Random Access

For those who missed this morning’s (brief) post: I proposed to SaraRules…

…and she said “yes.”
(Thank God.)

Since then, there have been many phone calls – and text/Facebook messages – to and from various family members and friends. No date or plans just yet, but we’ll keep people posted as we go.

Yesterday afternoon, SaraRules, Logan and I made a gingerbread train. As promised, here are the pictures.  After the train – and running a few errands – SaraRules, Logan and I went to Fiddler’s Elbow to watch the Ravens take on the Cowboys. (More on that below.) After the game, we went to OnlyAly and ‘s for their second annual “Nightmare Before Christmas” horror movie gathering. We watched The Exorcist: The Version You Haven’t Seen. I haven’t watched this movie (at least the version I have seen) in close to ten years. It was still good.

This morning, we had a lazy morning about the apartment – watching football – before coming over to hang out with her family… to watch more football and have dinner.

Football Update

Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys
33 – 24
The Ravens traveled to Dallas to take on the Cowboys. Joe Flacco had his work cut out for him as no rookie starting QB – other than Ben Roethlisberger – had beaten the Cowboys in Texas Stadium.This was another defensive game, the halftime score was only 9 – 7, in Baltimore’s favor. FS Ed Reed had two interceptions, but the workhorse of the team was WR Derrick Mason who,  despite a shoulder and leg injury, finished with six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens move to 10-5 and are still in the hunt for a Wild Card spot. Next game: Jacksonville Jaguars at M&T Bank Stadium.

Stray Toasters

• Star Trek‘s Majel Roddenberry passes away
• , if you haven’t seen the new Smallville trailer with the Legion in it, click here.
• Hal Jordan: Greatest Green Lantern of All? Nope.
• By way of NPR:
  • Best Superhero Graphic Novels 0f 2008
  • Chemist Divulges How to Bake the Perfect Cookie
    I heard this interview last week; you have to listen to the… sound effects… Shirley Corriher makes when describing things. It made the whole interview for me.
  • Singing: The Key to a Long Life
• Women in Big Two super-comics: It wasn’t all bad news this year

Yeah… that’s good for now.

Namaste.

Friday – 19 December 2008
And it’s almost vacation-time. Amen.

I wound up not going to the gym yesterday… but I still got a workout (of sorts): All of the equipment that we moved last week?  We moved it to more permanent locations. In about 3 hours. It wasn’t an entirely pretty process, but the results don’t look half bad.

Last night, SaraRules and I went to Gardner Village to pick up a few Christmas gifts… and to stroll (briefly) around the grounds and look at the lights. Briefly because it was cold and windy. But, the trip was otherwise successful. After that, we had dinner at Olive Garden. I had the Chicken Carbonara with a glass of Kendal Jackson Riesling; SaraRules had the Apricot Chicken.

Last night’s sleep was… broken. Very broken. I woke up at least three times between 3 AM and 6:30 AM. For no apparent reason that I can discern. Oh, well. I don’t have to get up for anything tomorning, so I’ll try to make it up tonight.

Stray Toasters

• Sweet Game-loving Jesus: The CoH Mac client is in beta testing. *downloading*
• By way of SaraRules – The Sartorialist: On Zoot Suits, Baggies, Stacy Adams & 125th Street
• Since the Satorialist’s post references them…  Ladies and Gentlemen, I give to you… The Time
  Morris Day |MTV Music
• For Meliko: McCarthyism
• Help select the 100 greatest Looney Toons
• 
• Father punishes son with public humiliation

Namaste.

Thursday – 18 December 2008
It’s snowing. So far, I haven’t seen any driving issues that compare with the ones from Tuesday; let’s hope that it stays that way.

Last night, I went home and started reading some of yesterday’s four-color haul; more on that below. SaraRules came over a little later. She quilted; I read. It was a nice, quiet evening. Logan came over around 9:00 to hang out. We watched a show called Time Warp – which featured Cirque de Soliel – and MythBusters, which aired their Top 10 Viewer Favorite Myths.

