Random Access

Saturday – 23 June 2007
and her teammate Dina (“Scarlet Danger”) crashed here after Clitorati. Apparently, the kids remember , as they came out almost immediately to say “Hi.” And, they sidled up to Dina almost as quickly – which is a little atypical for them around strangers. This morning, and I went in search of caffeination (in which we were successful) and to pick up her brother, who is a referree for tonight’s bout. Back here so that the three of them could prep for the bout (while I watched today’s LSH episode). When wheels and bearings and other assorted items had been checked and changed and otherwise fiddled with, they headed off to a team brunch/meeting.

Today’s episode of Legion of Super Heroes was a rebroadcast of “Champions,” which (surprise!) I hadn’t seen. Lightning Lad was competing in the Galactic Games (think “Interstellar Olympics”), with Phantom Girl and Superman along for moral support. The games are being sabotaged by The Fatal Five… with the help of Mekt Ranzz, older brother of Lightning Lad. Some “famous faces” thrown in for added flavor are: competitors Jo Nah (not-yet-called Ultra Boy) and Tenzil Kem (Matter-Eater Lad, before he joins in “The Substitutes”) and President of the United Planets Winema Wazzo… Phantom Girl’s mother. Despite the superhero/supervillain brawl near the end, it was a fairly light episode; I’d almost go so far as to call it a filler episode. But it was a new (to me) ep. And it was Legion. And that was enough.

It’s a great day out there. I believe that I’m going to head downtown and take in some of the Arts Festival at some point this afternoon. A couple of hours down there should give me enough time to take in the artwork and the atmosphere… and work on my tan.

Stray Toasters

• pulled a Smokey and the Bandit for me.
• I have found my plectra!
• I have also found my roulette chips from Caesar’s Palace, The Hard Rock Hotel Casino and The State Line Hotel and Casino.
• “Hopen.” And I’m pretty happy with it.
• Because I am in touch with my inner lemming…
  $3950.00The Cadaver Calculator – Find out how much your body is worth

  Mingle² – Online Dating

• Reason #573826 of “Why Rob shouldn’t be allowed to play with PhotoShop when he’s bored” is…
  

• Guinness.
• 
• Giant monkey crotch playground toy
• By way of SciFi: Tapping Eager to Join Atlantis
• Tyranist: Are you familiar with this movie

Namaste.

Friday (coda)
Post-work, I did some straightening (and even threw in a little cleaning, for good measure). I played with the cats in between bouts of “I don’t feel like dealing with [insert cleaning task] just yet.” Then, a shower and out the door fo Clitorati.

Tonight’s gathering was smallish, but good. , and two of her teammates, arrived a little after 9:00 PM. After introductions were bandied about, we sat, chatted and drank our beverages of choice. Then, it was on to dinner.

Tomorrow is Derby Day. In light of that, here is a simple list of the positions and rules (1, 2) for the bout. And it seems as though more people than I thought are interested in sitting in the “Suicide Seats.” It should be fun.

Stray Toasters

• “Common sense, unfortunately, isn’t.” I came up with this a few months ago. When I look at the number of times/cases when it’s been applicable, I almost get the urge to trademark it.
• For …
  “Did you see the new Batman costume for The Dark Knight?”
  
• What do you get when you mix math and rock music? Questionable Content has the answer.
• loves me (or at least tolerates me). How do I know? She sent me a link to this and this.
• sent me a link to this story yesterday.
• By way of comes a link to this t-shirt.

Namaste.

Thursday – 21 June 2007
I spent a quiet evening with the kids, after work.

Then… I played City.

I logged on first as Corvus Nox. I ran with a team comprised mostly of my supergroup, which was fun (and a little rare for me). We took on Council of Thorns and Tsoo. There were some deaths involved… on our side. But we managed to get through the missions. And ‘Nox got to Security Level 14. Which means that I get to ditch the second most-stupid superpower (Hover) in lieu of it’s beefier upgraded version: Flight. Selah.

I logged out, with the intention of going to bed.
(Please see entries on: “Road to Hell” and “Paving”)

Then, I remembered that I had gotten the Hand of Nefer-Tem up to Security Level 30… and neglected to pick out a new costume. I also remembered that new costumes are “earned” by taking on missions for the tailors at iCON. I had not yet completed my costume mission. *grblsnrkx* I had to defeat 30 Crey agents. Fair enough. At least I had started the mission before logging out last time. I headed to Brickstown to find some low-level (30 – 32) Crey. I found them. They, for some reason, shot… back. Ô.õ What was that all about?! Not only did they shoot back, they killed me a couple of times. The bastards.

I got through all thirty of them and returned to the iCON in Independence Port to see Lauren, one of the tailors. A nip here, a tuck there and a few adjustments later, I had a new, “formal” costume:

The kilt was the closest thing that I could find to a shenti, so I went with that. I’m happy with the overall look, too.

Stray Toasters

• I had a meeting with the Captain and his First Mate, Coca-Cola, this evening. Unfortunately, his Second Officer, Juice d’Orange, was unavailable. We were, however, able to come to an accord.
• Dwim pointed out this stop-motion film of a young man putting together a Millenium Falcon… out of LEGO bricks. Around 1:30 into it, keep an eye on the “exploding” red tile (lower left corner of the screen).
• NCSoft has finally added new flying poses to City of Heroes/Villains. I still want the ability to do loops and barrel rolls.
• likes to kill zombies.
• I’m still torn: Hopen or Malm. Decisions, decisions…

Next on the agenda: Acquire caffeination and ease on down the road.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 20 June 2007
This morning has gotten off to a slow start. I apparently didn’t sleep well last night. When I got up this morning to turn off Nomad (I use it as a secondary alarm), I stretched out on the couch… for an hour. I felt a bit better after that, so I figured that it was about time to get the day started. I also have a frozen mocha, so hopefully that will thin out the blood in my caffeinestream.

The work day hasn’t been bad. A little work in the server room. Some research. Rush in Rio. And a nice constitutional… with a discussion about guns.

Stray Toasters

• I was listening to Piccadilly Collection, by Squeeze, last night. One of my particular favorite songs of theirs is Hourglass – a song that makes NO sense (as far as I can tell) and whose video makes even less sense… but is a fun, bounce-around-like-an-idiot tune.
• comes: Endless Zombie Rampage
• …and while we’re on the subject of zombies: Monster by Mail
• From Coworker Dave W. (I swear… I’m going to have to start numbering the Daves at this rate): Overheard in New York
• So you wanted to meet the wizard?
  Let me tell you that you’ve come to the right place!
  Shall I make you a frog or a lizard?
  You should see the strained expression on your face
  If the way I come on is fright’ning
  That’s the way I felt like coming on today
  Have you ever been kissed by lightning?
  Let me tell you, that will make you go away
• Star Wars AT-AT stroller mod
• Titanic lamp (the only thing missing is the guy bouncing off the propeller)
• Computer programs… hidden on your old LPs? Yep.
• 

Namaste.

Monday (coda)
Post-work, I did something that I neglected/avoided doing yesterday: Grocery shopping. I was rather proud of myself for sticking (mostly) to the things on the list.

Came home and cooked – soft tacos for dinner tonight AND pasta for dinner/lunch later this week. came over; we ate and watched Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut – something we’ve been planning on doing for months, but never got around to actually doing. While Donner never finished his version of Superman II – he was fired from the production by the Salkinds and replaced with Richard Lester – this is a closer version to his vision. There were scenes that had been completely changed – and a screen test that was added as footage. I liked the feel of the “new” stuff. I think that it worked well with the story and, to be honest, I couldn’t be happier that they got rid of the “kiss of forgetfulness” scene. On the whole, I think that this version edges out the “classic” version – at least in spots. And it was a fun way to spend the evening.

Four-Color Coverage
First off: The Sinestro Corps.

They are being set up as the anti-Green Lantern Corps. (Duh.) Instead of being able to overcome great fear, their power comes from being able to instill fear in others. Fair enough. In… Green Lantern #9, I think, we see one of the Sinestro Corps rings choosing a new host: This guy. Makes perfect sense, as instilling fear is his M.O.

