Random Access

Tuesday – 30 March 2010
“Wow.”
That’s really the best way to describe how the morning has gone. There were some… networking issues that took a little longer to sort out than planned. They have been dealt with and all is well with the world once more. At least, for the time being.

::: hangs up cape :::

Last night was relatively quiet. I hung out at home while SaraRules was at a club meeting. Then we met up at the mall and did a little shopping. Back home for some TV and downtime. I also worked on the railroad building for the Dr. Volt’s masterboard.

Stray Toasters

• Today is ‘s  farewell lunch. Pawit’s. Should be good.
• For reasons relating to solving this morning’s network snafu, is also my Human of the Day.
• For SaraRules: Eagles sending quarterback Donovan McNabb to Raiders? , by way of
• This morning, I had Nelly’s Shake Ya Tailfeather playing in my head. That was a good way to start the day.
• Sony’s PS3 Update Could Affect Supercomputer Users
• Xbox 360 to Accept Any and All USB Storage Starting April 6^th
• My new NFL jerseys have shipped. They should arrive early next week. This is good.
• Wye Oak: Tiny Desk Concert
• ::: This Space Left Intentionally Blank :::
• 
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Court OKs Repeated Tasering of Pregnant Woman
• My friend, Melissa S., posted a link about this fashion atrocity – which is apparently called a “Peekaroo” – on Facebook:
  

  With it, you can re-enact your very own version of the chest-burster scene from Alien.

• First Listen: Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
• Gadget and video game-themed baked goods

Namaste.

Huh.  I just noticed that I’m actually dressed like my icon, with the exception of the tie color being different.

Thursday – 25 March 2010
Another NBN Thursday kicks off in the valley. This morning is a bit overcast, but the forecast isn’t calling for rain… at least not that I’m aware of. Doesn’t really matter, either way, because I kicked off the morning with 112 and that is a good thing:

I left work a little early yesterday; I was tired and my productivity  was flagging. I took that as an indicator that it would be beneficial to go home and take a nap. And that’s exactly what I did. And it was good. After that, SaraRules and I headed to Dask’s for a bite to eat. She later went to see Legally Blonde: The Musical with Melissa, while I stayed home and read yesterday’s four-color haul. After that, it was off to the mall to see if the local Eddie Bauer store to pick up a new pair of jeans – they were out of my size – and to do a little window shopping. I headed home and watched another episode of 24 — I’m slowly catching up on this season.

Stray Toasters

• Today’s word of the day is: Copacetic.
  (Not to be confused with “Copacabana“)
• Easter flowers for the mother-units: Check.
• By way of SaraRules:
  • First Sikh in decades graduates at US Army officer school
  • Flash mobs take violent turn in Philadelphia
• From the “Titles I Wish I Had Made Up” file: How the TSA will inspect your monkey
• It appears that Angela Bassett, who would have been my first choice to play Storm in an X-Men movie, will be appearing in the upcoming Green Lantern movie as Amanda Waller.
• 
• Steampunk Stormtrooper Helmet, Boba Fett and Princess Leia
• Grieving mothers blame baby slings for infant deaths
• The WWG railroad masterboard for Dr. Volt’s should get some structure tonight. I’d like to have it ready to deliver for Saturday’s tournament.
• Gates eases ban on gays in the military
• Iron Alloy Could Create Earthquake-Proof Buildings
• Several coaches not thrilled about how owners held OT vote
• Alien vs. Pooh: Webcomics realize their full potential at last

And with that… meeting time!

Namaste.

Wednesday – 24 March 2010
The sun is out.
It’s Comics and Sushi Wednesday.
And, the work day morning is starting off with a little Ludacris:

Last night, I headed over to Chris’ to play dolls. We decided to do a 1500-point Avengers vs. Justice Society of America game. We played on the “Fountain of Asgard” map, which I don’t think that I had previously played on. It was a good game; while I won’t say that Chris completely picked my team apart (My Superman did, however, fall at the hands of a angry Hercules…), he did win the game. Decisively. It was fun and we both got to field some pieces that we hadn’t had opportunities to play before.

