Random Access

Friday – 07 May 2010
It’s my “on” Friday… but that’s okay: The team is seeing Iron Man 2 at lunch.

SaraRules and I saw the movie last night… well, “very early this morning.” And it was worth the lack of sleep. It was a well-done bit of entertainment. Mr. Downey looked quite comfortable, once again, as Tony Stark. Don Cheadle turned in a good performance as Lt. Col. James Rhodes, the “voice of reason” to Tony’s “poor impulse control.” Samuel L. Jackson was one bad mother… no, wait…. had it with these motherf…. wait… “he was good in his expanded role as S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury.”  Scarlett Johansson also did a good turn as The Black Widow. Mickey Rourke did a good job of turning Marvel villain Whiplash (whose back story was given a tweak to fit into the movie’s storyline) into a credible threat and Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer was equal parts unctuous slimeball and opportunistic business man. All-in-all, Jon Favreau did a good job of bringing viewers back into the world of Tony Stark. I was impressed with how his nod to Demon in a Bottle was handled – very subtly, but it made the point. I was also amused by some of the cameos in the film, as well. (Look for “Larry King.”) And, don’t forget to stay for a little bump after the credits. Just sayin’.

And… there were a couple of interesting trailers before the movie, too: A new one for The Last Airbender (which looked pretty nice) and one for an upcoming J.J. Abrams project that looks… intriguing.

Before the movie, Chris came over. We were originally planning on throwing a HeroClix game together, but opted to play HALO 3: ODST, instead. And it was good. Selah.

Stray Toasters

• Most of my cold symptoms are gone… but I’m still dealing with a sore/scratchy throat and swollen lymph nodes. Bah.
• The Art of Style, and the Style of Art
• For SaraRules: No sleep til…
• For Amy: Click or tap along with new ‘Sam & Max’ series
• Couch Forts: A Critique
• The pill: 50 years of birth control changed women’s lives
• The Bell Tolls: Lots of blame in Raiders’ JaMarcus Russell flop… sorry, SaraRules
• By way of Rachel: Things That Can Make You Feel Like an Idiot Almost Instantly
• F.C.C. Proposes Rules on Internet Access
• Nyx showed me this video…

  …and all I could think of was:

  Spider-Bear! Spider-Bear!
  Whats she doing up in the air?

• Former MySpace security chief starts company
• Music round-up:
  • Gustavo Dudamel: Making Classical Cool in L.A.
  • U.S. Troops Spoof Lady Gaga Video
  • Moby: One Song, Two Days, Three Versions
• How a Cellphone Call Works
• April Jobs Report: Best gain in four years

Yep, that’s good for now.

Namaste.

Thursday – 06 May 2010
This NBN Thursday finds me feeling much better than I was feeling yesterday. By the time I left work, my sore throat had invited its friends “aching,” “lethargy” and “weakness” to come over for a visit. When I got home – after a rather abbreviated trip to Dr. Volt’s – I was only too happy to soak in a tub of hot water and read a few items from the day’s four-color haul. After dinner, I spent the better part of the evening in bed. I slept for a couple of hours. I read more comics. I medicated. I hydrated.

This morning, I feel about 90-95% of baseline normal. This is a good thing.

Stray Toasters

• Dressed for Success, the Frugal Way
• Cutting Libraries in a Recession…
• Women under 50 ‘face work stress risk’
• 
• Facebook Glitch Brings New Privacy Worries
• The Little Bang: Small, simple drawing show offers big rewards
• Ms. Amy, you might (just *might*) want to click here.
• Profile in Style: Kelly Wearstler
• 
• Gay Couples Challenge Defense of Marriage Act
• Nigeria swears in new president
• My Demotivators (Cluelessness, Indecision and Insight)arrived a couple of days ago. I forgot to bring them to work… which just means that I have more time to figure out where I want them to go.
• A little something for your Thursday: The Brian Setzer Orchestra – Jump Jive and Wail:
• Editorial: Video Games and Free Speech
• I, Zombie: A Jug of Wine, A Lobe of Brain and Thou
• Mayan Plumbing Found in Ancient City

Namaste.

Wednesday – 05 May 2010
It’s Cinco de Mayo.

Even WizKids has jumped on the bandwagon.

It’s also Comics (and possibly Sushi) Wednesday.

