Paolini (just finished)

Currently Playing

World of Warcraft (no Wrath of the Lich King yet tho)

Where's the Beef? I'll Tell Ya Where...

I had a wild time in New Jersey. I was up there the first week of October on business, and it was my first time in that part of the country. I spent most of my time in the East Hanover area, but I had an opportunity to get together with Kelly Terrell, an old friend who is a high school drama teacher in Woodbridge. He took me into NYC to see the sights, and it was a blast. We took in Times Square at night which is something everyone should see once in their life. I also got to see a lot of the Broadway theaters and the Letterman show. Before Times Square, though, we went to a place I heartily recommend to anyone who has the means.

The place is Plataforma Churrascaria on W. 49th. Now there is a churrascaria here in Houston that I have heard great things about, but I cannot imagine it topping this place. The price is Prix-Fixe and the service is Rodizio style, which means that as long as you are interested, waiters will periodically stop by your table with a skewer of grilled meat of one type or another and slice off what you want - everything to sausage and chicken to lamb and beef. It was all incredible, but the most spectacular was the beef tenderloin wrapped in bacon.

Before the main course however, is the most spectacular salad bar I have ever seen. Calling it a salad bar is really a misnomer, actually. It features some wonderful salads, but also memorable cheeses, hearts of palm and artichoke, and a Brazilian rice and beans affair that is quite delicious. Also I had the first calamari I have ever actually enjoyed. I have a pretty adventurous palate, and will try almost anything. I have had calamari before, and it was ok, but kind of pointless. Frying may have been the culprit, because these had the consistancy of fried rubber bands with no real taste save the marinera sauce they were served with. The calamari salad at Plataforma was tender, flavorful, and very enjoyable. Add dessert and a couple of drinks and the bill was a revelation. Its not a place one would go to everyday, but on a special occasion this place will create an occasion you will never forget. The experience of a lifetime. (Kelly - I owe you a big one)

Currently Listening to:

Bruce Springsteen
Dropkick Murphy
Irish rebel music

Currently Playing:

Dark Age of Camelot

Currenly Reading:

The Light and the Glory by Peter Marshall

Last Movie Seen:

Iron Man (on DVD)

great movie - Robert Downey Jr. was perfect for the part

I Don't like Ike

Well we survived hurricane Ike relatively unscathed. A hole in the ceiling and some siding are our only injuries and the power is now back on. I am heartbroken to see the footage coming from Galveston and surrounding areas, not only because of all my memories of going to Galveston most of my life, but mostly for all the people who got wiped out. The devastation in some areas is incredible with Bolivar seeming to have taken the brunt. I've heard numbers of 80% destruction in the Crystal Beach area. The legendary Balinese Room is gone, along with many other places I have spent time. The Kemah Boardwalk is no more, but will be rebuilt.

I would like to sing the praises of the first responders. I sat on my balcony watching the storm roll in (the wind and rain were coming from the other direction) and the Police were a constant presence. We live just off the corner of a major intersection, and I saw police making their presence known - patrolling with lights flashing right up till the worst of the storm. The day after the storm there were police going by every five minutes - even less working to enforce the curfew. Also there were several times when we saw police helping to clear storm sewer drains to help clear the streets of high water. They clearly went over and above the call of duty - being out in the storm when the rest of us were sitting it out, and pitching in to do what was necessary after the storm passed

Currently Reading
Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
Ulysses - James Joyce
Song of Albion trilogy - Stephen Lawhead

Currently Playing
Dark Age of Camelot (its been a while)

Currently Listening To
Reel Big Fish
The Sex Pistols
Shebeen

Last Movie Seen
are you kidding? Who can afford to go to the movies? I wait and rent them at the Red Box for $1.00

The Unfinished Revolution

Well I have continued reading Morgan Llywelen's series on Ireland in the 20th century. most recently with 1972, which starts in 1949 where the last book leaves off, and follows Ursula Halloran's fortunes and focuses on her son, Barry as he struggles with the Republican legacy he inherited from his Grandfather Ned Halloran, who fought in the Easter Rising in 1916 and the subsequent civil war. Barry joins the IRA and takes part in some border raids where he is baptized by fire and finds his idealism confronted by the reality of war. The story climaxes with Bloody Sunday in Derry in 1972.


