John Coltrane
Sometimes I wish I could walk up to my music for the first time, as if I had never heard it before. Being so inescapably a part of it, I’ll never know what the listener gets, what the listener feels, and that’s too bad.
July 11th, 2008
Blix
Today, I made a few cosmetic tweaks to the Blix theme powering this weblog. I am not (yet) entirely happy with the result but we will see how it evolves. In my opinion, Blix is one of the cleanest of the themes currently available for Wordpress. Going through the code, one cannot help but see the meticulous care with which it must have been put together. Kudos for Sebastian Schmieg, its creator, and icon artist Kevin Potts for a real sharp interface. Adios for now.
Add comment July 11th, 2008
Catholic Hymns from Madagascar
More on this series following the Roman Catholic liturgy. This time, a hymn sung during Sanctus.
Masina Malaimbandy
Add comment July 11th, 2008
BAL Champions
Staying on the Soccer pitch, congratulations also to the UNSRC for winning the Banker’s Athletic League championship. With a score of 4-0, Coach Mitch’s guys have every reason to be proud of their effort. All in all, I took the field this season for an unconvincing 45 minutes against BONY Mellon. The results: 2 goals scored against and a concussion sustained while clearing a high ball following a right corner kick in the waning minutes of the game. Ouch. Better stick to the indoor tournament.
Add comment June 30th, 2008
La Furia Roja
At a friend’s house for a birthday party, I welcomed the news with a wry laugh: Spain is the new European Champion after a 1-0 defeat of powerhouse Germany. One colleague summed it up for me: dude, don’t quit your day job! How true. Sport prediction is for professionals only and truly I am not one of those professionals. With a chuckle, we conversed that of all the sports predictions I tried to make over the past year, the only one that came true was for Big Blue to win the NFL title. Nonetheless, the European Championship was fun this year. Gone are the days of games played around a defensive brick wall as practiced by the likes of France and Italy - both eliminated from contention at an early, or in the case of France, very early stage of the tournament. There were a lot of goals in this tournament - and they were pretty goals too. Midfield was packed with talents with the likes of Ballack (Germany) or Arshavin (Russia) to name a few. Dramas were on hand too - think furious finish by a decidedly feisty Turkish squad. All in all, it was great fun and as in every sport, the better team won. One consolation that I will get out of the championship game though is the victory of one of my favorite goalkeeper: Iker Casillas. Between him, Villa, Puyol, and Fabregas Spain should be one to be reckoned with for years to come.
Add comment June 30th, 2008
Star attraction
Thierry Henry will be in town to play soccer pick up games at the Nike field on Chrystie Street in a charity event organized by his pal Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns. This story was reported in the Times and made the rounds of my soccer-crazed co workers today. It is also worth mentioning Pier 40, another Manhattan hotspot where big name players and a-list personalities alike are sometimes seen taking on the field with us mere mortals. I have had the chance to see Sunil Gulati and Djorkaeff in the area a couple of times. Who said America is not interested in football? 
Add comment June 24th, 2008
R.I.P. George
Like many of his fans, I was saddened today to hear about the passing of comic great George Carlin. My thoughts and prayers go to his family and loved ones. On his way to heaven, I’m sure he’ll remember that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac. Rest in peace George.
Add comment June 23rd, 2008
Confucius
To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must cultivate our personal life; and to cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right.
Add comment June 23rd, 2008
Oranje Blues
After the Lakers championship debacle, the losses needed to continue. So much for the Oranje’s supposedly historical title run at the Euro 2008. Van Basten’s troops were ran out of the building by a decidedly feisty Russian squad - with Dutch skipper Guus Hiddink at the helm no less. My last hopes rest on second-favorite Germany. I picked Ballack and Co. to win the last World Cup and would love to see them win the European Title this time. So far, the tournament has been surprisingly fun. Goalkeeping has been a joy to watch - think Iker Casillas, Gigi Buffon, and Van der Sar.
Add comment June 23rd, 2008
