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  • 2010
    • May
      • In Memoriam…
        05/24/10
        My Grandmother, Tran Thi On, passed away this day, May 24th, 2010. I still find grief hard to express.

        March 1, 1925 - May 24, 2010

      • Best Quote Ever
        05/04/10
        From Jon Stewart of The Daily Show:

        "...if you wanna break down someone's door, why don't you start with AT&T, for God sakes? They make your amazing phone unusable as a phone! I mean, seriously! How do you drop four calls in a one-mile stretch of the West Side Highway!

    • February
      • Fuck Southwest
        02/17/10
        I've known this for a long time, but this just proves my point. Does anyone have the right to take away another person's dignity? Kevin Smith doesn't think so and neither do I. There are better ways to enforce your policies, than to be rude about it. I don't fly Southwest because

  • 2009
    • April
      • iPhoto Faces
        04/25/09
        I'm really liking the iPhoto Faces feature. The accuracy is amazing, almost makes the Hollywood plots feasible. Having those tags carry over to Facebook is a huge bonus. If you don't have iPhoto '09 you should get it. If you don't have a Mac you should get one.

      • Safari Shortcut: Bookmarks Bar
        04/23/09
        Did you know that bookmarks in your "Bookmarks Bar" can be executed via a keyboard shortcut?

        cmd+1 will execute the first bookmark
        cmd+2 will execute the second bookmark
        cmd+3 will execute the third bookmark
        etc...

        This does not apply to bookmark folder

    • February
    • January
      • Weight Training: 1yr
        01/15/09
        It's been a year and I'm still going to the gym 4 days a week. The weight loss has stabilized, but I feel I'm building muscle and maintaining my weight. I'm a little afraid that if I stop, it'll go downhill very fast.

        Weight: 180lbs

  • 2008
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
      • Brooke's Checkup on 2008.08.28
        08/28/08
        Weight: 32.0lbs.
        Height : 37.7"

      • No Pain, No Gain, No Loss
        08/11/08
        I started a weight loss routine back in January to get back in shape and lose weight. Most of the impetus was due to the fact that my Term Life Insurance was twice what it should be. That's crazy! Since the company I work for, Shopzilla, Inc., was paying for my gym membership, I thought I�

      • Disneyland for an Introvert
        08/05/08
        Hell on Earth!

      • Bree's 1 Year Checkup
        08/04/08
        Weight: 19.0lbs.
        Height : 29.5"
        Head Circumference: 17.01"

    • July
      • Birthday Splash for Bree
        07/27/08
        Thanks everyone for coming out to Bree's 1st Birthday Party. We had a lot of fun. I got a bit over-cooked, but at least most of the food turned out OK. We hope everyone had a great time swimming and eating.

        Thanks for all the gifts.

        Photos here.

      • Not For Free Software Foundation
        07/21/08
        The Free Software Foundation posted their 5 reasons for not buying an iPhone, via Daring Fireball. This is a bit ridiculous. Every Verizon phone operates pretty much the same way.


        I only use Verizon as an example because I subscribe to them and I know how crappy their phones are.

      • A Touch Of Color
        07/15/08
        The is a sight for sore eyes. Go buy one, Kevin.

      • Brooke's Checkup on 2008.07.08
        07/08/08
        Weight: 30.2lbs.
        Height : 37.2"

    • June
      • iTunes via iPhone
        06/27/08
        Apple plans to release an application that will allow you to control iTunes remotely. I'm sure it will be a great app, except for one feature: the ability to change AirTunes Speakers. How sad is Apple that they can't add this one feature? If I were a betting man, I'd wager they won&

      • The Technology Saga Continues
        06/27/08
        Took the MacPro to TechRoom to diagnose the problem. They wanted to charge me $50 per drive (x4) to back them up, plus the $50 to diagnostic test. I only opted to have them backup the system drive. They kept it for a week, told me the problem was the original RAM modules. It wasn't the RAM.