Stray Toasters

• I just made a bet with Bret over this year’s NFL games (although, it may just be down to the Ravens vs. Steelers games). The loot: Jersey of the winner’s choice.
• March 24, 2001: Apple Unleashes Mac OS X
• For sale in Utah: “die-hard survivalist bunker”, just in case anyone is looking to move out here to The Land Behind the Zion Curtain…
• 
• Amy: Kitty Pryde comes back today.  Just thought you should know.
• Jackie Wilson: The Singer and the Showman
• Cost-cutting is important in tough times but too much can cause harm
• I’m not quite sure what to make of this Lil’ Vampire Pacifier, but this picture does amuse me:



• App developers are gearing up for Apple’s iPad
• WizKids has posted their 2010 release schedule
  • April ’10 – The Brave & The Bold
  • May ’10 – Blackest Night Starter
  • July ’10 – The Watchmen 25 Figure Collector Set
  • August ’10 – Web of the Spiderman
  • October ’10 – Brightest Day (7 Figures – Like starter but no fiddly bits)
  • November ’10 – DC 75th Anniversary Set
  • Q4 2010 – Halo Reach ActionClix (Battle Packs & Mega Battle Pack)

• US charges car firm Daimler with violating bribery laws
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Bacon-flavored toothpicks
• HOW TO: Run an Ultramarathon

Back to it.

Namaste.

Thursday – 18 March 2010
It’s another NBN Thursday/Technical Friday combo.
I like those.

Last night, I saw Alice in Wonderland (in IMAX 3D) with Jana, Dave, Rebecca and Joe. It was a good movie, nicely adapted from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. There were a couple of departures from the original stories, but not so much as to be incredibly distracting.

Correction: The music for the Mad Hatter’s dance, near the end of the film, seemed anachronistic and did pull me out of the movie, so to speak. Sorry, Danny Elfman.

I thought that the casting was good; I particularly enjoyed Mia Wasikowska’s performance as Alice. Johnny Depp’s turn as the Mad Hatter wasn’t as over-the-top/bad as I feared it could have been. Likewise, Helena Bonham Carter’s Red Queen was good as well. I do, however, have to agree with a comment Galadriel made a few weeks back:

All-in-all, it was an enjoyable movie and a nice way to spend an evening with friends.

Stray Toasters

• WordPress != WordPress MU
• 20 Cell Phones with Highest Radiation Levels
• The Runaways is poised to give girls an education
• A few weeks ago, Craig Ferguson joined Twitter. I check his feed every so often to see what bit of randomness he’s posted. By way of his feed, I found Carrie Fisher’s Twitter feed. By way of that, I found her blog; it makes for a rather curious read.
• Overtime change in NFL would bring cheers, jeers
• “Hello, Sticky-pants!”
• Scholar Says ‘Lost’ Shakespeare Play Is No Hoax
• Hacker Disables More Than 100 Cars Remotely
• Happy Birthday to My Happy Meal
• How Blind People Ski
• 10 ft. long LEGO Pennybacker Bridge
• Filming for ‘The Hobbit’ Begins in July

Almost time for today’s round of meetings to begin…

Namaste.

Tuesday – 16 March 2010
Last night, a group of us took the advice of Queen and had “A Night at the Opera.” We saw Utah Opera’s production of The Italian Girl in Algiers, by Rossini. Thanks to SaraRules, we had amazing seats: Grand Tier, second row center. This afforded an amazing view of the stage and supertitles.

The opera was more light-hearted than your standard fare. And, after the production, SaraRules informed me that it was directed by the same person who directed La Cenerentola a couple of years ago — once she said that, I could note similarities in the staging. It was a fun opera, made even more enjoyable by the group who went… and, more notably, by the fact that SaraRules was in the production. She was a supernumerary; her role was as one of the harem girls. She and her coworker, Melissa (another super in the production), even garnered a small write-up in The Salt Lake Tribune, where they were noted as being “remarkably funny.” It was a good way to spend the evening. The opera runs through Sunday, if you’re looking for a fun change of pace, you should consider seeing this production.

Stray Toasters

• I’m still finding things that I do – and don’t – like about MacJournal. Testing continues…
• Nude performers cause a stir at New York museum
• Steampunk St. Patrick’s Day video
• From the “Don’t call it a comeback, he’s been here for years” file: Tiger Woods to return to golf at Masters
• How to Make Peanut Butter and Jelly ‘Sushi’ Rolls
• You’re Leaving a Bacterial Fingerprint on Your Keyboard
• LaDainian Tomlinson is going from the Chargers to the Jets.
• Undateable: A Style Guide to Everything You’re Doing Wrong

Back to the grind.

