Random Access

Wednesday – 28 April 2010
It’s snowing.
Yes, it was better than 70F a day or two ago.
Now, it’s not. According to The Weather Channel, it is 40F right now.
Yesterday, it was also very windy. A LOT of dust was blown into the valley from the desert, making things grey and drab.

Last night, SaraRules and I met at the old apartment to pick up some of the last few things we left there. Things were moving along nicely – we had loaded her car and had started putting things in mine – when, about 21:30/21:45, the power went out.

::: braincramp :::

The flashlight was at the house, as were the candles, so we were effectively done. We piled into our cars and headed home…

…only to discover that the power was out there, too.

*grblsnrkx*

The first and most immediate issue that created: No automatic garage door opener. And the door doesn’t seem to have a handle or manual method for opening it. So, we had the privilege of parking outside. No power also pretty much meant that unpacking most things was out. We found the flashlight and SaraRules tracked down a couple of the big candles and we sat around and chatted (and listened to the still-howling wind) until she nodded off. I tried – somewhat unsuccessfully – to stay away, but drifted off about 23:15.

At 23:34, the power came back on. I took advantage of the situation and prepped the coffee maker, put away some of the fortunately still-frozen food that we had brought from the apartment. Since I had been up and moving around, falling back asleep wasn’t the easiest thing, so I grabbed my GameBoy and played a few rounds of Tetris. Sleep found me about thirty minutes later.

Stray Toasters

• No power + new house = BAH!
  (Of course, it kind of made the no TV/no Internet thing easy to cope with…)
• I’m debating advancing my timetable for having DirecTV installed.
• Check out Jim Lee’s variant cover for Legion of Super-Heroes #1

  

  “I’d buy that for a dollar!”
  (Who am I kidding?  It’s a Legion book.  I’d easily pay TWO dollars for it!)

• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Sprint employees fired for capturing shoplifter
• Who was the best/worst astronaut… and why:
  • Captain Anthony “Buck” Rogers
  • Major Anthony “Tony” Nelson
  • Colonel Steve Austin

  Discuss.

And with that, Kenneth and I are off to the South 40 to deal with a couple of issues with the kids down there. Pray for us.

Namaste.

Friday – 23 April 2010
I am very glad that it’s Friday, even though it’s my “on” Friday. And it’s my week with The Leash.

Last night, I am not sure if I had my NBN Thursday ruined or not: When I got home from work, the cable was out. I didn’t worry too much about it, as I needed to pack a few things and it was good to not have the distraction. After I packed the items away, I flipped open the BlacIntosh to check something online. No go, Flight.

*blink blink*

I tried the TV again. No signal. I put the boxes in the car and headed to the house. When I got there, I decided to call Comcast to see what was going on. The first sign that there was something amiss came when the IVR said that I had a zero balance on the account. I knew that this was wrong, as I hadn’t yet paid the bill. So, after dialing through the menu, I got to talk to an actual person. After making his way through the details he found the problem:

Our disconnect order went through yesterday, sometime after SaraRules had gone to work.

This was the precise issue that I had been hoping to avoid. In fact, I asked the CSR I spoke with a few days ago – more than once – to verify that it wouldn’t happen.

::: grblsnrkx :::

Granted, we won’t be at home a lot over the next 48 hours, but when we are there, it would be nice to have TV and Internet access. Just sayin’. So, I asked if they could reconnect the service. The CSR said sure and then checked for the first available date. He found one: 27 April 2010. There was only one (slight) problem with this: We’re moving on 25 April 2010.

::: braincramp :::

New-CSR said that he’d leave a message for the morning dispatcher to see about expediting the issue. I was supposed to hear back a little after 0800 this morning. It’s now a little after 1000. I got tired of waiting, so I called them.  And I have an answer: It appears that we will be service-free at the apartment until we move, because they would have to issue a reconnection service ticket to have us hooked back up. And the earliest date possible for that: Monday. *sigh* This isn’t making my choice to return to DirecTV later this summer any more difficult, I have to say. And, now I’m even contemplating a transfer of Internet service, as well. And, I’m not-so-oddly reminded of a lyric from Neurotica, by Rush:

The world is a cage for your impotent rage
But don’t let it get to you

Too late. It’s gotten to me. But, I did at least have the foresight to agree to have a “Customer Satisfaction Survey” call back, this time. It may be just a bunch of button pushing or talking to yet another IVR, but at least I’ll get some of the irritation of this situation off my chest.