I always had a pretty superficial understanding of "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland, but this book does a good job of painting a picture of the situation and how complex and horrifying it was. The IRA had been pretty weak and powerless for quite a while, and the Catholics in the Six Counties in the North were pretty much at the mercy of the Protestant, Loyalist and Unionist forces who beat, killed and burned out poor Catholic families with impunity. When the violence got out of hand, the British sent troops in which the Catholics at first welcomed, thinking they would be afforded some measure of protection. They were quick to realize that the British troops were on the side of the Protestants and did nothing to protect them.


Couple this with the fact that the government of the Republic did everything they could to suppress and destroy the IRA, the Volunteers, as they called themselves, were not safe anywhere. They saw their mission to be to make life as difficult as possible for the British forces, government of Northern Ireland and paramilitary groups who were making life miserable for Catholics in the North. The Provisional IRA, or Provos, broke off from the Official IRA, basically over the use of force. The Official IRA was more interested in the political process than in taking action in the North.


Well pretty soon there is violence everywhere, and while the IRA gets most of the bad press, there are some horrifying acts committed by Orange and Green alike, and it is easy to see why there is so much bitterness and rancor on both sides. I am currently reading the sequel, 1999 which culminates with the Good Friday Accord. The fact that there ever was an agreement is amazing, given all the bloodshed and violence that took place.

Currently Playing:

World of Warcraft (back again)

Currently Listening to:

The Clancy Brothers
The Aquabats
XM 53 Fungus

Last Movie Seen:

Get Smart

I loved it, thought Steve Carrell played it just right, not over the top, which would have been easy to do - it could have been a Saturday Night Live skit easily.

Trying to Reconnect

I find myself doing a lot of poking around on the internet these days trying to reconnect with folks I haven't seen in a long time, more specifically - people I went to junior high with at Lanier. I went to Lanier Junior High between 1979 and 1981 and had a really great circle of friends, but we all went seperate directions for high school. Some went to Bellaire, some to HSPVA. I have had a little luck, but not much - a dead end email address or two (either that or they didn't want to talk to me) and someone who will not write back.

At any rate, I thought I would post a few names of people I am trying to reconnect with in the off chance that either someone might know them or someone might be googling themselves.

Kurt Schade
Scott McEver
Reagan Wilkins
Ken Odle
Gwynneth Nolan
Nelly Kish
Krista Polk
Rachel Raun
Karen Hart
Joy Francisco
Eric VonDohlen
Barbara Rodriguez
Robert Whyburn

Currently Reading:

Next - Michael Crichton

Currently Listening to:

Dropkick Murphy - Live on St. Patrick's Day
The Best of Billie Holiday

Currently Playing:

Guitar Hero II

Last Movie I Saw:

Speed Racer

I really enjoyed it - more than I thought I would, but then again I never missed it as a kid.

To XM or not to XM

We bought a new vehicle right before Christmas last year, a Saturn Vue, and it came with an interesting feature, a three month free trial period of XM radio. Now, I figured I would enjoy it for free, but didn't think I would be motivated enough to actually subscribe.

Part of my problem with radio is that I have such eclectic, wide ranging tastes, and like most people, I also get bored with repetition. Take rock radio, for example. Here in Houston there are not really many options. There's the Arrow, that is heavily 70's oriented classic rock, the 80's station that plays a very narrow batch of stuff, mainly the new wave bands, Pat Benatar, Bryan Adams, you get the picture. 103.7, the station that used to be KLOL-type album rock is now Jack-FM, which seems to be a mix station by another name, and other than the moldy oldies and top 40, that is it. Now a few of those stations may sound good on paper, but they have a limited play list that they repeat over and over, and after a few days you have heard it all (many times). Sad, huh.

