Random Access

Friday : 30 December 05
The work day isn’t so bad when you know that you have a short day ahead of you. I even saw the monkey whose neck I wanted to wring yesterday. I was even civil when I said “Good morning” to him. Other than that, the day proceeded at a fairly good clip and in good spirits.

At some point, while I had my nose to the grindstone, it started to snow. Driving home wasn’t bad, though. I made a few stops, including a stop at Valley Fair Mall to get a box of Bacon Cheese Popcorn. It might sound nasty as sin, but it’s good. Oh so good…

Tonight’s Clitorati was good. and were there when and I arrived; Ms. Lightning was a good way towards completing the City Weekly‘s crossword when I sat down. (For the uninitiated, she and I have a friendly competition as to who can complete the crossword first.) I picked up a copy, broke out my favorite Sharpie and I went to work like Kool Moe Dee. Twenty or so minutes later, I was done. Before her. I believe that her statement was: “Dammit! And I even had an hour’s headstart!” showed up, as did Mr. and Mrs. and . A little while later, Land showed up and regaled us with a new “Black Sunday” story; we also had him fill the group in on the first story, too.

Post-Clitorati, I ventured to ‘s to take another stab at watching Crash. Wow. It was a very intense movie. It followed seven stories of racial tension and then rather adroitly intertwined them. I remember thinking, at a couple of points: “Parallel lives meet at infinity.” It also showed that we aren’t nearly as disconnected as we might think: The vanishing point at infinity isn’t really so far away as it seems. I also thought that it would make a very bookend with movies like Do the Right Thing. I give it high marks for approaching delicate subject matter without trying to candy-coat it or pretty-it-up. I would definitely recommend it. (I do not give high marks to Comcast for interrupting the movie every 30 minutes or so for Amber Alert updates… especially when scrolling/flashing a message onscreen would have sufficed.)

The High-Flying Adventures of Indigo Bolt
I decided to cruise around Paragon City for a while before bed – partly because it had been a while since my last patrol, partly because I wasn’t tired. I took on some members of the Tsoo and a few thugs. It was enough to wet my whistle, but not really enough to put a sizable dent into the 10,000 XP that I need for my next level. A few missions would have handled that, but I wasn’t in the mood. Maybe I’ll do missions later in the day.

Stray Toasters

• I must assemble the grill tomorrow.
• We discovered something about ‘s motherboard: It doesn’t have USB 2.0 ports. Which means that she cannot recharge her iPod. Which is not good. Fortunately, my ‘board does have USB 2.0 ports and we are able to recharge it here.
• ..and in light of the above ‘Toaster, this looks rather interesting.
• How to break Silly Putty
• Hunt’s Ketchup
• I’m semi-tempted to see if I can create a character in CoH/CoV that looks nominally like me.
• He’s a rebel and a runner
  He’s a signal turning green

• As if I didn’t already score enough “Blasphemy Points” this year, I caught myself rewriting The Lord’s Prayer in C++ this afternoon.
  

  The Lord == my shepherd
  I shall !want.

• From The New York Times: Through His Webcam, a Boy Joins a Sordid Online World
• I like this comic mainly for its commentary –
• Trivial Pursuit: Top Trivial Moments of 2005

I still don’t feel tired, but I should probably try that whole “sleep” thing anyway.

Namaste.

I was listening to NPR’s Morning Edition on the way to work, when I realized that I needed something to get the blood pumping. A quick change from the radio to the CD player got it going:

• Gwen Stefani – Hollaback Girl
• Will Smith – Switch
• Gwen Stefani (ft. Eve) – Rich Girl
• Outkast – The Way You Move

Yep… that’s a good way to jumpstart your Friday morning.

Thursday : 29 December 05
The worst thing about the end of a vacation is the first morning of having to get up for work. This morning was no exception. My alarm went off at 6:25. My first thoughts were: “What’s that?! Oh… it’s the alarm. How do I turn it off…?” I managed to turn it off and drag myself from bed. I completed the morning hygeine rituals and, a short while later, was on the way to work.

On the whole, the first day back wasn’t bad. I did, however, have to deal with one person who tried my patience. Twice. As I said when writing about the situation with our phone system: I’m not a big fan of having to repeat myself. Today’s person just couldn’t seem to get the hint that when I told him something, I wasn’t going to change my mind just because he thought I should.

As recounted to :

(12:21:30) : How goes?
(12:22:12) : goes alright. you?
(12:22:38) : Pretty well… assuming that one of the monkeys doesn’t make me punch him in the face.
(12:22:45) : Repeatedly.
(12:22:48) : ohhh?
(12:22:54) : Yeah.
(12:22:59) : sup?
(12:23:02) : Had a UPS problem…
(12:23:11) : I gave him a new one and told him to bring me the old one…
(12:23:24) : He wanted to know what I was going to do with/about the old one….
(12:23:33) : I told him that it would be taken care of.
(12:23:35) : He wanted to know what I was going to do with/about the old one….
(12:23:36) : I told him that it would be taken care of.
(12:23:40) : …and walked off.
(12:23:53) : He exchanges them and brings me the old one…
(12:23:55) : THEN…
(12:24:17) : “Well, if you’re out of the office and I need something, I’ll just go and get it and leave you a note.”
(12:24:19) : >.< (12:24:35) : Me: “No, go through [his team lead].”
(12:24:58) : Him: “[He] said not to do anything until you got back.”
(12:25:07) : well..there you go, dumbass
(12:25:24) : Me: “Go through [the team lead]. We have already established what is to be done if I’m out of the office.”
(12:25:30) : Him: Pouty-walking off.
(12:27:01) : that’s so…
(12:27:04) : beat him for me

A wonderful solution was offered by :

(12:01:56) ***Shadorunr thinks “Too many monkeys…..”
(12:02:04) : Monkeys make everything better!
(12:02:16) : In some cases.
(12:13:27) : ..although there IS one monkey here who has gotten on my nerves twice today already.
(12:13:40) : shoot him into space.
(12:13:47) : Don’t tempt me…

And this just after I get back from vacation. Fortunately, the rest of the workday was nowhere near as trying.

After work, I hung out with . The intention was to watch Crash; instead, we wound up watching episodes of The Gilmore Girls. I will have to catch Crash another time.

Stray Toasters

• I chatted with my uncle for a bit this morning. He’s thinking about coming out for a visit in two to three weeks.
• J.S. Bach: Toccata and Fugue in D is another of my favorite classical pieces.
• More “Unintentional Porn Overheard at Work” – “You think that Greg would mind if I play with his rack? He has everything off.”
• Celebratory gun firing – good idea or not?
• “So Alice and Gina just let you use their basement as your lair?”
  “I prefer ‘Mad Scientist Laboratory,’ but yeah.”
  

• Yep… I like this Semagic client.
• Wind Surfer Toilet Bowl Cleaner
• Can’t keep my eyes from the circling skies
  Tongue-tied and twisted Just an earth-bound misfit, I

• : I think that you will appreciate ‘Turn-Based’.
• ‘Intel Inside’ sent to the place where brands go to die
• : You might want to check your local comic shop for these on 18 Jan 06. Of particular interest: The fifth figure in the set.
• 10 Failed Technology Trends of 2005
• “Uh…Dad? I think Santa mixed something up.”
  

Namaste.

<groove break>
     Q’s Jook Joint (Various Artists) – Stuff Like That
     Billy Ocean – Get Out of My Dreams (Get Into My Car)
     Janet Jackson – Nasty Boys
</groove break>

How’s your Thursday music line-up looking?

Wednesday : 28 December 05
I’m back in the Land Behind the Zion Curtain.

