Random Access

Monday – 08 August 2011
Another work week begins… and I might just be in need of another weekend to recover from this past weekend. Suffice if to say that the weekend was good, but very full.

Friday afternoon, I did some running around.  While this included a trip to The Train Shoppe, I left empty-handed. I went to the U of U surplus, as well. I didn’t manage to leave without picking something up, though — I got a new-to-us receiver to replace the one that I’ve had since my sophomore year at Purdue. (It’s been a good unit, but has some issues…)

Friday evening, SaraRules! and I headed to ‘s place for the first of the weekend’s baby showers. It was a horror movie-themed shower, complete with:

• blood-spattered wall,
• chainsaw,
• machete (not Machete),
• meat cleaver, and a
• pitchfork.

It was quite possibly the most entertaining shower I have ever attended. Thanks to and for organizing it.

Saturday, while SaraRules! headed to Quilt Club, I mowed the lawn. After that, it was time to get ready for Shower #2, at the in-laws’ place.  This one was a more traditional shower… but, thankfully, without the horribly embarrassing games. And, it was also a lot of fun. Saturday evening found us at the home of our friends, Joe and Rebecca, for RibFest ’11. Death. By. Meat. I’d say “Holy cow,” but I’m worried that it would come off as me trying to be punny.  (Besides, they were pork ribs.) Regardless, they were unbelievably good.

Yesterday, we – along with my mother-in-law – went to Park City for the Park City Kimball Arts Festival. We got there around 9:30, at SaraRules!’ request, which turned out to be just perfect — it wasn’t crowded, nor was it very hot. We saw many nice pieces of art. I also went to Larry Stevenson‘s booth, as I would like something for the twins’ room… but decided that it would probably be better to see whether we have boys and/or girls before making a decision.

Stray Toasters

• My body was (still) a little achy from Friday’s workout when I woke up this morning. I will blame that for The Spin Doctors’ Shinbone Alley/Hard To Exist running through my head this morning.
• Baby’s Palate and Food Memories Shaped Before Birth
• Atlanta School Year Begins Amid a Testing Scandal
• Overriding a Key Education Law
• 

• For SaraRules!: Watching Skateboarding Fails at 1000 FPS Is Actually Quite Fun
• Can You Name the Famous Inventors?
  (I got 10 in the time limit.  Even after the answers were revealed, I only knew three others.)
• Ravens Agree to Deal With Ricky Williams
• Ricky Williams joins Baltimore Ravens’ backfield
  From this story comes another interesting item: Ronnie Brown is going to the Eagles. Michael Vick and Ronnie Brown… on the same team. Can you imagine what their Wildcat formations will be like?
• I just looked at the schedule. Guess who we get in our first Preseason game: The Eagles.
• 
• From Cuba to Florida: A 61-Year-Old Starts the 103-Mile Swim
• International Read Comics in Public Day is coming up.
• Is Technology Making Everyone You Work With a Dick?
• Mmm…. Chow Truck.

Namaste.

Thursday – 04 August 2011
It’s an early No Bad News Technical Friday for me. And, considering how I slept and that I have a project coming to a head today, I could really use that whole “No Bad News” factor.

I don’t often have dreams that continue after I’ve awakened and gone back to sleep, but I had one last night. And it was bizarre. It was (mostly) bizarre in its content – a zombie dream – but because of some of people in it, as well: Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa and Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed.

* blink blink*

I’m sure that there were others, but they were the two I immediately recognized and still remember.

The zombies moved faster than the shambling creatures from George A. Romero movies, but weren’t running at a flat-out sprint like the “rage-infested humans” from 28 Days Later/28 Weeks Later. They were somewhere in the middle — fast enough to be a concern, slow enough to be outrun. Of course, there’s always the prevailing thought that “You don’t have to be faster than the zombies, you just have to be faster than the slowest person in your group.”

The dream wasn’t your standard “Here come the dead” fare, either. It started off that way, and then turned into “behind the scenes in government response:” Lawyers and armed guards. Political leaders being ousted due to their lack of response. Black helicopters flying to “undisclosed destinations.”

Yeah.  It was that weird.

There was a point where it cut over to Rocky – working in some kind of storefront office – and Apollo Creed, training for an event. One of the other characters (Paulie, I believe) from the movies was there, as well. He was suffering from a form of amnesia or Alzheimer’s; Rocky and his guys were preparing to send him away – to Italy, I think – for some R&R. At that point, I was asked to go upstairs (to a living area) and keep watch on someone else. I could see people cautiously wandering the streets, trying to avoid encounters with the undead. I remember feeling a sense of dread, almost expecting this person to turn into a zombie, as he appeared near-death to begin with. I think that he was starting to die/turn as I woke up.

Let’s just say that it wasn’t exactly the most restful night’s sleep.

Stray Toasters

• Not that any/many of them will see it, but I’d like to extend a very heartfelt “Thank you” to SaraRules!’ coworkers for the baby gifts they gave us/the kids at an at-work baby shower yesterday. I’m nominating them, collectively, as yesterday’s “People of the Day.”
• Tuskegee Airmen Gather to Mark 70th Anniversary, and See an Old Friend
• For SaraRules! (and other film buffs): Lost Hitchcock feature recovered in New Zealand
• For Meliko: Showcasing the Viola in Updated Mozart
• Bubba Smith, former Colts star and actor, found dead in L.A. home
• Former NFL star, actor Bubba Smith dead at 66
• 
• Juno Spacecraft to Carry Three Figurines to Jupiter Orbit
  What that title fails to mention is that they are LEGO figurines.  Boldly going where no LEGO has gone before!
• Even Marked Up, Luxury Good Fly Off Shelves
• Yesterday, Warner Brothers announced Laurence Fishburne would portray Perry White in Zach Snyder’s upcoming Man of Steel film.
  Today, they released a picture of Henry Cavill as Superman.

  
  (click for larger image)

  Not bad. I’m looking forward to seeing how well he pulls off the Clark Kent look.

• Battlestar Galactica fans will understand why I find this so amusing:
  

  From The New York Times:  “Industry executives as well as regulators have said that fracking has never contaminated underground drinking water. But there is at least one documented case.”

• Matt Damon defends teachers, disses journalists
• Last night, I saw the video of this for the first time:

• Report: NSA to recruit from DEFCON attendee pool
• I was totally unaware that Daniel Stern played the JAFO in the theatrical verison of Blue Thunder until I was looking up information about Bubba Smith.
• The Horribly Dressed Men of Tech

The project I mentioned at the beginning of the post wrapped up this morning… and it went more smoothly than I had hoped. Selah.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 03 August 2011
It’s another midweek. Not only is it new comics day, but it’s also Sushi Wednesday… now I just have to decide whether or not I want to take the time out of the middle of my day to go. This decision is also weighted by the fact that I took the casual approach to coming in to the office this morning — I didn’t get here until nearly 0815. So, we’ll see how I play the lunch card.

Last night was supposed to be 3.5 game night at ‘ place. Only and I showed up, so it turned into a gab session… which was just fine. It also meant that I was able to head home a little early and hang out with SaraRules!, who hosted her book club meeting last night. In addition to their discussion book, the other ladies all brought presents — books for us to read to the kids.  It was a very kind and generous gesture.

Stray Toasters

• For some reason, I had the chorus from I Am a Rock playing in my head this morning.
• Interpreting, Observing Ramadan
• This item, by way of Cult of Mac, makes an interesting prediction: Apple Will Murder OS X and Replace It With iOS on All Macs Starting in 2012
• City Opera to Lose Music Director
• 
• The Best Super Power (Is Not What You Think)
• N.J. Dunkin Donuts worker caught in ‘extra sugar’ sex sting
  This puts an entirely different spin on the whole “Time to make the donuts…” tagline.
• One Ordinary Day in One Extraordinary Life
• Stalemate in Senate Leaves 4,000 Out of Work at F.A.A.
• Esquire Style Presents: The American Revolution
• 
• Teenager’s Path and a Killing Put Spotlight on Mental Care
• It’s been around for a while, but Brilliantly Sarcastic Responses to Completely Well-Meaning Signs still makes me smile.

Quote of the Day
Today’s quote comes from the “The Best Super Power” item:

Flying is a power you can only use to rub in other peoples’ faces…

I guess that’s somewhat true.

