Random Access

Thursday – 14 June 2012
Not only is it another NBN Thursday in the valley, but today is also Flag Day.

In Team DiVa news: The girls apparently want to skip crawling and go straight to walking:

Vanessa (l) and Diana

They are “cruising,” where they’ll hold onto something and attempt to use it to toddle around. But, anything that makes a sound sometimes distracts them, which leads to a problem with that pesky “balance” thing that they haven’t managed to overcome yet… and most often winds up with a gravity-induced sitting down.

Diana will… pseudo-crawl… but that’s usually only under duress and/or to get closer to someone who will hopefully pick her up. Go figure.

Last night, Sara! (a.k.a. “She Who Still Rules”) and I watched John Carter (not to be confused with Coach Carter) for Movie Date Night.

I haven’t read Burroughs’ A Princess of Mars yet, so I don’t know how faithful or far afield the movie’s plot was from the source material. But, it was an enjoyable film. Yes, we did wind up MST3K-ing parts, but… *shrug*… what’re ya gonna do?

Stray Toasters

• Google Wants Love and 100 Other Things
• Rome’s famous Trevi fountain is crumbling
• How an 11-Year-Old Invented the Popsicle and Changed Summer Forever
• I believe that I have mentioned Little League on here before. For those who missed it, consider this your shot across the bow:
  
  And, I also recommend these strips (1,2,3,4,5), which lead up to the outfits seen above and are the basis for this post’s subject line.
• Girl Gets New Veins Made From Her Own Stem Cells
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file”: Cop dies during 3-way sex; widow wins $3M lawsuit
• Superman Mosaic… made out of LEGO bricks!
• And, speaking of LEGO and Superman: New ‘LEGO Batman 2’ Trailer Unveils Talking Characters, Snarky Superman
• 
• NASA’s Robo-Garden Is a Terra-Forming Trifecta
• ‘House Hunters’ houses aren’t always for sale?

Wednesday – 13 June 2012
Middle of the week means new comics and Pasta and Movie Date Night. I’m good with both of those.

Last night, I went to the gym with special guest star, Dave. He wanted to check out one of my upper body workouts, so we went through my chest and biceps workout. The full one:

• Elliptical: 10 minutes/1.05 miles
• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps, 135 lbs
• Incline Chest Press: 3 sets/8 reps, 120 lbs
• Shoulder Press: 3 sets/8 reps, 60 lbs
• Fly (machine): 3 sets/8 reps, 100 lbs
• Fly (dumbbell): 3 sets/8 reps, 20 lbs
• Curls (barbell): 3 sets/8 reps, 40 lbs
• Curls (dumbbell): 3 sets/8 reps, 25 lbs
• Wrist Curls (barbell): 40 lbs (approx)
• Reverse: 3 sets/15 reps
• Forward: 3 sets/15 reps
• Plank: 3 sets, 30 seconds

It was a good – and tiring – workout. But, it was also nice to have company while working out.

Stray Toasters

• Among the songs that Team Diva likes are:
• Mr. Bass Man, as performed by The Muppets
• The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana), theme from The Banana Splits Adventure Hour¹, which I used to watch (in reruns) as a kid.
  
• Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It (They can almost sing along with the “na-na-na-na-na-na-na” part of the chorus.)
• Sugar Sugar, by The Archies
• Burn Notice returns tomorrow.
• Trailer for crowd funded zombie web series: The Silent City
• While I’ve always had a soft spot for LEGO ads, I particularly like this ad campaign:

  
    

• New enery source for future medical implants: sugar
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Romanian gang attempt to rob moving truck
• By way of Dave: Luther Campbell fights to coach Miami Northwestern football
• What the Lines of a Red Solo Cup Actually Mean

Namaste.

¹ – The live-action parts of the first season of The Banana Splits Adventure Hour were directed by Richard Donner.  (Yes, that Richard Donner.)

Tuesday – 12 June 2012
According to a trusted source, today is apparently National Peanut Butter Cookie Day.

I’m feeling a little remiss as a Rush fan: Clockwork Angels was released today… and I completely forgot about it until I saw something on Facebook.

On the “plus” side of today’s tally sheet:

1. The lawn is mowed.
2. A couple of trees have been trimmed, getting rid of branches over the sidewalk.
3. I figured out what was going on with Sprinkler Zone #5 (Translation: “The back yard will actually get watered!”)
4. Steve and I determined how to get drywall into the basement, without having to cut the sheets or trying to finagle them down the stairs.

