El Mundo De Monte Mendoza

Search for a Killer in Florida

2009-11-27T21:13:00.001-07:00

Paul Michael Merhige, age 35, shot and killed four family members on Thanksgiving Day. He was last seen driving his blue 2007 4-door Toyota Camry. The license plate is W42-7JT. He murdered his aunt, Raymonde Joseph, his twin sisters Carla Merhige and Lisa Knight, ages 33. Lisa was pregnant. Sadly, he also killed his six-year-old cousin Makayla Sitton.
If you have information on the whereabouts of Paul Mergihe, call 1-800-458-2477 (TIPS), or 561-746-6201 (the Jupiter Police Department in Florida).

Savers Thrift Store

2009-06-21T04:14:00.005-07:00

If you live near a Savers thrift store, but haven't shopped there yet, I would recommend giving it a try. Starting on Wednesday (I think), they have a price tag color that is half price. If the color for that week is green, then any item with a price tag with color will be half off the marked price. Also, whatever items that still remain at the end of the day Sunday with that color price tag, will be on sale the next day, Monday, for only 99 cents. I have bought jackets, pants, shorts, shoes, bathing suits, glassware, knick knacks, and many other items for 99 cents. You have to get there early as I see many people that will load up their cart with items with that days' color tag. Then then will go through that cart of items to see what the really want to buy. This especially happens in the clothes department. I try not to go too often now as I am a shopaholic and buy things I really don't need. When it comes to clothes, it never hurts to get a few pairs of pants, shorts or shoes for under a dollar for each item. I have an addiction for cool knick knacks and books. Not long ago, I bought a new hardbound copy of "The Appeal" by John Grisham, for 99 cents, as well as MANY other books in excellent condition. They have paperbacks also. Goodwill also has some excellent deals, but I don't know their schedule of sales from memory. I believe they have a 50% off sale every other Saturday on everything in the store. Both of these stores have a website which can be found by a quick search at Yahoo or Google.

Your money would make more money in the bank !

2008-04-22T09:52:00.004-07:00

The Arizona Lottery changed the odds on at least two of its online lottery games.The game that I have played most often, The Pick 5, has made it harder to win the jackpot. There were a total of 35 numbers to choose from as of April 19, 2008. On April 20, the total number became 39. They added only four more numbers, but the odds changed significantly. They added a new way to win: match 2 of the five numbers drawn and win $1. The overall odds of winning a prize improved from 1 in 72 to only 1 in 10. It sounds like a major improvement. If you want to spend a dollar to win a a dollar, this is the game for you. I have decided to no longer play Pick Five, which was once called Fantasy 5. The top prize in Pick 5 is at least $50,000, but it rolls over if there is no jackpot winner. The odds of winning the jackpot WERE one in 324,632. By adding four more numbers, the odds of winning the top prize are now one in 575, 757. Imagine looking at 3 black plastic cups, turned upside down. Underneath one of those cups is a white ball with the word jackpot written on it. All you have to do is pay $1.00 to guess which black cup has the jackpot ball and you will win $50,000 or MORE. The odds are one in three of guessing correctly. I would play that game ! Now imagine standing in the middle of a very large field. On that field you see thousands of black cups turned upside down. Not only thousands, but 575,757. You pay only $1 to guess which black cup has the the white jackpot ball. If you find it, then $50,000+ is all yours. That doesn't sound like a game I want to play. Now think about standing somewhere in the middle of Death Valley looking a millions of the black cups. Underneath one is the white jackpot ball. If you pick the right black cup that has the jackpot ball, you will win millions of dollars. Each guess will cost you only $1. How many black cups do you have to choose from? If you playing The Pick, another Arizona Lottery game, you will be choosing your black cup from a total of 7,059,052 cups. You can also pay $1 to choose from 146,107,962 black cups. If you guess the correct cup with the jackpot ball, you winn the Powerball jackpot. On January 4, 2009, the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot went from bad to worse. The odds of winning it are now one in 195,249,054. I recently cashed in two winning Powerball tickets. All of the tickets I checked cost me about $75.00. I was the happy winner of $7.00. If you are going to play the lottery in Arizona, or in the state where you live, you'll likely have a better chance of winning playing the scratch ticket games. The scratchers usually have better odds of winning compared to online games.

Flickr is a GREAT place to keep your photos.

2007-09-16T15:47:00.001-07:00

If you are looking for a place to find photos or to store your own photos, check out FLICKR.COM. It is a free site offered by Yahoo. You can also get an upgraded account by paying $24.95 for one year or $47.99 for two years. I am using the free account for now. Monte Mendoza 9 16 2007 Sunday 3:55 PM http://www.flickr.com/photos/elmundodemontemendoza/

Josh Groban Christmas CD "NOEL" October 9, 2007

2007-09-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

Josh Groban released his first Christmas CD on October 9, 2007. The holiday CD is called "Noel". I bought my copy at Frys Electronics in Tempe, AZ on October 12, 2007 for $9.88, a sale that goes through Tuesday, October 16, 2007. There is more about this CD at my http://www.flickr.com/ account which can be seen by using the link below. By the way, after listening to this CD two times, I didn't really like it very much. Maybe it will grow on me like some of the songs from "Awake" did.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/elmundodemontemendoza/

Monte Mendoza 9 9 2007 Sunday 4:20 PM (10/27/07 6:47 AM)

Tom Welling as Clark Kent on Smallville

2007-09-09T15:55:00.000-07:00

The photos above are of Tom Welling as Clark Kent on the CW Network series "Smallville" which airs on Thursday nights. Exercise does the body good !

Monte Mendoza 11 12 2007 Monday 5:50 PM

"102 Minutes..."

2007-08-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

In memory of those who passed away on September 11, 2001, I am reading a book called "102 Minutes The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers". The 323-page hardcover book from 2005 was written by Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn. It is a sad reminder of the events that took place in Manhattan on that fateful September day, but I am glad that I am reading it. The sources for this book are 200 interviews with survivors and witnesses, thousands of pages of transcribed radio transmissions, phone messages, e-mails, and oral histories.

Monte Mendoza August 26, 2007 Sunday 10:00 AM.

"Smallville" Season Six on sale September 18, 2007

2007-08-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

Season 6 of "Smallville" went on sale on Tuesday, September 18, 2007. The show debuted on the CW Network on Thursday, September 27, 2007. (Channel 6 or 61 here in the metro-Phoenix area.)

Monte Mendoza 9 30 2007 9:00 PM

2007-07-21T12:27:00.001-07:00

I recently celebrated my 35th year without drinking alcohol. My life hasn't been perfect because of the decision to never drink alcohol that I made back in July of 1972, but I know that my life would have been a disaster if I allowed alcohol in my life. I have NEVER taken illegal drugs in my life. I thank God for the wisdom He gave me to make those decisions.

July 21, 2007 Saturday 12:42 PM AZ

Happiness is...

2007-07-21T12:19:00.000-07:00

HAPPINESS IS A WARM, COCKER SPANIEL PUPPY !