Last night, SaraRules had Book Club… which meant that I was “Bachelor for an Evening.” I headed up to the local B&N to do some drawing. I started coloring on a pic that I’ve been working on (well, “off-and-on”) for a few weeks. Mixed results. I had done a lot of graphite pencil-work on it and the colored pencils weren’t exactly dealing with all of it well. I may reconsider my tack and start the picture anew. We’ll see.

After that, I went home and started playing HALO 3: ODST. (What? You think a little something like “no Internet” is going to stop me from getting my game on?! Hah!) I picked the game up a couple of days ago, but hadn’t cracked it open until last night. It’s got the classic HALO feel, but with a few twists. I like it. (I haven’t found the sniper’s rifle… yet… but, I’m getting good at the headshots with the pistol.)

Stray Toasters

• Sore throat != fun
• New (and as-yet unmet) neighbor deciding to wait until 0610 this morning to move his empty trash can from the curb to its resting place between our houses != fun.
  • On the other hand, it gave me an early start on the morning.
• Day of Prayer Becomes Culture War Skirmish
• Homes can be lost by mistake when banks miscommunicate
• Obama’s plea for civility is exactly right
• This image…

  

  …is available as a t-shirt from SPLITREASON.

• DJ Spooky and Chuck D remix “By the Time I Get to Arizona” in honor of anti-immigrant law
• Google moves into online travel business
• Do Not Look at These Dirty, Filthy State Seals
• By way of BoingBoing (and ): A small announcement – as told through Science Fiction

• …and, with that in mind: Stop-Motion LEGO Star Wars Trilogy in Just Two Minutes

Namaste.

Tuesday – 04 May 2010
I am of ill humor today.

This mostly stems from the fact that my thoughts, with regards to Comcast, repeat: “MDK… MDK…”

Not only have I had three (3) calls from their recovery service about their “unreturned lease equipement,” but yesterday I received a notice from them in the mail. You’d think that people would read the notes on an account… but maybe expecting them to actually read what’s on the screen is asking far too much of people. So, they’re about to receive a rather pointed fax – along with copies of Comcast’s own work orders – with my expectations.

::: deep cleansing breath :::

Yesterday was, otherwise, not too bad. I was finally able to cut down the jungle mow the lawn. (I’m still not a fan of that “landscaping” in the front yard, but SaraRules and I are deciding how to change it.) After dinner and a little errand-running, SaraRules and I watched In the Heat of the Night. It was an excellent film; I highly recommend it.

Stray Toasters

• Sallie Mae lowers interest rates on non-federal student loans
• Small-Screen Jazz: Your Favorite TV Themes
• Russian Orphanage Offers Love, but Not New Families
• Join the Dots Wallpaper
• Take Back Our Country – Originally from the U.K., but easily applicable elsewhere…
• 
• Top social ticket: NYC’s Costume Institute gala
• From the “Catches Thieves, Just Like Flies…” file: Free Comic Book Day shoplifted foiled by Spider-Man, Jedis and The Flash
• Terry Pratchett: Doctor Who isn’t science fiction
• ‘Long-term harm’ of too much TV for toddlers
• Being Human Is Different, Or What Science Asks of Us

Namaste.

Monday – 03 May 2010
It was a good weekend.

Saturday, after coffee with Perry, Kate and the kids (no, the kids didn’t have coffee), I met SaraRules and went to Porcupine Pub and Grill for lunch… which turned into “brunch.” We weren’t previously aware that they offered a weekend brunch – until 1500 – so we decided to see how it was. And the verdict was: “Pretty darned good.” After a bit of errand-running, SaraRules headed off to work – and I met up with the in-laws and head downtown to see – The Temptations with the Utah Symphony. It was a very good show. Otis Williams, the sole remaining original member, has been performing with The Temps for 49 years… and hasn’t lost a step. (Granted, they might not be as flamboyant as the ‘younger guys,’ but the man can still move. And, more importantly, he looks like he’s still having fun.

