Union Pacific's Great Excursion Adventure

“Cartoon capers happen in reality…”

comics and animation, Council for Better Driving, dining and cuisine, everyday glory, family and friends, food for thought, football, games, geekery, LEGO and Rokenbok, movies and TV, news and info, office antics, science and technology, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot...?!, zombies No Comments »

Monday – 31 August 2009
It’s not only the first of the work week; it’s the last day of August.

It was a good – and relatively quiet/lazy – weekend. Saturday, after hanging out with Perry, I headed home and just chilled. When SaraRules came home from her bridal shower, she took some time to tell me how it went and show me what she had received. It sounded like it was quite a bit of fun (independently verified later by shockpuppet). A little later, we strolled over to Target and Red Mango; I’m getting used to the original (plain) yogurt flavor, but I still miss the Green Tea flavor.

Back at home, I started working on my ‘Clix house, while SaraRules quilted and put on a movie. She had pulled up Lifeboat on Netflix Instant Queue. I stopped working on the house and watched the movie. It is the story of nine survivors of a torpedo attack against a Merchant Marine ship in a lifeboat, adrift in the Atlantic Ocean. Add to the mix one German naval officer (from the sub that fired the torpedo and was subsequently sunk). Short on food. Short on water. And tempers and attitudes getting shorter by the day. The movie provided an interesting look at the lengths people would go to in order to survive.

Sunday, I slept in. Way in. 1100 in. (Of course, given that I didn’t get to bed until after 0400, it’s not a stretch.) After lounging about for hours, I got in gear. I did a little cleaning and then set about taking pics of the now-complete ‘Clix house (link to full gallery is just below the thumbnails). I stopped at Beans & Brews for a cup of frozen mocha goodness before heading up to SaraRules’ parents’ for dinner and football. After the game, we headed home and watched part of the “Caves” episode Planet Earth.

Football Update
The Ravens played the Panthers on Saturday… and won. They’re now 3-0 in preseason. I know most people don’t think that preseason play really counts much, but I’m not one of those people.

Yesterday’s match-up pitted the Chicago Bears against the Denver Broncos, in Denver.

Chicago Bears at Denver Broncos
27 – 17

This game had a few notable features:

  1. Jay Cutler’s return to Denver, following his trade to Chicago.
  2. Kyle (Go Boilers!) Orton’s first game against the Bears since his trade to Denver.
  3. Chicago RB Adrian Peterson. (No, not that one… this one.)

I don’t know where Chicago’s been keeping their Adrian Peterson, but his performance last night was impressive. When Chicago needed yards on a short run, he was there. Long run…? He was there. He came up with 68 yards in 12 carries. Yeah, looks like someone is looking for a first string slot.

*** In a “You Heard It Here First” prognostication: Given Mr. Peterson’s performance – and how he performs in the next preseason game and during the regular season – I am willing to bet that you will be seeing some “Adrian Peterson (CHI) vs. Adrian Peterson (MIN)” ads in the next few weeks.

Stray Toasters

Namaste.

Saturday afternoon rambling

dining and cuisine, engagement/wedding/marriage, everyday glory, games, geekery, movies and TV, news and info, science and technology, toys No Comments »

Saturday – 29 August 2009
The morning started earlier than it should have as called this morning. While there was a breach of “The 10 O’Clock Rule,” she was the harbinger of good tidings: Our rings are ready. Earlier than expected, but a nice surprise.

I immediately went back to bed. A few hours later, at a more reasonable hour, I got up. Not sure what I’m doing with the rest of the day, but I’m most likely heading out for poker tonight.

Yesterday, and I headed downtown to pick up copies of Snow Leopard. SaraRules, taking a lunch break, met us at the Apple Store. The three of use went to The Counter for lunch. They offer custom-built burgers, but not just beef, they also offer turkey, veggie and grilled chicken. Between the meat, bun and topping offerings, diners can make over 300,000 combinations. It was a little more pricey than we’d expected, but well worth it.

Stray Toasters

Namaste.

Eye of the Tiger… Black Cat… What’s New Pussycat? Why aren’t there any songs about (snow) leopards?

comics and animation, dining and cuisine, everyday glory, football, games, news and info, office antics, science and technology, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot...?!, workout No Comments »

Friday – 28 August 2009
Welcome to the weekend… well, almost the weekend. It’s my “On” Friday, but I’m off next Friday… which will kick off a four-day weekend, thanks to Labor Day. And, as the first one in the bullpen today, I kicked off the morning with Tank! and 2112. That’s not such a bad way to start the morning.