Recently Bought CDs

2007-06-10T17:39:00.000-07:00

I recently bought some CDs, including the one shown above... Petra The Ultimate Collection. This double CD has 16 songs on disc one and 17 songs on disc two. The CD was released on March 21, 2006. Some of my favorites from disc one are: Why Should The Father Bother?, The Coloring Song, More Power To Ya, Not Of This World, Grave Robber and Hallow Eyes. Disc two favorites include: Thankful Heart, Love, Beyond Belief, Creed, Prayer, No Doubt and We Need Jesus. I am sure that once I listen to the CDs that there will be even more favorites.
I also bought the newest CD from Angelique Kidjo called "Djin Djin". It was released in early May of 2007 and the CD has 13 songs. I listened to about one minute of each song at the store , the FYE at Broadway and Rural in Tempe, Arizona. Lon Lon is song #13. It's a vocal version of Ravel's Bolero. It sounds really cool. Song #6 is Pearls with Josh Groban. There is also a cover of Gimme Shelter featuring Joss Stone. Angelique is from Benin, a country in West Africa.
I also bought a CD for 50 cents (no...not by 50 cents). It is the soundtrack to Wayne's World 2 with songs like...Frankenstein by Edgar Winter. Y.M.C.A. by The Village People. Spirit In The Sky by Norman Greenbaum. Those three songs alone are worth more than fifty cents.
I didn't put the normal quotes around the song titles or use italics for the titles in order to save some time writing.

June 10, 2007 Sunday at 6:05 PM AZ time.

747 book by Joe Sutter with Jay Spenser 2006

2007-06-03T14:58:00.000-07:00

I recently began reading a book from the library called...
"747 Creating The World's First Jumbo Jet and Other Adventures From A Life In Aviation".
It was cowritten (?) by Jay Spencer. It's available in hardcover for $26.95 or in softcover for $14.95. It is a history of how the Boeing 747 was designed and created. Joe Sutter led the team of engineers that created the 747. As a HUGE fan of 747's, I look forward to reading this book. I am only in chapter 1 right now. I have learned already that the 747 first flew on February 9, 1969. I have never flown in a 747, but I will if I can ever pay off my credit card debt. There are 272 pages in the hardcover edition that I am reading. It was published in 2006 by Smithsonian Books in association with HarperCollins Publishers.
ISBN is 978-0-06-088241-9.
June 3, 2007, Sunday. 3:20 PM
I finished this book recently. I thought it was a great insight into the history of the 747 program. Joe Sutter did an awesome job of telling the story of the Jumbo Jet.
7 21 2007 Sat. 11:33 AM AZ time

Hello To Some Old Friends and Coworkers

2007-05-31T22:42:00.001-07:00

I just want to say hi to some former coworkers and friends.
Jake Riccobono aka Giacomo Riccobono I really enjoyed working with you. I tried to call you several months after I left Metro, but your number had already been disconnected. I hope to see you again someday !!!
Jon Overson (aka Jonathan Overson)...I hope your two-year mission went well. I didn't get to say bye when I left EDS in Tempe, AZ. I'm not sure if you still live here in Arizona or if you went back to Palmer, Alaska.
Mark Huffaker I hope you and your family are doing well.
Jason Chouinard, I hope you are still working at the same place as when I last worked with you in Phoenix, AZ. That looked like an excellent job with lots of future potential.
Paul Hansen of Arizona...I pray that things are going well in your life. I miss working with you at ABCO 424 (ABCO FOODS or ABCO Desert Markets).
Also, hello to Joe Buelna. I hope you are still alive and kickin' it. Thank you for your MANY years of devoted volunteer work. You are an excellent role model. ("What's up?" ..."I can tell you what isn't.")
Hi to Scott Sepulveda. You are also a role model to me for how to treat another human being. I had a lot of fun working with you at ABCO 409. That company name sounds like a potent toilet bowl cleaner.
If any of you ever want to contact me, click on the link to see my complete profile at right. Then click on "My Web Page". You could then leave a message in the comments of one of the photos at my Flickr page. Have a great day/night everyone !!!

Monte May 31, 2007 Thursday 11:05 PM

Steve Green The Ultimate Collection

2007-05-30T14:50:00.000-07:00

One of my all-time favorite CDs is "Steve Green The Ultimate Collection". This CD may be my all-time favorite CD. Steve Green's music permeates my brain and my heart and I am a happier person because of that. I am one of the biggest fans of Steve Green West of the Mississippi River. Perhaps East of the Mississippi too. I became a Christian in 1987. I fell away from my faith in September of 1995. I came back to my faith in Christ in October of 2005. For the ten years of my life that I was a backslider from 1995 to 2005, I doubt that even one day passed when one of Steve Green's songs was not in my mind. I was not only constantly hearing his music in my head but I would often find myself singing his songs. This from someone who was no longer trusting in Christ as Savior. After ten years I finally regained my faith and just in time to fully enjoy the 25 songs on Steve's two CD greatest hits compilation. I bought mine at CD Universe. I have listened to many times and I try to listen to it at least once a week, and I hope to do so for the rest of my life. THANK YOU Steve Green !
"The Ultimate Collection" is one of those CDs that would be my answer to.."if you were stranded on a desert island and could have a CD player and only one CD to listen to...". Steve Green sings many of my all-time favorite songs. Disc one has some of them including "Broken And Spilled Out", "He Holds The Keys", "God And God Alone", "Find Us Faithful", "I Can See (On The Emmaus Road)" and "People Need The Lord". The first two songs I listed are songs that start slow and then become stirring ballads. Disc two has 12 songs including one of my favorites called "We Believe" which is a song that starts slow and then builds to a crescendo and could move even an atheist to drop to his/her knees and accept Christ as Savior. Many of Steve's songs have that capability. Steve Green's music didn't bring me to Jesus but it did bring me back to Christ. Disc two also has the songs "God Causes All Things To Grow", "He Who Began A Good Work In You", "Embrace The Cross", "That's Where The Mercy Begins" and "Oh I Want To Know You More". Going back to disc one, you will also be blessed with "When His Kingdom Comes", "Household Of Faith", "Cherish The Treasure", "A Mighty Fortress" and "Enter In". The lyrics are NOT included with the two CDs but a songbook can be bought separately. More info can be found as Steve's site called
www.stevegreenministries.org .

If you are looking for some CDs to add to your Christian music collection, I would HIGHLY recommend this one.

DISC ONE
1. People Need The Lord
2. Pleasures Of The King
3. God & God Alone
4. Find Us Faithful
5. Broken & Spilled Out
6. He Holds The Keys
7. Household Of Faith
8. Grace By Which I Stand
9. Cherish The Treasure
10. Revive, Us, Oh Lord
11. God Of Wonders
12. The Faithful
13. Teach Me To Love
14. I Want To Know You More
15. We Trust In The Name Of The Lord Our God
16. Enter In
17. When His Kingdom Comes

DISC TWO
1. I Can See
2. Touch Your People Once Again
3. He Is Good
4. The Letter
5. We Believe
6. A Mighty Fortress
7. What Wonderous Love Is This
8. God Caused All Things To Grow
9. I Offer Myself
10. Let Us Praise The Almighty
11. That's Where His Mercy Begins
12. Cross Medley
13. Sacrifice Of Praise
14. He Who Began A Good Work
15. Embrace The Cross
16. I Repent