Namaste.

Thursday – 28 July 2011
Another NBN Thursday dawns. So far, it’s sunny and clear; it would be nice if it would stay that way, but we apparently have a chance of seeing showers again this afternoon. (This is the high desert, right…?)

This morning was definitely a “Waking up and getting up has never been easy…” kind of morning. Despite that, I still managed to get into the office by 7:45. I also decided that today was a suit day: Black suit, white shirt (with Green Lantern cuff links), black loafers, green/grey/white tie and white pocket square.

It’s also going to be a rather long day, as there are both a doctor’s appointment and (the last) childbirth class on the agenda before I go home.

Last night, SaraRules! and I went out for dinner at Pawit’s Royale Thai Cuisine. (If she’s been “craving” anything during her pregnancy, it’s been a once-a-week helping of Thai food. I’m quite alright with that.) The food was good and the restaurant was surprisingly busy for a Wednesday night. After dinner, I decided to mow the lawn. It seems as though the new sprinkler heads are bringing some of the dry/dead spots back to life. I consider this a “good” thing. After a little post-mowing cool down time, we assembled one of the cribs. It went together fairly well and easily. The allen wrench that was included wasn’t of the best design; so I switched over to using my drill towards the end of things. Mmm, power tools.

Stray Toasters

• By way of Nyx: Reinventing the Classroom
• How Khan Academy Is Changing the Rules of Education
• The World As America Dreamed It
• McNabb in Minnesota, huh?   Okay.  Let’s see how it goes.
• 
• Space station to plunge into ocean at end in 2020
• Walter Reed Hospital Holds Closing Ceremony
• The seamstresses behind NASA’s space suit
• By way of Jeff J.:

  

• Peach Rivalry Becomes War Between the Tastes
• Director of US-CERT resigns without explanation

Namaste.

Tuesday – 26 July 2011
Day two of the work week finds me down in the south 40 again. Unfortunately, I am braving it alone, as Minion #2 is on vacation this week. I shall persevere.

Last night, SaraRules! and I made a pilgrimage to the Garden of Sweden. All was well. We also decided to grab dinner at the local In-N-Out Burger. And, after we returned home, I set about migrating my MacBook from Snow Leopard to Lion. So far, it seems pretty decent. I’ll need to poke around under the hood a bit and see just how similar or different it is.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
Both of today’s items come by way of my friend, Janie. She’s found a couple of items in the news that are somewhat thought-provoking and pretty much straight out of the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:

• Arkansas High School Appoints Co-Valedictorian Because Top Student Was African-American
• Black Student Not Allowed to Be Valedictorian
• Beck: Norway camp smacks of ‘Hitler Youth’

Stray Toasters

• Put This On: A Web Series About Dressing Like a Grownup
• For SaraRules!: Little Lambs, Not the Sheep, Get Early Lessons in the Rodeo Life
• Study Shows Racial Wealth Gap Grows Wider
• Wealth gap widens for whites over blacks, Hispanics
• 
• NFL, players announce new 10-year labor agreement
• Ravens to Release Key Players
• The trailer for Legend of Korra has made its debut:

• Zurich seeking immunity from covering Sony over breach
• My boss just asked me “How’s AF?” (asking how things are in this office today)
  I responded: “It’s AFU.”
  He laughed.  I’m glad that he understands.
• 
• I just heard this prayer – given before a NASCAR race this past weekend – on the commute to work. It’s hilarious.

Quote of the Day
Today’s nugget of wisdom comes from Top Gear‘s own Jeremy Clarkson:

“Speed has never killed anyone. Suddenly becoming stationary, that’s what gets you.”

Namaste.

Friday – 22 July 2011
It’s my 9/80 day off. Hallelujah. Of course, I have The Leash this week, so I’m also hoping that nothing blows up over the weekend.

Last night, SaraRules! and I attended our third childbirth classes. During the second half of the class, we went on a tour of the Labor and Delivery Unit at Intermountain LDS Hospital. In addition to getting the lay of the land – and seeing a few newborns in the nursery – we also got to see a… I guess you’d call it “freshly-delivered”… placenta. Our instructor talked a bit about it and gave us a chance to look at – but not touch – it fairly closely. That freaked a few people out. (Neither SaraRules! nor I were among the squeamish.)

