Random Access

Tuesday: Coda
This afternoon, Wes and I headed to the gym to get in a late lunchtime workout. After we got out on the floor, SaraRules came over to say “Hi” and chat for a few minutes.  Today’s routine consisted of:

• Leg Raises: 3 sets/20 reps
• Bench Press: 300 lbs (1 rep); 3 sets/10 reps, 205 lbs
• Compound Row: 3 sets/12 reps, 125 lbs
• Lat Pulldown: 3 sets/10 reps, 120 lbs
• Lower Back Extensions: 2 sets/15 reps, 160 lbs
• Flys: 3 sets/10 reps, 130 lbs
• Chest Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 90 lbs

Since I did another rep of 300, it’s time to decide what’s next. It’s either going to be:

• 2+ reps at 300
• Bumping the weight up to… 310 or 315

We’ll see how that goes.

Tonight, SaraRules and I stayed in and watched NCIS and Food Network Challenge… and then set about the task of making decisions on our “Save the Date” announcements. We also looked at a few photographers, but I’m not sure which of the three gets my nod.

Stray Toasters

• Happy 20th Anniversary to my coworker, Drew.
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” file: Mom’s plea deal includes ‘resurrection clause’
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome exercises that really work

And now, The Late Show with David Letterman.

Namaste.

Tuesday – 31 March 2009
It’s hard to believe that March is nearly over already.

Last night, SaraRules and I had “Sunday dinner” with her family. We also watched Quantum of Solace. I still enjoy the movie and, to a lesser degree, the theme song… but the theme still sounds a bit too disjointed and/or like it’s trying too hard to be a Bond theme. *shrug* While there, her father offered me a taste of something new at Whole Foods: Double Cream White Chocolate Milk. Wow. It was good. VERY good, in fact.

Back at home, SaraRules did some quilting and I read last week’s comics. The standouts of the haul were:

• Captain America #48 – In this issue, Bucky/Winter Soldier/Cap, Namor and Black Widow wrap up a few loose ends from Cap’s time as the Winter Soldier. And, while he’s never been a favorite character of mine, it was nice to see Namor’s wrath directed at a target who deserved it for an actual affront, rather than a perceived one.
• Fantastic 4: #565 – This was the second part of a holiday story that saw the FF and family on vacation in Scotland. To be honest, the first half of the story didn’t exactly wow me; the finale, however, was good. I was also surprised at how the issue ended: A “thank you” letter from someone the FF saved during the issue’s adventure.
• R.E.B.E.L.S. #2 – More adventures of Vril Dox (Brainiac 2) and his attempt to wrest control of his L.E.G.I.O.N. operation from his usurpers. Supergirl and the LSH’s Brainiac 5 are on-hand to lend assistance, as well.
• Wonder Woman #30 – Readers finally meet The Olympian, whose arrival has been hinted at for a while. We also learn just how far Dr. Barbara Minerva, the Cheetah, is willing to go to try and break Diana. (Hint: It’s pretty far.) But, readers also see just how far Diana is willing to let herself be pushed… and how far she’s willing to push back.

Stray Toasters

• Trekker recreates classic Star Trek scenes with LEGO
• Star Wars considered as an episode of Dallas

  …and then there’s also Star Trek: Love Boat and Star Trek: The A-Team, if you need more.

• Chernobyl Today: A Creepy Story Told in Pictures
• 
• Green to the Corps
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” file: Bank pushing 120% APR loans
  I think that it could/should even be considered for “monkeys!” too.
• Top 50 WTF Moments in Comics
• Astro Boy trailer online

That’s good for now.

Namaste.

Monday – 30 March 2009
The new work week began with a new dusting of snow. There was a little slush on the streets, but nothing insurmountable. I came in a little early this morning because I had a “special project” to work on:

Our department has had a running… practical joke… for the past couple months: “An object” will magically appear at someone’s desk (usually in their chair or in a drawer) when they are away from their desk. I wound up with it about a week ago; Sean, one of my employees, tagged me with “the gift.” I promised him that I’d get even. And I waited…

This past Thursday and Friday, Sean was out of the office. He was having surgery…

…and that was when I formulated my revenge. I figured that I could kill two birds with one stone: Payback for getting “the gift” and “welcome back” all in one.

Last night, I went out and picked up the things I’d need. This morning, I came in and set them up. The time and effort were worth the investment for the expression on Sean’s face when he came in this morning. Pictures can be seen here.

