Random Access

Tuesday – 17 July 2007
I woke up in my clothes again this morning
I don’t know exactly where I am
And I should heed my doctor’s warning
He does the best with me he can

Okay, I didn’t really wake up in my clothes. But I did wake up. Before the alarm. Again. Not terribly long before it went off, but enough to make me think,”I could have gotten another 15 minutes’ sleep…”

The commute was, for the most part, alright… with the notable exception of a couple of van-driving PoW monkeys. Driving a little below the posted speed. In the left lane. Up Traverse Mountain.

*braincramp*

This required some judicious passing on the right. In fact, I had to go two lanes to the right so that I could also get around the semi that was in the next lane in. Fortunately, I wasn’t alone in my decision to “Choose the Right.” (Yeah, like I was going to pass up that golden opportunity…)

Stray Toasters

• I think that this is pretty cool: One giant leap for space fashion: MIT team designs sleek, skintight spacesuit
• From Dwim: The Want List: Sweep the Foot!
• From Derek: Wal-Mart to Sell Jesus, Religious Action Figures
• By way of Eric: Abortion and Slavery
• Welcome Back, Potter
• 

Namaste.

Monday – 16 July 2007
It begins anew…

I’m not exactly sure what’s going on, but I think that my body is on “automatic pilot” or something along those lines. I was up at 6:11 AM. That’s not really a bad thing, as the alarm is set to go off at 6:15 AM. The… unusual (?) part is: I haven’t done anything like this since I was in high school, I think. Sure, I know that it’s basically my circadian rhythms getting in line with the (rough) schedule that I keep. I just found it a little odd. I’m pretty sure that it’s why I’ve been getting up so early on the weekends, too, though.

There’s something that I neglected to note last night: I noted how the new table – when the leaves are collapsed – looks a little small in the dining room. That’s fine, because I don’t need a huge table… and when I do need more space, I can extend the leaves. TADA! But, the table – like Mother Hubbard’s cupboards – was a bit bare. I have the place settings that Sib-1 and gave me a few years ago on the table (and they look rather nice, I might add), but there was still something missing. Basically, it needed a centerpiece or something to break up the blandness.

I found the perfect thing – at least for now or until something else strikes me as possibly “better.”

When my grandmother died, my father asked me if there was anything that I wanted from the old house. At the time, I could only come up with one thing (technically “four,” but let’s not quibble): A set of angels that I had given my grandmother for Christmas many years ago. I’m not sure exactly what they are made of; I don’t think it’s plaster or ceramic, but it’s something along those lines. I had originally planned to put them someplace else, but opted to set the four of them – wings to the middle, facing away from each other – in the center of the table. I’m rather happy with them there and they look good, to boot.

Stray Toasters

• Read this.
• I actually took the time to eat breakfast this morning. Just a bowl of cereal, but still… it’s something.
• From the “Some Peoples’ Children….” file (NOT to be confused with the “Children of Some Peoples’ Children” file): Nev. couple accused of starving infants while playing video games.
• By way of : Tokyo Dance Trooper
• 
• Code Monkey very simple man
  With big warm fuzzy secret heart:
  Code Monkey like you

Namaste.

Thursday – 05 July 2007
The work week resumes.

Yesterday was good. I spent part of the day hanging out with Kate, Perry and the kids… and part of the day with and family. And stuff. And whatnot. We only half-saw the fireworks last night, due to an obstructed view. Damned dirty trees! (Wow… I just had a horrible “Planet of the Acers” pun run through my head.) Although, we did see, hear and almost get set on fire by the ones that ‘ neighbors.

This morning, there were far more monkeys on the road than I would have ordinarily expected. The only real annoyance with them came near the tail end of the commute, so I shouldn’t complain too much. Speaking of which, had the (mis)fortune of hearing me rail at/against a slew of road monkeys – affectionately referred to as “cock monkeys,” if I recall correctly – Tuesday afternoon.

Stray Toasters

• Sometimes, whether it be Providence, Fate, Karma, cybermancy, technopathy or just lucky happenstance, you wind up hearing a song on your iPod that you haven’t heard in a long time. And it will make you smile. I was the beneficiary of such a circumstance while taking my morning constitutional.
• Speaking of music that makes me smile: The Salt Lake City Jazz Festival is this weekend.
• is trying to kill me. How do I know? She sent me a link to this.
• – Irish children swept out to sea
• – Indian woman strips in dowry row
• 
• First Amendment mob of photogs hit Silver Spring on July 4
• I started with a dream
  But came to a decision
  I started with a dream
  But now I have a mission
  I have a goal
  To see beyond my vision
  With imagination
  I’ll get there
• Cassandra Wilson, Impromtu
• Design story behind memorial for Madrid train bombings
• 

Time to pick up and put down heavy things.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 27 June 2007
Middle of the week and all’s well.

Last night was game night. Nominally. We had a hard time staying focused and keeping the game on-track. Hopefully, the (few) things we learned will be helpful and we didn’t neglect to ask something whose answer could wind up biting us in the collective ass.

Today, I have… huh… what have I done? Oh, wait: I went back and tracked down a problem with one of the systems I installed yesterday. And gone over more documentation for software. And stuff.

I recently got an email about a task that was supposed to take place a couple of weeks ago… but was decided against at the time. There was a rumour that it might still go through, but nothing definite. Until today. *sigh*

Let the monkeys hit the floor!
Let the monkeys hit the floor!
Let the monkeys hit the floor!
Let the monkeys hit the FLOOOOOOOOOR!

Stray Toasters

• Because I haven’t mentioned this enough…
• I haven’t listened to Snakes & Arrows nearly as much as I should have. I must rectify this.
• I have, however, started listening to each Rush CD as complete works. I have been toying with the idea of reviewing each CD: Highlight. Lowlight. Limelight.
• By way of ESPN.com: Philbrick: Lights, camera, graduation – Page 2’s ultimate commencement address
• Man spends 18 years making miniature garden castle
• 
• First Annual LEGO Creativity Awards
• – Video gaming is not an addiction, yet
• “Do you have a low tolerance for pain?”
• – Ann Coulter vs. Elizabeth Edwards

Namaste.

Monday – 25 June 2007
A new week begins. So far, it’s been decent. The morning commute wasn’t bad, although the road was pretty thick with monkeys. Decent music and a frozen mocha helped make things bearable.

Shortly after I got to work, I got a call from . On her way to work, she passed by 20+ police officers (from different agencies); she wanted to know if I had heard anything about it. I hadn’t. But, after some digging and an assist from , I found out what/why: This. *sigh* Some peoples’ children.

Stray Toasters

• I need to get more pretzel Goldfish.
• Confession: I like a few Everclear songs… despite the fact that many of their songs sound pretty much the same.
• Music Box Dancer. Dunno why, but I like this, too.
• Dysentery. Who knew?! Well, WHO knew, but that’s another story.
• Style, diplomacy… and three dumptrucks full of class.
• For :
  

More later.

Namaste.

Saturday – 23 June 2007
and her teammate Dina (“Scarlet Danger”) crashed here after Clitorati. Apparently, the kids remember , as they came out almost immediately to say “Hi.” And, they sidled up to Dina almost as quickly – which is a little atypical for them around strangers. This morning, and I went in search of caffeination (in which we were successful) and to pick up her brother, who is a referree for tonight’s bout. Back here so that the three of them could prep for the bout (while I watched today’s LSH episode). When wheels and bearings and other assorted items had been checked and changed and otherwise fiddled with, they headed off to a team brunch/meeting.

Today’s episode of Legion of Super Heroes was a rebroadcast of “Champions,” which (surprise!) I hadn’t seen. Lightning Lad was competing in the Galactic Games (think “Interstellar Olympics”), with Phantom Girl and Superman along for moral support. The games are being sabotaged by The Fatal Five… with the help of Mekt Ranzz, older brother of Lightning Lad. Some “famous faces” thrown in for added flavor are: competitors Jo Nah (not-yet-called Ultra Boy) and Tenzil Kem (Matter-Eater Lad, before he joins in “The Substitutes”) and President of the United Planets Winema Wazzo… Phantom Girl’s mother. Despite the superhero/supervillain brawl near the end, it was a fairly light episode; I’d almost go so far as to call it a filler episode. But it was a new (to me) ep. And it was Legion. And that was enough.

It’s a great day out there. I believe that I’m going to head downtown and take in some of the Arts Festival at some point this afternoon. A couple of hours down there should give me enough time to take in the artwork and the atmosphere… and work on my tan.

