Random Access

Thursday – 19 January 2012
It’s another NBN Thursday in the valley… but it’s one without snow. Mother Nature appears to have overlooked us, at least for the moment.

Last night, the girls slept pretty well. Thankfully. Vanessa woke up for a bit at 10:30, but found her way back to sleep about 45 minutes later. Again, thankfully. Both girls were up for a 2:15-ish feeding, followed by another four hours of sleep. So, all things considered, I’d call it a “good” night.

After the girls went to sleep, SaraRules! and I watched Limitless. We had an inkling of what to expect, but I found they took a couple of turns that I didn’t see coming. I appreciated that. While it wasn’t a perfect movie, I thought that it was well-done and quite entertaining. I give it a definite “thumbs-up with an okay.”

Stray Toasters

• Zombie Family Car Stickers
• By way of Maddox: I hope SOPA passes
• In Fight Over Piracy Bills, New Economy Rises Against Old
• …and, combining two great tastes that taste great together:
  
• The Soul of a Demon
• World Bank warns countries to prepare for a global slump
• America’s Worst Weather Airports
• A Way of Life on Its Way Out in Wichita
• Bum’s the word in Japan security scans

And… done with meetings for the day. Finally.

Wednesday – 18 January 2012
Midweek is upon us once more. It seems as though Mother Nature has plans to introduce…

…into our weather pattern. Soon. We shall see how this plays out.

Last night was a long night for the girls. Vanessa seems to be on the downhill slope of her “cold-like thing.” She had a bit of a time falling asleep, but managed to meet Morpheus and wander through The Dreaming for a couple of good stretches. But, according to SaraRules!, Diana was up roughly every 45 minutes to an hour. Hopefully, she’ll get a better night’s sleep tonight.

Stray Toasters

• This Is What an Internet Protest Looks Like
• Protest on Web Uses Shutdown to Take on Two Piracy Bills
• 
• 3 New ‘Legend of Korra’ Videos Emerge for ‘Avatar: the Last Airbender’ Sequel
• Fashion Week: Best Looks, Fall/Winter 2012
• If I was a betting man, I’d have put money on Jeff Fisher going to Miami over St. Louis.
• Is Cooking Ever an Art?
• 10 Ways to Have a Productive Meeting
  I wish more of the meetings I attended adhered to these ideas…
• Few Cities Have Regained Jobs They Lost, Report Finds

Tonight is “Pasta and Movie Date Night.” I have a couple of tentative ideas for a movie, but nothing that jumps out at me. Hopefully, inspiration will hit before I get home.

Namaste.

Friday – 13 January 2012
It’s Friday. Hallelujah! And the fact that it’s Friday the 13th? Meh. It’s my “on” Friday, but it’s quiet around the office, so I should be able to get a few things accomplished with minimal interruption. That would be a “good” thing.

It’s also Playoff Purple Friday:

Last night was a fairly quiet night around the homestead. It was bath night for little girls, both of whom took their baths without much ado. And, they even went to sleep fairly easily. Although, Diana did wake up about 12:45… which is almost an hour earlier than her norm. I am chalking it up to the fact that she – and Vanessa – seem to be a bit congested, of late and that’s making sleep a little more difficult.

After the girls went to sleep – and after dinner and an episode of NCIS: Los Angeles – I played CoD: MW3. I was able to team up with a few friends, which made it all the more fun.

Stray Toasters

• When Cosplay Collides with Cuteness
  Our kids are sca-rewed.  🙂
• Obama to Ask Congress for Power to Merge Agencies
• 
• Court rules Black minister owns title to building housing famous KKK shop
• Uneasy Neighbors in a Southern Gothic Tale
• Bill Cowher has turned down at least three NFL teams
• The Inbreeding Coefficient of Superheroes
• 
• Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?
• Morgan Freeman doesn’t just make movies — he’s a fan
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Dumb, dumber and dumbest: Burglars snort ashes of a man and two dogs after they mistook them for cocaine

Namaste.

Thursday – 12 January 2012
It’s another NBN Thursday in the valley. There’s sun, but it’s still quite cold outside. But, my morning started out with cuddles from both girls, so I got a good kickoff to the day.

And, speaking of the little ladies, this picture was taken during last night’s “tummy time:”

Vanessa (l) and Diana
(*waits to see how long before this picture appears on my mother’s Facebook page…*)

Last night was also “Pasta and Movie Date Night” at our house. SaraRules! picked up a movie on the way home: Tangled. It was a cute – and rather fun – movie, putting a slightly different spin on the Rapunzel fairy tale.

Before bed, I read a little more of World War Z. I’m still enjoying it. After turning out the light and calling it a day, I was treated to a few hours of zombie-infested dreams. Go figure. But it wasn’t all The Walking Dead. It was more like “The Walking Dead meets Resident Evil (movies) meets S.H.I.E.L.D. meets The X-Men.” Yeah, it was that weird. Suspenseful. Action-packed. Slightly frenetic. And I think it is that combination of things that kept it from being outright scary/fear-inducing.

Stray Toasters

• I was listening to Huey Lewis and the News yesterday (thanks, Spotify!) and realized something: They made a lot of fun/amusing videos and it was pretty easy to see that the band just really seemed to have fun playing music.
• Author of SOPA Is a Copyright Violator
• Survey Finds Rising Perception of Class Tension
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
• Oh My Fucking God This Woman Coughed Up Her Own Tumor
• Man Killed in Train Accident Sued By Woman His Flying Body Parts Injured
• Religious Groups Given ‘Exception’ to Work Bias Law
• Miss. judge blocks release of 21 convicts Barbour pardoned
• I still haven’t seen a purple cow.
• Spam with QR code targets mobile users
• Cremation, Burial or Body Farm?

Namaste.

Wednesday – 11 January 2012
Midweek. My day started with pre-work cuddles from both of the girls. AND there shall be new comics today. AND tonight is “Pasta and Movie Night.” I’d say that this is a Wednesday full of “Win.”

Last night was another baby bath night around the homestead. It was also a 180° change from Monday night’s pre-bedtime experience. The girls, while tired, were little troopers through their baths and bedtime preparations. We’ve also stopped double-swaddling the girls and just going with the single-blanket swaddle… and (so far) it hasn’t bitten us in the ass.

After the girls went to bed – and after we ate dinner – I decided to unwind by spending a little time playing DC Universe Online. After a fairly brief patch/update, I was back in Gotham City.

I finished out a mission that I started… probably back in November. I thought about doing the final mission in that arc, but realized that I was already up a bit later than I had planned to be. So, I called it a night.

Stray Toasters

• Doomsday clock moved closer to midnight
• A meeting that was almost scheduled for today has been pushed back to tomorrow. I’m fine with that.
• Stopped they must be; on this all depends — reddit goes dark in protest of SOPA
• 
• Simon & Schuster has posted an excerpt of Carrie Fisher’s new book, Shockaholic.
• Bacon: Good or Bad?
• Courtesy of Christopher M. and the “Some Peoples’ Children…” file: !@#&^%$!!!!!! (Cellphone halts Mahler’s Ninth mid-movement)
• Energy Department to analyze power grid cyber threats
• 
• We Can’t Get Enough of the Google Girls
• Independent DABC Committee Taps a Keg of Bar Owner Frustration
  And the “best” part: They scheduled this meeting yesterday, from 2:00-4:00 PM. You know… when most people (who might object to it) would be at work.
• After firing coach, Raiders GM promises title
• Fatal Stampede in South Africa Points Up University Crisis
• What We Expect to See at Fashion Week

Namaste.

Monday – 09 January 2012
A new week begins. My day started with cuddles from Little Miss Diana (Vanessa was still asleep), so how could my day be bad?