Stray Toasters

• MarknTyme pointed out: ‘This Looks So Broadway’: Tim Gunn Critiques Superhero Costumes, which I think that SaraRules should check out.  This is entertaining for a number of reasons, not the least of which include:
  • It combines my interest in comics with SaraRules’ interest in fashion.
    (It’s always nice to find things that combine our respective likes.)
  • It combines my love of comics with my affinity for Tim Gunn.
  • And, it includes the following: “It looks like a bad hooker at Hallowe’en,” Tim Gunn on Halle Berry’s Catwoman costume.
• Complaint: Pa. policewoman sent home for dyed hair
• 
• I was going to post a video of Salt N Pepa’s Shake Your Thang, but the embedding was disabled. So, you’ll just have to go here and get your Friday morning groove on.
• By way of Peggy and the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Blame Cleavage: Why Networks Rejected Plus-Size Lingerie Ad (Updated)
• At 1035, I got a call from a Comcast tech: Apparently, we’ve had our service reconnected.
  I really wish that “Hand A” would let “Hand B” know what it’s doing.
• Tony Stark Facts
• City of Heroes is about to celebrate its 6th Anniversary.



• Henge Docks for MacBooks
• CenturyTel to Buy Qwest for $10.6 Billion, by way of

On with the show…

Namaste.

Thursday – 22 April 2010
It’s another NBN Thursday in the valley and it started off with… well… I wouldn’t go so far as to say “flurries,” but there was “some snow” falling when I left the apartment this morning.

It’s also Earth Day.

Last night, SaraRules and I packed up a good portion of the things in the kitchen. I’ll probably tackle the pantry, the remains of the office and some of the bedroom closet this evening. Have I recently mentioned that I’ll be happy when all of this “moving” business is done?

Stray Toasters

• Guess who has Sloppy Joes and Thin Mints AND a fortune cookie in his lunch today!
• Today is a Three-Meeting Thursday, apparently.
• Environmentally-Friendly Clothing
• pointed out Daring Fireball’s take on the 4G iPhone leak; it’s a good read.
• New Zeus version targeting Firefox users for bank fraud
• 
• I heard a remake of Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time on the radio during this morning’s commute. I had no idea how many times this song has been covered; this morning’s version was by a band called Quietdrive.
• Hearing that song made me think of other covers, which somehow made me think of C+C Music Factory’s cover of U2’s Pride (In The Name of Love):

  ….which, in turn, led me to their cover of Aretha Franklin’s Pride/A Deeper Love

• Ben Roethlisburger has been suspended for six games, though he could possibly be out for only four.
• ….and it seems as though the Steelers are possibly looking to trade Big Ben… to the Raiders.
• Checkmate
• Yesterday’s comic haul was light, but good. I’m planning another Four-Color Coverage review… but after The Great LEGO Brick Debacle of 2010, courtesy of “some setting changing/being changed in WordBook, I’m a little leery of doing so.  Tests shall have to be run.
• Clerks Find Papers from 1881 Gunfight at OK Corral
• New Fringe tonight.
• New Burn Notice …in 6 weeks.

Namaste.

Thursday – 15 April 2010
It’s another NBN “Technical Friday.”
It’s also “Tax Day” in the United States.

Yesterday, WizKids released their new The Brave and the Bold set for HeroClix. There’s been a lot of hullaballoo about the set as it was slated to feature a number of duo figures – which basically means “two figures on one base.” There was also some grumbling about the new “Alter Ego” game mechanic that this set would introduce. Oh… and the fact that in certain games, feat cards – which allowed figures to gain certain abilities – would no longer be legal. (That was the most-bemoaned point that I’ve heard, so far.) Dr. Volt’s held a Release Day Event: 300-point, sealed box tournament. And the best part of all: I didn’t have to judge the event, so I could actually play — I believe that there were 18-20 participants, including a few of the guys we used to play with at Far West Comics. My draft wasn’t awesome, but it had a few decent figures in it… figures whose best uses I still need to figure out.  *sigh* I went 1 – 2 on the night, but I had a lot of fun. Jeremiah, the Dr. Volt’s employee who decided to run the event, said that he had a new respect for what I had to deal with a tournaments, after running this event. That was both gratifying and amusing.

