It’s that time of the week again! That time when the clock ticks ever so slowly as you sit in your chair giddy with excitement, waiting for the most anticipated time of the week, Friday night! Well, in our case, it’s gonna be a chillin’ evening, not because of the two crazy kiddies that keeps us homebound, but because tomorrow marks the beginning of the madness for us. Our first wedding of 2008 is here and it’s time to bring home the bacon. So, we’ll be at home getting some good shut eye for a big Saturday wedding. From here on out, it should be quite a ride for 2008!

So, for this edition of Family Friday, I present to you what it would look like if the government reinstated the draft and made the minimum drafting age one month. Happy Friday!

My name is Jan and I’m an Internet junkie. I started a loooooong time ago…back when Hotmail was just Hotmail and not MSN. Good lord, that was so long ago! But, it’s safe to say that I spend a good amount of time online (too much if you ask Tey). When I tell her that I just “crave information,” she just returns a stare followed by rolled eyes…HAHA! And with the boom of Blogs, my “information gathering” has reached a new level! Most everything I read now is in a Blog format and I read a ton of different stuff. There are so many great reads out there, but here are a few of my favorites that I think most everyone can enjoy. I try to stay away from diary-type blogs because I find those authors a little too wordy. I’ll keep photo related stuff out…there’s too many. Here’s some of my favorites that I think most people would enjoy:

Links

Kottke.org. A classic. If I scoured the internet for things that interest me and posted those links on my blog, it would probably sound/read/look like Kottke. A great collection of all things interesting from politics, music, fillm, arts, tech, etc.

The Cool Hunter. Had to throw this one in for good measure. Similar Kottke, but a louder, more fashion inspired style.

Design

Brand New. I read a bunch of great design oriented blogs, but this one captivated me from my first visit. They analyze corporate logo changes/updates and give their opinion as to whether or not the change works, etc. Because many of the companies are well known, it’s great reading that even the non-design person can appreciate. Just from reading this blog, I’ve learned so much about the thought process of good design.

Man Stuff

Uncrate. Their slogan is “The Buyers Guide for Men” and it’s pretty true. Their taste in products is pretty spot on with mine. Only the best! If those other gadget blogs are too over-the-top geeky for you, this is for you. Good mix of everything.

Pop Culture

Gawker. My connection to the world of hollywood and pop culture.

Thought Provoking

Post Secret. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad and everything in between. The premise is that people submit notes/images that confesses a secret. Sort of like a artsy public confession. It gets really interesting.

Productivity

43 Folders. Productivity and making your life a little easier. A lot of tech productivity. So much that we do is behind the keyboard and this blog helps me improve my “computer life”.

Unclutterer. I think you know what this blog is about from the name. Something that I struggle with everyday, so I need all the help I can get.

New

Zen Habits. I just started reading this blog, so I thought I’d put this in the “New” category. The posts are really interesting and I think they pertain to many including myself. His description of the site: “Zen Habits covers: achieving goals, productivity, being organized, GTD, motivation, eliminating debt, saving, getting a flat stomach, eating healthy, simplifying, living frugal, parenting, happiness, and successfully implementing good habits.”

EDIT: Almost forgot

Fashion

The Sartorialist. Great way of seeing really cool fashions. The author photographs random people in which their attire catches his eye. From NYC to Europe, you get to see some really great looks from all types of people. Pretty famous blog.

The last four weeks have been a blur. I can’t believe that Nathan is one month old tomorrow! So, the daily debate lately is “Who does Nathan look like?” Sometimes, we would shake our heads and say that he doesn’t look like either one of us. But I think we all know who he looks like ;) Starts with a J, ends with an N. I went back into the photo archive and got a picture of Lucas at the exact same age and compared their looks. Pretty interesting. I wish I had a photo of me at 4 weeks old…That would’ve been funny.

I tried to find photos where they had similar expressions and this is the closest I could get. A resemblance? Brothers for sure!

People say that, musically, the 80s were wack compared to other decades, but I’m kinda glad I grew up then. In retrospect, I’d have to say that the music scene was pretty great, from the birth of hip-hop/rap to the height of hair metal. In my latest effort to learn guitar, I’ve been scouring YouTube for clips of my favorite guitar songs and came across this clip. BTW, YouTube is pretty AMAZING when trying to learn an instrument on your own. So many talented people posting cool clips of EVERY song out there. Check out this story on NPR. Please tell me I’m not the only one who likes this song?!?! I remember 6th grade, slow dancing to this song…you know hands around the girl’s waist and rocking side to side!! I know I’m not the only one ;) Thanks for letting me reminisce.

YouTube clip of Love Song by Tesla (Five Man Acoustical Jam version). Click here if you cannot see it:

Wow…2008! We say it all the time but it’s really been too fast! Hope all had a great new year’s day and here we go back to work…

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My last official shoot of 07 was with Jessica and her mom and dad. We took some time wandering the streets of Laguna Beach and also squeezed in some beach action right before sunset. It was a little chilly, so it was definitely a cool change from the typical Cali weather. Jessica was a natural in front of the camera…she really lit up the viewfinder with the gorgeous natural light that we are accustomed to here in OC. And her parents were not too shabby, either. Especially her dad who is the master of posing :) This was a special one since they don’t see each other very often with Mr. and Mrs. Tang back in China for most of the year. So I was happy to shoot them having a good time together. Here’s a quick look at some highlights: