Random Access

Thursday – 19 May 2011
It’s another grey and rainy day here. I’m beginning to wonder if someone switched Seattle and Salt Lake City’s locations in the middle of the night.

Yesterday was not only new comics day, but also D&D 4.0 game night. We broke in a “new” venue: Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection, as we had become… disenchanted, shall we say… with Hastur Hobbies. It was a good change of pace — we could actually hear each other and the store wasn’t all asses-and-elbows. Thanks again to Dave and Jeremiah for letting us use the store to geek out.

Long Train Running
As I’ve been working on my home layout, thoughts of running multiple trains has been part of the nominal planning process. One of the ideas I’ve had included a three-level design, with a subway, a main/freight line and an el/commuter line. This put me right on… umm, track… for that, although I may no longer do a three-level design, with the current layout.

As I’ve noted before, my mother got me the MTH Bantam J Steam Freight Set for Christmas. For my birthday last year, my father got me a copy of The Illustrated Dictionary of Trains of the World. Inside was a note:

Rob,
The Powhatan Arrow (1, 2) came through Keystone, WV (and stopped at Northfork) en route from Norfolk, VA to Cincinnati during my childhood.

When you and I traveled from Baltimore to Bluefield, train (passenger) service had been curtailed greatly…

While I wanted a passenger train line, I didn’t really have much in mind as to which road name I wanted. The Bantam J was the engine that pulled the ‘Arrow. That started wheels turning in my head. I started looking at Norfolk & Western passenger cars.

Earlier this week, I received my first passenger cars in the mail, three cars from Lionel (#16062, #16063, and #16064). These were good. I put them on the rails and ran them. And, I was pleased.

Yesterday I received another package… another package with train cars. They were three of the four cars from MTH-67418. And these were even better. The detailing on the cars – especially since these were “just” from MTH’s Rail-King (their lower price point) line – was fantastic.

And, of course, I took pictures of the new cars on the layout.

There’s something fun – and somewhat special to me – about having a train on my layout that’s representative of something that my parents would have seen in their youth.

Stray Toasters

• How to Choose a Tie
• By way of SaraRules!: The Cosby Sweater Project
• An Artist’s Performance: A Year as a Poor Immigrant
• 
• Starbucks is/are everywhere.
  Lady Gaga seems to be everywhere.
  So, this sounds pretty much like a match made in Heaven.
• Raiders allow employees to sell season tickets in lieu of furlough
• Corey and I just (re-)introduced a couple of coworkers to two songs that were (for some reason) hits in the 70s:
  • Escape, by Rupert Holmes and
  • The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, by Gordon Lightfoot… which I contend is one of the – if not THE – most depressing song ever.
• In Florida, the Natives Are Restless
• Olive Garden lasagna!
• New tax deal may speed Cottonwood Mall revival

Namaste.

Wednesday – 18 May 2011
Midweek finds a soggy, grey day settling in over the valley. (“Desert plain,” my ass.) And, naturally, with all of the rain – and snow – that we’ve had this Winter/Spring, flooding is now a concern — so much so that there have been major sandbagging efforts around the valley to hopefully stave off damage to homes and property.

Yesterday’s venture to the southern reaches was not bad. We (Minion #2 and I) were kept somewhat busy, so that helped pass the time. I made it back home in time to meet the swamp cooler techs, who were prepping our unit for use this season. (Of course, with the rain and cool temps we’ve had for the past few days, we don’t need to run the cooler. *sigh*)

Last night was also D&D 3.5 game night. We adventured. We didn’t die. I always view that combination as a “good” thing.

Stray Toasters

• Chemical Suspected in Cancer Is in Baby Products
  • Coffee Wards Off Cancer

• McNabb to Ravens “A Bad Match”
  • Locked-out players line up for cash loans
• Bionic hand for ‘elective amputation’ patient
• Blacks’ exodus reshapes cities
• 
• Walker moves to ban hospital visitation rights for same-sex couples
• One Death Provides New Life for Many
• Rock band KISS to play Carnival cruise ship
• 
• In Japan Reactor Failings, Danger Signs for the U.S.
• I completely spaced off the this past Monday was Miracle Monday.
  I actually owned this book many moons ago. I guess there’s still a chance that it’s lurking somewhere in my parents’ house.
  • Books — That is exactly how they work
• Fringe season finale = YeahbuhWHAT?!