Last night, SaraRules and I went to dinner at Cafe Zupas; it was a nice change of pace. I had the Honey Bacon Club panini and the Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo; SaraRules had the Thai Peanut Chicken Salad and the Yucatan Chicken Tortilla Soup.

After dinner, we met SaraRules’ coworker – and former schoolmate – Melissa at the gym for a workout:

  • Calf Raises – 3 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs
  • Leg Curls – 3 sets/10 reps, 70 lbs
  • Leg Extensions – 3 sets/10 reps, 70 lbs
  • Lower Back Extensions – 3 sets/10 reps
  • Bench Press – 3 sets/10 reps, 185 lbs
  • Sit-ups (incline) – 3 sets/10 reps
  • Curls (dumbbell) – 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs
  • Tricep Extensions (rope) – 3 sets/15 reps, 50 lbs
  • Core (plank) – 3 sets, 45 seconds

Stray Toasters

Yeah, that’ll do for now.

Namaste.

“If I had a hammer…”

comics and animation, dining and cuisine, everyday glory, games, geekery, news and info, office antics, politics and law, science and technology, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot...?! No Comments »

Thursday – 27 August 2009
Last night, after going to pick up this week’s comics, SaraRules surprised me with dinner at Rodizio Grill. And, as it was “Wild Wednesday” at Rodizio, they featured a couple of exotic meats: Alligator Sausage and Elk. Very filling. Very tasty. Repeat after me: “Food coma.” (But, it was oh, so very worth it…)

Once again, there’s a long list o’ books in this week’s Four-Color Coverage, so I’m going to post it after Stray Toasters.

Stray Toasters

  • I completely spaced off the fact that our reps from Avocent were coming to the office this morning.
  • And after that, back-to-back meetings.  YAY!
  • and I are following the yellow brick road to the Emerald City Apple Store to get copies of Snow Leopard tomorrow.
  • California to hold “garage sale”
  • Microsoft apologizes for changing race in photo
  • Denny and the folks at WorldWorks Games just put out a teaser video for their new TerrainLinx system, which is supposed to drop in a few days.

    The first system is going to be in their Himmelveil line, which is mainly for fantasy gaming, but can be easily used to represent European construction/architecture. And, as good as this set looks, I can’t wait to see what they do with their modern “Urban Mayhem” sets…

  • …and, to top things off, they’re having a 20% off sale on regularly-price catalog items between now and the 31st. *sigh*
  • Museum’s “moon rock” is just a rock
  • Kidnapped California Girl Comes Forward 18 Years Later
  • My gym partners can’t go to the gym this afternoon, so it looks like I’m going later this evening.

Four-Color Coverage
Lots of goodies on the list this week. So, without further ado:

  • Batman and Robin #3 – For all of his claims that he’s “not Bruce,” Dick Grayson sure pulls an eerily similar Batman when he wants to. Robin the Boy Hostage Wonder is up to his domino mask in trouble, but he has a plan. And they come up with info about Progessor Pyg’s nefarious scheme for Gotham City… but what can they do about it?

  • Blackest Night
    • Blackest Night: Titans #1 (of 3) – On Heroes Day, the Titans take time to remember and honor their dead. (And, let’s face it: There are a LOT of dead Titans…) Beast Boy and Starfire share different viewpoints about Terra‘s tenure with the team. Shortly after that, he goes for a stroll along the beach… and winds up meeting an unexpected visitor. (“Unexpected” as long as you didn’t see the cover of the issue.) And, the black rings start to appear. Looks like it’s going to be a busy (Blackest) Night for the Titans.

    • Green Lantern #45 – Star Sapphires and The Sinestro Corps battle of the Sapphires’ homeworld of Zamaron. When Sinestro himself crashes the party, who steps up to call him out: Carol Ferris – it’s a serious, no bars hold “Game on” for these two. Any guesses what happens when some formerly deceased Sinestro Corps members show up… sporting black rings? And does anyone care to lay odds on what happens when Agent Orange gets an unexpected visit from [SPOILER DELETED]?

  • Buck Rogers #3 – This book just continues to be fun. And a good read. Scott Beatty has a good sense for  pacing the story and continues to balance telling a story in two time periods: The 21st Century and the 25th Century. And, I think that my favorite line from the issue has to be:

    Who says no one can hear you scream in space?

