Random Access

Monday – 22 November 2010
It’s Monday.
At least it’s a short work week.

It isn’t raining (or snowing… yet), although there are some not-quite-ominous-looking clouds coming over the Oquirrh Mountains.  We’ll have to see what they bring.

Yesterday was a good end to a good weekend:

• SaraRules! and I made a pilgrimage to The Garden of Sweden.
• The Ravens won.
• I beat SaraRules! at Trivial Pursuit… twice!
• And, we watched The Walking Dead and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Like I said: Sunday full of good things.

Instant Replay: Football

Baltimore Ravens at Carolina Panthers
37 – 13
The Ravens – who had never beaten the Panthers in regular season play – travled to Bank of America Stadium to take on the ‘Cats… …and won! The game wasn’t televised locally, so I had to rely on NFL.com’s Game Center and Sprint’s NFL Live app, both of which did a great job of keeping me apprised of the Ravens’ status. Not only did the Ravens win, but they also achieved a number of milestones along the way: Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh recorded his 600th career reception on his 56-yard touchdown reception. WR Derrick Mason made his 900th career reception with a 10-yard reception in the third quarter. He ranks 13th on the NFL’s all-time list. Safety Ed Reed notched his 50th career interception in the fourth quarter. With his fourth-quarter interception, LB Ray Lewis now has 30 in his career. He’s just the eighth linebacker to reach that mark. It was Lewis’ first touchdown since 2003. With his first-quarter touchdown pass, quarterback Joe Flacco is tied with Vinny Testaverde for most touchdown passes in Ravens franchise history (51). Yeah. Good game. Hopefully, NFL Network will rebroadcast it this week, so I can catch the action.

Coach Fox, the Ravens just handed your team a loss for the first time ever in regular season play… in your own house!  How do you feel about that?

Yeah… I understand.

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Oakland Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers
3 – 35
After three impressive wins, the Raiders rolled into Heinz Field to take on the boys from Steeltown. The Steelers steamrolled the Raiders in this matchup; but, in true Raiders smash-mouth football style, not with out a fight… or, in this case, a punch: Raiders DE Richard Seymour punched Ben Roethlisberger.  The punch got Seymour ejected, but it also put Roethlisberger on the ground. Sorry, SaraRules! and .

Ref: Coach Tomlin, someone just clocked your QB and dropped him.

Coach Tomlin: Oh, no he didn’t…!
Ref: Yes, Coach.  Yes, he did.

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Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals
49 – 31
The Bengals dropped this one to the Bills. Sorry, and .

Stray Toasters

• My quads and glutes are still sore from Saturday’s workout.  *sigh* I really do need to get to the gym more often.
• Administration to Seek Balance in Airport Screening
• 
• Two Treatments for Retina Diseases Make Progress
• Billie Holiday: Emotional Power Through Song
• I didn’t really play with the model railroad this weekend.  I may have to rectify that this evening…
• 
• Courts videoconference defendants to save money
• Don’t believe the devil
  I don’t believe his bunk
  But the truth is not the same
  Without the lies he made up Don’t believe in excess
  Success is to give
  Don’t believe in riches
  But you should see where I live
  I…I believe in love
• Even Before Friday, Retail Deals Will Go Online
• A Mystery: Why Can’t We Walk Straight?

And, I think that’s a wrap.

Namaste.

Sunday – 21 November 2010
I like nice, quiet Sunday mornings.

Today was one of those.

I think that a large part of “why” it was so quiet was the sound-dampening effects of the EIGHT INCHES OF SNOW that we received overnight. That’s right… eight inches of snow. I went out and shoveled the driveway… and the sidewalk… and part of the neighbors’ driveway (one of our neighbors is wheelchair-bound, so I figured I could at least make it easy/easier to get him into/out of the car and for that car to get into/out of the driveway).  I also discovered the “joy” of owning a home on a corner lot: You get to shovel two lengths of sidewalk! YAY!!! The whole thing took about forty-five minutes. That’s not so bad, in itself; I’m just thinking about what it will be like on those mornings when I get to wake up early to shovel before going to work… ugh.