May 30, 2007 WED. 3:00 PM

Chayanne My Favorite Singer of Spanish Songs

2007-05-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

Chayanne is my favorite singer of Spanish-language music. Chayanne was born on June 28, 1968 (Friday) in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. His birth name was Elmer Figueroa Arce. He was the third of five children (four boys and one girl). There were some discrepancies in the release dates of his CD's when I researched it on the net. I will list his CD's in what I believe is the correct order. At age 10, Chayanne joined the Puerto Rican boy group called Los Chicos. They released 5 CD's. At about age 17, Chayanne went solo.
1. 1984: "Chayanne Es Mi Nombre"
2. 1986: "Sangre Latino"
3. Nov. 1988: Self-titled CD with the song "Tu Pirata Soy Yo"
4. Dec. 28, 1989: Self-titled CD with the song "Fiesta En America"
5. Aug. 7, 1990: "Tiempo De Vals"
6. July 28, 1992: "Provócame"
7. October 20, 1994: "Influencias"
8. Sept. 17, 1996: "Volver A Nacer"
9. Sept. 29, 1998: "Atado A Tu Amor"
10. October 3, 2000: "Simplemente"
11. August 21, 2001 or July 10, 2000: "Sus Canciónes" (Import: 3 CDs and 33 songs)
12. March 19, 2002: "Grandes Exitos" Greatest Hits (Also on DVD)
13. August 26, 2003: "Sincero"
14. March 29, 2005: “Desde Siempre”
15. September 27, 2005: “Cautivo”

16. April 10, 2007: "Mi Tiempo"

May 30, 2007 WED. 2:40 PM

Josh Groban CDs

2007-05-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

My favorite singer is Josh Groban. (Joshua Winston Groban) Josh Groban was born February, 27, 1981 in Los Angeles, California.

He released his self-titled debut CD on November 20, 2001. He released "Josh Groban In Concert" DVD on December 3, 2002. He then released his CD called "Closer" on November 21, 2003. He released a DVD called "Live at the Greek" on November 30, 2003.

"Awake" was released on November 7, 2006.

Josh Groban's self-titled debut has the songs called: "You're Still You", "To Where You Are", "Let Me Fall", "Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)" and "Home To Stay" along with 8 more songs!

The CD called "Closer" is the CD that has his hit called "You Raise Me Up". It also has the songs "Mi Mancherai (Il Postino)" with Joshua Bell, "Si Volvieras A Mi", "When You Say You Love Me", "Broken Vow", "Caruso", "Remember When It Rained" (from the movie "Troy") and "My Confession". There are five more songs besides those.

I saw Josh Groban in concert on March 17, 2005 at America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. It was an excellent concert as was his concert on March 25, 2007 at the same location, but now known as U.S. Airways Arena.

Thank You for making some awesome music Josh !!! Millions of us greatly appreciate it.

I have Josh's songs listed below by CD and DVD.

Self-titled debut CD:

1. Alla Luce Del Sole (G1), 2. Gira Con Me Questa Notte (G1), 3. You’re Still You (E1), 4. Cinema Paradiso (Se) (G1), 5. To Where You Are (E12), 6. Aléjate (E12), 7. Canto Alla Vita (E12), 8. Let Me Fall (E1), 9. Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) (E1), 10. Un Amore Per Sempre (G1), 11. Home To Stay (G1), 12. Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (G1) and 13. The Prayer (duet with Charlotte Church) (E1) .

My personal rating system for songs is this: E for Excellent, G for Good, F for Fair and B for Bad. The number one means the song has a slow tempo. Two is faster, three is even faster, etc.

"Josh Groban in Concert" CD and DVD CD:

1. Un Amore Per Sempre (G1), 2. Aléjate (E12), 3. The Prayer (duet with Angie Stone) (E1), 4. For Always (from movie “AI”) (E12), 5. Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) (E1), 6. Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (G1), 7. Broken Vow (E1) and 8. O Holy Night (E12).

DVD: 1. Alla Luce Del Sole (G1), 2. You’re Still You (E1), 3. Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) (E1), 4. Gira Con Me Questa Notte (G1), 5. Un Amore Per Sempre (G1), 6. Aléjate (E12), 7. Broken Vow (E1), 8. To Where You Are (E12), 9. Cinema Paradiso (Se) (G1), 10. For Always (from movie “AI”) (E12), 11. Home To Stay (G1), 12. Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (G1), 13. Canto Alla Vita (E12), 14. The Prayer (duet with Angie Stone) (E1) and 15. Let Me Fall (E1).

Closer CD:

1. Oceano (G1), 2. My Confession (E1), 3. Mi Mancherai (Il Postino) (E12), 4. Si Volvieras A Mi (E12), 5. When You Say You Love Me (E1), 6. Per Te (G1), 7. All’ Improvviso Amore (G12), 8. Broken Vow (E1), 9. Caruso (G1), 10. Remember When It Rained (E1), 11. Hymme A L’Amour (G1), 12. You Raise Me Up (E12), 13. Never Let Go with Deep Forest (G1), 14. Mi Morena (G1) and 15. She’s Out Of My Life (G1). The "CLOSER" CD above costs about $23 as it has 2 extra songs (the last two listed). It also comes with a DVD called "The Making of CLOSER".

Josh Groban Live At The GreekCD

1. Oceano (G1), 2. Mi Mancherai (Il Postino) (E12), 3. Mi Morena (G1), 4. Canto Alla Vita (E12), 5. Remember When It Rained (E1), 6. Remember (from “Troy”) (E1), 7. America (G1), 8. Never Let Go with Deep Forest (GI)

DVD 1. Oceano (G1), 2. Per Te (G1), 3. To Where You Are (E12), 4. Mi Mancherai (Il Postino) (E12), 5. Mi Morena (G1), 6. Aléjate (E12), 7. Canto Alla Vita (E12), 8. Nocturne/Bohemian Rhapsody Lucia Micarelli (G12), 9. Alla Luce Del Sole (G1) and 10. My December (G1).

Josh Groban also recorded song number four on the soundtrack of "Polar Express". It's called "Believe". It's a great Christmas song/ballad.

Josh also sang a song called "For Always" in the movie "A.I.". It's an awesome ballad ! I have seen the movie twice but I have yet to hear where the song is played in the movie.

Here is a list of the songs from the new CD. There is a CD/DVD combo available also for "AWAKE" also. It has two bonus songs AND a DVD on "The Making Of Awake". The songs from "Awake" are

1. Mai (E12), 2. You Are Loved (Don't Give Up) (E12), 3. Un Dia Llegara (E12), 4. February Song (E12), 5. L'Ultima Notte (E12), 6. So She Dances (G1), 7. In Her Eyes (G12), 8. Solo Por Ti (G1), 9. Now Or Never (E1), 10. Un Giorno Per Noi (A Time For Us) (E12), 11. Lullaby (with Ladysmith Black Mambazo) (E1), 12. Weeping (Also with L.B.M.) (G12) , 13. Machine (with Herbie Hancock) (G12), 14. Verita (A bonus track on more expensive CD/DVD.) (E1) and 15. Awake (Another bonus track on higher cost CD/DVD.) (E1).

http://www.joshgroban.com/home

May 30, 2007 WED. 2:30 PM AZ

My All-Time Favorite Song

2007-05-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

My all-time favorite song is by Gary Chapman. It was originally on his CD called "Shelter". It was song # 9 of 12 songs on that CD.
It is also song #1 of 15 songs on his CD called
"Best of Gary Chapman After God's Own Heart".
The song is...
"Man After Your Own Heart" (4:53).
Thank you Wayne Kirkpatrick and Billy Sprague for writing that awesome ballad. I will sing it until the day I die !!! "Shelter" was released on February 27, 1996. "After God's Own Heart" was released on February 2, 2002.
The CDs are most easily found at ebay.com OR at a local used CD store like FYE or at Zia Records if you are in the metro-Phoenix area.

