Random Access

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.

Tuesday – 09 August 2011
If you’re old enough to remember that tagline, then… I don’t know. Fill in your own witticism here. For those of you for whom it does not ring a bell, it was from when NBC had a show on the air called Hill Street Blues. It was… dun dun DUNNNNN… a police procedural. As did many shows of the day, its theme song composed by Mike Post.

So far, it’s been a decent work day. Earlier, as I was working with one of our QA testers, there was some busy/”Why isn’t this working!?” time while trying to get a couple of his systems switched between a couple of networks. Part of the problem laid in the gap between “This is what we need to do for compliance” and “This is how he wanted it to work for convenience.” We came to terms. (And I didn’t even have to break out the orange hammer…)

Stray Toasters

• Stocks Suffer Sharpest Drop Since 2008
• Britain Burns: Riots Spread Through U.K. Cities
• London paralyzed by fear, shock as businesses smolder
• Black Hat: Insulin pumps can be hacked
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
• Michele Bachmann Supports View That Slavery Wasn’t So Bad After All
• Police urge use of holster after man shoots his own penis
• 
• The Apple Store at Fashion Place has an official opening date.
• Jazz’s Present Gets Its Chance at Newport
• 10 great places to eat like a local

That’s good for now.

Namaste.

Friday – 05 August 2011
It’s my day off. So far, I’ve celebrated that by sleeping in, watching the Juno mission launch on NASA TV and then going to the gym. All things considered, I’d have to say that’s a good way to start the day. I’m trying to figure out how to spend the next few hours. “Housework” just does not hold an appeal, so I believe that I’ll go gallivanting around town.

Today is also my friend, Christine’s, birthday:

Last night, SaraRules! and I had dinner at the local Outback Steakhouse. And it was even her idea. Win-Win! Cheese Fries. Prime Rib. Delicious. After that, it was a lazy do-nothing kind of night, complete with Burn Notice and Suits and – for the first time in a long while – a whole episode of Le Late Late Show avec Craig Ferguson in Paris.

Workout
As I mentioned, I actually dragged myself to the gym today:

• Elliptical: 15 min, 1.45 mi
• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps — 2 sets @ 165 lbs, 1 set @ 175 lbs
• Sit-ups (incline): 3 sets/15 reps
• Flys (dumbbell, bench): 3 sets/10 reps, 20 lbs
• Curls (dumbbell, seated): 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs
• Shoulder Press (dumbbell, seated): 3 sets/10 reps, 40 lbs

It wasn’t the world’s longest workout, but it was more than enough to get the blood pumping.

Stray Toasters

• Guardians of Internet Security Are Targets
• Office equipment open to hacker attacks
• How Can You Dress Well at Every Age?
• Let’s Be Friends Again often pokes fun at the comics industry, but I particularly appreciated the commentary that accompanied this comic:
  
• Are Dolphins flirting with Brett Favre?
  I hope not…
• Atlas rockets could carry astronauts to space again
• Ford Is Purging CD Players From Their Cars
• From the Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Japanese company makes creepy dolls that look like their owners

Time to get “right on the to friction of the day…”

Namaste.

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

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

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

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

Stray Toasters

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

  

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

Namaste.

Wednesday – 27 July 2011
It’s the middle of the afternoon in the middle of the week. It’s been a sporadically busy day. And, as it’s Wednesday, it turned out that today was, in fact, Sushi Wednesday… although I didn’t go. That’s okay. There will be others.

Last night was Guys’ Night Out. Josh, Ryan, , and and I met up at MacCool’s for beer, food and chat. Once again, we (almost) closed the place down. And it was good.

