Category Archives: New Mexico

4 March 2025

Shrove Tuesday.
Walking to New Orleans – Fats Domino
Going Back to New Orleans – Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers
La danse de Mardi Gras – Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboy
Carnival Time – Bo Dollis & the Wild Magnolias
Where da Melph at? – Katey Red
Golden Crown – Big Chief Monk Boudreaux
Goin’ Down – Allen Toussaint
My Feet Can’t Fail Me Now – Buckwheat Zydeco
Ain’t Nothin’ But a Party – Big Sam’s Funky Nation
Ooh Poo Pah Doo – Part 1 – Jessie Hill
Cassanova- Rebirth Brass Band
Zydeco Mardi Gras – Boozoo Chavis Zydeco
Fire Water – The Wild Magnolias
Iko Iko – The Dixie Cups
Street Parade – Earl King
The Second Line – Stop, Inc.
Hey Pocky A-way – The Meters
Jock-A-Mo – Sugar Boy Crawford T
Mardi Gras Mambo – The Hawketts
Go to the Mardi Gras – Professor Longhair
Carnival Time – Al Johnson
Tremé Mardi Gras – Kermit Ruffins
Give It Up – Dr. Michael White
I Like It Like That – Chris Kenner
When The Saints Go Marching In – Louis Armstrong

Leave a comment

Filed under Albuquerque, Music, New Mexico, playlist

1 March 2025

Shche ne Vmerly v Ukrainy i slava, i volia (instrumental) – Glocal Orchestra
Shche ne Vmerly v Ukrainy i slava, i volia (vocal) – Glocal Orchestra
Let’s Sing about Ukraine – Brothers Ivan
O Ukraine, Our Beloved Mother – Brothers Ivan
Prayer for Ukraine – Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus
Various Songs – Made in Ukraine
The Water Flows into the Sea – Brothers Ivan
Why, Oh, Why, My Native Land – Brothers Ivan

Leave a comment

Filed under Current Events, Human Rights, New Mexico

27 February 2025

Hiking. Alameda Open Space.
Black History Month
Coolman Baby Archie Roach, Australian Art Orchestra, Paul Grabowsky & Ruby Hunter
Some Other Spring – Billie Holiday
Simbonile – The Buskaid Soweto String Ensemble
See The Light – Earth, Wind & Fire
Gracious – Bobby McFerrin
Can Anyone Ask For Money – Ray Charles
So Far to Go – Common & D’Angelo
(Don’t Worry) If There’s a Hell Below We’re All Going To Go – Curtis Mayfield
Too Many Bridges – Archie Roach
Portrait Of An Ermite – Thelonious Monk
Real Real – Nina Simone
Arabesque Cookie – Duke Ellington
Respect Yourself – The Staple Singers
Wheels on the Bus – Gracie’s Corner
Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May – Bayard Rustin
DUST/DIVINITY – Joy Oladokun
Mahalla – Carolina Chocolate Drops
Money Is King – Leyla McCalla
Rose Garden – Dobie Gray
Friend – Roberta Flack
Awesome – The Temptations
Everyday Heroes & Heroines – Deidre McCalla
Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar
You’ll Never Walk Alone – Brittany Howard

Leave a comment

Filed under Albuquerque, Antiracism, Exercise, hiking, Music, New Mexico, playlist

21 February 2025

Hiking. The Volcanoes. Petroglyph National Monument.
Malcolm X / El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz assassination.
Nina Simone birth.
Black History Month.
Revolution – Nina Simone
I Wish I Knew How I Would Feel to Be Free – Nina Simone
The Malcolm X Jazz Suite – Terence Blanchard
Roll ‘Em Pete – Big Joe Turner
Flying Home – Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra
My Prayer – The Ink Spots
Big Stuff – Billie Holiday
Don’t Cry Baby – Erskine Childers
Bean and Cornbread – Louis Jordan
Azure – Ella Fitzgerald
Alabama – John Coltrane
That Lucky Old Sun Just Rolls Around Heaven – Ray Charles
Arabesque Cookie – Duke Ellington
Shotgun – Junior Walker & The All Stars

Leave a comment

Filed under Albuquerque, Antiracism, Exercise, hiking, Human Rights, Music, National Park, New Mexico, playlist

20 February 2025

Hiking. Sandia Foothills. Stretching.
Black History Month.
Someday We’ll All Be Free – Keb’ Mo’
Mbube – Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Love’s In Need of Love Today – The String Queens
Spring Is Here – Ahmad Jamal
Home – Diana Ross, The Wiz: Original Soundtrack
Fly Girl – Queen Latifah
Brand New Second Hand – Peter Tosh
A Sign of the Ages – Gil Scott-Heron
Starlight – Yola
Finally Made Me Happy – Macy Gray
Hard To Love – H.E.R.
I’m Going to Live the Life I Sing About In My Song – Mahalia Jackson
Yellow Moon – The Neville Brothers
What Now – Rihanna
Crush – Yuna, feat. Usher