Stray Toasters

• By way of SaraRules!: What kind of Muppet are you, chaos or order?
• So, new MacBooks. Add (at least) one to The Covet List.
• Brian Haas Explores Superheroine Secret Identities With New Prints
• Retro Sci-Fi Costume Pieces in City of Heroes…because what kid didn’t want to play Space Ranger?
• Shelf Life
• The Chumbawamba Principle: A Commencement Address
• I wonder how The Art of Manliness and The Alphabet of Manliness would get along…?
• 10 Bets You Will Never Lose (video)

And… done.

Namaste.

Friday – 08 June 2012
It’s not just Friday…
Nor is it only Diana-Vanessa-Daddy Day…
Today is also the day that Vanessa turns 9-months-old:

The girls are taking their morning nap. After that, there will be some playtime. Then lunch. Then we’ll figure out whether we’re going somewhere before or after their afternoon nap. Most likely, it will be a post-nap excursion.

Stray Toasters

• I still haven’t taken down the shrubbery (Ni!) in the front yard. Maybe I’ll have a chance this weekend or early next week.
• Honoring Ray Bradbury’s Contribution to Epcot
• Chesapeake Energy CEO in Hot Seat Today
• This Modern Island Home Is Entirely Powered By the Sun
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Sexist Much?
• 85 MPH: San Antonio-Austin Highway Could Set Record for Highest Posted Speed Limit
• Space nerd family fun in LA this weekend: NASA JPL open house

Twins are up… and after a longer-than-I-expected nap.  Back to hanging out with them.

Namaste.

Thursday – 07 June 2012
Not only is today NBN Thursday, it is also my mother’s birthday:

And, it is also the day that Diana turns 9-months-old:

To celebrate the day, the girls get to go for another visit to the pediatrician… which means: Shots! (Which also means “Cranky children this afternoon.”) Yay.

::: INTERLUDE :::

Well, as it turns out, the girls did not have to get shots today. But, they will be getting four at their one-year check-up. (Joy of joys.) On the plus side, we found out that their pediatrician’s office will be moving… to our neighborhood right before that visit. So, I guess that means the offices will still have that new car office smell.

Stray Toasters

• Dresden Codak’s X-Men Reboot
• Thanks to my friend, Sunny, for pointing out this story: From scrubbing floors to Ivy League: Homeless student to go to dream college
• And, on the other side of the spectrum: Ohio school withholds diplomas for excess cheering
• 
• MST3K robots in LEGO
• Cat Bowl-Sized Gardens
• The Gardens of Paspas

Yeah, that’s good for now.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 06 June 2012
Midweek.
New comics day.
Pasta and Movie Date Night… maybe.

Yesterday, the destruction of the grotto demolition of the gazebo was complete. There’s now just a slight depression (and a little debris) where the gazebo once stood. Pictures here. Now, we just need to decide what we want to do with the space.

Last night, Logan and Sanaz came over to watch the girls so that SaraRules! and I could have an actual, out-of-the-house date night. It was glorious. We went to see The Avengers – second time for me, first time for SaraRules… and it was just as much fun the second time around. While she enjoyed the movie, I had to ‘splain a few things about characters to SaraRules! after the movies. (Comics, go figure.) But, it was a great way to spend a Tuesday evening.

And, yesterday also saw a notable dip in temperatures around here.  It was in the upper 90s on Monday; yesterday barely made 60.  And last night, we actually had to turn on the furnace. Yeah. Welcome to June in Utah.

Stray Toasters

• Sci-fi legend Ray Bradbury dies
• The pros and cons of living with your significant other
• Are you a tabletop gamer? Do you use terrain for your miniature games? Would you like custom terrain? You should check out Children of Mercury.
• The New Internet Starts Now
• These two strips made me laugh:
  …and…
  
• High Blood Caffeine Levels in Older Adults Linked to Avoidance of Alzheimer’s Disease
• A Brief History of Video Games
• Cablox
• Army Scientists Build a Better Battery
• 
• Dull and Boring? Not anymore for Scottish village and US town
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Russian Millionaire Hurls Money Paper Airplanes from Office Window, Starts Riot
• These Incredible LEGO Beasts Liven Up Iowa State’s Reiman Gardens

Namaste.

Monday – 04 June 2012
A new week is here.

