Spurs Blow 20 Point Lead Drop Game One

All season long the Spurs have seemingly been a team with two faces.  There are the defending champs, who play tough, smart basketball, and then there are the other guys, who struggle to put the ball in the basket and play uninspired.  Normally, these streaks last for a game or two, but in Game 1 against the Lakers, the defending champs showed up in the first half, but the other guys came out after halftime. 

The good Spurs lead by as many as 20 points, but the other guys fumbled around in the final quarter, allowing themselves to miss almost every shot, and not being able to stop the league MVP, Kobe Bryant, or anyone else. 

The Spurs had the series in the palm of their ring-laden hands.  Up by 20 in LA, they were ready to send a message that they were taking home court advantage back, and were ready to defend their championship against all comers.  Unfortunately for San Antonio Spurs fans, the effort was not sustained in the second half, and Bryant had his way with San Antonio in the half, scoring 25 points.  The Spurs actually seemed to play worse as the game went on, topping the game off with a 3-21 fourth quarter. 

As soon as the third period opened, San Antonio picked up right where they left off, going on a 14-2 run to push their lead to 20.  Of course, that’s when their party ended and LA’s began.  Kobe Bryant helped start a 14-0 run the other way, scoring 7 points, and adding a pair of assists to help his team close the gap.  After that, the Spurs were, for the most part, done.  Although they had opportunities to tie or take the lead late in the game, it was Bryant’s game as the game wore on.

For San Antonio, Tim Duncan scored 30 points, had 18 rebounds, and a pair of assists.  Tony Parker also had a good stat line, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.  Ginobili had an off-night, only managing 10 points on 3-13 shooting.   Duncan scored his final two points with 41 seconds left to tie the game at 85.  With LA up by a basket, Ginobili had a chance to win in the closing seconds, but missed on his three-point try.

San Antonio will try their luck again Friday in LA, before the action shifts back to San Antonio Texas for Game 3.

South Texas on a Tank of Gas: Canyon Lake

Next in our series of places to visit on a tank of gas is Canyon Lake.  Located just about an hour north of downtown San Antonio, one of the most scenic and beautiful lakes in the entire state waits to greet visitors.  Boasting 80 miles of shore, Canyon Lake is created from the waters from another of the Hill Country’s natural landmarks, the Guadalupe River. 

Whatever their preference, visitors to the lake will find almost any outdoor activity available that one could hope for.  In addition to the lake itself, eight parks are located on its shores, including:

· Canyon Park & Canyon Beach Swim Area
· Comal Park
· Crane’s Mill Park
· Guadalupe Park
· Jacob’s Creek Park
· North Park
· Overlook Park
· Potter’s Creek Park

{mosimage}The lake is perfect for water sports of all sorts, including fishing, swimming, boating, skiing, and more.  The clear water and depth of the lake (43 foot average) also make it a great place for SCUBA diving.  Anyone who has their own diving equipment can come to Canyon Lake and enjoy exploring the unique underwater environment that it has to offer.  For other outdoors enthusiasts, camping, picnicking, and wildlife viewing can all be taken advantage of in the surrounding parks.  Whitewater aficionados will find the waters of the Upper Guadalupe a great place to put in their raft, canoe, or kayak, and get their adrenaline pumping as they speed downstream.  The Lower Guadalupe is perfect for lazing down the calmer waters in a tube or canoe.

Fishermen will find the waters teeming with a variety of fish species native to the area.  Anglers can test their skills trying to reel in Guadalupe, Largemouth, Smallmouth, and White Bass; Blue, Channel, and Flathead Catfish, Black and White Crappie, Bluegills, Walleyes, and more.

Canyon Lake is located about 20 miles north of New Braunfels, and can be reached by taking 281 N to the Boerne/New Braunfels Exit (46), then heading left on FM 3159 to Startz Rd.  The parks are usually open from 7 AM to 10 PM, and fees vary from free entrance to a few dollars per car.

