Random Access

Monday – 15 August 2011
A new week greets us with sun and scattered clouds. This comes after a night of thunder, lightning and rain — I’m not really sure “who” did “what” to Thor, but he was really on one last night.

The weekend was good. And, as is often the case with weekends “too short.” This isn’t to say that we didn’t get a lot accomplished – we did – but I wouldn’t have argued with a little more downtime. Highlights of the weekend include:

• Hearing Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture – complete with cannon – at the Deer Valley Music Festival
• Judging a ‘Clix tournament for Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection
• Seeing Cowboys and Aliens with SaraRules! and
• Setting up/putting away more baby items
• Putting together a gallery of invitations from our baby showers
• FINALLY cleaning out the detritus left under our deck by our home’s previous owners!
• Dinner with the in-laws, including my first Charlie Chan movie

Cowboys and Aliens was fun. It was a decent western. It was also a decent alien movie. And, even better: It combined the two fairly well. Daniel Craig is almost always a pleasure to watch act. It was also fun to see Harrison Ford in a role as a… less-than-savory character again. (It’s been a long time since Han Solo was a true scoundrel…) And, the movie also had Thirteen Quorra Olivia Wilde, which is a “Win” in my book. Well done, Mr. Favreau.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
Stop Coddling the Super-Rich, from Warren Buffett (Yes… “THAT Warren Buffett“).

Stray Toasters

• Google to but Motorola Mobility for $12.8 billion
• The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan
• The Alpha Male
• The 16 longest gaps between Interstate exits
• 
• Astronaut Photographs Perseid Meteor… From Space
• Chinese space lab set to soar
• London Police Use Flickr to Identify Looters
• State Challenges Seen as Whittling Away Federal Education Law
• I’m hoping not to be – or turn into – this guy…

  

  …or this…

  

• Flight failure won’t stop ‘mad scientists’
• Resist
• As Networks Speed Up, Data Hits a Wall
• Star Wars icons join Queen Elizabeth on Pacific Island coin

Right on to the friction of the day…

Namaste.

Friday – 12 August 2011
Four down, one in the chamber. It’s the end of the week and all’s well.

This morning, we had another doctor’s appointment. This time, it was a “non-stress test.” The kids, though wriggly, were pretty cooperative. The nurse said that they were doing fine, based on the readings.

Last night was the first night of football in the 2011 preseason. *genuflect* ESPN had the Seattle vs. Sandy Eggo game. (Not my first choice, but it was football.) I found out, a little while later that NFL Network was rebroadcasting other games, including…

Baltimore Ravens at Philadephia Eagles
6 – 13
The Ravens, after a number of changes in the offseason, headed north to take on the Eagles. It was not a pretty game. In fact, it looked like something from a few seasons back. Fortunately, it was a preseason game, which means that “it doesn’t really count” in the long run. And, most importantly, the Ravens went home without any major injuries to players. What was wrong? QB Tyrod Taylor threw a couple INTs. One I’ll say was a bad call on his part; the other looked like the receiver should have caught it. And, generally speaking, the defense left far too many gaps and open spots in the field for Eagles’ players to pass/catch/run through. T Oneil Cousins got seriously owned on the left side of the line. They were breaking him down like fractions. Yeah… it was that bad. And, generally speaking, the O-line didn’t provide the QBs any protection. There were as many – if not more – white jerseys in the backfield as purple ones. Was there anything “good” about the game?  Yes. TE Dennis Pitta showed some great ball-tracking and handling skills, especially as seen in his opening drive catch over FS Kurt Coleman. LB Paul Kruger also showed off some speed and tackling skill. Tyrod Taylor, INTs aside, put on a decent performance. Next, the Ravens take on the Houston Texans. Let’s hope that they take the lessons learned from this game and apply them…

Stray Toasters

• In a Summer Heat Wave, Making Off With the Cool
• Marvel LOLcats
• Metaphor: The Tree of Utah
• Cameron Exploring Crack Down on Social Media After Riots
• By way of BoingBoing: Revised London Olympics logo, now with rioter

  

• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
• Church Brawl: Minister and Deacon Charged in Alabama Tasing and Stabbing
• Farming with Dynamite
• Captain Morgan, the Rum Pirate, Lends a Knee to Hip Dislocation
• Genetically tailored virus may cure leukemia
• Postal Service considers cutting 120,000 jobs

And tonight: Cannons in the canyon and the Perseid Meteor Shower!