Namaste.

Tuesday – 17 May 2011
It’s much later than I’d planned for making a post, so this will be a bit (somewhat) abbreviated.

Last night, following dinner, SaraRules! and I watched The Fighter. Very good movie. And, Christian Bale certainly earned his Oscar nod (and win) for his role. Also, it was another look at Amy Adams – who has shown a good deal of versatility in her characters – making it that much easier to picture her as Lois Lane in Zach Snyder’s upcoming Superman movie.

Today finds me in the Utah County office, once again. It’s been a little more busy than I’d expected. This is not a “bad” thing, mind you. And, I got to go to State Street Grill for lunch with some of the old crew. Win-Win.

Stray Toasters

• Today’s subject line comes from a play on “better late than never” and an old – and rather cheesy – joke. This is one variation of it.
• My 360 has exhibited the dreaded “Red Ring of Death.” *sigh*
• Orchestras on Tour: Names Hit a False Note
• End of an era: Las Vegas Strip’s Sahara Hotel to close today
• Ever wonder what it is that superheros do when they aren’t… superheroing? Ms. Marvel’s Day Off
• Why Aquaman is the best damn superhero in comic history
• You Must Read These Gleefully Deranged Stories
• I discovered this morning that one of my coworker’s ancestors were apparently the founders of the town in which my mother and uncle grew up. Small world.
• Another X-Men: First Class snippet.
• U.S. Calls for Global Cybersecurity Strategy
• Appeals court backs NFL as lockout remains in place

Namaste.

Saturday – 14 May 2011
I apparently am not as good as I’d like to be at the whole “sleeping in” thing. Yesterday, I was up at 7:15. Today, I was up at 8:15. Oh, well. It gives me time to do things. Exactly “what” those things are, I’m not sure yet.

Yesterday, SaraRules!, her mother and I went up to Park City. The weather was perfect — 70F and sunny, with light breezes. Perfect shopping weather.

Veni. Sumi. Vroomi.
We came. We shopped. We left.

After we got back to town, and dropped of the MIL, SaraRules! and I headed to Downtown Philly Cheesesteaks to get lunch. Cheesesteaks. Birch beer. Tastykakes. I’d definitely call that a lunchtime “win.” Back home for a bit and then off to coffee and dinner.

Today, I’m going to head up to Dr. Volt’s and see Valerie Finnigan at her book signing.  There’s a barbecue at Pin-up Girl Espresso, as they are temporarily closing their Cottonwood Heights location while IHC builds a medical center on the 6200 block of Highland… so we’re definitely stopping there. And, I’m also trying to decide whether or not a trip to Almosta Junction is in my plans.

And, tonight: Falstaff.

Stray Toasters

• Testimony of Mike Rowe
• Life-sized HALO Master Chief costume made out of LEGO
• Confessions of a Hollywood Stuntman
  And, of course, that reminded me of this:

• Just a thought: Since a couple of studios are trying to shop superhero-/comic book-related properties, why not change their target stations?  Instead of going for NBC/ABC/CBS, why not see about stations who might have a better demographic/target audience?  To me, it seems as though USA Networks (“Characters welcome”) and/or SyFy (I still think that was about the most inane “name change” possible…) or even Warner Brothers’ own CW would have been ideal choices for some of the new programming.  But that’s just my 2¢ worth.
  • 
• Sizzle at Cannes Film Festival
• Dropbox Lied to Users About Data Security, FCC Complaint Alleges
• Cartoonist Lisa Hanawalt’s useful advice for living

  

• How to Stock Your Home Toolkit
• Zero Charisma – An indie comedy about the greatest Dungeon Master ever.
  This trailer was pretty funny.
• Building the Empire Strikes Bike
• Access Denied! 18 Places Google Maps Won’t Let You See

Namaste.

Wednesday – 11 May 2011
Midweek.
New comics day.
D&D Game night.
The day that SaraRules comes home from Boston.

Not only has she been in Boston, but this was her status message this morning:

SaraK
Nothing like a beer tour at ten in the morning. — at The Samuel Adams Boston Brewery.

Yeah, I’m (a little) jealous. But, I’m apparently getting a new pint glass out of the deal… so it ain’t all bad.

Last night, Chris and Alex came over so that I could change out the hard drive in Alex’ PS3. Things went well… until we realized that Alex didn’t bring a cord for the controller. For some reason, the PS3 firmware won’t recognize wireless controllers during that process. *shrug* Thus, we couldn’t complete the operation. Instead, we sat around and geeked about gaming.

Stray Toasters

• Sam Adams. Patriot. Brewer. Homeboy.
• Sturges and Power Girl Display “Girl Power”
  This was an interesting article; I’m curious to see how the issues actually read.
• The Composer’s Other Voice
• General Motors to invest $2B in plants, create 4,000 jobs
• ‘You Can’t Defeat Hate With Hate’
• 
• Federal Retreat on Bigger Loans Rattles Housing
  • Is It Better to Buy or Rent?
• I would say “What the fuck…?!” here but, well… that would be redundant: Best college sex ed class ever canceled after sex toy demonstration with naked lady
• The Galactic Empire Times
• From the “Hallelujah… Thank you, Jesus” file:
  

  If Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco gets released or traded, what do you think the chances of Baltimore taking him are?
  James Walker: “I don’t see that. Baltimore has a good mix of veteran receivers and young draft picks to develop. It’s not a good fit.”

• Google’s Digital Music Service Falls Short of Ambition
• 
  • Secret Origins: Rot Lop Fan
• Summer’s Superhero Movies Get Blocky With Awesome Lego Minifig Posters
• Fox has axed Human Target, along with a few other shows. While the second season departed from the character’s original premise, I still enjoyed it… and it was leaps and bounds better than the version that ABC aired in the 90s.
• ‘HALO’ and creators move on after divorce

Namaste.

Thursday – 05 May 2011
It’s not only a NBN Thursday, but it’s also Cinco de Mayo.

…and the “obscure Mexican battle” was the Battle of Puebla.

Last night saw something of an exercise in futility in trying to accomplish the very simple goal of finding something to eat. SaraRules! was going out for dinner with a couple of friends from the Justice League Junior League, so I was on my own for dinner. Ordinarily, this would have meant grabbing a burger before heading to play D&D… but was still under the weather, so our game was cancelled. Thus, my options for dinner opened up a bit…

…and thus began my dilemma.

I finally figured out – about 8:00 PM – that I wanted Greek food for dinner. This would be easy to fulfill as City Creek Grill was close by!

Or so I thought.

They closed at 8:00. *sigh*

Okay. Fine. No problem. Dask’s wasn’t too far away. So, off I went…

…only to find that they had closed at 8:00, as well.

*grblsnrkx*

Leaving Dask’s, I tried to figure out what I had a taste for.

• Burgers? No.
• Rumbi Grill? No, I’d had that for dinner Tuesday night.
• Outback…? Maybe, but I would have preferred having a dining companion.

I wound up going to Barbacoa. I had a steak burrito. It was a good call. I got back home and started to catch up on Fringe, when SaraRules! got back home. All-in-all, it was a good evening.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
Jill Pantozzi, self-professed Geek Girl and blogger, wrote a good article about what it means to be a woman and to be a geek: I’m a Geek, Girl (& You Can Too!) In her article, she also extends her to comments to talk about peoples’ senses of identity, in general:

“…people, female or male, should be free to identify themselves however they like without being persecuted or looked down upon. Someone being proud of who they are or what they enjoy should be applauded.”

