Random Access

Wednesday – 12 January 2011
It’s midweek, which means that it’s Comics Wednesday.
As for returning the “sushi” to Wednesdays, well that’s something that we’ll have to see how it develops… but last night, the missus and I had dinner at Tsunami, so the sushi craving has been abated for the time being.

SaraRules! and I, along with Melissa and her friend, Kate, went to see The King’s Speech after dinner.

We had heard a number of glowing reviews from friends who had seen it, so it seemed like a fairly safe bet. At least in my case, friends’ comments didn’t do it justice. It was a fantastic film. Colin Firth did an excellent job as Albert, Duke of York (and later, King George VI). Geoffrey Rush was equally good in his role as Lionel Logue.  And, this was the first movie in some time in which I’ve seen Helena Bonham Carter act and didn’t just want to shake my head and go, “Really…?!  This again?!” She was… charming… in her role as Queen Elizabeth. This was a wonderful bit of cinema, proving that you don’t need to spend exorbitant amounts of money on special effects in order to tell a compelling story.

Stray Toasters

• I pre-ordered DC Universe Online: Collector’s Edition two months ago, because I wanted perks that came with it.
  The game went live yesterday.
  I received an email from Best Buy – at 11:09 PM last night – saying that it was “backordered.”
  I am not happy.
• 
• A Pink Lambo? Well, It’s Personal
• Face-Lift for Met’s Costume Institute
• The Onion‘s take on an extended football season:

  Onion SportsDome

• Credit scores get easier to track down and less secretive
• Battle Is Set as Verizon Adds iPhone
• 
  (And for those who don’t get the ‘Poser’ double entendre, click here.)
• This American Life: The Invention of Money
• Ten Awesome Things Most People Don’t Know About PHP
• James Bond Returns! And Not a Moment Too Soon!

Quote of the Day
Today’s quote comes from Derek Hunter, a local writer and illustrator:

Nitpick about your looks all you like, but let’s face it ladies, you’re all pretty gorgeous.

Know what?  He’s right.

Namaste.

Thursday – 30 December 2010
NBN Thursday
Falls silently upon us.
Like new-fallen snow.

That’s right. I just busted out a haiku.  Just. Like. That!

What’s more, the haiku references a few pertinent things:

1. It’s Thursday;
2. I have declared it a “No Bad News ” Thursday; and
3. There is snow on the ground.

And you got all of that information in seventeen syllables.

Yesterday, I visited The Train Shoppe. In itself, not too out-of-the-ordinary. However, this trip was made a little different by the fact that I was joined by my father-in-law and grandfather-in-law, both of whom have a soft and warm spot in their hearts for model railroads. I picked up a package of earthen bumpers and a half-curve of O36 track.

I came back home just as snow started to fall last night. By the time SaraRules! got home, about an hour later, a couple of inches of snow had fallen. We decided to stay in for the night and watched Seven Pounds. It was a good movie, although there was something in the pacing and the way the story was told that was a little “off.” I definitely felt that it was more of a “watch at home” movie than a “sit in the theatre” one. But, as I said: It was good; it was also a bit unexpected.

After the movie, SaraRules! and I bundled up and went outside to shovel the driveway and sidewalks. We were done in about twenty minutes. It’s amazing how quickly it goes when there are two shovels at work!

We woke up this morning to find another 3-4″ of Mother Nature’s frozen, mocking laughter blanketing the ground. *sigh*

Stray Toasters

• I don’t have the background in economics, history or politics to refute the information within, but I found this to be an interesting read: Bill Moyers: Welcome to the Plutocracy
• Thanks to for pointing out: Kawah Ijen by night
• Something for (and possibly Meliko): How to Open a Champagne Bottle with a Saber
• 
• Pianist Billy Taylor, Jazz Ambassador and NPR Host, Dies
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” and “Eww, creepy!” files: Muppets with People Eyes
• Julie Taymor Withdraws from New York Times Event
• While reading friends’ blog posts, I found something in ‘s entry that reminded me of this:
• Top Scientific Breakthroughs of 2010
• Five days after Christmas and I’ve already added a bunch of stuff to The Covet List…
• Ew’s and Ah’s: Photos from a hospital medical museum

Okay, enough procrastinating… time to make the donuts shovel the snow.

Namaste.

Thursday – 02 December 2010
Three down.
One in the chamber.
One to go.

And that’s how another No Bad News Thursday kicks off.

Last night was D&D Encounters night with Melody, Jack, and company. We were a couple of party members short, so it was a bit of a grind. Seriously. Melody didn’t pull any punches and I think that the characters in the encounter all had brushes with near-death. But, it was still fun.

After I got home, SaraRules! and I watched Sunshine Cleaning. I’d heard about it last year and it has blipped on and off my radar since then. It was a good movie. No big special effects. A simple story. Good acting. All-in-all, a very solid presentation. The movie stars Amy Adams as Rose, a single mother trying to make ends meet. When her situation goes from “bearable, but not great” to “something’s got to give,” Rose decides to change her career path in a somewhat unexpected manner: She opens a crime scene clean-up company. It would be far from the truth to say “Hilarity ensues.” It would be more apt to say “Life goes on… for some.” SaraRules! and I agreed that this was a refreshing change of pace from the quick cut scene, always moving at fast forward, mega-blockbuster movies that are so prevalent today.

Stray Toasters

• It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Jonathan Coulton’s music. As a home owner, I’ve found new affinity and appreciation for his song, Shop Vac. Apparently, Jarrett Heather is a fan of the song, too… as evidenced by the following kinetic type video:
• Squiggly, Tangly and Angular
• A Mission to Transform Baltimore’s Beaten Schools
• You Only Dream of Driving Like This
• For some reason, this reminds me of the fight scene between Sistah Girl and White She-Devil in Undercover Brother:
  
• The Sweet Beet: 14 Food Shockers
• kidscomics.com – for the young reader in your family or circle of friends
• Amanda Vissell’s Posters for Girls
• F.T.C. Backs Plan to Honor Privacy of Online Users
• LEGO Death Star Christmas tree ornament
• 
• Retro Movie Posters Reimagined, courtesy of
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Man Killed Girlfriend Because She Answered Her Phone During Sex
• sfds

Monday – 01 November 2010
Today is All Saints Day.

Yesterday was a relaxed and lazy day. I slept in a bit and then headed to the living room to watch a few things that have been on the DVR for far too long. Later, and I headed down to Lehi to check out a hobby shop… that was open on Sunday!  (You’d possibly have to live here to understand how bizarre it is to find a small town hobby store open on a Sunday afternoon.) When we got there, it was closed — the sign on the door said “Summer Hours: Closed Sundays.” This brought two things to mind:

1. Wasn’t “summer” over an month and a half ago?
2. Couldn’t they have listed something about being closed on their website?

On the way back, we experienced “Adventures in Road Rage” with some yutz in an SUV. Fun times.

After I got back home, I put in a little time playing LEGO Universe. From there, SaraRules and I headed to Home Depot, stopped off to help a friend with a computer problem and then went to the in-laws’ for dinner and football.

Post-game, we headed home and watched The Walking Dead. I liked it. There were a couple of parts that were reminiscent of 28 Days Later, where Cillian Murphy first awakens to discover the world (or at least England) has gone to Hell around him. I’m curious to see how the show progresses… and I should read the graphic novels, as we have them, to see how close the adaptation is.

Instant Replay: Football
The Ravens had their bye week. I hope they got in a good bit of rest because next week is a VERY short week for them: Sunday, they play the Dolphins at home and Thursday they travel to the Georgia Dome to take on the Falcons.

Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals
22 – 14
The Dolphins headed up to Cincy to face the Bengals… …and swam away with a win. Sorry, janietrain and carefreespirit.

.

Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Raiders
3 – 33
The Raiders are on a roll, with their second big win in two weeks. Congratulations, SaraRules! and 1silver_seraph.

.

Carolina Panthers at St. Louis Rams
10 – 20
The Panthers lost this one on the road… to the Rams. *sigh*

.

Pittsburgh Steelers at New Orleans Saints
10 – 20
The Steelers rolled into the Big Easy to face the Saints. I wasn’t sure how this one would turn out, but Drew Brees and company stood up to the challenge and came away with the win. This is a double-plus for me as the Steelers’ loss puts the Ravens back atop the AFC North.