      • I hate Technology
        06/20/08
        Speaking of dumps, my MacPro also took a dump soon after. It's in the shop now. The three day turnaround is more like seven days. I need to find a good backup solution. Time Machine isn't good enough. Maybe I'll try out Carbon Copy Cloner. The last time I tried it, it didn't work

      • Photos Server
        06/04/08
        It seems my Photos Server took a dump. Re-installing the OS is probably the only option at this point, although I'm not sure it's worth it. I might just end up paying the nominal fee for an unlimited Flickr account. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how I can integrate it into the Copperm

      • Bree's Checkup on 2008.06.04
        06/04/08
        Weight: 18.0lbs.
        Height : 17.01"

    • May
      • Not So Chili Peppers
        05/29/08
        I've been waiting for this day for a very long time. The RHCP have called it quits. At least for a year anyway. Unfortunately, KROQ will continue to play their crap forever. I wish they would just go away-o.

      • Bree's Checkup on 2008.05.05
        05/05/08
        Weight: 17.9lbs.
        Height : 26.5"
        Head Circumference: 17.01"

      • Remaking the Remake
        05/02/08
        The Incredible Hulk was so bad the last time around that they had to remake it. It doesn't even look like a sequel. It's like they're denying the Ang Lee directed Hulk never existed. Probably for the better, I wish I could. This new film actually looks pretty decent.

    • April
      • Cutest Baby of the Month
        04/28/08
        Bree needs your vote to become the Cutest Baby of the Month.

        Update: I removed the link because the site was just spamming users with their emails.

    • March
      • Bring the Vote
        03/07/08
        This is the year for Politics as we're about to elect a new President. Why not help the cause and sign the petition for Proposition 3-17. It's a noble cause to bring a new Holiday to the States. Let's be a little more international and support our brothers and sisters across the po

    • February
      • Apple TV 2.0
        02/13/08
        So the new Apple TV v2.0 was released yesterday. It's a long overdue update. And the only plus is the new interface and Rentals. Other than that, it's not much to brag about. The interface is a good deal slower. My Movies is still not browsable by Genre or any meta data. They can do

      • Brooke's Checkup on 2008.02.11
        02/11/08
        Weight: 28.4lbs.
        Height : 37.0"

    • January
      • Del.icio.us-ly Simple
        01/31/08
        I saw this post on Daring Fireball and had to try it out. I've never used del.icio.us before, but I hear it's a great way to organize bookmarks. Unfortunately, aside from my normal list of links, I don't really go into my history to browse. Instapaper is a clever idea. It's a

      • Bree's 6 Month Checkup
        01/30/08
        Weight: 15.0lbs. 10.4oz.
        Height : 26.25"
        Head Circumference: 15.98"

      • Brooke's Checkup on 2008.01.14
        01/14/08
        Weight: 29.0lbs.
        Height : 36.4"

  • 2007
    • November
      • Bree's 2 Month Checkup
        11/28/07
        Weight: 13.0lbs. 13.9oz.
        Height : 25.0"
        Head Circumference: 15.51"

      • Cool Hi-Tech Gifts
        11/26/07
        From HiTechToys:

        GE 6.0 Cell Fusion Home Phone: $150
        IntelliScanner Mini: $299
        Bugaboo Bee Stroller: $500
        Boulevard Car Seat: $270

      • 'Tis the Season Again...
        11/06/07
        Christmas Season is upon us again. The stores are already stocked. A bit early, but that's Capitalism for ya. So why not send someone a Gift Card from Amazon.