It’s a good read and one that I recommend to all.

Stray Toasters

• Mr. Lucas, the 4th is not to be trifled with
• Superman Actor Jackie Cooper Passes Away at Age 88
  • Jackie Cooper Dies at 88
• Mind-Controlled Artificial Arm Begins First Human Testing
• 
• Amazon cloud failure highlights customer responsibility
• The Limits of Nostalgia
• A Diamond in the Roughage
• With the movie opening tomorrow, I thought that this might be a (semi-)helpful primer on the God of Thunder: Comics, Everybody: The History of Thor Explained

  

• Last known World War I combatant dies at 110
• Sony breach prompts House data theft hearing
• Department of Justice asks NCAA why it does not have football playoff
• Intel Increases Transistor Speed by Building Upward

And that’s a wrap.

Namaste.

Monday – 02 May 2011
Not only is it the beginning of a new work week, but we’re in a new month, as well.

The weekend was a good one.  It had just the right mix of family and friends and things to do… and nothing to do, as well. While parts of it could be classified as “busy,” it wasn’t the “all-go, all-the-time.” And that was good.

Yesterday, SaraRules! and I went to see The Accelerated and the Irate: Part V Fast Five. Sure, you needed to check your brain at the door, but let’s face it: We don’t go to these movies for esoteric pursuits. We go because they are over-the-top action movies that are just… “fun.” (And, there was even a bit of a plot, too.)

Stray Toasters

• Let’s get the day’s top news item out of the way first:
  • Bin Laden Is Dead, Obama Says
  • Osama bin Laden, the face of terror, killed in Pakistan
  • OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD; President Tells Nation ‘Justice Has Been Done’
  • Osama bin Laden is killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan
  • And, in a related note: Bin Laden death could boost markets in short term
• Faithful give thanks for John Paul beatification
• When Oprah Was Ours
• 
• 20 Random Thoughts About Action Comics #900
  • #16, #17, #18, and #20
• A Go-to Site for Tracking Music Acts
• NFL draft grades: How your favorite team fared with picks
  • NFL Lockout: Why Pro-Footballers Keep Showing Up to Off-Season Workouts
• Today’s addition to The Covet List
• 
  For those who need a further explanation, click here.
• Kevin Keller — Archie’s Openly Gay Army Brat
  And just who is it that says that comics are just “funny books for kids?”
• Beneath the Atlantic, remains of Air France 447 finally found

The show must go on…

Namaste.

Friday – 29 April 2011
It’s my 9/80 Friday off.

It’s also 7:30 (well, it was when I started this…) in the morning. So, why am I up so early on my day off, especially if “early morning feedings” don’t start for another four or so months? (Sleep Can Wait. The Birds Are Angry) No… the real reason is: I took Logan and Swiz to the airport this morning; they’re winging their way to the California coast. I figured that I’m used to being up this early and I could easily deal with getting up and getting them to the airport. Ain’t nothin’ but a thang. Besides, I don’t have a whole lot on tap today, so if I need to catch a mid-afternoon nap… I can.

Last night, SaraRules! went to visit a friend whom she hadn’t seen in close to ten years. I got to stay home and be a bachelor for a few hours. This translated to: “Rob sitting on the couch, eating pizza and drinking Guinness, while watching the 2011 NFL Draft.” And it was good. Selah.

• Carolina Panthers select Cam Newton with No. 1 pick in NFL draft
• Ravens pick Jimmy Smith No. 27
• Welcome to Miami, Mike Pouncey

Good picks all the way around. And a good way to spend the evening.

Stray Toasters

• Congratulations to Prince William and Princess Catherine.
  And that pretty much concludes my royal wedding chat…

  …except to say that I caught a couple of minutes of George Michael on Piers Morgan Tonight while flipping channels last night. That was rather unexpected. 