As a side note: While at the class, I checked in at the hospital on Foursquare…

…which crossposts to Facebook…

…which led to a series of comments on Facebook AND text messages, asking if either something was wrong or if the babies were coming early. So, I responded to those with “calm down, it’s just another class night” messages.

Then, this shows up in today’s Real Life Comics:

It made me laugh.

After sleeping in this morning, I managed to get myself out of the house and into the gym:

• Elliptical: 15 min/1.5 miles
• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps — 2 sets @ 155 lbs, 1 set @ 165 lbs
• Curls (dumbbell, seated): 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs
• Sit-ups (incline): 3 sets/15 reps
• Flys (dumbbell, bench): 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs
• Tricep extensions (dumbbell, standing): 3 sets/10 reps, 40 lbs
• Leg Extensions: 3 sets/10 reps, 70 lbs
• Leg Curls: 3 sets/10 reps, 70 lbs

Not a bad way to start the day.

Stray Toasters

• Spotify: Check!
  (I haven’t heard Morris Day’s Oak Tree in years…!)
• How Finland became an education leader
• Superhero graffiti in San Francisco
  Gotta love the John Stewart GL on the last panel.
• 
• Science on Screen coming to 8 theatres across America
• The Borders Goodbye Email Is Like Watching Old Yeller in Slow Motion
• WizKids! has released dials for four figures from the upcoming Superman set (1, 2).
• Should we change how we elect presidents?
• 
• A Tribe Called Quest: The Rise and Fall of a Legend
• Xeni Jardin has opened an open Google+ thread for jokes.
• The Brilliance of Dwarf Fortress

Namaste.

Tuesday – 19 July 2011
Day Two of Four… fortunately, there’s coffee.

And it’s game night. And, there may even be a trip to the gym on this evening’s agenda.

Last night, Operation: Paint Guest Room went into effect. Ms. and Logan came over to lend a hand. We banged out the whole thing – from taping to finishing (minus door trim) – in under two hours. There are a couple of small areas that need a slight touch-up, but the proverbial “heavy lifting” is done. And, with the painting out of the way, the guest room furniture can now be moved so that the cribs and other baby furniture can go into the nursery.

Groove. Boogie. Sway.
The Tuesday morning music mix started slow, but geared up fairly quickly:

• Poe – Angry Johnny
• Sublime – Santeria
• DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince – I’m Looking for the One (To Be With Me)
• Janet Jackson – The Pleasure Principle
• Ben Folds Five – Underground

Stray Toasters

• Celebrate Women and Railroad Heritage at Train Festival 2011
• Ready for Retirement, Shuttles Get a Deep Clean
• First-Place Sweep by American Girls at First Google Science Fair

  

• Cities Report Surge in Graffiti
• Death Star PR
• Birth Control Without Copays Could Become Mandatory
• Longtime book retailer Borders heading toward liquidation
• 24 Small Towns May Lose Air Service

Tuesday – 12 July 2011
Yesterday was the world’s longest Monday ever. Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration, but it was long. I think that was mostly due partially to the fact that I split my day to go to a doctor’s appointment with SaraRules! (She and both kids are doing well, by the way.) While I was out, I made a few stops:

• The Train Shoppe (What?!  I was downtown already.  Don’t judge me!)
• 7-Eleven, to partake in 7-11 Free Slurpee Day, and
• RubySnap, to pick up a few cookies.  Tami, RubySnap’s owner and Director of Appetites, also introduced me to Nina, their Coffee Toffee cookie, topped with chocolate and a brazil nut:

  

I also made a quick stop at home before making it back to the office, where the clock taunted me for the next… six… hours…

After work, SaraRules! and I went to dinner at Pawit’s Royale Thai Cuisine. We ran a couple of errands – including failed stops at local 7-Elevens to partake of more free Slurpee goodness – before heading home for a lazy night watching Top Gear.

Before bed, I decided to do some sit-ups. My abs still hurt from Friday’s workout. Feh.