Four-Color Coverage
I somehow neglected to grab a copy of Tiny Titans when I picked up yesterday’s haul. *shakes fist* Otherwise, the comics were something of a mixed bag. Among the standouts were:

• DC Universe Holiday Special 2008 – I don’t often pick up holiday special issues, but I was curious about this one. I’m glad that I picked it up. It contained eight or nine (maybe even 10, but I forget the actual number) stories, ranging from 4 to 8 pages. Among them were “the super secret origin of Santa Claus,” an Aquaman (yes, THAT Aquaman) story that reflected the nativity, an excellent Gotham City story, featuring Commissioner Gordon, a Nightwing and Robin story that touched on their family tie, and one of the better stories I’ve read featuring Dr. Light II.



• Justice League of America: The Nail – This is an Elseworlds title from 1998, yet I had never read it until last night. Its premise was simple: What would the DCU have been like without Superman.

  

  It was a good read – I found myself juxtaposing it with Marvel’s Civil War and Secret Invasion, as The Nail dealt with issues of fear and isolationism in a not too dissimilar manner than the Marvel series. There is a sequel, JLA: Another Nail, that I will have to look for.

Stray Toasters

• Maddox is expanding his empire: The Best SHOW in the Universe.
• ‘Nanny’ state: Fran Drescher seeks Clinton’s Senate seat
• 
  
• Timecrimes director Masters Creepy Sci-Fi on a Shoestring
• I was wrong – shortly after I typed the “no driving issues” comment above, the “fun” started. (Pictures) It took the black car almost a half-hour to get from the first picture to the fourteenth one.
• Want a retired space shuttle? They’re up for grabs
• Gingerbread Revolution, by way of

Meeting time!

Namaste.

Wednesday – 17 December 2008
The roads are/were much less treacherous this morning than yesterday. This is a good thing. After yesterday morning’s traffic snafu, you would think that UDoT would have made sure that the roads were well-salted. It just makes sense. Apparently, no one got the memo at UDoT, though. We saw a few slides and even a 360 around 3:30 PM, long after the morning lack-of-rush hour.

As a corollary, by way of : “Cars Sliding Down Icy Hill”

Last night, Chris came over to play ‘Clix. We decided to play a 600 point game, but I neglected to put a team together until a few minutes before game time. I wound up using:

• Bronze Tiger
• Captain America (Ultimates)
• Deathstroke
• Lex Luthor
• Marvel Girl
• Moon Knight and
• Nightshade

…against his X-Men themed team of:

• Bishop
• Magneto (Ultimates)
• Professor X
• Psylocke, with three Feats (which I don’t recall) and
• Wolverine, with Vault

Through attrition, I wound up winning. He said that I “…built a team to be mean,” (since I had two characters with Outwit) which wasn’t what I was trying to do at all – I just built a 600-point team. So, he said that he’s going to build Batman into whatever team he plays from now on… which I usually expect him to do. *shrug* I’ll just have to deal with (or get beat down by) The Bat when he shows up.

Stray Toasters

• By way of SaraRules: Laurence Fishburne’s Starring Role on CSI: Could Be a Boon for Black Actors
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” file: Cake request for Adolf Hitler, 3, denied
• Steve Jobs Skips MacWorld; Apple Denies Health Rumors
• 
  
• By way of NPR Music:
  • NPR Listeners Pick the Year’s Best Music
  • The 10th Annual CD, er, MP3 Gift Guide
  • The Best African Music of 2008
  • Living Your Life with 2008’s Best in Jazz
  • Invoking Improv: Best Classical CDs of 2008
• Also by way of SaraRules: RuPaul: The Obamas Are a Drag
• FBI: Drunk flier forces diversion of JetBlue flight
• , I don’t know if you read Newsarama, but they have a Legion Blogpost

Namaste.