    It was the perfect follow-up to the sequence that preceded it. If you’re not reading this book, you are missing out.

  • Codename: Patriot
    • Superman #691 – Mon-El takes on Metallo, Reactron and Miribai under the streets of Metropolis, while General Lane opens the throttle on Project 7734.

    • Superman’s Pal: Jimmy Olsen Special #2 – Jimmy finds someone else with information about Project 7734. [SPOILER DELETED] drops in for a visit… but, are they friend or foe?

  • Fantastic Four #570 – Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham have taken over writing and art duties, and they’ve set up an interesting story line that appears to involve the Marvel Multiverse once again… AND it even links back to Reed’s tie to Civil Bore War. But, the stories best moments for this issue came when the FF wasn’t busy busting heads, but rather when they were just being a family.

  • The Flash: Rebirth #4 – As if he wasn’t doing enough with the Green Lantern Corps (and seemingly every other book in the DCU), Geoff Johns rewrites the book on The Flash. Eobard Thawne, also known as Professor Zoom ,the original Reverse-Flash, is back. And class is in session. Thawne gives Barry Allen a lesson in history. And pain. Next on the syllabus: Loss. Also, Max Mercury gives Barry a lesson in what the Speed Force really is. The question is: How quick a study is Barry Allen? (Does the nickname “The Fastest Man Alive” mean anything?  Yeah, it does.)

  • Justice Society of America #30 – This issue was… well… “okay.” I didn’t really find it great, but it wasn’t a complete throw-away issue, either. It was mediocre. To be honest: It was the last 8 pages that “saved” this issue for me. Not so much because they were utterly amazing, but more because they lay the groundwork for a couple of plots that look promising.

  • The Last Days of Animal Man #4 (of 6) – After three issues of trying to figure out what’s wrong with his powers – and getting his butt handed to him by Bloodrage and Prismatik – Buddy Baker has a couple of realizations and makes a decision.

  • Ms. Marvel #44 – If Norman Osborn has Ms. Marvel in custody, then who’s in the lobby of Avengers Tower? He wants answers. And, he’s not the only one.

  • The New Avengers #56 – On tonight’s episode of Shaq vsMockingbird vs,” most of the Avengers are down and Mockingbird takes on The Wrecking Crew… and a few of their friends. Norman Osborn – the hardest working man in show business superheroing – plays Let’s Make a Deal. Oddly enough, so does someone else. Who’s going to make the better deal?

  • New Mutants #4 – Let’s see… David Haller, Professor Xavier’s son, is back. His psyche is as splintered as ever. And it’s up to the New Mutants to keep him busy until the X-Men arrive. That’s not going to be an easy feat considering that: Karma and Magik are MIA, Dani Moonstar is (still) de-powered and Cannonball is having doubts about his abilities as team leader.   The last page – especially the last panel – makes the whole issue worthwhile.

  • Wonder Woman #35 – Diana and Dinah (Black Canary), between fights in Roulette’s underground fight club, hang out in Tokyo. While this take on Dinah still doesn’t seem to match up exactly with what I’ve come to expect from the character, I was able to find a lot of the character I remembered in this issue. Meanwhile, Diana finds a sparring partner who is able to give her a challenge.


Namaste.

Sun… check. Sand… check. Beatdown… check.

comics and animation, cyberpunk/steampunk, dining and cuisine, geekery, movies and TV, news and info, office antics, politics and law, science and technology, sports, travel No Comments »

Wednesday – 26 August 2009
Midweek and all’s well.
And, it’s Comics Wednesday; whether or not it involves any sushi remains to be seen.

Last night was a low-key, stay-at-home kind of evening. SaraRules and I caught an episode of NCIS that we hadn’t seen before from two seasons ago; that was pretty cool. After that, we watched Shaq vs. In last night’s episode, Shaq challenged two-time Olympic gold medalists Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh to a game of beach volleyball.

It. Was. Pure. Comedy.

Shaq, with his usual swagger, issued his challenge and then set about training… kind of… for the event. At stake: If he lost, he had to walk down Hermosa Beach in a bright pink Speedo, with “Shaq” printed on the back. He consulted Serena Williams for tips on the female athelete mindset. Then, he checked in with a few members of the U.S. Men’s Volleyball Team, for some coaching and to pick a teammate – Todd Rogers. The episode was fun to watch and made a nice summer off-season filler. If you’re interested in checking out the episode, you can see it – in its entirety – at the Shaq vs link, above.