Stray Toasters

• Don’t forget: System Administrator Day is Friday, 29 July 2011

  

• Classical Lost and Found: Remaking ‘Metropolis’
• Hershey Kisses with Caramel. ‘Nuff said.
• What Happens When a Bus Stop Is Turned Into a Lounge Room?
• DesPop: The Art of Des Taylor
• Got $799,000? You could buy a town in South Dakota
• Fast Slow Food
• The Chart That Should Accompany All Conversations of the Debt Ceiling
• I’m certain that I will find this quite apt in the next few months:

  

• While I don’t necessarily need/want a nap like I did yesterday, I’m ready to call it a day and go home… unfortunately, there are still a few hours left in the work day.
• Hot reads: Tuesday’s NFL player moves, news
• In Which Tim Gunn Tells Men to Watch Project Runway
• Korean Air jets being fitted with three bars

Namaste.

Monday – 25 July 2011
Another work week begins. Many/most of the state offices and local businesses will be closed today in celebration of Pioneer Day (which I will refrain from calling “Mormon Christmas”), which was actually yesterday… but, everyone knows that you can’t celebrate a holiday on a Sunday, especially here in the Land Behind the Zion Curtain.

Today is also Lish’s birthday:

This has been a busy, but productive, weekend. The (new) guest room has been painted and the furniture has been moved to the new room. The former guest room is now in the process of becoming the nursery – baby furniture (or at least the boxes with the furniture) has been placed in the room. Many thanks to , , and Logan for their time in helping to get things situated!

SaraRules! and I also made it up to Deer Valley on Saturday evening to see Chris Botti perform with the Utah Symphony. It was a good concert and the crowd was quite receptive to Mr. Botti and his guest performers, Lisa Fischer and… a violinist whose name eludes me.

Groove. Boogie. Sway.
Today’s musical shuffle selection has been a good one for a Monday morning:

• Liz Phair – The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)
  (Hey, it was stuck in my head after watching a Boomerang-a-long last week…)
• Tin Machine – One Shot
• Ray Charles – Sticks and Stones
• Jamie Cullum – Wind Cries Mary
• 16 Volt – Keep Sleeping
• The Charlie Daniels Band – The Devil Went Down to Georgia

Yeah, that’s a good start for a Monday.

Stray Toasters

• After Long Wait, Same-Sex Couples Marry in New York
• This makes me smile:

  

  (click for full-sized image)

• At 100, Still Keeping Time as the Leader of the Band
• For some reason, this popped into my head yesterday. It made me laugh.
• Five best small towns in America
• How a Man Should Age, Fashionably
• 
• NFL players set to OK labor deal
  • N.F.L. Lockout Keeps Rookie Free Agents in Limbo
  • Michael Vick would welcome Brett Favre as a backup

  

• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: To Reach Simple Life of Summer Camp, Lining Up for Private Jets

We now return you to your regularly-scheduled Monday.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 20 July 2011
Today marks the 42nd anniversary of the first time that a man set foot on the moon (1, 2) .

As taken from the Purdue University Facebook page:

Today in history: On July 20, 1969, Purdue graduate and astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. That one small step has been inspiring Boilermakers and the rest of the world ever since!

That’s right, a Boilermaker did that.

Last night was D&D 3.5 game night with and company. It was a good session. We encountered an odd group of people at a desert oasis. They were – or at least seemed – friendly enough. And they were… helpful… in that they helped us find a city that we were seeking. And by “helped us find” I mean,”they gated us to the city, which turned out to be of the ‘long-lost’ and ‘floating-in-the-air’ variety. And that’s where we’re picking up next time.

I considered hitting the gym after gaming, but as it was late (after 2300) and I had an early – and long – day on the agenda for today, I opted out. Today is rather full with: A doctor’s appointment (for the twins) this morning and a screening of Captain America this evening… oh, yeah, there’s work on both sides of that doctor’s appointment, too.

::: break for appointment :::

Post-appointment update: SaraRules! and both kids are fine. (And her doctor won’t let her go past 38 weeks.)

Groove. Boogie. Sway.
This morning’s music selection has been varied and quite good:

• Rush – Limelight (which, to be honest, wasn’t so random a selection…)
• Shirley Bassey – Goldfinger
• Tony! Toni! Tone’! – Born Not to Know
• Robbie Williams – Rock DJ
• En Vogue – You Don’t Have to Worry
• Snoop Dogg (ft. Pharell) – Drop It Like It’s Hot
• Liz Phair – Supernova

Not a bad way to kick off a Wednesday, at all.