Stray Toasters

• pulled a Smokey and the Bandit for me.
• I have found my plectra!
• I have also found my roulette chips from Caesar’s Palace, The Hard Rock Hotel Casino and The State Line Hotel and Casino.
• “Hopen.” And I’m pretty happy with it.
• Because I am in touch with my inner lemming…
  $3950.00The Cadaver Calculator – Find out how much your body is worth

  Mingle² – Online Dating

• Reason #573826 of “Why Rob shouldn’t be allowed to play with PhotoShop when he’s bored” is…
  

• Guinness.
• 
• Giant monkey crotch playground toy
• By way of SciFi: Tapping Eager to Join Atlantis
• Tyranist: Are you familiar with this movie

Namaste.

Friday (coda)
Post-work, I did some straightening (and even threw in a little cleaning, for good measure). I played with the cats in between bouts of “I don’t feel like dealing with [insert cleaning task] just yet.” Then, a shower and out the door fo Clitorati.

Tonight’s gathering was smallish, but good. , and two of her teammates, arrived a little after 9:00 PM. After introductions were bandied about, we sat, chatted and drank our beverages of choice. Then, it was on to dinner.

Tomorrow is Derby Day. In light of that, here is a simple list of the positions and rules (1, 2) for the bout. And it seems as though more people than I thought are interested in sitting in the “Suicide Seats.” It should be fun.

Stray Toasters

• “Common sense, unfortunately, isn’t.” I came up with this a few months ago. When I look at the number of times/cases when it’s been applicable, I almost get the urge to trademark it.
• For …
  “Did you see the new Batman costume for The Dark Knight?”
  
• What do you get when you mix math and rock music? Questionable Content has the answer.
• loves me (or at least tolerates me). How do I know? She sent me a link to this and this.
• sent me a link to this story yesterday.
• By way of comes a link to this t-shirt.

Namaste.

Tuesday – 12 June 2007
I must have been “a little” tired last night – I fell asleep reading Vision of the Future. But, I did it in my comfy chair – thank you, Cardinal Fang – so it was alright.

This morning is proceeding apace. Up, equipped and on the road. Traffic was a little heavier than usual, but not horribly so. As I was passing out of Sandy and into Draper, Drowning Pools’ Bodies found its way into the drivetime musical oleo. I found myself reparsing the lyrics to “Let the monkeys hit the floor!” It amused me. Now that I think about it, though, it probably should have been something along the lines of “Throw the monkeys out the door!” I would also like to say that I Would Die 4 U/Baby I’m a Star make for some fine traveling music.

I’ve been toying with the WordPress portion of my site. I’m considering moving most/all/some (who knows?!) content into it and unifying the overall look of the site. Of the parts that I have played with, I like the way it looks.

Stray Toasters

• I just had a toaster pastry… from a not-so-stray toaster.
• Let me see if I got this right: First, we have a wooden marionette that wanted to be a real boy. Now we have a bicycle made of wood?
• just sent a link to this story. Words fail me.
• ATI or nVidia? What’s your weapon of choice and why?
• Superhero Celebrity Poker
• Conversations with often take amusing – if not very odd – turns:

[06:59] evangelinaarion: wow if you cross the two pics you sent me, you get the pic i sent you
[07:02] shadorunr: Yep.
[07:02] shadorunr: Like a… digital Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.
[07:03] shadorunr: “You got your Catwoman in my Strawberry Shortcake!”
[07:03] shadorunr: “You got your Strawberry Shortcake on my Catwoman!”
[07:03] shadorunr: Mmmmm.

• Is the Xbox 360 Core System about to undergo a price drop?
• Papurika (Paprika) is coming to the Broadway in a couple weeks. It looks like it could be as weird as Perfect Blue. I shall have to go and see it.

  

• Oh, YEAH!
• Quentin Tarantino’s Penny Dreadful: Steampulp Fiction

Namaste.

Tuesday – 29 May 2007
The first thing that went through my mind when I was typing the date was: “Tuesday is Blues day.” Bonus points if you remember what that meant.

A/another short week begins. Amen.

My mother’s going in for surgery this afternoon. From what I understand, it’s not a big deal, but it could/will prevent a much bigger deal. When I called her to say “Hi” this morning, she was in the salon, preparing to get her hair done. Before… going… to…. *sigh* Yeah. That’s Mom. Kris is going to call me, post-op, to give me the low-down on how it went and how Mom’s doing.