May 30, 2007 WED. 1:50 PM

Phoenix Arizona Drive In Theaters Past & Present

2007-05-30T13:23:00.001-07:00

The Round Up Drive In was located at 6599 East Thomas Road in Scottsdale, Arizona (1955 to 1979). It was my favorite drive in theater in the area of Phoenix, Arizona. It was the drive in with the huge neon cowboy. Today it is an apartment complex that has a road coming into the complex that seems to be the same path the original road took into the drive in. My family spent many evenings at that theater.
These are DRIVE-IN theaters that were once located in the metro-Phoenix area:
The Acres Drive In
Big Sky Drive In
Cinema Park Drive In
El Rey Drive In
Indian Drive In
Mustang Drive In
Northern Drive In
Nu-View Drive In
Oasis Drive In
Peso Drive In
Phoenix Drive In
Pioneer Drive In 1 and 2
Rancho Drive In
Rodeo Drive In
The Round-Up Drive In
Sands Drive In
Silver Dollar Drive In
South Twin Drive In
Thunderbird Drive In
Twin Drive In
Velda Rose Drive In
If you need any more information on any of these drive ins in the Phoenix area, leave your question in a comment here. I will try to get the information and update this post to reflect the information you asked for. I have addresses and other information for most of the drive-ins I have listed in this post. I also have lots of info on the indoor theaters in the Phoenix-metro area if that is of interest to you.
DRIVE-IN Theaters have decreased dramatically in the United States. They went from over 5,000 in 1956, to 837 in July of 1995, to about 600 in July of 2003. TODAY, there are only 2 drive ins in the Phoenix area:
The Scottsdale 6 and the Glendale 9. They can be reached at their website:

www.centurytheatres.com/
May 30, 2007 WED. 1:30 PM

Who is Monte Mendoza ?

2007-05-30T12:58:00.000-07:00

I would like to tell a little about myself. I was born in Phoenix and I have lived in Phoenix, South Scottsdale, Tempe and Mesa during my life. I went to Yavapai Elementary School on Miller RD in Scottsdale, Arizona. I went to Coronado High School in Scottsdale in the late seventies. I graduated in the top 95% of my graduating class...near the bottom of that top 95%. Seriously, I was in the top 10% of my class. I owe some of that credit to my older brother, Tim P. Mendoza. He mentored me in Algebra and Geometry. My favorite class was Spanish, which I had for three years. I later took two semesters of Spanish at Mesa Community College. I always got straight A's in Spanish in high school and at MCC too.
I was married in the mid-1980's to Anne Hector. We lasted just over three years and four months. She was, and I pray that she still is, a great human being. I still think about her almost daily. For what it is worth, I still love her as much today as I did the day she and I were married. However, some things are not meant to be. In a perfect world, I would still married to her today and we would have a daughter named Anne, and three sons named Monte JR, Monte II and Monte III. That seesm strange to have four Monte's in one family, I know. Just think though about how simple it would be for my wife to call us all in for dinner..."Monte and Anne, let's eat !!!".
On September 1, 1995 I stopped trusting in Christ as my Savior because of personal problems that I was having, including my depression. Depression is a problem that I have had most of my life. I am happy to say that thanks in large part to the songs of Christian singer Steve Green that were always playing in my mind and being sung by me constantly, I came back to my faith in Jesus Christ as Savior on Sunday, October 2, 2005 at 10:10 PM, Arizona time.
Many people, of all ages, have ended their lives or tried to end their lives because of problems that they were facing in their lives. Personally, I have considered ending my life far too many times. However, I have come to realize that I can do more to make this world a better place while I am living as opposed to being six feet under ground or having my ashes poured out over some majestic landscape. That is true for you too !!! No matter who you are, what you do for a living, where you live, what you like, who you love, what you have done, ETC !
YOU can do more to make OUR world a better place too IF you decide to live and to FORGET about suicide FOREVER !!!
Don't let other people's opinions shape the way that you feel about yourself !!!
Learn to love yourself just as GOD loves you !!!

May 30, 2007 WED. 1:00 PM

Bible Gateway an EXCELLENT place to look for Bible verses

2007-05-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

If you would like to visit a site where you can find a Bible verse quickly and in various Bible translations, check out...
www.BibleGateway.Com
You can search by Bible verse such as John 3:16, OR you can search by keywords or phrases...such as "blessed are the meek", and it will tell you where to find that verse or verses that contain "blessed are the meek". Bible Gateway is an excellent site.
May 30, 2007 WED. 12:50 PM

Looking for a Christian Church ???

2007-05-30T12:42:00.000-07:00

If you live in Arizona, or any of the other 49 United States, and you are looking for a Christian church in your area, I would first look in your local yellow pages if they are available to you. If not, try the link below for Church Angel. It is a site that allows Christian churches to list their church on the site. The link I have goes to the part of their site that lists the 50 states. They also have a form to use to have your church included on their site. You can also find churches listed for Canada, Africa, India, and in MANY other parts of the world too. I would like to say "Thank You" to those who created that website. It's a great service. If you are looking for a church, give it a try !!!
http://churchangel.com/welcome.htm

May 30, 2007 WED. 12:45 PM

Human Services Campus in Phoenix AZ

2007-05-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

The Human Services Campus has five service providers in one location.The 14-acre campus is located south of Madison ST. If you go south of Madison ST on 11th or 12th AVE...you will see it. You can also go west of 9th AVE on Jackson ST to get to the location. The actual address is 1209 W. Madison ST near downtown Phoenix, Arizona.
The campus opened on Monday, November 7, 2005 and it will help the homeless in the Phoenix area. The campus is made up of three buildings with 150,000 total square feet.The project cost $24 million. One of the five services that can be found is located south of Jackson and west of 10th Avenue. It is the St. Vincent de Paul dining room. The room has 300 seats and it's expected to serve 900 meals each day. In the large building west of the dining room you will find three services for the homeless. One of those three services is a Day Resource Center where the homeless can get off the streets to use the restroom, take a shower, or relax in a comfortable chair. This resource center also provides therapists, counselors and advisors from state, county, city, and private agencies too. These include substance-abuse and mental-health counselors, job counselors and housing advisors. St. Joseph the Worker is a job placement organization that assists the homeless in finding employment . Another service is offered by CASS, Central Arizona Shelter Services. This emergency homeless shelter has 400 beds. Mark Holleran is the Central Arizona Shelter Services Director. The CASS fund-raising Director is Martin Shultz. The third service located in the largest building is Health Care for the Homeless. This is a clinic offered by Maricopa County. Corinne Velasquez is the program administrator for this program. The 14,000 square-foot clinic has eight examination rooms. Dentist Kris Volcheck started a one-station dental clinic at CASS in 2000.He is now one of about 130 dentists that staff the dental clinic inside of the new CASS facility. Nova Safe Haven opened in 2006, I believe. It is a shelter for the homeless that are mentally ill. It is located in the separate building north of the largest building on the campus.
Thank you to EVERYONE who donated money to make this campus a reality !!! I pray that this campus will help many of the 12,000 homeless people living in the Valley of the Sun.
I also have a link to their website below and in the title of this post.
I am uncertain if all the information above regarding the Human Services Campus is still accurate as of today, 5/30/2007.

