Why Don't You Act Your Age Not Your Shoe Size

I wrote this song a few years back to commemorate my parents' 70th birthdays.  There are still healthy and active.  Truth be told, their activity level has a tendency to make their relatively inactive children look bad.  Hence, this song was written. 

Sometimes Even a Perfectly Constructed Cone of Silence can Leak

Once again Monday, Houston radio talk-show host Charlie Pallilo pulled out his infamous Cone of Silence.  I sympathize with his attempts to get home after hosting his show without hearing any mention of the result of yesterday's Syracuse(his alma mater) game.  Like Pallilo and many others reading this post, I assume, I have constructed my own Cones of Silence on numerous occasion. With the proper amount of planning, these cones can and do succeed quite often; however, sometimes even under ideal circumstances a fortress of sports isolation can be rendered asunder.

A Case in Point

In June 1994, I was much less experienced in the methods of avoiding exposure to sports results.  Further more, 20 years ago, I was living in rural Japan.  As the lone American in a town of about 40,000 people, I was naive enough to think that maintaining a Cone of Silence would be a piece of sushi.

The result I was seeking to avoid was Game 6 of the NBA Finals between the Rockets and the Knicks.  That game, which the Rockets needed to win to force a Game 7, was held on a Sunday in Houston.  A tape delayed version was to be shown very early Tuesday morning on satellite television station in Japan.

My plan was to tape the delayed broadcast on the VCR of the church where I served and avoid the result until I had a chance to watch the tape on Tuesday morning.  My apartment did not have sattelite nor a VCR.  The church did. Obviously, 20 years ago, the Cone of Silence was a much easier endeavor than it is now.  No Twitter, no internet, etc.

My tasks were pretty simple: watch no television(in case on of the Japanese news shows happened to show a highlight, which wasn't likely); listen to no radio(I could sometimes pick up an English broadcast from a U.S. military base; and close my eyes when I picked up the newspaper off the porch.(The Daily Yomiuri sometimes had scores prominently displayed on its front page) 

Was I confident when I started to walk to church on Tuesday morning to watch the tape?  I can't remember how I felt about the Rockets chances to win, but I WAS confident that my Cone of Silence had held, and that I would be able to watch the entire contest unaware of its outcome.

Arriving at the church(see picture above), I made my way to the classroom with the television, rewound the tape, and settled in for Game 6.  I didn't even see him coming.  Shortly after Olaujwon and Ewing took their places for the jump ball, Pastor Watanabe, who didn't speak English very often, poked his head in the door on the way to his office, which was down the hall.  I should have put my fingers in my ears.  "That was a great win for the Rockets wasn't it Mike-san!"  

The best laid plans of mice and men, indeed!

Pastor Watanabe, who knew I was a big Rocket fan but had been unaware of my attempted Cone of Silence, was out the door and in his office before I had time to react.  I watched the game for a little while, but admittedly some of the excitement was gone.  Eventually, I stopped by Pastor Watanabe's office and explained what had happened.  We had a good laugh about the whole thing, especially since the Rockets had won.  I never did figure out a good translation for Cone of Silence, but he understood what I meant.

Fortunately, the tape delayed broadcast of Game 7 aired on Thursday afternoon, so I was able to watch the contest without video taping it.  I was able to avoid Pastor Watanabe that day and watch the Rockets bring home their first NBA title.

The Unyielding Gaze

I don't know if this is the best song I've ever written, but it is by far my favorite.  It has been almost 20 years since I birthed it, and I still greatly enjoy singing it or listening to others do so.

Two of the biggest highlights I have had in relation to this song:  Taking communion during a worship service while this song was being sung; Hearing this song sung at a baptism service for one of my friends' children.

Please enjoy.

What Happens when Sumo Meets Christmas?

When I lived in Japan, I became fond of sumo wrestling.  This fascination led to the poem Juni Gatsu Basho, which loosely translated means December Sumo Match.  As the title of this post implies, Juni Gatsu Basho attempts to answer the question of what happens when Sumo meets Christmas.

Stopping By Red Lobster on a Snowy Evening

At this link you will find a post about a cryptic song I wrote a few years back called Stopping By Red Lobster on a Snowy Evening.  The idea for the song came from a parody website called God Hates Shrimp which took a satirical slant on some of the arguments offered up against homosexuality and gay marriage.

The song was literally inspired by Leviticus 11:9-12.

Hearing about Jarred Cosart's questionable Twitter activity and the coming out of the closet of a potential NFL draft pick this week reminded me of this song and prompted me to share it a little more publicly.

Born to Write

A large portion of my creative endeavors have occurred since the prevalence of the internet and all the technological advances associated with it.

However, I have known from an early age that I was BORN TO WRITE, and I suppose I have been creative since the day I was born. The essay at the previous link is the only artifact that remains of my work before computers. (B.C.)

RWCE Contact Information

Happy 100th Day of School!

This week, many young students in the Houston area will be celebrating the 100th day of school.  Celebrating the 100th day of school gives students(usually in the Kindergarten or 1st grade range) a chance to focus on important educational tasks like counting to 100 in a fun way. 

Note: The 100th day in Houston ISD this school year was originally scheduled to fall on February 4.  However, due to the recent cold weather and resulting cancellations, February 6 is now the 100th day.

The Ballad of Johnny 100 Days is a song about a kid who lived in my neighborhood when I was growing up.  Listen to the song, and I think you will agree that Johnny's unique characteristics make him the perfect spokesperson for the 100th day of school, wherever it is celebrated.

Happy 100th Day of School!