Waz Happenin'?

Happee Bertday Buboy!
Thanks to all those who came to Buboy's birthday dinner. Although it was short notice, we had a pretty good turn out. Sorry for making everybody wait at Olive Garden, though. Man, talk about lack of customer service on their part! Get with the times, people! Almost every restaurant on Earth accepts early reservations. Never again, Olive Garden ... never again.
Note: Big apologies to Daniel & Lisa for making them go to the restaurant an hour early. I seriously thought we could pull it off.

Dee's Back to Bloggin'
After neglecting our shared blog for a few months, we finally updated it with a new look and a note from Dee. The closer we get to the wedding, the more updates we'll have on the blog. Depending on when we'll get a digital camera, we'll post some photos on it too. I'm not as advanced in the high-tech world like some of you, but I'll do my best to make it look nice.

Superman Returns
He returns on Wednesday, folks! Wednesday! Anyone interested in joining us this weekend to see it?

In the Warm California Sun

Summer is alive and kicking in Northern California. You gotta love the 90-degree weather in the middle of the day and the cool evening drops to the mid-60’s. It’s insane!

We don’t have big plans for the summer except for the annual Malabuyo camping trip in the beginning of July. This is probably the most anticipated event of the summer for the whole family. The outdoors, good camping food, spending time with family … can’t beat that! It’s better than Christmas … well, except for the presents.

Of course, there’s the Sonoma County Hot Air Balloon Festival – perhaps my favorite festival of the summer. It’s the only time I have the motivation to get up at 4 in the morning. It’s a real treat. I recommend going to this event at least once in your life.

We saw Nacho Libre on Sunday night. What a hoot! I don’t know about you, but I love smart, slapstick comedies. Jack Black is fast becoming one of my favorite actors. The guy is freakin’ hilarious! And speaking of movies, this summer has got some good ones (well, let’s cross our fingers). There’s Superman Returns, which I hope won’t disappoint. Based from the previews I’ve seen, it looks spectacular! Kevin Spacey, as Lex Luthor, should help the movie considerably. Pirates of the Caribbean 2 should be fun as well. Although, I don’t know how I can sit through another Orlando Bloom film – Elizabethtown was dismal.
Other movies I’m looking forward to seeing: The Lady in the Water, Monster House, The Lake House, A Scanner Darkly, Click, The Devil Wears Prada

Last year we started barbequing every Sunday. Depending on how busy we are each week, we might do a couple of get-togethers this summer. So, bring your empty stomachs and your bathing suits. Invites soon to come …

Have a great summer, everyone!

Special greetings go out to:
- A.J. for graduating from UC Davis – Congratulations!
- Chuck for another birthday.
- Nathan's 21st.
- Daniel’s last summer as a single man.

Tidbits

Magandang Tugtog
This past Saturday, Dee and I took the kids to see the Saring Himig choir perform in Concord. While the kids were pretty impressed with the music, they also felt weirded out by a couple of the songs. And quite frankly, I felt uneasy as well. Listening to tribal chants, or “sounds of the Earth”, was kinda freaky. Anyway, it was a great experience for the kids to listen to traditional Filipino songs and some good Broadway tunes as well. And, as always, my Dad & Stepmom were exceptional.

Giant Dud
The Babe Ruth home run record has finally been broken by Barry Bonds and without much fanfare or fireworks from the baseball world. In all honesty, MLB just wants him to go away. I think the public is sick of Barry Bonds. As a Giants fan, I’m sick of him as well. In his defense though, it’s not Barry’s fault that the Giants are floundering. The team is just not that good. If the fans are dreaming of a World Series title this year, then I’m afraid they’ve become more delusional than Warrior fans.

Another Proof Why Men are Gross
Nothing is more unsanitary than an unflushed toilet. Yep, that smell emanating out of the men’s restroom was left behind by the moron who left his urine sitting in water for a couple of hours. Is it really that inconvenient to pull a freakin’ handle? It takes 2 seconds. Men are not only gross, we’re also lazy and inconsiderate. And we wonder why women aren’t impressed?

