Tim's Blog

Turn Over

2011-02-21T08:47:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been neglecting this blog lately. I'll try to post more in the future.

Clark turned over by himself for the first time today. WooHooo!

Sleep

2010-10-21T14:56:00.000-07:00

Clark slept through the night for the first time! Midnight to 6am!!!! WooHooo!

A milestone that is very much appreciated by both parents.

Music Selection

2010-09-16T21:49:00.001-07:00

Now that I get to bottle feed the baby, I also get to choose the music we listen to during the feeding. Tonight's selection: George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue; Leonard Bernstein conducting.

The Hat

2010-09-16T19:19:00.001-07:00

Baby's first trip to The Hat.
Originally uploaded by brassplayer

Clark made is first visit to that San Gabriel Valley institution, The Hat. Yummy!!!

The Bottle

2010-09-15T22:45:00.000-07:00

I got to feed Clark for the first time today (mother's milk, of course). Sara and I want him to get used to to taking milk from a bottle so that she is not the only one who can feed him. And he did a great job!

The Clark and Tim Show-003

2010-09-15T22:43:00.000-07:00

On Episode 3 of The Clark and Tim Show, we ring the bells!

Scare

2010-09-09T07:55:00.001-07:00

We started noticing some other problems with Clark during the day. He was having labored breathing, and was generally lethargic and not eating much. So we called the Kaiser Advice Nurse in the evening. After describing the systems, she recommended that we take him into Pediatric Urgent Care. I'm trying hard not to be one of those parents who takes their kid in for any little thing. But with all the Whooping Care scare going around, Sara and I were both pretty concerned. However, the Doctor checked him out and said that his lungs sounded fine. She said that he probably just picked up a mild virus and it should work itself out. Hooray!

Clark seems a little better this morning. We're also taking him in for a regularly scheduled Pediatric appointment.

Cold?

2010-09-08T07:50:00.001-07:00

Wondering if Clark caught his first cold. His breathing has been a little erratic.

Crib

2010-09-05T20:31:00.000-07:00

Finished building the Pottery Barn crib. Clark won't be using it for awhile (He sleeps in a bassinet in our room), but we've checked off another task!

Growth Spurt?

2010-09-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

I'm wondering if Clark is going through a growth spurt since he seems to be wanting to nurse more often than he did a few days ago. It's pretty tough on Sara.

50% Time

2010-09-05T13:08:00.000-07:00

My boss has graciously allowed me to work half-time for a few weeks so that I can be at home helping Sara with the baby.

Wow! You can get SO MUCH accomplished around the house when you're not working full time!!!

Pictures

2010-09-05T07:35:00.001-07:00

DSC01543
Originally uploaded by brassplayer

I posted a few pictures of Clark up on my Flickr site. Click here for the full set.

Rough Night

2010-09-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

Clark had a rough night and was up several times. We had been doing pretty well the last several days with him not getting up as much as before. Oh well. Two steps forward, one step back, I suppose.

Umbilical Cord

2010-09-04T21:58:00.000-07:00

Clark's umbilical cord fell off yesterday. And yet another milestone reached.

I'm Back!

2010-09-04T21:53:00.002-07:00

Hi everyone! It's been forever since I've posted regularly at this location. Now that my son Clark has arrived, I was thinking that I would use this blog to relay some of my experiences on being a new dad. Mind you, I'm never really the type to write huge essays, but I'm hoping to put out a quick tidbit here and there.

So, for those of you still out there, I hope you enjoy the ride.

The Clark and Tim Show-002

2010-08-29T16:34:00.000-07:00

Episode 2 of The Clark and Tim Show is now online. Enjoy!

The Clark and Tim Show-001

2010-08-27T22:03:00.000-07:00

Episode 1 of The Clark and Tim Show is now up. Enjoy!

In-N-Out. That's What A Bumper Sticker is All About.

2009-09-18T15:32:00.000-07:00

I was recently reminded of the following story.

I'm sure many of you are familiar with the hamburger chain "In-N-Out" which is quite popular in the Southwestern US. During the 80s, you could go to one of the restaurants and pick up a free bumper sticker with "IN-N-OUT BURGER" boldly proclaimed in white letters on a bright red background. It quickly became fashionable to cut out the letters "B" and "R" in the word "BURGER" and slap the revised sticker on your car. Suggesting something much more than a simple fast-food meal.

In 1984, I got my drivers license and my parents handed me the keys to our 1975 Datsun 710 station wagon. I quickly proceeded to cover the back bumper in all sorts of obnoxious stickers, but I hadn't yet gotten around to putting the "In-N-Out Urge" on the car. However, a crafty buddy of mine decided we could do better. He got a few of the bumper stickers, some scissors and some tape, and custom-made a sticker just for my car:

IN-N-OUT BURRITO

Talk about suggestive!