Tyranist made a good counterpoint though: Of all of the characters in the DCU, why doesn’t Scarecrow get a Sinestro ring?

And now, on to the reviews:

• Action Comics #850 – A look at the Man of Steel… through the eyes of the Girl of Steel (who is still temporally displaced in the 31st Century). An interesting thing here is that we get – through Kara and the Legion’s eyes – a look at Superman through the years, but we also get some insight into Kara’s feelings about her cousin.
• Avengers: The Initiative #2 and #3 – Superhero-in-training boot camp continues. Some of the cadets are hiding secrets from some of the senior Avengers. An ex-New Mutant pays a visit to Camp Hammond. Nanobots? Who are the guys in the familiar-looking red-and-gold outfits?
• Elephantmen #9 – What do you do with a drunken sailor an Elephantman with a broken leg? How does he get his groceries home? Why is that truck barrelling out of control down the road? And… was that a pick-up line?
• Green Lantern #20 – We learn more about the nature of the Star Sapphire and the Zamorans. It also seems that the Zamorans are capable of rubbing a couple of brain cells together and coming up with “a clue.” How will that bear out for the Green Lanterns? Will the Sinestro Corps find a place in the equation? Somebody get me a color wheel!
• Justice #12 – The 12-part maxi-series comes to a close. Wonder Woman is falling apart. Literally. Superman is… uncertain? Aquaman is pissed off. Green Lantern calls some friends for a sleep-over a little assistance. And Batman is, as ever, cool as the other side of the pillow. Speaking of which: Why is Toyman sporting an almost-cyberpunk look? Black Manta without his helmet is just as megalomaniacal… but just not as threatening. Brainiac’s master plan has been thought out to the nth degree, but Lex Luthor is hedging his bets… just in case. All of this AND a two-page spread of my favorite 31st Century team? Yeah, this story closes out with a bang. And a smile.
• Justice Society of America #6 – I covered this one yesterday.
• Liberty Girl #2 and #3 – I’m still trying to get a handle on this title. I like it… but trying to figure out the timeline is a bit like trying to read current issues of The New Avengers. Despite that, it’s still intriguing enough to keep me turning the pages.
• The New Avengers #31 – Wong asks Jessica Jones a breast-feeding question. (How, exactly, does one “delicately” ask a former superhero a question about breast-feeding?) Ninjas. LOTS of ninjas. And [spoiler deleted].
• newuniversal #6 – The Starbrand and Nightmask travel the Superflow. Justice is served. The President calls a meeting. And, the Project: Spitfire HEXsuit comes online. Can World War III be far behind?
• Supergirl #17 and #18 – We learn more about what’s going on inside the Girl of Steel’s head. And it’s not a very happy place. And it may just be that someone else is pushing her buttons and pulling some strings to push her farther and farther out of synch. Who would do something like that? Ask Troia, I’m sure she’d have an idea or two.
• Superman #662 and #663 – Pop Quiz: What do you do when an ancient Atlantean sorceror comes to you and basically tells you “Get off of Earth or everyone and everything dies?” Yeah… aren’t you glad that your biggest decision today is “Should I super-size the fries and drink?” All this and a surprise appearance from the New Gods. Plus, Lana and Clark get some time to talk. Plus, Lois and Clark get some time to talk.
• Superman/Batman #34, #35 and #36 – Dr. Magnus, I presume? And the Metal Men. And Brainiac…? And… wait… the last time we saw [spoiler deleted], didn’t it just about bring the DCU to a flaming, screeching, crashing halt? Right. I thought so. So… why has Batman kept this around?! Warning: Bumpy ride.
• Ultimate Fantastic Four #42 – Reed lets his father get under his skin. Again. Ben Grimm’s mom shows her poker face. Literally. And… a surfboard?!
• Uncanny X-Men #487 – The Morlocks are back. Hepzibah does her best Yoda impression. And Storm pulls rank… not only as an X-Man, not only as a member of the Fantastic Four, but as the Queen of Wakanda. How much do you want to bet that the Office of National Emergency blinks first?

Stray Toasters

• Sissy the Wonder Kitty strikes again!