Let's compare that to XM, shall we? It's hard to know where to start really. Sticking to our rock comparison, we will examine the beginning of the dial where there is a station devoted to the 60's one for the 70's and one for the 80's, and one for the 90's. My wife listens to the 60's and 70's stations a bit and they aren't bad, but are a little more pop oriented (this is more obvious on the 70's station). The stations that get the most play when we are in the car together are Top Tracks and Big Tracks. Top tracks is rock from the 60's and 70's, while Big Tracks is rock from the 70's and 80's. They both play a good balance, and Big Tracks, for example, plays a lot of music that got airplay in the 80's quite a bit but didn't make it to the oldies stations. It sounds a great deal like what KLOL did in the mid 80's. I have heard songs on Big Tracks that I haven't heard since the 80's. While those stations are good, there is sooo much more. there is a station for every category: general heavy metal, 80's metal, new metal, classic alternative, new alternative, grunge, obscure classic rock, acoustic rock, and even punk gets it own station. So you see there is a wide variety of stations for whatever you are in the mood for, and speaking of different moods, lets explore a little wider.

There are a lot more stations to choose from, and I'm not always in the mood for rock. There is actually a real Jazz station, not just that smooth jazz stuff (there's one of those if you want). Also, I like opera, but on broadcast radio one is limited. 88.7 usually broadcasts opera on Saturdays around noon, but that's it. XM has a whole station devoted to just Opera and vocal music, where they play whole operas, as well as lieder, choral music, and similar things. I also find myself listening to the stand-up comedy channels quite a bit.

Well, as you can see, I found myself enjoying XM quite a bit more than I thought I would, and when our free trial was up we did subscribe.

currently reading:

Blowfly - Patricia Cornwell
Dubliners - James Joyce


currently listening to:

Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire
Dropkick Murphys - Meanest of Times
Flogging Molly - Float
XM112 - Vox - the opera station

Looking for:

1972 and 1999 by Morgan Llywellyn

Currently playing:

Need For Speed Pro Street - PC
Guitar Hero III - XBox 360

Just in Time for St. Patrick's Day

My reading of late has included a number of books by Morgan Llywelyn, covering a number of different aspects of Irish history. Until recently though, most of these have been from Eire's distant, sometimes mythical past, including Cuchulainn, Finn Mac Cool, and more recently, Brian Boru, the king who came closer than anyone ever had before or since to creating a completely united Ireland, til his death at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.

I have recently been reading a series dealing with more recent matters beginning with the book "1916". I am actually not finished with it yet, but it has inspired me to do alot of further research and reading. The book centers around events leading up to the Easter Uprising in, of course, 1916. The story begins a number of years earlier with the character of Ned Halloran, who is on his way to America for his sister's wedding, and is unfortunately taking this voyage on the Titanic. The book follows Ned as he goes off to boarding school, and as he becomes a part of life in Dublin, which includes immersion into the politics and factions in town. He becomes involved in an assortment of revolutionary groups that end up being an integral part in the ultimately unsuccessful Easter Uprising in 1916, in which a number of key buildings in Dublin are seized by revolutionaries, but eventually crushed by the British, leading to the execution of several of the key leaders, but ends up bringing to prominence several other revolutionaries including Michael Collins and Eamon De Valera.

I have never known that much about recent Irish history other than what I saw on the news, but this book has done a good job of cutting though and explaining all the different factions and their disagreements and sorting out all the different groups, while making it all real and immersing the reader in the whole scene. Sinn Fein really is separate from the IRA, just like they always said - who knew?

1916 is just the first book in the series that follows the fate of the Irish throughout the 20th century and their quest for Independence from Britain, the tumult of the civil war that followed, and all the way through the troubles centered around Northern Ireland culminating in the Good Friday Accord. It has encouraged me to learn more on my own, and to me that is one of the hallmarks of a good book. On a related note, I would also recommend the movie "Michael Collins" starring Liam Neeson, with Neeson as the title character. It starts with the end of the Easter Uprising following Collins through his exploits in the war against Britain and the civil war that followed. It also stars Julia Roberts and Alan Rickman. Warning - it is a bit violent, but then again, given the subject matter, that is to be expected.

