Hate the RIAA?
Although I don't approve of massive music file sharing services in general, I truly abhor the methods the RIAA has used to go after people on their hit list. They basically bully universities, utilities, ISPs, and others to reveal the identity of the person at a particular IP address. Thankfully they haven't won every case, but their deep pockets have enabled them to not only win some, but to simply scare many people into settlements.

Here's a link to an interesting article, it shows the politicians who have accepted money from the RIAA. The VA rep on the link, Goodelatte, doesn't cover my home district, but I did see both Obama and Clinton on the list. I went to their sites and sent them a request to return the money to the RIAA. I doubt it will have any effect whatsoever, but it felt good.

Like internet radio?
I recently contacted my US Senators and Congressman regarding the revised royalty payment rates that internet radio stations are currently obligated to pay. If you'd like to do the same, there are a number of sites that help streamline the process. Here's the one I used.

Personally I use streaming audio for NPR news, which wouldn't be impacted, but I also use it for streaming music from the same station, WUWM in Milwaukee. They have an awesome all-music stream as well as several all-music shows. I've already purchased at least two CDs for a band or singer I first heard there (Carbon Leaf - you can listen to full-length streams of several of their songs here; Brett Dennan - he looks nothing like I expected) and have added a number of others to my Amazon Wish List for future purchase. Occasionally I listen to other online stations, such as Radio Paradise. NPR has led me to a number of bands and singers, prior to commercial radio or TV: Norah Jones, Hem, various ethnic music, Tom Rush, and many others I can't think of now.

As for Carbon Leaf, why is it that I had to move to Mexico before I heard of this band? They're from Richmond, Virginia, and have toured around for many years. Guess I just didn't get out much.

Actually, now that I think about it, I really didn't get out much.

Yes, I am still alive. I've simply been busy, not to mention lazy when it comes to this blog. On the off chance anyone still checks in from time to time, I'll throw a post up today dealing with political issues that have caught my attention.

1) NASA chief interview on NPR. My only response to this is WTF? (I apologize for the implied profanity, but nothing else truly fits.) Even his boss, our, ahem, beloved President, is apparently finally actually possibly maybe just maybe realizing that global warming/climate change isn't going away.

2) NASA lead climate change scientist on NPR. Ah, the voice of reason. I particularly like his subdued "WTF?" reaction to the above interview. He'll probably lose his job for not being political enough, not covering the boss's behind, or complaining about budget cuts.

3) Phonemarks. Ah, the Democratic Party... I'd hoped for more from you. Alas, you are only human... no wait, are politicians human? Hmm. Well, anyway, it won't take a lot to lose the trust of the people and erode the gains made in the last round of elections.

Friends update: I finally got back in touch with my long-time friend, Sean. Rumors of his abduction by aliens were exaggerated, though not by much. Another friend, Brandon, is on the mend, having survived a brush with death following oral surgery. Yet another long-time friend, Jeff, continues to keep in touch. It's nice to catch up with people from time to time. I've emailed about the 20-year high school reunion, but haven't heard any details. Chances I'll go are nearly null, but I'd like to find out what's planned anyway.

School update: I've wrapped up two classes this semester (well, since I started classes on multiple dates, it's an odd sort of semester-session-unending-purgatory thing) with a few more to go. Grade-wise, I'm doing fine. Everything should be wrapped up in June, with one class possibly dragging into July. My goal is to have 2-4 weeks of blissful non-education in August before the fall semester begins.

Monterrey update: The drug cartels continue to kill policemen. A recent assassination attempt failed. It's the closest yet to our house, only a few blocks away. Two cops were at an OXXO (convenience store chain) when the gunmen drove up and sprayed their car (and the store) with automatic weapons fire. I heard these were AR-15s (altered to full-auto), not the AK-47s used in some of the other attacks. The gunmen didn't succeed quickly so they fled, fearing getting trapped when the cops locked the area down. We didn't hear the shots, but our next-door neighbor did. Despite all the killings, it's had little impact on us. We don't see any big, obvious changes in traffic patterns or anything; maybe we're oblivious to it. The State Department has thus far decided that Monterrey isn't dangerous enough to warrant either evacuation or additional danger pay.