Today is also the birthday of my friends: Jake, Natalie and Paul:

This morning’s iTunes musical oleo included:

• Barenaked Ladies – Brian Wilson
• Orgy – Opticon
• Parliament – Testify
• Jonathan Coulton – Shop Vac

I consider that another good musical start to the day.

Stray Toasters

• Space station crew prepares for spacewalk
• Why you want to go to college: In 140 characters or less
• Example of Augmented Reality in Mobile Apps, courtesy of the folks at Sawaya Consulting
• Thanks to for pointing this out: Holy Batman and His Bloody Amazing 9,000-Brick LEGO Batcave!
• 
• Immigrants May Be Fed False Stories to Bolster Asylum Please
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Feds: Man created ‘nonexistent airline’ as front for prostitution
• …And She’s Funny, Too: A GQ&A with Mila Kunis
• By way of comes How to Migrate from Facebook to Google+
• 
• Traveler flies high with 10 million miles
• Free Slurpees come with a twist: They may cost you
• Morgan Stanley client data goes missing

Namaste.

Sunday – 10 July 2011
This has been a good weekend. It’s also been rather productive, as well.

Yesterday morning, SaraRules! and I woke up at ridiculous o’clock to meet up with Angy and and head south to Mona.

Our destination: Young Living Lavender Farm

Our reason: The 2011 Lavender 5K Race.

This was the second year that SaraRules! and I have done the race… and this time, she was doing it while seven months pregnant…

…so, as expected, our times were a little slower than last year. But, we finished:

Name   Bib No   Chip Time   Gun Time       Pace
Sara    473     1:08:15.5   1:09:21.6     21:57/M
Angy     44     1:08:16.1   1:09:21.1     21:57/M
Robert  462     1:08:16.5   1:09:21.4     21:57/M

While we were taking it slow, forged ahead with a “slightly” faster pace:

Dave   147     31:59.1     32:18.0     10:17/M

Yeah, “slightly” faster. All told, it was a fun way to kick off the day – if WAAAAY earlier than normal. We came home and had some downtime before doing work around the house. And we wound up the evening with Resident Evil. Mmm, pre-bed zombies.

Workout
Friday, I managed to drag myself out of the house and get to the gym. I got in a decent workout:

• Elliptical: 15 minutes, ~5.7 MPH
• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps, 155 lbs
• Sit-ups (incline): 3 sets/15 reps
• Curls (dumbells, seated): 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs
• Shoulder Press (dumbbells, seated): 3 sets/10 reps, 35 lbs
• Tricep Press: 3 sets/15 reps, 50 lbs

…and my stomach is still feeling those sit-ups.

Stray Toasters

• On Friday, NASA completed the last launch of the Space Shuttle program – STS-135 saw Space Shuttle Atlantis take to space. As it was my day off, I watched the event.
  • STS-135: The Shuttle Program’s Final Space Odyssey
  • Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off

  I don’t recall if I saw the first shuttle launch, although I’m fairly certain that I did. I remember the Challenger and Columbia accidents. I’m not sure what lies ahead for NASA and the American space program, but I’m waiting to see what what they come up with and where we go.

• 30 Comic-Con exclusive toys you’ll sell your organs for
• 
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
• Bachmann Believes Black People Were Better Off During Slavery?
• The Seattle Police Department Is “Very Embarrassed” After Leaving Unattended Semi-Automatic Rifle on Trunk of Patrol Car
• New Dallas series given go-ahead
• I Was Absent That Day

Namaste.

Wednesday – 06 July 2011
Midweek is upon us once again.

And, apparently, today is International Kissing Day or World Kiss Day (1, 2).

For the first time in months, I don’t have the prospect of a game to look forward to this evening. Our gaming group is “on hiatus,” as Melody needed a well-deserved break, so it’s unclear when we’ll reconvene. Today is still new comics day, so there is something to which I can look forward.

This morning, I had to stop to pick up some milk for my breakfast. This was playing on the store’s P.A. system:

…which, naturally, made me think of this:

 ::: INTERMISSION :::

And today was Sushi Wednesday!

