And topping the trending charts on Twitter and Tumblr, or racking up the most “Likes” on Facebook are the viral tidal wave of NBA memes like this:

What’s a meme? Here’s Urban Dictionary’s definition:

 “An idea, belief or belief system, or pattern of behavior that spreads throughout a culture either vertically by cultural inheritance (as by parents to children) or horizontally by cultural acquisition (as by peers, information media, and entertainment media). Derived from the Greek mimëma, ‘something imitated’.”

Naturally the blogosphere with all its creative juices would jump start Photoshop sarcasm.  Download a picture, add a clever joke line or word play, and voila! Instant Internet comedy improv.

Take this top Spurs meme making the rounds for example:

Awesomely creative, and seizing the moment on SA’s 8-0 playoff start.  Although we should expect a Game 5, and 6, possibly even 7 vs. OKC.

But while we wait for Sunday night to roll around, let’s take a look at some of the top trending memes making viral cameos.

Staying with the Spurs, since SA fans can be just as clever as any Wifi’d fan base in the NBA. Such as when Lebron James picked up his 3rd MVP award, Spurs Nation was quick on the meme draw:

Direct. To the point. A gut shot to LBJ’s head-banded ego. Speaking of Lebron’s headbands…

Lebron is an easy, and popular target in the Meme Octagon.  Take, for instance:

The kind of smack James will endure until that first NBA ring adorns his finger. The kind of disdain directed to the Heat as a whole, considering the Lebron/Chris Bosh exodus to join forces with Dwayne Wade in search of championship glory.

Ouch. The truth hurts.

Mainly hurts the side of your ribs from laughing so hard since the barbs are so on target.

Where’s George Lopez to ask “Why you crying?” when you need him?

We know the Lebron “Lost in the 4th Quarter” look.

What’s Timmy’s crunch time face? Meme Nation knows:

Not a man of many faces. Just a poker face. Ok, and the “That foul was on ME?” look.
Not even Gregg Popovich can escape the meme satire scud missiles:

Especially when Hall of Fame coach known for defense has the top scoring team in the playoffs.

Meme Nation likes to invoke the voice of NBA legends from the past to poke fun at their alleged heir apparents:

Lebron and Kobe Bryant: the top two hype-and-hate generating machines in all the league.

Here’s Bryant’s bulls-eye hits:

See what a 42-point, ZERO assist elimination game performance does for your “Good Teammate” credibility, Kobe?

Don’t laugh. After all, if Shaq can return to Orlando to interview for their GM opening, is LA’s Player/GM/Coach too far fetched?

Like the old NBA adage goes, “If it walks like a ball hog, and talks like a ball hog…”

Ouch again. Low blows come uncensored without any penalty flags or technical fouls.

Which allows for more taunts:

The only place where a classy Derek Fisher can actually say what everyone THINKS  he feels.

But we already knew what Kevin Durant thinks of Doodle Jump:

And now we know that the Lakers don’t meet Doodle standards.

For OKC’s Bearded bench beast, James Harden, his brainwaves are easy to read:

Momentum suddenly is the next game’s violent elbow.

Or riding the coattails of the “Most Interesting Man in the World”:

Kobe and LBJ remain the co-holders of the “Most Memed Men in the World” title belts.

And so we leave you with this, from the often used, wild-eyed smirking grin of Willy Wonka:

If it means the Golden Ticket for the Spurs to reach the NBA Finals, pass the bucket of Wonka bars.

We’ve got memes to work on.

“It is extremely humbling to be given the privilege to serve the students, parents, taxpayers and staff of Northside ISD,” said Woods. “Northside is, without question, the premier school district in San Antonio, and I am honored to continue to build on the legacy left by those before me.”

Woods was selected from 25 candidates following a national search. He will replace John Folks, who has served as NISD superintendent for 10 years.

This month, Woods received his doctoral degree in educational leadership and policy studies from UTSA.

He began his career as a social studies teacher at Marshall High School in 1992 and taught U.S. government, economics and U.S. history. Woods then helped open O’Connor High School in 1998 as an assistant principal. He became vice principal at Clark High School in 2000, and in 2004, he was named the school’s principal. He remained in that post until he became the assistant superintendent for secondary administration in 2006. In 2009, he was named the deputy superintendent for administration.

