Avengers Trailer (2012)

I’m actually looking forward to this. I hope it turns out to be a decent movie.


Not Disappointed

I’m fairly pleased with the iPhone 4S announcement the other day. It hit all the points I was looking for on a new iPhone. Granted, my points weren’t really that lofty. I hoped for, at the least:

  • A screen as good as the iPhone 4 (e.g. retina display).
  • The same or better camera.
  • More powerful, processor-wise.
  • More memory for less.

What was shown was:

  • Yup, retina display. No change in screen size or resolution/
  • A better 8MP camera with an aperture of 2.4 (good for low light).
  • Dual-core A5 chip = faster!
  • Now offering it in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. It meets my more memory for fewer criteria.

I wasn’t expecting or waiting for an iPhone 5. It seems to fit with the pattern or releases (e.g. iPhone 3 to iPhone 3GS). And since I’m on a broken-down iPhone 3GS anything would be much better. Now, what size and color should I get?


Steve Jobs

I was in my office, packing up for the day when I received a text from my wife. It simply said:

Steve Jobs?!

Sadly, it could only mean one thing.

Steve Jobs

Just Annouce It Already!

Apple can announce anything today. Just as long as it’s a new iPhone. I so desperately need a new phone. 

I’ve got problems with mine right now:

  • The headphone jack is broken.
  • The physical volume buttons are broken.
  • The side with the volume buttons is starting t split.
  • The top power button, when pressed does nothing. This means I can’t power off my iPhone

I could have gone with an iPhone 4, but I held off for two reasons. The first was to uphold a pledge to skip every other version of the iPhone. We had the First Gen, skipped the iPhone 3G, and got the iPhone 3GS. The second reason I waited was when my iPhone truly started to become unusable as a music device, it happened during that weird window where you know you need a new iPhone, so why get one. Why not wait?

I do hope the new iPhone is better than the iPhone 4, which was something I lusted after for some time. What I hope for in a new iPhone is:

  • A screen as good as the iPhone 4 (e.g. retina display).
  • The same or better camera.
  • More powerful, processor-wise.
  • More memory for less.

All that I ask above is doable, very doable. We’ll see what happens later this morning. All I know is that by the end of the month, I should have a new phone.


Boardwalk Empire - The Subway Edition

I’m not a big fan of the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. I tried watching a few episodes when it debuted earlier this year. But I just couldn’t get into it. But I can get into this advertising campaign. I heard about it a few days ago, and now Laughing Squid has a few photos. I’d love to see this in person. Too bad it won’t be around for long. But if you are in NYC, you should stop by and see - but only on the weekends.

More photos can be found on Laughing Squid’s blog post.


Mia and the Luau

Mia and the Luau

Mia’s daycare was having an end-of-summer luau. Even though sunglasses and hula skirts were handed out, the weather wasn’t exactly sunny and tropical. We stayed as long as we could (the hula performance started late) until the wind and time forced us to leave.

I took only a few photos, on August 26, 2011. You can find the rest here.


My Next iPhone Case

80's Cell Phone Case

I really need to update my iPhone. It’s on its last legs. The volume button is broken off. The power button doesn’t work. And it started to split in two at the seams! Hopefully, there will be a new iPhone soon.

I’ve been scouting for iPhone cases and came across this. It would be interesting to carry around, wouldn’t it?


Irene

Hurricane Irene: MTA Metro-North Railroad closed Grand Central Terminal as the hurricane approached. Photo by Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Marjorie Anders.

This is a photo of Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Mid-day. Nearly empty. It’s one of those photos you wish you could capture yourself, but probably won’t ever be able to do so. It was taken by the MTA and posted on Flickr. The reason why it’s nearly empty is due to Hurricane Irene.

Grand Central Terminal is a sight I’d like to revisit again. The place is huge. And when it’s filled with people it feels amazing. Oh, and they’re going to have an Apple Store there someday soon.


Bixby

Photo of Papa, Bixby, and Lucky. Bixby is on the left.

It’s tough when you lose a pet. A pet who’s been a loyal friend and good companion over the years. But, like us and everything on this planet, in this universe, time doesn’t stand still and lets us simply live forever. And so, sadly, we say goodbye to Bixby who succumbed to age this past Thursday morning. He was about 77 years old (11 in human years).

Bixby

Bixby was a friendly, yet cautious dog. His cautious nature bordered on being shy. He would let his partner, Lucky, determine if any new person was worthy of attention. After the determination, Bixby would warm up and be playful as the next dog. Combine Bixby’s relaxed playfulness with Lucky’s hyperactive playful nature and you’ve got a tiring combination.

Bixby was a slower-moving dog, built more for comfort than speed. It didn’t help that he had an injured front paw making him a little less active. But he’d trot around with Lucky, playing with whoever would stop by.

Bixby and Lucky

But now, Lucky is alone again, as he was for a year before Bixby’s arrival. The photos in this post were taken with a film camera on Bixby’s first day in our lives. The photos are dated February 25, 2001.

You’ll be missed, Bixby.

Photo of Papa, Bixby, and Lucky. Bixby is on the left. Photo of Papa, Bixby, and Lucky. Bixby is on the left.


Mia's First Birthday

Mia Bathing

At 10:16 am last year, Mia arrived in our lives. And what a year it has been. Ever since then, time seems to have been moving so fast, often a complete blur. I’m sure every parent has a similar experience.

