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People that know me well know I’m not a fan of going to movie theaters. Even though I consider a good movie to be as much a work of art as a great painting or a symphony orchestra, I just don’t like the theater experience. I much prefer to watch a film at home for a number of reasons (comfort, scheduling, saving money,etc.). But I do occasionally go out to see a movie and I made one such exception today to see Avatar.

If you have never seen an IMAX movie in 3D, make Avatar your first one. It is without a doubt the most beautiful-looking movie I have ever seen. The plot won’t blow you away, however you also won’t care when you see how gorgeous it is. But definitely see it in a proper IMAX theater in 3D. It doesn’t go for cheap 3D thrills like launching things at the audience, thank goodness.

Diamonds are not forever

No, Meghan didn’t lose her wedding ring. This is a post I have been meaning to write for many, many years. If you have a diamond ring or love diamonds, I hope you aren’t offended because that is not my intention. But diamonds are terrible.

I would love to go into detail about all the various reasons, but this site does it much better than I ever could. Whether you go with CZ, Moissanite, my personal favorite man-made diamonds, or another gemstone, it really does pay to be informed. The reasons why diamonds are terrible that really tip the scales for me:

1. The diamond business is essentially a giant scam. It doesn’t take a degree in economics to understand that if a small group almost completely controls the supply of a luxury item, the price will rise far above what it should be. The history of diamonds is rife with stories of monopolies, price-fixing, slave labor, genocide, terrorism, etc. But somehow this is supposed to be the only acceptable choice of a gift for one of the most sacred and important steps in our lives?

2. A young, soon-to-be-married couple rarely has much extra cash lying around for useless frivolities, and certainly not thousands of dollars.

3. One of the main marketing ploys is that diamonds are forever and that they are an investment. I have heard plenty of stories of people losing their diamond jewelry. And how many people buying engagement rings expect to sell their ring back eventually (and get more money for it)?

Thankfully, someone exposed this info to me before I purchased a ring for Meghan. At the time, man-made diamonds were too scarce for us to go that route, but she graciously allowed a very poor college student named Mark to purchase a CZ for her. And I consider it to be one of the best financial decisions we have ever made. In almost six years of marriage, we have managed to avoid going into debt and I’m thankful we didn’t have to get mired in it before our marriage ever started.

We do plan to eventually get a man-made diamond, but we also certainly don’t feel rushed. It’s pretty amazing that you can get a 1-carat princess cut diamond for less than $100. Oh and it’s perfectly flawless and has perfect clarity.

Zoe Meghan MacAskill

7 pounds, 13 ounces.  20 inches.  1:18 AM today.  Mother and daughter both healthy.  Father and mother both exhausted.  There was a very scary moment during labor that I’m sure Meghan will write about in a separate post.  But it all turned out alright.

More photos.

Happy Halloween!

I like to call our costume idea “Just like Daddy.”

See them bigger here.

7×7x7

So even though we generally use OS X at SmugMug, we still game on Windows boxes and have to test/develop on them as well. So when our copies of Windows 7 arrived, 7 of us went down to In N Out and took on 7×7’s (7 patties and 7 cheese slices).

I generally eat much healthier now than I used to, but sometimes I make exceptions.

Reese’s first date

Reese’s friend Luke took her out on the town Saturday. This was the result:

Video.

Photos.

Bittersweet 9/11

Obviously the news today is all about remembering 9/11.  For me, it’s bittersweet every year since it is also Meghan’s birthday.  Anyways, I thought I would share my favorite media response in the aftermath.  Whatever you may think of Jon Stewart, give it a chance if you have 8 minutes to spare.

Jon Stewart’s response to 9/11