Namaste.

Tuesday – 09 March 2010
Another workin’ day in the valley…  This one begins with a few high clouds, but they’re moving eastward and they seem to be leaving sunlight in their wake.  I’m good with that.

Last night, I treated myself to dinner at Outback Steakhouse. I had been craving their bad-for-you-but-oh-so-tasty Aussie Cheese Fries for about a week and decided that it was time to do something about it. So… I decided to go. Stag. When I mentioned this to a couple of people I got the “raised eyebrow” treatment:

“You’re going… by yourself?”
“Yep.”
::: blank stare :::

I don’t understand why it is that going out to eat alone is such an alien concept. People go shopping alone. They go to the movies alone. It seems, to me, a natural progression that one might choose to eat out alone. *shrug* Oh, well.

Dinner was good. I got the full order of cheese fries, which means that I have a fair-sized portion of left-overs waiting in the fridge.  My steak was good, despite originally brought to the table slightly undercooked. I sent it back so they could do more than just scare it with the flame. Both my waitress and the manager we quite amenable about the whole thing. All-in-all, it was a rather pleasant dining experience.

Stray Toasters

• Female WWII Pilots: The Original Fly Girls
  I have to say that I’m a little disappointed that NPR missed having this article ready yesterday, in time for International Women’s Day.
  
• How Henrietta Lack’s cells fueled medical breakthroughs
• For and shockpuppet:



• Purdue Men’s Basketball Brings Home a Bevy of Conference Honors
• Have you seen the latest trailer for Tron: Legacy? If not, click here and enjoy.
• Straight out of the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” files:
  Yesterday, posted the following:

  [19:11] ok r0b
  [19:11] i know you’re into star wars.  and legos.
  [19:12] but can you identify star wars lego figurines using ONLY YOUR MOUTH?   cause this german kid can:

  I shared the vid with my friend, Eric.  He countered with this:
  

  I shared that video with who, in a masterful stroke, retaliated with:
  

• Boldin Seeking Revenge on Steelers
• By way of come a couple of things:
  • Up, Up & Away – Get Your Own Jet Pack for $75k (This goes squarely on The Covet List.  Duh.)
  • 1024-bit RSA encryption cracked by carefully starving CPU of electricity
• Real-life Hurt Locker: How Bomb-proof Suits Work

Namaste.

Saturday – 06 March 2010
Today… I’m not really sure exactly what I’m doing today. SaraRules is currently off at quilting; I don’t really have anything that I have to do. After she gets back, there will be a bit of errand-running, but beyond that…? No clue. I may run up to Dr. Volt’s and actually play a game or two of ‘Clix (as opposed to running around, answering rules questions). We shall see…

Yesterday, I went to visit Perry and the kids for a bit. We’re still trying to see if we’re going to make it to the Hostlers Model Railroad Festival this weekend. After that, I headed back home to wait for SaraRules to get home so that we could run some errands. Then, it was time for Clitorati.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
I was going through an old notebook and came across the following quote:

We excuse ourselves from greater efforts. We learn to be good and to treat well those who treat us well. But we don’t give ourselves over to that which demands not goodness, but greatness.
-Paul Darcy, author/speaker, Sacred Journey (Aug. 2004)

Stray Toasters

• I just found myself craving a Chicken Filet Biscuit from Bojangle’s. *sigh*
• A few days ago, I posted a link to this Evil, Inc. webcomic. I was talking with MarknTyme, and he mentioned that he “…didn’t get the bulletin board reference.” It was kind of obscure, to be honest — the last two panels of the strip reference A Cask of Amontillado, a story by Edgar Allan Poe.
• And, since we’ve mentioned Mr. Poe, that gives a (loose) tie to the next item: Ravens Trade for WR Anquan Boldin
• The Brave and the Bold Preview: Green Lantern and Green Arrow

  

  GL/GA duo figure. Quite nice. It also seems that Captain Jordan is getting a lot of play (so to speak) in the world of HeroClix lately:

  • He had a solo figure in the Crisis set, released in 2008
  • This figure — and the GL/Flash figure — being released next month and
  • The figure being released in the Blackest Night Starter Set, in May.
• US administration to block vote on Turkey ‘genocide’
• Infographic: Mega Shark, courtesy of
  (Don’t forget to click on the link at the bottom of the first paragraph, either!)
• 
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: South Korean couple starved child while raising “virtual baby”
• Android Phone Grows Up, Becomes Brain for Real Robot
• From CNN and HLN: Gunn: Kardashian look is vulgar
• The Jobs of Yesteryear: Obsolete Occupations
• New Jersey snow sculpture gets frosty reception

I should probably get some coffee and prepare to face the day.