      • The Cat's Out of the Bag Now
        11/02/07
        Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard is out. I haven't had time to upgrade just yet, but I'm waiting for things to settle down and for developers to update their applications first. There are a few features I'm waiting to try out, like Spaces and Time Machine, although there are still some bugs an

    • October
    • September
      • Go Google Gadget Go!
        09/27/07
        My first Google Gadget. Any Shopzilla Publisher content can be used as a Google Gadget. Google is amazing, they're building web applications the way web applications should be built. Web applications should look and feel like any other desktop application. If you find this Gadget useful, ad

      • Bree's Checkup on 2007.09.26
        09/26/07
        Weight: 10.7lbs.
        Height : 21.75"
        Head Circumference: 14.49"

    • August
    • July
      • Bree's Checkup on 2007.07.31
        07/31/07
        Weight: 6.4lbs.
        Height : 19.25"
        Head Circumference: 13.27"

      • Bree Thi Nguyen
        07/28/07

        She came 4 weeks early, but she's healthy and happy.

        Bree Thi Nguyen born July 28th, 2007 @ 12:05am.

        6lbs. 9oz. 18in.

        http://bree.thaiandhien.com/

        Brooke and Bree

        Subscribe to Bree's first album photocast.

      • Brooke's Checkup on 2007.07.11
        07/11/07
        Weight: 26.2lbs.
        Height : 35.0"


    • June
      • iPhone Released Today
        06/29/07
        Apple releases the iPhone today at 6:00pm PST. Somewhat exciting. Still can't make the switch to AT&T though.

        David Pogue's Review
        iPhone Apps
        My First Mac iPhone Widget
        iPhone Widget Tutorial
        iPhone + Widget Mashups

      • In Memoriam...
        06/05/07
        My Grandfather, Nguyen Van Phu, passed away this day, June 5th, 2007. If it wasn't quiet already, it'll be more so over the next few days. Grief is an odd thing, I find it hard to express.

        July 06, 1923 - June 05, 2007

        Good night.

    • April
      • Plugged
        04/24/07
        I got plugged. Geeksugar gave me a plug for prolonging her carpal-tunnel a few more years. If you're new to the MacBooks, you may not be familiar with all of it's tricks. One in particular, two-finger scrolling. Checkout my previous post to Pimp-Your-Mac, several freeware/shareware app

      • Brooke's 18 Month Checkup
        04/18/07
        Weight: 24.09lbs. (25%-50%)
        Height : 34.5" (>97%)

      • Brooke's Checkup on 2007.04.18
        04/18/07
        Weight: 24.09lbs.
        Height : 34.05"
        Head Circumference: 19.0"

      • Pimp-Your-Mac
        04/05/07
        Top Utilities/Applications:
        Quicksilver: http://quicksilver.blacktree.com/
        TextExpander: http://www.smileonmymac.com/textexpander/index.html
        PTHPasteboard: http://pth.com/products/pthpasteboard/
        Synergy: http://wincent.com/a/products/synergy-classic/
        Path Finder:

    • March
      • New Addition to the Family
        03/26/07
        New Addition to the Family. Yes, we are expecting again, another girl. We're very happy. I think this is it, I don't have the energy for another one.

      • Closing the Entertainment Loop
        03/23/07
        Finally got my yesterday and spent a little time playing with it. Brooke battled me for the remote the entire time, suffice it to say she won. Fortunately, I had two, the second from the iMac at work. Setup was simple if not a little tedious scrolling through each letter on the onscreen keyboa

      • March Birthdays
        03/04/07
        Happy Birthday to all:

        Phuong Tran (3rd)
        John Sarrouf (3rd)
        Chann An (3rd)
        Rodney Barlow (4th)
        Rex Roberts (7th)
        Mat Simpson (9th)
        Arvind Puri (13th)

    • February
      • Brooke's Checkup on 2007.02.28
        02/28/07
        Weight: 224.01lbs.
        Height : 33"

      • More Publishing
        02/24/07

      • Happy New Year!!
        02/18/07
        Happy New Year! Wishing everyone a healthy and prosperous new year.

      • Happy Valentine's Day
        02/14/07
        Happy Valentine's Day Mama Hien! We Love you and are always thinking of you.

