Random Access

Friday – 14 March 2008
First off: Happy Hatching Day to :

And, as made a post about it being Steak & Blowjob Day:

Now, on to our regularly scheduled programming.

After work, I stopped to say “Hi” to Kate, Perry and the kids on the way home. Then, it was on to Target to pick up a few things and then home. I got home a little after 8:30, figuring that I would catch the tail end of CSI: while I waited for dinner to cook. I need not have worried – it was a rerun. I channel-surfed while eating dinner. Then it was time to take it to the streets… of Paragon City. I ran a solo Vanguard mission and then joined an SG-mate and a few others for a 50+ mission. By the time I was done, I was over half-way to Security Level 47.

This morning, I got up to take the car in for an oil change and to get the driver’s side front turn signal assembly replaced. The first question Ian (the associate who usually handles my car service issues) asked was: “Can you leave it with us for a couple of hours?”

*blink blink*

The light assembly is mounted behind some restraining brackets and the bumper – which is why I’m not replacing it myself – but I didn’t think it was going to take quite that long. So, I rescheduled for tomorrow morning. Undaunted, I left the dealership and met Perry for pre-work coffee.

And it’s been snowing. Again. Yee-haw.

Stray Toasters

• was talking with Coworker DaveW about a new Pontiac commercial. I was intrigued because he said that it was a take on the old Spy Hunter game. So I checked it out for myself. The commercial is chock full of awesomeness:
  
• What are your operating system, web browser and email client(s) of choice?
  I’m an OSX and WinXP, Firefox (both platforms) and Thunderbird (bot platforms) user.
• Thanks to for the following:

  
  …and…
  
  A… cardinal… who wants to be….
  Oh, Hell… I if I have to explain it, just move 0n.

• From CNN: They would rather die than get help
• WOWIO
• PHP
• From xkcd: “Morning”
  
• This link leads to action-figure.com‘s coverage of Toy Fare 2008. It has MANY things that could be added to the Covet List there. Many, indeed.

And, thanks to putting in some extra hours on the front end of the week, today will be an abbreviated work day. Amen.

Namaste.

Thursday – 13 March 2008
Tomorrow is International Pi Day.
It is also Albert Einstein’s birthday.

<< Rewind <<
Last night, after work, I stopped at Dr. Volt’s for my weekly fix. I also treated myself to a box of ‘Clix from the Justice League set. I picked up a couple of boxes, but one “felt” better that the other (i.e.: “it was heavier”). It was a good choice, too, because waiting inside was:

That’s right: Batman and Robin. At 138 points, it’s a pretty economical figure for the punch. The rest of the pack was alright, but after this seeing this piece, I felt satisfied with the purchase.

I did laundry, had a bite to eat, watched a little television and even got in some time in City of Heroes. There was an announcement about Issue 12: Midnight Hour. Apparently, it will be live fairly soon. I ran a mission for Vanguard against the Rikti. I did fine… until just before I got to the boss. Then I died. It feels like a really bad, recurring theme, I tell ya:

• Solo a mission…
• Work through the lesser villians…
• Get to (or near) the end boss…
• Die.

*sigh*
The good thing about being an Amenti (from the background I created for Nefer-Tem) is that death is relatively transitory. I resurrected, re-entered the mission, and took down the alien. Neat as a pin.

> Play >
Today has been good. It was drizzling when I left home this morning, so I opted not to wear my brown suede jacket. (Something about not wanting it to get water-damaged…) I wore, for the first time in a very long time, my double-breasted trenchcoat. And my fedora, of course. I had someone ask if I was trying to go for a Dick Tracy look. That made me chuckle, especially as it had never crossed my mind.

Workout
Today’s workout was a rehash of Tuesday’s workout:

• Chin-ups: 3 sets/10 reps (2½ unassisted sets, ½-set assisted at 80 lbs)
• Dips: 3 sets/10 reps
• Leg Raises: 3 sets/20 reps
• Decline Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 185 lbs
• Bent-over Rows: 3 sets/10 reps, 35 lbs
• Tricep Press (dumbbell, overhead, seated): 3 sets/10 reps, 50 lbs
• “Good Mornings”: 3 sets/60 lbs

Today’s pre-workout weight: 174.2 lbs.

It felt good to be able to do the Decline Press at 185 pounds and not have to change weights on each set. By the time I got to the third set, my arms were starting to burn; the 8th-10th reps weren’t stellar, but I was able to complete them.