It was a good day. I got up and finished putting the last of my things away for the trip. I had breakfast with Mom and Kris. Shortly afterward, Kris took me to RDU on her way home. Lines at the airport weren’t bad. The only “problems” were:

1. They switched my departure gate.
2. The plane that on which we were going to travel needed “maintenance.” And apparently, the job would take “a couple of hours.” So, we were switched to another plane; our departure was only :30 later than scheduled.

Made it to DC with no further problems. Dad was waiting for me when I left the concourse. I didn’t get to have a long visit with him, but it was better than no visit at all. I headed to the gate to catch my rather full flight to SLC.

I read more of Da Vinci; I’m roughly 60 pages from the end. I slept for a couple of hours. And then… I was here.

All-in-all, I had an excellent time at home. I’m glad that I went. I apparently needed it.

Namaste.

Tuesday : 27 December 05
Today has been a very good day.

It started out with a visit from Tom, a friend of the family. I haven’t seen him in… three years, I think. He brought up a couple of old in-jokes about me and my C-64 and QuantumLink; we laughed about it. He had a bit of good news, as well: He was asked – and accepted the offer – to be the pastor of a church in New York City. This takes him from a congregation of about 350 to over 3000! This also will put him near my uncle – I remember many times when he and my uncle (and others) would debate… whatever social or political issue came to mind. I can see these discussions becoming more regular, now that they will be in relatively close proximity to each other.

Off to PTIA. We got there early, allowing my uncle to check-in his bags and get his seat assignment. We had time to kill, so we ate lunch at the Marriott. They had a pool table, so I got to play Kris in a game of pool. Back over to the airport… pictures were taken… goodbyes were said… and my uncle headed down the concourse.

Back home for a bit. I got to see a few members of the extended family before heading back to Greensboro for dinner with Don, Christine and Thomas. Christine and Don are among my oldest friends here; I’ve known them for… over fifteen years; Thomas is only four – naturally, I haven’t known him quite as long. We ate at Smokey Bones. Very tasty ribs. I still want to hit Oh! Brian’s next time I’m here, but this was a very good substitute.

I came home… and packed. Whoop-de-damn-doo. Vacations are, all too often, over before we are ready for them to be. I’m not complaining, though: I’ve had a wonderful time, brief though it was.

this moment may be brief
but it can be so bright
reflected in another source of light
when the moment dies
the spark still flies
reflected in another pair of eyes
   “Chain Lightning,” Rush (from the CD Presto)

I know that it was good for me – I’ve been needing this for a while. It was good for my mother, who’s been after me (for longer than I care to admit) to come visit. It was good for my family, especially since my mother’s side of the family is very small and it seems that we get together too infrequently. It has also brought me to the point of a “resolution,” of sorts: I am going make it a point to come home – either here or Maryland – at least once per year. If nothing else, I deserve that.

Stray Toasters

• I should have been in bed long ago.
• My Home, by Rockapella
• How do I know that at least one of my gamers likes me? This message was waiting for me this evening:
  

  Hey God? The unseemly citizens of SeaTac miss ya. Take care and we’ll see ya later. -Omega Moebius

  Put a smile on my face, it did. I’m looking forward to resuming the campaign after the first of the year.

• Apparently, The Orange Bunny has driven in Utah… 
• A car thing.
• I’m beginning to appreciate Frank Cho’s artwork more and more.
• Three is a magic number,
  Yes it is, it’s a magic number.
  Somewhere in the ancient, mystic trinity
  You get three as a magic number.

  The past and the present and the future.
  Faith and Hope and Charity,
  The heart and the brain and the body
  Give you three as a magic number.

• Gatorade.
• Notes from the Technology Underground
• iPod. I have held out this long, but I think that I want one.
• : Thai Table

I turn my back to the wind
To catch my breath,
Before I start off again.

Namaste.

Monday : 26 December 05
I was awakened by a text message and a phone call this morning. Both of them were good. No one really had any plans for the day, so there was a lot of “sit around and drink coffee while staring at each other” time. I spent some of my time creating a new profile on the rents’ computer. Yes, I know that I’m only here a couple of times a year, at most. What’s your point? So far, I’ve put Firefox and Trillian on here… I’m trying to think of other things that I “have” to put on here. I still need to do some low-level tech support and tweak a few things on here – the system isn’t running quite as well as I think that it should or could.