Stray Toasters

• Farewell, MacBook. It appears as though Apple has consolidated the line to MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, only.
• Utah Liquor Laws, as Mixed Up as Some Drinks
• QR codes everywhere — even on grave markers
• 
• 14 Navy commanders relieved of duty, prompting conduct memo
• With N.F.L. Deal in Sight, Both Sides Can Claim Gains
• Curtis Granderson: Where are all the black fans?
• 
• Why Borders Failed While Barnes & Noble Survived
• While I’d seen the first video done for the X-Men parody of Born This Way, I hadn’t seen this version.  Thanks to for pointing it out:

• And that, naturally, leads to this:

  

• Why Did They Put Cargo Netting on Combat Helmets?
• U.S. to Close 800 Computer Data Centers

Namaste.

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

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

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

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

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

Stray Toasters

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

  

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

Friday – 15 July 2011
Another 9/80 “on” Friday in the valley. I’m in the office, with a frozen mocha, a couple of doughnuts and Weapon of Choice on iTunes. I’m at work, but it doesn’t totally suck… and I’m okay with that.

Last night, SaraRules! and I had another childbirth class. One of the things we learned about was breathing techniques. I was (somewhat) able to control my laughter when this came up, because I couldn’t get Bill Cosby’s routine about childbirth out of my head:

There was another part of the class where our instructor talked about methods to help induce labor. At one point she said “Jumping on a tramp.”  Logically, I know that she meant “jumping on a trampoline,” but in my head I got a F*ck Yeah Headlines-like image of a pregnant woman jumping up and down on the back of a vagrant. Again, I managed to stifle (most of) my laughter.

After we got home, SaraRules! and I also started filling out some sections of the babies’… er… baby books. We went with the Guess How Much I Love You: My Baby Book for both kids. We are jointly filling in pages, so there’s uniformity between the books.

Groove. Boogie. Sway.
This morning’s musical selections have been good:

• Stevie Wonder – Superstition
• No Doubt – Hella Good
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Runnin’ Down a Dream
• Prince – Let’s Go Crazy, and
• the aforementioned Fatboy Slim – Weapon of Choice

Well done, iTunes. Well done indeed.

Stray Toasters

• Let’s start with a few comics-related items:
• CCI apologizes for asking Matt Wayne to change his Dwayne McDuffie tribute
• If you’re not reading Love and Capes – especially after all of the times I’ve told you strongly suggested that you should be reading it – then you’re missing out on a fun, well-written book.

  

  Because of a shipping snafu, I just got my copy of IDW’s Love and Capes: Ever After #5 yesterday… two weeks late.  Despite having a major plot point spoiled last week, there were plenty of other surprises in the issue. It was a fantastic read and well worth the delay — author/artist Thom Zahler truly knocked this one out of the park.

• Hester Rebuilds “The Bionic Man”
• Chris Evans delivers Letterman’s superhero-themed Top 10 List
• Big monkey goes around the world
  Big monkey underground
  Big monkey got a mighty voice
  Big monkey make no sound

  Yep… I’m still amused by that.

• Esquire’s Very Specific Guide to the Great Outdoors
• My friend, Peggy, posted a link to Seven Things That Women Do on Facebook That Guys Hate. While I don’t necessarily “hate” these items, I’ll admit that I just don’t “get” Item #2: Making That Duck Face. I don’t see what’s made it so common/popular. *shrug* Maybe it’s me. Maybe it’s Maybelline.
• 
• New Frederick railroad museum brings world of delight to all ages
  Check out the museum’s website, as well.
• With Deal on Rookie Wages, N.F.L. Lockout Nears the End
• Report: NFL owners, players agree on rookie wage scale
• According to an article on Comic Book Resources:
  

  Borders Group, the second-largest bookstore chain in the United States, could be liquidated as early as next week if no other suitors step forward by Sunday evening, the deadline established by a federal bankruptcy court.