Stray Toasters

• We only had six (6) Trick-or-Treaters this year. And they all came in one group.
  On the other hand, we were able to watch horror movies without interruptions.
• A New Search Engine, Where Less Is More
• For SaraRules!: ‘Frank — The Voice’
• Mechanical Mustache Project
• Click the image…



• From the “Is There Life on Mars?” file: Would you go to Mars and never come back?
• Nonprofits Rush to Solicit Donations via Text, but the System Is Flawed
• Finding Common Ground
• Too soon or too funny?
• Street Art Way Below the Street

Things and stuff to do…

Namaste.

Friday – 22 October 2010
Bonus points to those of you who get the subject line without having to look it up.

It’s my 9/80 “on” Friday.
It started off somewhat quietly… but it picked up a little, around 9:45. No big deal. Nothing insurmountable.

Last night, after a couple of rounds of “Let’s Clean the House,” I managed to sneak off to Nova Praetoria for a while. I hadn’t played City for a week or two, so it was a nice change of pace. I ran a few missions. I leveled up once. I remembered how slow running through a city can be… although it’s still faster than Hover.

I also got in a bit more reading in Starship Troopers.

Stray Toasters

• Tweaking Tradition, Even in Its Temple
• Moon Crater Contains Usable Water, NASA Says
  • Shawn Colvin & Ernie: I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon
    
• Recently Rediscovered Letter Shows Wonder Woman’s Earliest Costume
• Middle Classes in Africa
• Haunted Mansion ghost hearse made from LEGO
• A Son Grows Thankful for His Father’s Tough Love
• Gays, Mormons and Boy Scouts’ discrimination
• 
• Credit Cards Soon to Get a Makeover
• T-shirt turns into a zombie
  • Sears reaches out to the neglected Zombie-American demographic
• No Net for the Man in Charge

Namaste.

Friday – 15 October 2010
Today is the birthday of a few people I know: Carey, Katt, and Jake Theis (from WizKids Games):

It’s also my 9/80 “off” Friday.  Amen.
Of course, I got called into the office… because I had a key that someone needed. *sigh*  But, I don’t count that as really getting called into work.

While out, I ran down to say “Hi” to Perry and the kids.
And, I even managed to swing past the Home Depot.

For added “win,” the swamp cooler service tech just came and winterized the cooler… which means that we can turn on the heat!  (Suffice if to say that it’s been “brisk” around here in the mornings.)

Stray Toasters

• By way of SaraRules: People power comes to the Turbine Hall: Al Weiwei’s Sunflower Seeds
• From the “Stop… Collaborate and listen” file: Vanilla Ice is back with a new profession: Home Renovator
• Transgender woman sues LPGA over ‘birth’ rule
• For SaraRules: O Crank Up the Old-Timey LEGO Letterpress Machine

And with that, and I are off to look at model railroad stuff.

Namaste.

Friday – 08 October 2010
It’s almost the weekend.
It is my 9/80 “on” Friday… and there’s some work that needs to get done before it’s Miller time.

Speaking of work: I’ve been part of a project that has been in various stages of development and progress for a year or so. A couple of months ago, a large part of it wound up falling into my lap. To be honest, a good portion of what needed to be done fell “a little” outside of my personal experience/knowledge base. But it was mine, so there no use crying over “But, I can’t…” or “I don’t…”  (Not that there haven’t been times that I’ve wanted to say those things and walk away.)

On more than one occasion, I’ve been reminded of a song, Discipline, by Bobby McFerrin:

for those who have been trained by it,
no discipline seems pleasant at the time but painful.

The lyrics are actually taken from Hebrews 12: 11 (NIV):

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Very apt.
More to the point, I haven’t walked (or run) away from the project.
And, despite the learning curve – and some frustration/irritation from learning a good number of things on the fly – it’s been a great learning opportunity.

Stray Toasters

• LEGO Universe is live, as of this morning.
  Of course, I won’t get to play it until this evening or later tonight. *shakes fist*
• Flawed Foreclosure Documents Thwart Home Sales
• Tom Bancroft’s DCU Elementary
• 
• Rediscovering an Earthy Master
• Pirate Johnny Depp makes surprise school visit
• For : Batman: The Killing Joke Relived Via LEGO
• Spammers Using Soft Hyphen to Hide Malicious URLs
• There is a new anime-styled ‘Iron Man’ animated series coming to G4 this Spring. Not too surprisingly, someone’s found the opening title sequence and posted it on YouTube:
• Fringe Star Anna Torv Explores a New Reality
• If the future’s looking dark
  We’re the ones who have to shine
  If there’s no one in control
  We’re the ones who draw the line
  Though we live in trying times
  We’re the ones who have to try
  Though we know that time has wings
  We’re the ones who have to fly…
• Duke Winces as a Private Joke Slips Out of Control
• The Art of Steve Thomas
• From the “Everything’s Heavy Underground” files:
  • Underground: graphic novel thriller set in a cave
  • Luxury underground community: bomb-shelter meets gate-guarded community
• Ancient Roman helmet sells for ten times estimated amount
• Newspaper Publishers Still Hope Tablets Will Save Them

Back to the grind…

Namaste.

Thursday – 07 October 2010
Another NBN Thursday is upon us.
This one brings with it grey clouds…

…and ‘s birthday!

Last night was D&D v4 game night with and Jack and company. It was a decent encounter. A bunch of us nearly bought the farm.  (Not good.) But, we muddled through it.  I think that I have also determined that my dice have some form of performance anxiety — whenever I needed a good (or just “decent”) roll, they pretty much just rolled some “blah” number.  Thanks, dice!

SaraRules and I finished off a couple more pieces of anniversary cake as we watched the last two episodes of Mad Men‘s second season 2. Quite a few twists we didn’t see coming. And it ended with a pretty big cliffhanger. So far, I’ve been pretty good about not reading season or episode synopses of what’s coming up, so I’ve been enjoying the surprises as they unfold.

Stray Toasters

• I completely forgot that LEGO Universe opens to Founders tomorrow.
  Looks like I’ll have something to keep me occupied between getting off work and heading out to Clitorati.
• Picasso masterpieces to tour the U.S.
• When the Yogurt Took Over: A Short Story
• Rampant Fraud Threat to China’s Brisk Ascent
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Dodge City museum bans nooses after tourist accident
• 
• FDA to spend $25M to improve its science
  (Is that really ‘enough?’)
• Minecraft Makes $350,000 a Day
  I had heard of Minecraft, in passing, but never looked into it. It sounds like a versatile and robust game; in talking with Jack last night, I discovered that not only had people made the things listed in the article, but someone had also ‘recreated’ Portal inside of Minecraft.
• “What the Hell is an ‘Aluminum Falcon?!’ “ (Bonus points for knowing that reference, too.)
• It seems that I am more prone to drink the post-cereal milk after eating Honey Nut Cheerios than after a bowl of  Honey Bunches of Oats.
• ‘God views’ and issues
• Latest Zeus attack propagated via fake iTunes receipt

And that’s a wrap.

Namaste.

Thursday – 30 September 2010
Today’s NBN Thursday is brought to you by the letters “C” and “F” and the number “2.”

I got to work this morning…

…checked my email…
…fixed a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats…

…and completely forgot that we were having a visit from our KVM over IP and power distribution reps.

The visit went well. We addressed a few issues and discovered that they might be able to help us (to a minor degree) with another problem that we’ve been having. Win-Win.

Last night, SaraRules and I watched a documentary called Babies. From the IMDB synopsis:

A look at one year in the life of four babies from around the world, from Mongolia to Namibia to San Francisco to Tokyo.

In it, director Thomas Balmes followed four babies, from just before they were born through their first steps. Unlike most documentaries, there was was no voiceover or commentary on what viewers see. You just saw the babies and their parents – and in a couple of cases, their families – in their day-to-day lives. It was an interesting look at the development  of the children – in similar and dissimilar ways – living in different cultures and under different mores.

It was good, but I’m not sure how to rate it, though.

Stray Toasters

• I think that I might start a new section of the blog and call it “The Legend of Chimpy.” In it, I will chronicle the… misadventures… of one of the monkeys at work. Today’s item:
  

  Yesterday afternoon, I received a call from corporate IT about a ticket that someone had opened. I went to look at it this morning… and also found a ticket from Chimpy.

  As of August, our office is part of the corporate network. This means that we can log directly into the network and access pretty much any information that exists on the corporate servers. Prior to August, we had to log in via a VPN. When the network changes were made, we sent out all manner of announcements noting the change in access.

  Taking a deep breath, I looked at Chimpy’s ticket.

  The issue: He was attempting to watch a training video, but was not getting anything on-screen. Then, I read the details of the issue. I had to refrain from running to his desk to pimp slap him on the spot.

  Why?  He was attempting to watch the video… over the VPN… while connected to the corporate network.

  *braincramp*

• In case you missed it, SaraRules posted an entry here last night.
• Hollywood Legend Tony Curtis Dies at 85
• Is the U.S. the weakest link when it comes to credit card security?
• 
• In Louisville, a new turn in school integration
• Will a new exhibit help the French finally embrace Monet?
• Cosmo Campaign Puts Viewers in the Photo Shoot
• Graphic biography of Anne Frank goes beyond her diary
• U.K. police arrest 19 in major Zeus bust

Namaste.

Wednesday – 01 September 2010
A new month begins.

Today is Comics (and maybe Sushi) Wednesday.

Today also marks the 36th anniversary of the The SR-71 Blackbird setting the record for flying from New York to London in the time of 1 hour, 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds… a record it still holds.

Last night, most of the Clitorati crew met at Desert Edge Brewery for dinner with , Michael and Hannah. It was a nice to see her – and meet Michael and Hannah – even if only for a couple hours. I had the Paella-style Chicken and Sausage Pasta, which was very good.

This morning finds me in the south office. I had a meeting with the landlord and the sbuilding manager about some changes that we’d like to make in our server room. I mentioned two ideas that we had considered; they countered with a variation on one of those plans… that might be somewhat less expensive than we had originally thought. We’ll see how their quote looks when it comes in.

Stray Toasters

• I broke out my grey glen-plaid suit this morning. White shirt. Blue/black/white tie. White pocket square. I’ve been getting the usual “Are you bucking for a raise/promotion” questions. I’ve been countering with “No, I have a meeting with my bishop.” The quizzical looks – since pretty much everyone down here knows that I’m not LDS – have been totally worth it.
• knew that I’ll probably never be a Browns or Indians fan… but I can give their home city a warm nod, if for no other reason than this: Cleveland, the True Birthplace of Superman
• Lovecraft is missing, and all R’lyeh breaks loose
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: NFL player Troy Polamalu gets $1m hair insurance
• Chewbacca, Han Solo and R2D2 drawn as if part of A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh
• In New York Ballet Companies, Corps Is a Thrill
• I like how this garage-to-office conversion turned out.
• 
• Wesley Snipes Was Almost Geordi LaForge
• After Years of War, Few Iraqis Have a Clear View of the Future
• The Wilderness Downtown – this comes by way of . It is a very cool blending of technologies. Put in the real address that it asks for – it’s totally worth it. And don’t close any of the windows that pop up!
• 8 Surprising Household Deodorizers
• Method to Grade Teachers Provokes Battles

Namaste.

Wednesday – 25 August 2010
It’s midweek, which means it’s Comics (and maybe Sushi) Day!
The “and maybe” is because the usual suspects all seemed to have punked out today. Oh, well.

Today is also ‘s birthday:

Last night, SaraRules and I had a lazy night about the house. I worked on a HeroClix mod, while she read. After a bit, we gathered to finish up Season one of Mad Men. (Sidebar: I think I may have just had an item from Season 2 or 3 item spoiled for me. Bah!) I went back to working on my figure, but somehow wound up starting to organize the past… year-and-a-half’s comics, which had neither rhyme nor reason to how they were being stored.

NOTE: About two years ago, SaraRules spent nearly a full week organizing my comics. There were something like 2,500 when she did. And that number doesn’t include the nearly… 3,500+… others still on the east coast. (Although, I think that some of those are in some semblance of “order.”) She did a bang-up job, too.

The problem with starting to organize the comics last night was: I started close to midnight and got sidetracked by reading a few. D’oh! And, after calling it quits for the night, I went back to working on my mod. Yeah, it made for a late night/early morning.

Stray Toasters

• I have just run out of my Honey Nut Cheerios stash at work. This must be rectified. But, I was at least able to get a full bowl of cereal before it ran out.
• Vienna Philharmonic’s Summer Night Concert 2010 is being broadcast tonight on PBS. (Check local listings for time)
• After Mozart’s Death, an Endless Coda
• I have found an event I can totally get behind: Saturday is Read Comics in Public Day.



• Here’s another event… but neither I nor my Green Lantern costume will be in L.A. on Friday.
• What your email address says about your computer skills
• The Term Life Insurance Blog has a number of informative – and highly amusing – infographics.
• Exhibit brings Hendrix, Handel together in London
• 
• Eastern States Dominate in Winning School Grants
• The Legacy of Hurricane Katrina
• Digital Devices Deprive Brain of Needed Downtime

Namaste.

Thursday – 12 August 2010
Not only is it an NBN Thursday…
But there’s an NFL preseason game tonight…

The Baltimore Ravens take on the Carolina Panthers, in Baltimore.
As these are my #1 and #2 teams, this comes out as a “Win-Win” for me.

vs. 

Additionally, The Wizard of Oz was released on this date, in 1939.

SaraRules and I, along with her parents, attended the “Epic Dining” at MacCool’s last night. There was a five-course meal, in which each course was paired with a beer from Epic Brewing:

The whole evening was great.  We sat that the table with Dave and Peter, co-owners of Epic, Dave’s wife, Susan and Michael, Peter’s assistant. We got to talk with them about how they decided to start brewing beer, what they enjoyed about it, and whatever else popped into our heads. It was a great evening, with good company and a fantastic dinner. Pictures of the courses – minus the salad, because I neglected to shoot it before devouring it – can be found here.

Just as dinner wrapped up, I got a call from one of the guys on my team: He had been receiving notifications from a wetness sensor in one of the cooling units. This would make the third time in under three months. Not good. As I was closer to the office than he was, I told him that I’d check it out. And with that, SaraRules and I headed left MacCool’s and headed to the office.

When I got there, I took the front panel off of the unit in question and looked inside. Nothing.

::: grblsnrkx :::

I removed the rear panel and checked there. Nothing.

::: braincramp :::

I went back to the front and looked again… just in case I had missed something. This time, I noticed the remnants of a splash of a water droplet next to the sensor cord. I checked the cord itself — it was damp. Okay, this was progress. The only problem: I couldn’t find any sign of a leak or spill. Upon further investigation, I noted that one of the copper pipes was damp with condensation… and it took a bend just above the splash point. Apparently, enough there had been condensation to form a drop and landed next to/on the wetness sensor cord. It was enough for the sensor to register, but not enough to cause a problem – other than sending out alters – that would affect the unit’s operation. Disaster: Averted.

Back home for comfy pants and comics-reading time.

Workout
Wednesday’s step count: 4,649

Stray Toasters

• JetBlue: Sometimes the weird news is about us…
• In Superman’s Hometown, a Labor Dispute over Health
• With a Google Map, You Can Find Doctors Behaving Badly
• 9/11 museum going up underground in New York City
• LEGO Universe is apparently releasing a Beta Client for Mac. Tomorrow.
• Shopkick can lead you to discounts and sales
• 
• Quick Change in Strategy for a Bookseller
• Five Years Later, The Big Easy Pushes Forward
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: City of Beacon, NY enforces archaic law outlawing pinball, closes retro arcade
• gd

Friday – 06 August 2010
It’s a bright and sunny 9/80 “off” Friday.
Amen.
In a little while, I’ll be going with my father-in-law and to check out the model railroad gear at a hobby shop in Orem. I consider that a good way to start a day off.

Let’s go ahead and get this out of the way now: I had a great time at the Rush “Time Machine” concert last night.

I went with , his brother and sister-in-law and a friend of the family.  Despite ridiculous post-rush hour traffic, we made it to the amphitheatre with plenty of time to spare.  I also ran into my coworker, Drew and his wife, Cheri. (I just found out this morning that my friend, Peggy, was there, too… and only two sections away from where we sat.) The weather looked… ominous, but there was no rain. There were, however, some amazing lightning flashes in the center-to-eastern parts of the valley that made for nice offsets to 2112 and Far Cry.  This tour’s set design had a heavy retro/steampunk look and feel about it, including the amps behind Alex and Neil’s drum kit:

From the tourbook’s liner notes:

I told the guys about an idea for a fictional world that had interested me lately, thinking it would make a great setting, maybe for a suite of songs that told a story. A genre of science fiction pioneered by certain authors (including my friend Kevin J. Anderson) had come to be called “steampunk,” seen as a reaction against the “cyberpunk” futurists, with their scenarios of dehumanized, alienated, dystopian societies. Our own previous excursions into the future, 2112 and “Red Barchetta,” had been set in that darker kind of imagining, for dramatic and allegorical effect, but I was thinking of steampunk’s definition as “The future as it ought to have been,” or “The future as seen from the past”-as imagined by Jules Verne, for example, in 1866, when he was writing 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

When I was nine or ten, my dad took my brother and sister and me to see that movie at a Saturday matinee, and images from it had always stuck with me. The fearsome destructiveness of the Nautilus had a kind of monstrous beauty, contrasted with the cultured opulence of Captain Nemo’s quarters, and the massive pipe organ on which, he played with mad rapture. The captain may have been insane, but it was a romantic, idealistic bind of madness-his mission was only to destroy ships of war, because his beloved family had been killed in wartime.

The guys seemed intrigued by the concept, and at home in Southern California, I started working on a story and some lyrics along those lines, set in a world driven by steam, intricate clockworks, and alchemy-“a world lit only by fire” (title of a history of medieval times by William Manchester).

…and…

While I put together some ideas for cover art with Hugh Syme, for the song releases and the tour, Geddy was working with his film collaborators Dale and Allan on the rear-screen movies, recruiting Alex and me as comedic “actors”-to pursue our long-term goal in live performance: “More Comedy, Less Music.”

While we never seem to get away with “less music,” it’s true that as the years go by we do have more laughs.

The concert was roughly three (3) hours long and the band played the entirety of Moving Pictures in the second set. They also played Caravan and BU2B, from the upcoming Clockwork Angels release. There were also some fan favorites and a few pieces that I don’t believe I’ve heard in previous concerts.

All-in-all, it was a great way to kick off my three-day weekend.

And, for today’s musical fare, I’m going with Far Cry, from the Snakes & Arrows CD:

Tonight, we’re heading to the Deer Valley Music Festival to hear the Utah Symphony perform Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture…. complete with live cannons.  (Tickets may still be available.)  Because, how often do you get to hear symphonic music – in a great venue – performed with real cannons?! Why aren’t you calling the ticket office already?!  Did I mention “cannons?!”  Go!  Dial!  Now!

Workout
Thursday’s step count: 4,999

Stray Toasters

• What it’s like to be an N.O.C. (Nerd Of Color)
• F.B. Purity Hides Annoying Facebook Applications and News Feed Updates
• The last panel of this strip cracked me up:



• Museum of Bad Art: A Home for Forlorn Paintings
• By way of Nyx: You Got Your Star Trek in My Firefly!



• What happens to your smartphone data — and is it safe?
• A couple of items from NPR Music:
  • He Raps. She Sings. Does It Still Count as a Duet?
  • Queen’s Brian May Rocks Out to Physics, Photography

Time to finish getting ready.

Namaste.

Thursday – 29 July 2010
Good NBN Thursday to all.

I spent the day in the south office yesterday. That’s always um… a treat.  We’ve been preparing for some network changes and I went down to help Minion #1 take care of the wiring for that office. And, I did manage to squeeze in sushi for lunch with a few coworkers.

After work, I hauled back up the road and swung past Dr. Volt’s. (There was four-color goodness to pick up, after all…) I made a couple of quick side trips and then went to Hastur Hobbies for D&D night with Jack and . This week, they even brought little Jack:

Workout
Tuesday’s step count: 6,758
Wednesday’s step count: 4,207

Stray Toasters

• I quite enjoyed Batman: Under the Red Hood. Until recently, I haven’t really read the Batman titles in a long while. From what I recall of the “A Death in the Family” storyline and some recent developments, they appear to have done a decent job of adapting the story. Bruce Greenwood did a decent turn as Batman, but I was a bit disappointed in John Di Maggio’s Joker… of course, I kept comparing him to Mark Hamill, who – aside from the late Heath Ledger –  is now “the voice I hear” when I think of the Joker. Neil Patrick Harris, did a good job as Nightwing. I also have to give the animators a huge amount of credit for making Nightwing move like an acrobat.
  
• I woke up this morning feeling the effects of Tuesday night’s workout.
• Trader Joe’s owner dies at 88
• has discovered the joy of Pin-up Girl Espresso.
  (One of us…. one of us…)
• Be a Supergirl – Warner Brother’s mix of comics, sports and style
  • …and in a nominally related note: Krystal Harris – Supergirl

• What Is the American Dream?
• Dan Brown Wants You to Tell Him Where to Go
• Where did the money to rebuild Iraq go?
• By way of Wired: What’s the Best and Fastest ISP in Your City? Look It Up Here
• 
• Pixar: 25 Years of Animation Exhibition
• Breathing new life into old train depots
• 20 Secrets Your Waiter Won’t Tell You

Namaste.

Monday – 19 July 2010
Another work week begins.
It’s sunny and warm… on its way to being “hot” later today.

This past weekend was quite good. Saturday, I wound up going back to GEEX and hanging out to run a few more demos. One of the guys who played a demo game on Friday – and dropped a sizable chunk o’ change on ‘Clix right after – came back Saturday and bought even more! And, after running into a Zatanna cosplayer on Friday, I ran into a Harley Quinn (from the Batman: Arkham Asylum game) cosplayer and a friend on Saturday:

A little before I was ready to leave the expo, I got a few notifications of a possible problem at work.

*grblsnrkx*

It turned out not to be a problem, just a situation that needed (a lot of) monitoring. I wound up getting alerts about it from roughly 3 PM until just after 11 PM, which meant that I was getting alerts during…

…the Ben Folds concert at Deer Valley.

(hanging out with 5,000 of my closest friends, waiting for Ben Folds and the Utah Symphony)

The concert was fun; it was roughly two hours long, with one encore. (Only one encore, which was unfortunate, because I was waiting to hear a song that was later in his encore set.)  I also ran into Derek, thanks to the joys of Foursquare. (Turns out that another coworker was there, as well, but we didn’t see her or her husband.)

Sunday, we slept in. Selah. After breakfast – I made blueberry muffins – we went to the gym. Back home for a shower and change of clothes. Then we were off to run some errands before our impromptu ice cream social! I found out earlier in the day that it was National Ice Cream Day and figured that was a good – or at least “good enough” – reason to invite people over for a little get together. And it was. To wind up the evening, SaraRules and I watched The Crazies, the recent remake of the George Romero film of the same name. It was entertaining. There were some plot holes. There were some gaffes. But, all-in-all, it was decent.

Workout
Sunday, SaraRules and I hit the gym:

• Elliptical: 22 minutes/ 5.5 MPH (avg.)
• Bench Press: 3 sets/10 reps
  • 2 sets @ 135 lbs
  • 1 set @ 155 lbs
• Shoulder Press (seated, dumbbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 40 lbs
• Flys: 3 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs
• Curls (dumbbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs

Saturday’s step count: 5,490
Sunday’s step count: 1,0707

Stray Toasters

• The razor’s edge of having a new phone:
  • I love the new phone and finding ways to customize it and just… play around with it.
  • Having an 8 megapixel camera – with integration into Facebook – makes it FAR too easy to take random pictures and upload them to the Interwebs.
• I’ve become quite a fan of Foursquare, which I discovered by way of SaraRules. I like its social media gaming aspect, as well as the fact that it can be used as a way to form impromptu gatherings. It’s available for Android, iPhone and Blackberry phones. Another neat feature is that some businesses offer specials to Foursquare users. Check it out.  What have you got to lose?
• Smithsonian’s Spacesuits: Number One on the Runway
• I often post strips from Evil, Inc. in here.  Another light-hearted and fun superhero comic that I enjoy is Love and Capes, by Thom Zahler.  It follows the adventures of Mark (an accountant… who is secretly The Crusader) and his now-wife, Abby (a bookstore owner).

  

  The series rarely shows superheroics, instead choosing to show character interactions, with the action happening off-panel. Love and Capes has recently been picked up by IDW Publishing for print, with the first issue hitting stands in December.  If you’re looking for a fun read, this is a great way to go.

• Take a Walk with “The Walking Dead”
• Jersey Numbers Assigned
• By way of Nyx: Dear Girls Above Me

Namaste.