“We are delighted to hear that Northside ISD has selected Brian Woods as the sole finalist in its search for a new superintendent,” said Betty Merchant, dean of the UTSA College of Education and Human Development. “Brian is both an outstanding leader and educator committed to working with members of the community to further an educational environment where all children can achieve.”

Northside ISD, a huge economic generator in San Antonio, has 97,439 students, more than 12,000 employees, and an overall budget of $1.1 billion. The District has 112 schools spread across 355 square miles in northwest and western Bexar County and also extends into Medina and Bandera counties.

The UTSA College of Education and Human Development is the leading provider of educators in the San Antonio area and one of the largest in Texas. Ranked third in the United States as producer of teacher-education degrees for Hispanics, the college is responsible for innovative research and grants in professional development, technology enhancement, health, school readiness and bi-national and bicultural issues.

Kaufmann, an alumna of the UTSA College of Engineering’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, developed the stent-graft as part of her doctoral research with UTSA’s Agrawal and Bailey, division chief for cardiology in the School of Medicine of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

“To take an idea that we were throwing around and develop it all the way to a product for a start-up company has been an incredible opportunity,” said Kaufmann. “The path epitomized both translational research and multidisciplinary studies, which has been a great educational experience.”

Approximately 1.2 million people in the U.S. suffer from an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Aneurysm rupture is the nation’s 13th leading cause of death. Surgeons perform about 65,000 abdominal aortic aneurysm repairs annually.

However, in a surgical repair procedure called Endovascular Aneurysm Repair, one out of every six patients experiences stent-graft leakage from traditional stent-grafts in the month following surgery. Additionally, 20 to 30 percent of patients require an additional corrective surgery as much as six to eight years later.

While pursuing her doctoral degree in biomedical engineering at UTSA under the supervision of Agrawal and Bailey, Kaufmann developed a unique scaffold which promotes tissue formation. The product, called a tissue engineering scaffold for aneurysm repair (TESAR), creates a tissue barrier between the blood and the aneurysm after it is implanted. The scaffold promotes healthy tissue formation to repave the aneurysm wall. Once the scaffold is in place, the aneurysm stops expanding and the risk of rupture decreases. After new tissue is in place, the scaffold degrades and is safely reabsorbed by the body.

Cardiovate’s TESAR stent-graft has been shown in the laboratory to reduce post-operative complications during aneurysm repair surgery such as the need for additional corrective surgeries following the initial procedure. Also, the natural tissue is a better match for biological healing than the materials found in traditional stent-grafts.

Between now and March 2013, Kaufmann, Agrawal and Bailey will work together to refine the manufacturing of the TESAR, and they will test it to ensure it conforms to the highest safety and quality standards.

“The launch of Cardiovate is testament to the phenomenal technology being created in UTSA labs and the great entrepreneurial ecosystem the university fosters” said Cory Hallam, director of the UTSA Center for Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship. “These types of spin-offs have the ability to save lives, create jobs, build multi-million dollar markets and significantly reduce health care costs caused by complications that arise with the existing technologies.”

The scholars expect to make the product available for licensing to a larger company in 2013. It would then ideally be on the market for vascular surgeons to use shortly after being evaluated by the FDA.

The Spurs Three Amigos are unbeaten in the current Drive for NBA Title #5. Courtesy: videomotion-tv.net

It’s funny how everyone says the Spurs don’t produce TV ratings.

No monster Super Bowl caliber ones, allegedly.

Yet it’s just as funny that during May, one of four months on the calendar the TV world calls “Sweeps Month”, the Spurs are sweeping up a storm on the national stage.  Back to back playoff sweeps will do that.

So this is in homage to all those local affiliate attention-seeking stories from Sweeps Months gone by. The ones that chronicled everything from chasing the mythical chupacabra to the plight of midget strippers in the name of jump starting station ratings.

Boris Diaw and Kawhi Leonard provide Tim Duncan the kind of rugged presence the Spurs use at the defensive end. Courtesy: NBAHoopTroop.com

San Antonio finally has an answer to all the critics who have branded the Silver and Black with the  “BORING” tag: All the Spurs do is win.  Which just happened to be the headline banner on ESPN.com Monday.

More importantly: SA has been winning by showcasing the most aesthetically pleasing brand of hoops in all the NBA.