Sunday, SaraRules and I slept in. It was wonderful. We both commented on how… odd, but very good… it felt to not have something on the agenda that had to get done by Time X or Date Y. We’ve both commented on how much moving – and prepping the house and apartment for the move – felt like having a second job; the past month has worn us out. So, it was delightful to actually be able to slow down and just enjoy the day. After breakfast, we did some (much-needed) grocery shopping. Next, we returned home; Logan came over to help me move the china buffet. After he left, SaraRules and I went to The Garden of Sweden. After paying a small tithe, we left with far less than we had anticipated… which wasn’t necessarily a “bad” thing. Back home for a bit and then up to the in-laws’ for dinner and a movie. Last night’s fare was lamb sausage with imam bayildi, mixed vegetables, pita and hummus, and rice pudding for dessert; last night’s feature presentation was Cloverfield. All-in-all, it was a good way to wrap up the weekend.

Stray Toasters

• In theory, we only have one week until Comcast drops a new line for us.
  • Saturday, I got a third call from Comcast collections about returning the modem and receiver. *sigh* I was even more curt with this agent than I was to the second agent who called. At the end of the call, she said that I shouldn’t hear from them again – if at all – until 11 May. We’ll see how that goes.
• Kid apps become special on the iPad
• How to Build a Trebuchet
• The Day BMW Became ‘The Ultimate Driving Machine’
• 
• Outnumbered, Outgunned: How Underdogs Prevail
• Vinegar as a stain remover
• $25,000 Family Sedan Shootout: Can a family afford a good car?
• Earth Wind and Fire: Boogie Wonderland
• Pitting the Web’s Users Against Its Gatekeepers
• Polanski breaks silence about American extradition threat

Namaste.

Friday – 30 April 2010
Mother Nature apparently couldn’t resist one more joke: There have been flurries in the area today. Go figure.

As of 1100 this morning, SaraRules and I no longer have any ties with our now-former apartment complex. I went over to finish vacuuming and remove a few extra boxes from the move around 1000. After a final sweep of the apartment, I headed to the leasing office and handed over the keys. All things being equal, I don’t really have many bad things to say about the complex.  I’d even recommend it to someone looking for an apartment. But, as far as we’re concerned, it’s in the rear-view mirror.

Stray Toasters

• As yet, I haven’t received a third call from Comcast collections. Maybe – just maybe – I won’t hear from them until the 11th, after all.
• Free Comic Book Day is tomorrow.  For more information and find a local comic shop in your area is, go to http://www.freecomicbookday.com
• 
• WizKids has announced their upcoming Web of Spider-Man HeroClix set.
• Insert something witty here.
• Insert something witty here, too.

Off to see if I can’t find some trouble to get into before heading to Clitorati.

Namaste.

Thursday – 29 April 2010
It’s another NBN Thursday morning.

Happy Birthday to Beckley, Joe and Lars:

It was snowing when I woke up this morning.
Yes, I know it’s almost May.
Apparently, Mother Nature cares naught for such petty human concerns.

Stray Toasters

• Alvin Ailey Company Names a New Leader
• New Rule Offers Trapped Travelers an Exit Door
• A couple of cellphone-related tech items:
  • Cellphone Payments Offer Alternatives to Cash
  • Linking Customer Loyalty with Social Networking
• 
• Congratulations Comcast; You’re the Worst Company in America!
  • Monkeys!
  • I got a call from Comcast collections on Tuesday, asking when I planned to return the receiver and cable modem. I explained that I was awaiting reconnection at the house. She took down the information and apologized for the call.
  • Yesterday, I got another call from Comcast collections. I wasn’t as pleasant – though I tried to be nominally polite – to that agent.
  • I’m waiting to see if I get yet another call from them.
• When I lived in Indiana, I saw a lot of commercials for a place called Don’s Guns. Don had some of the best (i.e.: funniest) commercials, because of the tagline he used at the end of each spiel: “Folks, I don’t want to make money. I just love to sell guns!”  And, he’d make a finger gun while saying the last bit.  Classic! I was talking with Tom and Sean about it this morning and decided to see if I could find a commercial from the store online. I did:
• Rush is on to claim first-time home buyers tax credit
• I’ve been a fan of Love and Capes for a couple of years. It’s a light and fun read.  Check it out.
• This makes me laugh:



“Chocolate Negro.” Comedy.

• Anne Frank’s full diary on display for the first time in Amsterdam
• Big Wind Farm off Cape Cod Gets Approval
• Three of my favorite planes have been modeled in LEGO:
  • SR-71 Blackbird
  • P-51D Mustang
  • F4U Corsair
• Carl Johnson, NFL’s new chief official, ready for major scrutiny
• Welcome to Arizona, Outpost of Contradictions

It’s almost meeting time. Again.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 28 April 2010
It’s snowing.
Yes, it was better than 70F a day or two ago.
Now, it’s not. According to The Weather Channel, it is 40F right now.
Yesterday, it was also very windy. A LOT of dust was blown into the valley from the desert, making things grey and drab.

