Random Access

Thursday – 02 December 2010
Three down.
One in the chamber.
One to go.

And that’s how another No Bad News Thursday kicks off.

Last night was D&D Encounters night with Melody, Jack, and company. We were a couple of party members short, so it was a bit of a grind. Seriously. Melody didn’t pull any punches and I think that the characters in the encounter all had brushes with near-death. But, it was still fun.

After I got home, SaraRules! and I watched Sunshine Cleaning. I’d heard about it last year and it has blipped on and off my radar since then. It was a good movie. No big special effects. A simple story. Good acting. All-in-all, a very solid presentation. The movie stars Amy Adams as Rose, a single mother trying to make ends meet. When her situation goes from “bearable, but not great” to “something’s got to give,” Rose decides to change her career path in a somewhat unexpected manner: She opens a crime scene clean-up company. It would be far from the truth to say “Hilarity ensues.” It would be more apt to say “Life goes on… for some.” SaraRules! and I agreed that this was a refreshing change of pace from the quick cut scene, always moving at fast forward, mega-blockbuster movies that are so prevalent today.

Stray Toasters

• It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Jonathan Coulton’s music. As a home owner, I’ve found new affinity and appreciation for his song, Shop Vac. Apparently, Jarrett Heather is a fan of the song, too… as evidenced by the following kinetic type video:
• Squiggly, Tangly and Angular
• A Mission to Transform Baltimore’s Beaten Schools
• You Only Dream of Driving Like This
• For some reason, this reminds me of the fight scene between Sistah Girl and White She-Devil in Undercover Brother:
  
• The Sweet Beet: 14 Food Shockers
• kidscomics.com – for the young reader in your family or circle of friends
• Amanda Vissell’s Posters for Girls
• F.T.C. Backs Plan to Honor Privacy of Online Users
• LEGO Death Star Christmas tree ornament
• 
• Retro Movie Posters Reimagined, courtesy of
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Man Killed Girlfriend Because She Answered Her Phone During Sex
• sfds

Wednesday – 01 December 2010
It’s mid-week… however, it is not Comics and Sushi Wednesday: This week’s shipment is delayed, due to last week’s holiday and I won’t be able to make it to sushi this afternoon.

On the other hand, Hanukkah starts today.  (Okay, technically, it starts at sundown, but why quibble?)

Last night, SaraRules! and I attended The 2010 Festival of Trees. It was opening night, which included the auctions for trees.  We put in a bid on a tree that we both liked… and won:

We’ll pick it up this weekend. Click here to see pics of other trees and interesting items from the show. The people-watching was pretty good, too. After the Festival, we headed to the local Olive Garden for a late dinner. On the whole, it made for a rather nice date night.

Stray Toasters

• For Every Holiday Party, the Right Drink
• John D’Agostino, drawer of Archie and G.I. Joe, dies
• 
• From Has Boobs, Reads Comics: Top 10 Gifts for the Geek in Your Life
• Lionel Brings You Trains and Jobs for Christmas
• 
• The Albums We Missed in 2010
• Union of Superlative Heroes Card Set
• Is 8 too young to be an entrepreneur?

Right on to the friction of the day…

Namaste.

Tuesday – 30 November 2010
Day Two of the work week and the day started with the sun beaming over the mountains.
No new snow.
No heavy clouds.
Just bright sun.

It’s nice.
Now, if we can only get above freezing…

Last night, came over and we watched the Niners-Cardinals game. I don’t know what happened to the Cards, but they looked far from the Super Bowl contenders from last season. The Niners, on the other hand, looked pretty solid.  I was happy to see QB Troy Smith have a decent game.

Stray Toasters

• Tonight, SaraRules! and I are heading to the Festival of Trees. Hopefully, we’ll be able to find and bid on a tree that we like.
• Celebrating Secession Without the Slaves
• Alex Santalo His Avengers and X-Men Heads Big and His Art Happy
  

  

• Tiny house movement thrives after real estate bust
• Ten Questions Science Must Answer
• 
• Moved by the Spirit: Celebrating ‘Revelations’ at 50
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: TSA scans uniformed pilots, but airside caterers bypass all screening

And, now… back to the grind.