Stray Toasters

• Tax Day Deals and Freebies for the Taking
• While I was playing dolls last night, SaraRules did the first coat of paint in the kitchen — we’re doing the backsplash area of two walls in the same color as the tops of the dining room walls. She also took down the tape in the rooms we painted over the past week. Apparently, the previous owners weren’t as careful as painting as they could have been and there are traces of paint on the ceilings that we didn’t notice before. So, I get to do a bit of touch-up work this weekend.
• Civil rights leader Benjamin Hooks dies
• Thanks to Nyx for pointing out Vintage-Style Superhero Posters
• 
• I Park Like an Idiot — I wish that I’d come up with this idea.
• WorldWorksGames just released two new sets:
  1. Thoumont’s: TLX Edition
  2. Mayhem Armoury 2: Apartments
• To coincide with the release of The Brave and the Bold, WizKids also unveiled a new website, Heroclix.com, along with a splashy new header:



• I think I have too much blood in my caffeinestream again…
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
  • By way of SaraRules: Evil Clown Dominic Deville hired for stalking, threats and a pie in the face
    What kind of parent thinks that causing the need for years of therapy for their kids is a “good” thing?
  • Wii Fit injury turns woman into a sex addict!
    So, do you think that this will increase sales of the Wii and Wii Fit?
  • GameStation: “We own your soul.”
• I get to buy a lawnmower tomorrow.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 14 April 2010
Today is not Sushi and Comics Wednesday…
Today is the day that The Brave and the Bold set for HeroClix releases!
(What can I say?  It’s the little things in life… literally, in this case.)

Last night, SaraRules and I visited Lumber Liquidators. We were in search of flooring for the dining room.  We had originally considered going with a laminated floor (think: Pergo), until my mother mentioned the idea of reclaimed hardwood — made from strips of hardwood, as opposed to synthetic materials with a “picture of wood” on top. After looking around for a while, we found something that we both agreed upon. Seven boxes and a few trim pieces later, we were under way. Tearing out the carpet and laying the floor will be this weekend’s big project.

The night was, otherwise, relatively quiet. SaraRules made cheesesteak sandwiches for dinner. Win! We watched an episode of NCIS and Turf War — it was odd to see Diane Neal, whom I last saw on Law & Order: The Next Generation SVU, on NCIS as a CGIS agent… but not disconcertingly so. After Turf Wars, we set about boxing a few things, in preparation for our move.

This morning, I woke up at 0527… for reasons unknown. After realizing that I still had an hour to sleep, I made my way back to The Dreaming. When I woke up to start the day, I was greeted with blue skies and chirping birds. I also had Johnny Gill’s Rub You the Right Way running through my head. I thought about making it this morning’s video… which was further cemented when Christina Aguilera’s Genie in a Bottle (a song I think of in conjunction with Rub You the Right Way) played during the morning commute:

We’ll see what the rest of the day holds…

Stray Toasters

• For the homeowners out there: It’s been a while since I’ve had to deal with mowing a yard, let alone having to buy a lawnmower for said task. I’m in the market for a new mower (gas-powered) and will most likely buy one this weekend. What kind of mower do you have and what do/don’t you like about it?
• I’m considering ordering this:
  



• Lincoln’s Missing Bodyguard
• When Students Ignited a Change in Racial Politics
• It seems as though Jonathan Coulton has released some of his songs for play in Rock Band, including Code Monkey and Ikea.
• 
• Steve Thomas’ Arcade Game Propaganda Posters
• Horrifying stationery
• I’ve been looking for a good library program for cataloguing my comics (and DVDs and books and…and… and…).  I think that I may have found something to fit the bill… without having to code it myself! I may just have to go ahead and pull the trigger on this one.
• What I’ve Learned: Jack Bauer
• U.S. standards on beef are lax, inspector general says
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Robot Toilet Paper Holder

Attack the day
Like birds of prey…

Namaste.

Friday – 09 April 2010
It’s my 9/80 “on” Friday. It’s quiet in the office. Hopefully, things will stay that way.

Last night, we took a break from housework and had some down time. It was nice. We tag-teamed dinner: Spaghetti with sauce and garlic bread.  After dinner, I was feeling a little antsy, like I should have been doing something… but I couldn’t put my finger on “what.” I opted to get out and do a little shopping. I hit the local Eddie Bauer store and picked up a new pair of jeans. I wandered over to Nordstrom’s to look for a pair of braces. I’ve wanted a new pair of leather ones for a while, but hadn’t put a lot of effort into getting them. And, unfortunately, Nordstrom didn’t have any, so the hunt continues.

I headed back home and watched Project Runway and Fringe with SaraRules. And, we also split a caramel apple, dipped in crushed Butterfinger candy bar bits. Helloooooo, decadence! I started winding down early, so I made a (relatively) early night of it.

Stray Toasters

• For as-yet unexplained reasons, I had Lady Gaga’s Telephone running through my head when I woke up this morning.
• Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef, for my friends who have to maintain gluten-free diets
• Music world mourns godfather of punk
• Coal Miner’s Son Remembers ‘A Hard, Dirty Job’
• Peroidic Table of Imaginary Elements
• 55 catastrophic Star Wars costumes, by way of
• sent a link to Photo-manipulations by Erik Johansonn
• 
• Vegetarian-friendly iPhone App Will Tell You if Any Dead Animals Are in That  Sandwich
• Comic Book Cartography
• Off-shore Energy Clash over Undersea Sound
• I’ve posted links to the Top Gear segment featuring the Bugatti Veryon vs. Euro Fighter Typhoon drag race (…like the one I just posted). Somehow, I don’t think that this Veryon would hold up as well in that race as the one in the video.

That’ll do for now.

Namaste.

Thursday – 08 April 2010
NBN Thursday rides again!

Last night, SaraRules, Logan and I knocked out the last bit of the primer-ing. I need to touch up a three-inch strip near the ceiling in the living room, but other than that… it’s done. We set a timetable for what we want to do and when we plan to have it done. We’re in a good enough position that we’re taking the next couple of nights off from house-prep. Come Saturday, painting begins!

After we left the house, we hit the local Five Guys for dinner. Next, it was back home for some couch time. Okay, couch time for me; quilting time for SaraRules. I finally got around to watching the season finale of Burn Notice. (YES, I know it was on a month ago. Sue me!) I followed that up with an episode of Human Target. I’m slowly but surely getting through the backlog on the DVR…

This morning, I had The Blues, by Tony Tone Toni, running through my head. When I got in the car this morning, I was treated to Word Up. And, quite frankly a video with Reading Rainbow‘s Lt. Cmdr. Geordi LaForge as a fedora-wearing detective can’t be all bad (if you overlook Larry Blackmon’s bulging red codpiece, that is…)

Stray Toasters

• From the “…it’s like red, but not quite” file: I decided to break out my pink dress shirt this morning. I’m Ivory Soap sure that I’ll get at least one “I’m not sure that I could wear a pink shirt” comment from one of the guys in the office.
• Va. Offers Fresh Lesson in History’s Power to Sting
• This appeared in my email this morning:

  

  God willin’ and the creek don’t rise, I know where I intend to be on 05 August.

• My affinity for the SR-71 Blackbird is pretty well-known. So when I saw this article, The Thrill of Flying the SR-71 Blackbird , on Gizmodo, I was instantly hooked. I went to look up the book that Maj. Shul wrote, Sled Driver, and was in for a bit of a surprise when I saw the prices that were being asked for it.  That doesn’t mean that I didn’t add it to The Covet List, though. (Or, it would make a great birthday present, if anyone is wondering what to get me this year.)
• sent a time-sinking link to some rather cool LEGO sculptures. There goes productivity for the morning…
• Yet another Demotivator that I like:



• ‘Passing’ Across the Color Line in the Jazz Age
• From the “Weekend at Bernies” and “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” files: Women try to take body on plane at Liverpool airport
• Comic Book Resources has an article about Robert Greenberger’s upcoming book: Wonder Woman. Amazon. Hero. Icon.

  

• The Mythology of Spending and Mental Anchors
• Q and Data Examine the Next Generation Padd

Namaste.

Wednesday – 07 April 2010
Waking up to a headache is never a good way to start the day. But, what can you do… aside from take some pain reliever (which I still have yet to do) and get on with the gettin’ on? So that’s what I did.

Many thanks to Matt, Wes, Amy, Laurel, Sanaz and Logan for helping with to primer the walls at the new house. The adage “Many hands make light work” definitely came to mind many times during the process.