Stray Toasters

• I had the theme from Bonanza going through my head a little while ago. It amused me.
• Speed Up Your Mac
• Speed Up Windows XP and Speed Up Windows Vista
• From Questionable Content:

  

• Steampunk LEGO Mecha
• From the “No… you don’t say” file: Clinton apologizes to black voters
• Creator of ELIZA, Joseph Weizenbaum, Dead at 85
• This is an amusing mash-up: Bionicles of Narnia

That’s close enough for jazz.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 12 March 2008
Mid-week.
(As I typed that, I heard

Midnight, and it’s raining outside…

…the opening line from “Midnight,” by Yaz (Upstairs at Eric’s) run through my head.

I went to Chris and Mary’s, after work, to play dolls HeroClix with Chris. He wanted to test a couple of figures before he plays in a tourney next month; I wanted to try out a couple of new figures. He cleaned my clock, but I learned a few things about how to better use a couple of figures, including:

• Green Lantern (Guy Gardner)
• Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) and
• Time Trapper

Chris was a little disappointed with the way the new Kyle Rayner figure plays, but I thought that it was alright. And we both agreed that WizKids should do an updated (read: “less underpowered”) John Stewart figure. *shrug* Maybe in the next set…

Today has been good. Nothing out-of-the-ordinary to report.
No sushi today.
No comics. Yet. But, soon… Soon…

Stray Toasters

• I came home last night to find a package from my father waiting for me. Random assortment of things (no Butterscotch Krimpets, though), but some neat stuff, nonetheless.
• YouTube Everywhere
• Vih-Dee-Ohs
  • Star Wars, as described by a 3-year-old
  • Star Trek: Closer
  • Star Trek: The Wrath of Farrakhan
  • National Spelling Bee

  And, just for the record: “Closer” and “Spelling Bee” are quite NSFW. You have been warned.

• What Real-life Dungeon Exploration Might Look Like, Graduate Students in Tow
• I have been using this image as my desktop wallpaper in the SLC office for… three or so weeks now:

  

  I adapted it from this image, which is part of the cover for the Incognegro graphic novel. And here is an article on the book, from The New York Times.

• Southwest grounds planes, places three on leave
• Rock Me, Amadeus

  
  (click image for more information)

• Surveyor of the Superheroes: Kaveney talks new book
• ‘Oldest Profession’ updates to a wired world
• …and, in a related note, it seems as though David Paterson will be assuming the role of Governor of the State of New York as of 17 March 2008, making him New York’s:
  • …first Black governor
  • …first visually-impared (legally blind) governor and
  • …first disabled governor since FDR
• Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub
  

  * Why did Utah name its capital, Fillmore, after the president (and the county it is in, Millard, too)? The Mormons wanted to join the U.S. They wanted to be a state. Congress and the executive branch were nervous about taking in a state so large (at the time the state covered most of Nevada and chunks of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho — larger than Texas as I recall) and there was active opposition to taking in a state run by Mormons. So the Mormons moved the capital to Fillmore — more centrally located, and out of Salt Lake City where the Mormons had their temple and a lot of people. Then they named the capital after the president, hoping to curry his favor and that of the Whig Party partisans. It didn’t work. The proposed State of Deseret was carved up, and Utah didn’t get statehood until 1896 — after even Nevada.
  (from the site’s “Sources on Millard Fillmore” page)

  Fillmore is one of the towns I go through on the way to/from Cedar City.

• PHP and arrays.

Namaste.

Tuesday – 11 March 2008
One down, one in the chamber and three to go.

Last night, I got home and flopped on the couch. I watched the tube for a bit. Then I realized that eating dinner would be a good thing. Then I remembered that I had planned to cook dinner. So, off to the kitchen to do it.

Objective: Spaghetti and sauce.

I seasoned and cooked the ground beef. I added tomato sauce and paste. Spices and sugar. (Yes, “sugar.” I use sugar in my spaghetti sauce recipe.) I cooked the pasta. And I even made garlic butter for a few slices of garlic bread. Tasty.

Dinner and more TV. Top Gear, Law & Order and an episode of JLU. Having gotten my “watching superheroes” fix, I decided to give in to the dark side my “playing superheroes” fix. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a team to join and got beat down by an end boss in the solo mission that I ran. (Fortunately, I clued in on something that will let me defeat him if I try to solo the mission again.) After licking my wounds, I decided that I wasn’t in the mood for much more CoH, so I logged out and watched Jonny Quest. The classic series, not the 8os or 90s revival.