Namaste.

Monday – 29 November 2010
It’s Monday.

For some reason, it’s hard to work up excitement about being back at work after five days off. Go figure. Fortunately, there’s only three (maybe only two-and-a-half) weeks of work before I go on vacation for Christmas.

Yesterday was snowy. Big surprise. On the “plus” side, Chris came over and hung out for a bit. As he hadn’t seen it, I showed him the Young Justice premiere. He liked it. (I was fairly sure that he would.) After that, we played HALO: Reach and then watched the second half of the Dolphins-Raiders game. Later in the evening, we headed over to SaraRules!’ parents’ place for dinner and football. We left at halftime, at Mother Nature’s insistence. Back at home, we shoveled more snow. Yay. We wound up the evening with the new episode of The Walking Dead.

Instant Replay: Football

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Baltimore Ravens
10 – 17
The Ravens hosted the Bucs… and came away with a win.Sorry, Minion #2.

.

Miami Dolphins at Oakland Raiders
33 – 17
The Dolphins headed west to take on the Raiders in Oakland. I missed the first half of the game, but it looked as though the Raiders decided to sleep through the second half. Sorry, SaraRules! and 1silver_seraph.

.

Cincinnati Bengals at New York Jets
10 – 26
The Bengals dropped this one to the Jets. Sorry, carefreespirit and janietrain.

Stray Toasters

• My friend, MarknTyme, is the band director for a Rockingham County High School in NC.  The band had a write-up in the local paper: RCHS marching band eager to prove itself
• A business that recently moved in below us is having a sign mounted on the building… outside my window. The installation is “intermittently noisy.”
• Leslie Nielsen and Irvin Kershner passed away this weekend.
• These look like something that could use…
• 
• Tron‘s Jeff Bridges Ponders Retirement Thanks to Facial-Mapping Technology
• Beer With Kick Is Caught in F.D.A.’s Net
• Shape-shifting robot can grip differently-shaped items
• School retracts ban on pencils

It would be a nice change of pace to have temperatures above freezing.

Namaste.

Thursday – 25 November 2010
It’s Thanksgiving Day here in the States.

Yesterday wound up being relatively low-key. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. In the afternoon, I made stops at Dr. Volt’s and The Train Shoppe. On the trip between the two stores, I saw an accident happen, about 25 yards ahead of me: I was heading north along 7th East when a southbound car decided to turn left… in front of the car that I was behind. I don’t know exactly “how” it happened, but the result was that the south-to-eastbound car t-boned the northbound car. The northbound car spun 180 degrees and wound up sitting at the northeast corner; the south-to-eastbound car just kind of… stopped in the middle of the intersection. (Thirty minutes later, as I was heading home, both cars and drivers were still sitting at the intersection, waiting on the police, though the offender had moved her car to the southeast corner.)

After I got home, SaraRules! and I headed to The Garden of Sweden. We needed some additional chairs, as we’re having the SaraRules!’ family over for dinner today. We opted to have dinner out, stopping at Outback Steakhouse. Hello, Prime Rib… When we returned to the house, I started making a sweet potato pie for (one of) tonight’s desserts.

I woke up early this morning and discovered something that no home owner ever wants to find: Our pipes had frozen. It’s been about… 20 years… since I’ve dealt with that – and the last time, the pipes just burst – so my first reaction was more “inaction,” while trying to suss out what to do. (Hey, it was 6:15 AM. My brain was still on “Standby.”)  Fortunately, I married someone who not only has a high INT, but a pretty high WIS, too. She called the water department, to make sure that there wasn’t a problem with the main. (There wasn’t.) Next step: Heating the pipes. Carefully. SaraRules! started with a hair dryer at the main. A little while later, I remembered that we have a pipe in the ceiling of the family room that could have been part of the problem. Sure enough, that seemed like it might have been the culprit (or at least a co-conspirator).  After a little heat application, we had running water again. Amen. This gave us yet another thing for we could not only be thankful, but also it also offers us a great “Remember that first Thanksgiving in the house…?” story.)

