Thursday, December 13, 2007

My Pittsburgh Steelers Story




I was born in 1974, the same year they drafted the best middle linebacker in the history of the NFL: Jack Lambert. I have lived my entire life in a suburb six miles from the city of Pittsburgh and can even see the former USS Steel building glittering at night from my backyard. This is Steeler country and the area is a buzz from the first day of training camp til' 'holy playoff weeks' (and hopefully at a crescendo if perchance: The Superbowl!). Every Steeler fan has their own story and this one is mine...

My father played semi pro football in the 1950s for a Steelers' affiliate called "The Duquesne Ironmen". He was a safety and then after his playing days were over he coached special teams. He also worked in the steel mills of Duquesne and Homestead PA for nearly 40 years. I would watch football with my father(professional or college) since we usually didn't get to talk much during the week. I used to ask him questions about the game like what the officials were signaling, what each player is responsible for, just what a 4th down meant etc and so forth. I am convinced that my Dad should replace John Madden as a commentator (not being biased or anything!).

My real love of football came during the 2004 AFC Championship game as we suffered a bitter defeat to the Patriots (second time in two years). My girlfriends were all married and I was spending increasing amounts of time with guy drinking buddies and well in proverbial Rome you know what you have to do. All I had to do was find a favorite player...

I became interested in our strong safety Troy Polamalu (who plays the same position my father did way back in the day). He's a graceful yet intimidating force out on the field and rather shy and reclusive when he leaves the stadium. He gives 100% every game and is so passionate that you can't help but admire him. Not to mention that to die for hair that flows over his jersey! The fact that he loves to play the piano and plant flowers when he's not tackling or sacking is extremely endearing.

By the time the 2005 season came to an end I was enraptured with our team and the hope that we would make it to the Superbowl. The Steelers' Fight Song sent chills up my spine and I couldn't wait to watch the playoffs at Jonny Mike's (a bar in Penn Hills PA which has great dollar beer specials to either enhance your euphoria or drown your sorrows during Steeler games). The company I work for even made special arrangements to switch operation days for the AFC Championship game and then finally the Superbowl. (I was scheduled to work the AFC Championship game Sunday so I gladly agreed to come in on the Saturday before!). The playoff games were on the edge of your seat shockers at times (especially the field goal missed by the Colts) and it all came to the grand finally of Superbowl XL. The Superbowl itself was not as dramatic as the playoff gauntlet but the Steelers prevailed in the end. One for the the thumb was finally accomplished!

I usually watch the Steelers games with my buddies and my Dad does his own thing, but I often think of his reaction during the game as I'm watching it. I also think of how he must have looked out on the field playing the game of football. Maybe my love of football runs much deeper than just enjoying the game; maybe it's the topic that can bridge the generation gap between my Father and I and also make me proud of who I am and where I come from. GO STEELERS!

Friday, December 7, 2007

Nostalgic Metallica


Metallica was my favorite band in the mid 80s to early 90s. Anytime music from their first four albums is playing it immediately takes me back to being a teenager. Life seemed like a struggle but it really wasn't. While most girls were starting to discover make up and boys, I was delving into the boy dominated world of heavy metal. I wore my hair like Jason Newsted (long but shaved on the sides) and had a complete wardrobe of blue jeans, concert t-shirts and assorted tennis shoes with black laces. Yeah, it's no wonder the opposite sex didn't notice me at all! Metallica was my refuge and my religion and to this day I can recite 99% of the songs verbatim just like a Catholic can remember all the prayers and rituals. I can still smell the new LP sleeve from ...And Justice for All and remember the look on my Mother's face when she caught me singing "The Shortest Straw." one afternoon circa 1988. This band brings back so many memories of my awkward adolescence but looking back it wasn't all that bad. Now, I'm an adult and I have adult problems like work, bills and how much the gas prices are affecting the cost of living. What I wouldn't give sometimes to go back to that place and time. Just for a little while; to play my bass and feel the burn of the blisters giving way to callouses. To be back in 1989 before life was complicated and just enjoy my obnoxious Metallica music that my parents hated and still do to this day. I really don't listen to them that much anymore but if I'm at the bar or in my car, just sometimes, I turn them on and get lost in the moment. As James Hetfield would say "that's hella cool!"

