Mama's House

On the way home from Vegas we passed over the Hoover Dam.

Darryll: Does anyone know what a dam is?
Paloma: A bad word.
Darryll: Okay, well besides that?
Kids: No clue, what is it?
Darryll: Well, its something built to restrict the passage of water.....in some cases its a way of capturing energy for other uses and beavers also build dams as part of their habitat.
Angela: Well how many beavers did it take to build this Hoover Dam?

Paloma and Angela spend the day on the couch as punishment. Yelling is limited to 10 cusswords and 4 sentences distributed at an aggravated level. Darryll does nothing because Sonia has shopped all the money away and I lost my spending money in Vegas, but I did try to eat my money's worth at various buffets. I currently weigh CLXXIII pounds.........doesn't look so bad in Roman Numerals.

UPDATE: By the way, in an attempt to get more responses, if you don't leave a comment about your resolutions I'll come up with a few for each of you. Do you really want that to happen?

Leave a comment telling everyone what your New Year's Resolutions are and maybe we can keep each other honest. I think a couple of mine are more than obvious to anyone:

• Get a job.
  
• Lose 25 pounds.
  
• Eat healthier.
  
• Keep going to the gym at least 4x a week.
  
• Bench press 225.
  
• Run 5 miles on the elliptical in 30 mins.
  
• Post on this blog daily.
  
• Read 1 book a week.
  
• Get better than Darryll on Rock Band drums.
  
• Don't let Jayden get better than me on Rock Band drums.
  
• Spend less time in front of tv.
  
• Learn to cook one new dish a week.
  

Relatedly, who is showing up tonight?

I know my political posts here are probably going to fall on deaf ears considering most of you who read this site are either avowed Democrats or apolitical. But I'm going to post it anyway so feel free to skip - really, you won't be hurting my feelings - or consider something new for a change.

Seriously, how can you not vote for Fred Thompson after watching this video? I'd like to echo the following sentiment,

While the other contenders are frantically saturating the Iowa airwaves with 30- and 60-second attack ads... Thompson has sat himself down, looked into a camera, and spoken for a quarter of an hour, calmly and straightforwardly making his case. I myself find this impressive—in a way, moving. Thompson seems to have stepped out of the eighteenth century. He trusts voters to think. And if the comments on YouTube are at all representative, plenty of people agree.

Politics as, from time to time at least, they really ought to be.

I'd like to emphasize that this video highlights how different of a political campaign Fred Thompson is running from the traditional campaigns that his opponents are running. It's that difference that I believe has led to the poor coverage of Fred's campaign. Coverage that I hope has led many of the talking heads on tv to underestimate Fred and his chances. And who knows, but if Fred were to be successful maybe this could be the start of getting more politics as they "really ought to be" and shouldn't that be reason enough to vote for Fred?

Now even if you're a Democrat you've got to consider him after his Reaganesque appeal towards the end.

You know, when I'm asked which of the current group of Democratic candidates I prefer to run against, I always say it really doesn't matter…These days all those candidates, all the Democratic leaders, are one and the same. They’re all NEA-MoveOn.org-ACLU-Michael Moore Democrats. They’ve allowed these radicals to take control of their party and dictate their course.

So this election is important not just to enact our conservative principles. This election is important to salvage a once-great political party from the grip of extremism and shake it back to its senses. It's time to give not just Republicans but independents, and, yes, good Democrats a chance to call a halt to the leftward lurch of the once-proud party of working people.

So in seeking the nomination of my own party, I want to say something a little unusual. I am asking my fellow Republicans to vote for me not only for what I have to say to them, but for what I have to say to the members of the other party—the millions of Democrats who haven't left the Democratic party so much as their party's national leadership has left them.

Setting: Austin and I go to Guitar Center to buy new drumsticks for Rock Band. We become immediately overwhelmed by the sight of a wall cubby full of various drumsticks.

Guitar Center Dude (GCD): Can I help you guys?
Austin: We're just looking for some drumsticks.
GCD: What kind? 5A, 5B...?
Me: Uh... we're kinda new to this.
Austin: Yeah, what's the difference between 5A and 5B?
GCD: They refer to different sizes. You guys have any idea what you're looking for?
Me: Not yet, we're just going to look around.
GCD: Ok.

After looking around for about 10 minutes, Austin and I decide to go for the cheapest sticks.

Me: We'll just take the cheapest sticks you got.
GCD (Sensing he's dealing with completely lame posers.): The cheapest?
Me (Sensing what GCD is sensing.): Yeah, the cheapest ones, we're probably just going to break these also anyway and end up coming back for another pair.
GCD: That'll be $3.50. Are you guys getting these for a video game?
Me (Not sure how to respond to being called out for being completely lame.): Huh?
Austin (Also not wanting to look completly lame he decides to play the "act incredulous" card.): No, no, who does a thing like that?
GCD: We've had quite a few people doing that recently.
Ausin: That's lame.
Me (Following Austin's lead.): There's a video game out for drums?!
GCD (With a tone suggesting he's not buying our BS.): Yeah.
Austin: What's it called?
GCD: I think it's called Rock Band.
Austin: Never heard of it.
Me: Why don't they just learn to play real drums?
GCD: Here's your change. Have a good evening.
Me: Thanks, you too.

So my mom really wants to know who's coming to New Years Eve get together at my house. Comment if you can come or not... thanks!

As Annette commented, her pictures are now included in the Christmas 2007 set along with pictures from EJ's camera. Also from EJ, we have pictures from Tita Agnes' birthday celebration at Castaways and from Annalynne's Christmas party.

