The Lowdown on the Presidential Nomination

We have already gone through 10% of the primary phase (60% of it coming from the GOP)...and still no leader on the leaderboard. That of course will change as we approach Florida, which in my opinion represents the true depiction of America (unlike Iowa, which is not very diverse).

First, the Democrats, whose race is now down to Hillary and Barack...at least in terms of the likelihood factor. John Edwards should drop out, but hasn't yet. This is what has happened:

Iowa: Obama 1st, Edwards 2nd, Clinton 3rd, Richardson 4th, Biden 5th, Dodd 6th
New Hampshire: Clinton 1st, Obama 2nd, Edwards 3rd, Richardson 4th
Michigan: Clinton 1st, Uncommitted 2nd (Obama and Edwards skipped it when the Dems stripped Michigan of its delegates)
Nevada: Clinton 1st, Obama 2nd, Edwards a very, very distant 3rd

Now my predictions:
South Carolina: Obama 1st, Clinton 2nd, Edwards 3rd (drops out)
Florida: Clinton 1st, Obama 2nd (no delegates there either)

Let's face it, the Democrat race is as I said earlier, now down to Hillary and Barack. She'll take the momentum with her to Denver.

Now for the Grand Old Party, and what a Grand Old Party it has been!...

Iowa: Huckabee 1st, Romney 2nd, Thompson 3rd, McCain 4th, Paul 5th, Giuliani 6th, Hunter 7th, Tancredo 8th (dropped out earlier)
Wyoming: Romney won the county conventions
New Hampshire: McCain 1st, Romney 2nd, Huckabee 3rd, Giuliani 4th, Paul 5th, Thompson 6th, Hunter 7th
Michigan: Romney 1st, McCain 2nd, Huckabee 3rd, Paul 4th, Thompson 5th, Giuliani 6th, Hunter 7th
Nevada: Romney 1st, Paul 2nd, McCain 3rd, Huckabee 4th, Thompson 5th, Giuliani 6th, Hunter 7th (dropped out afterwards)
South Carolina: McCain 1st, Huckabee 2nd, Thompson 3rd, Romney 4th, Paul 5th, Giuliani 6th, Hunter 7th (didn't he drop out earlier?!?)

And then there were six: Giuliani, Huckabee, McCain, Paul, Romney and Thompson, though I may have to cut out the latter based on what happens in the coming days...and Florida is anyone's guess.

Come January 29th, and we'll have a better sense of what is going on.

Breaking down the acts of RodeoHouston...2008.

Being a native Houstonian, I consider myself proud to have come from a city known for such a spectacular event as the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Granted, I have not been to the Rodeo in years, but again considering my infamous time constraints (which explains the delays on this blog :D) who knows why?

The 2008 Rodeo almost never occurred because of the controversy surrounding immigration reform thanks to our do-nothing more than do-nothing Congress, which was bad under Hastert (living in a GOP-held district) and worse under Pelosi (and living in a Democrat-held district). But mercifully, it is now proceeding.

The Rodeo has its traditions - the trail rides, the Parade, the Cookoff - and of course the rodeo events themselves and its livestock show. The capping part of each night of the Rodeo, after the Rodeo events are done, is a concert by a top-notch performer (with a few exceptions).

That being said, what does 2008 hold? Let's go to the schedule!

March 3: Tim McGraw will open Reliant Stadium with his fourth appearance at the Rodeo. Haven't heard much from him in recent years.

March 4: Faith Hill last came to the Rodeo in 1999 when she was just getting off the ground before hitting it big around the time of the "pregnant chad" election. She has not had much success since then, though.

March 5: Kevin Fowler may be the next Texas country singer to cross into the mainstream. Expect a breakout soon.

March 6: Alan Jackson is one of the long-standing acts of the Rodeo, at least in recent memory. His audience has been starting to age, though...

March 7: One specialty day in the Rodeo lineup is Black Heritage Day, which celebrates the achievements of African-Americans in the Greater Houston region. This year, R&B singer John Legend, who is himself a relatively good crooner BTW, is headlining.

March 8: Martina McBride has never disappointed in concert, even though her fan base become older recently, not to mention churning out songs that fit perfectly in a Hallmark card. Not a bad thing if you care about someone.

March 9: This is a definite sell-out, or going to be if it hasn't yet. The act is overhyped tween-pop queen Hannah Montana (and her real life counterpart, Miley Cyrus)...sigh. Will the latter, real-life character help attract those who otherwise would have nothing to do with the Disney "Repetitive Plot" Channel?

March 10: Sugarland is the star duo of the country scene for the moment. The group is from Atlanta, btw, so as to how they got their name is a mystery. There is a valley in the eastern reaches of Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains called The Sugarlands, though.

March 11: Rascal Flatts will perform. Last time these bubblegum country outfits scheduled here, the lead singer got sick and the Rodeo had to end up bringing in a couple of replacements. Let's see what happens this time around.

March 12: The frontman of Creedence Clearwater Revival, John Fogerty comes in as one person. The only rock act at the Rodeo this year.

March 13: Toby Keith brings his toughman country down here to southeast Texas for the sixth time.

March 14: Clay Walker, a Houston native, is making his fifteenth stop.

March 15: One of the best acts in country right now is Brad Paisley. This marks stop No. 3 for Paisley.

March 16: Go Tejano Day, which celebrates the Hispanic heritage of our region, will feature Duelo and Los Horoscopos de Durango. To my discovery, they are not Tejano acts, though.

March 17: St. Patrick's Day will see the Rodeo debut of Miranda Lambert, who has jumped into the mainstream of country music. Not too bad for someone from East Texas.

March 18: Big & Rich are the life of the Nashville party. Enough said. Not too much going on with these people as far as sales go.

March 19: Fergie? This is not her kind of gathering. Her audience is more attuned to Toyota or The Woodlands than to here. It was probably done to attract those who otherwise have no interest in cowboy culture.

March 20: Affection? God Bless America? Don't expect it from Dierks Bentley, one of the few of his kind.

March 21: Pat Green is the genuine star of the Texas country set, at least in my book. The problem is, his recent songs do not seem to sound like Texas country. Yet he still plays his tunes with Texas heart and soul.

March 22: Brooks & Dunn have been amongst the stars of the show for the past 16 years. This time, not only do they say goodnight to the crew for the night, they will say goodnight to the crew...for the year.

For more on the Rodeo, go here.

That's all, y'all. Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

I would like to wish everyone who reads this blog a Happy New Year! 2008 is going to be a year of unprecedented accomplishments and pleasant surprises.