I’ll get this out of the way now:

Yeah. John Fox’s Denver Broncos hosted the guys from Steeltown… and won. To sum up my thoughts on the game, I turn to a paraphrasing of the words of S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury :

Nick Fury: You’ve been very busy […] you’re giving away all your stuff. You let your friend fly away with your suit playoff spot. Now, if I know better…
Tony Stark: [interrupts] You don’t know better. I didn’t give it to him. He took it.
Nick Fury: Whoa, whoa, whoa. He took it? You’re Iron Man Big Ben and he just took it? The little brother walked in there, kicked your ass and took your suit spot? Is that possible?

In this case, Nick Fury would be portrayed by Ball So Hard University’s Terrell Suggs and Tony Stark would be played by Ben Roethlisberger.

I’ve never been a huge Denver fan, but I was one yesterday. I was also glad to see that Coach Fox – formerly the head coach of the Carolina Panthers – was able to take his team to the playoffs and have a good showing.

Stray Toasters

• Cadillac ATS goes diesel to pluck BMW 3-Series buyers
• Badass of the Week: Dakota Meyer
• How to Investigate Your Elected Officials
• Hackers say they have Symantec’s Norton AV source code
• 
• A Tech Show Loses Clout as Industry Shifts
• Scrolling LEGO TV brings minifig Superman to life
• From m3lodywise and the “People Are Strange When You’re a Stranger” file comes this.
• Airbus Refuses to Ground A380s Despite Cracks in Their Wings

Namaste.

Thursday – 05 January 2012
Another NBN Thursday is upon us. And this one is sunny and bright… and lacking a fair bit of inversion. (Unless you look to the northwest. Let’s not do that, though — I rather like the clearer skies in the rest of the valley.)

And, speaking of “sunny and bright,” the girls were awake before I left for work this morning, allowing for a brief photo-op:

Vanessa

Diana

Yep, nothing like starting the day with this pair of cute faces staring up at you.

Stray Toasters

• Robert L. Carter, an Architect of School Desegregation, Dies at 94
• We finally finished watching the winter season of Burn Notice last night. They did a couple of things that I didn’t quite expect… although I could/should have possibly expected one of them. Now, to wait five months for the show to return.
• SOPA & PIPA Townhall Meetings
• 
• SaraRules! picked up a package of Alexia Oven Reds as a side dish for dinner last night. They were very good; I recommend them.
• At 10 Years Old, Internet Explorer Is Almost An Artifact
• After “an encounter” with a coworker, this seemed apt:

• I could see something like this happening in 12 or so years…
  
• English Pronunciation
• Harder for Americans to Rise From Lower Rungs
• From the “YeahbuhWHAT?!” file: Police unsure if woman urinated on $30m abstract expressionist painting
• Making a Play for Video Gamers

Namaste.

Wednesday – 04 January 2012
Midweek is here already. Seems like the week just started. Oh, wait… it did.

Last night, I got home from work to discover that Vanessa had picked up a new trick from Diana: Blowing raspberries. Diana sussed out how to do it about a week ago — I first saw/heard her do it when getting ready to change her diaper.

If you’re not a parent, let me tell you that there’s almost nothing funnier than watching your infant daughters figure out “If I get lots of spit in my mouth and clench my lips and blow, it makes a funny sound!” I had a hard time changing the diaper because I was laughing so much. And the looks of concentration and determination on their faces when they are learning how to do this?  Priceless.

By now, Diana has raspberries down pat, so the “Okay, how do I do this again?” look has passed. Vanessa still makes the “thinking face,” though. SaraRules! has video of the girls doing this; I’ll see if I can get a copy posted in the next day or two.

Stray Toasters

• Wayne Brady (yes, that Wayne Brady) tweeted a link to a post on Dad or Alive. It’s a sad post, but a very good read.
• Terrell Suggs. T-Sizzle. Dean of Ball So Hard University. And, apparently not afraid to spar with ESPN’s Skip Bayless.
• Another parental truth:
  
• Survey: Developers still not doing enough to ensure security
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Town Breathes Easier as Frozen Dead Guy and His Festival Stay Put
• 
• Teachers Resist High-Tech Push in Idaho Schools
• I had dropped the DCnU Green Arrow after Issue #1, but after reading this interview, I might consider picking it back up.