Also Flogging Molly is in town tonight promoting their new album "Float", but having been sick, I am unable to go. It's a really good album though, their first one recorded in Ireland, and has a mature sound to it, and Dave King's thought provoking lyrics. Check it out if you have the chance.

A Thanksgiving Repost

I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and offer an excerpt from Peter Marshall's The Light and the Glory on the first Thanksgiving and the events leading up to it.

If any one event could be singled out to mark the turning point of their (the Pilgrim's) fortunes, it would have been what happened on a fair Friday in the middle of March. The men were gathered in the common house to conclude their conference on military instruction, when the cry went up, "Indian coming!" Captain Standish shook his head, even as he went to look out the window - to see a tall, well-built Indian, wearing nothing but a leather loincloth striding up their main street.

"Welcome!", he boomed in a deep, resonant voice. The Pilgrims were too startled to speak. At length. they replied with as much gravity as they could muster: "Welcome."

"Have you got any beer?" he asked them in flawless English. If they were surprised before, they were astonished now. The Pilgrims looked at one another, then turned back to him. "Our beer is gone. Would you like some ... brandy? The Indian nodded. They brought him some brandy, and a biscuit with butter and cheese, and then some pudding and a piece of roast duck. To their continuing amazement, he ate with evident relish everything set before him. Where had he developed such an appetite for English food? How, in fact, had he come to speak English? For that matter, who was he and what was he doing here? But they would have to wait, for obviously he did not intend to talk until he had finished his repast. Finally the time for answering questions came. His name was Samoset. He was a sagamore (or chief) of the Algonquins, from what is now Pemaquid Point in Maine. He had been visiting these parts for the past eight months, having begged a ride down the coast with Captain Thomas Dermer, an English sea captain who was known to the Pilgrims by reputation. He had been sent out to explore the coast for the Council for New England, the company to whom they would now be applying for a patent. Apparently Samoset's sole motivation was a love of travel, and he had learned his English from various fishing captains who had put in to the Maine shore over the years. Now they asked the crucial question: What could he tell them of the Indians hereabouts? And the story he told gave every one of them cause to thank God in their hearts.

This area had always been the Territory of the Patuxets, a large hostile tribe who had barbarously murdered every white man who had landed on their shores. But four years prior to the Pilgrims' arrival, a mysterious plague had broken out among them, killing every man, woman, and child. So complete was the devastation that the neighboring tribes had shunned the area ever since, convinced that some great supernatural spirit had destroyed the Patuxets. Hence the cleared land on which they settled literally belonged to no one! Their nearest neighbors, said Samoset, were the Wampanoags, some fifty miles to the southwest. These Indians numbered about sixty warriors. Massasoit, their sachem (or chief) had such great wisdom that he also ruled over several other small tribes in the general area. And it was with Massasoit that Samoset had spent most of the past eight months. Who were the Indians out on the Cape who had attacked them? These were the Nausets, who numbered about a hundred warriors. The previous summer they had attacked Captain Dermer and killed three of his men. The Nausets hated the white man, because several years before one Captain Thomas Hunt had tricked seven of their braves into coming aboard his ship on the pretext of wanting to trade with them. He had taken them, along with twenty Patuxets , to Spain, where he had sold them into slavery.

By the time he was done with his tale telling, it was nightfall. Samoset announced that he would sleep with them, and return in the morning. Captain Standish put a discreet watch on him, but Samoset slept the sleep of the untroubled. And in he morning he left, bearing a knife, a bracelet, and a ring as gifts to Massasoit. That was the last they saw of him until the following Thursday , when he returned accompanied by another Indian who also spoke English, and was of all things, a Patuxet! The second Indian was Squanto, and he was there to be according to Bradford, "a special instrument sent of God for their good, beyond their expectation." The extraordinary chain of "coincidences" in this man's life is in its own way no less extraordinary than the saga of Joseph's being sold into slavery in Egypt. Indeed in the ensuing months, their was not a doubt in any of their hearts that Squanto, whose Indian name was Tisquantum, was a Godsend.