Yesterday was a good day. It started off with me judging a HeroClix tournament at Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection. As there were nine players, I got to play the bye rounds. I put together a rather fun team:

• Deathstroke

  (gallery cr-figure-028)

• Ghost Widow

  (gallery cv-figure-002)

• Green Lantern

  (gallery cr-figure-023)

• Nightwing

  (gallery cr-figure-029)

• Red Arrow

  (gallery cr-figure-018)

• Valkyrie

  (gallery th-figure-055)

• Winter Soldier

  (gallery av-figure-050)

• Wonder Woman

  (gallery aa-figure-023)

After the game, I stopped in at Hammond Toys to see if they had anything that I couldn’t live without for my model railroad.  They didn’t. Then it was back home.  After dinner (and a nap for me), SaraRules! and I headed to the gym. She had a workout plan, so I just shadowed her. The routine consisted of:

• Deadlifts (barbell): 2 sets/15 reps, 50 lbs
• Lat pulldowns: 3 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs
• Shoulder Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 35 lbs
• Lunges (10 lbs/hand): 2 sets, 15 reps/leg
• Crunches: 2 sets/15 reps

It was nice to (finally) get back into the gym.  I really need to go more often.

When we got back home, we played a game of Trivial Pursuit: Best of Genus Edition. We started off fairly well matched, but then SaraRules! pulled ahead, because I got a string of History questions that kicked my ass. (Apparently, I didn’t pay quite enough attention in Paul Ganzenmuller’s class in 10th Grade.)

There’s football on TV — I’m watching the Raiders-Steelers game, while tracking the Ravens-Panthers game on NFL.com.

Next up: A trip to The Garden of Sweden.  Amen.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 17 November 2010
Midweek… which means that it’s Comics (and Sushi) Wednesday!
I’m not sure if I’m partaking of sushi today.  We’ll see how the morning progresses.

Last night was D&D night with and company. We met a new NPC. We’re not sure about him yet. There are a few signs that he may not be “a good fit” for the rest of the party. We’re keeping an eye on him. On the other hand, he does provide another pair of hands and weapons in a fight. That’s good, because our current quest has us in the ruins of what appears to be an old temple… complete with its very own horde of zombies. Yay.

Today, we’re having our furnace replaced!
Out with the old and busted.
In with the new hotness… literally.

Stray Toasters

• The first trailer for the upcoming Green Lantern movie was released yesterday:

  This looks a lot better than the “first footage” that came out last week.  I’m still a little unsure about the mask, but feel a bit more confident about the overall look and feel of the movie.

• Watch the Leonid Meteor Shower
• Rare Honor for a Living Service Member: Medal of Honor for Army Sergeant
• Giant Star Wars Minifig Alarm Clocks = Holiday Shopping, Done
• 
• Top 10 Movie Plot Holes You Probably Never Noticed Before
  • As to the Superman/Superman II plot holes:
    1. The whole “turn the world backwards” was a visual device. They used it to signify Superman flying back in time, a power that he’d been shown using – as both Superman and Superboy – since at least the late 50’s.
    2. The “amnesia kiss” was something that director Richard Lester used after Superman director, Richard Donner, was fired from Superman II; Donner shot some scenes for both Superman and Superman II concurrently. In the “Richard Donner Cut” of Superman II, it shows Superman flying back in time (again) to erase Lois’ memory… not using some cockamamie “amnesia kiss power” to make her forget.
• One Way to Trim Deficit — Cultivate Growth
• 
• The Monsters of H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos, as Drawn by Children
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
  • Unusual horse bike
  • ‘Saw 3D’ Accidentally Screens for Kids; Subsequently Scars Them for Life
• Career Day: Chambara JLA
• This is some rather sage advice from a former coworker of mine.
  (If the page won’t display for you, let me know and I’ll find a way to either transcribe or repost the picture.)

And that’s that…

Namaste.

Tuesday – 16 November 2010
The second half of November is upon us.

Last night, and Nathan came over to watch the Eagles-Redskins game. More on that later.

After the game, I went to work on my model railroad. I was trying to incorporate the 90º crossover and two more switches… but couldn’t get a the pieces to line up. Rather than fight it (too much), I decided to call it a night and ponder the issue today. If nothing else, I’ll probably just do another reversing loop and find a way to throw a spur or two off the main line.

Chew on This: Food For Thought/Quote of the Day
Today’s “Magnetic Poetry Self Affirmation Quote of the Day” comes in response to the feeling of being overwhelmed that a coworker is experiencing:

FYI: I refuse to let the small stuff and stupid people be a problem anymore.