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of his handiwork, but he did such an awesome job! You had to get real close to it to see that it was a hack.

Soon after, In-N-Out revised their bumper stickers and substituted a cartoon picture of a burger for the word "Burger". Oh well. It was fun while it lasted.

MIA

2009-07-30T07:09:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm obviously not posting on my blog very much. I'm not going to take down this blog, but I'm finding that social networking/microblogging sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Posterous are a better fit for me right now. Feel free to check me out there.

New Mexico Repeals Death Penalty

2009-03-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

Kudos to Governor Bill Richardson and the people of New Mexico for repealing their State's death penalty.

While I do concur that some crimes are so heinous that the criminals who commit them no longer deserve to walk freely among us, I do not agree with the death penalty. However, should society really be responsible for the care and feeding of those who are sentenced to spend the rest of their lives in prison for the most horrible of crimes? That money could be better spent on those who are capable of being rehabilitated. As archaic as it may sound, perhaps the idea of a prison colony is not a bad one. Transport the scum far away from civilization and let them fend for themselves. Kind of like the movie Escape From New York.

Traffic

2009-03-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

President Obama is currently in Los Angeles. While it's great to have the President in town, it always causes major havoc in the West L.A./Century City area because the Secret Service likes to use Santa Monica Blvd. as the primary way to get the Presidential Motorcade on and off the 405 Freeway. This necessitates the closing of Santa Monica Blvd., which is a major traffic artery in the West L.A. area. And wouldn't you know that my office is on Santa Monica Blvd., just a block east of the 405.

The morning, the President's helicopter landed in Cheviot Park, which is a few miles from the 405 entrance. Because of this, a good portion of Santa Monica Blvd. was closed which added about an extra hour to my morning commute as I tried to find alternate ways around the closures. Instead of just complaining about it, I emailed The White House and recommended that they use Veteran's Park as a landing site for Marine One. Veteran's Park is a large park in West L.A. which is part of the Veteran's Administration. Since the park is on Federal land, I would assume that it would be much easier to secure than Cheviot Park (which is in a residential area). Also, Veteran's Park is right next to the 405 Freeway, which would mean fewer street closures to get the Motorcade to and from the Freeway.

I'll report back if I get a response to my suggestion.

Hope

2009-03-05T10:21:00.001-08:00

Love this!

Trader Joes

2009-02-20T11:14:00.000-08:00

Sara LOVES shopping at Trader Joe's. So, she'll probably really appreciate this little fan-created commercial for the grocery store.

Valentine's Weekend

2009-02-19T11:07:00.001-08:00

Big Thunder Trail
Originally uploaded by brassplayer

Sara and I cashed in our Disney Rewards Points and booked a weekend getaway to the Disneyland Hotel. While my family stayed there once when I was young, Sara had never stayed there, so this was a nice little treat for the two of us.

Our room was in the Wonder Tower, the one with all the waterfalls. It was a short stay, but we really enjoyed ourselves at the Disneyland Resort.

Click here for a few more pictures of our trip.

King Arthur Carrousel

2008-12-08T10:06:00.000-08:00

Take a ride with Sara and Tim on Disneyland's King Arthur Carrousel.

Also, there are a few more pictures of our Disneyland trip here. They are mostly of the interior of "it's a small world holiday", but there are also some Sleeping Beauty Castle shots. Enjoy!

Adoption

2008-11-30T10:50:00.000-08:00

A college buddy of mine and his wife are looking to adopt a child. Seth and I were housemates for awhile, and he's a real good guy. So, please feel free to distribute this flyer.

Melissa and Seth have also set up a blog for their search. You can check it out at http://melissaandsethadoption.blogspot.com/

Shocking Sarah Palin Admission

2008-10-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

During Thursday's Vice-Presidential debate, Sarah Palin made the shocking admission that some of McCain's supporters (e.g., Lieberman, Giuliani, etc.) believe that McCain needs to LEAVE his campaign.

Don't Vote

2008-10-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

Great PSA by Sarah Silverman and Jonah Hill. Remember, decisions are made by those who show up.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

More Debate Mess

2008-09-24T17:31:00.000-07:00

MSNBC is reporting that John McCain won't show up for Friday's debate unless a deal to address the financial crisis is reached. Officials at the University of Mississippi (which is hosting the debate) are still moving forward as scheduled, but are not sure what they would do if McCain fails to show up.

If this happens, I say go on as scheduled and let Obama take questions from the audience. America has already carved out this time to learn more about the candidates. And if John McCain would rather take photo ops in Washington, DC, that's his decision. We might as well use this time to find out even more about Barack Obama and his plans for the United States.

And speaking of McCain, don't his actions sort of remind you of the kid who is "taking his ball and going home"?

Debate Delay

2008-09-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

So all of a sudden McCain needs to show up in Washington and add his two cents to the economic crisis. Oh, and that debate with Senator Obama that was scheduled for Friday? Yeah, that's going to have to wait as well. Hmm. Sounds to me more like someone doesn't have the ability to multi-task. Which is a quality you absolutely want in a President.

Yeah, I'm being sarcastic.

Anyway, if the Presidential candidates won't be able to debate on Friday, then I say lets replace it with the VP Debate. Biden vs. Palin; Let's get ready to rumble. Besides, it's high time that Caribou Barbie stops hiding behind her handlers and starts answering some real questions.

Monopoly

2008-09-17T16:35:00.000-07:00

Wil Wheaton made the following post in his Twitter stream:

The Monopoly Guy just endorsed McCain. Turns out McCain helped create a series of bank errors in his favor.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

They Even Lied About the Teleprompter!

2008-09-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

After Sarah Palin's acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, Fox News reported that there were substantial glitches with the teleprompter that Palin was reading her speech from. Nevertheless, the Governor was able to overcome the obstacles and deliver her speech without getting flustered. This fact was quickly picked up and gleefully reported by other Right-Wing tools such as Rush Limbagh and Sean Hannity.

Well, it turns out (surprise, surprise), THAT WAS A LIE!!!

ABC News and Politico are reporting that, in actuality, there was nothing wrong with Palin's teleprompter. Members of the press who were within eyeshot of the prompter, carefully watched it and said they noticed no major problems with the equipment.

Now, while the isolated incident of lying about whether or not a prompter works is not really that big of deal, I am more concerned with why the Republicans felt they needed to lie about it in the first place. The obvious reason is that they wanted to bolster their candidate and give her more credit than she deserves. But, more importantly, if the McCain campaign feels they can lie so easily about a broken teleprompter, then what else are they lying about?

Fox News calls McCain Out

2008-09-15T23:58:00.001-07:00

Fox News host Megyn Kelly corners McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds on his candidate's claim that Obama will raise taxes on the middle class. Watch Tucker squirm as he attempts to evade Kelly's questions and turn the conversation back to the meaningless Republican talking points. However, Kelly doesn't let this fool off so easily. Story and video below.

read more | digg story

Palin = Republican Status Quo

2008-09-14T23:14:00.001-07:00

Folks, my boss is a Research Psychologist whose Doctorate is in Clinical Psychology. As a researcher, she is fond of making the point that past behavior often predicts future behavior. And a recent New York Times article presents a well-researched list of Sarah Palin's past behavior and actions as Mayor of Wasilla, and then Governor of Alaska. Frankly, Palin's questionable judgment, lies, and abuses of power seem more like "Republican Business-As-Usual" then the "change" that she and John McCain promise. If Palin thought these kind of behaviors were okay when she was Mayor and Governor, then she is going to keep on doing it as Vice-President and (God forbid!) President. And our country just can't take four years of this. PLEASE remember this when you vote in November.

read more | digg story

Palin makes Her First Gaffe

2008-09-08T09:50:00.001-07:00

Apparently Caribou Barbie doesn't understand how Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac work. Yep, she's prepared to be the President. Story below.

read more | digg story

Julie Brown as Sarah Palin

2008-09-06T10:24:00.000-07:00

Absolutely Hilarious!

Amen, Brother!

2008-09-05T16:32:00.000-07:00

This quote was included in a recent email from the Obama campaign.

Republicans like Palin, Giuliani, and Romney can engage in red-meat partisan vitriol all they want, right out of the Karl Rove playbook, but this isn't 2000 or 2004. Americans now have seen the full impact of GOP policies on their pocketbook." -- Rick from Colorado

Palin Under Investigation

2008-09-05T14:16:00.001-07:00

So Caribou Barbie is currently under investigation in Alaska for alleged abuses of power. Not surprising. Isn't this just status quo for the Republicans? Story below.

read more | digg story

No Barracuda for Palin

2008-09-05T10:33:00.001-07:00

It would appear that even Ann and Nancy Wilson of the rock group Heart can't stand the Republican's Vice-President pick, Sarah Palin. After McCain's Sominex-like acceptance speech on Thursday night, he was joined on stage by his running mate. While the balloons started raining down, the Convention's PA system started playing Heart's 1977 hit "Barracuda", a reference to Palin's High School nickname. Well, it turns out that the clever Republicans running this convention must have forgot to get permission to play the song because Heart immediately sent a cease-and-desist order to the McCain's presidential campaign. And for good reason: they don't want to be associated with the McCain campagin.Check out the story below.

read more | digg story

Palin's Lies

2008-09-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

The Associated Press exposes the pack of lies in Caribou Barbie's speech.

