Disneyland 2011

202 photos from a year's worth of visits to Disneyland. You can keep going back and getting all sorts of different pictures. This album has many things you might not expect to see.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR. Click here to go to the album's flickr page and to see a bigger slideshow.

The Cure 2011

Got to see The Cure last Monday night. It was the first time I'd seen them in concert since 2004 and the first time I've seen them with my cousin Jason since 1992. They played at the small Pantages theater on Hollywood Blvd. and had several former members back in the band and played their first three albums (Three Imaginary Boys, Seventeen Seconds, Faith) in their entirety plus all the B-sides from those periods.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Wildlife Encounters

Here's a coyote I saw two days ago while walking along the San Diego Creek: He was just looking for a hiding place until the humans went away.

Two Guys Named Joe: Master Animation Storytellers Joe Grant & Joe Ranft

Two Guys Named Joe: Master Animation Storytellers Joe Grant & Joe Ranft by John Canemaker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This may seem like an obscure book among obscure books but read it and you will find out these two guys named Joe are responsible for some of the most memorable elements of Disney and Pixar films from 1933 to 2005 and possibly beyond. For instance, Dumbo and Lady and the Tramp may not have even been made if it weren't for Joe Grant. And that's just for starters.



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Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business

Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business by Danny Meyer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Excellent book which every business owner should read. Don't fool yourself into thinking that it's just for restaurants or that it'll show you some good tricks for tricking your customers into thinking you care about them. This shows how to practice genuine hospitality and shows how the benefits come from that.



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Trader Joe's: The Song

When I went to Trader Joe's earlier tonight I was reminded of this ingenious video I found on YouTube a while back. This guy really nails the complete Trader Joe's experience with a clever, quick, catchy, observant song:



The part I related to earlier tonight was how you find this really cool item at Trader Joe's and you get it every time you go, then one time you go back and they don't have it anymore. Then you ask one of their team members about it and they confirm it's gone and then you ask if it was because of low sales and they say, "No, it's just gone."

It's not a baguette; it's a lightsaber

George Lucas totally wishes HE had made this: