Random Access

Monday – 31 October 2011
It’s Hallowe’en.

• Improv Everywhere: Who ya gonna call…?
• Free Complete Works of H.P. Lovecraft for Nook and Kindle (…and in .pdf format, too)
• …and, of course:

Many people have been posting “Happy Hallowe’en” on their various social media outlets. Thanks to them, I have had the “Silver Shamrock” jingle (from Halloween III: Season of the Witch) running through my head for the past 3+ hours. It’s been about as annoying as the time I had Escape stuck in my head for three days…

The weekend was good, but a bit long and tiring. SaraRules! messed up her back sometime Thursday night/Friday morning. As such, I was the point man for taking care of the girls for most of the weekend. Fortunately, they took a modicum of mercy on me — they weren’t extremely fussy or irritable. (Thank you bouncy chair and swing!)

 
Diana (left) and Vanessa (right)

But, by the time we were putting them to bed last night, I realized just how tired I was and how ready I was for them to be down for the count.

On the flip side, I was still home when they woke up this morning, so I got kid cuddles before heading to work.

Last night, we also headed up to SaraRules’ parents’ house for dinner, Disney’s Ichabod Crane and Hallowe’en cookie decorating. It’s tradition! (And, it’s pretty fun, too.)

Stray Toasters

• Stuff That Defines Us
• Dammit, MTH Trains! I have kids now and not as much disposable income as before. Stop putting out sets (1, 2)  that I want to immediately put on The Covet List!
• Penn Jillette’s 10 Commandments for atheists
• It took me a moment to get the joke, but it did make me laugh:

  

• World population hits 7 billion
• Visualizing How a Population Grows to 7 Billion
• Dining Etiquette 101, courtesy of Nyx
• NASA Is Considering Fuel Depots in the Skies
• Psychiatrists Call Out DC on Depictions of Mentally Ill
• 
• Products R Us: Are We ‘Brandwashed?’
• Cable Is Holding Web TV at Bay, Earnings Show

And that’s that… for now.

Namaste.

Thursday – 27 October 2011
Another NBN Thursday finds me back at work. Fortunately, it’s my “Technical Friday,” so it’s rather bearable.

I had a great birthday yesterday. Thank you to all the well-wishers and to the family and friends who helped me celebrate it. I started the day hanging out with the twins. A little after 1100, Bonne came over and took over kid wranglin’ duty, so that I could have a few hours to run all over Hell and half of Georgia. And I did. I traveled north to Clearfield (Almosta Junction) and Ogden (Union Station and The Wonderful World of Trains). I didn’t pick up anything at Almosta Junction… although, I thought hard about it. I did pick up a new signal bridge and a Norfolk Southern hopper car at WWoT. I also squeezed in trips to RubySnap and The Chow Truck before heading home.

Back at the ranch, I hung out with the girls again. (Translation: “I fed and changed them.”) Then, it was time for a quick trip to Dr. Volt’s. Then, back home for cake and ice cream with a family and a few friends.

All-in-all, it was a great way to celebrate a birthday.

And, tonight: Belated birthday dinner with SaraRules!

Stray Toasters

• Chainsaw!!!
• October 30 is Women of Wonder Day, Benefiting Victims of Domestic Violence
• Women of Wonder Day 2011 – official website
• U.S. Naval Academy: First to teach cybersecurity as requirement
• China Reins In Liberalization of Culture
• 
• Infographics:
• The Anatomy of an Agency
• The Shocking, Graphic Data That Shows Exactly What Motivates the Occupy Movement
• HTC working with carriers to push Android bug fix
• 
• Most Stylish Musicians of All Time
• Stephen Spielberg defends worst scene in ‘Indiana Jones 4’
• Facing Hardship, Jobless Still Say They Have Hope

Namaste.

Tuesday – 25 October 2011
Work week: Day 2.

Of course, it is my first Technical Friday of the week – I’m taking tomorrow off and then back on Thursday – so, I’m okay with being anxious about being out of here.

Today is also my last day as a 40-year-old. It’s been a pretty fantastic year. I have a great family – which just got a couple of fantastic new additions. I have some pretty amazing friends. I’ve been able to see and do a lot of fun things. I’m looking forward to seeing what forty-one brings…

Last night, , and Angy came over to watch the Ravens-Jaguars game. It would have been good had the Ravens not sent their practice squad to Florida. It was a defensive game. And it was one that the Jags played every bit as well as – if not a little better than – the guys from Charm City. Ravens receivers couldn’t get separation from their cover guys. The run was effectively shut down. And it wasn’t until almost the end of the game until the Ravens put points on the board. But, they did. (Barely.) And, to be honest, I have to say:

I’m glad that the Ravens lost.

