The news that Greg Page is leaving the Wiggles was quite shocking and sad. We've been quite fond of Greg's silky-smooth vocals, and his replacement Sam (Professor Singalottasonga) just isn't the same.
First Larissa, now Greg. *sigh*
At least we got to see the original Wiggles in concert before Greg left.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Be Yourself
I feel like I just got tagged by Calai.
IF YOU WERE A _______, WHAT WILL YOU BE, AND WHY?
1. An ulam/meal
Fried Chicken. Because I've eaten so much in my entire life, it's a wonder I haven't started clucking yet. KFC extra crispy please! (nothing beats homemade, though)
2. A furniture piece
A table, because you can put a lot of stuff on it and it just sits there, not complaining.
3. An item of clothing or apparel
A white T-shirt. Comfy, yet bland. No prints--okay, maybe a small understated logo at front chest pocket, which you have to really look at to notice.
4. An album or a song.
Alanis Morrissette, Jagged Little Pill. Because I literally lived that entire album.5. A fruit or vegetable
A tomato. Because it could be either a fruit or a vegetable, depending on who you ask. Thus spake the Gemini. Plus it's a base in so many dishes.
6. An animal.
A turtle. Slow but steady.
7. A place.
Orange County, California. The weather rarely changes, but a lot of times it's smoggy. And sometimes the Santa Ana winds causes wildfires.
8. A cartoon character.
I love Family Guy. It would be quite interesting to be Quagmire (giggity!), but I'm more like Brian (a bit too serious for his own good). Although Brian's a drunk, and I don't really drink. Maybe Adam We?
9. An office item/ equipment
A Solaris box running Oracle. Because I'm chock-full of useless information.
10. An international celebrity/ personality.
Someone British, I would think, since my sense of humor leans towards the English. Maybe John Cleese, but not as funny.
11. A book.
One of those books filled with fascinating trivia that proves ultimately useless in the grand scheme of things. In my college days I would be a compilation of "Dear Abby" columns, since I was a sounding board for a lot of friends, both male and female.12. A movie.
Dead Again. Because it had Roman and Marga(ret) as main characters. Marga and I always got a kick out of it. Ah, carpool days.
13. A mode of transportation.
A Mack truck. Starts slow, but then keeps on truckin'. Plus, Optimus Prime was a Mack Truck. Awesome.
Come Stop Your Crying, It'll Be All Right
Funny how a song reduces a guy to tears. I hosted a wedding reception this past Thanksgiving, and the groom danced with his mom to "You'll Be In My Heart", by Glenn Close from Tarzan. And boy, was he emotional. Tears were flowing down his cheeks. I looked at his buddies, and they were practically bawling as well. Their partners were looking at them in bemusement.
It is a bittersweet song, I have to admit. I get misty-eyed when I see the scene where that song is played--Kala singing it to baby Tarzan. That along with "The Living Years" by Mike+the Mechanics remind me how much I appreciate my parents. They also remind me that I'm a parent now, and hope that one day my kids appreciate me as well.
Excuse me--something's in my eye.
It is a bittersweet song, I have to admit. I get misty-eyed when I see the scene where that song is played--Kala singing it to baby Tarzan. That along with "The Living Years" by Mike+the Mechanics remind me how much I appreciate my parents. They also remind me that I'm a parent now, and hope that one day my kids appreciate me as well.
Excuse me--something's in my eye.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Pacman Power
I saw the Pacquiao-Morales fight last Saturday on a glorious 60-inch HDTV (my brother-in-law's). It was pretty cool--I'm not that big a fan of boxing, but I have to admit Pacman was pretty impressive. That last knockdown reminded me of Roberto Duran, though (¡No más!); Pacquiao hardly touched him. Morales just went down on his own, and quit.
Oh, and the Nuno-Viloria undercard? Vilario was robbed. Not just because he's a fellow Pinoy, but c'mon, Nuno got knocked down twice.
Oh, and the Nuno-Viloria undercard? Vilario was robbed. Not just because he's a fellow Pinoy, but c'mon, Nuno got knocked down twice.