Then, an early (for me) night, as I was apparently rather tired.

Today hasn’t been bad: I wound up sleeping in a bit. Not horribly so, but enough to get rested. Up, dressed and out the door in (fairly) short order.

Workout
Today’s workout was… work. Muscle-fatiguiging work. “Break out in a serious sweat” work. Which, after the fact (LONG after the fact, that is) wasn’t such a bad thing. Today’s routine:

• Dips with Leg Raises: 3 sets/10 reps
• Pull-ups: 3 sets/10 reps (2 unassisted sets, 1 assisted set at 80 lbs)
• Decline Press: 3 sets (1: 185 lbs/7 reps, 135/4 reps; 2: 185/6 reps, 135/4 reps; 3: 145/15 reps)
• Bent-over Rows: 3 sets/10 reps, 35 lbs
• Tricep Press (dumbbell, overhead, seated): 3 sets/10 reps, 50 lbs
• “Good Mornings”: 3 sets/60 lbs

Today’s pre-workout weight: 174.6 lbs.

Stray Toasters

• I watched a little of Thundarr the Barbarian last night. Wow. “The road to Hell…”
• Star Wars Guide to the Presidential Candidates
  and
  Presidential Candidates as Monster Manual monsters
• Glenn Medieros (ft. Bobby Brown): She Ain’t Worth It
  
• Geoff Johns: Secret Origins and Blackest Night
• From Weblog Tools Collection: Who Comments on Blogs, and Why?
• Free! – Why $0.00 Is the Future of Business
• 
• 10 Things You Didn’t Know About David Paterson
  • WHO is David Paterson? Click here for more information.
• By way of Drew: Apple Shooter
• City of Heroes Veteran Award: 39 Months – Ardent
  Okay, this just cracks me up.  “I played for 39 months… so I could create Rocky?!”

Namaste.

Sunday – 09 March 2008
So far, it’s been a quiet day here in the greater SLC metro area. After waking up to find more “mystery leak” water – and a wet section of carpet – I called maintenance (again). This time, I got some satisfaction out of the deal: Dave (the maintenance guy on-call) came in and checked four other apartments behind mine, but found nothing. He asked if this had been a problem since before SageWater came; I told him that it had. I then asked if someone could take a look behind the drywall. He said that they’d have to cut (more/new) holes in the ceiling. I told him that if they found the leak, they could cut as many holes as it took. They start tomorrow.

After some lazy time watching Ninja Warrior on G4, SaraRules and I headed to the Garden of Sweden for lunch and a bit of shopping. I have the second display case, a couple of lights for inside the cases, a new picture frame for my Roll The Bones tourbook and a new wine rack, among other goodies.

Stray Toasters

• I have cinnamon rolls from IKEA.
  (Now, if I could just figure out what in the Nine Hells I’m cooking for dinner tonight, I’d be set…)
• Geek Love – an Op/Ed piece from The New York Times (check out the flowchart)
• From Slashdot: New book cuts through violent video game myths
• For ….
  

And that’s all the news from Lake Saline. For now.

Namaste.

Friday – 07 March 2008
The re-piping project in my apartment started bright and early (8:00 AM) yesterday. When I got home, the first phase was pretty much complete… leaving a number of holes throughout the walls and ceiling of the apartment. This included a hole in the wall between the bedroom and the maintenance closet (outside). This meant that I had a rather drafty hole that allowed a good deal of cold air into the bedroom… almost directly over the bed. So, I jerry-rigged a light cover to try and keep some of the air out. It was nominally effective. Pictures here.

SaraRules came into town last night. We headed to Outback Steakhouse for dinner. Cheese Fries. Prime Rib. Very tasty. We had a great server, as well. Her name was Jennifer. She was attentive, helpful, very pleasant and just all-around “good.”

Workout
Yesterday’s workout – the first in nine or ten days – was good… but painful.  “Good pain,” despite how oxymoronic that sounds:

• Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 55 lbs.
• Dumbbell Fly: 3 sets/10 reps, 35 lbs.
• Push-ups (elevated): 3 sets/15 reps
• Bench Dips 3 sets/15 reps
• Rows (upright, barbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 50 lbs
• Tricep Press (cable): 3 sets/15 reps, 80 lbs

Yesterday’s post-workout weight: 172.4 lbs.
Stray Toasters

• Yesterday, I got the Wizard Universe Store weekly email for new toys and comic-related merchandise. In it was an item for an advance order for the ‘Coming of Galactus’ Limited Edition HeroClix figure. This is basically a re-issue of the older Galactus figure… with a new paint job:
  • Old and busted:
  • New hotness

  And, yes, it is firmly entrenched on the Covet List.