Last night, SaraRules and I met at the old apartment to pick up some of the last few things we left there. Things were moving along nicely – we had loaded her car and had started putting things in mine – when, about 21:30/21:45, the power went out.

::: braincramp :::

The flashlight was at the house, as were the candles, so we were effectively done. We piled into our cars and headed home…

…only to discover that the power was out there, too.

*grblsnrkx*

The first and most immediate issue that created: No automatic garage door opener. And the door doesn’t seem to have a handle or manual method for opening it. So, we had the privilege of parking outside. No power also pretty much meant that unpacking most things was out. We found the flashlight and SaraRules tracked down a couple of the big candles and we sat around and chatted (and listened to the still-howling wind) until she nodded off. I tried – somewhat unsuccessfully – to stay away, but drifted off about 23:15.

At 23:34, the power came back on. I took advantage of the situation and prepped the coffee maker, put away some of the fortunately still-frozen food that we had brought from the apartment. Since I had been up and moving around, falling back asleep wasn’t the easiest thing, so I grabbed my GameBoy and played a few rounds of Tetris. Sleep found me about thirty minutes later.

Stray Toasters

• No power + new house = BAH!
  (Of course, it kind of made the no TV/no Internet thing easy to cope with…)
• I’m debating advancing my timetable for having DirecTV installed.
• Check out Jim Lee’s variant cover for Legion of Super-Heroes #1

  

  “I’d buy that for a dollar!”
  (Who am I kidding?  It’s a Legion book.  I’d easily pay TWO dollars for it!)

• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Sprint employees fired for capturing shoplifter
• Who was the best/worst astronaut… and why:
  • Captain Anthony “Buck” Rogers
  • Major Anthony “Tony” Nelson
  • Colonel Steve Austin

  Discuss.

And with that, Kenneth and I are off to the South 40 to deal with a couple of issues with the kids down there. Pray for us.

Namaste.

Tuesday – 27 April 2010
Another day in the valley kicks off with sun and mild temperatures…

…too bad we’re supposed to take a thirty-plus degree dive over the next couple of days. Yep, we’re going from upper-60s/low-70s to… mid-40s. Lucky us.

Last night, we spent the evening with the in-laws, celebrating Steve’s birthday. There was bocce (the game, not the language), lots of good food:

• Tasty grilled ribs
• Rice pilaf
• Salad
• As well as potato salad and carrot salad for those who like them…

…marzipan cake and ice cream. And, boozy beverages. All-around win.

After SaraRules and I got back home, we decided to put the family room together. Somewhat. We moved furniture into its more or less permanent locations. We didn’t, however, put media away… as we are going to have to primer/paint the walls — they are in need of a little help, shall we say.

And the walls in my office? They don’t need help, they need a hero. I don’t know what color they were going for, but the walls just look… dingy. I was looking at how bright SaraRules’ office – next door to mine – looked at the same time of day with the same size window in it. It wasn’t quite a “day and night” difference, but it was definitely “day and dusk.” A fresh coat of white paint will do wonders for that room.

Stray Toasters

• Yay for waiting for return calls from corporate!
• Best of Craigslist
• The Sandy Hobby Lobby opens sometime in May.
  (This is both a “good” and a “bad” thing… )
• Modern dance inspired by science
• This comic…

  

  …reminded me of playing Indigo Bolt in City of Heroes – I used one of the available costume slots to create a “formal dress” costume for him. Yep, I’m just that geeky.

• By way of Nyx:
  • Rebekah & Shayne’s Hospital Wedding — This was a cute story.
  • Nick, Bryan & Otto’s Milwaukee Studio
• A bumpy economic recovery, with hope in Midwest, South
• The Family Stand: Ghetto Heaven
• Running down a dream: Leg amputee makes U.S. Track team
• Just for the record: If you have a Comcast cable box/DVR with programs on the hard drive, you can’t watch them if there’s no signal from Comcast.  So much for catching up on 24…
• Eggs flying in Parliament, Ukraine approves deal for closer Russia ties
• Canadiens stymie Capitals to force series-deciding Game 7 (Go, Caps!)
• Good times and riches
  And son of a bitches
  I’ve seen more than I can recall…
• Ben Heine’s pencil drawing-photo hybrids

Namaste.

Friday – 23 April 2010
I am very glad that it’s Friday, even though it’s my “on” Friday. And it’s my week with The Leash.

Last night, I am not sure if I had my NBN Thursday ruined or not: When I got home from work, the cable was out. I didn’t worry too much about it, as I needed to pack a few things and it was good to not have the distraction. After I packed the items away, I flipped open the BlacIntosh to check something online. No go, Flight.

*blink blink*

I tried the TV again. No signal. I put the boxes in the car and headed to the house. When I got there, I decided to call Comcast to see what was going on. The first sign that there was something amiss came when the IVR said that I had a zero balance on the account. I knew that this was wrong, as I hadn’t yet paid the bill. So, after dialing through the menu, I got to talk to an actual person. After making his way through the details he found the problem:

Our disconnect order went through yesterday, sometime after SaraRules had gone to work.

This was the precise issue that I had been hoping to avoid. In fact, I asked the CSR I spoke with a few days ago – more than once – to verify that it wouldn’t happen.

::: grblsnrkx :::

Granted, we won’t be at home a lot over the next 48 hours, but when we are there, it would be nice to have TV and Internet access. Just sayin’. So, I asked if they could reconnect the service. The CSR said sure and then checked for the first available date. He found one: 27 April 2010. There was only one (slight) problem with this: We’re moving on 25 April 2010.

::: braincramp :::

New-CSR said that he’d leave a message for the morning dispatcher to see about expediting the issue. I was supposed to hear back a little after 0800 this morning. It’s now a little after 1000. I got tired of waiting, so I called them.  And I have an answer: It appears that we will be service-free at the apartment until we move, because they would have to issue a reconnection service ticket to have us hooked back up. And the earliest date possible for that: Monday. *sigh* This isn’t making my choice to return to DirecTV later this summer any more difficult, I have to say. And, now I’m even contemplating a transfer of Internet service, as well. And, I’m not-so-oddly reminded of a lyric from Neurotica, by Rush:

The world is a cage for your impotent rage
But don’t let it get to you

Too late. It’s gotten to me. But, I did at least have the foresight to agree to have a “Customer Satisfaction Survey” call back, this time. It may be just a bunch of button pushing or talking to yet another IVR, but at least I’ll get some of the irritation of this situation off my chest.

Stray Toasters

• MarknTyme pointed out: ‘This Looks So Broadway’: Tim Gunn Critiques Superhero Costumes, which I think that SaraRules should check out.  This is entertaining for a number of reasons, not the least of which include:
  • It combines my interest in comics with SaraRules’ interest in fashion.
    (It’s always nice to find things that combine our respective likes.)
  • It combines my love of comics with my affinity for Tim Gunn.
  • And, it includes the following: “It looks like a bad hooker at Hallowe’en,” Tim Gunn on Halle Berry’s Catwoman costume.
• Complaint: Pa. policewoman sent home for dyed hair
• 
• I was going to post a video of Salt N Pepa’s Shake Your Thang, but the embedding was disabled. So, you’ll just have to go here and get your Friday morning groove on.
• By way of Peggy and the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Blame Cleavage: Why Networks Rejected Plus-Size Lingerie Ad (Updated)
• At 1035, I got a call from a Comcast tech: Apparently, we’ve had our service reconnected.
  I really wish that “Hand A” would let “Hand B” know what it’s doing.
• Tony Stark Facts
• City of Heroes is about to celebrate its 6th Anniversary.



• Henge Docks for MacBooks
• CenturyTel to Buy Qwest for $10.6 Billion, by way of

On with the show…

Namaste.

Wednesday – 21 April 2010
Another Comics and Sushi Wednesday is upon us.
And, it’s also Melissa S.’s birthday:

Last night, Chris and I were supposed to get together to play dolls. Yesterday afternoon, I got a call from Jeremiah – one of the guys from Dr. Volt’s – asking if we would be interested in checking out the store’s display copy of the soon-to-be-released Blackest Night set.

Um… YES!
Duh.