http://www.maricopa.gov/HSCampus/contact.aspx

May 30, 2007 WED. 12:34 PM

World Trade Center Attack September 11, 2001

2007-05-30T12:17:00.001-07:00

World Trade Center Attack September 11, 2001 Tuesday
From The Arizona Republic on DEC. 19, 2001 Wednesday :
(Updated 9/11/03) The first plane: American Airlines 767 Flight # 11 At 8:46:26 AM, local NYC time, the plane crashed into the 93rd through the 98th floors of WTC Tower 1. The plane had 92 people aboard. It was traveling at 500 miles per hour. It was carrying 15,000 gallons of fuel and it exploded with a force equal to 480,000 pounds of TNT.
The second plane: United Airlines Flight # 175. This plane hit at 9:02:54 AM into Tower 2 of the WTC. It crashed into the 78th through the 84th floors of Tower 2.
There were 479 rescue workers that died trying to help people get out. This includes firefighters, policemen, security guards and people who just wanted to help.
One hour, forty-two minutes and five seconds was how much time elapsed from when the first plane hit, up until the time that the last WTC Tower collapsed.
As of today, the death toll is about 2,803 people including rescue workers and 157 people on board the two planes.
The death toll from all four hijackings is estimated at 3,046, not including the nineteen hijackers.
On DEC. 7, 1941, 2,388 people died at Pearl Harbor. (2,795 died at WTC as of 11 01 02.)
Tower 1: 1,434 died. Tower 2: 1,599 died.
Tower 2 collapsed at 9:59:04 a.m.
Tower 1 collapsed at 10:28:31 a.m.
Each tower was 110 stories tall.
The accurate times were taken from a seismograph connected to an atomic clock. The first impact registered as a 0.9 on their scale, equal to a small earthquake.

The facts in the post MAY no longer be accurate as they pertain to the number of people that lost their lives on that tragic day in American history. May 30, 2007 12:25 PM WED. AZ

Roman Numerals

2007-05-30T12:03:00.000-07:00

ROMAN NUMERALS
I = 1
II = 2
III = 3
IV = 4
V = 5
VI = 6
VII = 7
VIII = 8
IX = 9
X = 10
XI = 11
XIX = 19
XX = 20
XXX = 30
XL=40
L=50
LX= 60
LXX = 70
LXXX=80
XC = 90
C = 100
CC = 200
CCC = 300
CD = 400
D = 500
DC = 600
DCC = 700
DCCC = 800
CM = 900
M = 1,000
MCC = 1,200
MCM = 1,900
MM = 2,000
MMVII = 2,007
V = 5,000 (With a line over the V.)
X = 10,000 (With a line over the X.)
L = 50,000 (With a line over the L.)
C= 100,000 (With a line over the C.)
D = 500,000 (With a line over the D.)
M = 1,000,000 (With a line over the M.)
When there is a line or bar placed over a letter or a string of letters, multiply the original value by 1,000 .
(i.e. : XV = 15 and XV with a bar over it equals 15,000.)
A letter repeated once or twice repeats its value that many times.
(i.e.: XXX = 30; CC = 200; Etc.)
One or more letters placed after another letter of GREATER value increases the greater value by the amount of the smaller value.
(i.e.: VI = 6; LXX = 70; MCC = 1,200; etc.)
A letter placed BEFORE a letter of GREATER value decreases the greater value by the amount of the smaller value.
(i.e.: IV = 4; XC = 90; CM = 900; etc.)
Misc. Examples:
MCMLXIII = 1,963
MMVIII = 2,008
The picture above doesn't exactly pertain to this post, but I thought I should post it anyway since David has obviously spent a lot of time in the gym. Also, a word of warning: do NOT play stone face with David to see who will blink first. One day, he and I played 100 games of stone face, and he won all but one game. He did contest my one victory, however. Winning evidentally means a lot to him. David and I met at a nudist colony near Rome one summer. He said I was the first person to actually talk to him in the many months he had been staying there. He said he tried to start conversations with some of the other colony visitors, but they just ignored him. David said it was like talking to a statue with those people. On a positive note, he said the pigeons really liked him. He told me if the only friend he will ever make there is a pigeon, well, he is going to be grateful for that pigeon, and not take it for granite.

May 30, 2007 WED. 12:15 PM AZ

How To Make Juice for a Hummingbird Feeder

2007-05-30T11:55:00.000-07:00

1. Once you buy your feeder, fill it up with only water and then empty that same water into a measuring cup to find the amount of liquid that the feeder holds. As an example, let's say that your feeder holds 25 ounces.

2. Take 20% or 1/5 of the total amount (25 ounces), which is five ounces, and that five ounces will be the amount of sugar that you will use.

3. The remaining 80% or 4/5 amount will be the amount of water the feeder will use.

4. So for a 25 ounce feeder: you will add five ounces of sugar to 20 ounces of water.

5. Measure five ounces of sugar and put it aside.

6. Then place 20 ounces of water in a pan and allow it to come to a boil.

7. When the water is boiling, add the five ounces of sugar to the boiling water and then stir it for two minutes. Boiling the water helps to remove any impurities in the water and helps to quickly dissolve the sugar.

8. After two minutes of stirring the sugar in the boiling water, turn the heat off of the pan and then allow the water to cool to room temperature so that the little hummers don't burn their tongues.

I recommend buying a feeder that has a perch at each of its feeding holes so the birds can rest while they drink the liquid.

The one part sugar to four parts water formula listed above will closely resemble the natural sugar content of the nectar that hummingbirds drink from flowers.

A hummingbirds' heart can beat about 1,260 times per minute. A certain Anna's hummingbird was clocked with its wings beating about 80 times per SECOND !

I have been feeding hummingbirds since 1998.

May 30, 2007 WED. 12:00 PM AZ

RADIO STATIONS PHOENIX METRO AREA

2007-05-29T17:18:00.000-07:00

If you live in the Phoenix, Arizona area, and you are looking for Christian music stations, I can tell you about three that have radio signals that are strong enough to be received in the metro-area. Those Christian radio stations are:
90.3 FM KFLR Family Life Radio
105.5 FM and 89.1 FM KLVA K LOVE KLOVE
Also, 89.9 FM and 88.7 FM KCOO which is known as AirOne Air One Air1 Air 1
If you are looking for a contemporary Spanish music station, try: 107.1 FM KVVA which is also at 106.9 FM KDVA.
If you prefer classic rock, we have: 100.7 FM KSLX.
At 98.7 FM KKLT, there is a great adult-contemporary station.
For a similar format, but more mellow, we have: 99.9 FM KESZ or 99 KEZ.
Adult contemporary rock...96.9 FM KMXP MIX 97.
For oldies, try: 94.5 KOOL FM.
If you are into news, we have: 92.3 FM KTAR and 550 AM KFYI. Also: 960 AM KKNT and 1010 AM KXEM.
We have a station for comedy: 1480 AM KPHX.
For Urban Top 40, tune in to: 98.3 FM KKFR Where Hip-Hop Lives.
For Top 40 in general, Phoenix has...104.7 FM KZZP KISS FM.
For album rock, we have: 93.3 FM KDKB and 97.9 KUPD.
Contemporary jazz can be found at: 95.5 FM KYOT The Coyote.
You can also find jazz and NPR NEWS at: KJZZ 91.5 FM National Public Radio.
For country music fans... 102.5 FM KNIX and 107.9 FM KMLE Camel Country.
For a country and oldies mix, there is: 97.3 FM KRXS 103.1 FM.
Modern rock is available at: 103.9 FM KEDJ The Edge.
KZON 101.5 The Zone has adult alternative.
For sports fans, there are these possibilities:
620 AM KTAR, 860 AM KMVP, 910 AM KGME or 1060 KDUS.
Phoenix Suns games are heard at 620 AM KTAR.
For business or financial talk radio go to 1510 AM KFNN.
College rock can be found at 1260 AM KASC.