By the time that we got home – well, back to the apartment – I was tired. And a bit irritable. So, I put myself in time-out went to bed early — it seemed like a good idea, as I was starting to nod off while watching TV. It took me longer than usual to fall asleep. Meh. Another indicator of I how tired I was: I slept for nearly seven straight hours, without waking up.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
I’ve been seeing/hearing news about the recent mine collapse in West Virginia with a bit of a vested interest: My grandfather was a coal miner in a small West Virginia town, before retiring. I still recall spending summers with my grandparents and how he would head off to work in the afternoons… and trying to stay awake until the got home late in the night. As a kid, the idea of a mine collapse never even remotely occurred to me; but now, knowing the potential hazards of mining, I understand – to a small degree – what the families of the missing miners are feeling/experiencing and wish them and their loved ones well.

Stray Toasters

• It’s Comics and Sushi Wednesday.
• Top 10 Geeky Ways to Say “I Love You”
• Leadership ‘somewhere south of Hell’
• Odd search queries
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
  • Doctors perform C-section, find no baby
  • McDonnell’s Confederate History Month proclamation irks civil rights leaders
• 
• Guns and coffee don’t mix
• April 7, 1933: King Kong Opens Wide
• Report: Foster Kids Find Tough Times After Age 18
• Real People Painted to Look Like Paintings

Now, for my next amazing feat: Meetings!

Namaste.

Monday – 29 March 2010
It’s overcast, but warm. I can live with that, especially since it’s Monday.

Last night was low-key. We had dinner with SaraRules’ parents. As we ate, we watched The Princess and the Frog. I still think that it was a good – and fun – movie. After that, we did grocery shopping and went home. SaraRules did some some quilting, I started laying out the floor plan for the railroad station for Dr. Volt’s. I also took the opportunity to catch up on another episode of 24. Win-Win.

This morning, I had Eve’s Let Me Blow Ya Mind running through my head…

…so we’ll go with that for this morning’s musical kick-off.

Stray Toasters

• Those of you who read comic books in the 70s/80s may remember the Hostess Snack Cakes Ads.
• Top 10 Tips and Tricks for Making Your Stuff Last Longer
• Tron Title Sequence, Reimagined for 1960:
• By way of and SaraRules: The A to Z of Awesomeness
• For SaraRules: University of Wisconsin – Stout wins Rube Goldberg contest
• Fatty foods may cause cocaine-like addiction
• This was pretty close to what most people expected my reaction to be the first time that I went camping with SaraRules’ family:



• Why a $14/hr employee costs $20
• For : Douglas Adams speech – “Parrots, The Universe and Everything”
• Repeal the nth Amendment
• Cat owners will get this:



• Toys That Inspired Scientific Breakthroughs

Sunday – 28 March 2010
To quote the late Mr. Rogers: “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood…” It’s sunny, practically cloudless and the temperature is in the mid-50s. It’s comfortable enough that I’m wearing my first polo shirt of the season. (Yes, I know “the season” is barely a week old, but that’s not the point.)

Yesterday, after breakfast with Chris, we headed up to Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection to hold this weekend’s tournament.  The scenario that I came up with for this week was “Generals,” based somewhat on Wizkids’ new “Minions” game mechanic. The way it shook out was as follows:

• Team Build: 300 Points
• Format: Restricted*
• Your “General” figure must have a higher point value than the rest of your “lieutenants.”
  • Generals can use Mastermind**, if adjacent to a lieutenant.
  • Lieutenants get a +1 to their attack when within six (6) squares of your general.

* – “Restricted” means that only certain sets are allowable to be played
** – Mastermind is a power that allows a figure to use another figure as a “human shield,” so to speak.

The tournament went over well, there were a few less people than expected – one of the players was moving and drafted a few of the others to help with the move. No worries. The whole thing went over well. Pictures of the event can be seen here.

After the tournament, I headed home and had dinner with SaraRules before she headed off to work. The next part of the evening was spent surfing channels and the Internet… and working out a few more details about the gaming masterboard I am putting together for Dave and the guys at Dr. Volt’s.  One of the things I watched was Diamonds Are Forever. I discovered something that I didn’t know about one of the actors in the movie: The person who played Willard Whyte was Jimmy Dean… yeah, the same guy you used to see hawking Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sausage. Who knew?!

After SaraRules got home, we watched Jason and the Argonauts. The movie featured a lot of work by famous special effects artist Ray Harryhausen. It was definitely “a bit” dated, but still a decent watch.