Tuesday – 16 December 2008
Happy birthday to

It was snowing when I woke up this morning. However, since I didn’t look out the window, I didn’t know it until I opened the door and walked outside. The morning commute roughly doubled in duration thanks to the still-falling snow. When I got in, a few of us looked out the window at the shenanigans on 215.

(click images for larger versions)

We didn’t see any accidents or injuries.

The Council for Better Driving: Utah would like to remind every to drive cautiously in the inclement weather.

Stray Toasters

• I like this picture of Dawnstar; it’s from the upcoming Legion of 3 Worlds #5
• By way of : Rare Snow in U.S. Deep South
• Pentagon Researcher Conjures Warcraft Terror Plot
• For those who haven’t seen it yet, here’s the trailer for X-Men Origins: Wolverine

• Kenneth Brannagh Talks Thor: Directing and Casting
• Marking a Milestone: McDuffie on Milestone Characters’ Return

Namaste.

Sunday – 14 December 2008
Quiet, lazy morning following a quiet, lazy evening. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.

After running a few Christmas shopping errands in the snow yesterday, SaraRules and I came back to my place, put our feet up and vegged in front of the TV. We watched an episode of NCIS from a couple of weeks back; it was good… and it ended a little differently than I was expecting. That was followed by the middle third of The Year Without a Santa Claus – I switched over just as they were starting the Snow Miser song. WIN! After that, we flipped back and forth between Superman: The Animated Series (The Last Son of Krypton, Pt 3, A Little Piece of Home and Feeding Time) and Justice League Unlimited (The Balance). I am very lucky that SaraRules doesn’t mind me being a big kid sometimes often.

We also decided to skip heading back out for breakfast last night. (Something about being in… and warm… and comfortable vs. heading back out in the cold – kind of a no-brainer there.)

This morning, we’ve watched the CBS and Fox pre-game shows. And the early games have just started. But, what I’m waiting for is the middle game: Pittsburgh at Baltimore.

Stray Toasters

• Yesterday afternoon, a couple pieces of plastic crack arrived on my doorstep in my mailbox:
  • Clown Prince of Crime (1, 2, 3, 4)

    
    (Just for size reference, that’s a 4″ base that he’s standing on)

  • Wonder Woman (Justice Legion A)

    

• The Year 2008 in Lists: The 12 Biggest Douchebags of the Year
• From Comic Book Resources’ “Comics Should Be Good” column: Bloody Saturday – a look at why Punisher movies haven’t been so good.
• No Limit Texas Dreidel
• By way of Evil, Inc.‘s Brad Guigar: Sweetcheeks
• 30 Ways to Die of Electrocution
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” and Politics files: McCain-Palin campaign dumps Blackberries loaded with personal numbers, internal email

On with the show…

Namaste.

Friday – 12 December 2008
I was up at Far-Too-Early O’Clock again today because I had to be in at 7:00. Yay. But, I’m done at noon, so I shouldn’t kvetch too much. And the office moves/changes are coming along at a decent pace.

Last night, SaraRules came over and made a very tasty sauteed shrimp, mushroom and potato dish – served with rice pilaf and salad – that was very tasty. While we ate, we watched last week’s episode of CSI:, which had a solid bit of storytelling to it – not over the top, nothing “jump the shark” worthy, just a good story. And, as an added bonus (at least to me): Robert Guillaume was in the episode. We followed that with this week’s episode, which was also good… and was the first episode that included/featured Laurence Fishburne. After that, we caught the tail end of The Year Without a Santa Claus – Snow Miser and Heat Miser!!!

Next, we watched an episode of Justice League Unlimited, “Doomsday Sanction,” and The Herculoids.

Chew on This – Food for Thought
For those of you who didn’t catch it in yesterday’s post: I’m still taking suggestions for this year’s charitable donation. So far, I’ve had the following suggestions:

• : Primary Children’s Medical Center
• : Kiva
• : Utah Food Bank

If you have a good suggestion, please post it in a comment (or email or IM).  Thanks!

