Random Access

Sunday: coda
It’s 11:45 and I still haven’t had dinner yet.  Popcorn and cotton candy, yes.  Dinner, no.

I went to see Paprika at the Broadway.  The movie’s basic premise:  What would happen if a machine allowed people to tap into others’ dreams… and what if that machine fell into the wrong hands?

Wow.

Perfect Blue may have been a right skull-fuck of a movie, but at least it got a few minutes into the movie before things went wonky.  This one…?  Right off the bat.  I don’t think that it was even three minutes in before everything went skewampus.   That said, I thought that it was a good movie.  It took a bit to suss out who was whom and how things related to each other, but things were okay once that was done.

Just before the movie’s end, posters for Satoshi Kon’s three previous movies – Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress and Tokyo Godfathers – can be seen.  I thought that it was a neat twist, not knowing that Kon had done this movie, as well.  I now need to see Actress and Godfathers, which most likely means that be adding a few more DVDs to the collection, soon.

Sunday – 15 July 2007
I woke from an otherwise good sleep a few times this morning… “just because,” as best I can figure. Around 9:30, I had my fill of lying in bed, so I made my way to the Command Center. After a few minutes of surfing, messaged me to see if I was still interested in going to the driving range. I was, so I got ready and hit the road.

I had originally considered going to Pebblebrook, in Sandy, but we opted for Murray Parkway, instead. Nice driving range and you can use drivers there. We hit a couple of buckets of baskets of balls. She said that my form looked good, but she suggested that I move in – slightly – on the tee. Lo and behold, it made a decent difference in my drives – better contact and fewer ground-skimmers.

Afterwards, we headed to the Garden of Sweden. We’d worked up appetites on the range – and we had both skipped breakfast – so we decided to have lunch before shopping. Swedish meatballs. Salad. Potatoes. And “Chocolate Overload Cake.” Mm-hmm, that’s right. Then the shopping began. My mission: Dining room table. We wandered through the store, looking at other things, before going to get… the… the… um… Where are the tables that are supposed to be here?! *blink* The entire bin of boxes – no, where the boxes should have been – was empty.

*braincramp*

Fine. I went to find a sales associate. He looked. None in the store. I corrected him: There was one – the floor display upstairs. He made a call… and a short while later, I was the proud owner of a new table, at a discounted price. Selah. We loaded it into <lj user=”suzie_lightning”>’s car and brought it here. It looks good in the dining area… but in it’s “small” form, the room seems to swallow it. To me, that just means that I need something on the walls to fill the blank space. Good thing I have a couple of ideas of how to do that.

The Best
Although it’s not radically different from the original, I prefer the No Doubt version of It’s My Life to the Talk Talk version.

On the flip side, Genesis’ version of Land of Confusion still wears the crown, although the Disturbed cover isn’t bad… it’s just not the same. Likewise, I prefer the Don Henley rendition of The Boys of Summer to the version by The Ataris.

Stray Toasters

• I talked with the ‘rents today. They’re doing well.
• I exercised restraint in the Garden of Sweden, quite a feat for the Patron Saint of Poor Impulse Control.
• This looks interesting…
• The world is not enough
  But it is such a perfect place to start, my love
• For Derek: Stephen Colbert’s Tek Jansen #1
• If Daredevil is known as “The man without fear,” doesn’t it make more sense to juxtapose him with Hal Jordan (or any other Green Lantern), whose power derives from his/their ability to overcome fear (or, in Jordan’s case, be without fear)? Instead, they always stack him up against Batman. I can understand that, in the sense that aside from DD’s radar sense, he’s the closest thing to “baseline human without superpowers” to put up against Gotham’s protector… aside from the late Captain America. But still… *shrug*
• Pop Quiz: What do you do when the God of Hunger – the very same god you’re trying to destroy – shows up to say “Hi,” while you’re in the middle of trying to get one of the weapons you’re planning on using to destroy him?Did I mention “He’s a god,” already? I did? Okay… just wanted to be clear on that point.

  I think that it basically comes down to: “We’re boned.”
  (Remember Dunwich County? Yeah… that level of boned.)

• I realize that putting old shows on DVD and sticking ’em in your local video purveyor is the new “in” thing, but I would have never expected this show to get that treatment.
• Comic Urban Legend: Marvel Comics once had a line of female superhero comic books. Answer.

Time to figure out what I plan on doing for dinner… and what to do this evening.

Namaste.