  • I should see if Netflix has Royal Wedding — I’ve long admired the scene in which Fred Astaire dances on the walls and ceiling of his room, but never seen the movie. That scene was also… “somewhat replicated”… in the video for Lionel Richie’s Dancing on the Ceiling.
• South Assesses the Toll After a Deadly Barrage of Tornadoes
  • Tornadoes kill over 200
  • The complicated science of tornadoes and climate
• Endeavour’s Launch on Target for 3:47 PM EDT
• For SaraRules! (and other fishers): States start to ban felt-soled waders
• 
• Whenever I read a comic from this story arc (start at this comic and keep going through April) in Real Life Comics, I always think, “This sounds almost exactly like something that Justin would do…” and it makes me laugh.
• A Family’s Legacy, Afro-Cuban Jazz
• It’s sad, really. I watched the new trailer for Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon… and I liked it. It looks like a movie that has my three of my top requirements for a Transformers movie:
  1. Giant Robots. Check.
  2. Shit blowing up. Check.
  3. Megan Fox. Check.
  4. Optimus Prime being the heroic leader – and kicking ass – even in the face of oppressive/overwhelming odds. Check.

  In fact, it looks like a movie that I might even want to see.  But… and this is a big “but” (and I cannot lie): I still feel burned by the last movie with the name “Transformers” and that had Michael Bay’s name attached to it. Feh.

• George Michael – Flawless

  What… did you seriously think that I’d make a reference to George Michael in this post and not throw in a video?  Really?! Have you met me!? Besides, what were you expecting?  Something like this?

• U.S. Economic Growth Slows to 1.8% Rate in Quarter
• 
• Most hackable Android phones
• Star Wars Funnies by Kevin Bolk
• What in the Nine Hells is this…?!

Thursday – 28 April 2011
It’s “No Bad News Technical Friday.”  Hallelujah!

It’s kind of hard to believe that we’re only two days away from the end of April. It feels like it just started. I wonder how quickly the rest of Spring and Summer are going to fly by – or at least feel like they are flying by – now that we have the twins to look forward to as Summer approaches Autumn.

Twins. Most of the shock has worn off. Now, we’re trying to figure out just how many… adjustments… we’re going to have to make to our baby-prep plans. The grandparents all seem to be rather happy with the news. And, I think that this pretty much cements the idea that we’re staying at home again this Christmas. (I’m good with that.) Time to start looking at 529 Plans…

Last night, we celebrated my father-in-law’s birthday. We went up to the in-laws’ for dinner, dessert and general hanging out. For dinner, there was a homemade chicken pot pie. Correction: There were two (2) of them. And they were good. For dessert, we had homemade doughnuts, with an orange frosting. They, too, were good. It was a very nice way to spend the evening.

Back at home, SaraRules! and I watched the second half of Real Salt Lake‘s match against Monterrey in the CONCACAF Champions League Final. They seemed to play better than in last week’s match, but couldn’t get the ball into the net. This isn’t to say that they didn’t have the opportunities, but they couldn’t get the ball past Monterrey’s goalkeeper. And, since the final score was based on the cumulative score from both matches, Monterrey came away with a 3-2 total against RSL. I also believe that this makes Monterrey the first visiting team in… two years, I think… to win at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Stray Toasters

• Today marks City of Heroes‘ 7th Anniversary.
• MarknTyme pointed this out to me last night: Robert B. Parker’s ‘Spenser’ to Continue Solving Mysteries
  I’m not sure how I feel about this.
• The Case for Cursive
• Designer Makes LEGO-style Helmet That Reads Comics to Kids
  Wait, wait, wait… LEGO + Comics?!  Why do I not have one of these already?!
  • And if we’re already talking about The Covet List, add one (or more) of these to the list, too!
• Judge Denies N.F.L. Petition as Injunction Stays, for Now

• 
• Judge Denies N.F.L. Petition as Injunction Stays, for Now
• Bleeding Cool.com has a link to the newest international trailer for X-Men: First Class
• Spraypaint can cocktail shaker
• Union Pacific’s Great Excursion Adventure
• Superman Renounces [SPOILER] in Action Comics #900

  

  It would seem as though this has stirred up quite the debate in the comics-reading community.

