IfItWereMyHome.com - A Site to See
The lottery of birth is responsible for much of who we are. If you were not born in the country you were, what would your life be like? Would you be the same person?
IfItWereMyHome.com compares the living conditions in your country to another of your choice. It’s interesting to see how different - and not necessarily better - your living conditions are to others, as a country. Everyone’s got problems.
Mia and Her Gloves
Mia is all dressed up and ready to go out for a morning stroll. It was slightly cold and overcast outside on the morning of this photo, so Farrah had her all bundled up. Granted it’s not snowy weather here in sunny California. But anything below 55℉ makes you reach for a sweater.
This was Mia’s first experience with gloves as well. She was very fascinated by how they felt on her hands and how it felt interacting with other objects. She also started rubbing them together quickly, as if making sure her hands were still underneath the gloves.
This photo was taken on January 17, 2011, using the Canon s95.
Winnie the Pooh - One Kid's Interpretation
I never read Winne the Pooh. From this little girl’s synopsis of the book, it sounds like an adventure worth reading.
Mia in Pigtails
Mia came home from daycare with pigtails! Well, in the photo you can see only one, but she does have another small pigtail on the other side of her head. She has an amazing amount of hair, but it’s in that in-between length where something proper to do is difficult.
This photo was taken on January 11, 2011, using the Canon s95 in low light mode.
List of Links for Today
- If you didn’t hear, Verizon is going to get the iPhone. Can you hear me now? Well, that would be a reason to switch from AT&T.
- Looks like Verizon is also getting a specific iPad as well.
I know some museums don’t allow photography, but seriously, suing Thomas Hawk for $2M is a bit much.- Sam Mendes is directing the next James Bond flick.
- Movie critics can be mean.
- Foot stickers seem like a good idea.
3 Minutes
A very short film by Ross Ching, starring a Harry Shum Jr. from Glee and Stephen “tWitch” Boss from So You Think You Can Dance. Hey, it’s got guns and lightsabers. What’s not to like?
List of Links for Today (LOLT)
A few links to read:
- Star Wars will be available on blu ray this year! I'm placing my pre-order on this one even though I don't particularly like the newer movies.
- More Star Wars - cool posters.
- You can't walk straight blindfolded. There's science behind this, of course.
- I bet you aren't as into Twilight as this lady who has it tattooed on her back.
- Bjork does karaoke, BUT for a cause.
- If you have a Mac, you may want to see if there is a software update available. Last week, Apple launched the Mac App Store. I haven't bought anything from it yet, but it does look interesting.
Verizon iPhone? Not for Us - Yet
There’s been speculation that Verizon will announce the availability of the iPhone on their network this coming Tuesday. It’s great news since Verizon (supposedly) has a better network. I’ve had plenty of dropped calls on my iPhone, and plenty of bad connections to the 3G network. I’d love to go to Verizon, but I don’t think I will right away.
Why?
- iPhone 5: Verizon will likely be offering the iPhone 4. While I'm lusting after a new iPhone - I'm using a slightly crippled iPhone 3GS - the iPhone 5 should be coming out in June or July. I can wait a few more months and decide then.
- The Network: I'm not sure I can give up the ability to talk on the phone and surf the web at the same time, something you can do on a 3G network but not the CDMA network which Verzion has. Is CDMA better than EDGE, which was the network the first iPhone used? If it's the same limitations, then I'm not sure I'd want to be on it.
- Convincing Others: If I move carriers, so does the rest of the family. I think everyone would be cool getting new phones. But I don't look forward to telling our parents, "Yeah, you need to get a new phone. Why? Well, because, that's why."
- Costing More: I hear that Verizon phone plans are slightly more expensive on average than AT&T's plans. I'm not sure this is true. But I'm not willing to pay more just yet.
Come June or July a decision will need to be made whether to stick with AT&T or not. I’m sure I won’t be the only one weighing whether to go to Verizon, that is of course if Verizon does announce the iPhone this coming Tuesday.
Mia at Six Months
Time flies. Time flies very fast. January 1st not only marked the first day of the new year, but it also marked the sixth month Mia has been in our lives. Some of the moments seem like a blur now. Most likely this is due to the lack of sleep. And the lack of sleep still happens on some nights. But other moments are crystal clear, like her first smile, as if they happened yesterday.
