The High-Tailers

Greetings,

Summer is hopefully tickling your tootsies and the smell of the back-yard barbecue is invading your nostrils. This is a wonderful time of year when grass mowing is practically a sport and walks and hikes are a fun way to enjoy the outdoors. Now we would not want the barbecue to tickle your tootsies and the smell of "specific tootsies" to invade your nostrils.

Summer-time reminds me of the delightful band the High-Tailers. This band is the eminent Dead cover band from Houston. I danced many a Thursday night at the Last Concert Cafe to "Bertha" and other loved Dead songs. This band has quite a following and I followed this band wherever they chose to play. It kinda went like this - Thursday night dance until 2:00 am and work hard Friday. Friday evening eat Greek Food at Niko Niko's. Saturday search and find the party or festival of choice. Sunday afternoon chill-out at EMO's listening to the High-Tailers and watch skate boarding on the tube and Sunday night mellow to Reggae before bedding down for another hard week of work.If ever in Houston check out the High-Tailers.

2704 Navigation Blvd, Houston, Texas 77003 713.228.1175. Remember this address in Houston when satisfying the souls with pure food of Mexican descent. The address is of Ninfa's Mexican Food Restaurant. You can eat at the other Ninfa's locations in Houston but this place has existed for 30 years or more. The food is outstanding and the margaritas are potent and just what a rita should taste like. Jump back an try the pickled carrots and onions along with your salsa and chips and dig the tortilla making lady near the entrance. I have visited this restaurant since the 70's I think it the best. Whenever I get back to Houston I make a run for this wonderful place.
www.mamaninfas.com. Muy Bien !!

The Dead

The first Dead show I witnessed the band played "Terrapin Station". My friend that introduced me to the Dead claimed that this was a special night and indeed it was. The Dead became a very important band for me that year. This was back in 87 and life was good. I followed the band from New Jersey to other destinations on the east coast. I listen to this very day to the music that stirred my inner-soul. This band is great and underrated and over-rated at times. The paradox of the band is the ultimate power and weakness that co-exist. I love all the tunes and miss Jerry Garcia. His soul is as strong today as it was then. Good night Jerry and may I fluff your pillow before you roll-over. www.jerrygarcia.com

KVLU - Beaumont, Texas 91.3

Hello all ! Radio again in cyberspace and more pubic radio. KVLU in Beaumont Texas is a wonderful little station. This station plays some nice jazz on weekday afternoons that borders on big band and Dixie-land, something to sit and enjoy along with chicory coffee or Seaport Coffee. When I lived there - on Saturday evenings a wonderful show named "At The Hop" played a nice mix of "50's, 60's & 70's -wanna-be your parents music". You know the drill Big Bopper, Elvis and Tony Orlando & Dawn. This music tended to be so old that if rebellion was hinted at; before by the playing on this station it was irrelevant and safe by the time of broadcast now. This show was great and rebellious against the ultra-hip crowd. Out of The Blue was another show that played traditional, modern and rock versions of blues.I heard Nantucket Sleigh Ride by Mountain on this show and considered that it was a damn important show if it played this song. "Make Believe Ballroom" was a masterpiece of radio and played some great big band stuff. Salute KVLU!!!

KTSU - Jazz In All Its Colors

Hello to all. When I think of the years that I spent living in Houston and surfing the radio-waves the one station that comes to mind is KTSU 90.9 FM. Well you might have lived in Houston all of your life and may have never have tuned longer than .01 of a second. This station picked me up on the fringes listening to some Parliment Funkadelic on a Friday afternoon. I then began tuning in over and over sopping up the smooth, cool jazz riding those waves. Listen on the Internet and be aware this is a black university that serves its community so if you can't get with it, get on down the road. I have so many great memories of this station accompanying me at Herman Park in Houston on hot summer days. Listening to Acid Jazz on Saturday nights and social commentary sprinkled in and about. When I moved to Beaumont, Texas I had KTSU on in the moving van and to my dismay 15 miles outside of Beaumont the signal died along with my yearning for its great programming. A few years back I tried to listen on the Internet and could not. I just tried recently on my Firefox browser and could not listen. I then tried IE and jackpot cool jazz. Thank you Texas Southern University for this beautiful gift that you give the community and the world.

Good Eats

Some folks enjoy taking their automobile and driving no where in particular and finding the "down home dive" restaurant that most other drive by and not notice. In Houston on Old Spanish Trail there is a burger joint that has 1/3 pound burgers that have been smoked. I would line up on Fridays and fill the gut with beef & bun. In Beaumont a dive named Dirty Dan's had the best fried pork chops and a chicken plate that always assured left-overs or the gift to "jaw-dropped" observers. In Bryan, Texas a dive that I cannot even recall its exact location became quite the affair. A biker named Phillip took me there one day. I was skeptical at first looking at the clientele that consisted of "near-boxing" Hispanic women worn out looking black & white businessmen and some folks not to be gauged simply. The food held the customers at bay and provided a calm caloric retreat. Once in Key West Florida while walking back to the navy ship from whence I cam we found salacious solace at a small Cuban restaurant that had flavorful sandwiches and steaming soup. We sailors came back every day finding a diamond in the rough. My brother had a knack for driving that back roads of east Texas navigating the roads like slot machines looking for the barbecue joint that would pay-off in jack-pot flavor. I remember many a wonderful meal spent with him. Enjoy down home uncommercialized food.

