Random Access

Saturday – March 13, 2010
Last night, SaraRules and I forewent (yes, I checked to make sure that “forewent” is an actual word) our usual Friday night doings and headed downtown. After a tasty dinner at Macaroni Grill, we headed to the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center to see Wallace. It was… two-plays-in-one, but performed in alternating parts. It was well-acted and very well-done. After the play, we met up with the Clitorati crew for “non-dinner” (at least for us).

Today, I am judging a ‘Clix tournament at noon. I am curious to see how the players take to today’s format. I’m calling today’s scenario “Mosaic,” in no small part due to the Green Lantern series of the same name. In today’s scenario, all games will be played on the same map — this is to put everyone on a level playing field, so to speak. The biggest variable will be Battlefield Conditions (BFCs), which change the overall game conditions. Each game will start with a BFC… but the BFCs will change every ten (10) minutes.

Also happening today, SaraRules hits the stage in Utah Opera’s production of The Italian Girl in Algiers. She’s a supernumerary in the production. Her role: Harem girl. The show runs through Sunday, 21 March 2010; if you have the opportunity, you should check it out.

Stray Toasters

• Don’t forget: Daylight Saving Time begins at 0200 on Sunday, 14 March 2010.
  (And, yes, it’s “saving,” singular… not “savings,” plural.)
• At the Guggenheim, the Art Walked Beside You, Asking Questions
• WizKids has unveiled their latest figure from The Brave and the Bold set: Power Girl

• Georgian monasteries offer to take in prisoners
• Marque Cornblatt retrospective art opening in Baltimore
• 
• US Census infographics from 1870 — NOTE: The click-through link loads slowly (graphics-heavy).
• Beheaded Vikings found at Olympic site
• Laptop sleeve made out of recycled wetsuits
• More Than Super: Searching for Christ in comic book culture

Quote of the Day
Yesterday, I semi-watched Titan A.E., the last film produced by Fox Animation Studios. (Added trivia: Don Bluth – whose studio did the animation for the Dragon’s Lair video game – was one of the co-directors of the film.) The movie contains one of my all-time favorite movie quotes: At the movie’s climax, Cale (voiced by Matt Damon) and Akima (Drew Barrymore) walk around a newly-formed planet – think “Genesis Planet” from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan:

Cale: I think I’ll call it… “Bob.”
Akima: You can’t call a planet “Bob.”
Cale: So now you’re the boss. You’re the King of Bob.
Akima: Can’t we just call it “Earth”?
Cale: No one said you have to live on Bob.
Akima: I’m never calling it that.

And that’s a wrap — I need to finish getting ready and ease on down the road…

Namaste.

Friday – 12 March 2010
It’s (almost) the weekend.
In honor of this fact, I kicked off the morning with Tank!, Just Got Paid and The Spirit of Radio (Live). After all, if you have to work on a Friday, you might as well start off the day with a little something to get the blood pumping, nicht wahr?

Last night, I had grand designs of heading to the local B&N and drawing. Laziness/tiredness, a comfy couch and a call from my father won out, however. I did see an interesting show on the National Geographic Channel, Man-Made: Supersize Steamship. It detailed a moving company’s task of moving an old paddlewheel steamship from St. Louis, MO to St. Elmo. The reason they couldn’t just float the ship to the new town: St. Elmo is landlocked. It was cool to watch how the movers dealt with the obstacles involved with getting the ship from Point A to Point B.

Stray Toasters

• It seems as though MacJournal not only plays nicely with WordPress, but it apparently routed the post through WordBook, too. It didn’t automatically post to LiveJournal… but I think that’s due to a recent problem with the LivePress plugin. And, it didn’t have an option for the PostAvatar plugin, which means that if I’m going to have an avatar on a post, I’ll have to update the post in WordPress. That’s not too bad/big a deal.
• Thalidomide effect mystery solved
• I have no idea (yet) if this will set link targets to “_blank”.
• Mini-documentary on the British war on public photos and video
• Esperanza Spalding: Just Bass and Voice
• Paris Fashion Week 2010
• Deal Gives New Life to Overhaul of Student Loans
• 
• Hm… I can’t reset an image’s alignment in here. Good to know.
• Americans: Test Your Broadband Speed, Help the FCC Keep ISPs Honest
• Student Work — Kyoto University of Art and Design
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: French bread spiked with LSD in CIA experiment

Okay, this should be a decent test of MacJournal. Let’s see how it goes.

Namaste.

::: EDITED :::
Added Post Avatar
Changed image alignment

But, all-in-all, I could get used to MacJournal.

Thursday – 11 March 2010
Last night, I went home and tried to figure out what I wanted to do with a free evening. A good portion of that time – about two hours – was spent sitting on the couch, watching MythBusters.  After fixing something to eat, I finally decided to hit the neighborhood Barnes & Noble and try to get in some drawing. I took a few ‘Clix with me, as it’s always nice to have some figure references and set about putting graphite to paper…

I started by going through the issue of Lurzer’s Archive that I was using as reference/inspiration last week. I more or less finished a sketch that I started and then tried moving on to another piece. After that, inspiration struck: I started on a new piece based on a song lyric. If I can maintain a nominally steady pace, I should have something to show in the next week or so.

I left the bookstore and headed home. SaraRules got home shortly afterwards. We chatted about our days, watched a bit of TV and called it a night…

…unfortunately, I could not easily find my to The Dreaming. I laid in bed for what seemed like hours before finally drifting off. Maybe that White Chocolate Mocha I drank while drawing had something to do with it.

Oddly enough, I didn’t wake up feeling horribly tired this morning. That’s a good thing for an NBN Thursday.

Stray Toasters

• Today starts my week with The Leash.  Despite that, it’s still a good day.
• Four-Color Coverage got a nod from The Legion Omnicom.
• Max Brooks Joins G.I. Joe Comics
  And, yes, he’s “that” Max Brooks.
• Thanks to for making sure I was able to pickup the latest MacHeist bundle before the offer ended.
• In Which I Try To Use All Of WGN’s Newly Banned Words In One Sentence
• I just got out of a 30-40 minute long conversation with our CTO.  Impromptu. Unexpected.  And… good.
• 
• Multitasking in for iPhone 4.0?
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” File: Lesbian panic shuts down Mississippi high school prom
• Former TSA analyst charged with computer tampering
• For the gamers out there: Recommend a good first-person shooter for me.  I’m starting to miss Battlefield 2142, but there haven’t been any updates for it since DICE/EA has allocated their resources to supporting Battlefield: Bad Company.
• IKEA’s Soft Toys Raise $35 Million for Charity

Namaste.

Wednesday – 10 March 10
Another Comics and Sushi Wednesay dawns. And, from a glimpse at Diamond’s “New Releases” page, it should be a good day.

Last night, Chris came over to play HeroClix. He had an idea for a match that he lovingly referred to as “Femme Fatales.” I, on the other hand, referred to it as something much more simplistic: “Catfight!” (Pictures can be seen here.)

Chris brought a team of figures with which he was more than “passingly” familiar:

• Gamora
• Jean Grey (Age of Apocalypse), with Mental Shields
• Loki (female version) and
• Ms. Marvel (Skrull), with Fortitude

Yeah. Ouch. I picked a team with some figures I’ve used before, but a couple that I’ve either never played or only played once or twice:

• Batgirl
• Circe
• Dawnstar
• Marvel Girl (“First Class” version)
• Spider-Girl and
• Storm

No feats. That’s right: No feats.

The game started off with both of us making crappy dice rolls. Then my dice decided to get into the game… and decided to get out of it again, just as quickly. It was lovely. Then began the back-and-forth “good roll/bad roll” portion of the game for both of us. The game wound up coming down to our last figures – I had Dawnstar, he had Loki. Loki won.

It was a better game than I’d anticipated, especially given the fact that I pretty much just threw my team together and didn’t put in any ringers/cheese.

Stray Toasters

• [MESSAGE REDACTED]!!!
• Live+Press is apparently borked again.
• The Best Jobs in America
• Soldier ‘threw back hand grenade’
• 
• forwarded this: Colorado Doctors Skirt FDA Jurisdiction to Provide Stem Cell Therapies
• Get Jazzed for Monster Miles Davis Giveaway
• I saw this yesterday, and I kept coming up with horrid ad campaigns for it.
  “Looking for a gift for your man? Give him Pussy Galore,” was possibly the least lewd of them.  Yeah, really.
• 
• Your Computer Really Is a Part of You
• By way of MarknTyme: No One Knows What the F*** They’re Doing (or “3 Types of Knowledge”)
• Waterboarding for Dummies
• shared this; it made me laugh.