Saturday – 14 July 2007
For reasons yet unknown, I was up at 8:15 this morning… after going to be sometime around 3:30. Not that this was a problem, per se, I just wasn’t expecting to be up quite so early.

Last night was apparently Rob the Route Planner (not to be confused with Bob the Builder) night – both Dad and Adam are travelling, and I was acting as remote navigator. Not a problem, especially as I’m kind of used to the role, but it was a little amusing. Adam is traveling a small portion of the route that I took when I moved out here, so I was passingly familiar with some of the things he should look for, but had to consult the Internet and a Rand McNally atlas to fill in some gaps when he got into an area that I didn’t travel. And I neglected to ask him to stop in Metropolis, Illinois to get a picture of the Superman statue. And, I just spoke with Dad; he’s about 10 miles out of Reidsville – he’s stopping in to see Mom and my stepfather and one of my aunts on his way home from West-by-God Virginia. He’s spoken with Adam this morning, who is already underway on the next leg of his trip.

Last night was also Clitorati night. Good turn out… and Acolyte Derek also put in an appearance at coffee. The conversation-to-musical reference generator in my head was turned up to 11. I think that it amused Chris S. to find out just how quickly – and randomly – it worked.

This morning, I watched a “new” episode of Legion of Super-Heroes: “Phantoms.” In it, Clark inadvertently releases a criminal from the Phantom Zone. This results in lots of property damage across New Metropolis as the Legion tries to wrangle him back into the Zone.

I saw Transformers (again) with <lj user=”duckspeaker”> and his… friend and/or co-worker (I think), Terry. Watching robots wantonly blow up lots of property is a great way to start off a Saturday afternoon.

The Best
New addition to the list: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy – I Wanna Be Like You (from The Jungle Book).
You can check out a version of it here.

Four-Color Coverage
This week’s take included eleven weeks of Countdown, DC’s latest weekly maxi-series that I had originally intended to skip… until I found out that Karate Kid seems to be featured in it. Which means that it’s a Legion tie-in, even if only tangentially. Which means that I am compelled to buy it. So, that said, let’s get to it:

• Action Comics #851 – Superman is trapped in the Phantom Zone, while General Zod, Ursa (and a few other Kryptonian villains) are free on Earth. But, just like Ringo Starr, Superman gets by with a little help from his friends. Or just one friend, in this case: Mon-El, who at this point had been in the Zone for about 15 – 20 years… of the 1,000 years that he would wind up being there.
• All-Star Superman #8 – More adventures on Bizarro World. And Lois discovers Superman’s secret. No, not that he’s Clark Kent (that was Issues #1 and 2… and she didn’t believe him). The secret that his mission to the sun in Issue #1 is killing him.
• City of Heroes #20 – Final issue. This issue has a big knockdown, drag out fight that lasts for seven pages, establishes a few changes in the CoH/CoV uniferse and alluded to a few things in the upcoming in-game update, Issue 10. There was a little too much exposition in this issue and it felt as though they tried to wrap things up a little too quickly. But, what’re ya gonna do?
• Countdown #51 – 42 – Something is amiss in the newly reborn DC Multiverse. The Monitors – DC’s answer to Marvel’s Watchers – are back; they who haven’t really been seen since 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths. Now, there are 52 of them – one for each level of the new multiverse. And, at least one of them is on a mission: Eliminate anomalies in the timestream/multiverse – namely, anyone who should be on one Earth, but has migrated to another one.The mysteries don’t end there. Why is Jimmy Olsen suddenly exhibiting superpowers? What’s happening to Mary Marvel? What are the Flash’s Rogues planning? What’s the story behind the Athenian Women’s Help Shelter… and what’s Harleen Quinzel’s angle? Who’s killing the New Gods? What is Monarch planning for the new multiverse?One thing that I am appreciating is a look at some of the between-the-pages scenes that occurred during “The Lightning Saga.” Case in point: A scene aboard the JLA Watchtower, with Dr. Mid-Nite, Dream Girl, Karate Kid and Starman looking down on Earth:
  