If I didn't mention a music format that you are looking for, leave me a message here and I will look into it and then post a reply in this section. Also, I haven't verified all of these station call letters and station frequencies lately, so some may no longer be accurate.

Phoenix radio stations
radio stations in Phoenix

May 29, 2007 TUE. 5:35 PM

"The New Testament" Books and Chapters

2007-05-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

"The New Testament"

1. Matthew (28 chapters)

2. Mark (16 chapters)

3. Luke (24 chapters)

4. John (21 chapters)

5. Acts (28 chapters)

6. Romans (16 chapters)

7. I Corinthians (16 chapters)

8. II Corinthians (13 chapters)

9. Galatians (6 chapters)

10. Ephesians (6 chapters)

11. Philippians (4 chapters)

12. Colossians (4 chapters)

13. I Thessalonians (5 chapters)

14. II Thessalonians (3 chapters)

15. I Timothy (6 chapters)

16. II Timothy (4 chapters)

17. Titus (3 chapters)

18. Philemon (1 chapter)

19. Hebrews (13 chapters)

20. James (5 chapters)

21. I Peter (5 chapters)

22. II Peter (3 chapters)

23. I John (5 chapters)

24. II John (1 chapter)

25. III John (1 chapter)

26. Jude (1 chapter)

27. Revelation (22 chapters)

"The New Testament" is made up of 27 books and a total of 260 chapters.