THIEF!
Somebody stole my Creative Zen Micro MP3 player over the weekend at work. I had left it in my work drawer and had forgotten it (something I had done for the past month). Today, when I wanted to block out the world while I worked, it was gone.
Bastard (or bitch, as the case may be).
What's worrisome is that someone was actually going through our drawers after work--one of my co-workers lost a small optical mouse for notebooks.
Anyway, the silver lining is that I get to buy a new one. My wife's asking if I want an iPod (which they're giving away at her company's Chrismas party), but I'm looking at alternatives (I have a decent-sized WMA collection, which would be painful to convert). Right now I'm looking at the iRiver clix, the Sansa E260, and the Cowon iAudio U3. I'm leaning towards the Sansa, if only because Costco has a great deal on it, but the clix is tempting.
Zune? Um...a bit over my budget, and first gen products just aren't my thing.
Bastard (or bitch, as the case may be).
What's worrisome is that someone was actually going through our drawers after work--one of my co-workers lost a small optical mouse for notebooks.
Anyway, the silver lining is that I get to buy a new one. My wife's asking if I want an iPod (which they're giving away at her company's Chrismas party), but I'm looking at alternatives (I have a decent-sized WMA collection, which would be painful to convert). Right now I'm looking at the iRiver clix, the Sansa E260, and the Cowon iAudio U3. I'm leaning towards the Sansa, if only because Costco has a great deal on it, but the clix is tempting.
Zune? Um...a bit over my budget, and first gen products just aren't my thing.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
You've Got Mail
The Mail Fairy was good to me today.
First off, she delivered my very first non-kit lens, a Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens. I've never used a prime lens before, but I guess it's time to get serious about learning how to take good photos. Besides, my sister-in-law is getting married next week, and I promised her I'll take candid shots. Good practice, that.
Speaking of Prime...
Then, she brought me my Transformers: The Movie 20th Anniversary Edition DVD, complete with lenticular cover. Remember? "Bah Weep Grah Nah Weep Nini Bong". Oh, and "Megatron must be stopped--no matter the cost." Can't forget the classic songs "You've Got The Touch!" (immortalized by Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights) and "Dare".
Finally, she brought me my Cars lenticular poster, which came free from Best Buy. It's a nice 11x17 poster; while I'm not that big a fan of the movie (it's still The Incredibles for me), freebies are always nice. This one was especially impressive.
Hopefully she brings me more good stuff during the holidays!
First off, she delivered my very first non-kit lens, a Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens. I've never used a prime lens before, but I guess it's time to get serious about learning how to take good photos. Besides, my sister-in-law is getting married next week, and I promised her I'll take candid shots. Good practice, that.
Speaking of Prime...
Then, she brought me my Transformers: The Movie 20th Anniversary Edition DVD, complete with lenticular cover. Remember? "Bah Weep Grah Nah Weep Nini Bong". Oh, and "Megatron must be stopped--no matter the cost." Can't forget the classic songs "You've Got The Touch!" (immortalized by Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights) and "Dare".
Finally, she brought me my Cars lenticular poster, which came free from Best Buy. It's a nice 11x17 poster; while I'm not that big a fan of the movie (it's still The Incredibles for me), freebies are always nice. This one was especially impressive.
Hopefully she brings me more good stuff during the holidays!
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Lake Show
I think I've mentioned before that I'm not a particularly big fan of the Lakers. Showtime...irks me. I was so happy when Detroit just crushed the so-called Dream Team of Shaq, Kobe, Glove and Mailman--and I'm not even particularly fond of Detroit!
The 2006 edition of the Lakers, though...well, they just seem so likable. Andrew Bynum's coming up aces, Jordan Farmar is pretty good, Rony Turiaf is coming along, and Luuuuuuuke Walton is playing well. You gotta feel for what Lamar Odom went through as well.
The fact that they're doing it without Kobe at 100% is pretty cool. The fact that they opened at 3-1 is pretty amazing (not as amazing as, say, the Hawks, but amazing nonetheless).