  Dr. Mid-Nite: Does she still look the same in your era? Or have we managed to completely pave her over by then?
  Karate Kid: Actually, Earth’s axis is tilted differently in our time. The South Pole’s in Australia…
  Dream Girl: Can we please not make chitchat? I’m worried about the others.
  Dr. Mid-Nite: Understood, Dream Girl, but we’ll find them, safe and sound, just like we found you.
  Karate Kid: We appreciate your Justice Society and Justice League putting everything into finding our lost teammates, Dr. Mid-Nite… but Dream Girl says one of us is going to die before this is all over, and she’s never wrong about these things.
  Dr. Mid-Nite: Perhaps… but all of you experienced memory loss when you arrived here from the thirty-first century. In the case of Starman, the cognitive impairment was, shall we say, even more profound. How do you know Dream Girl’s precognitive abilities aren’t similarly affected? Just let us finish tracking down your missing teammates’ flight rings. We’ll bring them back here safe, just like Dream Girl. And, hey, at least you’re not locked up in one of our holding cells anymore.
  Karate Kid: Aren’t we? You’ve given us free run of the station, but we’re effectively in quarantine up here.
  Dream Girl: Val, this man is trying to help us.
  Karate Kid: He’s diagnosing us, Nura. He knows a potential infection when he sees one.
  Dr. Mid-Nite: Fair enough, Karate Kid, but can you blame me for being cautious? You very nearly took down Batman!
  Karate Kid: I was mind controlled. I’m not a threat anymore.
  Dr. Mid-Nite: *hh* Do you know why you traveled a thousand years back in time to come here?
  Karate Kid: You know I don’t.
  Dr. Mid-Nite: Do any of you know why you’re here?
  *blank looks on Dream Girl, Karate Kid and Starman’s faces*
  Dr. Mid-Nite: Then until we’re sure your mission isn’t something along the lines of “Kill Sarah Conner,” I suggest you relax and enjoy the view.

  …and…

  *Karate Kid approaches Batman on a Gotham rooftop*
  Batman: People who try to sneak up on me usually regret it.
  Karate Kid: I’m sorry, Batman. I didn’t come to make trouble. I just wanted to say that the Legion is returning to the Thirty-First Century. I’m going to go rendezvous with them right now…
  Batman: Don’t let me keep you.
  Karate Kid: Before I go, I, uh… I am humbly grateful to have fought such a skilled martial artist–
  Batman: Don’t. You outfought me. Once. You wouldn’t in a rematch.
  Karate Kid: I wasn’t trying to rub your nose in it. I only wanted to… Never mind. *flies away*
  Batman: *smirking* Did you expect a sidekick job?

• Fantastic Four #547 – I think that this has to be one of my favorite issues of FF ever, if only for the following exchange between Storm, The Thing and The Black Panther:
  

  Storm: I can’t believe you said that.
  Thing: I didn’t say it, I’m just telling you what Michael said.
  Storm: You can tell Michael Collins that my hair is completely natural.
  Thing: Okay, you know. Whatever. Sorry I brought it up.
  Storm: This is not a weave. Go ahead.
  Thing: Go ahead what?
  Storm: See for yourself. Pull my hair.
  Thing: Are you nuts?
  Storm: *wrapping strands of hair in Ben’s hands* Hard as you want.
  Thing: I don’t want!
  Storm: Do it. *irritated look on her face*
  Thing: *lifts Storm a few inches off the floor… by her hair* There. Happy now?
  Storm: I think I proved my point.
  *Black Panther walks into the room*
  Thing: T’Challa, I can explain…
  Black Panther: Don’t bother. She’s very sensitive about her hair. Word of advice: As you value your life, never ask her if she’s wearing colored contact lenses.
  Storm: I ‘m not!
  Black Panther: I know, my love. *walks out of the room*

• Green Lantern #21 – Aftermath of the attack of the Sinestro Corps. 59 Green Lantern rings seek replacement bearers. Most of the Guardians are… ignoring… the Blackest Night prophecy. Two Guardians – Sayd and Ganthet (surprise) – don’t think that it’s a wise course of action…. and recruit Officer 2814.1 (Hal Jordan) to spearhead an attack against the Sinestro Corps. But, what is it that Hal Jordan (still) fears?
• Justice Society of America #7 – Another post-“Lightning Saga”thread weaves through this story, with Superman visiting Starman at the Sunshine Sanitarium:
  