Stray Toasters

• By way of SaraRules: ‘Chicago’ model train has $2 million price tag… and is now on The Covet List.
• From : Santa to the Rescue (I like the reworking of the Alex Ross painting) and How to Know When It Is Time to Leave the Bar
• MarknTyme pointed this out to me last night: 40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes
  See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.
• Bettie Page dies at 85
• I’ve discovered another webcomic: Sunday at Ten.
  This comic, from early in its run, amused me.
• MPAA to Obama: Censor the Internet…
• Also from :



• Mixtapes move from Beat Street to Main Street
• From Boing Boing: Steampunk Second Life machinima

Namaste.

Thursday – 11 December 2008
Welcome to another NBN Thursday.

Last night was a low-key stay-at-home night. And that was fine with me. I fixed a little dinner, watched some TV, enjoyed a visit from SaraRules, and read yesterday’s four-color haul. Not a bad way to spend a Wednesday evening, if I do say so myself.

Chew on This: Food for Thought – Charitable Donations
Since I no longer work for the USPS, I don’t have Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) charitable contributions coming out of my check. That’s a shame, because I enjoyed being able to donate to charities that resonated with me.

Last year, I made something of a Christmas resolution: Select a charity and make a donation to it. After a bit of investigation, via Charity Navigator, I decided to donate to the Children’s Defense Fund. With Christmas rolling around again, I’m starting to think about this year’s giving. I may still give to CDF, but I’m weighing other options, as well.

To that end, I thought I’d solicit opinions of others to see what organizations they donate to or think of as worthwhile entities for donations. So, if you have an organization to whom you make charitable donations, I’d be interested in what it is and, if you’d care to do so, why you find it worthwhile.  Thanks!

Four-Color Coverage
There were a couple of noteworthy items in yesterday’s books:

• Justice League of America #27 – This issue featured the (long overdue) “integration” of the heroes of the Milestone Universe into the Mainstream DCU. It also featured the return of Doctor Light – the heroine, not the villain that the Teen Titans used to smack around back in the day. This issue had the return of Icon and the Shadow Cabinet… and setup the traditional “We’re here to save the day/world/universe/creation, and we’ll do it even if we have to go through you first” battle between the Shadow Cabinet and the JLA.
• Legion of Super-Heroes: The More Things Change

  

  When I saw this TPB in the store, it wasn’t a question of “Am I going to buy this,” it was more a question of “Am I going to be able to wait until I read everything else before reading it?” I was… and the journey to the 31st Century DCU was well worth the wait. The book reprints a number of Legion stories from the late 80s; some of the stories I had read, some I had not – this was during the time when there were two Legion books: The Legion of Super-Heroes (available at specialty shops only) and Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes (which was available at newstands, 7-11s and just about anywhere comics were sold). LSH was printed on high-quality Baxter paper; TotLSH was printed on newsprint and ran a one-year-long story… before reprinting the stories from LSH. (Oh, DC, you greedy double-dipping bastards…) If you’re a long-time Legion fan, this would make an excellent addition to your collection.

• Secret Invasion: Dark Reign #1 – The invasion is over and the aftermath is being dealt with. [SPOILER DELETED] has been charged with picking up the pieces of S.H.I.E.L.D. and putting things back in order. Their first order of business: Putting together an eerily Illuminati-like group to delegate authority… and responsibility. It’s an interesting premise, but I found myself distracted – not in a good way – by the artwork at some points, especially in panels involving Namor.