There. I said it.  And I meant it.

Wait, wait, wait… I know that sounds completely “wrong” of me to say, but I am. Why? It’s simple, really: We play Pittsburgh in two weeks. Baltimore needed a good ass-kicking/wake-up call before that game in order to… do whatever it is they need to figure out… before that game. And I’d much rather have them work out the kinks in a game against the Cardinals than go heads-up against the Steelers after such a poor showing against the Jags.

Stray Toasters

• Deal of the Century: The Check That DC Comics Used to Buy Superman
• The Woman Who Kept Time
• Outside Cleveland, Snapshots of Poverty’s Surge in the Suburbs
• Giant LEGO Man washes ashore in Florida
  Why doesn’t one ever wash ashore here in Utah…?  Oh, right. “Landlocked.” Verdammt.
• 
• STARS: Student Group Takes a Stand Against Racist Costumes
• Anti-racism awareness poster campaign inadvertently spawns meme
• New rules would help underwater homeowners refinance
• How Stealth Works
• This could either be awesome… or awesomely bad:

  

• How Netflix Lost 800,000 Customers, and Good Will
• Anonymous targets law enforcement in latest data leak

Namaste.

Thursday – 20 October 2011
Today is not only another NBN Thursday, it is also Spirit Day.

 What’s ‘Spirit Day?’ you ask.  (I had to ask the same thing a couple of days ago…) From the GLAAD.org site:

Millions of Americans wear purple on Spirit Day as a sign of support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth and to speak out against bullying. Spirit Day was started in 2010 by teenager Brittany McMillan as a response to the young people who had taken their own lives. Observed annually on October 20, individuals, schools, organizations, corporations, media professionals and celebrities wear purple, which symbolizes spirit on the rainbow flag. Getting involved is easy — participants are asked to simply “go purple” on October 20 as we work to create a world in which LGBT teens are celebrated and accepted for who they are.

So, I’m in a purple shirt and tie today, supporting friends and family. (And, as a fringe benefit – not to be confused with a “Fringe benefit” – I get to wear Ravens team colors. Win. Win.)

::: insert work and meetings here :::

I was going to have something here, but it’s been a few hours (Yay for work and meetings!) and I don’t have the foggiest idea “what” it was anymore.

Stray Toasters

• My coworker, Wes, just got back from a trip to the east coast. While there, he attended the dedication ceremony for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. And, he brought me a souvenir:

  

• Gaddafi’s death – Who pulled the trigger?
• Porn hackers take over “Sesame Street” YouTube station
• Reactions to Brandon Flowers’ Mormon.org video
• 
• Next Xbox to launch in 2013, report says
• 8-bit remixes fix the past
• Controversy Erupts Over Sex-Segregated Brooklyn Bus

That’s good for a late-afternoon post.

Namaste.

Tuesday – 11 October 2011 (or: 11-10-11)
It’s been an intermittently sunny and rainy day today. But, it’s been a good day, nevertheless.

I woke up this morning, for some reason, thinking about Charlie Chan. It may have had something to do with thinking about the twins and mentally referring to them as “Number One Daughter” and “Number Two Daughter.” Who knows. Regardless, I wound up at Charlie Chan. And from there, it was only a small jump to The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan. And with that, the theme started running through my head while I was shaving:

Last night, SaraRules! had a Mom’s Night Out and attended Utah Opera’s performance of Fidelio, which opened last week to many positive reviews. Angy and were kind enough to come over and watch the girls – and Monday Night Football – with me, while SaraRules! was away. The girls were well-behaved… after all, they had no lack of attention… but, did their damnedest to avoid entering The Dreaming. Little Miss Diana was still fighting sleep – hard – by the time that SaraRules! got home; but there also seemed to be a look of “See, Mommy… I stayed awake until you got home!” on her face, too. And it still took her a while to nod off.

So far, the work day has been decent. I finally had a chat with someone from building management – which I’ve been waiting for since about 10 AM this morning – about a cooling issue in our space. We want to try changing a couple of things; they’re amenable to the idea. We’ll see how things shake out.

