Random Access

Sunday – 07 February 2010
It’s been a good day.

I woke up this morning (the second time) a little before 1100. It was nice to sleep in. SaraRules and I did some cleaning up before our little Super Bowl gathering. After that, I ran to Hastur Hobbies to pick up some purple paint – I have decided to go ahead with my Astonishing X-Men team for next weekend’s tournament… as such, I need a Lockheed figure. While at Hastur’s, I decided to see if I could find a “better” dragon than the one from Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures.  I did. Reaper Miniatures has a pack of figures that includes a dragon that’s just about the perfect size for Lockheed:

(the dragonling on the far left is the one I’m using)

Now, I just need to get him painted.

, Justin, Logan and Steve came over for the game around 3:30.  SaraRules fixed queso dip and some very tasty egg rolls; I fixed bratwurst. Justin brought over some shrimp. Ms. Lightning fixed some cherry bars. Steve and Logan brought over wings and rib tips from Sugarhouse Barbecue.

And then it was game time!
(More on that below.)

Chew on This: Food for Thought – Black History Month
Today’s entry comes from guest writer, SaraRules.

Today’s people are the Golden Thirteen.

In January 1944 there were over 100,000 African-American’s enlisted in the United States Navy, however, they were only allowed to enter the messman’s branch, which was segregated from the rest of the Navy community, but also didn’t allow them to become commissioned officers.

President Roosevelt had signed legislation prohibiting discrimination in government agencies, but it was allegedly pressure from Eleanor Roosevelt that led the Navy to open up the first officer’s training class for African-Americans.  There were a total of 16 members of the class at Great Lakes Naval Training Station; they all passed the course, and thirteen were commissioned.

The U.S. military was officially desegregated by President Truman in 1948. For more information on the Golden Thirteen, check out Golden Thirteen: Recollections of the First Black Naval Officers, by Paul Stillwell.

Instant Replay: Football

New Orleans Saints at Indianapolis Colts
31 – 17
The Saints and the Indianapolis Professional Football Club met in Miami to battle for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Colts came out like gangbusters. The Saints – who I wanted to win – couldn’t seem to get their game in gear; they went into halftime down by four points, 10 – 6. I don’t know what Coach Payton told them in the locker room at halftime, but it seemed to get them back on their “A” game. Following an interception by Saints’ CB Tracy Porter jumped the route and intercepted a Peyton Manning pass to Reggie Wayne… and ran it back for a touchdown, putting the Saints ahead of the Colts, 31-17.

Stray Toasters

• The Who looked… a bit aged at the Super Bowl halftime show. They sounded “alright,” nothing to really write home about but, as put it: “At least they don’t sound like they phoned it in, like the Stones did.”
• By way of SaraRules: The Origins of 10 Winter Olympic Sports
• By way of SaraRules’ father, Steve:



• I finished my repaint of a Cyclops HeroClix figure last night. I’ve wanted one in the costume he wore when Astonishing X-Men first went to print. And, now, I have one.


(click here for more pictures)

• SaraRules and I are now watching Planet Hulk, based on the Marvel Comics story arc of the same name. It’s… interesting so far.

Okay… back to the movie.

Namaste.

Saturday – 06 February 2010
Today is Bit’s second birthday.

(taken at our wedding in October)

This morning, I got together with Perry and two of his kids and attended The Great Train Expo at South Towne Expo Center (pictures here). The show was smaller than I expected, but it was still a good bit of fun. I managed to find an O Scale Lionel “Maryland” box car, that I couldn’t leave without purchasing:

Chew on This: Food for Thought – Black History Month
Today’s person is Louis Farrakhan.

Louis Farrakhan, (born Louis Eugene Walcott; May 11, 1933) is the National Representative of the Nation of Islam. He is an advocate for black interests, and a critic of American society. Farrakhan has been both widely praised and criticized for his often controversial political views and rhetorical style.

As a child, he received training as a violinist. At the age of six, he was given his first violin and by the age of thirteen, he had played with the Boston College Orchestra and the Boston Civic Symphony. A year later, he went on to win national competitions, and was one of the first black performers to appear on Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour, where he also won an award. He graduated with honours from the prestigious Boston English High School, where he also played the violin and was a member of the track team. He attended the Winston-Salem Teachers College from 1951 to 1953 but dropped out to pursue a career in music. Known as “The Charmer,” he performed professionally on the Boston nightclub circuit as a singer of calypso and country songs.

In 1955, while headlining a show in Chicago entitled “Calypso Follies,” he first came in contact with the teachings of the Nation of Islam. A friend from Boston, sometime saxophonist Rodney Smith, introduced him to the NOI’s doctrine and he attended the annual Saviours’ Day address by Elijah Muhammad. He joined the Nation of Islam in July 1955, becoming Louis X. The “X” was a placeholder following the dropping of the slave name, referring to the loss of the unknown surname of his slave forefathers, and preceding the Islamic name some Nation members are given later in their conversion.