  

• Alexander McQueen’s final collection
• 10 Years After: A Look Back at the Dotcom Boom and Bust
• LHC to shut down for a year to address design faults
• Web Browser Grand Prix: The Top Five, Tested and Ranked

Tongue-tied and twisted
Just an earthbound misfit, I…

Namaste.

Tuesday – 09 March 2010
Another workin’ day in the valley…  This one begins with a few high clouds, but they’re moving eastward and they seem to be leaving sunlight in their wake.  I’m good with that.

Last night, I treated myself to dinner at Outback Steakhouse. I had been craving their bad-for-you-but-oh-so-tasty Aussie Cheese Fries for about a week and decided that it was time to do something about it. So… I decided to go. Stag. When I mentioned this to a couple of people I got the “raised eyebrow” treatment:

“You’re going… by yourself?”
“Yep.”
::: blank stare :::

I don’t understand why it is that going out to eat alone is such an alien concept. People go shopping alone. They go to the movies alone. It seems, to me, a natural progression that one might choose to eat out alone. *shrug* Oh, well.

Dinner was good. I got the full order of cheese fries, which means that I have a fair-sized portion of left-overs waiting in the fridge.  My steak was good, despite originally brought to the table slightly undercooked. I sent it back so they could do more than just scare it with the flame. Both my waitress and the manager we quite amenable about the whole thing. All-in-all, it was a rather pleasant dining experience.

Stray Toasters

• Female WWII Pilots: The Original Fly Girls
  I have to say that I’m a little disappointed that NPR missed having this article ready yesterday, in time for International Women’s Day.
  
• How Henrietta Lack’s cells fueled medical breakthroughs
• For and shockpuppet:



• Purdue Men’s Basketball Brings Home a Bevy of Conference Honors
• Have you seen the latest trailer for Tron: Legacy? If not, click here and enjoy.
• Straight out of the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” files:
  Yesterday, posted the following:

  [19:11] ok r0b
  [19:11] i know you’re into star wars.  and legos.
  [19:12] but can you identify star wars lego figurines using ONLY YOUR MOUTH?   cause this german kid can:

  I shared the vid with my friend, Eric.  He countered with this:
  

  I shared that video with who, in a masterful stroke, retaliated with:
  

• Boldin Seeking Revenge on Steelers
• By way of come a couple of things:
  • Up, Up & Away – Get Your Own Jet Pack for $75k (This goes squarely on The Covet List.  Duh.)
  • 1024-bit RSA encryption cracked by carefully starving CPU of electricity
• Real-life Hurt Locker: How Bomb-proof Suits Work

Namaste.

Monday – 08 March 2010
The weekend was good.
The work week has begun.

Today is also International Women’s Day.

Yesterday, I wound up going to the train show with . It was a very nice change of pace for a way to spend a Sunday afternoon. There were some very nice layouts on display. There were a lot of things that could have easily wound up on The Covet List there. A lot.

I dropped off — after stopping in to sample a few of the peanut butter cookies that he’d been talking about during our trip. They were good; I asked OnlyAly for the recipe. And then, it was on to the in-laws’ for dinner and a movie.

We watched Black Dynamite. It was done in the style of a 70’s blaxploitation film — sets, clothing, dialogue, music… the whole nine yards. Actually, it was part-blaxploitation/part-kung-fu movie. It was, in a word, “Awesome!” It was a great way to cap off the evening.

Stray Toasters

• I didn’t watch – or really care about – The Oscars this year.
• Ethics cases bruise Harlem’s political heart
• By way of SaraRules: A Game of Tag Breaks Out Between London’s Graffiti Elite
• MarknTyme just shared a couple of videos:
  • From the “No way in Hell…” and “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” files:
  • BMW Commercial:

• Rockslide closes 17 miles of I-70 in Glenwood Canyon
• Female Illustrators of the mid-20th Century
• This gives an entirely different meaning to the term “banana hammock.”

Namaste.

Sunday – 07 March 2010
Yesterday wound up being fairly lazy. After SaraRules and I did our afternoon errands, we both came home and took a nap. Okay, I tried to fall asleep on the couch – and was doing a fair job of it – when she suggested that I’d probably be more comfortable (and have a less-achy neck) if I laid down. Once again, she was right.

Post-nap, She headed off to rehearsal; I tried to figure out what I wanted to do with my evening. I started out watching DC Showcase: The Spectre. It was a short feature on the Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths DVD. It had a bit of a 70s feel, both in looks, style and music. I think that it would lend itself well to being a full-length feature… or even done as a live-action movie.

Next up was HALO: Legends. On the whole, it wasn’t bad. There were a couple of the shorts that I could have done without, but on the whole, it did a good job of portrayal the HALO universe as more than something that centers around Master Chief John-117. In particular, I enjoyed “The Duel” (which was done in a lovely watercolor-looking style), “Homecoming” and “Be Human.”

After SaraRules returned from rehearsal, we watched Monsters vs. Aliens. When an alien probe appears in San Francisco, a government-sanctioned team of monsters is dispatched to take it down. Mayhem ensues. This was fun… and a bit “cute.” There were a few groan-worthy moments, but on the whole, I found it rather enjoyable.

Stray Toasters

• I’m still on the fence about heading to the train show today.
• Improving Education Through Better Teachers
• MarknTyme sent me a link to Nuit Blanche:

  Nuit Blanche from Spy Films on Vimeo.

• Steampunk Film Festival in San Francisco
• I’ve heard of going “all out” to enhance your gaming experience, but this sets the bar rather high.
• The Police Aren’t Legally Obligated to Protect You
• Christian Hate Group ‘Repent Amarillo’ Terrorizes Texas Town, Harassing Gays, Liberals and ‘Other Sinners’ (courtesy of )
  Isn’t “Christian Hate Group” a pretty big oxymoron?
• 
• Cobra!
• Who Protects The Internet?

I think that and I may wend our way northward and check out the train show after all.

Namaste.

Saturday – 06 March 2010
Today… I’m not really sure exactly what I’m doing today. SaraRules is currently off at quilting; I don’t really have anything that I have to do. After she gets back, there will be a bit of errand-running, but beyond that…? No clue. I may run up to Dr. Volt’s and actually play a game or two of ‘Clix (as opposed to running around, answering rules questions). We shall see…

Yesterday, I went to visit Perry and the kids for a bit. We’re still trying to see if we’re going to make it to the Hostlers Model Railroad Festival this weekend. After that, I headed back home to wait for SaraRules to get home so that we could run some errands. Then, it was time for Clitorati.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
I was going through an old notebook and came across the following quote:

We excuse ourselves from greater efforts. We learn to be good and to treat well those who treat us well. But we don’t give ourselves over to that which demands not goodness, but greatness.
-Paul Darcy, author/speaker, Sacred Journey (Aug. 2004)

Stray Toasters

• I just found myself craving a Chicken Filet Biscuit from Bojangle’s. *sigh*
• A few days ago, I posted a link to this Evil, Inc. webcomic. I was talking with MarknTyme, and he mentioned that he “…didn’t get the bulletin board reference.” It was kind of obscure, to be honest — the last two panels of the strip reference A Cask of Amontillado, a story by Edgar Allan Poe.
• And, since we’ve mentioned Mr. Poe, that gives a (loose) tie to the next item: Ravens Trade for WR Anquan Boldin
• The Brave and the Bold Preview: Green Lantern and Green Arrow

  

  GL/GA duo figure. Quite nice. It also seems that Captain Jordan is getting a lot of play (so to speak) in the world of HeroClix lately:

  • He had a solo figure in the Crisis set, released in 2008
  • This figure — and the GL/Flash figure — being released next month and
  • The figure being released in the Blackest Night Starter Set, in May.
• US administration to block vote on Turkey ‘genocide’
• Infographic: Mega Shark, courtesy of
  (Don’t forget to click on the link at the bottom of the first paragraph, either!)
• 
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: South Korean couple starved child while raising “virtual baby”
• Android Phone Grows Up, Becomes Brain for Real Robot
• From CNN and HLN: Gunn: Kardashian look is vulgar
• The Jobs of Yesteryear: Obsolete Occupations
• New Jersey snow sculpture gets frosty reception

I should probably get some coffee and prepare to face the day.

Namaste.

Friday – 05 March 2010
Happy Birthday to Liz and Jenny, a couple of my high school classmates:

…even if you’re not really conjoined.

It’s snowing outside. I have to admit that isn’t doing much for my motivation.

Last night, I spent the evening hanging out with ; she interviewed me for a school project. We had planned to go to Borders… but we discovered that their cafe closes at 1900 during the week. YeahbuhWHAT?! Yeah. I think that qualifies as “lame.” We wound up at the nearby Barnes & Noble, instead… where we ran into an old friend of ‘s. The interview took about a half-hour; after that, we sat and chatted almost two hours away.  It was a good way to spend the evening.

Stray Toasters

• Body scanners are headed to 11 major airports
• 10 Jobs You Absolutely, Positively Should Not ‘Take Your Child to Work Day’
• The West Wing
• Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn



• Apple’s iPad to be released April 3
• Alien vs. Eel
• Ubisoft’s new DRM cracked in under 24 hours
• Yep, There’s a Patch for That
• 
• They’re doing a new version of The Rockford Files?!  Nice!
  And, for the nostalgia buffs: The Theme from The Rockford Files, courtesy of YouTube.

There’s a Friday out there; I should go introduce myself to it.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 03 March 2010
Midweek.
Today and tomorrow left in the work week.
It’s Comics and Sushi Wednesday.
And all appears to be well.

It turned out that SaraRules didn’t have rehearsal last night; she did, however, have plans to go swimming with my brother-in-law. So, she did that. I didn’t really feel terribly inclined to sit at home and play videogames (no, really, I feel fine…), so I headed over to the local Barnes & Noble and did a little drawing. I got three small/rough figures done. It wasn’t a lot, but it was nominally productive. I may go again tonight; we shall see.

For the past four-and-a-half months, I’ve been using shaving creams – Razorantium and Prince Triple Orange Blossom – from Lush. Fabulous products. (A tip of the hat and a nod to SaraRules for introducing me to Lush products.) I’m out of the creams and waiting for delivery of replacements, so I had to fall back to using Edge Pro Gel. While it’s not quite the same shave as I get from the Lush shaving creams, there is one benefit from using the Pro Gel: I can shave Better. Stronger. Faster… mainly because I can actually see the lather from the Pro Gel, as opposed to the more lotion-like nature of the shaving cream.

Stray Toasters

• I consider myself reasonably intelligent and occasionally even smart. (Yes, there is a difference; for the gamers out there, think INT vs. WIS) Despite this, there are times when I just miss something, regardless of the number of signs pointing the way. Case in point: I just realized, within the past… month or two, I guess… that this Thomas Broening is the same Thomas Broening that I went to school with. I’ve seen his work in a number of ad magazines over the years, but for whatever reason, 2+2 never equalled 4. Yep… I’m a genius.
• The 25 Most Common Cooking Mistakes, by way of
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
  • Newly-weds spend honeymoon night in prison
  • FAA: Child in air traffic tower talking to pilots ‘not acceptable’
• U.S. Declassifies Part of Secret Cybersecurity Plan
• If I have to explain why this amuses me… *shrug*



• Multiracial no longer boxed in by the Census
• I got my certain and my
  sure ‘nough on
  and I’m puttin’ on my really
  for real
  You face that curtain with
  your best stuff on
  You are the winner and
  you’re gonna feel

  You can be what you want to
  and all you need is to
  get your boogie down

  • And, as for today’s sure ‘nough: Black blazer (with blue pocket square), white shirt, black/blue/white tie,  black suede vest, grey slacks, black shoes.
• Before there was Beakman and Bill Nye, there was Mr. Wizard.
• Army sees sharp rise in unfit soldiers
• City of Heroes has made a couple of announcements concerning Issue 17: Dark Mirror and Going Rogue.

Namaste.

Tuesday – 02 March 2010
Yesterday turned out to be far less doom-laden than I had anticipated. I consider that (and the fact that I quelled the urge to throat-punch people) One Little Victory.

Last night, with no Olympics to watch, it was “Catch Up on One Hour of 24” night. I think I’m only 4 hours behind now. But, as SaraRules has opera rehearsal for the rest of the week, I might just be able to catch all the way up on this season.

Workout
SaraRules and I also hit the gym last night:

• Elliptical: 10 minutes/5.5 MPH (avg)
• Squats: 3 sets/10 reps, 65 lbs
• Leg Curls: 3 sets/10 reps, 70 lbs
• Leg Extensions: 3 sets/10 reps, 70 lbs
• Compound Row: 3 sets/12 reps, 125 lbs
• Flys (dumbbell, bench): 3 sets/10 reps, 20 lbs
• Side Bends (dumbbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 30 lbs
• Tricep Press: 3 sets/15 reps, 60 lbs
• Treadmill: 3 minutes/3.0 MPH (avg)

This morning’s weight: 182.0 lbs

Stray Toasters

• I just got back from a team meeting that culminated in a lunch at Pawit’s Royal Thai. Win.
• The Coffee Wars Will Not End Until America Is a Shaking Heap of Overstimulation
• Why We Gain Weight As We Age
• From NPR Music: First Listen: Gorillaz
• Yesterday, posted a link to this video:

  I countered with an oldie, but goodie: The Art of the Saber

• Lady Gaga says she is single — and celibate
  To be honest, my first reaction was “Who cares?”  But, I read the article anyway. The fourth and sixth paragraphs made it worthwhile.
• Dorothy Dandridge: Hollywood Trailblazer, But With a Price
• It took me a couple of moments to figure this out, but when I did, it made me laugh:



• Also by way of : Not a lie: Valve updates Portal with secret radio broadcast images
• The 10 Most Addictive Sounds in the World
• If Chess Were Redesigned by MMORPG Developers

Namaste.