Stray Toasters

• I have wanted a Gamora HeroClix figure ever since Chris first used it to kick my butt. (And every time that it’s been used against me since then, too…) I’ve been watching eBay to see if one pops up at a reasonable price, but haven’t bid on one. Yesterday, while at Dr. Volt’s, I picked up a couple of boosters of Secret Invasion ‘Clix. There was a Gamora in one of them.
• Missing inflatable breast mystery — solved!
• From ThinkGeek: DNA Portrait
• Actor cuts throat on Vienna stage
• From the home to the arcade: Guitar Hero enters the arcade
• Everybody Wang Chung tonight…
• At home with avant-garde Syrian artist

I’m skipping the gym today. I tweaked something in my shoulder on Tuesday, it seems. So, I’ll just go on Saturday, before the ‘Clix tourney.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 10 December 2008
Last night, SaraRules and I met her parents for dinner at Hoppers. Repeat after me: “Madame X Stout.” I had the Steak Sandwich – every time I’ve had it, it’s had a section that’s been very tough/gristle-laden… last night was no exception, but the sandwich was still very good. They’ve added salmon to their winter menu; SaraRules’ folks both had salmon dishes and said that it was quite good.

SaraRules and I headed back to my place and started to watch There Will Be Blood. Just for the record:

Movie that starts slowly + Tired-from-waking-up-early Rob = Rob who nods off

We had to put the movie on hold until a later date… and I was in bed – and knocked out – a little after 11:00. I slept fine… but woke up at 4:30. Realizing that it was Ridiculous O’Clock, I went back to sleep until 6:00, when my upstairs neighbors’ dog decided to go on a barking jag. I could deal with it, but it sounded like someone else had a BIG issue with it – there was much (LOUD) knocking on the door upstairs after about 20 minutes of barking. It was oddly amusing.

So far, the work day has been good. Hopefully, that trend will continue.

Stray Toasters

• I called my friend, William, whom I haven’t spoken with in [far too long], this morning. We did a bit of catching up and agreed to try and get together when I go home for Christmas.
• I just upgraded to WordPress 2.7 (Release Candidate 2). I like it. A lot.
• By way of SaraRules and the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” file: Man Lives with Female Robot
• IKEA hacker
• The Council for Better Driving: Utah would like to remind Salt Lake and Utah County drivers about the rules for using the express/HOV lanes.
• Hacking Knowledge: 77 Ways to Learn Faster, Deeper and Better
• I love this image from BoingBoing:

  
  (click image for accompanying article)

• Obama Wants Broadband, Computers Part of Stimulus
• This Is the Way the World Ends
• Also from SaraRules: Detroit Homeless Men Adopt Local Families for Christmas
• Student Faces Suspension for Spamming Profs

Sushi and Comics Wednesday was a success.

As I’ve mentioned before, we’re having some work done to/around the office. This includes some electrical work (which is why I was in early yesterday) and some wall/office moves. We were expecting the latter to start either tomorrow, Friday or next week. They showed up today. So, we’ve spent the past hour or so moving things to get them access/room to move. YAY!

Back to the grind.

Namaste.

Tuesday – 09 December 2008
Happy Birthday to MarknTyme:

It’s a little after 7:00 (or it was when I started this), and I’m already at work. We have some work being done around the office and we needed to be sure that someone would be here to let the electricians in. I volunteered. On the plus side, I’ll be done at 3:00 or 4:00, depending on whether Wes and/or Marci and I hit the gym.

Football Update

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers
23 – 38
This game was the battle of two 9-3 NFC South teams, as the Bucs rolled into Charlotte to take on the Panthers before a capacity crowd and the Monday Night Armchair Quarterback Football crowd. The game showcased a lot of defensive talent on both teams, but the game pretty much belonged to the Panthers from the get-go. They didn’t put many balls in the air – Jake DelHomme threw two INTs, although he did throw for 178 yards and one TD – but the running game was stellar: RBs De’Angelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, who both ran in two TDs, ran for a combined 301 yards. The Buccaneers looked…unbalanced. They would have a couple of good series, but couldn’t seal the deal when it came down to it. There were also times when veteran QB Jeff Garcia just looked lost in the pocket. Literally. More than once, as the pocket started to collapse, he just looked scared and unsure of what to do. With this win, the Panthers go to 10-3, atop the NFC South. As the commentators said last night, Carolina has its season and playoff picture in its own hands – their next three games are against the Broncos, Giants and the Saints. But, if they continue to play the way they did last night, they could be a serious contender for the playoffs… and maybe, just maybe, even the Super Bowl.

