Al's Blog-o-Sphere

I created this category because I wanted to vent some about my place of employment.

I have written a few pieces and it’s been a great release to get it out, but I’m not sure if I dare publish them…

Kind of not wanting to bite the hand that feeds me…

But maybe I will some day.

Latest listening.

Another fine edition of Austin City Limits: Los Lobos and Ratdog in the same show!

I’ve always liked Los Lobos. I remember seeing them once at Artpark with The Chieftans. An unlikely combo, but not so if you really think about their roots in folk music. The Cheiftans like to do that too: find another band that typifies another style of music and showcase their common ground. It works and makes for some great shows.

Other music: Another artist I’ve always liked is 12-string Guitar Legend Leo Kottke. I recently discovered two albums he did with Mike Gordon, the bassist from Phish. Seems like an unlikely pair too, but the duo works. you can hear the influences of both performers meld in the music. Leo can be bit mechanical sometimes in his playing. He is almost machine-precise. Amazing, but tiring. Mike Gordon seems to add that jam-band influence and seems to have helped Leo find his funky side. The effect is one of those total is greater than the sum of the parts things. I hope they continue to collaborate for some time.

Here’s something to take your mind off the price of gasoline.

According to an AP article today, Forbes released it’s list of the 400 Richest Americans. Topping the list again was Bill Gates at number one, and Warren Buffett trying harder at second.

Gates’ total worth was $51 billion. Buffett came in at a neat $40 billion. Continue Reading…

I’ve read where NASA has a proposal for a new initiative to go to the moon. The critics are already making their knee-jerk reaction of saying it costs too much and the money is needed for other things closer to home.

Yes, it will cost a lot. Over many years. What do the critics think they do with the money? Load in in a rocket and send it to the moon? Make moonmen rich? No. It all stays right here on good old Earth. In fact most of it here in good old USA. The money goes back into the economy. It makes whole industries run. It pays for materials that someone has to sell. It pays wages that employ people like you or me. It pays for high tech jobs and low tech ones as well. Can you imagine the bill just for sweeping the floors at NASA? Continue Reading…