Stray Toasters

Namaste.

Tuesday stuff and whatnot

dining and cuisine, everyday glory, football, games, geekery, news and info, office antics, science and technology, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot...?!, workout, zombies No Comments »

Tuesday – 25 August 2009
Last night was the first of the three times that the Ravens will appear on Monday Night Football this (pre-)season. They hosted the New York Jets at M&T Bank Stadium.

New York Jets at Baltimore Ravens
23 – 24
The first quarter of the game most decidedly belonged to the Ravens’ defense.  Haloti Ngata picked off a Mark Sanchez pass and returned it for a touchdown; on the next series, Ray Lewis nearly picked off another Sanchez pass. RB Ray Rice ran in a three-yard touchdown, to give the Ravens a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.The second and third quarters were a little more favorable to New York, seeing them put 17 points on the board, while Baltimore was only able to capitalize on a Jameel McClain interception.

In the fourth, the Jets pulled within one point of tying the Ravens, and opted to run a two-point conversion for the go-ahead win, with roughly 30 seconds left in the quarter. The attempt failed and Baltimore walked away with the win.

Workout
Wes and I hit the gym for a lunchtime workout:

  • Calf Raises: 3 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs
  • Leg Extensions: 3 sets/10 reps, 70 lbs
  • Leg Curls: 3 sets/10 reps, 70 lbs
  • Sit-ups (incline): 3 sets/20 reps
  • Bench Press: 3 sets/10 reps – 1 set each: 225 lbs, 205 lbs, 185 lbs
  • Lat Pull-downs: 3 sets/10 reps, 120 lbs
  • Pectoral Fly: 3 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs – with 10 second hold on 10th rep
  • Lower Back Extensions: 3 sets/10 reps

Weight (morning): 184.5 lbs

Stray Toasters

Namaste.

Stuff for a Monday.

everyday glory, family and friends, football, games, geekery, LEGO and Rokenbok, movies and TV, news and info, office antics, science and technology, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot...?! No Comments »

Monday – 24 August 2009
Not too manic, nor rainy… yet. Of course, the day is still young. We’ll see how it goes.

First and foremost: The Ravens take on the Jets tonight on Monday Night Football.

New York Jets at Baltimore Ravens
8:00 PM EDT

Hm… we have been invtited over to SaraRules’ parents’ to watch the game. Win-Win!

Yesterday, SaraRules and I went to see Inglourious Basterds. It was great! We had a good time. It was, without a doubt, a Quentin Tarantino film – just the right mix of story, dialogue, action and over-the-top goodness. It was a World War II film… the way you’d expect Tarantino to tell it.

After the movie – and a little errand-running – we heading up to SaraRules’ parents’ for dinner… and another movie.  This time, we watched Quarantine, which they hadn’t seen before. The movie easily held up for a second (or was it third?) watching. I looked up the movie’s “Trivia,” on IMDb, and noted that it was a remake of a Spanish film called Rec. I might have to check out the original to see how, if at all, they vary in telling the tale.

Stray Toasters

  • I’ve been a LEGO fan for… 30+ years.
    I’ve been playing HeroClix for nearly three or four years.
    At some point, the boundaries were due to blur: Chris and I have been talking about trying out some barriers rules that I found on ToyChop. They seem like they’d add something interesting and fun to the game. I was looking at something LEGO-related last night and realized that I could make fire, ice and even smoke barriers using various LEGO pieces.  It just… kind of… bothers me that it took this long for me to figure it out.
  • Clearance: Granted
  • Did husband’s jealousy lead to model’s murder?
  • Calls to reopen CIA abuse cases
  • Coin-tosses aren’t fair.  (Well… DUH!)
  • All that I can really say about this is “Whiskey… Tango…?!?”
  • NASA May Outsource
  • ‘Avatar’ preview dazzles audiences
    NOTE #1: This is not to be confused with the upcoming The Last Airbender movie.
    NOTE #2: If you haven’t heard about this movie, here’s a little taste.

Namaste.

“Do not speak to me of rules. This is war! This is not a game of cricket!”

everyday glory, football, games, geekery, movies and TV, news and info, science and technology, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot...?! No Comments »

Sunday – 23 August 2009
It’s been a rainy morning in the valley… but the sun has put in an appearance.