  Starman: *singing* “…to make me fret, I fly a-round! I had strings, but now I’m free– there are no strings on me!” *walks into the cafeteria*
  Doctor: Good afternoon, Starman. You did a very good thing this morning, pulling that school bus from the river. You saved a lot of kids and made a lot of parents happy.
  Starman: Well, today should be a good day for everyone, Doctor. It’s Wednesday, after all.
  Floyd: Hi, Starman.
  Starman: Hi, Floyd. Oh, yes! *bends down to look at Sloppy Joes on the lunch counter* They don’t have these when I come from.
  *off-panel voice* Excuse me, Starman.
  Superman: I know the Justice Society wants a few words with you , but since we’re old friends– I asked for some time first. I want to know more about what’s happened with the Legion. And I want to know more about you.
  Starman: *chompf* You ‘anna ‘oppy ‘oe, Kal?
  Superman: I’d love one, Thom.
  *the pair get lunch trays and sit down*
  Starman: Aren’t you going to drink your milk?
  Superman: Um, no.
  Starman: It makes your bones stronger. You’re not still mad at me, are you, Kal?
  Superman: I’m not mad at you, Thom.
  Starman: The we’re still friends?
  Superman: The Legion will always be my friends.
  Starman: Mine too. I like Power Girl an awful lot, but not in the way I love my Dreamer. I can’t wait to see her again. *chompf*
  Superman: Why didn’t you go back with the other Legionnaires?
  Starman: I wanted to, but I can’t. I’m here to help.
  Superman: Help who?
  Starman: Myself. And Earth, too! The black hole is supposed to help her see the truth. Then he’ll come and why… the Justice Society of America shows us all the way. The world needs better good guys! That’s not just our world, you know. Or our time. But the future isn’t up to me to save. I have my own job. I have gravity powers! I’m quite happy about that. *uses his power to crush a milk carton*
  Superman: Why did the Legion come back here?
  Starman: There’s trouble in the 31st Century, you see. The big three say you can’t help them.
  Superman: Why not?
  Starman: Why Clark Kents can’t come! It’s common sense.
  Superman: When they opened the Speed Force, Wally West and his family came back.
  Starman: And they say lightning never strikes twice in the same place! Pfft! Just ask him.
  Superman: But is that why the Legion were here? To bring the Flash home?
  Starman: From the vibrational plane! Zip! Zoom! The Legion of three worlds! Do you remember XS? She had such a crush on you. And I got to meet another Thom and another Thom!
  Superman: I don’t understand what you’re talking about.
  Starman: Yeah. Me either.

• The New Avengers #32 – Welcome to “Who Wants to Be a Skrull-ionnaire?” There’s tension on the team. After last issue’s revelation that Skrulls may have replaced some of Marvel’s best and brightest, now the question looms: “Who can you trust?” In the New Av’s case: It seems to be no one. Not even your teammates. Where are Scully and Mulder when you need ’em?
• Supergirl #19 – Finally! FINALLY! Kara grows up, grows a pair (so to speak) and owns up for her actions – or lack thereof – over the past year. Maybe this book will actually see some progress and story advancement now…
• Ultimate Fantastic Four #43 – The Silver Surfer arrives… and he’s not exactly the harbinger of good news.
• Ultimate X-Men #84 – Wolverine lets off a little steam. Stryfe attracts the attention of a fleet of Sentinels. Bishop’s team of X-Men makes a public appearance.
• Uncanny X-Men #488 – Nightcrawler and the Professor go off in search of Magneto. The Morlocks declare war on the over-world. Storm, Hepzibah and Warpath head to the Morlock tunnels in search of some answers, which leads to this scene:
  

  Storm: Can both of you concentrate, please? We’re about to enter potentially hostile territory.
  Hepzibah: I do not like tunnels either, Storm. Especially not ones that stink of rats and vermin.
  Storm: For me, it’s a little bit worse than not liking them, Hepzibah. It’s worrying that they might drive me insane… *hovers down into the sewers*
  Hepzibah: Warpath? What does she mean?
  Warpath: Storm’s claustrophobic. Can’t take being in small places, or being boxed in. It takes all she’s got to even go into these tunnels.
  Hepzibah: Then let us not leave her on her own down there. *drops through manhole… into sewer water* Ukk. This is so unclean.
  Storm: Heh… you look…
  Hepzibah: Careful with your next words…
  Storm: I was just going to say… dignified. You look dignified. For a wet cat.
  Hepzibah: You are a brave woman, Storm. Very brave woman.
  Storm: You don’t know the half of it.

Stray Toasters

• I spoke with Dad and Adam again today; their respective trips are going well.
• I am going to have to replace my cell phone. Today. This one is on its last… hinge.
• To go to the Garden of Sweden or not to go? That is the question.
• I should install – and play – Locomotion. Finally. I’ve had it since God was a boy.
• I think that I’m actually craving Ika… and maybe a few other types of sushi.

Time to get something to eat and get some errands taken care of.

Namaste.