      • Bad Apples
        02/01/07
        I can't understand why Apple chose not to make the Speaker Menu scriptable. This is the last piece of the puzzle for having a real iTunes jukebox with Airtunes. It's been 2+ years since they introduced Airtunes and you still can't change speakers remotely.

        Add to the thre

    • January
      • Google Me
        01/25/07
        Google is one of the most innovative companies today, next to Apple. I've just started using the Google Map API for fun and profit. It's just amazing what they've done with the browser. Ironically, all the functionality has been around for awhile.

        Google My Map

      • Brooke's Checkup on 2007.01.22
        01/22/07
        Weight: 25.06lbs.
        Height : 32.0"

      • Brooke's Checkup on 2007.01.10
        01/10/07
        Weight: 23.02lbs.
        Height : 31.0"

      • Apple Announces New Products
        01/09/07
        It's amazing how Apple, now Apple, Inc., turns things upside down. Cell phones have been around for decades, yet not much has changed, same layout, same keypad/keyboard and same bad OS. That is until now, Apple has decided to become a player and do it the right way. They 've reinvented

      • Burn Baby Burn
        01/06/07
        Robert X. Cringely brought this to my attention. If you have a blog, this is for you; FeedBurner. I signed up just to see what all the fuss was about. Sounds like a great business. I don't think it'll be the next YouTube, but I think it'll do very well.

        From their site:

  • 2006
    • December
      • Brooke Premiers on YouTube
        12/21/06
        Now, I'm not a big fan of YouTube, I think the users, as well as Google, got screwed in the sale of YouTube. I'm sure the users didn't see any of those Billions. Having said that, it's still a great way to share video with Family and Friends. Brooke Loves her some Colbert:
    • November
      • Happy Holidays!
        11/25/06
        It's not an attack on Christmas, just wishing everyone well this Holiday season. Find something for that special someone:

      • Publisher@Shopzilla
        11/13/06
        Shopzilla Publisher Program:

    • October
    • September
      • MacPro
        09/23/06
        This machine is seriously impressive. It's knock-your-socks-off fast and extremely quiet. I can't tell that it's even on, except for the light and the rare clicking of the hard drive. The interior is just as impressive. The case opens with just a flip of the latch and the hard dri

    • August
      • Brooke's Checkup on 2006.08.09
        08/09/06
        Weight: 20.0lbs.
        Height : 29.0"

      • I'm a Pro now
        08/08/06
        I just ordered a MacPro, which will be arriving mid-September. I can't wait any longer! I need it now! But, I can't seem to get used to the Not So Mighty Mouse, so I'm going to buy a reliable Kensington mouse. It's not bluetooth, but it's wireless. I've always used

    • July
      • Buyer's Remorse
        07/30/06
        So, I've given up on the HS850 that I reviewed earlier. It didn't have the USB charger that I thought it had, the reception was horrible and it always felt like it was going to fall off. The Platronics Voyager 510 looks promising. There was a review on Amazon submitted by someone who ha

      • OSCON 2006
        07/26/06
        I'm in Portland for three days attending OSCON. We have a booth in the exhibit hall this year for recruiting purposes, not at all how I want to spend my free time. On the plus side, I now have new shirts to replace the shredded ones my wife keeps trying to throw out. One of the best talks so

      • Brooke's First Trip
        07/25/06
        We took Brooke on her first trip this past weekend. We had our reservations, but Brooke surprised us and was on her best behavior. She couldn't have been more behaved. She didn't cry on the plane, she didn't cry in the car and she pretty much let everyone hold her. She also had a

      • New Every Two
        07/23/06
        Two years finally came and I was able to take advantage of Verizon's "New Every Two" feature to get a new phone, one that works. I opted for the RAZR.