Caribou Barbie

2008-09-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

A few thoughts on Governor Palin and her nomination speech:

Where the hell have you been the last several days? The Republicans throw you a big coming out party and then there's hardly a peep out of you since Friday. Can it be that the GOP doesn't trust you on your own?
I tuned into this speech to learn more about YOU, and specifically why the hell you think you should be a heartbeat away from the Presidency. I really didn't need to hear more about Senator McCain (didn't we get enough of that with Thompson droning on and on Tuesday night?), or your husband, or your kids. Since you're the one of the ticket, wouldn't it have been prudent to open up with more of yourself?
I find it amusing that you're complaining about the "Washington Elite" when your own running mate started in Congress back in 1982.
Yes, you eventually told Congress "no thanks" for that Bridge to Nowhere, but that was AFTER you initially supported that expensive piece of pork. Funny. You conveniently left that part out of your speech.
Biggest laugh-out loud moment:

My fellow citizens, the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of "personal discovery."

Thank you for waiting until close to the end of your speech before using the term "Maverick". Gag! I propose that every time someone says that on TV, they have to pay 25 cents towards the ever-increasing war debt.
Did anyone else out there catch Palin's youngest daughter pretty much giving the baby a cat bath on national TV? Absolutely hilarious! Perhaps dad needs to keep a better eye on the kids.
Contrary to all the rumors out there, that was NOT half the population of Alaska in attendance at the Convention.

Final prognosis: Palin did a okay job reading a speech that someone else wrote for her. But with all the excitement surrounding this moment, I was surprised by how boring much of it was. However, I'm far more interested in how Caribou Barbie will perform unscripted answering real questions in front of the Washington Press Corps. That is, if the GOP will let her off the leash long enough.

Flag Day

2008-06-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Flag Day!

Nissan Sucks!

2008-06-10T23:36:00.000-07:00

In the past six months, Sara and I have spent over $2,400 for repairs on her 2000 Nissan Maxima. The latest visit to the service center came just 8 days ago to replace a starter that crapped out. So imagine my surprise when Sara called me at the office this afternoon to say that the car wouldn't start again. She was eventually able to get it started, but it seemed like the transmission was starting to fail.

Sara barely drives the thing and it only has 72,000 miles on it. My 2001 Honda Civic has over 120,000 miles and hasn't had nearly as many problems as the Nissan. I think it might be time to dump this POS. But one thing's for certain: we're never buying another Nissan.

Flag Day

2008-06-08T16:20:00.001-07:00

Mickey Mouse Flag
Originally uploaded by brassplayer

Flag Day is coming up on June 14. Sara and I are starting a little early by flying our patriotic Mickey Mouse flag. Don't worry. We'll replace it with Old Glory on the 14th.

Little Kid vs Tuba Player

2008-05-08T13:53:00.001-07:00

NEVER cut through the Band Block.

Little Kid vs Tuba Player - Watch more free videos

Annie Oakley's Gaffe: Clinton mailer shows non-existent gun

2008-05-05T12:46:00.001-07:00

Hilarious story below. It seems that Hilary really doesn't know as much about guns as she would have you believe.

read more | digg story

When Young Teachers Go Wild on the Web

2008-04-29T12:08:00.001-07:00

Check out the crazy story from The Washington Post below. The bottom line is you have to be careful what you post on the Internet.

On the other hand, the School Superintendent mentioned in this story might want to rethink their interviewing strategies. Asking a potential candidate about their age, citizenship, national origin, race/ethnicity, or marital status, is illegal in the United States. And this is all information which can very often be found near the top of any MySpace or Facebook page. I essentially see no difference between an interviewer asking "How old are you?" and "What is the web page which will tell me how old you are?" This is just a lawsuit waiting to happen.

read more | digg story

Toto Sings!

2008-04-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

Watch Tim torment his niece's dog Toto at the birthday party of Tim's nephew, Joaquin.

Randi Rhodes

2008-04-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

Air America Radio Host Randi Rhodes was recently suspended from her radio show for calling both Hillary Clinton and Geraldine Ferraro "whores" at a recent affiliate appearance. While Ms. Rhodes remarks were made off the air in a San Francisco nightclub, her appearance was filmed and the most sensational portion of her talk was placed on YouTube.

My take on this:

The suspension was justified. This is NOT a question about free speech. Randi Rhodes is free to go to any street corner in the country and shout any mean-spirited epithet at the top of her lungs. However, in this case, Ms. Rhodes was appearing an event sponsored by the local San Francisco Air America Radio affiliate. In my book, this means that she was on Air America's time and representing the network. And if I was the one doing this performance, I probably would have toned it down a little.

Look, I agree with Randi Rhodes a lot of the time, and I'm no big fan of Hillary Clinton or Geraldine Ferraro. However, Randi Rhodes went way too far. She could have made her points without calling those women "whores". She could have persuaded without being crass. You can definitely be passionate about what you believe in, but you don't have to present it in a vulgar way. Especially when you are essentially representing your employers.