] His story really began in 1605, when Squanto and four other were taken captive by Captain George Weymouth. The Indians were taken to England, where they were taught English. When Squanto finally managed to make it back home and stepped ashore six months before the Pilgrims arrived, he received the most tragic blow of his life: not a man, woman, or child of his tribe was left alive! Nothing but skulls, bones, and ruined dwellings remained. In despair he wandered into Massasoit's camp, because he had nowhere else to go. And that chief, understanding his circumstances, took pity on him. But Squanto merely existed, having lost all reason for living. That is, that was his condition until Samoset brought news of a small colony of peaceful English families who were so hard pressed to stay alive, let alone plant a colony at Patuxet. A light seemed to come back into Squanto's eye, and he accompanied Samoset when the latter came to Plymouth as Massasoit's interpreter, for the chief himself had come, with all sixty warriors painted in startling fashion.

Out of this meeting came a peace treaty of mutual aid and assistance which would last for forty years and would be a model for many that would be made thereafter. Massasoit was a remarkable example of God's providential care for His Pilgrims. He was probably the only other chief on the northeast coast of America who (like Powhatan to the south) would have welcomed the white man as a friend. When Massasoit and his entourage finally left, Squanto stayed. He had found his reason for living. These English were like little babes, so ignorant they were of the ways of the wild. Well, he could certainly do something about that! The next day he went out and came back with all the eels he could hold in his hands - which the Pilgrims found to be "fat and sweet" and excellent eating. How had he ever caught them? He took several young men with him and taught them how to squash the eels out of the mud with their bare feet and catch them with their hands. But the next thing he showed them was by far the most important, for it would save every one of their lives. April was corn planting month in New England as well as Virginia. Squanto showed the Pilgrims how to plant corn the Indian way, hoeing six foot squares in toward the center, putting down four or five kernels, and fertilizing the corn with fish. At that, the Pilgrims just shook their heads; in four months they had caught exactly one cod. No matter, said Squanto cheerfully; in four days the creeks would be overflowing with fish. The Pilgrims cast a baleful eye on their amazing friend, who seemed to have adopted them. But Squanto ignored them and instructed the young men in how to make the wiers they would need to catch the fish. Obediently the men did as he told them, and four days later the creeks for miles around were clogged with alewives making their spring run. The Pilgrims did not catch them, they harvested them! Now the corn was planted. Pointing spoke-like toward the center of each mound were three fishes, their heads almost touching. Now said Squanto, they would have to guard against wolves, adding that the wolves would attempt to steal the fish. The Pilgrims would have to guard it for two weeks, until it had a chance to decompose. And so they did and that summer twenty full acres of corn began to flourish. Squanto helped in a thousand similar ways, teaching them how to stalk deer, plant pumpkins among the corn, refine maple syrup from maple trees, discern which herbs were good to eat and good for medicine, and find the best berries. But after the corn there was one other specific thing he did which was of inestimable importance for their survival. What little fishing they had done was a failure, and any plan for them to fish commercially was a certain fiasco. So Squanto introduced them to the pelt of the beaver, which was then in plentiful supply in northern New England, and in great demand throughout Europe. And not only did he get them started, but he guided in the trading, making sure they got their full money's worth in top-quality pelts. This would prove to be their economic deliverance, just as corn would be their physical deliverance. The Pilgrims were brimming over with gratitude - not only to Squanto and the Wampanoags who had been so friendly, but to their God. In Him they had trusted, and he had honored their obedience beyond their dreams. So Governor Bradford declared a day of public Thanksgiving, to be held in October. Massasoit was invited, and unexpectedly arrived a day early, with ninety Indians! Counting their numbers, the Pilgrims had to pray hard to keep from giving in to despair. To feed such a crowd would cut deeply into the food supply that was supposed to get them through the winter. But if they had learned one thing through their travels, it was to trust God implicitly. As is turned out, the Indians were not arriving empty handed. Massasoit had commanded his braves to hunt for the occasion, and they arrived with no less than five dressed deer and more than a dozen fat wild turkeys! And they helped them with preparations, teaching the Pilgrim women how to make hoecakes, and a tasty pudding out of cornmeal and maple syrup. Finally they showed them an Indian delicacy: how to roast corn kernels in an earthen pot until they popped, fluffy and white - popcorn! The Pilgrims in turn provided many vegetables from their household gardens: carrots, onions, turnips, parsnips, cucumbers, radishes, beets, and cabbages. Also using some of their precious flour, they took summer fruits which the Indians had dried and introduces them to the likes of blueberry, apple, and cherry pie. It was all washed down with sweet wine made from wild grapes. A joyous occasion for all! Between meals, the Pilgrims and Indians happily competed in shooting contests with gun and bow. The Indians were especially delighted that John Alden and some of the younger men of the plantation were eager to join them in foot races and wrestling. There were even military drills staged by Captain Standish. Things went so well (and Massasoit showed no inclination to leave) that Thanksgiving day was extended for three days.