Stray Toasters

• I’m a fairly unabashed fan of both The Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Last night, The Late Late Show returned from hiatus; it turns out that Craig Ferguson’s mother passed away last week. Rather than his usual joke-laden opening, he began the show with a very personal monologue, in which he talked about his mother – not so much about her death, but about her life. I’ve heard that his monologue following his father’s death was similarly personal.
• By way of (whom I had originally thought was) SaraRules (but wasn’t): Our Daily Bleg: Holy Comic Quotations, Batman!
• The mouse hits 40-year milestone and 40 Years of Mighty Mice
• 
• Inside a US sex addiction clinic
• By way of : “Is this for real?”
  (, you need to share this with Mrs. .)
• Sony to cut plants and 8,000 jobs

Back to it.

Namaste.

Monday – 08 December 2008
Belated Happy Birthday to and :

Football Update
Last night, the Ravens hosted the Redskins for “The Battle of the Beltway,” as it was called. It was the first time the Redskins have played in Baltimore in close to 30 years (if I heard the stat correctly).

Washington Redskins at Baltimore Ravens
10 – 24
Last night, the Ravens hosted the Redskins for “The Battle of the Beltway,” as it was called. It was the first time the Redskins have played in Baltimore in close to 30 years (if I heard the stat correctly).Joe Flacco had a very slow start… that lasted the entire first half – he was 2/7 for passing in the half. That’s okay, because Ed Reed was on the other side of the ball. He had an amazing shoestring interception catch, less than a minute into the game that the offense was able to turn into a touchdown. Baltimore blanked Washington 14 – 0, going into halftime, thanks to an Ed Reed fumble recovery less than three minutes after his interception. The second half was a mostly defensive battle, with neither side gaining a decisive advantage. A couple of trick plays helpd the Redskins drive deep into Ravens’ territory, but the best that they could come up with was a field goal, early in the fourth quarter. They added another touchdown, after Willis McGahee fumbled the ball a couple minutes later. Joe Flacco and Derrick Mason put the final nail in the coffin, with a Ravens’ touchdown at 3:44. Washington put up a fight and was starting to march down the field… when Ed Reed intercepted another Jason Campbell pass, just after the fourth quarter two-minute warning. With this win, the Ravens go to 9-4, one game behind the Steelers… who they face, in Baltimore, next week. And, they are very much in the race for a wild card spot in the AFC.

After the game – and after hanging out with SaraRules – I finally got around to checking out last week’s comic haul. There were a number of mediocre reads, but among the standouts were:

• Justice Society of America #21 – This issue marked the next-to-last chapter of the Gog storyline. What happens when a seemingly omnipotent being – who claims to be here to help – decides that he will only continue to help if people start to worship him… and they refuse? Well, we get a pretty good look at the answer in this issue.
• X-Men: Noir #1 – This was a/ yet another take on the X-Men. No powers, but in a noir setting. And there is an interesting bit of role-reversal, too. I have heard that they are looking at adding a couple of other titles to this line – and I’m not sure that I’ll read any of the others – but this one was a refreshing change of pace.

It’s snowing; it has been for the past few hours.

(click images for larger sizes)

Today has been fairly busy, as we’re doing some remodeling around the office and we had a new person start in IT.

Stray Toasters

• I am wearing my new kofia that SaraRules got for me.



• For lunch, we went to Orchid, a Thai restaurant in the Union Park shopping center. The food was good and the lunch prices were rather reasonable.
• HOWTO pay for America’s health insurance
• SaraRules pointed out Jonathan Jones on the parallels between ancient and modern superheroes.
  I countered with An American Pantheon.
• Music: Murphy’s law coming to an end
• By way of : Fifty Years of Popular Songs, Condensed into Single Sentences
• Pinup Bettie Page Hospitalized after Heart Attack
• Home Inspection Nightmares XV

All this… and I get to be in the office at 7:00 AM tomorning.  Woot!