Revenge is a dish best served cold. And it is very cold in space…
-Khan Noonian Singh

This morning also brought with it some server troubles. It took a bit to suss out where the problem started, but once we got that figured out, it was just a matter of getting the right people on the task. So far, it looks like things are working the way they’re supposed to.

Stray Toasters

• The wedding website is getting under way. Ms. SaraRules said that she didn’t really want anything elaborate, mostly she just wanted a centralized place for people to be able to get information about the wedding and what have you. We agreed to just go with a WordPress blog and be done with it. Now, we just have to add content…
• Last night, SaraRules and I watched Pride & Prejudice. I’d never seen it before. It was cute… although, I wanted to wring the neck of Mrs. Bennet almost every time she was on-screen. And, in more than a few scenes, Keira Knightley reminded me of a young Winona Rider.
• Welcome to LEGO. These are your business cards
• 15 vintage household ads in which women are not entirely condescended to
• 
• Obama gives car firms deadlines
• The gaming computer you dreamed of in 1983
• By way of : Reader Roundtable Survey: Here Comes the Cavalry
• found this icon, which amuses me:

And that’s a wrap.

Namaste.

Sunday – 29 March 2009
Today has been a quiet and slow day… and that’s good.

<< Rewind <<
Yesterday morning, SaraRules and I got up, picked up her mother and headed to South Towne Expo Center for a bridal show. We stood in a short line to get in and, then, it was “Game On.” The show was smaller than I had expected – far smaller, in fact. There were, maybe… 40 exhibitors in all. I think that we were in and out of the show inside of 30 minutes.  However, in that time, I put a deposit on my tuxedo rentals with Men’s Warehouse; they were running a special that I couldn’t pass up: $30 off each rental. Win.

There was a car show at the other end of the Expo Center, so we checked out the cars they had outside the main hall. That was when I also noted the differences in admission to the events:

• Bridal Show:
  • Brides: Free
  • Other guests: $5.00
• Auto Show: $14.50

I began to wonder which show would actually make the most money. I’d like to see the final numbers.

After dropping off SaraRules’ mom, we headed to Oh Sushi for lunch. Tasty, tasty sushi… Next: Dr. Volt’s.  From there, we headed to Wheeler Farm for an afternoon walk. The weather was perfect for it – sunny, a light breeze and high clouds. Next, we headed to Best Buy to pick up a copy of Quantum of Solace. Then, back home for a bit…

…and then off to OnlyAly and ‘s for poker. It was a good crowd and I played in some good games. Despite some decent hands, I got outplayed in both of the tourneys. At least it was fun and a good way to spend the evening.

> Play >
As I mentioned, today has been quiet and relaxing.  I got a good night’s sleep last night, following Friday night’s rather poor-quality sleep. We watched an episode of Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?, featuring Baltimore Ravens’ TE Daniel Wilcox. We also caught an episode Top Gear that featured a Ford Fiesta storming a beach along with the Royal Marines AND being chased – through a mall (video) – by a Chevrolet Corvette . (I swear, they get away with more cool stuff on that show…)

Next up: Errand-running.
(Misson: Accomplished)

This evening, I’m not sure what’s on tap. I believe that we’re doing Date Night tonight, as we aren’t having dinner with SaraRules’ family until tomorrow night.

Stray Toasters

• There are not many satisfying WordPress themes for “wedding” or “marriage.”
• SaraRules picked up the new Prince 3-CD set today.  So far, it’s pretty good.
• Did Builder’s Clout Trap Couple in Dream Home?
• Steampunk Chronulator
• Courtesy of : Welcome to the Bizarro World
• Obama: Auto Industry Needs To Do More To Get Help
• Shock #1: Comic book author Greg Rucka has a LiveJournal account.
  Shock #2: He spilled the beans about a new Question feature that he and Cully Hamner are working on in said LJ.
• The Voice of CN’s Batman Talks Season 2



• Is the Bat out of the bag?
  This “Battle for the Cowl” article contains spoilers. You have been warned.
• Darth Vader + hula girl = ??? (video)
• Amazing art made with old cassette tapes

Namaste.

Friday – 27 March 2009
Another 9/80 “on” Friday kicked off…

…with me coming into the office to find out that the alarm had been tripped. *grblsnrkx* Turns out that the electricians were the first ones in the office and they don’t have our alarm code. I fired off a quick email to TPTB and let them know what happened.