Stray Toasters

• WordPress got a bit of a facelift.
• Analyst: Brett Favre might be interesting in returning for 21st year
• Systematic Cheating Is Found in Atlanta’s School System
• Pushing Boundaries, Mixed-Race Artists Gain Notice
• 
• American Artist Who Scribbled a Unique Path
• Hayley Atwell, who will soon be seen as Peggy Carter in the upcoming Captain America: The First Avenger, was interviewed for yesterday’s “Women We Love” section of Esquire. When asked what she had coming up, her response was:
  

  16. Next up is possibly a Jimi Hendrix biopic — an independent film with Andre 3000 from OutKast playing Jimi Hendrix.

  A Hendrix movie… with Andre 3000… I’m there.

• Wendy’s restaurants sells Arby’s chain, changes name
• Chinese Gem That Elevates Its Setting

Namaste.

Thursday – 30 June 2011
This NBN Thursday comes to us with some high clouds over the mountains. But, it’s still a Thursday… which means only one more day in the work week. And, then my schedule does something lovely:

• Three-day weekend, followed by…
• Three-day work week, followed by…
• Another three-day weekend.

That comes under the heading of:

Last night was D&D 4.0 night with m3lodywise and company. It was also the last encounter of our current campaign, which – in video game terms – meant: End Boss Fight! We fought a mage and some of his minions. Things didn’t start out auspiciously for us. We didn’t take it as an ill omen, fortunately. A couple of rounds later, things started to turn our way.

And that’s when the lich showed up.

Bugger.

So, we changed tactics: Melee fighters went to tackle the mage and his cohorts, while the ranged attackers and our handy-dandy NPCs took on the lich. A couple of NPCs took one for the team, while fighting the lich. (The greater good…) We managed to take down the mage and the lich, as well as destroy the lich’ phylactery (think: “horcrux”).

Good guys: Eleventy billion
Bad guys: Two.

The game ran a little later than planned, but it was fun. And, all the players’ characters lived. Both of those – separately or together – are good things.

Stray Toasters

• Citing failed studies, FDA rejects breast cancer drug
• Milwaukee schools to lay off 354 teachers
• Wyoming’s Government Switches to Google Apps
• This LEGO Robot Makes Programmable Pancakes
• 
• Smartphones safer than desktops, but not without risks
• Wallace Schools “Mister Terrific”
• Od tireh od tireh.
  Kama tov yiheyeh.
  Bashana bashana haba’ah
  (Thanks for getting that song stuck in my head, Mom…)
• 
• Fed Halves Debit Card Bank Fees
• At 75, ‘Gone With the Wind’ Marks Yet ‘Another Day’

And that’s that.

Namaste.

Tuesday – 28 June 2011
It’s a sunny and clear day in the valley and it seems rather inversion-free. A person could get used to this.

Last night, our evening errand-running included a trip to Costco. I hadn’t been to a Costco in… probably more than a year. I saw a few interesting things, but still managed to walk out empty-handed.

The evening was capped off with a Monday night episode of Top Gear, in which the hosts attempted to recreate the Wise Men’s journey to Bethlehem. (Somehow, I doubt that the journey was quite as comical as what we saw last night…)

Stray Toasters

• T-minus three days until Melissa gets to town…
• Teacher Grades: Pass or Be Fired
• U.S. women want their own World Cup identity
  • Still No. 1, U.S. Is No Longer the Clear Favorite
• Beer archeologist
• 
  (It’s only “slightly” addictive.)
• Sony faces new lawsuit following PSN hack
• Rock stars’ disaster stories
• Justices Reject Ban on Violent Video Games for Children
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
  • “Smurfs” world record attempt in Mexico
  • U.S. Citizen Charged in Canada for Manga on Laptop; Faces Minimum 1 Year in Prison
• Announcing City of Heroes Freedom – A look at the new price structuring model

And that’s all I have to say about that.

Namaste.

Monday – 27 June 2011
Another work week begins… as June draws to a close. Where does the time go? It seems as though June just started.

This was a good and rather busy weekend. And, it was productive, to boot: The yard has been mowed and edged. Another of the great wild shrubberies in the front yard has been introduced to the Sawzall. I have become a fan of the pruning blades for the Sawzall, might I add. And, the consolidation of SaraRules!’ and my offices has begun.

