Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Wow. We've been insanely busy at the office these last two months, which is why I haven't had much time to Blog lately. In November, we put a new research project in the field, and flew several facilitators out to Los Angeles for an intensive three day training on this intervention. And then in December, we prepared a new research grant application for submission to the National Institute of Health. I don't know how we did it, but somehow we managed to get it all done before Christmas Vacation. So now I'm just going to kick back for the next few weeks and enjoy myself.

Tonight Sara and I are heading towards her parents' home to spend Christmas Eve with her family. And then we'll spend Christmas Day with my family.

Oh, for a chuckle, check out this rather unusual Christmas Greeting.

Sara's Birthday

Family and Friends celebrated Sara's birthday on Saturday at the Buca di Beppo in Old Town Pasadena. Click here to see some pictures.

Engagement Pictures

These are a little old, but check out Sara and my engagement pictures that were taken at Disneyland in May, 2005.

Would Someone Please ...

George Bush has started an ill-timed and disastrous war under false pretenses by lying to the American people and to the Congress.

He has run a budget surplus into a severe deficit; he has consistently and unconscionably favored the wealthy and corporations over the rights and needs of the population; he has destroyed trust and confidence in and good will toward, the United States around the globe.

He has ignored global warming to the world's detriment; he has wantonly broken our treaty obligations; he has condoned torture of prisoners; he has attempted to create a theocracy in the United States.

He has appointed incompetent cronies to positions of vital national importance.

Now, would someone please give him a blow-job so we can impeach him?

Birthday BBQ

Today is Sara's dad's birthday. To celebrate, Sara and I took her mom and dad to the Barn Burner Texas BBQ to celebrate. We all had a good time, but we see that their service really hasn't improved much. However, the meat is still pretty good. Sara and I think we've finally figured out how to order: Just get one of the combos (our group of 4 ordered the largest one, which is 2 pounds of meat), and then get a few more 1/2 pounds of meat and sides depending on how hungry everyone is.

The restaurant has a lot of funny decorations, including this statue of John Wayne. We forgot our digital camera, but I took a picture of Sara's dad with my cell phone.

More Cal Football

U$C Trojans 35
Cal Bears 10

The Cal Bears were spanked yesterday by the U$C Trojans. However, I don't think that should come as a big surprise seeing that the Bears have lost four of their last five games and the Trojans are ranked #1 in the country. In fact, you might say that U$C has the best football team money can buy.

In related news, on Thursday U.C. Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau announced a $1.25 million dollar plan to renovate the campus' football stadium and the immediate surrounding area. When Cal Head Coach Jeff Tedford arrived in Berkeley, he made it very clear that he wanted a modern sports facility if he were to stay, and the Athletic Department jumped to make that happen. Construction is slated to begin in 2006. According to Birgeneau, the rebuilding and upgrades will be supported by private fundraising.

I'll admit I have mixed feelings about the new facility. While it's great that the Athletic Department will have state-of-the-art surroundings for its athletes and staff, I'm wondering if some of that money couldn't have gone to benefit the general student population. Student fees, expenses, and housing costs continue to rise year and year, making it more and more difficult for students to attend the University. Even families with comfortable incomes wonder if they will have the necessary resources to send their children to college.

While I understand that in the case of the new athletic facilities, the money is being raised because private donors are eager to contribute to the success of the Call Football team, However, it would be nice to see some of that same enthusiasm when it comes to contributing towards the education and well-being of all Berkeley students.

All Steve Jobs is Saying, is Give Apple a Chance

Beginning in December, John Lennon's entire solo catalog will be available for download on such services as Real Network's Rhapsody and MSN Music. However, noticabally absent from the list of online vendors is the Apple iTunes Music Store. It seems that there is a trademark disbute between iTunes' parent company Apple Computer, and the Beatles' Apple Corps Ltd.

So, iTunes users will have to look elsewhere if they want their fix of Instant Karma.

Bye Bye Judith!!!

Judith Miller, who is at the center of the CIA Leak Investigation, is resigning her position as a reporter for the New York Times.

