Phoenix Facts

Fun Facts About Phoenix

Phoenix is the United States’ fifth-largest city with a population of nearly 1.5 million. (The largest four are NYC, LA, Chicago and Houston. Phoenix is the fastest growing among the five).

Greater Phoenix (which includes, among others, the cities of Chandler, Glendale, Scottsdale and Tempe) has a population of nearly 3.8 million and covers 2,000 square miles.

Maricopa County—where Greater Phoenix is located—covers 9,127 square miles.

Phoenix's elevation is 1,117 feet.

Greater Phoenix is located in the heart of the Sonoran Desert.

Phoenix averages more than 300 sun-filled days per year.

Phoenix has an average annual rainfall of 7.66 inches, an average annual temperature of 72.6 degrees and an annual high temperature of 85 degrees.

Greater Phoenix has more than 55,000 hotel rooms at nearly 400 hotels and more than 30 resort properties.

Greater Phoenix is home to over 200 golf courses.

Greater Phoenix consistently ranks among the nation’s top cities in the number of Five and Four Diamond and Five and Four Star resorts.

More than 13.5 million people visit Phoenix each year. More than 30 million people visit Arizona each year.

The typical visitor to Phoenix is 50 years old, has an average household income of $74,700 and spends 4.6 nights in the metro area.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is served by more than 20 airlines, and is a hub for two low-fare carriers: US Airways and Southwest Airlines.

Sky Harbor serves more than 41 million passengers a year, ranking it among the 10 busiest airports in the nation.

Phoenix is one of only 13 U.S. cities with franchises in all four major professional sports leagues: Phoenix Suns (NBA), Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB), Arizona Cardinals (NFL) and Phoenix Coyotes (NHL).

Phoenix is one of only six U.S. cities with eight professional sports franchises: Phoenix Suns (NBA), Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB), Arizona Cardinals (NFL), Phoenix Coyotes (NHL), Phoenix Mercury (WNBA), Arizona Rattlers (AFL), Arizona Sting (NLL) and Phoenix Roadrunners (ECHL).

Greater Phoenix hosted Super Bowl XXX on Jan. 28, 1996, and will host Super Bowl XLII on Feb. 3, 2008.

Phoenix hosted the 2001 World Series and is the home of the World Series Champion Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Phoenix Suns have brought the NBA playoffs to US Airways Center 16 times in the past 18 seasons.

12 Major League Baseball teams conduct spring training in the Cactus League, which in 2007 drew more than 1 million fans for the sixth consecutive year.

Greater Phoenix is home to nine Cactus League franchises: San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers and Anaheim Angels. (The Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox train in Tucson.)

University of Phoenix Stadium, home of Super Bowl XLII, is the only stadium in North America with both a retractable fabric roof and a roll-out grass field.

Three pro golf tournaments have regular stops in Phoenix: The FBR Open (PGA), the Safeway International LPGA Tournament, the Standard Register Turquoise Classic (LPGA) and the Nationwide Tour’s Gila River Classic.

The FBR Open, played each February at the TPC Scottsdale, is the best-attended event on the PGA Tour, averaging more than 500,000 spectators. The event raised a PGA Tour-record $6.8 million for charity in 2007.

Greater Phoenix is home to college football’s Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and Insight Bowl. The 2007 BCS National Championship was played at University of Phoenix Stadium.
Phoenix is home to many different motor sports. Included are Indy Car and NASCAR events at Phoenix International Raceway, drag racing at Manzanita Speedway and boat racing at Firebird International Raceway.

Greater Phoenix’s major industries are (1) high-tech manufacturing, (2) tourism and (3) construction.

Greater Phoenix is the corporate headquarters for companies such as Intel, Avnet, Motorola, AlliedSignal, Honeywell and Boeing.

Phoenix is home to the largest municipal park in the world. South Mountain Park and Preserve covers more than 16,500 acres and has more than 50 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails.

There are six lakes within a 75-minute drive of Phoenix.

Phoenix has museums to suit nearly every taste. The Heard Museum (Native American); Desert Botanical Garden (the world's largest collection of desert plants); Taliesin West (home of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation); the Phoenix Art Museum (the Southwest's largest art museum); the Fleischer Museum (American Impressionism); the Arizona Science Center; the Hall of Flame (featuring the world's largest collection of fire-fighting equipment); Pueblo Grande Museum and Cultural Park (Native American) and the Phoenix Museum of History are among the cultural hot spots.