Stray Toasters

• Yesterday’s excursion to The Train Shoppe yielded more track for my layout; I now have a couple of sidings in the rail yard.
• These Gaming Deals Are Insane!
• Hello Kitty Character Mash-Ups Look Silent But Violent
• Palin’s reckless views on obesity
• 
• Top Gun was on AMC yesterday; it had been a long time since I’d watched it.
• Forged Disney art on eBay
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Old Lady Trapped in Bathroom for 3 Weeks Irritated Neighbors by Banging on Pipes

And with that… it’s about time to start on the Cornish Hens.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 24 November 2010
Today begins my 5-day weekend.
I celebrated by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks.

Yesterday, we were forecast to have a huge blizzard. We got a few inches of snow. That’s not too bad. The main concern, however, was that the today’s temperature is not supposed to get above freezing. With that in mind, The Council for Better Driving: Utah reminds all drivers to take care when venturing out on the roads today.

Last night, SaraRules! and I did something we haven’t done in a while: We watched NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles. It’s kind of funny, considering that we have the shows set to record on the DVR. SaraRules! had also baked cookies and fixed hot chocolate.  Win-Win!

After watching TV, I went to work on the model railroad. More specifically, I reconfigured the layout. Again. This time, I’ve gone with a U-shaped layout, with a 4’x8′ table on either side of the room with two tracks running between them, along the base of the U:

This allows me to have a residential/commercial setting on the right table and a rail yard on the left table. (As you can see, the rail yard could use a little more track… but all things in good time.) I also have about three feet of clear space at the end of the right table that I could use to expand that side of the layout, If I’m feeling adventurous. Another thing that I like about this setup is that I’m literally in the middle of the action; yeah, it’s kind of geeky, but it makes me smile.

Something that I’d love to do – time, money, and space allowing for it – is to put a bridge (or two) over the span in the middle. I think that would just look neat. With that, I’m also trying to see if I could do a short run – or maybe just a passing line – under the bridge.  But, that will mostly depend on how much clearance the track has from the top of the board.

Stray Toasters

• Guess who’s making a sweet potato pie today…
• This seems like a good time to talk about trains
• By way of comes: Adam Savage: TSA saw my junk, missed 12″ razor blades
  • 9 Super-Heroes That Are Perfect for the TSA’s New Screening Policies
• From the “Nod Ya Head (Black Suits Comin’)” file: Black Jerseys Coming Sunday
  



• Matthew Kaufenberg Hand Draws the Happiest Set of Trading Cards You’ll Ever Need
• Debit cards popular but lack credit’s consumer protection
• In Cybertherapy, Avatars Assist With Healing
• 
• Jason Fried: Why work doesn’t happen at work
• Rare Apple I computer sells for $210,000 in London

Namaste.

Tuesday – 23 November 2010
Today is my “Technical Friday,” so it’s “One down, one to go,” as far as this week is concerned.

There is a blizzard warning in effect through 3:00 PM tomorrow. How bad is it predicted to be? Here’s what NOAA has to say about it:

 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SALT LAKE CITY HAS ISSUED A
 BLIZZARD WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO
 8 AM MST WEDNESDAY.

 BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE MOST LIKELY BETWEEN 10PM AND 4AM TONIGHT.
 INTENSE SNOWFALL AND WHITEOUT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT TIMES
 DURING THE TIMEFRAME. 

 * AFFECTED AREA: THE WESTERN UINTA BASIN

 * SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 5 INCHES ARE EXPECTED
   TONIGHT.

 * TIMING: THE ARCTIC FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE FROM NORTH TO SOUTH
   THROUGH THE AREA LATE THIS EVENING AND THROUGH TONIGHT.

 * WINDS: SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE
   LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST
   TONIGHT WITH SPEEDS OF 25 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 55 MPH
   LIKELY.