What happens when Kobe is at 100% will be interesting, to say the least. Will he disrupt the chemistry at all? What about those Garnett for Bynum and Odom rumors? How will that affect the team if it comes to pass? I think they'd be crazy to do it, since Bynum could develop into a monster.
Any chance that this makes me a Laker fan? Nope. =)
The 2006 edition of the Lakers, though...well, they just seem so likable. Andrew Bynum's coming up aces, Jordan Farmar is pretty good, Rony Turiaf is coming along, and Luuuuuuuke Walton is playing well. You gotta feel for what Lamar Odom went through as well.
The fact that they're doing it without Kobe at 100% is pretty cool. The fact that they opened at 3-1 is pretty amazing (not as amazing as, say, the Hawks, but amazing nonetheless).
What happens when Kobe is at 100% will be interesting, to say the least. Will he disrupt the chemistry at all? What about those Garnett for Bynum and Odom rumors? How will that affect the team if it comes to pass? I think they'd be crazy to do it, since Bynum could develop into a monster.
Any chance that this makes me a Laker fan? Nope. =)
Monday, November 06, 2006
Of Dental X-Rays and College Theses
I'm no stranger to dental offices; ever since I was a little kid I've been in and out of the dentist's chair. If it wasn't braces, it would be a root canal. Wisdom teeth extraction. Prophylaxis (which always provided a quick laugh or two, bringing up images of teeth condoms. But I digress), at the very least.
I've gotten so used to the dentist that I sometimes fall asleep on the chair, even while they're performing some painful stuff on my teeth and gums. No anesthetic; I just get pretty relaxed. The sound of the drill is soothing--at least to me.
Anyway, this past weekend the family (daddy, mommy and the kids) was in the office getting a regular teeth cleaning. I got my dental x-rays done as well. Now, I remember dental x-rays taking a long time; they would do the x-ray, and then send them out for processing. After a couple of weeks they would call me back, show me the x-rays, and then tell me I needed more stuff done (boy, was I a gold mine for dentists everywhere).
Now? It's all computers, baby. My x-rays were ready on the screen as soon as they took the bite wings out of my mouth. Nothing surprising, really, but it got me thinking: boy, this would've been a great thesis way back in my senior year. Instead, we came up with a pathfinding algorithm. Nothing sexy, just a lot of coding, but it did the job, and managed to graduate.
Still, though, imagine if we had done this back then! Oh, it would've been an expensive thesis, and I believe the school would've owned it (so we wouldn't have made any money, really), but it would've been so exciting! So groundbreaking!
Oh, well. Shoulda-woulda-coulda. At least the x-rays showed that I didn't have any cavities.
I've gotten so used to the dentist that I sometimes fall asleep on the chair, even while they're performing some painful stuff on my teeth and gums. No anesthetic; I just get pretty relaxed. The sound of the drill is soothing--at least to me.
Anyway, this past weekend the family (daddy, mommy and the kids) was in the office getting a regular teeth cleaning. I got my dental x-rays done as well. Now, I remember dental x-rays taking a long time; they would do the x-ray, and then send them out for processing. After a couple of weeks they would call me back, show me the x-rays, and then tell me I needed more stuff done (boy, was I a gold mine for dentists everywhere).
Now? It's all computers, baby. My x-rays were ready on the screen as soon as they took the bite wings out of my mouth. Nothing surprising, really, but it got me thinking: boy, this would've been a great thesis way back in my senior year. Instead, we came up with a pathfinding algorithm. Nothing sexy, just a lot of coding, but it did the job, and managed to graduate.
Still, though, imagine if we had done this back then! Oh, it would've been an expensive thesis, and I believe the school would've owned it (so we wouldn't have made any money, really), but it would've been so exciting! So groundbreaking!
Oh, well. Shoulda-woulda-coulda. At least the x-rays showed that I didn't have any cavities.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Halloween - The Disney Princess Edition
Today marks the fourth Halloween we've celebrated in this house. The first year it was only me and my sister-in-law (no kids yet, and PJ was still at work). The second year was when Amelie and Camille were six months old, and dressed up as pig and cow. Last year was the third, and the kids dressed up as witches.