Sorry Heat, hype falls into the “Words are Small and Game is BIG” league promo spotlighting the Spurs.

D-Wade, LeBron and the Heat are in a fight to survive with the Indiana Pacers. Courtesy: Darron Cummings/AP Photo

Word out of LA says Lamar Kardashian’s production company put a call in to Kobe and the Lakers. After all, some drama can’t be scripted.  Getting dumped by a younger, hungrier Oklahoma City team while being made to look like the younger, inept team during crunch time will do wonders for ratings amongst the “Train Wreck Seeking” demographic.

The Lakers loss to the Thunder signaled the start of the new season of soap opera "As the Lakers World Turns". Courtesy: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The Spurs can rack up a team best 18-game winning streak.  They can dispatch of the Jazz and Clippers while barely breaking a sweat.  Methodical. Even “Surgical”, which is what TNT’s Kenny Smith called SA during the Clippers sweep. You know, boring stuff.

They can score more and defend better and close out a series emphatically, yet still be treated like Fredo Corleone.

As in, when it comes time to pass out national love and attention, the Spurs get passed over.

Like Fredo Corleone, Spurs fan wants respect. Who made the OKC Thunder Michael, anyway?

So naturally the national media feeding frenzy caravan frets whether Miami survives the Pacers series, and sweats over who is leaving and who is staying with the Lakers.  Important stuff.

At the same time, the Spurs and Thunder get set to host the “Battle of the Riverwalks” for the all the Western Conference marbles.  From every angle, SA vs. OKC will produce more than a few OMGs along the way.

Kevin Durant is good. Very good. OKC is coming to SA with a lot to prove. Courtesy: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

The only people gnashing their teeth at the epic matchup: TNT executives and Charles Barkley, who were envisioning a Lakers/Clippers conference finals that would have kept the cable crew planted in LA for two weeks.

TNT's Charles Barkley has never met a microphone he didn't like. Even in SA.

Instead, TNT commutes between SA and OKC, with both locales offering Riverwalks to disparage on one side of Sir Charles’ mouth while Barkley enjoys on the other.

Yet, the only ones who care what the national media says are the citizens of Spurs Nation.  Gregg Popovich and the Spurs don’t want to talk about win streaks, sweeps or any perceived lack of respect.  They don’t seek it, don’t desire it, and don’t live for national love.

Or said another way: All they want are wins.  Eight more to be exact.

So shake that chip off your shoulder, Spurs fan.  It’s fruitless to scream and yell for more national attention when you’re dealing with Sports Karma.  With everything going so well and falling into place for SA, why wish for the brighter spotlight?

It’s also hard to argue that the Spurs are the NBA-version of Rodney Dangerfield. Most places would consider a Sports Illustrated cover story calling Tim Duncan “one of the greatest players of his generation” a truckload of respect.

SI's Chris Ballard turned a 40-minute talk with Tim Duncan into one of the more insightful stories ever written about the Spurs anchor.

So when longtime NY Times sports writer William C. Rhoden spouted that dreaded B-word on the Spurs during this week’s edition of Sports Reporters on ESPN, let it go.  This was Rhoden’s stance on the Spurs:

“Do they excite me? No. If you had me on a desert island and you’d tell me you make me watch them, I’d said, ‘Oh please, no!’“

Instead, relish in the powerful retort from legendary Boston Globe sports writer Bob Ryan, who looked ready to sweep Rhoden’s leg on the ESPN set when he stated in disdain:

“This Spurs team, the way it is playing right now is the most enjoyable team for me to watch since the ’87 Lakers. The ’86 Celtics and ’87 Lakers were the last two teams that had me wanting to watch every second of their games. This team is reaching that level of sharing the basketball, of clever play.
It’s a beautiful team.”

Wow. Who knew that San Antonio was home to Showtime for the New Millennium?

Spurs fan knew. Spurs fan marveled at Tony Parker taking charge, at Tim Duncan sipping from the Fountain of Youthful Legs, at Manu Ginobili still impacting a game while not scoring 20+ points a game.   Spurs fan has watched as Danny Green developed into a lethal scorer, how Kawhi Leonard has matured beyond anyone’s rookie year dreams. Spurs fan sees that Tiago Splitter is a wild mustang ready to run the floor and Boris Diaw’s coming to SA turned out to be the NBA version of the French Connection III.  Spurs fan knows Gary Neal is set to be clutch in crunch time, and that even Matt Bonner inspired a red-headed kid to shave the Red Rocket’s face in his hair.