Louis X first proved himself at Temple No. 7 in Harlem, where he emerged as the protégé of Malcolm X, the minister of the temple and one of the most prominent members of the Nation of Islam. Louis X was given his Muslim name, Abdul Haleem Farrakhan, by Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam. Farrakhan was appointed head minister of Boston Temple No. 11, which Malcolm had established earlier. After Malcolm X’s break with the Nation in 1964 over political and personal differences with Elijah Muhammad, Farrakhan replaced Malcolm as head minister of Harlem’s Temple No. 7 and as the National Representative of the Nation, the second in command of the organization.

Farrakhan has been the center of much controversy, and critics claim that some of his views and comments have been racist or homophobic. Farrakhan has categorically denied these charges, and has stated that much of America’s perception of him has been shaped by media sound bites. This defense is echoed by religion scholar Mattias Gardell, who argues that, when considered in the context of Farrakhan’s typically lengthy lectures, many of Farrakhan’s controversial comments take on a more nuanced or thoughtful meaning that cannot be conveyed in a sound bite.

Stray Toasters

• Chris came over yesterday to play an Asgardian battle of HeroClix.
  He totally pwned me… but it was still a good time.
• d°light Bubbles LED Squeezable Lights
• A couple of LEGO-riffic items:
  • Endor Bunker
  • Touchscreen-Controlled LEGO Airbus A380 Has Motherf*cking Snakes on Board
    
• Holy Smokes!
• Working Steampunk Firearms
• I’ve been thinking about putting together an Astonishing X-Men team for next Saturday’s tournament:
  • Cyclops (Danger Room)
  • Shadowcat (Sinister)
  • Beast (Mutations & Monsters)
  • Wolverine (Sinister)
  • Emma Frost (Mutations & Monsters)… and
  • Lockheed (Sinister) – I’m working on a figure mod and using the pog from Sinister for his stats.
• There Is Much Wrong with This Batman iPod Shirt
• How Oil-Filled Lenses Are Bringing Sight to Those in Need
• Cheshire Cat papercraft
• Microsoft Finally to Patch 17-Year Old Bug

Time to get ready for some pre-Super Bowl shopping and then to see Utah Symphony, with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy tonight.

Namaste.

Friday – 05 February 2010
It’s my 9/80 Friday off. Amen.

Last night, we had loonybin88 and his family over for dinner. On the menu: Jambalaya, salad, beans, rice and cornbread. For dessert, we had ice cream over brownies, with ginger snaps. It was a nice way to spend the evening.

Today, Chris is coming over in a little while. That’s right: HeroClix game time. We’re doing an Asgardian battle, as we haven’t played a game with Thor and company. We’ll see how it goes…

Chew on This: Food for Thought – Black History Month
Today’s spotlighted person is civil rights activist Medgar Evers

Medgar Wiley Evers  was born July 2, 1925 in Decatur, Mississippi, the son of James, a small farm and a sawmill worker, Jessie Evers. James, as well as Medgar’s maternal great-grandfather Joseph Evers were two men that also fought for their freedom.

Determined to get the education he deserved after the lynching of a family friend, Evers walked twelve miles to and from school to earn his high school diploma. In 1943 he was inducted into the army along with his older brother Charlie. Evers fought in France, the European Theatre of WWII and was honorably discharged in 1945 as a Sergeant. In 1948, Evers enrolled at Alcorn College (now Alcorn State University), majoring in business administration. In college, he was on the debate team, played football and ran track, sang in the school choir and served as president of his junior class. He received his BA degree in 1952.

Upon graduation, Evers moved to Philadelphia, Mississippi, where he began working as an insurance salesman. He and his older brother, Charles Evers, also worked on behalf of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), organizing local affiliates in Philadelphia. In 1954, Medgar quit the insurance business; he subsequently applied and was denied admission to the University of Mississippi Law School. His unsuccessful effort to integrate the state’s oldest public educational institution attracted the attention of the NAACP’s national office. Later that year, Evers moved to the state capital of Jackson and became the first state field secretary of the NAACP in Mississippi. As state field secretary, Evers recruited members throughout Mississippi and organized voter-registration efforts, demonstrations, and economic boycotts of white-owned companies that practiced discrimination. He also worked to investigate crimes perpetrated against blacks, most notably the lynching of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African-American boy who had allegedly been killed for talking to a white woman.

As early as 1955, Evers’ activism made him the most visible civil rights leader in the state of Missisippi. As a result, he and his family were subjected to numerous threats and violent actions over the years, including a firebombing of their house in May 1963. At 12:40 a.m. on June 12, 1963, Evers was shot in the back in the driveway of his home in Jackson. He died less than a hour later at a nearby hospital.

Evers was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery, and the NAACP posthumously awarded him their 1963 Spingarn Medal. The national outrage over Evers’ murder increased support for legislation that would become the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Immediately after Evers’ death, the NAACP appointed his brother Charles to his position. Charles Evers went on to become a major political figure in the state; in 1969, he was elected the mayor of Fayette, Mississippi, becoming the first African-American mayor of a racially mixed Southern town since the Reconstruction.