I have spent the past two and a half days with my family… and haven’t felt like rending things in two (or more) pieces. Not once. I’m either growing up or getting older. Neither of those prospects is really “great,” but what can you do about it? *shrug* It’s actually been very nice spending time with them.

This afternoon, we went to visit Catherine and Joe (friends of the family who were here for dinner last night). Catherine cracks me right the Hell up. She was telling us stories about dealing with members of her family… and how she was ready to snap ’em off a little somethin’ if they needed to be brought back into line. Straight up comedy.

After that, we went to Durham to visit Kris (middle sibko member). She has a very nice apartment in what looks like a relatively new community. And… once again… I got to play “Family Tech Support Guy.” Nothing too major. And she’s worth the time. We went to dinner at O’Charley’s. And they were apparently in the midst of a crisis: Their bartender had walked out a short while before we arrived. O.o The main reason that this was a problem: We were sitting in the bar area. There was a delay in getting our food, but it wasn’t interminable. After dinner, it was a quick trip across the parking lot to Staples – I left my phone charger in SLC. Go me! Three minutes later, I was out the door and the phone was a’charging. We headed back to Kris’ for a little while before heading home.

And now, we’re here.

Tomorrow: Hooking up with the old crew for a little while. I’m looking forward to that.

Stray Toasters

• I just downloaded Semagic 1.5.6.3U… I like. A lot.
  (, it does a lot of the formatting things you asked me about, too.)

• May I just reiterate that I am still flabbergasted that my folks have broadband? It’s almost as if they are actively trying to be part of the 21st Century.
• Network for Good
• Sleeping pills and stupid grins. (There’s a really bad Country song in there, somewhere…)
• I’m enjoying The Da Vinci Code. I read it on the way to Kris’ until the sunlight grew too dim for reading.
• Bendy Woman – Wow.
• Morning star you’re beautiful, yellow dime on high
  Spins around my little room, miracle goodnight
  Even flower all alone, pazanane capeche
  Haven’t got a death wish, just want a little more

• This I Believe – The Power of Presence
• Ticker tape, marching bands and cheerleaders. LOTS of cheerleaders.
• Something about the Sanford and Son theme cracks me up.
• GetNetWise – Tools for Families
  This isn’t the only tool available, but for parents with kids who surf the Interweb, it’s a good start.

• 
• Grammar Boy vs. Glamour Boys
• “And lead us not into temptation
  But deliver us from eBay.”
  (I would rewrite more, but I’m already on the lookout for random lightning bolts…)
  As it was, I was perusing eBidet for pieces of plastic crack that I just didn’t think that I could live without. So far, I’ve managed to keep from buying anything. So far…

• ProLiteracy Worldwide
• “The power of the female gender is frightening and awe-inspiring all at the same time.”
  

• Dinosaur! RRRRR!
• 1 – 2 – 3
  4 – 5
  6 – 7 – 8
  9 – 10
  11 – 12!

Namaste.

Sunday : 25 December 05
Merry Christmas. I hope that it was a safe and enjoyable one for everyone.

I slept in. Late. Very late. Almost 13:00 late. And it was good. I needed the rest. I got up and puttered around the house for a while. There wasn’t too much to do until company showed up for dinner. We had… seven people over for dinner and a few of Mom’s students (current and former) came by to say “Hi.” It was a good way to spend the holiday.

Football Update

Minnesota at Baltimore
23 – 30
The Minnesota Vikings rode into Baltimore for a Christmas night game. The Ravens, once again, played as a formidable unit, offensively and defensively. RB Jamal Lewis only had a couple of noteworthy plays, but QB Kyle Boller had another excellent game – He threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns. It’s still up in the air as to whether the new level of confidence that he is displaying will linger, but over the past three games, he does seem to have hit his stride. Added bonuses from tonight’s game: Baltimore is no longer in the basement of the division. With tonight’s loss, the Vikings were eliminated from playoff contention. Next week: The Cleveland Browns… in The Dog Pound.