The weekend was good – and fairly busy – weekend. We started with a pancake breakfast/car show, supporting the local Boy Scout troop. Next, SaraRules! went to quilt club while I stayed home with Team DiVa. After she got back, I headed out to judge a ‘Clix tourney. And, if that wasn’t enough: We also attended a friend’s birthday party.

Saturday night has now unofficially become “Action Movie Saturday Date Night.” We didn’t know what we wanted to watch, so we left it up to the Fickle Finger of Fate method of “Hey, what does Netflix have to offer?” We wound up watching Trollhunter:

It was surprisingly fun. And funny. We went into it with no real expectations or assumptions, but were quite well entertained by the time the credits rolled. I also found that I liked what they did with some of the mythology of the creatures.

Sunday was a little more relaxed… although it did start early: We hit the Wasatch Front Farmers Market. The rest of the day was spent mostly hanging out with SaraRules! and Team DiVa. I wrapped up the evening upgrading my game box from Windows XP to Windows 7. Finally. And by “upgrading,” I mean “I did a clean install on a bigger hard drive.” Now, I just need to reinstall the games. And remember to copy my bookmarks over.

And, speaking of Team DiVa:

Diana (in her custom Batgirl onesie)

Vanessa (in her custom Flash onesie)

Stray Toasters

• Air Force’s First Female Combat Pilot Becomes Wing Commander
• That makes me find the timing of  this item about wage disparity from The White House rather amusing.
• Every Black Hole Contains a New Universe
• My mother-in-law was singing Froggy Went A-Courting to the girls the other day and I realized that the tune was somewhat familiar: It was the same as The Crawdad Song (You Get a Line, I’ll Get a Pole).
• The Sartorialist
• 
• The Horrifying Truth Behind Pixar’s Cars Universe
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Westlake: ‘Cleaning Fairy’ breaks into houses, leaves cleaning bill
• Does this sound at all familiar…?
  
• I am really enjoying this season of Young Justice. They have taken some unexpected – and well-plotted – turns.
• Railfest 2012 (UK)
• By way of Melissa: That Song Sounds Like
• Open-source human genomes

Namaste.

Friday – 01 June 2012
A new month is upon us. Among other things, this means that I need to get to the Hallmark store and pick up a couple of important birthday cards.

We haven’t done anything new/else with the decking of the gazebo. Yet. But, maybe I’ll be able to get to it sometime in the next few days.

Team DiVa, on the other hand, continue to be adorable and entertaining.

Diana (l) and Vanessa

I’m hoping to get a new video of them doing what they do posted soon.

SaraRules! and I watched Blade Runner: The Final Cut the other night. After catching the tail end of the movie on cable a couple of weeks ago, we both realized that neither of us had seen the full movie in years. So… watched it. And it was good.

Stray Toasters

• Straight out of the “When Worlds Collide” file: I was reading Avengers vs. X-Men #4 this morning while having my morning coffee. Some people read the newspaper, I read comics. Sue me. This issue includes some of Marvel’s “Augmented Reality” or “AR” technology, which basically means that you hold up a smartphone or tablet with the appropriate app to a panel with the AR logo and you get either additional content. One particular panel featured a brief talk by Dr. Michael Shara– Curator, Department of Astrophysics, Division of Physical Sciences at the American Museum of Natural History – on what it would take to destroy a planet.

  The name struck a familiar chord in my memory, but I was just unsure enough to have to verify what I was thinking. After a few rounds on Google I confirmed what I had suspected: Dr. Shara was my Astronomy professor at Johns Hopkins about 20 years ago.

• Noah’s Ark Is a Sustainable Floating City for the Post-Apocalyptic World
• The Accidental Asshole: Pinpoint How You’re Annoying People and Do Something About It
• 
• We now know which DC Comics character is being reintroduced as gay. James Robinson, author of Earth 2, not only has a solid track record for writing gay characters, it seems as though he was the first to actually script a gay kiss in mainstream comics, in 1988.
• The Discerning Man’s Guide to Summer Style
• Shopping Guide: The Ultimate Warm-Weather Blazer
• 
• Bottle Cap Blues
• The History of Pigeon Camera Photography
• 
• Japan’s Hidden Tropical Island: Aogashima

And with that, I’m off to save the world.
Or destroy it.
Or something in between…

Namaste.

Tuesday – 29 May 2012
To quote the late Mr. Fred Rogers: “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.”