Namaste.

Wednesday – 10 August 2011
Two down, one in the chamber and two to go. It’s midweek and all’s well. It’s not a game night – and most likely, a non-sushi day – but there will be new things to read at Dr. Volt’s; that’s good enough for me.

This morning, I woke up with Europe’s The Final Countdown playing in my head. Why? No idea.

Last night was a fairly quiet and low-key night around the homestead. Highlights included a phone call with my mother, a very tasty dinner (chicken, couscous and corn — The ‘C’ Trifecta of Dinner!) that SaraRules! fixed, and SportsCenter. Speaking of SportsCenter, I heard this… odd… item on there. Although, it’s not so odd when you consider the source, actually:

Patriots receiver Chad Ochocinco is still settling into his new surroundings in New England, and he’s taking an unusual approach to his living situation.
“I’m going to do something different, I’m actually going to stay with a fan for the first two, three weeks of the season,” he said Tuesday. “That should be fun, until I get myself acclimated and learn my way around.”

Ochocinco hasn’t yet picked the fan.

“I’m not sure how it’s going to work, but they have to have internet and have to have Xbox,” he said. “That’s about it.”

Asked if he was serious, Ochocinco said, “Have I ever lied to you before?”

Told there were some “crazy” fans, Ochocinco said, “I rode a bull.”

Yeah. The man is the walking, talking embodiment of the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file.

Stray Toasters

• Londoners strike back with ‘Operation Riot Clean-up’
• Test Can Tell Fetal Sex at 7 Weeks, Study Says
• ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ vs. the Internet: How has a culture of leaks changed the moviegoing experience?
• QR Codes on Athletes’ Butts Is a Stupid, Sexist Idea
• 
• Heavy Trucks to be Subject to New Rules for Mileage
• Soldering Is Easy
• Ty Templeton simplifies comic fandom’s problem with the new Ultimate Spider-Man:

  

• Sillof’s Workshop: Serial Wars — Star Wars reimagined as a 1940’s serial
• Hacker to Demonstrate ‘Weak’ Mobile Internet Security
• 
• And in a somewhat related note: Oops! A Phone Number on a Toy Truck Turned Out to Be a Sex Line
• Giant water nymph causes a stir in Hamburg

Namaste.

Monday – 08 August 2011
Another work week begins… and I might just be in need of another weekend to recover from this past weekend. Suffice if to say that the weekend was good, but very full.

Friday afternoon, I did some running around.  While this included a trip to The Train Shoppe, I left empty-handed. I went to the U of U surplus, as well. I didn’t manage to leave without picking something up, though — I got a new-to-us receiver to replace the one that I’ve had since my sophomore year at Purdue. (It’s been a good unit, but has some issues…)

Friday evening, SaraRules! and I headed to ‘s place for the first of the weekend’s baby showers. It was a horror movie-themed shower, complete with:

• blood-spattered wall,
• chainsaw,
• machete (not Machete),
• meat cleaver, and a
• pitchfork.

It was quite possibly the most entertaining shower I have ever attended. Thanks to and for organizing it.

Saturday, while SaraRules! headed to Quilt Club, I mowed the lawn. After that, it was time to get ready for Shower #2, at the in-laws’ place.  This one was a more traditional shower… but, thankfully, without the horribly embarrassing games. And, it was also a lot of fun. Saturday evening found us at the home of our friends, Joe and Rebecca, for RibFest ’11. Death. By. Meat. I’d say “Holy cow,” but I’m worried that it would come off as me trying to be punny.  (Besides, they were pork ribs.) Regardless, they were unbelievably good.

Yesterday, we – along with my mother-in-law – went to Park City for the Park City Kimball Arts Festival. We got there around 9:30, at SaraRules!’ request, which turned out to be just perfect — it wasn’t crowded, nor was it very hot. We saw many nice pieces of art. I also went to Larry Stevenson‘s booth, as I would like something for the twins’ room… but decided that it would probably be better to see whether we have boys and/or girls before making a decision.