Wedding Update
Thanks to those who have been giving us suggestions and recommendations on the wedding. Over the past few weeks, Dee has searched a ton of websites and wedding magazines for ideas as far as the reception, food, decorations, and venues are concerned. The more we research and visit sites, the more excited we get. Hopefully, we’ll be able to put together our ideal ceremony and reception with enough fireworks to make it memorable for us and our loved ones.
Circle your calendars: 10.27.07

Dave Recommends:
DVD: Match Point
DVD: Prime
TV: Miami Ink (TLC)
Online Clip: www.evolutionofdance.com
Summer Festival: Sonoma County Hot Air Balloon Fest

6.6.06 Part II

Imagine: you are a foot soldier in a paramilitary group whose purpose is to remake America as a Christian theocracy, and establish its worldly vision of the dominion of Christ over all aspects of life. You are issued high-tech military weaponry, and instructed to engage the infidel on the streets of New York City. You are on a mission - both a religious mission and a military mission -- to convert or kill Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, gays, and anyone who advocates the separation of church and state - especially moderate, mainstream Christians. Your mission is "to conduct physical and spiritual warfare"; all who resist must be taken out with extreme prejudice. You have never felt so powerful, so driven by a purpose: you are 13 years old. You are playing a real-time strategy video game whose creators are linked to the empire of mega-church pastor Rick Warren, best selling author of The Purpose Driven Life.

From:
Talk To Action
DailyKos.com

Ok, so it’s the day after 6/6/06, but after reading the links about this new Left Behind: Eternal Forces video game, it makes me really wonder that it may just be the end of the world.

Reading Mark Morford’s column today shocked me. This is one of the most disturbing (yet comical) things I’ve read in a long time. I’ve said before, there are radical nut jobs in every religion. So, it’s no surprise, based on the articles I’ve read, that radical nut jobs had something to do with creating this new (supposedly violent) video game. What’s even more disturbing is that this video game is supposed to be geared towards teenagers. "We hope teenagers like the game," Mr. LaHaye told the Los Angeles Times. "Our real goal is to have no one left behind." While leaving no one behind is fine and dandy, I think the approach is a bit appalling. Yes, it’s purely for entertainment value, but Christian organizations have long opposed violent images on television, movies, and video games throughout the years. So, because this particular game deals with Revelations and the End Days, it’s ok for Christians to embrace it?

Also, if the creators of the game want to make an End of Days video game, leave the Christian themes out of it. It not only confuses the public, it makes Christians look like … well, look like radical nut jobs! The Books of Revelations should be taken seriously in an open discussion, not played on video game consoles. The purpose of making a game such as this has nothing to do with ministry or spreading God’s love. Granted, I’ve never read the much-debated Left Behind series, and I don’t intend to. I don’t pass judgment on those who are loyal readers of the books. But, a video game? Come on, that’s going too far.

I’ll leave you behind this one question posed from one of the articles that really bothered me the most:
Is this paramilitary mission simulator for children anything other than prejudice and bigotry using religion as an organizing tool to get people in a violent frame of mind? The dialogue includes people saying, "Praise the Lord," as they blow infidels away.

Yikes!

6.6.06

It’s the end of the world as we know it
And I feel fine

- R.E.M.

$3.10 Regular Unleaded

Drink it up, folks. Drink it up.

A Nice Idea

I try to see as many movies in theaters as much as possible, but with the outrageous ticket prices, no one can afford to go more than twice a month – especially those who have families. Chronicle Business writer, David Lazarus, came up with a good idea for both the consumers and the theaters. Why not charge lower ticket prices for bad movies? Depending on how good (or bad) the movie is, that’s how much theaters should charge the public. Folks who tend to shy away from the theaters due to high ticket prices, might be prompted to go see a trashy flick if the price is right. Why not, right? I mean, wouldn’t this force movie studios to make better, quality films for the public. In any given year, more than 75% of movies that come out are trash or recycled garbage, which, I may add, also contributes to the “dumbing of America” – thanks again, Hollywood. Anyway, if the quality of a film actually determines its box office value, then both parties would be better off. Theaters will continue to get revenue from low ticket prices, and the public would have more quality choices. This way I wouldn’t feel bad for paying $8.75 just to see The Shaggy Dog.

Countdown: Best Films of All-Time

25) In America

24) Platoon (1986)
Theme: War! What is it good for? Absolutely Nothing!
This is perhaps the best Oliver Stone film ever made (with JFK at a close second). Let’s face it, war is far from the censored news clips we see on TV on a nightly basis. In Platoon, we see soldiers fighting on foreign land over a war that no one truly understood. We see enemies from all sides of the spectrum. We see the abuse of power and man’s weaknesses when placed under tremendous pressure. War is an unstable environment where anything and everything happens with absolutely no purpose or reason. This film is the best Vietnam War movie every made.

Favorite Line:
“Somebody once wrote: ‘Hell is the impossibility of reason.’ That's what this place feels like. Hell.”
- Chris Taylor (played by Charlie Sheen)

Next Up: #23
Hint: Holland’s masterpiece