Now who are the Republicans going to get to plant their lies?

More Republicans Eating Their Own

Just a few weeks after the Bush nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court, some Republicans are beginning to question Alito's views on abortion and Right to Life issues.

Richard Collier, an attorney who argued a partial birth abortion case before Alito, said that the Judge is not "committed to the cause of life" and his rulings "are not pro-life".

Is another one of Bush's nominees about to be torpedoed by the Radical Right Wing?

West Wing Debate

The West Wing had a bit of fun on Sunday night blurring the line between fiction and reality. A live one-hour debate between Republican candidate Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda) and Democratic candidate Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) was broadcast first on the East Coast, and then a second debate was performed a few hours later for the viewers on the West Coast. Of course, the real reason anyone watches a live television show is to see if something goes wrong. Will someone forget their lines, or will some horrible technical snafu occur? However, Producer John Wells is no stranger to live television, having produced a live episode of ER a few years back. And the television gods were smiling on Wells since both episodes come off just fine. Although the early consensus is that Jimmy Smits did a better job during the second episode.

As for the episode itself, it was okay, but not one I'll probably be watching again. The most fascinating part was that the characters were allowed to throw out the idiotic debate rules and really sink their teeth into the topics. If only that could happen in real life.

Cal Football

Oregon Ducks 27
Cal Bears 20

The Cal Bears fell to the Oregon Ducks on Saturday in an overtime game in sunny Eugene. This makes the third loss for the Bears this season, which clouds Cal's Bowl Game chances (Las Vegas Bowl????).

The Bears take on the No. 1-ranked Trojans on Saturday. Two years ago, the Bears triumphed with an amazing triple-overtime victory over U$C. But I'm not sure if that's going to be the case this year.

U.C. Berkeley

Take a Virtual Tour of the beautiful campus of the University of California at Berkeley

Go Bears!!!

Bush In A Lava Lamp

From the "Someone Has Far Too Much Time On Their Hands" file.

Bush in a Lava Lamp

Americans Question Bush's Personal Integrity

As the President's approval rates continue to soar into the cellar, a recent ABC News poll shows that a majority of Americans are now questioning George Bush's personal integrity. Fewer than half (40%) of those polled said that Bush was honest and trustworthy, while 67% rated his handling of ethics in government negatively.

However, perhaps most telling is that even in his own party, less than half (49%) of Republicans now strongly approve of Bush's job performance. Which is a 22-point drop from the start of the year.

America is finally waking up.

Top Ten Reasons I Don't Date Republicans

The "Top Ten Reasons I Don't Date Republicans" by California Congresswoman Linda Sanchez:

10. The only time they believe in fiscal restraint is when the dinner bill comes.

    
    

9. His idea of getting to second base is fondling my stock portfolio.

   
   

8. He thinks that Emily's List is a call girl service.

   
   

7. His idea of oral stimulation is getting me to recite the Contract with America.

   
   

6. He thinks that white pantyhose and pearls are sexy--and you should see what he wants me to wear.
   
   
5. Because when Republicans say that they want to create opportunities for minorities, that means they want to date me and [her sister] Loretta.

   
   

4. Despite all the hype, I still can't find his weapon of mass destruction.

   
   

3. His pending prison term for political corruption is just another excuse for him to be emotionally unavailable.

   
   

2. Republicans are only interested in screwing the poor.

   
   

1. Because they make love like they make war: they lie to get in and don't have a plan for what to do once they get there.

   
   

Greenpeace Damages Environment

From the "Isn't It Ironic" files, Greenpeace's flagship, the Rainbow Warrior II slammed into a coral reef in the southern Philippines causing almost $7,000 in damages.

What's next? The Sierra Club paving over Yosemite?

Unfit to Lead?

As the President's approval rating plummets to 35% (only Richard Nixon has scored lower at this point in their second term), some are starting to wonder about George Bush's mental state.