• Internet Use Affects Memory, Study Finds
• Aria resort in Las Vegas linked to 6 Legionnaire’s cases

Namaste.

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

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

  

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

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

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

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

This morning’s iTunes musical oleo included:

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

I consider that another good musical start to the day.

Stray Toasters

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

Namaste.

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

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

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

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

…which, naturally, made me think of this:

 ::: INTERMISSION :::

And today was Sushi Wednesday!

Stray Toasters

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

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

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

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

Namaste.

Tuesday – 05 July 2011
The holiday weekend ends; the work week begins.

Yesterday was a fairly low-key day, which was a good way to wind down a somewhat busy weekend. Last night, we joined Angy and for dinner at Olive Garden and fireworks at Sugarhouse Park. Dinner was good… at least, it was good for us. There was a new waiter (not ours) who was having a rough night – he had a couple of sizable spills at two tables. Not the most auspicious of evenings, I’d surmise. The fireworks were also good. And the people-watching was sublime.

I got to bed, ready for a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, it was not to be. I slept, but it was far from restful. I was up about an hour before my alarm went off, but by that point, I’d was so irritated that I decided to go ahead and start the day. On the up side: Being in the office an hour early means that I will be off work an hour earlier… and as I’m in the south office today, that ain’t a bad thing.

And… it’s game night.

Stray Toasters

• I’d like to blame the problems we’ve seen this morning on monkeys……but I can’t.
  They seem more attributable to gremlins, actually.
• Verizon Is Ditching Unlimited Data Plans on July 7th
• 
• Researchers cast doubt on cell-phone cancer risk
• The Paperless Cockpit
• Yes, coffee IS awesome.
• Security firm warns of Google+ spam run
• The ‘Ring’ Is a Supreme Test for Opera Directors
• I wish that I had seen this yesterday…

  

• California state workers’ data taken from state offices
• End of shuttle program slams Space Coast economy

Namaste.

Wednesday – 29 June 2011
It’s midweek, and I don’t think that I’ve been so happy to see a Wednesday roll around in a long time. It’s not that this has been a bad one. It just feels like it’s been exceptionally long. On the “plus” side, it’s new comics day and game night, so there are a couple of things to which I can look forward.

Last night was Guys’ Night Out. , , , Corey, Steve (the father-in-law) and I headed up to MacCool’s Public House for beer, food and shooting the bull. It was a very good way to spend the evening.

After I got home, I watched The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson for the first time in… longer than I care to admit. One of his guests was Neil Gaiman. The interview was fun, as the two went on and on about Doctor Who — Gaiman wrote an episode for the show this season; Ferguson was a big fan of the show in his youth. Later in the interview, Gaiman also made an amusing comment in which he posited that Mythbusters‘ Jamie Hyneman might be Cthulhu.

This morning, not long before the alarm went off, I had a dream in which Neil Gaiman appeared: He was in town for a book signing and we hung out. I met him once, very briefly, at a signing nearly ten years ago…

…he was quite pleasant. And, I would most definitely hang out and have a pint or two with him, but I don’t think that we necessarily run in the same circles.

Stray Toasters

• Gibbs’ Rules
• I find “victuals” to be a weird word. I find it even more odd/amusing because its pronunciation is “vittles.”  (like “Tender Vittles,” for the cat owners out there.)Given that, maybe I should cut some slack for the people who pronounce “nuclear” as “nu-cu-lar.”  Or not.
• 
• When Fashion Meets Fishing, the Feathers Fly
• Everything You Need to Know About Coffee in Less Than Five Minutes

• No More Silent Summers
• Black unemployment at Depression-era levels
• Debris Gives Space Station Crew Members a 29,000 MPH Close Call
• 
• USA beats North Korea 2-0 behind Lauren Cheney’s goal
• Gas Card — With a ‘G’ as in Gimmick

Namaste.