Stray Toasters

• In case you somehow missed it: The Avengers trailer is now online.
• Cybersecurity Awareness Month launched
• German States Used Malware to Spy on Their Citizens
• Cloud Cities art installation of giant plastic bubbles
• 
• In Peru, A Hunt for Chocolate Like You’ve Never Tasted It
• Government Aims to Build a ‘Data Eye in the Sky’
• Disney, Dali and toy trains — Do I really need to say more, really?
• 
• Fu-Schnickens. I still find the name funny.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 28 September 2011
Midweek… and it’s a short work week, to boot! And, it’s new comics day. And, it’s HeroClix: Superman release day. Today is also Rosh Hashanah. That’s a lot of “Win” in one package, if you ask me.

Work has been good; learning the new phone system has been a little challenging, but in a good way. There’s just been A LOT of information thrown at me over the past few days.

On the home front, the girls are doing well and are still quite adorable:

The girls with Mommy:

Vanessa with Daddy:

Diana with Mommy:

They’ve been “a little” fussy over the past couple of days, but (thankfully) have been sleeping fairly well at night. And they’re getting big: At their pediatrician appointment last Friday, they were both 7.5 lbs. I’d wager that they are close to – if not a little above – eight (8) lbs., each, at this point.

Stray Toasters

• Let’s see how well this Wordbooker plugin works…
• Listeria Outbreak in Cantaloupes Is the Deadliest in a Decade
• Robots Extract Coolant from Old Refrigerators
• For SaraRules! and : Penn and Teller’s Magic and Mystery Tour: exploring magic’s roots in China, India and Egypt
• 
• For Hackers, the Next Lock to Pick
• Badass of the Week: Tyrannosaurus Rex
• Logging Out of Facebook Is Not Enough
• Idris Elba: The Man Who Is Luther, Was Stringer, and Could Be James Bond
• 
• Sesame Street Wants to Make Science and Math Fun Again
• Foam on the Range: Colorado’s Beer Trail

All that AND we get to hang with Nyx and Ms. this evening…?! This day is truly full of good things.

Namaste.

Sunday – 25 September 2011
On Friday night, SaraRules! and I did something that we haven’t been able to do in almost three weeks: Sit down, have dinner and watch a full hour of a TV program. It was a very nice slice of “Life will be like this again, someday.” That said, I wouldn’t give up parenthood – sleepless nights and all – for anything.

I slept in yesterday morning. It was both lovely and necessary, as I didn’t get a lot of sleep Thursday night and Friday night’s sleep was somewhat disrupted by making sure that a stuffed-up little girl could get comfortable and get some sleep herself. So, sleeping until 10:00 was a lovely thing. In the afternoon, we took the girls on their first trips to The Garden of Sweden and In-N-Out Burger. They handled it with their usual aplomb.

Two-and-a-half weeks. Wow.  And, how would I sum up my feelings about the twins? Probably a little like this:

Yeah, like that.

Stray Toasters

• Google Doodle Honors Jim Henson and Friendly Monsters
  Check out the fan-made video at the bottom of the article.
• Saudi king: Women will be allowed to vote and run for office
• By way of :

  

• Shel Silverstein’s Poems Live On In ‘Every Thing’
• Science museums are failing grown-ups
• posted a link to this last night; it’s pretty impressive:

• The lawn, it is mowed.
• The football, it is on.

Namaste.

Friday – 23 September 2011
Last day of the work week. Amen.

Last night was long. It came and went with little sleep: Both of the girls’ congestion kicked into high gear and made it difficult and fitful for them to sleep. Thus, SaraRules! and I got to sit up with them – literally – and try to coax them into visiting The Dreaming. Fortunately, there is a 32-ounce frozen mocha (with a triple-shot of espresso) sitting nearby.

Groove. Boogie. Sway.
Here’s a little something to get your Friday moving…

Stray Toasters

• Thanks to and Alexis for coming to visit last night and for bringing tasty Fenugreek and potato “curry” (with a sort of risotto) and naan!
• The Rising Cost of Raising a Child
• In a Girls-Only World, a Land of Brainy Beauty
• For SaraRules!: After 36 years, real-life Rocky’s story coming soon
• What Fed’s ‘Operation Twist’ means to you
• Unless you’re a parent or childcare provider, you might not believe just how much urine and poop a newborn can produce; I know that I’ve been surprised a few times in the past two weeks.

  

• Old Saturn Plant Could Get a Second Chance
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: LA firefighters in hot water over use of f(ire tr)uck in porn
• Julius Blank, Who Built the First Chip Maker, Dies at 86
• Norton Cybercrime Report 2011
  
• Hand over fist
  Paper around the stone…
• Men’s Day SS/2012 at London Fashion Week
• I wonder if the guys from TopGear (UK) used this as inspiration for their “build a caravan” challenge…?