• New Jack Kirby coffee table art book
• The Council for Better Driving: Utah gives a “thumbs-down” to UDoT for its lack of attention and care given to Salt Lake City metropolitan area streets. They are atrocious! Anyone who has driven on either 33rd/35th South and/or 90th South, for example, will know exactly why.
• This Is Your Brain on Jazz: Researchers Use MRI to Study Spontaneity and Creativity
• 
• By way of GQ: Clean Start
• I was just thinking about something:
  • In Justice League/Unlimited, there are a few episodes that feature Wonder Woman’s Invisible Jet.
  • In Justice League: The New Frontier, another version of the plane was “shown,” but the way that it was “seen,” by the viewer, was by way of blood in the cockpit.
  • In both the comics and in animated versions – and even in the 1974 Cathy Lee Crosby made-for-TV movie, it has been noted that neither the jet – nor people inside the jet – cannot be seen by bystanders.

  So… how in the Nine Hells does she know where to get in or where the controls – or anything else – are?!

• Geoff Johns: Secret Origins and Blackest Night
• “What’s a Nubian…?”
• xkcd: Ultimate Game

Namaste.

Thursday – 06 March 2008
I woke up a little later than planned this morning. I made up for it by doing my best impression of The Flash and was ready to roll shortly thereafter. Of course, to make up for such a metabolic surge, I stopped at the local B&B for a frozen mocha. Double shot. Shaken, not stirred.

The crew from SageWater showed up this morning a couple of minutes before eight. One of the guys – I’m assuming the lead on the project, if not just for my apartment – noticed my Ravens pennant on the wall. He asked if I was familiar with Baltimore; I told him that I grew up there. He then mentioned that their company was based out of North Carolina (which I already knew), so I asked which part (which I didn’t know). Raleigh. I then mentioned that I had a sister who went to school in Durham and grew up outside of Greensboro. He went on to tell me how broadly he travels with the company. (A LOT!) His next job is in Seattle. I neglected to ask how long they are typically on the road.

Stray Toasters

• If I needed any (ANY) proof that and I shouldn’t be left unsupervised with the unlimited power of the Interweb at our fingertips, this proves it:
  • http://youtube.com/watch?v=PsesC2iS06o
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZA2A2zoz-A&NR=1
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMD9_QYfzb8
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyyW-n8aook
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NozOppLXh18&NR=1
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoNI4N3xYmE&NR=1
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqjBpHsW5x4&NR=1
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeJbaxqG-3k
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfEG15CLTqo
• By way of Yahoo! News and 60 Minutes: Gustavo Dudamel
• Kilowog == Covet.
  (That would complete my set of GLs.)
• The (New) Laws of Casual Style and This Is Not Steve McQueen
• Yes, I am watching/trying to watch some of the work they are doing in my apartment. I can’t because they have a tarp over the entrance to the master bathroom… which is a “good” thing, as it means a minimum of debris/detritus that will spread over the rest of the office and apartment.
• From Rotten Tomatoes: Total Recall: Steal These 11 Heist Movies
• HALO3 Series 1 Action Figures in Stores Now
• LEGO HALO
  • …and the explanation
• Pink, it’s like red, but not quite…
• I think that I’m going to get a new display case after the SageWater work is done. And that means… a trip to the Garden of Sweden! *genuflect* Amen.

Namaste.

Tuesday: Coda
After work, I headed to Far West Comics. Chris had them hold my Dawnstar (Long Live my tiny plastic Legion!)… along with a Nightwing and Starfire and a new Blue Beetle. Triple-score.

Then I started looking at some of their other figures. And I walked out of there with:

• Cuckoo (one of Emma Frost‘s cloned “daughters“)
• Green Lantern (Mr. 2814.1, himself: Hal Jordan)
• Kyle Rayner
• Martian Manhunter
• Mordru (formerly “just” a Legion villain, he became a major player in the DC Arcana)
• Tempest, the former Teen Titan formerly known as “Aqualad”

…and a Spartan with Dual Plasma Rifles. Just because I didn’t have a Master Chief figure. Until now.

Damn, Chris. *shakes fist*

Next, it was off to ‘ place for Scion. had a surprise for me: This. I was greatly amused by it. and John couldn’t make it, so it was just , and me. We had an abbreviated – but good – session. And no one died. No one on our team, that is. And that’s what counts.

Stray Toaster
pointed me in the direction of this video. She said it would make me smile. She was right.

Namaste.

Tuesday – 04 March 2008
Sunny day here in the valley… but TWC warns of a threat of snow. 30%, but still…

We had a meeting/training this morning, but the videostream didn’t work – it had buffering issues and was thus quite choppy. So, it’s been postponed. It was actually rather amusing to me: It reminded me of the scene in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back where Darth Vader is having a holo-conference with captains and Moffs, but the feeds are laced with static and/or breaking up because of interference from being in an asteroid field. (Unfortunately, no one got struck by an asteroid in our meeting, though.)

Stray Toasters

• I discovered Waiting for Coffee this morning. And on there, I found this:

  
  …and this…
  

  I was greatly amused. And the post contents aren’t bad, either.

• Silicon Valley Losing Its Middle Class
• After 17 seasons, Brett Favre is retiring.
• 
• A Lesson in Internet Anatomy
• Dungeons & Dragons creator Gary Gygax has died.
  (…or, as a news headline read: Gary Gygax Fails Final Saving Throw)
• Chris just called. He’s having his plastic crack dealer hold a Dawnstar for me.

Quote of the Day
From a conversation with Dwim:

(11:09:00) Dwim: Flying’s for lazy pansies.
(11:09:15) Dwim: Real superheroes take long walks for their health.
(11:09:38) Me: Not even Batman walks – he swings from rooftop to rooftop.
(11:09:56) Dwim: Superman on Earth-105 jogs everywhere.
(11:10:01) Me: Oh.
(11:10:03) Me: Huh.
(11:10:18) Dwim: Blue and red leg warmers, baby.
(11:10:29) Me: *eyes burn*
(11:10:40) Dwim: Sewn by Ma Kent from the sweater he wore from Krypton.
(11:10:53) Me: Wow.
(11:11:03) Me: No amount of drinking will save me from that mental image.
(11:11:42) Dwim: Drinking’s for the lazy. Real superheroes take their liquor through their gills.
(11:12:01) Me: But, I wasn’t born in Atlantis.
(11:12:16) Dwim: As usual, Aquaman can’t hold his liquor. The guy’s a lousy drunk, frankly.
(11:12:39) Dwim: He… doesn’t get by on land as well as you get by underwater when he’s drunk.
(11:12:55) Me: I would imagine not.
(11:13:02) Dwim: Superman always has to jog him home.
(11:13:08) Me: In the ocean, you can just… drift along on the currents.
(11:13:13) Me: On land, you just… fall down.
(11:13:14) Dwim: It’s a long jog from the JLA orbital platform.
(11:13:31) Dwim: Easier just to drop him.
(11:13:47) Dwim: *plop*
(11:14:04) Me: Re-entry must be a right bitch, though.
(11:14:14) Dwim: Sucks to be Aquaman.

And that’s a wrap for now.

Namaste.

Monday: Coda
Ten-and-a-half hours.

That’s how long my Monday work day wound up being. Don’t misunderstand me: I’m not complaining. Sure, it was a long day and I had a fairly boring and rote task that took up the back half (or more) of the day, but I was not a bad day by any stretch of the imagination. Just… long. And, on the “plus” side of the equation: That gives me an “extra” two-and-a-half hours to play around with on this week’s schedule, if I want.

After work, I came home for a short bit and then headed back out to take care of a couple of errands before heading over to Mary and Chris’ so that Chris and I could play dolls HeroClix. As usual, he cleaned my clock, but I had a lot of fun. The first game (400 points), I tried a team with something of a Green Lantern focus:

• Green Lantern (John Stewart)
• Sentinel (Alan Scott, the first of Earth’s Green Lanterns)
• Star Sapphire (GL Hal Jordan’s ex-flame… and later arch-enemy)
• Hawkgirl (I needed to fill in the points. Sue me.)