Mission Realty 

South Texas on a Tank of Gas Calaveras and Braunig Lake Parks

With rising gas prices and a weak economy, many people are looking for vacations that are cheaper, closer to home, and yet still provide an exciting outing full of cultural experiences and fun.  Luckily for residents of the San Antonio, there are numerous opportunities for all kinds of exciting getaways within a couple hours drive.  Over the coming weeks, this satxblog will be taking a look at some of Central South Texas’ best bets for a weekend adventure in many of the best small towns, parks, campgrounds, outdoor sites, and even beaches, that can be reached in roughly two hours’ driving.  Just because the economy is a bust these days, doesn’t mean that your summer has to be!

South Texas is loaded with opportunities to get away from the stress of the city life, and two parks that are just on San Antonio’s doorstep are Calaveras Lake Park and Braunig Lake Park.  Located just 15 miles southeast of the city, these two parks combine to offer visitors the picturesque beauty of the Hill Country with the excitement of the Texas outdoors.  For a minimal charge of just a few dollars, visitors can have access to both parks and all of the great activities that the parks provide. 

Between the two parks, visitors have access to fishing, camping, hiking or biking on the nature trails, boating, picnicking, and more.  In the area surrounding the park, Texas’ wildlife is on full display with a wide variety of birds, wildflowers, fish, and plenty of furry friends.  The main draw for these two lakes, however, are the watersports opportunities that both present visitors.  Boats are allowed on both lakes, and boats are available for rental also.  Fishermen are well-cared for as well, as both parks feature lighted piers, cleaning areas, tackle shops, and acres of water full of hungry catfish, bass, muskie, and red drum. 

Both parks are pet-friendly (with leashes), and offer terrific picnic areas, playgrounds, and plenty of other areas for the whole family to enjoy.  Both parks can be reached by taking Highway 37 south.

Braunig Lake is located 15 miles southeast of downtown San Antonio off Interstate Highway 37 south; take Exit 130 (Donop Road) and follow the signs. The park entrance is located at 17500 Donop Road. 

Calaveras Lake is located 15 miles southeast of San Antonio. From Loop 410, proceed southeast on U.S. Highway 181 south, then turn left on Loop 1604 and proceed for two miles; turn left on Stuart Road and proceed for 1/2 mile to the park entrance. The park is located at 12991 Bernhardt Road.

The parks are open every day of the year.  The American economy may be limping along, and a gallon of gas may soon cost more than a gallon of Dom Perignon, but there’s still no reason not to hop in the car, load up the family, and spend a day or two visiting some of south Texas’ beautiful offerings.

Buying a piece of America isn't just the American dream, now it is what smart Europeans are doing, too. Strong Euro against the weak US dollar makes investing in the United States by overseas investors a quite smart and potentially profitable choice.

One of the quickest ways that an investor can increase his or her wealth involves owning real estate. This is particularly the case when it comes to European investors, especially if they are looking to invest in U.S. real estate. There are numerous advantages to choosing the United States over other countries for investing purposes. One main reason is because the U.S. dollar is weak compared to the Euro. This allows the European investor to leverage the purchase of real estate at prices that are tens of thousands less than what an American could make the same purchase for.

However, not all real estate in the United States is prime for investment purposes. For example, areas in California, Florida and parts of the Northeast United States have somewhat considerably inflated real estate prices. These properties might be too expensive for an ordinary European investor. This is why it is better that Europeans ought to be considering alternatives that are more reasonably priced, though even then they should be careful. Inexpensive options for real estate are not effective if they are in areas that are not capable of increasing in value over time. Instead, the real estate will just remain on the market for much longer, as the investor will have to struggle to find a person who is willing to buy.

So, what would be a very good solution for overseas investors? Investors who want to be successful need to find an area within the United States that is both reasonably priced and has a moderate cost of living. With this winning combination, investors will be able to purchase into something that they can afford while still being allowed the opportunity to make a decent profit in a reasonable amount of time. If investors are unfamiliar as to which U.S. cities fits such a set of criteria, one of the greatest places to begin a search is in San Antonio, Texas, due to the reasonable cost of living.

