Random Access

Monday – 04 July 2011
Happy Fourth of July to all!

Please take some time to remember that the day isn’t just about sales and fireworks and barbecues. It’s a commemoration of the struggle that the colonists went through to win their freedom from England.

I don’t think that a five-day work week ever seemed quite as long as last week did, but this has been a good weekend. To hit the highlights:

• SaraRules! (and the kids) had another check-up. Everything’s five by five.
• SaraRules!’ sister, Melissa, came to town Friday because…
• Saturday was my mother-in-law’s birthday.
• We picked up the first crib. (Second one should follow this afternoon…)
• We took family pictures, courtesy of Amanda Nelson Photography & Design
• I played with my trains a bit.
• SaraRules! wanted to see Green Lantern and I was up for seeing it again… so we did. She liked it and didn’t grok why critics were so down on it. (Whew!)
• We hung out with the in-laws.
• We did some work around the house and lawn.
• Had lots of good food.

…and we still have nearly half the day left! I don’t consider that a bad weekend at all.

And, this week is an abbreviated work week, as I’m off today and Friday is my 9/80 day off.

Stray Toasters

• From National Geographic: 9 Fourth of July Myths Debunked
  • And, as a semi-related aside: Spirit of 76 – Bicentennial Locomotives
    (As if I’d pass up an opportunity to find/use a train tie-in…)
• 
• 10 Trends to Steal from Fashion Week… Right Now
• There is a bird that roosts somewhere outside our bedroom window. It chirps/sings/whatever LOUDLY in the mornings, usually before my alarm goes off. I’m ready for it to find a new place to sing.
• Whither the Astronauts Without a Shuttle?
  • With the Shuttle Program Ending, Fears of Decline at NASA
• Make a Fire Tornado Out of Household Items

  

• Tools of Entry, No Need for a Key Chain

Namaste.

…and don’t forget to keep an eye out for The Fresh Prince and The Fly.

Wednesday – 29 June 2011
It’s midweek, and I don’t think that I’ve been so happy to see a Wednesday roll around in a long time. It’s not that this has been a bad one. It just feels like it’s been exceptionally long. On the “plus” side, it’s new comics day and game night, so there are a couple of things to which I can look forward.

Last night was Guys’ Night Out. , , , Corey, Steve (the father-in-law) and I headed up to MacCool’s Public House for beer, food and shooting the bull. It was a very good way to spend the evening.

After I got home, I watched The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson for the first time in… longer than I care to admit. One of his guests was Neil Gaiman. The interview was fun, as the two went on and on about Doctor Who — Gaiman wrote an episode for the show this season; Ferguson was a big fan of the show in his youth. Later in the interview, Gaiman also made an amusing comment in which he posited that Mythbusters‘ Jamie Hyneman might be Cthulhu.

This morning, not long before the alarm went off, I had a dream in which Neil Gaiman appeared: He was in town for a book signing and we hung out. I met him once, very briefly, at a signing nearly ten years ago…

…he was quite pleasant. And, I would most definitely hang out and have a pint or two with him, but I don’t think that we necessarily run in the same circles.

Stray Toasters

• Gibbs’ Rules
• I find “victuals” to be a weird word. I find it even more odd/amusing because its pronunciation is “vittles.”  (like “Tender Vittles,” for the cat owners out there.)Given that, maybe I should cut some slack for the people who pronounce “nuclear” as “nu-cu-lar.”  Or not.
• 
• When Fashion Meets Fishing, the Feathers Fly
• Everything You Need to Know About Coffee in Less Than Five Minutes

• No More Silent Summers
• Black unemployment at Depression-era levels
• Debris Gives Space Station Crew Members a 29,000 MPH Close Call
• 
• USA beats North Korea 2-0 behind Lauren Cheney’s goal
• Gas Card — With a ‘G’ as in Gimmick

Namaste.

Tuesday – 28 June 2011
It’s a sunny and clear day in the valley and it seems rather inversion-free. A person could get used to this.

Last night, our evening errand-running included a trip to Costco. I hadn’t been to a Costco in… probably more than a year. I saw a few interesting things, but still managed to walk out empty-handed.

The evening was capped off with a Monday night episode of Top Gear, in which the hosts attempted to recreate the Wise Men’s journey to Bethlehem. (Somehow, I doubt that the journey was quite as comical as what we saw last night…)

Stray Toasters

• T-minus three days until Melissa gets to town…
• Teacher Grades: Pass or Be Fired
• U.S. women want their own World Cup identity
  • Still No. 1, U.S. Is No Longer the Clear Favorite
• Beer archeologist
• 
  (It’s only “slightly” addictive.)
• Sony faces new lawsuit following PSN hack
• Rock stars’ disaster stories
• Justices Reject Ban on Violent Video Games for Children
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
  • “Smurfs” world record attempt in Mexico
  • U.S. Citizen Charged in Canada for Manga on Laptop; Faces Minimum 1 Year in Prison
• Announcing City of Heroes Freedom – A look at the new price structuring model

And that’s all I have to say about that.

Namaste.

Thursday – 23 June 2011
It’s another bright and sunny No Bad News “Technical Friday.” Amen.

Yesterday, SaraRules! and I had another prenatal appointment — another ultrasound. Baby A was in photogenic mode, while Baby B was a bit camera shy. Both babies are doing well and are growing nicely.

Last night was game night with and the usual suspects. We had a HUGE fight on our hands: Five of us (plus five NPCs) versus a small horde of villagers. And we couldn’t kill them. Not that we weren’t capable of killing ’em – morality aside – but they were possessed, and killing the hosts would have caused us to face the entities possessing them. And they, combined, would have kicked our collective recta eight ways from Sunday. So, it was a long fight:

Knock out villager.
Exorcise villager.
Trap exorcised spirit in vessel.
Lather.
Rinse.
Repeat.

But, we managed to pull it off. And… we did it without anyone dying. (Well, no one in our group died; a couple of the villagers wound up as ‘collateral damage.’ Oops.)

Stray Toasters

• Burn Notice returns tonight!
• In North Dakota City, River’s Threat Renewed
  My brother (and sister-in-law and nephew and one of my nieces) live in this town, but I spoke with my brother last night and he said that their house isn’t threatened by the flooding.
• The Magnetic Dead – 3D Zombie Magnets
• A Brief History of the Corporation: 1600 to 2100
• Pulitzer Prize winner reveals he’s an illegal immigrant
• 
• Movie Legends Revealed: A White Shaft? Elm Street’s Happy Ending?
• As Start-Up Matures, Working with Amex
  • American Express Specials — now for everyone, nationwide
• Postal Service suspends retirement plan contributions
• Abandoned 1940s Power Station

Namaste.

Wednesday – 21 June 2011
Midweek is upon us once more.

It has been brought to my attention that I have neglected to mention something. Again. Something that’s kind of a big deal and bears mentioning. The omission wasn’t due to lack of care and/or consideration. In fact, it was more of a “I had other, more immediate things on my mind.” And, to be honest… it’s not just ONE thing that I haven’t mentioned, but TWO.

So, I’m going to give them their due. Even better: I’m going to tie them together. Because I can.

What are they?  Glad you asked.  The two items are:

1. My sister-in-law, Melissa’s, birthday was this past Saturday. (Like I said I didn’t forget it — cards were sent and “Happy birthday” calls were made.) But… I didn’t mention it here.
2. I saw Green Lantern on Thursday night/Friday morning… but haven’t given it a review yet.

I know what you’re thinking: “It’s great that you’re acknowledging these things, but… um… how are you planning on tying them together?”  Good question.

My answer:

BLAOW! That’s right… my sister-in-law as a Green Lantern.  How ’bout them apples?!

Here she is, post-training, when she was allowed to personalize her uniform.

…and…

Seen here with Lantern recruit G’nort (1, 2), before he was issued a power ring

And, with not-quite-entirely-belated birthday greetings out of the way, on to Item #2: The Review…

As I mentioned above, I saw the midnight showing of Green Lantern Thursday night. I’d heard rumblings – but managed to avoid reading/listening to full-on reviews – about the movie over the course of the day. The things I heard were that it wasn’t a great movie… it was a BAD movie… blah blah blah. I tried not to let this jade my opinion; after all, Martin Campbell had brought us the new-and-improved James Bond in Casino Royale, along with a couple of rousing takes on Zorro (1, 2). With that in mind, I was good to go.

The overall atmosphere of the theatre was upbeat and anxious. This is of little surprise, as the event was  hosted by Big Movie Mouth-Off, Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection and Play ‘n’ Trade. When I arrived, about an hour before the movie started, the folks from Play ‘n’ Trade had set up an Xbox 360 with Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters on the movie screen. I milled around with Dave and Jeremiah from Dr. Volt’s for a bit before finding my seat. About fifteen minutes before the movie started, they opened up the floor for trivia and a costume contest.  Then, it was showtime.

After sitting through two hours of emerald ring-slinging moviedom, I can say this: It wasn’t perfect, but I enjoyed the film. My rating scale for comic book-related properties runs from:

Batman and Robin (1) up to Superman: the Movie (10)

I’d put Batman Begins and The Dark Knight in the high 9’s. Likewise, I’d put the Fantastic Four movies around… a 6 or 7, give or take a bit.

I’d give Green Lantern somewhere between seven and eight LEGO bricks. We’ll call it 7.5, for the sake of argument.

It didn’t knock it out of the park, as I’d hoped, but it was good. And entertaining. And fun. I think that there are a number of factors that are causing people to knock it, not the least of which is: Given the “realistic” feel of movies like Batman Begins and TDK – and even the X-Men franchise – audiences and critics were hoping for a more… serious or realistic… take on GL. Really?! Let’s look at the premise:

A man gets a ring… that can create anything he thinks of… from a dying alien… who’s part of an intergalactic police force.

Yeah, let’s see the “grim and gritty”  take on that. No, thanks.  I’m sorry that die-hard fanboys felt that it was missing this obscure reference or that character or this storyline and that critics are giving Mr. Campbell the business because there was “too much of this” or “too little of that.” I think that he did a good job. Not only that: I think that he made a movie that parents can take their kids to see.  (I credit Kenneth Branagh with doing the same thing with this season’s earlier release, Thor.)

Was I disappointed that I didn’t get to see John Stewart, my favorite Lantern (other than my sister-in-law, of course)? A little.  Would it have been fun to see more of Hal’s training on Oa? Sure.  What about more in-jet flight time? Yeah, that could have been fun, too.  But, as The Rolling Stones sang: “You can’t always get what you want…”  Besides, if DC/Warner Brothers decide to make a sequel, there’s a chance I can see him there. And if not, I still have my collection of Justice League DVDs…

Stray Toasters

• Army Gets How-To Guide for Zombie Invasion

  

• I’m not a big gearhead, but I wouldn’t mind having a garage like this. Thanks to MarknTyme for the find.
• Three-Ingredient Summer Cocktails
• No pay for California legislators until budget is balanced
  • California district can’t afford to use new $105M school
• 
• This is disappointing: What’s missing from Superman #712?
• World’s Steepest Roller Coaster to Open in Japan
• Harden Up: Can We Break Your Password With Our GPUs?

Namaste.

Tuesday – 21 June 2011
Today is the Summer Solstice, marking both the longest day of the year and the first day of Summer.

Last night, SaraRules and I went for a post-dinner walk. We headed to the neighborhood 7-11 for Slurpees. Rather than double back, we took the long way home, making a rather large (1.5 mile) loop home. It was a good walk and the weather was perfect for an evening stroll. Back at home, we rounded out the evening with Top Gear… and a bedtime story for the proto-twins. Last night’s story: Seven Little Postmen…

… which actually does a fair job of explaining how mail gets through the USPS mailstream.  (Of course, the book was written decades before REC sites came online, so there are a couple of differences, especially with reference to sorting technology.)

Stray Toasters

• I should have my review of Green Lantern ready for tomorrow’s post.
• SaraRules! and I watched “33,” an episode of Battlestar Galactica, last night. In many ways, it reminded me of “Year of Hell,” from ST: Voyager.
• Report cards, grades get worse during recession
• From NPR Music: What Are Your Sounds of Summer?
  • Utah Symphony presents: Summer Community Concerts
    
• The Mix: Jazz in the Present Tense
• Despite the loss of a leg, Army Ranger is back in the fight
• Upending Anonymity, These Days the Web Unmasks Everyone
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Rob Zombie’s Woolite Commercial
• Good Humor Ice Cream Truck, 1938

And that’s a wrap.

Namaste.

Saturday – 18 June 2011
I’m in Denver, Colorado.  More or less. Actually, I’m in Parker. But, it’s part of the Denver Metro Area… so, like I said: “I’m in Denver.”

We’re here for the wedding of one of SaraRules!’ cousins. We drove in yesterday, with her folks. After we got to town and settled into the hotel, we found a place to eat – Johnny’s Asian Bistro – which wasn’t half bad. Then, we headed up to the Hannah’s (the bride-to-be) and hung out with the family for a while. I got in some kid-time, as a couple of the hatchlings decided to hang out and play with me.

We got made it back to the hotel and pretty much crashed. Nine-plus hours in a car makes for a LONG day.

Today, we’re off to gallivant a bit before the reception; it’s a temple wedding (1, 2, 3) , so we’re just going to the ‘after-party,’ so to speak. I think that today’s excursion will include a trip to the Denver Botanic Gardens, the Black American West Museum, and maybe (HOPEFULLY) a trip to Caboose Hobbies, if time permits.

Stray Toasters

• My review of Green Lantern will most likely have to wait until I get back home. As a tide-me-over, here’s this from my very early Friday morning Facebook post:
  

  Just got home from seeing Green Lantern and REALLY should be putting more effort into getting to bed.

  I enjoyed the movie, not just as a GL fan, but as a comics-based movie fan. I would say that it leaned more towards “Fantastic Four” than “Superman: the Movie” or “Batman Begins/The Dark Knight,” but it was still fun.

  Would I pay to see it in a theatre again? Sure.
  Will I buy the DVD when it comes out? Yep.

• Chalk Art Festival brings artists together for a good cause
  If you’re in the Salt Lake City area and looking for a fun family event, go check it out!
• American Star Shines in House of Mirrors

Short and sweet… but we’re about to go attack the day.

Namaste.

Thursday – 16 June 2011
Another NBN Thursday is upon us.
Today is also an unofficial “Technical Friday,” as I’m taking tomorrow off.

I didn’t get to see yesterday’s Green Lantern screening. (By the same token, neither did about a hundred other people who were also in line.) That’s cool on a couple of counts:

1. I got to play D&D (4.0) with and company, which was a rather fun time. It turns out that we hadn’t played in nearly a month!
2. I’m going to the screening that Dr. Volt’s is co-hosting — tonight at The Gateway.

Win-Win.

Stray Toasters

• It’s another “chock full o’ meetings” day.  Yay.
• Optimism over new deal emerging from latest round of talks
• Energy Plant, Left for Dead, Shows a Pulse
  • Nuclear Plant Safety Rules Inadequate, Group Says
• 
• Abandoned Skyscraper – Fifty Level Abandoned Building
• New York Public Library Buys Timothy Leary’s Papers
• Song “Covers” Uploaded to YouTube Could Land You in Jail for Five Years
• 
• iCufflinks
• Comics, Everybody: The History of Green Lantern Explained

  

• Dear Photograph

Namaste.

Wednesday – 15 June 2011
Midweek. Thank Heaven…

And, thank Heaven for the local Beans & Brews; I’ve returned to my old coffee shop while Pinup Girl Espresso is “on hiatus.”  Did you hear that, IHC?  “On. Hiatus.”  The ball’s in your court now. Let’s see some machinery and equipment on that lot, so that I can get my neighborhood coffee shop back.

*stares menacingly at IHC*

Last night was low-key. SaraRules! and I started some of the moves that will eventually allow the current guest room to become the nursery. There’s still a good bit of work and moving to be done, but we’ve at least made a start.

Today is new comics day.  (Good.)  And, it’s also  game night… although, I may have to skip it: I have passes to see Green Lantern.  Whether or not I am one of the lucky ones who makes it into the theatre has yet to be seen.

Stray Toasters

• I started playing Words with Friends yesterday. Within minutes of announcing it on Facebook, I was elbow-up in game requests.
• The 2011 Summer Style Upgrade
• Apple starts selling unlocked iPhones in U.S.
• 
• Thanks to , I now have an Audible.com account. Why do I credit (or blame) him: Because he showed me the link to Go the F–k to Sleep… as read by Samuel L. Jackson.
  • …and it is HILARIOUS.
  • …and the hardcover book is now on The Covet List.
• F.D.A. Unveils New Rules About Sunscreen Claims
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Man Builds His Own Iron Man Suit, Wears It In to Work
• Yeah… I’d probably do something like this, too:

  

• Lead Poisoning in China: The Hidden Scourge
• $4 gas a thing of the past, at least for now
• Mobius Ship

Namaste.

Tuesday – 14 June 2011
Today is Flag Day.

And, even though it’s Tuesday, it’s another day chock full o’ meetings. Whoop-de-damn-doo!

Last night, I attempted to conquer the front lawn… as a thunderstorm loomed in the not-to-distant sky. (I managed to finish before it became a torrential downpour.) After that, I deemed that it was going to be a lazy night in. SaraRules! and I spent the evening watching Top Gear (UK) and the various versions of House Hunters.

Sidenote: Apparently House Hunters, like Law & Order before it, has enough spin-offs for me to start tagging them like Star Trek series:

• House Hunters: TOS
• House Hunters International: TNG
• House Hunters on Vacation: DS9

Just saying…

And, I read a bit more of Sixkill, which has been quite good.

Stray Toasters

• An Effort to Foster Tolerance in Religion
• Heart with No Beat Offers Hope of New Lease on Life
• On College Forms, A Question of Race, or Races, Can Perplex
• 
• Army soldiers ditch hated berets, in favor of caps
  This would have made Jess happy, I think.  As I recall, she was a little… irritated… when it was announced that all Army troops were making the switch to berets, as prior to that, berets signified special forces and/or special assignment troops.
• IMF latest victim of “major” cyberattack, breach
• Is it bad that this is how I picture Sarah Palin’s Paul Revere snafu from a couple of weeks ago:

  

• I came across a couple of interesting articles related to this summer’s comic book movies:
  • Green Lantern: The Truth About Black and Green
  • Genocide and bubblegum – X-Men: First Class review
• Superstars Never Guessed the Size of ‘Spider-Man’ Challenges

Sunday – 12 June 2011
It’s been a great day, so far… and it’s barely half done.

Last night, SaraRules! and I saw Super 8.

It’s definitely a classic J.J. Abrams production, in the vein of Cloverfield.  That said, I’ve seen enough variations in Mr. Abrams’ style to feel comfortable saying that I don’t think that he will become the same kind of one-trick pony that M. Night Shayamalan appears to have become.

This morning, I managed to sleep in (until 0830) and then decided to take a nice hot soak, while SaraRules! slept. After that, we got ready to meet Swiz and Logan at Wheeler Historic Farm for a visit to the opening of the Wasatch Front Farmers Market. It was a small affair – about 1/4 to 1/3 the size of the Downtown Farmers Market – but it was nice. We think that it’s still a little early in the season for vegetables, so there should be some growth as Spring moves into Summer. After wandering around the Market, we strolled around the animal areas for a bit. (It wasn’t the longest or most strenuous walk ever, but I’m counting it as today’s exercise.)

After we left Wheeler Farm, SaraRules! and I headed to Old Mill Park to take a look at the Spring run-off. I made a short video of it.

I’m not sure what the rest of the day holds in store… aside from a trip to The Garden of Sweden.

Stray Toasters

• I like this poster. Too bad it’s only available to the movie crew.
• Black Eyed Peas Rapper Forgets Lyrics in France
• As if I wasn’t going to pick up the book already, John Stewart will co-headline Green Lantern Corps, when the title “reboots” in September:

  

  John will share the lead with Guy Gardner, another Earth-based GL. It will be interesting to see how – and if – they play off the dichotomy of the two personalities: John, being more analytical and reserved, versus Guy’s brash, in-your-face attitude.

• WATCHPONIES: Watchmen/My Little Pony mash-up
• Big Shiny Robot’s Clobber-Tron interviews Cassandra Peterson, a.k.a. Elvira, Mistress of the Dark
• Reasons people were arrested at Toronto G20

That’s good for now.  Time to get out and enjoy the rest of the day…

Namaste.

Saturday – 11 June 2011
Yesterday was my youngest sister’s birthday:

Yesterday was also my 9/80 day off. And it was a good day. I started with a short trip to the gym. (This is almost getting to be a habit…)

• Elliptical: 15 minutes, ~5.75 MPH pace
• Bench press: 3 sets/8 reps — 2 sets @ 135, 1 set @ 155
• Curls (dumbbells, seated): 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs
• Shoulder Press (dumbbells, seated): 3 sets/10 reps, 35 lbs
• Compound Row: 3 sets/10 reps, 125 lbs.

Back home to get cleaned up and then I was off to Porcupine Pub and Grille for lunch with my friend, Emily. We’d not seen each other in a couple of years, so there was a fair bit of catching up to do. Next I popped in to say “Hi” to and .

Then… it was off to meet SaraRules! for another appointment with her doctor. Only, the doctor was “out,” as she got called to the hospital to deliver a baby. So, we met with a nurse instead. She checked on the babies and gave us a thumbs-up on their progress.

I made it back home (by way of The Train Shoppe) and played a bit of Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters before we went out to meet the usual suspects for Clitorati.

This morning, following a series of disturbing dreams and fitful sleep, I found myself awake at 0630. Rather than toss and turn in bed, I made my way to the couch and watched TV. I actually got to see The Rifleman (1, 2) for the first time in ages. Then, the TV started watching me, as I nodded in and out of sleep for the next hour-and-a-half.

Stray Toasters

• Gail, Jill and Babs: A Conversation about Oracle and Batgirl
• iCloud’s legal complaint
• Leonard B. Stern, Creator of Mad Libs, Dies at 88
• An A-Z of incredible uses for everyday things
• 
• Legends of the Joystick
• “Vampire” Stars Found in Heart of Our Galaxy
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Contortionist Hides in Suitcase to Steal from Bus Passengers
• Buried in Anonymity, and Ignominy, Too
• Borders tries to avoid closing 51 more stores
• 
• Citi Data Theft Points Up a Nagging Problem

Namaste.

Wednesday – 08 June 2011
Today is my brother-in-law, ‘s birthday.

..and I neglected to mention that yesterday was my friend, Josh’s, birthday, also. D’oh!

Last night, we celebrated ‘s birthday with the in-laws. Dinner. Presents. Cake. It was a good evening. On the way home, SaraRules! and I stopped at the local Best Buy; I needed wanted to pick up Green Lantern: Emerald Knights.  SaraRules! picked up a Guitar Hero game and, somehow, I wound up also getting the brand-spankin’ new Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters for my 360.

Once we got settled in at home, we fired up Emerald Knights. It was well-done. Hell, if the live-action movie is half… okay, three-quarters… as good as this was, I’ll be pleased. Emerald Knights is an anthology piece, with six stories that are woven together throughout the film… which appears to fall somewhere in the middle of the events of Green Lantern: First Flight. The writers did a good job of creating a “new” overarching story, while adeptly intertwining some newly-animated classic GL lore into the tale. There were some familiar names/voices attached to this project, including:

• Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Castle) as Hal Jordan
• Jason Isaacs (“Harry Potter” films) as Sinestro
• Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) as Arisia
• Henry Rollins (yes, “that” Henry Rollins) as Kilowog

For me, it was a good way to wind down the day.

Stray Toasters

• I felt more baby-wiggling last night. They were – or at least one of them was – pretty active.
• “Six.”
• From the “This Is an Awesome Reaction” file: Movie theater shames F-word texter
  • Added bonus: Here’s the PSA they did…

• Secret Origins: John Stewart
• Inbox Influence: Your new favorite email tool since the spam filter
• 
• Steven Spielberg and Quint have an epic chat all about JAWS as it approaches its 36th Anniversary!
• RSA Faces Angry Users After Breach
• By way of :

  

• Cycle and Style: A Sweet Ride
• Would you buy a digital comics subscription?
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
  • Smurfs accused of antisemitism and racism
  • Two Women Ticketed for Eating Doughnuts in Brooklyn Playground
  • You Can Now Get Your Ph.D in Manga
• 
• DC Comics has dropped new information about The Next Generation of Justice in the post-updated DCU.
• 2 gamblers take Tropicana casino for more than $11M
  • Four ‘worst mistakes you can make in Las Vegas’

Quote of the Day
As I noted yesterday, Folsom Prison Blues is one of my niece’s favorite songs, which is made more amusing by the fact that she’s only three… unless you’re my sister, who finds it appalling.

That being said, my brother-in-law sent me the following last night:

coda to yesterday’s lecture:
your niece tonight was singing her song
then she asks me to sing
so i start singing
I HEAR THE TRAIN A COMIN’
gracie: “no no no no no daddy, that’s wrong!”
me…wha?  no it’s not
“yes daddy it is wrong”
ok sweetheart, how does it start?
“like this, daddy. ‘hello, i’m johnny cash.'”
i stand corrected, child.  proceed.

Ladies and gentlemen… my family.

Namaste.

Monday – 06 June 2011
I won’t lie: I didn’t want to get out of bed this morning. It wasn’t that I was dreading the work day. Nor was it that I had a particularly busy/hectic day yesterday. I just didn’t feel any sense of urgency about getting up and on the way this morning. But, I did… and here we are.

Yesterday was a relaxed day. Ron came over in the morning, and took SaraRules! and me to breakfast. We opted for a place with a local flavor, so we chose Ruth’s Diner. Ron liked it. (Which was a plus.) We drove up Emigration Canyon into and down Parley’s Canyon, heading back into the valley. We also drove along Wasatch Blvd, to afford Ron a good look at the valley.

Later in the afternoon, the three of us and a few of the usual suspects went to see X-Men: First Class.

Right off the bat, I’ll say that I enjoyed it. No, it wasn’t the “First Class” that I think of when I think of the X-Men (Angel, Beast, Cyclops, Iceman and Marvel Girl)…

…but it was a good roster for the movie continuity. While not set in the Marvel 616 Universe continuity, they were able to do different things to introduce new characters. For example, their take on Sebastian Shaw, Black King of the Hellfire Club, had a nice twist… and one that also connected him to another character in the film. There were also a few nice “easter eggs,” including [REDACTED].

All told, it was a good “preboot” for the movie version of the X-Universe. The actors were good — I especially enjoyed Michael Fassbender’s take on a young Magneto. It moved well (despite compressing a couple of subplots in the interest of time). And, it was just plain fun.

For dinner, SaraRules! grilled steaks and vegetables. And they were good. Very good. “Bring it in for lunch today” good. We wound up the evening watching 2001: A Space Odyssey. I’m not really sure what to say about this other than, I’m putting it in the same category as Regina: I’m willing to read the book to see if the end is any more coherent.

Stray Toasters

• Q&A: The New X-Men Costumes Are Body Suits You’ll Want
• HALO 4 announcement may have been leaked…
• Chow Truck!
• Ohio woman, 100, still uses bank account dating to 1913
• A few friends have posted this image on their Facebook pages; I like it:

  

• Texas Still Has Its Rustlers, and Men in White Hats Chasing Them
• How doctors first noticed the existence of AIDS
• Student cites freedom of speech after suspension for online videos
• Bend Me, Shape Me: The Heavy Metal Version

On to lunch!

Namaste.

Sunday – 05 June 2011
I was caught in the middle of a struggle for the past two-and-a-half hours. It’s definitely not a fight that I would have chosen to be part of, but sometimes, we don’t get to choose.

The fight was between sleep and being awake.

It may sound rather silly, but it’s true. I was awake – for no discernable reason – a few minutes after 0600. I tried going back to sleep, but only managed to stare at the walls. And the ceiling. And the window. I did manage to nod off again, though. For about twenty minutes. Then it became “Lather. Rinse. Repeat.” …for the next two hours. I’d finally manage to fall asleep, only to wake up – again, for no reason – and the cycle would repeat. Annoying. Hopefully, it’s not a harbinger of how the rest of the day will go.

There are a couple of bright spots in the day, though:

1. It’s National Cancer Survivors Day

   

2. SaraRules! and I get to hang out with our friend, Ron, today.

Yesterday was a good day. It started off with a trip to one of the local churches for a Boy Scout pancake breakfast and car show. The food was good and there were a lot of nice cars to look at. When we got back, I had some time to kill, so I decided to mow the lawn. When I finished that, it was time to get clean and ready to meet Chris and Alex. We stopped off for (second) breakfast before heading to Dr. Volt’s. There was another good turnout – we had fifteen players. After the game, I came home to get SaraRules! and we headed to Pawit’s Royale Thai Cuisine for dinner. (SaraRules! dropped into Dr. Volt’s to say “Hi” earlier… and informed me that I was taking her out for Thai.) I had a dish whose name I can’t recall, but it reminded me of Pho. And it was VERY good. After dinner, we wound down the night with some TV and a game of Trivial Pursuit. It was a long game; SaraRules! edged me out for the win.

Stray Toasters

• Sixkill is sitting on the kitchen counter. I’m excited – and a little sad – to read it. It’s the last of the Spenser books that Robert B. Parker wrote before passing away last year. The series will continue, with a writer who’s collaborated with Parker on a number of works. I just hope that he doesn’t run the franchise into the ground.
• For the Jobless, Little U.S. Help on Foreclosure
• I finished watching Astonishing X-Men: Gifted, the Marvel motion comic last night, via Netflix.

  

  It was presented in six episodes, each covering the six issues of the “Gifted” storyline, by Joss Whedon. It was… interesting… in a good way. It was well-done and enjoyable. My only complaint was that a couple of the voices didn’t seem “right” for a couple of characters.

• The History of a Cheap Dress
• Focusing on the Social, Minus the Media
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: LeVin gets house arrest after undisclosed setttlement
• Gaming Made Me: Colossal Cave Adventure
• Wow.

…right on to the friction of the day.

Namaste.