Random Access

Saturday – 05 November 2011
It’s Guy Fawkes Day. You remember… the day (well, night) that V blew up Parliament in that movie by the Wachowski brothers.

Last night, SaraRules! gave me a hall pass to go to coffee for a bit. There wasn’t a huge turnout, but it was nice to be there – I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed it in the past couple of months. Of course, it made sense: It’s been a part of my weekly routine for over ten (10) years now. Naturally, I’d miss it.  So, thanks to the World’s Greatest Comic Magazine Wife for the opportunity to hang out with friends!

After coffee, I came back home and we watched Fringe before calling it a night.

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

Stray Toasters

• It snowed this morning.
• greeted me online earlier. I responded “Hola” in response (I ain’t no hollaback girl…) and then this wound up stuck in my head:

• The artwork of Malika Favre
• Your Commute Is Slowly Killing You
• 
• The 8 Worst Fonts in the World
• A Janitor Accidentally Scrubbed Away a Million Dollar Art Piece
• 
• LEGO Universe is shutting down at on 31 January 2012. That’s unfortunate, because I think that the game had a lot of potential as an MMO for kids (and kids-at-heart) without getting bogged down in the character development/grind that many MMOs are known for.  And it’s digital LEGO!  Really, can it get much better than that?!

And now, off to the Garden of Sweden!

Namaste.

Friday – 04 November 2011
It’s my “on” Friday… and I have The Leash this weekend. But, it’s still Friday. And that’s almost never a bad thing.

Last night was fairly low-key. I think that the highlight was a trip to the store for grocery. Well, that… and hanging out with the girls.

Stray Toasters

• By way of The Brothers Vox: 23 incredible new technologies you’ll see by 2021
• By way of Esquire – Remember: Sexy isn’t the same as slutty. Whatever you choose, keep it sensual and sophisticated.
  Amen.
• 
• Anonymous ready to continue with Operation Cartel
• 9 Equations True Geeks Should (at Least Pretend to) Know
• Bleak Portrait of Poverty Is Off the Mark, Experts Say
• I’ve been rather amused by some of George Takei’s Facebook posts over the past few weeks. This one was no exception:

  

• Cuba to Allow Buying and Selling of Property, With Few Restrictions
• Keeping Your Heart Healthy
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” and “Monkeys!” files: Couple adopts Dachsund, days later doses it with LSD, tripping dog wanders into traffic and dies
  What the Hell is wrong with people!?  First, that couple with the horse and now this..?
• 10 great sculpture gardens across the USA

Quote of the Day
Today’s gem comes from my friend Melissa S.:

I love that everyone thinks the Buffy would have slayed Edward. Did we watch the same show? She would have dated Edward, and Spike would have killed him.

And that’s a wrap.

Namaste.

Thursday – 03 November 2011
Another NBN Thursday in the valley.

That’s right: Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News.

Last night, I came home to find SaraRules! taking pictures of the girls. Thus, you get a fresh dose of cuetness:

Vanessa (left) and Diana

It was a fairly quiet night around the house. The girls were in good moods. Diana went to bed without much ado; Vanessa fought it a little longer. But, they were out in time for SaraRules! to get some quilting done and for me to not only read yesterday’s four-color haul, but also to watch the second half of the Real Salt Lake vs. Seattle Sounders game. (RSL won.) This morning, the girls were up slightly before my alarm clock went off, so I was home for a pre-work feeding, complete with Vanessa cuddles. Great way to kick off the day.

Stray Toasters

• How Technology Is Eliminating Higher-Skilled Jobs
• ApocaLEGO: Building end-times with plastic bricks
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Couple’s nude photo shoot inside their dead horse
  This was also “Boner of the Day” candidate on X96’s Radio from Hell show this morning.
• 5 Tech Gadgets That Improved My Sleep
• Fed Lowers Its Forecast for Growth, but Takes No Steps
• New Fringe tomorrow night!
• William Gibson, The Art of Fiction No. 211
• Thousands of WordPress sites sucked into BlackHole
• Google “Do a barrel roll”

Namaste.

Wednesday – 02 November 2011
Midweek. New comics. Fire drill. (Not necessarily in that order.)