Today, we slept in… and it was good. After a light breakfast, we headed to the gym to get in a bit of a workout:

• Elliptical – 10 minutes, Random
  • 6 minutes at 5.5 MPH
  • 4 minutes @ 7 MPH
• Bench Press – 3 sets/8 reps, 205 lbs
• Pulldowns – 3 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs
• Flys (dumbbell, bench) – 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs
• Bent-over Rows – 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs
• Leg Extensions – 2 sets/10 reps, 70 lbs
• Leg Curls – 2 sets/10 reps, 70 lbs

Post-workout weight: 180.5 lbs

This evening, we’re heading up to the in-laws’ for dinner and a movie. Should make for a nice and relatively quiet evening.

Stray Toasters

• High-tech copy machines a gold mine for data thieves
• A look at the Comic Zeal reader on iPad
• 
• WizKids has released information about their new “Alter-Ego” game mechanic.
• Chinese Automaker Geely to Buy Volvo From Ford
• Erykah Badu: Window Seat
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Sony accuses Beyonce of piracy for putting her videos on YouTube
• A Turing Machine: In the Classic Style
• If you haven’t seen it yet, you should check out the trailer for Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Off to face the rest of the day!

Namaste.

Friday – 26 March 2010
It’s snowing.

That’s right: Mother Nature’s silent mocking laughter, in the face of Spring, is descending upon the Land Behind the Zion Curtain. It’s not a blizzard (or “snowmaggedon” or “snowpocalypse”), but it’s snowing, nonetheless. Did I mention that I’m ready for Spring? The Council for Better Driving advises caution when taking to the streets today.

Last night, SaraRules and I visited her folks for a little bit. I had to take something to her father: A fresh new copy of the new TPB of The Middleman: The Collected Series Indispensability. He was pleasantly surprised by it. Yep, “Favored Son-In-Law” status: Confirmed.

After that, we went to dinner at Thai Orchid. (This came after we discovered that neither of us had taken the steaks we had planned to have for dinner out of the freezer to thaw…) I had forgotten that I’d been there a few months ago, with Josh and Marci. I had the Pad Kee Mao, which was moderately spicy, but very good.

When we got home, SaraRules tuned in Project Runway. They had an interesting challenge: The designers not only had to create a fashion item, but they got to design their own fabric, as well. Most of the choices were creative, some were… not-so-creative (and kind of boring). While watching this, I was going through the files I’d need to complete the gaming board for Dr. Volt’s. I thought that I had a decent handle on how to proceed, but when I started on it, I discovered that some of the pieces were slightly different measurements than I had thought. Not enough to completely stop production, but enough to make me consider a few things differently.

Stray Toasters

• Monkeys. *sigh* The phrase “Act your age, not your shoe size” has already been brought to mind this morning…
• WorldWorksGames has dropped another bombshell. TWO of them, actually:
  • Mayhem: Streets of Legend
  • Mayhem: Armoury 1

  Both are part of their TerrainlinX line, so they can be built modularly and are updates of a couple of their older sets: Streets of Mayhem and Mayhem Armoury, respectively. I saw these late last night/VERY early this morning, while working on the masterboard. And, yes, I snatched them up immediately. I have some buildin’ in my future, it seems…

• 
• Cancer Threat from Tanning Beds May Prompt FDA Changes
• I neglected to mention that my superpower kicked in the other night, while I was at the mall: I ran into Pat and Adriana, whom I haven’t seen in over six months. And, for a surprise-packed surprise: Adriana is pregnant! I had no idea.
• Zombie Survival Transportation
• How to Fit a House and Garage Into 2000 Stylish Sq. Ft.
• By way of Mike B. and the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file : ChatRoulette / Lady Gaga Telephone Mash-up
• Badass of the Week: Lydia Litvyak
• I said come on Fhqwhgads
  I said come on Fhqwhgads
• Ultra: 10 Songs to Shake the Dance Floor

I should figure out what I want to do for lunch…

Namaste.

Wednesday – 24 March 2010
The sun is out.
It’s Comics and Sushi Wednesday.
And, the work day morning is starting off with a little Ludacris:

Last night, I headed over to Chris’ to play dolls. We decided to do a 1500-point Avengers vs. Justice Society of America game. We played on the “Fountain of Asgard” map, which I don’t think that I had previously played on. It was a good game; while I won’t say that Chris completely picked my team apart (My Superman did, however, fall at the hands of a angry Hercules…), he did win the game. Decisively. It was fun and we both got to field some pieces that we hadn’t had opportunities to play before.