Stray Toasters

• My body was (still) a little achy from Friday’s workout when I woke up this morning. I will blame that for The Spin Doctors’ Shinbone Alley/Hard To Exist running through my head this morning.
• Baby’s Palate and Food Memories Shaped Before Birth
• Atlanta School Year Begins Amid a Testing Scandal
• Overriding a Key Education Law
• 

• For SaraRules!: Watching Skateboarding Fails at 1000 FPS Is Actually Quite Fun
• Can You Name the Famous Inventors?
  (I got 10 in the time limit.  Even after the answers were revealed, I only knew three others.)
• Ravens Agree to Deal With Ricky Williams
• Ricky Williams joins Baltimore Ravens’ backfield
  From this story comes another interesting item: Ronnie Brown is going to the Eagles. Michael Vick and Ronnie Brown… on the same team. Can you imagine what their Wildcat formations will be like?
• I just looked at the schedule. Guess who we get in our first Preseason game: The Eagles.
• 
• From Cuba to Florida: A 61-Year-Old Starts the 103-Mile Swim
• International Read Comics in Public Day is coming up.
• Is Technology Making Everyone You Work With a Dick?
• Mmm…. Chow Truck.

Namaste.

Friday – 05 August 2011
It’s my day off. So far, I’ve celebrated that by sleeping in, watching the Juno mission launch on NASA TV and then going to the gym. All things considered, I’d have to say that’s a good way to start the day. I’m trying to figure out how to spend the next few hours. “Housework” just does not hold an appeal, so I believe that I’ll go gallivanting around town.

Today is also my friend, Christine’s, birthday:

Last night, SaraRules! and I had dinner at the local Outback Steakhouse. And it was even her idea. Win-Win! Cheese Fries. Prime Rib. Delicious. After that, it was a lazy do-nothing kind of night, complete with Burn Notice and Suits and – for the first time in a long while – a whole episode of Le Late Late Show avec Craig Ferguson in Paris.

Workout
As I mentioned, I actually dragged myself to the gym today:

• Elliptical: 15 min, 1.45 mi
• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps — 2 sets @ 165 lbs, 1 set @ 175 lbs
• Sit-ups (incline): 3 sets/15 reps
• Flys (dumbbell, bench): 3 sets/10 reps, 20 lbs
• Curls (dumbbell, seated): 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs
• Shoulder Press (dumbbell, seated): 3 sets/10 reps, 40 lbs

It wasn’t the world’s longest workout, but it was more than enough to get the blood pumping.

Stray Toasters

• Guardians of Internet Security Are Targets
• Office equipment open to hacker attacks
• How Can You Dress Well at Every Age?
• Let’s Be Friends Again often pokes fun at the comics industry, but I particularly appreciated the commentary that accompanied this comic:
  
• Are Dolphins flirting with Brett Favre?
  I hope not…
• Atlas rockets could carry astronauts to space again
• Ford Is Purging CD Players From Their Cars
• From the Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Japanese company makes creepy dolls that look like their owners

Time to get “right on the to friction of the day…”

Namaste.

Wednesday – 03 August 2011
It’s another midweek. Not only is it new comics day, but it’s also Sushi Wednesday… now I just have to decide whether or not I want to take the time out of the middle of my day to go. This decision is also weighted by the fact that I took the casual approach to coming in to the office this morning — I didn’t get here until nearly 0815. So, we’ll see how I play the lunch card.

Last night was supposed to be 3.5 game night at ‘ place. Only and I showed up, so it turned into a gab session… which was just fine. It also meant that I was able to head home a little early and hang out with SaraRules!, who hosted her book club meeting last night. In addition to their discussion book, the other ladies all brought presents — books for us to read to the kids.  It was a very kind and generous gesture.

Stray Toasters

• For some reason, I had the chorus from I Am a Rock playing in my head this morning.
• Interpreting, Observing Ramadan
• This item, by way of Cult of Mac, makes an interesting prediction: Apple Will Murder OS X and Replace It With iOS on All Macs Starting in 2012
• City Opera to Lose Music Director
• 
• The Best Super Power (Is Not What You Think)
• N.J. Dunkin Donuts worker caught in ‘extra sugar’ sex sting
  This puts an entirely different spin on the whole “Time to make the donuts…” tagline.
• One Ordinary Day in One Extraordinary Life
• Stalemate in Senate Leaves 4,000 Out of Work at F.A.A.
• Esquire Style Presents: The American Revolution
• 
• Teenager’s Path and a Killing Put Spotlight on Mental Care
• It’s been around for a while, but Brilliantly Sarcastic Responses to Completely Well-Meaning Signs still makes me smile.

Quote of the Day
Today’s quote comes from the “The Best Super Power” item:

Flying is a power you can only use to rub in other peoples’ faces…

I guess that’s somewhat true.

Namaste.