Isn't the Democratic party supposed to be better than that?

If this would have been Ann Coulter or Rush Limbaugh getting up on a stage and making such disgusting comments, wouldn't we want some disciplinary action for them? Wouldn't we think that at least a suspension is warranted?

If so, we have to demand the same for Randi Rhodes.

Buzz Weirdness

2008-03-30T22:50:00.000-07:00

Strange happenings on the Buzz Lightyear ride on Saturday. Lately, Sara and I have been riding separately in individual cars. That way, we both have total control over our cars, and Player 1 can't accuse Player 2 of intentionally moving the car when Player 1 is about to make a shot. Anyway, Sara scored around 160K and I scored around 190K.

When we got off the ride, we went over to the photo kiosks for our pictures. Check out what happened:

Somehow, Sara received no score, and I got Sara's score. Weird, huh? Has this ever happened to anyone?

I also love how my picture came out!

Springtime at Disneyland

2008-03-24T13:33:00.001-07:00

Sara and Tim
Originally uploaded by brassplayer

Sara and I took advantage of some wonderful weather and took a trip to (where else?) Disneyland. Spring is one of the best times to visit Disneyland, with the hard-working groundskeepers doing such a great job making the place look beautiful.

Also, we visited the Innoventions exhibit in Tomorrowland. Sara and I hardly ever go in there. In fact, the last time we did was the day we got engaged! Anyway, we say a pretty cool show with the robot ASIMO, and Tim got to ride a Segway. (Video coming soon!)

Click here for the complete photo set.

Hillary For Sale

2008-03-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hillary Clinton's Dignity and Class for sale on eBay!

Twitter

2008-03-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/brassplayer

Hillary Stretching The Truth?

2008-03-08T11:56:00.000-08:00

It light of Hillary Clinton's claims that she has more experience than Barack Obama, the Associated Press takes a closer look at Clinton's foreign policy record during her husband's Administration. It turns out that Hillary may be claiming more credit than she actually deserves.

3AM Call

2008-03-05T11:25:00.000-08:00

After Hillary Clinton finally broke Barack Obama's Primary winning streak, Senator Obama graciously called Senator Clinton to congratulate her ...

AT 3AM!!!!!

HAHAHAHAHA! But seriously, Hillary. Leave the fear-mongering to the Republicans. That's their SOP.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

2008-02-23T10:03:00.000-08:00

ABC News discovers that, after all these years, Mary Poppins was not correctly pronouncing "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" backwards.

View video here.

Frozen in New York

2008-02-20T12:17:00.000-08:00

Improv Everywhere pulls off a creative stunt in New York's Grand Central Station.

New High Score

2008-02-18T22:21:00.000-08:00

Well, it's another day at Disneyland, and another go at the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. My first time around was nothing special.

However, the second time around, I got a new personal high score.

Okay, I have to admit that the ride stopped right in front of a triangle target, so I milked it for all it was worth. But I do want to start getting scores like this more often. However, it was a nice change to score more than 200K. And it was even nicer to be ranked!

Galactic Bravery

2008-02-11T10:27:00.000-08:00

We had some awesome weather this past weekend. (Just another reason I love living in L.A.) Sara and I took advantage of the warm temps and spent some time at Disneyland on Sunday. We got in our obligatory spin on the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters.

I'm not sure what Sara is aiming at, but we didn't do too badly. However, we both still want to consistently score higher. We just need more practice.

And, it turns out I played so well that the Little Green Men awarded me a Galactic Hero Medal for my bravery battling the Evil Emperor Zurg. I am so proud!

Click here for a few more photos from our trip.

Mickey Mouse Floral

2008-01-21T21:29:00.000-08:00

The folks at Disney are always "plussing" the Park. Here's a short video of the new LED display on the Mickey Mouse Floral in front of Disneyland.

Sunset Boulevard

2008-01-18T13:18:00.001-08:00

The Journey Begins, originally uploaded by brassplayer.

Sara and I decided to take advantage of some beautiful weather last Sunday and took a trip down Los Angeles' legendary Sunset Boulevard. Click here for the entire photo set.

Michael Jackson Is Back!

2008-01-10T13:30:00.001-08:00

No, we're not talking about Wacko Jacko, we're talking about the wonderful radio talk show host Michael Jackson who has been broadcasting in Los Angeles since 1963. The AM radio station KGIL 1260AM has recently switched to a talk format and they smartly hired Mr. Jackson to be the anchor of their new line-up.

Michael Jackson definitely falls to the left of center in his political views, however unlike many of his blowhard counterparts on the right side of the dial, Jackson can have balanced, thoughtful, and intelligent exchanges with those he disagrees with. And sadly, that is becoming a rare commodity in today's talk radio environment.