As you can see from the short video above Mia is now trying to eat rice cereal, her first steps into the realm of solid foods. She started showing an interest in food three weeks ago. I’m sure we could have tried this earlier, but hey, everything worked out. Next thing you know she’ll be asking for a rib-eye steak. Oh, I can’t wait until she starts throwing food all over the place (note the sarcasm please).
We also notice Mia is more reactive, more interactive, and overall more aware of what is happening around her. She now laughs, well it’s more of a giggle. But it seems only mommy can make her consistently giggle. She’s still as friendly as ever, going to anyone and everyone without much fuss. She has her days where she doesn’t want to leave mommy or daddy’s arms, but those are few and far between. I’m sure this will change some day.
And Mia loves the outdoors, getting out of the house at the least. The other day she seemed to be in a mood. But once we left the house and ran errands, her mood changed from sour to a happy camper in a matter of moments.
She’s a wonder to watch. I can’t imagine what the next months, and years, will bring.
The video was taken on January 2, 2011, in our dining room.
Mia and Mommy on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve was at the house as usual. But in the early afternoon, we stopped by Grandma and Grandpa’s house to see them, take a few photos, and drop off presents. I’m working on processing the photos to post to the photos site.
This specific photo was taken on December 24, 2010, in San Jose.
Salt - A Review
Angelina Jolie as Salt
Netflix Synopsis:
After she's accused of being a Russian sleeper spy, rogue CIA agent Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) goes on the run, using every tactic, accent and disguise she knows to elude her pursuers, clear her name and protect her husband. Her supervisor, Winter (Liev Schreiber), buys her story, while counterintelligence officer Peabody (Chiwetel Ejiofor) decidedly does not and will do anything to stop her in this fast-paced, intrigue-filled spy adventure.
My Take:
I really wanted to like this movie, and I did for about the first third. But then it took a sudden turn down when the movie changed direction from plausible to unbelievable super-action hero. I mean, I believe the Jason Bourne movies more than Salt. Granted, the film was well shot, and the chases and stunts were well choreographed. I know, it’s a movie, and things don’t have to be realistic. Perhaps it was my mistake going into this film hoping for an actual action/espionage film, as opposed to pure cartoonish action sequences. I prefer Angelina Jolie’s in Wanted than in this film.
For me, any empathy for “Salt” was lost, as the story failed to support her actions or motivation. But I guess this isn’t a movie about character motivation, but of the momentum of action.
Rating: Cable TV Worthy
Mia and Christmas
A Christmas card type photo, don’t you think?
Ah, Christmastime. It’s a time of joy and wonder and sharing good times with family and friends. And you know what? It’s Mia’s first Christmas!
She had a great Christmas Eve. During the day we were able to see Grandma and Grandpa. At night, she stayed up as long as she could, entertaining everyone with her cuteness and antics. Unfortunately, her eyes grew heavy just a little after 8pm. She finally fell asleep.
What do we have planned for Christmas day? More fun at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, than who knows what. Merry Christmas to everyone!
This photo was taken on November 26, 2010. The photo is part of a session where we tried to capture images to be used for our Christmas cards. You can find the rest of the photos here. If you need the password to the photo gallery, don’t hesitate to email me at feedback [at] janella [dot] com.
Mia and Binky
Mia and Binky
Binky. Waa Waa. Chup Chup. ‘cifer. Well, it’s that green thing in this photo that Mia puts in her mouth to calm herself. We were at Maggiano’s celebrating Farrah’s birthday when I snapped this photo using the Canon S95.
This photo was taken on December 19th, 2010 at Maggiano’s.
Thanksgiving 2010
Another video, instead of a photo, today. This video is from this past Thanksgiving. There are so many things to be thankful for this year. This was Mia’s first Thanksgiving. We spent the first part of the day at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. We enjoyed a nice breakfast.
Later in the afternoon, we traveled to the Traber’s house with Nana for Thanksgiving dinner. As always, my sister made a great turkey, and there were plenty of other things to eat as well.
This video was taken on Thursday, November 25, 2010.