Tuesday – 26 July 2011
Day two of the work week finds me down in the south 40 again. Unfortunately, I am braving it alone, as Minion #2 is on vacation this week. I shall persevere.

Last night, SaraRules! and I made a pilgrimage to the Garden of Sweden. All was well. We also decided to grab dinner at the local In-N-Out Burger. And, after we returned home, I set about migrating my MacBook from Snow Leopard to Lion. So far, it seems pretty decent. I’ll need to poke around under the hood a bit and see just how similar or different it is.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
Both of today’s items come by way of my friend, Janie. She’s found a couple of items in the news that are somewhat thought-provoking and pretty much straight out of the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:

• Arkansas High School Appoints Co-Valedictorian Because Top Student Was African-American
• Black Student Not Allowed to Be Valedictorian
• Beck: Norway camp smacks of ‘Hitler Youth’

Stray Toasters

• Put This On: A Web Series About Dressing Like a Grownup
• For SaraRules!: Little Lambs, Not the Sheep, Get Early Lessons in the Rodeo Life
• Study Shows Racial Wealth Gap Grows Wider
• Wealth gap widens for whites over blacks, Hispanics
• 
• NFL, players announce new 10-year labor agreement
• Ravens to Release Key Players
• The trailer for Legend of Korra has made its debut:

• Zurich seeking immunity from covering Sony over breach
• My boss just asked me “How’s AF?” (asking how things are in this office today)
  I responded: “It’s AFU.”
  He laughed.  I’m glad that he understands.
• 
• I just heard this prayer – given before a NASCAR race this past weekend – on the commute to work. It’s hilarious.

Quote of the Day
Today’s nugget of wisdom comes from Top Gear‘s own Jeremy Clarkson:

“Speed has never killed anyone. Suddenly becoming stationary, that’s what gets you.”

Namaste.

Friday – 15 July 2011
Another 9/80 “on” Friday in the valley. I’m in the office, with a frozen mocha, a couple of doughnuts and Weapon of Choice on iTunes. I’m at work, but it doesn’t totally suck… and I’m okay with that.

Last night, SaraRules! and I had another childbirth class. One of the things we learned about was breathing techniques. I was (somewhat) able to control my laughter when this came up, because I couldn’t get Bill Cosby’s routine about childbirth out of my head:

There was another part of the class where our instructor talked about methods to help induce labor. At one point she said “Jumping on a tramp.”  Logically, I know that she meant “jumping on a trampoline,” but in my head I got a F*ck Yeah Headlines-like image of a pregnant woman jumping up and down on the back of a vagrant. Again, I managed to stifle (most of) my laughter.

After we got home, SaraRules! and I also started filling out some sections of the babies’… er… baby books. We went with the Guess How Much I Love You: My Baby Book for both kids. We are jointly filling in pages, so there’s uniformity between the books.

Groove. Boogie. Sway.
This morning’s musical selections have been good:

• Stevie Wonder – Superstition
• No Doubt – Hella Good
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Runnin’ Down a Dream
• Prince – Let’s Go Crazy, and
• the aforementioned Fatboy Slim – Weapon of Choice

Well done, iTunes. Well done indeed.

Stray Toasters

• Let’s start with a few comics-related items:
• CCI apologizes for asking Matt Wayne to change his Dwayne McDuffie tribute
• If you’re not reading Love and Capes – especially after all of the times I’ve told you strongly suggested that you should be reading it – then you’re missing out on a fun, well-written book.

  

  Because of a shipping snafu, I just got my copy of IDW’s Love and Capes: Ever After #5 yesterday… two weeks late.  Despite having a major plot point spoiled last week, there were plenty of other surprises in the issue. It was a fantastic read and well worth the delay — author/artist Thom Zahler truly knocked this one out of the park.

• Hester Rebuilds “The Bionic Man”
• Chris Evans delivers Letterman’s superhero-themed Top 10 List
• Big monkey goes around the world
  Big monkey underground
  Big monkey got a mighty voice
  Big monkey make no sound

  Yep… I’m still amused by that.