 * IMPACTS: A BRIEF PERIOD OF BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TONIGHT
   WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS. TRAVEL WILL BE DIFFICULT OR
   IMPOSSIBLE AT TIMES TONIGHT.

This is just another sign that SaraRules! and I made the right call in deciding to have Thanksgiving at home this year.

Last night, we watched the Broncos-Chargers game. It looked as though it was going to be interesting… until Denver forgot how to play football. Sure, they had a few moments where it looked like they had glimmers of hope, but they were far and few between.

After the game, we headed to the gym.  That’s right: I got in another workout! Once again, we followed SaraRules!’ routine… with added bench press for me:

• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps, 135 lbs
• Squats: 2 set/12 reps, 65 lbs
• Push-ups: 2 sets/12 reps
• Row: 2 sets/12 reps, 110 lbs
• Step-ups: 2 sets/12 reps per leg, 15 lbs dumbbells in each hand
• “Jackknife”: 2 sets/12 reps

All-in-all, it was a good workout.

Stray Toasters

• I managed to squeeze in a little time to play with my model railroad last night. I also think that I’ve come up with another layout idea. In theory – and in my head – it would both spread out the layout and afford some neat options that might even include a bridge or two.
• Irish Debt Crisis Forces Collapse of Government
• 
• New spinal implant will help people with paraplegia to exercise paralyzed limbs
• Chinese National Stole Ford Secrets Worth More Thank $50 Million
• Play boomerang with your demons
  Shoot to kill and you’ll pop them off
• By way of comes: 200 students admit cheating after professor’s online rant
• Security needs drive cyberforensics industry
• Before the wheel, early man invented Art
• Did you come here for forgiveness
  Did you come to raise the dead
  Did you come here to play Jesus
  To the lepers in your head?
• Embrace Your Inner Mad Scientist with These Beaker Lamps

And with that…

Namaste.

My wife and I recently decided to replace our old furnace.  Our home is about thirty years old and we believe that the old furnace was the one that was installed when the house was built. With a fine Utah winter about to set it, we figured that it would be prudent to do it “sooner” rather than “later.”

Having known Rich Sheya for a number of years, his was the first name that came to mind when we were ready to move forward. Rich came out, did a brief inspection of the house, examined the old furnace and gave us a rough idea of what we would need to adequately heat our living space. As our house did not come equipped with central air, he also talked with us about our options for adding that when we installed the new furnace. Before he left, he said that he would be in touch with us soon and provide an estimate of what it would cost to replace our the old furnace.

A short while later, we received a quote via email with a very reasonable price for a new furnace – an energy efficient, two-stage model – that also qualified for some of the recent tax credits and rebates. We called Rich, said that we would like to proceed and made an appointment for the installation.

On the day of the installation, Rich arrived in the morning with the brand-new furnace and immediately set about the task of removing and replacing the old furnace. By the end of the afternoon, the new furnace was installed and warming our house.

The new unit has been in place for about a week and it works wonderfully.

Rich was a professional throughout the entire process. He was very receptive and candid in providing answers to our questions about the installation. The job was done quickly and efficiently. Rich even discovered and alerted us to a minor gas leak at our meter.

We would wholeheartedly and very happily recommend Rich Sheya and Canyon Heating and Air Conditioning to anyone who is considering upgrading their furnace and/or air conditioning system.

Monday – 22 November 2010
It’s Monday.
At least it’s a short work week.

It isn’t raining (or snowing… yet), although there are some not-quite-ominous-looking clouds coming over the Oquirrh Mountains.  We’ll have to see what they bring.

Yesterday was a good end to a good weekend:

• SaraRules! and I made a pilgrimage to The Garden of Sweden.
• The Ravens won.
• I beat SaraRules! at Trivial Pursuit… twice!
• And, we watched The Walking Dead and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Like I said: Sunday full of good things.