Welcome back Michael Jackson!

Christmas Time at Disneyland

2007-12-24T10:13:00.001-08:00

Sleeping Beauty Castle, originally uploaded by brassplayer.

Click here for a few shots of Christmas Time at the Happiest Place on Earth.

Merry Christmas!

Even More Buzz

2007-12-23T12:20:00.001-08:00

Saturday night found Sara and I once again back at Disneyland playing Astro Blasters. We still have yet to break our personal high scores, and Sara was disappointed with her showing. However, we dispelled the notion that whoever enters the ship first (e.g., the person sitting in the right of this picture), is the one who wins.

To Infinity and Beyond!

Huckabee wanted to isolate AIDS patients

2007-12-08T08:53:00.000-08:00

The Associated Press is reporting that Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee once advocated isolating AIDS patients from the general public, opposed increased federal funding in the search for a cure, and said that homosexuality is an aberrant, unnatural, and sinful lifestyle.

These statements were made after it was common knowledge that AIDS could not be spread by casual contact.

Sad. Truly sad.

Link here.

More Buzz

2007-11-12T10:52:00.000-08:00

Sara and I are still having fun playing Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters at Disneyland. We're improving, but are not getting those astronomically high scores I keep seeing. However, a few weeks ago the two of us both got personal high scores. We got stopped in the final "Zurg" room for a fairly long time and Sara was able to score in the 300,000s and I was in the 200,000s. Unfortunately, our picture didn't come out so we don't have photographic evidence. Dang!

Anyway, here's how we did last Friday.

We also noticed something else. It seems like whoever enters the ship first (i.e., the person on the right side of this picture) is going to have the higher score. We're not sure why, but it seems to be very consistent. Perhaps it's easier to hit targets on that side of the ship? Has anyone else noticed this?

Because we were getting so tired of the "first person entering the ship is always the winner" thing, we decided to try something different: riding separately.

Here's Sara:

And me:

We both did okay, but we still want to break into the 200Ks more consistently. Stay tuned.

TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!!!

Candy Corn Acres

2007-10-10T12:34:00.001-07:00

Candy Corn Acres, originally uploaded by brassplayer.

Sara and Tim visit Candy Corn Acres at Disney's California Adventure. Check out the pictures here.

Number 2

2007-10-10T12:14:00.000-07:00

Last week, I was amazed to find the Cal Bears ranked #3 in the country. This week, we are ranked #2.

GO BEARS!!!

Halloween Time at Disneyland

2007-10-03T12:03:00.001-07:00

Mickey Mouse Halloween Floral, originally uploaded by brassplayer.

This is a little late, but Sara and I took some Halloween pictures at Disneyland on September 23. Check out the set here.

Is the iPhone Honeymoon Over?

2007-10-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

Interesting article over at the tech-site CNET about perceptions of problems with Apple's iPhone.

Number 3

2007-10-01T17:21:00.001-07:00

I'll admit I never thought I would see the day that Cal Football was ranked third in the nation.

GO BEARS!!!

X Atencio

2007-09-18T23:05:00.001-07:00

X Atencio
Originally uploaded by brassplayer

On Sunday, Sara and I visited the Walt Disney Barn in Griffith Park for a meet-and-greet with Disney Imagineer and Disney Legend, Xavier "X" Antencio. This event was hosted by the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society and the Los Angeles Live Steamers. Click here to check out the pictures.

Walt Disney World Pictures

2007-09-17T15:26:00.001-07:00

Sara and I traveled to Walt Disney World in early August. Click here to check out our pictures.

More Flickr

2007-09-17T15:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I took the plunge and created my own Flickr site. There's not much up there now, but I'll add to it over time. I also created a Flickr Picture Pool Page for the Cal Marching Band. Check them out.

Flickr

2007-09-10T00:11:00.000-07:00

Sony just announced that they are closing Imagestation, their picture-sharing site that I've been using for years. So I've been looking for a new place to upload my photos. It appears that Yahoo's Flickr site is going to be it. I've already put a few photos up on my site. Check them out!

Cal Band Pregame

2007-09-09T16:39:00.000-07:00

The Cal Band's Pregame Show from September 1, 2007. Cal vs. Tennessee. GO BEARS!!!

Cool Video

2007-08-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

A cool video featuring Jenna Fischer from my favorite TV Show, The Office: "Through Any Window" by Willie Wisely.

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters

2007-07-29T09:54:00.000-07:00

Sara and I are becoming addicted to the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters attraction at Disneyland. Think of it as a combination of a Fantasyland dark ride and an arcade shoot-em-up game. You ride around in a little ship and shoot at targets located in the ride. A computer keeps track of your points and displays your score at the end. Kiosks at the end of the attraction allow you to save pictures which also list your score.

