Taffy's 46 Week Photo
Saturday, 30 Apr 2005 | Family, Pets
Erin just turned 16 years old and is holding Taffy who is now 46 weeks old.
My First Mac OS X Tiger Entry
Friday, 29 Apr 2005 | Macintosh
I installed Mac OS X Tiger this evening and everything went fine as far as I can see. Spotlight is currently indexing my hard drives and appears it will be doing so for several hours. Things seem to be working well, but I'm sure there will be numerous application updates required to make them fully Tiger compatible. I'll keep everyone informed how it continues to go. Oh, Safari and most other applications seem snappier with the upgrade. :)
I Can't Wait for Tiger!
Thursday, 28 Apr 2005 | Macintosh
I am so excited about Mac OS X Tiger coming out tomorrow. I'm planning to go to CompUSA after work tomorrow so I can get my hands on a copy at 6 pm when it goes on sale. I know, I'm kind of fanatical about it, but I can't help it if I'm a die hard Macintosh fan. LOL
Taffy Is Too Cute
Wednesday, 27 Apr 2005 | Pets
Toni, Erin and I love Taffy so much. She is just the most adorable dog. One thing that I love to do is tell her that she is a good dog in my good dog tone. She loves the praise and gets so excited. Of course she wags her tail like most dogs, but what really melts my heart and makes me laugh is she wags her whole behind, not just her tail. You gotta love that! :)
Toni Misses My Cooking
Monday, 25 Apr 2005 | Cooking, Family
I was telling Toni how I need to start cooking more often. I used to cook every day, but have gotten out of that for various reasons: my long commute, stress, getting sick, laziness, etc. I really do love to cook and love even more the final product. I am my own biggest fan. I was reminded of how much I love my Shrimp Scampi when a Red Lobster advertisement came on television. When I told Toni I will start cooking more, she said:
I love your stuff more than any kind of anything.
My First Moon Halo
Sunday, 24 Apr 2005 | Astronomy
Toni noticed a moon halo Thursday night when she took Taffy outside. I went out to see it. The small point of light to the left of the moon is Venus according to her. She told me that she learned in Astronomy about moon halos. Her teacher referred to the phenomenon as crystallization. I had never seen this before, so I decided to set up my tripod to take a picture of it. Apparently tiny ice crystals in the upper atmosphere create this large halo around the moon.
Monthly Photoblog View
Sunday, 24 Apr 2005 | Photoblog
I recommend viewing my photoblog with the Monthly view if you have a broadband connection. This view allows you to see all the photographs for a month at full resolution in a single scrollable window. I think it makes it quick and easy to browse my collection! :)
How About Those Angels!
Sunday, 24 Apr 2005 | Angels, Family, Sports
We enjoyed a great Angels game last night with Toni's sister, Diana and her family. The Angels beat the Oakland A's 9 to 5 in a very interesting and exciting game at Angel Stadium. When the Athletics scored 5 runs in the top of the 5th inning, I was concerned, but then the Angels came matched that and a run extra in the bottom of the same inning. That puts the Angels solely in first place in their division! Go Angels!
Toni
It was nice for Toni, my dad and I to invite Diana's whole family to enjoy the game with us. Diana, Danny, Desiree, Deidre and Danielle were all there. Their family is composed of names all starting with D. We sometimes refer to them as D to the fifth power. LOL
Danielle
Everyone had a great time at the game. Danielle told Toni she had the best time ever. Diana's family went to Hoff's Hut for dinner after the game. I hadn't heard of it, but Danny said that's it quite good and the Angels players like to go there. I'll have to check it out sometime in the future. We didn't go along because we had eaten already.
Diana & Danny
Taffy's 45 Week Photo
Friday, 22 Apr 2005 | Pets
Taffy with her favorite toy, a stuffed squeaking duckie. I often play fetch with her and this toy.
Taffy's Stitches Removed
Thursday, 21 Apr 2005 | Pets
Toni took Taffy to visit my dad today while she worked so she could take Taffy to the vet to have her stitches removed. Taffy has had two little stitches from getting her fixed two weeks ago. It was a routine visit to the vet's office to have them snipped and removed. Taffy was a little wary about being there, but was quite relieved when it was all done in a snap and her and Toni were on their way home. She's safely napping between my legs as I type this. All is well again in Taffy's world. :)
New Keywords Search!
Thursday, 21 Apr 2005 | Blog
I added a new Keywords search to the menu. It's like using the search feature except the words used to search are predetermined by me. This allows you to search for words that appear in my blog and photoblog that are common. It's like using categories, but allows you to find entries based on the text inside, not on just preset categories.
For instance, here's an example keyword search for Taffy:
So, give Keywords a try by selecting it from the menu at the top of the page!
I'll be adding words to the keyword list as time goes by and new topics arise. You can still search by categories too. This just adds a little flexibility for searching disneymike. You can also use the search function to search on any keyword you type.
If you have any keyworkd suggestions you'd like added to the Keyword page, please let me know and I'll take them into consideration.
Nikon Announces D50 & D70s
Wednesday, 20 Apr 2005 | Nikon, Photography
Nikon has announced two new additions to their digital SLR lineup, the D50 and D70s. The D50 uses SD memory cards and the D70s uses compact flash cards like all the previous Nikon digital SLRs. Nikon will be releasing a firmware update to their popular D70 camera in mid-May which adds some of the functionality of the new D70s including improved auto-focus and updated menus.
The images above show the relative size of the D50 versus the D70s.
Expected availability for the D50 is in June and the D70s in early May.
Erin's Birthday Dinner
Tuesday, 19 Apr 2005 | Family, Food, Friends, Restaurants
I met my dad, Toni and Erin after work at David Chang's Dragon House in Moreno Valley to celebrate Erin's 16th birthday. She turned 16 on the 18th, but she was with her mom and step-dad that evening. Erin's friend Sandy and her mom and brother joined us for dinner.
Sandy arrived at the restaurant with a bouquet of flowers for Erin. That was so thoughtful of her. We all had a very nice time socializing. Erin enjoyed the experience. It was nice for her to have her best friend there for her.
I hadn't eaten all day because it was a hectic day at work and I skipped lunch to finish a deadline. We decided to order a variety of items. I guess we were all pretty hungry because we ordered Sweet and Sour Pork, Kung Pao Chicken, Chicken on a Sizzling Plate, Vegetable Lo Mein, Honey Shrimp with Walnuts and Orange Peel Chicken! We also had white rice and the Dragon House Fried Rice which has chicken, beef and shrimp. I was stuffed by the end of dinner. We pretty much polished off everything. LOL
David Chang's Dragon House
22456 Alessandro Boulevard
Moreno Valley, CA 92553
(951) 653-0703
Movable Type 3.16 Is Now Available
Tuesday, 19 Apr 2005 | Internet
Movable Type version 3.16 is now available from Sixapart, Ltd. I upgraded from version 3.14 to 3.16 this evening and everythiing seems to be working properly. :)
Flickr Upgraded My Pro Account!
Monday, 18 Apr 2005 | Internet
I received an email from Flickr today indicating that my pro account has been upgraded. I purchased a one year pro membership in March and they added another year for free, which extends it until March 2007. They also bumped up my upload limit from 1 gigabyte to 2 gigabytes per month. And as a bonus, they gave me two free one year pro memberships to give out to friends! It's sure nice to get rewarded with a bonus like this. Thanks so much, Flickr! :)
Taffy Doodle
Monday, 18 Apr 2005 | Pets
My dad gave Taffy the nickname Taffy Doodle a long time ago and now it's a name we use affectionately for her. We have become quite attached to our little canine family member. We often call her Taffy Doodle and Taffy Doodle Dingle and even Taffy Doodle Dingle Dangle! I know, we're nuts. But that's ok. We know that and have come to terms with it. LOL
Well, through Taffy's Photo Album and weekly photo updates, she has become one popular puppy on the internet. People come to my blog to see and hear about her more than Toni, Erin or me. She's accumulating a huge fan base and frankly, I'm worried she is going get a huge swelled head.
Taffy is popular at home too. Today, Toni stayed home sick from work. The neighbor kids noticed her car in the driveway and decided to knock at the door. They asked Toni if Taffy could come out and play. Do you think the kids ever come over to see if any of the human members of the family can play? No way. But they come over for Taffy.