Namaste.

Tuesday – 23 February 2010
It’s a brisk – but sunny – morning.

Once again, there’s residual achiness from Sunday’s workout. Nothing incapacitating, but it’s there. I’ll hopefully work out the kinks and stretch it out on the next gym excursion.

Meetings!  Yay.

Chew on This: Food for Thought – Black History Month
Today’s profile: Booker T. Washington

Booker T. Washington, born Booker Taliaferro, was born in 1856 on the Burroughs tobacco farm (in Virginia) which, despite its small size, he always referred to as a “plantation.” His mother was a cook, his father a white man from a nearby farm. “The early years of my life, which were spent in the little cabin,” he wrote, “were not very different from those of other slaves.”

He went to school in Franklin County – not as a student, but to carry books for one of James Burroughs’s daughters. It was illegal to educate slaves. “I had the feeling that to get into a schoolhouse and study would be about the same as getting into paradise,” he wrote. After emancipation, moved with his family to Malden, W.Va. Dire poverty ruled out regular schooling; at age nine he began working, first in a salt furnace and later in a coal mine. Within a few years, Booker was taken in as a houseboy by a wealthy towns-woman who further encouraged his longing to learn. At age 16, he walked much of the 500 miles back to Virginia to enroll in a new school for black students. He knew that even poor students could get an education at Hampton Institute, paying their way by working. Determined to get an education, he enrolled at the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute in Virginia (1872), working as a janitor to help pay expenses. He graduated in 1875 and returned to Malden, where for two years he taught children in a day school and adults at night.

Following studies at Wayland Seminary, Washington, D.C. (1878–79), he joined the staff of Hampton. In 1881, Hampton president Samuel C. Armstrong recommended Washington to become the first leader of Tuskegee Institute, the new normal school (teachers’ college) in Alabama, an institution with two small, converted buildings, no equipment, and very little money. Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute became a monument to his life’s work. At his death 34 years later, it had more than 100 well-equipped buildings, some 1,500 students, a faculty of nearly 200 teaching 38 trades and professions, and an endowment of approximately $2,000,000.

Washington the public figure often invoked his own past to illustrate his belief in the dignity of work. “There was no period of my life that was devoted to play,” Washington once wrote. “From the time that I can remember anything, almost everyday of my life has been occupied in some kind of labor.” This concept of self-reliance born of hard work was the cornerstone of Washington’s social philosophy.

Washington received national prominence for his Atlanta Address of 1895, attracting the attention of politicians and the public as a popular spokesperson for African American citizens. Washington built a nationwide network of supporters in many black communities, with black ministers, educators, and businessmen composing his core supporters. Washington played a dominant role in black politics, winning wide support in the black community and among more liberal whites (especially rich northern whites). Many charged that his conservative approach undermined the quest for racial equality. “In all things purely social we can be as separate as the fingers,” he proposed to a biracial audience in his 1895 Atlanta Compromise address, “yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.” In part, his methods arose for his need for support from powerful whites, some of them former slave owners. It is now known, however, that Washington secretly funded antisegregationist activities.

Despite his travels and widespread work, Washington remained as principal of Tuskegee. Washington’s health deteriorated rapidly; he collapsed in New York City and was brought home to Tuskegee, where he died on November 14, 1915 at the age of 59. The cause of death was unclear, probably from nervous exhaustion and arteriosclerosis. He was buried on the campus of Tuskegee University near the University Chapel.

Stray Toasters

• I Only Hang with Sheepdogs, an item that Perry told me a bout a few months ago. Interesting read.
• Office monkeys!  *grblsnrkx*
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Wanted: A redesigned hot dog
  Are you kidding me!?  As SaraRules put it last night, when we saw an item about this on the local news:

  “Are people really that stupid?! That’s why [parents] cut up the hot dog before feeding it to kids!”

  I couldn’t agree more.
  And, for my two cents’ worth: The brainchild – or children – behind this fall somewhere between “idiotstick” and “monkey.”

