Time for my annual posting of The Year in Pictures (2006). I guess that’s kind of misleading though isn’t it (as written). I mean, I don’t post the 2006 YiP every year, I post about the YiP for the current year.. I should have worded it better. I think I worded it better last year.

The interface is broken down into three categories – News, Sports, and Space. Then when you are done, you can vote on your choice of the best picture of the year. What sums up the year the best? A picture of a grief stricken Lebanese mother, or of a baby goose quacking at a butterfly?

Underneath the main interface window are some additional links to slide show archives and Year in Review style images. For example, a slide show of all the celebrity weddings this year (blech…) or those that have passed away.

As we approach the end of a year, reflecting on the past 12 months by looking at pictures is a great way to reflect on the world around us, for better or for worse.

This Entry Has: (0) Comments ~ (0) Trackbacks ~ [Leave a Comment]

So I’m browsing through the new releases on Netflix and what do I see?? The complete series of Dungeons and Dragons! I loved that cartoon as a kid. I played the game and watching the cartoon characters really made it come to life.. as campy as it was..

The first disc has a LONG wait, so it’ll be a while before I get it… plus, I’ve already got 75 other items in my queue and I gotta decide if I want to kick it up in the queue a bit. I’m thinking I might add a plugin to my blog which shows my Netflix activity… then again, maybe I don’t want you to know that the last 3 movies we got were Showtunes (Pirates of Penzance, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: The Musical ((with David Hasselhoff no less!)) and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas)

[Listening to: The Mermaid - Great Big Sea - via OpenPandora]

This Entry Has: (3) Comments ~ (0) Trackbacks ~ [Leave a Comment]

Have you ever heard the phrases ‘Are you an animal person?’, or ‘Are you a <insert animal type here, e.g. dog> person?’

I’d venture that more people like animals than dislike them. At the same time, not everyone is cutout to be a pet owner. It takes committment and responsibility.

My wife and I *are* animal people. We’ve owned ferrets, guinea pigs, rabbits and a dog since we’ve been together. Previously, I had a skink, fish, hamsters, turtles, and who knows what else as a kid. Jean not only had birds in college, but a labotomized rat named Einstein (ask *her* to tell you that story).

So, the other day, I run across some information on SB 861. This is a law in California, known as Breed Specific Law (or BSL). It was signed on 10/7/05, and took effect as of 1/1/06. You can read a much better explanation here: http://www.defeat861.com/

Put plainly, SB 861 authorizes any California town to slowly remove from the dog population any breed of dog by allowing a town to require forced sterilization of any particular breed that they choose to target.

I had followed a link to a very sad video showcasing pit bulls and their owners. More specifically, it was a feeling of dealing with the cause of the problems, not the animals themselves. The phrase use is “Punish the Deed, Not the Breed”.

I couldn’t agree more. Check out this entry on pit bulls. How many of those Urban Myths did you believe? Did you know the history on pit bulls, or did you just think they were all ‘monsters’.

Personally, I wouldn’t want a pit bull. I’ve only recently become a dog owner myself, and some days I’m still not sure it’s worth it (aw.. just kidding Sebastian). They just aren’t a breed that appeals to me. But that’s the reason.. Not because I’m afraid of them mauling my children. Hell, if I beat the dog, starved the dog, and trained it to kill and fight other dogs, than what’s that say about me? If you think it’s the dog’s fault if a biting incident should occur and not the owner’s responsibility, then you’re way off base.

Is that to say that there aren’t some dogs who are aren’t mean and nasty? Of course not! But a few bad apples, shouldn’t ruin the bunch.

Anyhow, I told Jean about the video, and at first she didn’t want to watch it. But I prodded her anyway. Not only did she watch the first one, but another one as well. She called me a meanie for making her cry. I told her if it was any consulation, I got teary eyed after watching them too.

I’m going to post the two we watched her. Be advised, if you’re an “animal person”, you might be sad after watching them.. so plan your chocolate intake appropriately.

{Video 1}

Behind Blue Eyes (Myspace - Can’t embed it)

{Video 2}

Sorry Again (Streamed)

{Video 3}

Lonely Day (MySpace)

This Entry Has: (4) Comments ~ (0) Trackbacks ~ [Leave a Comment]