People tell me all the time how they think Taffy is so cute and adorable. I even had someone ask to let her know if she has puppies because she's officially the cutest dog in the world! LOL
Firefox 1.0.3 Available
Monday, 18 Apr 2005 | Internet
Mozilla Firefox 1.0.3 is available for download. It is a security update for their browser available for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux operating systems. Mozilla recommends all users upgrade to the latest version.
Desiree's Birthday at Pomodoro
Sunday, 17 Apr 2005 | Family
We celebrated Desiree's 20th birthday today at Pomodoro in Corona. It's an Italian bistro. I ordered the Rigatoni Bolognese and Toni had the Healthy Fish which was spaghetti topped with grilled salmon. We had a large group as usual and were seated at a long table in the patio area. After our meal, we had some of her super chocolately birthday cake shown above. It was a cream filled chocolate cake with milk and dark chocolate frosting topped with chocolate kisses and chocolate covered strawberries. Now that's a chocolate lover's dream!
Biggest Angel Fan in the World
Sunday, 17 Apr 2005 | Family
My dad is certainly the biggest Angels fan in the world, at least I like to think so. He got season tickets this year for the first time. He loves to follow the Angels. You can see that he shows his support for the team every time he gets the chance. He's donning his Angels cap at lunch today, wearing Angel red. This was taken at Pomodoro in Corona at Desiree's birthday party.
Regis & Kelly at Disneyland
Saturday, 16 Apr 2005 | Disneyland
To celebrate Disneyland's 50th Anniversary, Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa will be taping 2 live shows from Disneyland on May 9th. If you would like tickets to attend the tapings, visit the Live with Regis and Kelly website to request them.
Erin's Almost Sweet Sixteen
Saturday, 16 Apr 2005 | Family
My daughter Erin turns 16 on Monday. She is growing up so quickly. I'm so proud of her and love her so much. Although it's amazing how quickly children grow up, I'm not sad about her approaching adulthood. I try to enjoy every age and the wonderful joys that go along with it. I started working on letting go from when she was very little. And now I give her more and more responsibility as she matures and can handle it. This has helped me to cope with her growing up.
She is so excited about getting her driver's license in sixteen days. She has been counting down the days for probably six months now. I added a counter on my sidebar that shows the days left.
We decided to celebrate her birthday along with my dad's birthday on April 30th at Pat & Oscar's in Temecula.
Desiree's Birthday Party
Saturday, 16 Apr 2005 | Family
Tomorrow, we're meeting at Pomodoro, an Italian Bistro, to celebrate my niece Desiree's 20th birthday. It will be a fun time and I hear the food is good there. Our family celebrations are always interesting since we always have twenty plus people there!
Taffy's 44 Week Photo
Saturday, 16 Apr 2005 | Pets
Taffy shows off her famous left ear pointing technique!
McDonald's Celebrates 50 Years
Friday, 15 Apr 2005 | Food, Restaurants
Today marks 50 years since the first McDonald's was opened by Ray Kroc in Des Plaines, Illinois on April 15th, 1955. I never realized that Disneyland and McDonald's have been around almost exactly the same amount of time. Disneyland's 50th is coming up in 93 days on July 17th.
Richard and Maurice McDonald were pioneers of McDonald's and the quick service restaurant industry. Ray Kroc was the founder of McDonald's Corporation. McDonald's success today is rooted in the work of all three.
Richard and Maurice McDonald converted their barbecue drive-in with car hops into the world's first McDonald's limited-menu, self-service, drive-in in 1948, in San Bernardino, California.
In 1954, Ray Kroc was granted exclusive U.S. franchising rights by the brothers. He opened his first McDonald's in Des Plaines, Illinois in April 1955, and founded the company that evolved into McDonald's Corporation, with more than 28,000 McDonald's restaurants in 119 countries.
To celebrate, McDonald's will be opening a new flagship restaurant in Chicago, Illinois featuring 60-foot-high Golden Arches, a double-lane drive-thru, seating for 300, historical displays and stunning views of Chicago's skyline.
Disney Pun!