Namaste.

Tuesday – 03 January 2012
I’m still trying to train my fingers to type “2012” rather than “2011.”  (Or “2112,” for that matter.)

It’s the first day back at work in two weeks. I won’t lie: There’s been some struggle in getting back into “work” mode. But, there strides have been made. I’ve even managed to accomplish a thing or two.

Yesterday afternoon and last night were – as I suspected they might be – long. After the girls’ four-month checkup (which went very well), SaraRules! and I headed to Black Water Coffee Company, to say “Hi” to Jim — our former neighborhood coffee shop owner.  BWCC is the second location of Pin-up Girl Espresso… which makes it (currently) the only location, at least until IHC finishes construction of a new facility in our neighborhood. It was good to see Jim and to catch up on a few things. And, getting a frozen mocha didn’t hurt, either. As the girls started to rouse, we headed home.

Diana and Vanessa were cranky, thanks in no small part to receiving their immunizations. After trying to get Vanessa to nap around 3:00 PM, she finally nodded off around 4:30. Of course, she refused to lie down, so I wound up with on my shoulder.

On the couch.

For an hour.

Although, I was glad that she slept. She needed it, as did Diana. On the back side of the nap (and before bedtime), they were intermittently happy and fussy. And there was little to no warning as to when their moods would change. Bedtime was a welcome thing. Fortunately, the little ladies headed to The Dreaming without too much ado. They slept until almost 5:00 AM this morning, which was also quite welcome.

After feeding the girls, I went back to bed. For reasons that I have yet to figure out, let alone explain, I had Will2K stuck in my head.

Yeah. Didn’t make it easy to fall asleep. But, I did and when the 6:30 alarm went off… I ignored it.  And the 7:00 alarm. And the 7:10 snooze. I finally got up at 7:30. I was good with that.

Stray Toasters

• My model railroad layout lost another 48 square feet last night. At this point, I’m not sure that I can still call it a “layout” as opposed to “that sheet of 4×8 that has a bunch of my train stuff on it.” Oh, well. This gives me an opportunity to verify all of the track sections that I have and get a better handle on what it is I want to do with it when I rebuild.
• Baby’s First Flowchart
• For SaraRules!: The Zombie Hammer, Now With Skull Ejector
• Wrong on so many levels, but funny:

  

• Physicists Seek to Lose the Lecture as Teaching Tool
• Genome Study Points to Adaptation in Early African-Americans
• I’m not a fan of bobble-heads, but I’d be willing to make an exception for this:

  

• Once the province of whites, Black South Africans embracing wine
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Sketching not permitted
• Hey, Anti-LEGO Feminists, “LEGO For Girls” Actually Kicks Ass

Namaste.

Monday – 02 January 2012
A new week begins… but the new work week doesn’t begin until tomorning. I’m good with that.

We had a good New Year’s Day, despite a rather curious start to the (wee hours of the) morning. Utah recently changed their statutes on fireworks, making it permissible to have – and detonate – fireworks on New Year’s Eve. (It had previously been permissible on the Fourth of July and Pioneer Day.) As someone who’s set off fireworks at midnight on NYE in other states, I had no problem with this.

In theory.

In reality, it’s something quite different when you have two infants who are trying to sleep and the neighbors are whooping it up in the street, setting off all manners of fireworks.

*sigh*

Even then, I don’t think that I would have had an issue with it had it not been for a few things:

1. We had gone to bed, pre-midnight, in anticipation of getting up in the middle of the night for a feeding.
2. I had actually fallen asleep a little before midnight
3. One group of neighbors apparently missed “midnight,” and started setting off some rather loud fireworks at 12:10.

Yeah, the 12:10 fireworks were loud enough to immediately rouse me and set me dashing into the girls’ room to make sure that they were still sleeping. Or approximating some semblance of sleep. They were. And, I don’t think that I’ve ever appreciated their sound machine (think: “white noise generator”) so much.