Weather update: It's been wetter and a bit cooler than I expected for the last month or so. The last few days are more what I expected: sunny and highs in the 90s.

Critter update: I've seen fewer lizards (anoles and house geckos) than I expected to see based on last year. Hopefully they'll return; we have too many mosquitos. A dove was out on our patio and I let Boots out to chase it (she gets to chase far fewer critters here). Unfortunately it was a fledgling, which I didn't know at the time, and couldn't get away. Boots seemed just as surprised to catch it as I was. She didn't injure it and I called her away and back inside. I then shooed it along until I could catch it and place it in the tree by the patio. It remained there for several hours, gradually working its way higher until it finally fluttered off onto the roof and beyond. Here's a picture:

Movie Reviews

Emily and I recently saw two movies: Music & Lyrics and 300.

On my birthday Sunday before last, Emily and I walked to MM Cinemas to watch "Music & Lyrics." We first played a few games of air hockey, then hustled up to the Bennigan's Express for a couple Guinesses and some potato skins. (Ain't livin' in Mexico tough?) The taters were a bit overdone, but they came out quickly as requested. The Guiness was wonderful, after probably a year without one. (We've spotted Guiness here occasionally, but it's even more expensive than back home. We usually settle for Leon, but snag Negra Modelo when we find it.)

As for the film, given the cast and what little I knew of the plot, I hoped it wouldn't be a truly dumb comedy. Don't get me wrong - there are a number of romantic comedies I have enjoyed (When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, Joe vs. the Volcano, and plenty of others). I'm just not into most of the comedies, movie or TV, that make it these days. Thankfully, this movie was not in the latter category. Emily and I enjoyed it. It was witty, fun, and we had a blast. A particular scene I enjoyed was near the end. Parents with their kids at the concert were a bit stunned at the revealing outfit worn by the performer. The mother was trying to hide the little girl's eyes, meanwhile the father and son were practically drooling. I'm not a parent, but I understand it totally. Good luck, all those friends with kids.

During the movie we heard thunder and thought it was in the film, until we heard it again. We emerged from the movie to find a deluge, with lots of thunder and lightning. We trudged next door to the supermarket, hoping to spot a taxi. After a bit we gave up and started walking. We soon encountered a taxi, which proceeded to head towards home at a blistering 10-15 mph, with fogged windows. We got out around the corner from our house and had to splash through ankle-deep runoff to get inside. Joy of joys, the courtyard between the maid's quarters and the laundry was flooded. I waded out and cleared the drain. Fun stuff.

Last Saturday we went to see "300"... in IMAX. I held out to see it in IMAX. I figured, why not? So, I saw all the gore and blood on the Largest Movie Screen in Mexico and heard the *thunks* of limbs being severed in all the clarity provided by 12,000 watts of surround sound. The theater has wider aisles than back the States (easier for people to get by) and comfortable seats.

As for the film, I enjoyed it. I know there were huge historical inaccuracies, which I'll have to research and find the truth of some day. I also wasn't crazy about some of the CGI, such as the wolf early in the film. It just looked BAD as far as I'm concerned. I found the NPR reviewer's comments about the "manly men" valid. I seriously doubt the Spartan men routinely went about and into battle bare-chested. I also agreed with the reviewer that some of the effects were a bit over-done. Personally, I don't think the headless torsos and severed heads added much to the film. On the realism front, it's just not all that easy to sever limbs or heads with a sword. Anyone who's chopped the head off a chicken (which I've done) or butchered an animal (with which I've assisted) knows that a knife or even an axe doesn't easily sever bone. It takes some effort. In the thick of the battle it's unlikely a warrior would have the necessary time to get sufficient force behind his blow to accomplish such a severance. If so, he'd likely be unprepared for attack/defense or off-balance. Note: I won't claim to be an expert in this, but it just seems to be common sense to me.

That said, I did enjoy it overall. I'm a sucker for fantasy, mythology, history, war - this was all of the above. It's definitely not for the kiddies, but if you enjoy bloody fight films, you might like this one.