Wednesday, 13 Apr 2005 | Disney, Humor
Here's a Disney themed pun I received in an email from my friend Steve:
Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him... (Oh, man, this is so bad, it's good)... A super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
Wednesday, 13 Apr 2005 | Disneyland
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters officially opened on St. Patricks Day in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. On this new ride, you score points by shooting at targets with your hand-held laser cannon while spinning 360 degrees in your vehicle.
Get Ready for Tiger!
Wednesday, 13 Apr 2005 | Computers, Macintosh
Apple Computer announced its fifth version of their operating system, Mac OS X, will be shipping on April 29th, 2005. Tiger is Apple's code name for Mac OS X v10.4.
Whole Chicken in a Can!
Monday, 11 Apr 2005 | Food
I found this product in a local grocery store a few weeks ago when I was picking up some tuna for sandwiches.
As the can clearly states:
Chicken Ready
One whole chicken, without giblets, packed in broth
Net wt. 50 oz. (3 lb. 2 oz.)
Ever since I saw it for the first time, I've wanted to get a photograph of it. Tonight, I happened to be stopping at that very grocery store and decided to take my camera in to grab a shot of it.
Does this sound freaky to you or is it just me? I know I've bought chicken broth in a can tons of times. I've bought chicken in a can many times too. But somehow the idea of a whole chicken in a can with broth is just NOT appetizing to me.
Has anyone tried this? Oh, I suppose it would be lovely to have a few cans on hand in the cupboard when unexpected company drops by. Think of how convenient it would be. And you don't even need to refrigerate it; long shelf life too. It's already cooked. Just heat and serve. Yum!
LeAnn Rimes Records Remember When
Sunday, 10 Apr 2005 | Disneyland
Grammy Award-winning country singing star LeAnn Rimes recorded "Remember When," the official song for Disneyland's 50th Anniversary.
The song will be featured in the new “Remember…Dreams Come True” fireworks show created for the 18-month anniversary celebration at Disneyland beginning May 5th, 2005. “Remember When” will also be featured on the new “The Official Album of Disneyland's 50th Anniversary,” due out on May 3rd from Walt Disney Records.
It's an honor to be able to sing the song for the 50th Anniversary of Disneyland. I love the song...it fits my voice perfectly and it turned out beautifully.
Google Maps Listens
Sunday, 10 Apr 2005 | Internet
I sent an email to Google a few days ago about their satellite maps link feature. It was zooming out a level whenever you used it, which made it difficult to link at the highest magnification. Well, I tried it again today and it seems to be working fine. It's nice to see that it makes a difference when we contact Google.
Taffy's 43 Week Photo
Saturday, 9 Apr 2005 | Pets
Taffy looks with interest as I get her treats. She's doing fine after her surgery, I'm happy to say.
Magic of Disneyland Boeing 737
Thursday, 7 Apr 2005 | Disneyland
Alaska Airlines unveiled their new Magic of Disneyland 737 commemorating Disneyland's 50th Anniversary. This spiffy new Boeing 737-400 jet airliner sports Tinkerbell, who entreats guests to follow her to Disneyland.
We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Alaska Airlines by introducing a second Disneyland®-themed aircraft just in time for the upcoming May 5 launch of our 50th anniversary. To help kick-off our 50th anniversary 'Happiest Homecoming On Earth' celebration, we'll be using the Alaska Airlines 'Magic of Disneyland®' aircraft on Flag Day (June 14, 2005) to reunite U.S. servicemen and women based near Seattle with their families in Southern California for a family 'Homecoming' reunion at Disneyland®.
Claire Bilby, Senior Vice President of Sales and Distribution Marketing, Disneyland
Taffy's Home and Safe
Wednesday, 6 Apr 2005 | Pets
Taffy came home from the vet today after being spayed yesterday. Toni said Taffy jumped from the counter into her arms and licked her like crazy when she picked her up. Taffy has a very small incision and a couple of stitches, but is in good spirits. She seems fine; just a little tired from the ordeal. We need to wait two weeks to take her back to have the stitches removed. Taffy was very happy to be back home. Toni and I were happy to have her home too. :)
Google Maps Links
Wednesday, 6 Apr 2005 | Internet
If you haven't already figured out by now, I really like Google Maps for creating maps and finding directions to/from places. And of course, the new satellite view is all the rage lately.