      • Put down the Phone and back away
        07/18/06
        This issue won't go away and it shouldn't. Being a 100+ mile a day commuter in Southern California, I can safely say that most bad drivers are the ones on their cell phones. Studies show it's just as bad as drinking and driving. I'm not a fan of Arnie, but we really need this

      • New Digs
        07/12/06
        I'm evaluating different blogging software. I found a nice simple blogging package, called appropriately enough, the Simple PHP Blog (Donation Ware). It's file based, so no database needed. Although, from the looks of the code, it can be made to work with a database; it has a decent abs

      • Something to do
        07/12/06
        Visit Store Appeal: http://www.storeappeal.com/. Buy something and make yourself happy.

    • June
    • May
      • Brooke's Checkup on 2006.05.31
        05/31/06
        Weight: 19.07lbs.
        Height : 27.3"

      • Child Development
        05/15/06
        If your baby needs a little help walking, crawling, rolling or you just need to preoccupy them while you get some work done. You might want to take a look at these items.

    • April
      • The Daily Grind
        04/29/06
        Well it's been a month since I tore my achilles tendon and now it's time to go back to work. At least it'll stop me from shopping online, so says my wife. The Dr. recently suited me with a walking cast, which actually hurt more than the injury itself. I think I prefer to work at ho

      • Mother's Day
        04/29/06
        Mother's Day is right around the corner. This digital picture frame would be the perfect gift. Need a digital camera for your new digital picture frame? Try out this Canan SD630, it's 6MP in a slim case. An excellent upgrade for the SD400 or great Father's Day Gift.

      • Brooke's 6 Month Checkup
        04/18/06
        Weight: 17.13lbs (75%-90%)
        Height : 27" (75%-90%)

      • Nothing's Cheap
        04/16/06
        I just watched "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices" by Robert Greenwald. It's a great documentary, that really brings home what big business is really all about. I've been boycotting Wal-Mart for a few years now and it's been hard to convince other people to do the sam

    • March
      • RAZR
        03/03/06
        We recently got the RAZR phone for Verizon. It's pretty impressive. Small and compact. Even at one bar it seems to work pretty well. It has bluetooth, which works with OSX with some third party help. The charger and data port is a USB 2.0 port, so you can just plug it into your computer to

    • February
      • The iPod Video
        02/24/06
        I was able to play with an iPod Video recently and I'm really impressed. The form factor is amazing. The video playback is actually viewable. The only issues I had with it were the lack of accessories like the remote and dock, which for the price should be included. Also adding photos isn&#

      • Brooke's 4 Month Checkup
        02/17/06
        Weight: 15.05lbs.
        Height : 25.0"
        Head Circumference: 16.0"

      • Last.fm
        02/13/06
        Share your listening habits with the world. Let people know what you're really interested. It annoys me that there's such a thing as a "Top 40" list. According to who, the record execs? Radio Station Playlists? I think Last.fm might reflect what people are really listening t

      • Flickr
        02/13/06
        Flickr is what the cool kids are using to share photos. Forgetabout crap like myspace.com. Friendster.com is slightly better than myspace.com, but neither is built around sharing photos.

        Flickr

  • 2005
  • 2004
    • June
      • Superhuman Baby Take-over
        06/24/04
        It appears Germany is on it's way in producing abnormally muscular babies.

        Story here

      • Fahrenheit 911
        06/08/04
        You can't stop the truth! I hope this drops Bush's approval rating to nil.

        View the Trailer

    • April
      • On The Frontline
        04/29/04
        On Frontline tonight: The Jesus Factor President Bush's spiritual beliefs. Find out what the vessel of God/Jesus has to say. Did you know Bush wants "creationism" taught in schools? Having religion is one thing and I'm not totally opposed to it. But, imposing your religious

      • RSS and BitTorrent
        04/13/04
        Two good things that go great together, Andrew Grumet and Dave Winer thinks so too. "RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is an XML-based protocol used to serve news headlines and weblog entries in a streamlined, organized format that lets users subscribe to "feeds" of their favorite cont

      • The Man Speaks
        04/13/04
        Bush speaks tonight, the speech will begin at approximately 8:30 p.m. EDT. For the most part, he'll be defending his cabinet for the mistakes they've made. I really doubt he'll give us any information we can really use. He'll be fluffing it up and skirting the issues as usual.

