See ya, 2007!

Happy New Year!

I don't make resolutions. I don't make resolutions because I also don't keep resolutions. I'd have to first make a resolution to keep resolutions in order for resolutions to be effective, but that just seems like a whole lot of work.

My wife has quit her job to persue art, I've got my hours switched and I'm playing an RPG.

I don't know what 2008 will bring, but it is certainly going to be an interesting year.

My first video

A 7 min summary of our Christmas gift-giving.

Also, my first edited video.  Thanks iMovie!

Blogged with Flock

Family

I'm standing in the kitchen of my mother's house.  My sister is talking with my wife about healthy lifestyles while my little sister is listening in.  My brother-in-law and mother are close to finish cooking the Christmas Eve dinner.  My step-father is sitting in the living room playing with the dogs while watching TV.

This is one of my favorite moments of the entire year.  Relaxing with family, enjoying good food and conversing about the great moments of the past year.

I hope everyone is enjoying a moments like these..

Blogged with Flock

Flock

Mahalo Daily had a video about the new web browser, Flock.  I love Firefox, but once I saw Veronica Belmont being shown Flock, I had to give it a test run.  The paragraph your reading is a test of Flock's 'blog editor' function.  So far, my web tools do seem a little bit more accessible then when I'm using a standard browser.  Although, I wouldn't trust the opinion of someone who has only used Flock for 10 mins.

So far, a good ten minutes.

SIDE NOTE:  If anyone is interested, I did create a Twitter page.  I am such a sucker of 'net peer pressure.  I've "heard" that "everyone" is using Twitter and even though I know NO ONE who is, I created one anyway.  I update using their site or the Facebook application.

Blogged with Flock

PSP can blog

I have posted things from my PSP before, but this post is longer then five words. I've been using the PSP more often then usual. RSS feeds, demos, videos, photos, and (can you believe it) games have contributed to why I've been lugging the device around.

It took nearly three years. What is up with that?

Take your blog to work day!

Since I got a new camera and a desire to use it. Here is a picture of my work area.

A close-up of my desk crew.

Just starting when everyone else is finishing.

We had a full weekend. It was filled with food, folks and fun (but absolutely no McDonalds!) Yes, we picked up the new Harry Potter book at the midnight release, but we were not able to crack it open until Monday. Amethyst and I read the Potter books out loud to each other. It is a great way to enjoy the book and it prevents any fighting over who gets to read it first.

We started the book in the car on the way to work. By the time we went to bed at midnight, we had just finished chapter seven. We are moving very quickly and while I want this final book to last, I hate when we have to stop reading to do just mundane things like work, eat or take a shower. All of these tasks get in the way of finding out what happens next.

I think Amethyst and I should have taken this week off.

It was a great day!

Trailers

My friend mentioned that all the good action sequences of "Live Free or Die Hard" were in the trailer of the film as well. I agreed.

If filmmakers are filming extra scenes for the DVD release, why isn't extra footage being shot for the trailers. Many great scenes have been muted due to already seeing them. As soon as I saw the helicopter in the film, I kept trying to figure at what point the car was going to be driven into helicopter. I knew it was going to happen, just wasn't sure when.

I liked the movie (even if it is over-the-top), but I wish I could have experienced many of the action for the first time during the film.

Wakka-Wakka

I'm hooked on Pac-Man Championship Edition. I like to have my computer wallpaper match the game I'm currently playing. Finding some good Pac-Man wallpaper was actually pretty challenging.

I wasn't beaten though as I found this website that had some great Pac-Man wallpapers. Enjoy.

Say hello to new hat!

This picture creeps me out...

but in a good way

To top it off

Dinner & WiFi

I love Sunday nights!

Teeth

Rooster

Peace Out

Nature. Found It!

Check Please!

A Bell's Palsy Smile For You

Precious Moments

I hate scrap booking.

Every time I'm walking around Archivers (or any scrap booking store) I get disgusted by all the cliche sayings and cheap (but expensive) artwork that people decorate their photo albums with to make them "more" then what they are. The idea of taking a picture of a family on vacation and surrounding with "Family Fun" sayings over-glorifies the experience.

We recently bought a camcorder. I can now capture on film moments in my families lives. It is funny how when I push that record button, my family will do things they normally wouldn't. My narrations for these events are out of "character" for myself. There is this need to make this recorded moment worthy of being captured.

Then I can take all these videos into iMovie and fade in the words "Family Fun" at the top of the screen. I guess it is time to apologize to scrapbookers everywhere.

Stop! In the name of camera phones

Taking time out of her drive to pose for her public

My Office Watcher

Get back to work!

Grindhouse

I loved Grindhouse. We watched it opening weekend and I fell in love with the entire experience. As I left the theater, I felt that I was slightly disappointed by Taratino's flick because I was running off such adrenaline from Rodriguez's Planet Terror. Quentin's film was slow compared to the prior zombie flick. I have been known to judge movies very harshly right after I see them.

This was no different. It has been one full week since I watched Grindhouse and I keep thinking about Death Proof. The characters, the car, the motivation and dialogue has all stuck with more then I realized. I can't say enough about Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike. There are certain scenes I want to re-watch to get to know the characters that much more. Quentin Tarantino certainly knows how write pretty amazing characters.

I got a couple coupons that will turn regular priced tickets into $4.00 tickets and if Grindhouse is still playing as a single flick. I'm going to spend the evening re-watching one of my favorite films of 2007.

Thunderbolts #110-112 Impressions

Justice, Like Lightning.

The tagline used for the super-powered Marvel team, The Thunderbolts. The members of the team have changed throughout the years and so has the passion that fuels them. Even the meaning behind the tagline might shift, but it is always the same three words.

The new Thunderbolts are no longer super-villains pretending to be super-heroes nor are they super-villains turned super-heroes seeking redemption. These are super-villains forced to do the deeds the government says are good.

Warren Ellis, the book's writer, also throws in some political commentary through the use of debate shows, like Crossfire, talking about the nations support (or lack of) of the government funded team. Personally, I like the commercials of the Thunderbolts action figures and play-sets.

At this point, I'm not sure in which direction the book is heading Issues #110 - #112 deal with introducing the new team and the aftermath of their first mission. I hope the book will live up to the potential it has set-up.

Behind the scenes

I took apart a dryer.

I suppose the real victory is that I put it back together.

I know that this probably isn't a big deal to most people, but it is for me. I am not and I never aspire to become a handyman. It isn't that I believe the task beneath me, but instead the reverse. The functions of a handyman seem beyond my skillz (no matter how "mad" they maybe.)

I don't know what people did without the internet. I found some instructions on on-line and got to work dis-assembling a major appliance. I was able to deduce that my heating element was the source of the malfunction by the fact that a piece of the coil was missing. I looked down and saw remnants of the once happy coil at the bottom. I put the whole thing back together (and it still tumbled without heat) and ordered a new heating element. I am now waiting for it arrive so I can begin phase 2 of my handyman training.

Thank you, Internet. You have made me more manly.