Namaste.

Friday – 05 December 2008
Happy Hatching Day to Derek:

Another work week draws to a close; hopefully, the day won’t be too bad.

Last night, I headed over to play ‘Clix with Perry. I asked him how many points he wanted to go with – he opted for 300. We picked our teams and had at it. I went with Ms. Marvel (Skrull) and Susan Richards (Skrull), while he brought Invisible Woman, Human Torch and The Thing. Then it was on…

• Both of my figures had Outwit.
• Since my figures were Skrulls, I got to roll to see if he could hit me before each attack.
• Ms. Marvel has the Indomitable trait – meaning she can act on two successive rounds without taking pushing damage.
• Ms. Marvel’s first movement power, Exfiltrate, allows her to use Stealth, thus she couldn’t be attacked using ranged combat, as long as she was in hindering terrain… which I pretty much made sure that she stayed in.

It was a (fairly) short game.
And a little one-sided.
I told him that the next time we played, I would try to play a more balanced team against him.

SaraRules showed up while Perry and I were playing. After the game, she and I headed to the Festival of Trees, at South Towne Expo Center. TONS of trees. And wreaths. And gingerbread houses. And people. Some of the trees were amazingly well-decorated… but there were also (more than) a few duds. And all proceeds go to benefit Primary Children’s Medical Center. So, it’s a win-win situation. If you’re in the SLC Metro area and looking for something to do – and something that benefits a good cause – go check it out.

Stray Toasters

• I have a new holiday-themed icon.
• How to Survive the 17 worst Mac Disasters
• From NPR: Little Support for Trafficked Women in Russia
  
• 
• First International Body Music Festival
• “It’s true!”
• Bill Cosby + Cowboy Bebop = Cosby Bebop (Thanks to for the link.)
• Sucked into the Tunnels Beneath Las Vegas

Attack the day…

Namaste.

Thursday – 04 December 2008
Last night, because of a comment Logan made earlier in the day, I craved pizza for dinner. The solution: Get a pie from Papa Murphy’s. And it was good. Very good, indeed. I took it to SaraRules’, where we – and her family – watched Hancock. I didn’t watch any of the bonus material, so I still don’t know what was behind the recurring eagle motif.

I headed home after the movie, ostensibly to tackle the train table project. That turned into me doing a crossword puzzle and otherwise meandering around the apartment. SaraRules came over a little later; she offered to help with taking down the Rokenbok. I wasn’t about to pass up that opportunity, so just like Big Daddy Kane, we got the job done. It’s amazing how much faster it was to disassemble than it was to put together. I also took apart and boxed up the LEGO train set.

I don’t know what was going on, but this morning, the radio in my head was on “Super Mondo Mega Random Shuffle.” Seriously. I had snippets of songs from The Crying Game to Missing to Iko Iko running through my head while I was getting ready for work. Since I have no other explanation for it, I will blame , as usual.

Stray Toasters

• New addition to The Covet List: LEGO Silver Rings
• By way of SaraRules: Michelle Obama: What Should She Wear?
• Cinderella, Super-Spy: Roberson on the Fables Spin-off
• From BBC News: The Box
• Word Up
  Cameo |MTV Music

• Super Human Resources
• It was snowing here a few minutes ago. Nothing major, but there’s a light dusting o’ white on the mountains. I messaged my father to tell him that it was snowing – I didn’t want to call, as he and my stepmother are visiting Adam, Chelsea and Caden. He messaged me back: “Do you want HIGH/COLD winds to go with that snow?” I replied that I’d pass on it.
• The Sartorialist

And that’s a good place to hang it for now.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 03 December 2008
Mid-week. And stuff.