She was in the master bathroom.
She walked out, next to the cabinet under the sink…
Raises a paw to open the cabinet door…
Looked down the hall to see if I’m watching her…
Saw that I was…
And walked off like she never planned to touch the door in the first place.

• John Williams’ Superman Theme is a great piece of music.
• For :
  
• HOWTO knit a baby Viking helmet
• Instant Karma’s gonna get you
  Gonna knock you off your feet
  Better recognise your brothers
  Everyone you meet

  …which reminds me of…

  Take a walk outside myself
  In some exotic land
  Greet a passing stranger
  Feel the strength in his hand
  Feel the world expand

Namaste.

I was playing with the cats – fun with a laser pointer – and came to a realization:

If I ever wind up in an air hockey tournament, I want one of them as my partner.

Seriously. The way they they track the laser dot? They’re all over it. With the quickness. And, let’s be honest: If I wasn’t constantly moving it away from them – AND if it wasn’t just a dot of light – they would catch it. Compared to that, a hockey puck would be a piece of cake. Hell, they could probably even play blindfolded.

The only question is: Which cat would I choose…?

Stray Toasters

• Safari for Windows already hacked
• These are pretty neat: High-speed still and motion captures
  • Milk drops in a coffee cup
  • Igniting a cigarette lighter
• Lids down, I count sheep
  I count heartbeats
  The only thing that counts is
  that I won’t sleep
  I countdown, I look around
• Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies
• I was playing with Photoshop and with an old picture that took many moons past and came up with this:
  

  

  AND it even comes in a bite-sized version, perfect for use as a topping on your favorite dessert icon:

  

• Music to walk by:
  • Queen – Princes of the Universe
  • Tupac – Changes
  • Liz Phair – Supernova
  • No Doubt – New

*voop*

Tuesday – 12 June 2007
I must have been “a little” tired last night – I fell asleep reading Vision of the Future. But, I did it in my comfy chair – thank you, Cardinal Fang – so it was alright.

This morning is proceeding apace. Up, equipped and on the road. Traffic was a little heavier than usual, but not horribly so. As I was passing out of Sandy and into Draper, Drowning Pools’ Bodies found its way into the drivetime musical oleo. I found myself reparsing the lyrics to “Let the monkeys hit the floor!” It amused me. Now that I think about it, though, it probably should have been something along the lines of “Throw the monkeys out the door!” I would also like to say that I Would Die 4 U/Baby I’m a Star make for some fine traveling music.

I’ve been toying with the WordPress portion of my site. I’m considering moving most/all/some (who knows?!) content into it and unifying the overall look of the site. Of the parts that I have played with, I like the way it looks.

Stray Toasters

• I just had a toaster pastry… from a not-so-stray toaster.
• Let me see if I got this right: First, we have a wooden marionette that wanted to be a real boy. Now we have a bicycle made of wood?
• just sent a link to this story. Words fail me.
• ATI or nVidia? What’s your weapon of choice and why?
• Superhero Celebrity Poker
• Conversations with often take amusing – if not very odd – turns:

[06:59] evangelinaarion: wow if you cross the two pics you sent me, you get the pic i sent you
[07:02] shadorunr: Yep.
[07:02] shadorunr: Like a… digital Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.
[07:03] shadorunr: “You got your Catwoman in my Strawberry Shortcake!”
[07:03] shadorunr: “You got your Strawberry Shortcake on my Catwoman!”
[07:03] shadorunr: Mmmmm.

• Is the Xbox 360 Core System about to undergo a price drop?
• Papurika (Paprika) is coming to the Broadway in a couple weeks. It looks like it could be as weird as Perfect Blue. I shall have to go and see it.

  

• Oh, YEAH!
• Quentin Tarantino’s Penny Dreadful: Steampulp Fiction

Namaste.