• Hollywood movies follow mathematical formula
• The Shortcut Back Into Her Heart
• 
• Abbey Road Studios declared national landmark
• Giant T-Rex Garden Statues

  

  I can’t say that having an eleven-foot-tall T-Rex in your yard wouldn’t be cool, but I’m still partial to having a ‘Mech…

• Owner of Sears, K-Mart to close 21 stores by spring
• 
• …on an oddly related note and also from the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Don’t Get Mad, Get Even Send a Bag of Crap
• Resistance is delicious
• Chargers officially cut ties with LaDainian Tomlinson

Namaste.

Thursday – 18 February 2010
Thank God it’s NBN Thursday!  (And, Technical Friday, too!)

Yesterday wound up being “Comics Wednesday” only; we didn’t go for sushi at lunch and I decided not to pick any up last night after work. S’okay. There’s always next week. As far as the comics aspect of things, it was good. Jake Black was at Dr. Volt’s, signing copies of Supergirl #50, in which he co-wrote a story with Helen Slater.

Once I got home, I fixed a couple of Chicken Cordon Bleu chicken breasts, rice and mixed vegetables for dinner. I watched Human Target while SaraRules finished up Starship Troopers (the book). After that, it was time to dive into the week’s comics. (For reviews of this week’s comics haul – click on over to Four-Color Coverage.) We also watched a bit of The Late Show and The Late Late Show before calling it a night.

Chew on This: Food for Thought – Black History Month
Today’s highlighted person is Wilma Rudolph

Wilma Rudolph was an American athlete who became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field during a single Olympic Games, despite running on a sprained ankle at the time.

Wilma was the 20th child of a family of 22, born prematurely and at only 4.5 pounds! She was born with polio and as a result of the diease was crippled and was unable to attend school. Her mother educated her at home in her early childhood, also having to bring her to a hospital for blacks 50 miles from their home twice a week. Wilma eventually attended a segragrated blacks-only school when she was seven. In 1952, 12-year-old Wilma Rudolph finally achieved her dream of shedding her handicap and becoming like other children.

Wilma’s older sister was on a basketball team, and Wilma vowed to follow in her footsteps. While in high school, Wilma was on the basketball team when she was spotted by Tennessee State track and field coach Edward S. Temple. Being discovered by Temple was a major break for a young athlete. The day he saw the tenth grader for the first time, he knew he had found a natural athlete. Wilma had already gained some track experience on Burt High School’s track team two years before, mostly as a way to keep busy between basketball seasons.

While still in high school, Rudolph qualified for the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia. At the age of 16, she was the youngest member of the U.S. team and won a bronze medal in the sprint relay event. After finishing high school, Rudolph enrolled at Tennessee State University where she studied education.

At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome she won three Olympic titles; the 100 m, 200 m and the 4 × 100 m relay. Rudolph ran the 100-meter dash in an impressive 11 seconds flat. However the time was not credited as a world record because it was wind-aided. She also won the 200-meter dash in 23.2 seconds, a new Olympic record. After these twin triumphs, she was being hailed throughout the world as “the fastest woman in history”. Finally, on September 11, 1960, she combined with Tennessee State teammates Martha Hudson, Lucinda Williams and Barbara Jones to win the 400-meter relay in 44.5 seconds, setting a world record.

A track and field champion, she elevated women’s track to a major presence in the United States. The powerful sprinter emerged from the 1960 Rome Olympics as “The Tornado,” the fastest woman on earth. The Italians nicknamed her “La Gazzella Nera” (the Black Gazelle); to the French she was “La Perle Noire” (The Black Pearl). Rudolph retired from track competition in 1962 after winning two races at a U.S.–Soviet meet.

In 1963 she was selected to represent the U. S. State Department as a Goodwill Ambassador at the Games of Friendship in Dakar, Senegal. Later that year she was invited by Dr. Billy Graham to join the Baptist Christian Athletes in Japan. There was one “first” accomplishment that was more special than any of the others, however: She insisted that her homecoming parade in Clarksville, Tennessee be open to everyone and not a segregated event as was the usual custom. Her victory parade was the first racially integrated event ever held in the town. And that night, the banquet the townspeople held in her honor, was the first time in Clarksville’s history that blacks and whites had ever gathered together for the same event. She went on to participate in protests in the city until the segregation laws were struck down.

After her successes on the track she became a teacher, coach and sports commentator. In 1963 she married Robert Eldridge and the couple had four children. Wilma wrote her autobiography in 1977, entitled ‘Wilma’ which was later adapted into a television movie.