Stray Toasters

• I wouldn’t mind playing a little City of Heroes/Villains right now. Too bad they’re 2000 miles thataway.
• There is something of a “downside” to coming home: My body takes a couple of days to get used to the two-hour difference in time… which is why I’m inclined to stay up late (relatively speaking) and sleep in. *sigh*
• I think that I’ll have a piece of sweet potato pie.
• DD: Ah, Kangas, the other, other white meat.
  (Excerpted, out of context, from this interview on Newsarama.)

• , you might be interested in the following excerpt from the same interview:
  

  Q: Will the Legion be affected by 52 or Infinite Crisis in ways other than introducing Supergirl?

  DD: With Mark Waid involved in both series there is a very good chance that the world of the Legion will be affected by 52 in more than one way.

• Being the occasionally-smart person that I am, I made sure to get Catherine’s recipe for sweet potato pie before she left. Now, I can make pies at my leisure!
• : I saw this and thought you might appreciate it.
• I have snippets of My Favorite Things running through my head.
• The last page of Infinite Crisis #3: Wow. Didn’t see that coming.
• “How does that work anyway? I mean, you’re a bear and she’s a cat…”
  

• “Emperor Popetine.”
  That just cracks me up.
  I can hear this exchange, during the ordination new cardinals:

  “Cardinal Vader….”
  “Yes, Your Eminence…?”
  “Riiiise.”

Quotes of the Day
These were snippets overheard during dinner:

My uncle sliced the ham and turkey before dinner…
Kris: You cut the ham into these huge slices… and you’re a heart surgeon. *shakes head*
Uncle Ronnie: I’m just looking out for business, baby! *big smile*

Joe: Don’t you want a piece of [sweet potato] pie?
Mom: Nah… not right now. I’m watching my weight.
Eva: I’m watching your weight, too… cause I’m not doing a damn thing about mine!

Mom: What are you drinking?
Catherine: Manishewitz.
Mom: I didn’t buy any Manishewitz…
Catherine: E & B…
Mom: You mean E & J?
Catherine: E and some-damn-body!

And with that, I’m going in search of that piece of pie. I might even read a little more Da Vinci.

Namaste.

Saturday : 24 December 05
It’s been a pretty long day. I went to bed VERY early this morning and got up a couple of hours later to get to the airport.

Surprisingly, the ordeal that I anticipated for Christmas Eve flying never came to pass. I got my ticket and boarding pass quickly. I moved through the security line without much ado. I left security and headed for the gate… only to realize, a little over halfway there, that I had left my cell phone at the security screening counter. *braincramp* I power-walked back to security to get the phone and back down the terminal to my gate.

I don’t remember much about the flight out of SLC. I slept through… 80% of it, I think. And I missed watching Wallace & Gromit in The Case of the Were-Rabbit. Dammit. But, I needed the rest. I disembarked in Atlanta and made the trek (if you’ve ever flown into Atlanta, you understand) to my departure gate… where I sat for an hour-and-a-half. That was fine: There was football on the television and I had a copy of The Da Vinci Code in my hands. The flight to Greensboro was relatively uneventful. It was a fairly short flight; I read Da Vinci for most of it.

Mom met me at the airport and drove me home. On the way, we stopped at Bojangle’s, so I could get something to eat. Mmmm. Bojangle’s. They could use one or sixty of them in Utah. Kris (3rd member of the sibko) was waiting at home; my stepfather arrived a short time later. My uncle – due to a holiday travel snafu – wouldn’t get in until 10:00 PM. So, I spent time with the family-unit. It was good. I ventured into the office to discover that sometime in the past year or so, my folks got broadband. Hallelujah! High-speed Interweb access has made it to the sticks! Better late than never.

