Remember Tuvalu

I remember when the leader of Tuvalu visited the U.N. a few years ago. Their country is being obliterated by a rising ocean, thanks to us. And have a great weekend. :)

Adopt a Cottontail for Easter

That spring fertility holiday that we call Easter is coming up. Here is a great idea, adopt an endangered bunny instead of picking up rabbit poo for the next 5 years!

Princesses Who Skate

We saw Disney on Ice: Princess Classics last night, apparently everyone with a girl under 8 in Phoenix is going too. Luckily we went on half price night and happened to score 6th row (actually 9th, odd numbering) tickets, anyway they were good seats. The girls (A. and her friend Lauren) loooved it. What's not to like? Ice skating and pretty princesses (even all the girls were dressed up). Funny how so many D. cartoons don't even give the prince a name. What sort of name is "Charming"? The poor guys.

Air America Phoenix is coming back! Yay!

Almost a month without Al! AM 1480, April 3rd. Good.

Mandarin Podcast

Here's a link where you can learn the language of "our future imperial overlords" as John Stewart says. Or order takeout, if you're an optimist. Either way.

Cheney, the Low-Hanging Fruit

This includes a funny Top 10 list.

Warming in the Arctic

Here's the sort of thing that should make you trade in your SUV and write your senator a truly angry letter. What fracking right do we have to do this? Online poll, also, vote early and often.

Seriously...again

When you have annual passes to Disneyland it feels wasteful not to use them. I am a mere five hours drive from the Happiest Place on Earth, you know? What's five hours to THE happiest place?

Anyway, photos. This one is just after we entered, Eeyore was very sweet.

Next we took a quick ride up Main Street in a 1903 horseless carriage, courtesy of driver Carl. We spotted Cinderella holding court outside the castle and jumped in line. This was about half an hour past opening and the park wasn't too busy...yet. Here is Amelie's version of a curtsey, legs wide apart and bending at the waist. And all that money I spent on finishing school....



So then we did the carousel, Dumbo, and the teacups, all without much waiting. Then we got Autopia fastpasses (1 hr return) and quickly hit ToonTown. Why is ToonTown so boring? Here's why. Autopia, then lunch, then went by rockets (45 minute wait, uh oh) for the Tiki Room which Amelie LOVED. We realized we were freezing so I offered to run back to the car for jackets, and they got on the Columbia (bums!, that's never running!) "pirate ship". Spent the remainder of the day at an actually crowded California Adventure. We only rode the Sun ferris wheel in maybe 2 hours there. Long lines, there was a cheerleading competition in town, the place was swarming with Buffys, or actually, by now, Caitlins. And thanks to my honey for driving the WHOLE way home.

Happy St. Pat's

Ahh, St. Patrick's Day. So dear in the hearts of my grandmas that I wouldn't dare let it pass without honoring my heritage (Newnam, O'Connor, and Stack, all of the Emerald Isle). This day more than any other I meditatate on the vagaries of fate that brought me to exist here in the ol' U.S. of A., and the people that came before me. We don't know a lot about our family, I am sure that the Mormons know more. But I know that there is a mish mash of peoples in there, and so yesterday I read this which put it all in a whole new perspective. My great-great-great-great etc grandpa was Ceasar. Frickin cool!

Fun online game

Try this. ;-)

Can Insurance Companies Save Us?

Here is something interesting regarding Exxon and their insurance company. Also some good links on how they certainly wear the black hat in the public debate on climate change. Thanks a lot, guys.

Old Business

For the record, final tally of rainless days, 143. The record went out with a bang, a nice day-long drenching and a ring of snow around the valley.
This is from AZCentral. Amelie had no interest in seeing snow. Oh well!

141

In case anyone is still counting, 141 days and no rain.

Coincidences

Crash winning the Oscar (huh?) and watching Dickens' Bleak House on Masterpiece Theater got me thinking about the likelihood of things. Both of those were written as if there were only about 40 people each in modern day Los Angeles and 19th century London, respectively. It stretches credibility. In Dickens I think it can be forgiven, Crash...well.... Anyway, since we all know that the world contains considerably more than 40 people, is it a smaller world or a larger world than I tend to believe?

For instance, we were in Portland last weekend (see previous post) and we were driving down some random street in a quiet, non-touristy part of town. There was a woman and a boy walking on the opposite side of the road. Something clicked and I looked back to see that this was my cousin Michael's son and ex who I have only met twice ever. The odds, I would swear, were so infinitesimal. They were on that road for two blocks and then they would have been on a bus if we had been any later. How do these things happen? We spent the whole next day with them, they are awesome. See photo of Maria and Jonah above.

And this wasn't the only time. Just last summer we stayed at the same hotel on the same days as our friends Shannon and Jared. Then they independently planned a trip to Disneyland on the same date as us. We missed seeing them both times but still. Same thing with Amy and Matt (see links)'s honeymoon being on the Big Island the same time as I was there with the rents. Again, we didn't know until later. What are the odds? No, seriously, can someone do the math for me, please? I really want to know.

I think I need to watch Sliding Doors again, it relates. But it's sort of a downer, or halfway so, at least. You have to see it to know what I mean.

Portland, Oregon

So it's been a week since we got back from Portland. It's hard not to compare the many ways in which Phoenix does not measure up. Vibrant downtown? Transit? Small walkable neighborhoods? Lots of coffee places? BEautiful parks and hiking - and FALLS nearby? It ain't home. Not yet anyhow.

Catching up...

Man, have I SLACKED!! A few items...

First off, I am listening to my newly acquired Brandi Carlisle CD. She so rocks. Marnie & I went to her show at the Aladdin in Portland on Saturday, which was awwwwwesome. Her voice is incredible and she's only 20. Which sort of brings be to my next topic:

PHOENIX RADIO SUCKS

OK, so the Edge is still all right, but not nearly as incredible as it was a year ago. I guess that was inevitable with the Zone going to the Free FM format with Stern's departure. However, my biggest whine today is that the Christians took over KXXT so no more Air America for now. The ratings were actually good, and god knows (ha) Phoenix really doesn't need another Jesus station but there you go. So do I get the Franken podcasts? Streaming is a no no. Sigh. Which brings me to:

PORTLAND ROCKS

What a great flipping city. Actually the rental car radio was TUNED to Franken. A sign? I don't know. I will post on PDX in greater detail later. Very fun trip.