Stray Toasters

• I had to give 4CC a facelift this morning, after realizing that the theme I had chosen didn’t play well with the LEGO brick images I use in reviews.  *sigh* The new theme works – and looks decent – but I’m still on the lookout for something that I like a little better.
• forwarded a couple of items:
  • Straight from the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Girl’s arrest for doodling raises concerns about zero-tolerance
  • Brush Up on Your Fashion Knowledge with This Geek-Friendly Primer
    
• Ravens Sign Receiver Stallworth
• Shaun White proves he’s still the best snowboarder in the world
• 
• Adam Voohees Photography: Exploded
• I Use Twitter, Please Rob Me
• There is no new episode of Fringe tonight. Perhaps I’ll use the time to catch up on 24…
• Experts reboot list of 25 most dangerous coding errors

Namaste.

Monday – 08 February 2010
Another work week kicks off a little on the cold side, but there’s sun… so it can’t be all bad.

Loonybin88 just arrived in the office, decked out in his scouting finery. I asked what the occasion was; he informed me that today is the 100th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America.

Chew on This: Food for Thought – Black History Month
Today’s entry also comes by way of SaraRules:

Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes was an African-American poet and playwright, and one of the leading figures in the “Harlem Renaissance”, an explosion of African-American cultural life in the 1920s and ‘30s.

Hughes moved to New York at the age of 19 to attend Columbia University. He left after one year, and traveled to West Africa, Paris, and England.  He returned to the United States in 1925, and enrolled in Lincoln University, a historically black university in Pennsylvania. He earned his B.A. from Lincoln in 1929, and moved back to Harlem, which was his primary home for the rest of his life.

As an author, Hughes was focused on the strength, joy, music, and life of blacks living in America. His writing expresses a great pride in African-American identity, but goes beyond the big-city experience of Harlem and enjoys the diversity of the African-American culture throughout the nation.

This poem, The Negro Speaks of Rivers, was one of his first poems, originally published in 1921, and is his best-known work.

The Negro Speaks of Rivers
I’ve known rivers:
I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the
flow of human blood in human veins.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.
I danced in the Nile when I was old
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.
I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.
I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln
went down to New Orleans, and I’ve seen its muddy
bosom turn all golden in the sunset.
I’ve known rivers:
Ancient, dusky rivers.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.

Stray Toasters

• Congrats, once again, to Sean Payton, (former Boilermaker) Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints on their victory over the Indianapolis Professional Football Club!
• The Planet Hulk DVD wasn’t bad. It followed the “Planet Hulk” storyline by Greg Pak, that ran through issues 88 – 95 of The Incredible Hulk in 2006. I was a bit surprised to see how violent they allowed the characters – not just the Hulk – to be. Of course, that’s why it was released directly to DVD as opposed to being “Saturday morning fare.” There were a number of Easter eggs thrown in – mostly cameo appearances – for longtime Marvel Comics fans. I’m curious to see if there will be a “World War Hulk” DVD that follows the aftermath of the “Planet Hulk” story.
  
• 10 Ways to a Geeky Girl’s Heart
• Art Tatum: The Musician’s Musician
• ‘Red Riding:’ Noir horror in Britain’s Grim Grey North
• Wizkids has released the new Atom figure from the upcoming Blackest Night set:



• Body found in plane’s landing gear bay in Japan
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Hello Kitty pancake shop

Namaste.

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.

Monday – 01 February 2010
Not only is it the start of a new work week, it’s the beginning of Black History Month. (More on this below.)

This past weekend was pretty well chock full of action. Saturday, I ran another ‘Clix tournament at Dr. Volt’s. I stole borrowed creatively acquired liberated in the name of the people (yes, that’s much better) the format from – HeroClix Extreme Wrestling Federation:

Each player’s team was comprised of six (6) figures, one at up to each of the following values: 75, 125, 175, 225, 275 and 325 points. Each player rolled a d6 to see which of their figures started the game – this created a few interesting dynamics, as some players’ lowest-point figures went against others’ highest-point figures.  🙂 Whenever a figure took damage from an attack, it had to “tag out,” so the player would roll the die to see which figure replaced the “old” one.