• We Say Gay: Tennessee kids fight bill that would prohibit discussing homosexuality in school
• India Puts Tight Leash on Internet Free Speech
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Hooker Steals Macbook After Client Steals Sex

Namaste.

Tuesday – 26 April 2011
Day Two of the work week finds me in the south office again. In the words of Lita Ford, “It ain’t no big thing.” So far, it’s been fairly quiet, which has been something of a boon.

Yesterday, I left work early for a doctor’s appointment. More specifically, I left for an appointment that SaraRules! had. For those who don’t know: She’s expecting. (Which I guess really could be said: “We’re expecting.”) A couple of weeks ago, she had a check-up, which included taking blood for a few tests. She got a call from her doctor, this past Thursday, saying that one of tests came back with “abnormal” results and that they wanted her to come in for an ultrasound.

NOTE: The test that came back abnormal was a test that checks the protein levels in the womb. This protein – when registered in elevated levels – is an indicator of a neural tube defect, which can be a sign of spina bifida (1, 2) or other spinal cord diseases/defects. SaraRules!’ protein levels were high enough to merit further study. The ultrasound was needed to check the spine’s development and see if there was, in fact, a problem.

As you can imagine, our weekend had “a few” moments of preoccupation.

Yesterday, we went to the hospital to get the ultrasound. We were met by the ultrasound tech and a genetics specialist. They gave us a brief overview of what they would be looking for and went to work. A few moments later, the genetics doctor looked at the screen and then looked at us and said that her work was done…

…and that the baby was fine:

HUGE RELIEF!!!

.

.

.

.

.

…and so was the OTHER baby.

Wait…
What…?!

Twins.

That’s right: We’re having twins.

Oh, boy…

The elevated protein levels that were noted in the blood test were due to the fact that the test was looking for a certain range/level – the amount which one baby would produce. Since there are two babies in there, the test was thrown off, because they are both producing the protein. And, when that’s factored in, both babies – and SaraRules! – are fine.

So, I guess this means that I should get ALL the sleep I can in the next four-and-a-half months, because after that, I doubt that I’m going to get a full night’s sleep for a L-O-N-G time… if ever again.

Stray Toasters

• NFL lockout ends, for now
  • Judge sides with players, tells NFL to end lockout
  • To players, Judge Susan Nelson is now the NFL’s offseason MVP
  • NFL in Limbo as Owners Try to Preserve Lockout
• 
• Multitaskers Better at Spotting ‘Invisible Gorilla’
• 500-year-old book surfaces in Utah
• Rivet Manufacturing Flaw Suspected in Jet’s Roof
• 
• Security education: We’re doing it wrong
• Bill Nye Boo’d in Texas for Saying the Moon Reflects the Sun
  Really…?  Really?!  Are people seriously this dense?
• The Rise of the Corporate Superhero

Yeah… twins.  Wow.

Namaste.

Monday – 25 April 2011
A new work week begins. Is it a “bad” thing that I’m happy that it’s my short week?

The weekend was a good one. I talked with most of the family unit yesterday, everyone is doing well.

After Mass yesterday, I went out for a bit and wound up at West Valley Hobbies. (Shocking, I know.) They didn’t really have anything that I couldn’t live without, so I left empty-handed. Since I was on that side of town, I headed up to Black Water Coffee Company (Pin-up Girl Espresso’s shop on the west side of the valley). I chatted with Jim for a few, while getting a mocha to go. Next stop: Toys ‘R’ Us. I saw a few things there that registered as minor blips on The Covet List, but still managed to leave without parting with any money.  I headed back home and hung out before we headed to dinner at the in-laws’.

Dinner was a small affair this week, just SaraRules!’ parents and the two of us. We had lamb, broccoli and rice pilaf. Everything was very good.  Post-dinner, we watched Defiance. It wasn’t quite the movie that I’d expected. It was, however, quite good. From the IMDb synopsis:

Jewish brothers in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe escape into the Belarussian forests, where they join Russian resistance fighters and endeavor to build a village in order to protect themselves and about 1,000 Jewish non-combatants.

