War On Terror

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

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

The person in this photograph:

1. Spent time in a mental health facility.
   
2. Was referred to mental health professionals/counselors by his college professor.
3. Was referred to mental health professionals/counselors by the local police.
4. Stalked and physically threatened other students.
5. 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

Don Imus

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

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

Disneyland Flag Retreat

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

Also, click here for even more baby pictures.

New Addition

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!

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.

The Departed

Sara and I rented The Departed over the weekend. (Actually, Sara was the one who chose it. I wasn't there when she went to the video store.) Anyway, I honestly can't figure out what the big deal is about this flick. The movie is far longer than it has be. (It's never a good sign when you find yourself looking at the DVD timer during the movie.) In fact, by the time I got to the end, I no longer cared which characters were alive and which were dead. And the final CGI shot had me laughing out loud. I'm really not sure if that was the filmmaker's intent.

I suppose I'm glad that Martin Scorsese finally won his Oscar. But I'm even happier that I didn't pay to see this piece of dreck in a theater.

Little Miss Sunshine was such a much better film. Well, at least Alan Arkin won for Best Supporting Actor.

A Love Story in Three Pictures

Broadband

Well, I've finally taken the leap and dumped my Dial-Up for DSL. Yes, I know. It's way overdue.

So far, I'm absolutely loving it. It's great to be able to download files within a matter of minutes instead of hours. I have had some problems getting my my new router to communicate with my Sony Digital Receiver. However, everything is gradually coming together.

Vote for Dwight!

The Chicago Tribune is running a contest to determine who is the best fictional character on television. Please take a moment and vote for Dwight Schrute from The Office. That guy is hilarious!

Pardon Me?

As the world waits on whether or not President Bush will pardon convicted former White House Staffer, Scooter Libby, Time Magazine presents an essay on the 10 Most Notorious Presidential Pardons. And yes, Bill Clinton makes the list.

Gelato

Sara and I spent a good part of Sunday doing something I absolutely hate: shopping. However, while we were doing this most tedious of tasks, Sara took me to a little gelato place in Old Town Pasadena called Tutti Gelati. This place is great! First you choose your flavor, and then you decide on either cup or cone, and if you want any additional toppings. Sara had a Mango Sorbet and I had the Tiramisu Gelato. It totally hit the spot on such a warm day.

So, if you're buzzing around in Old Pasadena, I highly recommend this place.

Coulter Speaks Her Mind Part II

Click here to view Ann Coulter's disgusting hate speech for yourself.

Gingrich Love Affair

Those wacky Republicans. They just seem to keep stepping in one giant pile of hypocrisy after another. The latest incident involves former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich who admitted to having an extramarital affair at the same time he was leading the charge against President Clinton over his affair with Monica Lewinsky.

According to Gingrich, "There are times that I have fallen short of my own standards. There's certainly times when I've fallen short of God's standards."

Yeah. Ain't that the truth.

Gingrich tried to defend his actions by stating that he had no choice since Americans cannot accept perjury in our highest officials. Well, that's a nice sentiment. But if Gingrich truly believes that, then I expect him to vocally support the verdict which was just handed to Scooter Libby. As well as being the first in line to demand that George Bush NOT grant a pardon to the former Cheney aide.

I'm sure Rush Limbaugh will find some way to spin this story on his show on Friday. However, one thing is for certain. They won't be hearing Rush's verbal diarrhea in Fargo, North Dakota. The local Fargo affiliate just decided to pull the plug on El Rushbo.

Swamped

Wow. I am totally swamped at the office. We're in the Development Phase for a new research project and my workload has increased a ton. This is going to be a long next couple of months. Bleh.

Disneyland Streetcar

Join Sara and Tim as we take a ride aboard Disneyland's Horse-Drawn Streetcar.