While using it, I noticed that there is a "Link to this page" option at the top right. Curious, I clicked on the link and found that the URL changes to reflect the exact map type and position showing on the screen. That makes it a simple task of cutting and pasting the URL into your website or email. Just remember to click on the link before you copy the URL so you're sure to have the web address for what is on your screen. Very handy! :)
I did notice while playing with this feature, the map appears to zoom out one level when "Link to this page" is used. I don't think that's what should happen. I sent an email to Google Maps support describing this behavior.
Here's an example of a link to a satellite and map view of the Los Angeles International Airport.
Angels Win Home Season Opener
Wednesday, 6 Apr 2005 | Angels, Family, Sports
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim beat the Texas Rangers 3-2 last night in their season opener. It was the first season opener Toni, my dad and I had attended. It was an interesting game. We witnessed Vladimir Guerrero hit a home run over the tall right field fence. Toni, my dad, Toni's mom and dad, our nephews, Antonio and Michael, Toni's sister, Lisa and myself all attended the game.
Tamyra Gray from American Idol fame sang the National Anthem followed by a flyover by two F18 fighters. Bartolo Colon, the starting pitcher, received a standing ovation after 6 2/3 innings of strong pitching. Francisco Rodriguez, aka K-Rod, was in good form with his first save of the season. It was the first sellout of the season with an attendance of 43,590.
Google Maps Adds Satellite Views
Tuesday, 5 Apr 2005 | Internet
Google Maps, as of yesterday, is offering satellite views of their maps. So you can do all the neat things you could do before in Google Maps, but now with a photograph of actual terrain, buildings and landmarks. Pictured above is a satellite image of Disneyland created using this feature.
Hitachi Supersizes Hard Drives
Tuesday, 5 Apr 2005 | Computers
Hitachi has come up with a hard disk drive innovation employing Perpendicular Recording, a new way to orient the magnetic bits of data on a hard disk platter so that the information is stored vertically instead of in the traditional horizontal format. The capacity of horizontally stored bits is limited because as they get smaller and smaller, the magnetic charges between adjacent bits begin to interact. This new technology can be used to create 3.5" drives with up to a terabyte (1,000 gigabytes) capacity. This represents up to a 10 times capacity increase in the same form factor.
Hitachi has a cute animated video which explains Perpendicular Recording technology in a humorous and easy to understand manner.
Disneyland 50th Only a Month Away!
Tuesday, 5 Apr 2005 | Disneyland
The celebration of Disneyland's 50th Anniversary officially kicks off in exactly one month, May 5th, 2005, at the Magic Kingdom. The Happiest Celebration on Earth will be an 18-month event spanning Disney Theme Resorts worldwide to commemorate the 50th Birthday of Disneyland which opened on July 17th, 1955.
Taffy's Getting Spayed
Monday, 4 Apr 2005 | Pets
Toni is taking Taffy to the veterinarian tomorrow morning to get spayed. We put away the water and food bowls at 8 pm so she will have an empty stomach for the surgery. She'll be spending the night at the vet to be picked up by Toni on Wednesday. I know it's not a major deal, but I feel bad for Taffy. I feel protective of her like a father. We have become so close to her in the short time we've had her. It's a convenient evening to have her gone because we'll be out late at the Angels game. But I'll miss her like the dickens even so. Please think good thoughts for Taffy and a quick recovery.
Glenn's New Honda Ridgeline
Monday, 4 Apr 2005 | Friends, Transportation
My friend Glenn from work got his new Steel Blue Metallic 2006 Honda Ridgeline RTL last night. Note that the color is NOT blue, it's Steel Metallic Blue. Have you ever noticed vehicle colors are never just green, black or red? They're Amazon Green Metallic, Nighthawk Black Pearl and Redrock Pearl. They have to use fancy names like that to wow us. He told me Friday evening that they had located the model he wanted, so I pretty much expected to see it in the parking lot when I arrived at work this morning. It's really a neat vehicle. Of course the guys went out to check it out as guys always do with new vehicles, scrutinizing the interior, exterior and under the hood. We all gave Glenn the thumbs up, indicating we heartily approved of his new acquisition.