Friday – 13 July 2007
Thank God it’s…

Last night, after deciding what to do for dinner – being lazy and not wanting to go out to eat – I decided to take on Paragon City’s criminal element. As soon as I logged in, I was invited to join a team comprised of a few members of my supergroup. We fought The Council and Freakshow… and a hybrid Nictus-Freakshow (think “Freakshow, with some of the raw power of a Peacebringer or Warshade”) called “Shadow Freakshow.” There was some dying – and debt – involved. But, when all was said and done, I had reached Security Level 31. And I was alright with that.

Stray Toasters

• I was about to look up something on the Nictus-infused Freakshow and mistyped “city of heroes” as “city of herpes.” I caught the mistake before I hit ENTER, but I am almost afraid to think about what the results for that search would have looked like.
• Jesse, meet Sam.
• (among others) might dig on this: Steampunk Batman costume – for sale on eBay (I’m pretty sure that this link will go dead shortly after the auction closes, but I couldn’t pass up posting it. Thanks to for pointing this out!)
• We are a part of the Rhythm Nation.
  (We are, according to Janet. “Ms. Jackson,” if you’re nasty.”)
• DC Direct Action Figure Archive
• 
• , can you identify the other person (the one not in red-and-blue) on this cover? He looks… familiar.
  (And since he’s running around in Countdown, does that make it a Legion crossover maxi-series?)
• My calves hurt.
• Be selective
  Be objective
  Be an asset to the collective
• Notable citizens of Salt Lake – I grok seven of those; the other three…? Not so much. And what about the ever-lovable B’Orrin Snatch?

Namaste.

Thursday – 12 July 2007
Last night, after saving the world – or at least a portion of Paragon City – I stretched out on the bed, thinking, “I’ll lie here for a minute and then get a shower and get a little reading before bed.”

Three-hundred-fifteen minutes later, I woke up.
Road to Hell, meet my friends: Good Intentions, Handbasket and Gasoline Drawers.

But, I didn’t wake up with a headache this morning. And it didn’t take long to cut through the “I’m tired” haze, either.

The Scales of Justice
I logged into CoH and looked for a team to join.

Nada. Zip. Zilch. Sorry. No go, Flight.

So, I boarded the train and headed to Brickstown. I had a mission there and if nothing else, I could happily get pummeled to death (again) by Freakshow, Crey or The Council. A minute or two after stepping off the train, I was invited to join a Level 29 Blaster who was hunting Crey and Council. I did. And we beat on them mercilessly. A few more minutes passed and I was messaged by a member from my supergroup who wanted to team; I dropped from the hunt and joined up… and wound up leading the team. We got some decent experience out of the deal and I didn’t die, which is always a bonus.

Stray Toasters

• I want crab cakes. Or salmon cakes. But, I’d happily settle for a Tastykake.
• By way of Dwim: Zombie infestation simulation
• Mortuary novelty gift shop
• …and since we’re on a roll: Dead Man’s Party (video)
• I dream of rain
  I dream of gardens in the desert sand

  It has rained in the valleys. Our temps have dropped by almost 30°F.

• : [link]
  : In the name of the OJ, the eggs and the holy toast
  : Amen.
  : *genuflect*
• Sidewalk stencil choose-your-own-adventure
• 
• The computer virus turns 25
• It seems as though and I will be going to see Robots Blowing Shit Up on Saturday.
• “Reclaime”
• Cotton Candy. Spun sugar goodness… no matter what Tyranist says.

/lunch

Namaste.

I was having a conversation with about Order of the Phoenix. Here are some excerpts:

[16:53]: So… you weren’t pleased with Phoenix last night?
[16:53]: i liked it, but i was just really dissapointed in the the death scene, which was all changed from the book
[16:53]: and then just not explaining things
[16:53]: They’re taking into account – or just “for granted” – that everyone knows.
[16:54]: yeah.. they really are
[16:54]: i hope everyone has
[16:54]: lol
[16:54]: The only difference that I wasn’t “thrilled” with was Umbridge.
[16:54]: lots of little things that just never get explained
[16:54]: i actually loved her
[16:54]: I wanted to see her get zapped silly.
[16:54]: You…
[16:54]: Oh, look at the time.
[16:54]: i did
[16:54]: she was evil
[16:54]: I…. have…. a thing…. with…. someone……. somewhere.
[16:54]: shut up
[16:55]: and not enough snape.. my fav character and never and screen time
[16:55]: enough
[16:55]: It’s not Snape and the Order of the Phoenix
[16:55]: *ducks*
[16:55]: LOL
[16:56]: it was the prettiest of the films
[16:56]: Yes.
[16:56]: It was.
[16:56]: And the Jedi fight at the end was good, too.
[16:56]: and i was so happy the death eaters no longer looked like army of darkness KKK members
[16:56] : hahahahahaha
[16:56] : well they did

…and…

[17:02] : oh and voldy in a suit was hot
[17:02] : heh
[17:02] : just saying
[17:02] : LOL
[17:03] : Actually, this movie made me like Luna
[17:03] : The actress who played her was good.
[17:03] : i know… she was perfect
[17:03] : She didn’t come off as a complete flake.
[17:03] : Just a little… spacy
[17:03] : just a little off

And, that’s about the time that iTunes started playing Rhapsody in Blue. Great piece of music. But, hearing it wasn’t enough. I had to see it. Fortunately, I had The Fantasia Anthology here and could watch it. If you’ve never seen it, you can catch it, in two parts, on YouTube (1, 2). I think that they did an excellent job of tying the animation into the music.

And that’s all I have to say. For now.

Stray Toasters

• I didn’t know that Carmen was a Harry Potter fan. According to , she’s pretty avid/rabid about the book-to-movie adaptations. I’ll be interested to hear how she receives Order of the Phoenix.
• My inner six-year-old thinks that this is neat… and covets it.
• – Vermont town voted Simpsons home
• Chicken-fish! (for )
• SATA. Motherboard. PATA. (You know who you are…)
• “Ensign So-and-So, why don’t you go over there and investigate those strange readings…”

*voop*

Wednesday – 11 July 2007
Last night was Harry Potter night. Many thanks, major kudos and a danke schen to for getting us tickets to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I thought that it was a good adaptation of (what I remember from) the book. Perfect? I don’t know that I’d call it “perfect,” but it was fun… exactly as a summer movie should be. I even referred to it as “…a great Star Wars movie.” No, there were no lightsabers or AT-ATs or Aluminum Falcons Millennium Falcons… but there was a very good wizards’ battle at the movie’s climax, which I thought had the same feel as the ‘saber battle in Empire Strikes Back – this is what I wanted to see. Go check it out.

Post-movie, I had dinner with , Mr. and Mrs. , Vikki and Chris. I found out that the went kayaking this weekend.

This morning, I woke up with a headache the size of… um… well, it hurt a lot. So I ignored the alarm (and the iPod) and rolled over to try and see if a little more sleep would help abate it. It did, to a degree. But, not enough of one.

Stray Toasters

• On the way to the theatre, Queen’s “A Kind of Magic” made its way into the iPod music rotation. It made me laugh.
• : You should touch base with ; he seems to have discovered an affinity for kayaking.
• 
• Transformers may be “More than meets the eye,” but what happens when they meet the Blendtec?
• By way of : Eyes Wide Shut – blindfolded artists draw their famous characters.
• 
• Pixel Mario cake made from cupcake squares
• Steampunk motorcycles

Attack the day like birds of prey…

Namaste.

Tuesday – 10 July 2007
This morning started off well enough, but was made more interesting/amusing by the following tidbit from Tyranist:

More Hasbro products begging for the Michael Bay movie treatment

The first few are… okay, but the last one put a wicked grin on my face.

Stray Toasters

• Last night, for the first time in far too long, I fired up the GameBoy. Advance SP, kids. I played a game of Madden 2003. As the Ravens. And won. If you remember anything about the 2003 season, you know that the Ravens weren’t exactly a… um… well, let’s just say that they weren’t a great team. But, the key point is: I won.
• Pretzel Goldfish.
• 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 S.O.S.
• 
• Librarians pimp their book carts
• 

Namaste.

Sunday – 08 July 2007: coda
Today was good. Lazy. Relaxed. And just… plain… good.
More about today after this break to backfill last night’s experience:

I neglected to mention that I went downtown last night to see Diane Schuur with the Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra. She put on a nice set. I think that I knew – somewhere in the back of my head – that she played piano, but for some reason spaced it off until seeing her play last night. *duhr* After her set, I stayed to watch Luther Hughes & The Cannonball-Coltrane Project, a five-piece band (upright bass, trumpet, sax, piano and drums) I liked them. Sure, some of the jokes between the songs were a bit stale/corny, but when they were playing… man, they were pretty hot.

I woke up this morning; I considered that a good start to the day. From there, I proceeded to do a whole lot of nothing for the next few hours. And that was fine. After a while, though, it wasn’t fine, so I decided to run a few errands.