The commute was, for the most part, good. There were a couple of monkeys who made me wish that I had shock collars or a cattle prod, but the rest of the… huh, “a barrel” really is one of the names for a group of monkeys… anyway, the rest of them were fairly docile. This morning’s musical oleo came from my Rush playlist. (I’ll avoid making any other bad “Rush hour” jokes, other than that one.):

• Cold Fire
• The Spirit of Radio
• Tai Shan
  
• Grand Designs
  
• Animate
  
• Freewill

That made dealing with the road monkeys a little easier, too.

Stray Toasters

• I had a cinnamon roll and a frozen mocha… which I managed to get into the building without issue this morning.
• The Politics of Dancing
• 
• Go, Pacers!
  (Huh…? They aren’t in the playoffs? Oh. Nevermind, then.)
• “Less Human Than Human”
• Does anyone remember Gorf? I used to love that game.
• As His Chocolate Holiness, I think that Derek deserves elevation to a position above “Acolyte.” Possibly even something above “Priest.” My inner anarchist – which in this case may be “my inner Antichrist” – wants to make him “Bishop,” just because of the fact that we are in Utah.
• 
• Alter Ego: author’s audio slideshow of gamers and avatars
• Death by Pillsbury
• I have made references to satisfying my inner Kryptonian/Daxamite while taking my morning and afternoon constitutionals. This morning, I came up with a variation on that theme: Who are solar-powered heroes/villains in the MU/DCU? I came up with the following:
• Superman
• Supergirl
• Mon-El (M’onel / Valor)
• Andromeda
• Any other Kryptonian or Daxamite you’d care to name
• The brothers Summers: Cyclops and Havok (I’m not sure abot Vulcan, as his powers haven’t been fully explained.)
• Bizarro, I would assume
• SunspotI’m sure that I’ve missed a few, but those were the only ones who came to mind.
• ::: CLASSIFIED :::
• 777-9311

Namaste.

Friday – 25 May 2007
Aside from dropping my mocha – 23½ ounces of pure frozen mocha goodness – on the way into the building this morning, it’s been a good day. Quiet. Only a couple of very small fires to put out. And, I got a headstart by starting the day in the SLC office.

But there is still that whole “I dropped 23½ oz. of frozen mocha goodness” thing. *sigh*

Last night, some of the Clitorati got together for dinner at Olive Garden. I had one of the new featured dishes: Stuffed Chicken Marsala. It was rather good. I recommend it. After dinner, I went home, with the intent of checking my email and then spending some time on the mean streets of Paragon City. I made it as far as checking the email and starting the CoH loader. While waiting for a new patch to be applied, I went into the bedroom and stretched out on the bed, ostensibly “just for a minute.”

Three hours later…

Yeah, the only thing left to do at that point was turn off the lights and go to bed. And that’s what I did.

Stray Toasters

• I have spread the Gospel According to IKEA to and onlyaly. They have seen the light. *genuflect*
• knows of my… affinity… for IKEA. We were talking yesterday and this came up:

[15:23] asdf_cat: so i’ve realized something that might be a serious problem.
[15:23] shadorunr: ?
[15:23] asdf_cat: you.. drive by IKEA twice every day.
[15:23] shadorunr: Yeah.
[15:23] shadorunr: I know.
[15:24] asdf_cat: that just doesn’t seem safe for you or IKEA.
[15:29] shadorunr: http://www.applegeeks.com/comics/viewcomic.php?issue=165
[15:29] shadorunr: It’s kind of like that.
[15:30] shadorunr: http://www.applegeeks.com/comics/viewcomic.php?issue=166
[15:30] asdf_cat: yeah. a problem!
[15:31] shadorunr: Potentially.

• Shortly after this conversation, I remembered that my weekly Status Report was due. And, since it has to go to Mr. , I attached the following to my report. And it took almost NO time to come up with. Apologies to Misters Lee, Lifeson and Peart…

We’ve taken care of everything
From food to eat
To sheets you clean
And hooks on which
Your wet linen can dry

Poäng for all, Amon for one
Put together
Groove and tongue
Lack – tables or shelving
Hung up high…

We are the priests
Of the Temples of Sweden
Our great furniture
Fills the hallowed halls.
We are the Priests
Of the Temples of Sweden
Sofas, beds and lights
Are held with in our walls

• Derek sent me a link to this story, with the following commentary, which made me laugh:

[16:44] Derek: the title made me laugh more than anything
[16:44] shadorunr: Wow.
[16:45] Derek: now we know who let those mother freaking snakes on that mother freaking plane

• just sent me a link to following “news story” (link below) from Utah ABC4. Could they sensationalize this any more?! Or researched it any less?! Monkeys.

