My Doggie....

Cool Photos!

It's time for me to invest in a camera!

Artist Date.

I had an Artist's Date today; I just crossed the street and there is was, Henry Brun and the Latin Playerz jamming out at the park during my lunch break while I sat under the shade and breeze and listened. It was so relaxing given my recent 70 hour work weeks - Henry Brun rocked the conga and the trumpet player was pretty amazing as well. Very nice! I have had an artist date every day this week thanks to Jazz Appreciation Month and being conveniently situated on the other side of Travis Park. I wish all days were like today - breezy and full of live music. Too bad I only have one hour for lunch and not two. :-(

The Jazz Market
Weekdays 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

Travis Park (April 7-11)

Main Plaza (April 14-18)

In case of rain, the concert will be held at the Farmer's Market

The Musicians Society of San Antonio and the Music Performance Fund proudly presents a brown-bag lunch series of jazz events at the Main Plaza in downtown San Antonio. The series will feature 10 different local jazz acts in a two hour concert every weekday from April 97through April 18. Pack a lunch and join the Musicians Society of San Antonio for two weeks of daytime live jazz in the plaza. Event sponsors include: The Music Performance Fund, American Federation of Musicians, San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs, Krazy Kat Music, Alamo Music Center, Independent Insurance Services, sambe.org, DV International Architects, and KRTU 91.7 FM.

On April 12, The Southwest School of Art and Craft will host the Jazz Market Exchange, with a performances from The Regency Jazz Band, featuring Danielle King, Katchie Cartwright, and Shelley Murray. The Program will take place from 12:00-5:00 and will feature local artists playing the music of the masters.

April 7 - John Magaldi Quintet
April 8 - David Chenu Quartet
April 9 - Regency Jazz Band
April 10 - Judi DeLeon
April 11 - Henry Brun and the Latin Playerz
April 14 - D Groove
April 15 - Bett Butler and Joel Dilley
April 16 - Nobuko
April 17 - Joe Posada
April 18 - Ron Wilkins 4 Tet

http://www.krtu.org/events/jazzmarket.htm

http://www.krtu.org/events/JAM.htm

http://www.smithsonianjazz.org/jam/jam_start.asp

http://www.richportenterprises.com/photo_album.html

Too funny! I am cracking up.

In an Absolut world Americans have read the history books! But apparently not enough Americans have read their history books otherwise why so pissed off at a map depicting Mexican borders pre-1848? Santa Ana was, afterall, one of the first and finest corrupt Mexicans that stole from the country for personal gain, and thus, began a long line and tradiotion of subsequent corrupt and greedy Mexican generals/presidents up until the year 2000 when there was finally a "democractic" election. And as far as I remembered, the point of advertising and marketing is to evoke and stir. And in this sense Absolut Vodka succeeded! And the advertisement goes something like, "If you consumed enough Absolut Vodka you would start to day dream/fantasize/hallucinate (I guess it depends on how much vodka you do decide to consume) of a time when California did in fact belong to Mexico."

Yoga TODAY!!

Relaxing at the Crossings, Austin, Texas.

Haven't had a weekend off for about 2 months --thinking of heading to the Crossings to take advantage of the pool overlooking the Hill Country, the hiking trails, the food, and maybe even a massage! I will stay OUT of the bookstore.


http://www.thecrossingsaustin.com/property/

Cornell Club and All-Ivy Club - Screening of "The Unforeseen", Sun Apr 6

The Unforeseen is an award winning, critically acclaimed documentary about the complex history of Barton Springs and Austin real estate development, directed and produced by Yale graduate and Austinite, Laura Dunn. Laura has generously helped arrange an All-Ivy+ discount for a screening of the film. She will introduce the film and conduct a Q&A session afterwards.