Last night, the girls were… agitated… for some reason. They were fussy and restless through bedtime, including during bath time, which they had – until last night – been getting better about dealing with. They were so cranky that we skipped post-bath story time and went straight to “Here’s your bottle. Go to town!” Wait. That’s not entirely true. Nose drops came before feeding… and they’re not fans of nose drops under the best of conditions, so last night’s dose was far from welcome. But, the bottles seemed to make everything better.

After the girls were abed, SaraRules! and I sat down to watch a little TopGear (UK). It was a good way to wind down the evening.

Stray Toasters

• A Last Bastion of Civility, the South, Sees Manners Decline
• Birdman of Columbia (…and for those who are interested: lyrics)
• U.S. House endorses ‘In God We Trust’ – but what’s its history?
• Is ESPN the main force behind realignment in college sports?
• NASA developing tractor beam
• Chocolate Zombie Head Bon Bons with Cherry Brains
• Is Licorice Dangerous?
• Hating Incumbency and Incumbents Too
• Asteroid 2005 YU55 will zip by Earth next week
• Design for drugs in NYC – Exhibition will explore the graphic world of pharmaceutical products

Namaste.

Tuesday – 01 November 2011
November is upon us. Mother Nature, who presented us with rather decent weather for All Hallow’s Eve, has decided to grace us with snow fluffy rain on this All Saints’ Day, not to be confused with All Saints:

Last night, SaraRules!, the girls  and I waited at home, with a bowl full of candy for trick-or-treaters who never came.

So, we have a giant bowl full of candy that we’re going to have to eat. All by ourselves. (Good thing we bought candy that we like!)

Stray Toasters

• Halloween costume sparks controversy
• In a semi-related note, we had coworkers’ kids come through the office for trick-or-treating yesterday. Among the costumes seen were one family who came as a tribe of Indians Native Americans and one coworker’s daughter who came as Off The Wall-era Michael Jackson.  What ties this in to the link above – and amuses me to some degree – was that all of the people were as… “pigmentationally challenged” as the fluffy rain falling outside. There was, however, no blackface or red face paint involved.
• Recreating reality in LEGO
• Time Warner Trims Its Excesses
• Now You Can See Why a Google Ad Targeted You
• 
• 8 Completely Embarrassing Music Videos
  This almost makes me want to watch the literal version video for Separate Ways. Almost.
• Two more banks drop monthly debit card fees
• And another one bites the dust: BofA Calls Off Debit-Fee Plan
• Reinventing Post Offices in a Digital World

Namaste.

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.

Wednesday – 26 October 2011
I was born…

• …the day before yesterday (not quite…)
• …one morning when the sun didn’t shine (also not true: there was 6 mile visibility)
• …a coal miner’s daughter (grandson, actually)
• …to love you (This one, however, is spot-on.)

…forty-one years ago today. As of 7:00 AM EDT (which should have been EST), I completed yet another journey around the sun without meeting the The Reaper’s embrace… and it’s been a fantastic journey. This past year has seen some great things, especially including the addition of two beautiful little girls to my family.

Last night, as a bit of a pre-birthday present, SaraRules! gave me the opportunity to head out to Guys’ Night Out, with and . It was a nice treat. And, MacCool’s had their seasonal Black and Pumpkin beer on tap. And, of course: Finn’s Skins! One of my coworkers, another Robert, dropped by and hung out for a while too. It was a good way to spend my last night of 40.

Today, I’m watching the girls for a bit. Then, Bonne’s coming over to watch them for a few hours, giving me some time to gallivant about the valley. (Win!) Then, I’ll come back home and watch the girls until SaraRules! gets home and it’s time for cake and ice cream.

Yeah. I’d call that a good way to kick off forty-one.

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.

Monday – 24 October 2011
Even for a Monday, it’s not a bad day. It’s kicking off an extra-abbreviated work week, as I’m taking Wednesday off for my birthday and this week contains my 9/80 Friday off. And… this Friday will be my first day taking care of the girls by myself. (Pray for us. Pray hard.) It should be fine. At least, I’m not anticipating any problems.

This morning, the girls ate around 0500 and weren’t up for a feeding before I left. While this means that I missed out on pre-work kid cuddles, it also means that I got to sleep in a bit. (Translation: “I intentionally ignored two alarms and got some extra sleep.”) And it was good. In fact, I think that’s a key reason why this Monday started particularly well.