Certainly, Bush's latest round of disasters must be taking their toll on his disposition. However, White House Staffers have noted that the President is often irritable, unfocused, and unenergetic as of late. A recent shouting match between Bush and some of his aides at Camp David has been mentioned. And Bush often seems defensive and distracted in front of TV cameras.

Is the President suffering from depression? Have problems with alcohol and drugs started to rear their heads again? Perhaps his long Texas vacation before Hurricane Katrina was an attempt by Bush's doctors to try and/or alter a medication regimen.

Is our Commander-in-Chief still fit to lead?

Scary Ann Coulter

The Republicans' darling Ann Coulter was on the Al Rantel show last night. I do occasionally listen to Right Wing Wacko Radio just to keep abreast of what the other side thinks. Anyway, I've heard much about the infamous Ann Coulter, but have never heard her speak (I don't pay for cable), so I tuned in.

Wow.

Is she serious? Or is this some type of Phil Hendrie put-on?

While listening to Ann Coulter, the following adjectives went through my head:

• vapid
• childish
• overly-simplistic
• mean-spirited
• deceiving

Also, Coulter punctuates nearly all of her sentences with a nervous laugh that is annoying at first, but gets downright creepy after awhile. She's like the school bully who hates herself so much that the only way to get rid of the anger is to take it out on others.

This is who the Republicans rally around?

Scary.

More Republicans Eating Their Own

Republican Senator Trent Lott was on Hardball last night. Here's what Lott said when asked if Karl Rove should be allowed to remain at the White House.

"Well, the question is--that you asked, is he good for American politics? Look, he has been very successful, very effective in the political arena. The question is, should he be the deputy chief of staff for policy under the current circumstances? I don't know all that's going on, so I can't make that final conclusion. But, you know, how many times has the top political person become also the top policy adviser? Maybe you can make that transition, but it'‘s a real challenge, and I think they have to--I do think they need to look at bringing in some more people, you know, old gray beards that have been around this town for a while, help them out a little bit at the White House."

Has Lott finally had a lucid moment?

Republican Delay Tactics

There's a great Robert Scheer editorial in Monday's Los Angeles Times (Free registration is required to view) about Republican delay tactics in the Valerie Plame leak investigation and its impact on the 2004 Election. According to Scheer:

The most intriguing revelation of Special Prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald's news conference last week was his assertion that he would have presented his indictment of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby a year ago if not for the intransigence of reporters who refused to testify before the grand jury. He said that without that delay, "we would have been here in October 2004 instead of October 2005.

Had that been the case, John Kerry probably would be president of the United States today.

Pretty convenient how the Republicans were able to delay the investigation, huh?

Christian Slater's Fallen and Can't Get Up

While at a weekend party at Paris Hilton's West Hollywood home, actor Christian Slater fell from the roof of a neighbor's house into some bushes. Slater was not injured (Thank God!) and police did not arrest Slater.

Right-Wing Hypocrisy

It seems that the Right is clamoring for a quick up-or-down vote on their newest Scalia wannabe, Samuel Alito. In fact, some members of the Senate are hoping to have Alito confirmed by Christmas. But, wait a minute. Just last week, wasn't it the Right who were dragging their feet on the confirmation process? Weren't the Conservatives the ones who were doing everything they could to stall and derail Harriet Miers? And now all of a sudden, there's a need for urgency? Exactly what's going on here? Where's the fire?

Oh, I get it. The nomination process is urgent ONLY when the candidate is someone they like. That is, a conservative Judge who emulates solely the values of the far right. And that's exactly what Bush has in Samuel Alito. Instead of trying to unite the country with a Supreme Court Justice who would appeal to all Americans, Bush played to his political base and gave us a nominee just for the Right Wing.

Thanks, George. Here comes the filibuster.

Deep Thoughts by Trent Lott

"I think the President should look across the country and find the most qualified man, woman, or minority."

Huh? Well, I suppose this means I'm neither a man nor a woman.

Texas Justice?