[14:54] janietrain: You should be so rpoud of your locals.
[14:54] shadorunr: Hiya.
[14:54] shadorunr: Um…
[14:54] janietrain: http://www.abc4.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=65333
[14:54] shadorunr: MD or NC locals?
[14:54] janietrain: Utah locals
[14:54] janietrain: Check out that video.
[14:54] janietrain: You shall laugh until you pee.
[14:55] shadorunr: Very little that they do makes me proud.
[14:55] shadorunr: 🙂
[14:55] shadorunr: *watches*
[14:55] janietrain: hehehe
[14:55] janietrain: This is possibly the most out of touch, reactionary thing I’ve ever seen in the history of TV news.

• J.A.F.O.
• Eric sent me a link to a story on NPR called ‘Rethinking Thin’ and the Myths, Realities of Dieting. It’s about a book by Gina Kolota. When I read her name, the first thing that came to mind was…

If you like Gina Kolota
Getting caught in the rain…

• Demented kids’ book photoshopping contest
• 
• Steampunk turntable

And I’m going to hit “Publish” before Firefox decides to firmly insert its head up its ass. Again.

Namaste.

Saturday – 19 May 2007
WHY was I awake at 8:06 AM?!  There’s no discernable reason that I’ve come up with, so far.  None.  But, there I was -  my time in The Dreaming at an end.  Although, given some of the dreams I’ve had lately, being awake isn’t such a bad thing.

Yesterday was a good day.  Because I didn’t sleep well/much Thursday night, I stopped for a triple-shot laden cup of frozen mocha goodness on the way to work.  I got to the office, put out a few small fires, did some reading and then the day was done: The IT department had “offsite training” – lunch at Cafè Trang and Spider-day Night Fever Spider-Man 3.   After the movie was over, a couple of guys asked what I thought of it; I repeated what I had said a couple of weeks ago: “It wasn’t Amazing.  It wasn’t Sensational.  It wasn’t Spectacular.  But, it was fun.”  A couple of them looked at me and asked: “You saw this already!?  Why did you see it again?”  My answer was simple: “Because I didn’t have to pay for it.  And I can spring for a bucket of popcorn for a free movie.”  (I did kick myself for not taking my refillable cup, though.)  After the movie, I stopped by to see Kate, Perry and the kids for a bit.  Then, I was off to dinner with Jenn at Yamato.  Teriyaki beef with sushi… which turned out to be pretty tasty California Rolls.  I also had a couple of pieces of Ika (squid) nigiri.  Then, back to ‘ders for Clitorati.  But, by the time I got there, the party had already moved to Applebee’s.  But, I ran into Gin and Roger, a couple I know from Jitterbug; I talked with them for a few minutes.  As I was getting ready to head out, showed up… so we headed to Cheers: North to hang with everyone else.

Did I mention that I still have no idea why I was up so early this morning?  I did?  Oh.  Alright.  Just checking.

The only thing on the day’s agenda was Tristan’s birthday party this afternoon.  Operative word: “Was.”  Seems as though I may be heading to the zoo shortly – Liz wants to go, I have an open schedule and I haven’t been in a while.  After all, it’s the zoo.  Speaking of which, I need to make a foray to the Living Planet Aquarium – I want to see how it stacks up against the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Hmm… since I’m going to the zoo, can I use “monkeys!” as a tag for this post…?  Oh, what the Hell.  Why not?  It’s my blog.  And, just like Bobby said: “It’s my prerogative.”

Stray Toasters

• I have coffee.  All is becoming right with the world once more.
• UTFO
• “Fuckmuppetry.”   (And, no, this is not an Avenue Q reference.)
• Tyranist and I were discussing this the other day: While we realize that flashy costumes are part and parcel of the four-color comics superhero world, why don’t more heroes wear costumes/outfits that are easily replaceable?  Something off-the-rack, for example.  Look at how often a hero’s costume gets torn to shreds in the heat of battle.  Wouldn’t it be much easier to pop into Kohl’s or The Gap or Dillard’s, pick up a new shirt (or jacket or pants) and get back on the job?  Instead, they either have to whip up a new costume or go see their tailor/costumer and wait.  (Of course, no one ever waits in comic-time, but you know what I mean…)
• : I don’t know if you’ve gotten into HeroClix, but has a new item about the upcoming Legion of Super-Heroes set, if you’re interested.
• There were a few videos I wanted to look for on YouTube, but I can’t remember what they were.  Frustrating.
• 

Zoom!