Next, I discovered that one of the logon scripts on my main PC decided to go on holiday. I had to bug Jim, one of our Windows admins, to help me walk through some steps to try and recover. It looks like Windows has horked itself. Fortunately, I have another Win box that I can just port things over to. It’s just a matter of taking the time to do so. Good thing it’s the slow Friday around here.

Stray Toasters

• I gave Paul (my boss, two steps up the ladder) a copy of Coupling (BBC version, Season 1). He returned it this morning… and asked where Seasons 2 and 3 were.
• iPhone 3G Finally Available in US Contract-Free
• International Torch Relays Banned
• 
• 26 Great TV Shows That Got a Quick Hook and The Ten Best Television Finales
• Cartoons to become far scarcer on Cartoon Network
• Apple has the trailer for Where the Wild Things Are. Check it out.
• 10 ways to get a really good sleep
• By way of :

  

• New Gorillaz doc will premiere online
• Marvel launches writer’s program
• Wil Wheaton teaches his son to slay dragons
• From the “Don’t call it a comeback, I been here for years…” file: Old-school Keyboard Makes a Comeback of Sorts

Namaste.

SaraRules convinced me of the benefit of working out this evening (rather than just sitting on my bum and staring at the TV), so we went to the gym:

• Leg Raises: 3 sets/15 reps
• Bench Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 185 lbs
• Lat Pull-downs: 3 sets/10 reps, 110 lbs
• Compound Row: 3 sets/10 reps, 125 lbs
• Reverse Fly: 3 sets/10 reps, 80 lbs
• Lower Back Extensions: 3 sets/15 reps, 160 lbs
• Curl/Shoulder Press (dumbbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 20 lbs

Post-workout weight: 183.0 (taken at home, because I spaced it off at the gym)

All things being equal, it was good to get out of the house and get in the workout that I missed this afternoon.

I had to skip the lunchtime workout today; I had a lunch meeting to attend. We went to Pawit’s Royal Thai. (, Pawit said to tell you “Hello.”) Pad Pra Grow and iced coffee. Very tasty. And the meeting was productive, too.

Stray Toasters

• I caught Bret online a little while ago. I haven’t had a chance to catch up with him in a while, so it was nice to have a few minutes’ long chat with him.
• Girl, 14, Faces Porn Charges for Nude Photos
• Damn you, Mafia Wars!  *shakes fist*
• Photographer Captures L.A.’s Vintage Homes
• It’s amazing that I’ve been looking for new ‘Clix to make… and it didn’t occur to me – until this afternoon – to make a John Stewart GL one.
• Speaking of GLs, Stephanie did a mock-up of my GL Pony as a mini-pony. She said that it looks good. I can’t wait to see the finished product.
• Cassandra Wilson: Standards Transformed
• Wing Commander (the game, not the movie)
• was screening resumes and came across one that made his brain go all ‘splodey. I had to see what caused it, so I went around to his desk to check it out. *OW* The entire thing was written in an Olde English font…¹
• 10 OSes We Left Behind

Namaste.

¹ – It turned out that the resume was fine; it was ‘s word processor that read it oddly.

Thursday – 26 March 2009
There are light flurries again this morning. *shrug* I think that it’s supposed to creep back into (or at least near) the 60s this weekend.

Last night, after stopping to say “Hi” to , SaraRules and I went walking. (Hey, it’s exercise…)  As it was cold and wet outside, we opted to go walking at South Towne Center. I hadn’t been there in… longer than I can remember. Mall-walking has the added benefit of allowing you to pick and pan the latest fashions in the window displays. We did. There were a number of dresses in one store’s windows that we found… “aesthetically unpleasing.” But, we were also pretty sure that somewhere a high school-aged young lady would think that they were the greatest things ever. Also while walking through the mall, I found $20 USD. Just lying there on the ground. WIN! We also discovered that there are TWO Bank of America ATMs in the mall. O,o ?!? (For those of you who don’t understand why this is noteworthy: BoA doesn’t have branches in this state… AND they happen to be my bank. Thus, finding a veritable last bastion of banking goodness makes me quite happy.) Seeing the ATMs also raised a question: Who services these machines? We guess that someone from either Idaho, Nevada or Wyoming must have to cover them on their routes.

After getting back home, we watched NCIS, The Late Show and The Late Late Show. Just before heading off to bed, I decided to give “The Fickle Finger of Fate” method to channel surfing and see what was on. One of the things I found was Blacula. I haven’t seen that in ages. It made me laugh, but I still turned off the TV and called it a night.