Stray Toasters

• I just made a bet with Bret over this year’s NFL games (although, it may just be down to the Ravens vs. Steelers games). The loot: Jersey of the winner’s choice.
• March 24, 2001: Apple Unleashes Mac OS X
• For sale in Utah: “die-hard survivalist bunker”, just in case anyone is looking to move out here to The Land Behind the Zion Curtain…
• 
• Amy: Kitty Pryde comes back today.  Just thought you should know.
• Jackie Wilson: The Singer and the Showman
• Cost-cutting is important in tough times but too much can cause harm
• I’m not quite sure what to make of this Lil’ Vampire Pacifier, but this picture does amuse me:



• App developers are gearing up for Apple’s iPad
• WizKids has posted their 2010 release schedule
  • April ’10 – The Brave & The Bold
  • May ’10 – Blackest Night Starter
  • July ’10 – The Watchmen 25 Figure Collector Set
  • August ’10 – Web of the Spiderman
  • October ’10 – Brightest Day (7 Figures – Like starter but no fiddly bits)
  • November ’10 – DC 75th Anniversary Set
  • Q4 2010 – Halo Reach ActionClix (Battle Packs & Mega Battle Pack)

• US charges car firm Daimler with violating bribery laws
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Bacon-flavored toothpicks
• HOW TO: Run an Ultramarathon

Back to it.

Namaste.

Saturday – 20 March 2010
It’s the first day of Spring.
It’s sunny outside… hopefully, it will stay that way. Yesterday seemed to suffer from multiple personality disorder, as it was alternately sunny and snowy. Yeah. “Welcome to Utah — If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.”

Yesterday was a good day, all around. I had lunch with Galadriel and Paul at California Pizza Kitchen. I hadn’t been there in… years, I don’t even know how many. I had their jamabalaya, which I recalled as being good. (It was, indeed, quite good.) The lunch was a kind of meet-and-greet for Paul and Galadriel — I realized that he could provide a wealth of information to her about finance and accounting and thought that it would be a good opportunity to set up some kind of mentoring relationship. Thankfully, it went very well. Fait accompli.

After lunch, as I was around the corner from where she worked, I stopped in to say “Hello,” to my friend, Danette.  We chatted for a couple of minutes before I was in the wind again.

Next stop: USUO offices.
Objective: Drop in for a quick visit to a certain SaraRules.
Mission: ACCOMPLISHED.

From USUO, I headed over to The Train Shoppe. I’ve been threatening to go there for a couple of weeks, but never quite getting around to it. They had an old Lionel 4-4-2 engine and tender with C&O markings that I’d seen the last time I visited the store…

…and I wanted it. Fortunately, it was still there. And it came home with me. It was from Lionel’s 6-1184 Alleghany Steam Freight Ready-to-Run Set, from 1971/1972.  I had originally planned to put it atop the railroad pictures in our dining room – I currently have some HO scale train pieces there now – but reconsidered when I realized just how much the engine weighs.

Next, I headed down to visit Kate and Perry. We shot the bull for a bit, as the kids played. While I was there, Perry showed me the opening credits from – and I wish I was making this up – a Japanese Spider-Man show. Yeah. Complete with a giant robot. O,o Madness. And just in case you think that this was all just some bizarre fever-dream:

There. Told you so. Straight from the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file.

Next, it was home for a longer-than-planned pre-Clitorati nap… and then, I was off for the evening.

Stray Toasters

• Arrest made in Wal-Mart racial announcement incident
• For Galadriel: Spanish Inquisition
• Snoop Dogg wants to know why there are no black superheroes [UPDATED]
• Seeing the Littlest, Cutest Voltron of Them All Made Me Melt

Time to go greet the day.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 17 March 2010
Happy Green Lantern Day.
(And for the rest of you: Happy Saint Patrick’s Day.)
Today is also Comics and Sushi Wednesday — that’s right, it’s a three sushi meal week!
Win, Win and Win.

Last night was a low key night. There was no opera last night, so SaraRules had the night off. After work, we had dinner and then went on a trip to check out Tai Pan Trading. It was more… knick-knacks and what have you than we expected; we were thinking that there would be more furniture and larger goods. *shrug* Oh, well… now we know (and knowing is half the battle!). Next up, we hit the local Old Navy and Target and then headed back home.

