This is from Clay.

Clay’s family celebrates with him in 1987 on his second...

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:43:00 -0800

Clay’s family celebrates with him in 1987 on his second Easter. Appearing are his parents Alan & Jane Ellen Smith, grandparents Charles & Evelyn Brooks, and uncle Fred Brooks.

From my grandfather’s home movies. Digitized in its entirety.

(You’ll definitely have to click to view the large photo...

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 22:40:25 -0800

(You’ll definitely have to click to view the large photo in order to see what I’m talking about.)

This evening I watched “Without a King” (on Netflix), a documentary about Swaziland, the last absolute monarchy in Africa. In one final scene, I noticed something awesome. When HRH First Princess Sikhanyiso goes out to see an HIV/AIDS orphanage, a crowd of children gathers around her. For a brief moment, you see a kid wearing a white t-shirt with the words, “CLAY SEX”, emblazoned on the back. That’s all.

Anyway, I recommend this film. The country is predominately Christian, and for all of the complaints the people and the international community have about the king, the filmmakers follow his first wife to church where she worships with sincerity. Plus, the First Princess attended Biola in the mid-Naughts. Be warned that a few scenes have National Geographic-style nudity. (Some people may recognize my appreciation of this film to be the result of my interest in monarchy.)

Going under bridge overpasses is the best part of driving in the...

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:05:11 -0800

Going under bridge overpasses is the best part of driving in the rain. It’s a very soothing rhythm. California freeways are great for this because overpasses are so frequent.

My sister Anna Li’s in-class doodles are significantly...

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:11:59 -0800

My sister Anna Li’s in-class doodles are significantly more advanced than mine. (To see the sweet narwhal up-close, click the photo to enlarge.

(Warning: Parts of this movie are kind of gooey and gross.) Joy...

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:20:12 -0800

(Warning: Parts of this movie are kind of gooey and gross.)

Joy was born with a double cleft lip and palette. She recently had scar revision surgery to update the work that had been performed when she was an infant in China before my parents adopted her. For a few weeks, Joy had stitches in her lip and a rubbery device up her nose to provide structure as she healed. That had to come out.

My father captured this movie with Joy in the doctor’s office. She was a cute little trooper, wasn’t she?

I’m babysitting my sister while our mom is out of town. I...

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:15:09 -0800

I’m babysitting my sister while our mom is out of town. I don’t know why Joy was tormenting the cat. I never understand half of the things she thinks are sensible. I have to say, though, that’s a pretty docile cat.

IM-rony

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:58:36 -0800

me: hey
her: hi
me: sorry, firefox froze
me: so, i figured i'd move from the desktop to my laptop in the meantime
her: ooo
me: we never have complete conversations
her: yeah that's true
me: one of us is always leaving
her: yeah
her: speaking of which, brb
me: k

Web developers, if you absolutely must use a drop-down widget to...

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:31:27 -0800

Web developers, if you absolutely must use a drop-down widget to select birth year, and if you insist on populating the list with what you think is every possible birth year, then at least be thorough. Currently, the oldest living person is Kama Chinen, a 114 year-old woman from Japan. She was born in 1895, but apparently, she’s too old to use the Aviary website. That’s sloppy and ageist.

P.S. Don’t use drop-down widgets to select birth year. It’s irritating to scroll through 109 years to find yours.

The parks I played on as a kid had metal jungle gyms and swings....

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:51:00 -0800

The parks I played on as a kid had metal jungle gyms and swings. They required a tetanus booster and a bit of faith. This thing is great! And there is another one for smaller children just to the right. (Make sure you click on the photo for the full effect.)

Joy got her stitches and that nose support out today. Look how...

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:44:00 -0800

Joy got her stitches and that nose support out today. Look how cute she is!

I just passed a “Studio Rental” fake police car driving through Norco. I wonder what...

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:41:05 -0800

I just passed a “Studio Rental” fake police car driving through Norco. I wonder what it’s doing way out here? Is there filming going on locally?

I just submitted my online application to begin studying in the Fall at Westminster Seminary CA...

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:10:00 -0800

I just submitted my online application to begin studying in the Fall at Westminster Seminary CA towards a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies.

I just saw a Muslim woman impatiently honking her horn at some student driver in a high school...

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:39:05 -0800

I just saw a Muslim woman impatiently honking her horn at some student driver in a high school parking lot. Religion of peace, my butt.

We just saw lightning, and the thunder lasted fifteen seconds, shook the ground, and set off a car...

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:58:00 -0800

We just saw lightning, and the thunder lasted fifteen seconds, shook the ground, and set off a car alarm. Sweet!

"I want you to shave your face off. It tickles you. You will get a new one."

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:46:34 -0800

“I want you to shave your face off. It tickles you. You will get a new one.”

- Joy, commenting on my beard

On Saturday, 20 February 2010, a baker’s dozen or so...

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:46:11 -0800

On Saturday, 20 February 2010, a baker’s dozen or so Providence students drove up to Point Magu State Park in Malibu where we camped overnight on Thorn Hill Beach. There were no thorns, but plenty of rocks. On Sunday morning, just as we began to break camp, the dark clouds that had rolled in overnight dropped ten minutes of rain all over our gear. Despite the setbacks, we had a great time as you can see in this video.

“Shutter Island” is good. It’s not a horror. It’s a psychological thriller....

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:08:00 -0800

“Shutter Island” is good. It’s not a horror. It’s a psychological thriller. It’s not like the previews. Worth seeing.

I’m sitting down to watch “Shutter Island.” I’ve sworn my friends to secrecy...

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:33:00 -0800

I’m sitting down to watch “Shutter Island.” I’ve sworn my friends to secrecy in the event I wet myself.

The eggs were cold. Now Ben has a birthday welt. No one’s...

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:00:00 -0800

The eggs were cold. Now Ben has a birthday welt. No one’s taking responsibility.

It is Ben’s birthday so he got egged in the traditional...

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:57:00 -0800

It is Ben’s birthday so he got egged in the traditional Costa Rican tradition.