Real estate in San Antonio averages around only $150,000, (or currently with the devalued dollar about 105,000 in Euros).  Compare this to the national United States real estate price average, which is in excess of $220,000 and you will be pleasantly surprised. Just because the real estate is significantly less expensive in San Antonio, Texas; does not mean that anything will be sacrificed when it comes to quality. This is because even at $150,000, you will be able to choose between new or previously owned, either, absolutely stunning.

Take a quick look at online San Antonio Home Search online to give one an idea of what the real estate worth $150,000 in San Antonio actually is going to look like. Most of the real estate you will find in San Antonio will range 1600-2500 square feet, single-family homes with 3-5 bedrooms, and at least 2 full bathrooms and 2-car garage. In terms of style, many are ranches or 2-story. Although most of the homes in San Antonio have been constructed in recent years, their prices average around the same as the older homes in the city. Additionally, many of the properties are brand new construction or already in move-in condition. Investors will not have to worry themselves with the idea of spending thousands more trying to repair ‘fixer-upper’ properties.

Chances are high that any property bought in San Antonio will increase in value over time. This is because there are two different prospective markets for San Antonio real estate: native San Antonio residents, and people from other states who are looking for more economic freedom. In fact, the latter category might be even more likely to buy or rent than the former, since native San Antonians are already acquainted with the economic advantages associated with their location.

San Antonio is the 7th largest city in the US with nearly 2 million people. These economic advantages to living in San Antonio, Texas are many. First, San Antonio residents do not have to pay state income tax, allowing them to receive more from their paychecks. Secondly, the overall cost of living is much easier to handle in the region. This can be observed using the cost of living index, which is 95.2, (compared to the U.S. average of 100). Thirdly, San Antonio is already poised for further economic growth. Economists predict that the city will gain over 85,000 new jobs over the next 5 years.

Of course, San Antonio also offers many social advantages as well. For instance, the region has undergone significant urban development, especially in comparison to other major cities in Texas. This includes having one of the main elements that makes for a well-functioning city: good transportation. San Antonio fits into this set of criteria by possessing very good bus and downtown streetcar services, as well as access to multiple major freeways.

There is also a lot to do in San Antonio. The area is well saturated with shops, clubs, stadiums, restaurants, golf courses and movie theaters. What sets San Antonio apart from other cities within the US is the city's myriad of tourist attractions that can be enjoyed by visitors to the city, and residents as well. For example, a popular attraction in San Antonio is the Alamo. Texas most visited tourist spot.

There is also the Riverwalk, which is claimed to be the most popular tourist destination in San Antonio. The area holds a wide array of events and festivals.

If a person is unable to attend a Riverwalk event, another way to enjoy the scenery is through a traditional boat ride tour. These boat rides can be a simple stroll in a ferry, or something much more luxurious, such as a dinner cruise. Either choice will allow residents to be able to fully enjoy the idyllic experience available through the River walk.

Another reason why people from other states tend to consider relocation is because of the San Antonio's excellent weather. In the winter months, San Antonio’s temperature ranges from 62 to 71 degrees. In the spring the weather ranges from 74 to 86 degrees. The summer months brings temperatures between 90 and 95 degrees. Finally, the fall has weather that is between 82 and 90 degrees. So, as one can see, the region does not get unreasonably cold or unbearably hot, unlike other areas that are touted for their ‘good’ weather.

Investors from all over, particularly from Europe, who are not taking advantage of the real estate market in San Antonio, are putting themselves at a serious disadvantage over other investors that are. European investors can get some suggestions on ways to begin investing endeavors in San Antonio, Texas real estate.

Before a European investor can make any official moves, they must be aware of what is available on the market. To do this, they will need to conduct some research. Suggested sources Texas A&M University Real Estate Center http://recenter.tamu.edu/, the San Antonio Express News-local newspapers http://www.mysa.com, and local Texas real estate agent websites http://www.satxproperty.com {mosimage}

Financing is available for the foreign investor. This step may require a little bit of extra investigation because not all Texas mortgage companies have programs available for financing an international investment. Still, enough of these transactions are completed on a regular basis that the European investor should still be able to obtain the help and the financing that they need.