I think that can be applied in many situations…

Instant Replay: Football

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins
59 – 28
Wow. Seriously… that’s just about the most accurate way to describe last night’s match-up between the Eagles and the ‘Skins. Last night’s broadcast of Monday Night Football should have been renamed “The Michael Vick Show.” He did it all: Threw four (4) touchdowns; Ran for two (2) touchdowns; Rushed for eighty (80) yards; Threw for 333 yards; No interceptions No fumbles He also became the first QB in NFL history with: …at least 300 yards passing, …50 yards rushing, …four passing touchdowns and …two rushing touchdowns in a game. One game. The man was money. All night long. Speaking of money, the Redskins’ new $78 million man, QB Donovan McNabb would have had a much better outing… if his receivers had bothered to show up. McNabb’s passes were pretty much on the money all night, but the receiving corps didn’t seem to put up a lot of effort to catch and/or hold onto the ball.

Stray Toasters

• 45 Years Later, An Apology and Six Months
• By way of Maddox: Not everything is epic, shitheads
• If you saw “Oz with Orchestra” this past weekend, why not leave a review on the Utah Symphony blog page?
• 
• Art of Storytelling Alive and Well in Audio Books
• Colorless, Tasteless but not Dangerous
• TSA tee: “We get to touch your junk”
• She Has No Head! — My 20 Favorite Comics Females
  • This list features not only Wonder Woman, but also Planetary‘s Jakita Wagner, another woman who kicked Batman’s ass (in her own words).  Sorry, Nizlee.
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: She’s a hooker for Jesus. Honest.
• When Opera Stars Show Their Frisky Side
• DC Universe Online: Pre-ordered.
• 10 Buildings Shaped Like What They Sell

And with that…

Namaste.

Monday – 15 November 2010
Another work week begins…

This weekend was a good one. Saturday, I went back to the train show and made up for the deal I lost out on Friday by picking up some switches, a crossing grade and some assorted track pieces for a really good deal. There was some damage to a few of the pieces, but nothing insurmountable.

Saturday night, SaraRules! and I went to Oz with Orchestra, as performed by Utah Symphony. As SaraRules had to “…play P.R. Girl,” as she put it (read: “sit with Jeff, a photographer from Riester“), we got to sit in Maurice Abravanel’s box seats… which put us directly above and behind the First Violin section. From this vantage point, we not only had a good view of the movie screen, but we could also read the sheet music of the vilolinists (and some of the bass players), as well.  While the orchestral accompaniment did lose the tempo a couple of times, Associate Conductor David Cho did an excellent job of leading the symphony and getting them back on track. The overall experience was a lot of fun. And, as an added bonus: David Cho proposed to his then-girlfriend during intermission – she said, “Yes” – so, congratulations to him!

Sunday was pretty relaxed. We started the morning with breakfast at Ruth’s Diner. We also ran into Sanaz’ parents while there. Next, I headed back to Chris’ to (FINALLY!) finish his PS3 hard drive upgrade. Fait accompli. Back home for a little time with the trains and then on to the in-laws’ for a belated birthday dinner for SaraRules! and football.

Instant Replay: Football

Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts
17 – 23
Sorry, and .

.

Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins
17 – 29
The Dolphins notched another home win.

.

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16 – 31
The Panthers dropped this one to the Bucs.

.

New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers
39 – 26
I don’t know whether or not it was because of the beat-down they took from the Browns last week, but Tom Brady and the Pats manhandled the Steelers last night. BIG time, shutting them down on both sides of the ball. And it doesn’t hurt that the Steelers’ loss helps keep the Ravens atop the AFC North, either.

Stray Toasters

• SaraRules! should check her folder.  Just saying…
• Lead in reusable grocery bags prompts calls for federal inquiry
• Jury Selection Begins for Civil Rights Cold Case
• LEGO ornaments, buy or build your own
• I picked up some new pocket squares from Jos. A. Bank yesterday, thanks to a sale notice posted on their Facebook page.
• 
• Dynamite’s “Lone Ranger” Rides into the Sunset
• Everyone Hates TicketMaster — But No One Can Take It Down
• ‘Black Ops’ breaks records with $360M in first-day sales

Lunch: Eaten.
The Grind: Getting back to it.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 10 November 2010
It’s Comics and Sushi Wednesday!
(The usual suspects all had other things come up that preclude being able to go to sushi for lunch.)

Today is also the 235th birthday/anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Marine Corps:

And, it’s also my friend, Adrian’s, birthday:

Last night, SaraRules! and I went out for dinner at Hopper’s Restaurant and Grill. It was a nice change of pace.  She had a Mac and Cheese dinner with Hoppers’ seasonal Hefeweizen; while I had the Far From Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich, along with a pint of the Madame X Stout. After dinner, we popped into the local Target to pick up a few things… where I ran into a former coworker from the USPS. (She’s also left Postal Service’s employment.) Then, it was back home for a movie: Law Abiding Citizen.  The movie had promise, but kind of fell flat. I’m still not quite sure if it’s a low-LEGO brick or a high-lawn dart movie.  *shrug*

Stray Toasters

• It’s another suit day: Black suit, white shirt, black and rust African masks tie
  • Black Suits Comin’ (Nod Ya Head) – Remix

• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: The Power of an Earthquake Turns Train Tracks to Spaghetti
• Pop!: Land of Lost Tales – Dave Stevens’ Superman and Rocketeer Miniseries
• Thanks to eBay, I have the following items, formerly on The Covet List on the way:
  • Validus Build-A-Figure from DC Universe Classics (to go on my Legion shelf)
  • The Griffin graphic novel
  • X-Men/Teen Titans graphic novel
  • Tailgunner Jo miniseries
• More graphic cigarette warnings proposed
• 
• More than 1,800 libraries to celebrate National Gaming Day on Nov. 13
• Real-Life Gadgets for Real-Life Superheroes
• Tightrope: If employees have to give two weeks’ notice, shouldn’t you, too?

And…. done!

Namaste.

Sunday – 07 November 2010
Ah, weekend.
And, it’s been a quite good one, at that.
Hopefully, everyone remembered to set your clocks back an hour for Daylight Saving Time.

Yesterday was SaraRules!’ birthday:

Last night, she threw a “Spaghetti Fiesta” party.  There was spaghetti (obviously), wine, cookies, cake, ice cream… the works.  And it was a lot of fun.

Earlier in the day, I hung out with Chris a bit and judged a ‘Clix tourney. Then, I came home and worked on my train layout a little bit.  Last week, I picked up Lionel’s Engine House – same style, but an older version and a little differently colored and it was a kit, rather than a pre-assembled unit. Yesterday, while waiting for people to arrive, I finished putting it together.  It looks good.

Today is my friend, Jeremiah’s, birthday:

This morning, SaraRules! and I were going to head up to Ruth’s Diner for breakfast. I figured that since Comcast and the local CBS affiliate couldn’t be bothered to let us know which NFL game was going to be aired at 11:00, a nice breakfast out with the missus seemed like a good thing. However, being the amazingly cool wife that she is, SaraRules! suggested that we wait until 11:00 and see who was playing. Good thing, too: It was the Dolphins-Ravens game. Win-Win.

Instant Replay: Football

Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens
10 – 26
Coming off of a bye week, The Ravens hosted the Miami Dolphins… and the game was aired locally, so I got to see my two favorite AFC teams play! Miami came into this game having won all of their road games this season, while Baltimore has won all of this season’s home games. So it was going to be a good match-up. The Ravens received the opening kick-off and QB Joe Flacco drove the team down the field to score a touchdown. Not to be outdone, the ‘Fins scored on their first drive, as well. There was a lot of back-and-forth in the rest of the first quarter, but no one was able to score. Baltimore put up a couple of FGs in the second quarter, to the Dolphins’ one. Baltimore scored another TD on a WR Derrick Mason reception in the third and posted a couple more field goals in the fourth to cement the win. Notable plays in the game: FS Ed Reed‘s third interception… in two games. P Sam Koch‘s 13-yard PASS (that’s right, I said “pass”) to Cary Williams on 4th down in the third quarter. DB Josh Wilson‘s end-of-game pick of a Chad Henne pass. I am taking the win as a belated birthday gift from the Ravens, as the score was 10-26… which happens to be my birthday. But, there’s no time to sit back and enjoy this win, as the Ravens have to travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons on Thursday.

.

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers
34 – 3
The Saints, coming off last week’s win over the Steelers, went to Bank of America Stadium and handed the Panthers a big-time defeat.

.