So, after work – and a quick dinner with SaraRules – Chris and I met at Jeremiah’s. And we saw the new hotness. And it was good. Selah. I’m looking forward to picking up this set. After we shot the bull for a while, we finally decided to play a game. 1200 points. Chris vs Jeremiah and me. (Pictures here.) In the hour-and-a-half we played, there was only one casualty: Jeremiah’s Sinestro Corps Batman. And then it was time to put away our toys and go home. It was, nevertheless, fun.

I’ll take a moment here to thank SaraRules for suggesting that I take the evening off from the hullaballoo of packing and do something fun. Best. Wife. Ever. In fact, let’s just cut to the chase and make her today’s Human of the Day.

Stray Toasters

• The Ravens’ 2010 schedule has been posted.
• I think that I want (at least) one of these t-shirts.
• I have a couple of guys hanging out at my desk today:



• By way of comes ModHero
  • : Check out the upper left corner
  • MarknTyme: Check out the lower left corner
• Balloon hoax dad must pay restitution
• pointed out: Subway Etiquette Posters
  I need to adapt some of these to be “Office Etiquette Posters.”
• 
• Apple Didn’t Leak the iPhone — and Why That Matters
• Maddox has a new item on his site: Safety Tips for Safe Kids!
• Technical Difficulties at the Supreme Court
• The Alot Is Better Than You at Everything, courtesy of

Namaste.

Tuesday – 20 April 2010
It’s another warm, sunny day in the valley. It’s supposed to get into the mid 70s this afternoon.  I tell you, a guy could get used to this…

Last night, I ferried some boxes to the house. And, in prep for moving more boxes, I cleaned out the trunk of my car. It needed it. Desperately. On the plus side, I found a CD that I’d thought had gone AWOL. I count that as a “Win.”

Back at home, I tried to make some sense of the chaos that has become the living room. I’ve become painfully aware of how… difficult… packing can be with out a large area – like a garage – in which you can stage things. My best solution was to clear out a section in the office and use that to store boxes that have been packed. That helped a bit. We packed ten more boxes, mainly of books and things from the office bookcases. (That makes for heavy boxes, but them’s the breaks…)

Stray Toasters

• Dorothy I. Height, founding matriarch of civil rights movement, dies at 98
• I like the way that the remodel of this basement-turned-office turned out.
• For them, Earth Day was late in coming
• Toyota and Top Gear Tackle Icelandic Volcano
• Nat King Cole: An Incandescent Voice
• I have two items that went on The Covet List as soon as I saw them:
  • Atari Games Shot Glass 6-Pack
  • Atari Arcade Pint 4-Pack
• 
• Raquel Welch Bares All
• Make Compound Butter for Easy Sauces and Appetizers
• 100 years after his death, Mark Twain’s work still wields power
• Apple’s iPad could revolutionize video games
• California Senate again okays breach notification law update
• Latest James Bond film on hold

Namaste.

Monday – 19 April 2010
Goodbye, weekend.
Hello, work day grind.
At least the weather is nice. I might even have to go for a constitutional later today.

Yesterday saw a little more work around the house. And… (yet) another trip to Home Depot. At this rate, I’m beginning to wonder how long it will be before employees there know us on a first name basis. This time, we needed to get a lawnmower… and a few other items. We got what we needed and went to put them to work.

SIDENOTE: I’m… not the biggest fan of the former owners’ landscaping in the front yard. I understand the concept, but find the execution to be poor. (Sort of an ” ‘A’ for effort…” kind of thing.) It’s a little disjointed — there are three distinct areas in the landscaped bit, with no real cohesion between them. And, I find it annoying to mow around. I have some ideas of how I’d like to redo that area, but they will have to wait.  But, you better believe that I was mentally cursing whomever thought that curved lines were the way to go there.

Logan and Swiz came over just after I finished the yard work. (It was almost as if they were waiting around the corner until it was done…) They came to see the new floor. They liked it. They hung out and chatted for a little while, before heading out to The Garden of Sweden.

We cleaned up and headed back to the apartment to get cleaned up and ready for dinner. We headed up to SaraRules’ parents’. Dinner included bratwurst and mojitos. Selah. After dinner, we took the in-laws over to the house, so that they could see things post-paint/post-floor. Then, it was back to their house for dessert and then, it was back to the apartment for us. More packing! YAY! And, I managed to catch up on an hour of 24 while packing. Win-Win.