Once a European investor has acquired the property their heart was set on, they will need to put a significant amount of consideration into how they are going to utilize the property.  Vacation, second home, home for student child attending a university in San Antonio. 

If a European investor decides to rent the property out instead, they can squeeze a monthly payment out of the property for as long as it is in their possession. How can a European investor collect rent if they do not live in the same country as their tenants? The best solution to this conundrum is simply to hire a property management company to handle these affairs. Property managers can be responsible for collecting rent, as well as handling any repairs that may need to be done throughout time on the property. The downside to using a property manager to handle these affairs is that they must be paid through a portion of the rent fees. Still, they can be quite beneficial to an investor who lives out of the country, which means it may be a worthwhile consideration to make.

It should be quite clear by now that San Antonio is a prime location for a variety of strong and productive investing opportunities, especially for Europeans who are looking to own a piece of America. San Antonio offers beauty, affordability and a large number of attractive amenities that nearly guarantee a boost in population in the near future. What this means is that now is prime time to make a serious move. Investors who put their money into San Antonio real estate will surely be glad that they did.

San Antonio Summer Art & Jazz Festival

The SAS Fest, or officially The San Antonio Summer Art & Jazz Festival, is always held annually on the first weekend of June. It is packed with the famous Texas food, Arts and Crafts, and ten awesome jazz concerts. This year will be 6^th annual event and they wanting to continue providing the entertainment in a family atmosphere.

So what is the SAS Fest? Aside from being a great festival, it is great for learning too. This year there will be two free jazz workshops. The workshops have been created to help young student musicians develop their skills of playing their instruments within jazz music. Any person is welcome to attend, although the workshops are aimed at the underprivileged school districts in the area. If you are wanting to learn more about jazz music in general, or simply the music industry, you are encouraged to participate.

Although the original idea of the San Antonio Summer Art & Jazz Festival was simply to promote jazz music, it now is also a supporter of charity. Some of the proceeds received from attending the SAS Fest will go to “Any Baby Can”. It is a non-profit organization created to provide free services to young children who have serious disabilities or illnesses.

SAS also welcomes an estimated forty children from the “Children’s Shelter”. The Children’s Shelter provides housing and care for abused or abandoned children. SAS will provide a nice area at the festival, a dinner, and a toy for each of the children from the Children’s Shelter.

If you would like to attend or even participate in the SAS event, you are encouraged to visit their website for more details. They are seeking talented jazz musicians to display their talent at the festival.

When: June 6^th – June 8^th, 2008

Where: Crocket Park, San Antonio, Texas

            Visit http://sanantoniosummerartjazzfestival.com/id13.html for directions.

            Pets, coolers, and outside food and drink are not allowed.

            You are encouraged to bring a lawn chair.

It may be that a team can pick up the slack for a fallen star.  The other players can raise their game, and the team can continue to win, in spite of a glaring loss.  When a second star goes down with an injury—especially when he is the motor that makes the team go--the chances of the team being able to win against other quality opponents goes down immensely.  Such was the week for the Spurs, who were forced to play two men short, because of two balky ankles.  Tim Duncan missed two more games this week because of a twisted ankle and tweaked knee, but one game before he was to come back, Tony Parker twisted his ankle and was forced out of the line up. 

It was not a good week for the Spurs, as they went 1-2.

Against the Golden State Warriors, the Spurs finally felt the absence of Duncan, and sloppy play led to their downfall.  Without the big man for what was his third straight game, San Antonio committed 21 rebounds—a season high—and didn’t get much from Ginobili, whose hot streak finally came to an end after scoring 37 points in back to back games.  Matt Bonner, however, was one of the bright spots for the Spurs, scoring career highs in points and rebounds, with 25 and 17 respectively.  San Antonio set a season low for points in a quarter, only managing 12 in the second.  Although the Spurs were down as much as 16 in the game, they managed to cut the lead to single digits, before finally falling, 96-84.