This was something of a war of attrition, but Chris’ tactics and skill wore me down. We decided to play one more game (200 points) before calling it a night. I decided that I wanted a “fun” team, so I went with a Justice League International theme. (I deserved to get my ass kicked just on principle for that one.) This team’s lineup included:

• Blue Beetle
• Booster Gold
• Fire
• Ice
• Rocket Red #7

Chris brought out Nick Fury and agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. And Blade. Between some rather craptacular dice rolls on my part and some pretty good ones on his part, he picked my team apart. It was almost as funny to watch/play as the JLI comic series. Almost. But, again, it was fun.

We loosely talked about getting together again and playing in the not-too-distant future. I had a couple of ideas for themes, based on the point values we decide on: The Earth GLs, The New Mutants or the Captain Marvel family.

Stray Toasters

• By way of SaraRules: Adult Brains Wired to Go Ga-Ga Over Babies
• The 10 Coolest LEGO-Inspired Gadgets
• 
• pointed me in the direction of this article on BoingBoing: Interview with producer of swords and sorcery themed porn…
  • …which led to this article, The Magical World of Warcraft Erotica, in The Village Voice
  • …which included this gallery (some of which is NSFW)
• SIW
• 
• Alex Ross’ Age of TV Heroes cover (first look)
• Toll the bell
  Pay the private eye
  All’s well
  20th Century dies…
• Giant comic collection donated to U of Minnesota

That’s close enough for jazz for tonight.

Namaste.

Sunday – 02 March 2008
It’s been a quiet and lazy day.
And that’s not a bad thing.

The morning didn’t start (for me) with comics and coffee in bed. It did start with coffee – and SaraRules did read the most recent acquisition of The Walking Dead in bed – but we wound up in the living room listening to music and hanging out.

In the afternoon, we headed to Jitterbug for a coffee and a quick bite to eat with . Next stop, Toys R Us. After all, it’s “The World’s Biggest Toy Store.” It wasn’t the longest TRU excursion on record, but it was nevertheless fun. And I managed to find a Justice Lords (1, 2) 3-pack of Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman.

From there, on to SaraRules’ parents’ house for dinner and to hang out. After dinner, we watched 30 Days of Night. During the first third to half of the movie, I multi-tasked and played City of Heroes while watching the movie. By the time I was done, I was three bars closer to Level 46. Not too shabby for 30-40 minutes’ work. After the movie – and talking geek with SaraRules’ dad for a bit – we headed home. Since it was still early, we decided to watch something fairly light before calling it a night. We agreed on Justice League: The New Frontier. SaraRules liked it, especially because of its different spin on the characters; I liked it because… well, yeah.. “just because.” Duh.

This morning came early. Very early. We got up, ready and out the door and had breakfast at Paradise Bakery and Cafe before SaraRules had to head off to pick up one of her roommates and hit the road for southern Utah.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
This I Believe – Leaving Work Early to Watch the Sunset

Stray Toasters

• A tip of the hat to for his considerate gift of a couple of tickets to see Garrison Keillor when he comes to Abravanel Hall in a couple of weeks.
• Thanks to SaraRules for reminding me that Daylight Saving Time starts 09 March 2008.
• Prince Defines Hip in a New Way
• 
• For gamers who want their old-school fix: Genesis emulation comes to the Wii
• Cal State University fires Quaker for inserting “nonviolently” into oath.
• I can actually see downtown – and across the valley – this morning. I have pictures to prove it.
• Steampunk Mac Mini
• And, in other old-school-meets-new(ish)-school news: Serial-mouse-driven Etch-a-Sketch

“…right on to the friction of the day.”

Namaste.

Friday – 29 February 2008
Happy Leap Day.

It’s early. I’ve been up since roughly 6:00 and I’m already in the office. Not a bad way to start the day, all things considered. And, hopefully, I’ll be over at Old Mill on the driving range at lunch.

After work last night, I watched CSI: and then headed to Paragon City. I joined an SG-mate on a team for some missions. Unfortunately, he had his missions dialed up to “Unyielding,” so there was a good amount of dying on our side. But, because of the XP we gained in fighting higher-level mobs, I was able to reach Security Level 45.

Stray Toasters

• I have frozen mocha goodness and a bagel sandwich.
• There’s a new trailer for Iron Man.  Check it out here.
• She’s a brick
  And I’m drowning slowly…
• Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi is the most hideous thing humans have ever created
• Rob Paravonian’s Pachelbel Rant
  
• 

  toothpastefordinner.com

• 400-thread count sheets
• Blue-Ray in laptops could be hard on batteries

Namaste.

Wednesday: Coda
After work, I headed to Dr. Volt’s to get this week’s selection of comics… and a few packs of the new HeroClix Crisis set. Of the three boxes, I only had one duplicate, which I immediately traded for another figure. Included in the take were:

• Batwoman
• Harbinger
• Karate Kid – Yes, my plastic Legion continues to grow!
  (“He doesn’t even have super-powers…!” – You know who you are and you know why that’s funny.)
• Mary Marvel
• Star Sapphire – GL Hal Jordan’s former girlfriend/arch-enemy.
• Teen Titans:
  • Aqualad
  • Kid Flash
  • Wonder Girl

I also pulled a Dial “H” for Hero dial.  It will be interesting to see how it plays.

All-in-all, it was a good haul for ‘Clix.

When I got home, I ate dinner, read this week’s comic selection and then played City of Heroes.  I didn’t manage to hit Security Level 45, but I’m less than 300,000 XP away from it.  I did, however, help a teammate get a character to Level 20; that was fun… although it was more fun after we added a Controller to the team.  (Who knew?!)

And now: Bed.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 27 February 2008
Last night, I couldn’t find a team in City of Heroes – and I didn’t want to solo – so I called it an early (for me) night. I picked up Guards, Guards and managed to read a few pages before Morpheus bid me welcome to The Dreaming.

Today’s been rather good. For lunch, James, Jason and I went to ‘s to play pinball. That’s right: Pinball. He has a full-size Twilight Zone pinball machine. It had been a long, long time till touchdown brings me ’round again since I had played. And it was fun. A very pleasant change of pace. Of course, this meant that I missed out on Sushi Wednesday and picking my this week’s comics at lunch, but I think I’ll survive. And, I think that may just have to go to the driving range that’s across the street from the office for lunch on Friday.

The Best: Pinball Wizard
The Who vs. Elton John

As much as I enjoy The Who’s version of this song, I have to give props to Sir Reginald Dwight for some rather adept finger work and a fine cover of this song. Both versions have their own flavor and their own merits.

Verdict: Tie.

Stray Toasters

• showed us $240 Worth of Pudding before we started playing pinball. Comedy.
  
• PHP.
• By way of Coworker JoeT (not to be confused with ): Failblog
• Yesterday, showed me the site for LightTape.
• Today, I countered with Digital Tattoo Interface. That’s right, we’re all going to be cyborgs soon.

Namaste.

Friday – 22 February 2008
I wound up staying in SLC all day Thursday. I was going to head down to AF after working on a system here, but was… convinced to stay north of the county line. The day was… something. In fact, at one point it came precipitously close to breaking the No Bad News Thursday rule. I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t bad news, just a very poor presentation of information.

After work, I ran a couple of errands and then headed to Jitterbug to meet and for dinner. And coffee. And catching up on the latest things going on. After that, I headed home for a few.

Next up: A jaunt to ‘s to help her with a computer problem. Nothing earth-shattering (or even earth-shaking, like yesterday’s earthquake – which I, again, slept through). While there, I saw and played with the kids. They have new collars – Sissy has a green one. That’s right: My cat wants to be a Green Lantern when she grows up. (I’m so proud of her…)

Home again. I fired up City of Death Heroes and joined a team with a couple of guys whom I’ve grouped with before. They’re both “a little” gung-ho. Unfortunately, they were both Scrappers and not Tankers. Suffice if to say that there was plenty of death to be had for everyone. *sigh* I left that team and was invited to join another. The second team had their act together.

Stray Toasters

• and I had to explain Zork and grues to Jason yesterday.
• Speaking of which, you can play an HTML/PHP version of Zork here.
• You can play ports of other Infocom games here.
• Clinton doesn’t vow to go on beyond March 4
• And now, another episode of “How Rob’s Mind Works”:
  

  While getting ready for work, I saw the packaging for some toilet paper in the trash can and had the following thought: “Cottonelle… Cotton-elle… Hm… Superman’s Krytonian aunt… who was a sanitation engineer? Yeah, that works.”

• Smurfs at 50: Ready for a Comeback
• Next week’s release of the Crisis set for HeroClix includes another Legionnaire: Karate Kid

  

• From Gamespot: GDC ’08: LEGO Batman First Look

  

  

• Pleas for condemned Saudi ‘witch’
• Yeah, toast!

Namaste.