Back to the airport to get my uncle. Back home. Mom has to play for an early-morning Christmas service, so we opened our presents before my uncle and I headed to Midnight Mass. I got some good stuff – it’s good that I brought a second bag! A short while later, my uncle and I were off to Mass. I’m not Catholic, but going to Mass with my uncle is a tradition that I enjoy – it was nice to be here to go with him. It was a nice service (as usual) with a good homily. Back home for more chat with Mom and my uncle.

I should really consider hitting the rack sometime soon.

Stray Toasters

• I am eating a piece of sweet potato pie.
• Kris makes me laugh.
  Not (quite) in the same way that Adam does.
  Definitely not in the same way that Rana does.
  But, she does.

• Sprinting.
• Before I neglect to mention this yet again: I heard a Trans-Siberian Railroad version of Carol of the Bells a couple of days ago. After the introduction, it went into a few measures of a drum-heavy portion of the music. One that almost fit perfectly into the music from HALO. It made me smile. And, I didn’t even ing into “Ding! Fries are done!”
• I love my mother: She put mini-wreaths on all of the interior doors. (She makes me laugh, too.)
• Did I mention that I went to Bojangle’s? I did? Okay. Just checking.

I’m sure that there will be something of amusement to report. But, until then…

Merry Christmas.

Namaste.

I’m home. 🙂

More later.

Namaste.

Friday : 23 December 05
Day 1 of the 6-Day Weekend… and it’s been good.

I was going to meet Perry for coffee this morning, but he never answered his phone. So, I came home. I had been here about fifteen minutes when my phone rings. Perry. He had been in a meeting, but was free to go to coffee at this point. So, I hopped back in the car and headed back to the coffee shop. We drank coffee-laden drinks and chatted for a while.

I came back home with the intention of either taking a nap or starting my packing. I didn’t do either. Instead, I just… puttered around the house.

invited me to lunch at a restaurant near her office. We went… and they were closed. Currrrrrrrrsessssssss! We wound up going to… of all places… on today… the mall. I needed to pick up a couple of things and thought: “Two birds, one stone.” I should have shot myself right then and there. It would have been more simple. The mall was packed. (Big surprise there…) The Food Court wasn’t too terrible. I headed to The Gap to get one sibko member’s gift. Then it was out and over to Men’s Warehouse for one final present. I went in with the intention of just getting a gift card, but they were having a sale. I found a very nice cashmere jacket. In my size. It fit nicely.

But, I didn’t buy it.

I took it off and told the nearest associate that I wanted to get a gift card and get out before I did something hazardous to my wallet. (Well…the coat really wasn’t badly priced, but I didn’t go in there to shop for me.) Purchased said card. Exited the store. Jiggety-jig.

Back home to do some laundry and the packing that I didn’t do earlier in the day. Packing goes much more fluidly when you know what you’re going to take. And when you’re not planning on taking much – I’m sure that some of my gifts will be clothing – it goes that much faster. I did laundry, which included some of the things I planned on packing.

and I exchanged gifts before we headed to Clitorati. She got me:

• Season One of The West Wing
• Madden ’06 and
• a Carolina Panthers knit cap (to go along with my Ravens knit cap)

Very nice stuff. It put a smile on my face. And then… we were off! Tonight’s turnout was rather decent, especially considering that it was two days before Christmas. The favorite item of the night was the Mega Blox Pyrates set that we got for Christmas. Half of the table played with them; they did things with those toys that neither God, Darwin nor Tropicana Twisters ever intended. But, it was funny to watch.