New England Patriots at Cleveland Browns
14 – 34
The Pats traveled to Cleveland and got handled by the Browns. Big time.

Stray Toasters

• Listening to Rap for the First Time, with a Book Critic, courtesy of
• Best television adaptations of science fiction and fantasy novels
• BSO’s Mahler and Freud: A Q&A with Didi Balle
• will be able to appreciate this:
  



• I discovered RailModeller, a model railroad layout program… for the Mac a few days ago.  I’m liking it.
• Snow White just rocked my face off
  • Pogomix
• 5 Ways to Really Stay Warm This Fall and, Eventually, Winter
• I like this Call of Duty: Black Ops commercial
• Government D.A.R.E. Program Causes Kid to Narc on Parents & Send Them to Jail
• 33 Conspiracy Theories That Turned Out to Be True, What Every Person Should Know
• The Queen Joins Facebook

Namaste.

Friday – 05 November 2010
Today is the beginning of Diwali.

It is also Guy Fawkes Day.

It’s also my 9/80 “on” Friday.

Last night, SaraRules! and I attended the Ballet West performance of:

The performances were good. I was unfamiliar with The Four Temperaments (as a dance piece); it was interesting and a little odd. I was familiar with the music from Carmina Burana, but the performance was less of an interpretation of the the story and more of an expressionist piece of modern dance.

Stray Toasters

• Graphitti Designs is (FINALLY!) coming out with a new Legion t-shirt in January!  Covet!
• Secret Ohio Warplane Graveyard Unearthed
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: 10 Toys That Will Permanently Screw Up Your Kids
• How Fanboys, Fandroids and Crackberry Junkies See Each Other
• E.U. Says It Will Overhaul Privacy Regulations
• Comics Career Guide: What to Expect from a Career in the Arts
• 
• Cooking for Geeks
• Microsoft has a hit with Kinect Xbox 360 game controller
  • Of course… Kinect has problems following dark-skinned users
• Learning in Dorm, Because Class Is on the Web
• Qantas CEO: ‘Faulty design’ may be behind jet engine blowout

Our outgoing President/CEO bought a foosball table for the office as a parting gift. I just played foosball for the first time in… in… well, let’s just say “a very long time.” I must admit: It was fun.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 03 November 2010
Midweek.
Of course, that also means that its Comics and Sushi Wednesday, too!

And, it’s ‘s birthday:

Last night was D&D night with and company. It was a good game. No one died, although Alex’ character gave it the old college try. And we met a new party member, before things were all said and done.

Today’s musical interlude comes in two parts:

• Jesus Jones – Right Here, Right Now
• Van Halen – Right Now

Stray Toasters

• Stan Lee Revamps ‘Romeo & Juliet’ in the Future with Cyborgs
• The History of the Uncanny Valley
• 
• Serious Security Bugs Found in Android Kernel
• LEGO lifts off with NASA
• Cotton Clothing Price Tags to Rise
• From xkcd: “Diode”



• Bill Parisi’s Photos of Model Railroad Layouts
• S.F. Supes Pass Happy Meal Ban with Veto-Proof Majority
• The Art of Biking
• A Cultural Leap Across a Political Divide: In Cuba, American Ballet Theater and City Ballet Dance

The show must go on!

Namaste.

Monday – 25 October 2010
Okay, I’m not really a pirate, but thanks (and apologies) to Jimmy Buffett for the title of today’s post. (You can listen to the song here.)

I turn 40 tomorrow.

I don’t look at it with trepidation or lots of introspection or trying to figure out what I want/need to get past a mid-life crisis. To be honest, I’m looking forward to it. (Besides, given the fact that I have been known act somewhere in the 8-14 year-old range, I’d say that I have a good ten to fifteen years before I start looking for a fast car or plastic surgery or fake hair.) And the biggest “plus” of all: Another birthday means that I will have successfully avoided the embrace of the Dark Lady for another year. And I have a lot of things that I still want to do. So, bring on forty… and beyond!

Saturday was an eventful day. I started off the day, having breakfast with Chris. From there, we headed up to Dr. Volt’s, where I judged another HeroClix tournament. There were fourteen (14) players in the event – the largest turnout we’ve had in a while. As this was the closest event to Hallowe’en, I decided to make the tournament’s theme “Monster Mash,” in which each team had to have at least one figure with the “Monster” keyword. It went pretty well. After that, six of us played a three-on-three match. That was fun, as I haven’t played in a while. I also established the theme for the next tournament, on 06 November.  I’m calling it “Rock the Vote” and all figures on players’ teams must have either the “Politician,” “Ruler,” or “Reporter” keywords.  That should make for some interesting teams.