Monday – 01 March 2010
There’s an old proverb that says “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” Looking outside, it’s sunny and clear – at least as clear as the valley gets when the smog/inversion sets in. It’s supposed to be somewhere around 50F today. If this is a lion, it must be Kimba, the White Lion.

I watched the third period and overtime of the Team U.S.A. vserus Team Canada hockey match for the Olympic gold medal. Wow… That was an excellent game. I can only imagine how dejected the American players were at the loss, but they played very well. Kudos to them one a well-played game.

Last night, Bonne, Logan and Justin came over for dinner – mahi mahi, rice pilaf and salad – and a movie: Dead Snow. Dinner was quite delicious. The movie was… pretty damned good, actually. The synopsis:

A ski vacation turns horrific for a group of medical students, as they find themselves confronted by an unimaginable menace: Nazi zombies.

I think the only thing that they left out of that synopsis was: “Hijinks ensue” or “Mayhem ensues,” either fits.  While it wasn’t necessarily an Oscar-calibre movie, it was entertaining and fun.

Stray Toasters

• It’s definitely “a Monday.”
  I’m trying to determine where my alignment is today (trending towards “Neutral”)… and whether I should use the 9-position grid or the “flat” alignment system.
• How to Live a Simple and Peaceful Life
• America’s Worst French Fries (And What You Should Eat Instead!)
• Pounding in your temples
  And a surge of adrenaline
  Every muscle tense-
  To fence
  The enemy within
• Palladia is a nice amalgamation of Viacom’s MTV Networks (MTV/VH1/CMT) programming… where they actually (are you ready for this…?) play music!
• Gene test to aid cancer treatment
• *grblsnrkx*
• Duel 365
• I should go bowling. Soon.
• Russia-Georgia border crossing reopens
• ZipList

He knows changes aren’t permanent
But change is…

Namaste.

Sunday – 28 February 2010
It’s a quiet lazy morning.

The sun’s out. iGoogle says that it’s supposed to be (relatively) warm. To quote an old Kellogg’s commercial: “It’s gonna be a great day!”

Logan, Bonne and possibly Justin are coming over this evening for dinner and to watch Dead Snow:

A ski vacation turns horrific for a group of medical students, as they find themselves confronted by an unimaginable menace: Nazi zombies.

Let’s allow that last part to sink in further: Nazi zombies. How can this movie not be (horribly) good?!

Chew on This: Food for Thought – Black History Month

Today is the last day of February and, as such, the last day of Black History Month in the United States and Canada. Of all the things that we’ve looked at over the past twenty-seven days, one question has not been asked: “Why do we have a Black History Month?”

The remembrance was founded in 1926 by United States historian Carter G. Woodson as “Negro History Week”. Woodson chose the second week of February because it marked the birthdays of two Americans who greatly influenced the lives and social condition of African Americans: former President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass.

The celebration was expanded to a month in 1976, the nation’s bicentennial. President Gerald R. Ford urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

While I believe that it is good to set aside time to recognize the achievements and pitfalls of the past, we still have “…miles to go before [we] sleep.” Black history – and any ethnic group’s history, for that matter – shouldn’t be relegated to just one month of the year. In the same way that America was known as a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities, our history is an amalgamation of those peoples’ struggles and stories. These are things that should be studied and celebrated throughout the year, as a common history of the people of the United States of America.

Stray Toasters

• Engineers Solve 80-Year-Old Puzzle to Make Computer Modeling 100,000 Times Faster
• By way of my friend, Susan, and the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Utah Has Now Made Miscarriage a Criminal Offense
• By way of Philina: 31 Incredible Examples of LEGO Architecture
• Rooftop scene from Blade Runner, done in LEGO:


Blade Runner – Tears in Rain (in LEGO) from Zach Macias on Vimeo

• Put Together a Rock-Solid Home Tool Kit
• How You Can Live to 100


(click here for larger version)

• Classic Videogame Store Displays

Namaste.