We also managed to hit the Utah Arts Festival; we went on Saturday, with our friend, Jana. The weather was quite nice and perfect for an afternoon in the sun. I picked up a few railroad-related prints while there. Imagine that. And, I also managed to come home with a half-pound of cinnamon-roasted almonds.

Yesterday was a somewhat l0w-key day. We went to the Wasatch Front Farmers Market in the morning. We ran into my friend, Peggy, and her family, which was a rather unexpected but pleasant surprise. We also made a pilgrimage to the Garden of Sweden. And had dinner with the in-laws.

Workout
Friday, I made it to the gym.  I think that I remember what I did…

• Elliptical: 20 minutes, 1.9 miles (I averaged somewhere between 5.5 and 6.0 MPH)
• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps, 155 lbs
• Curls (dumbbell, seated): 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs
• Lat Pull-downs: 3 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs
• Leg Extensions: 3 sets/10 reps, 60 lbs
• Leg Curls: 3 sets/10 reps, 60 lbs
• Calf Raises: 3 sets/10 reps, 60 lbs

My left calf is still a bit sore. It’s made going up and down steps… fun… over the weekend.

Stray Toasters

• RV-sized asteroid will buzz the Earth on Monday
• New York governor signs same-sex marriage into law
  • Beyond New York, Gay Marriage Faces Hurdles
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Black student locked in locker, fellow students walk off yelling “Slave for Sale!”
• Is a Summer Suit Really Necessary?
• 
• Why Did DC Cancel Superman’s Team-Up with a Muslim Hero?
  • If I Had to Reboot the DC Universe
• Vatican Is Introducing Portal as One-Stop Information Site
• 4 things you didn’t know about sunscreen
• Month at the Museum 2: Science Never Sleeps
  While I think that this would be a lot of fun to do… I’ll have my hands full with a couple of newborns at this time.
• 
• The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments, available online
  

  You’ve long heard it spoken of in hushed whispers. Not just a book of kids’ chemistry experiments, but THE book of kids’ chemistry experiments. Supposedly, according to utterly unsubstantiated rumor, the experiments contained therein are so dangerous that the book has been banned by the government and removed from America’s libraries.

• Atop TV Sets, a Power Drain That Runs Nonstop
• How to check your Android for rogue apps
• Final launch of Atlantis shuttle is a tough ticket

Namaste.

Wednesday – 21 June 2011
Midweek is upon us once more.

It has been brought to my attention that I have neglected to mention something. Again. Something that’s kind of a big deal and bears mentioning. The omission wasn’t due to lack of care and/or consideration. In fact, it was more of a “I had other, more immediate things on my mind.” And, to be honest… it’s not just ONE thing that I haven’t mentioned, but TWO.

So, I’m going to give them their due. Even better: I’m going to tie them together. Because I can.

What are they?  Glad you asked.  The two items are:

1. My sister-in-law, Melissa’s, birthday was this past Saturday. (Like I said I didn’t forget it — cards were sent and “Happy birthday” calls were made.) But… I didn’t mention it here.
2. I saw Green Lantern on Thursday night/Friday morning… but haven’t given it a review yet.

I know what you’re thinking: “It’s great that you’re acknowledging these things, but… um… how are you planning on tying them together?”  Good question.

My answer:

BLAOW! That’s right… my sister-in-law as a Green Lantern.  How ’bout them apples?!

Here she is, post-training, when she was allowed to personalize her uniform.

…and…

Seen here with Lantern recruit G’nort (1, 2), before he was issued a power ring

And, with not-quite-entirely-belated birthday greetings out of the way, on to Item #2: The Review…

As I mentioned above, I saw the midnight showing of Green Lantern Thursday night. I’d heard rumblings – but managed to avoid reading/listening to full-on reviews – about the movie over the course of the day. The things I heard were that it wasn’t a great movie… it was a BAD movie… blah blah blah. I tried not to let this jade my opinion; after all, Martin Campbell had brought us the new-and-improved James Bond in Casino Royale, along with a couple of rousing takes on Zorro (1, 2). With that in mind, I was good to go.