Stray Toasters

• sent me a link to Soldier of Love, by Sade.
  I countered with this.
• Paul Levitz Prepares for a LEGION of DC Writing Assignments
• “…and it’s generally agreed he’ll be 120 or so.”
• Hello Chainsaw



• H.R. Giger Cake
• What happens to those 3D glasses after ‘Avatar’?
• 
• From NPR Music: The Gun Show: A Winter Workout Mix
• Nyx also sent a link to Ohio Cave Wedding, from Offbeat Bride
• Science of Gun Duels
• I wish that WizKids would hurry up and post today’s sneak peak at a new Blackest Night figure…

I should probably start getting a team together before Chris shows up.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 03 February 2010
It’s Comics and Sushi Wednesday. Selah.

Last night was fairly low-key. SaraRules made pasta (stuffed with cheese and shrimp) for dinner. After eating and NCIS, we headed to the local Best Buy where I exhibited an uncharacteristic amount of willpower and only bought three things: Planet Hulk, Zombieland and a pack of batteries. I picked up – and put down – Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, DC Universe vs. Mortal Kombat and… “a few” Mac-related items. I was rather proud of myself. Next, we stopped at Toys ‘R’ Us and Target to pick up a couple of things for Bit’s upcoming birthday. While at Target, my superpower kicked in: We ran into Fiona and Jamie, whom I haven’t seen in… many moons.

Back at home, we tested out a brownie recipe for the Brownie Challenge, coming up at the end of the month. The experiment worked out fairly well, but I think I’m going to explore a couple of other options. As the brownies baked, we watched last night’s NCIS: Los Angeles.

Chew on This: Food for Thought – Black History Month
Today’s spotlight will focus on Shirley Chisholm.

Mrs. Chisholm was the first black woman elected to Congress, representing New York’s 12th Congressional District for seven terms. Chisholm joined the Congressional Black Caucus in 1969 as one of its founding members.

On January 25, 1972, she became the first major-party black candidate for President of the United States and the first woman to run for the Democratic presidential nomination; she received 152 first-ballot votes at the 1972 Democratic National Convention.

“I stand before you today as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the Presidency of the United States. I am not the candidate of black America, although I am black and proud. I am not the candidate of the women’s movement of this country, although I am a woman, and I am equally proud of that. I am not the candidate of any political bosses or special interests. I am the candidate of the people.”

She continued to serve in the House of Representatives until 1982. From 1977 to 1981, during the 95th Congress and 96th Congress, Chisholm was elected to a position in the House Democratic leadership, as Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus. Throughout her tenure in Congress, Chisholm worked to improve opportunities for inner-city residents. She was a vocal opponent of the draft and supported spending increases for education, health care and other social services, and reductions in military spending. She retired from politics after her last term in office.

Chisholm retired to Florida and died on January 1, 2005.

Stray Toasters

• Hello, Business Impact Analysis survey.
  That was an interesting way to kick of the work day. At least the assessor was a decent enough chap.
• Medical journal recants 1998 story linking autism to vaccine
• Zombie/NPR fan-fiction
• The Potential for a 40-MPH Man
• Ronny Jordan: The Jackal
  • Added bonus for fans of The West Wing – C.J. Cregg Does ‘The Jackal’

• Adobe CTO Defends Flash Against Apple HTML 5
• Fantastic photography of Michael Paul Smith
• Photographer Loves Math; Graphs Her Images
• From Snorg Tees:


(click here to see t-shirt)

• Truck driver forgets to lower trailer
• Displax film could turn nearly any surface into a touchscreen, make your keyboard irate

Namaste.

Wednesday – 27 January 2010
Welcome to the middle of the week. I kicked off the morning with a little something to get the blood pumping…

I followed it up with a Take Me There (Blackstreet, feat. Mya and Ma$e) and Switch (Will Smith). Yep… good way to start the day.

Today also marks the day that Apple unveils their latest “secret weapon.” The announcement is just hours away and then we shall see what magic the Wizard of Jobs has for the masses. CNN had this to say about the expectations.

Stray Toasters

• Who has homemade coffee cake for breakfast?  That’s right… I do.
• Holocaust Day marked at Nazi death camp Auschwitz
• Rogers Canada forces Android upgrade that takes away root access
• Tron Legacy Bike Appears in Meatspace



• Marvel Comics’ ‘heroes will be heroes again’
  To say that the Marvel Universe has been “a little dreary” over the past few (seven!) years, would be something of an understatement. Some would even say it’s a gross understatement. Yes, there have been some rays of light, but they’ve seen far and few between. I’ve been a Marvel fan – although I’m not sure that I’ve ever been rabid enough to be considered a Marvel Zombie (the pre-Kirkman usage), but I’m pretty sure I qualify as a F.O.O.M. (Friend Of Ol’ Marvel) – since I was young, but in the past few years, I’ve drastically scaled back my Comics and Sushi Wednesday purchases of Marvel books. (That’s fine, because I like what’s been going on in the DC Universe. A lot.) Hopefully, Marvel Comics’ leadership has had a collective rectal craniotomy and can actually make the MU interesting to read about once more.