We all enjoyed it.

On the way home, SaraRules! and I noted that despite the fact that neither of us is Jewish that – between A Child of Our Time on Saturday and Defiance tonight – we had a fairly Pass0ver-related weekend.

Stray Toasters

• The Curious World of Zombie Science
• Beyond Imagination: a LEGO exhibit in Hong Kong
• Slutwalks Sweep the Nation
• Ravens safety Zbikowski improves to 4-0 after knockout
• 
• Thousands of devotees rush to pay homage to Sathya Sai
• Norio Ohga, former Sony president, dies at 81
  • Rest In Peace, Former Sony Chairman Norio Ohga
• 
• Pokemon’s Ten Most Disturbing Pokedex Entries
• One Size Fits No One: Seeking a Steady 4 or a 10
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Concierges confess hotel guests’ most memorable requests

And, with that… on to the day!

Namaste.

Thursday – 21 April 2011
It’s another NBN Thursday in the valley. It’s partly sunny, but at least it’s not raining. For the time being, anyway…

Last night was Game Night 2, with and the gang. Actually, it was an abbreviated gang, as a couple of our group weren’t able to make it. But, we persevered and adventured on without them. And we lived to tell the tale.

Back at home, I joined SaraRules! in watching Real Salt Lake take on Monterrey in the Concacaf Champions League Final match. RSL looked a bit tired by the time I started watching (second half), but they held their own against… and the refs. I – along with a couple of the announcers – thought that the refs yellow carded a couple of plays that shouldn’t have drawn penalties AND they completely missed/ignored a red card offense against Monterrey. *shrug* RSL came out of the game with a 2-2 tie and the second leg of the match will be held at Rio Tinto Stadium next Wednesday.

Stray Toasters

• In a follow-up to yesterday’s post: Weird Al posts Lady Gaga parody song (incl. link to song)
  It turns out that her manager never forwarded the song/request to Lady Gaga in the first place.
• Mail Rail: London’s long lost underground postal railroad
• 
• For SaraRules!: Behold: The world’s most complicated Rube Goldberg machine
• In Online Games, a Path to Young Consumers
• 2011 World’s Ugliest Couch Contest
• 
• I wonder of SaraRules! would let me build one of these…
• Despite threats, security not enough of priority at utilities
• FDA warns Delta over rodent droppings ‘too numerous to count’
• Burning Question: Is Wi-Fi Squatting Illegal?
• 
• The Man’s Guide to Marriage: A Timeline
• Stumbling Into Bad Behavior
• Utah attorney general says he will file antitrust lawsuit against BCS
• Engineering a real-life ‘Star Wars’ AT-AT

Namaste.

Wednesday – 20 April 2011
It’s the middle of the week, once more. That means new comics and Game Night 2.

Last night, SaraRules! and I had dinner – at one of the local Mimi’s Cafes – with my friends Peggy and Adrian. I haven’t seen Peggy in nearly ten years, I don’t think; Adrian and I last got together about a year or so ago. It was good to see and catch up with them. And, both the food and the company were good.

After dinner, I headed over to ‘ place for a bit of Tuesday night gaming. Our group had to figure out a couple of goings-on in the city… while not getting killed by a bunch of cultists… AND figure out to whom we could talk about said cultists without getting ourselves killed. Precarious. We seemed to find an interested – and quite possibly helpful – group. We’ll see if it comes back to bite us in our collective recta.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
Tina Fey’s Prayer for a Daughter, excerpted from her book, Bossypants

Stray Toasters

• Is it possible to rickroll yourself?  If so, I think I did while shaving this morning.
  • What Defines a Meme?
• Dangerous Arts
• Grete Waitz, Marathon Champion, Dies at 57
• Interview: Melissa Bianco, City of Heroes Lead Designer
• The Ravens have released their schedule for next season, assuming that there’s a 2011-2012 season…
• 
• iPhone keeps records of everywhere you go
• Sound Matrix
• From the “Um…No, you idiotstick.” file: Man tried to rob store with game remote
• Cuba Lays Foundation for a New Leader
• A Rabbi Armed With a Blowtorch Keeps Things Kosher
• In the digital era, free is easy, so how do you persuade people to pay?
• U.S. Orders Airlines to State Fees More Clearly

Namaste.