Glenn and I took his truck for a spin at lunch today. When Glenn was parking it, I got out and a pretty blonde woman in shorts stopped and asked me how I liked it. I told her that he (Glenn) likes it very much. She smiled and walked off. I like to think the reason she stopped to make conversation was ME, but I have a sneaking suspicion it had a lot more to do with the Ridgeline. Well, just humor me, ok? LOL
Adobe Announces Creative Suite 2
Monday, 4 Apr 2005 | Computers
Adobe Systems Incorporated has announced Adobe Creative Suite 2. Adobe and authorized dealers are currently taking preorders for an expected May delivery.
Adobe Creative Suite 2 comes in two flavors. A Standard version including Adobe Photoshop CS2, Adobe Illustrator CS2, Adobe InDesign CS2, Version Cue CS2, Adobe Bridge and Adobe Stock Photos. The Premium version adds Adobe GoLive CS2 and Adobe Acrobat Professional 7.0.
Angels Sweep the Dodgers!
Sunday, 3 Apr 2005 | Angels, Sports
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have sweeped the Los Angeles Dodgers three games to zero in the pre-season Freeway Series. They beat the Dodgers 8-3 Friday night in the first game of the series I attended at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. In the remaining two Saturday and Sunday at Dodger Stadium, they won 5-4 and 6-4. I hope this is a sign of how they will perform at the season opener on Tuesday against the Rangers. I'll be rooting for the Angels even though I am originally from Texas. :)
Rich Mullins Songs
Sunday, 3 Apr 2005 | CDs, Christian
I have been listening to a compilation CD of Rich Mullins music entitled Songs lately. I've always enjoyed Rich Mullins' music. I find his songs very appealing and his lyrics quite moving. I believe he's one of the best Christian music artists bar none. It's sad that we tragically lost him in an Illinois car accident in September 1997.
I love the distinctive sound of his dulcimer and guitar. This album is a wonderful introduction to Rich Mullins' music and I recommend it highly. All 16 tracks are excellent, but my favorites are Sing Your Praise to the Lord, Awesome God, Sometimes by Step, Creed, If I Stand, Calling Out Your Name, Allrightokuhhuhamen and Hold Me Jesus.
My favorite lyric, which comes from the song, If I Stand is:
The stuff of Earth competes
For the allegiance
I owe only to the Giver
Of all good things
Toni Off for Spring Break
Sunday, 3 Apr 2005 | Family
Toni is off from teaching Middle School English this coming week. Hopefully she'll get some well deserved rest. I'm always envious when she's off during Spring, Summer and Christmas breaks. She'll be taking Taffy to the veterinarian on Tuesday to get spayed. We need to have her fast after 8 pm on Monday night for her early morning arrival the next day. She will be recuperating at the vet overnight, so we'll be able to bring her home on Wednesday. We'll miss her while she's gone.
Taffy's 42 Week Photo
Saturday, 2 Apr 2005 | Pets
Taffy gazes at Toni holding a bunch of Haas avocados.
Go Angels!
Saturday, 2 Apr 2005 | Family, Sports
Last night's Angels game we attended was a good game indeed. They were down to the cross town rival Dodgers 3 to 1 early on in the game. But then in the 7th inning they scored 7 runs to end up beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 8 to 3. Most of the runs were scored because of Dodger errors. In fact, the Angels didn't hit a single ball out of the park, but still managed to win by a sizeable margin. Well, there's two more games in the series today and tomorrow at Dodger Stadium. Hopefully they do well there too. Their home season opener is Tuesday against the Texas Rangers.
Angels Exhibition Game
Friday, 1 Apr 2005 | Sports
I'm going to an Angel's exhibition game with Toni, Erin and my dad against the cross town rival Dodgers this evening. They recently changed the official name of the team from the Anaheim Angels to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. I'm not sure I like the new name, but I'm sure I'll hear a lot of booing from Dodgers fans when they announce the Angels tonight.
I'm also attending the Home Season Opener next Tuesday against the Texas Rangers. I'm looking forward to that since we've never been to a home opener and the game tonight doesn't count.
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