Also Cool

Frederic Chopin

My favorite classical composer, Frederic Chopin. Born in Poland to a musical family, Chopin was a child-prodigy, performing his first concert at age 7. However, for the Polish pianist, public performances became a rarity with just 30 or so performances by the time he passed away at age 39. He is considered as one of the great composers of Romanticism. He had a love for music, and for Poland. He was very sick with Tuberculosis for much of his adult life, but still managed to compose some of the world's most beautiful music. Some of my favorites of his include:
Nocturne Op.55 No.1
Scherzo No.2 in B flat minor, Op.31
24 Preludes, Op. 28: No.13 in F sharp major
and
Nocturne in C minor
Check him out!

Bill Evans

On the subject of jazz piano, I wouldn't think of leaving out Bill Evans. As Bud Powell was one of Evan's influences, he paid tribute to him in 1979 saying, "If I had to choose one single musician for his artistic integrity, for the incomparable originality of his creation and the grandeur of his work, it would be Bud Powell. He was in a class by himself." I would add that Bill Evans too was in a class all by himself. Bill Evans integrates some of the most creative and complex chord voicings into his tunes. His sound is unique and contemporary, yet he doesn't abandon the roots or style of old school jazz. Some of his bests in my opinion:
Autumn Leaves
Blue in Green
and
Waltz for Debby
Check him out!

The Amazing Bud Powell

These next few posts will be "piano-related" as the piano is one of the coolest of instruments. Bud Powell is one of the greats in jazz piano. He is one of the fathers of Bebop, along with Thelonious Monk. His tickling right hand solos earned him the nickname of "the Charlie Parker of the piano." I particularly enjoy the raw sound he produces, along with background rhythmic moans that characterize the passion he puts into his work. Bud recorded many tunes, some of the greats in my opinion include:
'Round Midnight
There Will Never Be Another You
and
I Remember Clifford
Check him out!

Victory

It's finally set in! In the face of scrutiny and criticism, Real Salt Lake proved that resilience and hard work can win Championships! In the process, the team brought silverware to Utah, which in and of itself is monumental and perhaps may never be duplicated. I can't imagine Utah getting another professional franchise of any sort, and the Utah Jazz came short two years in a row with arguably the best team we've ever had. The Jazz have and will always have the best fans in the world, and hopefully with its recent success, Real Salt Lake will be recognized as a Utah icon for fight, hard work, and now success! With a terrific fan base and a world class stadium, the team has already taken flight, and now should expect the rest of Utah to follow suit and cheer on the claret-and-cobalt as they look to defend their title... Utah's title.

That's right!

In dramatic fashion, Real Salt Lake silenced a sold out crowd in Chicago to secure its first appearance in the MLS Cup Final. Despite outplaying the 3-time champions Chicago Fire, RSL couldn't find the back of the net in 120 minutes of play. The Eastern Conference showdown went to penalty kicks in which each side gets 5 shots on goal from the penalty spot to determine the winner. RSL was first to miss a shot, but Goalkeeper Nick Rimando would make it up with a fine save. In fact, he gave RSL the advantage when the spot kick went into sudden death by making an unbelievable save. With the chance to win the Eastern Conference, RSL forward Fabian Espindola shot high to let Chicago back into the shootout. But Rimando took it upon himself to ensure that the Fire would not burn on. He snuffed another shot. The late RSL substitute Ned Grabavoy had the second chance to win it for RSL and he made no mistake. Chicago keeper Jon Bushe got a touch on the shot, but it had too much pace to keep out of goal. The crowd went silent and Real Salt Lake celebrated as the rightful victors. With 3 saves, Nick Rimando was the clear hero and man-of-the-match. No one believed in the last seeded squad RSL, but finding their form as of late, the squad has proved to be unstoppable, knocking off the top seeds in the East, moving on to claim the West against LA on Sunday!

Flight of the Navigator

Classic movie from 1986! 12-year-old David Freeman is abducted by a spaceship and taken 560 million light years away to the planet Phaelon where he is experimented on. He returns 8 years later, having not aged a day. He's taken by NASA to be tested and while there confronts the spaceship in which he was abducted. Only he knows what it is and can access it. He escapes in the ship (with personality and voice of Pee Wee) on an adventure to find his family and return to 1978. A great 80s movie that will surely take you back to a great era in history.

Playoff bound boyeee!

With the unlikliest of finishes, Real Salt Lake slipped into the playoff bracket by the skin of its teeth. After falling short in so many of its final games, RSL got a bit of luck on the final matchday of the regular season. Not only did it have to win its final game against archrival Colorado, but the squad depended on favorable results from 4 other matches this past weekend. One by one, each game seemed to go as hoped for, including RSL's 3-0 blank on the Colorado Rapids. Though the win would only tie the claret-and-cobalt with 2 other teams on points, sitting on 40 points each, Real would move into the playoffs thanks to a goal differential of 8. The 2008-2009 season marked the first playoff berth in the club's existance. This season will go down as a monumental back-to-back playoff appearance. It will be tough to follow up last year's showing, in which RSL made it to the western conference final. But head coach Jason Kreis is more optimistic and recently commented that he feels more confident in this year's team
and its ability to come out on top. If you've never been to a game, now's the chance! This Saturday our boys will take on the defending champion Columbus Crew. The atmosphere is incomparable and unlike any other sporting event. I can guarantee it'll be worth the $15!
Gooooo Real Salt Lake!!!!