Showing just how above the law he is, Tom DeLay was successful at having State Judge District Judge Bob Perkins removed from presiding over his money laundering and conspiracy case. Last week, DeLay was whining that he could not receive a fair trial simply because Judge Perkins was a Democrat and had previously contributed to Democratic causes. DeLay's legal team, led by Attorney Dick DeGuerin, worked diligently this past week and was able to convince Visiting Judge C.W. Duncan to remove Perkins from the case. Quite a disturbing precedent. However, such lawyering heroics should not be surprising considering just how much money is being spent on DeLay's defense fund. Specifically, the Center for Responsive Politics is reporting that at least 70 individuals, and 35 corporations, PACs and campaign committees have managed to raise over $318,000 to defend Tom DeLay. And why are all these corporations and PACs so interested in seeing that DeLay remains free? Exactly what has DeLay promised them for their support?

Stay tuned.

Happy Halloween Part II

Road Hog

Before buying that new gas-guzzling SUV, check out the SUV Info Link.

Take Responsibility?

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid is calling on George Bush and Dick Cheney to apologize for the actions of their aides. He also said that Bush should pledge not to pardon any aides convicted as a result of the investigation. Let's see if George is man enough to do that.

Bye Bye Scooter!!!

Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis Libby, was indicted on Friday on five criminal counts of obstruction of justice, perjury and making false statements. He immediately resigned his post and hobbled out of the White House. So, one down; several more to go. So long Scooter. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Suicide Mistaken for Halloween Decoration

Yuck. Halloween is not a good time to hang yourself.

YOU'RE FIRED!!!

If you haven't seen this week's "Apprentice" and don't want the outcome spoiled, then STOP READING NOW!!!

Okay, for everyone else.

Whoah! What a cool ending. Four candidates fired in one fell swoop. I never saw that coming.

I'll be the first to complain that NBC has "cried wolf" too many times with their promos for this show. How many times have we heard "An ending you'll never forget" or "Never before has this happened in the boardroom." But this time, it was true!!! Way to go, Donald. Now, let's get those ratings back up.

Bush's Oil Buddies

The Exxon Mobil Corporation posted a profit of $9.9 billion in the last quarter, which represents an increase of 75 percent!!!. The largest in U.S. corporate history.

So can anyone explain why we were paying over $3 a gallon?

So Long Harriet!

It appears that Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers has fallen upon her sword and withdrawn her nomination to the highest court in the land. Obviously, the Administration is already spinning that the nomination was withdrawn because the Senate demanded to see internal White House documents as part of the advise and consent process. However, I think the real reason is more that George Bush knew this nominee would never survive the confirmation process, causing a huge embarrassment for the Administration. And Harriet, being the loyal Bush-ite that she is, was more than happy to sacrifice herself for her beloved President.

Okay George, how about nominating someone qualified for a change?

Apple on Trial?

Electronics consumers are considering filing a class action lawsuit against Apple claiming that their new iPod Nano is defective and that the company attempted to conceal the problem and mislead consumers. Apparently Apple changed the formula of the iPod's protective plastic coating, resulting in a skin which scratches excessively under normal use (see photo). Lately, Apple has been quite the darling of the computer world, winning many awards and accolades for hardware designs such as the iMac, eMac, and the iPod. However, it appears that Apple cheaped out on this version of the iPod and it's going to come back to bite them on the butt. Have fun, Steve Jobs.

Republicans Eating Their Own

The right-wing website "Free Republic" is reporting that even former Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork is calling the Miers nomination a disaster.

Doesn't the country deserve better, President Bush?

2000 American Lives

A recent accident brings the American death toll in Iraq to 2001. I thought the following quote was rather telling: Omar Ahmed, a Sunni business owner in Dora, says "I hope the number of Americans who die goes even higher."

Thank You Rosa Parks

The "mother of the civil rights movement" Rosa Parks passed away on Monday. Her small act of defiance changed a nation and proves that one person can indeed make a difference.

Thanks President Bush!