• Monkeys keep chatter ‘short and sweet’
• Cthulhu in Love perfume
  I think that this has to be one of the more… entertaining… marketing tag lines I’ve read/heard in a little while:

  There is a place in the Pacific Ocean – the farthest place from land on all sides. In the depths of this pole of inaccessibility a sunken city sleeps. And in that city of R’lyeh, far below the waves and the sunlight and the happiness, dreams the Great Cthulhu. And what does the Great Malignant One dream about? Companionship. See, Cthulhu is in love with love. And the Great One exudes a scent to attract lovers. Three sailors went mad making sure this scent was bottled and shipped to our warehouses. We think it was well worth it, though, because now we can offer you Cthulhu in Love Perfume.

• A Hard Look at Hard Bop
• posted a link to Colorblind Casting School:
  

  Excerpt: “But hey, here’s a counterpoint: Spider-Man and X-Men didn’t start this burst of superhero movies in Hollywood. No, Wesley Snipes as Blade did that. Black hero with a black love interest and everything. And before the movies? Blade was lame. All he had going for him before the movie was awesome Gene Colan art and we got two great movies out of him and one awful one. As far as quality of Hollywood superhero flicks go, he’s matched Batman (both 1989 and Begins franchises), Spider-Man, X-Men, and Superman. Blade beats Hulk, considering that those movies were mediocre at best.”

• Arts: Charles Clary’s Massive Paper Cuts
• Avatar overtakes Titanic as top-grossing film ever
• Check the flavor of the rhythm I wrote
  And while I have a chance, now
  Let me clear my throat!

Namaste.

This morning’s meeting was relatively short… despite the fact that I was late going to it.  The rest of the day hasn’t been too bad. In fact, it’s been downright quiet. And I am not complaining about that in the least.

At lunch, Wes and I hit the gym:

• Elliptical: 5 min/random
• Sit-ups: 3 sets/20 reps
• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps, 205 lbs
• Flys (machine): 3 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs
• Compound Row: 3 sets/12 reps, 130 lbs

Post-workout weight: 188.0 lbs

Stray Toasters

• Willpower and the ‘Slacker’ Brain
• Monkeys, office variety.  *grblsnrkx*
  Yet more proof of my new mantra: “Common sense, unfortunately, isn’t.”
• Legendary band to release AC/DC: Iron Man 2 album on Monday, April 19, 2010
• sent along a few amusing links
  • BookBook – Hardbound Leather Case for MacBook and MacBook Pro
  • Mystery Science Theater 3000: Crow and Tom Servo in LEGO
  • Ouija Board… for girls. As I told her when she sent this:
    

    I have seen that.  In the store.  I tried to dismiss it from mind almost immediately.

  • Star Trek: The Original Series Wetsuit

  
  (also available in blue and red)

• An X-Man Will Fall in ‘Second Coming’
  My money’s on Jean Grey. Again.
  What’s that…?  She’s already dead?  Again?  Well, damn.  So much for that idea.
• Mamma Mia! ABBAWORLD to Open in London
• They Have Trucks in Poland? – Polish Semi Drive Drifts Truck for a Minute Straight

And, that’s a wrap.

Namaste.

Monday – 25 January 2010
Welcome to the beginning of the work week.

Yesterday was a chock full of football action. Justin (from work) and Logan came over to watch the NFC Championship game… or the NFC Flub Fest, as it was. I fixed dinner: Steaks, homemade macaroni and cheese (with pepper jack) and salad. After the game, I headed to the airport to pick up SaraRules. She recounted her weekend – including what sounded like a great, though rainy, time at Disneyland. All-in-all, she had a great time hanging out with Meliko.

Instant Replay: Football

New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts
17 – 30
After stunning the rest of the AFC, the Jets headed into Indianapolis to take on the Indianapolis Professional Football Club at Lucas Oil Stadium.The Jets’ defense came out like gangbusters, stopping the Colts’ run and pass offense. After a scoreless first quarter, they rallied to score 17 points in the second quarter. However, those would be the only points the Colts let them score. Somewhere between the booth and the field, the Colts started picking up on what the Jets were doing and proceeded to pick them apart. Congratulations to rookie coach Jim Caldwell, Peyton Manning and the rest of the Colts franchise..

.

Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints
28 – 31
I don’t really know what to say about this game. The teams looked to be well-matched… so why is it that the Vikings looked so bad?! (And that’s not “Bad,” in the Michael Jackson sense, either.) The Vikings’ O-line wasn’t there, at least not in the first half. Favre was rushed and knocked down… A LOT. Additionally, there were miscues and errors that resulted in six fumbles, dropped passes and even a couple of interceptions. On the Saints’ side of the game, they seemed to just… “click.” Offensively. Defensively. They showed up to play. Yes, there was the “questionable touchdown,” but even without that, they played hard and well. Congrats to Coach Sean Payton, QB Drew Brees and the rest of the Saints’ squad.