This year was the Disney Princess year.
Around 6-ish the kids were finally dressed up in their Princess costumes, ready to get their candies. Amelie dressed as Cinderella, while Camille went as Aurora. They looked really regal in their outfits, although the tiaras didn't seem to agree with them. Mommy came home, and off we went to trick-or-treat.
The girls were shy at first, but eventually they warmed up, with Camille even learning "trickortreat!" It got a bit too chilly, though, and we headed home after hitting around ten houses.
They seemed to enjoy it, though (especially the candy part). Hopefully next year they're a bit less shy, and they can walk up and ring the doorbell on their own. Wonder what their costume would be then, though...
This year was the Disney Princess year.
The night started quietly enough. I set up the table and the candies on our front step, and waited around for the first kids to show. Sure enough, three kids came around along with their mom--or was it their sister? Her cleavage confused me. Not that I minded too much, but it seemed inappropriate--like she was heading to a party right after, and she was hurrying the kids along.
Anyway, there was a steady stream of kids after that (with more appropriately dressed parents). One thing I noticed was that the kids more often than not just took one piece of candy when told that they could take whatever they wanted (probably because they were being watched closely by their parents). The most popular item seemed to be the Skittles, Sour Bursts and Starbursts (yup, the "fruit" candies).
Around 6-ish the kids were finally dressed up in their Princess costumes, ready to get their candies. Amelie dressed as Cinderella, while Camille went as Aurora. They looked really regal in their outfits, although the tiaras didn't seem to agree with them. Mommy came home, and off we went to trick-or-treat.
The girls were shy at first, but eventually they warmed up, with Camille even learning "trickortreat!" It got a bit too chilly, though, and we headed home after hitting around ten houses.
They seemed to enjoy it, though (especially the candy part). Hopefully next year they're a bit less shy, and they can walk up and ring the doorbell on their own. Wonder what their costume would be then, though...
Friday, October 27, 2006
Very Short Stories
Wired has this story about several authors that came up with very short stories (6 words!). The list of authors is pretty stellar--Neil Gaiman, Arthur Clarke, Joss Whedon, Stan Lee, Alan Moore--heck, even Steve Meretzky, Infocom god, had an entry.
The most poignant one, though, was from Ernest Hemmingway:
"For sale: baby shoes, never worn."
It can be read many different ways--but to me (as a dad), it's pretty heartbreaking.
The most poignant one, though, was from Ernest Hemmingway:
"For sale: baby shoes, never worn."
It can be read many different ways--but to me (as a dad), it's pretty heartbreaking.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Stating the Obvious
"A new study from the University of Illinois indicates that more weight in the car means lower gas mileage."
In other news, studies have shown that water is wet.
Someone actually funded this study? Oy.
In other news, studies have shown that water is wet.
Someone actually funded this study? Oy.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Play Ball!
The NBA season is going to be starting any day now (actually, next week). I haven't really been following that closely; my love for the NBA has been eclipsed by the NFL and MLB (go Cards!) I don't really pay attention until the playoffs--and then it's more about the teams I don't want to see win. I do have a couple of things I'd like to see:
(1) Yao Ming do well. Playoffs for the Rockets!
(2) Orlando make the playoffs with Dwight, Darko and JJ. I think they will, but I'm not sure how far they'll go.
(3) The Clippers repeating (if not surpassing) their run
(4) A rematch of Suns/Lakers in the first round
(5) King James vs Flash in the Eastern Conference Finals
(6) Timmy wins another championship. Yes, I like boring.
(7) Raja Bell vs Ron Artest. Did you see Raja Bell take on Brad Miller? Wow.
How do I see the playoffs shaking out? Hmm...
WESTERN:
(1) Lakers/Suns, Rockets/Mavericks, Clippers/Nuggets, Spurs/Hornets
(2) Suns/Mavericks, Spurs/Clippers
(3) Mavericks/Spurs
(4) Spurs
EASTERN
(1) Bulls/Pistons, Heat/Magic, Cavs/Wizards, Nets/Pacers
(2) Bulls/Heat, Cavs/Nets
(3) Heat/Cavs
(4) Heat
Spurs in six.