«REWIND«
Wes and I hit the gym yesterday at lunch:

• Dips: 3 sets/10 reps
• Bench press: 3 sets/10 reps – 1 set @ 200 lbs; 2 sets @ 185 lb
• Curls (dumbell, concentration): 3 sets/10 reps, 30 lbs
• Side bends: 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs
• Lateral raises: 3 sets/10 reps, 15 lbs
• Push-ups (elevated): 3 sets, 10 reps

I think that was everything. And I neglected to throw in Friday’s workout, too… but it was basically the same as last Tuesday’s, but with lighter weight, as I was working out with SaraRules.

Post-workout weight: 180.1 lbs.

›PLAY›
Last night, I had some grand delusions/designs of possibly breaking down my Rokenbok/LEGO train table. But, by the time I got home, I realized that it was almost time for the new episode of NCIS… so I sat on the couch to watch it.

I should have worked on the table, because about 15 minutes into the episode, the TV was watching me.

I faded in and out during the episode, but woke up for the very end of it. At that point, I figured that I should eat something… and it was time for Fringe. So I ate and watched Fringe. No falling asleep this time. I considered working on the table after it went off, but I got involved in surfing the Interwebs. So, the table remains a task for another day.

Today, I’ve already had an impromptu, albeit brief, meeting and put out a couple of minor fires. I call that a decent start to the day. And I get to hand off The Leash today, after two weeks of being on-call; I opted to do the two weeks on so that I can have two weeks off while I’m on vacation. Win-win.

Stray Toasters

• There’s a chance of snow in the forecast. I’m somewhat surprised – though not upset – that we haven’t seen very much so far this year.
• American folk music legend Odetta dies at 77
• From NPR Music: Best CDs of 2008
• Why the love affair with man-eating plants?
  
• By way of ThinkGeek:

  
  (click image for details)

• Some people stop at nothing
  If you’re searching for something
  Lay down the law
  Shout out for more
  Breakout and shout, day in day out
  Breakout
• First Look: Static in the DC Universe
  I really want to make a joke/pun about the Milestone Universe being “integrated” into the DC Universe… but it’s a little too easy. Suffice if to say that I’m glad that it’s being done and it’s a bit overdue. In fact, the 2003 season opener of Static Shock, “Hard as Nails“, that made a sideways nod (second quote) to the issue of a shared universe.
• Will Iron Man 2 feel the Black Widow’s sting?
• 
• How comics can save us from scientific ignorance

I’m not sure if today is a sushi day or not, but comics won’t be in until tomorrow.

Namaste.

Monday – 01 December 2008
And so, another work week – and another month – begin.

I was lucky enough to get to spend a portion of my morning on the phone with HP Tech Support explaining why they needed to ship me a replacement for a replacement part they sent last week. Short answer: They sent the wrong part. *sigh* This time, I sent to an email to the rep, so that he could see the differences bewteen Part A (the part I need to have replaced) and Part B (the part they sent). I should have the new – and hopefully correct – replacement part tomorrow.

Stray Toasters

• As I mentioned last week, there’s a new member of the family – now complete with pictures.
• By way of SaraRules:
  • As Taboos Ease, Saudi Girl Group Dares to Rock
  • Atlantic Records Says Digital Sales Surpass CDs
  • Kanab Orchestra Thrives Under Long-Time Maestro
    
• By way of comes an interesting read about comic book cancellations and why the Big Two keep churning out mega-crossovers: “Why you feelin’ sorry for him? He asked for it…”
• How Dan Kaminsky broke and fixed DNS
• I just discovered that a coworker used to play Star Fleet Battles, many moons ago.
• I read a news article title from Wired.com – Genetically Modified Peanuts Could Save Lives – and my first thought was of Charles Schulz’ comic strip… new and improved! Finally, Charlie Brown can kick that football! lj user=”everydave” pointed out the following:
  

  “sure..but the mutation would be across the board…so while CB might be able to finally kick the ball..the ball, now sentient, is going to come back and reign down hell on ol’ chuck in retaliation…”

• Best Book Covers of 2008
• Yiddish in Jazz
• Meetings. YAY!

Namaste.