The best part for me is that it's another example of what can be done in film today. Films such as the LOTR movies, Harry Potter, Narnia, Star Wars, and many others have proven we have the capability to pull off nearly anything. Now that Disney has optioned Edgar Rice Burrough's John Carter of Mars series, I'm having dreams of mighty, six-armed green warriors, ferocious giant white apes, and gorgeous princesses on the big screen. I'd honestly be happy with animated, but they can definitely pull it off in live-action these days.

Here's a scan of the ticket stubs. Note the circled prices are in Mexican pesos, which are about 10-11:1. I'll gladly pay $5 for a film or $7 for an IMAX. That's way better than back in DC!

Birdie season
The local birds are definitely nesting. I've observed courtship behavior in the great-tailed grackles (much more pleasant than their smaller cousins back home in VA). The doves continue their coo-fests. Mated pairs of what I think are greater kiskadees (or something with nearly identical markings) visit the yard regularly. I heard a mockingbird for the first time this evening, a pleasant reminder of home. Best of all, I've spotted a hummingbird nearly every day for the last week. I guess that means it's officially spring. Spring also means a return to regular lawn-mowing and hedge-trimming (both of which I need to do).

Boots would argue that the best part is she has more birdies to chase, but she's a dog. What do you expect?

Sudden shifts in the weather
Here's what I got on my Google home page this morning:
It appears it'll be a bit brisk hereabouts! (And, no, it's not displaying Celsius.)


An hour or so later, the correct forecast showed up.

Right now, it's about 74 degrees and overcast under a very white sky. Not dark and dreary enough to be seriously depressing, but not exactly inspiring, either. The only distinguishable clouds are on the mountain, where they shroud the upper half, scudding along like wayward sheep.

Emily's off to Merida
I dropped Emily off at the airport this morning. She's headed out to Merida (down on the Yucatan) as part of the US presence for the upcoming Presidential visit. She probably won't see, let alone meet, any of the dignitaries, given the number of people involved and a no doubt busy schedule. I expect she'll work a lot, socialize very little, and take full advantage of the hotel room's bath tub.

(Apparently there was a study or news article here many years ago stating that tubs were less hygienic than showers. As a result, there are very few tubs in the housing pool here. Emily really misses her tub time.)

So, me and Boots have nearly two weeks alone, followed by one day with Emily, followed by another flight, this one back to visit her parents. I have lots of class work to do, several exams to take, and plenty of other things to keep me out of trouble. Still, it's going to be quiet for a while.

Emily makes the news!
Okay, not really. A case Emily was involved with made the local news recently. Often Emily's day is composed of replacing passports, visiting US citizens in Mexican prisons, or trying to explain to the nice, but unqualified applicant, that she can't approve his visa. Other times she has to deal with things like this:
My San Antonio site story
My San Antonio site story - updated.
Dallas News
Dallas - Fort Worth ABC affiliate story

It was a long night. She worked late and stressed over the incident all evening. Privacy concerns prevent her from discussing details, but it was a very sad incident.

Background and terms:

• Visas are for non-US citizens only
• New babies of American Citizens apply at the consulate for Consular Reports of Birth Abroad - CRBAs - as proof of the child's citizenship and to serve as a birth certificate in the US
• CRBA's are the "seed" citizenship document and can be used to cross the land border or obtain a passport. Because of the importance of this seed document, CRBA applications are closely scrutinized.

While I was trying to dig up any additional news coverage, I stumbled across this article on the California Family Law Blog. The situation appears to be similar.

Brain Man
I hit the following link off a completely unrelated story and found it fascinating. They're from 60 Minutes and focus on "Brain Man." After watching those segments, I turned to Google and found a few more at the Discover/Science channel. Now I'll have to hunt down the documentary about him....

I do hope that the scientific and medical establishments keep track of this guy (to the extent he wants it). I also hope he finds his "true calling" in life. Perhaps he'll be the one to make a huge breakthrough in compression algorithms or encryption. The potential is there.