With that, I just jinxed the Spurs. Oh well.
(1) Yao Ming do well. Playoffs for the Rockets!
(2) Orlando make the playoffs with Dwight, Darko and JJ. I think they will, but I'm not sure how far they'll go.
(3) The Clippers repeating (if not surpassing) their run
(4) A rematch of Suns/Lakers in the first round
(5) King James vs Flash in the Eastern Conference Finals
(6) Timmy wins another championship. Yes, I like boring.
(7) Raja Bell vs Ron Artest. Did you see Raja Bell take on Brad Miller? Wow.
How do I see the playoffs shaking out? Hmm...
WESTERN:
(1) Lakers/Suns, Rockets/Mavericks, Clippers/Nuggets, Spurs/Hornets
(2) Suns/Mavericks, Spurs/Clippers
(3) Mavericks/Spurs
(4) Spurs
EASTERN
(1) Bulls/Pistons, Heat/Magic, Cavs/Wizards, Nets/Pacers
(2) Bulls/Heat, Cavs/Nets
(3) Heat/Cavs
(4) Heat
Spurs in six.
With that, I just jinxed the Spurs. Oh well.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Master Baker
Heh. That was our team name way back in college, when we were performing systems analysis on a bakery.
Anyway, after our apple-picking at Julian, we had a bunch of apples we didn't know what to do with. One of my ma-in-law's friends sent us a recipe for apple loaf. Came out pretty well (my kids loved it). A bit too much sugar, though--I'll probably cut it back next time.
APPLE LOAF
4 cups apples, peeled and diced
2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups flour
1 cup butter (2 sticks), melted then cooled
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
Mix the apples and the sugar in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly and let sit at room temperature for two hours. Watch a football game or something.
Mix the flour, baking soda and cinammon in another bowl. Combine with the apple/sugar mixture. Mix the butter, eggs and vanilla together with this mixture. Keep mixing until it's combined pretty well.
Heat up the oven to 375 degrees. Grease/spray down two 4.5 x 8.5 loaf pans. Pour enough mixture into each. Bake for 90 minutes. Cool in the pans. Enjoy!
Anyway, after our apple-picking at Julian, we had a bunch of apples we didn't know what to do with. One of my ma-in-law's friends sent us a recipe for apple loaf. Came out pretty well (my kids loved it). A bit too much sugar, though--I'll probably cut it back next time.
APPLE LOAF
4 cups apples, peeled and diced
2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups flour
1 cup butter (2 sticks), melted then cooled
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
Mix the apples and the sugar in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly and let sit at room temperature for two hours. Watch a football game or something.
Mix the flour, baking soda and cinammon in another bowl. Combine with the apple/sugar mixture. Mix the butter, eggs and vanilla together with this mixture. Keep mixing until it's combined pretty well.
Heat up the oven to 375 degrees. Grease/spray down two 4.5 x 8.5 loaf pans. Pour enough mixture into each. Bake for 90 minutes. Cool in the pans. Enjoy!
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Word Sandwich
I've always thought that I'm fairly good with words. I'm pretty good at Scrabble, and I'm fairly proficient at crosswords. The game Word Sandwich kicks my ass, though.
The game is pretty easy to pick up--you'll need to guess a five-letter word. If you're wrong, it'll place it either on-top or below. Keep going until you manage to narrow it down to the correct word. The earlier you get it, the higher your score. You start with 1,000 points. Each incorrect guess subtracts points, and the multiplier goes down as you try to think of the word.
It's hard to think when you see that slider go from a x5 multiplier all the way to x1 as you try to think of a word between hoary and horse.
So far I haven't even cracked 10,000 points. Some people just think better under pressure, I guess. Me, I think I need to create an index on my internal dictionary to speed up queries.