SaraRules and I watched Bridge on the River Kwai (1, 2), a movie I got from Netflix a couple of weeks ago. I had heard about this movie over the years, but never gotten around to watching it… until last night.

The movie told the story of two military colonels – Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa), the commander of a Japanese P.O.W. camp and Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness), commander of British forces being held in that camp. Saito has orders to build a bridge over the Kwai River; he plans to use P.O.W.s  – enlisted men and officers – to accomplish the task. Nicholson, according to The Geneva Conventions, informs Saito that his officers will not submit to manual labor. Thus, the men engage in a battle of wills.

The movie also included William Holden, as Cmdr. Shears, an American naval officer who escaped the prison camp… only to be enlisted in the effort to return to the camp and destroy the bridge.

The first third (or so) of the movie established the relationship of the two colonels and their attitudes to their respective situations. Shears features, in a more minor role, as a man who’s biding his time while trying to find a way out of the camp. It’s in the second third of the movie where things pick up, when the colonels come to something of an accord… but both realize that they have to give up something to achieve their goals. In a bit of a twist, it’s also in the second third of the movie where Shears, now a free man, finds himself in the midst of a situation that has him just as trapped as he was in the prison camp.

On the whole, I thought that it was a good movie and worthy of being called a classic.

Stray Toasters

Today… stuff and things.
Tomorrow: Ravens vs. Jets on Monday Night Football.

Namaste.

Another Pleasant Valley… Saturday.

arts and leisure, comics and animation, everyday glory, family and friends, geekery, music, news and info, science and technology No Comments »

Saturday – 22 August 2009
So far, it’s been a somewhat lazy day.

There was sleeping in; that was especially nice, as I didn’t sleep very well. Pancakes and coffee… and then we went to meet Perry and the boys for coffee. (Fortunately, we’d had coffee with breakfast, because the coffee at the bookstore left quite a bit to be desired.)

After that, we headed to Hastur’s Hobbies; I needed some gold and silver paint – I’m in the mood to mod some figures. I was also on the lookout for some modeling putty. It was right next to the paint, which made things quite easy: In. Checkout. Gone.

Stray Toasters

Later: A trip to Hobby Lobby and other shenanigans.

Namaste.

“Style kills.”

comics and animation, cyberpunk/steampunk, everyday glory, geekery, movies and TV, music, news and info, science and technology, sports, style, the best, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot...?! No Comments »

Friday – 21 August 2009
Waking up this morning was something of a chore. I think that my first alarm went off for about 15 or 20 seconds before my brain found a couple of brain cells to rub together and come up with “a clue” as to what it was and what to do about it. Then, I went back to sleep.

The second alarm, the one I had to get out of bed to deal with, went a little better. I got up, turned it off and plopped down on the sofa for a few. Motivation to start the day, however, was still close to nil. Fifteen or so minutes later, I managed to pry myself from the comfort of the couch and begin the morning preparation rituals.

Last night saw the premiere of Project Runway on Lifetime. This made for a very happy SaraRules, as it wasn’t just Project Runway, it was a trio of shows:

  1. Project Runway All-Star Challenge
  2. Project Runway (Season Six Premiere)
  3. Models of the Runway (Series Premiere)

Yes, a happy SaraRules, indeed. And, in a surprise turn of events, the person we both liked the least on Project Runway was the first one voted off the show.

While she watched the shows, I worked on interior props for my ‘Clix house. So far, the bathrooms are done – sink, tub and toilet in one; sink and toilet in the other. Now, I need to do beds and dressers for the bedrooms and some living room and kitchen furniture, too.

Stray Toasters

Namaste.

NBN Thursday-a-go-go

comics and animation, everyday glory, geekery, movies and TV, news and info, quote of the day, style, zombies No Comments »

Thursday – 20 August 2009
Having a mid-week day off was a nice change of pace.

The only construction that I wound up doing on my ‘Clix building was adding the interior half-wall in the upstairs hallway. I did, however, start printing some props, including beds, dressers, bathtubs, toilets, and sinks.

Four-Color Coverage
This week’s take mostly featured Batman- and/or Superman-related titles. That didn’t stop it from being a good haul, mind you:

  • Batgirl #1 – First, there was Barbara Gordon. Then, there was Cassandra Cain. Now there’s… well, just who is under the cowl? Someone old? Someone new? (Hint: It’s not someone borrowed or blue.) I figured it out just before the big reveal. And the last page..? Both perfect and fitting. All-in-all, it was a good first issue.