And… the Ravens are playing in tonight’s Monday Night Football game.

Stray Toasters

• The 2011 Esquire Guide to Choosing a Hallowe’en Costume
  At this point, if I do wear a costume for handing out candy, it will probably be either my GL or Jedi costume.
• 
• What If We Paid Off the Debt? The Secret Government Report
• My Gmail Inbox is (finally) down to 21 items. It was over 4,000 on Saturday.
• A Hearing Aid That Cuts Out All the Clatter
• Who Else Was Hit by the RSA Attackers?
• Deck the malls: Vacancies rise as holidays approach
  During out errand-running yesterday, I was a little surprised to see how many merchandisers had moved most/all of their Hallowe’en items to “Sale” and/or “Clearance” racks to make space for their Christmas products.
• This, however, is an… interesting… mash-up of the two holidays: Zombie Nativity Set
• 
• 99 Quick Health Secrets for Men
• Ray Villafane Carves the World’s Largest Pumpkin into an Intricate, Spine-Tingling Sculpture, by way of
• Apple’s Lower Prices Are All Part of the Plan
• WeWOOD Time Pieces

Sunday – 23 October 2011
Vanessa woke up at 0700 this morning…

…which means that I woke up at 0701. Hey, I’ll admit it: I was hoping that she’d sleep until 0830 or so, when she was next “scheduled” to be fed. Yeah, yeah, I know that the word “schedule” isn’t in her – or her sister’s – vocabulary. A guy can hope, though, can’t he?

I fed her, put her back in her bassinet and made coffee. More or less in that order.

And, as if on cue, Diana woke up at 0800. SaraRules! got up with her. After both girls were fed and back in bed bassinets, I availed myself of the opportunity for a hot soak. And it was good. Now that SaraRules! is up, we’re going to take the girls for a stroll over to Rich’s Bagels for breakfast goodness. The rest of the day…? That’s a bit up-in-the-air. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Speaking of which, here is your aforementioned dose of cuteness:

Diana on the left; Vanessa on the right.

The rest weekend has been good, as well. Friday, came over to visit and cuddle babies. (Have I mentioned that it’s nice to have adult interaction around here, since our social availability has dropped considerably?) The girls went to bed at a decent hour, which would have normally allowed us to watch Fringe… but Fox aired a repeat episode. So, we knocked out a couple hours’ worth of recorded shows from the DVR.

Saturday, the girls were up early, so we fed and dressed them and headed to the last Downtown Farmers Market for the season. There were “a few” more people there than we expected. But, the girls handled the outing well. And… we.. may have even stopped at the RubySnap booth for a cookie or three. Maybe. Kind of. Sort of. We also picked up a couple of [REDACTED] with [REDACTED] for the girls. We came home and were visited by SaraRules!’ mom and her cousins, Royce and Naomi – who were out for a Daddy-Daughter Date Weekend. To round out the day, I went down to play a little DCUO… but didn’t count on having to download a 1.2 GB update. (I still logged into the game for a bit, though.)

And that “up-in-the-air” part of the day? So far, we have:

1. …run a few errands.
2. …gone to the mall.
3. …had a Skype conversation with the Baltimore contingent…

…and we’re soon heading to the in-laws’ for dinner and football.

Quote of the Day
As I mentioned above, SaraRules! and I took the girls to the local mall. While there, we stopped in one of the anchor stores. We were looking for a couple of outfits for the girls; we didn’t see anything, so we stopped to ask a couple of associates. THEN… they realized we had a stroller with twins.

First Associate: They’re so cute!   (SaraRules! and I hear this often; it never gets old.)

Second Associate: “Are they yours?”

|| PAUSE ||

Okay, let’s examine this:

1. The girls are a few shades lighter than me.
2. The girls are a few shades darker than Sara.
3. We’re pushing them in a two-seat stroller.
4. SaraRules! was carrying a diaper bag.
5. MONKEYS!

> PLAY >

Without missing a beat, I said – in a very deadpan tone: “No, we found them by the side of the road.”