Surely one moment stood out in the Pilgrims' memory - William Brewster's prayer as they began the festival. They had so much for which to thank God: for providing all their needs, even when their faith had not been up to believing that he would do so; for the lives of the departed, and for taking them home to be with Him; for their friendship with the Indians - so extraordinary when the settlers to the south had experienced the opposite; for all his remarkable Providences in bringing them to this place and sustaining them.

As I said earlier, this excerpt was taken from Peter Marshall's excellent book, The Light and the Glory, the first in a series he wrote on American history.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Like I Need More Books...

I have recently discovered an author whose books I have been trying to track down. Her name is Morgan Llywellen and she writes about all things Irish. Her fiction usually gets put in the fantasy section, but covers a variety of different topics, some historical fiction both recent and reaching back to the dawn of Irish history, some based on mythological figures. The first book of hers I read is 'Druids' and it is the story of the Celtic tribes of Gaul, focusing on a tribe in northern Gaul around present-day Chartres where the sacred druid grove was. The tale centers around Ainvar, the Chief Druid and his friendship with Vercingetorix, the warrior who united the Celtic Gauls against Julius Caesar and the Romans. A fascinating story of the Gallic wars from the other perspective. It did make me want to find a translation of Caesar's 'The Gallic Wars' which I haven't done yet. The sequel to it dealt with Ainvar and his tribe fleeing Gaul for Ireland after the Roman's victory and the capture of Vercingetorix. I found a couple more at Half-Price Books dealing with Cuchulain and Finn Mac Cool. Irish history and mythology has always fascinated me but I have never known where to start, and it's funny to see all the old familiar place names that I knew from playing Hibernian characters in Dark Age of Camelot come to life and find out about the real places they were based on. Of course it is readily apparent that Irish history and mythology have a habit of intertwining and it's not always easy to tell what is truth and what is myth.

music I'm currently listening to:

Ella Fitzerald

books I am currently reading:

Star Wars: Truce at Bakura
Red Branch by Morgan Llywellyn
Ragamuffin Gospel (yes, again) by Brennan Manning
(I was inspired by his recent visit to our church for a weekend conference)

currently playing:

World of Warcraft

Evan Almighty

My wife and I recently went to see Evan Almighty, and I thought I would give my take on the film, which was enjoyable, but had some pleasant surprises in it. Seeing as how Tom Shadyac directed it, and having seen Bruce Almighty, I had a good idea what to expect. Shadyac is the director responsible for Ace Ventura, Liar,Liar, and Bruce Almighty, So I expected his trademark brand of irreverent humor, but this film has more to it than meets the eye. Steve Carell plays Evan Baxter, a former news anchor who gets elected to congress, and has just moved into his new home in a DC suburb when strange things start happening. It culminates with Morgan Freeman, reprising his role of God, showing up to inform Evan that he wants him to build an ark. Steve Carell is funny, playing Evan, a smart dressing, neat freak who starts growing a beard he cannot shave off, and some of the plot is kind of predictable, but still very funny. I don't watch The Office, but I am familiar with Carell and think he is a good fit for this movie.
The comedy aspect of Evan Almighty was funny, but pretty much what I expected. What I didn't expect was the attitude of the film towards things of God. I did not hear the cynicism I thought I would when topics such as prayer and faith were brought up, but the pleasant surprise was Morgan Freeman's expositions as God. In a scene with Evan's wife, God explains, that "when you pray for patience, I don't fill you with patience, I give you the opportunity to exercise patience. When you pray for your family to be closer, I don't fill you with warm, fuzzy feelings, I create situations that will help your family grow closer together." ( I don't have the quote exactly right, but you get the idea)
This is also a family friendly film with no sexual innuendo or foul language to speak of so I would highly recommend this movie. The closest thing to questionable is a scene where Evan eschews his Noah robe God provided him and puts his suit back on, which dissappears as soon as he steps out his front door, much to the surprise of the female Postal Carrier on the sidewalk. It's a lot of fun. There are some hysterical animal scenes, and John Goodman is a good heavy. Wanda Sykes is actually not as irritating as usual either.

Virtues of Travel

I'm a local guy through and through, but I have gained a new appreciation for expanding one's horizons and seeing new places, after my trip to the Mobile, AL area. The thing that was the biggest and most pleasant surprise was Gulf Shores. I've grown up going to Galveston, and there's a lot about the place that I love, but I don't think I will ever see the beach there in the same way after visiting the beaches in Alabama.

Now, I have been to other beaches, but it's been quite a while. We took a family trip to Florida when I was younger, and I remember the trips to the beach there, but not vividly, so for me when I think beach, the picture that pops into my head is Galveston. Imagine my surprise upon arriving on the beach in Gulf Shores.

For starters, the beach is at least three times as wide, from parking lot to water's edge, than Galveston, but the most obvious thing is how clean and nice the sand is. It's not only very fine sand, but the beach is very clean, both from human debris and natural. They try to do a good job in Galveston of picking up the trash, but the last few times I've been down there, human refuse has not been the main problem. Usually the beach looks like it needs a shave. I'm usually ankle deep in seaweed. If seaweed isn't the problem, then there are dead fish or jellyfish or other weird, unidentifiable things laying around, but in Gulf Shores there's nothing but sand, as far as the eye can see. Strangely enough, there weren't even shells laying around.

The other thing that was refreshing was the water. It was all either blue or green, not brown. They don't call our local body of water the Gulf of Yoohoo for nothing, you know.

I will still love Galveston, of course, but It sure was nice to see how the other half lives

Why Easter (again)

I want to re-post again a column I posted last year regarding how we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, and again invite your input pro or con.

Why again do we call it Easter? I propose a change, and even offer a couple of alternatives, one of which I have heard others use more each year.Resurrection Day is a perfectly acceptable alternative to Easter and I use it myself frequently, depending on the audience, but my preferred name for this poorly named holiday is Firstfruits. Many of the Jewish festivals have at least some fulfillment in Jesus' first coming, and the Feast of Firstfruits is no exception.

Firstfruits is a part of the Passover celebration, which is itself another column. Passover itself is the beginning of a whole week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, in which observants eat only unleavened bread and no yeast at all. The Sunday after Passover during the feast of Unleavened Bread is the Feast of Firstfruits, an originally agricultural festival when the firstfruits of the harvest were taken to the Temple (or Tabernacle) and presented to the Lord in a wave offering.It is of course no coincidence that Yeshua (that's Jesus to you) rose from the dead on the Sunday after Passover during the feast of Unleavened Bread. Unleavened bread is a symbol of purity and the absence of sin, and Jesus is the Firstfruit of the Resurrection. Believers will all be in possession of glorified bodies like the one Jesus showed off with during his appearances after his resurrection. He is the first one permanently raised from the dead. All those he raised from the dead during his earthly ministry of course died again at a later date.So there you have it. My vote is to celebrate the Feast of Firstfruits or Bikkurim, its Hebrew name, instead of calling it Easter. Easter Bunny? Can't help you there. Don't know where that weirdness came from.Have a Blessed Bikkurim!