Friday – 26 February 2010
It’s my 9/80 “on” Friday.
And I’m dealing with an off-site user’s computer issues.  Actually, I’m really just on the phone listening while a guy from corporate IT is trying to step him through a possible resolution. But, since I initiated the third-party call, I can’t just hang up. Yay.

Last night was a quiet night in. After work, I picked up my four-color goodness for the week. And I read the books. And it was good. Selah.  (Details can be found a little later today over on Four-Color Coverage.)

This morning is bright and sunny, with a little bit of haze. That’s not a bad way to kick off the weekend.

Chew on This: Food for Thought – Black History Month
Our A-to-Z look at Black History closes out with Major General Matthew A. Zimmerman, Jr.

General Zimmerman was the first African-American Chief of the United States Army Chaplain Corps.

Matthew Zimmerman lived a life many children would find difficult to enjoy. Born in Rock Hill in 1941, his father was principal of his school and minister of his church. His mother was his first grade teacher.

“My parents, however, were my inspiration, especially my dad. They taught me spiritual values and the importance of building good relationships.”

Zimmerman graduated as valedictorian from Sims High School in Union County. He  entered Benedict College at age 16, graduating with a degree in chemistry and with plans to go to medical school. “At the time I graduated from college, Duke University was offering fellowships to encourage black students to attend their university,” Zimmerman recalls. “I decided to attend Duke and then to go to medical school. Once I started studying at the seminary, though, I decided I wanted to be ordained as a minister.”

Zimmerman became the first African-American student to graduate with a master of divinity degree from Duke University. He was ordained by the National Baptist Convention, Inc., USA and began serving as a campus pastor at universities and colleges throughout the country. Later, he received a master of science degree in guidance and counseling from Long Island University in New York.

In 1967, he entered into military service and was commissioned captain by direct appointment. Shortly after becoming a chaplain, Zimmerman served in Vietnam; he also served in Panama, Grenada and in the Desert Storm campaign. On April 13, 1989, President Bush nominated Zimmerman for promotion to brigadier general. Following confirmation by the United States Senate, he was appointed deputy chief of chaplains of the United States Army. The following year, he was promoted to major general and appointed chief of chaplains, the first African-American to hold this position.

As the chief of chaplains of the US Army, he oversaw 2,800 active duty Reserve and National Guard chaplains and 2,800 chaplain assistants stationed with troops worldwide.

“In the Army there are 92 different denominations represented on active duty by chaplains… We have 39 female chaplains, including a female rabbi. All of our chaplains have to minister to people of all persuasions, but they don’t have to perform a specific event, such as a wedding or other sacraments. However, they are responsible for finding religious personnel to perform specific ceremonies.”

Zimmerman credits his family and years of college ministry in preparing him for working with people of different background. “It is important for students to realize that there are many different cultures. They need to learn to accept people as individuals,” Zimmerman says.

Stray Toasters

• Congratulations to Rachel on her brand-spankin’ new job!



• Taking Black History out of the Peanut Gallery
• Shoes made out of recycled TVs
• Latvian ‘Robin Hood’ hacker leaks bank details to TV
• I need to pick up a few new dress shirts.
• Bright Tastes and Colors of an Indian Spring: Holi Food
• This might be laughable… if it wasn’t so true:



• 10 Blockbusters That Sucked
  Yep… Five movies from the lawn dart end of the Cool World-Long Kiss Goodnight Scale are on there.
• Spy cameras won’t make us safer

Namaste.

Thursday – 25 February 2010
It’s NBN Comics Thursday.
Finally.
Amen.

One more day, then this week can be put to bed.

After yesterday’s stay in the hinterlands, I got home and cooked dinner – grilled chicken with rice (prepared in cream of mushroom soup) and stir-fried vegetables. While we ate, SaraRules and I watched Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. It was an adaptation of two stories:

1. Grant Morrison’s Earth 2 and
2. Dwayne McDuffie’s story concept to bridge the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited series.