Namaste.

22 September 2011
This NBN Thursday finds me, to quote Roy Rogers and/or Aerosmith, “back in the saddle (again).”

It’s been a good two weeks away with SaraRules! and the girls, but it’s nice to be back. Well, as nice as it ever is to go to work. Getting up and out the door was a little difficult as the little ladies didn’t sleep well last night. At least there was coffee.

Stray Toasters

• I finally broke down and joined Twitter. Oddly, the two things that pushed me over the edge were:

1. WizKids Games posted previews of upcoming ‘Clix figures there
2. Minor dissatisfaction with Facebook’s continuing “It ain’t broke, but we’re fixing it!” policy.

• The Cult of Physicality
• 
• Carter: Davis execution shows system is “unjust”
• Pictogram Music Posters, courtesy of
• House defeats Republican spending plan
• By way of : Samuel L. Ipsum
• Have You Seen This? Unhinged Trike Racing, courtesy of… *sigh*… I don’t remember
• This is more true than you might think…
  
• “Floamy”
• World’s Eeriest Abandoned Places
• From the “D’oh!” file: Gore’s loose lips let new iPhones slip
• The Line It Is Drawn: Comic Book Characters/Children’s Picture Books
• Public Said to Be Misled on Use of the PATRIOT Act

Namaste.

Tuesday – 30 August 2011
Day Two of the work week finds me, once again, in Utah County. I actually volunteered to come down here a week early — it works better with the timing of kids on the way. And, so far, it hasn’t been bad.

Last night, there was football. The Jets vs. the Giants. (Even though both teams are based out of the New Meadowlands, the Giants were the home team.) There was A LOT of bickering between the teams – so much so that two players had themselves disqualified from play.  It was also a fast game; I think that it was only a little more than two hours, in all.  After the game, SaraRules! and I took care of more of the last stages of baby prep: I assembled Bassinet #2, while she figured out how to install the kids’ car seats in her car. (I took a cursory look at how they’d install in my car, as well, but I’ll put more effort into that tonight.) And then, there was new Top Gear to watch, as well as ice cream sandwiches to eat. It was a good Monday night.

Stray Toasters

• David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” Recreated as Children’s Book
• Federal Court: recording cops an unambiguous first amendment right
• Twenty Iconic Male Movie Roles in Which Helen Mirren Would Have Ruled
• DC Comics’ reboot/DCnU/whatever they’re calling it kicks off tomorrow.  Here’s my take on DC’s view of what they’re doing:

  

• At 35,000 Feet, a Russian Image Problem
• Single tickets for Utah Symphony’s 2011-12 season are now on sale.
• 12 Things You Should Stop Buying Now, by way of
• The ANGRY BIRDS put on superhero costumes
• “Awe” != “aww…”
• Astronauts May Have to Abandon Space Station

Okay… back to the post-lunch grind.

And tonight: Guys’ Night Out.

Namaste.

Friday – 26 August 2011
It’s my “on” 9/80 pre-season “Purple Friday.”

Last night, and his kids came over to watch the “Battle of the Beltway.” (More on the game, below). The kids played with LEGO and stuffed animals and action figures – and occasionally watched the game – so, I’m taking that to mean that they were sufficiently entertained.

This morning, I got into the office a little early. The fringe benefit of that: Being able to play this – fairly loudly – before anyone else showed up.

It was a good way to kick off the morning.

I left for a while to head to the hospital: SaraRules! had what should be the next-to-last NST of the pregnancy. And, once again, the kids were showing off. In a BIG way. So much so that Cathy, today’s nurse, said that she was done about ten minutes in… but was required to take at least 20 minutes of readings. (Not only were they showing off, but they are doing fine.)

And, on the way back to the office, I managed to get this picture:

So, all-in-all, not a bad Friday, so far.

Instant Replay: Football

Washington Redskins at Baltimore Ravens
31 – 34
The Battle of the Beltway 2011 For a game that started off slowly, this one gained steam and just kept right on rolling. Both teams’ first strings looked pretty good. The Skins’ defense was fast and moved with purpose. Fortunately, the Ravens seemed to have learned a few things in the past two weeks and patched a lot of the holes in the offensive line. QB Joe Flacco’s first “reception” was an interception. Fortunately, his aim and timing got better. Tyrod Taylor got into the game in the 3rd Quarter and looked good – he showed some serious poise in the pocket, even under pressure, but he also showed that he wasn’t afraid of running the ball himself. I think that he’d make a fine backup to Flacco. And, WR Brandon Jones…?! (click for larger image) Welcome to Baltimore! Way to make your presence known! Next, the Ravens hit the road to take on the Falcons – who handed them an ugly loss last year – for the last preseason game of 2011.

