This weekend, I went back to Redlands for my cousin’s wedding. A few of my close friends growing up were also in the wedding party.

We decided to sort of recreate a photo we took together at our high school prom in May 2000. Here are myself, Nate, and Nic.

Here we are, 12 years later in April 2012.

This is something I’ve often wondered, especially lately as we’ve been watching “Game of Thrones.” Why do people in these fantasy / medieval worlds (e.g., “Lord of the Rings” and “Game of Thrones”) always speak with a British accent?

Martin has said English accents work best for fantasy, as the genre is rooted in the Middle Ages.

“It’s full of castles and lords and swords and knights and all the other trappings that we associate with England in this country. It seems natural. It would be hard to do with a group of actors who had thick Southern accents,” he has commented.

Hah, seems to make sense to me!

My cousin is getting married, so Kerry and I came down to Southern California for the weekend and are staying with my parents in Mentone.

A few friends on Facebook left me some comments that said, “enjoy the beach!” Kerry was confused at what this meant. Apparently, I never told her about the history of Mentone Beach! The LA Times explains:

At least 60 miles from the coast, where the San Bernardino Mountains shoot through clouds, a signpost painted on a weather-beaten water tower beckons like a desert oasis: Mentone Beach.

[…]

Mentone, named for a Mediterranean resort in southeast France, seemed destined for coastal status: Its founders noted that “the climate and vegetation were the same; only the sea was missing.”

That’s right, this is where I’m from. See also, “In search of Paul Bunyan.”

Recently, I picked up a Guthrie Cubebot for my desk at work. It’s a pretty rad little toy / puzzle that starts off as a cube and turns into a robot-looking creature. It has a bunch of articulated joints that allow it to pose in a bunch of different ways.

This is tragic. The fact that we’re still arguing over whether or not our society should watch out for the collective health of everyone is barbaric.

On Feb. 8, she was a healthy 32-year-old, who was seven and a half months pregnant with her first baby. On Feb. 9, she was a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the chest down by a car accident that damaged her spine. Miraculously, the baby, born by emergency C-section, is healthy.

Were the Obama health care reforms already in place, my brother and sister-in-law’s situation — insurance-wise and financially — would be far less dire. My brother’s small employer — he is the manager of a metal-fabrication shop — does not offer health insurance, which was too expensive for them to buy on their own.

Via: http://www.7×7.com/tech-gadgets/180000-del-popolo-pizza-food-truck

There’s only one possible reaction upon first seeing Jon Darsky’s pizza truck: Whoa. Hitched to a mighty rig that weighs 14 tons, Del Popolo begins serving Neapolitan pies this spring from its 5,000-pound oven. This much muscle comes at a cost—over $180,000 in all. The good news: Del Popolo is inimitable. “You’d have to be a fool to try and copy it,” says Darsky. “This thing was f*cking expensive.” Here, a few of the highlights.

This past Friday, we saw Beats Antique play at the Fox Theater in Oakland.

In fact, I’ve written about them before, 2 years ago! It was a fantastic show — featuring a combination of electronic / world music and belly dancing.

Here are few photos from around Fox Theater before the show (taken with iPhone 4 and Hipstamatic).

I’ve been checking out the progress of the Pier 36 teardown the last few weeks along Embarcadero as I walk home from work each day. The pier is being torn down in preparation for the next America’s Cup regatta, to be held in San Francisco in 2013. It’s been a pretty fascinating process to see!

Earlier today, I snapped a few photos with my iPhone using the Hipstamatic photo app. Black and white make for some pretty dramatic photos of a construction site!

Updated: New photos added April 12, 2012.

Dodgers vs. Brewers at Dodger Stadium in 2008

Thank the gods! The Dodgers will have new ownership this spring (MAGIC JOHNSON!), ending the tumultuous, devastating, and demoralizing reign of the evil Frank McCourt.

Over at Big League Stew, Kevin Kaduk shares the 10 best things about being a Dodgers fan. Among them:

5. The uniform: Crisp, clean and classic, the Dodgers’ home whites have remained virtually unchanged for decades (notwithstanding McCourt’s poorly received decision to remove player names in 2005-2006). In a league where teams switch from purple and teal to “sedona red” in a heartbeat, the Dodgers’ sartorial consistency represents a comforting adherence to, well, looking damn good. All hail the red (number), white (polyester moisture-wicking performance mesh) and blue (Pantone 294)!

He also mentions traffic as one of the great things. I’m inclined to disagree. Anyway, it’s a new day in Los Angeles. I think I’m excited about baseball again!

[thanks to Scott for the tip]

Or something like that. It sure is raining a lot though!

Taken at 5th and Mission.