Team DiVa was up “a little” early this morning, so the day got off to a bit of an early start.

Diana

Vanessa

After breakfast – both for the girls, as well as SaraRules! and myself – we played in the living room for a bit until Bonne got here. And then…

…SaraRules! (who has the day off) and I set about the business of tearing down the gazebo in our back yard. We got started about 9:30 AM and worked until about 12:30; and in that time, this is what we accomplished. It’s not completely gone, but as SaraRules! put it: “…there’s a lot less gazebo than there was this morning.” Not bad for three hours’ work.

And tonight is Guys’ Night Out. I’d call that a good way to wind up a rather productive day.

Namaste.

Monday – 28 May 2012
It is Memorial Day.

Please remember that the day is about more than sales and barbecues… or just a day off of work. Take a few moments to recall and thank the servicemen and women who fought – and have fallen – to preserve our freedom.

Namaste.

Friday – 25 March 2012
Today, I’m hanging out with Team DiVa:

Friday morning reading/eating time with Diana (l) and Vanessa

A few days ago, I mentioned that I would post a video of the little ladies”caught in the act” of one of their new habits… if I could catch it.

I did and here’s the video to prove it. I hereby declare that it is the cutest thing that you will see today (and possibly all weekend):

Team DiVa – Mr. Bass Man
[FMP]http://www.echopulse.net/teamdiva/Team%20DiVa%20-%20Mr%20Bass%20Man.m4v[/FMP]
Right-click or ctrl-click this link to download

For those who aren’t familiar with what the girls are watching, it’s this video, from The Muppet Show.

Wednesday – 23 May 2012
Midweek is upon us again. That means new comics and Movie Date Night.

It rained this morning. I’m sure that my lawn appreciates that, especially since I’m having… issues… with the two zones in my back yard. Nothing insurmountable (I hope), but a little annoying nevertheless.

Last night, for the first time in five months (according to Foursquare), I went to the gym. Yeah, I know: Five months. This morning I was a little sore. But it was good and it was worth it:

• Elliptical: 15 minutes, 1.5 miles
• Lower Back Extensions: 3 sets/12 reps
• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps, 135 lbs
• Curls (dumbbell, seated): 3 sets/10 reps, 20 lbs
• Flys (dumbbell, bench): 3 sets/8 reps, 20 lbs
• Compound Row: 3 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs

Not surprisingly, my muscles were “a little” tired by the time I was done. But, I was glad that I went. And glad for a couple of ibuprofen this morning, too.

Stray Toasters

• My friend, Sunny, posted a link to these: Kitchen Power Grommet
  I think I covet these a little. Too bad I don’t current have a home improvement project for which I could justify them.
• Black Mormons and the Politics of Identity
• Air Force One airfare: $179,750 per hour
• Covet: Round 2 – The Command Center Workspace
• 
• Inspired by The Avengers:
• Avengers-Inspired Eye Makeup for Those With a Super Steady Hand
• Avengers-themed cocktails
• Seriously cute dresses inspired by costumes from The Avengers
• …and, in a related note: The Official Cinematic Avengers Timeline
• From The Big Picture: A wildfire that forced authorities to temporarily close a section of U.S. Highway 34 east of Yuma County, Colo. This wildfire caused at least a half-million dollars’ worth of damage on Colorado’s plains was sparked by a power line snapped by strong winds, according to a report on March 23. (Tony Rayl/Yuma Pioneer via Associated Press)
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
• Police: Group Staples Roommate’s Lips Shut, Tortures Him with Power Tool
• Bride who faked cancer ordered to repay donors
• Relive Your Childhood with These Nostalgic Wallpapers from Your Youth

Namaste.

Tuesday – 22 May 2012
Today’s another sunny day in the valley.
Tomorrow, however, there’s rain in the forecast, long with a nearly 15 degree drop in temperature. Yay.

There will (hopefully) be a new Adventure Babies: Team DiVa video short in the next few days… if I can catch them doing one of their new cute habits.