Monday – 11 June 2007
“Waking up and getting up has never been easy…” – Elastica

This morning, it wasn’t a big struggle. Sure, I turned off the alarm and laid back down… but, I have Nomad set to start playing about 15 minutes later. And it’s in the living room, which means that unless I want really loud music playing – and disturbing the neighbors – I need to get my butt out of bed and turn it off/down. Of course, I just listened to the first two of the morning’s selections…

• Biz Markie – Just a Friend
• Malcolm McLaren – Madame Butterfly

…before getting up. Observed the hygiene rituals, got dressed, made sure that the kids had food and busted out of L7. ( and maybe will get that reference… maybe.)

Stray Toasters

• So, you think your job sucks? After reading this, you might reconsider.
• OS X upgrade, iPhone may boost Mac sales
• I would just like dedicate this song to these people.
• Eric pointed out this commercial. I laughed. You will too… most likely. And, believe it or not: It’s 99.44% work-friendly!
• Sweet Christmas!
• ..and this, too.

Back to it.

Namaste.

Sunday (coda)
The day ended well.

• I picked up from the airport and delivered her home.
• Presto has apparently forgiven me for giving her cat treats that apparently didn’t agree with her. Eleven times.
• I hung out with Perry and the kids.
• I talked with Kris for a bit.
• I didn’t die while playing CoH.
• I had ice cream.

So, all-in-all, it was a relaxing way to end the weekend.

And it’s only four days till Friday. Apparently, Loverboy was right: Everybody’s Working for the Weekend. But, that then makes me wonder where Huey Lewis And the News’ Workin’ for a Livin’ fits in… We know that Kool Moe Dee is all about working, since he told us I Go to Work; and Big Daddy Kane said I Get the Job Done, so I’m not to worried about his work ethic. Geddy Lee is Working at Perfekt, so you have to admire his desire to get things done right… if not his spelling skills. And, he’s apparently been at it a long time – since 1974, in fact, when he told us that he was the Working Man, back from the days when he worked with Misters Lifeson and Rutsey.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm, now what’s a title to fit me?
A champ like Tyson, a Captain like Kirk, no
Employee of the Month, cause yo, I do work
The K-A-N-E is on the J-O-B
An expert, cause I get it D-O-N-E
So lights, camera, action – all hail the one!
That gets the job done

*blink*

Um… sorry about that. It slipped.

Stray Toasters

• I’m craving cotton candy again.
• : I’m not sure what possessed me, but I tried posting something on ‘Opinionated… and it ate it. All of it. Didn’t even leave seeds or stems. Besides that, where did everything else go?!
• Superhero Recipe
• I bought a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream ice cream last week. It’s not bad. Tasty, even.
• “…on a train.” (which is NOT to be confused with: “To. Your. DOOR!”)
• Day Watch. Wednesday.
• …speaking of which: Tyranist, if you acquired Night Watch, I would like to borrow it tomorrow, please.
• The Stardust movie website has been updated.
• Sometimes, songs get stuck in your head. When it’s something like Brian Wilson or Scotty Doesn’t Know or Chiron Beta Prime or Code Monkey, I’m okay with that. Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car? No problem. When it’s something like Pina Colada… it makes me want to perform a slow, painful frontal lobotomy on myself. You know the song…
  

  If you like Pina Coladas
  And getting caught in the rain
  If you’re not into yoga
  If you have half a brain

  That one. I had this song stuck in my head for three days once. Three. Days. Like I said, “slow, painful frontal lobotomy.”

• 
• Ed Brubaker on “The Rise and Fall of the Shi’ar Empire” – Conclusion
• Should the words “World’s cutest” and “goatse” ever be used together?
• 30 Days of Night (official site)
• M.O.D. are you out there?
  I can’t see your face
  But you left a trace on a data back-road
  That I almost erased
• : Legion Animated Cosmic Boy

Namaste.

Sunday – 10 June 2007
I’ve been emailing and texting Kris this morning – today’s her birthday. I would call… but she’s in a review class, for the Bar exam, which she will take in a few weeks. Yeah, in class. On a Sunday. It’s not exactly my idea of fun; it doesn’t seem to be her idea of fun, either. But, she’s doing well. That’s what matters to me.

