Random Access

Monday – 30 January 2012
Wow. Looks like it’s been almost a week since I posted. Long time, that. So let’s get to it…

It’s been a good week. In a nutshell, it’s included:

• Spending time with SaraRules! and the girls:
  

  Vanessa (l) and Diana… with Tigger and Pooh

• Watching Real Steel with SaraRules! (It wasn’t bad; think “Rocky Meets Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots”)
• Kicking off a new multi-month ‘Clix event series for Dr. Volt’s… (in addition to the regular tourneys)
• Playing a fair bit of Modern Warfare 3… and a little Gears of War 3
• Picking up a Butterfinger-dipped caramel apple (!!!)
• Seeing Utah Opera’s performance of Rigoletto.

Yeah, It was a good week.

This week has the possibility of being quite nice, as well.

Stray Toasters

• My mother-in-law made a fantastic chicken tortilla soup for dinner last night. I feel sorry for those of you who didn’t get a chance to sample it.
• Superheroines, and Their Better Halves
• Airline Fees
• This is a great article about my friend, Jake Black: Super story: Father, husband, comic book writer and cancer survivor enjoys the simple life
• The Avengers Shouldn’t Text
• 
• The Bookstore’s Last Stand
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Report: Body in storage unit for 17 years
• It’s Time to Rethink Steampunk
• It’s Illegal to Talk About the Super Bowl?
• Ruling on Contraception Draws Battle Lines at Catholic Colleges

Namaste.

Wednesday – 25 January 2012
It’s the middle of the week. So far, so good.

Last night was a fairly low-key night around the household. The girls wound down a little early, but we managed to keep them awake until their normal bedtime. Even so, we managed to get a couple of pre-bedtime pics of the little ladies:

Me with Diana:

Sara with Vanessa

Groove. Boogie. Sway.
Today’s musical theme: “Songs from the Ghetto”

• Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) – Jay-Z
• Ghetto Superstar – Pras (ft. Mya and Ol’ Dirty Bastard)
• Ghetto Gospel – 2Pac (ft. Elton John)
• Ghetto Heaven – The Family Stand

Stray Toasters

• In Address, Obama Makes Pitch for Economic Fairness
• President Obama’s Fourth State of the Union Speech
• While I don’t regret taking down my layout – in the name of getting the basement finished – I’m missing the ability to run my trains.
• The 5 New Trends to Emerge From Fashion Week
• 
• Twitter acquires web malware fighter Dasient
• The Next Xbox Could Be Six Times as Powerful
  But, will it be backwards compatible!?
• Space Adventures planning for lunar tourism
• What goes on in the mind of a sniper?

Namaste.

Monday – 23 January 2012
It’s another day in the valley as a new work week begins.

Trying to kick the last remnants of the cold-like-thing that the girls gave me, I took some NyQuil this morning around 2:00 AM. It’s not hard to understand why I decided to forego the 6:30 alarm…

… and the 7:00 alarm.

…and the 7:10 alarm.

I finally managed to drag myself out of bed at 7:50. Fortunately, I didn’t have to be into the office early, so it wasn’t a big deal. (And I was still in the office by just after 8:30.)

The weekend, on the whole, was good. I took the girls to their second train show on Friday. It was at Thanksgiving Point. I was a little disappointed by the show; maybe it’s just because they didn’t have much in O scale that I was interested in. Maybe it was that it felt like I’d seen everything that they had to offer before. Still, it was nice to be able to attend a train show and see that the hobby is doing well.

Saturday, I judged a ‘Clix tournament for Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection. We had a rather decent turn-out, which was a very pleasant surprise. (It also snowed Saturday, as well. That was not as pleasant a surprise.) We had a player drop out between the second and third rounds, so I wound up playing a bye round. I threw together a team that I thought would be fun:

• Aquaman (hey… this one does more than just talk to fish),
• The Question,
• Superman Beyond and
• x-23

…and went up against a team of Lord of the Rings ‘Clix. My team did well. I hadn’t used the Aquaman figure before, but after seeing how dangerous he can be, I think that he might just become one of my new “go-to” pieces. He works well with The Question and I think that he’d be similarly effective with the LE Harvey Dent from the Arkham Asylum set. Or Psycho-Pirate. Or even an Atlantis-themed team.

Yesterday, aside from watching football, was mostly a stay-at-home and hang out with the family kind of day.

Instant Replay: Football

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots
20 – 23
The Ravens traveled to Foxborough, Mass. to take on the Patriots for the AFC Championship. It was a rough game. Both teams got off to slow and rocky starts. Then the Pats put up a field goal. Eventually, the Ravens got an FG, too. And it was game on. The teams traded blows through the rest of the game and it looked as though Baltimore might have put the final nail in their own coffin when QB Joe Flacco threw an interception late in the fourth quarter… …but, the Patriots couldn’t capitalize on it. With 27 seconds left in the game, WR Lee Evans dropped what would have been a game-winning pass in the end zone. And, finally K Billy Cundiff missed a 32-yard field goal that would have tied the game, sending it into overtime.

And, with that, the Ravens season came to a screeching halt. I was understandably disappointed at the game’s end. I tried to determine which was more disappointing: Evans’ drop or Cundiff’s shanked kick. I decided that it was the dropped pass, because Cundiff has missed many clutch kicks this season — this was just another one to add on to the tally.

Oh, well, at least there’s next season to look forward to. (Until the Ravens-Raiders game, that is. My marriage may come under siege over that game.) But, I’m still proud of the way the team played all season and I’m still proud to be a Ravens fan.

Stray Toasters

• Our office Property and Assets Manager, Julie, sits across the cube wall from me. She’s a Patriots fan. I (still) like her, despite this obvious shortcoming. A little while ago, I had to ask her for a piece of software and the software key. She handed me the software CD and emailed me the key… along with a picture of the Patriots logo.
• Supreme Court: Warrantless GPS Tracking Is Unconstitutional
• 
• Anonymous shutters government, music industry sites
• Anonymous: Facebook is next, on January 28
• Geothermal test will pump water into volcano to make power
• ComicsAlliance Design Critique: The New DC Comics Logo
• 
• The 18 Things You’ll Want to Wear Next
• Cameras May Open Up the Board Room to Hackers
• Khaaaaaaaaan!

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.

Tuesday – 10 January 2012
Work Week: Day 2. So far, it’s been monkey-free and relatively painless. But, it is Tuesday, so there will be meetings. Hazard of the job, I guess.

Speaking of “hazards,” for some reason, I had this running through my head last night:

Last night, my sister-in-law, Sanaz, came over to help watch the girls and put them to bed while SaraRules! was at a Junior League meeting.

Under normal circumstances, bedtime is a fairly easy time of night — it’s just that two kids makes it nigh-impossible for one person to get them squared away without help. Last night, I don’t know what exactly happened, but Diana and Vanessa were not happy and wailed – at the top of their lungs –  for the better part of forty-five minutes before winding down enough to eat and go to sleep. (I don’t think that I’ve been so happy for them to go to sleep in a long time…) In thinking about it, it hasn’t been that hard to get them both to sleep in at least two months. And I can’t fathom what I would have done without Sanaz’ help.

After the girls fell asleep – which was almost immediately after they ate – Sanaz and I went into the kitchen so I could tackle the stack o’ bottles from the day. We chatted while I busted suds. I found out a bit about what she does (I know that she’s a pharmacist, but there’s more to her job than just doling out medication), what she would like to do and the world of pharmacy. It was a good conversation.

After SaraRules! got home, I found that I was restless and couldn’t decide how to spend the rest of my evening. I frittered away the better part of an hour before deciding to call it a relatively early night and just read in bed. I know I’m late to the party, but I started reading World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, by Max Brooks. I am liking it.

Stray Toasters

• Yesterday, I discovered that Duncan Jones – director of Moon and Source Code – is the son of none other than The Thin White Duke, himself. Color me surprised.
• Amazing Archive of High-Res Photos from NASA’s Gemini Missions
• Egypt’s Women Find Power Still Hinges on Men
• New content for DCUO goes live today; maybe I’ll spend some time in Gotham City or Metropolis tonight.
• Players Roll the Dice for Dungeons & Dragons Remake
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: “If Fred Got Two Beatings Per Day…” Homework Asks
• E-payments rapidly phasing out paper checks as an option
• Symantec: Hackers did steal code, but it’s old
• A New Race of Mercy to Nome, This Time Without Sled Dogs

Namaste.

Sunday – 08 January 2012
Sunday afternoon quick hit while the ladies of the house are napping…

This morning (after a not-so-great-night-of-sleep-for-the-girls), we all went out for breakfast at Millcreek Cafe and Eggworks. The girls, as usual, were little centers of attention. And with outfits like these, courtesy of their Aunt Kristen…

…how could you expect anything less? Diana has pink boots, like Vanessa’s white ones, but kicked them off before we got the picture.  Oh, well.

It’s been a good weekend, so far. Yesterday, I judged a ‘Clix tournament (with a rather good turnout) for Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection, had a RubySnap Josephine cookie, (finally) got around to watching Moon, which was:

1. not what I expected, and
2. very good.

…and, like sprinkles on an ice cream cone: The Texans beat the Bengals, meaning that the Ravens will face the Texans at M&T Bank Stadium next weekend. And, to be honest, I would rather face the Texans than the Bengals.

Stray Toasters

• Go, Broncos!
  
  Hey, I have no great love for Tim Tebow and company, but I think that it would be uproariously funny if they beat the Steelers.  Just saying.
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Lamar Smith: “If you oppose SOPA, you don’t matter”
• I packed up two of my three train sets the other night. (Yeah, it was a bit sad…) I also packed up some of the accessories and rolling stock. All of this is in anticipation of beginning work on finishing the unfinished areas of the basement. (Although, if it doesn’t happen “soon-ish,” I may just wind up with a floor layout for a while.)

Okay, sounds like someone is waking up.  Time to go.

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.

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.

Tuesday – 27 December 2011
Our first Christmas as parents has come and gone. And it was a good one. We spent the holiday with Sara’s family and, as usual, it was a lot of fun. Added bonuses: I was able to video chat not only with my mom and uncle, but also with Rana, John and the girls, as well. Win-Win.

Because I didn’t consider what scheduling a post for midnight on Christmas might mean for “getting it lost on Facebook,” here’s this year’s Christmas card:

The picture was taken by Jenny Porter of Serendipity Photography.

And pictures of Christmas day can be found here.

Diana and Vanessa made out like little bandits. Lots of clothes, a few books, and even some toys. Granted, they’re not really “up” on the whole idea of Christmas, so it was just another day for them… aside from the fact that we hung out with their grandparents and aunts and uncles for the better part of the day.

I was able to surprise SaraRules! with a couple of gifts this year. (Go, me!) She had asked for one thing – which I got – but I had remembered that she had shown a particular interest in a letterpress kit we saw a few weeks ago. I found the kit and got it for her. What I didn’t know was that she had gone looking for that same kit elsewhere… just before Christmas. (That would have been awkward.) Fortunately for me, she didn’t find it. Again: Win.

I also was very fortunate in the gifts that I received. As I noted a couple of weeks ago, I got myself the 12-pack of Legion action figures for Christmas. It showed up on… Thursday, I think. I didn’t even bother wrapping the shipping box; I just wrapped a ribbon around it and called it good. SaraRules! got me a bike trainer, which is great — I’ll be able to actually get some cardio conditioning in while I’d otherwise be sitting on my butt, watching TV or playing video games.  (Oh, yeah, we bought a new 360 to replace “old and busted.” I didn’t realize how much smaller and more quiet the new models are.) Among the other things I got were:

• The MTH DCS Remote Set for my model train layout
• A couple of calendars — one Green Lantern calendar and one of train paintings
• The Anniversary Edition of Roots
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
• A nice cologne set
• A set of Lord of the Rings ‘Clix, and
• A GL action figure (Hal Jordan: Test Pilot)

Like I said: It was a good Christmas.

Another “gift” that SaraRules! and I got (from her sister and mom) was the ability to go out for a movie date on Saturday. We saw Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. It was a good bit of fun. Lots of action. Decent enough plot. Although, we both agreed that the female lead seemed kind of “just there to be there.”  If there’s an M:I 5 and she’s in it, hopefully, she’ll be fleshed out a bit more.

We also finally got around to seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 last night. Long movie. But, it was good. Of course, knowing how it turns out didn’t hurt.

Sounds like little ones are safely abed, so I should head on to Guys’ Night Out!

I hope that everyone had a safe and merry Christmas.

Happy Kwanzaa for those who celebrate it.

Namaste.

Thursday – 22 December 2011
It’s another great NBN Thursday in the valley… and it’s made even better by the following: 1) It’s SaraRules!’ first day of vacation; 2) Hanging out with the girls; 3) A smattering of snow fell over the valley, clearing out the inversion. Individually, any of those is a good thing. Together, they’re a trifecta of awesome.

Speaking of the girls, here’s today’s dose of cuteness:

Last night, the girls spent their first night in their cribs. In their room. All night. It’s nice to be able to say that the girls – as well as SaraRules! and I – survived the experience just fine. The girls slept well, aside from Vanessa deciding that she didn’t want to go back to sleep after her 2:30 feeding. An hour later, she finally drifted off. They woke up again about 8:00. Hey, that counts as sleeping in.

Today, SaraRules!’ parents offered to watch the girls while we finished the last bits of Christmas shopping. We managed to squeeze in lunch (at Pawit’s Royale Thai) and a quick visit to Corey and Jessica before running all over Hell and half of Georgia. But, in the end: We finished.

Stray Toasters

• My Legion set arrived today. I’m not sure if I want to go through the whole process of wrapping it… or just stick a bow on it and call it good.
• I picked up my gift from my mother today, too. I promised her that I’d “…wrap it and act surprised when I opened it.”
• Confessions of a Comic Book Guy–Books of Kids Comics Vs. Kids Comic Books
• 
• Paul’s story changes on racial comments
• Methinks I’m either getting or ordering a new 360 tomorrow. Hallelujah!
• Counterfeit card maker pleads in ATM skimming bust
• Looking to Streamline Airport Security Screenings

Okay, that’s good for now.

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.

Thursday – 15 December 2011
It’s a grey and foggy NBN Thursday in the valley. (Thanks, inversion!)

Last night, the girls were winding down by the time I got home.  Actually, they had pretty much wound down… just in time to be awakened to eat. They ate and returned to sleepy mode, by way of “I can’t get comfortable” mode. They finally settled down and dozed for a bit before it was time to get them all set for bed. That went fairly painlessly. The “going to sleep” part was a little more difficult, at least for Vanessa — she had gone past “sleepy” and straight into “too tired to do anything but cry A LOT.” Not fun. SaraRules! sat with her and got her calmed down enough to nod off. She still took a while to fully go to sleep, but she did. Eventually.

Chris came over just after Vanessa started her meltdown. We were, ostensibly, going to play dolls. Neither of us had assembled teams for the scenario that I’d come up with, so we wound up sitting around and hashing out more details for the scenario. We may give it a go Saturday afternoon, if time permits.

Stray Toasters

• Who’s the new owner of Mattel’s 12-figure Legion of Super-Heroes set?  This guy.
• Like Ivies, Berkeley Adds Aid to Draw Middle-Class Students
• Yeah, I’m just waiting for this to happen…

  

• LEGO’s new line of toys for girls
  I’m not sure that this was really necessary. I’ve known many girls – including my niece, Grace – who play with LEGO toys. But, I have to give LEGO some credit for trying to fill a gap, whether it’s a real one or not.
• Joe Simon, Captain America Co-Creator, R.I.P. 2011

  

• Correlation or Causation?
• This is the dawning of the
  Age of Aquarius Apocalypse
  Age of Apocalypse
  Apocalypse!
  Apocalypse!
  
• A Christmastime Price War — Over a Toy Ray Gun

And now, to the office holiday lunch/party/extravaganza/thingamabob…

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.

Wednesday – 07 December 2011
Today is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

• Remembering Pearl Harbor, 70 years later
• Pearl Harbor Still a Day for the Ages, but a Memory Almost Gone

Today is also Diana’s 1/4-birthday. That’s right, our oldest little lady is three-months-old today.

Last night, SaraRules! took the girls to her book club, leaving me to my own devices for a couple of hours. I decided to be a little productive. For my first amazing feat: I put up the downstairs Christmas tree (more on this later). I also gave my brother a call, to help him suss out why his Xbox wouldn’t connect to Xbox Live after they changed ISPs. After that, I felt that I had earned a trip to Best Buy. Oddly enough, I didn’t find anything that I just couldn’t live without.

I made it home a few minutes before the ladies got home. That gave me time to prep blankets and bottles for the girls. (Hey, I try to be a good father.) We got the girls to bed without too much ado. After getting something to eat, we headed downstairs to watch a little pre-bed TV. SaraRules! asked what I’d done with my evening, so I recounted the events of the night. When I got to the part about “I put up the Christmas tree,” she blinked a couple of times, looked over at the tree and said,”Whoa… you did put up the tree!” That’s right: She totally missed it – all six feet of it – when she went downstairs… despite looking dead at it at one point. (In her defense: She’d had a long day…)

Stray Toasters

• Modern Drummer‘s interview with Neil Peart
• The Death of Philip K. Dick and the Birth of Cyberpunk
• Leather Armor for Stormtroopers Who Prefer Harleys Over Speederbikes
• 
• Too promiscuous to donate an organ? Maybe, CDC says
• The Art of Francis Tsai, by way of my friend, Kim
• Five Travel Apps You Should Be Using (and One Website, Too)
• Green Bay Packers sell stock, first time since ’97
• 
• Game play: A case study in security
• Japan Split on Hope for Vast Radiation Cleanup

Namaste.