Woodlake Hills Middle School student Patrick Gonzales had to shave off the Red Rocket Idol hairdo, but he did score sweet Spurs playoff tickets from Bonner for his efforts. Courtesy: Twitter/Grace_White

Spurs Nation also knows an NBA title caliber team when it sees one.

After all, it’s not SA’s first Championship rodeo. We’ve been down this road four times before.

From this view, that sounds like the stuff that sweeps up big ratings.

Photo from SAHS

Adoption fee for May “In Style” event pets:
Dogs 6 months and older: $25
Cats 6 months and older: Waived

This adoption fee includes: Spay/Neuter surgery, first set of vaccinations, microchip, de-wormer, flea and heartworm (for dogs) prevention, Feline aids and leukemia test (for cats), 2 complimentary tickets to Sea World, collar and tag, complimentary wellness exam within the first 5 days after adoption and 14 day complimentary follow up care at any one of the participating VCA animal hospitals, 30 days Sheltercare insurance, starter bag of Science Diet pet food.

For more information, visit the San Antonio Humane Society at 4804 Fredericksburg Rd., call (210) 226-7461, or go to www.sahumane.org.

Photo from SAHS

Adoption fee for May “In Style” event pets:
Dogs 6 months and older: $25
Cats 6 months and older: Waived

This adoption fee includes: Spay/Neuter surgery, first set of vaccinations, microchip, de-wormer, flea and heartworm (for dogs) prevention, Feline aids and leukemia test (for cats), 2 complimentary tickets to Sea World, collar and tag, complimentary wellness exam within the first 5 days after adoption and 14 day complimentary follow up care at any one of the participating VCA animal hospitals, 30 days Sheltercare insurance, starter bag of Science Diet pet food.

For more information, visit the San Antonio Humane Society at 4804 Fredericksburg Rd., call (210) 226-7461, or go to www.sahumane.org.

Adoption fee for May “In Style” event pets:
Dogs 6 months and older: $25
Cats 6 months and older: Waived

Photo from SAHS

This adoption fee includes: Spay/Neuter surgery, first set of vaccinations, microchip, de-wormer, flea and heartworm (for dogs) prevention, Feline aids and leukemia test (for cats), 2 complimentary tickets to Sea World, collar and tag, complimentary wellness exam within the first 5 days after adoption and 14 day complimentary follow up care at any one of the participating VCA animal hospitals, 30 days Sheltercare insurance, starter bag of Science Diet pet food.

For more information, visit the San Antonio Humane Society at 4804 Fredericksburg Rd., call (210) 226-7461, or go to www.sahumane.org.

Adoption fee for May “In Style” event pets:
Dogs 6 months and older: $25
Cats 6 months and older: Waived

Photo from SAHS

This adoption fee includes: Spay/Neuter surgery, first set of vaccinations, microchip, de-wormer, flea and heartworm (for dogs) prevention, Feline aids and leukemia test (for cats), 2 complimentary tickets to Sea World, collar and tag, complimentary wellness exam within the first 5 days after adoption and 14 day complimentary follow up care at any one of the participating VCA animal hospitals, 30 days Sheltercare insurance, starter bag of Science Diet pet food.

For more information, visit the San Antonio Humane Society at 4804 Fredericksburg Rd., call (210) 226-7461, or go to www.sahumane.org.

Every wall is painted with a different vibrant color and showcases exceptional artwork. After you have your steaming cup of coffee or tantalizing pastry, you take it outside to enjoy while sitting on a breezy patio. This is only the beginning of the unique and enriching experience that awaits customers at Madexalli Cultural Coffee Bar.

In fall 2011, Mary Jane Morales-Salgado opened Madexalli in The Alley on Bitters, 555 W. Bitters Road, a place she refers to as “San Antonio’s best kept secret.” The name for the coffee bar is derived from the names of her three beloved grandchildren: Madilyn, Dexter and Allisyn.
Salgado is no stranger to the coffee business. She opened her first coffee house and bar, SouthBound Texas Coffee House and Saloon, in the border city of Eagle Pass.