Leave a comment

Filed under Albuquerque, Exercise, hiking, Music, New Mexico, playlist

19 February 2025

Walking. Morning movement.
Anniversary of internment of Japanese Americans
Kenji – Fort Minor
Summer of ’42 – Kishi Bashi
Resist – Allegiance
Manzanar – Channel 3
Manzanar – Laurie Lewis
Manzanar – Tom Paxton & Anne Hills
How Can You Go? – Lea Salonga & Telly Leung
Wishes on the Wind – Lea Salonga & Telly Leung
Allegiance – Allegiance
Our Time Now – Allegiance
Stronger Than Before – Lea Salongs & Katie Rose Clark
Still a Chance – Allegiance
Sands of Manzanar – Yukiko Matsuyama & Hirotaka Ogawa
I Remember – Beth DeSombre
Asian American History – Jason Chu & Alan Z
We are the Children – Nobuko Miyanmoto, feat. Derek Najamoto
120,000 Stories – Nobuko Miyanmoto, feat. Mike Penny & George Abe

Leave a comment

Filed under Albuquerque, Antiracism, Current Events, Exercise, Music, New Mexico, playlist

45 Mile Outdoor Challenge for The Trevor Project

I’ve signed up for the 45 Mile Outdoor Challenge for The Trevor Project because this cause is close to my heart. I want to take action and make an impact. And I would love your help. Whether you donate $5 or $500, every bit counts. I’ve set an ambitious goal because I know that with support from people like you, I can get there.

The Trevor Project’s mission is to end suicide among gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning young people. Learn more here: thetrevorproject.org.

Thank you for your support!

William (that’s my first name) MARK

Donate to my page!

Leave a comment

Filed under Albuquerque, Current Events, Exercise, Friends, New Mexico

“You do magic.”

“Now Gimli, you do magic,” Lucy directed.

I sat on a chair atop an elevated slab of concrete at the Albuquerque BioPark Zoo. Lucy and her grandmother (Tricia) sat on a bench facing me.

I did not think quickly enough to say that magic is Gandalf’s gig, not Gimli’s. I did recall my one magic trick guaranteed to impress everyone.

“Watch me pull a bald head from a hat,” I said.

Slowly and dramatically I removed my hat to reveal … a bald head.

When Lucy asked for another trick, wishful thinking took over.

“Watch me pull a head with hair from a hat.” Major failure as the revealed pate was once again bald.

“My head has hair,” laughed Lucy kindly as she came to stand beside me.

“Let’s see if this works,” I mused. I placed the hat on her head. “Abracadabra,” I intoned. I removed the hat and revealed a mass of hair.

“My turn,” declared Lucy. I went to sit with Tricia.

“Pocus-pocus,” Lucy chanted. I’m not sure what was supposed to happen. And in the end it does not matter.

The magic and wonder of the day lay not in any tricks we did or did not perform.

The magic and wonder lay in the imagination and love of a child.

The imagination …
… that transformed any elevated space into a stage where one could dance with abandon or direct a magic show …
… that realized the ramp to the observation deck at the monkey exhibit provided an entry point to a ship of some sort and we needed to help each other on board …
… that envisioned a chair as throne …
… and that made music with abandon on a suspended wooden xylophone.

The love …
… demonstrated by utter comfort and absolute confidence in her grandmother’s arms …
… shown in kindness to other visitors …
,,, and expressed in appreciation for the creatures with whom we share God’s creation.

As I give thanks for Lucy’s imagination and love, I hope I can recover some of that myself. For it is a joyful, joy-inspiring, joyous way to live.

The image is from Lucy’s coat sleeve.

Leave a comment

Filed under Albuquerque, Family, New Mexico

13 February 2025

Walking. Arroyo to Smith’s. Morning movement.
Black History Month.
Mighty River – Mary J. Blige –
Stand Up – Cynthia Erivo
The Lord God of Abraham, from Elijah, Op. 70 – Paul Robeson
Just One Of Those Things – Louis Armstrong & Oscar Peterson
Sunny Land – Elmore James
Take Time – Lenny Kravitz
B Movie (aint really a life) – Gil Scott-Heron
Different Colours, One People – Wouter Kellerman & Soweto Gospel Choir Symphonic Soweto, feat. KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic & Angélique Kidjo & Rocky Dawuni
Want Ad Blues – John Lee Hooker
Let’s Talk About Hair -Sweet Honey In the Rock
Spirit of the Lord Is Coming Down – The Blind Boys of Alabama
The Weight – Aretha Franklin
Careless Love – Lead Belly
Alphabet St. – Prince
Walking to New Orleans – Fats Domino

Leave a comment

Filed under Albuquerque, Antiracism, Exercise, Human Rights, Music, New Mexico, playlist

12 February 2025

Walking. Huning Highland neighborhood. Walking. North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center. Morning movement. Chair stretching.
Black History Month,
Late Hours At Midnight – Elmore James
We Won’t Cry – Archie Roach, feat.Paul Kelly
Pieces of a Man -Gil Scott-Heron
Bag Lady – Erykah Badu
Miami – Nicki Minaj
Girl – Destiny’s Child
That’s How Strong My Love Is – Otis Redding
Music is in Everything – Ziggy Marley, feat. Lisa Loeb
Don’t Lie – The Black Eyed Peas
Intro – Mary J. Blige
Hell No, We Aint Alright – Public Enemy, feat. Paris
I’m On Your Side – Keb’ Mo’
Colors – Yuna
That’s One To Grow On – Dobie Gray
Water Boy – Paul Robeson
Go Ahead John (part two B) – Miles Davis

Leave a comment

Filed under Albuquerque, Antiracism, Exercise, Human Rights, Music, New Mexico, playlist