After the tourney, SaraRules!, her mother and I went to a birthday celebration fora friend of the family. SaraRules! and I wound up the evening with a couple of movies: Let the Right One In and Eight-Legged Freaks. It’s near Hallowe’en — thus horror movies were in order. We wanted to catch Right One, before seeing its new American remake. It was good… and rather different than I expected. I looked up trivia about the movie and discovered what the movie left out. It also made me interested in reading the book on which it was based. And, Eight-Legged Freaks was just just turn-your-brain-off fun.

Yesterday was a good day. I slept in. I worked at getting my comics collection reorganized.  I moved my train equipment and assembled the second table. I ran errands. I watched football.  And, SaraRules! even watched a couple of movies: The Karate Kid (2009) and Repo Men. We enjoyed both movies.

Instant Replay: Football
Yesterday had a lot of good – and surprising – games:

Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens
34 – 37
The Ravens hosted the 0-5 Bills… …and nearly gave them their first win.  Fortunately, the timely return of Ed Reed – along with an overtime interception by Ray Lewis – helped propel the Ravens over the Bills.

.

Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos
59 – 14
The Raiders went to Invesco Field and wrecked shop. Seriously. It was a “Take no prisoners” kind of game. How bad was it? Well, let’s just say that the score was 24-0 at the end of the first quarter. Quarter, not half.  Yeah. It was like that. Congratulations, SaraRules! and .

.

San Francisco 49ers at Carolina Panthers
20 – 23
The ‘Cats hosted the Niners… and came away with a win.

.

Cincinnati Bengals at Atlanta Falcons
32 – 39
The Bengals dropped this one to Matt Ryan and the Falcons. Sorry, and .

.

Cleveland Browns at New Orleans Saints
30 – 17
The Browns went marching into the Superdome beat up Super Bowl champion Saints, who seem to have lost their mojo.

Stray Toasters

• There is more snow on the mountains today. And it’s lower down the mountains, to boot.
• Decoder Ring: Boston Typewriter Orchestra Applies the Wite-Out
• Why Do People Confess to Crimes They Didn’t Commit?
• 
• App Makers Take Interest in Android
• Thanks to for pointing this out: Featherbed Railroad Bed and Breakfast Resort
• Celia Cruz: The Voice from Havana
• Foreclosures Had Errors, Bank Finds

It’s Day 3 of my four-day weekend.  Time to find some trouble to get into!

Namaste.

Saturday – 23 October 2010
In the words of Bjork: “It’s oh so quiet.”
The only sounds, aside from my typing, are from birds chirping outside the window.

Last night, I had a great time: SaraRules! organized a birthday dinner for me at MacCool’s; my birthday isn’t until Tuesday, but she correctly figured that it might be “a little difficult” to get people together on a school night. There was good food (Prime Rib!), good beer (Black and Pumpkin, made with Guinness) and the delightful company of family and friends. We followed dinner with cake and ice cream back at home. It was a great evening and truly an excellent way to wind up the week.

Today, I’m judging another ‘Clix tournament this afternoon at Dr. Volt’s. As there’s no tourney next week, this is our Hallowe’en-themed event, which I’ve been referring to as “Monster Mash.” For this match, all teams have to have at least one figure with the “Monster” keyword.  I’m looking forward to some interesting combinations.

Stray Toasters

• New misspelling: “Stray Toaters.”  I was surprised to learn that “toat” is actually a word.
• I talked the paternal parental unit this morning. He sent me a book, Trains of the World, for my birthday.  In it, he noted a train that used to run through his hometown when he was younger.
• Wonder Woman Day Unleashes Awesome Art for a Good Cause This Sunday
  • And, if you’re in the Flemington, NJ area, check out Comic Fusion’s Wonder Woman Day event, which kicks off today.
• Why Is Clint Eastwood Still the Man?
• Sweet gourd-mangling Cthulhu… I have found Ravens pumpkin carving stencils! I may actually have to carve a pumpkin this year…
• 
• Words & Unwords
• 10 geek sins that will get your geek card revoked
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Celebrity Invention: Penn Jillette’s Bathtub for the Ladies
• Repaneled

I should probably get ready to hit the road.