President George W. Bush was in town recently. The reason I know is because our Commander-in-Chief decided to tie up busy Los Angeles rush hour traffic not just once, but twice. The first offense came during a busy Thursday evening commute with Bush shutting down a good portion of the Westside so that his motorcade could get to a Republican fat-cat fund-raiser in Beverly Hills. And if that wasn't bad enough, Bush pulled the same stunt during Friday morning commute just so he could get in a photo opp at the Reagan Library. Bush even managed to strand a bunch of elementary school busses, causing the kids to miss a peformance of the Wizard of Oz. So, for tying up major freeway and street routes during rush hour, all while inconveniencing thousands of commuters, we say, "Thank you President Bush!"

Fight On!

Wal-Mart heiress returns degree to USC.
Frankly, I'm not sure why she even bothered. Everyone knows that a degree from $C isn't worth the paper it's printed on.

GO BEARS!!!

No Justice for DeLay?

Poor Tom DeLay. Yahoo News is reporting that the Money Launderer of the House is demanding a new judge simply because Judge Bob Perkins is a Democrat. Is DeLay insinuating that the Judge can not preside over a fair trial simply because they are of different political parties? Hmmm. In the past, DeLay has never seemed to mind about a Judge's potential bias. What about the time Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia refused to recuse himself in a case that involved Vice President Dick Cheney? It seems that Scalia and Cheney were pretty good buddies. Where was DeLay's outrage then? Or how about the nomination of Bush crony Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court? Wouldn't there be a potential conflict of interest in case Bush or any of his Administration eventually ended up in front of the Supreme Court to answer for their crimes? How come DeLay isn't complaining about that?

This is just another cheap tactic by DeLay to blow a smokescreen over what has really happened: He broke the law.

Tom DeLay Mug Shot

Well, it looks like the long arm of justice has finally caught up with Tom DeLay. Check out his idiotic grin on this mug shot. Tom, you won't be smiling much longer. Anyway, once the rest of the Republican administration has been convicted of their various crimes, and Bush is impeached, Stephanie Miller wonders who will be left to run the government. Anyway, click here to check out DeLay's arrest warrant. Classic!

Disney Food

Click here for a page of Disney Theme Park and Disney inspired receipes, including the Blue Bayou's Monte Cristo sandwich and the Tiki Room's Dole Whip. Yummy!

Rain

Ugh, it's pouring outside. And who says it doesn't rain in Southern California? Well, this means that my commute will be hell.

Anyways, in honor of all the rain, here's a fun little Noah's Ark game. But be forewarned: it's addicting.

Da Fong!

Here it is!!!

Physical proof that Jeff Fong actually works at Disneyland.

This picture was taken on Disneyland's 50th birthday, July 17, 2005, while Jeff was hard at "work" at the Emporium on Main Street USA.

Happy Halloween!!!

The West Wing

Okay, so this show is just a shadow of its former self, but it's still tons better than most anything else on TV. I'm really digging the election. Will Santos win? Will the show continue? Stay tuned.

In the meantime, NBC has put up some campaign websites for both Santos and Vinick. Check them out!

iTunes 6

Okay, I've downloaded the new iTunes 6 onto my Mac at work and my Sony VAIO at home. The previous version of iTunes for Windows was pretty buggy and there were a lot of complaints from PC users. But I've been checking out CNET and it seems like Apple has worked the problems out. I'll keep my fingers crossed. I've already downloaded a few music videos. And that new Apple Video iPod is sounding real good, but I really need to conserve money.

Baby Pix

Wasn't I a cutie???

Our Wedding

The page is after-the-fact, but check out Sara and Tim's Wedding Webpage.

BBQ

Sara and I were going to head out to Disneyland on Saturday night, but we got lazy and decided to stay local. We tried a new BBQ place in Pasadena. It's called Barn Burner Texas BBQ. While the service was a little spotty (the waitress brought us cole sole instead of the fries we ordered), the meat was delicious. We tried a Combo Meal (The menu says it serves one or more) and it was more than enough for the two of us. Anyway, we'll probably go back with friends. Highly recommended!

Howdy!

Hello everyone. Here is my first post. Let's see what happens with this blog.