Instant Replay: Football

Baltimore Ravens at Carolina Panthers
37 – 13
The Ravens – who had never beaten the Panthers in regular season play – travled to Bank of America Stadium to take on the ‘Cats… …and won! The game wasn’t televised locally, so I had to rely on NFL.com’s Game Center and Sprint’s NFL Live app, both of which did a great job of keeping me apprised of the Ravens’ status. Not only did the Ravens win, but they also achieved a number of milestones along the way: Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh recorded his 600th career reception on his 56-yard touchdown reception. WR Derrick Mason made his 900th career reception with a 10-yard reception in the third quarter. He ranks 13th on the NFL’s all-time list. Safety Ed Reed notched his 50th career interception in the fourth quarter. With his fourth-quarter interception, LB Ray Lewis now has 30 in his career. He’s just the eighth linebacker to reach that mark. It was Lewis’ first touchdown since 2003. With his first-quarter touchdown pass, quarterback Joe Flacco is tied with Vinny Testaverde for most touchdown passes in Ravens franchise history (51). Yeah. Good game. Hopefully, NFL Network will rebroadcast it this week, so I can catch the action.

Coach Fox, the Ravens just handed your team a loss for the first time ever in regular season play… in your own house!  How do you feel about that?

Yeah… I understand.

.

Oakland Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers
3 – 35
After three impressive wins, the Raiders rolled into Heinz Field to take on the boys from Steeltown. The Steelers steamrolled the Raiders in this matchup; but, in true Raiders smash-mouth football style, not with out a fight… or, in this case, a punch: Raiders DE Richard Seymour punched Ben Roethlisberger.  The punch got Seymour ejected, but it also put Roethlisberger on the ground. Sorry, SaraRules! and .

Ref: Coach Tomlin, someone just clocked your QB and dropped him.

Coach Tomlin: Oh, no he didn’t…!
Ref: Yes, Coach.  Yes, he did.

.

Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals
49 – 31
The Bengals dropped this one to the Bills. Sorry, and .

Stray Toasters

• My quads and glutes are still sore from Saturday’s workout.  *sigh* I really do need to get to the gym more often.
• Administration to Seek Balance in Airport Screening
• 
• Two Treatments for Retina Diseases Make Progress
• Billie Holiday: Emotional Power Through Song
• I didn’t really play with the model railroad this weekend.  I may have to rectify that this evening…
• 
• Courts videoconference defendants to save money
• Don’t believe the devil
  I don’t believe his bunk
  But the truth is not the same
  Without the lies he made up Don’t believe in excess
  Success is to give
  Don’t believe in riches
  But you should see where I live
  I…I believe in love
• Even Before Friday, Retail Deals Will Go Online
• A Mystery: Why Can’t We Walk Straight?

And, I think that’s a wrap.

Namaste.

Thursday – 18 November 2010
Another NBN Thursday is upon us…

…and nearly half-gone.

So far, it’s been a good day.

Last night, I played D&D (4th ed.) with Melody, Jack and the Wednesday night usual suspects. It would have been nice if, as the party’s tank/bruiser, I could have actually hit something. It was sad: My character ran up to an opponent and completely missed him. Twice. Unfortunately, he had no compunction about trying to hit me. He did, however, miss.  His quite large friend, on the other hand, tried to knock me into next week. Not fun. We almost lost a couple of members of our group in the melee, but we rallied and won before anyone died.

When I got back home, SaraRules! and I watched The Big Heat. When I put it in my Netflix queue, I just picked it because it was a noir-ish mystery; I noted that Glenn Ford was in it, but it didn’t register to me as to “why” the name sounded familiar. It dawned on me when he appeared on-screen: He played Jonathan Kent – Clark Kent’s father – in 1978’s Superman. In this movie, Ford played Sgt. Dave Bannion, a homicide cop. He spent the movie trying to investigate the suicide of another officer, only to run into roadblocks at nearly every turn. The movie had a couple of interesting twists, which added to its appeal.