WHAT: Screening of The Unforeseen
WHEN: Sunday, April 06, 4:10 PM
WHERE: Alamo Drafthouse, South Lamar Location1120 South Lamar Blvd.Austin, TX 78704

TICKETS: $6.25 with All-Ivy+ Discount

Provide the discount code "IVY" if buying tickets at the box office.
Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.original alamo.com/ Show.aspx? id=5240. The Sunday screening time is not up yet, but when it is, select the "Student/Senior/ AFS Discount" option.

More about the film:
"An ambitious west Texas farm boy (Gary Bradley) with grandiose plans tires of living at the mercy of nature and sets out to find a life with more control. He heads to Austin where he becomes a real estate developer and skillfully capitalizes on the growth of this 1970s boomtown. At the peak of his powers, he transforms 4,000 acres of pristine Hill Country into one of the state's largest and fastest selling subdivisions (Circle C). When the development threatens a local treasure, a fragile limestone aquifer and a naturally spring-fed swimming hole, the community fights back. In the conflict that ensues, we see in miniature a struggle that today plays out in communities across the country."

* Winner, Independent Spirit Award, 2008 *

View the trailer at: www.theunforeseenfi lm.com

I saw the movie myself last Friday evening, and I highly recommend it. It's a gorgeous, haunting, and nuanced work. It definitely has a message, but the individuals and communities involved in the events of the film are presented in a very non-judgmental way. The film is, in one sense, about the fight over the soul of Austin, but it's also about bigger themes of ambition, hubris, chance, and the American Dream.Ramey KoSocial Programs CoordinatorYale Club of Austin.

Overload: Needing a RAM UPGRADE for ONE SLOT

(The Weekend Poem dedicated to a stressful week, weekend, and to challenging friendships!)

Live music Wednesday promises to dispel anxiety
Red curtains
Dim lights
“European connection” has panic attack
Recovers, and
Intergrates into the ‘crap’ band
Is the nauseauting Argentinian still speaking about himself?
FYI: Che Boludo, you've been tuned out!
($5.00 to hear Jai Lopez play, $6.00 for a glass of shiraz, and leaving your house in pj's is still stupid.)

And so it begins,
The faint sound of the conga accompanied by two acoustic guitars and the…
Pleasing, seductive sound of the curly-haired, Caribbean muse
with deep laugh/smile lines and deep, hypnotizing gaze
Whispers into the microphone, barely audible,
“and I want everything...."
Reggae solo
Delicious hug
Ah, delicious hug!!!

Stress induced hives
Fatiguing testosterone levels
Male friends blurring boundaries
Exhaustion from re-asserting boundaries
What is friendship anyway?
Tiredly,
Too many men and women with too many “needs” requiring too much attention
I am tired.
Can I please attempt to sleep?
Can you please call someone else?

The black, titanium American Express card
$900 on an ipod and ALL the relevant accessories
Getting yelled at by your wife for impulse shopping: priceless
"14 day return policy, 10% restocking fee..."
blah blah blah blah
"Why can't you spend your own money at Apple?"

Apple employee steal "my" digits
What is stalking anyway??
"You were talking to that customer for too long."
Disbelief sets in, "Wow, he is a pyscho!"
Need a new phone service anyway
HR webpage? What the hell is that?

Where are all the female friends?
At the bars and clubs (yawn),
And Cabo San Lucas (NICE!)
the yoga parties with the jacuzzi (yawn),
Baby Bake,
The View….
I,
at the politically charged film festival (YAWN!!!!)
How was the jacuzzi party?

Confused and worried
Oh, yes, back to male drama
(telenovela style)
Heart beating fast
Heart beating too fast
Heart beating too fast for too long!
Restful sleep out the window
Forgot to say, "thanks for that."
Solemn and worried faces of overindulgent parents
No words of consolation to offer them
Incredulous chain of events,
Illogical, irrational, emotionally charged
Clarification necessitated: Woman beater v. woman biter!
Why did you bite her?