Namaste.

Monday (coda)
Tonight, I watched the next-to-last episode of the season of the Angry Jack Show 24. It was good… and, of course, had a last-minute plot twist that I didn’t see coming. And I’m still trying to get my head around the concept of Powers Boothe as a not-so-likable Vice President. Although, he did play the charismatic Jim Jones in Guyana Tragedy many moons past…

Other than that, it’s been a rather quiet evening.

Stray Toasters

• I want to clarify something from this afternoon’s post: IMPACT = creepy/odd/bizarre. I have no desire or intent of becoming one of the Stepford Children. Some of the things my coworker told me about that organization – a member of his family became involved with IMPACT a many years ago – came off sounding almost cultish or like a Mirror Universe version of Amway. Thank you, no… I’ll pass.
• For those of you who are planning on boycotting gas stations tomorrow: You might want to read this. I’m not trying to dissuade you from doing not buying gas, if you feel that it will make a difference, but there is some good information here.
• Geek Troubador Jonathan Coulton profiled in New York Times Magazine
• For Tyranist and :
  
• Pirates of the Great Salt Lake
• – Japan boy ‘severs mother’s head’
• PX! Book One: A Girl and Her Panda
• I should see if I can track down a copy of Tailgunner Jo; I don’t think that I fully appreciated that story when it was originally released.
• …and I also need to figure out to whom I loaned my copy of The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes. My signed copy. *sigh*
• …and I want to track down issues of The Griffin.
• From lordmesa, of the Comics2Film Digital Concept Gallery, comes a simple – yet effective and elegant – solution to Civil Bore War:
  
• I believe that I shall have a Merlot nightcap again tonight.
• If anyone has suggestions of a good brand and/or type of wine that I should try, please let me know.
• Papercraft Back to the Future III Train

Time to go punch holes in the walls of the universe and screw with continuity.  Again.

Namaste.

Friday – 11 May 2007
End. Of. The. Week.

Last night, post-work, was good.  And quiet.  CSI: Spaghetti.  And a lot of not much else… although, I did go out for a late night mocha.  I found it rather amusing that, by the time I got back home, I was about ready to hit the rack… and did… and didn’t have any issues falling asleep.

And, on top of all that: I was up before the alarm went off this morning.  Go figure.

So far, the day’s been good.  I’m still stuck as to what’s hanging up this problem system.  But, I’ll either fix it… or drop kick it.  Into Utah Lake.

And, tonight: Clitorati.

Stray Toasters

• I have made a horrible – yet terribly amusing – discovery:  The Crüxshadows’ Earthfall is just slightly more uptempo than Prince’s When Doves Cry… but with a little tweaking, they blend in a decent way.  I have been driving around listening to Earthfall and singing Doves over it.  And laughing a lot.
• That led me to another discovery: Pacemaker, a WinAmp plugin that lets you modify the tempo, pitch and speed of an mp3… on the fly.
• For the record: When Doves Cry has to be sped up 3% to work.  It’s still not perfect… but it’s not bad.
• showed me a link to a site called Jewcy.
• Damn Pepperdge Farm for making their Pretzel Goldfish so damned tasty!
• Steampunky assemblage clock
• You know who you are…
  
• Derek watched American History X last night.  His training is proceeding nicely.
• HOWTO make a Carbonite Han Solo chocolate bar
• 
• Next time someone tells you to “Shove a cork in it,” show them this.
• Who can turn the stove on with her smile?
  Who can take a bubblebath
  And suddenly fill it with crocodiles?
  ‘Cause it’s you, Dot, and you should know it
  Put nitro on a bridge go ahead and blow it
  Mud is all around, I guess it’s Spring
  Name another crooner, other than Bing
  Don’t throw your hat up in the air
  Cause what might land is a Frigidaire!
  Dot!
• I found a link to this The Horrible Pirates webcomic… and the last panel reminded me of this.

Namaste.

Sunday – 06 May 2007
Today has been good.

Long, but good. Last night, post-graduation party, some of us wound up in the rents’ room for a conversation that evolved/degenerated into the typical socio-economic discussions that seem to arise when members of my family and extended family get together. It lasted into the wee hours.