Stray Toasters

• How to Change the World
• Bankrupting the Arts: State budget cuts could change Baltimore’s cultural landscape forever
• Thanks to for pointing this out: LEGO Batman is being ported to the Mac
• Also from : Project Runway finalist denies cat used as weapon
• From baby to blog to memoir for Heather Armstrong – I couldn’t remember why the name “Heather Armstrong” sounded familiar until reading this article. She’s a blogger from SLC, whose site I’ve read from time to time.
• Mythbusters Accidentally Bust Windows in Nearby Town
• Internet Explorer 8 “critical” flaw in final version – Is this a surprise? Really…?
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” file: British local governments deploy anti-teenager pink lights designed to make kids ashamed of their appearance
• 
• id Releases Open Source Wolfenstein 3D for iPhone
• The whole wide world
  An endless universe
  Yet we keep looking through
  The eyeglass in reverse
  Don’t feed the people
  But we feed the machines
  Can’t really feel
  What international meansIn different circles
  We keep holding our ground
  Indifferent circles
  We keep spinning round and round
• Remixes of the paranoid London police “anti-terror”/suspect your neighbours posters
• TV, films go boldly down scientific path
• Does this mean that Banjo Hero is around the corner?
• Anatomical models for artist’s reference – Now available in Dr. Manhattan model, too!

…right on to the friction of the day.

Namaste.

The tasting went well.  It was also beneficial for something that I hadn’t considered: Seeing how the space “flowed” when it was full of people. Even with tables set up and people throughout the building, there was a good deal of space in which people could move around. The food was good and we came up with a few ideas for our menu.

Stray Toasters

• By way of Nyx: Shirts My Way, custom-made men’s dress shirts
• I’m running a new screen saver on my work PC called Electric Sheep. It’s… interesting, in a good way. I’m just glad that I’ve never been been one who is inclined to partake of “herbal cigarettes” (as Craig Ferguson refers to them). Because doing that and then looking at this would most likely be world-changing. Electric Sheep is available for Windows, Mac and Linux.
• Gizmodo ran an article about Miniatur Wunderland. After checking it out, I passed it along to a few people. Drew shot back with a video of Madoradam, in Holland.
• , I know what you mean. I get That Time Is Now (the Superfriends bump) stuck in my head…
• Inspriation for Super Friends’ Hall of Justice
• There are far too many of these on The Covet List.
• Ian McKellen: The Player, by way of
• Disney hasn’t released Song of the South in the U.S. on DVD or video; it’s been deemed racist. *GASP* A few days ago, I found this site, offering the unedited movie on DVD. I’m leery, but curious. Very curious, indeed…
• Mafia Wars
• Komodo dragons kill man

Back to it.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 25 March 2009
After dinner last night, while SaraRules was at her book club, I went to visit . Sissy the Wonder Kitty was being social last night, as well.

When I got home, MarknTyme was online. We spent the better part of the next hour talking about bands and music and whatnot. In that time he introduced me to a couple new bands:

• Tokyo Brass Style
• Youngblood Brass Band

One of my retorts was the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain.

This morning, I woke up with the theme from Josie and the Pussycats (the cartoon, not the movie) running through my head. It’s not a horrible song, in fact, it’s rather catchy. All the same, I’m listening to Hemispheres to purge it.

Today would normally be Sushi and Comics Wednesday… but SaraRules and I are attending a tasting at our reception center, so this week’s raw fishes and four-color haul will have to wait.

Stray Toasters

• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” file: Are Kidnapped Children Tax-Deductible?
• Problems Persist, But Art Advocates See Progress Under Obama
• Chimps Have a Built-In GPS
• …and, in a related note from Applegeeks:

  

• Sorry, : Browns will make Quinn, Anderson compete for QB job
• NPR Music has an article on the Gyuto Monks, a group that MarknTyme introduced me to many years ago.
• 
• Remixing the London police’s insane, paranoid terrorism scare posters
• By way of comes Apartment Therapy
• Model railway’s global uber-view

Attack the day
Like birds of prey…

Namaste.