And get a mocha.
Naturally.

Mocha was acquired. Errands were run. Then, it was time to find something for lunch… but I didn’t want the same old same. Jitterbug fit the bill, nicely. Post-food, I drove down to hang out with Kate, Perry and the kids for a bit… and came home with a few new pieces of plastic crack.

I did a few things around the apartment – including rehanging some pictures – before heading downtown to catch the final act of the Jazz Festival: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. It was the second time I’ve seen them in the past… year or so. And the show, though shorter, was every bit as good. They ended their set with Go-Daddy-O… and then filed offstage. People started leaving, but I stood in place – there was no way that they could end a show without doing their signature piece, So Long, Farewell, Goodbye. A minute or two later, they reappeared onstage and went into it. Before ending the song, Scotty broke into a few measures of Sweet Home Alabama and the rest of the band joined in. The crowd… went… nuts. I would love to hear them do a full version of that, I bet that it would rock eight ways from Sunday and in ways that Lynyrd Skynyrd never imagined. It was a great end to the festival. And, I may have to try and catch them in Vegas next month, God willing and the creek don’t rise.

Stray Toasters

• I am talking with the lovely Ms. … and you are not.
• I am also enjoying a glass of Merlot. And you are not.
• Diamond Select will be adding a Sue Storm statue (click the image) to their catalog. It reminded me that I still wouldn’t mind tracking down one of their Jean Grey statues (click the image).
• Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow
• 
• Steampunk Magazine – available for free download
• Indexed
• “…said the [click] to the [click].”
• Latest Chinese Safety Problem: Exploding Cell Phone Batteries
• , you may want to check this out.
• When I see this, the caption in my head says, “Daaaaaay-O! Day-ay-ay-O!”

Namaste.

By way of comes this.

Saturday – 07 July 2007
So far today, I…

• ..overslept and missed this morning’s episode of Legion of Super Heroes. (I’d seen it before.)
• Cleaned the apartment.
• Read a good bit of Vision of the Future

just got here. She wants to go to the Garden of Sweden. Who am I to say no to a trip there?!

ZOOM!

Friday – 06 July 2007
And so, another week comes to a close.

I’m trying something a little different with this post: I turned off the PostAvatar plugin because it seems to cause WordPress to eat posts. Which it did to this post a little while ago. Which it has done many times before. Which is annoying. So, I’ll just try embedding the icons by hand, for a bit and see how that works out.

Jason, James and I had off-site training today. It was good. There were interesting applications of technology. There were sections on personnel relations, including inter-office communications. There were exercises in creative thinking. And… and… Oh, Hell. We went to see Transformers. There. I said it. It had action. A little suspense. Lots of shit blowing up – even more that Live Free or Die Hard! And it was fun. Sure, there are old-school purists who will find things to complain about:

“Waaaah, Bumblebee is supposed to be a Volkswagen…”
“Optimus Prime never had ghost flames…!”
“According to episode blah-blah-blah…”

I would just like to remind those people of one tiny, miniscule, almost-insignificant fact: It’s a movie… based on a cartoon… based on a line of toys. Sit down. Shut up. Enjoy the ride. It’s fun. Thank you, move along. *ahem* Where was I? Oh, yeah… It was fun. Definitely worth seeing.

The Salt Lake City International Jazz Festival opens this evening; I might even go to coffee a little late, so that I can hear Diane Reeves perform. And the festival closes down with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Yeah… I’ll be spending a little time downtown this weekend.

Stray Toasters

• I have an idea for my new lyric-to-drawing piece. Now I just need to draw it…
• is trying to kill me. Again. This time, this is her weapon of choice.
• It seems as though my young acolyte/apprentice has started the clock on his fifteen minutes of fame – he’s the one talking about the Wii in the home video clip.
• 
• A few days ago, made a comment about Marvin Gaye’s version of The Star-Spangled Banner being the “best version ever.” I’m not sure that I agree with that, but I did agree with his choice of Ray Charles’ America the Beautiful. For many years, I’ve thought that the late Mr. Charles’ rendition is the definitive version. That led me to consider other songs that have been covered by different artists and which of those versions I consider “The Best.” So far, I’ve come up with the following:
  • Al Jarreau – Since I Fell for You
  • Sinead O’Connor – Nothing Compares 2 U
  • Tina Turner – The Bitch Is Back
  • Bruce Willis (yes, that “Bruce Willis”) – Good Lovin’
  • Was (not Was) – Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone
  • Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (ft. Henry Rollins) – War
  • Me’Shell Ndegeocello – Poison Ivy

  I’ll be adding to this list, as I remember/discover other songs that fit the bill. I may even make it an item/feature unto itself

• Microsoft to extend Xbox 360 warranty, take $1 billion hit
• Dwim showed me this video yesterday. It made me laugh. A lot.
• 
• Arf Forum: Unholy Marriage of Art & Comics
• I [heart] my blender.
• Laptop typewriter mod
• Blood ties: Yakuza daughter lifts lid on hidden hell of gangsters’ families

Up out.