It was a good movie. I was a little disappointed in a couple spots with the voice casting:

1. William (Billy, Bubba-ho-tep, whatever they’re calling him this week) Baldwin was an… okay… Batman, but wasn’t quite what I expected.  Or, perhaps, he was trying a bit too much to emulate Kevin Conroy. I’m not sure.
2. Billy Bloom’s portrayal of Ultraman was…. well… I read someone’s critique where they said that he “…sounded like a Jersey Guido.” Spot. On. Assessment.
3. Mark Harmon’s Superman wasn’t quite right, either. Don’t get me wrong (if I come and go like fashion): I like Mark Harmon; he’s a big part of the reason that I watch NCIS semi-religiously. I think that this might come down to a lack of experience with animated voice acting. It wasn’t “bad,” it just wasn’t as spot-on as I had hoped. But, since it’s Mark Harmon, I’ll give him benefit of the doubt.

One place where I wasn’t let down: James Woods as Owlman. I don’t think they could have made a better choice.

The movie’s plot revolves around a plan by Lex Luthor. Not “that” Lex Luthor. This Luthor comes from a parallel Earth… where he is his world’s last remaining (super)hero. His opposition: The Crime Syndicate of America, a sinister analogue of the Justice League. Luthor goes to Earth-1 to recruit the JLA to fight – and hopefully defeat – the CSA.

As I said above, “It was a good movie.” It was fun, there were nice Easter Eggs for longtime DC fans, there was humor… it was a good package on the whole. I have yet to watch the DCUA short featuring The Spectre, but I’m looking forward to it.

Workout
Last night, SaraRules and I hit the gym:

• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps, 205 lbs
• Calf Raises: 3 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs
• Deadlift (barbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 50 lbs
• Bent-over Rows (dumbbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 35 lbs
• Shoulder Press (dumbbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 40 lbs
• Curls (dumbbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 30 lbs

Chew on This: Food for Thought – Black History Month
Today’s personal profile is: Andrew Young

Andrew Jackson Young (born March 12, 1932) is an American politician, diplomat and pastor from Georgia who has served as Mayor of Atlanta, a Congressman from the 5th district, and United States Ambassador to the United Nations.

Young was reared in a middle-class black family, attended segregated Southern schools, and later entered Howard University (Washington, D.C.) as a pre-med student. But he turned to the ministry and graduated in 1955 from the Hartford Theological Seminary (Hartford, Conn.) with a divinity degree.

Young was appointed to serve as pastor of a church in Marion, Alabama. It was there in Marion that he met Jean Childs, who later became his wife. In 1957, Andrew was called to the Youth Division of The National Council of Churches in New York City. He produced a television program for youth called, Look Up and Live, travelled to Geneva for meetings of the World Council of Churches around the United States. Also while in Marion, Young began to study the writings of Mohandas Gandhi. Young became interested in Gandhi’s concept of non-violent resistance as a tactic for social change.

His work brought him in contact with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Young joined with King in leading the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Following King’s assassination in 1968, Young worked with Ralph Abernathy until he resigned from the SCLC in 1970.

In 1970 Andrew Young ran as a Democrat for Congress from Georgia, but was unsuccessful. He ran again in 1972 and won. He later was re-elected in 1974 and in 1976. During his four-plus years in Congress he was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and he was involved in several debates regarding foreign relations including the decision to stop supporting the Portuguese attempts to hold on to their colonies in southern Africa. Young also sat on the powerful Rules committee and the Banking and Urban Development committee.

He was an early supporter of Jimmy Carter, and, after Carter’s victory in the 1976 presidential elections, Andrew Young was made the United States’ ambassador to the United Nations. His apparent sympathy with the Third World made him very controversial, and he was finally forced to resign in 1979 after it became known that he had met with a representative of the Palestine Liberation Organization. In 1981 Young was elected mayor of Atlanta, and he was reelected to that post in 1985, serving through 1989.

Young ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Georgia in 1990, losing in the Democratic primary run-off to future Governor Zell Miller. However, while running for the Statehouse, he simultaneously was serving as a co-chairman of a committee which, at the time, was attempting to bring the 1996 Summer Olympics to Atlanta. Young played a significant role in the success of Atlanta’s bid to host the Summer Games.

Young is currently co-chairman of Good Works International, a consulting firm “offering international market access and political risk analysis in key emerging markets within Africa and the Caribbean.”

Stray Toasters

• Meetings!
• 12 Styles of American Man: Which One Are You?
• Snake Oil? – Scientific evidence for health supplements
• RIP: Old-school electro great Chilly B
  

• Failed Justice Leaves Rape Victim Nowhere to Turn
• Baltimore Blast
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Teachers filmed lap-dancing at school event
• Make This Year a Perfect ’10
• Light art performance photography

Namaste.