I’ve also been chatting with . He’s currently in Germany. He said, “this is one emotionally cold country.” At first, I thought that it was simply an emotional detachment that could be attributed to guilt in their ancestors’ role in WWII. Then, I remembered something else:

[10:40] shadorunr: I just figured it out.
[10:40] shadorunr: Emotionally cold.
[10:41] shadorunr: Great engineers.
[10:41] shadorunr: They are going to colonize Vulcan.
[10:41] shadorunr: You’re in the midst of proto-Spocks!
[10:41] trellos: god i hope not
[10:41] trellos: i can’t see the vulcans wanting to create a master race
[10:41] trellos: i mean c’mon
[10:41] shadorunr: Those are the Romulans.
[10:41] shadorunr: Wait.
[10:41] trellos: spock is an intergalactic zebra after all
[10:41] shadorunr: [Being Romulans] would account for the warlike tendencies.
[10:42] trellos: i can see that

And, with that, we have solved one of the great mysteries of the Star Trek universe. Or what would be a great mystery, if anyone really gave a damn about it.

Stray Toasters

• I need caffeine. It hasn’t reached a critical stage yet, but I should get some soon.
• Canadian Filmmakers Festival
• MysteryNet
• Sissy is sitting on the floor starting at my hands while I type. It’s a little odd, but nowhere nearly as disturbing as this (Paragraph 2) was.
• Steam Trek – a steampunk take on Star Trek
• “Adults, a necessary evil.”
• “Parallel lines meet at infinity.”
  There are a couple of lines approaching an odd vanishing point.
• I believe that I will have to own this book: Rejuvenile: Kickball, Cartoons, Cupcakes and the Reinvention of the American Grown-up
• : Does this qualify as “cross-promotion” or is it just “jumping on the bandwagon?”
• Man in wheelchair takes ride on semi’s grille
• Tyranist and : From the CS Moore Studio – The Walking Dead Statue (preorder)
• Tetris fridge magnets
• Anthem of the heart and anthem of the mind
  A funeral dirge for eyes gone blind
  We marvel after those who sought
  New wonders in the world, wonders in the world,
  Wonders in the world they wrought.
• Yep, this pretty much sums it up!
• , I think this is up your alley: Bigfoot bust for sale

Namaste.

Saturday – 09 June 2007
For some, as yet unexplained reason, I was up at 6:30 this morning. Six. Thirty. On a Saturday. *blink blink* Not cool. In fact, it was about as far from cool as Heaven is wide. (With apologies to Garbage…) I can’t even pin this one on the cats – unlike a couple of days ago, when Sissy decided that it was a good idea to use the wicker laundry basket as a scratching post… at 4:15 AM. I did manage to get back to sleep after a while.

I officially started the morning with a shower, “Legacy,” today’s episode of Legion of Super Heroes and a cup of coffee. It was an interesting episode: In the pre-credits opener, Superman saves a red-headed young woman in a powered armor flight suit from impending doom. After the save, she thanks him… and walks away. *roll intro* We later discover that her name is “Alexis” and that she’s functionally the… hm, I don’t want to call her “Paris Hilton,” but it’s the closest analogue I can think of at the moment… of the 31^st Century. And she has an eye for Clark. But, Alexis has a few problems that we learn about over the course of the episode:

The trouble with Alexis is: She’s a spoiled rich brat.

The trouble with Alexis is: She’s used used to getting her way.

The trouble with Alexis is: She has no friends… and is willing to do pretty much anything to make/keep Superman (as) her friend.

The trouble with Alexis is: Her last name is Luthor.

The reveal of Alexis’ last name is not revealed until the very end of the episode – and it’s only noticeable if you read Interlac.

And therein lies the rub. Clark doesn’t know anything of his future with Alexis’ ancestor, Lex; so to him, she’s just a pretty girl with whom he likes to hang out and have some downtime from his duties with the Legion. Over the course of the episode, Clark shirks his responsibilities as a Legionnaire in order to… just be a teenager. He misses patrols. He shuts off his communicator… and, in doing so, winds up missing a confrontation with The Scavengers, episode’s other villains (who also bore an interesting resemblence to Star Trek‘s Borg, although more human). And, that incident winds up costing Brainiac 5 an arm.