A Day of Therapy: Weed-pulling Sunday
Or in Rio Platense, "chou chou"
Italians with high food and wine standards
Inspiration Hits: the tiramisu run….!
Boys fetch ingredients
(Men belong in the kitchen )
Weed pulling women
Amazing therapy in the yard
Faint sounds of jazz music
Tapas and conversation, anyone?
Banana nut bread G O N E
Cheese and wine run!
GIRLS fetch ingredients
Cherry cheese? (Yuck!)
Emmentaler never disappoints
SPICY Italian Salami
Everyone contemplates a bite
Dig in already
It's Sunday and we aren't arresting anyone today,
(Not as long as there is enough tiramisu to go around)

Bite Me!

Don't Miss the 4th Annual CINEMUJER Film Festival at the Esperanza Center

@ ESPERANZAPeace and Justice Center
922 San Pedro, San Antonio Texas 78212
(@ W Evergeen, 1/2 mile north of downtown)Call 210.228.0201 for more info.
http://www.esperanzacenter.org/

A Little Story.

When I was in the third grade we were in 'Social Studies' class, or what I like to call, indoctrinization class. And we were studying about American Politics, i.e. how the President gets elected. I remember the students had to take turns reading the various paragraphs out loud. After all the reading was said and done I raised my hand and said,

"I don't understand this. Can you repeat it?"

The teacher asked, "Michelle, what don't you understand?"

I said," I don't understand how the President gets elected. First we talk about the definition of 'democracy' and then we talk about how the President gets elected. It makes no sense. Can you please explain it again?"

The teacher looked at me confused and robotically re-read the definition of 'democracy'.

So I raised my hand again and asked, "Okay, so if the President does not get elected by getting more votes how is that 'democracy'?"

Needless to say, the teacher NEVER answered my question. But instinctly I remember thinking and feeling like the system was stupid and broken and ..... didn't make any sense to me.

What the idiot should have told me is that we go around the world preaching 'democracy' and supposedly taking 'democracy' to other parts of the world and yet in our OWN country we don't have direct democracy, i.e. popular vote being superiour to the mess and mix up of the delegates and now talk of the super delegates. In conclusion, my brain hurts from having to figure out the ratio of delegates to popular votes and then I think about how Al Gore lost the election and I feel just as confused as when I was in the third grade and the other students wanted to move onto the next chaper overlooking what was to me the most important chapter. And read the email below from Barack Obama and your brain will hurt as well. Maybe the lesson on delegates v. popular votes should have been taught in Algebra class, and not Social Studies class. It would have made more sense as a math and/or logic problem. In my case, however, more like a lack of logic problem, hence the problem.

_________________________________________________

Michelle --
Our projections show the most likely outcome of yesterday's elections will be that Hillary Clinton gained 187 delegates, and we gained 183.

That's a net gain of 4 delegates out of more than 370 delegates available from all the states that voted.

For comparison, that's less than half our net gain of 9 delegates from the District of Columbia alone. It's also less than our net gain of 8 from Nebraska, or 12 from Washington State. And it's considerably less than our net gain of 33 delegates from Georgia.

The task for the Clinton campaign yesterday was clear. In order to have a plausible path to the nomination, they needed to score huge delegate victories and cut into our lead.

They failed.

It's clear, though, that Senator Clinton wants to continue an increasingly desperate, increasingly negative -- and increasingly expensive -- campaign to tear us down.

That's her decision. But it's not stopping John McCain, who clinched the Republican nomination last night, from going on the offensive. He's already made news attacking Barack, and that will only become more frequent in the coming days.

Right now, it's essential for every single supporter of Barack Obama to step up and help fight this two-front battle. In the face of attacks from Hillary Clinton and John McCain, we need to be ready to take them on.

Will you make an online donation of $25 right now?
http://my.barackobama.com/page/m/f6c10d702b7052c7/RjwGhA/VEsH/
The chatter among pundits may have gotten better for the Clinton campaign after last night, but by failing to cut into our lead, the math -- and their chances of winning -- got considerably worse.
Today, we still have a lead of more than 150 delegates, and there are only 611 pledged delegates left to win in the upcoming contests.