Stray Toasters

• I decided to break out a suit today: Grey glen plaid suit and white shirt, with blue tie and white pocket square. I apparently haven’t worn this suit as much as the others, as I’ve been asked if it’s a new suit more than once.
• Ten Repurposed Railroad Cars
• ‘The Secret Life of Toys’
• U.S. Taxpayers Recover Billions in Sale of G.M. Stock
  • Chrysler Falls Behind as G.M. and Ford Recover
• Holiday Gift Guide
• Scientists claim breakthrough in antimatter hunt
• Orlando Airport Kicks Out the TSA
• This 91-Year-Old Grandmother Is the Most Adorable Superhero You’ll See Today
• Google Fashion Shopping Site Makes Debut

Namaste.

Wednesday – 17 November 2010
Midweek… which means that it’s Comics (and Sushi) Wednesday!
I’m not sure if I’m partaking of sushi today.  We’ll see how the morning progresses.

Last night was D&D night with and company. We met a new NPC. We’re not sure about him yet. There are a few signs that he may not be “a good fit” for the rest of the party. We’re keeping an eye on him. On the other hand, he does provide another pair of hands and weapons in a fight. That’s good, because our current quest has us in the ruins of what appears to be an old temple… complete with its very own horde of zombies. Yay.

Today, we’re having our furnace replaced!
Out with the old and busted.
In with the new hotness… literally.

Stray Toasters

• The first trailer for the upcoming Green Lantern movie was released yesterday:

  This looks a lot better than the “first footage” that came out last week.  I’m still a little unsure about the mask, but feel a bit more confident about the overall look and feel of the movie.

• Watch the Leonid Meteor Shower
• Rare Honor for a Living Service Member: Medal of Honor for Army Sergeant
• Giant Star Wars Minifig Alarm Clocks = Holiday Shopping, Done
• 
• Top 10 Movie Plot Holes You Probably Never Noticed Before
  • As to the Superman/Superman II plot holes:
    1. The whole “turn the world backwards” was a visual device. They used it to signify Superman flying back in time, a power that he’d been shown using – as both Superman and Superboy – since at least the late 50’s.
    2. The “amnesia kiss” was something that director Richard Lester used after Superman director, Richard Donner, was fired from Superman II; Donner shot some scenes for both Superman and Superman II concurrently. In the “Richard Donner Cut” of Superman II, it shows Superman flying back in time (again) to erase Lois’ memory… not using some cockamamie “amnesia kiss power” to make her forget.
• One Way to Trim Deficit — Cultivate Growth
• 
• The Monsters of H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos, as Drawn by Children
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
  • Unusual horse bike
  • ‘Saw 3D’ Accidentally Screens for Kids; Subsequently Scars Them for Life
• Career Day: Chambara JLA
• This is some rather sage advice from a former coworker of mine.
  (If the page won’t display for you, let me know and I’ll find a way to either transcribe or repost the picture.)

And that’s that…

Namaste.

Tuesday – 16 November 2010
The second half of November is upon us.

Last night, and Nathan came over to watch the Eagles-Redskins game. More on that later.

After the game, I went to work on my model railroad. I was trying to incorporate the 90º crossover and two more switches… but couldn’t get a the pieces to line up. Rather than fight it (too much), I decided to call it a night and ponder the issue today. If nothing else, I’ll probably just do another reversing loop and find a way to throw a spur or two off the main line.

Chew on This: Food For Thought/Quote of the Day
Today’s “Magnetic Poetry Self Affirmation Quote of the Day” comes in response to the feeling of being overwhelmed that a coworker is experiencing:

FYI: I refuse to let the small stuff and stupid people be a problem anymore.

I think that can be applied in many situations…

Instant Replay: Football

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins
59 – 28
Wow. Seriously… that’s just about the most accurate way to describe last night’s match-up between the Eagles and the ‘Skins. Last night’s broadcast of Monday Night Football should have been renamed “The Michael Vick Show.” He did it all: Threw four (4) touchdowns; Ran for two (2) touchdowns; Rushed for eighty (80) yards; Threw for 333 yards; No interceptions No fumbles He also became the first QB in NFL history with: …at least 300 yards passing, …50 yards rushing, …four passing touchdowns and …two rushing touchdowns in a game. One game. The man was money. All night long. Speaking of money, the Redskins’ new $78 million man, QB Donovan McNabb would have had a much better outing… if his receivers had bothered to show up. McNabb’s passes were pretty much on the money all night, but the receiving corps didn’t seem to put up a lot of effort to catch and/or hold onto the ball.