Stray Toasters

• Experts explain why PSA test is not worth risk
• There’s a rumour going around that I might actually go to the gym this evening. (I started it.)
• A ‘Leap’ forward in gesture-control interfaces?
• Tracking the Junk Food the World Eats After Dark
• Are Bananas Really as Bad For You as Cookies?
• 
• Lucasfilm Retreats in Battle with Wealthy Neighbors
  I’d read about this last week, but wanted to get a second verifying source.
• Miles Davis: his wardrobe, his wit, his way with a basketball…
• Stuff and things. Yadda Yadda Yadda.
  (Not to be confused with Boom De Yada or Boom De Yada.
• Engineering Infrastructures for Humans
• I skimmed over a new ad for DC Super Heroes: LEGO Batman 2 and thought that LEGiOn of Super-Heroes would make a great game. Hey, a guy can dream.
• Hitchhiking Director John Waters Picked Up in Ohio by Indie Rock Band
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Baby trapped in tumble dryer after ‘joke’ goes wrong.
  (Also, the child was in a washing machine, not a dryer. And, no, that doesn’t make it any better.)  I’m glad that the child in this story is reported to be fine, but I have nothing “good” to say/think about the father in this video. Seriously, what kind person puts his child in a washing machine?!  Even as a “joke.” As my father would say, “That doesn’t even make good crazy peoples’ sense.”
• Cake Wrecks. ‘Nuff said.
• The history of the U.S. electric grid

Namaste.

Thursday – 17 May 2012
It’s another NBN Thursday in the valley. This one even came equipped with sun (with a slight chance of rain). So far, it’s been a good day… and there’s still a lot of day to go.

Last night, SaraRules! and I watched Where the Wild Things Are for Movie Date Night.

I thought that it was pretty good. I was a bit surprised in that I was expecting something… a little closer to the book, at least in some respects, but the differences didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the movie.  It was also helpful to watch one of the special feature short pieces which highlighted the collaboration of author Maurice Sendak and director Spike Jonze.

The movie is rated “PG,” but there are a few scenes that might be scary for younger children. Nevertheless, I recommend it.

Stray Toasters

• Can You Call a 9-Year-Old a Psychopath?
• I finished Play Ball (1, 2)  earlier. It’s well-written, fun and… a even better than I had expected, even having read the preview on Comics Alliance. It’s a well-told (and rather frank) coming-of-age story, as well as a good reminder to follow your dreams, no matter what challenges you face.
  
• Donna Summer, RIP
• Chuck Brown, godfather of Go-Go music, dies at 75
• How to Tell From a Trailer That a Movie Is Going to Suck
• Mark Hamill Returns as The Joker in “DC Universe Online”
• 
• Rocking Horses of the Apocalypse
• Urban Plant Tags
• Mind-controlled robot arms show promise
• Because, you know, it’s going to be The Future Soon…
• If Diablo 3 was a girl (video)
• 
• Straight White Male: The Lowest Difficulty Setting There Is
• Big Black Book Spring 2012: A Blue Portfolio
• Comparing Gender in LEGO Minifig Heads

That’s good for now.

Namaste.

Tuesday – 15 May 2012
Huh.  It’s been a week since my last post. And there have been goings-on… which is to be somewhat expected, as seven days have gone by.

The biggest happening is: I resigned last week. And it was good. I’m going to miss the people. (And possibly the view from my window, but they are looking at moving fairly soon, so the view was going away anyway.)

The next biggest happening was that Sunday was Mother’s Day. More specifically, it was SaraRules!’ first chance to celebrate Mother’s Day as a mother.

We had a fairly quiet morning at home, and then dropped the girls off at the in-laws’ while SaraRules! and I went to the Utah Opera performance of Of Mice and Men. It was my third American opera; I was cautiously optimistic, as I was one-and-one on American opera to this point. My optimism was rewarded. I enjoyed the performance.

And, just in case you needed more Team DiVa cuteness:

Stray Toasters

• Diablo III has been released. I’m not playing it (yet), but I look forward to seeing my friends return when some of the “shiny” wears off.
• Sandwich celebrates 250th anniversary of the sandwich
• The Best Films You Never Want to See Again
• Why Nikola Tesla was the greatest geek who ever lived
• Combining one of my favorite literary works and LEGO: Mihai’s Inferno: The 9 circles of Hell made in LEGO
• Finnish court rules open WiFi network owner not liable for infringement
• 
• Boys Forfeit Baseball Game at Catholic School Because of Girl
• NASA trains astrounauts for asteroid mission
• Ask Chris #105: Batman, ‘Die Hard,’ and Super-Heroes’ Favorite Movies
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Moonshiners’ cow shoes
• How close to reality are the androids in Aliens and Prometheus?

Namaste.