Really, how do you measure one up? By their chameleon-like ability to look like the bands they’re covering? Maybe by their masterful replication of Eddie Van Halen’s guitar riffs? Or the most difficult measurement… Mimicking the lead singer’s tonal quality.

Last night’s costume party had an 80’s cover band belting out the hits. I think so at least, between an over-amped keyboard and missing lyrics sung off-key, I wasn’t quite sure what I was hearing. I figured they were just a garage band or friends of the party host doing him a favor for free beer. Then they dropped their web site for future bookings. Whoa, these dudes are for real.

Maybe I caught them on a bad night ’cause it was not-so-good. I wouldn’t normally criticize but I dropped $10 at the door and didn’t see a keg or food so it must have been a paid gig. I should’ve asked for my money back.

A dive buddy of mine sent the following report about the disaster in Cozumel when Hurrican Wilma hit. It’s a long read after the jump but chock full of interesting bits about the difficulty it was leaving the area and dealing with the aftermath. The end of the story includes some excellent tips about traveling abroad.

If you suffer from ADD, skip the words and go straight to the photos.
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blog/gray-whale.jpgThe NRDC BioGems program has been successful in protecting 120,000 acres around the San Ignacio gray whale nursery in Baja California. Linky to full article.

I created a new category called Junior which includes all posts related to his little self. For those interested in cutting to the chase.

Interesting article from The Age, an Australian journal. Topic is Japan’s denial of its brutality toward its enemies in World War 2. Not just the Chinese but other Allies.

Seems the U.S. might have influenced, rather downplayed, those guilty of warcrimes because Gen. MacArthur let 900 of them go. This goes hand-in-hand with the German (and former Nazi) scientists who were promised a new life working for the U.S. military.

A short excerpt after the jump.
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