Yesterday wound up being a fairly low-key day. We started the morning with breakfast at Millcreek Cafe. From there, we made the year’s first pilgrimage to The Garden of Sweden. Amen. Back home for a bit and then we did some errand-running, before calling it a day. SaraRules! and I wound down the day watching a movie called Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. SaraRules! had wanted to see it since missing it at last year’s Sundance Film Festival; it showed up in our Netflix Instant Queue, so we watched it. It was, quite possibly, one of the best comedy/horror movies that I’ve seen in some time… if not ever. Sure, there were ridiculously silly points in the movie, but it was a lot of fun. I recommend it.

And, if you should need another reason to view it: It has Alan Tudyk in it.  (Browncoats will remember him from a little show called Firefly.)

Stray Toasters

• The Ravens beat the Bengalsto:
  1. …retain the #1 spot in the AFC North
  2. …get a first-round bye
  3. …have a home playoff game for the first time since 2006
• Grown-up Calvin and Hobbes vs. Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh
• The Commodore 64 is 30
• The Boilermakers beat Western Michigan to win the Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl. True fact.
• ‘Wonder Woman’: The Best Modernized Superhero Pantheon

The girls have their 4-month check-up in a little bit. More immunizations. This could make for an interesting afternoon.

Namaste.

Thursday – 29 December 2011
Another NBN Thursday is under way and I have already been to – and returned from – the airport. My uncle came to town Tuesday night for a post-Christmas visit and to meet the new additions to the family:

It was a short visit, but a very full one. The girls, who’ve been a bit fussy with new people lately, took to him fairly quickly; he took to them immediately. It was fun watching the three of them interact.

We also managed to squeeze in a trip to see the Lights on Temple Square last night. We bundled the girls into their bear suits and car seats and set off for downtown. We got there around the time that the girls are usually beginning to wind down before bed. But, with so many things to see – and all of the sounds – they were awake and staring at all the sights. About two-thirds of the way through our stroll, Diana started to fade; Vanessa was still going strong… until we got to the car. Then they traded: Diana woke up and Vanessa napped. We got home, changed and fed them and put them to bed. Diana faded out somewhat quickly; Vanessa, however, got a second wind and decided that bedtime was the perfect time to tell SaraRules! all about the adventures she had during the day. It took her almost an hour to wind down and fall asleep. On the “plus” side: They slept until almost 5 AM.

After the girls went to bed, my uncle and I went to Pawit’s to pick up dinner. He, SaraRules! and I ate and we introduced him to TopGear (UK). It was a good way to wind down the day and his visit.

Stray Toasters

• For SaraRules!: Not sure where this rates on your “uncanny valley” scale, but it has graffiti: Robot that paints random graffiti
• While I haven’t gotten in a lot of play time, I’ve been enjoying CoD: MW3
• I also realize that I still need to go back and finish three HALO games: 2, 3, and Reach.
• Young girl rages over pink toys and gendered play-choices
  This reminds me of of this post from my brother-in-law, about my niece, Grace:

  Yes lady, I’m aware that the “space explorer” pajamas were in the boys section. I’m also aware that my child is a girl. No, she wouldn’t rather have the pink princess ones. And yes, I can assure you that she picked them out on her own, so wipe the condescending look and eye roll off your face. My little girl can be a space explorer if she wants to, so suck it, wench.

  Amen.

• And, as a corollary to the above: Gamer Girl Manifesto
• A Brutal Chapter in North Carolina’s Eugenics Past
• Thanks to Keith for (re-)posting this picture:

  

• Disney Princesses as Street Fighter-style warriors
• Instead of Work, Younger Women Head to School
• Thanks to Corey for this: Photos of the Steam Festival at Golden Spike Historical Site
• Scheduling Partnership Links Pac-12 and Big Ten
• 
• Sears, Kmart to close up to 120 stores
• From the “What’s Wrong With This Picture…?” file: Police storm Church of the Nativity to break up brawling priests

I just put the girls down for a nap. Let’s see how this goes.

