Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)–No, It’s Not Really Mexican Halloween

Some people think that El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is something like Halloween because it falls so near that holiday that was brought to America by European immigrants.
From what I’ve learned, it has more in common with Memorial Day than Halloween.  I suppose the connection between these two “dark” holidays comes [...]

Grandma’s House and A One-of-a-Kind Photo Collection

For a kid, my grandma’s house wasn’t the most fun place to visit, especially if you went there almost every day. It was pleasant enough on summertime evenings, when the grown-ups sat on the front porch and we kids sat on the “stoop” or ran down into the ravine (which wasn’t really a ravine, but [...]

New Gallup Poll Just Out Shows a Preference for Blue Over Red When It Comes to Political Party Choices

An interesting surprise from tonight’s Rachel Maddow Show is a new poll out from Gallup, which is based on people from each state and their political party identification. I’m not going to paraphrase or quote, because if you’re really interested in the relatively short article explaining the poll and its results, just click over [...]

Nathan Adrian’s Swim Helps the U.S. 4X100 Relay Team Earn Gold in the World Swimming Championships

Sunday TV usually doesn’t have much. I never have the stamina to get into “Meet the Press”. Otherwise, until later in the evening it’s just old movie re-runs and infomercials.
By chance though today, I turned on NBC in time to watch part of the World Swimming Championships taking place in Rome. The [...]

Ahmadinejad and Chavez: A Love Feast of Dictators, and Don’t Forget the Hezbollah Appetizers

Knowing a second language has a lot of benefits, and for far too long, most Americans have stuck their heads in the sand and thought because they know English, they have an advantage and don’t have to learn another language.  However, being fluent in two or more languages opens up so much more of the [...]

Britain’s Hope for the 2012 Olympics Outshines Mitcham at World Diving Championships in Rome

For all those enamored with the golden boy of the Beijing Olypmics, out diver, Matthew Mitcham, there may be a new name in town. 
The new guy hails from Great Britain and is just 15 years old.  He’s Thomas Daley, and today the young man defeated a couple of Chinese divers and Australian Mitcham to win the gold [...]

A Glimpse of Galveston 10 Months After Hurricane Ike

Hurricane Ike hit on September 13, 2008, just a little more than 10 months ago. Preparing for the storm to come through Houston, going through the dramatic ordeal first-hand, and waiting for life to return to normal afterward are experiences I won’t forget.
But in these past 10 months, I haven’t gone to the coast, where [...]

Houston METRORail Holds Ground-Breaking Ceremonies for Two New Lines

Ground-breaking ceremonies were held to inaugarate the beginning of construction of two new light-rail lines in Houston.  Work will be starting on the Southeast Corridor Line and the Northline Corridor Line.
Both of these will connect more commuters to downtown and the present line, which goes from the University of Houston Downtown on the north to [...]

And What Will the Conservative Republicans Say Now about Sancti-MOAN-ious Sanford’s Revelations and the Sanctity of Marriage? Come’on Now, We’re All Waiting with Bated Breath

Mr. A-List (that’s A for Adultery), Republican Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina was forthcoming with even more revelations about his relationship with Maria Belen Chapur, the Argentinian woman with whom he has been having an affair. It seems, though, that his current mistress is not the only woman he has been involved with during [...]

Houston Gay Pride Parade Follow-up: The Police and “Hello Kitty”

After all of the discussion about the Houston Chronicle story about the woman being trampled by a police officer’s horse at the Pride Parade and all the seeming interest in the “Hello Kitty” entry of the Gay Asians and Friends entry in the parade, I thought I needed to add another post. From the [...]