May 29, 2007 TUE. 5:15 PM

These are some of my ALL-TIME Favorite SONGS

2007-05-29T15:57:00.000-07:00

Some of my all-time favorite songs are listed are listed below. There are also a BUNCH of songs that I like by Josh Groban, Steve Green and Chayanne. I will list some of them in the future. The following list is in random order. Again, it is NOT in order by most favorite song to least favorite song !!! "When It's Time To Go", "The Voice Of God", and "Through His Eyes" by the Christian group 4Him. "Lean On Me" by Bill Withers (Born 7/4/1938 in Slab Fork, WV) (# 1 for 3 weeks in 1972). Three songs by James Ingram (born 2/16/1956 Akron, Ohio) :"Just Once" (#17 1981), "One Hundred Ways" (#14 1982) and "I Don't Have the Heart"(#1 for 1 week in 1990). Barry Manilow music including "Mandy" (#1 for 1 week in 1974). "Frankenstein" by Edgar Winter Group. (#1 for 1 week in 1973) "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight" (#2 1976) by England Dan & John Ford Coley. "Arise, My Love" by NewSong. "Rise Again" by Dallas Holm. "Did I Forget To Say" by Tim Miner (1988). Tim's song can be found on "Jubilation", a 1989 K-Tel compilation CD. I found that CD at ebay. "After The Rain" by Aaron Jeoffrey 1996. "Cole's Song" by Julian Lennon from the 1995 movie "Mr. Holland's Opus". Songs from the Christian rock group Petra: "The Coloring Song", "Thankful Heart", "Don't Let Your Heart Be Hardened", "First Love" and "Beyond Belief". Songs by Stryper:"In God We Trust", "Always There For You", "Calling On You", "Soldiers Under Command", "Free" and "Honesty" (1986). "Jesus Will Still Be There" by Point Of Grace (1993). "Hymn" by Randy Stonehill from 1985. Songs by Christian artist Wayne Watson: "Friend Of A Wounded Heart", "Watercolour Ponies", "Somewhere In The World", "There Is A Greater Love" and "Would I Know You Now". "Friend In You" by Jon Gibson (1988). "Isn't It Amazing" by Mark Farner (1985). "Testify To Love" by Wynonna (1996). Her song can be found on the 1998 CD:"Touched By An Angel The Album". It has 16 songs heard on the series including the theme... "Walk With You" by Della Reese and The Verity All-Stars. Acappella songs "Only Truth", "Hush" and "If There Were No God". "He's My Son" by Mark Schultz (2000). Rich Mullins songs:"Sometimes By Step" (1991) and "Sing Your Praise To The Lord" (1981). Sandi Patti or Sandi Patty songs:"Make His Praise Glorious", "No Other Name", "Love Will Be Our Home", "Come Before Him" and "In Majesty He Will Come/Majesty". The above songs are from her 1988 CD called:"Make His Praise Glorious". From her 1989 CD, "The Finest Moments":"Exalt The Name", "In The Name Of The Lord", "They Could Not", "More Than Wonderful" (with Larnelle Harris), "How Great Thou Art", "Upon This Rock" and "Vía Dolorosa". Songs from the 1994 CD "Collection 1976-1994" by Cliff Richard:"Wired For Sound" (1981), "Some People" (1987), "I Still Believe In You" (1992), "A Little In Love" (1980) and "Daddy's Home" (1981). Songs by Mario Lanza :"Danny Boy", "Ave Maria", "I'll Walk With God" and "Santa Lucia". Michael Bolton songs including: "When I'm Back On My Feet Again" which I sang at my Mom's funeral. My Mom, Pat Pittman, passed away in March of 2001 after a three-year fight with cancer. I truly miss her and I regret having taken her love for granted while she was still with us. Also by Michael Bolton:"How Am I Supposed To Live Without You", "A Love So Beautiful" and "Said I Loved You...But I Lied". Michael Crawford songs:"The Music Of The Night", The Phantom Of The Opera", "All I Ask Of You", "Memory" from "Cats", "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "Love Changes Everything". "The Impossible Dream (The Quest)" by Jack Jones. I sang this #35 song from 1966 at my little brother's funeral, Dave Mendoza. My brother survived three heart transplants during his 31-year life. Dave passed away in January of 2000. Dave Mendoza was my best friend for most of my grade school and high school years. I have a link on this blog to a memorial website. I have four CDs by Russell Watson who was born in Salford, England. My favorites from his first CD in 2000 called "Russell Watson The Voice" are:"Miserere", "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "Barcelona" (with Shaun Ryder), "Nessun Dorma!" and "Vienna". His next CD from 2001 was called"Russell Watson Encore" with songs like:"Va Pensiero", "O Sole Mio", "Ave Maria", "You Are So Beautiful", "Somewhere", "Catch The Tears", "Lost In The Snow" and the theme from "Star Trek Enterprise" called "Where My Heart Will Take Me". His third CD from 2002 was "Russell Watson Reprise" with these songs and more:"Santa Lucia", "Immenso Sogno", "The Living Years", "Did You Ever" and "Vesti La Giubba". Russell Watson's latest CD from 2004 is called "Russell Watson Amore Musica". It has 13 songs including:"I'll Walk With God" (from "The Student Prince"), "You Raise Me Up" (with a verse not found on the Josh Groban version), "Pray For The Love", "C'e Sempre Musica", "I Believe" and a cool love ballad with Lara Fabian called "The Alchemist". A strange name for a pretty song. Two songs by Ronnie Milsap called:"What A Difference You Made In My Life" and "It Was Almost Like A Song" (1977). Anne Murray songs like:"You Needed Me" (#1 1978), "I Just Fall In Love Again" (#12 1979), "Broken Hearted Me" (#12 1979) and "A Little Good News" from 1983. "Strange Fruit", which is a song recorded on April 20, 1939 by Billie Holiday. Songs by Rita Coolidge:"We're All Alone" (#7 1977), "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher" and "Words" (better known by Bee Gees' #15 song from 1968). Celine Dion songs:"My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme From "Titanic") (#1 1998) and "Water From The Moon" from her self-titled CD in 1992. Songs by Andy Gibb including: "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" (#1 for 4 weeks in 1978)and a duet with Olivia called "I Can't Help It" (#12 1980). Rick Springfield songs like:"Jessie's Girl (#1 1981) and "Human Touch" (#18 1983). Journey hits like:"Open Arms" (#2 1982) and"Separate Ways (World's Apart)" (#8 1983). Babe" (#1 1979), "Don't Let It End" (#6 1983), "Lady" (#6 1975), "Come Sail Away" (#8 1978), "The Best Of Times" (#3 1981), "Mr. Roboto" (#3 1983) and "Show Me The Way" (#3 1991). The above songs were by Styx. Dennis DeYoung rocks. "I Go Crazy" by Paul Davis (#7 1978). "You're Only Lonely" by J.D. Souther with James Taylor (#7 1979). James Taylor songs "You've Got A Friend" (#1 1971) and "Your Smiling Face" (#20 1977). "One In A Million You" by Larry Graham (#9 1980). "We Just Disagree" by Dave Mason (#12 1977). "Only The Lonely" by The Motels (#9 1982). "The Cover Of 'Rolling Stone'" (#6 1973) by Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show. Mac Davis songs "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me" (#1 1972) and "Stop And Smell The Roses" (#9 1974). "God Bless The USA" by Lee Greenwood (#30 1991). "Emma" by Hot Chocolate (#8 1975). "Greatest Love Of All" by Whitney Houston (#1 for 3 weeks in 1986). "The Air That I Breathe" by The Hollies (#6 1974). Also their #7 song from 1970 called "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother". "Billy Don't Be A Hero" by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods (#1 for 2 weeks in 1974). "The Night Chicago Died" by Paper Lace (#1 1974). "Times Of Your Life" by Paul Anka (#7 1976). "Seasons In The Sun" by Terry Jacks (#1 for 3 weeks 1974). Helen Reddy was born Oct. 25, 1941 in Melbourne, Australia. Among others, I like her songs "Delta Dawn" (#1 1973), "Keep On Singing (#15 1974), "You And Me Against The World" (#9 1974), "Angie Baby" (#1 1974) and "You're My World" (#18 1977). Nilsson, or Harry Nilsson, was born June 15, 1941 in Brooklyn, NY. He died of a heart attack at age 52 on Jan. 15, 1994. Among his eight Top 40 songs, I like "Coconut" (#8 1972) and "Everybody's Talkin'" (#6 from the 1969 movie "Midnight Cowboy). B.J. Thomas songs like"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" (#8 1966), "Hooked On A Feeling" (#5 1969), "I Just Can't Help Believing" (#9 1970), "Rock and Roll Lullaby" (#15 1972) and "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" (#1 1975). Tom Jones songs "Green, Green Grass of Home" (#11 1967), "Delilah" (#15 1968), "Help Yourself" (#35 1968), "Without Love (There Is Nothing) (#5 1970), "She's A Lady" (#2 1971) and "Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow" (#15 1977). "The Last Song" by Edward Bear (#3 1973). Edward Bear is a pop trio from Toronto, Canada. The group name was taken from a "Winnie The Pooh" character. Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935. He starred in 31 movies and had at least 114 Top 40 songs. He passed away on August 16, 1977 due to heart failure. I like a bunch of his songs, including"Love Me Tender" (#1 for 5 weeks in 1956), "It's Now Or Never" (#1 for 5 weeks in 1960), "Are You Lonesome To-night?" (#1 for 6 weeks in 1960), "Can't Help Falling In Love" (#2 1962), "If I Can Dream" (#12 1969), "In The Ghetto" (#3 1969), "Don't Cry Daddy" (#6 1970) and "My Way" (#22 1977). Bread, which featured lead singer David Gates, had 12 Top 40 songs between 1970 and 1977. Some of those hits were "Make It With You" (#1 1970), "It Don't Matter To Me" (#10 1970), "If" (#4 1971), "Baby I'm - A Want You" (#3 1971), "Everything I Own" (#5 1972), "Diary" (#15 1972), "The Guitar Man" (#11 1972) and "Lost Without Your Love" (#9 peaked in 1977). Air Supply is made up of two men: Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell. Of their eleven Top 40 hits, I like: "Lost In Love" (#3 1980 their first US hit), "All Out Of Love" (#2 for 4 weeks in 1980), "The One That You Love" (#1 1981), "Sweet Dreams" (#5 1982), "Two Less Lonely People In The World" (#38 peaked 1983) and "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All" (#2 for 3 weeks in 1983). The Stylistics had 10 Top 40 songs in the early 1970's, including: "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)" (#39 1971), "You Are Everything" (#9 1972), "Betcha By Bolly, Wow" (#3 1972), "I'm Stone In Love With You" (#10 1972), "Break Up To Make Up" (#5 1973) and "You Make Me Feel Brand New" (#2 1974). "Dream Weaver" by Gary Wright (#2 for 3 weeks in 1976). "Break My Stride" by Matthew Wilder (#5 1984). "Get Together" by The Youngbloods (#5 1969). "Out Here On My Own" by Irene Cara. It was #19 in 1980 and from the same movie where she had a #4 hit with "Fame". "Dance With My Father" by Luther Vandross (2003). "Sky High" by Jigsaw (#3 1975). "Drift Away" by Dobie Gray (#5 1973). "Shannon" by Henry Gross (#6 1976). "In The Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus)" by Zager and Evans (#1 for 6 weeks in 1969). "Alone Again (Naturally)" by Gilbert O'Sullivan (#1 for 6 weeks in 1972). "The Morning After (From 'The Poseiden Adventure')" (#1 for 2 weeks in 1973). "You're So Vain" by Carly Simon (#1 for 3 weeks 1972-1973). "Never Ending Story" by Limahl (#17 1985). "Party All The Time" by Eddie Murphy (#2 1985). "Leader Of The Band" by Dan Fogelberg (#9 1982). "All Cried Out" (#8 1986) by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam With Full Force. "If Ever You're In My Arms Again" by Peobo Bryson (#10 1984). "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)" by John Parr (#1 for 2 weeks 1985). "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers (#3 1993). I am sure that I forgot one or two of my favorites in the list above. May 29, 2007 Tuesday 4:30 PM AZ