By a week from today, we will have competed in Wyoming and Mississippi. Two more states and 45 more delegates will be off the table.

But if Senator Clinton wants to continue this, let's show that we're ready.

Make an online donation of $25 now to show you're willing to fight for this:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/m/f6c10d702b7052c7/s0Hnub/VEsE/

This nomination process is an opportunity to decide what our party needs to stand for in this election.

We can either take on John McCain with a candidate who's already united Republicans and Independents against us, or we can do it with a campaign that's united Americans from all parties around a common purpose.

We can debate John McCain about who can clean up Washington by nominating a candidate who's taken more money from lobbyists than he has, or we can do it with a campaign that hasn't taken a dime of their money because we've been funded by you.

We can present the American people with a candidate who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with McCain on the worst foreign policy disaster of our generation, and agrees with him that George Bush deserves the benefit of the doubt on Iran, or we can nominate someone who opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning and will not support a march to war with Iran.

John McCain may have a long history of straight talk and independent thinking, but he has made the decision in this campaign to offer four more years of the very same policies that have failed us for the last eight.

We need a Democratic candidate who will present the starkest contrast to those failed policies of the past.

And that candidate is Barack Obama.
Please make a donation of $25 now:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/m/f6c10d702b7052c7/MUaiQO/VEsF/
Thank you,
David
David PlouffeCampaign Manager

Obama for America

by Sheyna Steiner Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Financial sinners won't have to wait for the afterlife to be punished for their various misdeeds. Plenty of consequences await in the here and now.
Presented with choices daily, human beings can lead chaste and charitable fiscal lives. Or they can succumb to fleeting temptations and fatal traps.
So choose to commit these deadly sins -- or work to bring a little temperance into your spending.

7 deadly debt sins:
Envy
The rich and famous luxury items are accessible now more than ever -- and without the wealth they once implied. With more and more people sporting expensive goods, it's easy to feel left out and far behind.

"The income disparity has gone up considerably, and what has happened is that it has changed our consumption patterns," says Ronald Wilcox, professor of business administration at the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia and author of the upcoming book, "Whatever Happened to Thrift? Why Americans Don't Save and What to Do about It."
Envy colors our perceptions. "What we decide is reasonable to consume is what we view being consumed around us," he says. "But because income disparities are so incredibly unequal, what we view around us really is beyond our ability to afford."
Consumers can get caught up trying to keep up with the Joneses or the upper-middle-class families they see on TV, believing they should own the same things others own.
"The problem with this scenario is that living like the rich doesn't last that long. And if you consider appearing in bankruptcy court as being famous, then you have achieved half your goal," says Terry Rigg, editor of Budget Stretcher, a Web site for the frugally minded.