Stray Toasters

• Brain Slug Cupcakes
• 
• Get Paid What You’re Worth
• A few days ago, posted a link to the Mass Effect 2 trailer. I saw the trailer again during last night’s NFC game… and pointed out the following to Logan and Justin: With a few word substitutions…
  • Replace “One very specific man..” and/or “Shepard” with “Master Chief”
  • Replace “Repears” with “Covenant” or “The Flood”
  • Replace “Omega 4 Relay” with “Halo (rings)”

  …you could turn this into a new HALO trailer:

• After I showed him the Bugatti Veryon vs. Eurofighter Typhoon race, Justin pointed out this video yesterday, to which all I could respond was,”Some peoples’ children…”
• Superman – The 1948 Serial
• By way of comes: A Brief Guide to World Domination
• Mandelbrot Set you’re a Rorschach Test on fire
  You’re a day-glo pterodactyl
  You’re a heart-shaped box of springs and wire
  You’re one badass fucking fractal
  And you’re just in time to save the day
  Sweeping all our fears away
  You can change the world in a tiny way
• Ambidextrous children ‘more likely to be hyperactive’

More later. Maybe.

Namaste.

Sunday – 24 January 2010
I woke up this morning with a headache. I only wish that I’d been drinking last night to have earned it. On the other hand, it provided “a little” incentive to sleep in this morning.

Apparently in honor of the day, the sun has actually put in an appearance today. There was snow yesterday – apparently, the canyons got 21″ of snow last night – so it’s nice to see our local mass of incandescent gas.

Yesterday, I got up and lazed about the apartment for a few hours.  Chris called and I headed over there to finish up our second Batman/Gotham PD vs. Arkham Inmates ‘Clix game. (Yes, again; we had to call the game Friday night – after 4.5 hours – because I had to make it to a store before it closed.) We finished the game after another hour or so… and I won. (Pictures here.) It was also satisfying because I won using the Batman team, a team that I usually don’t play very well. We did note that the Harvey Dent LE figure is a bit of a game-changer.

After the game, I headed down to visit Kate, Perry and the kids for a bit. After that, I came home, had a bite to eat and got some things together before heading back to Chris and Mary’s for his Dark Heresy game; I’ve been an intermittent player in that game. We played from roughly 2000 hrs until just before 0200. Post-game wrap-up took about another half-hour. Let’s just say that it was a long drive home.

And now, there’s football on TV. I’ve decided that I really don’t care who wins this game… and that I’m an NFC fan for the Super Bowl:

• Seeing Bret Favre go to – and win – the Super Bowl would be a great end to his season.
• Drew Brees was a Boilermaker… and he’s still wearing black and gold.

So, as far as I’m concerned, it’s a win-win situation.

And for dinner: I’m cookin’ steak.  Mmm.

Stray Toasters

• SaraRules gets home tonight!
  (“And there was much rejoicing!”)
• Neil Gaiman in the New Yorker
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Black Eyed Peas denied NRJ award win
• 
• Esquire subscription: Renewed.
• Adventures in Music
• Hm… Mass Effect 2 looks rather interesting.  I might have to give it a look.
• And, in other game news, MarknTyme pointed out the Global Agenda launch trailer to me the other night
• This is “Your Face on Meth,” Kids

Quote of the Day
There are couple of gems that stand out from this weekend:

The first one came Friday night, while Chris and I were playing HeroClix.  Mary was walking through the house, preparing to do a bit of laundry:

Mary: I found something in your pants, babe.
Chris: Hey, I’m going to need that back!

The second one came Friday night, over dinner:

: Fuck Hamlet!

Back to the gridiron action…

Namaste.

Friday – 22 January 2010
It’s my 9/80 Friday off. I actually considered getting up and going to the gym this morning. Instead, I stayed in bed. However, I may go this afternoon or (more likely) tomorrow, as I have a heaping helping of “nothing do to” going on tomorrow.

SaraRules made it to California safely. Her parents, who also went to California – to visit other family members – also arrived safely. Now, if I could only figure out what I want from Trader Joe’s all would be well.

Last night, rather than gallivanting around town, I came home and hung out. Besides, there was a new episode of Fringe to be watched!  And Burn Notice‘s new season kicked off… even though I just let the DVR handle that one.

Stray Toasters

• There have been many “Hitler finds out…” videos posted on YouTube over the past year or so. The first couple were amusing, then they became a bit… passe. MarknTyme sent me links to a couple new (to me) ones which I found entertaining: Hitler vs. Khan
  Part I

  Part II

• Museum explores ‘hidden history’ of Muslim science
• Alt Text: Obscure Hobbies for Compulsive Geeks
• 
• German TV on the failure of full-body scanners
• By way of BoingBoing: Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb



• US firm to remove biblical references from gunsights
• Microsoft Learned of IE Zero-Day Flaw Last September

Time to get out of here and get my Friday going.