The Heart Of Dave Mendoza

2007-05-28T09:44:00.002-07:00

I will always look up to my younger brother, Dave Mendoza. He was born on leap year in 1968 (2/29). He was born with two holes in his heart. He had open-heart surgery when he was five. That kept him going for about eight years. When he was thirteen, he was told he would die if he didn't have a heart transplant. He did have that transplant in 1981. His health definitely improved after that. Sadly, that heart gave out in 1984, and Dave had to have a second transplant. He then had to have a third transplant in 1987. He was told at age five or so that he would not live past his teen years. Luckily, that prognosis was not accurate. My brother Dave passed away on January 6, 2000. It was early morning on a Thursday. He almost made it to his thirty-second birthday. It wasn't a long life, but it was a good life. He touched a lot of lives while he was here on Earth. He was my best friend while he was alive. Today, he is still one of my main role models for courage. Getting through open-heart surgery and three heart transplants must have been very painful and emotionally draining. May 28, 2007 Monday 10:00 AM AZ

Jordin Sparks...Congratulations !!!

2007-05-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

Jordin Sparks, I wish you all the best as a new life begins for you. The potential for you having a long career in the music business is VERY high. I pray that God will watch over you and keep you safe as you travel around the globe blessing people in many nations with your voice, a gift from our Creator. You are truly an American Idol !!! 5/28/07 Monday 9:37 AM Mesa, AZ

"Gospel Of Mark" "The New Testament"

2007-05-28T06:31:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading the "Gospel Of Mark" in The New Testament. I always read exclusively from the New American Standard Version. I am wondering if the other versions, such as The Living Bible, The New International Version, etc., have a certain word that is used VERY often in that Gospel. In the NASB version that I read, the word that is used about 47 times is "immediately". Here are some of the chapters and verses where "immediately" is used in the NASB: 1:10, 1:12, 1:18, 1:20, 1:28, 1:29, 1:30, 1:42, 2:8, 5:29, 5:30, 5:42, 6:27, 6:45, 6:50, 8:10, 9:15, 9:20, 9:24, 10:52, 14:43, 14:72, and 15:1. Those are some that I found after briefly scanning the sixteen chapters of "The Book Of Mark". That word stands out even more when I am reading "Mark" as I am listening to the book on CD. It makes for distracting reading in my mind. However, if that's how it translates from Aramaic, what can you do? May 28, 2007 Monday 6:40 AM

My First Time To Watch "Ugly Betty"

2007-05-28T06:06:00.000-07:00

I watched my first episode of Ugly Betty recently. I have not never been able to see it as I have always watched and recorded Smallville at that time on Thursday nights. On Thursday 5/24/07, ABC repeated the pilot episode. I was very impressed with that first episode. I hope to watch the next few episodes to see if it is a show I would want to watch for the repeat of the entire first season. The show made its debut on September 28, 2006. It stars America Ferrera as Betty Saurez. In the premiere episode, Betty got a job at a MEADE Publications magazine called Mode. It is a fashion magazine. She is the assistant to the editor-in-chief, I believe. TV.COM has awesome information on that debut show as well as for other TV shows. I have a link to that site if you want to check out the debut show and any other TV show that interests you. There are 23 episodes in season one. http://www.tv.com/ugly-betty/pilot/episode/798593/recap.html May 28, 2007 Memorial Day Monday 6:20 AM AZ

"Smallville" Season 6 Finale 5/17/07 Thursday

2007-05-27T20:06:00.000-07:00

The season six finale of Smallville was another cliffhanger...like they normally are at the end of every season. Lana Lang got into her vehicle, started it up, and then it exploded. It APPEARS that Lana is dead. Lois Lane died while investigating longitude and latitude coordinates that led to a hydroelectric dam. Chloe showed up to find her cousin, Lois, dead from a knife wound. Chloe began to cry. A tear ran down her face and fell onto the forehead of Ms. Lane. Lois began to glow in a bright light. Soon, she had come back to life and her knife wound had healed. Lois then found Chloe propped against the wall. After Chloe's tear brought Lois back to life, it SEEMS as though bringing Lois back from the dead cost Chloe her life. As of now, Chloe is dead. The last (?) spirit released from the Phantom Zone somehow replicated Clark Kent. There are now two Clarks. The one we have grown to know and love and the recently created one inhabited by the Phantom Zone creature. Lionel Luther may be dead from being thrown by the phantom Clark. The fight that took place between our Clark and the phantom Clark caused the dam they were in to rupture. As the new, bad Clark flew away, its skin turned white and morphed from regular smooth appearance into a "Bizarro" look. The real Clark appeared to survive the fight. Lex Luthor was arrested for the murder of his wife, Lana Lang. All in a days' work on Smallville. Endings are never what they seem on this show. Chloe has died in an explosion before...based on a season finale. We discovered next season that she survived that safehouse explosion. I pray that this show lasts long enough for Clark Kent to become Superman. Its ratings are not the greatest in the world, but the CW knows that there is a VERY loyal fanbase watching each Thursday. There is also a fan out in Arizona that recently watch every show in seasons three, four and five in the course of about two months. Some days that fan would watch 8 episodes in a row. Perhaps that is not the greatest use of MY time, but Clark Kent is one of the best role models that can be found on TV today. That is not based solely on his incredible strength, his superhuman speed, his x-ray vision, his invulnerability (except for Kryptonite), and his intelligence. It is also because of moral character, and his ability to do the right thing day after day. I hope that I can afford season six when it goes on sale later this(?) year. I also look forward to seeing how the cliffhanger is resolved. The stars of Smallville are Tom Welling as Clark Kent; Annette O'Toole as Martha Kent; John Schneider as the late Jonathan Kent; Michael Rosenbaum as Alexander Luthor or Lex Luthor; Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang; Erica Durance as Lois Lane; Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan and John Glover as Lionel Luthor. (5/27/07 Sun. 8:35 PM AZ)

My First Post At Blogger.com

2007-05-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

Today is May 27, 2007, Sunday. I just signed up for my blog at 2:03 PM, Arizona time. One thing you need to know about me is that I am bit obsessive about dates and times. I have been that way for many years now. I don't even try to fight the obsession anymore. I also keep a personal journal at home. In that journal I wrote the following on January 1, 2007: "At 12:01 AM I began my resolution to no longer keep track of the dates and times of insignificant events in my life. I think my life will be better for this decision." I remember feeling a weight off my shoulders when I wrote that in my journal. That burden was finally gone forever. Sadly, I had an additional resolution a little bit later that same day on 1/1/07. It said this:"At 12:19 AM, I made the decision to start writing the dates and times of insignificant events that occur in my life. I have lived my life without tracking dates and times for a little while now. Honestly...I don't like it. During that time period when I was no longer tracking dates and times I felt worthless and empty, like a 1984 Hoover canister vacuum that hasn't had a vacuum bag in it for years as stores no longer carry the "H" size replacement bags. I look forward to reading the posts of other bloggers in the future. Have a great day. 5/27/07 SUN 2:24 PM AZ time.