Wasn’t it just a month ago that it seemed like all she could do was cry, eat, and poop? Wasn’t it just last week that she learned how to crawl? Wasn’t it just this morning she learned how to stand? And it seems just now, at this very moment, she really knows, by the glint in her eye, who mommy and daddy truly are. There is so much to share, but now so little time to write about it.

I took this photo as Mia was bathing this morning, getting ready for her day (or actually the whole weekend). I hope to post more photos later today - when I can find a moment. We’ll see how that works out.

But for now, Happy Birthday, Mia!


An Opportunity

I’ve been meaning to write for some time now. I’ve had the desire to do so. But having the desire, and having the opportunity, are two different things. When they don’t sync up, it can make for one cranky person.

Luckily, I’ve been too busy to be cranky.

Commute Map

I started a new job a few weeks back. It’s a job that I was interested in taking. I took a 12% pay reduction and increased my commute by 45 minutes, but to me, it was worth it. At least that’s how I looked at it when I said yes to the opportunity. It is how I look at it now, as well. I’m sure, almost positive, it will also be how I look at it in the future. But sometimes, in the haze of commuting, it is difficult to see the sanity in the decision I made.

I get to spend more time with Farrah and Mia. Granted it is morning commute time, but it is time nonetheless. The evening commute is spent apart. When I get home, which is often after 7pm, I only spend an hour with Mia before her bedtime. Then the time I spend with Farrah is only eating, catching up briefly on the day’s events, then getting our things together for the next day.

For now, it seems like a cycle ride that has no end.

In October, things may change. But October is months away. Who knows if the change will be for the better or for the worse. The optimist in me hopes for the former, and I will continue to think that until October comes to pass.

I’m writing this on my evening commute home, on the CalTrain. It hasn’t been a bad experience on the train. The people are as friendly as can be, for being cramped into a train, going from point A to point Z in such-and-such time. I’ve only had a few delays here and there. Nothing to complain about just yet.

When my job moves deeper into the City – yup, we’re moving downtown – we’ll see what the train commute plus Muni will be like. I’m guessing it’ll be a bear for a few weeks until I get my pattern down.

And so I’ll try to post when I can. I hope I’ll find opportunities to do so, whether it’s writing while I’m on a train ride or when I’m winding down from the day in bed.

I have the desire. Opportunity is the issue.


Mia Crawls!

At almost ten months of age, Mia is now starting to crawl! I know everyone is different when they start crawling, talking, etc. There were signs she was working her way up to this. It is simply amazing to watch her scoot around. Now, it is time to baby-proof everything!

On to the video:


Mia's First Easter

Rabbit ears. Eggs. Money.

It’s Mia’s first Easter. It was a quiet Easter, spent at the house with the grandparents. It was quiet by choice, as Mia was recovering from being sick all week. Otherwise, we would have made a trip to spend Easter with family.

We had a lovely lunch - a Honey Baked ham, fried chicken and egg rolls from King Egg Roll, green beans, and Brussels sprouts. Then it was to the living room to watch Mia open her Easter eggs.

She’s a little too young for candy, so money was a good substitute. Yes, she did try to eat the bills. We then headed outside to take a few photos with each grandparent and ourselves. I wanted to take a full group photo, but unfortunately, I ordered the wrong tripod plate for my camera. I’ll need to get a new one.

You can find more Easter photos in the://Easter album.

Photos were taken with both the Canon 7D and the Canon S95 on April 24, 2011.


The King's Speech

I upped my Netflix movie discs this month in the hopes of catching up on a few movies. I hope to write a few words about each movie that I was able to view.

I was able to set aside a few moments last weekend to watch an excellent movie The King’s Speech. It would have been a good idea to see this movie before the Oscars. But knowing it had won several Oscars, as well as other awards, did not taint my viewing of the movie.

The film, from its synopsis, seems grand in scope. It tells the story of a man with a speaking issue who would be King one day. But as I sat and watched the movie it felt like a nicely made small film. The movie moved at a good pace, covering a little less than a decade of time very smoothly. It established its characters, relationships, and situations with ease.

The interaction between the actors and their characters was a sight to see. In a short period of time, you could recognize the love and patience that Helena Bonham Carter’s character has for Firth. And you could feel the tension, then later admiration and respect Firth and Geoffrey Rush’s character shared throughout the film. Yes, there was a montage here and there, but how else would you encapsulate all the speaking exercises Firth’s King George VI would go through?

Now, I don’t know the historical accuracy of this film. Heck, I don’t expect any film to be historically accurate. All I can say is that this film proves to be an inspirational piece worth repeated viewing.

If you like British movies and have two hours to spare, and an opportunity to rent this film, I don’t believe you’d be disappointed


Unsure About PlayStation Now

Seriously?

“Although we are still investigating the details of this incident, we believe that an unauthorized person has obtained the following information that you provided: name, address (city, state, zip), country, email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login, and handle/PSN online ID. It is also possible that your profile data, including purchase history and billing address (city, state, zip), and your PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers may have been obtained. If you have authorized a sub-account for your dependent, the same data with respect to your dependent may have been obtained. While there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, we cannot rule out the possibility. If you have provided your credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity, out of an abundance of caution we are advising you that your credit card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may have been obtained.”

After hearing this news from Sony, I’m wondering if I can ever trust Sony or the PlayStation Network ever again. I was winding down on my console video game play. Perhaps this is a sign to give it up altogether.

The full post is on ://Playstation.blog