Stray Toasters

• Airlines condemn ‘European mess’
• Poll: 4 out of 5 Americans don’t trust Washington
  • Here is a corollary article, including graphs, from The Atlantic
• Something that shockpuppet found makes me smile:



• From the “Is it live… or is it Memorex?” file: This Is Apple’s Next iPhone
• Olympics track contributes to Kumaritashvili death
• 

• Despite New Law, Salary Gender Gap Persists
• Meetings!

And that’s a wrap!

Namaste.

Friday – 16 April 2010
It’s my 9/80 Friday off. Amen.

I slept in this morning – following falling asleep on the couch last night. When it was all said and done, it looks like I clocked about nine (9) hours of sleep, in all. Yeah, I think that all of the work we’ve been doing around the house is catching up with me… but it’s worth it. We’re getting closer to being done with the pre-moving work. Last night’s task: Tearing out the carpet in the dining room. It went well, but taking out the tack strips was… well… noisy. We stopped, out of deference to our neighbors, because of just how loud it was. We still have about ten to twelve feet of tack strip to remove. That will come either this afternoon or tomorrow morning, before we start laying the new floor.

This morning, however, I am off to play ‘Clix with Chris for a few hours. And tonight, we’re going to see the Buzz Stingers Bees play baseball.

Stray Toasters

• A week or so ago, there was a local news article about a cow that got stuck in a storm drain. Yes, cows underground. I thought it was odd, until I saw this article.
• Mark Evans Art, by way of .
• Stranded leader runs country by iPad
• This, by way of , makes me laugh:
  
  For those who don’t quite get it, here’s the explanation.
• 
• 30 Awesome MacBook Stickers
• 10 Coolest Action Figures Ever Made
• This is a little something for .
• 10 Directors’ Unknown Cameos in Movies
• Laura Hall given drinking banning order across England and Wales

Up. Out.

Namaste.

Thursday – 15 April 2010
It’s another NBN “Technical Friday.”
It’s also “Tax Day” in the United States.

Yesterday, WizKids released their new The Brave and the Bold set for HeroClix. There’s been a lot of hullaballoo about the set as it was slated to feature a number of duo figures – which basically means “two figures on one base.” There was also some grumbling about the new “Alter Ego” game mechanic that this set would introduce. Oh… and the fact that in certain games, feat cards – which allowed figures to gain certain abilities – would no longer be legal. (That was the most-bemoaned point that I’ve heard, so far.) Dr. Volt’s held a Release Day Event: 300-point, sealed box tournament. And the best part of all: I didn’t have to judge the event, so I could actually play — I believe that there were 18-20 participants, including a few of the guys we used to play with at Far West Comics. My draft wasn’t awesome, but it had a few decent figures in it… figures whose best uses I still need to figure out.  *sigh* I went 1 – 2 on the night, but I had a lot of fun. Jeremiah, the Dr. Volt’s employee who decided to run the event, said that he had a new respect for what I had to deal with a tournaments, after running this event. That was both gratifying and amusing.

Stray Toasters

• Tax Day Deals and Freebies for the Taking
• While I was playing dolls last night, SaraRules did the first coat of paint in the kitchen — we’re doing the backsplash area of two walls in the same color as the tops of the dining room walls. She also took down the tape in the rooms we painted over the past week. Apparently, the previous owners weren’t as careful as painting as they could have been and there are traces of paint on the ceilings that we didn’t notice before. So, I get to do a bit of touch-up work this weekend.
• Civil rights leader Benjamin Hooks dies
• Thanks to Nyx for pointing out Vintage-Style Superhero Posters
• 
• I Park Like an Idiot — I wish that I’d come up with this idea.
• WorldWorksGames just released two new sets:
  1. Thoumont’s: TLX Edition
  2. Mayhem Armoury 2: Apartments
• To coincide with the release of The Brave and the Bold, WizKids also unveiled a new website, Heroclix.com, along with a splashy new header:



• I think I have too much blood in my caffeinestream again…
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
  • By way of SaraRules: Evil Clown Dominic Deville hired for stalking, threats and a pie in the face
    What kind of parent thinks that causing the need for years of therapy for their kids is a “good” thing?
  • Wii Fit injury turns woman into a sex addict!
    So, do you think that this will increase sales of the Wii and Wii Fit?
  • GameStation: “We own your soul.”
• I get to buy a lawnmower tomorrow.

Namaste.