Stray Toasters

• 45 Years Later, An Apology and Six Months
• By way of Maddox: Not everything is epic, shitheads
• If you saw “Oz with Orchestra” this past weekend, why not leave a review on the Utah Symphony blog page?
• 
• Art of Storytelling Alive and Well in Audio Books
• Colorless, Tasteless but not Dangerous
• TSA tee: “We get to touch your junk”
• She Has No Head! — My 20 Favorite Comics Females
  • This list features not only Wonder Woman, but also Planetary‘s Jakita Wagner, another woman who kicked Batman’s ass (in her own words).  Sorry, Nizlee.
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: She’s a hooker for Jesus. Honest.
• When Opera Stars Show Their Frisky Side
• DC Universe Online: Pre-ordered.
• 10 Buildings Shaped Like What They Sell

And with that…

Namaste.

Monday – 15 November 2010
Another work week begins…

This weekend was a good one. Saturday, I went back to the train show and made up for the deal I lost out on Friday by picking up some switches, a crossing grade and some assorted track pieces for a really good deal. There was some damage to a few of the pieces, but nothing insurmountable.

Saturday night, SaraRules! and I went to Oz with Orchestra, as performed by Utah Symphony. As SaraRules had to “…play P.R. Girl,” as she put it (read: “sit with Jeff, a photographer from Riester“), we got to sit in Maurice Abravanel’s box seats… which put us directly above and behind the First Violin section. From this vantage point, we not only had a good view of the movie screen, but we could also read the sheet music of the vilolinists (and some of the bass players), as well.  While the orchestral accompaniment did lose the tempo a couple of times, Associate Conductor David Cho did an excellent job of leading the symphony and getting them back on track. The overall experience was a lot of fun. And, as an added bonus: David Cho proposed to his then-girlfriend during intermission – she said, “Yes” – so, congratulations to him!

Sunday was pretty relaxed. We started the morning with breakfast at Ruth’s Diner. We also ran into Sanaz’ parents while there. Next, I headed back to Chris’ to (FINALLY!) finish his PS3 hard drive upgrade. Fait accompli. Back home for a little time with the trains and then on to the in-laws’ for a belated birthday dinner for SaraRules! and football.

Instant Replay: Football

Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts
17 – 23
Sorry, and .

.

Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins
17 – 29
The Dolphins notched another home win.

.

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16 – 31
The Panthers dropped this one to the Bucs.

.

New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers
39 – 26
I don’t know whether or not it was because of the beat-down they took from the Browns last week, but Tom Brady and the Pats manhandled the Steelers last night. BIG time, shutting them down on both sides of the ball. And it doesn’t hurt that the Steelers’ loss helps keep the Ravens atop the AFC North, either.

Stray Toasters

• SaraRules! should check her folder.  Just saying…
• Lead in reusable grocery bags prompts calls for federal inquiry
• Jury Selection Begins for Civil Rights Cold Case
• LEGO ornaments, buy or build your own
• I picked up some new pocket squares from Jos. A. Bank yesterday, thanks to a sale notice posted on their Facebook page.
• 
• Dynamite’s “Lone Ranger” Rides into the Sunset
• Everyone Hates TicketMaster — But No One Can Take It Down
• ‘Black Ops’ breaks records with $360M in first-day sales

Lunch: Eaten.
The Grind: Getting back to it.

Namaste.

Friday – 12 November 2010
Hello, 9/80 “off” Friday.  How I have missed you.