Stray Toasters

• For SaraRules!, three words: Chuck. Finley. T-shirt.
• Buffett to Invest $5 Billion in Shaky Bank of America
• Five Takeaways from Skins Game
• Comic Book Resources had this picture in their D23 coverage, with the caption: “They call him… Bruce”

  

  He doesn’t look a thing like Batman OR Bruce Campbell!

• Buy “Made in China” goods? Benefits to U.S. may surprise you
• Smart Versus Realism — Greg Rucka takes Hollywood to task
• 
• In Britain, a Meeting on Limiting Social Media
• Like No Other View on Earth
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: The Holy Bible: Stock Car Racing Edition

  

• Han Solo in Carbonite ice molds
• Quake a wake-up call for Eastern U.S.

Namaste.

Thursday – 18 August 2011
It’s another NBN Technical Friday here in the Land Behind the Zion Curtain.

Last night, SaraRules! and I went to the “non-rehearsal” dinner for Logan and Sanaz. As there wasn’t a pre-wedding rehearsal involved, it was more of a “get both sides of the family-to-be together” dinner. Either way, it was still good. I got to chat with Marie and Stan – SaraRules!’ aunt and uncle from California – whom I haven’t seen since our wedding (aside from a brief video chat at Easter). We also got to meet Sanaz’ grandmother, who’s in from London. Good company, good food, and good conversation made for a rather pleasant way to pass the evening.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
This was an interesting and thought-provoking article, by way of my friend, Crystal: How to Talk to Little Girls

Stray Toasters

• Stolen Rembrandt sketch found in church
• Pope reaches out to youths in Spain
• 
• Piers Morgan: Christine O’Donnell Walkout Was ‘Extraordinary’
• It turns out that she had also “walked out” on the hosts of a local (SLC) radio show earlier in the day.
• How to Use an Apostrophe
• Kilian Martin: A Skate Illustration, courtesy of
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: German ‘unfairly’ sacked for marrying Chinese woman
• Offering Funds, U.S. Agency Dreams of Sending Humans to the Stars
• AT&T sues two over scheme to steal customer data

Back to it…

Namaste.

Monday – 15 August 2011
A new week greets us with sun and scattered clouds. This comes after a night of thunder, lightning and rain — I’m not really sure “who” did “what” to Thor, but he was really on one last night.

The weekend was good. And, as is often the case with weekends “too short.” This isn’t to say that we didn’t get a lot accomplished – we did – but I wouldn’t have argued with a little more downtime. Highlights of the weekend include:

• Hearing Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture – complete with cannon – at the Deer Valley Music Festival
• Judging a ‘Clix tournament for Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection
• Seeing Cowboys and Aliens with SaraRules! and
• Setting up/putting away more baby items
• Putting together a gallery of invitations from our baby showers
• FINALLY cleaning out the detritus left under our deck by our home’s previous owners!
• Dinner with the in-laws, including my first Charlie Chan movie

Cowboys and Aliens was fun. It was a decent western. It was also a decent alien movie. And, even better: It combined the two fairly well. Daniel Craig is almost always a pleasure to watch act. It was also fun to see Harrison Ford in a role as a… less-than-savory character again. (It’s been a long time since Han Solo was a true scoundrel…) And, the movie also had Thirteen Quorra Olivia Wilde, which is a “Win” in my book. Well done, Mr. Favreau.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
Stop Coddling the Super-Rich, from Warren Buffett (Yes… “THAT Warren Buffett“).

Stray Toasters

• Google to but Motorola Mobility for $12.8 billion
• The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan
• The Alpha Male
• The 16 longest gaps between Interstate exits
• 
• Astronaut Photographs Perseid Meteor… From Space
• Chinese space lab set to soar
• London Police Use Flickr to Identify Looters
• State Challenges Seen as Whittling Away Federal Education Law
• I’m hoping not to be – or turn into – this guy…

  

  …or this…

  

• Flight failure won’t stop ‘mad scientists’
• Resist
• As Networks Speed Up, Data Hits a Wall
• Star Wars icons join Queen Elizabeth on Pacific Island coin

Right on to the friction of the day…

Namaste.

Friday – 12 August 2011
Four down, one in the chamber. It’s the end of the week and all’s well.