Wes and I hit the gym for a long-overdue workout at lunch:

• Leg Raises: 3 sets/15 reps
• Bench Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 205 lbs
• Reverse Fly: 3 sets/10 reps, 80 lbs
• Lower Back Extensions: 3 sets/15 reps, 160 lbs
• Curl/Shoulder Press (dumbbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs
• Tricep Extensions (rope): 3 sets/15 reps, 60 lbs
• Core (plank): 2 sets, 45 secs

Post-workout weight: 185.2 lbs

Not too terrible for the first workout in a week-and-a-half. I’m not sure if I’m going to get a workout in on Thursday, as I may have a meeting.  We shall see…

Stray Toasters

• I looked up some Annie Lennox info after the last post. I wasn’t aware that Hugh Laurie and John Malkovich appeared in her video for Walking on Broken Glass.
• I’m of mixed feelings about this news on the pending Johnny Quest movie project.
  • Good: Dwayne Johnson as Race Bannon
  • Not-as-good/Questionable: Zak Efron as Johnny Quest
• Harry Potter: Zionist Conspiracy to Promote Witchcraft and Satanism?
• What do you get if you divide science by God?
• pointed out an article that takes a look at the state of the comics industry.
• Renter who paid on time ‘left out with nothing’
• Chris Pine, soon to be seen as a young James T. Kirk, is apparently being considered for the role of Hal Jordan in an upcoming live-action Green Lantern movie.
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” file: Macgyver to big screen

/lunch

Tuesday – 24 March 2009
After work, SaraRules and I went to visit . After that, we had dinner with and (I know!), who is on her way to California. told us about her trip to Africa, some of the people she met and the things she experienced; it sounded like an amazing adventure. I believe that we’re in for quite the slideshow when she comes back from California. And… she also hinted that she had some ring designs to show us, as well.

The Best: A Whiter Shade of Pale
Procol Harum vs. Annie Lennox vs. Sarah Brightman

I’ve been a fan of this song for… so long that I don’t even remember how long it’s been. Yeah, that long. I’m good with all three of the versions that I have, but there are distinctions:

• The Procol Harum version, the original, is… just… classic. I love the sound of the Hammond organ in this. And, Gary Brooker’s vocals sound like someone recounting a strange tale over a drink in a bar or in someone’s sitting room.
• As rich and nearly melancholy as the Procol Harum version is, the Annie Lennox version is… almost spartan in its synthesized sound. Parts of the arrangement are rather evocative of a music box, even. Ms. Lennox’ mellow contralto vocals provide a nice counterpoint to the synth sound.
• The Sarah Brightman version is… over-orchestrated. This isn’t to say that it’s a poor arrangement – it is rather well-done. (Although, and I just noticed this: It sounds like something that I’d expect to hear on a CD from Enigma.) Ms. Brightman’s soft (though strong) soprano vocals come off a bit ethereal… which works well with the arrangement, but still leaves me wanting a little something more.

So, for my taste, it shakes out like this:

1. Procol Harum
2. Annie Lennox
3. Sarah Brightman

Stray Toasters

• For SaraRules and – Prince turns a brilliant sonic triple play: 3 albums in 1 day
• 
• Strip-Search of Girl Tests Limit of School Policy
• Contraception Pill Strictures Are Eased By a Judge
• London cops reach new height of anti-terror poster stupidity
• Princeton Student Finds Bug in LHC Experiment
• 
  
• Super Bowl on Presidents’ Day? Longer NFL season in reach
• NASA Tests Heaviest Chute Drop Ever

Unintentional Porn Overheard at Work
Part of our office is undergoing a remodel. We have electricians here today and, a few minutes ago, I was treated to the following:

Jr. Electrician: What’s going on?
Sr. Electrician: Just trying to get this 3″ in here…

…and…

Sr. Electrician: We ever gonna get this up?
(Talking about running some conduit in the ceiling)

Yep, just another fun-filled day…

Namaste.

Monday – 23 March 2009
After a weekend in the upper 60s – and I think I even saw the thermometer hit 71°F on Saturday – it’s snowing. Or, at least it was snowing this morning. Right now, it would be better to say “flurries,” but you get the idea.

Yesterday, I got up and met and Bird at the Garden of Sweden. Yes, that was two trips in two days – they had a sale with “one day only” items. Yesterday’s item was an 11-quart stockpot. I didn’t think that it would be as popular an item as it was. I stood in line to get mine and then wandered back through the store to find Nyx and Bird. By the time we got back to the kitchenware section, ten to fifteen minutes later, all of the pots had sold out. Unglaublich! I left Nyx and Bird to finish their shopping and headed to the checkout, where I got in line between two ladies – either sisters or long-time friends – who had also come in search of the stockpot. Listening to them banter back and forth was amusing. As I was leaving, one of them stopped me:

Lady: I saw that you got one of those pots and just have to know what you’re going to use it for. I’m using mine to make gumbo.
Me: I’m mainly going to use it for cooking Cornish hens.
Lady: How’re you going to do that?
Me: I parboil them before baking them.
Lady: I see. Well, you should try putting a little bit of orange marmalade on them before you put them in the oven.
Me: I’ll have to try that. Thanks!