Sara and I thought we would keep track of each of our high scores. Sara's current high score is 88,700 and mine is 105,200. We're new at this, but will keep trying to improve our scores at each visit. I'll keep posting our photos in the future.

Sara totally kicked my butt on this one, and got her new high score in the process.

I finally figured out that trying to aim my gun could dramatically improve my score.

Man of the Century

2007-07-28T06:38:00.000-07:00

Sara and I watched Man of the Century last night. It's a cute little independent film about Johnny Twennies, a 1920s newspaper reporter who is somehow transplanted into the 1990s and doesn't seem to know or to care. As a result, the movie is filled with a lot of hilarious slang, styles, and mannerisms from that bygone age. It's not the best film ever, but it's definitely worth a rental.

The movie also stars Susan Egan as Johnny's modern girlfriend Samantha who is suffering through all of Johnny's out-of-date ideals regarding courtship. Disney fans will recognize Egan as the voice of Megara from Disney's Hercules, as well as originating the role of Belle in the stage production of Beauty and the Beast.

Astro Orbitor

2007-07-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

Take a ride with Sara and Tim on Disneyland's Astro Orbitor.

More Flag Retreat

2007-07-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

A complete Disneyland Flag Retreat Ceremony, from July 7, 2007.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Farewell Beauty and the Beast

2007-07-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

Disney's long-running stage musical of Beauty and the Beast is closing after 5,464 regular performances.

Disneyland College Band

2007-07-08T21:19:00.001-07:00

Check out the 2007 Disneyland College Band, filmed in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle on July 7, 2007 playing a Disneyland Attraction Medley. These guys are good!

Above The Law

2007-07-02T17:15:00.000-07:00

By commuting Scooter Libby's sentence, the Republicans show once again that if you're a good buddy of the President, then you are above the law.

Duel

2007-06-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

Sara and I are really enjoying our Netflix account. Last night, we watched Steven Spielberg's 1971 movie, Duel. The movie stars Dennis Weaver as a solitary motorist who is being terrorized by an unseen trucker. It's pretty suspenseful and definitely worth watching if you haven't already seen it.

iPhone

2007-06-29T09:23:00.001-07:00

Apple's new iPhone will be released today. Will it be a boom or bust? We'll find out soon. I personally would not want to hand Apple $500 for the "privilege" of providing them free beta testing.

Clever of Steve Jobs to release the phone on a Friday night at 6pm. That way, in case there are major problems, Apple has a few hours to push out firmware fixes before Wall Street opens again on Monday.

Wicked

2007-06-17T19:22:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night, Sara and I went to see the musical Wicked at the beautiful Pantages Theater in Hollywood. Sara had been wanting to see this for awhile, so we decided to get tickets for the Saturday after her last day of school. It was a lot of fun, however I do feel that it had been hyped up quite a bit. There were some places where the story dragged, but all in all, it was a great show.

Great performance by Eden Espinosa as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. She really made this show for me. Also, Espinosa used to be a featured performer at the Disneyland Resort. So it's nice to see her hit the "big time".

We're Going to Disney World

2007-06-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

Sara and I just made the final payment on our Walt Disney World vacation. We're heading to Florida in August. Yeah!!!

Obama Girl

2007-06-15T17:27:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure which Democrat I'll be supporting in the 2008 Presidential election, but it's nice to see the race is off to a good start.

George Bush, the Saint

2007-05-22T15:32:00.000-07:00

A co-worker forwarded this to me:

THE SAINT
President George W. Bush was scheduled to visit the Episcopal Church outside Washington as part of his campaign to restore his pathetic poll standings.

His image handler made a visit to the Bishop and said, "We've been getting a lot of bad publicity because of the president's position on stem cell research, the Iraq war, hurricane Katrina, and the Veterans Administration. We'll make a $100,000 contribution to your church if during your sermon you will say that the President is a saint.

The Bishop thought it over for a few moments and finally said, "The Church is desperate for funding - I'll do it."

Bush showed up for the sermon and the Bishop began:

"I'd like to speak to you all this morning about our President George Bush who is a liar, a cheat, and a low-intelligence weasel. He took the tragedy of September 11 and used it to frighten and manipulate the American people.

"He lied about weapons of mass destruction and invaded Iraq for oil and money, causing the deaths of tens of thousands and making the United States the most hated country on earth.

"He appointed cronies to positions of power and influence, leading to widespread death and destruction during Hurricane Katrina. He awarded contracts and tax cuts to his rich friends so that we now have more poverty in this country and a greater gap between rich and poor than we've had since the Depression of 1929.

"He has headed the most corrupt, bribe-inducing political party since Teapot Dome.