There were eleven players (ten teams again, as the two youngest played as a team). The format seemed to go over quite well. I wasn’t sure that I would get a chance to play, but I took a team, just in case:

• 75 points – Gamora
• 125 points – Susan Richards (Skrull)
• 175 points – Ms. Marvel (Skrull)
• 225 points – Crispus Allen (LE), with Fortitude
• 275 points – Apocalypse, with Fortitude
• 325 points – Superman (Earth-2, Crisis)

It was a good thing that I took them, as one player had to leave early and I played a bye round. Wayne, the player I faced off against, tossed in the Malice Feat

I have determined that I am not a fan of this card… at least not in one-figure-on-the-table format. It’s a killer. But, it’s one that I might have to consider using in future games. I won the game, pretty handily – I only lost Cris Allen, but Wayne got the win, because of the bye.

After gaming was done, I headed home and changed. SaraRules and I then headed downtown for dinner (Olive Garden) and an evening at the symphony. They performed Shostakovich’ Tenth Symphony, under new Music Director Thierry Fischer. The program consisted of:

• Dmitri Shostakovich – Festive Overture in A Major, op. 96
• Johannes Brahms – Concerto for Violin in D Major, op. 77
  • featuring guest violinist Baiba Skride
• Dmitri Shostakovich – Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, op. 93

I’d never heard the Festive Overture, but it was the perfect piece to introduce “the new sound” of the Utah Symphony under Mr. Fischer’s guidance. It was brash, a bit ballsy and afforded the audience a great presentation of the orchestra’s range, from pianissimo to fortissimo. Mr. Fischer is a… dynamic… conductor.  I am looking forward to the seeing where Utah Symphony goes in the coming seasons.

Sunday, I woke up and headed to the local Borders to get in some drawrin’ time. I haven’t sat down to seriously focus on drawing in over a year. That’s bad. I took a few ‘Clix figures with me as models – they don’t complain about holding poses and they are easy to carry from place to place.  After a couple hours, I was satisfied that I’d made a decent foray back into the realm of applying pencil to paper.

Next, SaraRules and I made a pilgrimage to The Garden of Sweden. We went.  We shopped. We left… without cinnamon rolls. *shakes fist*

From there, we dropped off the new stuff at home and then headed up to the in-laws’ for dinner and the Pro Bowl. After they were done, we returned home… and did our taxes. Yay.

Chew on This: Food For Thought – Black History Month
As I mentioned above, today kicks off Black History Month. With that in mind, I thought that it would be interesting to do something along the lines of “The ABCs of Black History.” Today, we will kick off with The A&T Four:

On, 01 February 1960, Franklin McCain, Jibreel Khazan (formerly known as Ezell Blair Jr.) and Joseph McNeil and the late David Richmond sat at a segregated lunch counter in the Greensboro, North Carolina, Woolworth’s store.

The store’s manager told his staff to leave the students alone, hoping they would eventually leave. However, Harris grew nervous that violence would soon ensue so he went to the police. Although he did not have the men arrested, assuming their demonstration would soon end, he did have several police officers stationed in the store.

The following morning the four students, along with 23 other men and 4 women showed up at Woolworth’s to protest. As the days went on, more and more students participated in the Woolworth sit-in. The number of students grew so large that by February 5, four days after the sit-in began, 300 students arrived at Woolworth’s to take part in the peaceful protest. On February 6, tensions mounted between the blacks and whites at the lunch counter. As white reaction to the demonstration grew more violent, a bomb scare forced the protesters out of Woolworth’s and C.L. Harris closed his store for over two weeks.

All four would emerge unscathed and eventually be recognized as heroes of the civil rights movement.

For more information, see http://www.sitins.com

Stray Toasters

• It looks like a trip to the southern reaches of the Right Coast will have to be on tap for next year: LEGOLAND Florida scheduled to open in 2011
• posted a link to this entertaining read: All the Many Ways Amazon So Very Failed the Weekend
• Cool NASA Tech That Will Never See Space
• Perry just called to ask if I had seen this.

  

  I hadn’t. It is the Green Lantern figure from the upcoming HeroClix Blackest Night Starter Set. Now that I have, I can’t wait to get my hands on one.

• Who said it never rains in southern California?
• 
• found these items:
  • Black History Month Motivational Posters
  • Paint Your Own Glow-in-the-Dark Sketch Wall
• Paradise Highlands: Wonder Woman thoughts from Scotland
• Following up  a conversation thread from Clitorati last week: Inventor unveils $7,000 talking sex robot

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.

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.