  • Blackest Night: Superman #1 (of 3) – Kal-L, Superman of Earth-2, rises from his grave and goes home. To Smallville. The same Smallville where the Earth-1 Clark Kent and Conner Kent (Superboy) are enjoying dinner with Martha Kent. Let’s just say that the rhubarb pie dessert is going to have to wait. And, why is a Black Lantern ring flying through space near [SPOILER DELETED]?

  • The Brave and the Bold #26 – Further cementing Dakota (formerly part of DC’s Milestone line) in the mainstream DC Universe, this issue see’s The Spectre teaming up with Xombi. Fair issue, for the most part, but its hints at possible “trouble in Paradise” for The Spectre add a brick or two to the count.

  • Justice League of America #36 – Vixen is in charge of… well… what’s left of the JLA, with a special guest appearance from [SPOILER DELETED]. Roulette and Amos Fortune’s “game” goes another round. There was what seemed to be a bit of a retcon to the origin of the Royal Flush Gang, as well. I was rather pleased to note that Vixen was shown to rather strong-willed, as evidenced not only in her conversation with [SPOILER DELETED], but also in the way she refused to accept any backtalk from Dr. Light, after assigning her a mission partner that she didn’t like/want. On the “down” side, I wasn’t really taken by this issue’s artwork and the overall story was mediocre.

  • The Middleman: The Doomsday Armageddon Apocalypse – This issue wraps up the story originally started in The Middleman: The Trade Paperback Imperative and continued in the too-short-lived television series -in fact, it picks right up from the last aired episode. The artwork has changed a bit, but the good stuff is still there in the writing. Reading the issue, it was easy to hear Matt Keeslar and Natalie Morales’ voices as The Middleman and Wendy Watson. This was a fun, quirky read and a fitting end to the series… or, at least, this incarnation of it. Here’s hoping that we are treated to more tales from O2STK in the future.

  • The Mighty Avengers #28 – Stature clues in that things with the Scarlet Witch aren’t as hunky-dory as they seem. Now, if she could only get others to see it, too.

  • Supergirl #44 – With a little information here and some misdirection there, General Lane and Project 7734 see the plans against Kryptonians move forward. Lois Lane decides there’s someone she doesn’t want to interview – and, no, it’s not Lex Luthor. Additionally, readers get to learn how Kryptonians (and Daxamites) play “Tag.”

  • Superman Annual #14 – Mon-El has a problem. Well, other than the fact that his exposure to lead as a youth is killing him… again. He’s received a pair of (what appear to be) Sunstones that contain stories of ancient Daxam. But is it a story that he wants to hear? Also, after nearly fifty years, readers get a well-told… retelling (not exactly a retcon)… of how Mon-El Lar Gand met Clark Kent.

  • Superman/Batman #63 -Who do you put your money on when only one man is left to fight against the absolute ruler of the world?

    “Grodd won. We lost. Gorilla Grodd now controls the mind of every person on Earth. Man, woman, child. Hero and villain.”

    If that “one man” is Batman, I’d say him. But, maybe I’m a little biased. I wasn’t incredibly thrilled about the artwork in this issue, but the story raised the bar significantly.

  • Tiny Titans #19 – Tiny Titan Bumblebee and Terror Titan Plasmus discover there’s plenty to smile about when you have a friend to hang out with. This was not only a fun issue, but it was “terminally cute,” as well.

Stray Toasters

Quote of the Day
Tim Gunn was on Good Morning America and Live with Regis and Kelly yesterday morning; he was promoting the new season of Project Runway (starting tonight on Lifetime). Regis asked him what his number one suggestion was to people concerning fashion and style:

Accept responsibility for what you’re wearing. Since our clothes send a message about how the world perceives us – the semiotics of clothes – accept responsibility for the message you’re sending to the world.

Amen.

Namaste.