Alexis shows her true colors about two-thirds of the way through the episode. In a move that was very reminiscent of John Byrne’s Man of Steel #4, Alexis concocts a scheme to get Superman to “save” her. When the ruse is exposed, Clark flies off angrily, stating that he needs to spend time attending to his responsibilities to the Legion. This is something that does not sit well with Alexis. Thus, she decides to make Clark’s decision – spending time with her or the Legion – for him. She has him sent on a wild goose chase and then attacks Legion HQ in a new, and heavily-armed power suit… with the help – and numbers – of the Scavengers. Superman realizes that he’s been had and returns to Earth and the fight. In the end, Alexis’ power suit is destroyed; Superman flies in to rescue her. When the smoke clears, we see that the fight and explosion has cost Alexis her hair. She looks up at him and says, “What have you done…,” which was another nod to Superman’s past with Lex (1, 2).

All-in-all, it was a solid episode. And it explains Alexis’ appearance on Takron-Galtos in “Sundown (Part II).” There was even a cameo of Lobo, for the sharp-eyed observer.

Stray Toasters

• I finally upgraded to WordPress 2.2. Not bad. And, it was a far easier upgrade than I had feared it would be.
• Sissy, who likes to climb into drawers, has discovered a couple of empty ones in the master bathroom.
• sent a link to this picture, which amused me greatly.
• The creative works of Alfred Wong. ( and , check out his Sculpted Figures section.)
• An infomercial from a parallel universe – Steampunk Rayguns
• 
• , click here.
• , guess who’s “Today’s featured article” on Wikipedia. C’mon.. guess! Okay fine, it’s this person.
• 

Namaste.

Thursday – 07 June 2007
Day Two of the “Great Salt Lake Temperature Drop.” This just ain’t right.

I finished Specter of the Past last night. It ended on an interesting note; I’m looking forward to seeing how the story advances in the next book.

The kids are doing well. Sissy is still trying to be the alpha… but only at certain times. When I had the laser pointer out, she actually played with the twins, without too much fuss. Speaking of which, I took what I think is, to date, the best picture of all three cats:

(click picture for larger view)

…and it shows their affinity for IKEA, to boot! I have seen both Sissy and Presto sit/lie/stretch out in the chair many times over the past few days. (One thing that doesn’t show in the picture: How much fur Sissy has shed over the cushion. Oh, well, that’s what lint rollers and vacuum cleaners are for.)

The Scales of Justice
I took Hand of Nefer-Tem out on patrol last night… but couldn’t get into soloing. Nor could I find a team. So, I decided to let Paragon City’s other defenders of justice handle the crimefighting for the night.

Stray Toasters

• I called Mom this morning (something about it being her birthday or some such thing). All’s well; she has her first post-op checkup later today. (I forgot to call her “Lady Deathstrike” while she was on the phone.) Assuming that her doctor clears her, she and my uncle are heading “down to the hills,” as Dad would say, to get some things out of the old house.
• Scott: Uh-oh…
  Jamie: What?!
  Scott: Big tunnel.
• – 25 Trends that changed the way we live
  USA Today is running lists of “25 things that…” in celebration of their upcoming 25th anniversary. Some of the lists – and the selections therein – are rather interesting.
• To quote and : “People suck.”
• Last week, I saw that someone had created a MySpace page for their City of Heroes character. I thought that it was a bit odd. Granted, I have CoH and CoV links on my site, but I haven’t gone so far as to create MySpace pages for any of my characters. When I logged into City last night, there was a notice on the front page for this.
• “Did I win?!”
  
• Smoke Camels, be a better sniper
• and everyone will say “I told you so”
  yeah they’ll all just nod and sigh
  but I’ll make a run at something real
  and they’ll never even try
  and everyone will say “I told you so”
  yeah they’ll all just nod and sigh
  as I go down in a ball of flames
  they’ll just watch, i wonder why
• Internal workings of a mechanical watch video
• : 27 June 2007 (1, 2, 3)
• Steampunk Monitor from the Steampunk Workshop
• By way of ZDNet: Why DRM won’t ever work
• “More Parachute! RAAWR!!!” –

Namaste.