The overall atmosphere of the theatre was upbeat and anxious. This is of little surprise, as the event was  hosted by Big Movie Mouth-Off, Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection and Play ‘n’ Trade. When I arrived, about an hour before the movie started, the folks from Play ‘n’ Trade had set up an Xbox 360 with Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters on the movie screen. I milled around with Dave and Jeremiah from Dr. Volt’s for a bit before finding my seat. About fifteen minutes before the movie started, they opened up the floor for trivia and a costume contest.  Then, it was showtime.

After sitting through two hours of emerald ring-slinging moviedom, I can say this: It wasn’t perfect, but I enjoyed the film. My rating scale for comic book-related properties runs from:

Batman and Robin (1) up to Superman: the Movie (10)

I’d put Batman Begins and The Dark Knight in the high 9’s. Likewise, I’d put the Fantastic Four movies around… a 6 or 7, give or take a bit.

I’d give Green Lantern somewhere between seven and eight LEGO bricks. We’ll call it 7.5, for the sake of argument.

It didn’t knock it out of the park, as I’d hoped, but it was good. And entertaining. And fun. I think that there are a number of factors that are causing people to knock it, not the least of which is: Given the “realistic” feel of movies like Batman Begins and TDK – and even the X-Men franchise – audiences and critics were hoping for a more… serious or realistic… take on GL. Really?! Let’s look at the premise:

A man gets a ring… that can create anything he thinks of… from a dying alien… who’s part of an intergalactic police force.

Yeah, let’s see the “grim and gritty”  take on that. No, thanks.  I’m sorry that die-hard fanboys felt that it was missing this obscure reference or that character or this storyline and that critics are giving Mr. Campbell the business because there was “too much of this” or “too little of that.” I think that he did a good job. Not only that: I think that he made a movie that parents can take their kids to see.  (I credit Kenneth Branagh with doing the same thing with this season’s earlier release, Thor.)

Was I disappointed that I didn’t get to see John Stewart, my favorite Lantern (other than my sister-in-law, of course)? A little.  Would it have been fun to see more of Hal’s training on Oa? Sure.  What about more in-jet flight time? Yeah, that could have been fun, too.  But, as The Rolling Stones sang: “You can’t always get what you want…”  Besides, if DC/Warner Brothers decide to make a sequel, there’s a chance I can see him there. And if not, I still have my collection of Justice League DVDs…

Stray Toasters

• Army Gets How-To Guide for Zombie Invasion

  

• I’m not a big gearhead, but I wouldn’t mind having a garage like this. Thanks to MarknTyme for the find.
• Three-Ingredient Summer Cocktails
• No pay for California legislators until budget is balanced
  • California district can’t afford to use new $105M school
• 
• This is disappointing: What’s missing from Superman #712?
• World’s Steepest Roller Coaster to Open in Japan
• Harden Up: Can We Break Your Password With Our GPUs?

Namaste.

Tuesday – 21 June 2011
Today is the Summer Solstice, marking both the longest day of the year and the first day of Summer.

Last night, SaraRules and I went for a post-dinner walk. We headed to the neighborhood 7-11 for Slurpees. Rather than double back, we took the long way home, making a rather large (1.5 mile) loop home. It was a good walk and the weather was perfect for an evening stroll. Back at home, we rounded out the evening with Top Gear… and a bedtime story for the proto-twins. Last night’s story: Seven Little Postmen…

… which actually does a fair job of explaining how mail gets through the USPS mailstream.  (Of course, the book was written decades before REC sites came online, so there are a couple of differences, especially with reference to sorting technology.)

Stray Toasters

• I should have my review of Green Lantern ready for tomorrow’s post.
• SaraRules! and I watched “33,” an episode of Battlestar Galactica, last night. In many ways, it reminded me of “Year of Hell,” from ST: Voyager.
• Report cards, grades get worse during recession
• From NPR Music: What Are Your Sounds of Summer?
  • Utah Symphony presents: Summer Community Concerts
    
• The Mix: Jazz in the Present Tense
• Despite the loss of a leg, Army Ranger is back in the fight
• Upending Anonymity, These Days the Web Unmasks Everyone
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Rob Zombie’s Woolite Commercial
• Good Humor Ice Cream Truck, 1938

And that’s a wrap.

Namaste.