“She blinded *me*… with science!”

comics and animation, cyberpunk/steampunk, everyday glory, games, geekery, LEGO and Rokenbok, movies and TV, news and info, science and technology, sports, style No Comments »

Wednesday – 19 August 2009
Welcome to 9/80 Comics (and possibly Sushi) Wednesday. That’s right, I said “9/80 Wednesday.” I’m off today, rather than Friday this week, as I’m going to be covering for loonybin88 – and apparently the rest of the IT team, as well – on Friday: He’s out of town, a couple of guys are at off-site training this week and my team is off this Friday.  Julie and I have already discussed the idea of bringing in movies for Friday. I can’t complain too much, because I’m getting a “weekend” in the middle of the week. Win-Win.

Last night, I thought that I was going to finish a working on my newest ‘Clix building. I came close, but I realized that something was missing. It turned out that it was a couple of somethings:

  1. A wall texture in one of the bedrooms
  2. The upstairs hallway looked… “off,” it needed a half-wall at the stairwell.

But, by the time I realized these things, SaraRules was already abed and I didn’t want to start printing things and disturb her sleep. Another thing to do is to top it all off and to put a roof on the whole thing.

Stray Toasters

Inka Dinka Doo.

Namaste.

Louis Armstrong + zombies = L4D

everyday glory, games, geekery, music, zombies No Comments »

This appeared on BoingBoing a little while ago. You should watch it. Now.

“That’s what you get when you confuse your stomach with your heart!””

arts and leisure, comics and animation, dining and cuisine, engagement/wedding/marriage, everyday glory, family and friends, football, geekery, IKEA, movies and TV, music, quote of the day, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot...?!, workout No Comments »

Tuesday – 18 August 2009
Another day in the mines.

Last night, SaraRules and I went to dinner at El Chihuahua. We ate. We talked. We watched football. After that, we ran a couple of errands – one of which involved a Hostess Fruit Pie (but perhaps I’ve said too much…) – and then headed home for a quiet evening in.

The management at our apartment complex is having some of the roads in the complex repaved. I think that this would be referred to as a “Charlie Foxtrot” in the military.

Football Update
The Panthers traveled to New York to take on the N.Y. Giants for their first preseason game. (GameCenter) They put on a… decent… showing. The first half was primarily the Giants’ half. Somewhere in the second half, the Panthers seemed to remember why they were there.

With under two minutes left in the game, QB Josh McCown executed a rather impressive drive that went in for a touchdown AND two-point conversion to tie the game at 17. The Giants had a chance to drive downfield, but couldn’t. On the first play of the Panthers’ next drive, McCown, setting up a pass play, had the ball knocked from his hand, which was recovered – in the air – by a Giants’ lineman and run back for the go-ahead winning touchdown… just as time ran out.

Carolina: 17
Giants: 24

And, in other gridiron news: Brett Favre is back in Minnesota

Workout
Marci and I went to the gym this afternoon:

  • Calf Raises: 3 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs
  • Leg Extensions: 3 sets/10 reps, 70 lbs
  • Leg Curls: 3 sets/10 reps, 70 lbs
  • Sit-ups (incline): 3 sets/20 reps
  • Bench Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 185 lbs
  • Tricep Extensions (bar): 3 sets/12 reps, 80 lbs
  • Curls (dumbbell, hammer grip): 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs
  • Reverse Punches (dumbbell): 3 sets/10 lbs
    • Set 1: 20 reps
    • Set 2: 10 reps

Weight (morning): 184.5 lbs

Stray Toasters

Quote of the Day
Today’s quote is gleaned from a conversation I had last night with . He wanted to make sure that we were alright with Bit and Pixel being at the wedding ceremony (in the chapel, that is).  Duh – we only get to see them (or at least Bit, to this point) every so often; naturally, we want them there. That led to the following:

9:47:10 PM : aiiight so urchins ok, i’ll load them both up with nyquil.
9:47:21 PM : heh or mountain dew
9:47:24 PM : either way, fun at parties
9:47:26 PM : 🙂
9:47:59 PM : SaraRules: “How about one and one?”
9:48:06 PM : “He gets to pick which one.”
9:48:24 PM : hahaha ok awesome, Bit on mountain dew then.  i’ve been wanting to play with THAT shotgun for months.

Namaste.

“My name? If you knew that, you’d be as clever as me.”

comics and animation, everyday glory, family and friends, geekery, LEGO and Rokenbok, movies and TV, music, news and info No Comments »

Monday – 17 August 2009
A new work week kicks off in the valley and…

…SaraRules starts at Utah Symphony/Utah Opera today:

Stray Toasters

I should take a look at what’s on tap for the rest of the day.

Namaste.