Once we got in, SaraRules watched Project Runway; I split my time between watching Project Runway and my inner eyelids. I made a (quick-ish) run to Wal-Mart and then came home and watched a couple of shows that I’d recorded: Shatner’s Raw Nerve, with guest Leonard Nimoy, and an episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

Stray Toasters

• Look around the Internet and you’ll find many articles about the National Broadband Plan and “FCC pushes to get broadband internet to more people.” Granted, I am a big fan of the Internet and of broadband, but… I find it interesting that people are so gung-ho about getting faster Internet, but can’t seem to wrap their heads around the idea of fixing the problems in our schools or in providing better health care – or even just BASIC health care – to Americans.
• New high-speed rail network could trump air travel
• WizKids! realized that they published the Power Girl ‘Clix figure and card without one kind of important stat: Super Strength. (Yeah, Kryptonians aren’t exactly known as being slouches in the strength department). They posted the corrected version on Monday.
• For Galadriel:
• 
• NASA Finds Shrimp Where No Advanced Life Should Be: 600 Feet Beneath Antarctic Ice
• LEGO + Ninjas = Awesomeness
• ClockworkZero: Cyberpunk and Steampunk Jewelry
• Michael Chabon on Columbia, MD
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: IRS visits Sacramento carwash in pursuit of 4 cents
• Florida Family Policy Council “mistakenly” uses wrong photo of lesbian parents
• Super power: Visualizing the internet — Of the 100 listed, I have 19 bookmarked.
• Break the law and your new ‘friend’ may be the FBI

And that’s good for now.

Namaste.

Saturday – March 13, 2010
Last night, SaraRules and I forewent (yes, I checked to make sure that “forewent” is an actual word) our usual Friday night doings and headed downtown. After a tasty dinner at Macaroni Grill, we headed to the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center to see Wallace. It was… two-plays-in-one, but performed in alternating parts. It was well-acted and very well-done. After the play, we met up with the Clitorati crew for “non-dinner” (at least for us).

Today, I am judging a ‘Clix tournament at noon. I am curious to see how the players take to today’s format. I’m calling today’s scenario “Mosaic,” in no small part due to the Green Lantern series of the same name. In today’s scenario, all games will be played on the same map — this is to put everyone on a level playing field, so to speak. The biggest variable will be Battlefield Conditions (BFCs), which change the overall game conditions. Each game will start with a BFC… but the BFCs will change every ten (10) minutes.

Also happening today, SaraRules hits the stage in Utah Opera’s production of The Italian Girl in Algiers. She’s a supernumerary in the production. Her role: Harem girl. The show runs through Sunday, 21 March 2010; if you have the opportunity, you should check it out.

Stray Toasters

• Don’t forget: Daylight Saving Time begins at 0200 on Sunday, 14 March 2010.
  (And, yes, it’s “saving,” singular… not “savings,” plural.)
• At the Guggenheim, the Art Walked Beside You, Asking Questions
• WizKids has unveiled their latest figure from The Brave and the Bold set: Power Girl

• Georgian monasteries offer to take in prisoners
• Marque Cornblatt retrospective art opening in Baltimore
• 
• US Census infographics from 1870 — NOTE: The click-through link loads slowly (graphics-heavy).
• Beheaded Vikings found at Olympic site
• Laptop sleeve made out of recycled wetsuits
• More Than Super: Searching for Christ in comic book culture

Quote of the Day
Yesterday, I semi-watched Titan A.E., the last film produced by Fox Animation Studios. (Added trivia: Don Bluth – whose studio did the animation for the Dragon’s Lair video game – was one of the co-directors of the film.) The movie contains one of my all-time favorite movie quotes: At the movie’s climax, Cale (voiced by Matt Damon) and Akima (Drew Barrymore) walk around a newly-formed planet – think “Genesis Planet” from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan:

Cale: I think I’ll call it… “Bob.”
Akima: You can’t call a planet “Bob.”
Cale: So now you’re the boss. You’re the King of Bob.
Akima: Can’t we just call it “Earth”?
Cale: No one said you have to live on Bob.
Akima: I’m never calling it that.

And that’s a wrap — I need to finish getting ready and ease on down the road…

Namaste.