On a completely unrelated note, I stopped by the Consulate this afternoon to get my Hepatitis-B booster shot. My pretty yellow shot record is now complete... until the next post.

And you thought it was cold in the States!
I was cleaning up my computer desktop and came across this one; I'd forgotten all about it. There was something wrong with whatever weather site Google was using (wunderground.com, I think) on January 8, 2007. It's not quite as bad as the forecast discussed on NPR a while back. Apparently San Jose, CA, was set for a record low back in December: -30,000 F. Still, this was an eye-opener for someone enjoying the Mexican climate.

Meanwhile, it's in the mid-70s now, with a predicted high of 86 or so. The orange tree next door is starting to bloom (caught a whiff of it this morning) and one down the street is so fragrant you can smell it from up to half a block away. The doves must be starting to breed: it's a non-stop coo-fest from dawn to dusk, not that I mind. As long as I don't find lost chicks in the yard, like the robins back in VA every spring, I have nothing against the birdies.

Yesterday I mowed the grass and watered the lawn for the first time this year; the hedges and other plants are watered every other day or so, at least until we get some more rain. My hedges are completely out of control. I hope to get around to cutting them this weekend. I'll get some before-and-after shots and post them up.

Local critter

Emily and I had a fall friend, one I wouldn't object to seeing again. Apparently it's a Spiny Orb Weaver, an arachnid. It has a hard, yellow and black shell, sort of like a crab.

Our only problem was when it built its web in a spot where Boots or one of us would walk into it. Apparently it caught on and stopped that. It stayed around until the weather got too rainy in the fall, then disappeared.

Christmas bargain

Emily and I went to one of the local grocery stores during the holidays. I spotted something in the liquor section and had to buy it. I simply couldn't pass up a "Lord of War" DVD (a movie I wanted to see) and a liter bottle of Don Pedro Brandy (not bad stuff) for 100 pesos (less than US $10).

There were some other movies as well, but how many 1L bottles of brandy do I *really* need? (That was Emily's argument, not mine; I admit she had a point, maybe.)

We finally watched the movie a few days ago. We enjoyed it. There is a brief Don Pedro ad before the movie starts, but other than that, it's the original movie. If they do this next Christmas, I might stock up and bring the extra bottles back to the States as gifts.

Christmas in Monterrey is noisy!
Mexicans enjoy celebrating holidays with fireworks. Starting Christmas Eve we heard firecrackers (some little, but mostly big, like M-80s), bottle rockets, and other loud things. We were told to expect it at midnight, but no one waited that long. Eventually it quieted down somewhat, allowing Boots, our fearless dog (ha!), to allow us to sleep. This didn't last long, since the midnight Mass crowd got home about 2 AM and promptly ignited their fireworks... in the empty lot across the street from our house... until about 3:30.


Here's Emily with her low-key fireworks (the legal kind).

We did NOT get up early to open presents. In fact, we didn't open them until around noon. I'm holding an item Emily really wanted: a hand-held bug zapper. I'm sure she'll put it to good use once the mosquitoes return.

Here's the fabulous chicken Emily baked for our Christmas dinner.


Boots even got a special treat. Emily took leftover egg yolks (from cardamom bread - yum!) and whipped up a sort of quiche. Eggs, meat, cheese - Boots' favorite food groups!

Here's a picture of a special cake (rosca de reyes) made for the holidays (New Years, in particular). It's mildly sweet, has bits of fruit around the outside, and hidden somewhere inside is a small, plastic toy (a baby). It's considered good luck to find it. More details on this page.

Walk pix
Here are a few pictures Emily took on a recent walk we took with Boots.

This is a monument at "our" end of the Calzada del Valle. It was presented by a group, the Italy-Mexico League or something like that. (Now that I've forgotten, I'll have to look at the plaque again.) The globe lights up green at night.

Here's our favorite pedestrian overpass on Calzada San Pedro. It's quite attractive. Those are the peaks of Chipinque in the background.

This is from the overpass of Calzada San Pedro, probably a mile from our house. In this view we're looking southwest down Lazaro Cardenes, a major street. This is looking in the general direction of Saltillo.