After work yesterday, I headed over to Jos. A. Bank to check out their Veteran’s Day Sale.  Their Executive Suit collection was on a MONSTER sale: Buy one for $177, get another for $57. (That’s a savings of over $800 for the pair!) It turned out that their Business Traveller collection – available in separates – was also on sale. WIN!  (I typically need separates or “Athletic Cut” suits as I have an 8″ drop, rather than the 6″ drop one finds with most suits.)  I found a couple of suits that I liked: A two-button solid navy and a two-button navy with a faint chalk stripe. As an added bonus, I learned that there’s a corporate discount available for Raytheon employees. Aw yeah…!

After the shopping excursion, I came home to watch the Ravens-Falcons game…

Instant Replay: Football

Baltimore Ravens at Atlanta Falcons
21 – 26
I don’t know WHO the Ravens suited up for the first half of the game, but it wasn’t the team that I’ve been used to seeing. Matt Ryan and the Falcons SCHOOLED the Ravens, up one side and down the other. I’m not sure what Coach John Harbaugh said to the guys at halftime, but they finally showed up to play football. Ravens’ QB Joe Flacco led a couple of solid drives, including one in the waning minutes of the game that looked as though it would seal a win for the Ravens and hand the Falcons their first home defeat this season… …but it wasn’t to be.  Falcons’ QB Matt Ryan put on a clinic on “How to Score a Touchdown in Under One Minute.”  It was was amazing – and a little painful – to watch.

Stray Toasters

• The Wasatch Rails Train Show starts today at 3:00.   and I are going to check it out before heading to Clitorati.
• Anne-Sophie Mutter: As Complex as the Music She Plays
• Apple 1 for sale
• 
• Posing for Power: Why Body Language Matters in the Office
• Assertive Chinese Held in Mental Wards
• I have new track for my model railroad… and can’t figure out what to do with it.
• Your Island Five: The Albums You Can’t Live Without
• 
• Kurt Vonnegut’s Tips for Writing Fiction
• Las Vegas Casinos Are a Last Bastion for Smokers
• TSA T-shirt from Despair.com

Time to figure out what kind of trouble I want to get into this morning…

Namaste.

Thursday – 11 November 2010
Today is Veteran’s Day:

It is also my NBN Technical Friday.

Last night, was D&D Encounters night with Melody, Jack and company. My character nearly had his butt handed to him at the beginning of the encounter. Not good. Fortunately, my companions kept me from dying and we went on to beat the holy living shit out of our enemies. Amen.

After that, I headed over to Chris and Mary’s to help Chris install a new hard drive in his PS3. Might I just add the following note to Sony: If you’re going to make it so ludicrously easy to change the hard drive in the game unit, you might think about making a few things in your backup and restore instructions a tad more clear and/or intuitive. Thank you. After about an hour – including some time to surf a few web forums – we figured out what the problem was.

Instant Replay: Football

Baltimore Ravens at Atlanta Falcons
8:20 PM (EDT)
The Ravens and the Falcons meet up in the season’s first Thursday night football game. Both teams are coming off very short weeks – they both played on Sunday – so it will be interesting to see how well they play with so little time between games. Atlanta has eight (8) players on their injury list, to Baltimore’s one: S Tom Zbikowski.

Stray Toasters

• It’s another suit day. I changed it up a bit though: Olive suit, with a khaki knit mock turtleneck. Boo-yah!
  • Speaking of suits: Jos. A. Bank is having a sale on suits – today only.  Guess who’s going suit shopping after work…
• For SaraRules! and : 2010 Zombie Safehouse Competition
• Karmaloop
• Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)

• There is no Dana. Only Zuul…
• ‘Frank’: The Man, The Voice, The Mafia Ties

• Mustang’s 2 keys change pony car’s performance settings
• WGBH American Experience: 2011 Student Freedom Ride
• Sparkles: The Soldering My Little Pony Unicorn
• Every once in a while, something pops up in my iTunes mix that makes me laugh.  This morning, it was the theme from Freakzoid!:

• Targeted, smarter attacks dominate 2010 threat landscape
• The Abandoned City Hall Subway Stop Now Visible to Tourists
• Drug Suits Raise Questions for Doctors, and Juries

It’s the suburb of the week…
Arlington

Namaste.