Namaste.

Monday – 19 December 2011
It’s a week before Christmas and I’m on vacation. I’m also hanging out with the girls today… which was a very poignant reminder that “sleeping in on vacation” is a thing of the past (and possibly distant future). But, that’s okay: They’re totally worth the lack of sleep.

It’s still grey and smoggy, thanks to the inversion. It… looks… like it might be flurrying, but it could just be particulates in the air. Who knows?

This weekend was a good one. Saturday, I judged a HeroClix tournament for Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection. After the event, I also got a chance to play-test a ‘Clix scenario that I want to run in a few weeks: “Dungeons & Dragons.” Basically, players have to choose a team of four characters – either an “adventuring party” or a group of monsters – and put them on a map that simulates a dungeon/maze. For the test, we used a map that (almost) no one likes: Anti-Monitor’s Fortress.  Additionally, I decided to have four players on the same map. Because I could. One player’s team demonstrated a couple of things that could be used to break the concept, but all told, it was a good test.

Sunday, SaraRules!, the girls and I headed up to Millcreek Cafe for breakfast. SaraRules!’ parents met us there. The girls, once again, were very quiet and cooperative, while we ate breakfast. Later in the day, Logan, Swiz, Dave and Angy came over for the Ravens-Chargers football game drubbing. The Chargers worked the Ravens over eight ways from Sunday. On one hand, it was painful to watch. On the other hand, no… still painful. But, the loss won’t keep the Ravens out of the playoffs — that’s right: The Ravens have made the playoffs all four years under Coach John Harbaugh’s leadership. (That’s gotta be good for his tenure.) Although, the loss does mean that if Pittsburgh wins tonight, the Ravens go from #1 in the AFC North to #2 AND… fall to the #5 spot in the playoff picture. Oh, yeah… there are now reports that Ravens’ K “Billy Cundiff officially an issue.” Really? I would have thought that he was “an issue” about two weeks ago. But that’s just me and might be (one of the) reason(s) that I’m not an NFL coach.

Today, I’m not sure what the girls and I are going to be up to. They’re napping at the moment and I don’t foresee going out before noon or one, but I think that someone (ME) might want to get out of the house at some point today. Call it a hunch.

Stray Toasters

• 15 Last-Minute Gifts for Everyone on Your List
• Amtrak’s Downeaster celebrates 10th anniversary
• In a nominally-related note: My model train layout lost about 1/6 of its total area last night, as I started the first stage of breaking down the layout.
• Velvet Revolution hero Vaclav Havel dies at 75
• 
• Many in U.S. Are Arrested by Age 23, Study Finds
• By way of the Council for Better Driving: These Must Be Two of the Luckiest People on Earth
• Best Men’s Fall Clothing 2011

And… the girls are up from their naps. Round Two: START!

Namaste.

Friday – 16 December 2011
It’s my “on” Friday, but it’s my last “on” Friday – and last day of work, for that matter – for the year. I’m looking forward to a couple of weeks off.

Last night was a relatively quiet night around the household. The girls were in bed (more or less) on-time and didn’t put up “too much” of a fuss about going to sleep. (Although, Vanessa decided that staying up and hanging out after her 2:30 feeding was a fine thing. I think we finally got back to bed about 3:40 or so.) After the girls were asleep, SaraRules! and I had dinner, watched a little TV… and I put a train trolley around the downstairs Christmas tree, complete with a few Department 56 buildings for effect. WHAT?!  It’s Christmastime. That’s just about the ideal time to have/play with a train set. And having it around the Christmas tree?  That’s just icing on the cake.