"The national surplus has turned into a staggering national debt of 7.6 trillion Dollars, gas prices are up 85%, which the people of America cannot afford, and vital research into global warming and stem cells is stopped cold because he's afraid to lose votes from religious kooks.

"He is the worst example of a true Christian I've ever known.

"But compared to Dick Cheney, George W. Bush is a saint."

War On Terror

2007-04-25T14:31:00.000-07:00

According to the Associated Press, Osama bin Laden was behind the attack on the U.S. military base in Afghanistan during a visit by Vice President Dick Cheney.

So remind me again, why is our military bogged down in Iraq while bin Laden is still free?

You're doing a heckuva job on the War on Terror, George Bush.

Dumb, Dumber, and Dumberer

2007-04-19T17:24:00.001-07:00

Rush Limbaugh, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Rudolph Giuliani pose at the annual Cigar Afcionado's Fat-Cat Meet-And-Greet Dinner. The stogie-suckers raised $1.2 million for prostate cancer.

Perhaps someone should tell these clowns they might be better served raising money for throat and lung cancer.

... Nah!

Reasonable Gun Control

2007-04-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

The person in this photograph:

Spent time in a mental health facility.
Was referred to mental health professionals/counselors by his college professor.
Was referred to mental health professionals/counselors by the local police.
Stalked and physically threatened other students.
Had a history of violent behavior on file with the local police department.

So then, can someone please explain to me how in the hell was this guy allowed to legally purchase a handgun and ammunition just days before he killed 32 people at Virginia Tech??? According to the guy who sold him the gun at a gun show, Cho Seung-Hui's came up clean when his name was run through a "Quick Check".

It boggles the mind.

There are those in the NRA who would have you believe that the left is using this tragic event to take their guns away. No, we're not. All we want is reasonable gun control. And I would hope (pray?) that any reasonable person would not have sold Seung-Hui a gun. Don't you think?

And for those who say that now is not the time for a national debate on gun control; that it is not fair to talk about this subject so soon after the Virginia Tech massacre; I say: when your dog craps on your floor, do you wait three weeks before you stick his nose in it and tell him "NO"???? Hell No. You handle the problem right away.

It's time to handle this dog crap.

Star Wars

2007-04-13T10:22:00.000-07:00

Don Imus

2007-04-12T12:39:00.000-07:00

Things just keep getting worse for radio talk show host Don Imus. After making racially inflammatory comments about the Rutgers University Women’s Basketball Team, Imus was placed on a two-week suspension, MSNBC dropped its simulcast of his show, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are calling for his dismissal, and advertisers are pulling out.

While some would have you believe that this is an issue of free speech, I would disagree. Imus is free to go to any street corner and yell whatever he wants at the top of his lungs. But when it comes to the public airwaves, then things are a little different. While I’m not really bothered by anything that comes out of the mouth of any “shock jock”, I think Imus definitely crossed the line in this particular situation and should be held accountable for his actions.

However, all the chest beating about this incident raises a concern. While there is no doubt that what Imus said on his show is offensive, it really isn’t much worse than anything you would hear on a typical “gangsta rap” record, or in an Eminem song. That type of music is known for glorifying racism, misogyny, and homophobia. So, why is that kind of material okay for the airwaves while Imus is not? Why isn’t Al Sharpton having these people on his show telling them to stop recording such material? Why isn’t Jesse Jackson leading a march calling for an end to such music? Why are we not seeing the same level of mass outrage as we are for Imus?

I honestly don’t know, but it just seems hypocritical to me.

What do you think?

Casey Jr. Circus Train

2007-04-08T21:49:00.000-07:00

Take a ride on Disneyland's Casey Jr. Circus Train. April 7, 2007.

Disneyland Flag Retreat

2007-04-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

Every afternoon in Town Square on Disneyland's Main Street, the U.S. Flag is lowered for the day in a small but patriotic ceremony. A regiment of Disneyland Security Personnel is charged with bringing down the colors, while live music is provided by the Disneyland Band and The Dapper Dans. Here is a short segment of the ceremony from March 30, 2007.

More Baby Pix

2007-04-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

Also, click here for even more baby pictures.

New Addition

2007-04-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to my sister Susan and her husband Jimmy for a new addition to their family! Joaquin Castro Valenzuela was born April 2, 2007, weighing in at 6 pounds 12 ounces.

More pictures will follow.

Mine! Mine! Mine!

2007-03-27T17:52:00.000-07:00

This summer, the submarines will return to Disneyland with a Finding Nemo overlay. As part of these changes, a small buoy has been installed in the submarine lagoon which will serve as a perch for several of the seagulls from the movie. As the subs pass the gulls, the birds will cry out "Mine! Mine! Mine!" just as they do in the movie.

Disney just released some pictures of the seagull installation. Check 'em out!

These attraction is going to have some pretty intense lines when it re-opens.