This morning started with two trips to the airport and a trip to Kris’ place. From there it was back up 85/40 to the homestead. I relaxed for a bit before heading out to meet , Thomas and Don for dinner at Outback. Prime rib. Cheese Fries. Beer! Don and I went to see Spider-Man 3.

It was good. And fun. It wasn’t Amazing, Sensational or Spectacular, but it was a nice way to pass a couple of hours with a friend. It will make a nice addition to the comics-to-film collection. After the movie, I took Don home and hung out with his family for a bit. While there, I was informed that “…cats are nocturnal.” By Thomas. Which caught me ever-so-slightly off-guard. I wasn’t expecting to hear that… let alone from the resident 5-year-old. But, then I considered the gene donors and things made a little more sense. A little.

Stray Toasters

• I have 12 Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
• This short, Swing, played before Spider-Man 3.  It’s by Esteban Azuela… and it’s cute.  Watch it.
• Don has a monkey.
  A Rikti monkey.
  For a pet.
  (*mutter*  You magnificent bastard!)
  He got it for being in Paragon City for three years.
• I have read the last three installments of 52. Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.
• – Online Communites Map
• By way of boingboing.net – Iraq: Kurdish girl stoned to death, mob films it on cameraphones
• : Aitch N I C. Mastermind. Thugs. Dark.
• By way of slashdot: Utah Anti-Kids-Spam Registry “a Flop”
• The front door may slam
  But the back door it rings…
• America’s Favorite Cites 2007, from Travel + Leisure
• Not that I needed it, but has given me another reason to love her.

Namaste.

04 May 2007
Greetings from the Right Coast.

Red eye flights… not necessarily my favorite way to travel, but they do serve the purpose. Because, God knows, airlines don’t serve much else.  A cup – maybe a can – of a soft drink or juice, if you’re lucky. Food? Forget it.  Unless you want to pay for it. Um… yeah. No, thanks.

But, Jessica Hagy at Indexed made a good observation…

…and I have to agree.  Especially at  McCarran International Airport (LAS). Sweet traveling monkey-squeezin’ Jesus!  Let’s see… we had:

• First there were the “Gotta get my last fix” monkeys, playing slots at the gate. Keep feedin’ them machines!!! Keep the quarters coming!!! Yeah.  Them.
• Then, there was the young lady who decided that rather than sit next to anyone, she would just… pull out a mini-blanket, throw her duffel bag on the floor and just… stretch out.  And she did. With the quickness.
• But, the best people were the ones who couldn’t stop staring at the lying-down girl. It was like it was some oddity/novelty. And I do mean full-on stare.  Mouths open. Eyes wide. You would have thought that they were codfish.

Those were the prime examples. The rest of the people were fairly run-of-the-mill. But, they were still fun to watch.

The flights were uneventful.  I read from SLC to Vegas.  I slept most of the way from Vegas to Charlotte. And dozed from Charlotte to Raleigh – short flight. When I got to Raleigh, I went to the baggage carousel to get my bag. I watched it go around.  And around.  And around. And no bag.

 *braincramp*

  The first thing that I thought of was the Christmas baggage debacle.  That did not fill my head with happy thoughts.  I walked into the Baggage Service Office to see if someone could figure out what happened to it… and there was my bag.  Apparently, there was a direct flight LAS – RDU flight that left a little before my flight did.  My bag – being smarter than my ticketing service, apparently – took the non-stop flight.  *sigh*
And, so, in the words of Queen: “Now I’m here…”  And, it sounds like the day is going to be… busy.  Oh, boy.

Stray Toasters

• I didn’t even eat any of my snacks on the flight.  Oh, well… that means more for later!
• Gallery of 1970s Kirby covers
• I’ve put decent dents in Specter of the Past and Pattern Recognition
• I think that Don and I are going to try and catch Spider-Man 3 in Sunday.
  
• Celebrating Alice Day with the finest Wonderland edition I’ve seen
• has been on something of a cat picture kick of late.  And it’s been funny cat pics, including this one:
  
• sent me a link to this flickr page.  First picture made me laugh.
• How to Open Things
• : It’s not “anal bleaching,” but I figured that you’d appreciate this.

And it looks like we’re about to start doing stuff.  Which means a lot of running around. Wahoo.  Yippeeki-yay.

Namaste.