Tuesday – 12 April 2011
Work week: Day 2

As Google’s “classic” home page reminds us: Today is the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin becoming the first man in space

…also known as “Cosmonautics Day,” as well as being Yuri’s Night.

Thanks to an early day in the office, I was off work at 3:30 yesterday. I popped in to SaraRules!’ office, to say “Hi” for a surprise. From there, it was on to The Train Shoppe; they had completed the coupler repair on my Chessie locomotive. Next, I met , Tina and Casey for a stroll around Liberty Park. We did a couple of laps around the park which, assuming that the info I found is correct, means that we did about three (3) miles. I’m calling that a workout.

I came home, just in time to see SaraRules! off to her Justice League Junior League event. That meant that I was a “bachelor for an evening!” My first conundrum set in fairly quickly: What did I want for dinner? I solved that riddle with a quick trip to the local Five Guys. I came home, plopped down in front of the TV and DVR and watched a pre-Christmas episode of Human Target. I followed that up with a bit of HALO: Reach. Yeah… it was a good way to spend an evening.

Stray Toasters

• SaraRules! and I bought a pair of trebuchets last night.
  • It reminds me of the time I wanted to build a Mad Cat in the backyard, like Jim Martin did. I actually emailed him back in… 2003 or 2004; he was a nice enough gent.
• Human Spaceflight’s 50th: The Glorious Past and Uncertain Future
• Jerry Lawson, Inventor of Modern Game Console, Dies at 70
• Little girl joins the Dark Side

  
  EMBED-Little Girl Joins The Dark Side – Watch more free videos

• NFL, Players Ordered to Mediate
  • For the Panthers, a QB or no QB with first NFL draft pick?
• For SaraRules!: Rube Goldberg photobooth
• Minority business program to undergo changes
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• New York Airport Jet Clips Smaller Plane’s Tail at JFK Monday Night
• Gas Prices Rise, and Economists Seek Tipping Point
  • This Is the World’s Greatest Driveway
• Epsilon may have been tipped off that it was a target

Namaste.

Tuesday – 05 April 2011
Day two of the work week… and I’m in the south office today. Some of us are doing rotations down here once a month. And, today is my day. Well, one of them — I think I’ll be back down at the end of the month, too. Oh, well.  It’s a nice change of pace.

Last night, after dinner, SaraRules! and I ran a few errands and then went to Frogurt for dessert. It was good and it wasn’t as tart as the yogurt at Red Mango. (On the other hand, they didn’t have a Green Tea Yogurt, so it’s kind of a draw.) We wrapped up the evening with an episode of Castle and an episode of Top Gear.

I stopped at Pin-up Girl Espresso this morning, to get a caramel mocha for the road. I was pleasantly surprised to see (former) Pin-up Girl Erin in the window. I didn’t get a chance to ask if she was going to be a semi-permanent regular in the store, though.

And tonight is D&D 3.5 night.

Stray Toasters

• Commodore is back!  (Not to be confused with the music group, The Commodores.)
• Roberts’ three-run home lifts Orioles to first 4-0 start since 1997
• Salt Lake Art Center takes an outsiders look at SLC
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• Advocate for the Arts
• Obama Invites Republicans to Meet on Budget
• Chemical found which ‘makes bone marrrow repair skin’
• FAA to Order Airlines to Inspect 737s for Cracks
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• Guess who went to The Hobby Stop and looked at train stuff while at lunch.
• NFLPA’s Mike Vrabel arrested for alleged theft, calls it ‘misunderstanding’

Namaste.