• Esquire’s Very Specific Guide to the Great Outdoors
• My friend, Peggy, posted a link to Seven Things That Women Do on Facebook That Guys Hate. While I don’t necessarily “hate” these items, I’ll admit that I just don’t “get” Item #2: Making That Duck Face. I don’t see what’s made it so common/popular. *shrug* Maybe it’s me. Maybe it’s Maybelline.
• 
• New Frederick railroad museum brings world of delight to all ages
  Check out the museum’s website, as well.
• With Deal on Rookie Wages, N.F.L. Lockout Nears the End
• Report: NFL owners, players agree on rookie wage scale
• According to an article on Comic Book Resources:
  

  Borders Group, the second-largest bookstore chain in the United States, could be liquidated as early as next week if no other suitors step forward by Sunday evening, the deadline established by a federal bankruptcy court.

• Internet Use Affects Memory, Study Finds
• Aria resort in Las Vegas linked to 6 Legionnaire’s cases

Namaste.

Thursday – 14 July 2011
Today is Bastille Day.

Last night was the release event for WizKids!’ Captain America HeroClix set. One of the nice things about release nights: I don’t have to judge the events, so I just get to play. (This isn’t to say that I don’t get asked rules questions, however… but I’m not the event judge, so I’m not constantly doing my best impression of the Shell Answer Man.) It was a 300-point sealed draft: Pick your team, up to 300 points, from two (2) booster boxes. I got obliterated in the first round, only picking off one of my opponent’s figures… for a whopping 57 points. The second round, my dice apparently woke up; I cleared my opponent’s team and didn’t lose anyone. In the third round, it came down to one figure for each of us… and I wound up on the losing side of the beatdown.  (Although, I was apparently “only” one click away from taking out Nick Fury.) All-in-all, I had a good time.

Today, as SaraRules! just pointed out to me, is going to be a long day: I was up and out of the house before 0700 this morning… and I won’t be done with the day until 2100 or so tonight, thanks to our childbirthing class. Good thing I stopped for a cup of frozen mocha motivation on the way in.

Groove. Boogie. Sway.
This morning’s iTunes bit o’ random play included:

• Blackstreet (ft. Mya and Ma$e) – Take Me There
• Rush – The Big Money
• Cruxshadows – Winter Born (This Sacrifice)
• Smashing Pumpkins – The End Is the Beginning Is the End
• Pink Floyd – Learning to Fly
• Gwen Stefani – Hollaback Girl

Stray Toasters

• For SaraRules!: Cuba’s first-ever zombie/horror film: “Juan of the Dead”
• A Message from NASA Astronauts to the Space Shuttle Workforce
  NOTE: This video starts as soon as the page finishes loading.
• Zeus for Android steals one-time banking passwords
• By way of MarknTyme comes this dice stacking video. Bizarre.
• 
• USA tops France 3-1 to advance to World Cup title game
• A couple of comics-related items:
• The Dwayne McDuffie tribute Comic-Con International wouldn’t print
• On Gender & Race in “Fear Itself” #4 and “Flashpoint” #3 – Don’t Say That’s Just for White Boys”
• Borders Faces Liquidation After Takeover Bid’s Rejection
• New Music Service Offers Music in Quantity, Not by Song
• Got Spotify? Here’s How to Use It
• Banks will no longer sell Savings Bonds
• 
• For a Night Each Year, the Airwaves Buzz with Morse Code
• GQ: Street Style
• Steelers’ Harrison blasts Goodell, Roethlisberger and Patriots
• Pop’s Punching Bag: Hating the Black Eyed Peas

Namaste.

Wednesday – 13 July 2011
Two down, one in the chamber, and two to go. It’s Wednesday, which is a good thing unto itself – being the middle of the week, new comics day and possibly Sushi Wednesday – but tonight gets an added kick as WizKids’ new Captain America ‘Clix set hits shelves today.

And… Dr. Volt’s is having a release night tournament (that I am not judging), so I can get in some playing time. Win-Win.

Last night saw a little bit of adventure. My phone decided to have a slight memory lapse. I had decided to reboot it, as I hadn’t fully shut it down in a few days. It restarted… hit the Sprint splash screen… and restarted. Again. It powered up, hit the Sprint screen and restarted. Again. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

*grblsnrkx*

I pulled the battery for a minute, thinking that removing power might allow it to recover. No go, Flight. Boot. Splash screen. Reboot. *sigh* I tried removing the battery again and left it out for about thirty minutes. Nothing.

::: braincramp :::

So, off to the Sprint Store!  SaraRules! and I walked in; I  told the associate at the Welcome stand what was going on just as (whom I assume was) the manager walked up and said that they weren’t taking any new customers tonight, as their tech already had too many phones to work on for the night… but that I was welcome to leave it and/or come back tomorrow. (To her credit, the associate at the stand looked rather apologetic for her boss’ somewhat curt manner.)