It took Associate #2 a moment to process this in the manner that I intended it: “Yes, dumbass… they’re ours.”  But, after the gerbil got up to speed, you could see the light of recognition in her eyes.  Genius, she was not.

All in all, I call that a good weekend.

Namaste.

Friday – 21 October 2011
It’s almost the weekend. Amen. “Almost” because it’s my 9/80 “on” Friday. No worries. It’s quiet around here and I can get a couple of things taken care of. In fact, I’ve already put out one minor and one potentially major fire. And, I’ve even eaten lunch already.

Last night, SaraRules! came home with a new technique for swaddling the girls. She showed me the method: It involves the use of two sheets, as compared to the usual one, and it’s quite effective. It took the twins a little while to get used to the fact that their hands aren’t free to flail about… but they seem to be adapting to it. And, it seems to have helped them sleep better. We will see how it fares in prolonged use.

SaraRules! also sent me a terminally cute picture of Vanessa this morning:

Yeah, she’s a little cutie.

Stray Toasters

• Blending Hip-Hop and Heraldry
• School Debt a Long-Term Burden for Many Graduates
• Red Light Properties: Specializing in Previously-Haunted Homes
• What TWO glasses of wine a day can do to your face in ten years
• I have another Marvel Legends Build-a-Figure Sentinel on its way to me…
• How Google Street View Rides the Rails
• 
• The Curse of Rafinesque, as retold/interpreted by Evil, Inc.’s Brad Guigar
• Periodic Table of Swearing
• F.B.I. Scrutinized for Amassing Data on American Communities
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: When a rape isn’t a rape: FBI statistics ignore many cities’ rapes
• A Gentleman’s Guide to Dining Etiquette

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.

Wednesday – 19 October 2011
Midweek. New comics day. Possibly even Sushi Wednesday.

And, it’s SaraRules!’ first day back at work since the twins were born.

The twins were up this morning for a feeding before I left for work, so I was able to steal a couple hugs from them before setting off. I have to admit: It’s a great way to start your day.

Stray Toasters

• Schools close as lions, tigers, bears on the prowl in Ohio
• sent me this link a little while ago. All I can say is “Holy. Crap.”
• Mark Hamill Confirms He Is Done Voicing The Joker
• In a Battle of the E-Readers, Booksellers Spurn Superheroes
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Marriott hotel worker quits with an entire marching band
• 
• Bengals trade QB Carson Palmer to Raiders
• Raiders QB Palmer: ‘I thought I was retired’
• I find it amusing that people are so “suddenly” shocked to learn that Foster The People’s Pumped Up Kicks isn’t a “fun, happy” song, despite its catchy melody. I was similarly surprised to find out – recently – that someone was unaware of what K’s Choice Not An Addict was about.  *shakes head*
• Airlines Battle Back to Profit, a Fare and a Fee at a Time
• Social Security to hand out first raises since 2009

Namaste.

Tuesday – 18 October 2011
Documentation. WHEEEEE! Yeah, maybe if I keep trying to convince myself that I’m having fun, it will either come to pass or I’ll actually start believing it.  (cue: Journey)  That aside, it hasn’t been a bad day.

Last night, I got home to find SaraRules! carrying Vanessa, who had apparently decided that she needed to be held/cuddled for most of the day… while Diana was just taking it easy in her crib. The girls were good, if a little restless, for most of the evening. In fact, they were quiet and calm enough that SaraRules! and I were able to watch a little of the second half of the Dolphins-Jets game. Hey, “some football” is better than “no football.” It would have been nice, however, if the Dolphins had bothered to show up for the game. *sigh*

Stray Toasters

• Turns out that President Obama is in North Carolina today… and had lunch about 10 minutes from my mother’s house. Huh. Never would have seen that one coming.
• Amazon Signs Up Authors, Writing Publishers Out of the Deal
• Lowe’s to close 20 stores
• Superman Fan Mike Meyer Shares Donated Comics & Collectibles with Children’s Hospital
  Human of the Day?  You bet.
• Excellent model railroad storage shelf
• By way of :

  

• Feds Shy Away From Raiding Email Without Warrant
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Noses
• Massachusetts Tries to Rein in Its Health Costs
• The Future of LEGO (Or How to Use an iPhone to Play with LEGO)

Namaste.