Namaste.

Friday – 22 October 2010
Bonus points to those of you who get the subject line without having to look it up.

It’s my 9/80 “on” Friday.
It started off somewhat quietly… but it picked up a little, around 9:45. No big deal. Nothing insurmountable.

Last night, after a couple of rounds of “Let’s Clean the House,” I managed to sneak off to Nova Praetoria for a while. I hadn’t played City for a week or two, so it was a nice change of pace. I ran a few missions. I leveled up once. I remembered how slow running through a city can be… although it’s still faster than Hover.

I also got in a bit more reading in Starship Troopers.

Stray Toasters

• Tweaking Tradition, Even in Its Temple
• Moon Crater Contains Usable Water, NASA Says
  • Shawn Colvin & Ernie: I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon
    
• Recently Rediscovered Letter Shows Wonder Woman’s Earliest Costume
• Middle Classes in Africa
• Haunted Mansion ghost hearse made from LEGO
• A Son Grows Thankful for His Father’s Tough Love
• Gays, Mormons and Boy Scouts’ discrimination
• 
• Credit Cards Soon to Get a Makeover
• T-shirt turns into a zombie
  • Sears reaches out to the neglected Zombie-American demographic
• No Net for the Man in Charge

Namaste.

Thursday – 21 October 2010
Another NBN begins here in the valley.
And it’s a slightly chilly one.  (At least it is to me.)

Last night was D&D (4.0) night, with m3l and Jack. We had a good encounter (read: “No one in our group died.”) I also managed to more-or-less finish my repaint of the latest Wolverine HeroClix. I did him up in his current, non-X-Force costume… but haven’t decided if I’m going to do the striping on the side. We’ll see. And maybe I’ll try to get some pictures of it, as well.

After gaming, SaraRules! and I hit the gym. Last night was a cardio night. Rather than get on the elliptical, I got on the treadmill. We walked for a half-hour; I covered 1.70 miles. Hopefully, my schedule will allow me to get back in there with some regularity in the next week or so.

Stray Toasters

• It appears as though the migration is complete. The only thing left is for the new DNS settings to propagate through the Intertubes. All things considered, it was pretty painless and quick.
• Today’s musical interlude: Aerosmith – Pink
• Green Lantern Fan Constructs His Own High-Tech LEGO Power Battery
• Speaking of LEGO, I am having fun with LEGO Universe.
• OMNI Magazine’s Publisher Bob Guccione Has Died…
  …although I’ll probably remember/love/hate him almost as much for Caligula.  (Helen Mirren was in that?! Wow.)
• This makes more than “a little” sense:
  



• What’s so wrong with Comic Sans?
• found a couple of bits of awesomeness on Gizmodo:
  • The Difference Between Facebook and Twitter
  • Student Hides Rick Astley’s Song in College Paper
• If this picture makes you laugh (for more than just “funny animal picture” reas0ns) or sparks nostalgia…

  

  …then you should check out the rest of Timothy Lim’s artwork and his Spider-Man/Calvin and Hobbes mashup.

• NPR Ends Juan Williams’ Contract After Muslim Remarks
• Toyota Makes Another Car Recall
• Superhero Horders: The 7 Biggest Pack Rats in Comics

…right on to the friction of the day.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 13 October 2010
Technically, I wrote this last night, before going to bed. But, thanks to the miracle of WordPress’ scheduler, I can have it post after the sun is up.  (Or, at least after it’s up on the east coast.)

It’s Comics and Sushi Wednesday. Amen. After a couple of days of getting into the office between 0600 and 0615, I shall gladly take some time in the middle of the day to retrieve my four-color crack and indulge to in a bit of raw fish goodness.

To recap the past couple of days…

I went to work for a couple of hours on Sunday afternoon.  Some progress was made, but there were still a couple of issues to be dealt with on Monday.  After that, I went with the lovely SaraRules! (I keep forgetting to add the exclamation point on that) to enjoy a lovely German-themed dinner with the in-laws. It was quite good.  After we got home, I was a bit brain-dead and all I wanted to do was flop down on the couch and watch some TV. The ever-understanding SaraRules! was kind enough to keep me company until it was time to hit the rack.