Andy Goldsworthy... definitely cool

Andy Goldsworthy is a British artist that creates artwork in nature without using anything artificial. This is a piece he did entirely out of fall leaves. I don't know how he has managed to create some of the things he has, but definitely take a second to check out some of his stuff.

Here's a website that shows some of his greatest stuff - http://www.morning-earth.org/ARTISTNATURALISTS/AN_Goldsworthy.html#top

¡Ahora sí!

I've been staring at this picture for 20 minutes trying to figure out what I want to say about these babies... maybe I should go eat something first.
Problem solved.
Since the time of the Aztecs, mankind has enjoyed the taco. The primitive taco was a flatbread made from corn called a tlaxcalli, wrapped around locusts, snails or small fish. It's origins trace back to the region of Southern Mexico.
The tlazcalli has evolved into the tortilla and is traditionally filled with meat, topped with onion, cilantro and salsa to make up the modern taco.
Tacos are eaten throughout Mexico and their popularity has grown around the world, especially in the inner-cities of the U.S. I'm currently making a website on taco eating in downtown Salt Lake, with a directory and ratings of various taco shops and taco stands in SLC. Authentic tacos can include virtually any meat, so it's somewhat important to know what type of taco you're eating... unless you don't mind eating cow tongue or brains :)
I'll update the blog with my taco findings as they come.

Rip it up!

Dogs and skateboarding -- both cool. A dog that can skateboard??? Over the top!

How can I teach my dog to do that? I have a beagle and all he does is sleep and sniff stuff. There's one thing that motivates him: food. He'll eat anything and if there's ever a chance for him to do a trick or be obedient, he needs a bribe. Hold a piece of pretty much any food and he's got the focus of a biochemist on the brink of discovery.

Everybody has heard of the old adage that dogs are man's best friend, but there's a lot of truth to that. For the most part, dogs crave attention and positive reactions from their masters. Aside from wanting to be wild and free, dogs love to serve and be included. When my wife and I got our dog Bud, we decided to have him be an indoor dog so that he would feel part of the family. He never helps around the house and pretty much loafs around all day, but we've enjoyed just having his presence when we're going about our daily lives. We've taught him to sit, shake, lay down, and play dead. I don't think I'll ever get him to ride a skateboard, but I would like to teach him to howl on command since he's got a great hound dog howl. I just have no idea how to go about teaching him that. Any ideas?

Bundle of Joy

I know that the purpose of this blog is not to be a personal log, but I DID just become a dad last Friday... and that's pretty cool! What is cooler than being a kid??? Riding bikes, building forts, swimming, going on vacations... everything's so great as a kid. As I think of having kids of my own, I'm able to relive the joys of life through a child's eyes! I've been thinking of all the great and the good in the world. We live in such an amazing world and I get so excited to be able to show that world to a new little stranger!

If you love West Ham stand up!

I happen to be somewhat of a soccer fanatic. I've enjoyed the game all my life as a player and a fan. While the sport has come a long way in the U.S., it still doesn't hold a candle to the popularity and fanaticism the sport draws from the rest of the world's billions of inhabitants. The English Premier League is regarded as one of the top leagues in the world, and football, as it is in Europe, is an absolute religion.

In April of this year, my wife and I had the chance to make voyage across the Atlantic Ocean and witness firsthand, the passion of the British for their football. Upton Park, in East London, is the home of the legendary club West Ham United. While the club isn't yet considered a European football giant like such English teams as Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea, its history goes back over a century long. And while each club has faithful supporters in England, West Ham supporters hang thier hats on a reputation of passion.

In 2005, a movie called Green Street Hooligans was produced to depict the passion of such football fans... more specifically, West Ham fans. For the majority of football clubs in England, gangs have been formed to ensure die-hard support for the club. These rival gangs (called firms) riot and fight in the stands and the streets for thier clubs, sometimes to the death. In the movie, a college student from the U.S. (Elijah Wood) moves to England for a summer and gets involved with the notorious West Ham firm. The movie demonstrates the violence and passion of these fans, and bitter hatred for rival clubs. The firms don't use guns as gangs here in America typically use, their violence is demonstrated through street fighting with bottles, fists, and knives. Hooliganism is illegal and banned, so many times rival firms will arrange ahead of time of a meeting point for their showdown. The movie captures the hatred between West Ham and its greatest rival Millwall. The two teams don't face each other often as they are typically in different divisions, but when they do, rioting and violence is sure to break out.

I decided to make a post on West Ham United for a few reasons, but one of the most pertinent was that about 2 weeks or so ago, the club WAS paired up with Millwall in a rare matchup in the Carling Cup. And sure enough, chaos between the two club's supporters. Fans running on to the field, riots in the streets, and even a few stabbings. For better or for worse, hooliganism is alive and well at Upton Park, and it almost came straight from the movie. I would like to note that I do not intend to glamorize violence or hooliganism in any way, shape, or form, but the intensity and passion for the game does intrigue me.

The atmostphere at these games is unbelievable. The WHOLE crowd sings and chants together, and each game draws a sellout crowd. I went to a West Ham game while in England and was in awe. It was incredible.

Soccer is cool. West Ham is cool

It should also be noted that I am an avid fan of soccer in the U.S. and support our local boys of Real Salt Lake (more to come on that)

What's cool...

Tha Mass Media is always telling people what's "cool", why can't I? I had a hard time narrowing my blog topic down, so I thought it might be interesting to switch it up a bit from week to week. I'll share some of my interests with a little background and history, not to moralize my readers, but only to shine some light on some topics that I find cool. I look forward to feedback and hope to have a horizon-broadening experience all around!