Namaste

Thursday – 21 January 2010
Happy Birthday, Mary!

Another NBN kicks off in the valley… and this one kicks off with flurries. Light flurries, yes, but ’tis snow, nonetheless. But, on the plus side: It’s my “Technical Friday.” That ain’t so bad. And, Chris and I are getting together tomorning to play ‘Clix, as he has the day off, too.

Last night was a rather quiet night in. We watched Tuesday’s NCIS while we ate dinner. We noted that we’d seen the teaser segment before, but didn’t remember seeing the rest of the episode. After the show was over, I had an epiphany. I checked the DVR for recorded programs. Sure enough, we had recorded that episode… three months ago – when we had seen the teaser segment – but never gotten around to watching it. Go figure.

Stray Toasters

• has been delivered to the airport. That was my first of two trips to the airport today – SaraRules is heading to California and hanging out with Meliko for a few days.  She’ll also be visiting The Happiest Place on Earth (or at least on the Left Coast).  (Insert “jealousy” here.)  That means that I’ll be a bachelor for the next three-and-a-half days.
• I neglected to mention the death of Robert B. Parker a couple of days ago, at 77. He was the author of one of my favorite series, the Spenser novels.
• We travel on the road to adventure
  On a desert highway straight to the heart of the sun
  Like lovers and hereos, and the restless part of everyone
  We’re only at home when we’re on the run
  On the run…
• Bonus points to anyone who can figure out why this is so amusing.
• Four fun facts about sloths
• By way of :



• Air Traffic Delays Cost U.S. More than Hurricanes
• Carbon nanotubes make batteries from fabric
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
  • White American Basketball League
  • Cruise L.A. Gang Turf for $65 (With a Signed Waiver)
• NBC Confirms Deal with Conan O’Brien
• Flying R2-D2 Needs a Physics Lesson

I should make sure that I’m ready for the first of today’s meetings… which starts…. soon. Wahoo.

Namaste.

Monday – 18 January 2010
Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (1, 2).

(Click banner for more information)

Yesterday was a pretty quiet and low-key day. After a little time spent in Paragon City, while SaraRules did… hm… whatever she did while I was saving the world, we headed over to the in-laws’ for dinner and a movie. The dinner fare was a rather tasty homemade chicken pot pie; the movie was Terminator: Salvation.

I watched last night’s pilot of Human Target this morning. As I mentioned before, I was a little concerned about how they would deal with Christopher Chance as a bodyguard, since they had done away with his “master of disguise” persona. They took a rather simple way around it: He just tailors his persona to blend into to the job/lifestyle of his client. It wasn’t groundbreaking, but I enjoyed it. A reviewer noted the following:

The New York Times stated, “because he’s a human target, he has no problem blowing out of exploding buildings … with nary a scratch. Think Jack Bauer with excellent grooming.

Yep, that was pretty spot-on… except he didn’t have the patented Jack Bauer growl. Oh, well, it was still fun. And, there was even a cameo by [SPOILER REDACTED] in the last couple of minutes of the show! That was an amusing twist. I might just have a new Wednesday night viewing habit.

Stray Toasters

• Lost King Speech to be Heard after 50 Years
• SaraRules sent links to a few interesting articles:
  • Theatre: Staging stories of black experience
  • Obamas give $10,000 to Detroit youth theatre
  • When Fear Turns Graphic
  • James Cameron rejects claims Avatar epic borrows from Russians’ sci-fi novels
• I’m watching Conan O’Brien on a rebroadcasted episode of Inside the Actor’s Studio. I have no idea if Bravo is airing this because of the latest kerfuffle or if it really was luck of the draw. Either way, in listening to this interview, I’m finding a newfound measure of respect for him. (But, I’m still a Letterman and Ferguson guy.)
• Disney’s Looking at Paintings: An Introduction to Fine Art for Young People
• 
• Urban prankster Mark Jenkins art show in Hollywood
• Is it just me or does the “Hungry” monster from Weight Watchers commercials…

  

  …look a lot like Gossamer, from old Warner Brothers cartoons:

  

• Tetris blanket
• With the amount of racket they’re making, it sounds like they are remodeling the apartment behind ours.
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot..?!” file: At Large: Teen Bandit. Even Larger: His Legend

Time to start thinking about what to do with my day…

Namaste.

Sunday – 17 January 2010
It’s another grey and hazy day in Salt Lake City. I woke up this morning and helped move a sofa. Then, I made a now-rare stop at the local Beans & Brews for some morning go-juice. Now, I’m firmly planted on our couch, watching the Vikings duke it out with the Cowboys.