This shot is of a local lawn ornament/statuary shop (although they have other art work inside). Yes, the statue is covered in Christmas balls for the holidays (gone now). During major futbol (soccer) season, he'll often sport the colors of a team. And, yes, those are Beatles statues. I don't know why, but the locals seem to like the Abbey Road cover shot, which they alter. Don't ask why, given the small population of Indian and SE Asian people locally, but there are a lot of Hindu and Buddhist statues and figures available in local shops. There are also several Egyptian-themed shops. Just another little mystery.

Here's a shot of Boots on the walk. She rarely holds still for a shot - camera bad! Scary!

Here's a shot of Mitras, a small mountain on the outskirts of Monterrey. It's been used heavily for aggregate for construction, so it's missing chunks. I'll have to dig and see if I have any more shots of it.

Ah, warm days are here again!
By 10 AM it was 77 degrees and warming. By 11:30, 80. I saw my first butterfly of the year today. The geckos continue to appear nightly on the porch and I spotted this year's first anole last week.

I'm taking a little time off my classes today to catch up on some posts. Bear with me, some of this stuff will date back to Christmas! Better late than never, right?

Meanwhile, here's the view from my desk in the den. It's not much, which is a large part of why we chose this room for the den, as opposed to the guest bedroom. That room looks out over our yard and has a tree in it, not the neighbors' roof.

Time flies.

Actually, I've found it more-or-less has two speeds: when you need the time or you're not paying attention, it zips; when you really just want the staff meeting to be over, it slogs along, seemingly in defiance of mighty Entropy.

So, I looked up yesterday and the tree has leaves, not just buds. This is the same area, although I couldn't pick out the exact branch, as my last posting, some 18 days ago.

I am quite swamped in my classes now. I'm running behind in one class, holding my own in two others, with two more starting in a couple weeks (and one, thankfully, ending around the same time). Problem: NVCC hasn't delivered the exams to my proctor. I know there were some delays due to severe weather in the US in the last couple weeks, but it didn't take two weeks last semester.

On the plus side, I did get my copy of Jessica Mae Stover's newest publication: Greyfeather Catch. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but hope to soon. Thanks for the prompt delivery, Jess!

It was a long, cold winter....

But apparently it's now spring! Yes, the picture tells the story. I still have leaves falling from my trees, but Emily noticed new leaves and blooms are beginning to open. I'm down to mowing about once every four to six weeks, but I expect that to pick up as the temperatures rise.

Meanwhile, it's been in the upper 50s today. I must admit I feel sorry for the wife of one of Emily's co-workers, who is teaching at University of Wisconsin Milwaukee this semester. With wind chill, it's about 15 below today.

For those (few) out there who read this space, I apologize for the long absence - and had NO idea it had been so long! I will endeavor to do better this year. With three separate class start dates this semester, and four different end dates, not to mention an additional three credits (17!), I will be even busier. I will be better organized, however, so I hope to devote more time to this space.

Go, Virginia!
Today a Minotaur rocket successfully lifted off from Wallops Island, Virginia, and successfully deployed its payload. Woohoo! For the full story, go here. Given the overall abysmal progress we as a species have made since abandoning the moon in the early 70s, I'll take any small accomplishment as a positive step.

Personally, I want to see more exploration of Near Earth Objects (NEOs: asteroids, burnt-out comets, etc.) from an exploitation perspective. What are these objects made of (carbon-rich materials, can water be extracted?, valuable metals, etc.) and what can we do with them? Can we develop automated factories that can mine the objects, refine the metal, form it, and sling it off to an orbit where we can retrieve it? If a particular object has sufficient water material contained within it, could we develop a factory to refine the water and store it in tanks to be used at a later date for refueling? Could we tow an object back to Earth-orbit for resource exploitation or as a base for manufacturing? Could we rendezvous a probe with an object that would then deploy a solar sail and, ever-so-slowly, steer it closer? An automated refinery/thruster that would first generate its own fuel, then use this fuel to move the object to Earth-orbit?