The Heard Museum has an extensive collection of Native American artifacts, including the largest kachina doll collection (donated in part by the late Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater) of any museum in the country.

Arizona is home to 23 reservations representing 21 different Native American tribes.

My Fearless Predictions for 2008

Here are some of my predictions for 2008. I'll be updating it in the next few days.

1. A showbiz couple will have marital problems but they will not separate.

2. A showbiz love team on and off screen will have problems and will call it quits.

3. Someone will get pregnant. Or at least two. One is from showbiz, the other is not. Their respective lovers will be the culprits.

4. Camille Pratts will give birth to an illegitimate baby. (Kaya?)

5. A popular star will star in a primetime soap. She will have a leading man. The soap will air in the evenings. (I am not very sure on this, though).

6. Somebody connected in some way to showbiz will die. (Sana di magka totoo).

7. Mother Lily will produce at least one movie in 2008.

8. There will be NO altar date yet for Makisig Morales. Ditto with Mel Tiangco. I don't know about Ogie and Regine.

9. At least two giant networks will produce soaps. (Not the Palmolive variety).

10. A destructive typhoon will hit the country late in the year. Crops will be destroyed!

11. There will be some flooding in Metro Manila due to some thunderstorms. (Hope I'd be proven wrong)

12. Ruffa Gutierrez will mention Ylmaz's name at least once in 2008. Annabelle Rama will comment.

13. Kris Aquino will most probably talk!

14. Boy Abunda will be Boy Abunda.

15. Philippine politics will continue to be interesting but not as interesting as showbiz. Or are they one and the same?

More to follow. How about your predictions?

I Am The God That Healeth Thee

I Worship You

Like Eagles

Rescue by Don Moen

RESCUE

You are the source of life
I can’t be left behind
No one else will do
I will take hold of you

(chorus)
(Cause) I need you Jesus
To come to my rescue
(tell me) Where else can I go
There’s no other name
By which I am saved
(O) Captured me with grace

I will follow you
I will follow you

My heart is yours for life
I need your hand in mine
No one else will do
I put my trust in you

(Chorus 2x)

I will follow you
I will follow you

I WIll Run To You

I
Your eye is on the sparrow
And your hand it comforts me
From the ends of the earth
To the depth of my heart
Let your mercy and strength be seen

II
You call me to your purpose
As angels understand
For your glory, may you draw all men
As your love and praise demands

III
And I will run to you
To your words of truth
Not by might, not by power
But by your spirit of God

IV
Yes I will run the race
Till I see your face
O let me live in the glory of your grace

II and III, IV then III, IV

Shine Jesus Shine

Prayer for the New Year

A New Year’s Prayer

FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo
Friday, December 28, 2007
Philippine Star

Lord, with a grateful heart, we come to You today to thank You for all the things that You have brought into our lives the past 365 days of the past year.

We bow down and kneel before You, O Lord, and praise You as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, a forgiving and merciful Father that You are.

Grant us the grace of a deeply repentant heart. Forgive us for all the times that we have been so selfish and proud, for the things that we have said and done which may have hurt others, for doing the things which were not in accordance with Your teachings. Pardon us, Lord, for all our sins and shortcomings.

Lord, thank you for the good life — good health, good food, good friends, good tidings, good cheers. Thank you for all the times that You have been there for us through our family and friends who stood by us in good times or in bad.

Lord, we ask for Your graces and blessings as we start another year, and as we continue and go on with life’s many journeys. We offer to You our children: Guide them in their daily activities, never allow them to be separated from You. We offer to You our family: Grant us good health and guide us in our directions and decisions in life. Let there always be love, peace, and harmony in our home. Help us to treat everyone fairly and justly regardless of who they are. Remind us always to have good thoughts, to say good words, and to do good deeds. But most of all, to be humble all the days of our lives as we are all but passing visitors on this earth. In all these, Lord, always remind us of Your love, and from that love, help us to build and live life with You in our hearts and minds. For always. At all times.