The game is pretty easy to pick up--you'll need to guess a five-letter word. If you're wrong, it'll place it either on-top or below. Keep going until you manage to narrow it down to the correct word. The earlier you get it, the higher your score. You start with 1,000 points. Each incorrect guess subtracts points, and the multiplier goes down as you try to think of the word.
It's hard to think when you see that slider go from a x5 multiplier all the way to x1 as you try to think of a word between hoary and horse.
So far I haven't even cracked 10,000 points. Some people just think better under pressure, I guess. Me, I think I need to create an index on my internal dictionary to speed up queries.
Pic of the day: 10-16-06/10-17-06
Hmm, this "every day" posting's not gonna work. I wasn't able to post yesterday, and it just gets difficult. I'll just go ahead an put it on picasaweb (yes, I'm a Google ho) and update it at least weekly.
Loveseat
Back to Back
Loveseat
Back to BackSunday, October 15, 2006
Pic of the day: 10-15-06
Whoops, looks like I posted Saturday's pic on Sunday. Is Blogger on EST or something?
Watching Tarzan
Pic of the day: 10-14-06
Taken during a birthday party. The girls didn't like being cooped up inside, so we walked around in the park behind the house where the party was.
Walk the Line
Walk the LineSaturday, October 14, 2006
Quickie Book Reviews
I read all these books in a span of a week. They're not really that thick, and I don't really need to engage any brain power to get through them (unlike, say, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell--excellent book, by the way).
The Righteous Men, by Sam Bourne (aka Jonathan Freedland). "It's like The Da Vinci Code, only with Jews!" is what you'd think. Actually, no, not really. It doesn't reveal a "hidden secret the Jews don't want you to know!!!!" like Da Vinci Code did; in fact, the peek into Jewish life was probably the most interesting aspect of the book. I'd say it's probably more like Angels and Demons. Not great art by any stretch, but a good little diversion. A bit predictable, though, and the end sequence made me roll my eyes.
Dragons of the Dwarven Depths, by Weis and Hickman. I think I wrote elsewhere that this a pure money-grab. This felt more like it was written by Weis rather than Hickman, as it reads in the same stilted style as Soul Forge, which I didn't even bother finishing. DotDD I actually finished, but it didn't have the same magic as the Chronicles and Legends.
Bad Twin, by "Gary Troup". Yeah, "Gary Troup" is an anagram for Purgatory. I only read this because of the Lost tie-in, which apart from mentioning Sydney, Oceanic Airlines, Hanso and Widmore, wasn't really connected in any way. Oh, I'm sure there's some hidden message or dome throwaway line which reveals all the secrets of Lost, but I was too bored with it to care.
The Righteous Men, by Sam Bourne (aka Jonathan Freedland). "It's like The Da Vinci Code, only with Jews!" is what you'd think. Actually, no, not really. It doesn't reveal a "hidden secret the Jews don't want you to know!!!!" like Da Vinci Code did; in fact, the peek into Jewish life was probably the most interesting aspect of the book. I'd say it's probably more like Angels and Demons. Not great art by any stretch, but a good little diversion. A bit predictable, though, and the end sequence made me roll my eyes.
Dragons of the Dwarven Depths, by Weis and Hickman. I think I wrote elsewhere that this a pure money-grab. This felt more like it was written by Weis rather than Hickman, as it reads in the same stilted style as Soul Forge, which I didn't even bother finishing. DotDD I actually finished, but it didn't have the same magic as the Chronicles and Legends.
Bad Twin, by "Gary Troup". Yeah, "Gary Troup" is an anagram for Purgatory. I only read this because of the Lost tie-in, which apart from mentioning Sydney, Oceanic Airlines, Hanso and Widmore, wasn't really connected in any way. Oh, I'm sure there's some hidden message or dome throwaway line which reveals all the secrets of Lost, but I was too bored with it to care.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Pic of the day: 10-12-06
Picked up a great idea today...why not take a photo every day just to see how life changes? I'm going to start taking pictures of the girls daily and see how they change. This'll be interesting...
Trying on shoes
Today's photo:
Trying on shoes
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