So, we left.

I decided to roll the dice and see if the Sprint Store on Highland could bring some relief. We walked in and explained to Chris, the associate on duty, what was going on – or, more aptly “not going on” – with the phone. He installed the battery, saw the reboot cycle and suggested a hard reboot. He warned that I’d lose my apps, but that my contacts, pictures and music should be fine. I told him to go for it. And he did…

…and a couple of minutes later, I had a phone again. Just. Like. That. I asked him if he could show me the steps to initiate a hard reset – and he did – and then we were on our way.

As I was opening SaraRules! car door, a bird pooped on my hand. I doubt that WWII bombadiers could have hit a target with more accuracy. (I would have said Luke Skywalker, but he had The Force, so that’s a little like cheating in this case.) It was repulsive and hilarious at the same time. I walked back into the store. Chris asked what had happened, thinking that the phone had gone schizo again. I told him and asked if they had a restroom. Laughing, he pointed me towards it. One thorough hand-washing later, I was on my way… again… and ready to take on the rest of the evening, which was comparatively uneventful.

Groove. Boogie. Sway.
This morning’s iTunes musical selections have been good. They’ve included:

• Stevie Wonder – I Wish
• Oingo Boingo – We Close Our Eyes
• Poe – Hey Pretty
• Mai Yamane and Seatbelts – Blue
• Anita Kelsey – Sway

Chew on This: Food for Thought
It seems as though many people are up in arms about the impending Netflix price increase.  Seriously?!  They’re changing their business model – which companies do all the time – to stay competitive.

And profitable.
(Did you catch that whole “business” part of the equation?)

The pricing structure appears to be based on the way that people use their service: DVD or streaming media. And from what I can see, the new pricing ain’t all that bad. And, if you want to combine them, for the best of both worlds, you pay a little more.

And if you don’t like it?  Stop. Using. Netflix.  It’s really that simple.

Stray Toasters

• Electronic Arts to Buy PopCap Games
• ‘Gilligan,’ ‘Brady Bunch’ creator Sherwood Schwartz dies
• Style Secrets to Steal from 40 Years of James Bond
  And I wholeheartedly agree with their #1 item.
• Does Batman Director Christopher Nolan Suffer from a Fear of Skyscrapers?
• 
• The Art of Joel Carroll
• The new map for the Captain America set is the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier (1, 2)!
• A Man’s Guide to Taking Care of Himself
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Woman sues man for ending Facebook relationship

Namaste.

Thursday – 07 July 2011
It’s a grey and overcast..

…but it’s Technical Friday, so I don’t really care.

I was the first person in the IT area this morning, which means that I was able to plug in my speakers and listen to a choice selection of music to get my morning started. That’s not a bad way to kick off the day. Some of the things I got to listen to included:

• Tank! – Mai Yamane and Seatbelts
• Scotty Doesn’t Know – Lustra
• I’ve Got to Groove – Tower of Power
• The Distance – Cake
• Play With Me – The Thompson Twins (one of the few good things to come out of Cool World)
• 2112 – Rush  (that’s right… all 20:43 of it)

Yeah, I’m not about to complain. And, there weren’t any fires to put out, either. Win. Win.

Last night, Corey and Jessica came over for dinner. SaraRules! fixed salmon filets (in a pastry puff), couscous, green beans with mushrooms, and salad. She was testing out the salmon recipe and it was pretty amazing, I must say. The whole meal was fantastic. And for dessert…. ice cream and ginger snaps (the cookie, not the movie). It was a great way to spend the evening.

Stray Toasters

• Is the Life You’re Living Worth the Price You’re Paying to Live It?
• A tip of the hat to for pointing out a link to Total Energy.
• Painted People — may be NSFW, use your best judgment.
• As Plastic Reigns, the Treasury Slows Its Printing Presses
• The Art of Dave Bullock
• 
• Basic HTML That Everyone Should Know
• I’ve just found two more words that I never thought I’d use together: Zombie bikinis
• What Does It Mean to Be a Woman Hackerspace Member?

And now, for my next amazing feat: Meeting time!

Namaste.

Wednesday – 06 July 2011
Midweek is upon us once again.

And, apparently, today is International Kissing Day or World Kiss Day (1, 2).