News

Morning Edition – The Story of St. Nicholas
Morning Edition – Sedaris and Crumpet the Elf: A Holiday Tradition
Day to Day – Mormons Mark Joseph Smith Bicentennial
All Things Considered – Losing My Music, or “When Good Hard Drives Go Bad”
Fresh Air – John Spencer, an Actor’s Actor

Stray Toasters

• Home (from the Broadway musical The Wiz)
• “Too… many… monkeys…”
• Bruce Springsteen’s Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town makes me smile.
• By way of Slashdot: 30 Greatest Games of 2005
• and : New kitsch pinup book from Octacvio “Winkytiki” Arizala
• : Ultima V – fan remake of classic RPG launches after 5 dev years
• CNET’s Top 100 Products of 2005
• + harpoon gun = bad things

I’m leaving on a jet plane… but I do know when I’ll be back again.

Have a safe and enjoyable Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or the holiday of your choosing.

Namaste.

Thursday : 22 December 05
Today cruised along at a decent clip. There weren’t any major problems, which is good for a “No Bad News Thursday.” My lunchtime workout was good, too. And, to top the day off, when I walked out the door at the end of the workday, I started my six-day weekend.

I spent most of this evening wrapping presents. I think that the *ahem* highlight of wrapping was: I had gotten down to the last two gifts. Both of them were in the same sized box. I wrapped one and decided to wait until tomorrow morning/afternoon to wrap the last one. On a lark, I decided to verify the name on last box – good thing that I did: It was one that I needed to be ready first thing in the morning. *sigh* So, I wrapped the last one. I still need to hit two stores tomorrow and pick up a couple of gift cards, but other than that, I believe that “Christmas Shopping 2005” is complete.

Stray Toasters

• In less than forty-eight hours, I will be on the Right Coast.
• By way of Slashdot: Britain to log all vehicle movement
• : Dark Phoenix Saga Storm Statue (info)
• From the Detroit Free Press: Unmasked, Hero is human
• This scene, had it been very early in Episode I, would have made that movie 150x better…
• Hard to Find 800 Numbers Revealed
• My brother’s penchant for sending… interesting… text messages continues to amuse me.
• While looking up something at work, I came across this site: Beatboxing.com
     I don’t have a joke here. Words… fail me.

Namaste.

<groove>
     The Champs – Tequila
     Jim Carrey – Cuban Pete
     Rage Against the Machine – Renegades of Funk
     David Bowie – Jump They Say
</groove>

What’s getting your blood pumping this morning?

Wednesday : 21 December 05
We’re having a… heat wave, of sorts. It was in the low 50s today. Or, as one coworker called it: “Tennis weather!”

We had a company lunch at the main office today. That’s right: Two round trips to/from American Fork today! It was nice to see the people who are working in the other office. And the food was good, too.

Tonight was ‘ Call of Cthulhu game. We… tried playing. We didn’t get very far. Our collective headspace wasn’t entirely in gaming mode.

News

Morning Edition – More Stories Emerge of Rapes in Post-Katrina Chaos
All Things Considered – What America Is Buying, Spending for Christmas

An acquaintance of mine is a correctional officer at the prison in Draper; she told me about a story – Pay a problem in retaining officers – that appeared in Sunday’s paper. Wow.

Stray Toasters

• My shoulders hurt. I blame Tuesday’s workout.
• A photo tour of the Transparent Factory in Dresden Image-intensive, but worthwhile.
• Methadone clinic comix: HOOKED!
• “Gravy.”
• Someone needs to invent self-wrapping Christmas presents.
• From Baltimore City Paper: The Semi-Free State – When It Comes to Gay and Lesbian Families, Virginia’s Loss Is Maryland’s Gain
• Commodore Back in the Game?
• I want a snack… but I have no idea of what.
• Miller returns to Sin City
• The 213 Things Skippy Is No Longer Allowed To Do In The U.S. Army

That’s enough for now. I’m going to try something radical and go to bed “early.”

Namaste.

<groove>
     Gwen Stefani ft. Eve – Rich Girl
     Eve ft. Gwen Stefani – Let Me Blow Your Mind
     Atomic Kitten vs. Geri Halliwell – Ladies Night
     Jonni Lightfoot – Little Worlds
     Schoolhouse Rock! – Conjunction Junction
     U2 – Angel of Harlem
</groove>

What are you listening to this morning?