It was cute and unexpected.

I made another stop and then popped in to say “Hi,” to and to drop off a couple of things.  I couldn’t stay long because Chris was heading over… and had, in fact, already been to my place.

I got home, met Chris and we headed to Five Guys to pick up some lunch. Then, it was back to my place for a game of HeroClix. We chose a “Monsters vs. Monsters” theme. 600 points limit. I went with:

• Cassandra Nova
• Devil Dinosaur and Moon Boy
• Giant Man (zombie)
• Johnny Sorrow and
• Joker (Arkham Asylum)

Chris brought:

• Giant-Man (zombie)
• Iron Man (zombie)
• Maestro
• Spider-Man (zombie) and
• Wolverine (zombie)

Then it was game on. After a couple of opening feints, we started in on the battle royale. We wound up wearing each other’s teams down, but Chris finally got me to a point where my last two figures (Cassandra Nova and Giant Man) couldn’t do anything to damage his remaining figures (Iron Man and Maestro), so I conceded the game. A little while later, while we were hanging out, SaraRules got home; she’d been in AZ visiting her grandparents. After Chris left, she recounted her vacation and I told her about my week. It’s good to have her back home.

Stray Toasters

• Derek, my acolyte from AF, and a friend have just written an iPhone/iPod Touch app: Microkart. If you’re a iPhone/iPod Touch user, check it out and leave ’em some feedback.
• Best Buy Staff Paid Bonuses to Deny Legit Guaranteed Price Matches, by way of Nyx
• From BBC News: Quest to legalize polygamy in Utah
• Wine casks turned into hotel rooms
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” file: Company puts bounty on porta-potty arsonist
• 
• Flammable Water
• Why are Kit Kat bars so good?!
• The Science Behind Tesla Coil Music
• NFL Shop.com is offering 30% off on apparel again.

  

• Gamehouse – download a new free game, every day.

And that’s that.

Namaste.

I know that most people would say that a sure sign of Spring is warm weather…

…or birds in the sky…
…or bees buzzing around…
…or budding flowers/trees…

Stuff like that.

Sure, most of those are good indicators, except the weather thing. It’s Utah, after all… the weather is still rather “fickle,” shall we say.

But, I heard – and saw – something that I take as an almost definitive sign of Spring: The ice cream man just drove by.

Saturday – 21 March 2009
Yesterday was a pretty decent day. I met with Stephanie to choose the type of paint I want used on the GL pony she’s doing for me. After that, I picked up for a late lunch at Jitterbug. Then, we headed out to see .

Next on the agenda: Clitorati.  Tyler, one of the MFAs from SaraRules’ program, was in town and showed up for a while, as did . After dropping Nyx at home, I headed home to watch a little TV before calling it a night. I also started in on Greg Rucka’s Queen & Country, which MarknTyme had recommended to me many moons past.  It was a good pre-bed read.  I’m looking forward to getting back to the story.

This morning, I stopped at Beans & Brews for the first time in… at least three months. When I walked up to the counter, Ellie asked me,”Your usual…?” as if I had just been in a few days ago. That was a bit amusing and surprising, but pleasantly so. Then I came up to ‘s, to hang out for a bit.

Stray Toasters

• While I’ve squeaked by with some of my NCAA picks, a lot of the “easy” games got shot to Hell, blowing a lot of my first round picks.
• I spaced off recording Batman: The Brave and the Bold last night. BAH!!! Fortunately, I remembered to set the DVR for this morning’s rebroadcast.
• Giz Explains: How Cell Towers Work
• 
• Twins commit perfect heist?
• I’ve been toying with the idea of trading out SaraRules’ and my G3 iMacs for a new iMac and/or Mac Mini for a while.  This news has me considering a new option.
• Pac-Man Calls the Ghostbusters, Again
• Want a Science Degree in Creationism?

At some point, I need to head down to The Garden of Sweden today… and tomorrow… to take advantage of their kitchen sale.

Namaste.