“Even before I opened my first coffee shop, I was very involved in the community,” Salgado says, adding that she did economic development for the Kickapoo Tribe and served as a city councilwoman in Eagle Pass.
After some unexpected changes in her life, Salgado left her eldest son, Sergio, to care for the coffee bar in Eagle Pass and came to San Antonio last year with newfound inspiration and plans to open a second coffee bar.

She also had a specific theme in mind for her new store.

“I wanted to do a cultural theme with a little Latin pop,” Salgado says. “My inspiration came from all our moms and our abuelitas. They fed us and nourished us. Then I had my babies and they’ve grown so fast, and I just wanted to have something for my grandchildren to see.”

By the looks of her store, she executed her theme perfectly. She also lined the walls with some of her own artwork as well as pieces from featured local artists. Salgado reupholstered some retro furniture and had the focal point of the store – the bar – built to look rustic.

“I wanted my kitchen to be like a hacienda,” she says. “When customers come in, I want them to feel like they’re sitting in my kitchen – a nice, warm Latin kitchen.”

Madexalli offers organic, fair-trade coffee and houses an enormous espresso machine that can whip up any customized drink order. “I make sure that all of my coffee is fair trade because all of the money goes back to the communities that make it,” Salgado says.

Apart from coffee, Madexalli also offers smoothies, teas and floats. Customers looking to relax with a glass of wine or a cold beer will love what Madexalli has to offer. Imported beers from Germany, Mexico and Japan as well as domestic beers are available. There is also a large selection of wines from Spain and other Latin countries that Salgado personally pairs with different cheeses.

Various baked goods are prepared fresh, in-house each morning using recipes that Salgado or her employees create. The most popular menu item at Madexalli is their baked sandwiches. One is a butter croissant turkey sandwich with provolone and pesto spread and spinach. The other is a ham and cheddar with jalapeno spread and spinach and tomatoes.

Madexalli also offers kolaches, chicken salad and soups. Customers with a sweet tooth can get muffins, scones, Mexican sweet bread and other pastries that are also made fresh in the store.

After customers are full and rested, they can browse the retail items and accessories that are sold at Madexalli. “We have a lot of rustic, Mexican pieces and, of course, a lot of wine.” The Latin pop and café music that is played in the store is also available for purchase.

Karaoke Night is held every Friday night. Also, bring your study group or business meeting to Madexalli for a welcome change of scenery. “Our hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the week but if we have customers who let us know ahead of time that they’re bringing a big group, we would love to stay late and accommodate,” she says.

Madexalli is truly a one-of-a-kind experience where customers can find delicious food and rich culture in one location. “I want customers to feel like they’re in the middle of the world,” Salgado says.

She has taken this vision and turned it into a tangible place where customers can hear, taste, smell and experience the Latin culture in the comfort of a small coffee shop.

Providence seniors Sarah Garcia and Lennah Trevino spent the past year as interns in the Blue Star Contemporary Art Center’s MOSAIC program. MOSAIC’s innovative outreach provides mentoring and art enrichment for all age groups. Acclaimed visual artist Alex Rubio is Blue Star’s MOSAIC Art Studio Manager. “We are proud to mentor and promote San Antonio high school art talents,” Rubio said. “The program allows these young artists to experience the real art world at an early stage in their development.”

In May, Sarah participated in Reflections, a showing of intern art presented in Blue Star’s Gallery Four. “Working with this artistic group sparked my creativity,” said Sarah. “We feed on each others ideas.” Three of her art pieces sold at the show. “Sarah is a prolific, ambitious and naturally talented emerging artist,” Rubio declared.

Lennah will be attending the School of Art Institute of Chicago and Sarah has been accepted to the Maryland Institute College of Otis College of Art and Design, and the School of the Museum of Fine Art in Boston.

For more information about Providence Catholic School visit our website www.providencehs.net

About Providence Catholic School: Providence, a college preparatory school for girls grades 6-12, provides a program of academic excellence grounded in faith and trust in a Provident God. Providence prepares young women of diverse backgrounds for the world of tomorrow and encourages them to develop intellectual curiosity, deepen their faith, practice integrity, and seek justice. Established in 1951, Providence is sponsored by the Congregation of Divine Providence.

Videographer : Roland De leon aka Springtime65
http://www.youtube.com/springtime65

http://www.facebook.com/thespringtime65