Two nights later against the Lakers, the injury bug bit again.  Apparently, Tony Parker had been nursing an injured ankle for the better part of a week, and was finally forced to the sidelines against the Lakers.  With two stars out of the line up, the Spurs fought bravely, but didn’t have enough firepower to finish the job.  The Spurs that did play, stepped up their game, with Bruce Bowen leading the team with 22 points.  Others, such as Robert Horry, with 17 points, and Fabricio Oberto, with 9 points and 16 rebounds, helped San Antonio to hang with the Lakers until the last.  Ginobili scored 14 points, but also committed 7 turnovers and was sidelined for much of the second half with 5 fouls.  The Lakers managed to hold off the Spurs, 102-97, behind Kobe Bryant’s 30 points.

Against Denver, Tim Duncan finally made his reappearance, and although he only played 20 minutes, he made his presence felt with 8 points, 5 rebounds, and a blocked shot.  Just having him back allowed the Spurs to keep their perfect home record in tact, running it to 13-0.  Tony Parker was still sidelined with a bum ankle, but Jacques Vaughn stepped in and contributed 10 points and 6 assists.  Fabricio Oberto stepped up his game in a big way, going 10-11 from the field on his way to 21 points and 13 rebounds.  Michael Finley also chipped in with 21 points on 4-5 shooting from behind the arc.  Although Allen Iverson scored 30 in the loss, the Spurs managed to keep the rest of the Denver offense in check, holding Carmelo Anthony to 15 points, and Marcus Camby to 4.

The Spurs managed to get one star back, but lost another in the process.  The Spurs did drop a pair of games with Duncan on the sidelines, but managed to keep their home record in tact, and still hold a 3 game division lead over Dallas, and the best record in the West, and the second best in the league. 

San Antonio Spurs

Spurs Team Roster and Spurs Salaries

2008-09

San Antonio Shows off its Artistic Side

San Antonio is always a place that prides itself on its unique heritage and culture, and is quickly becoming known throughout the world for hosting art events and openings that are on par with, not only the bigger cities in Texas, but across the nation itself.  September brings a dazzling array of expositions, shows, and festivals to the city, with something for almost all tastes. 

FOTOSEPTIEMBRE is an annual international photography festival, which takes place throughout the entire month of September at a variety of location in San Antonio and the Hill Country.  The show is heavy on local talent, with some of San Antonio’s finest photographers displaying their works, but the international artists are well-represented as well, with many artists from all over Latin America, Great Britain, Canada, France, Russia, Japan, Belgium, Spain, Singapore, Switzerland, and more.  Each photographer’s show is contained in one location, museum, gallery, or cultural center, and in addition to the exhibit itself, features talks given by curators, the photographers themselves, and public discussions on some of the themes.  The website fotoseptiembreusa.com has event information and schedules for all the exhibits.

In addition to still pictures, San Antonio also welcomes the moving pictures to town, in the form of the European Film Festival.  This year marks the fifth year San Antonio will host this event.  From Sept. 8-11, the Palladium will screen a variety of films from France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland, and also host discussion panels with a number of film professors, writers, filmmakers, and industry specialists.  The festival is produced by Santikos Theaters, UTSA, the city of San Antonio, and a variety of European consulates.  Admission is free, and all movies will be shown with English subtitles four times daily.

Finally, music lovers will not want to miss Jazz’SAlive on Sept 20-21 at Travis Park.  While some of the acts are still to be determined, one major headliner is Dave Brubeck.  Jazz fans around the globe Brubeck as a musical genius, and in addition to playing with such legends as Louis Armstrong, Jimmy Rushing, and Carmen McRae, Brubeck has been inducted to numerous music Halls of Fame, and showered with accolades and awards.  Jazz’SAlive is sponsored by the San Antonio Parks Foundation and the city, and admission is free.  This year marks the 25th anniversary of the event, and one that music lovers won’t want to miss. 

September is a month jam-packed with activities and cultural outings with something that should satisfy most all tastes.  San Antonio is quickly becoming known as a vibrant arts town, so come on out and support the artists and the city.  See you there!