Namaste.

Thursday – 05 July 2007
The work week resumes.

Yesterday was good. I spent part of the day hanging out with Kate, Perry and the kids… and part of the day with and family. And stuff. And whatnot. We only half-saw the fireworks last night, due to an obstructed view. Damned dirty trees! (Wow… I just had a horrible “Planet of the Acers” pun run through my head.) Although, we did see, hear and almost get set on fire by the ones that ‘ neighbors.

This morning, there were far more monkeys on the road than I would have ordinarily expected. The only real annoyance with them came near the tail end of the commute, so I shouldn’t complain too much. Speaking of which, had the (mis)fortune of hearing me rail at/against a slew of road monkeys – affectionately referred to as “cock monkeys,” if I recall correctly – Tuesday afternoon.

Stray Toasters

• Sometimes, whether it be Providence, Fate, Karma, cybermancy, technopathy or just lucky happenstance, you wind up hearing a song on your iPod that you haven’t heard in a long time. And it will make you smile. I was the beneficiary of such a circumstance while taking my morning constitutional.
• Speaking of music that makes me smile: The Salt Lake City Jazz Festival is this weekend.
• is trying to kill me. How do I know? She sent me a link to this.
• – Irish children swept out to sea
• – Indian woman strips in dowry row
• 
• First Amendment mob of photogs hit Silver Spring on July 4
• I started with a dream
  But came to a decision
  I started with a dream
  But now I have a mission
  I have a goal
  To see beyond my vision
  With imagination
  I’ll get there
• Cassandra Wilson, Impromtu
• Design story behind memorial for Madrid train bombings
• 

Time to pick up and put down heavy things.

Namaste.

Wednesday: 04 July 2007
Happy July 4th… to those to whom it applies.

Many people fought so that we can have the freedoms that we enjoy today. They proved that with enough people gathered behind a cause, anything can be changed. Take time to remember that the day is about more than cookouts and sales and fireworks.

The Fourth of July reminds me of my paternal grandparents. Growing up, I would often spend a few weeks in the summer with them. Those parts of my vacation usually bridged the Fourth of July weekend. Every Fourth, my grandparents would pack me into their car and drive to Princeton to see the fireworks. I’d sit on the hood of the car, looking up over the shopping center, watching the various pyrotechnics. (To this day, my favorite display remains the chrysanthemum.) After everything was over – with my ears ringing and a slight headache from the explosions – we’d get back into the car and head home. I was usually asleep shortly after we got out of the parking lot.

This morning, despite turning off the alarm and not placing Nomad in the SoundDock, I was awake at 6:20 AM. Six. Twenty. For no discernible reason. *grblsnrkx* After staring at the clock for a few moments, I rolled over and went back to sleep. When I finally decided to get up and out of bed, I made coffee showered… and then proceeded to do a lot of nothing. I called Kris – she’s out of class today for the holiday.

Game night was canceled last night, so I had the opportunity to find something else to entertain myself. My weapon of choice: A movie. Live Free or Die Hard. It was good. Fun. Witty. Good writing. Sure, there were a few scenes that required some suspension of disbelief. But, you know what you’re getting when you walk into the theatre. I wasn’t disappointed. There were a couple of interesting trailers before the movie, as well: War, The Kingdom and… Hitman (which, if I am not mistaken, is based upon the video game series). Also, Timothy Olyphant, the lead antagonist, reminded me of a young Billy Bob Thornton in a few close-up shots.

Stray Toasters

• I fear that two of my interests (addictions/obsessions) are beginning to merge: I have an urge to build a replica of LSH HQ out of LEGO bricks.
• I have finally upgraded to Firefox 2.0 One change that will take some getting used to is the “X” on each tab, rather than the “x” at the end other Tab bar.
• 
• Ursula LeGuin rips into Slate Magazine

And now… time to hang out and have some coffee.

Namaste.