Forget that pride goes before a fallPride can get in the way of preparing for worst-case scenarios.
People tend to feel overly optimistic about their ability to pay back debt, stay out of harm's way and maintain perfect vehicular performance indefinitely.
All human beings suffer from overconfidence -- but Americans more than anyone, says Ronald Wilcox, author of the upcoming book, "Whatever Happened to Thrift? Why Americans Don't Save and What to Do about It," and a professor of business administration at the University of Virginia.
"Our nation has seen great benefits from the confidence to take risks. Risk-taking built Manhattan. But there is a dark underbelly," he warns. "There are some winners and they do great things, but there are a lot of losers. And one of the risks that people take is spending all their money now and not saving for a rainy day."
Incredible though it may be, cars do sometimes need repairs, cavities need to be filled and surgeries may be required that insurance doesn't completely cover.
"We hear it all the time, but everyone has got to have an emergency fund. It's not if it happens, but when," says Gail Cunningham, senior director of public relations for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.
Be slothful with financesFinances tend to be complicated and require some mental manipulation of the most dreaded of all things: numbers. Failure to pay attention to loan terms and due dates can have severe consequences.
A survey for Bankrate.com's Financial Literacy series last year revealed that 34 percent of homeowners had no idea what type of mortgage they had -- whether it had a fixed or adjustable rate.
"I like to use the term 'financial complacency' to describe people that never really take the time to get the big picture of their finances," says Terry Rigg, editor of Budget Stretcher Web site and newsletter.
We prefer the term "sloth."
Avoidance is easy; paying attention is hard, especially when confronted with unpleasant facts like a hefty credit card bill or struggling to learn something new like investing basics just to enroll in a company-sponsored retirement plan.
"Americans don't really understand parts of those plans," says Wilcox. "This is probably due in part to Americans' reduced interest in mathematics relative to the rest of the world. Americans don't study it as intensely and they don't really understand the benefits of compound interest."
Get greedy when borrowingWhy buy an economy car when you can get a loan for twice as much and ride around in style?
Over-buying (read: greed) is a trap into which consumers can easily stumble.
A dollar is not always a dollar in our minds, says Ronald Wilcox, professor of business administration at the University of Virginia and author of the upcoming book, "Whatever Happened to Thrift? Why Americans Don't Save and What to Do about It." Some days a dollar will be more valuable to you than others.
Often when making big purchases, the price seems so overwhelmingly high that smaller add-ons or upgrades start looking like great deals in comparison.
"What you're doing is pairing the smaller purchase with the bigger number and all of a sudden it looks reasonable in comparison when on any other day you would recognize this as a really bad deal," says Wilcox.
"Marketers are aware of that, so they will add on lots of small items -- like warranties for instance -- things that have huge margins that they can make a lot of money on," he says.
Rationalizations could include, "Well I'm already borrowing $10,000, so what's another $3,000?"
"Learn not to buy on impulse and plan every purchase carefully. If you don't have the money now -- save until you do," says Terry Rigg, editor of Budget Stretcher, a Web site and newsletter.
Feel wrathful at everyone but yourselfBlame others for your own financial missteps. That way you never have to learn anything new.
To the peril of individuals, lenders won't cut you off when you've had enough. Criminal nondisclosure of loan details aside, lenders aren't in the business of making sure you save money and don't overspend.
"The savings crisis and the household debt crisis are directly related to each other," says Ronald Wilcox, author of the upcoming book, "Whatever Happened to Thrift? Why Americans Don't Save and What to Do about It," and professor of business administration at the University of Virginia.
"We wouldn't see foreclosures go up as quickly if people had a cushion of savings."
So wrath, when targeting others, is often misdirected. Developing a strategy for your finances is a personal responsibility, says Wilcox.
"On the corporate side of things, companies can do things that can make it easier for people to figure out how to save and save in an effective way," says Wilcox. "And the same goes for the government. They can make it easier for people, but can't force anyone to do anything."
For instance, companies can automatically enroll their employees in their retirement plans, but participation in a savings plan can't be a condition of employment. Similarly, the government provides tax incentives for saving in retirement accounts such as IRAs, but you can't be thrown in jail for not taking advantage of it.
To avoid messy situations, develop a budget with both savings and debt pay-down strategies -- and stick to it.
"It's much easier to tell yourself and your kids 'no' if you know what the spending limits are. Everyone in the family should know that they can't get everything they want because the money is just not there," says Terry Rigg, editor of Budget Stretcher, a Web site and newsletter.
Be gluttonousYou deserve that cookie so go ahead and eat it and maybe a couple more for good measure. While you're at it, buy the bedroom set you can't afford but deeply desire.
As a nation, the United States is both plainly fat from eating too much and overstuffed in the materialistic sense. The message from society in general can sometimes be: You work hard, so splurge.
It's very possible to have a house full of stuff and no money. It's also possible to be extremely overweight and ingest no healthy nutrients.
Just like eating food for no good reason other than the fact that it is set in front of you, people buy stuff just to buy it.
"It's so easy when you're in a mall to start buying things on impulse. They're very attractive and all shiny and new -- especially when they're on sale," says Dave Jones, president of the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies.
"People will react to a sale item -- 60 percent off -- and buy it when they don't need it or want it."
Big-box stores are vast dens of temptation, offering lots of everything at sale prices.
"People buy huge amounts of stuff and think they're saving money. But what happens is that it just takes up space, takes years to use up or it just spoils," Jones says. Let lust lead you into spendingWhat can a little coveting hurt if no action is taken?
Lust can take many forms. Stereotypical but true, it would be hard to find more than a handful of women who hadn't longed for a particularly fetching pair of shoes or other frippery on occasion.
As for men, one need look no further than the swimsuit edition of a popular sports magazine or the covers of various lad mags and other even more risqué publications that grace the newsstands.
That particular facet of lust was so vexing in centuries past that it was widely believed the afflicted would suffer greatly in the afterlife.
That facet of lust often does contribute to debt -- a contemporary hell -- in the modern day.
"Pornography is a very large industry, but it is hidden," says Stuart Vyse, author of "Going Broke: Why Americans Can't Hold on to Their Money."
"The fact that it is hidden makes it hugely popular because you can engage in it without anybody knowing."
And the Internet has made it very easy for people to indulge with little immediate consequence.
According to Vyse, it's estimated that Americans spend between $10 billion and $13 billion on adult entertainment.
That's a lot of money that might be put to better use in retirement accounts across the country.
Copyrighted, Bankrate.com. All rights reserved.