This morning, we had another doctor’s appointment. This time, it was a “non-stress test.” The kids, though wriggly, were pretty cooperative. The nurse said that they were doing fine, based on the readings.

Last night was the first night of football in the 2011 preseason. *genuflect* ESPN had the Seattle vs. Sandy Eggo game. (Not my first choice, but it was football.) I found out, a little while later that NFL Network was rebroadcasting other games, including…

Baltimore Ravens at Philadephia Eagles
6 – 13
The Ravens, after a number of changes in the offseason, headed north to take on the Eagles. It was not a pretty game. In fact, it looked like something from a few seasons back. Fortunately, it was a preseason game, which means that “it doesn’t really count” in the long run. And, most importantly, the Ravens went home without any major injuries to players. What was wrong? QB Tyrod Taylor threw a couple INTs. One I’ll say was a bad call on his part; the other looked like the receiver should have caught it. And, generally speaking, the defense left far too many gaps and open spots in the field for Eagles’ players to pass/catch/run through. T Oneil Cousins got seriously owned on the left side of the line. They were breaking him down like fractions. Yeah… it was that bad. And, generally speaking, the O-line didn’t provide the QBs any protection. There were as many – if not more – white jerseys in the backfield as purple ones. Was there anything “good” about the game?  Yes. TE Dennis Pitta showed some great ball-tracking and handling skills, especially as seen in his opening drive catch over FS Kurt Coleman. LB Paul Kruger also showed off some speed and tackling skill. Tyrod Taylor, INTs aside, put on a decent performance. Next, the Ravens take on the Houston Texans. Let’s hope that they take the lessons learned from this game and apply them…

Stray Toasters

• In a Summer Heat Wave, Making Off With the Cool
• Marvel LOLcats
• Metaphor: The Tree of Utah
• Cameron Exploring Crack Down on Social Media After Riots
• By way of BoingBoing: Revised London Olympics logo, now with rioter

  

• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
• Church Brawl: Minister and Deacon Charged in Alabama Tasing and Stabbing
• Farming with Dynamite
• Captain Morgan, the Rum Pirate, Lends a Knee to Hip Dislocation
• Genetically tailored virus may cure leukemia
• Postal Service considers cutting 120,000 jobs

And tonight: Cannons in the canyon and the Perseid Meteor Shower!

Namaste.

Wednesday – 10 August 2011
Two down, one in the chamber and two to go. It’s midweek and all’s well. It’s not a game night – and most likely, a non-sushi day – but there will be new things to read at Dr. Volt’s; that’s good enough for me.

This morning, I woke up with Europe’s The Final Countdown playing in my head. Why? No idea.

Last night was a fairly quiet and low-key night around the homestead. Highlights included a phone call with my mother, a very tasty dinner (chicken, couscous and corn — The ‘C’ Trifecta of Dinner!) that SaraRules! fixed, and SportsCenter. Speaking of SportsCenter, I heard this… odd… item on there. Although, it’s not so odd when you consider the source, actually:

Patriots receiver Chad Ochocinco is still settling into his new surroundings in New England, and he’s taking an unusual approach to his living situation.
“I’m going to do something different, I’m actually going to stay with a fan for the first two, three weeks of the season,” he said Tuesday. “That should be fun, until I get myself acclimated and learn my way around.”

Ochocinco hasn’t yet picked the fan.

“I’m not sure how it’s going to work, but they have to have internet and have to have Xbox,” he said. “That’s about it.”

Asked if he was serious, Ochocinco said, “Have I ever lied to you before?”

Told there were some “crazy” fans, Ochocinco said, “I rode a bull.”

Yeah. The man is the walking, talking embodiment of the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file.

Stray Toasters

• Londoners strike back with ‘Operation Riot Clean-up’
• Test Can Tell Fetal Sex at 7 Weeks, Study Says
• ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ vs. the Internet: How has a culture of leaks changed the moviegoing experience?
• QR Codes on Athletes’ Butts Is a Stupid, Sexist Idea
• 
• Heavy Trucks to be Subject to New Rules for Mileage
• Soldering Is Easy
• Ty Templeton simplifies comic fandom’s problem with the new Ultimate Spider-Man:

  

• Sillof’s Workshop: Serial Wars — Star Wars reimagined as a 1940’s serial
• Hacker to Demonstrate ‘Weak’ Mobile Internet Security
• 
• And in a somewhat related note: Oops! A Phone Number on a Toy Truck Turned Out to Be a Sex Line
• Giant water nymph causes a stir in Hamburg

Namaste.