Lord, help us to start the new year right, with You as the center of our lives today, tomorrow, and the coming days of the year 2008. All these we ask in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord and God’s Holy Spirit. Amen.

Libertango WOW!

Excelente!!!!!!! Me gusto todo. La musicalidad, lo técnico, la idea, el erotismo... todo. Felicitaciones!!!!! Bravo!!!! There are more piano duets of these two in their website. Ang galing-galing nila po.

The Best Christmas Gift

"He comes to us, not to shield us from the harshness of the world but to give us the courage and strength to bear it; not to snatch us away by some miracle from the conflict of life, but to give us peace - His peace - in our hearts, by which we may be calmly steadfast while the conflict rages, and be able to bring to the torn world the healing that is peace."

A peaceful Christmas to you all.

With God's love and all the love in the world,

Art

I Surrender All

There Is None Like You

Give Thanks

Church Pics

Which church in Manila is this? Somebody tell me please.

I love this picture. The fountain is big bold and beautiful and the calesa is so cute and tiny from the camera's perspective. The shutter speed was just right to freeze yet still denoting some movement of the water falling from the fountain. The sun rays add some celestial character to the church picture.

I only wish the fountain would have taken only a third of the frame. As it is the composition is such that there seems to be two pictures joined to form one. A big no no in photography, that one. But again, I love this picture.

Which church is the above pic again?

The church shown below I definitely know. It's the San Agustin church in my beloved town of Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. I love the fountain and how it took only a third of the frame. Remember the rule of thirds in photography?

A Pretty Sight

I've been away from Manila for some time and I heard of the Pasig River ferry that runs from Guadalupe to Escolta(?). I really hope the ferry is a success. We need this one. It also might bring to light the plight (and filth) of the river and that the authorities will do something about it. I'm heartened to remember that the Singapore river used to be very filthy but is now clean and a beautiful sight after a major cleanup.

I received this picture from a friend who've tried the ferry. He thinks everyone should try it for the interesting sights like the Malacanang, Escolta and even the slums along the banks.

One building along the banks is the Manila Central Post Office, almost postcard pretty in the above picture until one looks closer and sees a really disgusting sight. Look closer at the picture above before moving down to the enlarged portion below.

Tarannnnn!




At left is a close up of someone defecating by the Pasig.

Let's save the Pasig river from people like him/her.

I Will Sing

Sing along with the video, the lyrics are shown below



I Will Sing by Don Moen

Lord you seem so far away
A million miles or more it feels today
Though I haven’t lost my faith I must confess right now that it’s hard for me to pray

(Chorus 1)
But I don’t know what to say
And I don’t know where to start
But as your give the grace
With all that’s in my heart

(Chorus 2)
I will sing, I will praise
Even in my darkest night
Through the sorrow and the pain
I will sing, I will praise
Lift my hands to honor you
Because your word is true
I will sing

Lord it’s hard for me to see
All the thoughts and plan you have for me
But I will put my trust in you
Knowing that you died to set me free

(Chorus 1 and 2)

I will sing, I will praise
Lift my hands to honor you
Because your word is true
I will sing

Shout To The Lord

Lord I Offer My Life To You

The Power of Your Love

God Will Make A Way

Praise Looks Good On You

December in Phoenix

It's Decemberrrrrrrr. Bring out your warm and thick jackets. So they say

But in Phoenix? Nope. A light sweater will do at nights. During the days, a shirt is all one wears.

It will get a little cooler though in January. So I heard. I will be ready.

Elsewhere as in Yosemite, California (below), a thick jacket is a must.

Photography Tip

Did you notice my headress? That's an autumn tree growing out of my head! I remember a tip I learned from a photography class years ago - Look out for trees, or other funny things, seeming to grow out of the subject's head. Avoid them.

The picture above was taken years ago one autumn in West Point. I didn't get to see fall colors this year as trees in Phoenix don't turn red and gold.

I really miss the fall foliage. At left is a picture of fall foliage in the northeast United States.

Agree or Diasagree?

Never Allow Someone To Be Your Priority While You Remain Their Option.

A quotable quote. I believe it's not entirely correct though. We should risk loving people no matter how they regard us.

Let me hear what you think.