Yesterday was a good – and long AND busy – day. It started off over coffee with Chris and Perry. Next up, a ‘Clix tournament at Dr. Volt’s. And, once again, we had more players than the last time – eleven people played in the tourney and we had one person who showed up, just to try and get back into the game. Of the eleven people who played in the tournament, two of them were under 10-years-old; they were the kids of one of the other players in the game and they played as a team. I played them in the first round – granting them an automatic win, as a bye round; but they played pretty well, for being new to the game in their other two rounds. At the end of the day, Jay (one of the store’s employees) one the tournament, edging out Chris by one point; and the kids walked away with the Fellowship prize.

After shuttling Chris home, I headed home and changed for a night out with SaraRules. The evening started with dinner at Donovan’s Steak & Chop House. Neither of us had been there before. We both had the 6 oz. filet with shripm scampi, with sides of fresh vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes; SaraRules had a Sauvignon Blanc and I had a Spanish red wine.  The food was top-notch, the attentiveness of (most of) the wait-staff was good. All-in-all, it was a very nice dining experience.

Next, we strolled over to the Capitol Theatre to see Utah Opera’s production of Carmen. Despite hearing selections from the opera over the years, I had never before seen it performed.  UO did an excellent job. The set design and costumes were fantastic. And the casting..?  In a word: “Amazing.”  Leann Sandel-Pantaleo, as Carmen, not only brought the role to life through her voice, but also through body language and overall stage presence.  Chad Shelton, as Don Jose, made the character’s fall from proud young soldier to lovestruck and tortured ex-lover believable… and empathetic. If you are in the greater Salt Lake City metropolitan area and have a chance to see this performance, don’t miss it.

Instant Replay: Football

Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts
3 – 20
The Ravens (Baltimore 2.0) traveled to Indianapolis to take on the Colts Indianapolis Professional Football Club (Baltimore 1.0) at Lucas Field.I didn’t get to see the game, but kept track of the score during the opera’s intermission. And, unfortunately, the Colts came away with the win. I’ve received a number of “Sorry your team lost” messages, which have been appreciated, but… even though they’re out of the running for The Big Dance, I’m very proud of what the Ravens were able to accomplish this season. They started decently, faltered in the middle of the season, but were able to finish not only with a winning season, but a playoff appearance. And, of course, there’s always next season.

Stray Toasters

• If you haven’t done so yet, I urge everyone who is able to text “HAITI” to 90999.  This will donate $10 dollars to the American Red Cross’ relief support in Haiti, following last week’s earthquake.  The $10 charge will appear on your cell phone bill.
• Congratulations to Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer
• Everything I need to know I learned from D&D
• By way of SaraRules: Songs in the key of life: What makes music so emotional?
• passed along a link to: The Outrage of LIeMAX
• I think that this answers a question that I asked way back in 2005: The World’s Most Elusive Human



• posted a link to this item: Auto-appendectomy in the Antarctic: case report
  Can someone explain to me why this guy didn’t get a listing on Badass of the Week!?
• Portland treehouse: swanky Hobbit pad
• Scrambled eggs + paprika = YUM.
• ‘Mythbusters’ Grant Imahara Explains Something Gross
  And, if that wasn’t enough, here’s the video of the myth that Grant referenced, halfway through the article.
• 
• Wizkids/NECA has a couple of new items on their site.
• The newest TV incarnation of The Human Target premieres tonight. The first version starred Rick Springfield in the role of Christopher Chance and only lasted a half-season, if I remember correctly. Something that has changed in this version is that Chance is no longer being portrayed as a master of disguise. I’m… cautiously curious… to see how they pull this off.

Namaste.

Friday – 15 January 2010
It’s the end of the work week. And it’s the quiet Friday in the office. Amen.

Today is also the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, which will be celebrated in the States on Monday. And, as usual, I am taking the day off of work; I need to see if there’s a service project for which I can volunteer.

Last night, came over for dinner. SaraRules fixed her famous beef stew for dinner. It was, as usual, very tasty. brought eclairs and cookies from Schmidt’s for dessert.

Stray Toasters

• ‘Doomsday Clock’ moves a minute back
• SaraRules sent me this picture yesterday.



• …which, in turn, leads to this picture – Disney Princesses, dressed as their villains:

• Adam forwarded this link: Boy Gets Revenge on Sister via Facebook
  Khan was right: “Revenge is a dish best served cold… and it is very cold in (cyber)space!”
• sent a link to: Japan’s ‘Coming of Age Day’ at Disneyland
• iSamJackson app for iPhone, courtesy of
• You got to know when to hold ’em
  Know when to fold ’em
  Know when to walk away
  And know when to run…

  
  video link, courtesy of

• Safari seems to handle/deal with Facebook significantly better than Firefox.
• Prepare for Teen Titans: Games
  For my money, no one draws the the Titans like George Perez.
• 
• Cl!ck – a stop-motion LEGO movie (short, but good)
• Complexity ruins diets
• Jackie Earle Haley Still Playing Sinestro
• Tiny still-lives in toilet paper tubes

I’m firing up the XBox in an hour…

Namaste.