Monday was… “a day.” I was in the office early — I expected it to be a “less than pleasant” day of work and I wanted to just get it over with.  And, I was right: It wasn’t pleasant.  As I noted in a brief foray to Facebook, I felt like the mythical Sisyphus. (Unfortunately, no matter how many times Carve Away the Stone ran through my head, it did nothing to alleviate my mood.) The day got better after I left work… despite dropping a full cup of frozen mocha goodness on the garage steps – and myself – while getting ready for Monday Night Football. *sigh*

Tuesday was a remarkably better day. While it wasn’t a necessarily “perfect” day, things fell into their proper places and my urge to punch people in the throat was notably absent. After work, I strolled up to Pin-up Girl Espresso for a white tea with peach. I chatted with Jim and Natalie (and Deja, from the neighboring floral/garden center) for a bit before walking back home. After dinner, SaraRules! went gallivanting, while I waited for Chris to come over.  On tonight’s agenda: Halo: Reach.  There was a wonderful bit of (much needed) catharsis in wantonly shooting things. It was a good way to spend the evening.

Stray Toasters

• By way of MarknTyme: Homeless Man – Under Pressure
  (NOTE: Be sure to watch the CNN interview with the performer.)
• Dan Savage’s Message to Gay Youth: ‘It Gets Better’
• Worf: Worst Klingon Ever
• 
• IRS servers go down during crucial week
• X-Men Arcade Coming to Playstation Network and Xbox Live Arcade
• WWII Star Wars action figure mods
• This both amuses and frightens me…



• …however, the cosplay photography of Jay Tablante reaffirms my faith.
• 10 Things You Didn’t Know about The Empire Strikes Back
• Monkeys…
• Improv Everywhere’s 8 Geekiest Stunts

I should get to bed: It’s early and I have to get up later.

Namaste.

Sunday – 10 October 2010
That’s right… it’s 10/10/10.
So far, it’s been a good weekend.

Yesterday, I had breakfast with Chris before heading off to judge a HeroClix tournament at Dr. Volt’s. It was another 500/1000 event: Players could field either a 500-point team with no restrictions or field a 1000-point team, with at least one colossal figure. Two 500-point teams would be paired to take on the 1000-point team.

Only one player brought a 1000-point team… with the newest colossal figure: Dr. Manhattan.

However, as there were six (6) other 500-point teams, that meant that all six teams faced off against the good doctor. Needless to say, “The Doctor was in.” All the way in. There wasn’t anyone who could really do enough to him to effectively take him out of the game.

After the game, SaraRules and I met up with the in-laws and ventured to the home of some friends of the family for a Canadian Thanksgiving dinner. We had a wonderful dinner and the company was excellent, as well.  It was a good way to spend the evening.

When we got home, SaraRules turned on The Fly (1986) – which I had somehow never seen – and I fired up LEGO Universe. I had to start a new character, now that the game is out of beta. Most of what I did was “review” from gameplay in the beta, so while I did a little more looking around and lollygagging, there wasn’t a lot “new” that I did.  That does not, however, mean that I didn’t have a lot of fun doing it.

Today, I slept in a bit. That was nice. SaraRules also fixed a tasty breakfast and then came over to help me turn off the sprinklers for the year. And, after that…

…it was time to watch some football: The Broncos at the Ravens.  Boo-yah!

Instant Replay: Football

Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens
17 – 31
The Ravens hosted the Broncos at home this week……and the game was televised locally. Hoo-AH! The Boys from Baltimore looked solid.  They opened the game with a drive down to the goal line, but couldn’t convert it into a touchdown… and turned it over on downs.  But that’s okay. They held the Broncos on their drive. The Ravens’ offense and defense looked good, despite a series where QB Joe Flacco couldn’t buy a reception. On the other side of the field, Broncos (and former Purdue) QB Kyle Orton passed for a 300+ yard game… his second in a row. But, all in all, it comes down to this: Baltimore is now 4-1, putting them atop the AFC North.

Ray Rice, you rushed for over 100 yards and two touchdowns today, how does that make you feel?

Yeah… I’d feel like breakin’ it down a little, too.

Stray Toasters

• I’m about to head into work. Yeah, I know… I know…
• BOOM! How Comic Book Sounds Become Movie Sounds
• Add each of these to The Covet List.
• The Periodic Table of Super-Powers

Okay… might as well stop procrastinating and head to the office.

Namaste.