If we want to ensure the continuation of our species and elevate the standard of living of the destitute without destroying the planet in the process, we have to get out there. We have to explore, we have to develop new capabilities, and we have to harvest the resources available. If you want to read up on the subject, I suggest Robert Zubrin The Case for Mars and John S. Lewis Mining the Sky.

Somewhere, a Hispanic comic is laughing....
NPR reported today that a company that builds fences, including between the US and Mexico, was busted for employing illegal immigrants, not once but twice. Now some of the company's bigwigs may see jail time.

Many months ago, back when I had Comedy Central in the States, I saw an episode of Mind of Mencia wherein he joked about who was going to build the proposed border fence. How predictable, that he should prove correct on this. I remember his joke about the inspection, "it looks good from this side. Wait, how are we getting back? Awwww....." (Picture guys on the Mexican side appreciating their handiwork, only to discover they're on the wrong side.)

(I freely admit that I may be quoting the wrong Hispanic comic, but I think it was Mencia.)

Here's the link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6626823

One down, three to go!
I received email from one of my professors today: one class down. *whew*

Today I have to send a recording to my Spanish professor and FTP my personal home page up to the college server. Tonight and tomorrow I'll wrap up the last bits of work before taking another two exams on Wednesday (web design class and intro-level IT class).

Wednesday afternoon, evening, and all day Thursday I'll work my way through more Spanish, then take an exam Friday. Well, that's the plan anyway. If all goes well, I'll take the Spanish final next Thursday or Friday, wrapping up that class at last.

I'll then have @ 5 weeks to wrap the two remaining classes, which shouldn't be too bad. In that same time frame, I also have to decide which, if any, classes I'm taking with NVCC next semester. I'll also continue to investigate other online options, such as WGU, Excelsior, and a bunch of others. I'm trying to get the most bang for my buck, including base cost, hassle factors, transfer credits, military credits, and work/certification credit.

Alan Parsons Project - Live in Monterrey
Last night Emily and I went to see Alan Parsons Project. It was a good show. The band played a bunch of the old hit songs, with a couple I didn't know, at least one of which is from a new CD (A Valid Path) which was nominated for a Grammy (Best Surround Sound Album? I didn't know they had that category). I was disappointed not to hear one of my favorites: Days are Numbers (The Traveller). They did play my other favorite, Old and Wise, a song I always envision being used at a memorial service for someone who died tragically young. A few songs I didn't anticipate hearing, but did, include The Raven and (The System of) Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether. I guess I should have figured on it, though, since they "rock" a bit more than some of the other tunes.

If we had only known how lax things are here, we'd have taken our digital camera AND camcorder. I kid you not, we saw both in use, not to mention dozens and dozens of camera cell phones. At least then I'd have some royalty-free pictures to post!

The funniest thing was that Emily and I pegged the lead vocalist identically: he looked like he should be fronting for Guns N Roses! The drummer looked a bit hard-core for the band, too, and the bassist definitely looked a little on the young side. Then again, it's not like APP had a solid lineup through the years. A quick glance at the two-CD The Definitive Collection shows sixteen (16) different lead vocalists! Last night's singer had a few minor problems hitting the "quiet" voice often used in APP songs and definitely had a "rock" voice. He was dressed in tennis shoes, black leather pants, a flannel shirt, and a dew-rag. The guitarist, keyboard/synth guy, and, of course, Alan Parsons himself were all old enough to look as if they belonged in the band. Go here to see the band's bio. I did enjoy the fact that all six members of the band not only sang harmony parts, but each took lead on at least one song.

My only question is, what the heck were the locals chanting when they were trying to get the band out for an encore? I think it was, "Claro claro claro" over and over. That word is used widely for an affirmative "of course", "I understand", and "clear" so it makes some sense.

My only complaints were:
1) Cost. It was a fairly expensive show, particularly outside of the US & EU. There were quite a few empty seats. This did result in us getting "promoted" into better seats, along with many others. Can't complain about that.
2) Temperature. It was cold in that auditorium! My guess is that they generally don't need heat in there and so they never installed it. Given recent temps in the 40s here (unseasonably cold, we're assured), they need it now.