And, I did get quick Diana and Vanessa cuddles before heading to work this morning. Those make even the shortest of nights totally worthwhile.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
Nerds and Male Privilege

Stray Toasters

• SOPA votes derailed by politician’s ‘offensive’ tweet
• SOPA and PIPA: How We Got Here (VIDEO)
• First Amendment scholar on the failures of SOPA
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Ann Coulter on Herman Cain: ‘Our Blacks Are So Much Better Than Their Blacks’ (VIDEO)
  There’s a lot of banter/babble before the comment, so just jump to the 5:30 mark.
• 
• U.S. Finds Pervasive Bias Against Latinos by Arizona Sheriff
• The Oral History of Menswear Blogging
• (U.K.) Police include Occupy movement on ‘terror’ list
• 
• Paying a ‘Sports Tax,’ Even if You Don’t Watch
• Las Vegas’ Bellagio fountains learn new dances

Namaste.

Wednesday – 14 December 2011
Let’s just cut to the chase: Despite the inversion-induced drabness, today has been a good day so far. ‘Nuff said.

Last night, SaraRules! and I had a quiet night with the girls… even though it was a bath night. Both girls were fanstastically well-behaved and cooperative for bath time. It was quite the treat. And, they went to bed without too much ado. We also had a visit from Logan and Sanaz, which was nice for two reasons:

1. We hadn’t seen them in a couple of weeks, as they’d been on a trip
2. They brought SaraRules! a tasty dish that she’d been craving… which made for a very happy SaraRules!

All-in-all, it was a good night.

Stray Toasters

• We Are Not All Created Equal: The truth about the American class system
• 5 Favorite Cover Songs of 2011
• Super-Heroines Help Promote Breast Cancer Awareness in Mozambique
• U.S. Safety Board Urges Cellphone Ban for Drivers
• Does it really take “that much” effort to share a pleasantry with someone before starting a conversation?  I don’t think that it does, but maybe that’s just me and my quaint thoughts about courtesy and civility.
• Cirque de la Symphonie: The music of flight
  (Tickets for this are still available, but are apparently going fast…)
• 
• How to Explain Gay Rights to an Idiot
• FCC set to crack down on loud TV commercials
• “Thanks” to for pointing this out.
• Holder Signals Tough Review of New State Laws on Voting

Namaste.

Monday – 12 December 2011
A new work week begins. My day started with a couple of smiley-faced little girls waking up to face the day before I left for work. Yeah, that’s the way to kick off an otherwise grey and drab Monday morning.

Friday was Diana-Vanessa-Daddy Day.

Diana (left) and Vanessa

We stayed at home for the early part of the day, but ventured out in the afternoon. We stopped in to see SaraRules! at her office… where the girls were fawned over by some of the staff. We also popped in to say “Hi” to and before heading home. As an added bonus: I got to pop in and visit the Clitorati crew Friday night.

Saturday, we started the day with family pictures.  Jenny and Julie came over and took our photos. The girls were actually quite cooperative, even through their dress changes. After pictures (and feeding the girls), we headed to Downtown Philly Cheesesteaks for lunch.

Yesterday was fairly low-key. We slept in a little. There was breakfast. Even though we didn’t get to see it, the Ravens whooped up on the Indianapolis Professional Football Club. We also took the girls for a stroll around Liberty Park. (And… I’m counting that as a workout!) The park was far more empty than I would have suspected for a Sunday afternoon, but that just meant fewer pedestrians to avoid along the way. We ran a couple of errands and then had dinner with the in-laws.

All-in-all, it was a very good weekend.

Stray Toasters

• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Could online ‘warriors’ in Call of Duty be forced to obey the Geneva convention?
• Coming up this month at Utah Symphony:
• Cirque de la Symphonie
• Here Comes Santa Claus!
• Video Games Live: Bonus Round
• My 360 red-ringed… again. *grblsnrkx*
• Among Gingrich’s Passions, a Doomsday Vision
• Newt Gingrich Is Bizarrely Terrified of a Fake Sci-Fi Weapon
• 
• Total lunar eclipse is a rare treat
• The Best Jazz of 2011
• Cyber crime aftermath: Beyond the indictment
• 
• Lowe’s pulls advertising from TLC’s All-American Muslim
• How to Dress for a Job Interview
• What to Do If You’ve Lost Your Bags, Wallet, Everything
• HP sued over security flaw in printers

Namaste.