Paper or Plastic - Cotton or Disposable

My first child was born at home with a nurse mid-wife. Velcro-cotton diapers followed with organic baby food and good intentions. Child # 2 : c-section,disposables, conventional baby food and thread-bare intentions. Both children were funneled through home schooling and their destiny remains cloaked in dark fabric.
We talk of our earthly endowments but fall silent about perceived spiritual gifts because of our limitations in communication and perception. Our limitations are "paper or plastic, sir", "hello sir?".

Guantanamo & Scooter

Guantanamo Bay is a nice place to spend Halloween. Iguanas are scarier than the Cubans on the other side of the fence. Cubans not less scarier not because of a perceived military impotence but because Cubans are beautiful people living industrial-free lives unfettered by commercialism. Human Rights lacking for these folks is in need of addressing. The human rights missing is something the people of this country must weigh for themselves. The details of how a US military base continues to operate in this country still is obscure to me.
The land is beautiful and the memories of it are wonderful. Mountains and hills against the water, lush plant life and sub-tropical temperatures thrive to the "commo-beat". Fidel's health may be flagging but let the people raise the flag that is true to the heart not to interest groups or communist strong-arming. Thanks George for freeing the criminal named "Scooter". Damn I was hired to be Scooter's cell-block guard !!!

Monopoly, Scrabble, Steeleye Span & Children

Another weekend has passed and the new week has begun. This weekend my son returned from camp where rain dampened some activities but at least the heat was no too bad. We enjoyed a Monopoly game on Saturday evening and Scrabble on Sunday morning. I watched the end of a baseball game on the television Saturday evening and did not do much else. This week will begin with a nice walk this morning. My dog ran loose this weekend product of excellent digging skills. My lawn continues its track of being named a national preserve though Bush will not risk being seen in a working class neighborhood to preside over the ceremony. Lately I have enjoyed listening to Steeleye Span as weel as Fairport Convention over Pandora Radio. Check out Pandora www.Pandora.com create a radio station based on a group you like and off you go. It will play songs by that artist and others like the artist often times fleshing out other artists that you might not have heard of. Your local Cd shop is very limiting so let Pandora do the work.

Thinking about the snow in July

I was always a creature of thinking about a lake in the middle of the dessert. Never appreciating the sand while I was there in the dessert. I used to hate summer while I lived in Texas the land of eternal air conditioning. Now I enjoy each season and the cards life deals me. Not lazy or lethargic just happier. This picture was taken from my driveway looking at my front yard back in November 06. For Winter Solstice music check out www.livingmusic.com maybe wait until Thanksgiving Holiday has passed.

Leon Hale

Do you know who Leon Hale is? Leon Hale is a columnist who writes for the Houston Chronicle. He tends to witter on about fairly normal agendas with a home-spun flavor. Leon has been writing for the newspapers on Houston for as long as I know. I had such a like for his work that I reveled in the accessibility that the Internet brought. I used to transfer to different locales with a company that I worked for and missed reading his work. The Internet filled that void. Check him out at the Houston Chronicle online, http://www.leonhale.com/ is the link. He also writes books and the books are OK too.
Leon and a buddy of his used to get in a car and drive south until they found the line where spring was on one side and winter on the other (Primavera). The trip usually involved stops for food that old men should not be eating but it was high entertainment. A talking mule appears in the column from time to time to give his view on politics and organic apples versus conventional ones. Trips to a beer joint with talkative regulars came and went and the mysterious Madame Z a fortune teller that lived on the river caught the eye sometimes.
Leon is getting up there in age so check him out before his beautiful light is dimmed.

Water, Humidity, Clouds and Rain

Here in Oklahoma the rain has fallen for 8 days straight or more. When I arrived in Oklahoma lasr spring the draught was all the "small change talk". The rain allows some folks to sleep as a hibernating bear during a dark winter. Some wander in a depressed mire only seeing the "half-empty pitcher while others revel in the cooler temperatures brought on by the cloud cover. My lawn has enjoyed the frequent watering sessions. The 4th of July is on our heels again and burgers will be flipping and corn crunching. Think of the country and its infrastructure that day -truly reflect about the positive things. Vote in the next election don't let unpopular presidents push unpopular agendas and hide in the brush of deceipt. Remember brighter days are ahead your dreams cannot be taken.