Wednesday – 13 January 2010
Midweek and all’s pretty much well. On top of that, it’s Comics and Sushi Wednesday, so there should be added goodness to the day. My Prerogative came on the radio during the morning commute. It made me smile… and sing along. It was a good way to kick off the morning and prep for a day in the trenches.

Last night, Chris came over to finish our HeroClix “Arkham Asylum Breakout” game. He won… which was totally expected – I had three figures to his eight – but, the fact that it took him a tad over 30 minutes to do so made me feel good. We need to schedule the other side of the fight, with me running Batman and company and him running Gotham City’s least desirable citizens.

Stray Toasters

• Today is Delta Sigma Theta’s (1, 2) Founders’ Day
• Haiti’s quake devestation emerges
• The Great Joe Rollino, Bender of Steel, is Dead at 104
  Mr. Rollino will be awarded today’s Human of the Day award, posthumously.
• 2010: Living in the Future
• …which, naturally, leads us to The Future Soon
• Nintendo helps savvy singer Beyonce step up her style game
• Sarah Palin Makes Fox News Debut, Slams Obama, Critics
  (But, is anyone really surprised by this…?  No?  I didn’t think so.)
• I’ve never really been a big fan of Conan O’Brien, but I have to give him kudos for his resignation letter, as posted by The Grey Lady.
• Snubs – part of the diplomatic game
• Nintendo Wii to Get Netflix Streaming

That’s good for now.

Monday – 11 January 2010
On the whole, it’s been a good weekend. Yesterday, was fairly lazy and full of football… and a couple of movies.

Julie (our IT admin) came over to watch her Pats take on the Ravens, details below. After the game, I played a little City of Heroes. I was invited to join a team “…for missions in Croatoa,” which was fine. Somewhere along the way, we switched from that mission set to running a Task Force (extended series of linked missions), which I neither expected nor had time for. So, I had to leave, mid-TF. Oh, well… I managed to eke a couple of levels out of the experience.

We headed over to the in-laws’ for dinner and a movie, Star Trek. The dinner, the movie and the company were all quite good. I also inherited Logan’s old Xbox… which is good, as I’ve been hankerin’ to play some of my old Xbox games, but couldn’t, because my old Xbox decides to shut down/stop reading discs after a few minutes. *shakes fist*

After we got back home, SaraRules and I watched a movie that Logan recommened: The Signal. It was a story, told in three parts – as interpreted by three directors. While there was a single plot thread that wove through the film, the three directors’ visions didn’t exactly gel into a cohesive movie.

Instant Replay: Football
The playoffs started this weekend:

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots
33 – 14
The Ravens traveled to Foxboro to take on the Patriots in the chilly New England air. Going into the game, the Ravens had not beaten the Patriots in their last five games and the Pats had not lost at home all season. But, once RB Ray Rice broke off an 83-yard TD run – on the Ravens’ first play from scrimmage – it looked as though the Ravens might be on to something… When Terrell Suggs strip-sacked Tom Brady – on the Pats’ first series – setting up another Ravens TD, the tide and momentum seemed to favor the Ravens even more. LB Ray Lewis and FS Ed Reed even got in on the action, with a sack and an interception, respectively. QB Joe Flacco only went 4/10, with 34 yds passing, but he managed a great ground game that kept Baltimore in control of the ball and the clock. Saturday, the Ravens continue their playoff run against the Indianapolis Colts.

Joe, you and the boys just beat the Pats for the first time in five meetings!  How does that make you feel?

Coach Belichick, Tom looks a little down-in-the-mouth.  Even though your lucky pom-pom hat didn’t help you win the game, does it offer any sage advice as to what you can say or do to help cheer Tom up?

.

New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals
24 –14
The Bengals took on the Jets. Again. And came away with a loss. Again. For the second time in two weeks… although this time it was in Cincinnati.Sorry, janietrain and carefreespirit.

.

Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals
45 – 51
The Packers traveled to the desert.  Again. This time, however, the Cards handed them an overtime loss. Congrats, Marr.

.

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
14 – 34
The Cowboys handed the Eagles a loss in the House That Jerry Built.

Stray Toasters

• I won’t get to see Saturday’s game, as we have tickets to Utah Opera’s performance of Carmen. (Thank Heaven for DVRs…)  While I’m hoping for a Ravens win, I’m not betting the farm on it.
• The Price of Apple MacBook Pros Around the World
• Tombs of pyramid builders offer look into daily lives
• Race Riots Grip Italian Town, and Mafia Is Suspected
• DC has announced their Blackest Night follow-up, Brightest Day:

  

  I’m not sure how I feel about a/another year-long, bi-weekly book.

• A Nation of Hunkered-Down Homebodies
• Booth Babe Confessions
• Secret London: guide to the weird and wonderful secrets of London-town
• Um… when exactly did Ray Lewis become a member of Delta Sigma Theta?



• Steampunk mask: “Raptor Pilot”
• Malicious App in Android Market

Namaste.