Friday, November 16, 2007

Clive Owen: Synonymous with Sexy


Clive Owen burst into American culture in the early 2000's with the BMW ads. He played the mysterious and aloof driver who had to deal with the likes of Madonna (who didn't play herself but someone very much like her) and the late great James Brown. Mr. Owen has a commanding screen presence and you can't help but be mesmerized by his smokey green eyes. That and his thick sable hair, or his baritone voice that is so quaint and genteel English. He usually plays sympathetic roles (you even find yourself rooting for his bank robber character in "The Inside Man") and has a great mastery of his body language and facial expressions. He's had hits with Sin City and Inside Man and excellent sleepers like Children of Men. Even if the movies he stars in are less than stellar (Derailed and Shoot em' Up come to mind) he still shines and captivates the senses. Mr. Owen has superstar looks but doesn't have the ego that usually goes along with the persona. He leads a quiet family life in England when not working on films. The Hollyweird crowd could take a cue from this talented and reserved English gentleman.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Sergi Lopez: The Best Thing Since Sliced Flan


I stumbled upon the hottest Spaniard on Earth by accident; it was 2am and I couldn't sleep and I happened to put on IFC channel. My God, there he was rattling away in French. Black hair, burly and handsome. The language barrier was bridged by subtitles and there was no doubt this guy was talented. The name of the movie was "An Affair of Love" which is a story about how two strangers meet via a personal ad for weekly sexual trysts and then delve into something more meaningful. I googled this movie and actor immediately after falling under his spell. To my pleasant surprise he wasn't an obscure unknown face (at least not in Spain, France and most of Europe), he was an accomplished actor with Goyas (Spanish equivalent of Oscar) and Cesars (French equivalent of Oscar) under his belt. American movie goers might only recognize him from Pan's Labyrinth in which he plays the sadistic Captain Vidal. I'm smitten and cannot wait until he breaks into American cinema. Forget Antonio Banderas, this guy is one awesome hombre!

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Azam the Angel


I am Azam Ali's self proclaimed biggest fan. I have followed her career since Vas' album Sunyatta debuted in 1997. I remember hearing her ethereal voice as I listened to sample selections off of CD's at the now defunct "Natural Wonders" store. My first visual of Azam Ali was a picture of her sitting next to her fellow musician Greg Ellis. Her posture was that of a graceful shy doe; contemplative and very deep.


Azam Ali was born in Iran and moved to India around the age of four. She attended an English boarding school and was exposed to all the richness of Indian culture and music. She moved to the United States when she was a teenager and began studying music.


She sings mostly in languages I cannot understand but the emotion in her voice transcends my failure to comprehend her lyrics. The last few years she has embarked on her solo adventure and collaborated with other musicians (notably in 2005 with her project with Niyaz). She also is featured on the movie '300' soundtrack.


I hope that she'll come to Pittsburgh some day and I'll get to experience her music in concert. It would be nice to witness an angel in person!

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Favorite Teas


There are many teas that get a nod at being flavorful and distinctive. Early Grey, Darjeeling, Chai are a few that come to mind when I'm thinking of relaxing and enjoying a hot cup of tea and a cookie or two, or three...

Earl Grey takes me back to my college years when I was first introduced to the pungent and full bodied tea. They say that the most powerful memory is the olfactory sensors. Sometimes a smell can enhance an already pleasant mood or stir up subconscious irritation and bad feelings. Earl takes me to a good place, a happy place of care free youthful thinking and endless time on my hands.

Darjeeling is considered the "champagne of teas" due to it's light and effervescent taste. It's certainly not your run of the mill grocery store tea (even though it is sold in grocery stores) and it conjures up images of colonial India and Victorians.

Chai is a spicy Indian tea that tastes good hot or iced and doesn't need the splash of milk to be thoroughly enjoyed. It's nice iced for hot summer days and steaming hot for cold winter nights.

Then there are the ones I didn't go into detail about like Irish breakfast tea, English tea, Green tea, flavored teas like Caramel-Vanilla etc...The list goes on...

Tea itself is enjoyable so maybe I just should proclaim that I really love tea! :)

Elizabeth: The Golden Age


I went to see Elizabeth: The Golden Age today (by myself of course) and I was not disappointed. It's very rarely that a sequel eclipses it's predecessor and I'm sure the other five people in the movie theatre were pleasantly surprised as well. Even if the movie had any bad qualities (I suspect that maybe some extremely conservative Catholics might take offense to the nuanced suggestions that King Philip and some Jesuit 'missionary' were kinda out there) I got to look at Clive Owen for over two hours. I am of course biased since Queen Elizabeth I of England is by far the most intriguing female historical figure of all time (second is Boadicea). Oh, hell! Queen Elizabeth IS the most intriguing human historical figure of all time...