      • Air America Radio
        04/12/04
        I just started listening to this and I'm hooked. I never used to be interested in Politics, until Dub-Bush started taking away our civil liberties with the Patriot Act.

        www.airamericaradio.com
        www.majorityreportradio.com
        www.ofrankenfactor.com

    • March
      • Tappa Tappa Tappa
        03/24/04
        An article at News Com Com Com Com discusses how the FBI wants to extend the Telecommunications Wiretap laws under CALEA into Cable Networks for IP-based communications. There may be privacy concerns, but I don't see any difference from landline wiretaps. Although, most IP-based devices are e

      • Phatbot2Phatbot
        03/24/04
        A new virus is circulating through the internet that utilizes a P2P network to distribute itself and take control of infected computers to steal account information. The virus can be detected by anti-virus software but once the PC is infected the virus will disable the anti-virus and firewall softw

      • Get the Magic Touch
        03/23/04
        This is a new technology that provides easy and intuitive interaction between devices, by simply touching the devices together. Near Field Communication (NFC) is the protocol and it utilizes RFID chips to identify it's users. Think of it like those key cards that you wave in front of sensor t

      • Morally Reicht
        03/16/04
        There are those that believe we all sinners and are imposing their will upon everyone. Since the fallout of Nipple Gate, the FCC has instituted a policy to fine anyone violating what they believe to be indecent. However, the FCC will not define what those violations are, but will notify you if you

      • March Madness is upon us...
        03/14/04
        Submit your entry now.

      • March Madness
        03/14/04
        Get ready for the 2004 NCAA Office Pool and join for fun and profit. If you want a piece of the pie, it's $10. Use the PayPal link to the right or I'll collect it from you the next time I see you.

        2004 NCAA Mens Tournament Entry From

        2004 NCAA Womens Tournament E

      • Teleport
        03/13/04
        Preview 2 of Teleport was just released. This little utility gives you control of another Mac using just one keyboard and mouse. This differs from utilities like Timbuktu, that gives you remote control over a headless display, in that you use the monitor like a second monitor.

        Download

      • Autobots...Rollout!
        03/13/04
        It doesn't quite transform, but this Robot is all Car and a Mini at that. Could be the best mod ever. Check out the photots.

      • The sleeper...Microsoft
        03/09/04
        It seems that Microsoft may have it's dirty little hands in the cookie jar again. Apparently, they've learned nothing the first time around. The long standing legal battle between SCO and IBM have shifted focus to Microsoft and it's possible involvment in bankrolling SCO's atta

      • Blog the Vote...
        03/09/04
        Proposition 55 - Yes
        Proposition 56 - No
        Proposition 57 - No
        Proposition 58 - No

        I'm still unsure about 55 though. Not sure we need more debt, but it
        is for education. Maybe teachers can actually teach kids and not MTV or Jessica Simpson.

        Vot

      • 20/20 for less
        03/09/04
        Massachusetts Institute of Technology doctoral candidate Saul Griffith, with the help of his colleague Neil Houghton won the Business School Social Enterprise Business Plan Contest for the concept in 2001, has deleveloped an efficient lens manufacturing process dubbed the "desktop printer"

      • Our House in the middle of the..
        03/08/04
        ..Street.

        We actually did it. We put a deposit on a new home. I just hope that we can afford it. Feels good, yet scarey at the same time. The biggest purchase or our lives, so far.

        UPDATE: we had to back out of buying the house. The plot that we got had a large telephone/

    • February
    • January
      • Asleep at sea
        01/11/04
        The Alaskan Cruise has been booked for May/June. We'll also be touring Seattle and Vancouver for a few days as well.