Rock Concert??

After standing in the scorching sun for two hours with my aging mother and handicapped brother, we were finally searched (pat down style) and allowed to sit in an auditorium for another hour and 15 minutes before Hillary Clinton spoke for about 30 minutes.

Question: Would I ever wait in line for that long to see another politician?

Answer: Probably not, but I would do it for a live music performer.

Last Friday Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Senator John McCain were all in SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS trying to get more votes!!! Who would have thought this south Texas town would make it into the spotlight other than because of the SPURS winning the NBA Championship. I, however, decided that I would go see non one speak -- did not require sunscreen or Gatorade. I decided I would much rather go salsa dancing.

Gotta Love Mitt Romney

"Who let the dogs out??"

Stillness. Church. Eternal Life????

I went to church today. I clarify, I went to a Catholic Mass today. It had been ages since I went to a Catholic Mass. This is really something since I went to Catholic Mass twice a week for about 12 years. I found myself muttering, i.e. grumbling morosely. Muttering is the correct word since I cannot say I was meditating, nor praying. I was repeating and repeating like a dumb robot whose battery is growing weak. The whole ceremony felt very foreign to me, very culty indeed.

I felt this profound irritation at being there and having to be told that I would be compensated for this life at a later date, at some point in time after my physical death in the "Eternal Life", in the "Forever and Ever and Ever", in the "Everlasting". The sermon was simplistic, meant to appease a misbehaving toddler, nothing profound or deep about it at all.

I have delved into Buddhism, reading as much as I can about it and trying to set aside my ego to truly understand my place in this cycle. Buddhism is not for the fainthearted. Buddhism asks you to live in this world, accept your place in this cycle, accept that everything is impermanent, and understand that you cannot fight change. No, Buddhism is definitely not for everyone, it is hard to understand, live, and foremost, very cerebral, but fills me. The answers don't come quickly nor easily, but when they come they don't just appease, they fill.

Buddhism is also the only religion that does not purport to be the only way, the right way, the only route to "salvation", or the only portal to heaven, i.e. the everlasting life, eternal life, forever and ever. It is the only religion that does not believe that everyone that does not believe in it (the members only club) is going to burn in hell like in Christianity, Judaism, or Islam. It doesn't feel juvenile, simplistic, or it doesn't feel like believing in the tooth ferry or in Santa Claus. It cuts deep into the human value system. Value meaning what Y O U value, as opposed to what one has been socialised to beliveve one should value, value being a relative, ever changing term.