Van Halen – Tattoo from Van Halen on Vimeo.

Any music fan knows that when their favorite musician(s) releases new material, the moment you hear it, it can be a very special moment. That moment has occurred for me 8 times since the late 80s with the band I’ve followed since 1986: Van Halen. Today, VH released their first single “Tattoo” from their new album A Different Kind of Truth (release date Feb 7). It’s been nearly 8 years since VH’s last new song (“It’s About Time” off The Best of Both Worlds with Sammy Hagar; the band also recorded 2 rather forgettable songs with Sammy). The forthcoming album will be the first studio album for the band since 1998′s Van Halen III with Gary Cherone. The last time they recorded with David Lee Roth was in 1996 for “Me Wise Magic” and “Can’t Get This Stuff No More” from Best Of, Volume I. Truth is the first studio album with Dave since their landmark 1984 album. The new album will also be their first with Wolfgang Van Halen playing bass.

My thoughts on the new song “Tattoo”? It ain’t bad, but it ain’t great either. The lyrics have Dave written all over them: “Mousewife to bombshell in the time it took to get that new tattoo”. Wasn’t crazy of the repetitive chorus at first, but it has actually grown on me. Alex and Wolf maintain the foundation with a solid groove. And Eddie’s guitar is heaven; his signature “brown” sound is back in full force.

I had my doubts on whether Wolfgang could play with the band. But after watching this video of VH performing “She’s a Woman” at their Cafe Wha? show last week, he proved me wrong. The audio isn’t great, but you can clearly hear Wolfgang tear it up on the bass.

People are going to inevitably compare the new stuff to VH from both the Dave and Sammy eras. I don’t expect A Different Kind of Truth to rival any of their classic albums; most bands can’t, and I don’t think that’s the intent. It is 2012, and three quarters of the band are pushing 60 (Wolfgang turns 21 in March). I mean, come on – look at the Rolling Stones, for crying out loud. I’m just happy to listen to the band, and it’s exciting to hear new material from a group who is clearly having fun together once again. If there’s anything that gives me goosebumps, it’s listening to Eddie play. I anxiously await the arrival of the new album.

Now the only thing I haven’t done yet is see them in concert with Dave…

Pujols batting in our first game at Busch III

Many believe Albert Pujols is the best player in the major leagues. Cardinal fans believe that (at least, some did up until last Thursday). Rookie of the year, 3-time MVP, 3 National League pennants, and 2 World Series champonships. He holds the record of 10 consecutive seasons from the start of his career on hitting .300 with 30+ home runs and 100 RBIs. But most say that 2011 was an “off-year” for Pujols. Slumping during the season, career lows in batting average and RBIs, and missed 13 games due to injury. For most players, Pujols’ 2011 stats would be stellar. Per the New York Times, “Even when Pujols struggles, he excels.”

For me, I had hoped that Albert would have stayed a Cardinal, to be a member of a team for the duration of his career. He may hever supplant Stan Musial, but he would have been right up there with “the Man”. St. Louis adores its Cardinals. Most superstars are usually held in the highest regard by their fans, but nowhere else will you find the support and adoration like you will in St. Louis. Just ask the players, past and current: St. Louis has the best fans in baseball. I don’t think any other town will treat Pujols the same as St. Louis did. It’s disappointing to hear people are “recycling” or even burning their Pujols jerseys. I have Cardinal gear with former players’ names on them, and I still wear them; I know there are other Cardinal fans like me. So let’s be realistic and not take this change so personal like Cleveland did.

I don’t feel hatred or anger towards Pujols. Major League Baseball is a business, and I know Albert did what he felt is best for himself and for his family. For a working man, you and your family ALWAYS comes first. Forget the millions of dollars here for once. If I’m in a position where I excel at my job, and someone else wants to hire me, pay me more, and possibly give me something more that I currently have, I will seriously consider leaving my current employer to join a new team. It will sadden me to leave the group that I have worked with day in and day out and have grown close to, but ultimately, I must put myself and my family first when it comes to a change in my career.

And Albert is an extraordinary person. He is a better person than me when it comes to charitable work. He and his wife Deidre established the Pujols Family Foundation to help those with Down Syndrome (something Deidre’s daughter was born with), and it also aids the poor in his home country of the Dominican Republic. And he is actively involved, whether it be a prom for his friends or delivering supplies to his homeland. To get a better understanding of Albert Pujols outside of baseball, you must read and see his segment on 60 Minutes. It certainly puts things in perspective.

And what about the Cardinals? They’ll be fine. We just won the World Series, for crying out loud. With the exception of Game 3 where he joined Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only players to hit 3 HRs in a WS game, Pujols was not a major factor (yes, I know in Game 6, he did hit a key double in the 9th that led to a tie game that ultimately… well, you know the rest). The lineup we have is solid. And now we have a little extra money to play with.

Good article on USA Today on the Angels’ signing of Pujols and what it does for baseball.

I’m happy that he was a Cardinal for his first 11 seasons, and each of them were pretty damn awesome. I’m glad that I got to see him play, and although she won’t remember them, I’m happy that my little girl Sophia went to 3 of his baseball games as a Cardinal. Albert, good luck in LA. I wish you all the best with your future endeavors in baseball and in life. Thanks for the memories.

Photos of Sophia from the fall of 2011, including photos featured in her “Fall 2011″ video.

Interesting post above by Peter Rojas on why he does not own an iPhone. Despite my love for iOS, I own an Android phone, and I have to agree with some of his points.

Google’s integration of Gmail and Google Voice is huge for me. I primarily use Voice as my main contact number, and I love the ability to send and receive texts from my phone or my computer; getting voicemail in my email is great too. I primarily use Gmail to store all my contacts, so it’s always backed up on the web, and it’s so easy to sync to my phone for email, texts, and calls. Android customization with widgets is not that big a deal for me, but it’s fun to revamp the launcher to give my phone a refresh or a new “look”.

But when it comes to apps and usability, Android doesn’t feel very stable to me. I have an iPod touch, and I’ve used it long before I got my HTC Incredible. Using the touchscreen on an iOS device is so much better and more responsive than on an Android device (and there clearly is a difference in how these devices react to touch). App loading and screen transitions aren’t always smooth. The quality of apps on the Android Market, to quote Kevin Rose, “sucks ass” compared to those in the Apple’s App Store. And I just can’t listen to music on my Android; the player doesn’t hold a candle to the iPod app in iOS. When it comes to daily use, I get more out of my iPod touch then I do my Android phone. Though I think everyone will agree that it would be nice if keyboards available on Android like Swype and, my personal favorite, SwiftKey could be used on iOS as the default keyboard sucks.

Outside of Google integration, I think an iPhone is a better fit for me. But I won’t be eligible to upgrade until next July. By then, I might as well wait 3 more months when the next iteration (the “real” iPhone 5?) is expected to be announced by Apple.

Amazon Just Won The Android Tablet Wars With The $199 Kindle Fire (TechCrunch)