For the first time in months, I don’t have the prospect of a game to look forward to this evening. Our gaming group is “on hiatus,” as Melody needed a well-deserved break, so it’s unclear when we’ll reconvene. Today is still new comics day, so there is something to which I can look forward.

This morning, I had to stop to pick up some milk for my breakfast. This was playing on the store’s P.A. system:

…which, naturally, made me think of this:

 ::: INTERMISSION :::

And today was Sushi Wednesday!

Stray Toasters

• WordPress got a bit of a facelift.
• Analyst: Brett Favre might be interesting in returning for 21st year
• Systematic Cheating Is Found in Atlanta’s School System
• Pushing Boundaries, Mixed-Race Artists Gain Notice
• 
• American Artist Who Scribbled a Unique Path
• Hayley Atwell, who will soon be seen as Peggy Carter in the upcoming Captain America: The First Avenger, was interviewed for yesterday’s “Women We Love” section of Esquire. When asked what she had coming up, her response was:
  

  16. Next up is possibly a Jimi Hendrix biopic — an independent film with Andre 3000 from OutKast playing Jimi Hendrix.

  A Hendrix movie… with Andre 3000… I’m there.

• Wendy’s restaurants sells Arby’s chain, changes name
• Chinese Gem That Elevates Its Setting

Namaste.

Tuesday – 05 July 2011
The holiday weekend ends; the work week begins.

Yesterday was a fairly low-key day, which was a good way to wind down a somewhat busy weekend. Last night, we joined Angy and for dinner at Olive Garden and fireworks at Sugarhouse Park. Dinner was good… at least, it was good for us. There was a new waiter (not ours) who was having a rough night – he had a couple of sizable spills at two tables. Not the most auspicious of evenings, I’d surmise. The fireworks were also good. And the people-watching was sublime.

I got to bed, ready for a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, it was not to be. I slept, but it was far from restful. I was up about an hour before my alarm went off, but by that point, I’d was so irritated that I decided to go ahead and start the day. On the up side: Being in the office an hour early means that I will be off work an hour earlier… and as I’m in the south office today, that ain’t a bad thing.

And… it’s game night.

Stray Toasters

• I’d like to blame the problems we’ve seen this morning on monkeys……but I can’t.
  They seem more attributable to gremlins, actually.
• Verizon Is Ditching Unlimited Data Plans on July 7th
• 
• Researchers cast doubt on cell-phone cancer risk
• The Paperless Cockpit
• Yes, coffee IS awesome.
• Security firm warns of Google+ spam run
• The ‘Ring’ Is a Supreme Test for Opera Directors
• I wish that I had seen this yesterday…

  

• California state workers’ data taken from state offices
• End of shuttle program slams Space Coast economy

Namaste.

Thursday – 30 June 2011
This NBN Thursday comes to us with some high clouds over the mountains. But, it’s still a Thursday… which means only one more day in the work week. And, then my schedule does something lovely:

• Three-day weekend, followed by…
• Three-day work week, followed by…
• Another three-day weekend.

That comes under the heading of:

Last night was D&D 4.0 night with m3lodywise and company. It was also the last encounter of our current campaign, which – in video game terms – meant: End Boss Fight! We fought a mage and some of his minions. Things didn’t start out auspiciously for us. We didn’t take it as an ill omen, fortunately. A couple of rounds later, things started to turn our way.

And that’s when the lich showed up.

Bugger.

So, we changed tactics: Melee fighters went to tackle the mage and his cohorts, while the ranged attackers and our handy-dandy NPCs took on the lich. A couple of NPCs took one for the team, while fighting the lich. (The greater good…) We managed to take down the mage and the lich, as well as destroy the lich’ phylactery (think: “horcrux”).

Good guys: Eleventy billion
Bad guys: Two.

The game ran a little later than planned, but it was fun. And, all the players’ characters lived. Both of those – separately or together – are good things.

Stray Toasters

• Citing failed studies, FDA rejects breast cancer drug
• Milwaukee schools to lay off 354 teachers
• Wyoming’s Government Switches to Google Apps
• This LEGO Robot Makes Programmable Pancakes
• 
• Smartphones safer than desktops, but not without risks
• Wallace Schools “Mister Terrific”
• Od tireh od tireh.
  Kama tov yiheyeh.
  Bashana bashana haba’ah
  (Thanks for getting that song stuck in my head, Mom…)
• 
• Fed Halves Debit Card Bank Fees
• At 75, ‘Gone With the Wind’ Marks Yet ‘Another Day’

And that’s that.

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.