UPDATE: Pics from my dad's camera.

The Kinks - Father Christmas


Hope you all had fun last night, I know I did. If anyone has already uploaded pictures from last night to the internets please post the corresponding link in the comments. Thanks!

Again Happy Holidays!

Annette: Do you like everyone Jayden?
Jayden: Yeah, everyone except for Austin.
Annette: Why not Austin?
Jayden: Because he sucks at Rock Band... he can't sing!

Look who decided to get back into the swing of things. I guess we can now get back to our favorite pastime of checking that site regularly for not so regular postings. Does this mean less posting at this site from Austin? Probably. Does it mean that austin-web.com is going to have more posts than this site now? Probably not.

I think the following video will suffice as an answer.

I don't know why Annette doesn't post things like this, because she certainly should, but in case anyone is in the mood to applaud/throw rotten tomatoes at Jayden, he will be performing in a Christmas show for St. John Eudes at 7pm tonight.

Just a heads up... I need to have the money collected by the 20th.. So either call me and bring it by or bring it to Mama's.. But please remind your parents as well. Lastly, who is in with the alcohol exchange? I need to get those wrapped up as well..


BTW: Anyone have big white boards for pictionary? And any suggestions on some gift card prizes or should we have it just cash prizes?

Setting: Getting ready to play Rock Band as Popes Gone Wild.

Lindsey: Wouldn't it be cool if there were an actual Pope band?
Me: Popes Gone Wild is that band.
Lindsey: No, I mean a real life band.
Me: Popes Gone Wild is real. Don't ruin this for me Lindsey.
Lindsey: But it would be awesome if there was a real Pope band.
Me: You mean a band made up of actual Popes?
Lindsey: Yeah, that would be so cool if Popes decided to get together to form a band.
Me: You know there's only one actual Pope at a given time since they serve until they die.
Lindsey: Well maybe it could be the Pope and his assistants that form the band.
Me: Like The Pope and The Bishops?
Lindsey: Yeah.
Me: Dork.

December 21: Arrive in Chatsworth, eat at In & Out, and proceed to challenge anyone in Rock Band. Also say hi to Mom, Dad, and Grandma.

December 22: More of the above.

December 23: Last minute Xmas shopping and them more of the above.

December 24: Partake in Xmas festivities.

December 25: Do some praying on the slopes.

December 26: See friends and more of the same.

December 27 & 28: Vegas.

December 29: Back to TX.

austin (12:05:11 AM): dodgers have everything they need... starting pitching bad ass from japan... a new bat... new manager... it's fucking word series season
austin (12:05:12 AM): i feel
Bruin7089 (12:05:09 AM): that guy is 33
Bruin7089 (12:05:16 AM): and no guarantee he will be good
austin (12:05:34 AM): he's good
Bruin7089 (12:05:22 AM): that new bat
Bruin7089 (12:05:28 AM): had the worst season of his career last year
austin (12:05:44 AM): jones is solid
Bruin7089 (12:05:53 AM): and the manager couldn't win with the most highly paid team in history
austin (12:06:24 AM): ny yankees were a bunch of over paid bitches
Bruin7089 (12:06:43 AM): a lot of people say that about the Dodgers
Bruin7089 (12:07:16 AM): there was a funny headline that read, "Girl hits man on the head with potato. Dodgers sign her for 15 million a year."
austin (12:07:39 AM): lies

I don't know about y'all (<----------- TX roots baby <----------- Scotty Nguyen influence) but I don't think my faith in Christianity is strong enough to skip out on a trip to Mt High on Xmas day.  In fact, I'd probably do more worshipping flying off jumps praying I land intact.  Someone please find the tickets deals and let's get trip going.

Lindsey: Tagalog is going to be the end of me.
Bruin7089: just keep studying
Bruin7089: I need someone to translate all the Tagalog gossip at our family gatherings
Lindsey: I can translate if they're introducing each others' names
Bruin7089: Dork
Lindsey: Or if they're talking about shapes and colors

Also from Lindsey's AIM:

Ano ang pangalan ko?
Ilang bagay ang berde?
Saan ka nakatira?
Taga-saan ka?

I don't really care...

No, this is not another Squishie and The Prophets post. Rather it's a Dodgers post. Go Dodgers!

All-Star center fielder Andruw Jones and the Los Angeles Dodgers reached a preliminary agreement Wednesday night on a two-year, $36.2 million contract, SI.com has confirmed.

That's the great news, now for the "say it ain't so" part.

The Dodgers are expected to move Juan Pierre to left field, leaving Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier for right. The surplus of outfielders could make either Kemp or Ethier expendable.

Are you serious!? Juan Pierre getting a spot ahead of Ethier or Kemp!? SAY IT AIN'T SO!

In my never ending quest to provide as much a steady stream of content as possible I've decided to include clips of shared items from my Google Reader. For those who don't know, Google Reader is described by Wiki as "a Web-based aggregator, capable of reading Atom and RSS feeds online or offline." Or more simply put by Google,

Stay up to date
Google Reader constantly checks your favorite news sites and blogs for new content. Whether a site updates daily or monthly, you can be sure that you won't miss a thing.

Simplify your reading experience
Google Reader shows you all of your favorite sites in one convenient place. It's like a personalized inbox for the entire web.

I started using Google Reader only yesterday and I'm already in love with it.

So basically I'm sharing with all of you articles I've come across the web that I found at least semi-interesting enough to share. If any of you use Google Reader or any other aggregator and would like to share what they like to read on the web here, feel free to send me the necessary code and I'll update the site.